Information
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Patent Grant
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6335500
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Patent Number
6,335,500
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Date Filed
Wednesday, November 1, 200024 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, January 1, 200223 years ago
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Inventors
-
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A push button type switch comprises a body and drive means. The body has a hollow interior portion that is formed as two operation spaces by a spacing portion with a through hole thereon. The two spaces each being arranged with a press element having a protrusion enclosing with an operation area and a plurality of conductive elements same ends of which have respective switching element. The driving means include a depressing element connected to the operation area and has an end passing through the through hole of the spacing portion. An elastic element covers on the pressing element and has an end connected to the spacing portion; and a rotary seat is pivotally installed on the body and has a guide groove for supporting the depressing element. One end of the rotary seat has a positioning portion connected to the switching means so that as a force applies to the pressing element. The depressing element is pressed to compress the elastic element, and another end of the depressing element resists against the guide groove so that the rotary seat shifts to drive the switching means to conduct the conductive elements. By the restoring elastic force of the elastic element, the pressing element and the depressing element are restored to the original condition.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a push button type switch, wherein the pressing element retains in an initial position despite the condition of the switch so as to be formed as a complete opening and closing loop.
The push button type switch of the current electronic products, as shown in
FIGS. 1A and 1B
, has a casing with a control rod slidable in the casing. An elastic element is installed between the control rod and an end surface of the casing. A plurality of confining blocks as a sliding guiding surface is formed on the control rod so as to be formed as a track guide. An elastomer displacing along the track guide is formed on the control rod. The control rod moves downward to press the elastic element and then to drive the elastomer to be moved along the track guide to a center confining block for positioning thereon. A driven piece connected to another end of the control rod will press contact pieces to cause terminals to be conductive, and then a force is applied to the control rod again so that it is moved along the track guide to the initial position. Then, the driven piece is driven synchronously to separate from a pressing position of the contact piece, and thus, the circuit is opened. However, the prior art push button type switch has the following disadvantages:
1. The parts of the push button type switch can not be easily assembled. As the elastomer moves in the track guide, the confining blocks are often worn so that the elastomer will deform or the confining block wears so that as the control rod is pressed downwards, the control rod can not substantially press the contact piece for controlling the opening and closing of the switch.
2. As the control rod is depressed to be positioned in the confining block, it can not restore to the initial condition, while at next time, as it is pressed for restoring to the initial condition, the switch is opened. Therefore, the operation is inconvenient. The push button type switch has on displaying device. The user can not determine the condition of the switch. Moreover, the contact piece is made of a single metal piece with only one thermal extension coefficient. Thus, the object of overload protection can not achieve. As a result, the applications are confined.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a push button type switch, wherein the pressing element retains in an initial position despite the condition of the switch so as to be formed as a complete opening and closing loop.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a push button type switch, wherein a display lamp set is further installed for informing the user the condition of the current switch.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a push button type switch, wherein the contact piece is formed by two metal pieces with different extension coefficients for achieving the effect of over current or over voltage protection.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
Embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGS. 1A and 1B
are schematic views of the prior art push button type switch.
FIG. 2
is a schematic perspective view of the present invention.
FIG. 3
is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the present invention.
FIGS. 4A
,
4
B,
4
C and
4
D are assembled schematic views of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to
FIGS. 2
,
3
and
4
, the perspective view and the exploded schematic view of the present invention are illustrated. The push button type switch of the present invention includes a body
11
. One side of the body
11
has an opening for being assembled with a sealing piece
12
. The body
11
and sealing piece
12
are installed with matched posts
121
, positioning holes
114
and ear portions
115
and buckle holes
122
for being formed with a switch seat
1
. The body
11
has a hollow inner portion. The portion is spaced as two operation spaces
111
,
112
by the spacing
113
with through hole
1133
. The spacing
113
is integrally formed the body
11
. A protrusion
223
is installed with a pressing element
2
formed with an operation section
222
by the protrusion
223
and a plurality of conductive elements
6
a,
6
b,
and
6
c
connected to the switch element
4
. The pressing element
2
includes a housing
21
with buckle hole
211
at the periphery and a supporting seat
22
with a buckle hole
221
with respect to the buckle hole
211
for forming the housing
21
. Two ends of the supporting seat
22
and the conductive elements
6
a,
6
b,
and
6
c
at two sides of the body
11
are formed two auxiliary elastic elements
33
,
33
′. A display lamp set
23
is arranged on the supporting seat
22
. The display lamp set
23
has pins
232
,
233
which are connected to resistor
231
. Then, a spacer
225
and post
224
serve to space it for passing through the through hole
1132
and then is connected to the auxiliary elastic elements
33
,
33
′ so that the push button type switch is closed. The current passes through the conductive elements
6
a,
6
b,
and
6
c
to the auxiliary elastic elements
33
,
33
′ and then passes through the display lamp set
23
(the display lamp set
23
is a neon lamp set) so as to emit light. The housing
21
is made of transparent material in order to inform the user the condition of the lamp. A driving means
3
is installed within the body
11
, which is includes a depressing element
31
connected to the operation section
222
and an elastic element
32
installed in the depressing element
31
and having an end connected to a engaging portion
1131
of the spacing portion
113
, and a rotary seat
34
with an axial connecting portion
342
for being pivotally installed to the body
11
and having a guide groove
341
for resisting against the depressing element
31
. One end of the rotary seat
34
is installed with a positioning portion
343
connected to a switching element
4
. Besides, the switch element
4
has a contact piece
42
connected to the conductive elements
6
c.
Another end of the contact piece
42
is installed with a combining portion
421
which is made of metal wire. A swingable piece
43
with two notches
441
is installed between the contact piece
42
and the rotary seat
34
. The contact piece
42
has another end being installed with joints
43
,
43
′ with respective to the conductive elements
6
b.
The contact piece
42
is made of a metal piece with two different extension coefficients (bi-metal). In the present invention, when voltage or current is over the predetermined values, then the contact piece
42
heats due to resistivity. The metal piece with a low extension coefficient will bend to force the contact piece
42
to bend so that the present invention is tripped to be in an open condition (from the closing condition of
FIG. 4C
to the opening condition of
FIG. 4A
) so as to achieve the object the overload protection.
In the present invention, the conductive elements
6
a,
6
b,
and
6
c
are terminals or pins. With reference to
FIG. 4
a,
the schematic view shows the initial condition of the present invention. When the user applies a force to the housing
21
of the pressing element
2
for driving the supporting seat
22
to move downwards. The elastic element
32
of the driving means
3
is a spring with a wider lower portion. The top of the depressing element
31
is formed with a head
311
having an outer diameter larger than the elastic element
32
. As the depressing element
31
is pressed by the pressing element
2
to move downwards to press the elastic element
32
. Then, since the guide groove
341
of the rotary seat
34
are inclined or have a round arc shape from the center to the two ends. The depressing element
31
is shifted along the track of the guide groove
341
. The head
311
of the depressing element
31
will not separate due to the confinement of the protrusion
224
of the operation area
222
. The rotary seat is pressed by the shift of the depressing element
31
and then rotates so that the swingable piece
43
at the same end of the rotary seat
34
will drive the contact piece
42
to move downwards. By the pressing of the elastic body
41
, the joint
43
of the contact piece
42
is connected to another joint
43
′ on the conductive elements
6
b
so as to be formed as a closing condition (as shown in FIG.
4
). When the outer force is removed, the elastic element
32
and the auxiliary elastic element
33
,
33
′ at two sides of the supporting seat
22
restore the elasticity so as to drive the press element
2
and the depressing element
31
to restore to the initial position. Now, the push button type switch remains in a closing condition (FIG.
4
C). When the user applies a force to the pressing element
2
again, then the depressing element
31
is driven to move along the track at another end of the guide groove
341
so as to drive the rotary seat
34
to move in a reverse direction and cause the swingable piece
44
to guide the contact piece
42
to move upwards so as to be formed as an open condition (as shown in FIG.
4
D). As the outer force disappears, by the restoring elastic forces of the elastic element
32
and the auxiliary elastic element
33
,
33
′, the pressing element
2
and the depressing element
31
are restored to the original position.
It will also be appreciated that other modifications and variations may be made to the embodiments as described and illustrated within the scope of the present application as defined in the following claims.
Claims
- 1. A push button type switch comprising:a body having a hollow interior portion which is divided into two operation spaces by a spacer having a through hole therein; a pressing element situated in a first of said operation spaces, said pressing element having protrusions extending from an operation section of the pressing element; a switching element situated in a second of said operation spaces; a plurality of conductive elements having first ends arranged to respectively engage the switching element and thereby establish an electrical connection between said conductive elements; and driving means including a depressing element positioned between said protrusions and connected to the operation section, said depressing element having an end passing through the through hole of the spacer; an elastic element surrounding the pressing element and having an end connected to the spacer; and a rotary seat pivotally installed on the body and having a guide groove for supporting the depressing element; one end of the rotary seat having a positioning portion connected to the switching element, wherein as a force is applied to the pressing element, the depressing element is pressed to compress the elastic element, wherein another end of the depressing element engages the guide groove so that the rotary seat shifts to drive the switching element to electrically connect the conductive elements, wherein by the restoring elastic force of the elastic element, the pressing element and the depressing element are restored to the original condition, and wherein the switching element has a contact piece having an end connected to the conductive elements; another end of the contact piece is connected to an elastic body firmly secured to the body, and a swingable piece is connected between the contact piece and the rotary seat.
- 2. The push button type switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein one side of the body has an opening for being assembled with a closing element so as to be formed as a switch seat, and the body and the closing element are matched with positioning posts, positioning holes and ear portions and buckling holes at two respective ends.
- 3. The push button type switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressing element includes a housing and a supporting seat supporting the housing.
- 4. The push button type switch as claimed in claim 3, wherein two ends of the supporting seat are assembled with two auxiliary elastic element.
- 5. The push button type switch as claimed in claim 3, wherein the supporting seat is arranged with a display lamp set; and the housing is made of transparent material.
- 6. The push button type switch as claimed in claim 1 wherein the another end of the contact piece and the respective conductive elements are arranged with joints.
- 7. The push button type switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elastic body is made by bending a metal steel wire.
- 8. The push button type switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contact piece is made by two metal pieces with different heat extension coefficients.
- 9. The push button type switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the depressing element has a top edge having a head, and an outer diameter of the head is larger than that of a head of the elastic element.
- 10. The push button type switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide groove of the rotary seat is inclined from a center to two ends according to a preset angle.
- 11. The push button type switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide groove of the rotary seat has a round arc shape.
US Referenced Citations (4)