1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a safety device, and in particular to a push rod of a safety device of a switch, wherein the push rod ensures that a conductive plate is deformed to cut off the circuit.
2. The Prior Arts
A conventional safety device for a switch is used to electrically connect the two terminals when the circuit is in “ON” status and electrically separate the two terminals when the circuit is in “OFF” status. As shown in
The safety device is designed to avoid a circuit from being burnt under an overload condition, which generates a high temperature to burn or melt the circuit. The bimetallic plate 201 is made of two different metal materials and is formed to a plate shape that can deform toward an opposite direction under the overload condition. When the circuit is in “ON” status, the be-metallic plate 201 bends toward the second terminal 204 to keep the first and second contact points 203, 205 in contact with each other as shown in
The bimetallic plate 201 is made of two different metal materials with different expansion coefficients. When the bimetallic plate 201 is heated, the bimetallic plate 201 will deform toward the opposite direction to separate the first and second contact points 203, 205. However, there are several shortcomings for the conventional safety device as follows:
The present invention intends to resolve the problem that the conventional bimetallic plate does not trip off or cannot trip off completely under an overload condition. The conventional bi-metallic plate cannot cut off the circuit at the preset temperature and may re-connect the circuit and disconnect the circuit frequently alternatively, thereby generating sparks and an unstable current which may damage the electrical appliances.
The safety device of the present invention comprises a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein a first contact point is connected to an end of the second terminal. A conductive plate has a first end fixed to the first terminal and a second contact point is connected to a second end of the conductive plate. The second contact point is located corresponding to the first contact point. A push rod is made of a temperature-durable material located between the first and the second terminals. The push rod is located at a side of the conductive plate and a gap is defined between a distal end of the push rod and the conductive plate. Under a current overload condition, the conductive plate is bent and deformed to move the second contact point away from the first contact point, a mediate portion of the conductive plate is bent downward to the push rod and the push rod applies a force to the conductive plate to move in a direction away from the first contact point so as to ensure that the first and second contact points are separated.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a safety device for a switch wherein a push rod is located at a side of the conductive plate and a gap is defined between the push rod and the conductive plate. When the conductive plate is deformed due to overheating, the push rod contacts with the conductive plate and pushes the conductive plate to ensure that the first and second contact points are separated to cut off the circuit.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a safety device for a switch wherein the push rod is made of temperature-durable material or wear-proof material such as metal, such that the gap between the conductive plate and the push rod will not be changed as a result of the high temperature of the conductive plate.
The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
With reference to the drawings and in particular to
The first and second terminals 11, 12 are connected to the casing so as to form a circuit, in which a first contact point 121 is connected to an end of the second terminal 12.
The conductive plate 13 is of a metallic and flexible plate which is able to bend toward either of two sides thereof, specifically, the conductive plate 13 bends toward in an opposite direction when the conductive plate 13 is overheating. In the present embodiment, the conductive plate 13 is made of an alloy metal having a first end fixed to the first terminal 11 and a second contact point 131 connected to a second end of the conductive plate 13. The second contact point 131 is located corresponding to the first contact point 121. The second end of the conductive plate 13 bends toward a direction away from the first contact point 121 when the conductive plate 13 is overheating.
The push rod 14 is fixed in the casing and located between the first and the second terminals 11, 12. The push rod 14 is substantially perpendicular to the conductive plate 13. In the present embodiment, the distal end 141 of the push rod 14 is of a round shape which points the conductive plate 13 and has a gap defined between the conductive plate 13 and the push rod 14. However, the distal end 141 of the push rod 14 can be of a flat shape or includes a protrusion such as a triangular protrusion.
As shown in
As shown in
When the circuit is in an overload or a too high temperature condition, the second end of the conductive plate 13 bends upward and the mediate portion of the conductive plate 13 bends downward. The mediate portion of the conductive plate 13 contacts the distal end 141 of the push rod 14 which applies a force “F” upward to the mediate portion of the conductive plate 13. The force “F” further helps to separate the first and second contact points 121, 131 to ensure that the circuit is cut off.
Generally, when the conductive plate 13 bends, the mediate portion of the conductive plate 13 contacts the push rod 14. The high temperature of the conductive plate 13 is transferred to the distal end 141 of the push rod 14 so that the distal end 141 is melted or worn out after a period of time. This enlarges the gap between the push rod 14 and the conductive plate 13, which may fail to push the conductive plate 13 upward. In order to avoid such situation, the push rod 14 and the distal end 141 are made of a wear-proof material such as metal.
It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications or variations can be made in the invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. It is intended that the invention include such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.