US3304398A

US3304398A - Snap-in push button operator

Info

Publication number: US3304398A
Application number: US506215A
Authority: US
Inventors: James E Stallman
Original assignee: Square D Co
Current assignee: Schneider Electric USA Inc
Priority date: 1965-11-03
Filing date: 1965-11-03
Publication date: 1967-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 1984-02-14
Also published as: GB1136154A

Description

Feb. 14, 1967 J, E. STALLMAN 3,304,398

7 5NAP-IN PUSH BUTTON OPERATOR Filed Nov. 3, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 14, 1967 J. E. STALLMAN 3,304,398

SNAP-IN PUSH BUTTON OPERATOR Filed Nov. 5, 1965 Q 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT OR.

4 7 ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,304,398 SNAP-IN PUSH BUTTON OPERATOR James E. Stallman, Milwaukee, Wis, assignor to Square 1) Company, Park Ridge, HL, a corporation of Michigan Filed Nov. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 506,215 7 Claims. (Cl. 200-172) This invention relates to push type operators for push button electric switches, and particularly to 'a lineally movable push type operator button and the combination thereof with a switch actuator having a blind socket in its exposed outer end.

Heretofore, as fully disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 3,154,661, issued October 27, 1964, J. Bierenfeld, inventor, and entitled Insert for a Switch Button, actuators of such operators have been provided wherein the outer exposed ends which are adapted to be engaged by the thumb or finger of an operator have forwardly open blind sockets. The sockets generall are arranged so that identifying disks bearing selected colors or identifying indicia, for distinguishing the particular switch operated by the push button operator, can be snap fastened therein.

The present operator button is of mushroom type and is arranged so that it, instead of an identifying disk, can be readily snap fastened into place into the blind socket of a switch actuator of the type disclosed in the aboveidentified patent.

Specific objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description wherein reference is made to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front end elevation of an operator button embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a right side elevation of the operator button illustrated in FIG. 1, part thereof being shown in Section, as indicated by the line 2-2 in FIGS. 1 and 3;

FIG. 2a is an enlarged, fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the rear end portion of the operator button as indicated by the line 2a2a in FIG. 3, showing part of the snap fastening means thereof;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation of the operator button illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a right ide elevation of an actuator, of a push button operator, having a blind socket at its forward end, part thereof being shown in section for clearness in illustration;

FIG. 5 is a right side elevation of a push button operator employing the operator button of FIG. 1 and the actuator of FIG. 4 combined in operative relation and mounted in a suitable switch support on an upright panel.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the operator illustrated in FIG. 5, on a reduced scale, showing the means for constraining the actuator thereof from rotation about its axis; and

FIG. 7 is -a top plan View of the actuator illustrated in FIG. 4, on a reduced scale, showing the means for connecting the operator button and actuator so as to restrain them from rotation relative to each other.

Referring to the drawings, an operator button 1 of the mushroom type is illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 and comprises a unitary structure of a molded synthetic plastic material, such as acetal and the like. The operator button 1 has at its forward end a head 2 which, on its forward face, has a selected identifying or decorative design 3, shown as a series of circles.

Extending rearwardly from the head 2 is a stem 4, which is preferably in the form of a cylindrical tube concentric with, and of less diameter than, the head 2.

At its rear end, the stem 4 is provided with an annular peripheral groove 5 which faces generally radially outwardly of the stern and is spaced a short distance from the rear end of the stem. The portion of the stem rear- 3,3il4,398 Patented Feb. 14, 1967 wardly, from the groove, is in the form of a nose 6 which is of less diameter than the remainder of the stem 4 and which has a slight t-aper, as indicated at 7 in FIG. 2a, for guiding the rear end'of the stem into proper connecting position with respect to a blind socket in the actuator of a push button operator, a heretofore mentioned.

Referring next to FIG. 4, an electric switch push button actuator is illustrated and indicated generally .at 10. The actuator has a head 11 in the forward end of which is a forwardly opening blind socket 12. At the outermost end of the socket 12, the head 11 has an inwardly protruding peripheral flange 13 which partly overhangs the base of the socket. The socket is adapted normally to receive an indicia plate or disk, which preferably is of plastic and which can be snapped past the inner periphery of the flange 13 and into the blind socket, whereupon both the flange 13 and the disk self-restore themselves to the normal position, thereby holding the disk firmly within the socket 12.

The actuator 10 has a stem 14 which, at its rear end, may also be provided with a peripheral groove 15, and a rearwardly tapered nose portion 16, which correspond in form and function to the groove 5 and nose portion 6 of the operator button 1. The rear end portion of the stem has an axially extending notch 17, extending from the forward edge of the groove 5 through the rear end of the stem 4.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the actuator 10 is normally mounted on a suitable base 18 which is adapted to be fas tened to the forward portion of a switch for supporting the switch with the switch push button in proper alignment with the actuator 10. The head 11 of the actuator 10 is in guiding relation, as indicated at 19, with the forward internal marginal wall of the base 18. The stem 14 of the actuator 10 is in guiding relation to a shoulder 20 on a suitable annular rib 21 on the interior of the base 18. A snap retainer ring 22 is provided and has a portion which is in snap fastening engagement with the groove 15 for limiting the forward motion of the actuator 10. An annular spring retainer 23 rests on the forward face of the rib 21 and engages the rear end of a return spring 24. The forward end of the spring engages the underside of the head 11 of the actuator 10 and urges the actuator forwardly.

The rib 21 has a counterbore opening forwardly therea of and closed at the forward end by the retainer 23. An

oil seal washer 25 is disposed in the counterbore in sur rounding relation to the stem 14 of the actuator. The base 18 is secured to a panel P, and held in place by a suitable ring nut 26. Oil seal washers 27 are interposed between a flange 28 on the base 18 and the rear of the panel P. Thus, it may operate in a conventional manner as described in the above patent.

However, instead of inserting 'an identifying disk in the blind socket 12, the rear end of the operator button 1 of FIGS. 1 through 3 is inserted into the blind socket and guided thereinto by engagement of the tapered portion 7 against the inner peripheral edge of the flange 13, until the groove 5 is aligned with, and can receive, the flange 13.

The material of the operator button 1 may be relatively stiff, but somewhat resilient. The axially extending notch 17 alfords relief of the two halves of the rear end portion of the stem 4 so that they can yield inwardly so as to better permit engagement of the groove 5 and the flange 13 at the forward end of the actuator 10.

Thus, with the present structure, the mushroom type operator button 1 can be used directly as a push button for a switch, a retainer ring such as the ring 22 being snapped into the groove 5 thereof. On the other hand,

it can be combined with the normal line of push button actuator-s having forwardly open sockets, such as the push button actuator by omitting or removing the normal indicia disk from the blind socket 12 and snap fastening the rear end of the stem of the operator button thereinto, so that the head of the operator button is disposed forwardly from the head of the actuator 10 and is aligned therewith.

In some instances it is desirable that the actuator be non-rotatable about its axis and that the operator button be provided with suitable indicia, such as START, STOP, etc., and constrained from rotation by the actuator so that the words START and STOP appear in the proper position for reading. In such cases, the actuator stem 14 is provided at its rear end with a pair of diametrically opposite radial slots 29 which open through the rear end of the stem 14. The retainer ring 22 is provided with tongues 30 which, when the washer is snap fastened onto the stem 14, pass into the slots 29, respectively, and constrain the stem from rotation relative to the ring about the axis of the stem. The retainer ring 22 is also provided at its outer periphery with circumferentially spaced fingers 31 which engage the shoulders 32 on the base 18 and constrain the ring 22 from rotation about the axis of the stem 14 relative to the base. Thus, the actuator 16 is prevented from rotation about its axis.

However, it may be necessary that the operator button 1 be installed indifferent rotated positions about the axis of the actuator in order that the legend, such as STOP, START, and the like will be in position for ease in reading. For this purpose, the operator button 1 is provided with a pin 33 which extends endwise of the button 1 in eccentric relation to the axis of the button. The actuator is provided with a plurality of' sockets 34 which are located in the base 'of the blind socket 12, and open forwardly thereof. The sockets 34 are positioned outwardly from the axis of the actuator and are spaced apart circumferentially of the axis so that the pin 33 may be aligned with any one of the sockets 34, selectively, before the operator button 1 is s'nap fastened into place on the actuator 10. Any number of these sockets 34 may be provided, but generally four are adequate for all purposes. Engagement of the pin 33 and a selected socket 34 retains the operator button 1 in fixed circumferential position relative to the actuator 10, which, in turn, is secured in fixed circumferential position about its axis relative to the base 18.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An operator button comprising a unitary structure of relative stiff, resilient, self-restoring material and including a head, a stem extending rearwardly therefrom, the rear end of the stem being a guiding nose of reduced diameter with its peripheral wall divergent forwardly of the stem part way toward the head, and a radially open peripheral groove in the stem adjacent to said nose.

2. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the stem 4- is tubular, notch means are provided in the peripheral wall of the stern near the rear end thereof and are open at the rear thereof, and extend forwardly at least substantially to the forward wall of the peripheral groove.

3. The structure according to claim 2 wherein said head is of thevmushroom type and projects radially outwardly beyond the peripheral wall of the stem. 4. A push button actuator member and operator button member combination comprising an actuator member having a head and stem, said stem being adapted for mounting in a support for movement axially forwardly and rearwardly of the stem toward and away from the support, said head having in its forward end a socket opening forwardly and a marginal flange near the open end of the socket extending inwardly from the outer edge of the head, a mushroom operator button member having a head and a stem extending rearwardly from its head, the stem of the button member having at its rear end a radially contractible, relatively stiff, self-restoring nose entered into the passage formed by the inner periphery of the marginal flange of the actuator member, and the nose having a peripheral radially open groove aligned with the said flange, said flange, seated in said groove, securing the operator button member in coaxial relation, and in fixed position axially, with respect to the actuator member.

5. A structure according to claim' 4 wherein the socket in the actuator is a shallow blind socket adapted to accommodate a thin indicia bearing disk, and the inner end of the button stem is substantially in contact with the bottom of the socket when the flange of the button is seated in said groove of the operator.

6. The structure according to claim 4 wherein one of the members has a projection extending endwise thereof in eccentric relation to the axis of the stem of the actuator,

the other member has a plurality of sockets in eccentric relation to, and spaced circumferentially about said axis, and spaced outwardly from the axis so as to be aligned, selectively, with the projection upon relative rotation of the members about said axis, and

said projection engaged With the selected one of the sockets when the flange is seated in said groove, thereby constraining the members from relative rotation about said axis.

7. The structure according to claim 6 wherein the sockets are in the bottom wall of the blindsocket of the actuator member, and the projection is on the operator button member.

No references cited.

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner. H. O. I ONES, Assistant Examiner.