Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Electric switch details – Cases and bases
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-15
2001-05-29
Friedhofer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Electric switch details
Cases and bases
C200S061200, C200S08100R, C200S08400B
Reexamination Certificate
active
06239394
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a waterproof switch device, more particularly to a waterproof switch device for use with an elongated actuator which is disposed in a working liquid containing chamber and which extends downwardly and outwardly of and which is movable in an upright direction in response to a reach of a predetermined level of the working liquid containing chamber.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a conventional switch device
20
is shown for use with an elongated actuator
12
. The elongated actuator
12
is mounted in a water containing chamber
10
above a seat member
11
, and has an actuating rod
121
which extends downwardly and outwardly of the seat member
11
and which is movable in an upright direction in response to a reach of a predetermined water level of the water containing chamber
10
. An elongate receiving member
111
is disposed under the seat member
11
for receiving the actuating rod
121
. A retaining arm
112
is disposed under the seat member
11
and has a positioning recess
113
.
The switch device
20
includes a casing
21
, a front cover
22
, and a switch body
23
. The casing
21
has a top cover wall
212
with a positioning block
211
to engage the positioning recess
113
and a bore
213
for passage of the actuating rod
121
, two lateral walls with fastening blocks
214
disposed thereon, and three positioning protrusions
216
,
217
for retaining the switch body
23
in the casing
21
. The switch body
23
has an actuated stud
232
to make a switching action when depressed. A lever
231
has an actuating end to depress the actuated stud
232
and a force transmitting end
231
which extends from the actuating end through a notch
215
to be disposed under the bore
213
so as to be moved downward by an actuating portion
1211
of the actuating rod
121
to cause the actuating end of the lever
231
to depress the actuated stud
232
. The front cover
22
has two lateral edges with fastening holes
221
for engaging securely the fastening blocks
214
of the casing
21
.
Water in the water containing chamber
10
tends to flow along the inner peripheral wall of the elongate receiving member
111
, drip or creep over the top cover wall
212
and an inner peripheral portion of the bore
213
, and fall downwards to enter the casing
21
, thereby resulting in wetting of the switch body
23
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a waterproof switch device which can block water from entering a switch casing so as to prevent a switch body from being moistured.
According to this invention, the waterproof switch device includes a top cover wall with upper and lower major surfaces opposite to each other, and an inner peripheral portion defining a bore, and adapted to be suspended and spaced apart from a working liquid containing chamber such that an elongated actuator extends through the bore downwardly and outwardly of and is movable relative to the lower major surface. A rear wall is integrally formed with the top cover wall and rearwardly of the bore, and extends downwardly to form an inner major surface. Right and left engaging walls are integrally formed with and extend from the rear wall so as to cooperate with the rear wall to confine the inner major surface. A groove forming wall is integrally formed with and extends from the inner major surface, and is spaced apart from the lower major surface so as to define therebetween an inserting groove. The groove forming wall has right and left lateral edges distal and proximate to the inner peripheral portion of the top cover wall.
A switch body is mounted on and is spaced apart from the inner major surface, and rightwardly of the left lateral edge of the groove forming wall. The switch body includes an actuated stud disposed in and extending outwardly of the switch body to spacedly face the groove forming wall so as to make a switching action when the actuated stud is depressed.
A lever includes an actuating end disposed between the groove forming wall and the actuated stud so as to depress the actuated stud downwards, and a force transmitting end extending from the actuating end beyond the left lateral edge of the groove forming wall to be disposed under and moved downward by the elongated actuator, thereby causing the actuating end to depress the actuated stud.
A front cover includes a front major wall with an upper edge, right and left engaging edges opposite to each other and fitted respectively with the right and left engaging walls, and an intervening wall extending from the upper edge to be inserted into the inserting groove and sandwiched between the lower major surface and the groove forming wall, thereby blocking the water dripping or creeping over the inner peripheral portion from falling directly downwards to the inner major surface.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4239947 (1980-12-01), Breitung et al.
patent: 4725700 (1988-02-01), Zoludow
patent: 4757305 (1988-07-01), Peso
patent: 5010218 (1991-04-01), Reimers
Friedhofer Michael
Ohlandt Greeley Ruggiero & Perle L.L.P.
Shih Jiuh Corp.
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