FR2976717A1 - ELECTRICAL DEVICE COMPRISING A SWIVEL CONTROL BUTTON - Google Patents

Abstract

This electrical apparatus comprises a body (12) and a pivoting control key (13). For their pivotal mutual mounting: - a pin (15) has an abutment surface (17) and a pivotal guide surface (18), - a bearing (16) has a counter-abutment surface (32) and a counter-guide surface pivoting (33), - a groove (31) opens into the bearing between the abutment surface (32) and the counter-guide surface (33), - an elastic member (37) acts on the key (13) for applying the guide surface (18) and the counter-guide surface (33) against each other, and - said body (12) and said key (13) are configured so that in a state where they are away from the rest of said apparatus, the key (13) has, vis-à-vis the body (12), an angular orientation in which the pin (15) can slide in the groove (31).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates generally to electrical apparatus having a pivoting control key. BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY It is known that there are such electrical devices, including electrical switches or, in some countries, plugs incorporating a switch, which comprise a body having an opening closed by the key, which cooperates with the body through to mutually pivoting mounting elements. It is already known, in particular from the French patent application 2,872,339 and the French patent application 2,935,192, such electrical devices whose key has two opposite journals centered on the pivot axis provided for the key and, on the body, two bearing orifices in which are received the trunnions of the key, with the establishment of the journals in the bearings which is done by snapping, and more precisely by elastic deformation of the body and / or the key. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The invention aims at such an apparatus in which the establishment of the key in the body is carried out without deformation, or in any case with a minimum of deformation, while remaining simple, convenient and economical.

The invention proposes for this purpose an electrical apparatus comprising a body and a pivoting control key closing an opening of said body, said key and said body comprising mutually pivotable mounting elements comprising at least a pair formed of a trunnion and a a bearing, with the trunnion which belongs to a first element among the body and the key while the bearing belongs to the second element among the body and the key; characterized in that: said trunnion has a lateral surface having an abutment surface and a pivoting guide surface; said bearing has a lateral surface having a counter-abutment surface and a pivotally counter-guiding surface; a groove extends between said bearing and a face of the second element located on a first side, with the groove which opens into the bearing between the counter-abutment surface and the counter-guiding surface, - said apparatus is configured to that the key is movable between two stable end-of-travel angular positions, with the abutment surface which is on the first side, the pivoting guide surface which is on a second side opposite to the first side, the counter-abutment surface which is on the first side, the counter-guide surface pivoting which is on the second side, the abutment surface which is opposite the counter-abutment surface, the guide surface which is facing the surface against-guiding, while an elastic member acts on the key to apply the guide surface and the counter-guiding surface against each other, and that if a force is exerted on the key with a greater intensity that the force exerted by the elastic member, the abutment surface comes against the counter-abutment surface; and - said body and said key are configured so that, in a state where they are away from the rest of said apparatus, the key has, opposite the body, an angular orientation beyond one of said two end-of-travel positions, in which the trunnion can slide in the groove from the face of the second element located on the first side to a position where the lateral surface of the trunnion is in contact with the counter-guiding surface, and for the key can then pivot to take the angular positions located between said two end positions. We see that the establishment of the key in the body is effected by simple sliding and pivoting of the key, which is particularly simple and convenient to perform while the trunnion and bearing conformation allows a simple, convenient and economic.

By avoiding deformation of the body and / or the key, the mechanical properties of these elements are preserved while avoiding the risk of breakage or the risk of defects in appearance. According to preferred features particularly useful to prevent the key can disassemble the body before the assembly formed by the body and the key is assembled to the rest of the device, a lug protrudes into said groove to form a hard point when the trunnion slides in the groove from the face of the second element located on the first side to said position where the lateral surface of the trunnion is in contact with the counter-guiding surface. According to preferred features such as being particularly simple, convenient and economical to implement: - said abutment surface and said abutment surface are flat; said guide surface and said counter-guide surface are curved; said abutment surface and said abutment surface are oriented to be parallel to each other when the key is in a median angular position between the two stable end positions; said abutment surface is a flat, said guide surface is a curved surface with a semicircular section, each end of which is connected to a respective end of said abutment surface, said abutment surface is a flat surface and said surface of counter-guiding is a curved surface with semicircular section, said groove being oriented transversely to the counter-abutment surface and having a width corresponding to the radius of the guiding surface; said pivotally counter-guiding surface has a greater diameter than said pivoting guide surface; - said first element is said key, said second element is said body with said first side which is the side of an opening of said body opposite to said opening that constrains said key and the second side which is the side of said opening that close the key; - said key comprises two lateral faces of each of which strikes a said trunnion while said body has a cavity defined by two opposite flat faces in each of which is provided a said bearing and said groove; and / or - said first element is said body, said second element is said key with the first side which is the side of said opening that closes the key and the second side which is the side of an opening of said body opposite to said opening that shuts the key. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The description of the invention will now be continued by the description of an example embodiment, given below by way of illustrative and nonlimiting example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an electrical apparatus according to the invention, and more specifically of a front portion of such an apparatus comprising a pivoting control key and a front body in which is mounted the control key, with the pivoting control key which is shown in side view and the body of the front element which is shown in section, the portion of the front body located in front of the cutting plane around the pivot pin of the control key being also shown in section; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the control key; FIG. 3 is a perspective view, taken at a different angle, of the front body of the electrical apparatus according to the invention; - Figure 4 is a partial sectional view, taken at one of the grooves of the front body, showing the projecting pin provided to form a hard point; FIGS. 5 and 6 are views similar to FIG. 1 showing both of the two stable end-of-travel angular positions between which the key is movable when the apparatus is fully assembled; - Figures 7 and 8 are views similar to Figure 1 showing steps of setting up the control key in the front body; and - Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 6, but showing an alternative embodiment of the groove formed by the bearing and the groove access to the bearing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT The electrical apparatus 10 illustrated in the drawings comprises a not shown pedestal on which is put in place a front portion 11 having a front body 12 and a pivoting control key 13 closing an opening 14 of the front body 12. The pivotal mounting of the key 13 on the body 12 is effected on each of two opposite sides of the key 13 by a pin 15 belonging to the key 13 and by a bearing 16 belonging to the body 12. The pairs formed on each side by a pin 15 and a bearing 16 are identical, except that one is the mirror image of the other. In the following description, what is said for a journal 15 and for a bearing 16, is valid for each of the two journals 15 and the two bearings 16. The journal 15 has a lateral surface having a flat 17 and a curved surface 18 of which each end is connected to a respective end of the flat surface 17. Here, the curved surface 18 has a semicircular section and the flat 17 has a width (distance between its ends which connect to the ends of the surface 18) corresponding to the diameter. The trunnion 15 protrudes from a flat lateral face 20 of the key 13. The two opposite flat side faces 20 of the key 13 are connected by two opposite curved lateral faces 21 and a front face 22 which is also curved. . The lateral faces 21 are convex on the outer side having both a curvature around the direction of the trunnions 15 (see more particularly Figure 1) and a curvature around the axial direction.

The front face 22 is slightly concave towards the outside (see more particularly Figure 1).

From the center of the front key 13 takes root a shaft 23 which protrudes beyond the side faces 20 and 21. The body 12 has a cavity 25 which extends between the opening 14 and the opposite opening 26.

Between the openings 14 and 26, the cavity 25 is delimited by two opposite flat faces 27 and by two opposite curved faces 28. In the vicinity of the opening 14, the curved faces 28 have a conformation similar to that of the curved lateral faces 21 of FIG. the key 13, that is to say with a curvature both centered around an axial direction and around a direction transverse to the axial direction (see more particularly Figures 1 and 3). The remainder of the faces 28 is curved around the axial direction. The gap between the flat faces 27 corresponds substantially to the distance between the flat lateral faces 20 of the key 13.

In each flat face 27 is formed a groove 30, a portion disposed centrally in the face 27 forms the bearing 16 and the remainder forms a groove 31 extending from the bearing 16 to the face of the body 12 surrounding the opening 26. The Bearing 16 has a contour similar to that of the trunnion 15 with a flat surface 32 and a curved surface 33 of the same conformation as the curved surface 18 of the trunnion 15 (semicircular section) except that the diameter of the curved surface 33 is slightly larger than the diameter of the curved surface 18. The groove 31 extends in the axial direction with a width corresponding to half of that of the flat 17 or, in other words, corresponding to the radius of the surface Curved 18. The depth of the groove 30 is greater than the thickness of the pin 15, that is to say the dimension of the pin 15 in the direction in which it projects from the face 20.

Between the face of the body 12 surrounding the opening 26 and the bearing 16, the groove 31 has a lug 34 visible in FIG. 3 and shown in section in FIG.

The face 35 of the lug 34 facing the opening 26 is curved or inclined. The face 36 of the lug facing the bearing 16 is straight, that is to say oriented transversely to the groove 31. The flat part 32 has substantially the same width as the groove 31.

One of the ends of the curved surface 33 is connected to the flat part 32 while the other end is connected to the surface delimiting the groove 31 opposite the flat surface. In the assembled state of the button 13 and the body 12 (Figures 1, 5 and 6), the front portion 11 is in place on the rest of the apparatus 10, with the shaft 23 of the key 13 which cooperates with elements having two stable positions to each of which corresponds one stable positions of the key 13 illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. In a first stable position, the key 13 is in a predetermined angular position where, with respect to the angular position illustrated in FIG. certain angle in one direction. In the second stable position, the key 13 is in a predetermined angular position where, with respect to the position illustrated in FIG. 1, it has turned an opposite angle in the opposite direction. The position illustrated in Figure 1 is an unstable intermediate position that takes the key 13 when it passes from one of the stable positions to the other stable position. The two stable positions are end positions. Here, in one of the stable positions, a movable contact of the device 10 is away from a fixed contact while in the other position, the movable contact is applied against the fixed contact. The elements with which cooperates the shaft 23 of the key 13 comprise an elastic member which urges the key 13 outwards, that is to say in the direction where the key 13 tends to emerge from the body 12 through 14. In FIG. 1, this elastic member is shown schematically by arrow 37. The elastic force due to the action of the elastic member 37 on the key 13 applies the curved surface 18 of the pin 15 against the Curved surface 33 of the bearing 16. The contact between these two curved surfaces guides the pivotal movement of the key 13 relative to the body 12. Because the curved surface 33 of the bearing 16 has a diameter slightly larger than the curved surface 18 of the pin 15, when the surfaces 18 and 33 are in contact with each other while the flat 17 of the pin 15 is oriented parallel to the flat portion 32 of the bearing 16, the flats 17 and 32 are spaced apart. one of the other. This gap allows the key 13 to move from the position shown in Figure 1 to the stable position shown in Figure 6 where, compared to the position of Figure 1, the key 13 has turned in the direction we see as the clockwise direction, that is to say in the sense that the flat portion 17 approaches the flat part 32. In the case where an axially oriented force is exerted on the key 13 with a greater intensity than the the force exerted by the elastic member 37, the coming into contact of the flat portion 17 of the pin 15 with the flat portion 32 of the bearing 16 forms an abutment of pressing the key 13 in the body 12. So that the key 13 can exit the body 12, it would be necessary that the key 13 rocking a quarter turn relative to the median position shown in Figure 1 in the direction which is the opposite direction of clockwise in Figure 1.

In practice, when the apparatus 10 is assembled, such angular pivoting of the key 13 is not possible because of its cooperation with the other organs of the electrical apparatus 10. FIGS. 7 and 8 show how one proceeds to the assembly of the key 13 with the body 12.

To allow the pin 15 to reach the bearing 16, the key 13 is presented on the side of the opening 26 of the cavity 25 with an orientation such that the flat 17 of the pin 15 is oriented axially, that is to say parallel to the general direction of the groove 31. The pin 15 can thus be inserted into the groove 31 (see Figure 7) until the pin 15 meets the curved surface 33 (see Figure 8).

During its journey to the bearing 16, the pin 15 meets the pin 34 and slides along the curved or inclined face 35 allowing the pin 15 to cross the pin 34. Once the pin 15 has crossed the pin ergot 34, it is difficult for him to cross it again in the opposite direction, because the face 36 of the lug 34 is straight. The spacing between the slices of the trunnions 15 and the slices of the lugs 34 is such that the trunnions 15 cross the lugs 34 by forcing very slightly, without the key 13 being deformed or with a slight deformation (it is a question of a simple hard point).

To complete the assembly, simply turn the key 13 in the direction that brings the flat 17 of the trunnion 15 of the flat 32 of the bearing 16, that is to say in the direction that we see in Figure 8 like clockwise. Note that the walls of the key 13 forming the flat faces 20 comprise, on the side of the flat 17, a projecting boss 40 (Figure 2), here in section in a semicircle. The boss 40 is useful when mounting the key 13 in the body 12 to guide the pin 15 to the groove 31. In the variant illustrated in Figure 9, the groove 30 is shaped differently: the surfaces which laterally delimit the groove 31 , rather than being parallel to each other, are inclined towards each other and towards the bearing 16. Thus, the width of the groove 31 decreases as we get closer The flat portion 32, rather than being straight, is inclined towards the groove 31 and towards the opening 14.

It will be observed that the flat 17 and the curved surface 18 form for the pin 15 respectively an abutment surface and a pivoting guide surface; and that the flat portion 32 and the curved surface 33 of the bearing 16 respectively form a counter-abutment surface and a counter-guide surface to pivot.

In non-illustrated variants: - the trunnion 15 and the bearing 16 comprise abutment surfaces, counter-pivoting, counter-abutment and pivotally counter-guiding surfaces shaped differently, with for example the pivoting guide surface and the counter-guide surfaces which are curved with a cross-section other than a semicircle, for example a two-fifths section for the guiding surface and a semicircular section for the counter-guiding surface, a different section of a circle portion, for example an ellipse portion, or the pivotal guide surface and the pivoting counter-guide surface, have a smaller apical angle V-section for the guidance; and abutment and abutment surfaces which are different from a flat, being for example curved; the abutment surface is not connected at each end to the pivoting guide surface, for example with an additional surface between the abutment surface and the pivoting guide surface; and / or - the groove has a different shape of a groove with parallel side walls or walls inclined towards each other converging towards the bearing, with for example a single inclined side wall. It will be observed that in the illustrated example where the pin belongs to the key 13 and the bearing 16 belongs to the body 12, so-called "first side" the side of the opening 26 and "second side" the side of the 14, then the groove 31 extends between the bearing 16 and the face of the body 12 located on the first side, the abutment surface 17 is on the first side, the pivoting guide surface 18 is on the second side, the surface counter-stop 32 is on the first side and the counter-guide pivoting surface 33 is on the second side. In a non-illustrated variant, the journal such as 15 belongs to the body such as 12 and the groove such that 30 belongs to the key such as 13 with the key such as 13 which is set up in the body such as 12, likewise that in the example illustrated, on the side of the opening 26, with an elastic member such as 37 which acts on the key such as 13 in the direction which goes from the opening 26 to the opening 14, the groove as 31 In this variant, if one calls the side of the opening 14 "first side" and the side of the opening 26 "second side", there is also the throat such that 31 which extends between the bearing such as 16 and the face of the key such as 13 located on the first side, the abutment surface such as 17 which is on the first side, the pivoting guide surface such as 18 which is second side, the counter-stop surface such as 32 which is on the first side and the counter-mist surface pivoting die such as 33 which is on the second side. In another variant not shown, there is a single pair formed by a journal and a bearing. Many variations are possible depending on the circumstances, and it is recalled in this regard that the invention is not limited to the examples described and shown.

Claims (10)

REVENDICATIONS1. An electrical apparatus comprising a body (12) and a pivotal control key (13) closing an opening (14) of said body (12), said key (13) and said body (12) having pivotal mounting members having minus a pair formed by a trunnion (15) and a bearing (16), with the trunnion (15) belonging to a first element of the body (12) and the key (13) while the bearing (16) ) belongs to the second element among the body (12) and the key (13); characterized in that: - said trunnion (15) has a lateral surface having an abutment surface (17) and a pivotal guide surface (18), - said bearing (16) has a lateral surface having a counter surface stop (32) and a pivoting counter-guide surface (33); - a groove (31) extends between said bearing (16) and a face of the first element located on a first side with the groove (31); ) which opens into the bearing between the abutment surface (32) and the counter-guiding surface (33), - said apparatus is configured so that the key (13) is movable between two stable end-of-stroke angular positions. with the abutment surface (17) which is on the first side, the pivotal guide surface (18) which is on a second side opposite the first side, the abutment surface (32) which is on the first side , the counter-guide surface pivoting (33) which is on the second side, the abutment surface (17) which is in d of the abutment surface (32), the guide surface (18) facing the counter-guiding surface (33), while an elastic member (37) acting on the key (13) for applying the guide surface (18) and the counter-guide surface (33) against each other, and if a force is exerted on the key (13) with a greater intensity than the force exerted by the elastic member (37), the abutment surface (17) comes against the abutment surface (32); and - said body (12) and said key (13) are configured so that, in a state where they are away from the rest of said apparatus, the key (13) has, vis-à-vis the body (12) an angular orientation beyond one of said two end-of-travel positions, in which the trunnion (15) is slidable in the groove (31) from the face of the second element located on the first side to a position where the side surface of the trunnion (15) is in contact with the counter-guiding surface (33), and so that the key can then pivot to take the angular positions located between said two end positions. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a lug (34) projects into said groove (31) to form a hard point when the pin (15) slides in the groove (31) from the face of the second element located from the first side to said position where the lateral surface of the pin (15) is in contact with the counter-guide surface (33). 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said abutment surface (17) and said abutment surface (32) are flat. 4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said guide surface (18) and said counter-guide surface (33) are curved. 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that said abutment surface (17) and said abutment surface (32) are oriented to be parallel to each other when the key (13) is in a median angular position between the two stable end positions. 6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said abutment surface (17) is a flat, said guide surface (18) is a curved surface with semicircular section, each end of which connects at a respective end of said abutment surface (17), said counter-abutment surface (32) is a flat surface and said counter-guide surface (33) is a curved surface with a semicircular section, said groove being transversely oriented at the abutment surface (32) and having a width corresponding to the radius of the guide surface (18). Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that said pivotally counter-guiding surface (33) has a larger diameter than said pivotal guide surface (18). 8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said first element is said key (13), said second element is said body (12) with said first side which is the side of an opening ( 26) of said body (12) opposite to said opening (14) constrains said key (13) and the second side which is the side of said opening (14) that closes the key (13). 9. Apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that said key (13) has two lateral faces (20) each of which projects a said trunnion (15) while said body (12) has a cavity (25) delimited by two opposite flat faces (27) in each of which is provided a said bearing (16) and a said groove (31). 10. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said first element is said body, said second element is said key with the first side which is the side of said opening that closes the key and the second side which is the side of an opening of said body opposite to said opening that is the key.15