EP0908906B1 - Switch - Google Patents
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- Publication number
- EP0908906B1 EP0908906B1 EP98307894A EP98307894A EP0908906B1 EP 0908906 B1 EP0908906 B1 EP 0908906B1 EP 98307894 A EP98307894 A EP 98307894A EP 98307894 A EP98307894 A EP 98307894A EP 0908906 B1 EP0908906 B1 EP 0908906B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- contact point
- movable contact
- push button
- fixed
- section
- 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
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Classifications
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- 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
- H01H13/20—Driving mechanisms
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- 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
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- 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
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H19/00—Switches operated by an operating part which is rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof and which is acted upon directly by a solid body external to the switch, e.g. by a hand
- H01H19/54—Switches operated by an operating part which is rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof and which is acted upon directly by a solid body external to the switch, e.g. by a hand the operating part having at least five or an unspecified number of operative positions
- H01H19/56—Angularly-movable actuating part carrying contacts, e.g. drum switch
- H01H19/563—Angularly-movable actuating part carrying contacts, e.g. drum switch with an initial separation movement perpendicular to the switching movement
Definitions
- This invention relates to a switch which is preferably used in a refrigerator or the like.
- a related art switch which is for example a switch operated when a door of a refrigerator is opened or closed to turn ON or turn OFF an electric lamp for use in lighting up an inner area of a refrigerator or to turn ON or turn OFF a cooling motor is provided with a case 21 composed of a molded product of synthetic resin.
- Two fixed contact points 22, 23 composed of resilient metallic plates and a common movable contact point 24 composed of resilient metallic plate are fixed to this case 21.
- a contact point section 24a of the common movable contact point 24 is kept at a state opposite to the contact point sections 22a, 23a of the fixed contact points 22, 23 and then the contact point section 24a can be moved to or away from each of the contact point sections 22a, 23a, respectively.
- a doglegged driving member 25 fitted to the supporting column 21a arranged at the case 21 is installed within the case 21, and the driving member 25 is rotatably arranged around the supporting column 21a to drive the movable contact point 24 at one end of the driving member 25.
- a push button 26 which can be turned around a fulcrum point of the shaft 26a is fixed to the case 21 and at the same time a coil spring 27 is arranged between the case 21 and the push button 26 so as to always resiliently push against the push button 26 with this coil spring 27.
- the push button 26 is operated such that the push button 26 is resiliently pressed in a counter-clockwise direction around a fulcrum point of the shaft 26a by the coil spring 27, a part of the push button 26 is projected out of the hole 21b of the case 21 and the protrusion 26b of the push button 26 is engaged with the inner side of the case 21 to prevent the push button 26 from being further turned.
- Fig. 10 shows a state in which a part of the push button 26 is projected out of the hole 21b of the case 21 as the door of the refrigerator is opened and under this state, the contact point section 24a of the movable contact point 24 comes into contact with the contact point section 22a of the fixed contact point 22, the movable contact point 24 and the fixed contact point 22 are made conductive to cause a lamp in the refrigerator to be lit or the cooling motor to be turned off.
- the driving member 25 is turned around the supporting column 21a by this push button 26, the movable contact point 24 can be moved through rotation of the driving member 25, the contact point section 24a is moved away from the contact point section 22a and comes into contact with the contact point section 23a of the fixed contact point 23.
- the contacted state of the contact point section 24a with the contact point section 23a becomes an abutted state, i.e. a butting type contacted state and at the same time, the lamp in the refrigerator is turned off or the cooling fan motor becomes its connected state.
- the push button 26 is partially projected out of the hole 21b by the coil spring 27 as shown in Fig. 10 and at the same time the movable contact point 24 is returned to its original state due to its spring characteristic, thereby the driving member 25 is pushed back to cause the contact point section 24a to be moved away from the contact point section 23a and contacted against the contact point section 22a of the fixed contact point 22 in a butting state, the lamp is lit or the cooling fan motor is turned off.
- the prior art switch has some problems that the driving member 25 is required for driving the movable contact point 24, the number of component parts is increased to cause its cost to be increased, it requires a certain storing space to cause its size to be large in scale.
- the movable contact point 24 is made of resilient metallic plate, not only its material cost is high and its price is costly expensive, but also a state of the contact point section 24a with the contact point sections 22a, 23a is of a butting type and a sliding operation scarcely occurs between the contact point section 24a and the contact point 22a, 23a, resulting in that there occurs a problem that an oxidation film of the contact point caused by arc generated between the contact point section 24a and the contact point sections 22a, 23a is left and a poor contact state is generated.
- a switch including a case; a protrusion arranged at the case; a fixed contact point fixed to the case; a movable contact point rotatably pivoted by a supporting column; and a push button for rotating the movable contact point around the supporting column, wherein the movable contact point is abutted against the protrusion when the movable contact point is rotated through motion of the push button, the contact point section of the movable contact point is moved up and down in an axial direction of the supporting column and slidably contacted with the fixed contact point.
- a coil spring is fixed to the supporting column, the movable contact point is pushed against the fixed contact point and at the same time the movable contact point can be moved up and down along the protrusion by a resilient pressure of the coil spring.
- one end of the coil spring is engaged with the movable contact point, the other end of it is engaged with the case, the movable contact point is resiliently pressed in a rotating direction around the supporting column and the movable contact point is turned in compliance with a motion of the push button.
- the upper part of the coil spring is resiliently pressed by a lid section constituting a part of the case and the movable contact point is resiliently pressed by the lower part of the coil spring.
- Fig. 1 is a perspective view for showing a switch of the present invention.
- Fig. 2 is a top plan view in section for showing a substantial part of the switch of the present invention.
- Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along a line 3-3 of Fig. 2.
- Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along a line 4-4 of Fig. 2.
- Fig. 5 is a sectional view of substantial part for showing a fixed state of the push button of the switch of the present invention.
- Fig. 6 is a top plan view in section of a substantial part for illustrating an operation of the switch of the present invention.
- Figs. 7A to 7E are illustrative views for showing a changing-over operation of the contact point of the switch of the present invention.
- Fig. 8 is a perspective view for showing another preferred embodiment of the switch of the present invention.
- Fig. 9 is a top plan view in section of a substantial part for showing another preferred embodiment of the switch of the present invention.
- Fig. 10 is a top plan view in section for showing a substantial part of the prior art switch.
- Fig. 1 is a perspective view for showing a switch of the present invention
- Fig. 2 is a top plan view in section for showing a substantial part of the switch of the present invention
- Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along a line 3-3 of Fig. 2
- Fig. 4 is a sectional taken along a line 4-4 of Fig. 2
- Fig. 5 is a sectional view of substantial part for showing a fixed state of the push button of the switch of the present invention
- Fig. 6 is a top plan view in section of a substantial part for illustrating an operation of the switch of the present invention
- Figs. 1 is a perspective view for showing a switch of the present invention
- Fig. 2 is a top plan view in section for showing a substantial part of the switch of the present invention
- Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along a line 3-3 of Fig. 2
- Fig. 4 is a sectional taken along a line 4-4 of Fig. 2
- FIG. 7A to 7E are illustrative views for showing a changing-over operation of the contact point of the switch of the present invention
- Fig. 8 is a perspective view for showing another preferred embodiment of the switch of the present invention
- Fig. 9 is a top plan view in section of a substantial part for showing another preferred embodiment of the switch of the present invention.
- the case 1 composed of molded product of synthetic resin is constituted by a box member 2 having a vacant cavity therein and a lid 3 for closing the vacant cavity of the box member 2, wherein the lid 3 is assembled with the box member 2 by snap fitting an arm arranged at the lid 3 to the box member 2 at its protrusion.
- the box member 2 is provided with a cylinder part 2a, a supporting column 2b integrally arranged with the box member 2 within the vacant cavity and a protrusion 2c arranged at the bottom part in the vacant cavity.
- the fixed contact points 4, 5 composed of a metallic plate have contact point sections 4a, 5a and terminal sections 4b, 5b and each of them is fixed to the box member 2.
- the common fixed contact point 6 composed of a metallic plate and having the terminal section 6a is fixed to the box 2 with its part being inserted into the supporting column 2b (see Fig. 3).
- the movable contact point 7 composed of a metallic plate is provided with a contact point section 7a arranged at one end, a hole 6b arranged at the other end, a protrusion 6c arranged between the contact point section 6a and the hole 6b, and an arm 6d formed at a side part by bending.
- such a movable contact point 7 as above is constructed such that the supporting column 2b is inserted into the hole 7b and rotatably pivoted by the supporting column 2b and during rotation of the movable contact point 7, the protrusion 7c is abutted against the protrusion 2c of the box 2, it rides over the protrusion 2c to cause the contact point section 7a to move up and down in an axial direction of the supporting column 2b and further, the movable contact point 7 can be moved to or away from the contact point sections 4a, 5a of the fixed contact points 4, 5 while it is always in contact with the common fixed contact point 6.
- the coil-like coil spring 8 is set such that the supporting column 2b is inserted into and passed through the central part of the coil section 8a and fixed to the box 2, its one end 8b is engaged with the arm 7d of the movable contact point 7 and the other end 8c is engaged with a part of the box 2.
- the movable contact point 7 is always resiliently pressed by the coil spring 8 around the supporting column 2b and at the same time the movable contact point 7 is always resiliently pressed against the common fixed contact point 6 by the coil section 8a, resulting in that the movable contact point 7 and the fixed contact point 6 are always contacted from each other.
- the coil spring 8 fixed to the box 2 resiliently presses against the upper part of the coil section 8a with the lid 3 so as to increase a pressing pressure of the movable contact point 7 against the fixed contact point 6 and then the contacted state between both contact points 6, 7 is positively attained.
- the push button 9 composed of molded product of synthetic resin includes an engaging section 9a formed at one end having a slit groove and a concave section 9b arranged inside it, wherein the push button 9 is inserted into the cylinder part 2a of the box 2 and snap engaged there, movable in a vertical direction with the cylinder 2a being applied as a guide, the engaging section 9a is engaged with the box 2 so as to prevent the push button 9 from being disengaged from the case 1.
- the coil-like spring 10 is inserted into the concave part 9b of the push button 9, the other end is engaged with a part of the box 2 and the push button 9 is always resiliently pressed by a spring 10 in an upward direction.
- the push button 9 is operated such that an arm section 7d of the movable contact point 7 is always abutted against a part of the push button 9 to prevent the movable contact point 7 from being further rotated and additionally the movable contact point 7 is rotated through motion of the push button 9 to perform a changing-over operation of the contact point.
- FIG. 2 shows a state in which the door of the refrigerator is opened and a part of the push button 9 is projected out of the cylinder part 2b of the case 1 in an outward direction.
- the contact point section 7a of the movable contact point 7 comes into contact with the contact point section 4a of the fixed contact point 4, the common fixed contact point 6 and the fixed contact point 4 are made to be electrically conductive and the lamp in the refrigerator is lit or the cooling fan motor is turned off.
- the protrusion 7c of the movable contact point 7 is abutted against the protrusion 2c of the case 1, it rides over the protrusion 2c along the protrusion 2c, the contact point section 7a moves up and down, the contact point section 7a is moved away from the contact point section 4a of the fixed contact point 4, contacted with the contact point section 5a of the fixed contact point 5, resulting in that the fixed contact point 6 and the fixed contact point 5 are connected to each other.
- the lamp in the refrigerator is turned off or the cooling fan motor is connected.
- the changing-over of the contact point between the state shown in Fig. 2 and the state shown in Fig. 6 is at first performed such that as shown in Fig. 7A, the movable contact point 7 and the fixed contact point 4 are made electrically conductive and the protrusion 7c of the movable contact point 7 and the protrusion 2c of the case 1 are spaced apart from each other.
- the contact point section 7a is rotated while being slidably contacted with the contact point section 4a until the protrusion 7c strikes against the protrusion 2c as shown in Fig. 7B.
- the protrusion 7c rides on the protrusion 2c as shown in Fig. 7C and at the same time the contact point section 7a is moved away from the contact point section 4a and then the protrusion 7c rides over the protrusion 2c as shown in Fig. 7D and concurrently the contact point section 7a becomes a contacted state with the contact point section 5a.
- the contact point section 7a is moved while it is being slid at the contact point section 5a as shown in Fig. 7E and at the same time the protrusion 7c is moved away from the protrusion 2c to perform the changing-over of the contact points.
- the push button 9 is partially projected by a spring 10 in an outward direction from the case 1 and at the same time, the movable contact point 7 returns back to its original state by the coil spring 8, thereby the contact point section 7a is moved away from the contact point section 5a and contacted with the contact point section 4a of the fixed contact point 4, the fixed contact point 6 and the fixed contact point 4 are connected from each other, the lamp is lit or the cooling fan motor is turned off.
- a changing-over of the contact point during that period is carried out by performing the operation in an opposite manner to the aforesaid operation, i. e. from the operation shown in Fig. 7E to the operation shown in Fig. 7A.
- FIGs. 8 and 9 show another preferred embodiment of the switch of the present invention, wherein this preferred embodiment is constituted such that a shaft 11a of a push button 11 is fixed to the case 1, the push button 11 is rotatably attached around the shaft 11a, the movable contact point 7 is abutted against the push button 11, the spring 12 is fixed to the case 1 and one end of the spring 12 always resiliently pushes the push button 11 in an upward direction.
- the push button 11 is rotated around the shaft 11a against the spring 12 and pushed into the case 1 as shown in Fig. 9.
- the switch of the present invention can provide a switch showing a positive contact in which oxidization films of the contact point sections 4a, 5a and 7a under an application of arc generated during changing-over of the contact points can be removed by a sliding operation of the contact point due to the fact that the movable contact point 7 is moved up and down in an axial direction of the supporting column 2b along the protrusion 2c of the case 1 under motion of the push button 9 and slid along the fixed contact points 4, 5.
- the push button 9 is abutted directly against the movable contact point 7 to eliminate the prior art driving member 25, resulting in that a less-expensive and small-sized switch can be provided.
- the movable contact point 7 is made of a metallic plate having a spring characteristic, the less-expensive switch can be provided.
- the movable contact point 7 is resiliently pushed against the fixed contact point 6 by the coil spring 8 fixed to the supporting column 2c, the movable contact point 7 and the fixed contact point 6 can be positively contacted, resulting in that a stable connected switch can be provided.
- the coil spring 8 can operate to push the movable contact point 7 against the fixed contact point 6 and perform a resilient pushing of the movable contact point 7 in its rotating direction, resulting in that it is possible to provide a less-expensive and superior productive switch in which the number of component parts can be reduced.
- the movable contact point 7 can be forcedly pushed by the fixed contact point 6, resulting in that it is possible to provide a switch in which a more positive contact of the contact point is attained.
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- Push-Button Switches (AREA)
- Contacts (AREA)
- Rotary Switch, Piano Key Switch, And Lever Switch (AREA)
Description
- This invention relates to a switch which is preferably used in a refrigerator or the like.
- A related art switch, which is for example a switch operated when a door of a refrigerator is opened or closed to turn ON or turn OFF an electric lamp for use in lighting up an inner area of a refrigerator or to turn ON or turn OFF a cooling motor is provided with a
case 21 composed of a molded product of synthetic resin. Twofixed contact points movable contact point 24 composed of resilient metallic plate are fixed to thiscase 21. A contact point section 24a of the commonmovable contact point 24 is kept at a state opposite to thecontact point sections fixed contact points contact point sections - In addition, a doglegged
driving member 25 fitted to the supportingcolumn 21a arranged at thecase 21 is installed within thecase 21, and the drivingmember 25 is rotatably arranged around the supportingcolumn 21a to drive themovable contact point 24 at one end of thedriving member 25. - In addition, a
push button 26 which can be turned around a fulcrum point of theshaft 26a is fixed to thecase 21 and at the same time acoil spring 27 is arranged between thecase 21 and thepush button 26 so as to always resiliently push against thepush button 26 with thiscoil spring 27. - Then, the
push button 26 is operated such that thepush button 26 is resiliently pressed in a counter-clockwise direction around a fulcrum point of theshaft 26a by thecoil spring 27, a part of thepush button 26 is projected out of the hole 21b of thecase 21 and theprotrusion 26b of thepush button 26 is engaged with the inner side of thecase 21 to prevent thepush button 26 from being further turned. - Then, such a switch as above is fixed to a refrigerator and the
push button 26 is operated through an opening or closing operation of a door of the refrigerator. - Fig. 10 shows a state in which a part of the
push button 26 is projected out of the hole 21b of thecase 21 as the door of the refrigerator is opened and under this state, the contact point section 24a of themovable contact point 24 comes into contact with thecontact point section 22a of thefixed contact point 22, themovable contact point 24 and thefixed contact point 22 are made conductive to cause a lamp in the refrigerator to be lit or the cooling motor to be turned off. - Then, when the
push button 26 is pushed by the door in a direction of arrow P while the door of the refrigerator is closed under this state, thepush button 26 is rotated in a clockwise direction against thecoil spring 27 around a fulcrum point of theshaft 26a and thepush button 26 is pushed into thecase 21. - Then, the
driving member 25 is turned around the supportingcolumn 21a by thispush button 26, themovable contact point 24 can be moved through rotation of thedriving member 25, the contact point section 24a is moved away from thecontact point section 22a and comes into contact with thecontact point section 23a of thefixed contact point 23. - At this time, the contacted state of the contact point section 24a with the
contact point section 23a becomes an abutted state, i.e. a butting type contacted state and at the same time, the lamp in the refrigerator is turned off or the cooling fan motor becomes its connected state. - In addition, when the door is opened under this state, the
push button 26 is partially projected out of the hole 21b by thecoil spring 27 as shown in Fig. 10 and at the same time themovable contact point 24 is returned to its original state due to its spring characteristic, thereby the drivingmember 25 is pushed back to cause the contact point section 24a to be moved away from thecontact point section 23a and contacted against thecontact point section 22a of thefixed contact point 22 in a butting state, the lamp is lit or the cooling fan motor is turned off. - The prior art switch has some problems that the driving
member 25 is required for driving themovable contact point 24, the number of component parts is increased to cause its cost to be increased, it requires a certain storing space to cause its size to be large in scale. - In addition, since the
movable contact point 24 is made of resilient metallic plate, not only its material cost is high and its price is costly expensive, but also a state of the contact point section 24a with thecontact point sections contact point contact point sections - According to the present invention ther is provided a switch, including a case; a protrusion arranged at the case; a fixed contact point fixed to the case; a movable contact point rotatably pivoted by a supporting column; and a push button for rotating the movable contact point around the supporting column, wherein the movable contact point is abutted against the protrusion when the movable contact point is rotated through motion of the push button, the contact point section of the movable contact point is moved up and down in an axial direction of the supporting column and slidably contacted with the fixed contact point.
- Preferably, a coil spring is fixed to the supporting column, the movable contact point is pushed against the fixed contact point and at the same time the movable contact point can be moved up and down along the protrusion by a resilient pressure of the coil spring.
- Preferably, one end of the coil spring is engaged with the movable contact point, the other end of it is engaged with the case, the movable contact point is resiliently pressed in a rotating direction around the supporting column and the movable contact point is turned in compliance with a motion of the push button.
- Preferably, the upper part of the coil spring is resiliently pressed by a lid section constituting a part of the case and the movable contact point is resiliently pressed by the lower part of the coil spring.
- Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
- Fig. 1 is a perspective view for showing a switch of the present invention.
- Fig. 2 is a top plan view in section for showing a substantial part of the switch of the present invention.
- Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along a line 3-3 of Fig. 2.
- Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along a line 4-4 of Fig. 2.
- Fig. 5 is a sectional view of substantial part for showing a fixed state of the push button of the switch of the present invention.
- Fig. 6 is a top plan view in section of a substantial part for illustrating an operation of the switch of the present invention.
- Figs. 7A to 7E are illustrative views for showing a changing-over operation of the contact point of the switch of the present invention.
- Fig. 8 is a perspective view for showing another preferred embodiment of the switch of the present invention.
- Fig. 9 is a top plan view in section of a substantial part for showing another preferred embodiment of the switch of the present invention.
- Fig. 10 is a top plan view in section for showing a substantial part of the prior art switch.
- Referring to Figs. 1 to 9, the switch of the present invention will be described, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view for showing a switch of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a top plan view in section for showing a substantial part of the switch of the present invention, Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along a line 3-3 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a sectional taken along a line 4-4 of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a sectional view of substantial part for showing a fixed state of the push button of the switch of the present invention, Fig. 6 is a top plan view in section of a substantial part for illustrating an operation of the switch of the present invention, Figs. 7A to 7E are illustrative views for showing a changing-over operation of the contact point of the switch of the present invention, Fig. 8 is a perspective view for showing another preferred embodiment of the switch of the present invention and Fig. 9 is a top plan view in section of a substantial part for showing another preferred embodiment of the switch of the present invention.
- Then, referring to Figs. 1 to 7, one preferred embodiment of the switch of the present invention will be described, wherein the switch is operated when a door of a refrigerator is opened or closed to illuminate a lamp for use in lighting up an inner area of the refrigerator or to turn ON or OFF the cooling fan motor. The case 1 composed of molded product of synthetic resin is constituted by a
box member 2 having a vacant cavity therein and alid 3 for closing the vacant cavity of thebox member 2, wherein thelid 3 is assembled with thebox member 2 by snap fitting an arm arranged at thelid 3 to thebox member 2 at its protrusion. - In addition, the
box member 2 is provided with acylinder part 2a, a supportingcolumn 2b integrally arranged with thebox member 2 within the vacant cavity and aprotrusion 2c arranged at the bottom part in the vacant cavity. - Additionally, the
fixed contact points contact point sections terminal sections box member 2. - In addition, the common
fixed contact point 6 composed of a metallic plate and having theterminal section 6a is fixed to thebox 2 with its part being inserted into the supportingcolumn 2b (see Fig. 3). - Further, the
movable contact point 7 composed of a metallic plate is provided with acontact point section 7a arranged at one end, a hole 6b arranged at the other end, a protrusion 6c arranged between thecontact point section 6a and the hole 6b, and an arm 6d formed at a side part by bending. - Then, such a
movable contact point 7 as above is constructed such that the supportingcolumn 2b is inserted into thehole 7b and rotatably pivoted by the supportingcolumn 2b and during rotation of themovable contact point 7, theprotrusion 7c is abutted against theprotrusion 2c of thebox 2, it rides over theprotrusion 2c to cause thecontact point section 7a to move up and down in an axial direction of the supportingcolumn 2b and further, themovable contact point 7 can be moved to or away from thecontact point sections fixed contact points contact point 6. - Additionally, the coil-
like coil spring 8 is set such that the supportingcolumn 2b is inserted into and passed through the central part of thecoil section 8a and fixed to thebox 2, its oneend 8b is engaged with thearm 7d of themovable contact point 7 and theother end 8c is engaged with a part of thebox 2. - Then, the
movable contact point 7 is always resiliently pressed by thecoil spring 8 around the supportingcolumn 2b and at the same time themovable contact point 7 is always resiliently pressed against the common fixedcontact point 6 by thecoil section 8a, resulting in that themovable contact point 7 and thefixed contact point 6 are always contacted from each other. - In addition, the
coil spring 8 fixed to thebox 2 resiliently presses against the upper part of thecoil section 8a with thelid 3 so as to increase a pressing pressure of themovable contact point 7 against thefixed contact point 6 and then the contacted state between bothcontact points - Additionally, the
push button 9 composed of molded product of synthetic resin includes anengaging section 9a formed at one end having a slit groove and aconcave section 9b arranged inside it, wherein thepush button 9 is inserted into thecylinder part 2a of thebox 2 and snap engaged there, movable in a vertical direction with thecylinder 2a being applied as a guide, theengaging section 9a is engaged with thebox 2 so as to prevent thepush button 9 from being disengaged from the case 1. - In addition, the coil-
like spring 10 is inserted into theconcave part 9b of thepush button 9, the other end is engaged with a part of thebox 2 and thepush button 9 is always resiliently pressed by aspring 10 in an upward direction. - Further, the
push button 9 is operated such that anarm section 7d of themovable contact point 7 is always abutted against a part of thepush button 9 to prevent themovable contact point 7 from being further rotated and additionally themovable contact point 7 is rotated through motion of thepush button 9 to perform a changing-over operation of the contact point. - Then, such a switch as above is fixed to a refrigerator and the
push button 9 is operated through opening or closing of the door of the refrigerator. - Next, the operation of the switch of the present invention will be described. Fig. 2 shows a state in which the door of the refrigerator is opened and a part of the
push button 9 is projected out of thecylinder part 2b of the case 1 in an outward direction. Under this state, thecontact point section 7a of themovable contact point 7 comes into contact with thecontact point section 4a of thefixed contact point 4, the commonfixed contact point 6 and thefixed contact point 4 are made to be electrically conductive and the lamp in the refrigerator is lit or the cooling fan motor is turned off. - Then, under the state shown in Fig. 2, when the door of -the refrigerator is closed and the
push button 9 is pushed by the door in a direction P of an arrow, thepush button 9 is moved linearly against thespring 10 and thepush button 9 is pushed into the case 1 as shown in Fig. 6. - Then, the
movable contact point 7 is rotated by thispush button 9 around the supportingcolumn 2b against a spring characteristic of thecoil spring 8. - Thus, the
protrusion 7c of themovable contact point 7 is abutted against theprotrusion 2c of the case 1, it rides over theprotrusion 2c along theprotrusion 2c, thecontact point section 7a moves up and down, thecontact point section 7a is moved away from thecontact point section 4a of thefixed contact point 4, contacted with thecontact point section 5a of thefixed contact point 5, resulting in that thefixed contact point 6 and thefixed contact point 5 are connected to each other. - At this time, the lamp in the refrigerator is turned off or the cooling fan motor is connected.
- Further, the changing-over of the contact point between the state shown in Fig. 2 and the state shown in Fig. 6 is at first performed such that as shown in Fig. 7A, the
movable contact point 7 and thefixed contact point 4 are made electrically conductive and theprotrusion 7c of themovable contact point 7 and theprotrusion 2c of the case 1 are spaced apart from each other. - Then, as the
movable contact point 7 is rotated around the supportingcolumn 2b, thecontact point section 7a is rotated while being slidably contacted with thecontact point section 4a until theprotrusion 7c strikes against theprotrusion 2c as shown in Fig. 7B. - In addition, as a rotation of the
movable contact point 7 is constituted, theprotrusion 7c rides on theprotrusion 2c as shown in Fig. 7C and at the same time thecontact point section 7a is moved away from thecontact point section 4a and then theprotrusion 7c rides over theprotrusion 2c as shown in Fig. 7D and concurrently thecontact point section 7a becomes a contacted state with thecontact point section 5a. - Further, as the rotation of the
movable contact point 7 is continued, thecontact point section 7a is moved while it is being slid at thecontact point section 5a as shown in Fig. 7E and at the same time theprotrusion 7c is moved away from theprotrusion 2c to perform the changing-over of the contact points. - Further, as the door is opened under the state shown in Fig. 6, the
push button 9 is partially projected by aspring 10 in an outward direction from the case 1 and at the same time, themovable contact point 7 returns back to its original state by thecoil spring 8, thereby thecontact point section 7a is moved away from thecontact point section 5a and contacted with thecontact point section 4a of thefixed contact point 4, thefixed contact point 6 and thefixed contact point 4 are connected from each other, the lamp is lit or the cooling fan motor is turned off. - Then, a changing-over of the contact point during that period is carried out by performing the operation in an opposite manner to the aforesaid operation, i. e. from the operation shown in Fig. 7E to the operation shown in Fig. 7A.
- In addition, Figs. 8 and 9 show another preferred embodiment of the switch of the present invention, wherein this preferred embodiment is constituted such that a shaft 11a of a push button 11 is fixed to the case 1, the push button 11 is rotatably attached around the shaft 11a, the
movable contact point 7 is abutted against the push button 11, thespring 12 is fixed to the case 1 and one end of thespring 12 always resiliently pushes the push button 11 in an upward direction. - Since other constitutions are similar to those of the aforesaid preferred embodiment, same reference numerals are affixed to the same component elements and their description will be eliminated.
- In this preferred embodiment, as the push button 11 is pushed in a direction of arrow P, the push button 11 is rotated around the shaft 11a against the
spring 12 and pushed into the case 1 as shown in Fig. 9. - Then, since the changing-over of the contact point is carried out in the same operation as that of the aforesaid preferred embodiment, its description will be eliminated.
- The switch of the present invention can provide a switch showing a positive contact in which oxidization films of the
contact point sections movable contact point 7 is moved up and down in an axial direction of the supportingcolumn 2b along theprotrusion 2c of the case 1 under motion of thepush button 9 and slid along the fixedcontact points - In addition, the
push button 9 is abutted directly against themovable contact point 7 to eliminate the priorart driving member 25, resulting in that a less-expensive and small-sized switch can be provided. - Further, since it is not necessary that the
movable contact point 7 is made of a metallic plate having a spring characteristic, the less-expensive switch can be provided. - In addition, since the
movable contact point 7 is resiliently pushed against the fixedcontact point 6 by thecoil spring 8 fixed to the supportingcolumn 2c, themovable contact point 7 and the fixedcontact point 6 can be positively contacted, resulting in that a stable connected switch can be provided. - Additionally, since the
movable contact point 7 is resiliently pushed in a rotating direction by thecoil spring 8, thecoil spring 8 can operate to push themovable contact point 7 against the fixedcontact point 6 and perform a resilient pushing of themovable contact point 7 in its rotating direction, resulting in that it is possible to provide a less-expensive and superior productive switch in which the number of component parts can be reduced. - Further, since the
coil spring 8 is resiliently pushed by thelid 3, themovable contact point 7 can be forcedly pushed by the fixedcontact point 6, resulting in that it is possible to provide a switch in which a more positive contact of the contact point is attained.
Claims (4)
- A switch comprising: a case (1); a protrusion (2c) arranged at said case (1); a fixed contact point (4, 5) fixed to said case (1); a movable contact point (7) rotatably pivoted by a supporting column (2b); and a push button (9) for rotating said movable contact point (4, 5) around said supporting column (2b) wherein said movable contact point (7) is abutted against said protrusion (2c) when said movable contact point (7) is rotated through motion of said push button (9), the contact point section of said movable contact point (7) is moved up and down in an axial direction of said supporting column (2b) and slidably contacted with said fixed contact point (4, 5).
- A switch according to Claim 1, wherein a coil spring (8) is fixed to said supporting column (2b), said movable contact point (7) is pushed against said fixed contact point (4, 5) and said movable contact (7) point can be moved up and down along said protrusion (2c by a resilient pressure of said coil spring (8).
- A switch according to Claim 2, wherein one end of said coil spring (8) is engaged with said movable contact point (7), the other end of it is engaged with said case (1), said movable contact point (7) is resiliently pressed in a rotating direction around said supporting column (2b) and said movable contact point (7) is turned in compliance with a motion of said push button (9).
- A switch according to Claim 3, wherein the upper part of said coil spring (8) is resiliently pressed by a lid section constituting a part of said case (1) and said movable contact point is resiliently pressed by the lower part of said coil spring (8).
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP9272526A JPH11111105A (en) | 1997-10-06 | 1997-10-06 | Switch |
JP27252697 | 1997-10-06 | ||
JP272526/97 | 1997-10-06 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0908906A1 EP0908906A1 (en) | 1999-04-14 |
EP0908906B1 true EP0908906B1 (en) | 2003-04-23 |
Family
ID=17515131
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP98307894A Expired - Lifetime EP0908906B1 (en) | 1997-10-06 | 1998-09-29 | Switch |
Country Status (7)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0908906B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JPH11111105A (en) |
KR (1) | KR100289917B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN1107961C (en) |
DE (1) | DE69813719T2 (en) |
MY (1) | MY120162A (en) |
TW (1) | TW385459B (en) |
Families Citing this family (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP2001035313A (en) * | 1999-07-26 | 2001-02-09 | Alps Electric Co Ltd | Switching device |
DE10237282B4 (en) | 2001-08-20 | 2022-11-10 | Omron Corp. | Switches, push button switches and rotary lever switches |
KR101199678B1 (en) | 2006-04-12 | 2012-11-08 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Door switch used in a refigerator |
CN102194590A (en) * | 2010-03-16 | 2011-09-21 | 深圳富泰宏精密工业有限公司 | Keypad structure and portable electronic device having same |
CN101814386B (en) * | 2010-03-19 | 2013-02-27 | 张家港华峰电接插元件有限公司 | Refrigerator door switch |
Family Cites Families (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US1626463A (en) * | 1923-12-31 | 1927-04-26 | Jesse F Harrington | Switch |
US3819894A (en) * | 1973-03-07 | 1974-06-25 | Gulf & Western Industries | Rotary switch with linear plunger and helical motion transferring means |
US3881077A (en) * | 1974-03-11 | 1975-04-29 | Cutler Hammer Inc | Refrigerator-freezer, two-door operated switch |
CN1086467C (en) * | 1993-12-30 | 2002-06-19 | 株式会社金星社 | Push switch for refrigerator door |
CN2186384Y (en) * | 1994-03-01 | 1994-12-28 | 上海市航空电器厂 | Controlled lamp switch of refrigerator |
-
1997
- 1997-10-06 JP JP9272526A patent/JPH11111105A/en not_active Withdrawn
-
1998
- 1998-09-22 TW TW087115785A patent/TW385459B/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1998-09-25 MY MYPI98004417A patent/MY120162A/en unknown
- 1998-09-29 EP EP98307894A patent/EP0908906B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1998-09-29 DE DE69813719T patent/DE69813719T2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1998-10-01 KR KR1019980041413A patent/KR100289917B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1998-10-06 CN CN98120085A patent/CN1107961C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
MY120162A (en) | 2005-09-30 |
JPH11111105A (en) | 1999-04-23 |
KR100289917B1 (en) | 2001-05-15 |
CN1213839A (en) | 1999-04-14 |
EP0908906A1 (en) | 1999-04-14 |
CN1107961C (en) | 2003-05-07 |
KR19990036771A (en) | 1999-05-25 |
DE69813719D1 (en) | 2003-05-28 |
DE69813719T2 (en) | 2003-10-16 |
TW385459B (en) | 2000-03-21 |
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