Electrical transmission or interconnection systems – Switching systems – Switch actuation
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-28
2001-07-17
Ballato, Josie (Department: 2836)
Electrical transmission or interconnection systems
Switching systems
Switch actuation
C307S116000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06262497
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a switch integrated controller for energizing an external electrical device in a controlled manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,082 discloses a conventional timer controller for controlling an electrical device. The controller includes a mounting plate which is accommodated in a housing to mount thereon the timer with a rotary switch, in addition to an array of terminals which are adapted to be connected by way of wires to a power circuit including the electric device and a power source thereof. The switch is inserted in the power circuit to selectively energize and deenergize the electric device in response to a particular position of a time dial of the timer. In the meanwhile, there has been an increasing demand of providing a wide variety of sophisticated controllers which are designed specifically to have accessory functions in conformity with individual needs at various installation sites. Such controllers are different in their specific functions or components utilized, for example, different timing control schemes, different kinds of timers of either mechanical or electronic type, and so on. However, when the switch is provided in the form of a relay switch which is activated by a trigger signal from the timer, the relay switch as well as the terminals could be common components to these different controllers. This is also true when the controller is provided with a temperature control section other than the timer, which, for example, controls the electric device depending upon a temperature signal from an external temperature sensor. Therefore, it is highly desired to provide different kinds of controllers while using the common terminals and the relay switch in order to reduce a cost of manufacturing the individual controllers, and enable the use of molds which is of simpler configurations than otherwise for production of the controllers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above and has a primary object of providing a switch integrated controller which is capable of giving a wide variety of controllers at a reduced cost. The switch integrated controller of the present invention has a casing composed of a controller module and a terminal module which are separately formed from each other and detachably connected to each other. The controller module has an entry section for receiving a specific external condition and a signal generating section which generates a trigger signal when the specific condition is met by a predetermined reference. The terminal module includes at least one pair of terminals which are adapted to be connected through wires to the external electrical device and an associated external power source and further includes a relay switch which is connected between the terminals for selectively connecting and disconnecting the electric device to and from the electrical power source in response to the trigger signal. Thus, the terminal module including the relay switch can be made common to different kinds of the controller modules and can be assembled with the controller module into a single unit only at an expense of simple mechanical connection between enclosures of the respective modules and electrical connection between the switch relays and the signal generating section and the like electrical connection as necessary. With this result, a wide variety of controller units of different functions can be fabricated at a reduced cost, with additional effects of simplifying configurations of molds for production of enclosures of the overall controller unit than when an enclosure of terminal module is formed as an integral part of an enclosure of the controller module, and of facilitating an inventory management of the parts utilized in the controller unit.
The terminal module has a terminal block which carries an array of terminals, a circuit board mounting thereon the relay switch, and electronic components forming a driver for activating the relay switch in response to the trigger signal. The relay switch is provided with input pins for soldering electrical connection with the circuit board to receive an activating signal from the driver and with output pins for direct soldering electrical connection with the terminals. Generally, the output pins of the relay switch are of reduced cross section and likely to produce a large amount of heat as a large current flows through the electric device. Because of the direct soldering connection of the output pins of the relay switch to the terminals, the heat given off at the output pin can be released through the terminals of generally large cross section for easy heat radiation from the relay switch.
The terminal block includes a horizontally extending platform for supporting thereon the circuit board. The platform is formed with an opening or openings to allow the soldering connection between the relay switch and the circuit board as well as between the relay switch and the terminals, respectively from the bottom of the terminal module. Thus, the relay switch can be easily connected by soldering to the terminal block.
One of the controller module and the terminal module is provided with a hook which detachably engages with a catch formed in the other of the modules for easy mechanical assembly.
For easy electrical interconnection between the two modules, one of the terminal module and the controller module is equipped with a plug which is detachable to a socket provided on the other module.
The terminal is provided with a terminal screw extending through a front end portion of the terminal. The relay switch is fitted over rear end portions of the terminals and the circuit board with the output pins and the input pins projecting respectively through the rear end portions of the terminals and the circuit board. The terminal may be bent to make a step between the front end portion and the rear end portion which is in level with the circuit board for spatially arranging the relay switch and the electronic parts in an overlapping relation with the length of the terminal screw. This contributes to reduce a height of the terminal module including the relay switch and the associated electric components.
The casing or the controller unit is accommodated in a housing in a spaced relation from an inner bottom of the housing. The housing is formed on its inner bottom with studs which support the inner casing at portions immediately below to the terminal screws in order to reinforce the terminal block against a force applied when fastening the terminal screws for preventing otherwise warp or deformation of the terminal block.
The housing is provided in its wall with holes for passing therethrough the wires connected leading to terminals. The housing is also provided on its bottom with baffles which project towards the casing adjacent to the terminals for preventing the wires from entering a clearance between the inner casing and the inner bottom of the housing.
The controller module may be a timer having the entry section for setting a desired time as the specific external condition and having the signal generating section which generates the trigger signal when the desired time is coincident with the predetermined reference.
Further, the controller module may be arranged to make a temperature control based upon a temperature signal received at the entry section as the specific external condition from an external temperature sensor, the signal generating section generating the trigger signal when the temperature signal exceeds the predetermined reference.
These and still other objects and advantageous features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4012607 (1977-03-01), Graesslin et al.
patent: 4090093 (1978-05-01), Thompson
patent: 5329082 (1994-07-01), Saarem
patent: 5479785 (1996-01-01), Novak
patent: 5483212 (1996
Muroi Hiroaki
Todokoro Takayuki
Yanagida Kazuo
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Ballato Josie
Cuevas R. Rios
Matsushita Electric & Works Ltd.
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