On-off switch with off position locking actuator
AssigneeDefond Manufacturing Limited
InventorRaymond Wai Hang Chu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An on-off switch for an electric power hand tool such as an electric saw. The switch has a body, a switching mechanism within the body, and a spring-loaded trigger supported by the body for movement between a first position to turn on the switching mechanism and a second position to turn off the switching mechanism. The switch includes a movable locking device resiliently biased by a spring for locking the trigger in the second position against accidental switching on. The trigger and locking device include respective parts for abutment with each other to lock the trigger in the second position.
Claims18
An on-off switch with a lock for preventing unintentional closing of the on-off switch, the on-off switch comprising:
- a body;
- an electrical switching mechanism within the body and having electrical contacts that are selectively electrically closed and electrically open;
- an operator slidingly supported by the body and manually slidable along a first direction between a first position in which the electrical contacts of the switching mechanism are closed and a second position in which the electrical contracts of the switching mechanism are open;
- a metal blade protruding from the operator and extending along the first direction;
- first spring biasing the operator toward the second position;
- and
- a locking device including:
- a metal locking member alignable with the blade, in a locking position, for preventing sliding of the operator from the second position to the first position by being interposed between the metal blade and the body, the metal locking member being slidable within the body along a second direction, transverse to the first direction, to a releasing position, out of alignment with the metal blade, for sliding of the operator to the first position from the second position;
- an actuator engaging the metal locking member and manually slidable along the second direction, and
- a second spring biasing the actuator toward a locking position in which the metal locking member is aligned with the blade.
An electrical power hand tool including:
- a case having a handle;
- and
- an on-off switch located in the handle, the on-off switch comprising:
- a body;
- an electrical switching mechanism within the body and having electrical contacts that are selectively electrically closed and electrically open;
- an operator slidingly supported by the body and manually slidable along a first direction between a first position in which the electrical contacts of the switching mechanism are closed and a second position in which the electrical contracts of the switching mechanism are open;
- a metal blade protruding from the operator and extending along the first direction;
- first spring biasing the operator toward the second position;
- and
- a locking device including:
- a metal locking member alignable with the blade, in a locking position, for preventing sliding of the operator from the second position to the first position by being interposed between the metal blade and the body, the metal locking member being slidable within the body along a second direction, transverse to the first direction, to a releasing position, out of alignment with the metal blade, for sliding of the operator to the first position from the second position;
- an actuator engaging the metal locking member and manually slidable along the second direction, and
- a second spring biasing the actuator toward a locking position in which the metal locking member is aligned with the blade.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.