Control device of push-button type with flat architecture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10658133-B2
Application number	US-201816178828-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2018
Priority date	Nov 27, 2017
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A push-button with a receptacle and a cover plate, an actuating button actuatable in translation between two positions, a rest position and a pushed-in position, the cover plate being arranged at the periphery of the actuating button, a device for guiding the actuating button in translation between the two positions, and a return device for returning the actuating button from the pushed-in position toward the rest position. The guiding device include at least a pin including a bent rod shaped to have a first part pivotally mounted on a fastening unit of the actuating button and a second part pivotally mounted on a fastening unit of the cover plate, and the return device are designed to act on the pin by mechanical or magnetic effect.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device of push-button type comprising:
a body comprising a casing comprising a receptacle and a cover plate fixed on the receptacle;
an actuating button that is actuatable in translation along a main axis with respect to the body between at least two positions, a rest position and a pushed-in position, the cover plate being arranged at a periphery of the actuating button;
guiding means for guiding the actuating button in translation between the two positions thereof; and
return means for returning the actuating button from the pushed-in position toward the rest position, wherein:
the guiding means comprise at least a pin comprising a bent rod shaped to have a first part pivotally mounted on a fastening unit of the actuating button, at least a second part pivotally mounted on a fastening unit of the cover plate, and a free end,
an axis of the first part of the pin and an axis of the second part of the pin are oriented along a first plane,
an axis of the free end of the pin is oriented along a second plane that is inclined with respect to the first plane, and
the return means are rigidly connected to the body and designed to act on the pin by mechanical or magnetic effect.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the actuating button includes an external face, located on an outside of the casing and an internal face, located on an inside of the casing,
the cover plate includes an external face, located on the outside of the casing and an internal face, located on the inside of the casing,
the fastening unit of the actuating button is fixed on the internal face of said actuating button, and
the fastening unit of the cover plate is fixed on the internal face of the cover plate.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the return means include at least one permanent magnet fixed on the cover plate and designed to cooperate by magnetic effect with at least the free end of the pin, said free end being designed to be in contact with a bearing plane of the permanent magnet when the actuating button is in the rest position.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the free end of the pin is designed to pivot between two positions when the actuating button moves between the rest position thereof and the pushed-in position thereof and is arranged opposite the permanent magnet.

5. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the free end of the pin includes a bevel or a flattening arranged to be in contact with the bearing plane of the permanent magnet when the actuating button is in the rest position.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating button has a rectangular or square general shape.

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the cover plate includes an opening of rectangular or square shape and the actuating button is designed such that an outer edge thereof matches the inner edge of the opening.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the guiding means includes the first pin arranged along a first side of the actuating button, and a second pin arranged along a second edge of the actuating button.

9. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising an electronic board fixed to a bottom of the casing.

10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the actuating button comprises at least one transparent part and wherein the electronic board includes a light-emitting diode set up to emit a light signal through said transparent part.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the free end extends from the second part and forms a right-angle bend with respect to the second part.

12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first part and the second part are parallel to each.

13. A device of push-button type comprising:
a body comprising a casing comprising a receptacle and a cover plate fixed on the receptacle;
an actuating button that is actuatable in translation along a main axis with respect to the body between two positions, the cover plate being arranged at a periphery of the actuating button; and
a guide to guide the actuating button in translation between the two positions thereof, the guide comprising a pin comprising a bent rod shaped to have a first part pivotally mounted on a fastener of the actuating button, a second part pivotally mounted on a fastener of the cover plate, and a free end, wherein
an axis of the first part of the pin and an axis of the second part of the pin are oriented along a first plane, and
an axis of the free end of the pin is oriented along a second plane that is inclined with respect to the first plane.

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Ind Sas

Inventors

• Fruchard Bertrand
• Chauvet Francis

Classifications

• H01H2221/04

  magnetic · CPC title

• H01H3/50

  with indexing or locating means, e.g. indexing by ball and spring · CPC title

• H01H13/62 Primary

  the contact returning to its original state upon manual release of a latch (latch released by second push-button H01H13/68) · CPC title

• H01H13/52

  the contact returning to its original state immediately upon removal of operating force, e.g. bell-push switch · CPC title

• H01H13/023

  Light-emitting indicators (for multi-layer switches H01H13/83) · CPC title