FR2917858A1 - TILT-LEVER CONTROL MECHANISM WITH MULTIPLE CONFIGURATIONS AND APPLICATION - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a control mechanism designed to adopt at least one bistable configuration and comprising a lever (2) able to swing about a first axis (XI), and biasing members (31, 32) for applying an elastic force. along the lever (2) .The mechanism of the invention further comprises a return member (6) movably mounted, relative to the support (1), between a rest position in which it is kinematically independent of the lever of drive (2), and an active position in which it applies an elastic restoring force to the lever, which mechanism then adopts a monostable configuration.

Description

TILT-LEVER CONTROL MECHANISM WITH MULTIPLE CONFIGURATIONS, AND

APPLICATION.

  The invention relates generally to control mechanisms, in particular for electrical equipment.

  More specifically, the invention relates to a control mechanism designed to adopt at least one bistable configuration, this mechanism comprising a support, a first tilting axis, a drive lever which extends along a longitudinal axis and which, in configuration bistable mechanism, is mounted pivoting on the support, around the first axis, between first and second positions located on either side of a fixed transition plane relative to the support, and biasing members for applying, the along the longitudinal axis of the driving lever, an elastic force directed towards the first tilting axis and whose intensity varies inversely with the angle formed between the longitudinal axis of the driving lever and the plane of rotation. transition.

  A mechanism of this type is well known to those skilled in the art and in particular mentioned in patent FR 2 864 332.

  As also indicated in this prior patent, it is often necessary, particularly for the control of electrical equipment, to have both bistable control mechanisms and monostable control mechanisms.

  Such a need can obviously be satisfied by manufacturing both bistable mechanisms and monostable mechanisms, and supplying the case by 2

  case one or the other of these systems, according to the need specifically expressed.

  Another way, explored in the aforementioned prior patent, consists in providing a single control mechanism with a mechanical control accessory capable of selectively adopting a bistable configuration or a monostable configuration, and imposing its configuration on the single control mechanism. .

  The invention aims to satisfy the same need by the implementation of simpler and more compact means.

  To this end, the mechanism of the invention, furthermore in accordance with the generic definition given in the preamble above, is essentially characterized in that it furthermore comprises at least one movably mounted return member relative to the support, between a rest position in which it is kinematically independent of the drive lever and wherein this mechanism retains its bistable configuration, and an active position in which this return member is kinematically linked to the drive lever and in which it applies an elastic restoring force urging the lever from its second position to its first position, this mechanism then adopting a monostable configuration.

  The biasing members may comprise a helical spring prestressed in compression and held along the longitudinal axis of the driving lever.

  The control mechanism of the invention may also advantageously comprise a second axis of 3

  tilting, located in the transition plane at a distance from the first tilting axis, the biasing members themselves being able to comprise a second lever pivotally mounted in the support, by a first end, around the second tilting axis, and a second one of which end is supported on the coil spring.

  The second lever may then carry an electrical contact blade or be constituted by a portion of such a blade.

  The elastic return member may typically be a leaf spring or a helical spring.

  Furthermore, the spring constituting this resilient return member may be mounted movably on the support, either in translation or in rotation, between its rest position and its active position, thanks to a slider mounted movably in translation in the support.

  In the case where the control mechanism comprises an actuating finger kinematically connected to the drive lever 25, extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the drive lever, and imposing, by its movement over a determined stroke, the displacement of this lever between its first and second positions, the spring constituting the elastic return member is for example disposed outside the stroke of the operating finger in its rest position, and the stroke of this finger in its active position.

  The mechanism of the invention is particularly well adapted to be applied to the control of an electrical switch.

  Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge clearly from the description which is given hereinafter, by way of indication and in no way limitative, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

  FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a known bistable control mechanism, illustrated in a first of its two stable positions; - Figure 1B is a diagram showing the same known bistable control mechanism, shown in its second stable position;

  FIG. 2A is a diagram showing a control mechanism according to the invention, illustrated in a first of the two stable positions of its bistable configuration;

  FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a control mechanism according to the invention, illustrated in a second one of the two stable positions of its bistable configuration;

  FIG. 2C is a diagram showing a control mechanism according to the invention, illustrated in the unique stable position of its monostable configuration;

  FIG. 2D is a diagram showing the same control mechanism according to the invention, illustrated in an unstable position permitted in its monostable configuration;

  Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a control mechanism according to the invention illustrated in bistable configuration; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the control mechanism illustrated in Figs. Figure 3, shown in its monostable configuration; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a control mechanism according to the invention illustrated in a bistable configuration; and

  Figure 6 is a perspective view of the control mechanism illustrated in Figure 5, shown in its monostable configuration.

  As previously announced, the invention relates to a control mechanism adapted to adopt at least one bistable configuration.

  This mechanism comprises, in a manner known per se (FIGS. 1A and 1B), a support, a tilting axis X1, a driving lever 2, and biasing members 31 and 32.

  The support, not visible in FIGS. 1A and 1B, bears the reference 1 in the following figures. The driving lever 2 extends mainly along a longitudinal axis L but can also be associated with an operating finger 21 extending perpendicular to this longitudinal axis L and kinematically connected to the lever 30 2.

  In the bistable configuration of the mechanism, the lever 2 is pivotally mounted on the support 1, around the axis X1, between two positions which are illustrated in FIGS. 1A 35 and 1B and which are located on either side of a plane P transition, fixed relative to the support 1.5 6

  The operating finger 21 may be integral with the lever 2, or simply be linked to this lever so that the finger 21 and the lever 2 can not move one without the other, the important thing being that the finger 21 imposes , by its travel on a determined race, the movement of the lever 2 between its two positions.

  The biasing members 31 and 32, which will be described in more detail later, have the function of applying, along the longitudinal axis L of the lever 2, an elastic force which is directed towards the tilting axis X1 and whose the intensity varies inversely with the angle A formed by the longitudinal axis L of the lever 2 with the transition plane P.

  In other words, the elastic force applied by the members 31 and 32 increases when the angle A decreases, this force being therefore maximum when the angle A is zero.

  These characteristics thus allow the mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B to adopt a configuration with two stable states, and to pass for example from the first state (FIG. 1A) to the second state (FIG. 1B) by the application of a transient force. Ft on the finger 21.

  The aforementioned biasing members comprise for example a helical spring 31 and a second rigid lever 32. The helical spring 31 is prestressed in compression and held along the longitudinal axis L of the driving lever 2.

  To do this, this lever 2 may for example comprise a tubular body in which the spring 31.30 is inserted.

  The second lever 32 has an end 321 by which it is pivotally mounted in the support 1 around a second pivot axis X2, and an end 322 bears against the helical spring 31.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A to 2D, the second tilting axis X2 is located in the transition plane P, away from the tilting axis X1. With this arrangement, the lever 32 pivoting about the axis X2 compresses the spring 31, especially since the angle formed between the levers 2 and 32 is small, that is to say, all the more so because the angle A is small in the bistable configuration of the control mechanism.

  With respect to this known mechanism, the mechanism of the invention comprises (FIGS. 2A to 2D) a return member 6 mounted movably, relative to the support 1, between a rest position illustrated in FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3 and 5. , and an active position illustrated in Figures 2C, 2D, 4 and 6.

  Moreover, this return member may for example take the form of a leaf spring as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, or of a helical spring as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6.

  In its rest position, the spring 6 is kinematically independent of the driving lever 2.

  Everything happens as if this spring did not exist, so that the mechanism of the invention remains equivalent to the known mechanism shown in Figures 1A and 1B and retains its bistable configuration. 8

  In contrast, in its active position, the spring 6 is kinematically connected to the drive lever 2 and applies a resilient restoring force which urges the lever from its second position to its first position with a torque greater than the counter torque exerted by the spring 31.

  The mechanism of the invention then adopts a monostable configuration, that is to say that it can no longer be maintained in its second position, illustrated in FIG. 2D, without continuous application, on the operating finger 21 , a force Fc at the disappearance of which this mechanism returns to its stable rest position shown in Figure 2C.

  Thus, the mechanism of the invention can, at any time, be placed in one or other of its bistable and monostable configurations by displacement of the spring 6. FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate an embodiment of the invention. invention in which the spring 6 is movably mounted between its rest position and its active position by translation vis-à-vis the support 1. To do this, the mechanism of the invention may comprise a slider 61 mounted to be movable in translation in the support 1 and which the spring 6 is secured, the slider 61 thus driving with it, when moved, the spring 6 to its rest position or to its active position. In its rest position, the spring 6 is disposed outside the stroke of the operating finger 21, so that it does not interfere with this finger during the movement of the latter.

  However, in its active position, the spring 6 is disposed on the stroke of the finger 21 and therefore applies to the latter a restoring force which prevents it from remaining spontaneously in its second position.

  Figures 5 and 6 illustrate an embodiment of the invention wherein the spring 6 is movably mounted between its rest position and its active position by rotation vis-à-vis the support 1 about a third axis X3. To do this, the slider 61, although still mounted movable in translation in the support 1, can act as a wedge on a base 62 of the spring 6 and cause at will the rotation of this base 62 relative to the support 1.

  As in the previous embodiment, the spring 6 is, in its rest position, disposed outside the stroke of the actuating finger 21, while it is arranged on the stroke of this finger in its active position.

  The mechanism of the invention is ideally applicable to the control of an electrical switch, in which case it is advantageous to provide that the second lever 32 carries an electrical contact blade 4 or that it is constituted by a part of such a blade.

  The blade 4 can then carry a conductive pad 41 which can be brought into electrical contact with a first fixed pad 51 (FIGS. 1A, 2A and 2C), or with a second fixed pad 52 (FIGS. 1B, 2B and 2D).

Claims (10)

  . Control mechanism designed to adopt at least one bistable configuration, this mechanism comprising a support (1), a first tilting axis (X1), a driving lever (2) which extends along a longitudinal axis (L ) and which, in the bistable configuration of the mechanism, is pivotally mounted on the support (1), around the first axis (Xl), between first and second positions located on either side of a transition plane (P) fixed relative to the support (1), and biasing members (31, 32) for applying, along the longitudinal axis (L) of the driving lever (2), an elastic force directed towards the first axis of tilting (Xl) and whose intensity varies inversely to the angle (A) formed between the longitudinal axis (L) of the driving lever (2) and the transition plane (P), characterized in that it further comprises at least one return member (6) movably mounted relative to the support (1) between a rest position in which it is kinematically independent of the driving lever (2) and in which this mechanism maintains its bistable configuration, and an active position in which this return member (6) is kinematically connected to the driving lever (2) and in which it applies a resilient biasing force urging this lever from its second position to its first position, this mechanism then adopting a monostable configuration.   2. Control mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the biasing members (31, 32) comprise a helical spring (31) prestressed in compression and maintained along the longitudinal axis (L) of the drive lever (2).   3. Control mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a second tilting axis (X2), located in the transition plane (P) away from the first tilting axis (Xl), and in that the biasing members (31, 32) comprise a second lever (32) pivotally mounted in the support (1), by a first end (321), about the second tilting axis (X2), and a second end (322) of which ) bears on the helical spring (31).   4. Control mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that the second lever (32) carries an electric contact blade (4) or is constituted by a portion of such a blade.   5. Control mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elastic return member (6) is movably mounted in translation on the support (1) between its rest position and its active position.   6. Control mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the resilient return member (6) is rotatably mounted on the support (1) between its rest position and its active position.   7. Control mechanism according to any one of claims 5 and 6, characterized in that it comprises a slider (61) movably mounted in translation in the support and selectively driving the elastic return member (6) to its position resting or active position.   8. Control mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that 12 the elastic return member (6) is constituted by a leaf spring or a helical spring.   9. Control mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises an actuating finger (21) kinematically connected to the driving lever (2), extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis (L ) of the drive lever (2), and imposing, by its movement over a determined travel, the displacement of this lever (2) between its first and second positions, and in that the spring constituting the elastic return member ( 6) is disposed outside the stroke of the actuating finger (21) in its rest position, and on the stroke of this finger (21) in its active position.   10. Application of a mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims to the control of an electrical switch.