Electrical Switch Cam Slider Pivotal Contact Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The rising costs of copper and materials necessitate a simpler and cost-effective construction of keyboard switches for electric appliances like food processors, while maintaining performance and current rating.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a switch body with upper and lower interiors, actuators, switch contacts, and moving contact members with elongate cam sliders that cause pivotal movement for switching operations, along with a control circuit on a circuit board for direct control of the load, including semiconductor devices and circuit components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional keyboard switch construction is used with multiple cam slider blades and complex switching mechanisms, then switching performance and current rating are maintained, but manufacturing cost increases due to rising copper and material costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple cam slider blades into a single integrated cam slider structure. The new design uses one cam slider with multiple cam surfaces instead of multiple separate cam sliders, reducing the number of parts and copper usage while maintaining the switching function. This consolidation directly addresses the cost issue by reducing material consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The single cam slider is designed to perform multiple switching functions simultaneously through its different cam surfaces. Each cam surface controls a different circuit connection, allowing one component to replace multiple components in the traditional design. This multi-functionality maintains switching performance while reducing part count and material cost.
2Ease of manufacture
If the number of cam slider blades is reduced to lower material cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but the complexity of achieving multiple switching functions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The single cam slider is segmented into multiple functional zones with distinct cam surfaces, each responsible for a specific switching function. This segmentation allows the single component to perform multiple operations that traditionally required separate components, reducing material cost while managing complexity through functional division.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from multiple one-dimensional cam sliders to a single two-dimensional cam slider with multiple cam surfaces. By utilizing the surface area of a single component rather than the length of multiple components, the design achieves multiple switching functions in a more compact and cost-effective manner.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design simplifies the construction and reduces production costs while maintaining performance, enabling efficient speed control and momentary operations in electric appliances.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of elongate cam sliders extending side-by-side in the switch body between the actuators and said at least one moving contact member for sliding lengthwise by the actuators to act upon and cause pivotal movement of said at least one moving contact member
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical switch has a switch body, actuators, and switch contacts, and at least one moving contact member having first and second ends. Elongate cam sliders extend side-by-side in the switch body, between the actuators and the moving contact member, for sliding lengthwise by the actuators to cause pivotal movement of the moving contact member about the first end such that the second end is moved into and out of contact with at least one of the switch contacts. The first and second ends of the moving contact member lie in a plane extending parallel to the longitudinal extent of the cam sliders, or extend parallel to the length of the cam sliders.