Electrical switch with multiple switching ways

• US 7,297,883 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2005
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C&K Holdings LLC (Littelfuse Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rochon, Sylvain, Bruno, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Enad; Elvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOMZA, LISA NHUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/283,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20060113170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 200/5.A, 200/5.R, 200/6.A, 200/4, 200/18, 200/17.R
• US Class Current: 200/5.00R
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/041 having a generally flat operating member depressible at different locations to operate different controls
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/06 Operating part movable both angularly and rectilinearly, the rectilinear movement being along the axis of angular movement

Abstract

The invention proposes an electrical switch (20) with multiple switching ways comprising a bottom support (22) in the bottom (32) of which are arranged fixed contacts (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d), a top member (26) that is mounted to be movable relative to the bottom support (22) from a central rest position to four main actuation positions distributed angularly at 90°, and a contact plate (28) that comprises four contact blades (34) each of which is capable of coming into contact with a fixed contact (30b), characterized in that the actuation member (26) is mounted to be movable relative to the support (22) to one or other of four intermediate actuation positions that are offset angularly by 45° relative to the main actuation positions, and in each of which two contact blades (34) are simultaneously in contact with the associated fixed contacts (30b).

Claims

1. Electrical switch (20) with multiple switching ways comprising an insulating bottom support (22) that forms a housing (24) with a generally vertical main axis (A), a plurality of electrical contacts lying on said insulating bottom support (22) including at least one common electrical contact (30a) and a plurality of selectable electrical contacts (30b, 30c, 30d), a top actuation member (26) that is mounted to be movable relative to the insulating bottom support (22) from a central rest position, in which it is generally coaxial with the vertical main axis (A) and into which it is elastically returned, to one or other of at least four main actuating positions distributed angularly at 90°

about the vertical main axis (A), a contact plate (28) made of an electrically conductive material which extends generally horizontally between the bottom support and the actuation member (26) and which comprises four main contact blades (34) distributed angularly at 90°

about the vertical main axis, each of which is capable of coming selectively into contact with a selected one of said selectable electrical contacts (30b), when the actuation member (26) is in an associated main actuation position, to establish an electrical switching way between the selected selectable electrical contact (30b) and said common fixed contact (30a), each of said main contact blades (34) extending generally radially towards an outside of the contact plate (28), relative to the vertical main axis, wherein;

the actuation member (26) is also mounted to be movable relative to the bottom support (22) from the central rest position to one or other of four intermediate actuation positions that are distributed angularly at 90°

around the vertical main axis (A) of the switch (20) and that are offset angularly at 45°

relative to the main actuation positions;

when the actuation member (26) is in one of the intermediate actuation positions, the two main contact blades (34) that are associated with the main actuation positions and that are situated on either side of said one of the intermediate actuation positions are simultaneously in contact with the associated main fixed contacts (30b);

said support comprises a bearing element (40) that is associated with each contact blade and that protrudes upwards relative to the bottom (32) of the housing (24), with a free radial end (34a) of an associated main contact blade (34) interacting with a bearing element (40) to elastically return the contact plate (28) and the actuation member (26) towards the intermediate rest position.

2. Electrical switch (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that:

each bearing element comprises two ramp-shaped portions (42) facing one another which are arranged generally symmetrically and either side of the main fixed contact (30b) associated with the main contact blade (34) associated with the bearing element.

3. Electrical switch (20) with multiple switching ways comprising an insulating bottom support (22) that forms a housing (24) with a generally vertical main axis (A), a plurality of electrical contacts (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d) on a horizontal bottom of said housing, a top actuation member (26) that is mounted to be movable relative to the insulating bottom support (22) from a central rest position, in which it is generally coaxial with the vertical main axis (A) and into which it is elastically returned, to one or other of at least four main actuating positions distributed angularly at 90°

about the vertical main axis (A), a contact plate (28) made of an electrically conductive material which extends generally horizontally between the bottom support and the actuation member (26) and which comprises four main contact blades (34) distributed angularly at 90°

about the main vertical axis, each of which is capable of coming selectively into contact with an associated main fixed contact (30b) on the insulating bottom support (22), when the actuation member (26) is in an associated main actuation position, to establish an electrical switching way between the associated main fixed contact (30b) and a common fixed contact (30a), wherein;

an actuation member (26)is also mounted to be movable relative to the insulating bottom support (22) from the central rest position to one or other of four intermediate actuation positions that are distributed angularly at 90°

around the main vertical axis (A) of the switch (20) and that are offset angularly at 45°

relative to the main actuation positions;

when the actuation member (26) is in one of the intermediate actuation positions, the two main contact blades (34) that are associated with the main actuation positions situated on either side of the intermediate actuation position are simultaneously in contact with the associated main fixed contacts (30b); and

the contact plate (28) comprises a series of bosses (58) that are capable of interacting with complementary orifices (56) of an element (54) that is fixed relative to the support (22) to produce a mechanical pulse.

4. Electrical switch (20) according to claim 3, characterized in that the orifices (56) are formed in an intermediate plate (54) that is interposed vertically between the actuation member (26) and the contact plate (28) and in that each boss (58) is received in a complementary orifice (56) when the actuation member (26) and the contact plate (28) are in the central rest position, and each boss (58) is capable of coming out of the orifice (56) when the actuation member (26) and the contact plate (28) slide relative to the support (22), while producing a mechanical pulse.

5. Electrical switch (20) with multiple switching ways comprising an insulating bottom support (22) that forms a housing (24) with a generally vertical main axis (A) and, in a horizontal bottom thereof, fixed electrical contacts (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d) are arranged, the electrical switch including a top actuation member (26) that is mounted to be movable relative to the bottom support (22) from a central rest position in which it is generally coaxial with the main vertical axis (A) and into which it is elastically returned, to one or other of at least four main actuating positions distributed angularly at 90°

about the vertical main axis (A), a contact plate (28) made of an electrically conductive material which extends generally horizontally between the bottom support and the actuation member (26) and which comprises four main contact blades (34) distributed angularly at 90°

about the main vertical axis, each of which is capable of coming selectively into contact with an associated main fixed contact (30b) of the insulating bottom support (22), when the actuation member (26) is in an associated main actuation position, to establish an electrical switching way between the associated main fixed contact (30b) and a common fixed contact (30a), wherein;

the actuation member (26) is also mounted to be movable relative to the insulating bottom support (22) from the central rest position to one or other of four intermediate actuation positions that are distributed angularly at 90°

around the main vertical axis (A) of the switch (20) and that are offset angularly at 45°

relative to the main actuation positions;

when the actuation member (26) is in one of the intermediate actuation positions, the two main contact blades (34) that acre associated with the main actuation positions situated either side of the intermediate actuation position are simultaneously in contact with the associated main fixed contacts (30b);

the actuation member (26) is mounted to be rotatable relative to the support (22) and relative to the contact plate (28) about the main vertical axis (A), and the contact plate (28) comprises secondary contact blades (48) on which the actuation member (26) acts during its rotation so that each secondary contact blade comes into contact with an associated secondary fixed contact (30c) of the insulating bottom support (22), to electrically connect it to the common fixed contact (30a).

6. Electrical switch (20) according to claim 5, characterized in that the actuation member (26) comprises teeth (52), distributed angularly about the main axis (A) while forming a crown (50) coaxial with the actuation member (26), that are capable of interacting with the secondary contact blades (48) so that each secondary contact blade (48) comes periodically into contact with the associated secondary fixed contact (30c) when the actuation member (26) is rotated.

7. Electrical switch (20) according to claim 5, characterized in that the contact plate (28) comprises two secondary contact blades (48) that are offset angularly about the axis (A) of rotation of the actuation member (26) at an acute angle (α

) whose value is determined so as to allow the direction of rotation of the actuation member (26) to be determined.

8. Electrical switch (20) according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises means (60) for producing a main vertical orientation mechanical pulse on the actuation member (26) when the actuation member (26) is rotated relative to the support (22).

9. Electrical switch (20) according to claim 8, characterized in that the contact plate (28) comprises at least one boss (60) which protrudes upwards relative to a horizontal top face (28s) of the contact plate (28) and which is capable of interacting with each of the teeth (52) of the actuation member (26) to produce the mechanism pulses.

10. Electrical switch (20) with multiple switching ways comprising an insulating bottom support (22) that forms a housing (24) with a generally vertical main axis (A) and, in the insulating bottom support, fixed electrical contacts (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d) are arranged, said electrical switch including a top actuation member (26) that is mounted to be movable relative to the insulating bottom support (22) from a central rest position, in which it is generally coaxial with the vertical main axis (A) and into which it is elastically returned, to one or other of at least four main actuating positions distributed angularly at 90°

about the main vertical axis (A), a contact plate (28) made of an electrically conductive material which extends generally horizontally between the bottom support and an actuation member (26) and which comprises four main contact blades (34) distributed angularly at 90°

about the main vertical axis, each of which is capable of coming selectively into contact;

with an associated main fixed contact (30b) of the support (22), when the actuation member (26) is in an associated main actuation position, to establish an electrical switching way between the associated main fixed contact (30b) and a common fixed contact (30a), wherein;

the actuation member (26) is also mounted to be movable relative to the support (22) from the central rest position to one or other of four intermediate actuation positions that are distributed angularly at 90°

around the vertical main axis (A) of the switch (20) and that are offset angularly at 45°

relative to the main actuation positions;

when the actuation member (26) is in one of the intermediate actuation positions, the two main contact blades (34) that are associated with the main actuation positions situated either side of the intermediate actuation position are simultaneously in contact with the associated main fixed contacts (30b);

the contact plate (28) comprises at least one connection blade (36) that is permanently in contact with the common fixed contact (30a) of the insulating bottom support (32).

11. Electrical switch (20) according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises a central actuator (68) that is arranged coaxially with the actuation member (26), relative to the:

main vertical axis (A) and that is mounted to slide axially relative to the actuation member (26) and relative to the support (22) between a 1 top rest position and a bottom position in which it makes the electric connection between the common fixed contact (30a) and a central fixed contact (30d), to establish an associated switching way called the selection way.

12. Electrical switch. (20) according to claim 10, characterized in that the central actuator (68) acts on a central trigger element (70) to electrically connect the common fixed contact (30a) and the central fixed contact (30d).

13. Electrical switch (20) according to claim 12, characterized in that the central trigger element (70) forms a releasable stop of the central actuator (68) that is capable of collapsing when the amplitude of the action of the central actuator (68) is greater than a predetermined amplitude threshold value.

14. Electrical switch (20) according to claim 10, characterized in that the trigger element (70) is generally convex and is capable of collapsing under the action of the central actuator (68).

15. An electrical switch (20) with multiple switching ways comprising:

an insulating bottom support (22) with fixed electrical contacts (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d) lying in a plane;

a top actuation member (26) that is movable relative to the insulating bottom support (22) from a central rest position into which it is elastically returned, to one or other of at least four main actuating positions distributed angularly at 90°

;

a contact element (28) which is coupled to said top actuation member to move with it, said contact element being capable of selectively establishing an electrical switching way between one of each fixed contact (30b) and a common fixed contact (30a), the top actuation member (26) being mounted to be movable relative to the insulating bottom support (22) from its rest position to at least one intermediate actuation position that is offset angularly at 45°

relative to two main angularly adjacent actuation positions and when the top actuation member (26) is in said intermediate actuation position, the said contact element (28) simultaneously establishes an electrical switching way between the common fixed contact (30a) and the two associated fixed contacts, in order to establish a fifth electrical switching way;

the movement of said actuation member is in sliding movement parallel said plane.

16. The electrical switch described in claim 15 wherein:

said support comprises a bearing element associated with each of a plurality of said contact blades, that biases each of said plurality of blades to slide the blade toward its rest position.

17. Electrical switch (20) with multiple switching ways comprising:

an insulating bottom support (22) that forms a housing (24) with a generally vertical main axis (A), and, in the horizontal bottom thereof, fixed electrical contacts (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d) lying in a plane;

a top actuation member (26) that is mounted to be movable relative to the bottom support (22), from a central rest position in which it is generally coaxial with the main vertical axis (A), and into which it is elastically returned, to one or other of at least four main actuating positions distributed angularly at 90°

about the main vertical axis (A);

a contact plate (28) made of an electrically conductive material which extends generally horizontally between the bottom support and the actuation member (26) and which comprises four main contact blades (34) distributed angularly at 90°

about the main vertical axis, each of which is capable of coming selectively into contact with an associated main fixed contact (30b) of the insulating bottom support (22), when the actuation member (26) is in an associated main actuation position, to establish an electrical switching way between the associated main fixed contact (30b) and a common fixed contact (30a);

the actuation member (26) is also mounted to be movable relative to the support (22) from the central rest position to one or other of four intermediate actuation positions that are distributed angularly at 90°

around the main vertical axis (A) of the switch (20) and that are offset angularly at 45°

relative to the main actuation positions;

when the actuation member (26) is in one of the intermediate actuation positions, the two main contact blades (34) that are associated with the main actuation positions situated either side of the intermediate actuation position are simultaneously in contact with the associated main fixed contacts (30b);

the movement of said actuation member is in sliding movement parallel to said plane.

18. The electrical switch described in claim 17 wherein:

said support comprises a bearing element associated with each of a plurality of said contact blades to slide the blade towards its rest position.