Control and signaling device and adapter for a control and signaling device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12334281-B2
Application number	US-202118003009-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2021
Priority date	Jun 25, 2020
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A control and signaling device includes a cylindrical main body with two open ends, an operating element, which is designed for insertion into one of the open ends of the main body and has a switching part that is movable relative to the main body. The device also has a multipartite insert element, which is designed for insertion into the main body for bridging at least one portion of a switching path from the switching part to a contact element arranged at another of the open ends, and has an elastic element, which elastically supports a portion, provided for operating the contact element, of the insert element in such a way that a pressure force of the insert element onto the contact element is limited to a prespecified force range.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control and signaling device comprising:
a cylindrical main body with two open ends,
an operating element which is designed for insertion into a first one of the open ends of the main body and has a switching part that is movable relative to the main body, and
a multipartite insert element which is designed for insertion into the main body for bridging at least one portion of a switching path from the switching part to a contact element arranged at a second one of the open ends and has an elastic element which elastically supports a portion, provided for operating the contact element, of the insert element in such a way that a pressure force of the portion on the contact element is limited to a prespecified force range,
wherein the switching part is axially movable relative to the main body, and wherein the insert element has a pin-shaped central part, which forms the portion provided for operating the contact element, and a bracket which is arranged coaxially with the central part and into which the elastic element can be inserted so that the elastic element is arranged coaxially with the central part and can exert a force on the central part, wherein the bracket is fixed in the switching part, and the central part is mounted in the bracket in an axially movable manner and is pressed against a stop in an axial direction of the contact element by the elastic element arranged coaxially between the bracket and the central part.

2. The control and signaling device according to claim 1 , wherein the bracket has a base and a plurality of finger-shaped retaining rods extending from the base approximately parallel to the central part, wherein the base has a center and an opening approximately in the center for the central part to pass through, and an edge region of the opening in the base forms a stop for a radial projection of the central part.

3. The control and signaling device according to claim 1 , wherein the switching path is approximately 5 mm and, in a state where the central part is pressed up to the stop, the central part projects from the bracket far enough that the switching path is shortened to approximately 1 mm.

4. The control and signaling device according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic element is a helical compression spring designed in such a way that a pressure force of the spring in a compressed state is approximately in the prespecified force range.

5. The control and signaling device according to claim 1 , wherein the switching part comprises an axially moving portion, and wherein the bracket is fixed to the axially moving portion, and wherein the elastic element has an end disposed at the bracket and another end disposed at the central part.

6. The control and signaling device according to claim 5 , wherein the bracket is fixed to the switching part in the axial and radial directions, and the central part is mounted in the bracket in the axially movable manner relative to the main body and to the switching part, such that the central part is fixed in the radial direction, and wherein the elastic element and bracket are configured such that, upon an external depression of the switching part, the elastic element biases the central part into motion in the axial direction toward the contact element.

7. The control and signaling device according to claim 6 , wherein the contact element is a microswitch of a circuit board.

8. A control and signaling device comprising:
a cylindrical main body with two open ends;
an operating element which is designed for insertion into one of the open ends of the main body and has a switching part that is movable relative to the main body; and
a multipartite insert element, which is designed for insertion into the main body for bridging at least one portion of a switching path from the switching part to a contact element arranged on another of the open ends and has an elastic element, which elastically supports a portion, provided for operating the contact element, of the insert element in such a way that a pressure force of the portion on the contact element is limited to a prespecified force range, wherein the switching part is rotationally movable relative to the main body, and wherein the insert element has a central part, which is axially movable relative to the main body by a rotation of the switching part in the main body, and a pressure part, which forms the portion provided for operating the contact element and is mechanically coupled to the central part in such a way that an axial movement of the central part relative to the main body causes a corresponding axial movement of the pressure part, and wherein the pressure part is pressed against a stop in an axial direction of the contact element by the elastic element fixed to the central part.

9. The control and signaling device according to claim 8 , wherein the switching part has a sliding surface with a predetermined angle in relation to the axis of rotation of the switching part and the central part has a corresponding mating sliding surface, as a result of which the sliding surface slides on the mating sliding surface during a rotation of the switching part and thereby causes the axial movement of the central part relative to the main body.

10. The control and signaling device according to claim 8 , wherein the switching path is approximately 5 mm and, in the state where the pressure part is pressed up to the stop, the pressure part projects beyond the another of the open ends of the main body far enough that the switching path is shortened to approximately 1 mm.

11. The control and signaling device according to claim 8 , wherein the elastic element is a leaf spring designed in such a way that a pressure force of the spring in a bent state is approximately in the prespecified force range.

Assignees

• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Knoerrchen Oliver

Classifications

• H01H13/14

  Operating parts, e.g. push-button · CPC title

• H01H13/04

  Cases; Covers · CPC title

• H01H2221/064

  Limitation of actuating pressure · CPC title

• H01H3/42

  using cam or eccentric · CPC title

• H01H3/52

  with means to ensure stopping at intermediate operative positions · CPC title