Bi-stable assembly for a switchable electrical apparatus
AssigneeEaton Intelligent Power Limited
InventorsPuneet Lanjekar, Matthew Froemming
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bi-stable assembly for a switch assembly includes: a cam configured to have two stable positions: a first stable position, and a second stable position; a flexible member that includes: a first holding portion; a second holding portion; and a middle portion between the first holding portion and the second holding portion; and an operating interface configured to rotate the cam relative to the flexible member. The first holding portion is configured to hold the cam in the first stable position; and the second holding portion is configured to hold the cam in the second stable position.
Claims23
An electrical apparatus comprising:
- a switch assembly comprising:
- a first electrical contact;
- and
- a second electrical contact configured to move relative to the first electrical contact, wherein the switch assembly is closed when the second electrical contact is in contact with the first electrical contact, and the switch assembly is open when the second electrical contact is not in contact with the first electrical contact;
- an actuator coupled to the second electrical contact and configured to move the second electrical contact relative to the first electrical contact;
- a bi-stable assembly configured to drive the actuator, the bi-stable assembly comprising:
- a cam;
- and
- a flexible member comprising a first holding portion, a second holding portion, and a middle portion between the first holding portion and the second holding portion;
- and
- an operating interface coupled to the cam, wherein
- the operating interface is configured to rotate the cam such that the cam makes contact with and moves along the middle portion of the flexible member between a first stable position and a second stable position, the first holding portion of the flexible member is configured to hold the cam in the first stable position, and the second holding portion of the flexible member is configured to hold the cam in the second stable position.
A bi-stable assembly for a switch assembly, the bi-stable assembly comprising:
- a cam configured to be in one of two stable positions:
- a first stable position, and a second stable position;
- a flexible member comprising a first holding portion;
- a second holding portion;
- and a middle portion between the first holding portion and the second holding portion, wherein the middle portion of the flexible member curves outwardly away from the first holding portion and the second holding portion;
- and
- an operating interface configured to move the cam relative to the flexible member;
- wherein the first holding portion is configured to hold the cam in the first stable position;
- the second holding portion is configured to hold the cam in the second stable position;
- and the cam makes direct contact with the middle portion while moving between the first stable position to the second stable position.
A bi-stable assembly for a switch assembly, the bi-stable assembly comprising:
- a cam configured to have two stable positions:
- a first stable position, and a second stable position;
- a flexible member comprising a first holding portion;
- a second holding portion;
- and a middle portion between the first holding portion and the second holding portion;
- and
- an operating interface configured to rotate the cam relative to the flexible member, wherein the first holding portion is configured to hold the cam in the first stable position;
- the second holding portion is configured to hold the cam in the second stable position;
- the flexible member has an uncompressed state;
- the middle portion has a first position when the flexible member is in the uncompressed state;
- and the cam presses the middle portion away from the first position while rotating.
A bi-stable assembly for a switch assembly, the bi-stable assembly comprising:
- a cam configured to have two stable positions:
- a first stable position, and a second stable position;
- a flexible member comprising a first holding portion;
- a second holding portion;
- and a middle portion between the first holding portion and the second holding portion;
- an operating interface configured to rotate the cam relative to the flexible member, wherein the first holding portion is configured to hold the cam in the first stable position;
- and the second holding portion is configured to hold the cam in the second stable position;
- and
- a support that holds the flexible member, and wherein the cam presses the middle portion of the flexible member toward the support when rotated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.