Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Multiple circuit control – Reciprocating contact
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-08
2003-08-26
Enad, Elvin (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Multiple circuit control
Reciprocating contact
C200S01600R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06610939
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switch such as an inhibitor switch.
2. Description of the Related Art
An inhibitor switch device of this kind of the related art is exemplified in Unexamined Published Japanese Patent Application No. 10-134672, as show in FIG.
11
. This inhibitor switch
201
is provided with a plurality of stationary contacts
205
on the lower face of a pole board
203
, and a moving contact
209
is supported on a moving board
207
which can move with respect to the pole board
203
. The moving contact
209
is provided with a plurality of contact arms
211
in a cantilever shape. Each contact arm
211
slidably contacts with each stationary contact
205
as shown in
FIG. 12
by way of example.
Each stationary contact
205
is insert-molded on the pole board
203
made of a resin, and a curved contact portion
213
of the contact arm
211
can slide with respect to the stationary contact
205
. Moreover, an ON/OFF switching position
215
by the slide of the moving contact
211
with respect to the stationary contact
205
provides a boundary of the insert molding between the stationary contact
205
and the pole board
203
.
In accordance with the movement of the moving board
207
, therefore, each contact arm
211
slides in contact with each stationary contact
205
so that the contact
on-contact of the contact arm
211
with respect to the stationary contact
205
are made through the ON/OFF switching position
215
so that the selected ON of each stationary contact
205
can be retained.
In this case, the contact portion
213
of the contact arm
211
is curved to take a substantially linear contacting state with the stationary contact
205
. By setting the boundary of the insert molding accurately to decide the ON/OFF switching position
215
, therefore, the contact
on-contact of each contact arm
211
with respect to each stationary contact
205
can be accurately switched.
However, there is a problem that it is seriously difficult to adjust the ON/OFF switching position
215
on a mold. In the structure thus far described, more specifically, when the ON/OFF switching position
215
is to be adjusted, it is necessary to scrape the end edge of the stationary contact
205
, for example, by {fraction (1/100)} mm and to adjust the insert mold accordingly. This makes it necessary to change both the molds for the pole board
203
and the stationary contacts
205
and makes it seriously difficult to decide the ON/OFF switching position
215
by adjusting the two molds.
At a press molding time of the stationary contacts
205
, on the other hand, there are formed sags
219
, as shown in
FIG. 13A
, or burrs
221
, as shown in FIG.
13
B. Even if the ON/OFF switching position
215
is decided, actual ON/OFF switching positions
223
and
225
are dislocated from the ON/OFF switching position
215
by the sags
219
or the burrs
221
. From this point, there arises a problem that it is seriously difficult to adjust the ON/OFF switching position accurately.
On the other hand, there is another switch, as exemplified in Unexamined Published Japanese Utility Model Application No. 61-151214 and shown in FIG.
14
and FIG.
15
. This switch
231
is used for the door of a refrigerator, for example. This switch
231
is equipped with an operating knob
233
. This operating knob
233
is biased outward by an internal spring. This operating knob
233
is equipped with an associated slide. On this slide, there is retained a moving contact
235
. This moving contact
235
provides a contact portion
237
at its leading end. In the switch
231
, on the other hand, a pole board
239
is equipped with a stationary contact
241
. From the pole board
239
, there is protruded an insulator portion
243
.
When the operating knob
233
is depressed, therefore, the moving contact
235
slides with the slide so that the contact portion
237
comes into contact with the stationary contact
241
, as shown by single-dotted lines, to turn ON the switch. When the depression of the operating knob
233
is released, the moving contact
235
is returned to its original position by the biasing action of the return spring. At this time, the moving contact
235
rides on the insulator portion
243
, as shown by solid lines, so that the contact portion
237
of the moving contact
235
floats from the stationary contact
241
.
By thus causing the moving contact
235
to float thereby to turn OFF it with respect to the stationary contact
241
, the ON/OFF switching position can be set not at the end edge of the stationary contact
241
but over the intermediate portion of the stationary contact
241
to switch ON/OFF relatively accurately.
If the floating structure of the contract portion
237
is merely applied to the inhibitor switch
201
, however, there is invited a new problem. In the case of the switch
231
for the door of the refrigerator, more specifically, the moving contact
235
can be stopped at the position shown by the solid lines in FIG.
14
. In the case of the inhibitor switch
201
, however, there are many portions in which the stationary contacts are arranged on the two sides of the insulator portion
243
, and there are repeated operations in which the moving contact
235
rides on the insulator portion
243
and in which its contact portion
237
slides over the insulator portion
243
and again contacts with the next stationary contact. As a result, the contact portion
237
of the moving contact
235
may slide on the protruded insulator portion
253
while receiving a high facial pressure (or a contact pressure) to proceed the wear early. This is especially true when the inhibitor switch is frequently mounted in the mission case of automatic transmission or in a case outside of the mission case. From the aspect of heat resistance and strength, therefore, the pole board may be made of a resin containing glass fibers, and the wear of the contact portion
237
of the moving contact
235
In
FIG. 16
, the pole board
203
of the inhibitor switch is provided with a contact riding insulator portion
245
. The inhibitor switch can be turned ON/OFF irrespective of the end edge position of the stationary contact
205
by the ride on the insulator portion
245
, as shown in FIG.
16
A. As a wear
213
a
proceeds on the contact portion
213
, as shown in
FIG. 16B
, however, the mechanical position of the moving contact
235
is shifted, when the moving contact
235
abuts against and rides on the insulator portion
245
, leftward of the Drawing to an extent of the extension from a distance L
1
before the wear of
FIG. 16A
to a distance L
2
after the wear. As a result, the mechanical position of the moving contact
235
and the contact switching position (i.e., the ON/OFF switching position) are dislocated according to the difference between the distances L
1
and L
2
, i.e., the extension of the wear, and the inhibitor switch may lose durability. On the other hand, large amounts of abrasion powder, as produced in the insulator portion
245
, migrate together with the moving contact
209
to cover the stationary contact
205
. A contact failure may be caused if the abrasion powder is sandwiched between the stationary contact
205
and the moving contact
209
brought down onto the former.
An object of the present invention is to provide a switch device which can adjust the ON/OFF switching position easily and which can effect an accurate ON/OFF switching and retain durability while suppressing the wear of a moving contact.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a switch having a moving contact made slidable with respect to stationary contacts mounted on a pole board, wherein the pole board is provided with insulator portions of an insulator having sliding faces on their surfaces which are so protruded from the pole board as to correspond to ON/OFF switching positions for providing contact
on-contact boundaries of sliding motions of the moving contact with respect to the stationary contacts; t
Klaus Lisa
Niles Parts Co., Ltd.
Rader & Fishman & Grauer, PLLC
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