Electrical switch with wire beam spring contact closer

Claim 1

A switch comprising: a housing having a cavity therein opening upwardly from said housing; a pair of switch contacts supported against movement by said housing and extending inwardly of said cavity; an elongated wire beam spring in said cavity supported adjacent its ends by said housing with a center portion free to be flexed, said center portion passing above said contacts and having a normal position spaced from said contacts whereat the electric circuit between said contacts is open; an actuator mounted in said cavity to flex said center portion of said wire beam spring from said normal position to engage said contacts upon depression of said actuator, said actuator including a plunger reciprocably mounted in the open end of said cavity with an actuator spring beneath said plunger to be compressed by said plunger and flex said center portion of said beam spring; a spring rider interposed between said wire beam spring and said actuator spring, said rider having spaced legs engaging said wire beam spring at points along the beam spring to flex said beam spring into circuit closing engagement with said contacts; said plunger carrying column means extending toward said spring rider and spring finger means being provided on said spring rider, said column means engaging said spring finger means at a predetermined point in travel of said plunger to apply force through said finger means to said spring rider in effecting switch actuation.