GB2547071A - Lockable electrial switch assembly - Google Patents
Lockable electrial switch assembly Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2547071A GB2547071A GB1620120.4A GB201620120A GB2547071A GB 2547071 A GB2547071 A GB 2547071A GB 201620120 A GB201620120 A GB 201620120A GB 2547071 A GB2547071 A GB 2547071A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- locking
- actuator
- housing
- abutment member
- switch assembly
- 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.)
- Granted
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H9/00—Details of switching devices, not covered by groups H01H1/00 - H01H7/00
- H01H9/20—Interlocking, locking, or latching mechanisms
- H01H9/28—Interlocking, locking, or latching mechanisms for locking switch parts by a key or equivalent removable member
- H01H9/285—Locking mechanisms incorporated in the switch assembly and operable by a key or a special tool
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H2300/00—Orthogonal indexing scheme relating to electric switches, relays, selectors or emergency protective devices covered by H01H
- H01H2300/03—Application domotique, e.g. for house automation, bus connected switches, sensors, loads or intelligent wiring
- H01H2300/032—Application domotique, e.g. for house automation, bus connected switches, sensors, loads or intelligent wiring using RFID technology in switching devices
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- Y02B90/00—Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y02B90/20—Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y04—INFORMATION OR COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES HAVING AN IMPACT ON OTHER TECHNOLOGY AREAS
- Y04S—SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS
- Y04S20/00—Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
- Y04S20/14—Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers
Landscapes
- Push-Button Switches (AREA)
- Lock And Its Accessories (AREA)
- Switch Cases, Indication, And Locking (AREA)
Abstract
A lockable electrical switch assembly 10 comprises an insulated housing 12 containing electrical contacts, an actuator 14 for transferring a manual operating force to close the contacts, and a locking assembly physically engaging the actuator within the housing to automatically lock it when in a predetermined position. The actuator is mounted within the housing and at least part of the locking assembly is remotely operable from the exterior of the housing to unlock the actuator. The locking assembly may comprise an abutment member 16 that is resiliently urged into engagement with a first bearing surface 14a of the actuator to lock it, and a locking detent 18 that is resiliently urged into engagement with a locking surface 17b of the abutment member. The abutment member and detent may be confined to move along perpendicular linear pathways, and may be resiliently urged by coil springs mounted between them and the housing. At least part of the locking detent may be formed of a ferromagnetic material susceptible to a magnetic force. A proximity device for remotely unlocking the switch assembly may be a magnetic key M or use RFID technology, biometric sensors, short range radio technology, or magnetic/electric coupled transponder systems.
Description
LOCKABLE ELECTRICAL SWITCH ASSEMBLY
The present invention relates to a lockable electrical switch assembly requiring a mechanical actuation force. The invention particularly, though not exclusively, relates to such a lockable electrical switch assembly for preventing inadvertent or unauthorised opening and/or closing of an electrical circuit associated with mains lighting, mains power or standalone electrical appliances.
Electrical circuits within residential and commercial buildings are often controlled by manually operable switches. For example, switches of the rocker or toggle types are manually pivotable between an "on” position and an "off’ position so as to selectively control the energising of an associated electrical circuit. In certain circumstances it may be desirable to prevent an electrical switch from closing or opening an associated electrical circuit. For example, in a domestic environment, parents of young children may wish to lock any accessible electrical switches in their "off’ positions. Similarly, for safety and/or insurance reasons, it may be desirable to prevent the unauthorised use of electrical sockets and/or the operation of light switches by the general public in certain public spaces. Moreover, within commercial environments it may be crucial that certain electrical appliances - e.g. fridges or freezers containing perishable goods - are continuously powered.
It is already known to fit mechanical guards over moveable electrical switches to prevent, or at least inhibit, their unauthorised use. For example, United States patent No. 5,723,833 (Danny A. Thrasher) discloses a rigid cover member which, when closed over an underlying switch, urges it into its "off" position. The cover member is then padlocked to the housing thus making it impossible for the switch to be moved to its "on” position. Whilst effective in preventing unauthorised use of a switch, such a system is cumbersome, aesthetically undesirable, and costly.
An alternative arrangement is disclosed in United States patent publication No. 2014/0262710 (assigned to American Tack & Hardware, Co. Inc.) whereby a switch guard is secured over a conventional rocker switch. The switch guard is provided with two small slots to enable operation of the rocker switch only by passing a small item such as a coin or paperclip through the appropriate slot. This device is easily defeatable and hence
Claims (5)
1. A lockable electrical switch assembly comprising: (i) an insulated housing for containing electrical contacts associated with the lockable electrical switch; (ii) an actuator for transferring a manual operating force to open or close electrical contacts associated with the lockable electrical switch; and (iii) a locking assembly physically engaging the actuator within the insulated housing for automatically locking the actuator when it is in a predetermined position; wherein the actuator is mounted within the housing for movement between said predetermined position and at least one other position; and at least part of the locking assembly is remotely operable from the exterior of the insulated housing to selectively unlock the actuator.
2. A lockable electrical switch assembly according to claim 1, wherein the locking assembly comprises an abutment member which is resiliently urged into physical engagement with a first bearing surface of the actuator within the housing to effect its locking.
3. A lockable electrical switch assembly according to claim 2, wherein the remotely operable part of the locking assembly comprises a locking detent which is resiliently urged into physical engagement with the abutment member within the housing.
4. A lockable electrical switch assembly according to claim 3, wherein the abutment member comprises a locking surface and the locking detent is resiliently urged into physical engagement therewith.
5. A lockable electrical switch assembly according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the locking detent and the abutment member are confined to linear pathways permitting their translational movement along non-parallel axes.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBGB1521051.1A GB201521051D0 (en) | 2015-11-30 | 2015-11-30 | Lockable electrical switch assembly |
Publications (4)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB201620120D0 GB201620120D0 (en) | 2017-01-11 |
| GB2547071A true GB2547071A (en) | 2017-08-09 |
| GB2547071A8 GB2547071A8 (en) | 2018-02-14 |
| GB2547071B GB2547071B (en) | 2019-08-28 |
Family
ID=55177415
Family Applications (2)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBGB1521051.1A Ceased GB201521051D0 (en) | 2015-11-30 | 2015-11-30 | Lockable electrical switch assembly |
| GB1620120.4A Expired - Fee Related GB2547071B (en) | 2015-11-30 | 2016-11-29 | Lockable Electrical Switch Assembly |
Family Applications Before (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBGB1521051.1A Ceased GB201521051D0 (en) | 2015-11-30 | 2015-11-30 | Lockable electrical switch assembly |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (2) | GB201521051D0 (en) |
Citations (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3941954A (en) * | 1974-09-10 | 1976-03-02 | Wintringham Robert E | Magnetic captive key switch lock |
-
2015
- 2015-11-30 GB GBGB1521051.1A patent/GB201521051D0/en not_active Ceased
-
2016
- 2016-11-29 GB GB1620120.4A patent/GB2547071B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3941954A (en) * | 1974-09-10 | 1976-03-02 | Wintringham Robert E | Magnetic captive key switch lock |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB201620120D0 (en) | 2017-01-11 |
| GB2547071B (en) | 2019-08-28 |
| GB201521051D0 (en) | 2016-01-13 |
| GB2547071A8 (en) | 2018-02-14 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 732E | Amendments to the register in respect of changes of name or changes affecting rights (sect. 32/1977) |
Free format text: REGISTERED BETWEEN 20190103 AND 20190109 |
|
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 20201129 |