Abstract: A switch is delineated comprising a first conductive region; a second conductive region aligned with the first conductive region, the second conductive region including a first conductive pattern forming a first switch terminal and a second conductive pattern forming a second switch terminal, the first conductive pattern separated by a space from the second conductive pattern; and a third conductive region between the first conductive region and the second conductive region, the third conductive region electrically coupling the first switch terminal to the second switch terminal to provide a first indication when the switch is open and a second indication when the switch is closed. Also delineated is a control panel including a plurality of such switches, as well as an appliance including such a control panel.

Abstract: Commercially available filter-monitoring switches suffer from problems related to over sensitivity and reliability. Accordingly, the present inventors have devised, among other things, various embodiments of filter-monitoring switches and related components, subassemblies, methods, and systems. One exemplary filter-monitoring switch includes a diaphragm operably couple to move a conductive element back and forth between a pair of fixed terminals in response to pressure differences across the diaphragm. The conductive element is mounted to an insulative pin of substantially uniform width, and the terminals include leaf contacts that constantly engage the pin or the contacts throughout normal operation of the switch, thereby reducing flexure of the contacts and effectively providing a self-cleaning and self-healing electrical switch.

Abstract: A pushbutton mechanism for keyboards includes a bridge in a pushbutton that has an inner frame and an outer frame to make the pushbutton movable up and down. The inner frame and outer frame are intersected and coupled together, and have respectively inner side brackets and outer side brackets that have a stub shaft and a pivot portion to form a relative turning relationship. The inner and outer side brackets have respectively harness bosses and harness recesses corresponding to each other to allow the pushbutton to form a lifting position and a lower position in normal conditions. The bridge thus formed can generate a steadier relative turning and confine the stroke distance for the pushbutton.

Abstract: An improved button actuation assembly for activating a switch on hand held devices such as portable barcode readers has an improved structure that absorbs and dissipates the force exerted on the button. The improved structure thus protects the switch and the button actuation assembly itself from being damaged by excessive force such as from an impact shock caused by dropping or misuse.

Abstract: A switch element for surface mounting onto a printed circuit board which has a bearer element (2) and a contact element (1). Both the bearer element and the contact element are formed from an electrically conductive material and the contact element being formed from a resilient material. The bearer element and the contact element can be of an integral construction or are separate components assembled together. By this construction the bearer element comprises a peripheral retainer for the contact element. In one arrangement the bearer element has an inwardly facing C-shaped cross sectional shape to provide a recess to act as a peripheral retainer for the contact element by receiving at least a portion of the rim of the contact element in the C-shaped member recess.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for lockout of toggle switches, such as those toggle switches that include a captivating switch head (e.g., an enlarged and/or offset switch head) disposed on a cylindrical-shaped switch arm of the toggle switch. In one example, the apparatus and methods may employ a securement housing configured to be secured to a toggle switch by capturing at least a portion of the switch arm of the toggle switch between a switch head and an adjacent surface in a manner that prevents movement of the switch arm from a first switch position (e.g., “off” position) to a second switch position (e.g., “on” position).

Abstract: A device, a Micro-Electrical-Mechanical-Switch (MEMS) safety and arming (S&A) device and a method of manufacturing the MEMS S&A. In one embodiment, the device includes a body and a MEMS shuttle movably coupled to the body. In this embodiment, the shuttle is configured to close a switch in response to being accelerated in two directions that are substantially orthogonal.

Abstract: A stop device for an electrical device cell includes a generally flat, rectangular stop member and a generally flat, elongated permissive member. The stop member is, preferably, part of a stop member assembly that includes a biasing device. The cell includes a pair of rails upon which a drawout electrical device is movably disposed. The stop member is disposed adjacent to at least one housing assembly rail and is structured to move between a first, extended position, wherein the stop member engages the drawout electrical device and prevents the drawout electrical device from moving from the first, installed position to the second, drawn out position, and a second, withdrawn position, wherein the stop member does not engage the drawout electrical device and the drawout electrical device may move from the first, installed position to the second, drawn out position.

Abstract: A push-on switch includes a movable contact which has a projecting segment permanently connected with an outer contact and which is accommodated in a recess of a switch enclosure. A sheet with a center through hole for the movable contact is placed on the switch enclosure. The push-on switch also includes a metal cover with a cover terminal. The metal cover is attached to the switch enclosure such that a pressing segment faces a disc segment of the movable contact corresponding to the position of the center through hole with a predetermined vertical gap between the pressing segment and the disc segment. When a very low and weak force is applied on the pressing segment, the pressing segment comes into contact with the disc segment to change the state of a first-stage switch.

Abstract: A buffer assembly includes a housing adapted to sealingly connected to the pressure switch and defining therein a chamber and an airway defined in a bottom face of the housing to communicate with an interior of the housing so as to communicate with an inlet of the pressure switch. Pressure change inside the inflatable product is transmitted to the pressure switch only after the pressure change passes through the chamber of the housing via the airway and the inlet of the pressure switch.

Abstract: The delivery of liquid to a device, for example, a microswitch, can be achieved without the application of external pressure to the liquid by using capillary action to cause the liquid to move as desired. In one embodiment, at least one channel having a wettable surface is created that allows liquid metal to flow into a measuring reservoir without the liquid metal being pressurized and without applying other external forces on the liquid metal to facilitate its movement. A portion of the channel between the wettable channel and the reservoir is non-wettable and this non-wettable area, while allowing the metal to flow into the reservoir, acts to prevent the liquid from back-flowing from the reservoir to the channel. In one embodiment pressurized gas can be generated and applied to the liquid in the reservoir to facilitate the movement of the liquid from the reservoir to the switch cavity.

Abstract: A swing switch, which is disposed in a decorative panel having a surface and an opening, includes a switch body, and a panel-side guide. The switch body has an input element, a switch-side guide, and a swing center. The input element is disposed in the opening of the decorative panel. At least part of the switch-side guide is disposed on the rear side of the input element. The swing center is disposed substantially flush with the input element or the surface of the decorative panel. The switch body swings about the swing center. At least part of the panel-side guide is disposed on the rear side of the input element of the switch body. The switch-side guide of the switch body slides on the panel-side guide, thereby swinging the switch body. The switch-side guide and the panel-side guide support the switch body in a cantilevered manner.

Abstract: A sealed two-plate swimming pool touchpad construction that is unaffected by pressure, in which a resilient, compressible, non-conductive spacer material such as rubber tubing is seated in an array of spaced recesses or grooves on the inside face of the rear plate to insulatively space a conductive, flexible front plate from the rear plate. The front plate is joined and sealed in watertight fashion to the rear plate around the array of grooves and spacer material. Conductive portions of the inside face of the front plate are flexed into switch-closing/signaling contact with conductive portions of the inside face of the rear plate between the spacer material when a swimmer makes contact with the front plate.

Abstract: Provided is a stable key sheet in which, even if a key top is operated so as to be shifted sidewise, no excessive change, such as great tottering of the key top or overlapping of key tops each other, is caused. A key sheet including: a key top having a fixation protrusion protruding from a center of a bottom surface; and a base sheet to which the fixation protrusion is fixed, further includes a stopper plate having an opening through which the fixation protrusion of the key top is passed and whose edge faces a side of the fixation protrusion, in which, at a time of sidewise movement of the key top, the stopper plate abuts the key top to regulate the sidewise movement of the key top.

Abstract: A cradle stop assembly is provided for a circuit breaker including an operating mechanism. The operating mechanism includes a pivotable movable contact arm and a cradle member which is movable between a latched position corresponding to separable contacts of the circuit breaker being closeable and an unlatched position corresponding to the separable contacts being tripped open. The cradle stop assembly includes a first member coupled to a portion of the operating mechanism, a second member disposed opposite the first member, and a generally planar stop plate extending between the first and second members. A first stop portion of the stop plate resists movement of the cradle member beyond a first predetermined position to avoid the cradle member undesirably interfering with the pivotable movable contact arm. A second stop portion resists the pivotable movable contact arm from undesirably pivoting beyond a second predetermined position.

Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments provide a securement adapted to interface with a circuit breaker. A circuit breaker can comprise an actuator operable within an actuator operation zone defined by movement of the actuator between a first pole and a second pole. The securement can comprise an actuator restrainer and/or a substantially planar actuator guard coupled to said actuator restrainer. The securement can be operable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the actuator can be manually operated between the first and second pole. In the second position, the substantially planar actuator guard can be located outside the actuator operation zone and/or substantially prevent manual access to the actuator.

Abstract: A control panel is shown with at least one switch (12) whose actuating button (6) is situated in an opening (3) of a front panel (4), and with a housing (1) arranged in the region of the opening (3) of the front panel (4) and enclosing the switch (12), which housing forms between an inner and an outer circumferential wall (2, 5) an annular gap (8) for receiving at least one lighting means (11), which annular gap is open towards the front panel (3) and is covered in a light-transmitting manner. In order to provide advantageous constructional conditions it is proposed that that the housing (1) is inserted with its outer circumferential wall (2) in a flush manner into the opening (3) of the front panel (4) and encloses the actuating button (6) with its inner circumferential wall (5), and that the light-transmitting cover of the annular gap (8) between inner and outer circumferential wall (2, 5) consists of a foil (9) extending over the front panel (4).

Abstract: A housing for a pressure switch is coupled to a pipeline. The housing has a tubular body with an explosion-proof enclosure attached to the body with a retainer sleeve inserted through an opening in the enclosure and threaded into the body to secure the enclosure to the body in an axial direction. The body of the housing may be coupled to the pipeline via an interstitial trim device. The body and trim are preferably coupled together using left-hand threads. The enclosure is further secured to the body by a pin that extends from the enclosure into a corresponding pin receptacle in the body. The pin opposes rotation of the enclosure with respect to the body and prevents attempts by field personnel to remove the pressure switch from a pipeline by simply turning the enclosure. This arrangement also avoids disruption of the calibration of micro-switch components contained within the enclosure.

Abstract: A linear sensor (101, 201) comprising electrically conductive textile fibers (103, 105, 205, 207) and electrically insulating textile fibers (106, 208). The sensor comprises at least two conductive elements (102, 104, 204, 206) having electricall conductive textile fibers (103,105, 205, 207). The sensor also has electrically insulating textile fibers (106, 208) spaced to sepa the two electrically conductive elements when no pressure is applied to said sensor, and to allow electrical conduction between the two conductive elements under the application of pressure.

Abstract: A pressure actuated switching device is made by applying at least a first layer of fluid conductive polymeric coating material to a surface of a sheet of green rubber material. The conductive polymeric coating is solidified to form an electrode, and the sheet of green rubber material is vulcanized. Two strips of green rubber may be simultaneously processed and then joined such that the respective layers of conductive coating are in spaced apart opposing relationship. The conductive polymeric coating may optionally be formulated with green rubber. Optionally, a blowing agent may be included in the conductive coating formulation so as to provide a cellular polymeric foam piezoresistive material from which the electrode is constructed. The green rubber sheets may be processed by a continuous rotary method or by a linear method using a clamping press having opening and closing dies for heating and joining the strips of green rubber.