US3710053A - Quick-break electric switch - Google Patents

Quick-break electric switch Download PDF

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Publication number
US3710053A
US3710053A US00142674A US3710053DA US3710053A US 3710053 A US3710053 A US 3710053A US 00142674 A US00142674 A US 00142674A US 3710053D A US3710053D A US 3710053DA US 3710053 A US3710053 A US 3710053A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
holder
contact
weight
moveable
lute
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
US00142674A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
R Auchapt
G Jullien
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.)
EGELEC
L EQUIPEMENT GENERAL ELECTRIQUE EGELEC FR
Original Assignee
EGELEC
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
Application filed by EGELEC filed Critical EGELEC
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3710053A publication Critical patent/US3710053A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H5/00—Snap-action arrangements, i.e. in which during a single opening operation or a single closing operation energy is first stored and then released to produce or assist the contact movement
    • H01H5/04—Energy stored by deformation of elastic members
    • H01H5/06—Energy stored by deformation of elastic members by compression or extension of coil springs
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H13/00—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch
    • H01H13/02—Details
    • H01H13/26—Snap-action arrangements depending upon deformation of elastic members
    • H01H13/28—Snap-action arrangements depending upon deformation of elastic members using compression or extension of coil springs

Definitions

  • Switches and selectors are usually of the quick-break type. Nevertheless, the pressure between the contacts varies widely, notably in the breaking sense, between the instant the operation begins and the instant when the break is effective. Further, the speed at which breaking is effected, at any rate initially, is usually low.
  • the present invention permits of obtaining quickbreak action at high opening speed and with a small variation in contact pressure during the break.
  • cooperation of the movable weight with the contact-holder occurs on both sides of the latter, whereby said weight permits at once a quick-break action, a quick-make action, and holding of the contacts.
  • the contact-holder may be configured as a fork with two prongs between which the movable weight and an actuating spring are able to move, each prong embodying an indent the facing sides of which form articulation knife-edges.
  • One of the knife-edges has an associated groove in the movable weight, bearing thereagainst, while the other reacts against a fixed member.
  • the bottom of the fork acts as an anvil for the movable weight, and 'the latter is provided with two spaced abutments which alternately cooperate with said contact-holder.
  • the movable weight is directly coupled to one end of at least one actuating spring the other end of which is connected to an actuating member which is adapted to shift said other end from one side to the other of the plane containing said knife-edges.
  • the movable weight itself constitutes one of the component parts of a sort of toggle system which helps both to hold said contacts against each other and to separate them.
  • FIG. 2 correspondingly shows the same mechanism in the configuration preparatory to operation
  • FIG. 3 correspondingly shows the mechanism in the configuration preparatory to percussion an inner indent 7 and the opposite sides of each of these indents are shaped as knife-edges 8 and 9;
  • a fixed support 10 is formed with an indent 11 to provide a passageway for and free movement of an actuating spring 12 and of a substantially lute -shaped movable weight 13, and the faces on one side of the branches bounding the indent 11 are formed with a contact-holder to fixed contact-holder support articulating means comprised of notches 14 and knife-edges 9, the notches 14 receiving the knife-edges 9.
  • One of the arms 15 of lute 13 with its weighted head is likewise shaped substantially as a fork the prongs of I which confine a passage for spring 12 and each embody a moveable weight to contact-holder articulating means comprised of a notch 16 and a knife-edge 8, the notch 16 receiving the knife-edge 8.
  • the other lute arm 17 is provided with a thinned-down inner surface 18 having a hole 19 formed therein for fastening one of the ends ofspring 12.
  • lute arm 17 is formed with two opposite external facets 20 and 21 capable of cooperating with the surface adjacent the closed end of contact-holder fork 1.
  • the gap between facets 20 and 21 is relatively large by comparison with the thickness of contact-holder l.
  • the other end of spring 12 is fastened to a transverse pushbutton 22 which operates against a countering spring 23.
  • the travel of pushbutton 22 causes said other end of spring 12 to shift from one side to the other of the plane containing articulating means such as knife-edges 8 and 9 and across the plane containing the notches l4 and 16 formed on fixed support 10 and lute 13 respectively.
  • a device of this kind can obviously form a singlepole switch if current is led in through the support 10 and contact-holder l is made of conducting material, in which case one of fixed contacts 4 or 5 is insulated and the other is conducting and connected to a current outlet. lt is possible with a similar arrangement to provide a bipolar switch by connecting the two fixed contacts 4 and 5 to current outlets.
  • a multipole switch can be provided by multiplying the number of support/contact/lute systems and by actuating them with a single pushbutton.
  • the lute 13 is preferably made of insulating material. in the case of switchgear required to operate at high temperatures however, it is possible to use ceramics if electrical insulation is required, or metals if it is not, unless of course it is possible to use metals to obtain insulation in a different manner.
  • the unit may be provided with or without an enclosure, and if such enclosure is required it may be leaktight or not.
  • the securing means can be provided in the form either of brackets or holes, or of superposable keyed elements.
  • connection means may be provided in the form of tags ready for welding, in the form of pins or sockets, or in the form of snap connections utilizing lockable fixtures.
  • spring 12 can be moved either in translation as above described, by direct means, or through the agency of a variety of devices involving levers, wheels, balls or rollers, by telescopic or other actuating means.
  • the spring could be shifted as'the result of a rotation responsively to camming means or an ordinary crank, in which case the spring fastening point describes an unhindered circular are which is caused to cross the plane containing said knife edges.
  • the single-contactholder could carry a plurality of contacts which are either interconnected electrically 'or separated from one another by insulation, while the electrical junction with the moving contact points could be provided via flexible conductors, Similarly, the moving percussion weight could be caused to straddle a contact-holder, associated springs being arranged laterally.
  • a quick-break electric switch comprising a contact-holder upon which is hinged a substantially luteshaped moveable weight which strikes said contactholder to effect a break, said contact-holder is substantially fork-shaped having two prongs, a fixed contactholder support substantially fork-shaped having two prongs, an'actuating spring attached to said moveable weight the axis of which is moveable on either side of a plane which contains a contact-holder to fixed contactholder support articulating means and a moveable weight to contact-holder articulating means, said moveable weight and said actuating spring are displaceable between said prongs of said contact-holder,
  • said contact-holder to fixed contact-holder support an tlculating means and said moveable weight to said contact-holder articulating means each comprise at least one knife-edge
  • said moveable weight has a weighty head surmounting said contact-holder support and contains means defining notches in one branch of said luteshape
  • said means defining notches operatively associate with said knife-edges on said contact-holder and disposed on the other branch of said lute-shape are two mutually spaced percussion facets which cooperate with the closed portion of said fork-shaped contactholder, said other branch of said lute-shape being formed externally with a thinned-down portion provided with means defining a hole for fastening said actuating spring.
  • said prongs of said fork-shaped contact-holder are each formed with means defining an indent, the facing sides of said means defining said indent being shpaed into knifeedges which engage respectively into means defining notches in said fixed contact-holder support and into said means defining notches in said lute-shaped weight.
  • a quick-break electric switch comprising:
  • an actuating spring affixed to said weight, the axis of which is moveable on either side of the plane which contains said articulate mounting of said weight to said contact-holder and said articulate mounting of said contact-holder to said fixed contact-holder support.

Landscapes

  • Push-Button Switches (AREA)
  • Mechanisms For Operating Contacts (AREA)
  • Manufacture Of Switches (AREA)
  • Portable Nailing Machines And Staplers (AREA)
  • Sewing Machines And Sewing (AREA)
US00142674A 1970-05-27 1971-05-12 Quick-break electric switch Expired - Lifetime US3710053A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR7019335A FR2087663A5 (fr) 1970-05-27 1970-05-27

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3710053A true US3710053A (en) 1973-01-09

Family

ID=9056203

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00142674A Expired - Lifetime US3710053A (en) 1970-05-27 1971-05-12 Quick-break electric switch

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US3710053A (fr)
BE (1) BE766892A (fr)
DE (1) DE2124127B2 (fr)
FR (1) FR2087663A5 (fr)
GB (1) GB1306004A (fr)
LU (1) LU63152A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1174893A1 (fr) * 2000-07-21 2002-01-23 Heinrich Kopp AG Commutateur électrique
US6492606B1 (en) 2001-08-21 2002-12-10 Electroswitch Corporation Snap action switch

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3545670A1 (de) * 1985-12-21 1987-06-25 Teves Gmbh Alfred Schalter mit schlagartiger umschaltung
DE4015721C1 (en) * 1990-05-16 1991-09-12 Helag Electronic Gmbh Elektromechanische Bauelemente, 7270 Nagold, De Rapid action snap switch - has contact lever biased towards contact by coiled spring attached to rotary actuator

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1495849A (en) * 1921-02-04 1924-05-27 Westinghouse Electric & Mfg Co Electric switch
US2455927A (en) * 1945-07-21 1948-12-14 Stephen S Grady Electric switch
US2752446A (en) * 1953-10-19 1956-06-26 John E Carlson Snap switch
US3049600A (en) * 1960-07-07 1962-08-14 United Carr Fastener Corp Electrical switch

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1495849A (en) * 1921-02-04 1924-05-27 Westinghouse Electric & Mfg Co Electric switch
US2455927A (en) * 1945-07-21 1948-12-14 Stephen S Grady Electric switch
US2752446A (en) * 1953-10-19 1956-06-26 John E Carlson Snap switch
US3049600A (en) * 1960-07-07 1962-08-14 United Carr Fastener Corp Electrical switch

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1174893A1 (fr) * 2000-07-21 2002-01-23 Heinrich Kopp AG Commutateur électrique
US6492606B1 (en) 2001-08-21 2002-12-10 Electroswitch Corporation Snap action switch

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1306004A (fr) 1973-02-07
FR2087663A5 (fr) 1971-12-31
DE2124127A1 (de) 1971-12-09
LU63152A1 (fr) 1971-08-31
DE2124127B2 (de) 1977-06-08
BE766892A (fr) 1971-10-01

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