Sealed manual reset switch
AssigneeITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
InventorRobert Ehrensberger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A double pole, manual reset switch that is sealed from its application environment. The switch comprises a shell and a base assembly including an actuator, terminals and blade/contacts. After the switch actuator is depressed to a “make” position, it must be manually lifted back to a “break” position. The switch has an epoxy seal along the bottom between the shell and base, heat shrink material around an opening where wires pass through, and an O-ring on the actuator for sealing the top of the switch. The components of the switch are easily assembled in the base prior to insertion of the base assembly into the shell. The wires extend from the switch adjacent to each other at an end, and in an alternate embodiment of the switch, the wires extend in pairs from a rear side of the switch.
Claims20
A double pole switch requiring use of a tool for resetting said switch comprising:
- a housing having a plurality of pedestals for supporting a first pair of terminals positioned opposite each other and a second pair of terminals positioned opposite each other and spaced apart from said first pair of terminals;
- an actuator positioned in an opening of said housing between said first pair of terminals and said second pair of terminals, said actuator having at least two pair of notches spaced apart from each other;
- a first blade having contacts at opposite ends and a portion of said first blade in contact with an upper pair of said spaced apart notches of said actuator, said actuator passing through said first blade wherein said first blade is positioned to make electrical contact with said first pair of terminals when said switch is in a “make” position;
- and
- a second blade having contacts at opposite ends and a portion of said second blade in contact with a lower pair of said spaced apart notches of said actuator, said actuator passing through said second blade wherein said second blade is positioned to make electrical contact with said second pair of terminals when said switch is in a “make” position.
A sealed, manual reset, double pole switch comprising:
- a housing having a base portion and an outer shell portion;
- a pair of spaced apart parallel blades positioned within said base having contacts on opposite ends;
- an actuator positioned through said parallel blades and perpendicular thereto;
- at least four terminals mounted on pedestals within said base portion, said terminals making electrical contact with said blade contacts when said switch is in a “make” position and said actuator extends above a top portion of said outer shell;
- said actuator comprises a groove around the circumference of said actuator for receiving an O-ring thereby sealing said upper portion of said switch;
- said switch comprises means for sealing an opening between a lower portion of said base and said outer shell;
- said base comprises a channel for wires to pass through and connect to said terminals and heat shrink material applied around an end of said channel and around said wires;
- and
- a slot provided in the top portion of said outer shell and said actuator for insertion of a tool to move said actuator from said “make” position to a “break” position in order to reset said switch.
A method of providing a double throw switch requiring a tool to reset the switch comprises the steps of:
- providing a housing having a plurality of pedestals to support a first pair of terminals positioned opposite each other within said housing and to support a second pair of terminals positioned opposite each other and spaced apart from said first pair of terminals within said housing;
- positioning an actuator within an opening in said housing between said first pair of terminals and said second pair of terminals, said actuator having at least two pairs of notches spaced apart from each other;
- connecting said actuator within a first blade by positioning tongues of said first blade within a first pair of said notches of said actuator, said first blade having electrical contacts at opposite ends for making contact with said first pair of terminals when said switch is in a “make” position;
- and
- connecting said actuator within a second blade by positioning tongues of said second blade within a second pair of said notches of said actuator, said second blade having electrical contacts at opposite ends for making contact with said second pair of terminals when said switch is in a “make” position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.