Protective cover for rocker switch

• US 5,990,431 A
• Filed: 05/18/1998
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Marquardt Switches, Inc. (JUJ Marquardt KG)
• Original Assignee: Marquardt Switches, Inc. (JUJ Marquardt KG)
• Inventors: Wright, Jeffery R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gellner, M. L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOMZA, LISA NHUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/080,775
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 200/302.1, 200/302.2, 200/302.3
• US Class Current: 200/302.3
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 23/06 Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/06 Casing of switch constituted by a handle serving a purpose other than the actuation of the switch, e.g. by the handle of a vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A protective covering for a rocker switch that includes a bezel and a rocker arm passing upwardly through an opening in the bezel. An open frame is snap-fitted tightly over the bezel and contains a resilient cap that encloses the top of the frame and the upwardly extended rocker arm. The cap is bonded to the frame to provide a dirt-proof seal therebetween. The cap can be depressed against the rocker arm to cycle the switch without disturbing the seal.

Claims

1. A cover for protectively enclosing a rocker switch that contains a bezel and a rocker arm that extends upwardly through an opening in said bezel, said cover including,

a frame having a central opening, said frame being mountable upon the bezel of a rocker arm switch so that the rocker arm extends upwardly through the opening in said frame,

a resilient cap bonded to said frame to provide a dirt proof seal therebetween, said cap passing over the rocker arm of said switch to enclose the frame opening whereby the cap can be depressed to cycle the rocker arm and change the function of the switch,

said cap further including a primary seal that is integral with the cap and extends downwardly through the frame opening to surround the bezel opening,

said frame further including a plurality of detents that are arranged to snap under the bezel wherein said primary seal is pulled tightly against said bezel whereby dust and dirt are prevented from passing into the switch through the bezel opening.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said frame is rectangular in form and includes vertically extended side walls and end walls, said frame further including a horizontally disposed flange extending outwardly from the lower periphery of the frame.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said cap has opposed vertical side walls and end walls, said cap side walls and walls being seated upon the flange of said frame, and being bonded to the frame.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the vertical distance between said detents and the primary seal is about equal to the width of the bezel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a pair of rocker arm switches are mounted in side-to-side relationship inside said bevel and said cap covers both rocker arm switches.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said cap is dome shaped and includes a trough that extends the length of the cap between the rocker arms wherein the rocker arm of each switch can be cycled independently by collapsing one side or the other of the dome-shaped top.