US 5,296,826 AGranted

Switch assembly

AssigneeEaton Corporation

InventorsRoy L. Hart, Yusuke P. Okabayashi

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A switch assembly includes a switch actuator assembly which is operable to actuate a plurality of switches. The switch actuator assembly includes a pushbutton which is manually depressed to move a core relative to a coil from a first position to a second position. As the core moves to the second position, the plurality of switches are actuated and a magnetic field from the core cooperates with a base or frame member to hold the core in the second position. As the pushbutton returns to its unactuated position, a force transmitting lever moves into an extended position in engagement with a coil switch actuator arm. Subsequent depressing of the pushbutton causes a drive pin connected with the pushbutton to depress the force transmitting lever to open a coil switch and deenergize the coil. As the pushbutton is subsequently released, the core and drive pin move upwardly. The coil switch then closes and a retainer pin connected with the core pushes the force transmitting lever back to a retracted position. A remote switch is provided to interrupt a circuit for energizing the coil.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A switch assembly comprising switch contacts operable between a first condition and a second condition, a base member, electromagnetic means operable between an energized condition and a deenergized condition, said electromagnetic means being effective to provide an electromagnetic field when said electromagnetic means is in the energized condition, manually actuatable means for moving at least a portion of said electromagnetic means toward said base member from a first position in which said portion of said electromagnetic means is spaced from said base member toward a second position in which said portion of said electromagnetic means is adjacent to said base member and the electromagnetic field from said electromagnetic means cooperates with said base member to retain said portion of said electromagnetic means in the second position, means for operating said switch contacts from the first condition to the second condition upon movement of said portion of said electromagnetic means from the first position to the second position and for retaining said switch contacts in the second condition while said portion of said electromagnetic means is in the second position, said manually actuatable means being manually movable from an unactuated position to an actuated position to move said portion of said electromagnetic means toward said base member with said electromagnetic means in the energized condition, said manually actuatable means being movable from the actuated position to the unactuated position with said portion of said electromagnetic means in the second position and said electromagnetic means in the energized condition, and switch means for effecting operation of said electromagnetic means to the deenergized condition upon movement of said manually actuatable means from the unactuated position to the actuated position with said portion of said electromagnetic means in the second position.

A switch assembly comprising switch contacts operable between a first condition and a second condition, a coil, a core which is movable relative to said coil, said coil extending around at least a portion of said core and being effective to provide an electromagnetic field when said coil is in an energized condition, manually actuatable means for moving said core relative to said coil from a first position toward a second position, means for operating said switch contacts from the first condition to the second condition upon movement of said core from the first position to the second position and for retaining said switch contacts in the second condition while said core is in the second position, and switch means for effecting operation of said coil between the energized condition and a deenergized condition, said core being movable from the first position to the second position with said coil in the energized condition during movement of said manually actuatable means from the unactuated position to the actuated position, said core being movable away from the second position toward the first position during movement of said manually actuatable means from the actuated position toward the unactuated position with said coil in the deenergized condition, said switch contacts being operable from the second condition to the first condition upon movement of said core from the second position to the first position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.