Electric switch

US6025568A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• MARQUARDT GMBH · DE

Inventors

• Alois Schaeffeler · Spaichingen, DE
• Jens Mueller · Stuttgart, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 11, 1998
• Grant date: Feb 15, 2000
• Expiry date: Jun 11, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01H9/06
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An electric switch (1), in particular for electric hand tools having an electric motor operated by means of direct current. The switch (1) possesses a contact system (9) consisting of a fixed contact (10) and of a switching contact (11), an actuating member (3) for triggering a switching operation between an "off" and an "on" position of the contact system (9) acting on the switching contact (11). The contact system (9) is assigned means (18), consisting of a shield (19), for extinguishing an arc generated between the fixed contact (10) and the switching contact (11) during the switching operation. The shield (19) can be moved together with the switching contact (11) in a coupled manner, during the operation to switch the switching contact (11) from the "on" to the "off" position the shield (19) being moved into the region located between the fixed and switching contacts (10, 11). Conversely, during the operation to switch the switching contact (11) from the "off" to the "on" position, the shield (19) is moved out of the region located between the fixed and switching contacts (10, 11), so that the switching contact (11) can be laid onto the fixed contact (10).