Permanent magnet sensing element of limited rotation operating snap action electric switches

• US 3,167,694 A
• Filed: 03/06/1961
• Issued: 01/26/1965
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1961
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Martin Bekedam
• Original Assignee: Martin Bekedam
• Inventors: MARTIN BEKEDAM
• Application Number:
  US04/093,514
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• US Class Current: 335/206
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/56 using elements rigidly fixed to, and rectilinearly moving with, the floats as transmission elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 36/02 actuated by movement of a float carrying a magnet

Claims

1. IN A CONTROL MECHANISM:

A NON-MAGNETIC TUBE;

A MAGNET-HOLDING MEMBER HAVING A FIXED PIVOTAL AXIS THAT IS TRANSVERSE TO THE TUBE AXIS;

A FIRST MAGNET CARRIED BY THE MEMBER AND PLACED NEAR THE TUBE EXTERIOR AND HAVING ITS POLES ORIENTED WITH RESPECT TO THE TUBE AXIS SO THAT THE AXIS OF POLARITY OF BOTH POLES IS PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE TUBE;

A SECOND MAGNET SLIDABLE WITHIN THE TUBES AND HAVING ITS POLES PARALLELING THE TUBE AXIS;

LIKE POLES ON THE TWO MAGNETS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE SAME DIRECTION;

SAID SECOND MAGNET BEING MOVABLE ALONG THE TUBE TOWARD THE FIRST MAGNET AND HAVING A FLUX FIELD THAT WILL TEND TO OVERLAP THE FLUX FIELD TO THE FIRST MAGNET AS THE TWO MAGNETS NEAR EACH OTHER, MEANS FOR CAUSING THE OVERLAPPING PORTIONS OF THE TWO FLUX FIELDS TO BE COMPRESSED AT THE SECOND MAGNET APPROACHES THE FIRST MAGNET, SAID MEANS COMPRISING TWO STOP MEANS FOR LIMITING THE SWINGING OF THE PIVOTAL MEMBER BETWEEN TWO EXTREME POSITIONS;

THE COMPRESSED FLUX FIELDS CREATING A GREATER FORCE, TENDING TO MOVE THE ADJACAENT END OF THE FIRST MAGNET AWAY FROM THE SECOND MAGNET AND HOLD THE MEMBER IN ONE OF ITS EXTREME POSITIONS AGAINST ONE OF THE STOP MEANS AS THE SECOND MAGNET MOVES TOWARD THE FIRST MAGNET, THAN IS CREATED BY THE NATURAL MAGNETIC FORCE OF THE OPPOSITE POLES OF THE TWO MAGNETS TO ATTRACT EACH OTHER;

THE FORCE CREATED BY THE COMPRESSED FLUX FIELDS IN MAINTAINING THE FIRST MAGNET AND ITS HOLDING MEMBER IN ONE EXTREME POSITION, BEING SUDDENLY REVERSED WITH THE SECOND MAGNET STARTS TO PASS THE FIRST MAGNET, THE OVERLAPPING OR COMPRESSED FLUX FIELDS EXERTING A FORCE TO SWING THE FIRST MAGNET AND MEMBER WITH A SNAP ACTION INTO ITS OTHER EXTREME POSITION AGAINST THE OTHER STOP MEANS BECAUSE THE PORTIONS OF THE FLUX FIELDS OF THE FIRST AND SECOND MAGNETS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPRESSED IN THE RESTRICTED SPACE PROVIDED BETWEEN THE MAGNETS AS THE SECOND MAGNET PASSES THE FIRST ONE ARE SUDDENLY FREE TO EXPAND INTO THE ENLARGED SPACE JUST ABOVE THE FIRST MAGNET AND WILL REACT SUDDENLY ON EACH OTHER TO SWING SAID FIRST MAGNET AGAINST THE OTHER STOP.