This invention relates to push button switches and, more particularly, to a display cover apparatus for the attachment of removable display covers on a push button of a push button switch, thereby providing a variety of changeable displays for the push button.
Some push button switches, for example multipin or antivandal push button switches, have push buttons of sufficient size to display information such as a logo or a symbol.
This invention provides a display cover apparatus and a housing for a push button switch. The display cover apparatus has a display cover for a push button of a push button switch, a holder for the display cover, and a housing for a push button switch. The display cover has a top end, a bottom end, and lock hooks near the top end. The holder has a hollow interior, a top end with lock slots that reversibly connect to the lock hooks, a bottom end, a flexible retaining washer in a groove at the bottom end, and a locking key between the top end and the bottom end. The housing for the push button switch has a top end, a bottom end, an interior, and a circular shelf in the interior of the housing. The circular shelf is positioned near the top end of the housing and has an internal circular flange with a locking slot that receives the locking key of the holder.
The display cover has an alignment hook that reversibly connects to an alignment slot on the holder, thereby preventing the display cover from rotating on the holder. The lock hooks connect the display cover reversibly to the lock slots of the holder to prevent the display cover from falling off the holder. The display cover is flexible, allowing the display cover to operate the push button in and out. When the holder is placed in the housing, the locking key is placed in the locking slot, thereby preventing the holder from rotating inside the housing. The top end of the holder rests on the shelf, thereby preventing the holder from moving toward the bottom end of the housing, and the flexible retaining washer is placed in the groove and under the flange, thereby preventing the holder from moving toward the top end of the housing. The display cover has a groove at the top end of the display cover, the groove allowing removal of the display cover from the holder. When the display cover is placed on the holder, the display cover extends above the housing.
An advantage of the present invention is a display cover for a push button on a push button switch that is replaceable with other display covers, providing an unlimited selection of displays for the push button.
Another advantage is a display cover that does not rotate on the holder and that maintains a fixed orientation of the display over the push button.
Another advantage is a display cover that is flexible so that the push button can be operated by pushing the display cover inward towards the push button.
Another advantage is a holder for the display cover that makes it easy to apply the display cover over the push button and easy to remove it with a finger or thumb.
While the following description details the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of arrangement of the parts or the illustrations disclosed herein, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced in various ways.
The lock hooks 16 and the lock slots 20 are constructed so that the display cover 11 will not come up off the top end 17 of the holder 12 unless pulled off with a user's fingers. The groove 15 at the top end 13 of the display cover 11 facilitates a user's grasping the cover with the fingers or finger nails. However, the lock hook and lock slot arrangement does not prevent the display cover from rotating on the holder. Rotation of the display cover is not preferred because the display should be in a fixed orientation for observing or reading. The alignment hook 25 and the alignment slot 24 are constructed to prevent the display cover from rotating on the holder but do not inhibit the display cover from being lifted off the holder 20. A display cover with a desired display is selected by a user and snapped onto the holder over the push button of a push button switch after the alignment hook and the alignment slot are placed in alignment. If it becomes desirable to put a new display over the push button switch, then the display cover is lifted up off the holder with the user's fingers or finger nails with sufficient force to overcome the connection force of the lock hook and lock slot connection. The newly selected display cover is then pushed onto the holder with sufficient force to create the lock hook and lock slot connection.
When the holder is inserted into the interior of the housing it is rotated until the locking key engages the locking slot on the circular shelf in the interior of the housing. The holder is pushed downward to push the locking key into the locking slot. When the holder is pushed down for insertion of the locking key into the locking slot, the groove at the bottom end of the holder is positioned below the circular flange. The flexible retaining washer is placed into the groove below the flange. In this configuration the holder will not rotate in the housing and will not move up or down in the housing. The holder is positioned in the interior of the housing such that the top of the display cover will extend sufficiently above the top of the housing so that a user will have access to the groove at the top of the display cover to remove the display cover from the holder.
When a user pushes the display cover and holder downward into the housing the spring becomes compressed between the flange and the top end of the holder. The cover on the bottom end of the holder engages a push button of a push button switch to activate the switch on or off or to a different position. When the user releases the display cover and holder the spring pushes the display cover and holder back up towards the top end of the housing and the cover on the bottom end of the holder is lifted off the push button of the push button switch.
The foregoing description has been limited to specific embodiments of this invention. It will be apparent, however, that variations and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art to the disclosed embodiments of the invention, with the attainment of some or all of its advantages and without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the lock hooks and lock slots and the alignment hook and the alignment slot may have various shapes and configurations. The display cover and the holder can be made of any suitable plastic or metal, or a combination thereof and in any suitable size or shape.
It will be understood that various changes in the details of the method and materials which have been described and illustrated above in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the principle and scope of the invention as recited in the following claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
8130214 | Aimi | Mar 2012 | B2 |
20090308723 | Cheng | Dec 2009 | A1 |
20120199461 | Shim | Aug 2012 | A1 |