Mechanical mechanism of electric latching switch

What is the mechanical mechanism called that behaves like a flip flop/latch on your basic push-button switch? When you push the switch in it makes contact and latches it in that state, when you push it in again it releases. Obviously there are many ways to achieve the behavior mechanically but I'm trying to find information on the subject but nothing I've searched for turns anything up on google.

Most are special applications of cams, I think.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

It's called a "latch" ;)

Ratchet & cam is one. Art

Bite the bullet: sacrifice a switch. Crack it open, examine the mechanism and poke around until you understand it, (or at least what it's doing), then come back and tell _us_. :-)

Consider the cost of the switch "tuition in tech home-school." ;-)

Have Fun! Rich

You don't have to open the switch, the mechanism is under the spring at the front of it, between the mounting plate and the switch electrics.

There's a pivot that follows a heart shaped path in the plastic moving piece of the switch, the trick to making the pin travel only one way around the heart pattern is a hard-to-see incline and step in the groove.

No cost, just pay close attention, first to the movement around the track, then to what makes that movement go in one direction.

Grant.

"On/off push button switch" in contrast to a "momentary push button switch". An "on/on push button switch" would be a double throw type. Take a look at digikey's listing of switches for examples.

Hul

Stretto wrote:

"Push-Push" and "Alternate Action" are also applicable.

--Winston

It is called a "ball point pen".

As with any alternate action, there have to be two distinct storage devices. One can be temporary.

Do they even make them any more, or did they go out with vinyl LPs? ;-)

Cheers! Rich