Product Categories
CONTENTS
1. Switch from American Switches
2. Micro Switches
3. Push-button Switches
4. Rocker Switches
5. Air Pressure Switches
6. Indicator Light
1. Switch from American Switches
Our manufacturer has been involved in research, development and manufacturing of switch since 1991. Now, we supply various switch products to our customers in various fields, such as micro switches, push-button switches, rocker switches, air pressure switches. The majority of them are granted by international approvals, such as UL, TUV, CE, CB and EK. Our customers and their end users worldwide rely on our products for applications that are used in diversified industries including household appliances, instrumentation, industrial automation and others.
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2. Micro Switches
A micro switch is a generic term which used to refer to an electric switch. It is easy to be actuated by very little physical force. They are very prevalent and they always have low cost and extreme durability, typically greater than 1 million cycles and up to 10 million cycles for heavy duty models. This durability is a natural consequence of the design. Internally a stiff metal strip must be bent to activate the switch. This produces a crisp feel and a very distinctive clicking sound. The metal strip springs back to its original state after pressure be removed . Common applications of micro switches include computer mouse buttons and arcade game joysticks and buttons. Micro switches are commonly used in tamper switches on gate valves on fire sprinkler systems and other water pipe systems, where it is necessary to know if a valve has been opened or shut. They have also been used as anti-handling devices in boobytrapped improvised explosive devices manufactured by paramilitary groups e.g. the Provisional IRA during The Troubles.
The defining feature of micro switches is that a relatively small movement at the actuator button produces a relative large movement at the electrical contacts, which occurs at high speed (regardless of the speed of actuation). Most successful designs also exhibit hysteresis, meaning that a small reversal of the actuator is insufficient to reverse the contacts; there must be a significant movement in the opposite direction. Both of these characteristics help to achieve a clean and reliable interruption to the switched circuit.
The first micro switch was invented by Peter McGall in 1932 in Freeport, Illinois. McGall was an employee of the Burgess Battery Company at the time. In 1937 he started the company MICRO SWITCH, which still exists as of 2009. It is now owned by Honeywell Sensing and Control.
The microswitch, which is used to control, regulation, precision engineering, devices, and cars, is an electrical switch that is designed to be operated by the physical movement of mechanical devices, it's usually placement in small spaces. The principal characteristics of the standard microswitches are that it usually works with currents from 0.1A to 15A, it resists temperatures between -30 and 80 Celsius degrees. Nowadays exists a wide range of microswitches for specific applications like level sensors or waterproof switches.
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3. Push-button Switches
A push-button switch is a manually actuated switching device, and it employ a button or similar structure which is depressed to select among successive switch positions. Traditional push-button switches are provided with a dielectric housing in which pins are mounted. A spring-biased actuator is movably mounted in the housing and it carries contact members thereon for electrical engagement with the pins to perform switching functions. A push-button switch having more than one switch position is known as a multistep switch. A low profile push-button switch is one that has a minimal side profile to save space in the vertical dimension. Illuminated-type push-button switches is designed to enable an operator to easily recognize such an indication symbol and to provide input for an apparatus with reliability during the night or in dark places. push-button switches are employed in many types of electronic equipment, including keyboards for typewriters, computers, and other similar devices. Multiple push-button switches have been used in great numbers as appliance switches in electric ranges so as to control the circuitry thereof. Two position push-button switches are used in many applications, including the window lockout switches used in an automobile.
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4. Rocker Switches
A rocker switch is a device which have a plurality of terminals and means operated by a rocker for making and breaking electrical connections between pairs of those terminals. A rocker switch includes a button that is mounted to a case to pivot about an axis. A spring is typically placed in contact with the button to exert a biasing force that will maintain the button in one or more of the stable positions. The plunger operates a rocker actuator by a force exerted from the spring. The spring also supplies the force that causes the switch to toggle from one stable position to another. In general, the rocker switch is constructed such that its switch components or parts are housed in a square or rectangular housing the top of which is open and an operation button is mounted at the opening space of the box at the top thereof such that it can be moved for seesaw movement. The rocker switches are used in various kinds of OA machines, amusement and game machines, measurement instruments, and medical instruments.
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5. Air Pressure Switches
The pressure switch closes or opens an electrical contact in response to changes in sensed pressure in a cavity. Pressure responsive switches sense a change in pressure and respond to such changes by alternately making and breaking an electrical connection. A pressure responsive switch basicallycomprises a diaphragm responsive to a pressure change, a rigid ring for securing the diaphragm, and a pair of electrically conductive contacts. The diaphragm is resiliently biased and preloaded by a spring. Many pressure switches are electromechanical devices. Such devices typically include a Bourdon tube connected to the pressure source, which tube activates a snap action microswitch. A differential pressure switch employs a diaphragm that is driven in one direction or the other based upon the pressure differential existing across the diaphragm. Pressure-sensitive switches are used in a variety of applications where it is desired to switch apparatus on or off at predetermined pressures. Pressure switches employing a flexible diaphragm for sensing pressure are commonly employed in household washing machines for sensing pressure in a tube connected to the bottom of the washing machine receptacle. Pressure switches are widely used for controlling electrically operated devices by switching an electrical contact between open and closed circuit positions based on a preset fluid pressure threshold. Relatively complex pressure switches have been used for specific applications such as in automobile engines, refrigeration systems, industrial equipment, etc.
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6. Indicator Light (Pilot Light)
Pilot lights and indicator lights are incandescent or light emitting diode (LED) indicating lights for machines or instruments. Incandescent lights can operate on either AC or DC circuits; however, these devices are relatively inefficient, generate heat, and have shorter operating life spans than LED pilot lights. LED pilot lights require DC. If a DC circuit is not available, an LED driver can be used to supply the appropriate DC voltage and current. Indicating lights can be built into switches. Malfunction pilot lights and indicator lights can alert operators to problems with automatic equipment. Voice mail pilot lights can turn on or blink to indicate the arrival of new telephone voice mail. A dashboard indicator light or pilot light such as a brake warning light alerts a driver to vehicle conditions (parking brake is set) or problems with the vehicle (brake fluid is low). A pilot light panel provides a single area to watch for multiple conditions (on, off, malfunction).
Important specifications for pilot lights and indicator lights include electrical requirements such as voltage (6, 12, 24, 115, or 220 VDC), size (16, 22, or 30 mm), and colors. For LED pilot lights and indicator lights, common colors include white, amber, green, red, yellow and blue. Some LED pilot lights and indicator lights can change color with the polarity of the current. Mounting style (panel, PC board) is an additional consideration when selecting pilot lights and indicator lights. Letters, numbers and symbols can be applied to the lens of the pilot light or to a bezel.
Pilot lights and indicator lights are designed according to NEMA standards or IEC standards. To rate LEDs for use as pilot lights and indicator lights, manufacturers state the luminous intensity in candelas, which is a function of the viewing angle. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) maintains NEMA ICS5, which covers pilot lights and indicator lights. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) maintains ISO 2412 regarding the colors of indicator lights in shipbuilding, and ISO 15871 on indicator lights for container handling and grappler arm operations on industrial trucks. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901 (Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus) covers hazard indicator lights in the driving compartment.
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