Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Multiple circuit control – Pivoted contact
Patent
1995-05-23
1997-01-21
Scott, J. R.
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Multiple circuit control
Pivoted contact
200 11R, 200 17R, 200 4308, 200 4304, H01H 2100, H01H 1900, A63H 3300
Patent
active
055961819
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns an electric switch for toys and comprising a stationary member and a member rotatable with respect to the stationary member, said stationary member having a plurality of electric connections which are broken and made by rotation of the rotatable member.
In toys and particularly in construction building sets various electric units are energized to provide various functions. Thus, there may be a need for making electric connections sequentially, e.g. for causing light sources to light periodically. In other cases it may be desirable that the user can switch between several different functions, e.g. to control points to which is to be applied reversing of the travelling direction of a toy train, or by activation of the dump body of a toy truck.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,752 discloses a contact or switch having a removable, protruding lever. A coupling is established between this lever and the rotatable shaft of the contact, permitting the lever to be assembled and removed without the switch being loaded critically. The switch can be moved between two extreme positions, but it is not explained how the electric connections of the contact are actually made.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,041 discloses a switch for mounting on a printed circuit board. Here it is often interesting to break and make several circuits at the same time. Such printed circuit boards are often encased in a housing or a box and are therefore not very accessible. With the technique described in the patent specification several switches can be coupled together axially by means of a through shaft. When a switch is operated, the shaft coupling brings along the other switches incorporated in the coupling. The contact is established by means of a rocking body in the form of a rocker spring by means of which a contact point can be connected with two alternative contact points.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide an electric switch for use in connection with toys, which can be employed for performing a plurality of switching functions, e.g. as an on/off element, a pole reverser or a sequence device, depending upon the coupling.
This object is achieved according to the invention with an electric switch, when a protruding lever is mounted on the rotatable member of the switch, the electric connections of the stationary member can be actuated by moving the lever from one position to another, causing the rotatable member to be rotated. When the protruding lever is removed from the rotatable member, this can be driven by an external drive, so that the contacts are actuated periodically by the rotation of the rotatable member. The electric connections are hereby broken and made sequentially.
Furthermore, the rotatable member is substantially cylindrical and has an axial passage. The coupling means preferably consist of radial bushings to receive a protruding lever. Both the axial through passage and the radial bushings are expediently formed with a cruciform hole to receive a cruciform lever or a cruciform shaft, which is retained by friction.
The stationary member of the switch is preferably constructed to include a slot, since the lever can hereby be moved within the recess of the slot, so that the rotating member can be rotated through an angle corresponding to the extent of the slot in the circumferential direction of the rotating member.
Furthermore the terminal parts on the electric connections of the stationary member may advantageously be constructed as leaf springs which overlap each other over part of their longitudinal direction. When one of the leaf springs of a terminal part deflects, the two terminal parts will be contacted with each other, and this can take place in that radially protruding bosses are provided on the rotating member which, upon rotation of the rotatable member, bring the leaf springs into contact with each other when the bosses pass them. The length of the bosses in the circumference of the rotatable member may be varied from just a few degrees to a con
REFERENCES:
patent: 3480752 (1969-11-01), Cherry et al.
patent: 3617676 (1971-11-01), Dennison
patent: 4133990 (1979-01-01), Wanner et al.
patent: 4272658 (1981-06-01), Crosby
patent: 4313041 (1982-01-01), Ohashi et al.
patent: 4855541 (1989-08-01), Yamashita et al.
Bach Erik
Rydder Morten
INTERLEGO AG
Scott J. R.
LandOfFree
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