Switching device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11289285-B2
Application number	US-202017105764-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2020
Priority date	May 29, 2018
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

A switching device includes a housing, an operation member, a plurality of fixed contacts, a plurality of movable contacts, and a snap action mechanism for causing the movable contacts to operate. The snap action mechanism includes a plurality of first drivers in each of which a fulcrum that serves as a pivot point is formed on one end side of a given first driver and in which a given movable contact from among the movable contacts is provided on another end side of the given first driver; a second driver in which a pressing member to be pressed through the operation member is formed on one end side of the second driver and in which fulcrums that serve as pivot points are each formed on another end side of the second driver; and a coupling member integrally coupling the plurality of first drivers to constitute a first drive member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A switching device comprising:
a housing including an accommodating portion;
an operation member through which a press operation is performed;
a plurality of fixed contacts juxtaposed at a predetermined interval in the accommodating portion;
a plurality of movable contacts each including at least one contact portion that is in sliding contact with a given fixed contact from among the fixed contacts; and
a snap action mechanism for causing the movable contacts to operate in response to a pressing of the operation member to a predetermined position,
wherein the snap action mechanism includes:
a plurality of first drivers in each of which a fulcrum that serves as a pivot point is formed on one end side of a given first driver and in which a given movable contact from among the movable contacts is provided on another end side of the given first driver;
a second driver in which a pressing portion to be pressed through the operation member is formed on one end side of the second driver and in which fulcrums that serve as pivot points are each formed on another end side of the second driver;
a coupling member integrally coupling the plurality of first drivers to constitute a first drive member; and
an extension spring of which both one end is attached to a portion of the first drive member and another end is attached to a portion of the second driver, and
wherein the coupling member includes clamping portions each of which passes through holes provided through a given first driver and a given movable contact and each of which clamps the given first driver and the given movable contact.

2. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling member is formed of a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) resin.

3. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the hole provided in each movable contact is a slot extending in a longitudinal direction of a given movable contact.

4. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein each movable contact includes a pair of pieces, contact portions being provided at respective tips of the pair of pieces, and
wherein each movable contact has a given hole provided at a portion at which the pair of pieces are coupled.

5. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein each clamping portion includes a first stopper to cover the hole of a given movable contact, a second stopper to cover the hole of a given first driver, and a connection portion that is inserted in a hole of the first stopper and a hole of the second stopper and that connects the first stopper and the second stopper.

6. The switching device according to claim 1 , further comprising a reinforcement member that is embedded in the coupling member in a state in which a portion of the reinforcement member is exposed, one end of the extension spring being attached to an exposed portion of the reinforcement member.

7. The switching device according to claim 6 , wherein each first driver includes a conductor plate in which a given fulcrum is formed, and includes a given movable contact attached to the conductor plate, a portion of the movable contact at which the conductor plate is attached being embedded in the coupling member.

8. The switching device according to claim 7 , wherein the reinforcement member is constituted by a portion of the conductor plate.

9. The switching device according to claim 7 , wherein a material of the conductor plate and a material of the movable contact are different, and the material of the conductor plate has greater stiffness than the material of the movable contact.

10. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein a pair of pieces of each movable contact is coupled on a side of a given first driver, contact portions are provided at respective tips of the pair of pieces opposing the given first driver, and portions of the pair of pieces of each movable contact at which the contact portions are provided extend upward, the portions being disposed to face each other.

11. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the extension spring is attached to the portion of the first drive member and the portion of the second driver, at a location between first drivers that are situated next to each other.

12. The switching device according to claim 1 , further comprising engagement means that is constituted by a portion of the first drive member and a portion of the second driver, the engagement means being for engaging the first drive member and the second driver in accordance with a biasing force of the extension spring, to integrate the first drive member and the second driver.

13. The switching device according to claim 1 , further comprising protruding walls provided on an inner wall of the housing, toward a direction in which spring load of the extension spring is applied to a common contact of a given fixed contact provided upward in the accommodating portion, each protruding wall being adjacent to and facing a tip of the common contact.

14. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein each fixed contact is disposed at a location further than a location at which a given fulcrum of the second driver is disposed, relative to a location at which the fulcrum of a given first driver is disposed.

15. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein a lower surface of the coupling member of the first drive member, and a support disposed in the housing contact each other, so that the first drive member is restricted from rotating downward due to spring load of the extension spring.

16. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein an upper surface of the coupling member of the first drive member, and the housing contact each other, so that the first drive member is restricted from rotating upward due to spring load of the extension spring.

17. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the second driver includes mounting portions each allowing for mounting on a support provided in the housing, in an assembly operation, and wherein each fulcrum is formed on an end portion of a given mounting portion from among the mounting portions.

18. The switching device according to claim 17 , further comprising a receiving portion provided in a transfer contact of each fixed contact, the receiving portion being for allowing arrangement of a given fulcrum of the second driver in an assembly operation.

19. The switching device according to claim 17 , wherein the mounting portions include first mounting portions each of which is on a side of a common contact of a given fixed contact, and include second mounting portions each of which is on a side of a transfer contact of a given fixed contact, each second mounting portion being formed to be longer than the first mounting portion in a direction from the common contact to the transfer contact.

20. The switching device according to claim 17 , wherein the first drive member includes a rotation restriction that contacts a common contact of a given fixed contact so that rotation due to spring load of the extension spring is restricted in the assembly operation, and wherein the second driver includes a rotation restriction that contacts the housing so that the rotation due to spring load of the extension spring is restricted in the assembly operation.

Assignees

• Alps Alpine Co Ltd

Inventors

• Uozumi Takeki
• Nishioka Toru
• Matsushita Toshihisa

Classifications

• H01H13/30 Primary

  one end of spring transmitting movement to the contact member when the other end is moved by the operating part · CPC title

• H01H5/06 Primary

  by compression or extension of coil springs · CPC title

• H01H2225/014

  normally closed combined with normally open · CPC title

• H01H13/10

  Bases; Stationary contacts mounted thereon · CPC title

• H01H2011/067

  by deforming, e.g. bending, folding or caulking, part of the contact or terminal which is being mounted · CPC title