US 7,126,066 B1 · Push button actuator

Abstract

A push button actuator unit has a housing which defines a through passage that extends along an axis of the housing, and a slot that extends in a plane which transversely intersects the axis and communicates with the passage for supporting in the housing-defined slot a disc-shaped member having a central opening that aligns with the passage. Movable in the aligned passage and opening is a push button sub-assembly of the unit which includes a front element that, when depressed rearwardly, may cause a rear element of the push button sub-assembly to extend rearwardly from the housing to release a latch or to operate a switch or the like. If the unit is to be lockable, an optional locking mechanism is added to the elements of the push button sub-assembly to selectively drivingly connect the front and rear elements so that depression of the front element will cause rearward extension of the rear element only when the unit is unlocked. The disc-shaped member interacts with other components of the unit to regulate the movement of selected elements of the push button sub-assembly relative to the housing, for example by limiting element translation along the axis and/or by inhibiting the turning of selected elements of the push button sub-assembly about the axis.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A lockable push button actuator, comprising a housing that defines a through passage extending along a central axis of the housing, and a slot extending in a plane that transversely intersects the central axis and communicates with the passage;

a disc-shaped member carried in the slot and having a central opening along the central axis in communication with the passage;
and a push button sub-assembly having elements that are movable in communicating portions of the passage and central opening, including a) a rearwardly depressable front element, b) a rearwardly extensible rear element, and c) a locking mechanism capable of drivingly connecting the front and rear elements so that rearward depression of the front element will cause rearward extension of the rear element to an operated position when the push button sub-assembly is unlocked but not when the push button sub-assembly is locked;
and, wherein the disc-shaped member engages the housing and at least a selected one of the push button sub-assembly elements to regulate movement of the selected one of the elements relative to the housing.

A lockable push button actuator unit, comprising:

a) a housing having an outer wall which surrounds a passage of the housing that extends forwardly and rearwardly along an imaginary central axis, and having a slot which extends in a plane that transversely intersects the axis, wherein the slot opens through the outer wall of the housing and communicates with the passage of housing;
b) a disc-shaped member carried in the slot and having an opening formed therethrough in alignment with the passage;
c) a push button sub-assembly supported in the passage and extending through the opening of the disc-shaped member, including a front element and a rear element that are translatable relative to each other along the central axis, and including a locking mechanism adapted 1) when unlocked, to couple the front element and the rear element so that rearward translation of the front element along the central axis from a normal position to a depressed position will cause rearward translation of the rear element along the central axis from a non-operated position to an operated position, and 2) when locked, to decouple the front element and the rear element so the front element can translate rearwardly along the central axis from the normal position to the depressed position without causing the rear element to translate from the non-operated position to the operated position;
and,
d) wherein the front element, the rear element and the disc-shaped member are provided with formations that interfit 1) to permit the front element, the rear element and the disc-shaped member to translate relative to each other along the central axis as permitted by the locking mechanism, and 2) to prevent the front element, the rear element and the disc-shaped member from turning relative to each other about the central axis.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Push button actuator

Life of this patent

Push button actuator

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29