Self-resettable switch assembly and switch comprising same

Abstract

The utility model relates to a kind of switch assembly and switch comprising it of automatic reset. The switch assembly includes a button (1), a dial block (2), an actuator (3), support (5) and at least one elastic member (8), dial block (2) can be driven under the button (1) movement;Actuator (3) can be driven by dial block (2) and swing, to switch between the state of switch and disconnect;Dial block (2) is connected to support (5) in the way of being able to rotate and slide relative to support (5);The first end of elastic member is abutted on support (5), second end is abutted on the downside of dial block (2) to bias dial block (2) towards reset position.The utility model uses only single support to install dial block and simultaneously allow it to carry out the action of required sliding and rotating and reset. Reduce the number of components, the assembly process is simplified accordingly, reduce the cost of switch.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of switches, and more particularly to an automatically resettable switch assembly and a switch that may include one or more such switch assemblies. Background Technology

[0002] An automatic reset switch (also known as a reset switch) is a common type of switch that alternately connects and disconnects the circuit by repeatedly pressing a button.

[0003] Such a switch may include a single switch assembly (with a single button) or multiple switch assemblies (with multiple buttons, in which case the switch is a multi-position switch). A common reset switch assembly uses button pressing to drive a toggle, which further actuates an actuator to deflect about a rotation axis, causing a moving contact driven by the actuator to deflect between two positions, thereby connecting or disconnecting the circuit. During button pressing, the toggle contacts and presses one side of the actuator, allowing the toggle to reliably drive the actuator to deflect in one direction, while the other side of the actuator tilts up, causing the actuator to move the moving contact to contact a stationary contact on one side. After the button is released, the toggle automatically resets. When the button is pressed again, the toggle is driven again to contact the tilted side of the actuator, driving the actuator to rotate in the opposite direction, thus disengaging the moving contact from the previous stationary contact and making contact with another stationary contact, thereby switching the switch state.

[0004] Existing reset switch assemblies (or reset switches) often employ complex toggle block mounting and reset structures, such as using two springs to balance the toggle blocks to achieve the aforementioned operation. Therefore, existing reset switches suffer from problems such as a large number of components, complex assembly processes, low operational reliability, and high cost. Furthermore, existing reset switches are also characterized by their considerable thickness and size. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this utility model is to solve at least one of the above-mentioned problems and / or other problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, according to one aspect of the present invention, an automatically resettable switch assembly is provided. The switch assembly includes a button, a toggle, an actuator, a bracket, and at least one elastic member. The toggle is movable under the drive of the button, and the actuator is oscillating under the drive of the toggle to switch the switch between an on and off state. The toggle is connected to the bracket in a manner that allows it to rotate and slide relative to the bracket. A first end of the elastic member abuts against the bracket, and a second end abuts against the underside of the toggle to bias the toggle toward a reset position.

[0007] This solution provides a simple toggle mounting and resetting assembly, in which the toggle can be mounted using only a bracket, allowing it to slide and rotate as needed, integrating the rotation and lifting movements of the toggle. Compared to existing complex toggle mounting and resetting structures, this reduces the number of parts, correspondingly simplifies the assembly process of the switch assembly, lowers the cost of the switch, and the structure of the bracket and elastic element ensures the reliability of switch operation. Preferably, the switch assembly contains only one elastic element; a single elastic element (e.g., a spring) combined with the bracket structure can realize the movement and resetting of the toggle, which further reduces the number of parts, lowers the structural complexity of the switch assembly, and improves the reliability of switch operation.

[0008] According to one example of the present invention, the button is provided with an abutting portion adapted to press against the top of the toggle block, and the button and the toggle block are associated only through the abutting portion.

[0009] The phrase "the button and the toggle are only connected through the contact part" in this article means that there is no direct connection between the toggle and the button. The toggle is not installed on the button or installed on the button through an intermediate part. The contact between the two is only the aforementioned "pressure".

[0010] In existing reset switches, the toggle is typically mounted rotatably on the button, so that when the button is pressed, it moves the toggle toward the actuator. However, this method makes it impossible to disassemble the button (which is often constructed to cover most of the switch and can therefore be considered the switch panel) from the toggle, thus preventing direct removal of the button to expose the switch's internal components for maintenance, wiring, or other operations. Some existing technologies address this issue by using an intermediate transmission mechanism between the button (panel) and the toggle to mount the button, meaning the button is rotatably connected to this intermediate mechanism. This, however, increases the number of components in the switch.

[0011] In this invention, the toggle is not mounted on the button (but is mounted on the bracket as described above), the button and the toggle are separable, the button can be disassembled when needed, and the number of components in the switch assembly is small.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the bracket includes two opposing lugs, on which two grooves are formed opposite each other; the lever includes two rotating shafts extending from both sides of its main body, the rotating shafts being slidably and rotatably disposed in the corresponding grooves.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, each of the pivots includes a flat upper surface, and each of the lugs has a flat lower surface formed to contact the upper surface. In this design, after the button is released, the lever moves upward under the action of the elastic element until the flat upper surface of its pivot abuts against the lower surface of the corresponding lug, thereby achieving a horizontal balance reset of the lever at its highest point. This also facilitates reliable contact between the abutting portion and the lever during the next button press.

[0014] According to one example of the present invention, the main body of the lever includes an arched surface formed on its top and two limiting portions located on both sides of the arched surface, the highest point of the arched surface being higher than the two limiting portions.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the abutting portion is configured as a wall extending from the lower surface of the button, the wall extending across one limiting portion, the arched surface, and the other limiting portion. During the pressing of the button, the toggle block rotates under the abutting action of the actuator. However, when it rotates to a certain extent, a limiting portion on one side of the toggle block abuts against the abutting portion of the button, thereby preventing further rotation of the toggle block and maintaining its contact with the actuator, thus achieving the flipping of the actuator.

[0016] According to one example of the present invention, the main body of the lever also includes two inclined surfaces located on both sides of the arched surface, and the outer edges of the two inclined surfaces constitute the two limiting portions.

[0017] According to one example of the present invention, the bottom of the paddle is formed with a groove for receiving the second end of the elastic member or a protrusion for positioning the second end of the elastic member.

[0018] According to one example of the present invention, the actuator includes a drive portion for switching the on and off states of the switch and a frame extending laterally from the drive portion and adapted to cooperate with the toggle block, the two lugs being located in the frame and at one end away from the drive portion.

[0019] In this design, the toggle block and the drive unit of the actuator are offset vertically. In other words, the toggle block and the central axis of the spring in the drive unit of the actuator are offset. Compared to the prior art where the toggle block is positioned above the drive unit of the actuator, this effectively saves vertical space, resulting in a thinner overall switch. Furthermore, since the second end of the elastic element is located in the recess of the bracket, it is positioned vertically below the top surface of the frame. Therefore, compared to the prior art where the second end of the elastic element abuts against the top surface of the actuator and the toggle block is located above the elastic element, the overall height is reduced, which contributes to a thinner and lighter switch.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the actuator includes at least one first pivot portion near the drive portion and at least one second pivot portion located at one end of the frame away from the drive portion. This provides more stable support for the actuator.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the button includes a third pivot portion disposed at one end away from the abutment portion, the third pivot portion being pivotally connected to the bracket.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the button further includes a guide portion that is inserted into an opening formed in the bracket and is slidable within the opening.

[0023] According to one example of the present invention, the toggle block includes two toggle portions adapted to interact with two side frames of the frame, the distance between the two side frames being less than the width between the outer sides of the two toggle portions.

[0024] According to one example of the present invention, the switch assembly further includes a moving contact and two stationary contacts located on both sides of the moving contact. The moving contact is partially inserted into the driving part of the actuator so that it can be actuated by the driving part to establish an electrical connection with one of the stationary contacts respectively.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the switch assembly further includes a lower housing, and the bracket is at least partially located within the lower housing.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present invention, a switch is also provided, which may include one or more automatically resettable switch components according to the above examples. That is, the switch may be a multi-position switch, and it should be understood that it may also include only one switch component, in which case this single switch component constitutes a switch. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The features and advantages of this utility model will become clear from the following detailed description provided with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following drawings are merely schematic and not necessarily drawn to scale, and therefore should not be considered as limitations on this utility model, wherein:

[0028] Figure 1 A perspective view of an automatically resettable switch in its assembled state, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, is shown.

[0029] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 An exploded view of the automatically resettable switch in the diagram.

[0030] Figure 3 It shows Figure 1An exploded view of the self-resetting switch from another angle.

[0031] Figure 4 It shows Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the bracket assembly of the automatically resettable switch.

[0032] Figure 5 It shows Figure 4 Another perspective view of the bracket assembly, showing the drive unit of the actuator, as well as the moving and stationary contacts.

[0033] Figure 6 It shows Figure 1 The diagram shows a front view of the switch.

[0034] Figure 7 It shows Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of the switch along line AA.

[0035] Figure 8 It shows Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of the switch along line BB.

[0036] Figure 9 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of some components of the switch is shown to better illustrate the structure of the toggle and actuator.

[0037] Figure 10 A partial perspective view of some components of the switch is shown to better illustrate the structure of the toggle and the lug of the bracket. Detailed Implementation

[0038] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to enable those skilled in the art to more fully understand and implement the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that implementations of the present invention may not include some of these specific details. Furthermore, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described.

[0039] In the description of the embodiments of this utility model, terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used to describe the elements of this application. These are used only to distinguish the individual elements and not to limit the order or number of these elements. The terms "comprising" and "having" are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion meaning, and refer to the presence of additional elements / components besides those listed.

[0040] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specific embodiment, a switch consisting of a single switch assembly is used as an example for illustration. However, it should be noted that the switch assembly described in this utility model can be composed of multiple components combined into one switch, that is, a reset switch may include multiple switch assemblies.

[0041] Specifically, in this embodiment, such as Figure 1-3 As shown, the automatically resettable switch assembly in this embodiment mainly includes a button 1, a lower housing 4, a bracket 5 at least partially located within the lower housing 4, a frame 9, and a mounting bracket 10 (e.g., an iron frame). The lower housing 4 and the mounting bracket 10 are connected by a snap-fit ​​structure. The lower housing 4 and its internal components are placed in a mounting position, such as a recess in a wall, and the entire switch is fixed to the wall by the mounting bracket 10. The frame 9 covers the mounting bracket 10 (generally an iron frame, therefore a conductive component, and its exposure should be avoided), and its shape is adapted to the shape of the button 1.

[0042] In this invention, a bracket 5 is provided, which is at least partially located in the lower housing 4, for example, it can be connected via... Figure 2 The buckle structure 54 shown is connected to the lower housing 4. Ribs 52 are also formed on the bracket 5 to press and fix the conductive components (the conductive components of the moving contact 6 and the two stationary contacts 7) in order to position them within the lower housing 4. It can be understood that the bottom of the bracket 5 also serves to isolate the conductive components, that is, to separate these conductive components from the parts on the upper side of the bracket 5, such as the toggle block 2 and the actuator 3.

[0043] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for a switch comprising multiple switch assemblies, each switch assembly may individually include the described lower housing, or may share the same lower housing. The same applies to the frame 9 and the mounting bracket 10. Similarly, each switch assembly may have a separate bracket 5, or may share the same bracket 5, for example, from which a pair of lugs, described below, extend corresponding to each switch assembly.

[0044] like Figure 3-8 As shown, the toggle block 2 of the switch assembly in this invention can move under the drive of the button 1, and the toggle block 2 is connected to the bracket 5 in a manner that allows it to rotate and slide relative to the bracket 5. As a specific example, such as... Figure 4 , Figure 7 and Figure 10As shown, a recess is formed in the bracket 5, and two opposing lugs 51 can be disposed in the recess. Two opposing grooves 511 are formed on the two lugs 51. The lever 2 includes two rotating shafts 21 extending from both sides of its main body 26. These rotating shafts 21 are slidably disposed in the corresponding grooves 511 and can rotate relative to the two lugs 51 about the two rotating shafts 21. The bracket 5 integrates the rotation and lifting movements of the lever 2, achieving the positioning and movement of the lever with a simple structure and reducing the number of parts.

[0045] In the toggle block mounting and resetting assembly of this utility model, only one elastic element 8 (which can be a spring) is provided. Figure 8 As can be seen in the sectional view), its first end ( Figure 8 The lower end of the middle section rests against the bracket 5, and the second end ( Figure 8 The upper end of the lever 8 is pressed against the lower side of the lever 2 to bias the lever 2 toward the reset position. Specifically, a groove for receiving the second end of the elastic member 8 can be formed at the bottom of the lever 2. It can also be understood that the positioning of the second end of the elastic member can also be done in other ways, such as using a protrusion for fitting the second end of the elastic member.

[0046] Therefore, this invention provides a simple toggle mounting and resetting assembly, in which the toggle 2 can be connected using only a bracket 5 and a single elastic element 8, allowing it to perform the required sliding and rotating actions as well as resetting. Compared to existing complex toggle drive and resetting assemblies, this reduces the number of parts, correspondingly simplifies the assembly process, lowers the cost of the switch, and the structure of the bracket and elastic element is sufficient to ensure the reliability of the switch operation.

[0047] According to the preferred embodiment of this utility model, such as Figure 2 and Figure 7 , 8 As shown, button 1 is provided with an abutting portion 11 suitable for pressing against the top of lever 2, and button 1 and lever 2 are associated only through this abutting portion 11. There is only direct surface contact or line contact between the two and the abutting portion 11 and lever 2. Moreover, under the action of elastic member 8, lever 2 is always biased upward, i.e., in the direction of button 1, thereby maintaining the contact between the two.

[0048] In this design, the toggle 2 is not mounted on the button 1 (but is mounted on the bracket 5 as described above), the button 1 and the toggle 2 are separable, the button 1 can be disassembled when needed, and the number of components in the switch is reduced.

[0049] Button 1 includes a third pivot portion 12 located at the end furthest from the abutment portion 11, and the third pivot portion 12 is pivotally connected to the bracket 5. For example... Figure 2 and 8As shown, button 1 also includes a guide portion 13, which is inserted into an opening 14 formed in the bracket 5 and is able to slide in the opening 14.

[0050] exist Figure 8 and Figure 9 As can be seen in this embodiment, the specific structure of the lever 2 is such that, preferably, each rotating shaft 21 includes a flat upper surface 211 (in...). Figure 9 As can be seen in the image, correspondingly, a flat lower surface suitable for contacting the upper surface 211 is formed on the upper end of the groove 511 of each lug 51. After the button 1 is released, under the action of the elastic member 8, the toggle block 1 moves upward until the upper surface 211 of its pivot 21 abuts against the lower surface of the corresponding lug 51, thereby realizing the horizontal balance reset of the toggle block 1 at the highest point. This also facilitates reliable contact between its abutting part 11 and the toggle block 2 when the button 1 is operated again.

[0051] like Figure 9 As shown, the main body 26 of the toggle block 2 includes an arched surface 22 formed on its top and two limiting portions 23 located on both sides of the arched surface 22, with the highest point of the arched surface 22 higher than the two limiting portions 23. The main body of the toggle block 2 also includes two inclined surfaces 24 located on both sides of the arched surface 22, with the outer edges of the two inclined surfaces forming the two limiting portions 23. The abutment portion 11 is configured as a wall extending from the lower surface of the button 1, as shown in the figure. Figure 8 As shown, the wall extends across one limiting part 23, the arched surface 22, and the other limiting part 23. Therefore, this invention provides a simple lever structure and a method for driving the lever 2.

[0052] The switch of this invention also includes an actuator 3, which can be driven by a toggle block 2 to swing, thereby switching the switch between an on and off state. Specifically, the actuator 3 includes a drive unit 31 for switching the on and off states of the switch. Figure 5 , Figure 7 and Figure 9 (See image) and a frame 32 extending laterally from the drive section 31 and adapted to engage with the toggle block 2. The toggle block 2 includes two actuating portions 25 adapted to interact with two side frames 321 of the frame 32, the distance between the two side frames 321 being less than the width between the outer sides of the two actuating portions 25.

[0053] During the pressing of button 1, the abutting part 11 on the lower side of button 1 presses the lever 2 (specifically, it abuts the arched surface 22 on its top) downwards until the lever 2's actuating part 25 contacts one side frame 321 of the frame 32. Figure 8In the example shown (right side frame 321), during the downward pressing process, the pivots 21 on both sides of the lever 2 slide in the two grooves 511 of the two lugs 51 of the bracket 5. As the downward pressing continues, the lever 25, under the abutment of the frame 321, will rotate around the pivot 21 and along... Figure 8 The lever 2 rotates counterclockwise, but when it rotates to a certain extent, the right-side limiting part 23 abuts against the abutment part 11, thus preventing the lever 2 from continuing to rotate. The lever 2 is pressed down further, slides under the guidance of the slide groove 511 and no longer rotates. During this pressing process, the right side frame 321 of the actuator 3 is pressed against the right-side actuating part 25 of the lever 2, thereby rotating around the two first pivot parts 33 and one second pivot part 34 of the actuator 3 (in Figure 8 (Clockwise) until Figure 8 The left side frame 321 is shown in a raised state (because the distance between the two side frames 321 of the toggle block is less than the width between the outer sides of the two toggle parts 25, the left toggle part 25 of the toggle block 2 does not interfere with the left side frame 321 and does not affect the raised state of the left side frame 321). Due to the rotation process of the actuator 3, the moving contact 6, which extends into the drive part 31 (in which a spring 311 that is connected to the moving contact 6 can be installed), swings, so that the moving contact 6 disengages from one stationary contact 7 and contacts another stationary contact 7, thereby realizing the change of the circuit from the on to the off state or from the off state to the on state. After releasing the button 1, under the reset action of the elastic member 8, the toggle block 2 moves upward until the upper surface 211 of its rotating shaft 21 abuts against the lower surface of the corresponding lug 51 and resets. When button 1 is pressed again, the toggle block 2 is driven downward by the abutment part 11, causing the toggle part 25 to move downward. Since the left side frame 321 is in a raised state at this time, the left toggle part 25 abuts against the left side frame 321, similar to the process described above, causing the actuator to rotate counterclockwise, thus switching the switch to another state. This cycle repeats to turn the switch on and off.

[0054] exist Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 The relative positions of the actuator 3 and the lever 2 are visible. In this embodiment of the invention, the two lugs 51 are located in the frame 32 and at the end away from the drive part 31. That is, the lever 2 and the drive part 31 of the actuator 3 are offset vertically. In other words, the lever 2 and the central axis of the spring 311 in the drive part 31 of the actuator are offset. This method effectively saves vertical space compared to the prior art method where the swing block is set above the drive part of the actuator. Figure 7 The space in the direction of the switch makes the overall thickness thinner. Moreover, as... Figure 7As shown, since the second end of the elastic element 8 is located in the recess of the bracket 5, it is positioned below the top surface of the frame 32 in the vertical direction. Therefore, compared with the prior art scheme where the second end of the spring abuts against the top surface of the actuator and the toggle block is located above the spring, this arrangement reduces the overall thickness of the switch, which is beneficial for making the switch thinner and lighter.

[0055] Furthermore, in an embodiment of this utility model, the actuator 3, including the frame 32, is provided with at least one first pivot portion 33 near the drive portion 31 and at least one second pivot portion 34 located at one end of the frame 32 away from the drive portion 31. Figure 7 , 9 The embodiment shown has two first pivots 33 and one second pivot 34, which provides more stable support for the long frame 32.

[0056] For those skilled in the art, various modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments disclosed above without departing from the scope or concept of this utility model. These modified and varied technical solutions are also within the scope of this utility model. This specification and the examples disclosed herein should be considered exemplary only, and the true scope of this utility model is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Images