Overload protection switch

• US 7,688,174 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2008
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zing Ear Enterprise Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Zing Ear Enterprise Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hung, Tang-Yueh
• Primary Examiner(s): Vortman; Anatoly
• Application Number:
  US12/189,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20100039209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 337/56, 337/72, 337/66, 200/339, 200/341
• US Class Current: 337/66
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 23/025 Light-emitting indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 23/26 one of which positions is unstable
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 73/26 reset by tumbler
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 77/04 with electrothermal opening

Abstract

An overload protection switch includes a main body and a press button. Several terminals, a conductive plate and other components are arranged in the main body. By means of switching the press button, the switch is switchable between an on state and an off state. In case of overload, the conductive plate will separate from one of the terminals to switch off the switch. The components arranged in the main body will not hinder the conductive plate from separating from the terminal. When switching on the switch, the conductive plate resiliently contacts the terminal. In case of overload, the conductive plate separates from the terminal to switch off the switch so as to provide overload protection effect.

Claims

1. An overload protection switch comprising:

a main body having an internal space in which multiple components of the overload protection switch are arranged;

an opening disposed on a top face of the main body and communicating with the internal space;

a vertical slide way being disposed in the main body;

a press button pivotally disposed in the opening of the main body, the press button being switchable between an open position and a closed position;

a first terminal and a second terminal disposed in the main body;

a conductive plate, which is a bimetal plate structure, one end of the conductive plate being connected with the first terminal, while another end of the conductive plate being a contact end, which is positioned above the second terminal and vertically swingable;

a slide block disposed in the slide way and slidable along the slide way;

a resilient member being disposed between the main body and the slide block for resiliently supporting and lifting the slide block, whereby the slide block is always urged upward to a home position when no external force is applied to the slide block;

a transmission mechanism disposed between the press button and the slide block for drivingly connecting the press button and the slide block; and

a resilient guide member having a located end, a movable end and the guide member being resiliently extensible between the two ends;

the located end of the guide member being disposed in the main body within a swinging travel of the contact end of the conductive plate;

the movable end of the guide member being vertically movable and connected with the contact end of the conductive plate;

when the slide block is moved downward, the slide block drives the movable end of the guide member to move downward;

when the movable end moves to a height approximately equal to a height of the located end, the guide member conserves an elastic potential energy;

when the switch is switched off, the slide block being positioned in the home position, in the state that the movable end of the guide member is higher than the located end;

the contact end of the conductive plate being not in contact with the second terminal;

when switching the press button to the closed position, the transmission mechanism pushing and driving the slide block to move downward, the slide block pushing the guide member to move the movable end thereof downward;

when the movable end of the guide member becomes lower than the located end thereof, the resiliently extension of the guide member makes the movable end move downward, whereby the movable end urges the contact end of the conductive plate to move downward and contact the second terminal;

at the same time, the slide block being released from the pushing of the transmission mechanism and pushed by the resilient member to restore to the home position where the slide block is separated from the guide member by a distance and is not in contact with the guide member; and

in case of overload, the contact end of the conductive plate bending up to separate from the second terminal and drive the movable end of the guide member to move upward to a position higher than the located end.

2. The switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission mechanism includes a transmission member and a linking member, wherein:

the transmission member has a top end connected with the press button, whereby the transmission member is drivable by the press button to vertically displace;

the transmission member further having a transmission slot;

a bottom end of the linking member is substantially connected with the slide block;

the linking member has an operation end extending into the transmission slot of the transmission member;

a shifting section is disposed under a bottom end of the press button;

when the switch is switched off, the operation end of the linking member is located at a bottom end of the transmission slot, whereby the transmission member and the linking member are synchronously downward movable; and

when the switch is switched on, the shifting section of the press button shifts the operation end and releases the operation end from being located at the bottom end of the transmission slot, whereby the operation end being able to move along the transmission slot to release the slide block from being pushed by the linking member.

3. The switch as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transmission slot includes a vertical slot section and a transverse slot section communicating with a bottom end of the vertical slot section;

the operation end being horizontally movable and resiliently restorable, whereby when the operation end is positioned at the bottom end of the transmission slot and no external force is applied to the operation end, the operation end is always urged to move from the vertical slot section into the transverse slot section;

when the shifting section of the press button shifts the operation end, the operation end being moved from the transverse slot section to the vertical slot section, when the press button is positioned in the open position, the operation end of the linking member being positioned in the transverse slot section, when the press button is positioned in the closed position;

the operation end moving along the vertical slot section to a top end thereof.

4. The switch as claimed in claim 3, wherein the linking member is a torque spring having a coiled section, a first leg and a second leg, the first and second legs being connected with the coiled section;

the coiled section and the first leg being connected with the slide block;

the second leg serving as the operation end.

5. The switch as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transmission member further has a vertical straight slot;

the movable end of the guide member extending into the straight slot and being movable along the straight slot.

6. The switch as claimed in claim 2, wherein the operation end is on a top end of the linking member.

7. The switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slide block has a push section for pushing the guide member to move downward.

8. The switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide member is a resilient elongated member.

9. The switch as claimed in claim 8, wherein the guide member has a bent section disposed between the ends.

10. The switch as claimed in claim 5, wherein the guide member is a resilient elongated member.

11. The switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein a locating section is disposed on an inner face of a wall of the main body;

the located end of the guide member being located on the locating section.

12. The switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient member is positioned in the slide way and a top end of the resilient member abuts against the slide block.

13. The switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the press button is light-transparent;

the switch further comprising a light-emitting element disposed on the main body, the light-emitting element having two contact pins connected to the first and second terminals respectively.

14. The switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the press button is light-transparent;

the switch further comprising a third terminal and a light-emitting element disposed on the main body, the light-emitting element having two contact pins connected to the second and third terminals respectively.