GB2407708A

GB2407708A - Electrical device with rocker adapted to be immobilised

Info

Publication number: GB2407708A
Application number: GB0422871A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Patrick Clement; Zsolt Zsibok; Marcel Daccord
Original assignee: Legrand SA; Legrand SNC
Current assignee: Legrand SA; Legrand SNC
Priority date: 2003-10-16
Filing date: 2004-10-14
Publication date: 2005-05-04
Anticipated expiration: 2024-10-14
Also published as: FR2861213B1; GB2407708B; GB0422871D0; FR2861213A1

Abstract

An electrical device comprising a rocker (2), a frame (1) surrounding said rocker (2), an immobilising member comprising a shutter (3) mounted on the rocker (2), and means on the rocker (2) for immobilising it relative to the frame (1) comprising a housing and guide means for guiding movement of the shutter between a retracted position in which it is disposed at least partially in the housing so that the rocker (2) may rock freely and a deployed position in which the shutter (3) projects with respect to the frame (1) from a portion of the rocker that is concealed when the rocker (2) is in its first position and revealed when the rocker (2) is in its second position.

Description

Electrical device with rocker adapted to be immobilized

The field of the invention is that of electrical

safety equipment.

The invention relates more particularly to an electrical device incorporating a rocker and means for immobilizing the rocker.

Many electrical devices include an embellisher frame into which is inserted a rocker adapted to assume two positions. In certain cases these devices must be locked in a safety configuration in which the rocker is immobilised in one position, preventing it from rocking to the other position. In the case of a switch, for example, it may be required to lock the switch open, for instance when working on the electrical circuit that it controls. For safety reasons, the device must be locked by simple and effective means.

There are known in the art electrical devices comprising a rocker and a frame around said rocker in which the rocker is adapted to pivot relative to the frame between a predetermined first position and a predetermined second position and comprises means for immobilizing it relative to the frame by means of a locking member adapted to cooperate with the frame and the rocker.

There exist systems comprising a switch and a clamping device adapted to immobilise the switch in a predetermined position, which clamp may be locked to the switch by means of a padlock. The clamp is provided with teeth and forms the immobilizing member, and orifices in the rocker adapted to cooperate with said teeth form the means included in the rocker so that it may be immobilized relative to the frame.

Also known in the art are electrical devices in which the locking member is a bolt accommodated in the frame and adapted, when manipulated from the outside, to lodge a latch in a keeper on the rocker and forming the means that the rocker includes for immobilizing it relative to the frame, the result of which is to immobilise the rocker.

An object of the invention is to improve on the existing solutions.

To this end, in a first aspect the invention provides an electrical device comprising a rocker and a frame surrounding said rocker, which is adapted to pivot relative to the frame between a first predetermined position and a second predetermined position and comprises means for irmobilising it relative to the frame by means of a locking member adapted to cooperate with the frame and with the rocker, in which device the locking member is a shutter mounted on the rocker and the means on the rocker for immobilizing it relative to the frame comprise a housing and guide means for guiding movement of the shutter between a retracted position in which it is disposed at least partially in the housing so that the rocker may rock freely between said first position and said second position and a deployed position in which the shutter projects with respect to the frame from a portion of the rocker that is concealed when the rocker is in its first position and revealed when the rocker is in its second position, so that, when the rocker is in its second position and the shutter is in its deployed position, the rocker is immobilized in the second position, i.e. prevented from assuming the first position.

The above kind of electrical device is autonomous from the safety point of view, with no attached immobilizing part, and provides reliable and effective immobilisation of the rocker. - In the above kind of electrical device, the rocker and the shutter that is inserted therein form the locking means. It is not necessary to use devices external to the rocker to immobilize it since the rocker itself is able to immobilise itself relative to the frame.

Because only the rocker is modified, the above kind of electrical device is easy and inexpensive to produce compared to existing electrical devices.

According to one preferred feature of the invention, the rocker comprises a bearing wall having an external surface that may be acted on to rock it and which is connected to an edge wall, the shutter being engaged in a window formed in a portion of said edge wall that is revealed when the rocker is in the second position. Consequently, the rocker can be made compact.

To facilitate it rocking, the rocker may also be articulated to the frame by median journals on the rocker rotatably mounted on the frame.

The shutter may comprise an eyelet for inserting a padlock. The eyelet may be on a portion of the shutter adapted to project from the frame. It may be substantially perpendicular to the shutter. Thus the electrical device may be locked in its second position, for example to lock open an electrical circuit that is being worked on.

The rocker may include a notch forming a housing for the eyelet when the shutter is in the retracted position. The eyelet may have a portion projecting from the notch when the shutter is in the retracted position.

In a first embodiment having advantages in terms of efficiency, the shutter is adapted to move in translation relative to the rocker.

The shutter may comprise a slider inserted in a slideway fastened to the rocker. The shutter may comprise an oblong hole disposed in the direction of said movement in translation and the rocker includes a pin cooperating with the oblong hole to form stops for the retracted position and the deployed position.

According to a preferred feature of this embodiment, the guide means for the shutter comprise an imprint forming a slideway in the rocker and a retaining plate mounted on the rocker is adapted to retain the shutter in the imprint.

In a second embodiment the shutter is adapted to rotate relative to the rocker.

The shutter may have a portion with a hole through it by means of which it is mounted on a journal projecting from the rocker. It may comprise two teeth for preventing rotation adapted to form stops for the retracted position and the deployed position.

In a third embodiment the shutter comprises an actuator head coaxial with the rotation axis of the shutter relative to the frame, rotation of this actuator head driving rotation of the shutter. The actuator head may comprise an imprint adapted to cooperate with a rotary tool. Thus the shutter may be deployed using a tool such as a screwdriver.

A second aspect of the invention provides a method of fabricating the first embodiment of the above device. This method enables parts to be produced quickly and at low cost, and includes the following steps: moulding in one piece a member comprising a portion forming said retaining plate and a portion forming said shutter, said two portions being joined together by weaker regions; and - separating said portions by rupture of the weaker regions to obtain said retaining plate and said shutter.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the light of the following

description with one preferred embodiment of the

invention, constituting one nonlimiting example thereof, which description is given with reference to the appended drawings, in which: - figure 1 is a perspective view of a device according to the invention, here a switch, with the shutter in a retracted position; - figure 2 is a perspective view of the switch shown in figure 1 with the shutter locked in a deployed position by a padlock; - figure 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a switch according to the invention showing the shutter in the retracted position; - figure 4 is a perspective view of the switch shown in figure 3 with the shutter locked in the deployed position by a padlock; - figure 5 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a switch according to the invention showing the shutter in the retracted position; - figure 6 is a perspective view of the switch shown in figure 5 with the shutter locked in the deployed position by a padlock; - figure 7 is a perspective view of the rear of the frame of the switch shown in figures 1 and 2; - figure 8 is a view in vertical median section of the switch shown in figure 1; - figure 9 is a perspective view of the rocker shown in figure 1; - figure 10 is a perspective view of the shutter shown in figures 1 and 2; - figure 11 is a perspective view of the retaining plate of the switch shown in figures 1 and 2; - figure 12 is a perspective view of the assembly of the rocker shown in figure 9 with the shutter shown in figure lOi - figure 13 is a perspective view of the rear of the rocker shown in figures 3 and 4; - figure 14 is a perspective view of the shutter shown in figures 3 and 4; and - figures 15 to 17 represent steps of the fabrication process of the shutter and the retaining plate shown in figures 10 and 11.

Figures 1 to 6 represent three embodiments of a switch according to the invention. For each of these embodiments, the switch is first shown with the shutter in a retracted position and then with the shutter in a deployed position. These three embodiments being similar, the first embodiment is described first with reference to figures 1 and 2, after which items specific to the embodiment shown in figures 3 and 4 and to the embodiment shown in figures 5 and 6 are described. For clarity, items common to the three embodiments are designated by the same reference number.

Referring to figures 1 and 2, the switch includes a frame 1 surrounding a rocker 2 provided with a deployable shutter 3 mobile in translation relative to the rocker 2.

Figure 7 shows the frame 1 on its own, seen from the rear compared to figure 1. The frame 1 is moulded and has a first face (that visible in figure 1) of appropriate aesthetic appearance and a second face (that visible in figure 7) for stiffening it. It is intended to be fixed to a wall or to a box by means of holes 4.

The frame 1 delimits a substantially rectangular space 5 between the two holes 4 intended to receive the rocker 2. Housings 6 are provided on the lateral inside edges of the walls delimiting the space 5 to cooperate with articulation members on the rocker 2. The housings 6 are each disposed facing a hole 4 and on a median line of the frame 1.

Figure 8 shows the cooperation of the frame 1 with the rocker 2 and the shutter 3. The shutter 3 is retained in the rocker 2 by a retaining plate 7. These members are described with reference to figures 9, 10 and 11, respectively.

Figure 9 shows the bearing surface 8 of the rocker 2, i.e. the wall that the user presses to rock the rocker 2 from one position to the other. To enable this rocking, the rocker 2 has two laterally projecting journals 9 disposed along a median line of the rocker 2.

The rocker 2 has a curved shaped whose radius of curvature is coaxial with said journals 9.

The rocker 2 further comprises three actuation studs 10 (also seen in figure 12) adapted to interact with the mechanism of the switch. To avoid overcomplicating the figures, this mechanism is not shown because the two positions of these actuation studs 10, corresponding to the two positions of the rocker 2, also correspond to the open and closed positions of the switch mechanism.

The rocker 2 further includes a notch 11 adapted to cooperate with the shutter 3 and perpendicular to the axis defined by the two journals 9 and in the middle of the rocker 2.

Figure 12 shows the bottom of the rocker 2, as compared to figure 9. A housing 12 within the thickness of the rocker 2 is adapted to receive the shutter 3. A window 13 facing the housing 12 is provided on a portion of a rim 14 of the rocker 2.

The rocker 2 further includes two slideways 15 each formed by two ribs 16 perpendicular to the body of the rocker 2. The ribs 16 are disposed so that the slideways 15 open into the housing 12 in the direction of the window 13. Two pins 17 are provided at this junction and are adapted to cooperate with the shutter 3.

Referring to figure 10, the shutter 3 is formed in one piece and comprises a body 18 to which two parallel sliders 19 and an eyelet 20 are attached. The body 18 of the shutters 3 projects from the rocker 2 when the shutter 3 is in the deployed position. It is formed of a flat blade conformed so that it may be inserted completely into the housing 12 without projecting beyond the window 13.

The sliders 19 further comprise two oblong holes 21 forming grooves adapted to accommodate the pins 17 so that the shutter 3 is able to cooperate with the rocker 2 in the manner shown in figure 12.

The eyelet 20 for receiving a padlock (figure 2) takes the form of a ring projecting perpendicularly to the body 18.

The retaining plate 7 shown in figure 11 has a curved wall, its curvature corresponding to the curvature of the rocker 2, as may be seen in figure 8. It comprises three orifices 22 disposed to receive the actuation studs of the rocker 2.

The retaining plate 7 is adapted to be inserted into the figure 12 assembly and thus to form a cap that with the rocker 2 delimits an internal space in which the shutter 3 may be stowed.

Here the shutter 3 and the retaining plate 7 are assembled by means of a conical coupling in which the actuation studs 10 are cones whose largest diameter is at the same end as the rocker 2, the diameter of the openings 22 being adapted to obtain a force-fit of the plate 7 over the cones 10.

The assembly comprising the rocker 2 and the retaining plate 7 being curved, and the various components of the shutter 3 being laid out in a plane, the retaining plate 7 comprises two slots 23 for receiving the two sliders 19 to enable retraction of the shutter 3.

The figure 12 assembly is obtained once the shutter 3 has been assembled to the rocker 2 in such a manner that the eyelet 20 is on the same side as the notch 11 and the pins 17 are in the grooves formed by the oblong holes 21. Fixing the retaining plate 7 to this assembly retains the shutter 3 in the direction perpendicular to the actuation studs 10 and allows it to slide freely in the direction of the slideways 15, the dimensions of the notch 11 allowing the eyelet 20 to pass freely through it.

The resulting component may then be mounted on the frame 1, the journals 9 of the rocker 2 being inserted in the housings 6 provided in the frame 1 and retained by a device that is not shown.

This assembly yields the device shown in figures 1 and 2, and figure 8 shows in detail the position of the shutter 3 retained between a wall of the rocker 2 and the retaining plate 7. This figure shows that the retaining plate 7 forms a ramp which, in the figure 8 position, allows deployment of the shutter.

The distance between the two retaining walls 2, 7 is naturally chosen to retain the shutter 3 correctly whilst allowing it to slide.

The switch that has just been described operates in the manner indicated hereinafter.

The switch as shown in figure 1 is in a normal operating configuration with the shutter 3 retracted. The user can press on the bearing surface 8 of the rocker 2 to rock it. The rocker 2 of the switch is shown here in a second position, as opposed to the first position that it reaches after pressure is applied to the upper portion of the bearing surface 8 of the rocker 2.

As a general rule the first and second positions respectively correspond to the on and off states of the switch.

The shutter 3 may be moved to its deployed position to lock the rocker 2 in this second position.

The circuit is then held open even if a user attempts to close it by operating the rocker 2.

This is because the eyelet 20 has a portion projecting from the notch 11 that may be gripped with the fingers or with pliers and pulled to deploy the shutter 3 to which it is attached. The body 18 of the shutter 3 when deployed in this way then acts as an obstacle operating in shear between the rocker 2 and the frame 1 if pressure is applied to the rocker 2 with the aim of rocking it.

To lock the shutter 3 in this position, a padlock 24 may be inserted into the eyelet 20 so that the shutter 3 is unable to return to its retracted position.

The switch shown in figures 3 and 4 constitutes an embodiment of the invention similar to that described hereinabove, apart from the arrangement of the shutter, which here is able to rotate relative to the rocker.

The switch includes a rocker 2A cooperating with a shutter 3A. The rocker 2A, which is shown in figure 13, has the same curved shape as the rocker 2 shown in figure 9, the same journals 9A and the same type of actuation studs 10A. On the other hand, the rocker 2A has a journal 25 projecting from the inside face of the rocker 2A in the same direction as the actuation studs 10A.

The rocker 2A also includes a notch llA offset from the journal 25. A low wall 26 around the journal 25 and the notch llA delimits the housing for the shutter 3A, the guide means for the shutter 3A consisting of the journal 25.

The shutter 3A adapted to cooperate with the rocker 2A is shown in figure 14. This shutter 3A comprises a rotor 27 to which is attached a perpendicular body 28 including an eyelet 20A extending in the same direction as the rotor 27.

The rotor 27 is a cylindrical component in which there is a bore 29 adapted to cooperate in rotation with 10the journal 25 of the rocker 2A. The rotor 27 also has ! two rotation preventing teeth 30 disposed at 180 and I thereby constituting end of travel stops to limit the rotation travel of the shutter 3A by abutting on a portion of the rocker 2A.

15The body 28 constitutes the obstacle that projects from the rocker 2A to immobilise the rocker 2A relative to the frame 1. Similarly, the eyelet 20A has the same function as the eyelet 20 described hereinabove.

A third embodiment of the invention consists of the switch shown in figures 5 and 6, which is in all respects identical to the switch shown in figures 3 and 4, which comprises the components from figures 23 and 14, except that this third embodiment of the switch includes a shutter 3B that has a slotted head 31. An orifice 32 is additionally provided in the rocker 2B to provide access to the slotted head 31 from the bearing surface of the rocker 2B. Thus the shutter 3B may be rotated by means of a screwdriver inserted into the slotted head 31.

The operation of the switch shown in figures 3 and 4 and the switch shown in figures 5 and 6 is comparable to the operation of the switches shown in figures 1 and 2 and described hereinabove. Here the shutter 3A, 3B is deployed when it is rotated about an axis by the action of the user on the eyelet 20A (in the embodiment shown in figures 3 and 4) or the slotted head 31, using a screwdriver (in the embodiment shown in figures 5 and 6). The shutters 2A, 2B may also be locked in their deployed position by a padlock 24.

The shutter 3 and the retaining plate 7 may advantageously be moulded by a process during which an assembly 83 is moulded in one piece that has a first portion 34 intended to form a retaining plate 7, a second portion 35 intended to form a shutter 3 and, between these two portions, thinner or weakened regions 36.

Once the component 33 has been made, it may be subjected to bending or to any other operation to break the thinner or weakened regions 36 (figure 16). This produces the two components 3, 7.

Many variants are feasible that do not depart from the scope of the invention. For example, the deployable shutter may have any shape and any movement enabling it to be retracted into the rocker and to form an obstacle between the rocker and the frame. Similarly, other electrical devices may be envisaged provided that they have a rocker surrounded by a frame. On this subject, the rocker may have a multitude of positions in addition to the first and second positions described hereinabove.

Claims

1. An electrical device comprising a rocker and a frame surrounding said rocker, which is adapted to pivot relative to the frame between a first predetermined position and a second predetermined position and comprises means for immobilizing it relative to the frame by means of a locking member adapted to cooperate with the frame and with the rocker, in which device the locking member is a shutter mounted on the rocker and the means on the rocker for immobilizing it relative to the frame comprise a housing and guide means for guiding movement of the shutter between a retracted position in which it is disposed at least partially in the housing so that the rocker may rock freely between said first position and said second position and a deployed position in which the shutter projects with respect to the frame from a portion of the rocker that is concealed when the rocker is in its first position and revealed when the rocker is in its second position, so that, when the rocker is in its second position and the shutter is in its deployed position, the rocker is immobilized in the second position, i.e. prevented from assuming the first position.

2. An electrical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the rocker comprises a bearing wall having an external surface that may be acted on to rock it and which is connected to an edge wall, the shutter being engaged in a window formed in a portion of said edge wall that is revealed when the rocker is in the second position.

3. An electrical device according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the rocker is articulated to the frame by median journals on the rocker rotatably mounted on the frame.

4. An electrical device according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the shutter comprises an eyelet.

5. An electrical device according to claim 4 wherein the eyelet is on a portion of the shutter adapted to project from the frame.

6. An electrical device according to either claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the eyelet is substantially perpendicular to the shutter.

7. An electrical device according to claim 6 wherein the rocker includes a notch forming a housing for the eyelet when the shutter is in the retracted position.

8. An electrical device according to claim 7 wherein the eyelet has a portion projecting from the notch when the shutter is in the retracted position.

9. An electrical device according to any of claims 1 to 8 wherein the shutter is adapted to move in translation relative to the rocker.

10. An electrical device according to claim 9 wherein the shutter comprises a slider inserted in a slideway fastened to the rocker.

11. An electrical device according to either claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the shutter comprises an oblong hole disposed in the direction of said movement in translation and the rocker includes a pin cooperating with the oblong hole to form stops for the retracted position and the deployed position.

12. An electrical device according to any of claims 9 to 11 wherein the guide means for the shutter comprise an imprint forming a slideway in the rocker and a retaining plate mounted on the rocker is adapted to retain the shutter in the imprint.

13. An electrical device according to any of claims 1 to 8 wherein the shutter is adapted to rotate relative to the rocker.

14. An electrical device according to claim 13, wherein the shutter has a portion with a hole through it by means of which it is mounted on a journal projecting from the rocker.

15. An electrical device according to either claim 13 or claim 14 wherein the shutter comprises two teeth for preventing rotation adapted to form stops for the retracted position and the deployed position.

16. An electrical device according to any of claims 13 to 15 wherein the shutter comprises an actuator head coaxial with the rotation axis of the shutter relative to the frame, rotation of this actuator head driving rotation of the shutter.

17. An electrical device according to claim 16 wherein the actuator head comprises an imprint adapted to cooperate with a rotary tool.

18. A method of fabricating the device according to claim 12, including the following steps: - moulding in one piece a member comprising a portion forming said retaining plate and a portion forming said shutter, said two portions being joined together by weaker regions; and - separating said portions by rupture of the weaker regions to obtain said retaining plate and said shutter.

19. An electrical device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

20. A method of fabricating an electrical device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.