US3873957A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Push button
Assignee: US Philips Corp
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Filing: 1973-09-28
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Granted: 1975-03-25
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Expires: 1993-09-28
Abstract
Abstract A pushbutton switch producing a snap-action pulse from a Hall element. A snap magnet is held in a rest position and then released to follow the movement of a control magnet thereby applying a magnetic field to the Hall element.
Inventors
- 👤 Horst Wurscher
- 👤 Rolf Blass
- 👤 Oskar Becker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 08:30
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03K; H03K17/00; H03K17/51; H03K17/90
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
193 words
A pushbutton of the type having a Hall element and magnets which are movable with respect thereto for generating pulses, comprising a housing, a button shaft slidably mounted in said housing for movement in a longitudinal direction between a nondepressed position and a switching position, a control magnet rigidly connected to said button shaft, a snap magnet, means for mounting said snap magnet in said housing for freely sliding movement parallel to said longitudinal direction, means for holding said snap magnet in a rest position when said button shaft is in the non-depressed position and for releasing said snap magnet upon movement of said button shaft to the switching position, a Hall element, means for fixing said Hall element in position between said magnets, the magnetization of the magnets being directed such that when the button shaft is in the nondepressed position the Hall element is outside the field, while when the button shaft is in a switching position the Hall element is in the field between the two magnets and the longitudinal movement of the snap magnet is determined only by the position change of the button shaft and the control magnet.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
193 words
A pushbutton of the type having a Hall element and magnets which are movable with respect thereto for generating pulses, comprising a housing, a button shaft slidably mounted in said housing for movement in a longitudinal direction between a nondepressed position and a switching position, a control magnet rigidly connected to said button shaft, a snap magnet, means for mounting said snap magnet in said housing for freely sliding movement parallel to said longitudinal direction, means for holding said snap magnet in a rest position when said button shaft is in the non-depressed position and for releasing said snap magnet upon movement of said button shaft to the switching position, a Hall element, means for fixing said Hall element in position between said magnets, the magnetization of the magnets being directed such that when the button shaft is in the nondepressed position the Hall element is outside the field, while when the button shaft is in a switching position the Hall element is in the field between the two magnets and the longitudinal movement of the snap magnet is determined only by the position change of the button shaft and the control magnet.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
A pushbutton as claimed in claim 2, wherein the snap magnet is magnetically held in the rest position, while the snap magnet is released by said releasing means only after the button shaft has moved from a rest position to a switching position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
A pushbutton as claimed in claim 2, wherein the magnetization of the snap magnet is directed parallel to the longitudinal direction, and the magnetization of the control magnet is directed perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-03-24 | 1978-09-23 | 1979-03-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-03-24 | 1982-09-23 | 1983-03-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-03-24 | 1986-09-23 | 1987-03-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |