Rocker switch

• US 7,838,789 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2007
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: C&K Holdings LLC (Littelfuse Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Coactive Technologies Pte Limited
• Inventors: Maurer, Rainer, Gillmann, Uwe, Stoffers, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke; Renee S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fishman; Marina
• Application Number:
  US11/895,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20080053806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 200/553, 200556-562, 200/336, 200/339, 200/4, 200/11.R, 200/11.TW
• US Class Current: 200/553
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 23/30 with stable centre positions and one or both end positions unstable

Abstract

A rocker switch (10) is provided with a mechanical switch unit consisting of a switch housing (11) made of plastic, a switching element (14) supported in spring-loaded manner on said switch housing so as to be capable of moving back and forth, and an actuating rocker (16) connected to the switching element (14), and also with limit-stop elements (48, 49, 51, 52) for limiting the actuating angle of the actuating rocker (16), and with an electrical switch unit. In order to obtain variable actuating angles and overcompression functions, the invention provides that the actuating rocker (16) is provided with an overcompression element (36) which in one or both of the actuating directions comes to be operationally connected to an overcompression stop (46, 47) on the switch housing (11) before the limit-stop elements (51, 52) come into operation.

Claims

1. A rocker switch comprising a plastic switch housing, a switching element supported in spring-loaded manner on said switch housing so as to be capable of moving in back and forth directions on said switch housing, an actuating rocker coupled to the switching element to move it, limit stop elements mounted on said switch housing and positioned to limit the actuating angle of the actuating, an electrical switch unit positioned to be switched by movement of the switching element, and overcompensating stops on the switch housing, characterized in that:

the actuating rocker has an overcompression element that abuts one of said overcompression stops on the switch housing before the rocker abuts the limit-stop elements; and

a housing cage for the overcompression element is arranged within the actuating rocker, wherein the housing cage for the overcompression element is arranged between the underside of a preferentially approximately semicylindrical casing and the swivel shaft of the actuating rocker in the switching element.

2. A rocker switch according to claim 1, further characterized in that the overcompression element is constituted by a spring-loaded ram or by two rams which are spring-loaded in opposite senses.

3. A rocker switch according to claim 2, further characterized in that a compression spring is arranged between the two opposite-sense rams.

4. A rocker switch according to claim 2, further characterized in that the ram or rams and the compression spring are retained in a housing cage.

5. A rocker switch according to claim 1, further characterized in that the overcompression stop is molded on the switch housing.

6. A rocker switch according to claim 5, further characterized in that the overcompression stop is constituted by a dome projecting into the preferentially approximately circular path of motion of the ram.

7. A rocker switch according to claim 6, further characterized in that the overcompression stop is molded on an inner part of the switch housing in a perpendicularly projecting manner and has a variable length.

8. A rocker switch according to claim 7, further characterized in that the variable length, of the overcompression stop is capable of being produced by means of removable cores of differing height in a molding tool for the inner part of the switch housing.

9. A rocker switch according to claim 1, further characterized in that the limit-stop elements are constituted by lower edges molded on the switching element and by stop domes,

wherein the stop domes are molded on and project perpendicularly from the inner part of the switch housing, and have a variable length.

10. A rocker switch according to claim 9, further characterized in that the variable length of the stop domes is capable of being produced by means of removable cores of differing height in a molding tool for the inner part of the switch housing.

11. A rocker switch according to claim 9, further characterized in that the domes of the overcompression element and the limit-stop elements are equal in length.

12. A rocker switch comprising a plastic switch housing, a switching element supported in spring-loaded manner on said switch housing so as to be capable of moving in back and forth directions on said switch housing, an actuating rocker coupled to the switching element to move it, limit stop elements mounted on said switch housing and positioned to limit the actuating angle of the actuating, an electrical switch unit positioned to be switched by movement of the switching element, and overcompensating stops on the switch housing, characterized in that:

the actuating rocker has an overcompression element that abuts one of said overcompression stops on the switch housing before the rocker abuts the limit-stop elements;

the overcompression element is constituted by a spring-loaded ram or by two rams which are spring-loaded in opposite senses; and

a compression spring is arranged between the two opposite-sense rams, wherein the compression spring and the two opposite sense rams are retained in a housing cage.

13. A rocker switch according to claim 12, further characterized in that the overcompression stop is molded on the switch housing.

14. A rocker switch according to claim 13, further characterized in that the overcompression stop is constituted by a dome projecting into the preferentially approximately circular path of motion of the ram.

15. A rocker switch according to claim 14, further characterized in that the overcompression dome is molded on an inner part of the switch housing in a perpendicularly projecting manner and has a variable length.

16. A rocker switch according to claim 15, further characterized in that the variable length of the overcompression stop is capable of being produced by means of removable cores of differing height in a molding tool for the inner part of the switch housing.

17. A rocker switch according to claim 12, further characterized in that the limit-stop elements are constituted by lower edges molded on the switching element and by stop domes,

wherein the stop domes are molded on project perpendicularly from the inner part of the switch housing and have a variable length.

18. A rocker switch according to claim 17, further characterized in that the variable length of the stop domes is capable of being produced by means of removable cores of differing height in a molding tool for the inner part of the switch housing.

19. A rocker switch according to claim 17, further characterized in that the domes of the overcompression element and the limit-stop elements are equal in length.