Switching element for electric switch

Details Switching element for electric switch Switching element for electric switch

2001-07-13

2003-03-25

Vortman, Anatoly (Department: 2835)

Electricity: electrothermally or thermally actuated switches

Thermally actuated switches

With bimetallic element

C337S089000, C337S362000, C337S368000, C200S407000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06538553

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to electric switches and, more particularly, to a resilient metal switching element for use in an electric switch.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,777,032 discloses a resilient switching element for use in a snap switch. As illustrated in FIGS. from
1
through
4
, the switching element
1
is a unitary element stamped in one piece from resilient thin sheet metal, comprising a pair of spaced supporting legs
11
, and a center leg
12
extending therebetween. The supporting legs
11
are connected to the center leg
12
by a pair of substantially semicircular loops. During installation, the supporting legs
11
are horizontally turned inwards toward each other to shorten the distance therebetween from distance X shown in
FIG. 1
to distance Y shown in
FIG. 2
, and then the ends of the supporting legs
11
are fixedly fastened to the substrate
2
. In order to let the center leg
12
to be distorted and reversed to switch on/off the circuit, a fulcrum
21
is provided engaging one side, and actuators
22
;
23
are provided and adapted to engage the other side of the center leg
12
. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,196,233; 2,624,819 disclose similar designs.
FIGS. From
5
through
10
shows a switching element for use in a safety switch built-in with protecting circuit constructed subject to U.S. Pat. No. 5,760,672. The switching element
3
is formed of a sheet of resilient metal having high and low heat-expansive sides. The switching element
3
has a middle leg
31
carrying one electric contact
32
for making and breaking a circuit with a stationary contact, and first and second outer legs each having one end portion connected to the same end of the middle leg
31
. During installation, the outer legs are squeezed inwards toward each other to narrow the gap T
1
between the free ends of the outer legs, so that the width of the mounting side is reduced from W
1
to W
2
(see FIGS.
5
and
6
). After installation in a support
4
, the switching element
3
is curved inwards/outwards, causing the middle leg
31
to move the contact
32
upwards/downwards so as to switch on/off the circuit. The switching element
3
further has a through hole
33
at the center of the connection area between the middle leg
31
and the end portions of the outer legs, which receives a push and pull rod
34
that is driven to curve the switching element
3
inwards/outwards. Further, top stop rod
35
and bottom stop rod
36
are vertically spaced from the switching element
3
at two sides, and adapted to impart a reversing force to the switching element
3
. Without the stop rod
35
or
36
, the switching element
3
cannot be reversed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the main object of the present invention to provide a switching element, which simplifies the external arrangement of the electric switch. According to the present invention, the switching element is formed of a sheet of resilient metal having high and low heat-expansive sides. The switching element has a middle leg carrying an electric contact for making and breaking a circuit with a stationary contact on a substrate below, first and second outer legs each having one end connected to the same end of the middle leg, and an arm of width smaller than ⅓ of the width of said switching arm extended outwards from the connecting area between the middle leg and the outer legs in longitudinal alignment with the middle leg for pulling upwards/pushing downwards by an external force to reverse the middle leg.


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