Mode switching device for an electrical switch
AssigneeSprecher & Schuh AG
InventorsJosef Bissig, Peter Hilfiker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mode switching or conversion device for selectively altering the operating mode of an electrical switch or other piece of equipment comprises an actuator or locking member rotatable about an axis of rotation which is disposed substantially perpendicular to the housing wall of the electrical switch. The actuator is positionally retained in an opening of this housing wall by means of a bayonet catch or joint. This actuator or locking member is provided with an axially elastic spring or resilient bracket provided with latching cams or lugs which can latch in different positions thereof into latching recesses or pockets of a latching base member of the housing.
Claims11
An electrical device containing an electrical switch and mode switching means for switching between a plural number of operative modes of the electrical switches, said device comprising:
- a housing of the electrical switch;
- said housing including a housing wall containing an opening;
- a plural number of latching means located at said housing wall in the region of said opening;
- said plural number of latching means being arranged in circumferentially mutually spaced relationship;
- said plural number of latching means defining a plural number of latching locations each of which is associated with a selected one of the plural number of operative modes of the electrical switch;
- a plural number of bayonet claws located at said housing wall and partially extending into said opening substantially in radial direction;
- an actuator member mounted in said opening of said housing wall of said electrical switch for rotation about an axis of rotation which extends substantially perpendicular to said housing wall;
- said actuator member containing guide ring means interengaged with said bayonet claws or said housing wall and forming a bayonet joint;
- said actuator member further containing resilient bracket means extending in substantially arcuate configuration about said axis of rotation of said actuator member;
- said resilient bracket means being axially resilient for reversible displacement in a direction of extent of said axis of rotation;
- a plural number of latching elements located at said resilient bracket means of said actuator member;
- said plural number of latching elements being arranged in circumferentially mutually spaced relationship;
- said plural number of latching elements located at said resilient bracket means of said actuator member and said plural number of latching means located at said housing wall having mutually substantially complementary shapes;
- at least one operating projection protruding from said actuator member into the interior space of said electrical switch;
- and
- said at least one operating projection, in each rotary position of said actuator member and in which rotary position one of said plural number of latching elements of said actuator member is interengaged with one of said plural number of latching means of said housing wall, acting upon said electrical switch and tbereby placing said electrical switch into said selected operative mode.
An electrical device containing mode switching means for switching between preselected modes of operation of the electrical device, said electrical device comprising:
- a housing containing said electrical device;
- said housing including a housing wall containing an opening;
- latching means located at said housing wall and defining latching locations;
- each one of said latching locations corresponding to one of the preselected modes of operation of the electrical device;
- bayonet means located at said housing wall and partially extending into said opening;
- an actuator member for external operation and movably mounted in said opening of said housing wall of said electrical device;
- said actuator member containing engagement means interacting with said bayonet means located at said housing wall in order to form a bayonet lock;
- said actuator member containing an axially innermost region and at least one operating projection eccentrically extending from said axially innermost region;
- said actuator member comprising axially resilient bracket means;
- and
- said axially resilient bracket means containing latching elements for latching with said latching means located at said housing wall at said latching locations so that said actuator member can be latched in selective ones of said latching locations within said opening in the housing wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.