EP0406097B1 - Interrupteur, notamment pour vehicules automobiles - Google Patents

Interrupteur, notamment pour vehicules automobiles Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0406097B1
EP0406097B1 EP19900401817 EP90401817A EP0406097B1 EP 0406097 B1 EP0406097 B1 EP 0406097B1 EP 19900401817 EP19900401817 EP 19900401817 EP 90401817 A EP90401817 A EP 90401817A EP 0406097 B1 EP0406097 B1 EP 0406097B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
contact
support
spindle
interruptor
main arms
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 - Lifetime
Application number
EP19900401817
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0406097A1 (fr
Inventor
Louis Chretien
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Valeo Electronique SA
Original Assignee
Valeo Electronique SA
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Valeo Electronique SA filed Critical Valeo Electronique SA
Publication of EP0406097A1 publication Critical patent/EP0406097A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0406097B1 publication Critical patent/EP0406097B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01HELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H13/00Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch
    • H01H13/02Details
    • H01H13/12Movable parts; Contacts mounted thereon
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01HELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H1/00Contacts
    • H01H1/12Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage
    • H01H1/14Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting
    • H01H1/18Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting with subsequent sliding
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01HELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H15/00Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for actuation in opposite directions, e.g. slide switch
    • H01H15/02Details
    • H01H15/06Movable parts; Contacts mounted thereon
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01HELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H23/00Tumbler or rocker switches, i.e. switches characterised by being operated by rocking an operating member in the form of a rocker button
    • H01H23/02Details
    • H01H23/12Movable parts; Contacts mounted thereon

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to electrical switches, in particular for motor vehicles.
  • a support carries fixed conductive stops and tilting supports.
  • An elastically deformable conductive strip is pivotally mounted for contact with said stops.
  • An actuating member is mounted mobile on the support and includes a finger for punctual contact with said conductive strip and operation thereof.
  • the conductive strip has two main arms, each for support with one of the tilting supports, as well as a secondary arm for cooperation with said finger of the actuating member.
  • the main arms form the branches of a U joined at their root by a central section, said secondary arm being disposed between the main arms and ensures contact pressure of the conductive blade in contact with the fixed stops.
  • the blade carries a movable contact passing selectively from a contact carried by one of the stops to a contact carried by the other stop, causing current breaks.
  • Oxidation phenomena occur as well as the formation, on the one hand, of craters, and, on the other hand, peaks at the level of the contacts.
  • the finger of the drive member slides along the secondary arm to constrain the blade and tilt it, so that the control force is not as low as desired.
  • the object of the present invention is to overcome these disadvantages and therefore to create a switch with a long service life, while having a low operating force and providing other advantages.
  • the elastic blade is axially movable by being driven by the finger of the actuating member cooperating with the tongue and a self-cleaning phenomenon occurs.
  • At least one of the main arms first performs a translational movement in contact with the fixed conductive stop concerned, before occupying a second stable position in contact with said stop.
  • the ends of the shaft are each carried by an axial retaining cradle, said end not being in contact with the bottom of the cradle.
  • the tree For local contact with the support, the tree can have a central barrel shape.
  • the conductive strip finds a third point of contact with the support via the shaft, which improves the floating character.
  • the secondary arm has a U shape with branches connecting to the free ends of the main arms, said main arms forming the branches of a U inside of which the secondary arm is housed.
  • the secondary arm has a great length and good flexibility, which is favorable for obtaining a good contact pressure of the blade in contact with the fixed stops.
  • the tongue crosses the plane of the blade and has an inclined portion favoring the tilting of the blade as well as possibly the establishment of a secondary circuit.
  • one of the arms has a projecting contact zone for cooperation with its associated fixed conductive stopper, while the other main arm is smooth for cooperation with a contact zone projecting by its fixed stopper. associated driver.
  • the contact zones can be added contact pads or grains or alternatively tiled or curved zones.
  • the contacts alternate; a first contact area being allowed to enter into action the first, while the second is allowed after wear of the first contact area to cooperate later and vice versa.
  • the pusher can be capped by a styling element, or alternatively it can be subjected to the action of a rocker available to the user.
  • the support comprises two half-bodies provided with tracks each connecting to a central part by a hinge.
  • the tracks also have thinned zones so that the assembly is carried out by folding in the manner of a wallet and closing of the two half-bodies by a base.
  • the switch for motor vehicles comprises a support 1, preferably made of plastic, carrying fixed conductive stops 2 to 7, each ending in a connection plug, and tilting supports 8, 9.
  • the fixed stops 2 to 7 belong to conductive tracks described below.
  • An elastically deformable conductive strip 10 is pivotally mounted in the support 1 for contact with some 2.3 of the fixed stops 2 to 7.
  • An actuating member 20 is movably mounted on the support 1 and comprises a finger 21 for local contact with said conductive strip 10 and operation thereof.
  • the blade 10 comprises two main arms 22,23 respectively, for contact each with one of the tilting supports 8,9, as well as a secondary arm 24 disposed between the main arms 22,23, for contact with the finger 21.
  • the main arms form the branches of a U by being joined at their roots by a central section 29, while the secondary arm ensures, as described below, a contact pressure of the blade 10 in contact with the fixed stops 2 , 3.
  • said fixed stops 2,3 extend from the side of the free ends of the branches of the U of said blade 10 and are each associated with the free end 25,26 of a main arm 22,23 for cooperation with that -this.
  • Said main arms 22, 23 are each supported on a bearing with a low coefficient of friction 8.9, forming the tilting support.
  • Said bearings 8, 9 are connected and carried by a shaft 50 while being at a distance from the support 1.
  • Punctual contact means are provided between the support 1 and the central part of the shaft 50, for radially oscillating mounting of the bearings 8, 9 and the shaft 50.
  • Coupling means 31.67 are provided between the elastic blade 10 and the actuating member 20 for driving said blade 10 by the actuating member 20.
  • the secondary arm 24 is connected to the free ends of the main arms 22,23.
  • the secondary arm 24 carries centrally, radially projecting, between the two main arms 22, 23 on the side of the central section 29 of the U, a tongue 30 for cooperation with said finger 21 of the actuating member, said tongue 30 comprising a inclined zone 33 allowed to cooperate with the central portion of the shaft 50.
  • the actuating member 20 consists of a pusher mounted movable in translation on the support 1 by means of connecting means to translation 61,62, said pusher 20 being subjected to the action of engagement means 40 urging it towards a first stable position, in which the conductive blade 10 extends away from the fixed contacts 2,3, and being able to occupy a second stable position for which a connection is established between the fixed contacts 2, 3 by the conductive strip 10 maintained in pressure against the latter by virtue of the secondary arms 24.
  • the blade 10 is coupled by its secondary arm 24 to the pusher 20 for the formation of a movable assembly, said pusher being guided by the support 1.
  • the bearing with a low coefficient of friction 8.9 will be referred to as an anti-friction bearing.
  • the pusher 20 is axially movable against elastic engagement means 40 urging it to a first stable position.
  • the anti-friction bearings 8.9 are rolling bodies and consist of rollers 8.9 connected and carried by a shaft 50, the ends of reduced diameter of which are journalled in axial retaining cradles 51 secured to the support. 1 excavated locally for passage of said rollers ( Figures 1 to 4).
  • rollers 8.9 are integral with the shaft 50 and form a single piece of conductive material, the rollers 8.9 being arranged in the vicinity of the internal face of the cradles 51, so that perpendicular to the plane of Figure 2 said cradles 51 constitute stops.
  • the shaft 50 has a centrally domed barrel shape (FIG. 2) for punctual contact, here indirectly via a track 4, with the support 1.
  • This barrel part is opposite the tongue 30.
  • the end of the shaft is not in contact with the bottom of the cradle 51, while the rollers 8, 9 are only in contact with the blade 10, the lower part of said rollers being at distance from support 1 thanks to the aforementioned local recesses of the support at the level of the rollers.
  • the shaft 50 with its rollers 8.9 forms a radially oscillating assembly, its axial movement being limited by the cradles 51.
  • the secondary arm 24 is connected to the free ends 25, 26 of the main arms 22, 23.
  • the fixed stops or tracks 2,3 extend parallel to the arms 22,23. Note the presence of track 4 between tracks 2 and 3 allowing the establishment of a function indicator circuit by cooperation with the convex part of the shaft 50.
  • the free end 25 of the arm 22 (FIG. 2) carries a contact zone 27, for cooperation with the associated stop or conductive track 2, said zone 2 being smooth,
  • the free end 26 of the arm 23 is smooth and is suitable for cooperate with a contact area 28 carried by the other stop or conductive track 3.
  • the contact areas 27, 28 consist of pads or contact grains added and provided with silver.
  • the zones 27, 28 can be formed by curved or tiled parts of the parts 10, 3 concerned.
  • the secondary arm 24 is separated from the main arms 22, 23 by a slot 11, and that the two arms 22, 23 form the branches of a U by being joined at their root by a central section 29.
  • the arm 24 therefore also has a U shape, housed inside the U carrying the arms 22,23, with a base 12 parallel to the section 29 and branches parallel to the internal contour of the arms 22,23. These arms 22,23 widen in the direction of their free ends 25,26 to increase the contact surfaces with the conductive tracks 2,3 and stiffening of the connection with the branch concerned of the arm 24.
  • the tongue 30 is in the form of a hook and is erected centrally locally from the base 12 of the arm 24 (FIG. 2). It comprises a radial portion 31 for hooking with the pusher 20, said portion 31 extending by a rounded portion 32 for local and punctual contact with the finger 21 with rounded end.
  • This tongue 30 extends on the other side of the plane of the blade 10 and has an inclined zone 33 which is able to cooperate with the central barrel portion of the shaft 50.
  • the pusher 20 advantageously made of plastic, has two rounded local contact surfaces 41, 42 for cooperation with the support 1.
  • This pusher is of rectangular shape with a narrower front part and a rear part carrying the bearing surfaces 41,42 and connecting to the previous one by an inclined part (see Figures 3 and 4).
  • the engagement means 40 here consist of a coil spring bearing on the base 60 of the support 1 by surrounding an axial protuberance 61 of cruciform section penetrating into an opening 62 of complementary shape, which has the end or front face 63 of the pusher 20.
  • This pusher 20 has an open upper face for passage of a control lamp 64 making it possible to illuminate the open rear face 65 of said pusher 20.
  • the bottom 66 of said pusher locally carries the finger 21 with a rounded end, as well as a flared opening 67 for penetration of the portion 31 and hooking of the latter with the pusher 20.
  • the pusher 20 constitutes a drive member, and the portion 31 with its opening associated 67, coupling means between the blade 10 and the pusher 20.
  • the pusher 20 and the tongue 30 form an axially movable assembly in both directions, said blade 10 being hooked by its tongue 30 to the pusher 20 guided by the support 1.
  • the bottom 66 extends partly above the blade 10.
  • One of the lateral faces of the pusher 20 has a labyrinth 70 provided with a central projection 71 and hooking zones 72,73.
  • labyrinth 70 For the shape of labyrinth 70, refer to FIG. 4.
  • the support 1 has a slide 74 for sliding a part 75 carrying a hooking stud 76 passing through a slot in the slide 74 and suitable for cooperating with the labyrinth 70 by penetrating therein.
  • the support 1 has a central front end 80 open and delimited by the base 60. Inside this end are housed the sheets of the stops 2 to 7 here all forming tracks in the form of strips of material parallel to each other, the tracks 5 to 7 being intended in particular for supplying the lamp 64 and offset radially with respect to tracks 2 to 4.
  • end 80 with its associated plugs, offset radially with respect to the tracks proper, forms the female part of a connection device.
  • This end 80 in addition to the axial protuberance 61, is integral with half-bodies 81.82 with the presence of thinned zones 83.84 at the connection of each of the half-bodies 81.82 with the base 60.
  • Tracks 2 to 7 also have thinned areas at this location. They can be overmolded with the half-bodies 81, 82, or as a variant be force-fitted with the presence of pins integral with the half-bodies for maintaining said tracks.
  • said thinned zones form hinges so that after mounting of parts of the switch, the assembly of the support is done by folding the half-bodies 81, 82 and confronting them at the way of folding a wallet, the two half-bodies 81, 82 being originally arranged vertically in the plane of FIG. 4.
  • the set of half-bodies 81, 82 thus assembled has a generally parallelepiped shape.
  • a base 90 for fixing to the vehicle said base 90 comprising for this purpose fixing ears 91 with fixing holes, as well as an axial part for cooperation with the bearing surfaces of guide 41, 42 belonging to the bottom 66 and to the upper wall of the pusher 20.
  • the switch is in its first stable position, the spring 40 urging the plunger 20 in contact with the stud 76, the latter being in contact with the attachment zone 72 of the labyrinth 70, the tongue 30 , as well as the finger 21 extending axially from the side of the axis of the shaft 50 turned away from the base 60.
  • the blade 10 extends at a distance from the tracks 2 and 3, which thus are not connected together so that the associated electrical circuit is open.
  • the pusher 20 has protuberances 68 for local contact with the ends 25, 26 of the arms 22, 23 in this position.
  • This configuration corresponds to the second stable position of the switch for which a connection is established between the tracks 2 and 3 by the blade 10 maintained in pressure against them by the arm 24.
  • the U-shaped geometry of the secondary arm 24 gives it flexibility so that the blade 10 is floating during its movement.
  • the blade 10 is allowed to first come into contact with one of the tracks, and that it recovers contact with the other track through the rollers 8,9 and the shaft 50 oscillating radially, in so that during its movement it finds three points of contact with the support 1, namely two points of contact with the tracks 2,3 and the third at the level of the central part of the shaft 50.
  • the blade 10 allows the establishment of an auxiliary electrical circuit thanks to the shaft 50, to the track 4 and in particular the portion 33 of the blade 10.
  • the pusher 20 can be coated with a style element 95 available to the user as shown in Figure 5, the operation of the switch being by depressing, according to the arrow in this figure.
  • the drawer can be subjected to the action of a rocker 96 available to the user.
  • the pusher 200 has an appendage 97 in the extension of its bottom 66.
  • FIGS. 8 and 9 With a base 190 and supports with elastic blade and standard push-button, it is possible to obtain a multi-function keyboard with rocking keys single function or double function and keys of the push button type, subsequent mounting. of certain supports remaining possible.
  • the rolling bodies may consist of ball bearings, and the anti-friction bearings in profiled bearings with a low coefficient of friction.
  • said bearings can be radially interposed between the blade 10 and the ends of the shaft 50 while being immobilized in rotation by the cradles 51.
  • the rollers can be separated from each other.
  • the coupling of the pusher 20 to the tongue 30 can be carried out using the finger 21 and an attached piece on the pusher and forming a hook engaging in the slot 11 for recalling the blade 10.
  • 'a crossbar 61 of cross-section one can use a translational connection by flat or other.
  • the secondary arm 24 may consist of a flexible strip connected to the main arm 22, 23. In all cases the current can pass from one main arm 22, 23 to the other, also through the secondary arm 24, so that the voltage drops are reduced.
  • the shaft 50 may have a cylindrical shaped thickening centrally adapted to cooperate with a strip of material extending transversely with respect to said shaft.
  • the fixed stops 2, 3 may very well not be parallel to each other, because one carries a projection for cooperation with the blade 10.

Landscapes

  • Tumbler Switches (AREA)
  • Push-Button Switches (AREA)
  • Switches With Compound Operations (AREA)
EP19900401817 1989-06-29 1990-06-26 Interrupteur, notamment pour vehicules automobiles Expired - Lifetime EP0406097B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR8908684A FR2649258B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1989-06-29 1989-06-29
FR8908684 1989-06-29

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0406097A1 EP0406097A1 (fr) 1991-01-02
EP0406097B1 true EP0406097B1 (fr) 1995-11-22

Family

ID=9383257

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19900401817 Expired - Lifetime EP0406097B1 (fr) 1989-06-29 1990-06-26 Interrupteur, notamment pour vehicules automobiles

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0406097B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE69023703T2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
ES (1) ES2081954T3 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2649258B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2221801A1 (en) * 1973-03-13 1974-10-11 Dav Overcentre type snap action electrical switch - has ends of pivoting fingers acting on flexible contact plate
US3879592A (en) * 1974-02-11 1975-04-22 Controls Co Of America Switch having pivoted u-shaped resilient conductive blade
US4471181A (en) * 1982-12-10 1984-09-11 Cooper Industries, Inc. Electric switch with cleaning action

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0406097A1 (fr) 1991-01-02
FR2649258B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1993-04-23
DE69023703T2 (de) 1996-04-18
DE69023703D1 (de) 1996-01-04
FR2649258A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1991-01-04
ES2081954T3 (es) 1996-03-16

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