US 5,491,460 AGranted

Instrument switch having integrated overcurrent protection

AssigneeEllenberger & Poensgen GmbH

InventorsFritz Krasser, Wolfgang Schmidt

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An electrical instrument switch includes a rocker switch for manual on-and-off switching and that is seated in an insulation housing. Depending on the pivot position, the rocker switch moves, with a working end that dips into the housing interior, a contact bridge between the closed position of its contact and the open position of its contact. The contact bridge is electrically connected in series with a contact spring that can be triggered thermally and hence acts as an overcurrent protection. The contact spring can move between its contact position and its open position. The contact spring is mechanically prestressed in the direction of its open position. When overcurrent occurs, it is transferred out of its contact position into its open position by a thermal triggering element. A pivot of the rocker switch counter to the mechanical prestress, in the tipping direction of the contact spring, guides the contact spring from its open position back into its contact position.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A manually-operated, electrical instrument switch comprising:

an insulating housing having an interior;
a contact bridge within the interior that is movable between a closed contact position and an opened contact position;
a rocker switch pivotally seated in said insulating housing and including a working end that dips into the housing interior for moving said contact bridge between the closed contact position and opened contact position;
and
a contact spring being electrically connected in series with said contact bridge, and including a rocker-snap mechanism movable in first and second directions for moving said contact spring between a respective contact position and an open position, and a thermal triggering element for overcurrent protection, said rocker-snap mechanism being fixed to be permanently mechanically prestressed in the second direction, whereby the contact spring is fixed in its contact position counter to the mechanical prestress and is transferred into its open position by said thermal triggering element during overcurrent, and is guided back into its contact position from its open position by pivoting said rocker switch causing said rocker-snap mechanism to move in the first direction counter to the mechanical prestress.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/213,810Filed 17 Mar 1994
Priority: DE 9303919 U17 Mar 1993
Granted: 13 Feb 1996
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

H01H 73/14
Means for indicating condition of the switch: indicating lamp structurally associated with the switch
H01H 73/26
Having electrothermal release and no other automatic release: reset by tumbler
H01H 77/04
In which the excess current itself provides the energy for opening the contacts, and having a separate reset mechanism: with electrothermal opening
H01H 1/5833
Electric connections to or between contacts; Terminals: comprising an articulating, sliding or rolling contact between movable contact and terminal