Electric switch
View Patent ↗A switch includes a set of contacts and a drive mechanism opening and closing the set of contacts. The drive mechanism is located beside the set of contacts in a direction perpendicular to an opening direction in which the contacts are movable to at least one of open and close.
1 . A switch, comprising:
a pair of sets of contacts including a first set of contacts and a second set of contacts;
a drive mechanism opening and closing the sets of contacts, the drive mechanism is located between the first set of contacts and the second set of contacts in a direction perpendicular to an opening direction in which the first set of contacts and the second set of contacts are movable to at least one of open and close; and
an actuation element coupling an armature of the drive mechanism to one contact of each of the pair of sets of contacts, the actuation element has a pair of cavities, one of the contacts of the first set of contacts is received in one cavity of the pair of cavities, and one of the contacts of the second set of contacts is received in another cavity of the pair of cavities, the actuation element forms an upper surface of the switch and extends across an entirety of a width of the switch.
2 . The switch of claim 1 , further comprising a support structure with a channel-shaped receptacle receiving the drive mechanism.
3 . The switch of claim 2 , wherein the support structure has an insulation wall electrically insulating the drive mechanism from the sets of contacts.
4 . The switch of claim 3 , wherein the insulation wall extends along the sets of contacts.
5 . The switch of claim 4 , wherein the insulation wall is part of the channel-shaped receptacle.
6 . The switch of claim 1 , wherein the first set of contacts and the second set of contacts are a plurality of elongate elements that extend parallel to each other.
7 . The switch of claim 6 , wherein an extension direction of the elongate elements is perpendicular to the opening direction.
8 . The switch of claim 6 , wherein the drive mechanism includes a coil.
9 . The switch of claim 8 , wherein a length of the first set of contacts and the second set of contacts in an extension direction is greater than a length of the coil.
10 . The switch of claim 8 , wherein the first set of contacts and the second set of contacts extend along an extension direction of the coil.
11 . The switch of claim 1 , wherein the sets of contacts are located next to the armature.
12 . The switch of claim 1 , wherein the switch has a flat configuration.
13 . The switch of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the switch in the opening direction is less than 30% of a height of the sets of contacts measured in an extension direction of the sets of contacts.
14 . The switch of claim 13 , wherein the thickness of the switch in the opening direction is less than 30% of a width of the switch measured perpendicular to the opening direction and the height of the sets of contacts.
15 . The switch of claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism has a coil.
16 . The switch of claim 15 , wherein the sets of contacts have a mounting direction parallel to the coil and the armature.
17 . The switch of claim 2 , wherein the actuation element fits around the support structure.
18 . A switch, comprising:
a pair of sets of contacts including a first set of contacts and a second set of contacts;
a drive mechanism opening and closing the sets of contacts, the drive mechanism is located between the first set of contacts and the second set of contacts in a direction perpendicular to an opening direction in which the first set of contacts and the second set of contacts are movable to at least one of open and close; and
an actuation element coupling an armature of the drive mechanism to one contact of each of the pair of sets of contacts, the actuation element extends around one of the contacts of the first set of contacts and is open counter to the opening direction at the first set of contacts, the actuation element extends around one of the contacts of the second set of contacts and is open in the opening direction at the second set of contacts, the actuation element forms an upper surface of the switch and extends across an entirety of a width of the switch.
19 . The switch of claim 1 , wherein the one cavity partially encloses an end of the one of the contacts of the first set of contacts, and the other cavity partially encloses an end of the one of the contacts of the second set of contacts.
20 . The switch of claim 1 , wherein each cavity is defined by a top wall and three side walls of the actuation element.