Electromagnetic switching apparatus with interchangeable switches

• US 4,800,352 A
• Filed: 10/08/1987
• Issued: 01/24/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: La Telemecanique Electrique
• Original Assignee: La Telemecanique Electrique
• Inventors: Bebel, Elie, Lauraire, Michel, Vergez, Andre, Haury, Andre
• Primary Examiner(s): Goldberg, E. A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DONOVAN, LINCOLN D
• Application Number:
  US07/105,746
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 335/130-132, 335/129-129, 200/293, 200/303, 200/307, 200/309
• US Class Current: 335/132
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/044 Application rejection 1: coded interacting surfaces, polarising, e.g. to avoid insertion of a circuit breaker or fuse or relay or rating plug of the wrong caliber or in the wrong direction
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/643 intermediate part performing a rotating or pivoting movement H01H50/645, H01H50/66 - H01H50/74 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 71/0228 having provisions for interchangeable or replaceable parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 89/08 with both devices using the same contact pair

Abstract

An electromagnetic switching apparatus with interchangeable switches is provided, including a base with a bottom and a cavity containing an electromagnet whose mobile armature, through a disconnectable transmission piece, actuates the mobile contact of a switch housed in an insulating case removably associated with a fixing face of the base opposite the bottom, said fixing surface including openings for the passage of said transmission piece, said base having connection terminals connected to contact pieces which cooperate with corresponding pieces connected to the switch.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic switching apparatus comprising:

i. an insulating base having a coupling wall provided with at least one opening and input and output socket contacts mounted in said coupling wall;

ii. actuating electromagnet means housed in said base and having an armature movable along a first direction parallel to said wall from a rest to an actuated positions and at least one coupling member attached to said armature and having an elongate receptacle substantially extending at right angles to said coupling wall;

iii. at least one insulating case having a fixation wall adapted for removably mating with said coupling wall;

at least one aperture being provided in said fixation wall and registering at least partially with said opening and input and output conductor portions outwardly protruding from said fixation wall to plug-in into the respective socket contacts;

iv. switch means connected to said conductor portions and housed in said case, said switch means comprising at least one fixed contact, at least one movable contact and at least one pivotable lever holding the movable contact for effecting a displacement of the movable contact from a closed to an open condition of the switch means when the armature is in the actuated position, said displacement being effected in a second direction substantially perpendicular to said coupling wall, said holding lever pivoting about an axis substantially perpendicular to said first and second directions;

v. at least one insulating layer pivotally mounted about the axis of the holding lever and driving the latter for displacing the movable contact, said insulating lever passing through said opening and said aperture and having a coupling head which is removably engaged into said receptacle and

vi. locking means for preventing engagement in said head into said receptacle and disengagement of said head from said receptacle both in the closed condition of the movable contact and when the armature is in its actuated position.

2. The electromagnetic switching apparatus of claim 1, wherein said locking means include a recess formed in the insulating layer, said recess being engaged with the coupling wall when the armature is in its actuated position.

3. The electromagnetic switching apparatus of claim 1, wherein said locking means include a stop surface portion of the coupling member against which said head will abut for preventing it to engage the receptacle when the armature is in its actuating position and the movable contact is open.

4. The electromagnet switching apparatus of claim 3, wherein said locking means include a return spring connected to the insulating lever and which puts the insulating lever in a position where said head abuts against said stop surface portion when the armature is in its actuated position.

5. The electromagnetic switching apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus comprises a plurality of interchangeable insulating cases, a plurality of switch means housed in the respective cases and permanent indexing means to identify the respective switches, while the insulating base includes programmable indexing means for preventing coupling to the base of a case different from that which was originally chosen.

6. The electromagnet switching apparatus of claim 5, wherein the coupling wall of said base receives a reversible and orientable cover which is mounted for taking anyone of four positions with respect to the base, said cover carrying an outer and an inner studs which form the indexing means and said studs take up a different position on the coupling wall.