Switch. especially battery switch for hand-operated electric tools

• US 5,289,047 A
• Filed: 05/07/1992
• Issued: 02/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Marquardt GmbH (J U J Marquardt KG)
• Original Assignee: Marquardt GmbH (J U J Marquardt KG)
• Inventors: Broghammer, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KRISHNAN, ADITYA
• Application Number:
  US07/879,379
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 361/386, 361/383, 361/388, 363/141, 219/497, 307/125, 200/1 V
• US Class Current: 307/125
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/061 enclosing a continuously variable impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/52 Cooling of switch parts cooling of contacts H01H1/62

Abstract

A switch, especially for use in a hand-operated storage-battery electric tool with a DC motor is proposed, in which control electronics are provided for changing the speed of the DC motor. In order to produce the switch as compactly as possible and without additional connecting lines to the power transistor and in order furthermore to influence positively the heat budget inside the switch, a contact system (5) and a freewheeling diode (8) are pivoted to a common bearing plate (11) which is connected in current-carrying and heat-conducting fashion via a connecting bolt (12) to a power transistor (7) on the housing. In this arrangement, the power transistor is cooled by a heat sink provided on the switch housing.

Claims

1. In a switch for a hand-operated electric tool having a DC motor energized from a storage battery, the switch including

a switch housing;

first switch terminals supported in said switch housing and being connectable to the DC motor;

second switch terminals supported in said switch housing and being connectable to the storage battery;

a movable electric switching contact having open and closed positions;

a manually engageable trigger slidably supported in the housing and cooperating with the switching contact for moving the switching contact into one of its said positions;

an electrically and thermally conducting one-piece bearing plate supported by said switch housing;

control electronics having a power transistor for changing the motor current to vary the speed of the DC motor;

said power transistor being supported by the bearing plate and being electrically and heat-transmittingly connected therewith;

a freewheeling diode for protecting the control electronics;

said freewheeling diode having first and second diode terminals;

said first diode terminal being electrically and heat-transmittingly connected to said bearing plate;

the improvement comprising

an electrically conducting contact bar connected to said second diode terminal of said freewheeling diode, to one of said first switch terminals and to one of said second switch terminals;

an electrically and thermally conducting connecting post mounting to said power transistor on said bearing plate;

wherein said power transistor is electrically connected to one of said second switch terminal by said switching contact in the closed position thereof; and

further wherein said bearing plate is connected to one of said first switch terminals.

2. The switch as defined in claim 1, further comprising an electrically conducting cooling lug maintaining an electric connection between said power transistor and said connecting post;

and a heat sink mounted exteriorly on said switch housing;

said power transistor being affixed to said heat sink.

3. The switch as defined in claim 1, further comprising an additional movable switching contact for short-circuit said control electronics;

said additional movable switching contact being jointed to said base plate.

4. The switch as defined in claim 1, wherein said trigger includes a push rod integral therewith;

further comprising a contact bridge mounted on said push rod to be movable therewith as a unit;

said base plate including a contact arm being integral therewith and extending to said push rod; and

a return spring supported in said switch housing and being in engagement with said push rod for urging said trigger into an initial position;

in said initial position said contact bridge maintaining an electric connection between said contact arm and said contact bar.

5. The switch as defined in claim 2, wherein sad contact bar is received in said switch housing and carrying a connecting terminal coupling said freewheeling diode to said contact bar;

said contact bar further having an electric contact point for contacting said contact bridge in said initial position of said trigger.

6. The switch as defined in claim 3, wherein said switch housing has an opening;

said power transistor being positioned in said opening;

said cooling lug being connected to said heat sink.

7. The switch as defined in claim 6, wherein said switch housing has a wall surface portion surrounding said opening;

said heat sink sealingly engages said wall surface portion in a dust tight manner.

8. The switch as defined in claim 1, further comprising a right/left changeover switch interposed between one of said first switch terminals and said bearing plate and between another of said first switch terminals and said contact bar.