Two-stage self-locking switch structure for hand tools

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6469269
  • Patent Number
    6,469,269
  • Date Filed
    Monday, April 2, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, October 22, 2002
    22 years ago
Abstract
A two-stage self-locking switch for electric hand tools mainly comprises a trigger base structure, an auto-return switch, a tigger-controlling structure, a trigger structure, and a cover for the trigger base structure. Wherein the trigger-controlling structure pivoted to the trigger base structure comprises namely a button connected with an arresting part on its bottom and a flexible slice on the bottom of its front, and the flexible slice is connected with both an upward extending retaining key and a downward extending reversed hook plate. Whereas, the trigger structure is pivoted to the trigger base structure with respect to the position of the trigger-controlling structure, and on the appropriate positions of the front of the trigger structure corresponding to the arresting part and the reversed hook plate is provided with a resisting plate and a hook plate respectively.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to a structure of a two-stage self-locking switch for electric hand tools, more particularly to a structure which can provide two self-locking functions for switches: preventing the switch from being mistakenly activated as a result of inattentively touching and enabling switches being activated continuously, through which the safety and convenience in using the hand tools equipped with switches can be enhanced.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




The electric hand tools for trimming plants are equipped with switches providing the function of turning on and off power, to activate or stop the running of the motor. The prior art of the switches of the electric hand tools includes a trigger base structure, an auto-return switch, a trigger structure, and a cover for the trigger base structure. The traditional trigger structure of the electric hand tool is not equipped with the functions for preventing switch being inattentively activated and for enabling switches being activated continuously; and therefore, mistaken activation of the electric hand tools can easily lead to personnel injury in case of touching inattentively, and long hour of holding the trigger to activate the electric hand tools can be tiring and inconvenient.




Accordingly, the present innovation is to improve the shortcomings of the prior art of the electric hand tools.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The object of the present invention is to provide a two-stage self-locking switch for electric hand tools, which employs a trigger-controlling structure mounted on the prior art of the electric hand tool and a trigger structure provided with a resisting plate and a hook plate with respect to the trigger-controlling structure. The arresting part provided in the trigger-controlling structure and the resisting plate mounted on the tricker are mutually obstructing each other at the original power-off status when the electric hand tool is not in use, preventing the hand tool from being, mistakenly activated as a result of inattentively touching. Also, when the electric hand tool is in use the electric hand tool can be activated continuously by hooking together the reversed hook plate provided at the trigger-controlling structure and the hook plate mounted on the trigger structure, without the need of holding the trigger structure in the duration of activation.




The present innovation and its aims and functions can be better understood with reference to the following figures.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is an exploded perspective view of the structure of the two-stage self-locking switch for electric hand tools of the present invention.





FIG. 2

is a cross-section view for the assembled structure of the two-stage self-locking switch for electric hand tools of the present invention.





FIG. 3

is a cross-section view for the assembled structure of the two-stage self-locking switch for electric hand tools of the present invention with the trigger-controlling structure being pressed down.





FIG. 4

is a cross-section view for the assembled structure of the two-stage self-locking switch for electric hand tools of the present invention with the trigger-controlling structure being pressed down and the switch trigger being lifted up.





FIG. 5

is a cross-section view for the assembled structure of the two-stage self-locking switch for electric hand tools of the present invention with the reversed hook plate hooking the hook plate to enable the switch being activated continuously.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




As illustrated with reference to

FIGS. 1 and 2

, one preferred embodiment of the two-stage self-locking switch for electric hand tools of the present invention comprises a trigger base structure


1


, an auto-return switch


2


, a trigger-controlling structure


3


, a trigger structure


4


, and a cover


5


for the trigger base structure. The trigger base structure


1


comprises a hand hold


16


behind which a rear pivoting shaft


11


, a counteractive plate


12


, a front pivoting shaft


13


, a counteractive rod


14


, a switch seat


15


, and an opening


17


are provided at appropriate positions, wherein the auto-return switch


2


is arranged at the switch seat


15


. Whereas, the trigger-controlling structure


3


mainly comprises a button


31


pivoted to the front pivoting shaft


13


by a pivot


33


. On the rear side of the button


31


is provided with an elastic slice


34


of which one end is mounted on the top of the counteractive rod


14


, on the front bottom of the button


31


is provided with a gear-like arresting part


32


, and on the bottom of the button


31


is connected with a flexible slice


37


of which the bottom is fixed both to an upward extending retaining key


35


and a downward extending reversed hook plate


36


. The trigger structure


4


mainly comprises a trigger switch


41


of which the rear part is a trigger pivot


42


pivoted to the rear pivoting shaft


11


, and the rear part of the trigger pivot


42


is an elastic slice


45


of the trigger structure contacted against the counteractive plate


12


. The front of the trigger structure


4


is provided with a switch plate


43


contacted against the lower part of the self-return switch


2


. The two sides of the front of the trigger structure


4


are fixed respectively to a restricting plate


46


to serve as the lowest limit which the trigger switch


41


can move downwards. At the appropriate position on the interlayer of the front of the trigger structure


4


is provided with a reversed ladder-like book plate


47


, and a resisting plate


44


is arranged at the back of the hook plate


47


. And the trigger base structure


5


is a near symmetric structure with the trigger structure


1


, wherein on its top is arranged with a through hole


51


and a through hole


52


which can be fastened with the rear pivoting shaft


11


and the front pivoting shaft


13


of the trigger structure


1


by screws, respectively.




As illustrated with reference to

FIG. 2

, one preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises the two-stage self-locking switch for electric hand tools. In the case of the button


31


not being pressed down, the arresting part


32


of the trigger-controlling structure


3


can block the upward movement of the resisting plate


44


driven by the upward-moving trigger switch


35


, and therefore the trigger switch


35


is unable to move upwards. As illustrated with reference to

FIGS. 3 and 4

, if the button


31


is pressed down, the resisting plate


44




c


move upwards easily without the hindrance of the arresting part


32


, and the auto-return switch


2


is in turn driven to ON status by the switch plate


43


. If the trigger switch


41


and the button


31


are released again, the upward movement of the trigger switch


41


can make the trigger pivot


42


rotate around the rear pivoting shaft


11


, a certain amount of residual elastic force is generated on the deformed elastic slice


45


of the trigger structure which in turn prompts the trigger switch


41


to drive the switch plate


43


back to its original position. The auto-return switch


2


will also return to the OFF status after losing the supporting force. In the mean time, the button


31


and the arresting pan


32


situated above the button


31


will also return to their original positions. Furthermore, as illustrated with reference to

FIG. 4

, in the case of pressing down the button


31


and moving the trigger switch


41


upwards to drive the auto-return switch


2


to ON status, moving the retaining key


35


backwards (as shown in

FIG. 5

) will cause the flexible slice


37


, pivoting on its one side according to the lever rule, to prompt the reversed hook plate


36


moving forwards to hook to the ladder-like hook plate


47


. At this moment, if the trigger switch


41


and the button


31


are released, the trigger structure


4


and the trigger-controlling structure


3


will not return to their original positions because the hook plate


47


is hooked to the reversed hook plate


36


, making the auto-return switch maintain at the ON status continuously. But, if the button


31


is being pressed down, the reversed hook plate


36


will release the hook plate


47


, making the trigger structure


4


and the trigger-controlling structure


3


return to their original positions and, in turn, the auto-return switch will return to OFF status.




It should be understood that the above only describes an example of one embodiment of the present invention, and that various alternations or modifications may be made thereto without departing the spirit of this invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be based on the claims described later.



Claims
  • 1. A two-stage self-locking switch for electric band tools comprising:a trigger base structure; a switch seat; an auto-return switch arranged in said switch seat; a trigger-controlling structure pivoted to said switch seat, said trigger-controlling structure being provided with at least an arresting part and an elastic slice, and said trigger-controlling structure being connected to a rear part of said switch seat so as to secure said elastic slice to said switch seat; and a trigger structure being pivoted to said switch seat and comprising a triggering switch having a top provided with a resisting plate, two ends of said triggering switch being arranged with a switch plate and an elastic slice of said trigger structure respectively, said elastic slice of said trigger structure contacting said trigger base structure; wherein when no external force is applied to said trigger structure, said arresting part sets against said resisting plate, making said trigger switch unable to be pressed; and when said tigger-controlling structure is pressed, said arresting part is moved away from said resisting plate, making said trigger switch able to be pressed.
  • 2. A two-stage self-locking switch for electric hand tools according to claim 1, wherein said trigger controlling structure is arranged with a downward extending flexible slice, a lower end of said flexible slice is provided with a reversed hook plate, said trigger structure has a top provided with a hook plate, and upon pressing said trigger controlling structure and said trigger switch one by one, said reversed hook plate is hooked to said hook plate and in turn said trigger structure is maintained at PRESS status, while turning said trigger controlling structure to an opposite direction separates said reversed hook plate and said hook plate.
  • 3. A two-stage self-locking switch for electric hand tools according to claim 1, wherein said elastic slice and said trigger-controlling structure are manufactured as an integral part.
  • 4. A two-stage self-locking switch for electric hand tools according to claim 1, wherein said elastic slice of said trigger structure and said trigger structure are manufactured as an integral part.
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5638945 Fukinuki et al. Jun 1997 A
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6169258 Roney et al. Jan 2001 B1