Mechanically speaking. I understand how switches work electronically. I m curious how the toggling mechanism operates, and what makes one switch "stiffer" than another. All the schematics I could find only detailed the electrical workings. If anyone has any documents showing the physical construction that...
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answers:
Born Yesterday say: It's a spring loaded two bar linkage
(as Mike points out)
It is only stable when on or off but not
in between.
https://youtu.be/vYSJn0U0kXI
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say: There are a number of different mechanical arrangements, but all work on the toggle (over centre) principal.
Some have rollers running in a track that moves in between leaf spring contacts, some are more like a knife switch, where blades contact leaf spring contacts.
The most common in the home is indeed the over- centre bar type.
The most important feature for these switches is they both connect and disconnect rapidly, and the toggle arrangement can do this. It can quickly make contact, and then rapidly open at least to a suitable distance such that arcing (which could start a fire, or melt the switch) is highly unlikely to occur.
If a switch were to open slowly, an arc can be established very easily. That is why the rapid break.
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Who say: Minor point
mechanical switches dont work "electronically" - they work "electrically"
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Philomel say: Get a switch or three and take them apart. Look up drawings and videos of switches. Write to switch manufacturers for info. RESEARCH.
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mike1942-f say: The toggle switch has a compression spring running from the base of the contacts to the end of the contacts and the handle tips the mounting of the base. When the toggle is moved, the spring starts to bend from a ( shape to a long thin S then jumps to a ) moving the contact area. If you look at ratings of switches, the AC rating is always higher than the DC because the AC power goes through zero 120 times per second and quenches any arcing while DC has to move a distance to quench.
If you enter "toggle switch mechanism" to Google, you can get many many images of cut away views of switches.
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lee26loo，異地強秦後人 say: TAKE ANY TOGGLE SWITCH, BREAK OPEN IT WITH HAMMER TO SEE INSIDE IN DETAIL.
THAT IS THE WAY TO FIND YOUR ANSWER QUICKLY, AND THAT WAS WHAT I DID WHEN I WAS A KID.
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