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
  • H01H9/10—Adaptation for built-in fuses
  • H01H9/104—Adaptation for built-in fuses with interlocking mechanism between switch and fuse
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
  • H01H1/00—Contacts
  • H01H1/12—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage
  • H01H1/14—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting
  • H01H1/20—Bridging contacts

Definitions

• the invention relates to a switch with a housing, a switching lever mounted on the housing and pivotable between a switch-on position and a switch-off position, and a fuse unit that can be detachably inserted into the housing.
• the fuse unit of such a switch is formed, for example, by a fuse and serves to interrupt the circuit closed with the aid of the switch when the current exceeds a permissible value.
• the fuse unit consists of a fuse insert designed as a cartridge and provided with electrical contacts at its opposite ends and an associated holder. When changing the fuse, the new fuse insert is inserted into the holder and then inserted into the switch housing with the help of the holder so that its electrical contacts are held in a clamped manner between contacts of the switch housing. This can lead to malfunctions if the fuse unit is not inserted correctly into the housing.
• the object of the invention is to improve the functional reliability of such a switch.
• This object is achieved in a switch of the type mentioned at the outset by a locking mechanism which scans the position of the securing unit and prevents the switching lever from pivoting into the switched-on position when the securing unit is not in the correct position.
• the locking mechanism prevents the switching lever from being pivoted into the switched-on position. In this way, the error is immediately recognizable to the user so that he can correct the position of the securing unit.
• the switch can therefore only be switched on if the fuse unit is correctly inserted and its electrical contacts are correctly seated on the corresponding counter-contacts of the switch housing. This is how prevent casually that due to the incorrect position of the fuse unit there is still a spark gap between the contacts of the fuse unit and the counter-contacts and thus sparking occurs when the switch is closed. In addition, it is ensured that the fuse unit is in its correct position when the switch is closed, and thus after the associated electrical system has been started up, there can be no power interruptions due to faulty contact of the fuse unit.
• the locking mechanism is preferably formed by a nose formed on the shift lever, which, when the securing unit is in the correct position, enters a recess in the holder of the securing unit provided for this purpose when the shift lever is pivoted into the switched-on position, and on the bracket strikes and prevents the shift lever from pivoting if the fuse unit is not inserted correctly.
• the fuse unit is preferably fastened in the switch housing with the aid of a spring which prestresses a contact which is movably held in the switch housing against an electrode of the fuse link and thus at the same time ensures the necessary contact pressure.
• the recess for the nose of the switching lever is then preferably located at the end of the securing unit, which is opposite the end acted upon by the spring, so that the securing unit cannot deflect and then return to the faulty position after the switch is closed. If necessary.
• the arrangement can be such that the securing unit is moved into its correct position by the nose of the shift lever.
• Fig. 2 shows the switch of Figure 1 in the closed state.
• Fig. 3 shows the switch of Fig. 1 with an incorrectly inserted fuse unit.
• the switch has a housing 10 made of electrically insulating plastic, which is designed in a known manner as a Klernmschienengereheatuse and for this purpose has at its lower edge in the drawing a locking mechanism 12 for locking on a terminal rail, not shown, of a fuse and distribution box or the like. Cable clamps 14 and 16 on opposite ends of the housing 10 serve for the fastening of connecting cables, not shown, between which an electrical contact can be made and broken with the aid of the switch.
• a shift lever 18 is pivotally mounted about an axis 20 in the housing 10 and acts via a switching cam 22 and an articulated intermediate member 24 on a switching bridge 26 which is slidably guided between ribs formed on the housing 10.
• the cable clamp 14 is electrically connected to a contact plate 28, which forms an electrical contact 30 opposite the switching bridge 26.
• An intermediate contact plate 32 is held in the housing 10 in such a way that its one end is aligned with the contact plate 28, but is spaced therefrom by a clear gap and is opposite the switching bridge 26 with a further electrical contact 34.
• the contact bridge 26 is biased by a compression spring 36 in the direction of the contacts 30 and 34, but is still held in the state shown in FIG. 1 by the intermediate member 24 at a distance from the contacts 30 and 34, so that the switch is not yet closed is.
• Another contact plate 38 is connected to the other cable clamp 16 and, together with the intermediate contact plate 32, forms a clamp fit for a fuse unit 40.
• the fuse unit 40 has an essentially U-shaped holder 42, into which a fuse insert 44 can be inserted in such a way that electrodes 46 and 48 at the opposite ends of the fuse are freely accessible.
• the intermediate contact plate 32 forms a seat for the holder 42 and a mating contact for the electrode 46 of the fuse link.
• the free end of the intermediate contact plate 32 is supported by a compression spring 50 on the housing 10 so that the intermediate contact plate is pressed firmly against the electrode 46 and thus the electrode 48 seated at the opposite end of the fuse link 44 presses firmly against the contact plate 38.
• the holder 42 is inserted into the housing 10 in a slight tilting movement and, in the vicinity of the contact 48, has a locking lug 52 which engages behind a rib 54 of the housing and thus fixes the holder 42 in its position in the housing 10.
• the upper end of the holder 42 forms a support 56 for the free end of the shift lever 18th
• a nose 58 is formed on the switching cam 22, which in turn is rigidly connected to the switching lever 18, on the side facing the securing unit 40.
• a recess 60 in the opposite outer wall of the holder 42 is assigned to this nose 58.
• the switching cam 22 forms, together with the compression spring 36, a dead center mechanism for the switching lever 18.
• the switching lever 18 has already been pivoted so far to the right towards its closed position that the switching cam has exceeded the dead center and is pivoted further towards the closed position by the intermediate member 24 acted upon by the compression spring 36.
• Fig. 2 shows the state in which the shift lever is pivoted fully into the closed position and rests on the support 56.
• the switching bridge 26 is held in contact with the contacts 30 and 34 by the compression spring 36, so that the cable clamps 14 and 16 are electrically connected to one another via the contact plates 28, 32 and 38 and the fuse link 44.
• the nose 58 rigidly connected to the shift lever 18 lies in the recess 60 of the holder 42 of the securing unit.
• the fuse link 44 can be changed when the fuse is changed remove the holder 42 from the housing 10. After a new fuse link 44 has been inserted into the holder 42, it is again placed against the intermediate contact plate 32 and hooked onto the rib 54 of the housing with its locking lug 52.
• Fig. 3 shows the switch in a state in which the holder 42 has not been inserted correctly.
• the locking lug 52 does not engage behind the rib 54, but is supported unstably at the end of the rib 54.
• the electrode 48 of the fuse link 44 therefore forms a spark gap with the contact plate 38.
• the holder 42 assumes a somewhat inclined position in this state, its upper edge, on the left in FIG. 3, lies in the path of movement of the nose 58 of the switching lever 18. If one tries to pivot the switching lever 18 into the closed position, the nose 58 abuts above the recess 60 at the upper edge of the holder 42, so that the switching lever 18 does not pivot further and thus the contact bridge 26 does not move into the closed position can move. Only when the seat of the holder 42 has been corrected can the nose 58 re-enter the recess 60 so that the switch can be closed.

Landscapes

• Fuses (AREA)
• Switch Cases, Indication, And Locking (AREA)
• Keying Circuit Devices (AREA)
• Cookers (AREA)
• Coupling Device And Connection With Printed Circuit (AREA)
• Plural Heterocyclic Compounds (AREA)
• Control Of Transmission Device (AREA)

Priority Applications (11)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8080998

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (15)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (6)

Citations (6)

• 1999
  • 1999-10-30 DE DE29919140U patent/DE29919140U1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2000
  • 2000-10-30 AU AU15436/01A patent/AU1543601A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-10-30 PL PL354603A patent/PL192475B1/pl not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2000-10-30 YU YU31802A patent/YU31802A/sh unknown
  • 2000-10-30 DE DE50004945T patent/DE50004945D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-10-30 WO PCT/IB2000/001793 patent/WO2001033592A1/de active IP Right Grant
  • 2000-10-30 CN CN00815130.XA patent/CN1216389C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2000-10-30 HU HU0203858A patent/HUP0203858A2/hu unknown
  • 2000-10-30 ES ES00977805T patent/ES2211645T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-10-30 EP EP00977805A patent/EP1224677B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-10-30 IL IL14923900A patent/IL149239A0/xx not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2000-10-30 AT AT00977805T patent/ATE257273T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2000-10-30 SK SK559-2002A patent/SK287388B6/sk not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2000-10-30 DK DK00977805T patent/DK1224677T3/da active
  • 2000-10-30 CZ CZ20021398A patent/CZ20021398A3/cs unknown
• 2002
  • 2002-04-21 IL IL149239A patent/IL149239A/en unknown
  • 2002-04-29 HR HR20020374A patent/HRP20020374A2/hr not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (6)

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