Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switching apparatus for controlling devices having at least one mechanical momentary-contact switch for mechanically switching a functionality of a device. In particular, the present invention relates to a switching apparatus for controlling the intensive stages of an extractor hood.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,093 A1 discloses an extractor hood having an electronic control system. The control device contains a microprocessor that drives the fan motor accordingly. The desired functions are input by a keypad. In addition to a number of pushbutton momentary contacts for various intensive stages, a pushbutton momentary contact is also provided for causing the extractor hood to continuously run. However, the pushbutton momentary contacts only act as pulse generators for the microprocessor. Purely electronic momentary-contact control is therefore provided. The manufacturing costs of electronic momentary-contact control systems of this type are relatively high.
Published, Non-Prosecuted German Patent Application DE 198 02 332 A1 discloses an electrical rocker switch in which a moveable contact part bridges stationary contacts. The moveable contact part is loaded by a spring toward one switched position and, in the other switched position, by a magnet that is in the form of a permanent magnet. The magnetic field of the permanent magnet can be influenced by the magnetic field of an electromagnet such that the moveable contact part, which is held in a prestressed state, is moved into its other switched position when the magnetic field of the electromagnet is built up.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an electromechanical momentary-contact switch having timed supplementary functions that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices of this general type, which has more favorable manufacturing costs and with which a device can be controlled.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a switching apparatus for controlling a device. The switching apparatus contains at least one mechanical pushbutton momentary-contact switch for mechanically switching a functionality of the device. The mechanical pushbutton momentary-contact switch can be operated manually and can be reset by an electrical pulse.
Furthermore, the above object is achieved by a switching apparatus for controlling devices having a plurality of mechanical momentary-contact switches, in particular rocker switches, for mechanically switching a plurality of functionalities of a device. At least one of the mechanical momentary-contact switches is capable of being operated manually and is reset by an electrical pulse.
The advantage of the switching apparatus according to the present invention is that a mechanical pushbutton momentary-contact switch or a momentary-contact switch combination with a timing function can be embodied, as a result of which significant cost advantages in comparison with purely electronic solutions from the prior art are obtained. Such a rocker switch or pushbutton momentary-contact switch with a timing function can be combined with further rocker switches or pushbutton momentary-contact switches and other switches to form a switch block for domestic appliances, air-conditioning units, ventilation units, miniature devices and the like.
Further advantages are that no standby-operating mode is necessary for the electromechanical momentary-contact switch according to the invention since the switch can always be actuated mechanically. As a result, the considerable consumption of energy for the standby mode can be dispensed with.
The electromechanical momentary-contact switch is also significantly less susceptible to faults than purely electronic pressure switches. In particular, the mechanical rocker switch or pushbutton momentary-contact switch can be confirmed to have a significantly higher electromagnetic compatibility with respect to electromagnetic interference.
In addition, the device that is to be actuated can be isolated clearly from the power supply system using the electromechanical momentary-contact switch. This is advantageous not only from a safety point of view but also for the configuration of further electronic components of the device.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in an electromechanical momentary-contact switch having timed supplementary functions, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to
If the momentary-contact switch is then activated manually, the electrical contact between the contact elements 4 and 5 closes so that the momentary-contact switch is in an electrical ON state. The pushbutton momentary-contact switch then stays in the ON state since the electrical contact element 4 is held by the permanent magnet 7 over the core of the electromagnet 6 counter to the spring force of the spring 2.
In order to switch the pushbutton momentary-contact switch into the OFF state, a short pulse is applied to the electro-magnet 6. The electrical pulse is in this case oriented such that its magnetic field induced in the coil of the electromagnet 6 counteracts the magnetic field of the permanent magnet 7. As a result, the magnetic force exerted on the electrical contact element 4 is reduced, so that the spring 2 pushes the momentary-contact element 1 upward, opens the electrical contact and thus moves the pushbutton momentary-contact switch into the OFF state.
The electrical pulse for the electromagnet 6 may be a control pulse from a non-illustrated control device, in particular the pulse of a time-delay switching element.
The pushbutton momentary-contact switch 13 is used to activate an intensive stage. The intensive stage signifies briefly switching higher into the maximum rotational speed range. By the intensive stage, the conventional switch block 8 to 12 is expanded by one fully functional intensive stage, using a pushbutton momentary-contact switch 13 with a timing function.
The intensive stage can be switched on in any operating state, i.e. at any speed of fan motor. It remains switched on in the predefined time period unless it is disconnected from the pushbutton momentary-contact switch by switching off (e.g. actuating switch 9) the fan motor. After the predefined time period has expired, the intensive stage deactivates itself. The device then carries on running in the originally set stage.
For an additional intensive stage, the switch for the intensive stage must be mechanically decoupled from the other switches. The momentary-contact switch 13 for the intensive stage is also preferably equipped with its own time-delay switching element.
When the intensive stage is activated, the stage that has been active until then is first switched off and only then is the intensive stage activated. As already mentioned, the intensive stage can be switched off manually at any time before the predefined time period has expired.
When the intensive stage is switched off, irrespective of whether this is done automatically or manually, the previously set stage is automatically activated, as has also already been explained. The momentary-contact switch of this stage is still in the activated position so that the operator can recognize the stage used last.
According to a further embodiment, instead of being equipped with an intensive stage, the extractor hood is equipped with a run-on or after run stage. The momentary contact switches 8 to 12 are assigned as in the first embodiment. However, the switch block is expanded by a fully functional run-on stage. In contrast to the first embodiment, the momentary-contact switch 13 for the run-on stage is mechanically connected to the other momentary-contact switches 9 to 12 by slides, 30, illustrated diagrammatically in
The run-on stage, like the intensive stage, can be switched on in any operating state. When the run-on stage is activated, any previously active stage is released. The run-on stage remains active for a predefined time period and then deactivates itself. In the process, the device switches off completely. The run-on stage can, like the other stages, be switched off by the switch-off or reset button 9. However, it can also be switched off by switching on another stage.
In
The rockers 15 to 18 can be mechanically connected to a driver in a way that is appropriate functionally with respect to one another. As a result, it is possible to bring about a situation in which, when the stage 2 is switched on directly, i.e. the stage 1 has not yet been switched on, the rocker 16 for the stage 1 is also moved into the switched-on position by the driver.
Finally,
The intensive stage can be switched off at any time by activating the rocker 18. The device then switches back to the maximum normal stage, i.e. in the present case stage 2. However, the intensive stage can also be switched off by the stage 0, i.e. the device, being switched off with the rocker 16. A housing 19 of the rocker switch block contains a cuboid receptacle 20 beneath the rocker switch 18 for mounting a time-delay switching element. In principle, the time-delay switching element is configured according to
The quintuple rocker switch block correspondingly has, in addition to the time-delay switching element 23 for the intensive stage, a further time-delay switching element 24 in an additional receptacle 22 for the run-on function (see
In the home position according to
The switching of the stage 1, stage 2 and the intensive stage is carried out, as illustrated in
After the end of the run-on function, the rocker 21 is moved into its home position by a spring. After the automatic switching-off, the switch position corresponds to that in
As is shown by the exploded view in
In summary, it is to be noted that, in this way, an electromechanical switch is implemented which in its operator control characteristic is based on the electronic control systems that have been used previously, but is significantly more cost-effective. This is possible by virtue of the fact that robust parts that are manufactured by series production are combined with modified and newly-developed components to form a pushbutton momentary-contact switch or a switch block with a timer function. With this novel switch it is also possible to implement device block switches with a plurality of switches. The field of use of the switch or block switch is not restricted to the field of extractor hoods but rather can also be extended to any domestic appliances, air-conditioning units, ventilation units, miniature devices, etc.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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101 63 193 | Dec 2001 | DE | national |
This application is a continuation, under 35 U.S.C. §120, of copending international application No. PCT/EP02/13457, filed Nov. 28, 2002, which designated the United States; this application also claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. §119, of German patent application No. 101 63 193.6, filed Dec. 21, 2001; the prior applications are herewith incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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3248496 | Stafford | Apr 1966 | A |
3675166 | McCloskey et al. | Jul 1972 | A |
5690093 | Schrank et al. | Nov 1997 | A |
6836201 | Devenyi et al. | Dec 2004 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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1 158 149 | Nov 1963 | DE |
198 02 332 | Jul 1998 | DE |
0 537 700 | Apr 1993 | EP |
931341 | Jul 1963 | GB |
2 083 207 | Mar 1982 | GB |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20040263298 A1 | Dec 2004 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/EP02/13457 | Nov 2002 | US |
Child | 10873383 | US |