This article is about a technology that we are all surrounded by. However, you cannot feel the presence of this technology unless you belong to the field of technological sciences. Let’s talk about a microswitch. Read on to learn more.
Before getting into the details, it is important to know a brief history of these switches that will take you back to 1932 when they were invented in Illinois, USA through the valuable contribution of Peter McGall. After 5 years of this invention, McGall started a microswitch company that served as the cornerstone for this ever-growing technology.
Let us now generalize the purpose and uses of this technology. The selling point of a microswitch can be derived from your own words. It is a switch that can be activated with minimal force applied by a lever to transmit current flow until the unit is turned off.
Now we will emphasize on the areas where these switches are used and I am sure everyone should use them in their daily life. We can classify its use into two broad categories to make things easily understandable. Then let’s get started.
Home Applications
The household appliances we are going to talk about should be familiar to everyone, as they are all used regularly in almost every home. Microswitches are used in all home appliances where you see a power supply that needs to be turned on / off, but there are some other functions as well. We are going to explain them through examples.
The first example would be washing machines where you can find them in the form of water level sensors and completion alarms. In refrigerators, they are used to detect freezing levels and check if the ice maker is in the correct position.
Next on the list are air conditioners. In these units, the microswitches are used to detect the closed / open state of the door panels, the cooling levels and the angle of the louvers. You can also find them in cookers and ovens and the most common use for these switches can be seen on the panel that is used to control all cooker and oven functions.
Safety and construction applications
Another important area where microswitches are overused includes security applications and various appliances in any building / premises. Here again we will consider the on / off switch as a main function and try to discover other uses.
A very common example of a microswitch can be seen in alarms and push buttons that are normally pressed in an emergency or requirement state. Common examples include fire alarms, emergency doors, assistance bell, etc. Another common example is rotating devices for cameras.
In these devices, the switches are activated when the turning device reaches an extreme point and this could be applicable to all these turning devices. You will also find them in the door control system and elevator panel.
This was more of a summary content to give you an idea of ​​microswitches and their common uses. Of course, there are many more points and examples to discuss, but the information provided above will be enough for you if you want to have a basic understanding of these devices.