Thermal switch

• US 4,414,529 A
• Filed: 10/16/1981
• Issued: 11/08/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works Ltd (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works Ltd (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Toda, Toshiaki, Yoshioka, Hideoki, Okino, Ichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Harris, George
• Application Number:
  US06/311,944
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 337/370, 337/371, 337/372, 337/365, 337/367
• US Class Current: 337/36
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 11/0056 comprising a successive blank-stamping, insert-moulding and severing operation
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/001 Means for preventing or breaking contact-welding
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 37/002 combined with protective means
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 37/006 with different switches operated at substantially different temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 37/5418 using cantilevered bimetallic snap elements

Abstract

A thermal switch comprising a plurality of outer terminals respectively having a fixed contact, a movable contact spring divided into a plurality of mutually parallel contact spring parts each having a movable contact for contacting with and separating from the fixed contact and a plurality of bimetals respectively operating at differently set temperatures and provided so as to independently actuate the respective contact spring parts, whereby resetting-type contacts are reliably opened and closed in response to fluctuations in the atmospheric temperature through one of the bimetals which has a relatively lower first set-temperature and, when the particular bimetal of the relatively lower first set-temperature fails to operate and the atmospheric temperature further rises, non-resetting-type contacts are reliably opened through the other bimetal having a relatively higher second set-temperature.

Claims

1. A thermal switch including a switch body comprising a base, a plurality of outer terminals held on said base to be electrically independent of each other and respectively having a fixed contact, a plurality of movable contact springs corresponding in number to said outer terminals and respectively having a movable contact contactable with each of said fixed contacts, respective said movable contact springs being electrically connected with each other, a movable-contact-spring fixing plate held onto the base for fixing said movable contact springs in mutually parallel relation in the horizontal direction, and a plurality of bimetals each having a set-temperature different from that of the other and operating respectively independently so as to separate the movable contact of one of the movable contact springs from the fixed contact, whereby one of the movable contact springs operated by one of said bimetals which has said set-temperature relatively lower than the other forms resetting-type switching contacts and the other of the springs of the set-temperature relatively higher forms non-resetting type switching contacts.

2. A thermal switch according to claim 1 wherein said outer terminals and movable-contact-spring fixing plate are formed as simultaneously punched out of a single conductive metal plate.

3. A thermal switch according to claim 1 wherein said outer terminals and movable contact springs are respectively in a pair, one of said pair of movable contact springs which is operated by said bimetal having said relatively lower set-temperature forms a main contact spring part, the other contact spring operated by said bimetal having said relatively higher set-temperature forms an auxiliary contact spring part, and said auxiliary contact part is provided with a return preventing tongue piece extended to be capable of riding on a return preventing shelf part provided as projected on said base so as to prevent return movement of the auxiliary contact spring part when the same is displaced by the bimetal of the higher set-temperature.

4. A thermal switch according to claim 1 wherein said outer terminals, bimetals and movable contact springs are provided respectively in a pair, one of said pair of movable contact springs operated by one of the bimetals having said relatively lower set-temperature forms a main contact spring part while the other movable contact spring operated by the other bimetal having said relatively higher set-temperature forms an auxiliary contact spring part, and said pair of bimetals are arranged in a vertical position relation between said base and respective said main and auxiliary contact spring parts.

5. A thermal switch according to claim 4 wherein respective said bimetals are so arranged that their center lines intersect each other and their tips define an angle with each other.

6. A thermal switch according to claim 4 wherein a set of incisions is made in the base part of respective said bimetal, three projections are erected on said base so that lines connecting them describe an isosceles triangle and one of said incisions in each bimetal is engaged commonly with the middle projection of said three projections and the other incisions are engaged with the two other projections so that the base parts of the respective bimetals will be positioned on the hypotenuses of said isosceles triangle.

7. A thermal switch according to claim 4 wherein a means for separating said bimetals from each other in said vertical relation is provided on the base.

8. A thermal switch according to claim 4 wherein a pair of means for transmitting an operation of each of said pair of bimetals to their opposing one of said main and auxiliary contact spring parts are provided respectively between each of the bimetals and its opposing one of the main and auxiliary contact spring parts, and said pair of transmitting means are different in the length in opposing direction of the bimetal and main or auxiliary contact spring part.

9. A thermal switch according to claim 1 wherein said outer terminals, bimetals and movable contact springs are provided respectively in a pair, said pair of movable contact springs are forming main and auxiliary contact spring parts respectively having a resiliency for separating said movable contact from said fixed contact, and said pair of bimetals are disposed to be horizontal in mutual positional relationship and engaged respectively with each of the main and auxiliary contact spring parts so as to restrain said resiliency of the spring part.

10. A thermal switch according to claim 1 which further comprises a first projecting means for contacting the center of each of said bimetals and a second projecting means for contacting each of the bimetals at its positions inside the both end edges upon reversing operation of the respective bimetals.

11. A thermal switch according to claim 4, wherein said pair of bimetals are respectively of an oval outline having incisions on both sides adjacent an end base part along the major axis of said outline, and said base has three projections spaced from each other for supporting each of the bimetals in said vertical position relationship with each of said incisions of the bimetals made substantially in the same dimensions as said projections and engaged thereto.