Patent Application
20130270080
The present disclosure relates to an electrical installation switching device including a switch position indicator which can move longitudinally between a first indicating position and a second indicating position.
A generic installation switching device can, for instance, include a known circuit breaker. In known circuit breakers, the indication of the switch position is given by the position of the switching knob. Identifiers such as O/I or off/on are printed onto this, and these identifiers can be read from the front when the device is assembled. If, as a result of damage, the contact elements of the circuit breaker become stuck together, it is no longer clear whether the circuit breaker is in the switched-on or switched-off position, since, due to the way in which the switch lock operates, the switching knob can now move independently of the contact lever.
For this reason, and because standards require a clear “On” indication if the contact elements stick together, a switch position indicator that is coupled to the contact lever has been created. For this purpose, a slider or a pivoting element is provided, where the slider or pivoting element moves back and forth between a first indicating position and a second indicating position behind an opening, which may be closed by transparent material, in the front face.
An installation switching device with a switch position indicator is disclosed in DE 103 42 545 B4, in which the switch position indicator is formed by a slider. The sliding movement of the slider is coupled to the movement of the contact lever by virtue of the fabrication of a lug on the contact lever and by virtue of the provision of an actuation space on the slider by means of two projections with a space between them. In order to actuate the slider, the lug engages with the actuation space, whereby an opening is arranged in the front face of the installation switching device and two indicating surfaces with different properties, such as areas of different color, are arranged on the slider. When the contact lever is in the switched-on position, and the contacts are therefore closed, the lug has pushed the slider into its first indicating position by acting on the first of the two projections. In this position, the first indicating surface is visible in the opening. When the contact lever is transferred to the switched-off position, and the contact elements are thus separated, the lug acts on the second of the two projections to push the slider into the second indicating position in which the second indicating surface is visible through the opening. If the indicating surfaces are, for example, colored green (for ON) and red (for OFF), it is possible to see through the opening whether the switch is on or off.
For reasons of practicable assembly, a certain distance is to be maintained between the two projections that border the actuation space on the slider. As a result, there is a greater or lesser degree of play between the two projections and the lug. In consequence, the above-mentioned manufacturing tolerances can mean that when the slider is in the switched-on position, it unintentionally moves somewhat in the direction of the second indicating position. In that case, both of the indicating surfaces may be partially visible through the opening at the same time, and an unequivocal indication of the switch position is no longer given. However, particularly when a fault has fused the contacts together, the switch position indicator should indicate the switched-on position.
An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electrical installation switching device which includes a housing, a contact lever, and a switch position indicator including a slider configured to be guided in the housing so as to move longitudinally between a first indicating position and a second indicating position. A sliding movement of the slider is coupled to movement of the contact lever. The exemplary electrical installation switching device also includes latching means provided on the slider and the housing to releasably latch the slider to the housing in the first indicating position, and prevent inadvertent movement out of the first indicating position.
Additional refinements, advantages and features of the present disclosure are described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, in which:
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved installation switching device with a switch position indicator that ensures an unequivocal switch position indication should the contacts weld together.
An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electrical installation switching device which includes a housing, a contact lever, and a switch position indicator including a slider configured to be guided in the housing so as to move longitudinally between a first indicating position and a second indicating position. A sliding movement of the slider is coupled to movement of the contact lever.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, means of latching are provided on the slider and on the housing, in order to releasably latch the slider to the housing in the first indicating position, and thereby prevent inadvertent movement out of the first indicating position.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a first means of latching is provided in the form of a sprung element on the slider, and a second means of latching is provided on the housing in the form of a depression, whereby the sprung element latches into the depression in order to provide latching.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the slider is guided in a guide groove in a wall of the housing in such a way that it can move longitudinally, and the depression is formed by a recess in the guide groove.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the sprung element includes a leaf spring formed on the slider with a curvature that is bent away from the slider.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the depression is formed as a concave hollow in the guide groove.
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide that in the first indicating position, which corresponds, for example, to the switched-on position, the latching action generates a releasable, secure seating for the slider. The slider is then no longer able to slip inadvertently in the direction of the second indicating position, and an unequivocal indication of the switched-on position is always provided, for example, in the case of welded contacts.
Elements that are identical, similar, or which function in identical or similar ways, are given the same reference numbers in the drawings.
Parts of a switch lock 15 and a part of a movable contact lever 16, mounted so that it can rotate about an axis 17, are only partially visible. The contact lever 16 extends approximately perpendicularly to the front face 1 and in the area of the lever 18 that faces toward the front face 1 has a lug 19 that interacts with the slider 14.
The slider 14 has an approximately rectangular base plate 20 on which, on the side facing toward the observer, a first indicating surface 21 and a second indicating surface 22 are provided; the two indicating surfaces may have different colors—also see
A longitudinal edge 27 of the plate 20 is adjoined by a guide plate 28, which operates together with the plate 20 to guide the slider 14 in the housing. The guidance is achieved here by sliding in guide grooves 29, 30, each of which is fabricated in one half of the housing at the front face 1. The housing is constructed as a box, including a first and a second housing half-shell 2, 3 which abut along a surrounding butting edge and are held together by a suitable means of fastening (see
Two projections 25 and 26 are formed on the side of the plate 20 facing away from the observer, whereby the projections 25, 26 each constitute a kind of wall running transversely to the direction in which the lug 19 moves during a switching operation. An actuation space in which the lug 19 engages is formed between the two projections 25, 26.
In the switched-on position shown in
It can be seen in
In order to prevent this, the longitudinal edge of the guide plate 28 that faces away from the base plate 20 carries a first means of latching in the form of a sprung element 31, which may be implemented as a leaf spring 31 formed on the slider and having a curvature that is bent convexly away from the slider. At a corresponding location, the guide groove 30 carries a second means of latching in the form of a depression 32, which may be made in the form of a concave hollow 32 in the guide groove 30.
The leaf spring 31 constitutes a spring integrated in the slider 14. This has the task of compensating for the tolerance or play between the actuation space and the lug 19, or at least of overcoming its disadvantageous effect. When the slider 14 indicates the switched-off position, and the contact lever 16 then swings back into the switched-on position, it carries the slider with it by means of the projection 25, pushing it into the end position as is illustrated in
When the slider 14 is pushed far enough for the leaf spring 31 to enter the area of the hollow 32, the leaf spring 31 settles into the hollow 32. The leaf spring 31 engages positively to a degree in the hollow 32, and the slider 14 is firmly seated. It is now no longer able to slip erroneously in the direction of the first indicating position.
On account of the convexly bent spring 31, the retaining force of the spring 31 in the hollow 32 is nevertheless not so large that when the contact lever 16 is swung back into the switched-off position it is no longer able to push the slider out of the position shown in
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restricted. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and all changes that come within the meaning and range and equivalence thereof are intended to be embraced therein.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2010 015 825.9 | Apr 2010 | DE | national |
This application claims priority as a continuation application under 35 U.S.C. §120 to PCT/EP2011/001473, which was filed as an International Application on Mar. 24, 2011 designating the U.S., and which claims priority to German Application 10 2010 015 825.9 filed in Germany on Apr. 20, 2010. The entire contents of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/EP2011/001473 | Mar 2011 | US |
| Child | 13650235 | US |
