ELECTRICAL SWITCHING DEVICE

Abstract

 The present invention refers to an electrical switching device comprising a rocking push-button which influences an electrical control of various switching devices, such as of selector switches, rocker switches, multiple-way switches, single-pole and double-pole switches, and similar. An elastic means (14) is inserted into a tubular extension (16) of a rocking push-button (3), which projects through a cover (2) into a body (1) of the electrical switching device up to the immediate vicinity of a switching element (11), which can be actuated by means of the rocking push-button (3) with said elastic means (14) and a toggle slider (15). The free end of the tubular extension (16) is formed with a snap-on blocking means (18) configured to receive and to movably cooperate with a counter-blocking means (19) formed on said toggle slider (15).

Description

[0001] The present invention refers to an electrical switching device comprising a rocking push-button which influences an electrical control of various switching devices, such as of selector switches, rocker switches, multiple-way switches, single-pole and double-pole switches, and similar.

[0002] The aforementioned electrical switching device is known from a publication of a European patent No. EP 1 430 496 B1, for example. Disclosed is a mechanism for compression actuation, by means of a rocking key, of electric controls such as switches, change-over switches, selector switches and the like. There are provided at least one fixed contact and one movable contact, carried by a movable anchor, rotatively actuated to bring the movable contact towards or away from the fixed contact, through a pin operated by the rocking key. Said pin is pushed against said movable anchor by a compression spring, where the pin acts against the movable anchor by means of an articulated fork-like head. Each of the two branches of the fork arrange themselves on corresponding areas of the anchor that are substantially symmetrical with respect to its centre. A drawback of said known solution lies in a relatively complex production and assembly of the switching device.

[0003] It is the object of the present invention to create an electrical switching device which remedies drawbacks of the known solution.

[0004] According to the present invention, the object as set above is solved by features set forth in the characterising part of claim 1. Detail of the invention is disclosed in respective subclaims.

[0005] The invention is further described in detail by way of non-limiting embodiment, and with a reference to the accompanying drawings, where

Fig. 1

shows an exploded three-dimensional view of an electrical switching device according to the invention,

Fig. 2

shows a cross-sectional view of the electrical switching device,

Fig. 3

shows a partial three-dimensional view of a rocking push-button,

Fig. 4

shows a longitudinal section of the rocking push-button,

Fig. 5

shows a detail V of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6

shows a view in direction of the arrow VI of Fig. 5.

[0006] Electrical switching device according to the invention comprises a box like body 1 with a cover 2 and a movable rocking push-button 3 arranged thereon, wherein all said elements being made of at least one electrically non-conductive material. An embodiment of the electrical switching device is possible, where at least the rocking push-button 3 is formed of two different electrically non-conductive materials, wherein one of said electrically non-conductive materials has a capability to damp the sound occurring at the time of activating the rocking push-button 3. Furthermore, said electrical device is optionally covered by a decorative cover, not shown, which is removably connected in a manner known per se with said rocking push-button 3. At least two connecting terminals are arranged in said body 1 in order to connect respective electrical conductors, that is at least one first connecting terminal 4 for a discharge electric line, and a second connecting terminal 5 for a supply electric line. Each first connecting terminal 4 consists of an electrical contact support 6, to which is optionally attached an electrical contact holder 7 having an electrical contact 8, and of a fixing means 9 for attaching electric line to each support 6. Said second connecting terminal 5 comprises an electrical contact support 6, to which is associated a holder 10 of a rocking switching element 11 with electrical contacts 12, and a fixing means 9 for attaching the electric line to said support 6.

[0007] Said rocking switching element 11 is held in said holder 10 by means of a fork-like projection 13 enabling said element 11 to swing between the two positions in which it establishes, by means of bringing the electrical contacts 12 into a contact with the electrical contact 8 of one of the first connecting terminals 4, a conduction of electric current between the supply line and the discharge line. Said swing motion of the switching element 11 is achieved by said rocking push-button 3, which via an elastic means 14 and a toggle slider 15 acts upon the switching element 11. Said toggle slider 15 is in contact with the switching element 11 in at least two points. According to the preferred embodiment, said toggle slider 15 is in contact with the switching element 11 by means of four points 15'.

[0008] Said elastic means 14, which is selected in the present embodiment as a helical compression spring, is inserted into a tubular extension 16 of the rocking push-button 3. Said tubular extension 16 projects through the cover 2 into the body 1 of the electrical switching device according to the invention, extending up to the immediate vicinity of the switching element 11, however, only for the amount that allows free swinging motion of the switching element 11. A cavity of the tubular extension 16, in which said elastic means 14 is arranged, is formed in the area of the free end of the extension 16 with a funnel shaped radial widening 17, which enables a partial buckling of the elastic means 14 in direction of the switching motion of the switching element 11 with respect to the centreline of the tubular extension 16 and, respectively, said cavity. Furthermore, said free end of the extension 16 is formed with a snap-on blocking means 18 configured to receive a counter-blocking means 19 and to cooperate therewith, said counter-blocking means 19 being formed on said toggle slider 15. Thus, both the elastic means 14 and the toggle slider 15 are fixed in the cavity of said tubular extension 16.

[0009] Said toggle slider 15 comprises a toggle plate 20 comprising said points 15'formed on said toggle plate 20 at the side facing the switching element 11. The side of the toggle plate 20 averted form the switching element 11 is formed approximately in its central region with a carrying column 21 provided for a connection with the elastic means 14. Said carrying column 21 is inserted into the free end of the elastic means 14 and pressed against the switching button 3, wherein said counter-blocking means 19 arranged transversally to the carrying column 21 meshes the blocking means 18 at the free end of the tubular extension 16.

[0010] According to the present invention, an embodiment of the electrical switching device is possible which comprises a plurality of switching elements 11 being mutually arranged in parallel or in series. In such a case, the switching button 3 is formed with a number of the tubular extensions 16 which corresponds to the number of the switching elements 11, wherein each switching elementu11 being associated with one elastic means 14 and one toggle slider 15.

Claims

1. An electrical switching device comprising a rocking push-button which influences an electrical control of various switching devices, such as of selector switches, rocker switches, multiple-way switches, single-pole and double-pole switches, and similar, wherein the swinging motion of the rocking element of the switching device is obtained by said rocking push-button which acts via an elastic means and a toggle slider to the rocking element, characterized in that said elastic means (14) is inserted into a tubular extension (16) of a rocking push-button (3), which projects through a cover (2) into a body (1) of the electrical switching device up to the immediate vicinity of a switching element (11), which can be actuated by means of the rocking push-button (3) with said elastic means (14) and a toggle slider (15), wherein the free end of the tubular extension (16) is formed with a snap-on blocking means (18) configured to receive and to movably cooperate with a counter-blocking means (19) formed on said toggle slider (15).

2. An electrical switching device according to claim 1, characterized in that both said elastic means (14) and said toggle slider (15) are fixed in a cavity of said tubular extension (16).

3. An electrical switching device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said toggle slider (15) comprises a toggle plate (20) with points (15') formed on the toggle plate (20) at the side facing the switching element (11), and a carrying column (21) formed approximately centrally at the side of the toggle plate (20) averted from the switching element (11).

4. An electrical switching device according to claim 3, characterized in that said carrying column (21) is inserted into the free end of the elastic means (14), wherein the counter-blocking means (19) arranged transversally to the carrying column (21) meshes the blocking means (18) at the free end of the tubular extension (16).

5. An electrical switching device according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the cavity of the tubular extension (16), in which said elastic means (14) is arranged, is formed in the area of the free end of the extension (16) with a funnel shaped radial widening (17), which enables a partial buckling of the elastic means (14) with respect to the centreline of the tubular extension (16) and, respectively, said cavity.

6. An electrical switching device according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said elastic means (14) is selected as a helical compression spring.

Drawing