Push Button Alignment System for Switch Misalignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Push button switches in existing technologies often misalign after use, leading to aesthetic issues, increased wear on friction surfaces, and potential jamming, compromising the visual appeal and operational smoothness of electrical installations.
Innovation Solution
A push button operated switch with a guide system and alignment elements that ensure precise alignment with a reference plane, utilizing spatially distributed guides and elastic elements to maintain proper positioning and prevent misalignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional guide elements are used to allow push button sliding, then the push button can move between forward and backward positions, but the push button misaligns with the reference plane after use
Solution Approach 1:
The guide system is divided into multiple guide elements distributed at different locations (first guide elements near the front, second guide elements near the rear). Each guide element contributes to the overall alignment, with the second guide elements providing corrective alignment force when the push button returns to its rear position, ensuring precise alignment with the reference plane
Solution Approach 2:
Alignment elements are introduced as intermediary components between the push button and the case. These alignment elements engage with complementary features on the push button and case to provide guiding and alignment forces, mediating the interaction to ensure the push button returns to precise alignment without requiring complex mechanical guidance throughout the entire travel path
2Ease of operation
If the push button is allowed to slide freely, then operational fluidity is improved, but friction surfaces wear more and jamming occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The guidance function is segmented across multiple discrete guide elements rather than relying on a single continuous guide surface. This segmentation allows each guide element to be optimized for specific functions (support, alignment, friction reduction) while working together to provide reliable operation throughout the push button's travel range
Solution Approach 2:
Different guide elements are positioned at different locations along the push button's travel path with different functional characteristics. The first guide elements provide support during forward movement, while the second guide elements provide alignment during return movement, creating local quality variations that optimize both fluidity and reliability at different stages of operation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures the push button returns to a precise aligned position, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of electrical installations, reducing wear, and improving operational fluidity by minimizing misalignment and jamming issues.
Implementation Method 1
a release of the push button determines a distancing movement of the push button with respect to the case
Data Source
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AI summary
• 1. A push button operated switch (10) including: • - a case (20) made of electrically insulating material, having a bottom wall (21), lateral walls (20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) being joined to the bottom wall (21) and an open side (21') opposite to the bottom wall (21); • - a push button (30) that can be operated to command an electrical commutation of the switch (10) and having a body provided with lateral walls (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d) crossing said open side (21'), the push button (10) being adapted to slide with respect to the case (20) along a sliding axis (Z-Z), between a forward position and a backward position; • - at least one elastic element (40) adapted to exert a pushing force on the push button (30) in order to bring back or keep the push button (30) in the backward position; • - a first stopping system including contact surfaces (251, 351) of the lateral walls of the case (20) and of the lateral walls of the push button (30) respectively, which are abutting to each other when the push button (30) is in the backward position; • characterized in that the first stopping system includes a button alignment system including alignment elements (250, 350) engaging with each other starting from a giving point on during the sliding movement of the push button (30) from the forward position towards the bakward position.