US 4,137,439 A · Selector switch relay

Abstract

A rotary device acts as a switch and relay for manual or remote operation with the use of a rotary solenoid and a unique ratchet and automatic electrical contact opening and closing mechanism. The ratchet coacts with a spring loaded drive bar mounted perpendicular to a central axis of a rotary switch shaft. The drive bar is biased toward a ratchet face which carries a plurality of angularly arranged inclined surfaces. A detent wheel is fixed to the shaft with a pair of springs maintaining the detent wheel in a first position. A rotary solenoid is attached to the ratchet wheel and acts to drive the ratchet wheel to in turn cause rotation of the detent wheel and changing of switch positions. An automatic electrical contact opening and closing mechanism used with the rotary selector switch relay device has a first spring urging a contact arm and contact into a first position with the contact in electrical engagement with a fixed contact. A second spring is mounted to assert a second spring force on the contact arm opposed to the urging of the first spring at a preselected time. The second spring force builds in magnitude upon pivoting of the cam track carried by a track arm to overcome the first spring force at a preselected time and cause snap disengagement of the contact and fixed contact.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A rotary selector switch relay device capable of remote operation at high switching speed, having high torque but using a minimum sized rotary solenoid, said selector switch relay comprising,

an axially extending switch shaft carrying a plurality of substantially radially extending contacts, with said shaft being mounted for rotation about its axis,
a detent wheel coaxial with said switch shaft and fixed thereto,
spring means acting to maintain said detent wheel and shaft in a first position,
a spring loaded drive bar mounted substantially perpendicular to a central axis of said shaft and resiliently biased in one direction along said axis and reciprocally movable along said axis,
said drive bar being mounted in a slot whereby radial rotation of said bar about said shaft axis causes corresponding simultaneous rotation of said shaft and detent wheel,
a drive ratchet coaxially mounted with respect to said shaft engaging said drive bar and carrying a plurality of angularly arranged inclined surfaces whereby reciprocal arcuate movement of said ratchet causes arcuate movement of said shaft and detent wheel in a single direction at predetermined arcuate increments,
a rotary solenoid for driving said ratchet wheel,
said spring means acting to multiply arcuate movement in said shaft over corresponding arcuate movement of said ratchet means whereby a solenoid with a small degree of arcuate movement and high power can be used to cause a high degree of arcuate movement in said switch shaft.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Selector switch relay

Life of this patent

Selector switch relay

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17