Electrical switch

Abstract

An electrical switch (10) for an electrical device, in particular for plugging into a RAST connector (30), comprising a switch housing (11), and an actuating element (14) which is arranged on the top (12) of the switch housing (11) and which, by moving from an off position to an on position, can switch a contact system housed in the switch housing (11), wherein the switching contacts (161, 171) of the contact system are led out of the switch housing (11) on its underside (13) as electrical connections (16, 17), wherein the switch housing (11) is permanently connected on its underside (13) to a plug receptacle (20), characterized in that the plug receptacle (20) is box-shaped and has two side walls (21, 21'), a rear wall (22), a bottom (23), a cover (24) and an internal central wall (25), and that the electrical connections (16,17) of the contact system in the plug receptacle (20) are held such that their ends (162, 172) are in a predetermined position and the electrical connections (16, 17) of the contact system are held in the area of ​​the central wall (25).

Description

The invention relates to an electrical switch for an electrical device, in particular a switch that is suitable for being connected to a RAST connector. RAST connectors are standardized connectors conforming to the household appliance standards RAST 2.5 and RAST 5. The abbreviation RAST stands for Raster-Anschluss-Steck-Technik (grid connection plug technology), and the numbers indicate the millimeter spacing between the contacts. This standardized RAST connector was developed through close collaboration between major household appliance manufacturers. A RAST connector allows for easy component replacement during repairs. For most electrical devices, connecting the electrical switch to the RAST connector requires an additional connector housing into which the RAST connector is inserted. This housing is connected to the switch's electrical terminals via electrical cables. These cables are either soldered, for example, to the switch terminals, or crimped, preferably to the contacts of the connector housing. This method is costly. Document DE 195 48 216 A1 shows a connector where the terminals protrude from the underside of the housing. These protruding terminals are enclosed by a housing extension. However, a separate connector receptacle is not present. This receptacle is shown in document EP 306 435 A2, which describes a thermostat where the contacts protrude from the underside of the housing. The terminals extend into a separate connector receptacle, which is permanently attached to the switch housing. No additional measures for the predetermined positioning of the terminals are shown. Furthermore, a snap-action switch with an integrated connector recess is known. In this design, the connector recess is molded onto a side wall of the switch. Document DE 92 12 062 U1 also shows a switch where the contacts are routed out of the housing as terminals in the base area. A terminal cover is molded onto the base, into which the terminals are fitted. A disadvantage of these known switches with connector recesses is their relatively flimsy design. Furthermore, the live terminals exiting the switch housing are exposed over long distances. A particular disadvantage in handling these switches is that these electrical terminals can bend when a connector is inserted. Even after the snap-action connector is inserted, live terminals remain exposed. The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved electrical switch for an electrical device, which is particularly suitable for plug connection with a RAST connector. This problem is solved by an electrical switch having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims. One embodiment of the new electrical switch for electrical devices is particularly suitable for use with a RAST connector. The new switch has a switch housing. An actuating element is located on the top of the switch housing. Moving this actuating element from an off position to an on position activates a contact system housed within the switch housing. The switching contacts of the contact system extend from the underside of the switch housing as electrical connections. The underside of the switch housing is also permanently connected to a connector receptacle, which holds the electrical connections of the contact system. The ends of the electrical connections of the contact system are arranged in a predetermined position, specifically pre-positioned for contact with the terminals of, for example, a RAST connector. According to the invention, the connector receptacle has a box-shaped form, namely with two side walls, a rear wall, a base, and a cover. The front has an opening for inserting a connector, for example, a RAST connector. The connection using such a RAST connector is described below; however, the invention is not limited to such a standardized connector. Inside the connector receptacle according to the invention is a central wall, in which the electrical connections of the contact system are held. In an advantageous embodiment, this central wall has appropriately adapted recesses for positioning the electrical connections. The electrical connections of the contact system, which extend from the underside of the switch housing, are guided directly into the connector receptacle and there to the central wall. In a preferred embodiment, only the ends of the electrical connections are freely accessible for contact. Since the connector receptacle is surrounded by closed walls in the area where the electrical connections run within it, the new switch has no exposed live contacts.Outside the switch housing or the plug receptacle, the electrical switch according to the invention has no live connection of the contact system, in particular not when the RAST connector is plugged in. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, additional anti-theft elements are provided in the connector receptacle, preventing the electrical connections from being pulled out of the receptacle when a connector tie is removed. This prevents the connections from bending, which could obstruct subsequent insertion, and also eliminates the risk of damaging the switch. Such anti-theft elements can, for example, be locking connections between the electrical connections and the connector receptacle. The new electrical switch is specifically designed for connection with a standardized RAST connector. The size and shape of the connector receptacle are adapted to the specified shape and standardized size of such a RAST connector. Additionally, the connector receptacle features one or more locking mechanisms that ensure the RAST connector is securely held in place after insertion. Depending on the application, and in particular the desired position of the electrical switch within an electrical device, such a connector receptacle can be arranged in different orientations relative to the switch housing and permanently connected to it, for example, via an adhesive bond. In a preferred embodiment, the connector receptacle is an integral part of the switch housing. In this embodiment, both the switch housing and the connector receptacle are made of plastic and, for example, manufactured as a single piece by injection molding. This new electrical switch has the advantage that, by connecting the connector receptacle to the switch housing, additional cables between the switch and the receptacle are no longer necessary, thus eliminating the need for costly connection methods. Furthermore, the positioning of the electrical connections, particularly in the area of ​​the central wall, ensures that the electrical contacts do not bend when the RAST connector is plugged in or unplugged. The connector receptacle itself is structurally robust and encloses the live contacts, so that the electrical switch and connector receptacle have no external live connections of the contact system.The new electrical switch, in which a plug receptacle is connected to the switch housing, makes it possible to manufacture very small switch designs, namely miniature switches, subminiature switches or smaller, and to connect these with a standardized RAST connector. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the drawings. The drawings show, on an enlarged scale: Fig. 1: a perspective view of an electrical switch according to the invention and a RAST connector, Fig. 2: another perspective view of the electrical switch of Fig. 1 looking into the interior of the electrical switch, Fig. 3: a front view of another electrical switch, Fig. 4: a sectional view through the electrical switch of Fig. 1, Fig. 5: a perspective view of the electrical switch of Fig. 1 with a connector plugged in, Fig. 6: a side view of another electrical switch according to the invention. Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of an electrical switch 10 according to the invention for an electrical device, for example, a household appliance. This electrical switch 10 is installed in the housing of the electrical device. Power is supplied via leads 33 of a connector 30 when this connector 30 is inserted into a socket 20 of the electrical switch 10. This situation is shown in Fig. 5. An electrical connection then exists from the electrical leads 33 via the terminals 32 of the connector 30 and the terminals 16, 17 of the electrical switch 10. Figure 2 shows the contact system of the electrical switch 10. By omitting one side wall of the switch housing 11, the switching contacts 161 and 171 of the contact system are visible. These switching contacts 161 and 171 are brought into contact via the contact rocker 15 when the actuating element 14 is actuated. In the electrical switch 10 shown, a spring 19 is also provided, which causes the contact rocker 14 to return to its original position when no further actuation occurs via the actuating element 14. In this example, the actuating element 14 protrudes from the top 12 of the switch housing 11. The switching contacts 161, 171 of the contact system are led out of the interior of the switch housing 11 and into the interior of the plug receptacle 20 as electrical connections 16, 17 on the underside 13 of the switch housing 11. The ends 162, 172 of these electrical connections 16, 17 are held in a central wall 25 of the plug receptacle 20 and are pre-positioned by the provided recesses 251 in the central wall 25 so that they come into direct contact with the terminal contacts 32 of the connector 30 when it is inserted. The recesses 251 in the central wall 25 are slot-shaped. Other connectors may have modified recess shapes in the central wall 25. From the point where the electrical terminals 16, 17 exit the switch housing 11 to the point where the ends 162, 172 of the electrical terminals 16, 17 make contact with the terminals 32 of the inserted connector 30, these electrical terminals 16, 17 are enclosed by the walls of the connector receptacle 20. The box-shaped connector receptacle 20 shown here has two closed side walls 21, 21', a closed rear wall 22, a bottom 23 closed up to the central wall 25, and a closed cover 24, thus forming a closed protective enclosure for the live electrical terminals 16, 17 extending from the switch housing 11. Only the front is accessible, namely for inserting the connector 30. This front is closed by the inserted connector 30. The box-shaped form of the plug receptacle 20 is one possible form and is adapted here to the form of the RAST connector 30.The connector receptacle 20 also has angled stop surfaces 231 on the base 23 and, to a lesser extent, on the cover 24, so that the connector 30 can be quickly inserted into its final insertion position. Once the connector 30 is inserted into the connector receptacle 20, this connection is secured by a locking tongue 26. This spring-loaded locking tongue 26 is part of the base 23 of the connector receptacle 20. When the connector 30 is inserted, it deflects downwards, allowing the connector 30 to be inserted. After insertion, it springs back and engages the inserted connector 30 with a locking hook 261. To disconnect the connector, the locking tongue is bent downwards again, releasing the connector 30, which can then be pulled out.When the connector is pulled out, it is prevented that the ends 162, 172 of the electrical connections 16, 17 are pulled out of the connector receptacle 20 or at least out of their predetermined position. For this purpose, anti-pulling elements are provided, namely in this case a locking lug 252 in the area of ​​the central wall 25 and corresponding locking projections 164, 174 on the electrical connections 16, 17; these are shown, for example, in Fig. 4. To prevent assembly errors, a RAST connector 30 has so-called coding lugs 31, see Fig. 2. Corresponding coding ribs 241 are provided in the area of ​​the cover 24 to ensure secure insertion of this connector 30. These coding ribs 241 are also visible in another embodiment of an electrical switch in Fig. 3. Identical components are provided with the same reference numerals. The illustration in Fig. 3 clearly shows that here, too, the electrical connections 16, 17 leading out of the switch housing 11 are contained within the connector receptacle 20 up to their position in the central wall 25. In this case, the electrical connections 16, 17 leading perpendicularly out of the switch housing 11 are guided to the central wall 25 via a bend 163, 173. In all embodiments, the connector receptacle 20 is permanently connected to the switch housing 11. Figure 4 shows, in particular, a connector receptacle 20 that is an integral part of the switch housing 11. Furthermore, permanent connections between a connector receptacle 20 that was originally designed separately and the switch housing 11 of the electrical switch 10 are also possible, for example, via an adhesive bond. Electrical switches are used in a wide variety of household appliances and are therefore installed in different positions relative to the connector 30 within the electrical device. To accommodate this, there are different embodiments of an electrical switch 10, namely with a plug receptacle 20, each connected to the switch housing 11 in a different orientation. In Fig. 1 and Fig. 5, for example, the plug receptacle 20 is arranged relative to the switch housing 11 of the electrical switch 10 such that the cover 24 of the plug receptacle 20 rests against the underside 13 of the switch housing 11. Fig. 6 shows another possible configuration of an electrical switch 10. Identical components are designated with the same reference numerals. Here, the plug receptacle 20 is connected with its rear side 22 to the underside 13 of the switch housing 11. In the two aforementioned examples, the electrical terminals 16, 17 of the contact system protrude from the underside 13 of the switch housing 11 of the electrical switch 10. The switch 10 is actuated by the actuating element 14, which protrudes from the switch housing 11 at the top 12. The invention is not limited to this embodiment; any actuating elements, such as pivotable levers, longitudinally movable sliders, rotary actuators, or push-in actuators, can be used to switch the contact system. The contact system can be configured such that the switch functions as a normally open, normally closed, or changeover switch. Reference symbol list 10 Switch 11 Switch housing 12 Top 13 Bottom 14 Actuator 15 Contact rocker 16 Electrical connection 161 Contact 162 End of 16 163 Bend 164 Detent 17 Electrical connection 171 Contact 172 End of 16 173 Bend 174 Detent 19 Spring 20 Connector receptacle 21, 21' Side wall 22 Rear wall 23 Bottom 231 Stop surface 24 Cover 241 Coding ribs 25 Center wall 251 Recess 252 Detent lug 26 Detent tongue 261 Detent hook 30 Detent connector 31 Coding lug 32 Connection contacts 33 Lead wire

Claims

An electrical switch (10) for an electrical device, in particular for plugging into a RAST connector (30), comprising a switch housing (11), and an actuating element (14) which is arranged on the top (12) of the switch housing (11) and which, by moving from an off position to an on position, can switch a contact system housed in the switch housing (11), wherein the switching contacts (161, 171) of the contact system are led out of the switch housing (11) at its underside (13) as electrical connections (16, 17), wherein the switch housing (11) is permanently connected at its underside (13) to a plug receptacle (20), characterized in that the plug receptacle (20) is box-shaped and has two side walls (21, 21'), a rear wall (22), a bottom (23), a cover (24) and an internal central wall (25), and that the electrical connections (16,17) of the contact system in the plug receptacle (20) are held such that their ends (162, 172) are in a predetermined position and the electrical connections (16, 17) of the contact system are held in the area of ​​the central wall (25). Switch (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the central wall (25) has adapted recesses (251) for the electrical connections (16, 17). Switch (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that safety devices are provided for the electrical connections (16, 17) in the area of ​​the central wall (25), preferably the central wall (25) has a locking lug (252) on its rear side, which interacts with a locking projection (164, 174) of the electrical connections (16, 17). Switch (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the electrical connections (16, 17) of the contact system are arranged in the plug receptacle (20) such that only their ends (162, 172) are exposed. Switch (10) according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that the plug receptacle (20) is adapted to the size of a standardized RAST connector (30) and has one or more coding ribs (241) for the secure insertion of such a RAST connector (30), which are preferably molded into the cover (24). Switch (10) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the plug receptacle (20) for securely holding an inserted RAST connector (30) has a locking tongue (26) which is preferably part of the base (23) of the plug receptacle (20). Switch (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the plug receptacle (20) is arranged to the switch housing (11) such that its cover (24) rests against the underside (13) of the switch housing (11). Switch (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the plug receptacle (20) is arranged to the switch housing (11) such that its rear wall (22) rests against the underside (13) of the switch housing (11). Switch (10) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the plug receptacle (20) is connected to the switch housing (11) via an adhesive connection. Switch (10) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the plug receptacle (20) is formed in one piece with the switch housing (11) made of plastic.

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