Electrical installations and methods of their manufacture

Abstract

Electrical installations (sockets, electrical switches, low-current sockets, regulator devices, connection boxes, their covers and frames, especially recessed electrical installations) are manufactured in a CNC machine in a suitable fixture from thermal wood and are preferably finished with a suitable furniture oil or oil wax. The rocker paddle of a wide rocker switch, the paddle part and the fastener element are made of wood, preferably of thermal wood. The fastener element protrudes from the bottom of the paddle part, and a bead is machined on the fastener element to connect it to a flange of actuator mechanism of the rocker switch.

Description

[0001] Electrical installations and methods of their manufacture

[0002] Technical field

[0003] The invention belongs to the field of electrical installations, more specifically sockets, electrical switches, low-current sockets, regulators, junction boxes, their housings, covers and frames, both surface-mounted electrical installations and, above all, recessed electrical installations. An innovative design of the rocker switch as such an electrical installation is also an invention. Methods of making such an electrical installation are also described.

[0004] Background art

[0005] Sockets, electrical switches, low-current sockets, control devices, junction boxes, their covers and frames (hereinafter all together: electrical installations) are widely used. Electrical installations that are recessed into a wall or into other structural element as well as electrical installations with surface mounting are known, see e.g., https: / / www.jung de / ee / eebikataloog / .

[0006] Wall-mounted frames made of wood for electrical installations are known, such as AU2019204173, which describes sockets and switches whose frame (i.e. the part on the wall that surrounds the front panel of the electrical installation) is made of wood, whereas the front panel itself is not made of wood but of plastic. Several methods of making frames have been described, including plywood or otherwise layered, the purpose of which is to ensure the structural rigidity and strength of the frames.

[0007] Electrical installations and their frames are known, such as www.kopp.eu, so-called Milano series, which is made of wood that has been heavily treated with finishing agents and is comparable in appearance to wood-imitation plastic, where the naturalness and warmth of wood are therefore greatly reduced.

[0008] Manufacturing electrical installations from wood is challenging, primarily due to the properties of wood to expand (to absorb moisture from the surrounding environment) and to shrink (give moisture to the surrounding environment - drying of wood) in environmental conditions. However, the cyclical change in the shape dimensions of wood causes cracks and breakages in electrical installations. One method that helps to solve this problem is to finish the wood with various finishes, such as those mentioned in the aforementioned KOPP Milano product line. The inventors of the invention have proposed the possibility of manufacturing electrical installations from a thermally processed wood in a CNC bench in other patent and utility model applications.

[0009] Disclosure of invention

[0010] The invention is an electrical installation (i.e. sockets, electrical switches, low-current sockets, regulators, junction boxes) and its covers and frames made of thermally processed wood.

[0011] The invention is a rocker paddle of a wide rocker switch that has a paddle part and a fastener element for attaching the rocker paddle to the switching mechanism of the rocker switch, whereas the paddle part and fastener element are made of wood, preferably of thermally processed wood. Preferably, a bead is formed at the end of the fastener element protruding from the paddle part, which engages with the switching mechanism of the switch to fix the key to the switch. According to another example, the fastener element of a rocker switch key is a clamp bent from a suitable material, preferably a suitable metal, a mixture of metals or an alloy, which is attached to the inner half of the thermally processed wood bracket in a suitable way (with tension, glue, etc.).

[0012] Another aspect of the invention is a method of making an electrical installation made of thermally processed wood, according to which a thermal wood electrical installation is cut out of a workpiece made of thermally processed wood, preferably with numerical program control, i.e. in a so-called CNC machine tool, preferably a thermally processed wood workpiece that contains the material for the manufacture of at least two electrical installations, is fixed in a jig and fixed, the jig is attached to a numerical program control, i.e. a so-called CNC workbench, the first half of the workpiece is machined out of the first half of the electrical installation, leaving at least two electrical installations to be manufactured connected to the workpiece material with small strips of workpiece, the workpiece is turned over in a jig and fixed, the other half of the electrical installations is machined from the other half of the workpiece, and the electrical installations are separated from the workpiece. Preferably, the workpiece is fixed and fixed in the jig from three sides and with the help of pressure clamps. Preferably, downcut blades are used for processing. Preferably, the workpiece is fixed to the X, Y and Z axes of the CNC machine tool with a positional accuracy of +- 0.1 mm. The products are preferably manufactured in a CNC machine, preferably in a 3 -axis CNC machine with automatic tool change, as the production of more complex parts (such as a socket) requires the use of different cutting tools and they need to be replaced during the process.

[0013] A jig is used for the manufacture of products, as the parts need to be machined on both sides and the positional accuracy of both sides is critical.

[0014] In the design of the products, planar designs are preferred, which allows to optimize the time spent on the manufacture of the products and allows the use of common end milling machines.

[0015] Thermal birch, thermo-ash and thermal oak are well suited for the manufacture of electrical installations.

[0016] The products can be coated with a surface finish that highlights the characteristic appearance of thermally processed wood, for example, oil wax (for example, OSMO 1101 oil wax for precious wood) or oil (e.g. Borma Wachs' Holzwachs colorless beeswax (product code 0120- 08)).

[0017] Brief description of drawings

[0018] Fig 1 shows a socket according to the invention, with Fig 1 (a) being its front view, Fig 1 (b) side view, Fig 1 (c) and Id) general views, front and rear respectively.

[0019] Fig 2 shows a single frame from the place where the invention was realised, whereas Fig 2 a) is the view from the front of the frame, Fig 2 b) is the rear view of the frame, and Fig 2 c) and Fig 2 d) are the general views of the frame, views from the rear and front, respectively.

[0020] Fig 3 depicts two frames from the example of the invention, whereby Fig 3 a) is the general view of the frame from the front, Fig 3 b) the rear view of the frame, Fig 3 c) the side view of the frame and Fig 3 d) the rear view of the frame.

[0021] Fig 4 shows the cover of a low-current socket, such as a USB socket, in accordance with the example of the invention, with Fig 4 (a) being a general view of the cover from the front, Fig 4 (b) a view from the rear of the cover, Fig 4 (c) a section from Fig 4 (b) and Fig 4 (d) a view from the front of the cover.

[0022] Fig 5 shows a jig on a CNC machine tool with a workpiece placed in it for the manufacture of electrical installations before the start of machining. Fig 6 shows a jig without a blank in Fig 5,

[0023] Fig 7 shows a modified jig for the placement of four blanks, in which the jig shows one blank for making nine sockets after the completion of the first machining step.

[0024] Fig 8 shows a rocker paddle of a so-called wide rocker switch according to one embodiment of the invention, where Fig 8 (a) is the general view of the rocker paddle from the rear, Fig 8 (b) the rear view, Fig 8 (c) a cross-section of the rocker paddle, and Fig 8 (d) is an enlarged view of the fastener element for the rocker paddle.

[0025] Fig 9 shows the cutting element for manufacturing the fastener element depicted on Fig 8.

[0026] Fig 10 shows another example of an embodiment of a fastener element of the rocker paddle.

[0027] Fig 11 shows a top-up view of the fastener shown in Fig 10.

[0028] Fig 12 shows rocker paddles of the dual wide rocker switch with the fastener elements according to another embodiment.

[0029] Fig 13 shows a rocker paddle of the dual wide rocker switch shown in Fig 12.

[0030] Modes for carrying out the invention

[0031] An invention is an electrical installation for installation in a wall (or similar surface) or on the surface of a wall, whereas such an electrical installation is made of thermally processed wood. Different examples of electrical installations are described in more detail in Fig 1 to Fig 4 and Fig 8, Fig 10 and Fig 12.

[0032] Fig 1 shows a thermally processed wood socket 1 with a front panel 2 and socket part 3 as shown in the example of the first execution of the invention, preferably both the front panel 2 and the socket part 3 are both made of thermally processed wood.

[0033] Fig 2 shows a single frame 4 made of thermally processed wood according to the example of the second execution of the invention. Fig 3 shows a double frame 5 made of thermally processed wood in the example of the second execution of the invention.

[0034] Fig 4 shows a low-current socket 6 made of thermally processed wood, as shown in the example of the third execution of the invention. Thermally processed wood is a wood material that has undergone a special thermal modification process, where the wood is heated in a controlled environment at a high temperature (about 160-230 °C). The moisture content of thermally processed wood is less than 5%. Thermally processed wood expands by only 0.34% when the relative humidity of the environment fluctuates from 35% to 65% at 25 degrees. The purpose of thermal modification is to change the properties of wood, such as stability, moisture resistance and durability, and to give it new properties. The advantages of thermally processed wood compared to ordinary untreated wood are stability, moisture resistance, reduced warping and cracking, resistance to insects and microorganisms. Thermal modification is environmentally friendly. Thermally processed wood has a pleasant, warm appearance. The design of the product is based on flatness, allowing to optimize the production process and the cost of raw materials.

[0035] Preferably, a three-axis computer-controlled or so-called CNC bench with automatic tool change is used for the manufacture of the product, where automated tool change enables the efficient use of different cutting tools and thereby optimization of the production process. For the production of more complex parts (such as a socket), it is necessary to use different cutting tools and they must be replaced during the process. A jig is used to manufacture the products (see Fig. 5 to Fig. 7), as the parts need to be machined on both sides and the positional accuracy of both sides is critical.

[0036] Making thermally processed wood products is a challenge because the material being processed is dry and fragile. It is difficult for thermally processed wood to separate from the workpiece. To avoid this and to ensure surface quality, suitable cutting parameters (feed, depth of cut and spindle speed) must be found and it is recommended to use so-called downcut cutting instruments. With the right instruments and cutting parameters, it is possible to avoid breakage of parts during processing.

[0037] In the design of products, planes are preferred, which allows to optimize the time spent on the manufacture of products and allows the use of common end mills.

[0038] Thermal birch, thermo-ash and thermal oak are well suited for the manufacture of electrical installations.

[0039] The products can be coated with a surface finish that brings out the characteristic appearance of thermally processed wood, for example, oil wax (for example, OSMO 1101 oil wax for precious wood) or oil (e.g. Borma Wachs' Holzwachs colorless beeswax (product code 0120- 08), taking into account the special absorbency of thermally processed wood.

[0040] The manufacture of an electrical installation, e.g. a socket, is carried out as follows:

[0041] Step 1 : The workpiece is fixed in the jig.

[0042] Thermowood workpiece 11 for the manufacture of at least one electrical installation, e.g. a socket, is fixed in the recess in jig 7. Preferably, several sockets are made from each workpiece, for example, five to ten (nine in the example shown in Fig 7). The positional accuracy of the workpiece throughout the production process is critical, which is why the workpiece is fixed on three sides. For this purpose, the jig has support or reference surfaces (bottom, side and end surface 8), against which the workpiece is pressed in the jig. The reference surfaces are defined in the machine's work file as the zero surfaces against which the CNC bench positions the cutting tool. Pressure clamps 9 and 10 are used to press the workpiece against the support surfaces, which ensure that even the bent workpiece is in full contact with the support surfaces. This ensures that all parts produced from the workpiece have the same dimensions.

[0043] Step 2: The jig is attached to the CNC bench.

[0044] Step 3: Processing is carried out on one side of the workpiece (side A).

[0045] Step 4: The workpiece is turned over in the jig.

[0046] Step 5: Processing is carried out on the other side of the workpiece (B side).

[0047] Products, such as a socket, must be machined on two sides, which means that the two sides of the machined workpiece must be precisely aligned with the x-y axis (the so-called top view) of the CNC machine. In the production of sockets, the precision of the z-axis is ensured by pressing the workpiece onto the lower or bottom reference surface by using pressure clamps that press on the top. The target positional accuracy of the Z-axis must also be ensured in the order of +- 0.1 mm. The required positional accuracy with respect to the x, y and z axes is in the order of +- 0.1 mm.

[0048] Step 5: The finished products are separated from the workpiece.

[0049] An expert in the field understands that the above steps can be combined, and the order of certain steps can be changed (in particular, for example, steps 1 and 2). Preferably, in the cutting process, as much material as necessary is removed from the workpiece and as little as possible. This ensures that as much material as possible remains in the machined part after cutting treatment (to ensure the strength of the part) and that the processing time is as minimal as possible.

[0050] Preferably, unnecessary idle movements of the cutting instrument are avoided. A single processing pass separates as much material as possible and ensures proximity to the starting and ending points of the processing passages.

[0051] As a rule, it is necessary to use two cutting tools, e.g. D3 and D8 double-edged downcut blades. In the processing of thermally processed wood, the advantage of downcut blades over upcut blades is primarily that thermally processed wood is brittle in its properties and downcut blades do not cause splintering in the upper parts of the cutting edge. This ensures the surface quality of the machined edges. Suitable feed and spindle speeds are important, ensuring the quality of the treated surface and the minimum time required for the cutting operation at the same time. The spindle speed is selected as high as possible (e.g. 24000 rpm) and the feed speed is set between 900 and 5500 mm / min. The feed rate is selected according to the amount of material to be separated.

[0052] When processing the outer contour of the socket, the amount of material released is not very large, but it is critical to ensure a smooth side surface as a result of the cutting process, which is why a low feed rate (e.g. 900 mm / min) is used and the processing pass is done in one pass to ensure the smoothness of the side surface.

[0053] Throughout the machining process, the workpiece and the workpiece must be firmly in a fixed position. In addition to jigs, a working method is also used, where when processing the last processing of the part, i.e. the outer contour, the part is left attached to the workpiece with strips of workpiece material (for example, one or two strips in each direction). In essence, this means that there are four places in the contour where the material is not removed, thanks to which the part remains in the workpiece even after the end of processing. The part is separated from the workpiece at the final stage of production. In addition, it is important to choose a workpiece with the right cross-section for the production of the part. It is important to keep in mind that there is enough material between the outer contour of the part and the edge of the workpiece so that, firstly, the workpiece does not break during processing and, secondly, that the workpiece is rigid enough to dampen the vibrations generated during processing. For example, if the width of the socket is 63mm, then the width of a suitable workpiece is about 95mm. In addition, the distance between the workpieces, i.e. the step in the workpiece, must be chosen optimally to ensure sufficient rigidity of the workpiece and optimization of material consumption, for example, in the case of a 63mm wide socket, a suitable pitch, i.e. the distance between the two sockets is about 100mm.

[0054] Fig 8 shows the design of a rocker paddle 81 of an electrical installation with a novel design, namely a rocker switch made of thermally processed wood, which has a protruding fastener element 82 for attaching the paddle part 82 to the switch switching mechanism 84, with the fastener element equipped with bead 83.

[0055] Fig 9 shows a cutting element 91 for manufacturing the fastener element for the rocker paddle shown in Fig 8 for the manufacturing the fastener element 82 rand 83, with groove 92 formed on the cutting element at an appropriate distance L from the tip. The groove 83 of the fastener element 82 of the rocker switch is also preferably manufactured in a CNC machine.

[0056] Fig 10 shows an alternative implementation of the rocker paddle 101, in which the fastener element 103 (as shown in Fig 11) is a bracket bent from a suitable material, preferably a suitable metal, a mixture of metals or an alloy, with a base part 104 with lugs 105 at each end that are attached in a suitable way (with tension, glue, etc.) to the inside of the thermally processed wood bracket. For better attachment of the clip to the recess 102 on the inside of the rocker paddle, the edges of the bottom part of the fastener element 103 106 may be jagged.

[0057] Fig 12 shows the rocker paddles 111 of a dual rocker switch together with the mounting element 103 according to the second embodiment. Fig 13 shows the rocker paddle 111 of the dual rocker switch shown in Fig 12, which has a recess for the 112 fastening elements.

Claims

Claims1. A method of manufacturing an electrical installation, such as a socket, an electrical switch, a low-current socket, a regulator device, a junction box, their covers and frames, characterized in that said electrical installation is made of thermally processed wood.

2. The method of manufacturing the electrical installation according to claim 1, comprising manufacturing the electrical installation in a CNC machine.

3. The method of manufacturing the electrical installation according to claim 2, wherein a thermowood workpiece comprising enough thermowood for manufacturing of at least two electrical installations is placed in a jig and secured, the jig is attached to a numerically controlled CNC machine tool, from the first side of the workpiece, the first side of the electrical installations is processed, leaving at least two electrical installations to be manufactured connected to the workpiece material with small strips of workpiece, the workpiece is turned over in a jig and secured, from the other side of the workpiece, the other side of the electrical installations are processed, and electrical installations are separated from the workpiece.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the workpiece is clamped and secured in the jig on three sides and by means of pressure clamps, preferably with respect to the X, Y and Z axes of the machine tool, with a positional accuracy of at least +- 0,1 mm.

5. The method according to claims 1 to 4, wherein the workpiece is a rocker switch key, the edge of which is milled with a beaded cutting element, at the end of which there is a groove at an appropriate distance.

6. An electrical installation, such as a socket, an electrical switch, a low-current socket, a regulator device, a junction box, their covers and frames, wherein the electrical installation is made of thermally processed wood.

7. The electrical installation according to claim 6, wherein the electrical installation is a socket.

8. The electrical installation according to claim 6, wherein the electrical installation is a rocker paddle of the rocker switch, including a rocker paddle of a wide rocker switch.

9. The electrical installation according to claims 6 to 8, manufactured in a numerically controlled machine tool.

10. The electrical installation according to claims 6 to 9, wherein the electrical installation is a rocker paddle with a paddle part and a fastener element for attaching the paddle to the rocker switch's switching mechanism, wherein the fastener element is made of thermally processed wood.

11. The electrical installation according to claim 10, wherein the fastener element protrudes from the rocker paddle and is equipped with a bead.

12. The electrical installation according to claims 6 to 9, wherein the electrical installation is a rocker paddle of a rocker switch with a paddle part and a fastener element for attaching the paddle part to the rocker switch's actuator mechanism, wherein the fastener element is a metal clip attached inside the paddle part with a base part and having protruding lugs for attaching the paddle part to the rocker switch actuator mechanism.

13. The electrical installation according to claims 6 to 12, wherein the electrical installation is finished with oil or oil wax.

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