Push-button switch of overload protection (II)

• US 6,512,441 B1
• Filed: 06/23/2000
• Issued: 01/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tsung-Mou Yu
• Original Assignee: Tsung-Mou Yu
• Inventors: Yu, Tsung-Mou
• Primary Examiner(s): Vortman, Anatoly
• Application Number:
  US09/602,782
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 337/333, 337/334, 337/345, 337/379, 337/66-69, 337/53, 337/59, 337/74, 337/75, 337/76, 337/79, 337/39, 337/85, 337/91, 337/112, 337/113, 337/140, 200/55--55
• US Class Current: 337/37
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/562 making use of a heart shaped cam
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 73/30 reset by push-button, pull-knob or slide

Abstract

A push-button switch with overload protection is disclosed. The switch comprises a housing, a conducting unit, and an actuating unit. The conducting unit comprises several terminals, a normal-open first conducting leaf and a thermally deflecting bimetal sheet. The bimetal sheet is of a U shape having a working end and an opening end. The working end can deflect to an overload position from a normal position in the event of overload. The actuating unit comprises a stem, a positioning means, a rocking lever, an enabling lever, and a lever reseating member. By means of the above structure, a trip action could be assured no matter what happens on the stem.

Claims

1. A push-button switch of overload protection, comprising:

a housing;

a conducting unit installed in the housing and including a first terminal, a second terminal, a first conducting leaf, and a flat bimetal sheet;

the bimetal sheet having a movable working end, being able to deflect to an overload position upon overload from the normal position, and a fixed opening end formed with a first and a second legs for respectively connecting with the first terminal and the first conducting leaf;

the first conducting leaf being movable between a normal-open position in which the second leg is disconnected from the second terminal and a closed position in which the second leg is electrically connected to the second terminal; and

an actuating unit installed in the housing and including;

a stem to be actuated;

a positioning means includes a heart-shaped stepping recess and a locating cantilever for alternatively locating the stem in an upper reset position and a lower set position with respect to the housing;

a rocking lever pivotally supported on the stem along a pivoting axle and formed with a nose for depressing the first conducting leaf and a resting tail opposite to the nose across the pivoting axle;

an enabling lever pivotally mounted on the housing and formed with an engaging head for engaging with the working end of the bimetal sheet, and an enabling rest for supporting the resting tail so as to enable the rocking lever; and

a lever reseating member for pushing the rocking lever into an idle position in which the resting tail can be supported by the enabling rest, during a reset course in which the stem moves from the set position to the reset position;

whereby the nose can depress and release the first conducting leaf so as to make the latter move into the closed position and the normal-open position in response to the movement of the stem to its set position and its reset position, respectively, in case the resting tail is supported by the enabling rest, and whereby the first conducting leaf can move to its normal-open position in response to a change of the bimetal sheet into its overload position.

2. The switch according to claim 1, wherein the first and second legs have respective planar surfaces, being angled to each other.

3. The switch according to claim 1, wherein the heart-shaped stepping recess is integrally formed with the stem, and the locating cantilever is provided with a first hand mounted in the housing and a second hand slidably inserting into the heart-shaped stepping recess.

4. The switch according to claim 1, wherein the conducting unit further comprises a third terminal, a lamp having two pins to be connected with the second and the third terminals respectively, and a second conducting leaf having one end connecting with the third terminal;

and wherein the stem is provided with a branch to carry one pin of the lamp into conduction with the second conducting leaf.

5. The switch according to claim 1, wherein the enabling rest is provided with a platform for supporting the resting tail and an oblique lower surface for guiding the resting tail.