Patent · US Expired

Microswitch with shifting gear

US6492608B1 · kind B1 · utility

2Cited by
6References
20Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 6, 1999
Grant dateDec 10, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 6, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01H37/006
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A microswitch with shifting gear, especially suited to set indication, alarm and urgent tripping in pointer type instruments, like pressure gauge, thermometer and so on. The microswitch includes a switch unit, a pressure bar (or lever), an actuator, and a shifting gear. The shifting gear is located near one side of the pressure bar. This shifting gear includes a cam and two forks (or arms) fixed on the cam. The location of the center shaft of the cam is fixed relative to the switch unit. On a circumferential portion of the cam, there are two contact points or two contact surfaces that have unequal distances from the center of the shaft. When a striking arm hits on one of the forks, the cam will rotate and change the contact point or contact surface that contacts the pressure bar, thus the functional mode of the switch unit can be changed. The pointer-type instrument has a pointer (or indicator arm) that indicates environmental conditions such as temperature or pressure. The striking arm and the pointer are fixed on the same shaft. The striking arm will shift the switch unit on or off when the pointer passes a set point (e.g., a set temperature value). The microswitch overcomes the …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.