Air gap switch assembly
DCFirst Claim
1. An air gap switch assembly, commprising:
- a housing;
an air gap switch coupled to said housing and being moveable between an open and closed position;
a control lever extending from a position inside said housing to a position outside said housing and moveable relative to said housing so that the distance that said lever extends outside said housing varies as a function of the position of said lever relative to said housing;
said control lever being moveable between an ON position wherein it causes said switch to be in said closed position and an OFF position wherein it causes said switch to be in said open position;
at least a portion of said lever extending outside said housing in both the ON and OFF positions, the entire portion of said lever which extends outside said housing being formed of a transparent material which makes said portion difficult to see in both said ON and OFF positions; and
a status indicator located on said lever at a position which is located outdside said housing when said lever is in one of said ON and OFF positions and which is located inside said housing when said lever is in the other of said ON and OFF positions, said status indicator being highly visible relative to said transparent material.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An air gap switch assembly with a status indicator that prominently indicates when the switch is in the OFF position and disappears from view when the switch is in the ON position. The status indicator is located on the control lever for the switch, which is formed of a clear material and is difficult to see. The control lever is moveable relative to the housing of the assembly so that when the control lever is in the ON position, the portion of the lever on which the status indicator is located is hidden from view by the housing of the assembly. When the control lever is moved to the OFF position, the portion of the lever on which the status indicator is located is exposed, thereby providing an indication that the switch is in the OFF position. The switch is formed of two contacts which are biased together in electrical contact by an elongated flat metal strip. The control lever is coupled to a cam. When the control lever is moved to the OFF position, the cam abuts against the metal strip, forcing the strip to move in a direction opposite to its bias, thereby separating the two contacts and breaking electrical contact.
89 Citations
28 Claims
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1. An air gap switch assembly, commprising:
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a housing; an air gap switch coupled to said housing and being moveable between an open and closed position; a control lever extending from a position inside said housing to a position outside said housing and moveable relative to said housing so that the distance that said lever extends outside said housing varies as a function of the position of said lever relative to said housing;
said control lever being moveable between an ON position wherein it causes said switch to be in said closed position and an OFF position wherein it causes said switch to be in said open position;
at least a portion of said lever extending outside said housing in both the ON and OFF positions, the entire portion of said lever which extends outside said housing being formed of a transparent material which makes said portion difficult to see in both said ON and OFF positions; anda status indicator located on said lever at a position which is located outdside said housing when said lever is in one of said ON and OFF positions and which is located inside said housing when said lever is in the other of said ON and OFF positions, said status indicator being highly visible relative to said transparent material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An air gap switch assembly, comprising:
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a housing; an air gap switch coupled to said housing and moveable between an open and a closed position; an electronic switching element coupled in series with said air gap switch such that when said series connected air gap switch and electronic switching element are coupled in series with a power soource and a load, power is applied to said load whenever said air gap switch is in said closed position and said electronic switching element is ON and power is removed from said load whenever either said air gap switch is in said open position of said electronic switching element is OFF; a control circuit for controlling the operation of said switching element; a control lever extending from a postion inside said housing to a position outside said housing and moveable relative to said housing so that the distance that said lever extends outside said housing varies as a function of the position of said lever relative to said housing, said control lever being moveable between an ON position wherein it causes said switch to be in a closed position, and an OFF position wherein it causes said switch to be in said open position; a status indicator located on said lever at a position which is located outside said housing when said lever is in one of said ON an OFF positions and which is located inside said housing whenever said lever is in the other of said ON and OFF positions; and a human actuable control, separate from said control lever, for controlling the operation of said control circuit. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification