EP0177267A2 - Interrupteur électrique flexible - Google Patents

Interrupteur électrique flexible Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0177267A2
EP0177267A2 EP85306834A EP85306834A EP0177267A2 EP 0177267 A2 EP0177267 A2 EP 0177267A2 EP 85306834 A EP85306834 A EP 85306834A EP 85306834 A EP85306834 A EP 85306834A EP 0177267 A2 EP0177267 A2 EP 0177267A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
sheet
sheets
switch
face
electrically
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP85306834A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0177267A3 (fr
Inventor
Karl Michael Hargreaves
Michael Alan Stening
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP0177267A2 publication Critical patent/EP0177267A2/fr
Publication of EP0177267A3 publication Critical patent/EP0177267A3/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H3/00—Mechanisms for operating contacts
    • H01H3/02—Operating parts, i.e. for operating driving mechanism by a mechanical force external to the switch
    • H01H3/14—Operating parts, i.e. for operating driving mechanism by a mechanical force external to the switch adapted for operation by a part of the human body other than the hand, e.g. by foot
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H9/00—Details of switching devices, not covered by groups H01H1/00 - H01H7/00
    • H01H9/02—Bases, casings, or covers
    • H01H9/06—Casing of switch constituted by a handle serving a purpose other than the actuation of the switch, e.g. by the handle of a vacuum cleaner
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H9/00—Details of switching devices, not covered by groups H01H1/00 - H01H7/00
    • H01H9/02—Bases, casings, or covers
    • H01H9/06—Casing of switch constituted by a handle serving a purpose other than the actuation of the switch, e.g. by the handle of a vacuum cleaner
    • H01H2009/068—Casing of switch constituted by a handle serving a purpose other than the actuation of the switch, e.g. by the handle of a vacuum cleaner with switches mounted on a handlebar, e.g. for motorcycles, fork lift trucks, etc.

Definitions

  • This invention relates to flexible electric switches.
  • Such switches are, of themselves, well known and are used, for example, in burglar-detection systems as floor switches and on garage forecourts to detect the arrival of a potential customer as he drives his car over the switch.
  • the present invention seeks to overcome many of the problems inherent in previously-proposed switches and to offer a cheap but reliable construction.
  • the present invention provides a flexible electric switch comprising a sheet of resiliently-flexible electrically-insulating material moulded onto one face of which is woven or expanded electrically-conductive material wherein the sheet is moulded with spacing elements which project through the electrically-conductive material on its face, the arrangement being such that when the sheet is assembled with said one face opposed to one face of another sheet of electrically-conductive material, these faces are held apart by the spacing elements until pressure is applied across the sheets causing said one faces to be brought into contact one with the other between the spacing elements and thereby intercontacting the electrically-conductive material of said one faces.
  • the spacing elements may be spaced bars extending across one dimension of said one of the sheets, the bars being spaced apart one from the another along the other dimension of the sheet.
  • the other of the sheets may also be a sheet of resiliently-flexible electrically-insulating material into one face of which is moulded a woven or expanded electrically-conductive material which constitutes said another sheet, said other of the sheets being moulded with upstanding projections on its face opposite to said one face of that sheet and the two sheets are assembled such that the projections are interspersed between the spacing elements.
  • the upstanding projections may also be spaced bars extending across one dimension of one of the sheets being spaced one from another along the other of the dimensions of that sheet.
  • Such switches may be incorporated into the switch claimed in any one of the Claims of earlier Application No. 8230912, the two sheets of this Application being mounted each on one of opposed inner surfaces of the pressure sensitive member of the earlier Application and thereby providing the contacts of that earlier Application.
  • the switch comprises two sheets 1 and 2 formed of resiliently-flexible electrially-insulating material such as synthetic plastic material.
  • the sheets 1 and 2 are formed by moulding and each have, moulded into one face 3 woven or expanded electrically-conductive material 4. This material may be brass or copper gauge.
  • the material 4 is moulded onto the face 3 such that the material is exposed on the face 3.
  • the sheet 2 is moulded to provide a series of spacing elements 5 spaced along the length of the sheet 2. These elements 5 are bar-shaped and each extends across the face 3 of the sheet 2. The elements 5 are formed by the electrically-insulating material being allowed, in the course of the moulding of the sheet 2, to project through the woven or expanded material 4.
  • the sheets 1 and 2 are shown separated one from the other in Fig. 1.
  • the sheets 1 and 2 would be arranged with the elements 5 of the sheet 2 abutting the face 3 of the sheet 1.
  • the application of pressure across the sheets 1 and 2 in the direction of the arrows A would cause the faces 3 of the sheets 1 and 2 to be brought into contact in the areas 6 thereof between the elements 5.
  • Such contact will electrically intercontact the woven or expanded material 4 of the two sheets and thus provide an electrical switch which, upon release of the pressure will recover to restore electrical separation of the faces 3 by the elements 5 by virtue of the inherent resilient flexibility of the material of which the sheets 1 and 2 are formed.
  • Fig. 1 Whilst the construction of Fig. 1 will be satisfactory for many applications, if the pressure to be applied across the sheets 1 and 2 were to be applied via some rigid planar actuator, electrical intercontact of the faces 3 may not be satisfactorily effected. To enhance the certainty of such intercontacting, the construction of Fig. 3 may be used.
  • the sheet 1 is also formed with elements 7 which are similar to the elements 5 of sheet 2; that is to say, they are formed during the moulding of sheet 1 and are bar-shaped being spaced one from another along the length of the sheet 1 and each extending thereacross.
  • the elements 7 are formed on the back face 8 of sheet 1 and not on the face 3 as are the elements 5.
  • the elements 7 are arranged along the length of the sheet 1 so that when the sheet 1 is arranged with the sheet 2 so as to be abutted by the elements 5 of sheet 2, the elements 7 lie between the elements 5 in the direction of the length of the sheets.
  • planar actuator 9 will be engaged by the elements 7.
  • the woven material 4 on each of the faces 3 will positively be urged to intercontact in the areas 6.
  • the switch 20 comprises a closed generally tubular-shaped moulded member 21 which can be seen in longitudinal cross-section in Fig. 4.
  • the member 21 has opposed internal faces 22 onto which are mounted the sheets 1 and 2.
  • Connected to the woven material 4 one to each of the sheets 1 and 2 are wires 24 and 25 which permit external electrical connection to the material 4.
  • the member 21 has integrally moulded with it a pair of loops 26 through which can be threaded a hand-brake lever 27.
  • the member 21 and the loops 26 are.a one-piece moulding made from any suitable synthetic or natural plastic resilient material of sufficient rigidity as, together with the resilience of the sheets 1 and 2 as normally to hold the faces 3 of the sheets out of contact one with the other in the undeformed condition of the member 21 whilst being readily manually resiliently deformable when the lever 27 is pulled in the direction of arrow "x"to pply the brake associated therewith, to bring the faces 3 into contact one with the other upon the member 21 being squashed between the cyclist's hand and the hand-brake lever 27.
  • the electrical switch provided by the sheets 1 and 2 is particularly easy of manufacture whilst providing a highly-effective switch of wide application.
  • the sheets 1 and 2 can be manufactured in large areas and subsequently cut to the required dimensions. In larger areas, the switch can be used, for example, for burglar-detection when positioned under, say, a carpet. In longer lengths it could also, for example, be used on garage forecourts to detect the entrance of a custoner or could be used in roadways to monitor passing traffic.
  • sheet 1 is of similar construction to that of sheet 2, this need not necessarily be so and sheet 1 could equally well be merely a plain sheet of electrically-constructive material such as copper or phospher bronze.

Landscapes

  • Push-Button Switches (AREA)
EP85306834A 1984-10-01 1985-09-26 Interrupteur électrique flexible Withdrawn EP0177267A3 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8424707 1984-10-01
GB848424707A GB8424707D0 (en) 1984-10-01 1984-10-01 Flexible electric switches

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0177267A2 true EP0177267A2 (fr) 1986-04-09
EP0177267A3 EP0177267A3 (fr) 1988-02-10

Family

ID=10567500

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP85306834A Withdrawn EP0177267A3 (fr) 1984-10-01 1985-09-26 Interrupteur électrique flexible

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0177267A3 (fr)
JP (1) JPS6188412A (fr)
GB (2) GB8424707D0 (fr)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2001088935A1 (fr) * 2000-05-18 2001-11-22 Peratech Ltd. Interrupteurs souples
EP1607315A1 (fr) * 2004-06-18 2005-12-21 Textron Inc. Détecteur de présence de l'opérateur pour un appareil de travail dont l'utilisateur se tient en arrière
US7186356B2 (en) 2001-06-07 2007-03-06 Peratech Ltd. Analytical device
GB2436639A (en) * 2006-03-29 2007-10-03 Rupert Stephen Fane De Salis Electrical switch
US9048034B2 (en) 2012-05-04 2015-06-02 Industrial Control Systems Limited Extended contact strip
CN107323337A (zh) * 2017-06-22 2017-11-07 李天明 一种伸缩式弹性停车装置

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3734021C2 (de) * 1987-10-08 1996-11-14 Telefunken Microelectron Verfahren zur Herstellung von Tastschaltern
ES2485617B1 (es) * 2013-09-16 2015-04-06 Sensing Tex, S.L. Sensor textil piezo-resistivo y sistema de detección del ritmo cardiaco y/o respiratorio

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3056005A (en) * 1960-08-04 1962-09-25 Harry J Larson Mat switch and method of making the same
DE2101193A1 (de) * 1971-01-12 1972-08-03 Ver Baubeschlag Gretsch Co Kontaktmatte
DE2138919A1 (de) * 1971-08-04 1973-02-15 Ver Baubeschlag Gretsch Co Kontaktmatte
DE2331465A1 (de) * 1973-06-20 1975-01-16 Spellmann Georg Hannover Holz Kontaktmatte
JPS56163978A (en) * 1980-05-19 1981-12-16 Aisin Seiki Alarm device for brake for two-wheel barrow
JPS5866216A (ja) * 1981-10-16 1983-04-20 信越ポリマ−株式会社 キ−ボ−ド装置
DE3248607A1 (de) * 1982-12-30 1984-07-12 Petri Ag, 8750 Aschaffenburg Signalgeber fuer kraftfahrzeuge

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2001088935A1 (fr) * 2000-05-18 2001-11-22 Peratech Ltd. Interrupteurs souples
US7145432B2 (en) 2000-05-18 2006-12-05 Canesis Network Ltd. Flexible switching devices
US7301435B2 (en) 2000-05-18 2007-11-27 Peratech Limited Flexible switching devices
US7186356B2 (en) 2001-06-07 2007-03-06 Peratech Ltd. Analytical device
EP1607315A1 (fr) * 2004-06-18 2005-12-21 Textron Inc. Détecteur de présence de l'opérateur pour un appareil de travail dont l'utilisateur se tient en arrière
US7228679B2 (en) 2004-06-18 2007-06-12 Textron Inc. Electrical method of sensing operator presence on a walk-behind mower
US7414412B2 (en) 2004-06-18 2008-08-19 Textron Inc. Mower presence control assembly including a ribbon switch
GB2436639A (en) * 2006-03-29 2007-10-03 Rupert Stephen Fane De Salis Electrical switch
US9048034B2 (en) 2012-05-04 2015-06-02 Industrial Control Systems Limited Extended contact strip
CN107323337A (zh) * 2017-06-22 2017-11-07 李天明 一种伸缩式弹性停车装置

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0177267A3 (fr) 1988-02-10
JPS6188412A (ja) 1986-05-06
GB8424707D0 (en) 1984-11-07
GB2166295A (en) 1986-04-30
GB8523720D0 (en) 1985-10-30

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