Switch structure and explosion-proof device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9754739-B2
Application number	US-201615139131-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2016
Priority date	Oct 29, 2013
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A switch that includes a hermetically sealed container including a container wall separating an inside of the hermetically sealed container from an outside of the hermetically sealed container, a magnetic sensor arranged in the hermetically sealed container and configured to be turned ON/OFF by a magnetic field of a magnet acting from the outside of the hermetically sealed container through the container wall of the hermetically sealed container, and a first magnetic body provided at the container wall of the hermetically sealed container and serving as a path of the magnetic field acting on the magnetic sensor from the magnet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A switch, comprising:
a hermetically sealed container including a container wall separating an inside of the hermetically sealed container from an outside of the hermetically sealed container;
a magnetic sensor arranged in the hermetically sealed container and configured to be turned ON/OFF by a magnetic field of a magnet acting from the outside of the hermetically sealed container through the container wall of the hermetically sealed container;
a first magnetic body provided at the container wall of the hermetically sealed container; and
a second magnetic body facing the first magnetic body and the magnetic sensor, wherein
the first magnetic body and the second magnetic body serves as a path of the magnetic field acting on the magnetic sensor from the magnet.

2. The switch according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a mounting hole on which the magnet is mounted such that the magnet is provided on the mounting hole movably back and forth with respect to an end surface of the first magnetic body, the end surface being exposed to the outside of the hermetically sealed container.

3. The switch according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a switch holder formed of a non-magnetic body and holding the magnet movably back and forth, wherein
the switch holder is mounted on the outside of the hermetically sealed container, and
the end surface of the first magnetic body, which is exposed to the outside of the hermetically sealed container, penetrates through the container wall of the hermetically sealed container and is located in a recess portion formed at a bottom surface of the switch holder.

4. The switch according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of the magnetic sensors arranged adjacent to each other in the hermetically sealed container, and
a plurality of the first magnetic bodies, each of the plurality of first magnetic bodies being provided at the container wall of the hermetically sealed container for each of the magnetic sensors.

5. The switch according to claim 1 , wherein the hermetically sealed container is an explosion-proof container.

6. The switch according to claim 1 , wherein the container wall is formed of a material having lower magnetism than the first magnetic body.

7. The switch according to claim 6 , wherein the container wall is formed of a non-magnetic material.

8. The switch according to claim 6 , further comprising:
the magnet generating the magnetic field.

9. The switch according to claim 1 , wherein the first magnetic body has a columnar shape.

10. The switch according to claim 1 , wherein a first end surface of the first magnetic body is exposed to the outside of the hermetically sealed container.

11. The switch according to claim 1 , wherein a second end surface of the first magnetic body is exposed to the inside of the hermetically sealed container.

12. The switch according to claim 1 , wherein
a relative position of the first magnetic body, the second magnetic body, and the magnetic sensor are fixed,
the magnet is configured to move toward the first magnetic body, and
the magnetic sensor is configured to be turned ON by moving the magnet toward the first magnetic body.

13. The switch according to claim 12 , wherein the magnetic sensor is configured to be turned ON by moving the magnet toward the first magnetic body.

14. The switch according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a push button holding the magnet, the push button being configure to move the magnet toward the first magnetic body; and
a substrate to fix the relative position of the first magnetic body, the second magnetic body, and the magnetic sensor.

15. The switch according to claim 1 , wherein the magnet, the first magnetic body, the second magnetic body, and the magnetic sensor are arranged on a straight line.

16. The switch according to claim 15 , wherein the magnet, the first magnetic body, the second magnetic body, and the magnetic sensor are arranged on the straight line in this order.

17. The switch according to claim 15 , wherein
the magnet is configured to move toward the first magnetic body along the straight line, and
the magnetic sensor is configured to be turned ON by moving the magnet toward the first magnetic body along the straight line.

18. The switch according to claim 1 , wherein a gap is provided between the first magnetic body and the second magnetic body.

19. The switch according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a substrate provided with the magnetic sensor; and
a substrate holding member provided in the hermetically sealed container to hold the substrate to cause a surface of the substrate provided with the magnetic sensor to face the container wall of the hermetically sealed container, and to cover a space above the magnetic sensor provided on the substrate, wherein
the second magnetic body is provided at the substrate holding member.

20. A switch, comprising:
a hermetically sealed container including a container wall separating an inside of the hermetically sealed container from an outside of the hermetically sealed container;
a magnetic sensor arranged in the hermetically sealed container and configured to be turned ON/OFF by a magnetic field of a magnet acting from the outside of the hermetically sealed container through the container wall of the hermetically sealed container;
a first magnetic body provided at the container wall of the hermetically sealed container and serving as a path of the magnetic field acting on the magnetic sensor from the magnet;
a substrate provided with the magnetic sensor;
a substrate holding member provided in the hermetically sealed container to hold the substrate to cause a surface of the substrate provided with the magnetic sensor to face the container wall of the hermetically sealed container, and to cover a space above the magnetic sensor provided on the substrate; and
a second magnetic body provided at the substrate holding member and facing the first magnetic body and the magnetic sensor,
wherein a gap is provided between the first magnetic body and the second magnetic body.

21. The switch according to claim 20 , wherein the first magnetic body and the second magnetic body serve as the path of the magnetic field acting on the magnetic sensor from the magnet.

22. The switch according to claim 20 , wherein the first magnetic body and the second magnetic body are formed of a ferromagnetic material.

23. A sealed electronic device comprising:
a switch including
a hermetically sealed container including a container wall separating an inside of the hermetically sealed container from an outside of the hermetically sealed container;
a magnetic sensor arranged in the hermetically sealed container and configured to be turned ON/OFF by a magnetic field of a magnet acting from the outside of the hermetically sealed container through the container wall of the hermetically sealed container;
a first magnetic body provided at the container wall of the hermetically sealed container; and

a second magnetic body facing the first magnetic body and the magnetic sensor; and
an electronic device configured to be controlled by the magnetic sensor, the electronic device being electrically connected to the magnetic sensor and provided inside the hermetically sealed container, wherein
the first magnetic body and the second magnetic body serves as a path of the magnetic field acting on the magnetic sensor from the magnet.

Assignees

• Azbil Corp

Inventors

• Honda Yoshiro
• Watanabe Takashi

Classifications

• H01H36/02

  actuated by movement of a float carrying a magnet · CPC title

• H01H36/0006

  Permanent magnet actuating reed switches (H01H35/147 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01H36/004

  push-button-operated, e.g. for keyboards · CPC title

• H01H36/00

  Switches actuated by change of magnetic field or of electric field, e.g. by change of relative position of magnet and switch, by shielding · CPC title

• H01H9/042 Primary

  Explosion-proof cases · CPC title