Electric switch

Details Electric switch Electric switch

1999-10-07

2002-06-04

Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2832)

Electricity: circuit makers and breakers

Electric switch details

Contact

C200S332000, C029S622000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06399908

ABSTRACT:

The invention relates to an electric switch according to the precharacterizing clause of patent claim
1
,
2
or
3
, and to a method for adjusting the switch point of an electric switch of this type according to the precharacterizing clause of patent claim
12
or
13
.
In small-scale electric switches, such as quick-action switches, microswitches or the like because of the small dimensions, production tolerances in the contact system have a particularly pronounced effect on the switch point of the latter. It may therefore be necessary, in switches of this type to adjust the switch point at a later date.
DE-A 31 50 210 discloses a quick-action switch with a contact system consisting of fixed contacts and of movable contact tongues. One end of the quick-action springs is operatively connected to the contact tongues. The other end of the quick-action springs is mounted on a body which, in turns is arranged in a movable actuating member. By virtue of this mounting, the actuating member, when being moved, acts on the quick-action springs in order to change over the contact system. The body is longitudinally displaceable in the actuating member by means of a screw, so that the bearing for the quick-action springs can be set in the direction of movement of the actuating member. As a result of this setting, the quick-action switch point of the quick-action springs and therefore, in turn, the changeover point of the contact tongues can be adjusted.
In this switch, therefore, although the changeover point can be adjusted at a later date, the design of the adjusting arrangement is complicated, since a multiplicity of additional parts are necessary for this purpose. The adjusting arrangement therefore incurs increased costs for the switch and the susceptibility of the adjusting arrangement to faults also increases. The actual adjusting operation is complicated and has to be carried out manually. Adjustment is consequently time-consuming and also cost-intensive. It is not possible for the adjusting operation to be automated, so that, at all events, this switch does not seem to be suitable for mass production.
The object on which the invention is based is to design an electric switch in such a way that the switch point of tile contact system can be adjusted at a later date in a simple way. In particular, the adjusting operation is also to be suitable for largely automated mass production of the switch.
In a generic electric switch, this object is achieved by means of the characterizing features of claim
1
,
2
or
3
. A method for adjusting the switch point is specified in more detail by the features of patent claim
12
or
13
.
In the solution according to the invention, the bearing for the contact tongue of the contact system and/or the contact tongue itself and/or the fixed contact of the contact system and/or part of the actuating member is capable of being set in the direction of movement of the actuating member. This setting of the bearing and/or of the fixed contact and/or of the contact tongue and/or of part of the actuating member is preferably carried out by means of mechanical or thermal deformation, in particular permanent deformation, which is introduced during or after the fitting of the contact system to a carrier receiving the bearing or the fixed contact, or the contact tongue or part of the actuating member. This deformation may be plastic deformation. The subclaims relate to further refinements of the invention.
The connection, designed as a carrier, between an electric terminal of the switch and the bearing may possess a first portion which runs approximately transversely to the direction of movement of the actuating member. This portion may have adjoining it a second portion running approximately in the direction of movement of the actuating member. The first and second portions then form, on the carrier for the bearing, a protuberance shaped essentially perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the actuating member. This protuberance is approximately U-shaped, half-S-shaped, in the form of a question mark or else S-shaped.
The setting of the bearing for adjusting the changeover point may be carried out by means of a tool which acts on the carrier for the bearing and in the direction of the bearing. It is appropriate for the tool to have a wedge-shaped design. In order to set the bearing, this tool is then displaced approximately transversely to the direction of movement of the actuating member, with the result that the tool acts on the carrier first portion running transversely to the direction of movement of the actuating member, the consequence of which is that the protuberance on the carrier is widened. If appropriate, a further tool with a supporting surface may also be used, in which case, during setting, the supporting surface bears supportingly on the second portion running in the direction of movement of the actuating member.
In a further design, the tool may also be an embossing tool. By means of the embossing tool, at least one embossing can be introduced into the carrier for the bearing. This deformation introduced into the carrier by the embossing causes the bearing to be displaced in the direction of movement of the actuating member. Furthermore, for adjustment, an embossing or other mechanical deformation may also be introduced into the contact carrier for the fixed contact of the contact system or into a switching lever which, as part of the actuating member, acts on a tappet leading into the housing of the switch.
In a preferred version, the carrier receiving the bearing, the contact carrier receiving the fixed contact, the switching lever or another functionally relevant structural part of the switch consists at least partially of a thermally deformable material. For adjustment, thermal action of this kind takes place, so that the carrier, the contact carrier, the switching lever or the other structural part experiences deformation, the deformation having a component in the direction of movement of the actuating member. Furthermore, it is preferred to carry out the thermal action by means of the individual pulses of laser beams, with the result that the size of the deformation can be accurately controlled. If action is to take place on the carrier, located inside the housing, for the bearing or the contact carrier for the fixed contact or the contact tongue, it is expedient for a window transparent to the laser beams to be provided on the housing of the switch.
So that the adjusting operation can also be carried out in a way which is capable of being automated, the following procedure is appropriate. Taking into account the maximum tolerances which occur, the contact system is dimensioned in such a way that, after fitting, the contact system initially does not yet reach the switch point during the associated actuating travel of the actuating member. During subsequent adjustment, the actuating member is then shifted by the amount of the associated actuating travel and the action of the adjusting tool then takes place on the carrier for the bearing, the contact carrier, the contact tongue or the switching lever, in that the wedge-shaped tool is advanced in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the actuating member, the embossing tool introduces corresponding embossings or thermal heating by laser beams or the like. As a result of these actions, deformation takes place which causes setting in the direction of movement of the actuating member. The action then takes place until the contact tongue kicks over. Kickover can be detected in a simple way by the opening, closing or changeover of the contact system, if the switch is connected with its electric terminals to an electric circuit during adjustment. The adjusting operation by means of the adjusting tool can likewise be terminated when the bearing, the fixed contact, the switching lever or another functionally relevant structural part of the switch has reached a predetermined position. An optical monitoring device, for example a light barrier, can detect when this position i

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