US2117782A - Electric switch - Google Patents

Description

M y 1938. o. ALDINGER ,1

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Nov. 6, 1956 Patented May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES.

ELECTRIC swrrcn' Otto Aldinger, Stuttgart, Germany Application November 6, 1936, Serial No. 109,565 In Germany November 5, 1935 4 Claims..

This invention relates to an electric switching device for two circuits mounted in the handle of a consuming apparatus, both of which circuits are successively switched on, or only one of them 5 is switched on, whilst both are switched off simultaneously.

The switching device consists of two toggle switches inserted in the two circuits and mounted in the handle one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the handle, two press buttons movable against one another and acting directly on the toggle switches being arranged between the latter, transversely to the handle, one of the press buttons being adapted to switch on only one toggle switch or both toggle switches one after the other, whilst the other is adapted to switch oil the two toggle switches simultaneously, a spring being mounted between the two press buttons which returns the latter automatically into their initial position.

The consuming apparatus which especially come into question are hot air douches which are desired to operate not only with hot air but also with cold air instead. In the first case, only the one toggle switch is switched on which lies in the motor circuit. In the second case, by the additional switching on of the second toggle switch, also the toggle switch lying in the heating circuit is switched on. By successively switch ing on, first the motor or cold air switch, and then the heating or hot air switch, the hot air current is prevented from being inadvertently switched on and thereby the heating resistance prevented from being overheated. The simultaneous switching off of both circuits has the same efiect and such switching action is quick and positive. The successive switching on of the circuits may be eflected in various ways.

The invention provides a very simple and compact construction of switching device which can be mounted in a handle of the usual dimensions of a consuming apparatus. The switching on and oil" of the circuits can be efiected conveniently by usin'gone hand only, viz., the one holding the apparatus, the other. hand being free for other manipulations.

Further the construction according to the invention is such that the two toggle switches can be easily and conveniently mounted and secured in position in the handle of the consuming apparatus.

The accompanying drawing illustrates, by way of example, a handle for a hot air douche provided with an improved switching arrangement.

Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of the (Cl. 200157) I improved device with the press buttons and toggle switches in the starting position;

Figure 2 is a plan view showing the circuit closing position of the upper toggle switch (cold air) operation; 5

Figure 3 illustrates a modification oi the improved device.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the handle, which is preferably made of a compressed electric insulating fibrous material, is divided longitudinally 10 into two halves a, b and is made hollow. When used the two halves are held together, partly by a tubular clamp z, which connects the inner end of the handle to the actual apparatus, and partly by a screw 0. Two oppositely moving press but- 15 tons d and e are arranged transversely to the handle,one of them serving as a switching-on button and the other one as a switching-off button. Usually, the two press buttons are kept apart by a spring f inserted between them, being caused 20 to abut against the inner wall of the two halves of the handle. The switching-off button c has a smooth inner surface 9', whilst the switching-on button d is provided with a stepped inner surface having two switching steps h and i, the latter 25 lying further behind the outer end of the press button ascompared with the former. Two toggle switches are arranged laterally with respect to the two press buttons, one behind the other in the'longitudinal direction inside a hollow space 30 providedin the handle. The toggle switch adjacent to the small switching step h of the switching-in button serves for the connecting up of the motor circuit, and the switch adjacent to the larger step i of the switching-on button serves 35 for the switching-on of the heating current, the two steps hand i of the switching-on button being made of diiferent heights. When they are pressed down the two switches are actuated one after the other, first the motor switch and then 40 the heating current switch. Vice versa, when the switching-oil button 6, which is not stepped, is

pressed down, the two switches are simultaneously operated for the opening of the circuits.

Each switch has a support which consists of 45 two upright parts n (in Figure 1 they lie one behind the other) and two strongly acting foot plates 0', 0. The latter are inserted (by friction or clamping) in corresponding slots provided in v the two handle halvesin the half I) so as to be 50 firmly seated, and in the other half so as to be lightly seatedwhereby the two switches can be secured in the handle in a very simple way. The two-arm lever q, r is mounted in pivot holes p of the two uprights n, the end of the arm q 66 the rouge of operation of the h or i of the switching-oh button. A rod .9 is on to the cud oi? the other arm 1'', which rod posse through on opening oi the soddle t of the toggle switch or switch stirrup is. A compressed spidhg it mounted hetween the saddle t and the head it oi the rod s. Tue stirrup is, which pivotally mounted in the holes so of the uprights it, closes the circuit when in the tilted out position (see Figure 2), by forming s hridge between the c We rout cmrylug coutact springs a: secured to the half h of the handle. The tilting move ment oi the stirrup is limited by the abutment suriaces g of the handle halves. Although in the position in which the circuit is closed current passes through the parts 11., o, 0 or the two switches, the latter parts are insulated in the handle. The cclole carrying the current passes through the opening m in the handle.

I llii'hen the switcldngmn button it is pressed down the spring is compressed, and its step it, by shutting against the end of the srm u oi the toggle switch adjacent to it (the upper onel, switches on the motor circudt and then, by step 2' acting on the end of the arm q of the lower switch, it switches on the heating current. The spriug j automatically returns the hutton 03 into its original position. When it is desired to stop the operation of the sppcratus the switching-oif huttou e is pressed down end its inner smooth surface g, whilst compressing the spring acts simultaneously on the ends of the arms q of Tooth switches, thereby switching-oil simultcneously the two circuits, whereupon it is returned automatically to its original position by the spring 1 When is desired to worl; with cold air, the switching-on hutton is pressed down, only to such on extent until the upper switch is operated, which, apart from the noise of the pact or the switching stirrup, is also perceived loy the hood, owing to the chsnged resistance of the press button.

The mounting oi the toggle switches in the handle is effected in so especially simple manner, without any separate fixing screws or the like, so that the two switches with one of their sup= porting plates 0 are inserted in the corresponding slits provided in the part b of the handle, in which the electrical connections have elresdy heeu eilected, and then the other hell of the handle is slid on to the support parts 0' which are still tree and is secured to the first halt l) of the handle.

The modification illustrated in Figure 3 olifiers from the one shown in Figures i and 2 in that the press button d for the switching-on is not stepped, whilst the press button e for the switchlug-off is stepped, and the lower toggle switch which, as in the case of the form of construction illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, serves to i switch on the heating current is mounted less deep in the halt h of the huddle as compared with the upper toggle switch, so that in its initial position, viz. when the lower switch is discouuected, the arm oi oi the latter switchlies at a greater distance from the press button 02 than the q of the upper toggle switch. Also in this way it is-possilole to obtain that by means of due press button d the upper toggle switch is first actuated, that to the motor circuit or the cold is switched on, the heating current or the hot air is switched on and that otter sppcretus hes teen used the two circuits are simultaneously switched oii hy means of the switching-off press button e. in order to ensure that the further movement of the button it, alter the operation of the upper toggle switch, shall not he hindered by the srm e of I ,is switch, group 2 is provided in the press huttou d, by moons of which the press huttoo slides past the arm o of the upper switch while ectuates the lower switch.

whet claim is:-

l. he. electric switching device mounted in the handle oi on electric consuming for two electric circuits, comprising two toggle switches inserted in the said two circuits and mounted in the handle, one behind the other, in the lougitudinsl direction of the handle, Tooth toggle switches having a statiouei v switched-oil position and a stationery switched-0n position different from the switched-oh position, at switchlugou press button and a switching-oil press button capable of moving against one another and lying hetwmu the toggle switches trunsversel to the handle, the said two toggle switches having arms projecting into a free space between the said two press buttons with their respective tree ends st different distances from the ports of the switching-on press button intended to act thereon when the toggle switches are in the switched-oi position, and at the some distance from the parts of the switchin -oil press button intended to set thereon when the toggle switches are in the switched-0n position, whereby the switching-on press button will act successiveh on the two toggle switches and the switching-oft press button will act thereon simultaneously and a spring between the said two press buttons for returning the latter automatically into their initial position.

2. An electric switching device as claimed in claim 1, in which the switchingwn press button has two switching steps providing the difierent distances thereof irom the free ends of the proiecting arms of the toggle switches.

3. An electric switching device so claimed in cloim 2, and in which the switclung ou press button has a groove so disposed as to allow the said switching-on press button to slide past the arm oi one of the toggle switches already switched-on while it actual-es the other toggle switch.

d. An electric switching device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising 2, transverse support lug plate on each one oi the two toggle switches,

the handle being divided longitudinally into two halves in which the two press buttons are respectively mounted opposite one another, and each one of the said handle halves having two transverse slits on opposite sides of the press button mounted therein, and the two transverse supporting plates lying firmly in the transverse slits formed in the one half and lightly in the trans-' verse slits formed in the other half of the handle.

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