GB2035693A - Mounting electrical switches - Google Patents

Abstract

An equipment comprises inner and outer wall means (1, 14) to mount a push-button switch device having a housing (5), at least one projection (9) extending from a peripheral portion of the housing (5) and provided with an aperture (10), at least one claw (11) disposed at a generally opposite side of the housing (5). The or each projection (9) is slidable between two substantially parallel portions (1, 3) of the inner wall means and the or each claw (11) is open normal to the push-button axis and encompassingly engages a castellated edge (21 to 26) of the wall means (1) to locate the switch longitudinally in opening (2), while a centering pin (4) extends inwardly from outer wall means (14) of the equipment and parallel to the push- button axis to engage in the aperture (10) and maintain the switch in position. Preferably two projections (9) and two claws (11) are provided and the outer wall (14) carries a number of push- buttons (8) corresponding to the number of plungers (7). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Equipment comprising a switch device The present invention relates to an equipment comprising a switch device. DE-AS 2327 170 discloses a push-button switch, which when being installed in the front wall of a housing is placed loosely between the sides of two wall-portions and is, when an outer wall such as an operating plate of a household device is being mounted, finally fixed in its position by two centering pins fixed to that outer wall.

According to the present invention there is provided equipment comprising inner and outer wall means and a push-button switch device comprising a switch housing, at least one projection extending from a peripheral portion of the switch housing and provided with an aperture, at least one claw disposed at a generally opposite side of the switch housing and a centering pin extending inwardly from the outer wall means and parallel to the push-button axis and encompassingly engaging a castellated edge of the wall.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a portion of a front wall with inserted push-button switch in front view, and Figure 2 shows a cross-section through an installed push-button switch along the section line ll-ll of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the front wall 1 has an opening 2 provided at its lower edge with a cut-out castellation Z1 to Z6. At its upper edge, behind which a holding bar 3 of the front wall is mounted, there is also a castellation, which serves for holding in position centering pins 4 to be described in greater detail below.

A push-button switch comprises a multi-part housing 5 with contact element (not shown) and spade terminals 6 and also one or more switching plungers 7 and a corresponding number of fitted-on pushbuttons 8. For clarity, only one plunger and one button are illustrated here.

The switch housing 5 carries, at its upper, forward edge, two shoulders 9, having the form of brackets and each having a centering eye 10. When the switch is installed, these shoulders become seated between two wall portions of the front wall, one of which is the upper edge of the opening 2 and the other is the holding bar 3.

At its lower, front edge, the switch housing 5 carries two downwardly open claws 11 and 12, in the gap of each of which a filler block 13 is disposed.

When the switch is installed, the filler blocks 13 fit into the gaps of the cut-out castellation into gaps Z1 and Z3 and the remaining parts of the filler block 13 fit over the corners of the teeth of the castellation.

Thus, at the lower edge, a fixing in position of the switch in the lateral direction and in the direction of the push-button axes is assured. At the upper edge, the fixing in position of the switch in the direction of the push-button axes is ensured by the wall portions 1 and 3 and the shoulders 9, and in the lateral and vertical direction by the centering pins 4 of a frontally mounted operating plate 14 and the centering eyes 10 in conjunction with the castellated upper edge of the opening 2.

In Figure 1, dot-and-dash lines indicate another possible position for installing the described pushbutton switch, wherein the filler blocks 13 of the claws 11 and 12 are seated in the castellation gaps Z4 and Z6. This illustrates the versatility of the fixing device. Instead of the three-track push-button switch illustrated, either narrower or wider switches can be installed in the housing opening 2. Provided that the switch is narrower than the opening in the housing, its place of installation can be varied laterally.

The above described fixing device enables the outer face of the housing of a closed range of household equipment, preferably the front wall thereof, to be formed to a uniform pattern even when the types of equipment of this range are to be equipped with differing single-button or multiple button-switches.

1. Equipment comprising inner and outer wall means and a push-button switch device comprising a switch housing, at least one projection extending from a peripheral portion of the switch housing and provided with an aperture, at least one claw disposed at a generally opposite side of the switch housing and a centering pin extending inwardly from the outer wall means and parallel to the push-button axis to engage the aperture, the or each projection being slidable between two substantially parallel portions of the inner wall means and the or each claw being open in a direction normal to the push-button axis and encompassingly engaging a castellated edge of the wall.

2. Equipment as claimed in claim 1, comprising two projections and two claws the claws being spaced by a distance which is an integral multiple of the intercastellation spacing.

3. Equipment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (3)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Equipment comprising a switch device The present invention relates to an equipment comprising a switch device. DE-AS 2327 170 discloses a push-button switch, which when being installed in the front wall of a housing is placed loosely between the sides of two wall-portions and is, when an outer wall such as an operating plate of a household device is being mounted, finally fixed in its position by two centering pins fixed to that outer wall. According to the present invention there is provided equipment comprising inner and outer wall means and a push-button switch device comprising a switch housing, at least one projection extending from a peripheral portion of the switch housing and provided with an aperture, at least one claw disposed at a generally opposite side of the switch housing and a centering pin extending inwardly from the outer wall means and parallel to the push-button axis and encompassingly engaging a castellated edge of the wall. An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a portion of a front wall with inserted push-button switch in front view, and Figure 2 shows a cross-section through an installed push-button switch along the section line ll-ll of Figure 1. Referring now to the drawings, the front wall 1 has an opening 2 provided at its lower edge with a cut-out castellation Z1 to Z6. At its upper edge, behind which a holding bar 3 of the front wall is mounted, there is also a castellation, which serves for holding in position centering pins 4 to be described in greater detail below. A push-button switch comprises a multi-part housing 5 with contact element (not shown) and spade terminals 6 and also one or more switching plungers 7 and a corresponding number of fitted-on pushbuttons 8. For clarity, only one plunger and one button are illustrated here. The switch housing 5 carries, at its upper, forward edge, two shoulders 9, having the form of brackets and each having a centering eye 10. When the switch is installed, these shoulders become seated between two wall portions of the front wall, one of which is the upper edge of the opening 2 and the other is the holding bar 3. At its lower, front edge, the switch housing 5 carries two downwardly open claws 11 and 12, in the gap of each of which a filler block 13 is disposed. When the switch is installed, the filler blocks 13 fit into the gaps of the cut-out castellation into gaps Z1 and Z3 and the remaining parts of the filler block 13 fit over the corners of the teeth of the castellation. Thus, at the lower edge, a fixing in position of the switch in the lateral direction and in the direction of the push-button axes is assured. At the upper edge, the fixing in position of the switch in the direction of the push-button axes is ensured by the wall portions 1 and 3 and the shoulders 9, and in the lateral and vertical direction by the centering pins 4 of a frontally mounted operating plate 14 and the centering eyes 10 in conjunction with the castellated upper edge of the opening 2. In Figure 1, dot-and-dash lines indicate another possible position for installing the described pushbutton switch, wherein the filler blocks 13 of the claws 11 and 12 are seated in the castellation gaps Z4 and Z6. This illustrates the versatility of the fixing device. Instead of the three-track push-button switch illustrated, either narrower or wider switches can be installed in the housing opening 2. Provided that the switch is narrower than the opening in the housing, its place of installation can be varied laterally. The above described fixing device enables the outer face of the housing of a closed range of household equipment, preferably the front wall thereof, to be formed to a uniform pattern even when the types of equipment of this range are to be equipped with differing single-button or multiple button-switches. CLAIMS

1. Equipment comprising inner and outer wall means and a push-button switch device comprising a switch housing, at least one projection extending from a peripheral portion of the switch housing and provided with an aperture, at least one claw disposed at a generally opposite side of the switch housing and a centering pin extending inwardly from the outer wall means and parallel to the push-button axis to engage the aperture, the or each projection being slidable between two substantially parallel portions of the inner wall means and the or each claw being open in a direction normal to the push-button axis and encompassingly engaging a castellated edge of the wall.

2. Equipment as claimed in claim 1, comprising two projections and two claws the claws being spaced by a distance which is an integral multiple of the intercastellation spacing.

3. Equipment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.