Lever switch device

Details Lever switch device Lever switch device

1999-11-12

2001-07-31

Bradley, Paula (Department: 2832)

Electricity: circuit makers and breakers

Special application

Turn indicator type switches

C200S561000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06268575

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a lever switch device for operating a switch according to movement of a movable member based on a rotation operation of a lever.
2. Related Art
An example of conventional embodiments is shown in
FIGS. 4
to
6
. In
FIG. 4
, a lever
1
is supported by a turning bracket
2
rotatably around an axis
3
in the arrow A direction and the opposite arrow A direction as well as it is mounted between a case
4
and a cover
5
rotatably around an axis portion
2
a
of the bracket
2
in the direction orthogonal to the arrow A direction (front and rear side direction with respect to the paper surface). A piece accommodating portion
1
b
is formed at the base end portion
1
a
of the lever
1
, elongating in the axial direction such that a moderation piece
6
b
forced outward in the axial direction by a spring
6
a
is inserted in the piece accommodating portion
1
b
slidably in the arrow B direction and the opposite arrow B direction, that is, in the axial direction. As shown in
FIG. 6
, operation projecting portions
1
c,
projecting sideways, are formed at both side portions of the base end portion
1
a
of the lever
1
.
A moderating cam surface
7
is formed in the bracket
2
at a portion facing with the base end portion
1
a
of the lever
1
such that the tip of the moderation piece
6
b
is contacted with the cam surface
7
slidably. In the case
4
, a contact holder
8
is provided in the upper part of
FIG. 4
as a movable member. The contact holder
8
is provided slidably in the arrow C direction and the opposite arrow C direction, that is, in the substantially the same direction as the moving direction of the moderation piece
6
b
, and in the direction orthogonal thereto (front and rear side direction with respect to the paper surface).
As shown in
FIG. 6
, the contact holder
8
is provided with two arm portions
8
a
, with the base end portion
1
a
of the lever
1
interposed therebetween. Guiding portions
8
b
comprising inclined grooves are formed on the inner surface side of the arm portions
8
a
. The operation projecting portions
1
c
are inserted in the guiding portions
8
b
slidably. A movable contact point
9
is provided on the upper part of the contact holder
8
in FIG.
4
. The case
4
is provided with an insulator
10
so as to cover the contact holder
8
, with a fixed contact point
11
provided on the lower surface of the insulator
10
. The movable contact point
9
and the fixed contact point
11
includes a switch
12
.
In the above configuration, when the lever
1
at the solid line position of
FIG. 4
is rotated in the arrow A direction, the tip of the moderation piece
6
b
slides the cam surface
7
upward and the moderation piece
6
b
moves in the arrow B direction as well as the operation projecting portions
1
c
rotate integrally with the lever
1
. According to the rotation of the operation projecting portions
1
c,
the operation projecting portions
1
c
press the inclined surface of the guiding portions
8
b
so as to move the contact holder
8
in the arrow C direction (see the chain double-dashed line in FIG.
4
and FIG.
5
). Accordingly, the device is switched to the state wherein the movable contact point
9
contacts with the passing fixed contact point
11
so that the passing switch
12
is turned on.
When the rotational force on the lever
1
in the arrow A direction is released in the state of
FIG. 5
, the tip of the moderation piece
6
b
slides on the cam surface
7
downward and the moderation piece
6
b
moves in the direction opposite to the arrow B direction as well as the lever
1
is rotated in the direction opposite to the arrow A direction. At the time, since the operation projecting portions
1
c
press the inclined surface of the guiding portions
8
b
according to the rotation of the operation projecting portions
1
c,
the contact holder
8
is moved in the direction opposite to the arrow C direction (see the solid line position of FIG.
4
). Accordingly, the movable contact point
9
is moved away from the passing fixed contact point
11
so that the passing switch
12
is turned off.
In the conventional configuration, since the contact holder
8
is moved by the operation projecting portions
1
c
provided in the lever
1
via the guiding portions
8
b
, the moving stroke L
1
of the contact holder
8
(see
FIG. 4
) is determined by the rotation angle of the lever
1
, the position of the operation projecting portions
1
c
with respect to the lever
1
, and the inclination angle of the guiding portions
8
b
. Therefore, in the case the rotation angle of the lever
1
, the position of the operation projecting portions
1
c,
and the inclination angle of the guiding portions
8
b
are the same, the moving stroke L
1
of the contact holder cannot be made larger.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to cope with the above-mentioned circumstances, an object of the invention is to provide a lever switch device capable of enlarging the moving stroke of a movable member according to rotation of a lever.
In order to achieve the object, the invention comprises a lever provided reciprocally rotatably around an axis, a moderation piece provided at the base end portion of the lever reciprocally movably in the axial direction of the lever, forced outward in the axial direction by a spring, a cam surface provided so as to contact with the tip of the moderation piece slidably according to rotation of the lever for moving the moderation piece in the axial direction according to the slide of the moderation piece, operation projecting portions provided in the moderation piece, projecting in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the moderation piece and the rotation direction of the base end portion of the lever for moving integrally with the moderation piece, a movable member provided reciprocally movably in the direction substantially the same as the moving direction of the moderation piece, guiding portions provided in the movable member, tilted with respect to the moving direction of the movable member for inserting the operation projecting portions slidably therein so as to move the movable member according to the slide of the operation projecting portions based on the rotation of the lever, and a switch for switching the state according to the movement of the movable member.
According to the invention, since the operation projecting portions for moving the movable member are provided in the moderation piece for moving along the cam surface according to the rotation of the lever, the moving amount of the moderation piece can be added to the moving stroke of the movable member. Therefore, compared with the case with the operation projecting portions provided at the base end portion of the lever, the moving stroke of the movable member can be enlarged.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3167622 (1965-01-01), Locker
patent: 4920239 (1990-04-01), Biihler et al.
patent: 5196662 (1993-03-01), Hofmann
patent: 5739751 (1998-04-01), Ishihara et al.
patent: 5831231 (1998-11-01), Uchiyama
patent: 5861594 (1999-01-01), Akimoto et al.
patent: 5900601 (1999-05-01), Uchiyama
patent: 6006624 (1999-12-01), Uchiyama

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