Quick-break switch with a reinforced pressure point

• US 6,080,949 A
• Filed: 05/24/1999
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Botz, Jakob, Duster, Christel, Weber, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): FRIEDHOFER, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US09/230,187
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 200/402, 200/405-408, 200/410, 200/412, 200/416, 200/417, 200/431, 200/433-439, 200/448, 200/449, 200/451, 200/16 R, 200/16 A, 200/16 C, 200/16 D
• US Class Current: 200/437
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 5/045 making use of cooperating spring loaded wedging or camming parts between operating member and contact structure

Abstract

A quick-break switch in which, for switching-over purposes under the spring force (1) of a switching element, the two individual wedge faces of a wedge surface are felt. In order to render the pressure point more perceptible, in particular when the switch is manually operated, the wedge faces are curved. These curves can also help to improve the switching behavior of the switch with respect to the switching process and contact-making.

Claims

1. An electric switch, with a housing, a contact lever moveable between two end settings and pivotal within the housing, a moveable switch piece and at least one fixed contact which is rigidly mounted in the housing and, in one end setting of the contact lever, is tensioned by said housing, whereby one of the contact lever and the switch piece bears a wedge profile and the other of the switch piece and the contact lever has a switch element resting against the wedge profile where the switch piece in the housing can move along a straight path extending essentially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the contact lever, and where the switch element and the wedge profile are pretensioned against each other in a direction running essentially perpendicular to the motion direction of the switch piece, characterized in that the contour of at least one of two wedge surfaces forming the wedge profile sensed by the switching element is curved.

2. The electric switch according to claim 1, characterized in that the curvature of the contour sensed from the beginning of the switch operation until a transition point is selected such that the force exerted on the switch piece increases disproportionately with respect to the path traversed by the switch piece.

3. The electric switch according to claim 2, characterized in that the wedge contour sensed after passing the transition point on the wedge profile is convex.

4. The electric switch according to claim 2, characterized in that the contour sensed by the switching element after passing a reversing point on a wedge peak is concave.

5. The electric switch according to claim 1, characterized in that a wedge carrying the wedge profile is pretensioned in the switch piece in the pretension direction.

6. An electric switch comprising:

a housing;

a contact lever movable between two end settings and pivotal within the housing;

a movable switch piece;

at least one fixed contact rigidly mounted in the housing, the at least one fixed contact, in one end setting of the contact lever, tensioned by the housing;

one of the contact lever and the switch piece bearing a wedge profile and the other of the switch piece and the contact lever having a switch element resting against the wedge profile;

the switch piece in the housing movable along a straight path extending essentially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the contact lever;

the switch element and the wedge profile being pretensioned against each other in a direction running essentially perpendicular to the motion direction of the switch piece; and

a contour of at least one of two wedge surfaces, forming the wedge profile sensed by the switching element, being curved.

7. The electric switch of claim 6 wherein:

the curvature of the contour sensed from the beginning of the switch operation until a transition point is selected such that the force exerted on the switch piece increases disproportionately with respect to the path traversed by the switch piece.

8. The electric switch of claim 7 wherein the contour of the wedge surface sensed after the transition point on the wedge profile is convex.

9. The electric switch of claim 7 wherein:

the contour on the wedge surface sensed by the switching element after passing the transition point on a wedge profile is concave.

10. The electric switch of claim 6, further comprising:

a wedge carrying the wedge profile, the wedge pretensioned in the switch piece in the pretensioned direction.