Electrical control device

• US 20090121661A1
• Filed: 11/08/2007
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Chen, Feihong, Dodal, Rohit
• Granted Patent: US 7,728,240 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/51
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/20 Bridging contacts for circuit breakers H01H73/045
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 15/06 Movable parts; Contacts mounted thereon
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/50 with indexing or locating means, e.g. indexing by ball and spring

Abstract

An electrical control device is described.

Claims

1. An electrical control device, comprising:

an elongated member comprising a plurality of substantially collinear detents on a first side thereof, the detents being disposed along an axis of the elongated member;

a slider coupled to the elongated member and configured to slide along the axis of the elongated member;

a positioning member coupled to the slider and disposed proximate to the first side of the elongated member, the positioning member being configured to move along the axis of the elongated member in conjunction with the slider; and

a connector coupled to the slider and comprising at least one contact configured to engage a stationary contact of a printed circuit board when the positioning member is at least partially disposed within one of the detents of the elongated member.

2. The electrical control device of claim 1, wherein the positioning member comprises a spherical member.

3. The electrical control device of claim 2, further comprising a spring disposed substantially between the spherical member and an inside edge of the slider, the spring having a diameter that is smaller than a diameter of the spherical member.

4. The electrical control device of claim 1, wherein the first side comprises a top edge disposed along a length of the elongated member.

5. The electrical control device of claim 1, wherein the connector comprises two contacts and the printed circuit board comprises at least two stationary contacts, and

wherein each of the contacts of the connector is configured to engage a corresponding one of the stationary contacts of the printed circuit board when the positioning member is at least partially disposed within one of the detents of the elongated member.

6. The electrical control device of claim 5, further comprising the printed circuit board comprising three substantially collinear, stationary contacts, a first of the stationary contacts being disposed between a second of the stationary contacts and a third of the stationary contacts, and

wherein, when the positioning member is at least partially disposed within one of the detents of the elongated member, one of the contacts of the connector engages the second stationary contact, the other of the contacts of the connector engages the third stationary contact, and neither of the contacts of the connector engages the first stationary contact.

7. The electrical control device of claim 1, wherein the contact of the connector is configured to not engage the stationary contact of the printed circuit board when the positioning member is disposed between two of the detents.

8. The electrical control device of claim 1, further comprising a spring disposed between the slider and the connector.

9. An electrical control device, comprising:

an elongated member comprising a plurality of substantially collinear detents on a first side thereof, the detents being disposed along an axis of the elongated member;

a slider coupled to the elongated member and configured to slide along the axis of the elongated member;

a spherical member coupled to the slider and disposed proximate to the first side of the elongated member, the spherical member being configured to slide along the axis of the elongated member in conjunction with the slider;

a spring disposed substantially between the spherical member and an inside edge of the slider and having a diameter that is smaller than a diameter of the spherical member, the spring exerting a force on the spherical member, toward the first side of the elongated member;

a printed circuit board comprising three substantially collinear, stationary contacts, a first of the stationary contacts being disposed between a second of the stationary contacts and a third of the stationary contacts; and

a connector coupled to the slider and comprising two contacts,

wherein, when the spherical member is at least partially disposed within one of the detents of the elongated member, one of the contacts of the connector engages the second stationary contact of the printed circuit board, the other of the contacts of the connector engages the third stationary contact of the printed circuit board, and neither of the contacts of the connector engages the first stationary contact of the printed circuit board.

10. The electrical control device of claim 9, wherein neither of the contacts of the connector engages one of the stationary contacts of the printed circuit board when the spherical member is disposed between two of the detents of the elongated member.

11. A system, comprising:

an electrical control device comprising;

an elongated member comprising a plurality of substantially collinear detents on a first side thereof, the detents being disposed along an axis of the elongated member,

a slider coupled to the elongated member and configured to slide along the axis of the elongated member,

a positioning member coupled to the slider and disposed proximate to the first side of the elongated member, the positioning member being configured to move along the axis of the elongated member in conjunction with the slider, and

a connector coupled to the slider and comprising at least one contact configured to engage a stationary contact of a printed circuit board when the positioning member is at least partially disposed within one of the detents of the elongated member; and

a fan electrically coupled to the electrical control device, wherein the electrical control device is configured to control a speed setting of the fan.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the printed circuit board comprises at least two stationary contacts, each of the stationary contacts corresponding to a different speed setting of the fan.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the printed circuit board comprises at least two pairs of stationary contacts, each of the pairs of stationary contacts corresponding to a different speed setting of the fan, and

wherein the connector is configured to engage at least one of the pairs of stationary contacts when the positioning member is at least partially disposed within one of the detents of the elongated member.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the positioning member comprises a spherical member.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a spring disposed substantially between the spherical member and an inside edge of the slider, the spring having a diameter that is smaller than a diameter of the spherical member.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the first side comprises a top edge disposed along a length of the elongated member.