Miniswitch

• US 20050109601A1
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crouzet Automatismes (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Crouzet Automatismes (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Collot, Stephane, Roux, Christian, Truchet, Bernard
• Granted Patent: US 6,998,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/402
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 11/0012 for converting normally open to normally closed switches and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/20 Driving mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/36 using flexing of blade springs
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/40 Blade spring with at least one snap-acting leg and at least one separate contact-carrying or contact-actuating leg

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical miniswitch comprising a case including a case part forming a base wherefrom several electrical terminals are salient and a case part forming a cover, an instantaneous switching mechanism placed in the case and comprising a flexible conducting blade subjected to a substantially longitudinal pre-stress, and a push-button mounted sliding through the part of the case forming the cover so as to actuate the instantaneous mechanism. According to the invention the miniswitch also comprises a compression spring opposing sliding of the push-button so that in the break position of the miniswitch the flexible conducting blade is kept biased by the push-button and the spring, by means of a stop placed on the push-button, and that in the switched position of the miniswitch the conducting blade is not subjected to any constraint from the push-button and the compression spring.

Claims

1. Electrical miniswitch, comprising

a case including a case part forming a cover and a case part forming a base wherefrom several electrical terminals are salient,

a high-speed breaking mechanism placed in the case and comprising a flexible conducting blade comprising a tongue subjected to a substantially longitudinal pre-stress, and

a push-button mounted sliding through the part of the case forming the cover so as to actuate the high-speed breaking mechanism,

characterized in that it also comprises a compression spring opposing sliding of the push-button, the flexible conducting blade being kept biased by the push-button and the compression spring by means of a stop placed on the push-button in the break position of the miniswitch, and the conducting blade being released from any constraint from the push-button and the compression spring when the miniswitch is in the make position.

2. Electrical miniswitch according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the ends of the flexible blade is fixed and the other end is movable and provided with at least one contact.

3. Electrical miniswitch according to claim 1, characterized in that the push-button passes through the flexible conducting blade.

4. Electrical miniswitch according to claim 1, characterized in that one end of the compression spring is housed in a recess of the push-button.

5. Electrical miniswitch according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible conducting blade is pre-stressed between two notches.

6. Electrical miniswitch according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible conducting blade is pre-stressed between a notch and a retaining fold.