1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a switch wire connection device, and more particularly to a switch wire connection device including a restriction unit, a contact plate and a metal leaf spring assembled with each other for directly electrically connecting with a conductive wire. The restriction unit has higher rigidity and is able to help in fixing the metal leaf spring and restricting the moving path thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional switch wire connection device is a power switch device capable of connecting circuits or conductive wires. The switch wire connection device is installed on an operation panel or distribution box of an electronic or electrical apparatus for connecting the wiring circuits. The switch wire connection device has an insulation case (generally made of plastic material) and a conductive component enclosed in the insulation case and a screw for locking the wiring circuits or conductive wires of the electronic or electrical apparatus. By means of operating a switch pushbutton, the conductive component is controlled to electrically contact or separate from the wiring circuits or the conductive wires so as to close the circuit to power on the electronic or electrical apparatus or open the circuit to power off the electronic or electrical apparatus.
With respect to operation, use and structural design of the switch wire connection device, the insulation case is formed with wire sockets and screw locking holes in communication with each other. An operator can use a tool to drive the screw to lock a conductive wire plugged into the wire socket. In practice, the screw must be first positioned in the screw locking hole in a loosened state, permitting the conductive wire to plug into the wire socket. In the loosened state, the screw is often deflected. Under such circumstance, it is troublesome and hard for the operator to aim the tool at the screw to drive the screw for locking the conductive wire with the electrical contact (or termed electrical connection terminal).
To improve the above problem, there is a conventional switch wire connection device in which the insulation case and the electrical contact are formed with guide channels and guide ribs in cooperation with the spring. Such structure is relatively complicated so that the manufacturing cost is increased and generally the volume of the case is enlarged to avoid interference between the guide structures and the conductive component. The increase of the volume of the case is unbeneficial to the miniaturization of the switch wire connection terminal device and fails to meet the trend to miniaturize the switch wire connection terminal device.
Also, in some operation environments (such as the operation of the machine or the equipment will cause vibration), after a long term of use, the screw is apt to loosen. As a result, the conductive wire may loosen and detach from the case. Especially, when driving the screw mechanism to lock the conductive wires with the electrical contact, it is necessary to use a tool for tightening/untightening the screw. Such process is relatively troublesome. This is not what we expect.
There is another conventional switch wire connection device in which the case is designed with a specific internal structure and an α-shaped metal leaf spring is applied to the case for pressing the conductive wires instead of the screw mechanism. However, as known by those who are skilled in this field, the α-shaped metal leaf spring is manufactured by a special bending process and it is necessary to form a mouth section on the metal leaf spring for the other end of the metal leaf spring to swingably pass through the mouth section for pressing the conductive wire. The manufacturing process of the α-shaped metal leaf spring is quite troublesome and complicated. This is not what we expect.
To speak representatively, the conventional switch wire connection device has some shortcomings in structural design and operational form. To overcome the above shortcomings, it is necessary to redesign the insulation case, the conductive component, the electrical contact and the metal leaf spring and change the use form of the switch wire connection device and widen the application range thereof. For example, in the condition that the volume of the switch wire connection device is not increased, the switch wire connection device is redesigned to have a simplified structure, which is easy to manufacture and operate. In the conventional switch wire connection device, it is hard and troublesome for an operator to aim the tool at the screw to drive the screw for locking the conductive wire with the electrical contact. In addition, it is troublesome to assemble the guide channels and guide ribs of the insulation case and the electrical contact and the spring. Also, an α-shaped metal leaf spring is applied to the insulation case and the structure of the switch wire connection device is complicated. After redesigned, all the above shortcomings of the conventional switch wire connection device are overcome. Moreover, without using any tool, an operator can directly plug the conductive wires into the case to electrically connect with the electrical contact. The electrical contact has higher rigidity or hardness and good electrical conductivity and is able to help in fixing the metal leaf spring and restricting the moving path thereof. All these are not substantially taught, suggested or disclosed in the conventional switch wire connection devices.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a switch wire connection device, which has a simplified structure and is easy to operate with enhanced stability of operation. The switch wire connection device includes a conductive component mounted in an insulation case, a switch pushbutton assembled with the conductive component and an electrical contact. The electrical contact has a restriction unit and a contact plate connected with the restriction unit. By means of operating the pushbutton, the conductive component is driven to selectively electrically contact or separate from the contact plate. The restriction unit defines a space, in which a metal leaf spring is assembled. The wiring circuit or conductive wire of a machine or equipment can be easily directly plugged into the space of the restriction unit and held by the metal leaf spring. In addition, during the operation process, the metal leaf spring is prevented from deflecting.
In the above switch wire connection device, the restriction unit and the contact plate are formed as an integrated structure. The restriction unit has a first side, a second side connected with the first side, a third side connected with the second side and a fourth side connected with the third side. The first, second, third and fourth sides together form a frame structure having the space for receiving the metal leaf spring. At least the second side and the fourth side serve to help in restricting the moving path of the metal leaf spring. The contact plate has a first end and a second end. The first end is connected with the first side of the restriction unit. The second end is an inclined and lifted structure and extends in a direction to contact the conductive component.
The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:
Please refer to
As shown in the drawings, there are two electrical contacts 40 disposed in the cavity 11 of the case. Each electrical contact 40 includes a restriction unit 50 and a contact plate 60 connected with the restriction unit 50. The restriction unit 50 is selectively made of a plane-plate blank material with higher rigidity or hardness, (such as iron or steel). The plane-plate blank material is manufactured into the restriction unit 50 in the form of a cuboidal frame structure as shown in
As shown in the drawings, the restriction unit 50 has a first side 51, a second side 52 connected with the first side 51, a third side 53 connected with the second side 52 and a fourth side 54 connected with the third side 53, which together form a cuboidal frame structure having a space 55 for receive therein a metal leaf spring 70. In addition, at least the second side 52 and the fourth side 54 together help in restricting the moving path of the metal leaf spring 70.
In this embodiment, the fourth side 54 is bent toward the first side 51 and extends to form a subsidiary side 56. (For example, the fourth side 54 and the subsidiary side 56 contain an acute angle, a right angle or an obtuse angle). The subsidiary side 56 and the first side 51 are respectively formed with connection sections 56a, 51a, which can be connected with each other. It should be noted that the subsidiary side 56 and the first side 51 can be alternatively connected or fixed with each other by means of insertion, latching, riveting, welding, etc. The second and the fourth sides 52, 54 are formed with rib sections 52a, 54a for increasing the structural strength of the restriction unit 50.
As shown in the drawings, the rib section 52a of the second side 52 extends in a direction from the first side 51 to the third side 53 and is downward inclined. The rib section 54a of the fourth side 54 extends in a direction from the subsidiary side 56 to the third side 53 and is downward inclined.
As shown in
As shown in the drawings, the metal leaf spring 70 is substantially in the form of a V-shaped body having an opening. The metal leaf spring 70 includes a first section 71, a second section 72 and a bent section 73 connected between the first and second sections 71, 72. The first section 71 has a head end 74 and an assembling section 75 in the form of a perforation. The assembling section 75 can be assembled on an assembling section 53a in the form of a raised section formed on the third side 53 of the restriction unit, whereby the first section 71 of the metal leaf spring is positioned in the space 55 of the restriction unit. Moreover, the head end 74 of the first section 71 of the metal leaf spring and an upper end section of the third side 53 of the restriction unit are together fixed in a recess 13 of the cavity 11 of the case. The bent section 73 of the metal leaf spring is wound on a stake 14 in the cavity 11 of the case, whereby the second section 72 of the metal leaf spring extends into the space 55 of the restriction unit and can swing within the space 55 of the restriction unit.
In this embodiment, after the metal leaf spring 70 is mounted in the cavity 11 of the case, the opening of the metal leaf spring is directed to the conductive component 30. In this case, the second section 72 is arranged in such an angle that the conductive wire 90 can be easily plugged and assembled with the case. Moreover, the plug-in direction or angle of the conductive wire 90 is approximately equal to the inclination angle of the first end 61 of the contact plate. Therefore, the conductive wire 90 can contact the first end 61 of the contact plate by larger area than the conventional structure and get closer to the conductive component 30. This enhances the electrical conduction efficiency and assembling stability. Such structure is obviously different from the α-shaped metal leaf spring or screw mechanism used in the conventional technique for locking and connecting with the conductive wire.
Referring to
Referring to
Especially, when plugging the conductive wire 90 into the cavity 11 of the case and the space 55 of the restriction unit 50, the conductive wire 90 will be restricted in the space 55 of the restriction unit 50 with high hardness. Therefore, the bare metal end of the conductive wire will not thrust or scrape and break the case as happening in the conventional technique. Also, the conductive wire will not swing within the interior of the case by an excessively large angle or twist to stretch open the case due to the operational environment, the operational situation (such as the vibration caused by the operation of the machine or equipment) or a collision due to negligence.
As shown by the phantom lines of
In a modified embodiment, according to the configuration of the cavity 11 of the case, the second and fourth sides 52, 54 of the restriction unit 50 are formed with notches 52b, 54b for leaning on a shoulder section 16 formed on the case 10 or the cavity 11. Under such circumstance, the restriction unit 50 is more securely assembled with the case 10.
Please now refer to
Please now refer to
The subsidiary end 63 is further bent toward the conductive component 30 or the switch pushbutton 20 and extends to form a tail end 64. (For example, the subsidiary end 63 and the tail end 64 contain an acute angle, a right angle or an obtuse angle).
As shown in
To speak representatively, the switch wire connection device of the present invention meets the trend to miniaturize the switch wire connection terminal device without increasing the volume of the case. In comparison with the conventional device, the switch wire connection device of the present invention has the following advantages:
In conclusion, the switch wire connection device of the present invention is effective and different from the conventional device in space form. The switch wire connection device of the present invention is inventive, greatly advanced and advantageous over the conventional device.
The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. Many modifications of the above embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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104216729 A | Oct 2015 | TW | national |
104134448 A | Oct 2015 | TW | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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4806711 | Eckhaus | Feb 1989 | A |
5322983 | Tseng | Jun 1994 | A |
7625253 | Eppe | Dec 2009 | B2 |
9466911 | Wu | Oct 2016 | B1 |
20170110264 | Wu | Apr 2017 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20170110267 A1 | Apr 2017 | US |