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US 5,136,130 AGranted
Locking actuator trigger button for electrical switch
AssigneeWaxing Corporation of America, Inc.
InventorMaura A. Daly
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A locking switch apparatus for an electric device inlcudes a trigger button having a pair of spaced flanges cooperating to define a switch-receiving cavity. An electrical switch has a hollow dielectric body with opposed sidewall and bottom surfaces. A lock member has a base and a pair of upstanding posts also forming a switch-receiving cavity. The switch is secured in a stationary position with the locking member and trigger button disposed about the switch for camming action therewith, which includes an unlocked position with the switch de-energized, and an innerlocked position where the switch is constantly energized. By depressing the trigger button, the lock mechanism is free to disengage under the force of a return spring.
Claims20
Locking switch apparatus for an electric device, comprising:
- a housing;
- a push button having a manually engageable operation portion slidable in said housing from a first to a second position and a pair of spaced apart parallel flanges connected to the operation portion and extending in the direction of movement of the operating portion so as to be define a switch-receiving cavity, said push button movable therewith between said first and second positions and further having a locking tooth carried on one of said flanges;
- an electrical switch device positioned between said flanges and having a hollow body with a first surface and an actuator member extending from the first surface toward the operating portion of the push button so as to be engaged by the push button when the push button is moved between the first and second positions;
- a lock member slidably mounted in said housing in a direction normal to said direction of movement of said push button and movable in opposite directions between locked and unlocked positions, said lock member having a slide rail extending in the direction of movement of said lock member, a base extending from the slide rail and at least one post extending from the base in a side by side relation with at least one of said flanges, and at least one locking tooth carried on the post which engages with the locking tooth carried on said one flange of said push button when said lock member is moved to said locked position;
- return bias means for biasing said lock member to said unlocked position;
- and
- said locking tooth carried on said post being movable out of engagement with said locking tooth carried on said flange of said push button when said lock member is moved to said unlocked position.
4 more elements
Electrical apparatus comprising:
- a housing of dielectric material including internal wall means defining a pocket for close fit engagement with an outer body of an electrical switch device so as to hold the switch device in a fixed position;
- a push button having a manually engageable operating portion slidable in said housing from a first to a second position and a pair of spaced apart parallel flanges connected to the operating portion and extending in the direction of movement of the operating portion so as to define a switch-receiving cavity, said push button mounted in said housing so as to be movable between first and second positions and further having a locking tooth carried on one of said flanges;
- an electrical switch device mounted in the housing pocket positioned between said flanges and having a hollow body with a first surface and an actuator member extending from the first surface toward the operating portion of the push button so as to be engaged by the push button when the push button is moved between the first and second positions, the switch device body further having bias means for biasing said actuator member toward the push button body and sidewalls for engaging the internal wall means of the housing;
- a lock member mounted in said housing adjacent said pocket so as to be slidable in a direction normal to said direction of movement of said push button and movable in opposite directions between locked and unlocked positions, said locking member having a slide rail extending in the direction of movement of said lock member, a post extending from said slide rail and at least one locking tooth carried on the post which engages with the locking tooth carried on said one flange of said push button when said lock member is moved to said locked position;
- return bias means for biasing said lock member to said unlocked position;
- and
- said locking tooth carried on said post being movable out of engagement with said locking tooth carried on said flange of said push button when said lock member is moved to said unlocked position.
4 more elements
Locking actuator apparatus for an electric switch device having a hollow body with a first surface and an actuator member extending from the first surface toward a push button, and a pair of spaced, generally parallel walls extending from the first surface, comprising:
- a housing;
- said push button movable between first and second positions and having a manually engageable operating portion slidable in said housing from said first to said second position and a pair of spaced apart parallel flanges connected to the operating portion and extending in the direction of movement of the operating portion so as to define a switch-receiving cavity, and a locking tooth carried on one of said flanges;
- a lock member slidably mounted in said housing in a direction normal to said direction of movement of said push button and movable in opposite directions between locked and unlocked positions, said lock member having a slide rail extending in the direction of movement of said lock means, said lock member further comprising a base extending from the slide rail with first and second posts extending from the base, and at least one locking tooth carried on one of said posts which engages with said locking tooth carried on one of said push button flanges when said lock member is moved to said locked position, said posts and said base forming a cavity for receiving said electrical switch device, with said posts being spaced for engagement with said push button flanges;
- and
- said locking tooth carried on said post being movable out of engagement with said locking tooth carried on said flange of said push button when said lock member is moved to said unlocked position.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.