Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Electric switch details – Cases and bases
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-26
2001-03-20
Friedhofer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Electric switch details
Cases and bases
C200S0050EA, C200S0050EA, C200S317000, C200S302200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06204459
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a switch arrangement having at least one switching element and one operating member.
Such switch arrangements are used by the user to select functions on electric appliances. Such electric appliances may be domestic appliances, such as washing machines, dryers, dishwashers or the like.
DE 195 03 702 A1 discloses such a switch arrangement having a housing. An inner housing, which is encapsulated and sealed on all sides and in which switching elements are arranged, is located in the housing interior. Operating members are arranged on the housing in order to act on the switching elements in the sense of operating them. The inner housing has a wall in the form of a membrane, which is arranged between the switching elements and the operating members. The operating members act on the switching elements via the wall which is in the form of a membrane and is elastic in the movement direction of the operating members.
The wall in the form of a membrane on the inner housing thus acts as an elastic sealing element between the operating member and the switching element, preventing the ingress of contaminants, such as water, dust or the like, into the housing interior of the switch arrangement. However, manufacture of the inner housing is very complex. Furthermore, the switching elements must be introduced into the inner housing during the actual process of manufacturing it. It is no longer possible to change the number of switching elements retrospectively. It has thus been found to be disadvantageous that the known switch arrangement is not very flexible and cannot easily be adapted to different appliance configurations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on the object of designing a switch arrangement in such a manner that flexible adaptation to different appliance configurations is possible in a simple manner while, nevertheless, avoiding any damaging influence from contaminants on the switching elements.
The objects of the invention are accomplished by a switch assembly comprising a housing defining an interior and having at least one switching element located in the housing interior. At least one operating member is arranged on the housing and movable in a movement direction to act on the switching element. An elastic sealing element seals the housing interior and is arranged between the switching element and the operating member. The sealing element is elastic in movement direction of the operating member so that the operating member acts on the switching element via the elastic sealing element. The housing has a supporting part arranged in the housing interior. It has a holder for holding the operating member. The holder defines an opening in the supporting part facing the housing interior and associated with the switching element. The sealing element is fitted on the opening and is molded on the supporting part.
It is particularly preferably for a snap-action disk which is used as a switching element to be molded directly onto the holder for the operating member in the supporting part, like a two-component part. In consequence, the switching element itself acts as a sealing element, so that both the switching function and sealing can be achieved by means of a single element. One advantageous development is also for a circumferential seal to be molded onto the supporting part, to provide a seal at the side for the space which accommodates the switching elements, like a two-component part. This can be done using the same tool during the process of molding-on the snap-action disks, if the same material is used for the sealing lip as for the snap-action disk. This thus ensures an excellent seal, despite reducing the number of parts.
In a further particularly advantageous refinement, light conductors are integrated in the supporting part. The supporting part which is used to hold the operating members is then preferably produced from optically transparent plastic. The supporting part can thus at the same time be used for transmitting light in- order to illuminate the function, or the like, of the operating members. Finally, it is also expedient to provide the side of the housing facing the supporting part with conductor tracks, for example as an MID (Molded Interconnected Device) part. The conductor tracks are used as fixed contacts for the snap-action disks, and for producing the required electrical connections for the switching elements.
A switch arrangement having the said developing refinements is essentially composed of two parts. The first part is the housing with the conductor tracks, which is used as the base body for the switch arrangement. The second part is used as the supporting part for the operating members and, as a two-component part, is provided with integrated snap-action disks, seals and light conductors. The second part is then attached, like a cover, to the first part by latching connections, snap-action hooks or the like. After this, this arrangement can also be provided with a covering panel, through which the operating members project. It is immediately evident that the simple design and the small number of parts result in the process of assembling the switch arrangement being simplified.
The advantages achieved by the invention are, in particular, that the space which accommodates the switching elements of the switch arrangement is sealed against the ingress of water, dust or the like at all openings and connection points in a simple manner, so that the switching elements are protected against damaging influences. This considerably improves the risk of premature failure of the switch arrangement, even in severe operating conditions.
Furthermore, various versions of switch arrangements can be produced by the supporting part being provided for the maximum number of operating members as well as switching elements, but being fitted, during the assembly process, only with those operating members and/or switching elements which are actually required for the respective version. This simplifies stockkeeping, and the switch arrangement becomes cheaper overall. Furthermore, the switch arrangement according to the invention achieves improved functionality while at the same time reducing the number of parts in comparison with previous solutions.
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Schönewald “Schnappverbindungen in der Anwendung”. Anwendung und Design, Kunststoffo 79 (1989) 8, pp. 732-737.
Kizele Rainer
Mueller Heinrich
Rapp Klaus
Friedhofer Michael
Kinberg Robert
Marquardt GmbH
Venable
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