Switchgear with a lighting function
The switching equipment uses light sources and slots to alternately illuminate specific areas, addressing the challenge of control key location visibility in low-light conditions, thereby improving operational clarity and safety.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- FR2022002382
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2022-03-17
- Publication Date
- 2024-12-13
- Estimated Expiration
- 2042-03-17
AI Technical Summary
Existing switching devices lack a clear indication of the precise location of the control key in low-light conditions, making it difficult for users to operate the switchgear mechanism.
The switching equipment features two light sources positioned under a flat part with slots that emit light through openings, alternating illumination of specific areas to indicate the control key's location based on its angular position, using a mechanism with separate indicator lights connected by an electrical conductor and housed in a thermoplastic polymer housing.
The solution provides clear visual guidance in low-light conditions, ensuring users can accurately locate and operate the control key, enhancing usability and safety.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: Switchgear having a light function
[0001] The present invention relates to a switching apparatus which comprises a control key capable of tilting about a tilting axis between two distinct angular positions relative to a flat part which extends under the control key and a lighting device comprising two light sources.
[0002] There already exist various switching devices of the aforementioned type in which the lighting device comprises an indicator which permanently illuminates the front of the device. The permanent lighting makes it possible to indicate to a user the position of such switching device in the dark.
[0003] Among the switching devices already known, there are those which comprise an indicator placed in a central region, just below the control key. This indicator illuminates the front of the control key through small openings provided in the control key. There are also those which comprise several indicator lights arranged on the edges of the device. In certain switching devices already known, a light guide is provided which makes it possible to form a luminous halo around the control key.
[0004] Compared to the arrangements already known, the present invention proposes a new switching apparatus whose arrangement makes it possible to alternately illuminate two determined zones of the front of the apparatus to indicate, in particular in the dark, the precise location of the control key where the finger of a user must press to switch the control key in order to control the switching of the mechanism of the switching apparatus.
[0005] More particularly, the present invention proposes a switching apparatus as defined in the introduction, in which said flat part comprises two slots arranged under the control key, in an opposite manner on a positioning axis perpendicular to said tilting axis, and in which the two light sources are placed under the flat part to emit a luminous flux through the slots towards the outside of said switching apparatus, the relative position of the slots and of the control key is adjusted so that, in each of the two angular positions, the control key closes one slot and leaves the other slot free.
[0006] Other characteristics of the switching apparatus according to the invention are as follows:
[0007] - it comprises a gear mechanism and the two light sources appear are connected to two separate indicator lights, electrically connected to each other by an electrical conductor, and supplied with current via said switchgear mechanism;
[0008] - the switchgear mechanism is housed in a housing with two side faces opposite external ones on which the two indicators are attached;
[0009] - each indicator light has a base provided with a means of snapping onto a additional swimming of the switchgear housing;
[0010] - the base of each indicator light comprises guide means adapted to cooperate with complementary guide means provided on the housing of the switching apparatus, these guide means being associated with said latching means to guide said indicator light to its latching position on the housing;
[0011] - said flat part belongs to an apparatus support to which the housing housing the switching apparatus mechanism, this flat part bordering the front opening of said housing;
[0012] - said apparatus support forms a single piece with said housing of the switching equipment;
[0013] - said flat part belongs to the housing which houses the apparatus mechanism, it is part of a front wall which borders the front opening of said housing and which is intended to at least partially close the opening of an equipment support in which said housing is mechanically mounted on said equipment support;
[0014] - the control key has a flat rear face of which two parts are intended to alternately cover the outlets of said slots located on the front face of said flat part facing said control key;
[0015] - the control key includes two ribs projecting from its rear face distinct, each rib being adapted to engage in the slot closed by said control key; and
[0016] - the two slots extend on either side of said following positioning axis two arcs of a circle belonging to a circle centered on the point of intersection between said tilting axis and said positioning axis.
[0017] The description which follows with reference to the appended drawings, given as non-limiting examples, will make it clear what the invention consists of and how it can be implemented.
[0018] In the attached drawings:
[0019] [Fig-1] is an exploded perspective view of an electrical assembly comprising a switching apparatus according to the invention,
[0020] [Fig.2] is a front perspective view of the assembled electrical assembly of [Fig.l],
[0021] [Fig.3] is a top view of [Fig.2],
[0022] [Fig.4] is an exploded bottom view of part of the com- mutation of [Fig.l],
[0023] [Fig.5] is a side view of the assembled part of [Fig.4],
[0024] [Fig.6] is a sectional view along plane AA of [Fig.5],
[0025] [Fig.7] is a magnifying glass view of detail El of [Fig.6],
[0026] [Fig.8] is a magnifying glass view of detail E2 of [Fig.6],
[0027] [Fig.9] is a magnifying glass view of detail E3 of [Fig.20],
[0028] [Fig. 10] is a perspective view of the two indicator lights of the switching apparatus of [Fig.l],
[0029] [Fig.11] is a top view of [Fig.10],
[0030] [Fig. 12] is a perspective view of the control key of the apparatus of switching of [Fig.l],
[0031] [Fig.13] is a bottom view of the control key of [Fig.12],
[0032] [Fig. 14] is a rear view of the control key of [Fig. 12],
[0033] [Fig.15] is a side view of the control key of [Fig.12],
[0034] [Fig. 16] is an assembled front view of the switchgear of [Fig.l] without its trim, nor its control button,
[0035] [Fig. 17] is an assembled front view of the switchgear of [Fig.l]
[0036] [Fig. 18] is a sectional view along plane BB of [Fig. 17],
[0037] [Fig. 19] is an assembled front view of an alternative embodiment of the apparatus switching device according to the invention, without its trim, and
[0038] [Fig.20] is a sectional view along plane CC of [Fig. 19].
[0039] In the following description, the terms front and rear will be defined in relation with regard to a user, the front of an element of the invention being turned towards the user while the rear of this element is turned away from the user.
[0040] In Figures 1 to 3, a single-station electrical assembly is shown which comprises a preferred embodiment of a single-station switching apparatus 1 according to the invention and a finishing plate 50 attached to the switching apparatus 1. In Figures 19 and 20, a slight variant of this preferred embodiment of the switching apparatus 1 is shown.
[0041] According to this preferred embodiment, the switching apparatus 1 comprises - a housing 10 which houses an apparatus mechanism, - an apparatus support 20 which forms a single piece with said housing 10, - a control key 30 of the apparatus mechanism, - a trim 40 attached to the front of said housing 10, on a fixed part 18 thereof, and - a lighting device comprising two light sources 112 belonging to two separate indicator lights 100, electrically connected to each other by an electrical conductor 101 and supplied with current via said equipment mechanism.
[0042] The housing 10 and the equipment support 20 are made in a single piece by molding a rigid thermoplastic polymer such as ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene).
[0043] As shown more particularly in Figures 1 and 3 to 5, the housing 10 here comprises a bottom wall 19 and a side wall 11 delimiting a generally parallelepiped interior volume open at the front (see [Fig.l]).
[0044] The bottom wall 19 has openings 19A for the entry into the housing 10 of a stripped portion of electrical supply conductors (not shown) coming from the electrical network, with a view to their connection to the connection terminals BC of the switchgear mechanism (see figures 4 and 6).
[0045] The equipment support 20 is in the form of a plate whose outer edge 21 follows a square contour (see figures 1, 4, 5 and 16). This plate located at the front of the housing 10, surrounds said housing 10 and extends cantilevered from the side wall 11 of the housing 10, perpendicular to the latter (see figures 4 and 5).
[0046] The apparatus support 20 comprises an opposite front face 20A and a rear face 20B. The rear face 20B extends in a plane while the front face 20A is a slightly curved surface (see FIGS. 5 and 20).
[0047] The side wall 11 of the housing 10 extends rearwardly from the rear face 20B of the equipment support 20, generally perpendicular to this rear face 20B (see Figures 4 and 5). The front opening of the housing 10 is delimited by an edge 22 from which the front face 20A of the equipment support 20 extends.
[0048] The equipment support 20 comprises a flat part 23 (i.e. a part defined between two parallel planes) having four portions arranged at the four cardinal points, along the edge 22 of the front opening of the housing 10 (see figures 1 and 16). The rear face 23B of this flat part 23 belongs to the flat rear face 20B of said equipment support 20 (see [Fig. 4]) and the flat front face 23A of this flat part 23 is placed slightly set back relative to the curved front face 20A of said equipment support 20 (see figures 1, 16, 17 and 19). The front face 23A of this flat part 23 is delimited by a rim 23C formed by a recess in the front face 20A of the equipment support 20 (see figures 1 and 16).
[0049] As shown in Figures 1, 16, 17 and 19, the equipment support 20 has four through openings 25. These four openings 25 are arranged on two perpendicular axes X, Y and intersecting at the intersection point O located in the center of the front opening of the housing 10. They are opposite each other in pairs. The openings 25 pass through the flat part 23 of the equipment support 20. They have a shape keyhole and are used for screw fixing of the device support 20 to a flush-mounted box (not shown).
[0050] The apparatus support 20 also comprises tooth snap-in slots 26 (not visible in the figures) provided on the rear face of the finishing plate 50.
[0051] The finishing plate 50 shown in Figures 1 to 3 is an example of a plate that can be mounted on the equipment support 20, around the control key 30 of the switching equipment 1, to complete the finishing of the electrical assembly. This finishing plate 50 is not part of the present invention. It covers the front face 20A of the equipment support 20 by extending beyond the outer edge 21 thereof to bear against the receiving wall (not shown). Here, it has a square outer contour 52 and a central opening 51 whose edge 51A is circular.
[0052] As shown more particularly in [Fig. 2], when the finishing plate 50 is attached to said apparatus support 20, the trim 40 of the switching apparatus 1 emerges in the central opening 51 of the finishing plate 50 and an annular gap A is formed between the circular outer edge 41 of the trim 40 and the inner circular edge 51A of the trim plate 50. The annular-shaped control key 30 is placed in this annular gap A so that its inner edge 30C runs along the outer edge 41 of the trim 40 and its outer edge 30D runs along the inner edge 51A of the trim plate 50. The front face 50A of this finishing plate 50 extends substantially in the same plane as the front face 40A of said trim 40.
[0053] As shown in Figures 1, 16, 18 and 20, the gear mechanism housed in the housing 10 comprises a driver 15 mounted to tilt in the housing 10 and comprising a barrel 15D which catches a tilting part of a movable brush B bearing against a yoke C1 and threaded into a spring (not visible) housed in said barrel 15D. The driver 15 is adapted to move said movable brush B provided with a contact grain, between a closed position in which said contact grain is bearing against a fixed contact grain (not shown) and an open position in which said contact grain is distant from said fixed contact grain.
[0054] The switchgear mechanism also comprises, in the bottom of the housing 10, electrical connection terminals BC (see [Fig.6]) connected to the yoke as well as to the fixed contact grain. Here, for example, four electrical connection terminals BC are provided for the connection of the switching mechanism. These electrical connection terminals BC are for example self-connecting terminals, so that each of them can be operated by a disconnection lever which passes through an opening made in the side wall 11 of the housing 10 to act on the spring blade of the corresponding terminal. Each disconnection lever has a control handle 17 accessible to the user outside said housing 10 (see figures 1, 3, 18 and 20).
[0055] As shown in Figures 1, 16 and 19, the driver 15 comprises an upper part in the form of a cradle arranged between two fixed and parallel walls 18 of the housing 10. These two walls 18 emerge above the front face 20A of the equipment support 20 (see [Fig. 5]) and they comprise in the parts emerging above said equipment support 20 two bearings 18A whose axes are aligned with the axis Y called the tilting axis. These two bearings 18A accommodate two journals carried by two longitudinal external faces of the cradle so that the driver 15 can pivot about the tilting axis Y. Two opposite ends of the cradle of the driver 15 are arranged for the attachment of the control key 30.Each of these opposite ends of the cradle of the driver 15 comprises, for the attachment of the control key 30, a tooth 15B framed by two recesses 15C provided in the two longitudinal external faces of the cradle and two platforms 15A (see figures 1, 16, 19 and 20).
[0056] The control key 30 is advantageously produced (see [Fig. 18]) by assembling two annular pieces clipped together, each produced by molding a thermoplastic polymer such as ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene).
[0057] As shown in Figures 1 and 12 to 15, the control key 30 has the shape of a ring whose inner edge 30C delimits a circular opening 30E. This ring 30 has a slightly concave front face 30A and, opposite the front face 30A, a flat rear face 30B. The front face 30A forms the support face for a user's finger. For mounting the control key 30 on the cradle of the driver 15, the rear face 30B of the control key 30 carries two parallel bars 31 which extend along two chords of the circular opening 30E. The distance between the bars 31 is equal to the length of the cradle of the driver 15 so that said bars 31 are adapted to cooperate with the arrangements provided for this purpose at each end of said cradle.To cooperate with the cradle of the driver 15, each bar 31 has at the center of a longitudinal face 31A facing the other bar 31, a tooth 31C framed by two parallel uprights 31E. Finally, the inner edge 30C of the control key 30 carries two studs 32 which extend towards each other along a diameter D of the circular opening 30E (see [Fig. 14]). Each stud 32 has a rear face 32B in the form of a hollow wedge whose apex 32C is an edge extending along said diameter D. As shown more particularly in FIGS. 1 and 16, there are provided correspondingly in the front opening of the housing 10, two yokes 16 having a projecting wedge shape whose apexes are aligned with the tilting axis Y.
[0058] As shown in Figures 18 to 20, the control key 30 is secured to the cradle of the driver 15 by the attachment of the teeth 31C of the bars 31 of said key to the teeth 15B of the cradle of the driver 15. Concomitantly with this attachment, the uprights 31E carried by said bars 31 are placed in the recesses 15C provided in the two longitudinal external faces of the cradle and the rear faces 31B of said bars 31 rest on the platforms 15A of the cradle of the driver 15. In this way, the control key 30 is blocked on said cradle of the driver 15 in the three perpendicular spatial directions X, Y and Z (see [Fig. 19]).
[0059] Thus, pressing a finger on the control key 30 makes it possible to tilt the driver 15 around the tilting axis Y which moves the movable brush B.
[0060] As shown more particularly in Figures 17 to 20, when the control key 30 is attached to the cradle of the driver 15, it extends above the equipment support 20, covering an annular part of the front face 23A of the flat part 23 of said equipment support 20. It is capable of tilting around the tilting axis Y between two distinct angular positions relative to said flat part 23 located below it. The two distinct angular positions of the control key 30 correspond to two switching positions of the driver 15. Here, the two angular positions of the control key 30 are two stable positions. Alternatively, provision could be made for there to be only one stable position of the control key (for this, a return means would have to be provided in the housing which permanently pushes the control key towards its stable angular position), the latter functioning as a push button.
[0061] Furthermore, the studs 32 of the control key 30 are engaged on the yokes 16 of the housing 10 to form a specific tilting means for said control key 30 around the tilting axis Y. This specific tilting means is independent of the tilting means 18A of the driver 15 to which said control key 30 is attached, which makes it possible to ensure the correct tilting of said control key 30 around the tilting axis Y regardless of the area of the front face 30A of said control key 30 where the user's finger presses to actuate said key.
[0062] As shown more particularly in Figures 1, 2, 17 and 18, the trim 40 is a front element fixedly attached to the front of the housing 10 of the switching apparatus 1. It is in the form of a disc whose diameter corresponds, within clearance, to the diameter of the circular opening 30E of the control key 30. The rear face of the trim 40 carries four tabs 42 provided with latching teeth capable of latching onto four latching teeth 18B provided projecting on the opposite faces of the walls 18 of the housing 10. As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the snap-fastening teeth 18B are provided on either side of the bearings 18A on the parts of the walls 18 which emerge above the front face 20A of the apparatus support 20. Once snap-fastened onto the walls 18 of the housing 10, the trim 40 extends inside the circular opening 30E of the control key 30 to close this circular opening above the cradle of the driver 15. The outer edge 41 of the trim 40 then runs along the inner edge 30C of the control key 30.
[0063] Remarkably, in the switching apparatus 1 shown in the various figures, the flat part 23 of the apparatus support 20 comprises two slots 24 arranged under the control key 30, in an opposite manner on a positioning axis X perpendicular to said tilting axis Y (see [Fig. 16]) and the two light sources 112 are placed under said flat part 23, in line with said slots 24, to emit a luminous flux through the slots 24 towards the outside of said switching apparatus 1, the relative position of the slots 24 and of the control key 30 is adjusted so that, in each of the two angular positions of the control key 30, the latter closes one slot 24 and leaves the other slot 24 free (see figures 18 and 20).
[0064] Each slot 24 is associated with a light source 112.
[0065] The luminous flux emitted by one of the light sources 112 passes through the slot 24 left free by the control key 30 tilted into one of its two angular positions and it exits towards the outside of the switching apparatus 1 by crossing the annular gap A formed between the trim 40 and the finishing plate 50 while the exit of the luminous flux emitted by the other light source 112 is blocked by the control key 30 which closes the corresponding slot 24.
[0066] This particularly advantageous arrangement of the slots 24, the control key 30 and the light sources 112 makes it possible to alternately illuminate two determined zones of the front of the switchgear to indicate the precise location of the control key 30 where a user's finger must press in order to tilt the control key 30 to control the switching of the mechanism of the switching device 1. The alternately illuminated zones extend along two opposite parts of the inner circular edge 51A of the finishing plate 50 which are located on said positioning axis X and which adjoin the two parts of the control key 30 which alternately close said slots 24.
[0067] As shown more particularly in [Fig. 16], the two slots 24 extend on either side of said positioning axis X along two arcs of a circle belonging to a circle C centered on the point of intersection O between said tilting axis Y and said positioning axis X. The slots 24 open onto the front and rear faces 23A, 23B of the flat part 23 of the apparatus support 20 located at right angles to the rear face 30B of the control key 30 (see Figures 4 and 16).
[0068] As shown in [Fig. 18], preferably, two flat parts of the rear face 30B of the control key 30 are intended to alternately cover the openings of said slots 24 located on the front face 23A of the flat part 23 facing the control key 30.
[0069] Alternatively, as shown in [Fig.20], the control key 30 comprises two separate ribs 33 projecting from its rear face 30B, each rib 33 being adapted to engage in the slot 24 closed by said control key 30. Each rib 33 then has a shape and a length adapted to the shape and length of each slot 24. Here, each rib 33 extends along an arc of a circle just like each slot 24.
[0070] The two light sources 112 belong to the two identical indicator lights 100 attached to two opposite external faces 11A of the side wall 11 of the housing 10 in line with said slots 24.
[0071] Figures 1 and 3 to 11 show a preferred embodiment of the two indicator lights 100 and their mounting means on the side wall 11 of the housing 10.
[0072] Each indicator 100 comprises an electronic card, a base 130 and a cover 140 (see figures 18 and 20).
[0073] The electronic card comprises a plate 110, one face of which supports a printed electrical circuit and a luminous element 112 connected to said printed circuit.
[0074] The plate 110 is made of an insulating material, for example laminated epoxy.
[0075] This printed circuit is presented for example in the form of a thin layer of copper etched by a chemical process to obtain a set of tracks (not shown), terminated by pads. The tracks of the printed circuit can be covered with a layer of colored varnish which protects the tracks from oxidation and possible short circuits. The luminous element 112 is connected to certain pads of the tracks of the printed circuit. The electronic card also includes various electrical components such as a diode and a resistor connected to other pads of the printed circuit.
[0076] The luminous element 112 is for example a light-emitting diode. It may alternatively be any other luminous electrical component.
[0077] The base 130 and the cover 140 of each indicator 100 are assembled and form a housing which hermetically encloses the electronic card. As shown in FIGS. 6, 10 and 11, for assembly, the base 130 has on two opposite lateral sides two flanges 132 and the cover 140 has on two opposite lateral sides two tabs 141 each provided with a tooth 142. Each tab 141 of the cover 140 is inserted under a flange 132 of the base 130 so that the tooth 142 of the tab 141 hooks onto an edge of the flange 132. The cooperation of the flanges 132 and the tabs 141 is such that the base 130 and the cover 140 are pressed against each other following a hermetic junction edge.
[0078] The base 130 is arranged at the rear of the plate 110 and the cover 140 covers the printed circuit with the light element 112 and the other electronic components supported by the face of the plate 110 of this electronic card. After assembling the cover 140 and the base 130, the plate 110 is sandwiched between the internal face of the cover 140 and the internal face 130B of the base 130. It is therefore effectively held between these two parts.
[0079] The base 130 and the cover 140 are made of an insulating plastic material, for example by molding. They allow the electronic card to be electrically insulated.
[0080] The base 130 is made of an opaque material while the cover 140 is made of a transparent or translucent material, for example a thermoplastic material of the transparent polycarbonate type.
[0081] The cover 140 protects the light element 112 and also plays the important role of a light diffuser for the light flux emitted by the light element 112 of the indicator light 100.
[0082] For this purpose, the cover 140 has a cone shape 143 which is placed in line with the light element 112, the apex of which is directed towards the latter. This cone 143 makes it possible to channel the light flux emitted by the light element 112 in a preferred main direction.
[0083] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the base 130 of each indicator light 100 has two openings 134 for the passage of two electrical supply conductors 101, 102 connected to the printed circuit of the electronic card of said indicator light 100. One of the conductors 102 is intended to be connected to one of the electrical connection terminals BC of the switchgear mechanism of the switching apparatus 1 and the other conductor 101 is connected to the electronic card of the other indicator light 100.
[0084] Thanks to the conductors 101, 102, the two indicator lights 100 are permanently supplied with current by the switchgear mechanism of the switching apparatus 1 connected to the electrical network. The luminous element 112 of each indicator light 100 therefore continuously emits a luminous flux towards the outside of the switching apparatus 1 and it is the control key 30 which blocks the output of this luminous flux as a function of its angular position relative to the apparatus support 20 so that only one determined zone of the front of the switching apparatus 1 remains illuminated.
[0085] As shown in Figures 6 to 11, the base 130 of each indicator light 100 is provided with a snap-fastening means 133 on a complementary arrangement 12B of the housing 10 of the switching apparatus 1. The base 130 of each indicator light 100 also comprises guide means 131A adapted to cooperate with complementary guide means 12A provided on the housing 10, these guide means 131A being associated with said latching means 133 to guide said indicator 100 to its latching position on the housing 10.
[0086] More particularly, the base 130 of each indicator 100 has an external face 130A (facing the other indicator 100) which projects a latching tooth 133. As shown in [Fig.9], this tooth 133 has, below its nose 133B, a hooking surface 133A which extends at a right angle to the external face of the base 130. The external face 130A of the base 130 also projects two parallel rigid tabs 131, arranged on either side of the tooth 133. Each tab 131 has at its free end a return directed towards the other tab 131 so that the two tabs 131 define two grooves 131A facing each other (or in other words which face each other).
[0087] Correspondingly, there is provided on each of the opposite external faces 11A of the side wall 11 of the housing 10 of the switching apparatus 1, a mounting platform 12 supported by uprights 14. Each mounting platform 12 extends from the rear face 20B of the apparatus support 20, perpendicular thereto. It is placed just below the flat part 23 in which one of the slots 24 is provided (see [Fig. 4]). Each mounting platform 12 has two parallel lateral edges 12A which project beyond said uprights 14 (see Figures 7 and 8). The two lateral edges form ribs 12A which extend perpendicular to the rear face 23B of said flat part 23 of the apparatus support 20.Each mounting platform 12 further comprises, in an external face 12C, halfway between its two lateral edges 12A, a cutout 12B which extends to the junction edge with the rear face 23B of the flat part 23 of the equipment support 20 (see [Fig.4]).
[0088] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the two indicator lights 100 are approached to the housing 10 of the switching apparatus 1 with the external face 130A of their base 130 facing the mounting platforms 12 of said housing 10. The grooves 131A of the base 130 of each indicator light 100 are threaded onto the ribs 12A of the corresponding mounting platform 12 of the housing 10 (see Figures 6, 7 and 8) to guide the indicator light 100 until the hooking surface 133A of the tooth 133 carried by the base 130 hooks onto an edge of the cutout 12B of said mounting platform 12 (see Figures 6 and 9).In the hooked or snapped position, the external face 130A of the base 130 of each indicator light 100 is pressed against the external face 12C of the corresponding mounting platform 12 and the cone 143 of the cover 140 of each indicator light 100 is placed just below the flat part 23 while being oriented towards the corresponding slot 24 of this flat part 123 of the equipment support 20 (see figures 18 and 20). The conductor 101 which establishes the electrical connection between the two indicator lights 100 is semi-rigid and is shaped to match the external shape of the housing 10 between the . two indicator lights 100 attached to said housing 10. Each other conductor 102 extends freely on one side of the housing 10 (see [Fig.5]) ready to be connected to a terminal BC for electrical connection of the switchgear mechanism via one of the openings 19A provided in the bottom wall 19 of the housing 10.
[0089] The attachment of each indicator light 100 to the mounting platform 12 of the housing 10 cannot be removed due to the right-angle orientation of the attachment surface 133A of each latching tooth 133 carried by the base 130 of the indicator light 100.
[0090] Advantageously, two arrows F are provided on the external face of the cover 140 of each indicator 100 to indicate the direction of mounting of said indicator 100 on the housing 10 of the switching apparatus 1.
[0091] Finally, it will be noted that the bottom of the guide grooves 131A provided on the external face 130A of the base 130 of each indicator 100 has a slight inclination so that the external face 130A of said base 130 of said indicator 100 does not come into contact with the external face 12C of the mounting platform 12 before the tooth 133 hooks onto the edge of the cutout 12B. This avoids any jamming during the mounting of each indicator 100 on the mounting platform 12 of said housing 10.
[0092] The invention is not limited to the detailed description and various other modifications may be made thereto.
[0093] According to a variant not shown, it could be provided that said flat part belongs to the housing which houses the equipment mechanism and not to the equipment support. In this case, it would be part of a front wall of the housing which borders the front opening of said housing and which is intended to at least partially close the opening of an equipment support in which said housing is attached mechanically mounted on said equipment support.
[0094] It could be provided that the control key does not have the shape of a ring surrounding the trim but has a more classic shape with a support wall surrounded by the trim itself surrounded by the finishing plate attached to the equipment support.
[0095] It could also be provided that the cover of each indicator light is overmolded onto its base.
[0096] Of course, various other modifications may also be made to the invention within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
Claims
1. Switchgear (1) which comprises a control key (30) capable of tilting about a tilting axis (Y) between two distinct angular positions relative to a flat portion (23) which extends under the control key (30) and a lighting device comprising two light sources (112), characterized in that said flat portion (23) comprises two slots (24) arranged under the control key (30), oppositely on a positioning axis (X) perpendicular to said tilting axis (Y), and in that the two light sources (112) are placed under the flat portion (23) to emit a luminous flux through the slots (24) towards the outside of said switching apparatus (1), the relative position of the slots (24) and of the control key (30) is adjusted so that, in each of the two angular positions, the control key (30) closes a slot (24) and leaves free the other slot (24).
2. Switchgear (1) according to claim 1, which comprises a switchgear mechanism and in which the two light sources (112) belong to two separate indicator lamps (100), electrically connected to each other by an electrical conductor (101), each indicator lamp (100) being supplied with current via said switchgear mechanism.
3. Switchgear (1) according to the preceding claim, in which the switchgear mechanism is housed in a housing (10) with two opposite external faces (1 IA) on which the two indicator lights (100) are attached.
4. Switchgear (1) according to the preceding claim, in which each indicator (100) comprises a base (130) provided with a snap-fastening means (133) on a complementary arrangement (12B) of the housing (10).
5. Switchgear (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the base (130) of each indicator (100) comprises guide means (131 A) adapted to cooperate with complementary guide means (12A) provided on the housing (10), these guide means (131 A) being associated with said latching means (133) to guide said indicator (100) to its latching position on the housing (10).
6. Switchgear (1) according to one of the preceding claims preceding, in which said flat part (23) belongs to an apparatus support (20) to which the housing (10) housing the apparatus mechanism of the switching apparatus (1) is attached, this flat part (23) bordering the front opening of said housing (10).
7. Switchgear (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said apparatus support (20) forms a single piece with said housing (10).
8. Switchgear (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, in which said flat part belongs to the housing which houses the switchgear mechanism, it is part of a front wall which borders the front opening of said housing and which is intended to at least partially close the opening of a switchgear support in which said housing is mechanically mounted on said switchgear support.
9. Switchgear (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the control key (30) has a flat rear face (30B) two parts of which are intended to alternately cover the outlets of said slots (24) located on the front face (23A) of the flat part (23) facing said control key (30).
10. Switchgear (1) according to the preceding claim, in which the control key (30) comprises projecting from its rear face (30B) two separate ribs (33), each rib (33) being adapted to engage in the slot (24) closed by said control key (30).
11. Switchgear (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the two slots (24) extend on either side of said positioning axis (X) along two arcs of a circle belonging to a circle (C) centered on the point of intersection (O) between said tilting axis (Y) and said positioning axis (X).