EP0043970B1 - Pneumatically controlled delay switch - Google Patents
Pneumatically controlled delay switch Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0043970B1 EP0043970B1 EP19810105018 EP81105018A EP0043970B1 EP 0043970 B1 EP0043970 B1 EP 0043970B1 EP 19810105018 EP19810105018 EP 19810105018 EP 81105018 A EP81105018 A EP 81105018A EP 0043970 B1 EP0043970 B1 EP 0043970B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- chamber
- delay switch
- switch according
- chambers
- transfer
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
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Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H9/00—Details of switching devices, not covered by groups H01H1/00 - H01H7/00
- H01H9/20—Interlocking, locking, or latching mechanisms
- H01H9/24—Interlocking, locking, or latching mechanisms for interlocking two or more parts of the mechanism for operating contacts
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H13/00—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch
- H01H13/02—Details
- H01H13/12—Movable parts; Contacts mounted thereon
- H01H13/14—Operating parts, e.g. push-button
- H01H13/18—Operating parts, e.g. push-button adapted for actuation at a limit or other predetermined position in the path of a body, the relative movement of switch and body being primarily for a purpose other than the actuation of the switch, e.g. door switch, limit switch, floor-levelling switch of a lift
- H01H13/183—Operating parts, e.g. push-button adapted for actuation at a limit or other predetermined position in the path of a body, the relative movement of switch and body being primarily for a purpose other than the actuation of the switch, e.g. door switch, limit switch, floor-levelling switch of a lift for actuation by moving a closing member, e.g. door, cover
Definitions
- This invention relates to a pneumatically controlled delay switch, particularly for passenger car and motorvehicle courtesy lamps, the term "courtesy lamp(s)” referring herein to lamps which are usually mounted in a vehicle passenger compartment and turned on upon opening at least one door thereof and off upon closing the same.
- the invention is essentially directed to providing a delayed action switch, that is one effective to turn the lamps off with a short time delay after the vehicle door has been closed, in order to keep the vehicle interior lighted for a sufficient time duration to insert the ignition key or perform other comparable functions after the door of the vehicle has been closed.
- delay switches adapted for turning the courtesy lamps off after the doors have been closed which are based on the utilization of bimetal timers, or of monostable electronic circuits with time constants which can be preset as desired.
- Document US-A-3,300,755 discloses a device provided with pneumatic means in order to delay the opening of the electrical contacts of an illuminating system for the interior of a vehicle.
- the structure of the switch is complicated and it occupies much space, particularly in the longitudinal direction.
- a delay switch characterized essentially in that it comprises first and second elastically deformable pneumatic chambers, separated by a partition including a differential valve adapted for allowing a slow transfer from the first into the second chamber of the air contained in the system upon the first chamber being squeezed by the closing movement of a vehicle door and a quick return to the initial rest configuration as said first chamber is relieved of such pressure, the second chamber having a movable electric contact which disengages from a corresponding fixed contact to open the electric circuit with the second chamber in the maximum inflation condition thereof, substantially upon completion of said slow transfer of air from the first into the second chamber.
- said differential valve comprises a pair of overlaid membranes having markedly different elastic properties, the stiffer membrane being formed with at least one hole shut off by the more elastic membrane which, with the direction of the transfer airflow occurring from the first into the second chamber is urged to adhere closely against said hole, thus enabling the transfer to occur by leakage or bleeding, and with the transfer airflow occurring in the opposite direction, disengages from said hole to allow a fast return of the air from the second into the first chamber.
- reference I designates generally this delay switch as intended for installation on a fixed portion of a passenger car body, such as the upright M of the door P, at such a position as to be engaged by the door when the latter is in its closed condition and disengaged therefrom with the door in the open condition.
- the delay switch which comprises two pneumatic chambers 10-20, respectively calied first chamber and second chamber hereinafter, is installed with the first chamber 10 on the upright exterior and the second chamber 20 on the upright interior, the first chamber being, therefore, the one to be engaged by the door, which squeezes it to a configuration of least volume.
- the two chambers which are advantageously formed from an elastomeric material, are preferably made in the form of a bellows and interconnected in airtight sealed and overlapping relationship, as through a preferably metal ring nut 11 which also serves for connecting the switch to the metal sheet portion of the upright M.
- a partition diaphragm 12 is provided incorporating a differential valve schematically indicated at 13 in Figure 2.
- the function of said valve is of allowing a slow transfer of the pneumatic fluid-contained in the system made up of the two chambers-from the first into the second chamber when said first chamber is engaged and squeezed by the door P, and a fast return of the fluid in the opposite direction, namely from the second into the first chamber, when the latter, being disengaged from the door, tends to recover its original configuration.
- a movable contact is attached to the second chamber, comprising an elastically yielding metal reed 14 and being adapted to cooperate with a ground rheostat 15, advantageously formed by a screw arranged on the upright M adjacent the switch I.
- the arrangement is such that when the chambers 10 and 20 are both in their rest condition, corresponding to an equal pressure of the pneumatic fluid contained therein, the contact 14 will engage the rheostat 15 to close the circuit which turns the courtesy lamps on; said configuration being the one which corresponds to the open condition of the door P.
- the door when the door is closed, it will deform the first chamber 10 with a squeezing action, thus producing an increase of pressure of the air contained in it and a resulting transfer of air from the first into the second chamber, with a slowed down flow under control by the valve 13.
- the second chamber 20 is, therefore, slowly deformed until it produces the separation of the reed 14 from the rheostat 15 and consequent breaking of the lamp circuit, thereby the lamps are turned off, the switch off time delay being proportionate to the flow rate through the valve 13 for the air transfer direction from the first into the second chamber.
- valve 13 as shown in Figure 3, where it may be noted that said valve comprises first and second membranes 16, respectively 17, in overlapped relationship.
- the membranes which are both formed from an elastically yielding material, have markedly different thickness dimensions and, accordingly, elastic properties.
Landscapes
- Push-Button Switches (AREA)
Description
- This invention relates to a pneumatically controlled delay switch, particularly for passenger car and motorvehicle courtesy lamps, the term "courtesy lamp(s)" referring herein to lamps which are usually mounted in a vehicle passenger compartment and turned on upon opening at least one door thereof and off upon closing the same.
- The invention is essentially directed to providing a delayed action switch, that is one effective to turn the lamps off with a short time delay after the vehicle door has been closed, in order to keep the vehicle interior lighted for a sufficient time duration to insert the ignition key or perform other comparable functions after the door of the vehicle has been closed.
- Known in the art are delay switches adapted for turning the courtesy lamps off after the doors have been closed which are based on the utilization of bimetal timers, or of monostable electronic circuits with time constants which can be preset as desired.
- However, the use of such known switches has shown to be disadvantageous, on one hand owing to the disproportionate cost to the function they are to perform, and on the other hand on account of the excessively complicated construction of such switches, which makes them liable to failure particularly because they are installed at locations on the vehicle body where they are exposed to weather, dirt, dust, and the like contaminating agents.
- Document US-A-3,300,755 discloses a device provided with pneumatic means in order to delay the opening of the electrical contacts of an illuminating system for the interior of a vehicle. The structure of the switch is complicated and it occupies much space, particularly in the longitudinal direction.
- It is a primary object of this invention to eliminate all such disadvantages by providing a delay switch as indicated, which has an extremely simple construction, is relatively inexpensive, can be installed with the utmost ease and without involving any alteration of the existing electric circuitry, is reliable in operation, and especially impervious to weather.
- According to the invention, these and other objects, such as will be apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a delay switch characterized essentially in that it comprises first and second elastically deformable pneumatic chambers, separated by a partition including a differential valve adapted for allowing a slow transfer from the first into the second chamber of the air contained in the system upon the first chamber being squeezed by the closing movement of a vehicle door and a quick return to the initial rest configuration as said first chamber is relieved of such pressure, the second chamber having a movable electric contact which disengages from a corresponding fixed contact to open the electric circuit with the second chamber in the maximum inflation condition thereof, substantially upon completion of said slow transfer of air from the first into the second chamber.
- Advantageously, according to the invention, said differential valve comprises a pair of overlaid membranes having markedly different elastic properties, the stiffer membrane being formed with at least one hole shut off by the more elastic membrane which, with the direction of the transfer airflow occurring from the first into the second chamber is urged to adhere closely against said hole, thus enabling the transfer to occur by leakage or bleeding, and with the transfer airflow occurring in the opposite direction, disengages from said hole to allow a fast return of the air from the second into the first chamber.
- Further features and advantages will be more apparent from the following detailed description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, where:
- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a passenger car showing the location of a switch according to the invention thereon;
- Figure 2 is a schematical longitudinal section of said switch; and
- Figure 3 is a detail view of a differential valve advantageously suitable for use in the switch of this invention.
- In the drawing figures, reference I designates generally this delay switch as intended for installation on a fixed portion of a passenger car body, such as the upright M of the door P, at such a position as to be engaged by the door when the latter is in its closed condition and disengaged therefrom with the door in the open condition.
- The delay switch, which comprises two pneumatic chambers 10-20, respectively calied first chamber and second chamber hereinafter, is installed with the
first chamber 10 on the upright exterior and thesecond chamber 20 on the upright interior, the first chamber being, therefore, the one to be engaged by the door, which squeezes it to a configuration of least volume. The two chambers, which are advantageously formed from an elastomeric material, are preferably made in the form of a bellows and interconnected in airtight sealed and overlapping relationship, as through a preferably metal ring nut 11 which also serves for connecting the switch to the metal sheet portion of the upright M. Between said chambers, and clamped tightly by the action of the ring nut 11, a partition diaphragm 12 is provided incorporating a differential valve schematically indicated at 13 in Figure 2. The function of said valve is of allowing a slow transfer of the pneumatic fluid-contained in the system made up of the two chambers-from the first into the second chamber when said first chamber is engaged and squeezed by the door P, and a fast return of the fluid in the opposite direction, namely from the second into the first chamber, when the latter, being disengaged from the door, tends to recover its original configuration. - A movable contact is attached to the second chamber, comprising an elastically yielding
metal reed 14 and being adapted to cooperate with aground rheostat 15, advantageously formed by a screw arranged on the upright M adjacent the switch I. The arrangement is such that when thechambers contact 14 will engage therheostat 15 to close the circuit which turns the courtesy lamps on; said configuration being the one which corresponds to the open condition of the door P. Conversely, when the door is closed, it will deform thefirst chamber 10 with a squeezing action, thus producing an increase of pressure of the air contained in it and a resulting transfer of air from the first into the second chamber, with a slowed down flow under control by thevalve 13. Thesecond chamber 20 is, therefore, slowly deformed until it produces the separation of thereed 14 from therheostat 15 and consequent breaking of the lamp circuit, thereby the lamps are turned off, the switch off time delay being proportionate to the flow rate through thevalve 13 for the air transfer direction from the first into the second chamber. - The above-described operation is advantageously accomplished by utilizing a
valve 13 as shown in Figure 3, where it may be noted that said valve comprises first andsecond membranes 16, respectively 17, in overlapped relationship. The membranes, which are both formed from an elastically yielding material, have markedly different thickness dimensions and, accordingly, elastic properties. Themembrane 16, which is the thicker one, has moderate elastic properties and serves for dampening any pressure surges produced in slamming the door shut. Themembrane 17, which is much thinner, overlies the former to shut off at least onehole 18 provided in the latter membrane, but such as to allow the air to bleed past it, as indicated by the arrows F, from the chamber 10 (on the left of the membranes in Figure 3) into thechamber 20. This may be accomplished by surrounding thehole 18 with a series of radial grooves, as indicated at 19, of very small cross-sectional area. - It will thus be appreciated that an increase of the pressure within the
chamber 10 will tend to urge themembrane 17 against themembrane 16, thereby the air transfer is caused to occur slowly by a bleeding effect, whereas the reverse return flow occurs very rapidly thanks to the raising of themembrane 16, which completely uncovers the opening of thehole 18. To facilitate said fast return flow, it is advantageous that, at least in thechamber 10, a coil spring 21 should be provided which would tend to bring the bellows of said chamber back to its rest or relaxed position.
Claims (6)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
IT5337480 | 1980-07-10 | ||
IT5337480 | 1980-07-10 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0043970A1 EP0043970A1 (en) | 1982-01-20 |
EP0043970B1 true EP0043970B1 (en) | 1984-11-07 |
Family
ID=11282240
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP19810105018 Expired EP0043970B1 (en) | 1980-07-10 | 1981-06-29 | Pneumatically controlled delay switch |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0043970B1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE3167062D1 (en) |
Family Cites Families (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3204069A (en) * | 1962-12-03 | 1965-08-31 | Gen Motors Corp | Door switch assembly |
US3300755A (en) * | 1964-06-01 | 1967-01-24 | Dunn Ralph | Automatic lighting and warning system |
DE2114474A1 (en) * | 1971-03-25 | 1972-09-28 | Daimler Benz Ag | Pressure switch |
-
1981
- 1981-06-29 DE DE8181105018T patent/DE3167062D1/en not_active Expired
- 1981-06-29 EP EP19810105018 patent/EP0043970B1/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
DE3167062D1 (en) | 1984-12-13 |
EP0043970A1 (en) | 1982-01-20 |
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Date | Code | Title | Description |
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PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
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