US3611217A - Voltage and load compensated flasher - Google Patents

Voltage and load compensated flasher Download PDF

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Publication number
US3611217A
US3611217A US13485A US3611217DA US3611217A US 3611217 A US3611217 A US 3611217A US 13485 A US13485 A US 13485A US 3611217D A US3611217D A US 3611217DA US 3611217 A US3611217 A US 3611217A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
contacts
flasher
circuit
armature
series
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US13485A
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English (en)
Inventor
Hemming G Siiberg
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Cooper Industries LLC
Original Assignee
Wagner Electric Corp
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
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Publication of US3611217A publication Critical patent/US3611217A/en
Assigned to STUDEBAKER-WORTHINGTON, INC. reassignment STUDEBAKER-WORTHINGTON, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: WAGNER ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Assigned to EDISON INTERNATONAL, INC. reassignment EDISON INTERNATONAL, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: STUDEBAKER-WORTHINGTON, INC., A CORP. OF DE
Assigned to COOPER INDUSTRIES, INC., 1001 FANNIN, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002, A CORP. OF reassignment COOPER INDUSTRIES, INC., 1001 FANNIN, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002, A CORP. OF ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: EDISON INTERNATIONAL, INC., A CORP. OF DE.
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
    • B60Q1/26—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
    • B60Q1/34—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating change of drive direction
    • B60Q1/38—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating change of drive direction using immovably-mounted light sources, e.g. fixed flashing lamps
    • B60Q1/387—Mechanical temporisation
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H61/00—Electrothermal relays
    • H01H61/06—Self-interrupters, i.e. with periodic or other repetitive opening and closing of contacts
    • H01H61/066—Self-interrupters, i.e. with periodic or other repetitive opening and closing of contacts making use of an extensible wire, rod or strips

Definitions

  • the ON time of the flasher unit corresponds to the combined heating time ol the pull member of the series flasher and the period of time during which aforementioned shunt path is closed.
  • the ()H" time of the flasher unit corresponds to the cooling time of the pull member of the series flasher.
  • the present invention relates to a flasher unit embodying an improvement over the flasher units described in US. Pat. No. 3,364,322 issued on Jan. 16, 1968 to Hemming G. Siiberg.
  • the improved flasher unit embodying the present invention eliminates the second set of contacts on the series flasher employed in the units disclosed in the aforementioned patent.
  • An electromagnetic relay is employed to carry out the function of these contacts, providing the advantages of easy adjustment of the flasher unit and elimination of the hazard of thermal overload of the series flasher snap blade, which might result from shorting or excessively high loads.
  • the preferred embodiment of the present invention disclosed herein employs, as mentioned above, an electromagnetic relay, and a thermoresponsive series flasher and a shunttype thermal switch in combination therewith. These three components are interconnected in such a manner as to cause the ON time of the flasher unit to correspond to the combination of the ON times of the series flasher and the thermal switch, i.e., the ON time of the series flasher is extended by the period of time during which a shunt path around the series flasher is closed, and this period of time corresponds to the ON time of the shunt-type thermal switch. During this period of time, load current is shunted past the series flasher, thereby preventing heating of its pull member. The OFF time of the flasher unit corresponds to the cooling period of the pull member of the series flasher.
  • FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the preferred embodiment of the invention.
  • the flasher unit includes a low-resistance, series-type snap-action flasher 12 which comprises a toggle-action snap blade 14 which has a permanent transverse deformation 15 and is mechanically connected to a mounting member 16 near one end.
  • Thermally expansible pull member 17 is mechanically and electrically connected between the ends of blade 14 so as to deflect the ends of the blade 14 opposite to the direction of deflection caused by the transverse deformation.
  • Blade 14 may have a cutout portion at the locus of the deformation 15, into which cutout portion the pull member 17 will move during the flashing cycle.
  • An adjustable mechanical stop 19 restricts the travel of the free end of blade 14.
  • Moveable contact 18 is mounted on the pull member 17 in cooperative make-and-break relationship with fixed contact 20. Contacts 18 and 20 are normally closed.
  • Flasher unit 10 further includes a thermal switch 22 which includes a moveable armature 24, a thermally expansible pull member 26, an insulating bead 28 through which the pull member 26 passes, a mechanical retainer 30 for head 28, normally open fixed and moveable contacts 32 and 34, respectively, and a mounting member 36 to which armature 24 is mechanically connected by a spring member 37, which urges armature 24 toward a position in which contacts 32 and 34 would be closed.
  • One end of the pull member 26 is connected to the moveable contact 34 through a segment of armature 24, and the other end is connected through ballast resistor 38 to fixed contact 20 of series flasher l2.
  • Flasher unit 10 further includes an electromagnetic relay 40 comprising a coil 42 wound about a magnetizable core 44 and an armature 46 carrying a moveable contact 48 which is in cooperative makeand-break relationship with a fixed contact 50.
  • Armature 46 is biased toward the contacts-open position by spring 52 which mechanically connects armature 46 to mounting member 53.
  • An adjustable mechanical stop 54 enables adjustment of the gap between contacts 48, 50 and varies the sensitivity of relay 40 to the current passing through coil 42.
  • Armature 46 is electrically connected to fixed contact 32 of thermal switch 22.
  • Fixed contact 50 of relay 40 is connected to fixed contact 20 of series flasher 12, the latter contact also being connected directly to terminal 56.
  • Terminal 58 is connected through coil 42 to both the snap blade 14 of series flasher 12 and armature 24 of thermal switch 22.
  • terminal 58 is connected to a source of potential such as a battery B, and terminal 56 is connectable through a switch S through a load L, which may be a lamp load.
  • the manner in which the disclosed flasher unit provides for voltage and load compensation can be seen from the foregoing explanation of the operating cycle.
  • the overheated pull member of the thermal switch When applied voltage rises above the normal or rated voltage of the flasher unit, the overheated pull member of the thermal switch will cause the series flasher to be shunted for a longer-than-normal period of time, after which the series flasher contacts will remain closed for a shorter-than-normal period of time.
  • the underheated pull member of the thermal switch will cause the series flasher to be shunted for a shorter-than-norrnal period of time, after which the series flasher contacts will remain closed for a longer-than-normal period of time.
  • series flasher 12 will operate in substantially the same manner as if it alone were connected between terminals 56 and 58 of the flasher unit.
  • a voltage and load compensated flasher unit comprising:
  • first circuit-controlling means having a pair of normally closed contacts which open a first variable period of time after the initiation of steady flow of load current through said circuit-controlling means;
  • second circuit-controlling means comprising:
  • third circuit-controlling means having a second pair of normally open contacts which are closed for a second variable period of time after said normally closed contacts open, a load current shunt path formed by said second and third circuit-controlling means being closed around said first circuit-controlling means when said first and second pairs of normally open contacts are both closed.
  • said second circuit-controlling means is an electromagnetic relay comprising an armature, one of said first pair of contacts being mounted thereon in cooperative make-and-break relationship with the other of said first pair of contacts, mounting means urging said armature toward a contacts-open position, a mechanical stop associated with said armature, a magnetizable core, and a coil wound around said core.
  • a voltage and load compensated flasher unit comprising:
  • thermoresponsive snap-action flasher having normally closed contacts
  • an electromagnetic relay comprising an armature, a
  • a shunt-type thermal switch comprising an armature, a
  • thermal-switch armature being positioned in proximity to said magnetizable core of said relay so as to be subject to the magnetic field of said core, said thermal-switch armature being connected in a series circuit with said relay coil said thermally expansible pull member, and said ballast resistor between said first and second terminals.
  • the OFF time of said flasher unit corresponds to the period of time during which the contacts of said seriestype flasher are open
  • the ON time of said flasher unit corresponds to the period of time during which the contacts of said shunt-type thermal switch are closed plus the period of time from the initiation of steady flow of load current through said seriestype flasher to the opening of said contacts of said seriestype flasher.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Relay Circuits (AREA)
  • Thermally Actuated Switches (AREA)
  • Circuit Arrangement For Electric Light Sources In General (AREA)
  • Control Of Resistance Heating (AREA)
US13485A 1970-02-24 1970-02-24 Voltage and load compensated flasher Expired - Lifetime US3611217A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US1348570A 1970-02-24 1970-02-24

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3611217A true US3611217A (en) 1971-10-05

Family

ID=21760198

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US13485A Expired - Lifetime US3611217A (en) 1970-02-24 1970-02-24 Voltage and load compensated flasher

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US3611217A (de)
CA (1) CA928816A (de)
DE (1) DE2108048C3 (de)
FR (1) FR2080722B1 (de)
GB (1) GB1305317A (de)

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2681394A (en) * 1952-01-09 1954-06-15 Jesse R Hollins Flasher device
US2854604A (en) * 1956-02-03 1958-09-30 Gen Motors Corp Headlight dimmer system

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2681394A (en) * 1952-01-09 1954-06-15 Jesse R Hollins Flasher device
US2854604A (en) * 1956-02-03 1958-09-30 Gen Motors Corp Headlight dimmer system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2108048C3 (de) 1973-10-04
GB1305317A (de) 1973-01-31
FR2080722A1 (de) 1971-11-19
DE2108048B2 (de) 1973-03-22
DE2108048A1 (de) 1971-09-09
CA928816A (en) 1973-06-19
FR2080722B1 (de) 1973-06-08

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: STUDEBAKER-WORTHINGTON, INC., ILLINOIS

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:WAGNER ELECTRIC CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:003984/0757

Effective date: 19801229

AS Assignment

Owner name: COOPER INDUSTRIES, INC., 1001 FANNIN, HOUSTON, TEX

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:EDISON INTERNATIONAL, INC., A CORP. OF DE.;REEL/FRAME:004475/0382

Effective date: 19851031