pressure switch

Abstract

A pressure switch includes a pressure-resistant container made of metal, a conductive terminal disposed through the pressure-resistant container and fixed in airtight and insulating relation to the pressure-resistant container, a contact mechanism electrically connected to the conductive terminal and disposed inside the pressure-resistant container, a diaphragm covering an opening of the pressure-resistant container, mounted in airtight relation to the pressure-resistant container, capable of acting at a prescribed action pressure or more and returning at a return pressure lower than the action pressure, and a pressing member that opens and closes the contact mechanism by transmitting displacement of the diaphragm caused by action and return. The pressing member includes a first pressing member fixed to the contact mechanism and a second pressing member in contact with the diaphragm, and the first pressing member and the second pressing member are in contact in a manner that allows movement in a skew direction. The pressing member receives displacement of the diaphragm by the second pressing member, and transmits it to the contact mechanism and presses the contact mechanism via the first pressing member, thereby opening and closing the contact mechanism.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a pressure switch for detecting pressure rise or fall within a sealed container. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, there was a pressure switch that exposed a pressure plate inside a pressure vessel. When the pressure exceeded a threshold and rose or fell, the pressure plate was displaced by a rapid action, thereby driving the contacts to open or close the circuit.

[0003] For example, a representative example is a pressure switch used in automobiles, in which a metal container is integrally fixed to a resin connector by riveting. The metal container has a diaphragm as a pressure-receiving part and a switching mechanism. At the top of the metal container, there is a hole at the center for receiving gas or liquid, and threads are provided on its outer periphery. It is fixed by screwing the top part directly into a mounting hole opened in the pressure-sensing device from the outside.

[0004] In this configuration, the pressure switch's container needs to be strong enough to be screwed into and fixed to the pressure sensing device. Therefore, it is necessary to thicken the container and perform thread cutting. Furthermore, because it consists of multiple components that are a mixture of resin and metal parts, multiple sealing members need to be placed at the resin-metal interface to achieve a sealing structure. This increases the number of components and leads to time-consuming manufacturing.

[0005] However, the applicant has proposed a pressure switch that maintains an airtight metal pressure-resistant container so that the entire switch can be housed within the pressure container. This pressure switch is an airtight structure with the entire container made of thick metal, allowing it to be housed within a pressure vessel used for high pressure. Furthermore, the switch mechanism is configured with multiple contacts and includes a fuse mechanism for cutting off power in case of abnormal pressure rise. Therefore, when used for pressure detection in relatively low-pressure environments, it suffers from excessive pressure resistance and excessive size. On the other hand, simply miniaturizing the pressure switch structure results in the movable part of the switch mechanism being affected by the machining and assembly precision of the components, leading to increased operating resistance due to component misalignment during operation, resulting in poorer component operation and potentially failing to achieve the specified performance.

[0006] Existing technical documents

[0007] Patent documents

[0008] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-260505

[0009] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 7137250 Summary of the Invention

[0010] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0011] The problem to be solved is to obtain a small, reliable, and hermetically sealed pressure switch that can handle a variety of installations.

[0012] Solution for solving the problem

[0013] The pressure switch of this application comprises: a metal pressure-resistant container; a conductive terminal disposed through the pressure-resistant container and fixed in an airtight and insulated state relative to the pressure-resistant container; a contact mechanism electrically connected to the conductive terminal and disposed inside the pressure-resistant container; a diaphragm covering the opening of the pressure-resistant container, installed in the pressure-resistant container in an airtight state, capable of operating above a specified operating pressure and resetting at a reset pressure lower than the operating pressure; and a pressing member that transmits the displacement caused by the operation and reset of the diaphragm to open and close the contact mechanism. The pressing member includes a first pressing member fixed to the contact mechanism and a second pressing member in contact with the diaphragm, the first pressing member and the second pressing member being in contact in a manner capable of moving in an oblique direction. The pressing member receives the displacement of the diaphragm through the second pressing member and transmits it to the contact mechanism via the first pressing member to press the contact mechanism, thereby opening and closing the contact mechanism.

[0014] In the pressure switch of this application, the pressing component that transmits the displacement of the pressed part to the contact mechanism employs a structure capable of absorbing the skewing generated during operation. Thus, by dividing the pressing component, which is structurally prone to skewing, into a structure that prevents the portion from skewing from being affected by the skewing of another component, the pressure switch can suppress the generation of inter-component operating resistance, which can be a problem during miniaturization. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view showing the pressure switch of the first embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 It is used for explanation Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the operating state of the pressure switch.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view used to illustrate the pressure-receiving part structure of the pressure switch in the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of how a pressure switch is used.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view showing the pressure switch of the second embodiment.

[0020] Figure 6 It is used for explanation Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of the operating state of the pressure switch.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view showing the pressure switch of the third embodiment.

[0022] Figure 8 It is used for explanation Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of the operating state of the pressure switch.

[0023] Figure 9 It means to Figure 7 A partial exploded cross-sectional view of a pressure switch.

[0024] Figure 10 It means Figure 7 Arrow X 10 Enlarged view of part of it. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present invention divides the pressing component that transmits the displacement of the pressure-bearing part into: a pressing component that is mounted on the movable part of the contact mechanism and produces a tilt, and a pressing component that contacts the pressure-bearing part and is fitted into the guide part in a manner that moves only in the axial direction, and connects these pressing components in a tiltable manner, thereby realizing a small pressure switch that can take into account both the positioning of the plunger and reliable operation.

[0026] <First Embodiment>

[0027] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the pressure switch 1, in which a gas-tight pressure-resistant container 31 is formed by a base 2 holding the contact mechanism 40 and a metal container 3 having a pressure-bearing portion. That is, the pressure-resistant container 31 includes the base 2 and the container 3. In addition, the contact mechanism 40 includes a fixed contact plate 7, a fixed contact 7A, a movable plate 8, and a movable contact 9.

[0028] In the base 2, two through holes 4A are provided in the metal plate 4. In each through hole, the metal conductive terminal 5 is insulated and fixed in an airtight manner by an insulating filling material 6 such as glass that has electrical insulation properties.

[0029] A fixed contact plate 7 is conductively fixed to the top of one conductive terminal. In this embodiment, the fixed contact plate 7 uses a cladding material for the fixed contact 7A, which is a low-resistance metal such as silver or silver alloy, on the top of a metal plate such as a copper alloy, thereby suppressing the thickness of the switching mechanism. Alternatively, the fixed contact 7A may also adopt a structure different from the fixed contact plate 7, such as a rivet contact made of a low-resistance metal material. Furthermore, a leaf spring-shaped and conductive movable plate 8 is provided at the top of another conductive terminal, and a movable contact 9 is conductively fixed to the top of the movable plate 8. The movable contact 9 and the contact 7A of the fixed contact plate are arranged opposite each other in an openable and closable manner, and the movable plate 8 always applies force in the direction of pressing the fixed contact.

[0030] The container 3, mounted on the base 2, has a metal outer shell 10 and a pressure-bearing portion (described later). The outer shell 10 is a cylindrical shape with pressure resistance. A first opening 101 at the upper part of the outer shell 10 has a flange 10A extending radially outward, and a second opening 102 on the other side has a flange-shaped bottom 10B extending radially inward. A guide plate 12 is airtightly fixed to the bottom 10B, and the guide plate 12 has a through hole at its center. The thickness of the guide plate 12 is greater than the thickness of the outer shell 10, and is set to be sufficient to suppress deformation of the pressure-bearing portion due to excessive pressure.

[0031] A plunger 11 for transmitting the displacement of the diaphragm 13 (described later) to the contact mechanism is inserted into the through hole 12A of the guide plate 12. This plunger 11 consists of a first pressing member 11A and a second pressing member 11B. In the first pressing member 11A, a slot 11C at one end is pressed into a movable plate 8 fixed to the contact mechanism. The second pressing member 11B is held axially movable in the through hole 12A of the guide plate 12, and one end is configured to contact the central portion of the diaphragm (described later). Either or both of the first pressing member 11A and the second pressing member 11B are made of an electrically insulating material. In an embodiment, by making the first pressing member 11A of an electrically insulating material such as a ceramic material like alumina, the metal container 3 is electrically insulated from the contact mechanism. The second pressing member 11B may also be made of an electrically insulating material. Furthermore, if it is not necessary to electrically insulate the container 3 from the contact mechanism, both the first pressing member 11A and the second pressing member 11B may be made of metal.

[0032] The contact portions of the first pressing member 11A and the second pressing member 11B are not fixed, allowing the first pressing member 11A to abut in a manner that allows it to tilt. That is, the first pressing member 11A and the second pressing member 11B contact each other in a state where one can move in a tilted direction relative to the other. Although the first pressing member 11A is fixed to the movable plate 8, since the movable plate is a cantilever structure, the angle of its central axis changes with the opening and closing action. Therefore, if the plunger were a single piece, its tilt would interfere with the through hole 12A of the guide plate 12, causing obstruction of action and potentially preventing it from performing its intended function. Therefore, this application divides the plunger 11 into the first pressing member 11A and the second pressing member 11B, so that even if the first pressing member 11A tilts with the movement of the movable plate 8, the second pressing member 11B can move axially along the through hole without tilting. Furthermore, the separation of the first pressing member 11A and the second pressing member 11B means that the first pressing member 11A and the second pressing member 11B are not physically fixed to each other, that is, they are detachably configured. In the contact portion of the first pressing member 11A and the second pressing member 11B, one end face is made flat, and the other end face is made spherical or a protrusion with a predetermined height in the center. Thus, even if the first pressing member 11A tilts with the movement of the movable plate 8, it can still abut near the center of the second pressing member 11B, thereby preventing tilting caused by the force deviation between the plungers.

[0033] On the outer surface of the container on the guide plate 12, a metal diaphragm 13, serving as a pressure-bearing portion, is hermetically fixed at its periphery in this embodiment by laser welding together with a retaining plate 14 disposed further outward. The diaphragm 13 is formed into a shallow disc shape that bulges outward from the container, and the retaining plate 14 is formed into a ring shape that presses only the periphery of the diaphragm 13 without hindering its movement. Furthermore, a recess 12B is provided at the central periphery of the outer surface of the guide plate 12 to avoid hindering the reverse movement of the diaphragm 13.

[0034] In this embodiment, a protective plate 15 is disposed on the outside of the retaining plate 14 to cover the opening and protect the diaphragm 13. The protective plate 15 has one or more through holes, so as not to impede the flow of gas to the pressurized part and to prevent the operator from directly contacting the diaphragm during operation.

[0035] The recess 12B is formed to make surface contact with the diaphragm 13 during its reversing action. This reduces the stress applied to the diaphragm 13 while preventing deformation under excessive pressure. If the diaphragm 13 did not contact the recess 12B, the stress applied to the diaphragm 13 due to pressure would concentrate at the periphery, which is the fixed end, and the impact during reversal and reset would also act more heavily on the periphery, thus affecting the characteristics and durability of the diaphragm 13. Therefore, by using the recess 12B to support the diaphragm 13, stress can be reduced and dispersed in a way that does not concentrate at a specific location. Furthermore, as... Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, to prevent the area near the fixing portion of the reversed diaphragm 13 from directly contacting the recess 12B, a space A formed by a groove or recess is provided along the periphery of the recess 12B. By utilizing space A, a certain degree of freedom of movement is maintained near the fixing portion of the diaphragm, allowing for diaphragm deflection, etc. Therefore, combined with the aforementioned use of the recess 12B to receive the diaphragm 13 in a planar manner, excessive stress applied to the diaphragm 13 during reversal and resetting can be dispersed and reduced, thereby suppressing the impact on the diaphragm's operating characteristics and durability.

[0036] As described above, by airtightly fixing the flange 10A of the container 3 to the metal plate 4 of the base 2 using methods such as circumferential projection welding, the pressure switch 1 constitutes a sealed pressure-resistant container. The pressure-resistant container is sealed with an inert gas, which prevents oxidation and contamination of the contact mechanism, ensuring long-term stable operation. Furthermore, when it is desirable to eliminate the effects of pressure changes inside the container caused by temperature variations, the interior of the pressure-resistant container can be set to a reduced pressure state or a vacuum state lower than atmospheric pressure.

[0037] In this pressure switch 1, the operation continues until the external pressure reaches the specified operating pressure, such as... Figure 1 The diaphragm 13 shown bulges downwards in the image. When the actuating pressure is reached, it is accompanied by a rapid movement, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the direction of the bulge is reversed to face upwards. This displacement lifts the movable plate 8 via the plunger 11, causing the movable contact 9 to move away from the fixed contact 7A, thus cutting off the energizer. Furthermore, when the pressure drops to a reset pressure lower than the operating pressure, a rapid-action action occurs, and the diaphragm 13 resets the bulge direction to its original position. Figure 1 When the movable contact 9 is in its correct position, it contacts the fixed contact 7A again, re-energizing the device. Therefore, it can be used to stop the controlled equipment when the pressure rises above the operating pressure, or to issue an alarm when the pressure drops below the reset pressure from the normal pressure.

[0038] When the pressure switch 1 is installed on the device to be pressure detected, it is configured such that the pressure-receiving part of the pressure switch 1 receives the gas from the part to be detected. For example, as Figure 4As shown, another possible structure is to insert and fix the top of the container 3, which serves as the pressure-receiving part of the pressure switch 1, into the mounting hole 51A passing through the target device 51. In this mounting example of the pressure switch 1, leads 1A are connected to each conductive terminal, and a protective cover 1B is provided at the connection portion. Furthermore, the container 3 and the mounting hole 51A are airtightly sealed by an annular seal 52, and the pressure switch 1 is fixed from above the cover 1B by a retaining ring 53.

[0039] In addition, the installation method is not limited to this. A structure that guides gas to the end face of the pressure switch only through a pressure tube or the like can also be used. Alternatively, the entire pressure switch can be configured inside a pressure vessel due to the presence of a metal, airtight, pressure-resistant container.

[0040] Furthermore, although the container 3 is made of metal, the switching mechanism can be electrically isolated from the outer casing 10. Therefore, even for devices with a so-called body grounding structure, it is not necessary to use special insulation methods to maintain the container 3.

[0041] By dividing the plunger 11 into a first pressing member 11A and a second pressing member 11B, the part that is prone to misalignment and the part that is not allowed to misalignment can be effectively integrated. Furthermore, during assembly, by fixing one pressing member to the contact mechanism and the other to the container, when fixing the base to the container, the first and second pressing members can be positioned to abut in the appropriate position simply by aligning them. Therefore, the difficult operation of inserting the plunger into a visually obscured position within the container during the fixing process is eliminated, and in this embodiment, the difficult operation of inserting the plunger into the through hole 12A of the guide plate 12 is also eliminated, making manufacturing easier.

[0042] <Second Embodiment>

[0043] Next, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The pressure switch 21 of the second embodiment will be described. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The pressure switch 21 shown is an example of reversing the contact mechanism 40 of the pressure switch 1 of the first embodiment with the operating condition, and is the same as the first embodiment except for the parts described below. The pressure switch 21 has a contact mechanism 40A instead of the contact mechanism 40 of the first embodiment. The contact mechanism 40A has a fixed contact plate 27, a fixed contact 27A, a movable plate 28, and a movable contact 29.

[0044] In the first embodiment, the fixed contact 7A is positioned on the upper side of the fixed contact plate 7, i.e., on the side of the conductive terminal 5. In contrast, in the second embodiment, the fixed contact 27A is positioned on the lower side of the fixed contact plate 27, i.e., on the side of the diaphragm 13. A movable contact 29, positioned at the top of the movable plate 28, faces upwards and is opposite to the fixed contact 27A. Therefore, when the pressure is below the operating pressure of the pressure switch 21, the movable contact 29 is positioned away from the fixed contact 27A, and the contacts are open. When the operating pressure is above the pressure, as the diaphragm 13 reverses, the plunger 11 moves upwards, driving the movable plate 28, causing the movable contact 29 to contact the fixed contact 27A, closing the contacts and enabling energization. According to this embodiment, it can be used to drive a protection device or emit an alarm sound when the pressure increases.

[0045] <Third Embodiment>

[0046] Next, refer to Figures 7 to 10 The pressure switch 30 of the third embodiment will be described below. Furthermore, in the following description, the same reference numerals are sometimes used for structures identical to those in the first and second embodiments, and descriptions are omitted.

[0047] The pressure switch 30 of the third embodiment differs from the pressure switch 1 of the first embodiment in the specific shapes of the metal plate 4, guide plate 12, retaining plate 14, and protective plate 15 constituting the base 2, but the other parts are the same.

[0048] The pressure switch 30 includes a pressure-resistant container 31A, a conductive terminal 5, a contact mechanism 40, a diaphragm 13, a plunger 11, a guide plate 61, and a retaining plate 62. The pressure-resistant container 31A of the third embodiment includes a base 2A and a container 3. The base 2A of the third embodiment includes a metal plate 401 having a through hole 4A and an insulating filling material 6. The conductive terminal 5 passes through the through hole 4A. The insulating filling material 6 fills the gap between the conductive terminal 5 and the through hole 4A in an airtight and electrically insulating state. That is, the conductive terminal 5 is provided through the metal plate 401 constituting the pressure-resistant container 31A and is fixed to the base 2A in an airtight and electrically insulating state relative to the pressure-resistant container 31A.

[0049] The metal plate 401 of the third embodiment has a different shape from the metal plate 4 of the first embodiment. The metal plate 401 of the third embodiment is thicker than the metal plate 4 of the first embodiment. Furthermore, the metal plate 401 of the third embodiment has a stepped portion 402 with thickness on its outer periphery. That is, the metal plate 401 is formed into a so-called stepped shape. In the metal plate 401, the outer diameter dimension on the side opposite to the container 3 is set to be smaller than the outer diameter dimension on the side of the container 3.

[0050] The contact mechanism 40 is disposed inside the pressure vessel 31A in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and includes a fixed contact plate 7, a fixed contact 7A, a movable plate 8, and a movable contact 9. Furthermore, conductive terminals 5 are respectively connected to the fixed contact plate 7 and the movable plate 8.

[0051] Container 3 has a metal outer shell 10. Similar to the first embodiment, the outer shell 10 has a first opening 101 and a second opening 102. The first opening 101 is... Figure 7 The opening on the upper side of the paper is blocked by the base 2A. The second opening 102 is... Figure 7 The opening on the lower side of the paper is provided with a diaphragm 13 via a guide plate 61.

[0052] The guide plate 61 of the third embodiment has a different shape from the guide plate 12 of the first embodiment. The guide plate 61 of the third embodiment has an insertion portion 611. The insertion portion 611 is the part that is inserted into the second opening 102 of the housing 10. The insertion portion 611 protrudes towards the housing 10 relative to the guide plate 61, forming a so-called stepped shape. The outer diameter D1 of the insertion portion 611 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter D2 of the second opening 102. By inserting the insertion portion 611 into the second opening 102, the alignment of the guide plate 61 and the housing 10 can be easily performed when manufacturing the pressure switch 30.

[0053] Similar to the first embodiment, the diaphragm 13 is held between the guide plate 61 and the retaining plate 62. Also as in the previous embodiment, the guide plate 61 and the retaining plate 62 are hermetically fixed at their peripheries by laser welding while the diaphragm 13 is held between them. The retaining plate 62 integrally has a protective portion 621. The protective portion 621 functions the same as the protective plate 15 in the first embodiment. The protective portion 621 covers the side of the diaphragm 13 opposite to the outer casing 10 and has a through hole 622 penetrating through it. Thus, similar to the protective plate 15 in the first embodiment, the protective portion 621 does not impede the flow of gas to the diaphragm 13, which is a pressurized portion, and prevents the operator from directly contacting the diaphragm 13 during operation.

[0054] The pressure switch 30 according to this third embodiment can also perform the same function as the pressure switch 1 of the first embodiment described above.

[0055] That is, the pressure switch 30 of the third embodiment includes: a metal pressure-resistant container 31A, a conductive terminal 5, a contact mechanism 40, a diaphragm 13, and a plunger 11 as a pressing member. The conductive terminal 5 is disposed through the pressure-resistant container 31A and is fixed in an airtight and insulated state relative to the pressure-resistant container 31A. The contact mechanism 40 is electrically connected to the conductive terminal 5 and is disposed inside the pressure-resistant container 31A. The diaphragm 13 covers the second opening 102 of the pressure-resistant container 31A and is installed in the pressure-resistant container 31A in an airtight state, and is capable of operating above a specified operating pressure and resetting at a reset pressure lower than the operating pressure. The plunger 11 functions as a pressing member, transmitting the displacement caused by the operation and reset of the diaphragm 13 to open and close the contact mechanism 40.

[0056] The plunger 11, serving as a pressing component, includes a first pressing component 11A fixed to the contact mechanism 40 side and a second pressing component 11B in contact with the diaphragm 13. The first pressing component 11A and the second pressing component 11B are in contact such that at least one of them can move in a direction skewed relative to the other. Furthermore, the plunger 11 receives the displacement of the diaphragm 13 via the second pressing component 11B and transmits it to the contact mechanism 40 via the first pressing component 11A, thereby pressing the contact mechanism 40 and opening or closing it.

[0057] Thus, the pressure switch 30 of the third embodiment is also configured similarly to the embodiments described above, by dividing the plunger 11 into a first pressing member 11A and a second pressing member 11B, thereby absorbing the skewing generated during operation. The plunger 11 transmits the displacement of the diaphragm 13, which serves as the pressure-receiving part, to the contact mechanism 40. Furthermore, by dividing the plunger 11 into the first pressing member 11A and the second pressing member 11B, a structure is adopted that prevents skewing of the first pressing member 11A, which is fixed to the movable plate 8, from being affected by the skewing of the second pressing member 11B, which is itself a component. This suppresses the generation of operational resistance between components, which becomes a problem during miniaturization.

[0058] The pressure switch 30 also has a guide plate 61. The guide plate 61 restricts the displacement of the diaphragm 13 on the raised side when the diaphragm 13 reverses. In addition, the guide plate 61 has a recess 12B, which restricts the stress applied to the diaphragm 13 when the diaphragm 13 contacts the guide plate 61 during the reverse operation.

[0059] According to this structure, by utilizing the recess 12B to receive the reversing action of the diaphragm 13, stress can be dispersed and reduced in a way that avoids concentration at a specific location. Furthermore, as... Figure 10As shown, the pressure switch 30 of the third embodiment can also have space A in the same way as the embodiments described above. Here, similar to the first embodiment, the diaphragm 13 has a disc-shaped portion 131 with a disc-shaped protrusion and a clamping portion 132 sandwiched between the guide plate 61 and the retaining plate 62.

[0060] Furthermore, the disc-shaped portion 131 is sometimes formed by deep drawing. At the boundary between the disc-shaped portion 131 and the clamping portion 132, a raised portion 133 is formed due to manufacturing reasons. The raised portion 133 is a portion that slightly bulges in the opposite direction to the direction in which the disc-shaped portion 131 bulges. When the diaphragm 13 is clamped by the guide plate 61 and the retaining plate 62, if the guide plate 61 presses down on the raised portion 133, the displacement of the diaphragm 13 when resetting from the reversed state will be smaller, and there is a possibility that the operating pressure during resetting will deviate from the expected value.

[0061] In response, the pressure switch 30, by having a space A, can prevent the raised portion 133 from being pressed by the guide plate 61. This reduces the change in characteristics of the diaphragm 13 during reverse rotation.

[0062] Furthermore, in the contact portion between the first pressing member 11A and the second pressing member 11B, one is a plane and the other is a sphere, or a protrusion of a predetermined height is provided in the center of the other. In the third embodiment, similarly to the embodiments described above, the contact portion between the first pressing member 11A and the second pressing member 11B is a plane portion C1. Furthermore, the contact portion between the second pressing member 11B and the first pressing member 11A is a protrusion C2. The protrusion C2 is provided in the radial center of the surface of the second pressing member 11B on the side of the first pressing member 11A, and protrudes towards the first pressing member 11A. Furthermore, the protrusion C2 may also be configured as a spherical surface. Alternatively, a structure may be adopted in which the first pressing member 11A has a protrusion C2 and the second pressing member 11B has a plane portion C1.

[0063] According to this structure, even if the reversing action of the diaphragm 13 causes the movable plate 8 to elastically deform and the first pressing member 11A to tilt relative to the second pressing member 11B, the protrusion C2 will still make contact near the center of the flat portion C1. Therefore, it is possible to suppress poor contact between the first pressing member 11A and the second pressing member 11B caused by the tilting of the forces of the first pressing member 11A and the second pressing member 11B, and even if the first pressing member 11A and the second pressing member 11B are tilted relative to each other, the contact state can be maintained well.

[0064] Alternatively, the structure of the third embodiment can also be appropriately incorporated into the pressure switch 21 of the second embodiment.

[0065] As described above, the pressure switches 1, 21, and 30 in each embodiment are capable of reliable operation in response to pressure changes and can improve the durability of the diaphragm. They can be used to control the equipment or issue alarms in response to pressure abnormalities in the target equipment.

[0066] The various embodiments described above are provided as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiments can be implemented in combination of their respective parts or all. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other ways, with various omissions, substitutions, and modifications possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included within the scope of the invention as described in the claims and its equivalents.

Claims

1. A pressure switch, comprising: Pressure-resistant containers made of metal; A conductive terminal is disposed through the pressure vessel and is fixed relative to the pressure vessel in an airtight and insulated state; A contact mechanism, which is electrically connected to the conductive terminal and is disposed inside the pressure-resistant container; A diaphragm, which covers the opening of the pressure vessel, is installed in the pressure vessel in an airtight state, and is capable of operating above a specified operating pressure and resetting at a reset pressure lower than the operating pressure; as well as The pressing component, which transmits the displacement caused by the movement and reset of the diaphragm, opens and closes the contact mechanism. The pressing component includes a first pressing component fixed to the contact mechanism and a second pressing component in contact with the diaphragm. The first pressing component and the second pressing component are in contact in a manner that allows them to move in an oblique direction. The pressing member receives the displacement of the diaphragm through the second pressing member, and transmits it to the contact mechanism via the first pressing member to press the contact mechanism, thereby opening and closing the contact mechanism.

2. The pressure switch according to claim 1, wherein, The pressure switch also has a guide plate, the side of which, when the diaphragm reverses its movement, restricts the amount of displacement of the diaphragm. The guide plate has a recess that limits the stress applied to the diaphragm when it contacts the guide plate during the diaphragm's reversal action.

3. The pressure switch according to claim 2, wherein, The guide plate also has space near the fixing portion of the diaphragm along the periphery of the recess.

4. The pressure switch according to claim 1, wherein, In the contact portion between the first pressing component and the second pressing component, one is a plane and the other is a spherical surface, or a protrusion provided in the center and protruding toward the other side.

5. The pressure switch according to claim 1, wherein, The first pressing component and the second pressing component, or both of them, are made of an electrically insulating material.

6. The pressure switch according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The interior of the pressure vessel is set to a depressurization state or a vacuum state that is lower than atmospheric pressure.

Images