Quick-connection key for electrical mechanisms, with safety interlocking

Abstract

 It consists of a key in an elastic material -1- ending, at its lower end, in a projection -2- and an appendage by way of a flap -3- joined to the inner part of the base -1a- of the key -1- by the connecting point -4-, which permits the displacement of the entire appendage -3-, bringing it closer to or away from the base -1a- of the key, thus returning to its initial position, depending on whether said appendage -3- is pressed or ceases to be pressed.
Said appendage -3- features a lip -5- which occupies the outer half of its end and is arranged outwards, the outer surface -3b- of the appendage-3-lying behind the ip -5- and the rest of the surface, completely flat and smooth, continues until a curvature -3a-, a surface which rests, tightening and sliding, upon a stub -6- of the body -7- of the mechanism in the inner area of a flange -8a- in the lower part -8- thereof.

Description

[0001] The present invention patent relates to a quick-connection key, of the type provided in electrical mechanisms intended for command and/or control, such as switches, push buttons, cross-over switches, plug outlets and such like, characterised in that they are equipped with a safety interlock, its essential special features being described below.

[0002] The need for installers to be able to reduce the time spent to correctly carry out the connection of the various conductor wires which come into as much contact as possible with the body of an electrical mechanism in the applications cited, such as, for example, in the previous paragraph, has led to the development of different devices, all of which are intended for this practical purpose.

[0003] Among these devices stand out quick-connection keys, currently known and applied, i.e. keys which permit this operation to be carried out with the simple insertion of the end of the wire to be connected into the hollow which it has for this purpose, and a subsequent displacement of the key in swinging direction being carried out with the aim of holding the aforementioned cable and guaranteeing its positioning and removability, while at the same time ensuring that the key itself ceases to be an external obstacle, as it is situated next to the wall of the body of the mechanism.

[0004] Nevertheless, this device features the drawback that it can become accidentally separated from the aforementioned position, from the body, as the wire that was previously connected becomes unattached and can leave its housing, disconnecting and leaving the electrical mechanism in an incorrect situation in which the operation thereof can no longer be guaranteed.

[0005] The quick-connection key provided with a safety interlocking, and which is object of the present invention, offers a practical and efficient solution, offering at the same time complete simplicity, as it features an interlocking, constituted at the lower end of the key, which fastens by clipping onto a projection at the lower part of the body of the mechanism, thereby preventing any accidental displacement of the key.

[0006] The special arrangement and structure of this interlocking permits that at any moment, and by means of the voluntary and manual actuation of the installer, that lower end of the key, which constitutes the interlocking, can be unlocked, permitting the key to be separated, by means of its swinging, in order to remove the wire or place it, if it still was not connected.

[0007] With the aim of aiding in the description of the quick-connection key, provided with a safety interlocking, motive for this invention, drawings have been attached which represent a practical embodiment of said key provided with the safety interlocking, substantially described in an illustrative manner.

[0008] In these drawings,

fig. 1

is a sectional view of the body of the mechanism, a quick-connection key being situated on one side thereof in its initial opening position, suitable to place the end of the wire or electrical conductor which is to be connected;

fig. 2

is a complementary view of the previous figure, with the key displaced towards the connecting position;

fig. 3

is an enlarged close-up view of the lower area of the key, which configures the interlocking, in the position prior to its clipping on the projection of the bottom of the body;

fig. 4

is a close-up, also cross-sectional, similar to figures 1 and 2, showing the key fastened by its safety interlocking; and finally,

fig. 5

is a perspective and partially cross-sectional view of the body of the mechanism, with the key locked, this drawing also being sectional at the same cross-section plane as the body.

[0009] In accordance with the drawings indicated, the quick-connection key provided with a safety interlocking, used in electrical mechanisms such as switches, push buttons, cross-over switches, plug outlets and such like, consists of a key -1-, of suitable design and characteristics for its use in the quick connection, with its lower part finishing in a quadrangular and rounded off projection -2- and an appendage -3-, in the form of a tongue, solidly joined to the inner part of the base of the key at the connecting area -4-, which provides the array with the possibility that the entire appendage -3- can be displaced towards the inner part of the base -1 a- of the key -1- when it is pressed, thanks to the elasticity of the material with which the key has been manufactured, the appendage returning to its initial position at the moment when this pressure is no longer exerted.

[0010] The aforementioned appendage -3- is characterized by the lip -5- of the outer half of its end, which is rounded off and situated facing outwards, constituting the element which actuates as interlocking when the key -1- is in the final connecting position, as represented in figures 4 and 5. On the rear part of this lip -5-, the outer surface -3b- of the appendage -3- is completely flat, continuously until the end curvature -3a-, said flat and smooth surface - 3b- being the one which supports it, squeezing against it, and it will slide on a stub -6- on the body -7- of the electrical mechanism in the inner area of the flange -8a- of its lower part -8-. This support and sliding is performed when the key -1- is pushed by the stub -6- whereon it is tightened, it is folded inwards and moves towards the aforementioned internal part of the base - 1a- of the key -1-, until the moment when, arriving at the end of its displacement, the lip -5- is situated above the stub -6-, thus remaining held back and, consequently, the key -1- being fastened in this position.

[0011] The quick-connection key -1- is placed on the U-shaped housing -9- of the body -6- of the mechanism on both sides. In the various figures, the housing of the side is visible where the quick-connection key -1- is not placed, while the key itself -1- hides the housing where it is placed and whereon it swings freely, although the axis of rotation -10- of the quick-connection key -1- is indicated with tracing lines in its swinging movement. (See figures 1, 2 and 4).

[0012] The hollow -11- of the upper part of the key -1- can also be observed in the different figures, where the end of the wire to be connected (not drawn) is inserted, and which causes the retention of the wire for its connection.

[0013] Once the lip -5- has been held back above the stub -6-, the operator will be able to unlock the interlocking by pressing the lip -5-, releasing it from the stub -6-, thanks to the elasticity, previously mentioned, of the material with which the entire key -1- has been manufactured.

[0014] Once this action has been carried out, the key -1- will be able to swing again with the aim of removing the wire which could be connected or placing one for its connection.

[0015] The object of the present invention having been sufficiently described, it should be pointed out that any variation in shapes, dimensions, appearance and type of materials used in the practical embodiment of these keys provided with interlocking, shall not in any way alter the essentiality thereof, which is summarised in the following claims.

Claims

1. Quick-connection key for electrical mechanisms, with safety interlocking, mechanisms such as switches, push buttons, cross-over switches, plug outlets and such like, characterised in that it consists of a key in an elastic material -1-, suitable for the quick connection of electrical wires, which has a lower part ending in a projection -2- and an appendage in the shape of a tongue -3- joined to the lower part of the base -1 a- of the key -1- at its connecting point -4-, which permits the displacement of the entire appendage -3-, bringing it closer to or away from the base -1a- of the key, thus returning to its initial position, depending on whether said appendage -3- is pressed or ceases to be pressed.

2. Quick-connection key for electrical mechanisms, with safety interlocking, according to the previous claim, characterised in that the appendage -3- features a lip -5-, which occupies the outer half of its end and is arranged facing outwards, the outer surface -3b- of the appendage - 3- lying behind the lip -5- and the rest of the surface, completely flat and smooth, continues until a curvature -3a-, a surface which rests, tightens and slides, upon a stub -6- of the body -7- of the mechanism in the inner area of a flange -8a- of its lower part -8- thereof, support and sliding which is carried out when the key -1-is swung towards the interior, against the side -7a- of the aforementioned body -7-, moment when the appendage - 3- is folded inwards, moving closer to the base -1a- of the key -1-, permitting said lip -5- to be located on the stub -6-, and acting as safety interlocking or unlocking due to its elasticity.

Drawing