Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Electric switch details – Actuators
Reexamination Certificate
2003-08-29
2004-09-14
Friedhofer, Michael A. (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Electric switch details
Actuators
C200S293000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06791047
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
Embodiments are generally related to toggle switches. Embodiments are also related to toggle switch components, such as bushing and mounting nuts.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A toggle switch is a switch in which a projecting lever with a spring can be utilized to open or to close an electric circuit. Toggle switches of various types have long been utilized to control power in domestic, commercial, industrial, and military applications for operating various electrical devices and equipment.
Known toggle switches typically are manufactured with a housing that contains electrical contacts and is fitted with a manually operable handle to switch power to externally mounted terminals. In one common form of a toggle switch, the handle has a cam surface internal to the housing that actuates a metallic leaf spring which in turn makes or breaks electrical conductivity with the contacts. Common toggle switches are standardized in terms of their mounting configurations such that they can readily be installed in wall-mounted electrical boxes, for example, with only the use of two screws. Typically, screw terminals are positioned on the sides of the switch housing such that connection can be easily made to electrical wires of suitable size to deliver power to electrical devices or equipment.
Toggle switches typically provide a manually accessible member which has metastability in a first position and a second position. For example, these positions may represent “ON” and “OFF”. Some situations provide a substantial penalty for accidental actuation. For example, during repair or installation, accidental actuation may result in electrocution or shock. Therefore, where a worker is not in the immediate vicinity of a switch and is in the process of installation, repair or maintenance, often a lock or flag is placed to alert others that the switch should not be reset or to prevent resetting without significant efforts.
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a conventional toggle switch
28
. In
FIG. 1
, a toggle lever assembly
30
generally includes a toggle lever
32
that projects from a bushing
34
that is secured to a cover
36
. The cover
36
is connected to a case
38
. A number of terminals
40
can project from the case
38
to make external electrical connections that are to be switched by the toggle switch
28
. Note that
FIGS. 1 and 2
are described and illustrated herein for general background and edification purposes only and do not represent limiting features of the present invention, nor a limitation of any embodiments thereof.
FIG. 2
is a sectional side view of the conventional toggle switch
28
, taken along section lines
2
—
2
of FIG.
1
. In
FIG. 2
, the toggle lever
32
can be inserted in the bushing
34
. A spherical section
46
of the toggle lever
32
generally rests an a spherical surface
48
of the bushing
34
and is held in place by a retaining ring
50
so that the toggle lever
32
pivots by sliding against the surface
48
and the retaining ring
50
, which thus functions also as a bearing. The toggle lever
32
, the bushing
34
, the retaining ring
50
, and the cover
36
when assembled comprise the toggle lever assembly
30
.
In the alternative, the spherical section
46
may be pinned to the bushing
34
to support the toggle lever
32
and also provide support to rotate the toggle lever
32
. The toggle lever assembly can be most readily assembled by connecting the bushing
34
to the cover
36
. The toggle lever
32
can then be inserted into the bushing
34
, and the retaining ring
50
(or a pin, if one is used) is placed to complete the assembly.
The toggle lever assembly
30
can be inserted into the case
38
, where it is held in place by crimping the corners of the cover
36
to the case
38
. A headed portion
52
may be rolled, glued, welded, swaged or otherwise shaped to secure the bushing
34
to the cover
36
, which in turn is secured to the case
38
as described above.
A terminal
60
can be molded or otherwise inserted into the case
38
on one side and a terminal
62
is inserted correspondingly on the other side. The terminal
60
may include a shaped contact ball
64
that is inside the case
38
and a terminal pin
66
that is outside. Similarly, the terminal
62
includes a shaped contact ball
68
that is inside the case
38
and a terminal pin
70
that is outside.
A terminal
76
, which is located between the terminals
60
and
62
, has a terminal pin
78
that is outside the case
38
. The terminal
76
is molded or otherwise inserted into the case
38
and is riveted, swaged, staked or the like to connect it to a blade
80
. The blade
80
has a contact
82
that is placed opposite the shaped contact ball
64
and a contact
84
that is placed opposite the shaped contact ball
68
. Such a switch generally establishes electrical contact between the terminal pins
66
and
78
by pressing the blade
80
to place the contact
82
against the shaped contact ball
64
. Similarly, the electrical contact between the terminal pins
70
and
78
can be established by pressing the blade
80
to place the contact
84
against the shaped contact ball
68
.
Each of these switching operations can be affected by rocking an actuator
86
in response to a force exerted by a plunger
88
, which in turn is operated by an end
90
of the toggle lever
32
. The spring action of the blade
80
provides a restoring force to open the switch by separating the contact
82
from the shaped contact ball
64
and the contact
84
from the shaped contact ball
68
. It will be seen that the shape of the actuator
86
determines whether or not the action of the switch will be such as to maintain a selected position or to return from that position.
A coil spring
92
can be coaxial with and enclose the toggle lever
32
and may also be compressed by the spherical section
46
of the toggle lever
32
to force a tip
94
of the plunger
88
against the actuator
86
. The fact that the coil spring
92
surrounds the toggle lever
32
allows the coil spring
92
to be larger in coiled diameter and thus sturdier than it would be if it were sized for insertion into the toggle lever
32
.
Thus, conventional toggle switches, such as the example illustrated and described above with respect to
FIGS. 1 and 2
utilize a threaded bushing and mounting nut to secure the device to a fixture or panel. One of the primary problems with such toggle switches, is that it is every easy to cross-thread the mounting nut during installation, thereby rendering the toggle switch useless.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The following summary of the invention is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the present invention and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the various aspects of the invention can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole.
It is, therefore, one aspect of the present invention to provide an improved toggle switch apparatus and method.
It is another aspect of the present invention to provide for an improved cover for a toggle switch.
It is yet a further aspect of the present invention to ensure proper alignment of a toggle switch and components thereof.
It is an additional aspect of the present invention to prevent cross threading due to misalignment of toggle switch components.
The aforementioned aspects of the invention and other objectives and advantages can now be achieved as described herein. A toggle switch cover apparatus and method are disclosed, which includes a mounting nut and a bushing for a toggle switch, such that the bushing comprises a threaded area and an uppermost unthreaded area. The uppermost unthreaded area comprises a maximum outside diameter that is less than a corresponding minimum minor diameter of threads of the mounting nut. The unthreaded portion or unthreaded area is generally located between the uppermost area of the bushing and the mounting nut, thereby promoting proper alignment of the toggle switch thereo
Cummins Brad L.
Evans David S.
Skarlupka Michael J.
Fredrick Kris T.
Friedhofer Michael A.
Honeywell International , Inc.
Lopez Kermit D.
Ortiz Luis M.
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