Positive stop electrical switch

Claim 2

A combined mechanical stop and electrical switch, comprising a cuplike base housing and a cuplike operator housing disposed in opposed relationship to one another and positioned in slidable telescopic relationship to define a substantially closed chamber therebetween, each of said housings defining therein an inside cavity, a body of insulating material substantially filling each of said cavities and being fixed relative to the respective housing, an electrical contact embedded within each body of insulated material with said electrical contacts as mounted on the opposed housings being deposed opposite one another and positioned for contacting one another when said housings are slidably moved toward one another, the cavity in one of said housings having a bottom portion which is enlarged so as to mechanically hold the body of insulating material therein, and the contact as associated with said one housing comprising a disk having a tapered edge which is embedded and mechanically held within the respective body of insulating material, the exposed surface of said disk being substantially flush with the open end of said one housing, said one housing having an annular groove formed on the outer circumference thereof, an annular seal ring disposed within said groove and sealingly engaged between said pair of housings, and an annular flexible seal disposed in surrounding relationship to and extending between said pair of housings.

Claim 3

A combined mechanical stop and electrical switch, comprising first and second cuplike housings disposed opposite one another and positioned in sliding telescopic relationship to one another to define a substantially closed chamber therebetween, said first housing defining therein a first cavity which has a first body of insulating material fixed therein and a first electrical contact embedded within said first body of insulating material, the second housing having a wall portion wHich projects inwardly from the open end of the housing to a point about midway of the housing, said wall portion being of reduced thickness to define an inner annular shoulder at the inner end thereof, said shoulder having a plurality of openings formed therein each containing a spring, said second housing having a second cavity formed in the bottom thereof and surrounded by said shoulder with said second cavity being filled with a second body of insulating material, the bottom portion of said second cavity being at least slightly enlarged to mechanically hold said second body of insulating material therein, a tapered ringlike contact embedded and mechanically held in said second body of insulating material, a tapered disk-shaped contact disposed within said ringlike contact and embedded and mechanically held in said second body of insulating material, a pair of external lead wires with one of said wires being connected to said ringlike contact and the other of said wires being conntected to said disk-shaped contact, said wires extending through a hole provided in said second housing, the exposed surfaces of said ringlike contact and said disk-shaped contact being substantially flush with the plane of said annular shoulder, said second body of insulating material being provided with an annular groove therein between said ringlike contact and said disk-shaped contact, said second body of insulating material having a further annular groove formed therein between said ring-shaped contact and said shoulder, and said second housing having an annular groove formed therein between said shoulder and said wall portion, said wall portion having an annular notch on the inside circumference thereof adapted to accommodate therein an annular sealing ring, an annular antifriction insert mounted on the inside circumference of said wall portion adjacent the open end of said second housing, and the outer circumference of said second housing having projection means positioned for engagement with a flexible annular shield adapted to surround and extend between said first and second housings.

Claim 4

A combined mechanical stop and electrical switch, comprising first and second cuplike housings disposed opposite one another and positioned in sliding telescopic relationship to one another to define a substantially closed chamber therebetween, said first housing defining therein a first cavity which has a first body of insulating material fixed therein and a first electrical contact embedded within said first body of insulating material, the second housing having a wall portion wHich projects inwardly from the open end of the housing to a point about midway of the housing, said wall portion being of reduced thickness to define an inner annular shoulder at the inner end thereof, said shoulder having a plurality of openings formed therein each containing a spring, said second housing having a second cavity formed in the bottom thereof and surrounded by said shoulder with said second cavity being filled with a second body of insulating material, the bottom portion of said second cavity being at least slightly enlarged to mechanically hold said second body of insulating material therein, a tapered ringlike contact embedded and mechanically held in said second body of insulating material, a tapered disk-shaped contact disposed within said ringlike contact and embedded and mechanically held in said second body of insulating material, a pair of external lead wires with one of said wires being connected to said ringlike contact and the other of said wires being conntected to said disk-shaped contact, said wires extending through a hole provided in said second housing, the exposed surfaces of said ringlike contact and said disk-shaped contact being substantially flush with the plane of said annular shoulder, said second body of insulating material being provided with an annular groove therein between said ringlike contact and said disk-shaped contact, said second body of insulating material having a further annular groove formed therein between said ring-shaped contact and said shoulder, and said second housing having an annular groove formed therein between said shoulder and said wall portion, said wall portion having an annular notch on the inside circumference thereof adapted to accommodate therein an annular sealing ring, an annular antifriction insert mounted on the inside circumference of said wall portion adjacent the open end of said second housing, and the outer circumference of said second housing having projection means positioned for engagement with a flexible annular shield adapted to surround and extend between said first and second housings.

Claim 5

In an electrical switch device, the improvement comprising: a first cup-shaped housing including a first base wall and a first annular sidewall fixed to said base wall and projecting outwardly therefrom, said first annular sidewall defining a first cavity therein; a first body of insulating material positioned within said first cavity and fixed relative to said first housing; a first electrical contact member fixedly mounted on said first body of insulating material, said first contact member having an exposed contact surface which faces the open end of said first housing; a second cup-shaped housing disposed opposite and slidably telescopically mounted on said first cup-shaped housing for defining a substantially closed compartment therebetween, said second housing including a second base wall and a second annular sidewall fixed to said second base wall and projecting outwardly therefrom, said first and second annular sidewalls being slidably telescopically received one within the other, and said second annular sidewall defining a second cavity which opens toward and is disposed opposite said first cavity; a second block of insulating material disposed within said second cavity and fixed relative to said second housing; a second electrical contact member fixedly mounted on said second block of insulating material, said second contact member having an exposed contact surface which faces toward the open end of said second housing member whereby the exposed contact surfaces on said first and second contact member are disposed directly opposite one another; said first and second housing being relatively slidably movable toward and away from one another between a first position wherein said exposed contact surfaces are spaced from one another and a second position wherein said exposed contact surfaces engage one another; and mechanical stop means coacting between said first and second housings for limiting relative movement of said first housing toward said second housing, said stop means including a first stop surface associated with said first housing and a second stop surface fixedly associated with said second housing, said first and second stop surfaces being disposed directly opposite one another and spaced apart when said first and said second housings are in said first position, said stop surfaces being disposed in engagement with one another when said first and second housings are in said second position.

Claim 6

In an electrical switch device, the improvement comprising: a first cup-shaped housing including a first base wall and a first annular sidewall fixed to said base wall and projecting outwardly therefrom, said first annular sidewall defining a first cavity therein; a first body of insulating material positioned within said first cavity and fixed relative to said first housing; a first electrical contact member fixedly mounted on said first body of insulating material, said first contact member having an exposed contact surface which faces the open end of said first housing; a second cup-shaped housing disposed opposite and slidably telescopically mounted on said first cup-shaped housing for defining a substantially closed compartment therebetween, said second housing including a second base wall and a second annular sidewall fixed to said second base wall and projecting outwardly therefrom, said first and second annular sidewalls being slidably telescopically received one within the other, and said second annular sidewall defining a second cavity which opens toward and is disposed opposite said first cavity; a second block of insulating material disposed within said second cavity and fixed relative to said second housing; a second electrical contact member fixedly mounted on said second block of insulating material, said second contact member having an exposed contact surface which faces toward the open end of said second housing member whereby the exposed contact surfaces on said first and second contact member are disposed directly opposite one another; said first and second housing being relatively slidably movable toward and away from one another between a first position wherein said exposed contact surfaces are spaced from one another and a second position wherein said exposed contact surfaces engage one another; and mechanical stop means coacting between said first and second housings for limiting relative movement of said first housing toward said second housing, said stop means including a first stop surface associated with said first housing and a second stop surface fixedly associated with said second housing, said first and second stop surfaces being disposed directly opposite one another and spaced apart when said first and said second housings are in said first position, said stop surfaces being disposed in engagement with one another when said first and second housings are in said second position.

Claim 7

A device according to claim 3, wherein said first contact member comprises a ringlike member, wherein said second contact member comprises a disklike member of a size sufficient to engage said ringlike member, and wherein said first body of insulating material has a third contact member fixedly mounted thereon and positioned within but spaced from said ringlike member, said third contact member having an exposed contact surface thereon which is substantially flush with the contact surface formed on said ringlike member, whereby said disklike member engages both said ringlike member and said third contact member when said housings are in said second position, and a pair of electrical leads associated with said device and extending externally of said first housing, one of said leads being connected to said ringlike member and the other of said leads being connected to said third contact member.

Claim 8

A device according to claim 3, wherein said first housing has an annular shoulder fixedly associated therewith and disposed within said first annular sidewall, said annular shoulder being spaced axially inwardly from the free end of said first annular sidewall, and said second annular sidewall being slidably telescopically received within said first annular sidewall, and said second annular sidewall having the free end thereof defining one of said stop surfaces thereon, and said annular shoulder defining the other stop surface thereon.

Claim 9

A device acording to claim 5, further including an elongated flexible annular sleeve disposed in surrounding relationship to and extending axially between said first and second housings.

Claim 10

A device according to claim 6, further including spring means coacting between said first and second housings for normally resiliently urging same away from one another to normally maintain said housings in said first position.