DESC:FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure relates to a switch assembly employed in various electrical devices. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a switch assembly having an inner cover that entirely traps a light coming from a spark produced within the switch assembly.
BACKGROUND
Typically, in an existing switch assembly, when a switch is actuated, a plurality of contacts touches a plurality of terminals and a circuit within the assembly gets completed. An electrical current starts flowing within the switch assembly. The electrical current passes through the plurality of contacts which may be made of materials that are prone to sparking. During an operation of the switch assembly, particularly during rapid or repeated actuation, the plurality of contacts may produce small sparks due to arcing. The arcing may occur when the electrical current jumps across a small gap between two conductive surfaces, often resulting in an emission of visible light and heat. A continuous coupling and decoupling between the plurality of contacts and the plurality of terminals may lead to arcing, generating sparks that may become visible to a user, especially in environments with low ambient light.
The existing switch assembly often exhibits diffused reflections inside the assembly, leading to the visibility of sparks emanating from a rivet. The visibility of sparks not only disrupts an aesthetic appeal of the switch assembly but also creates unease for the user during operation. Hence, due to the visibility of the sparks from the switch assembly, the experience and satisfaction of the user are diminished.
Therefore, there is a requirement for an improved switch assembly that can address the above-mentioned problems in the existing switch assembly.
SUMMARY
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts, in a simplified format, that are further described in the detailed description of the invention. This summary is neither intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the invention and nor is it intended for determining the scope of the invention.
The present disclosure relates to a switch assembly including a housing, a plurality of terminals, a plurality of contacts, an actuator, and an inner cover. The plurality of terminals, the plurality of contacts, the plurality of terminals, the actuator, and the inner cover are disposed in the housing. The plurality of contacts is adapted to selectively couple or decouple with the plurality of terminals to supply a flow of current within the housing. The actuator is adapted to apply force on the plurality of contacts to selectively couple or decouple with the plurality of terminals. The inner cover is adapted to encapsulate the plurality of terminals, the plurality of contacts, and at least a portion of the actuator to trap a light produced through a spark generated from the coupling or decoupling of the plurality of contacts with the plurality of terminals.
The present disclosure improves a functionality and user experience of the switch assemblies. By integrating the inner cover to encapsulate sparks emitted within the switch assembly, the present disclosure minimizes risk of accidents and enhances safety. Moreover, the present disclosure effectively reduces visibility of sparks, thereby improving an appearance of the switch assembly. Additionally, by concealing the sparks generated during switch operation, the present disclosure promotes user comfort and confidence and hence leading to more positive interactions with an electrical device having the switch assembly.
To further clarify the advantages and features of the present disclosure, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which is illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a switch assembly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of the switch assembly without an actuator, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 3 illustrates an exploded view of the switch assembly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the switch assembly taken along an axis X-X’ in Figure 1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a disassembled switch assembly taken along the axis X-X’ in Figure 1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the switch assembly taken along axis the X-X’ in Figure 1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 7 illustrates a perspective view of an inner cover of the switch assembly depicting a top surface of the inner cover, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 8 illustrates a perspective view of the inner cover depicting a bottom surface of the inner cover, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 9 illustrates a top view of the inner cover, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
Figure 10 illustrates a side view of the inner cover, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Further, skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, a plurality of components of the device may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having benefit of the description herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skilled in the art to which this invention belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

The term “some” as used herein is defined as “none, or one, or more than one, or all.” Accordingly, the terms “none,” “one,” “more than one,” “more than one, but not all” or “all” would all fall under the definition of “some.” The term “some embodiments” may refer to no embodiments or to one embodiment or to several embodiments or to all embodiments. Accordingly, the term “some embodiments” is defined as meaning “no embodiment, or one embodiment, or more than one embodiment, or all embodiments.”

The terminology and structure employed herein is for describing, teaching, and illuminating some embodiments and their specific features and elements and does not limit, restrict, or reduce the spirit and scope of the claims or their equivalents.

More specifically, any terms used herein such as but not limited to “includes,” “comprises,” “has,” “consists,” and grammatical variants thereof do not specify an exact limitation or restriction and certainly do not exclude the possible addition of one or more features or elements, unless otherwise stated, and furthermore must not be taken to exclude the possible removal of one or more of the listed features and elements, unless otherwise stated with the limiting language “must comprise” or “needs to include.”

Whether or not a certain feature or element was limited to being used only once, either way it may still be referred to as “one or more features” or “one or more elements” or “at least one feature” or “at least one element.” Furthermore, the use of the terms “one or more” or “at least one” feature or element do not preclude there being none of that feature or element, unless otherwise specified by limiting language such as “there needs to be one or more . . . ” or “one or more element is required.”

Unless otherwise defined, all terms, and especially any technical and/or scientific terms, used herein may be taken to have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having an ordinary skill in the art.

Reference is made herein to some “embodiments.” It should be understood that an embodiment is an example of a possible implementation of any features and/or elements presented in the attached claims. Some embodiments have been described for the purpose of illuminating one or more of the potential ways in which the specific features and/or elements of the attached claims fulfill the requirements of uniqueness, utility, and non-obviousness.

Use of the phrases and/or terms such as but not limited to “a first embodiment,” “a further embodiment,” “an alternate embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “multiple embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “other embodiments,” “further embodiment”, “furthermore embodiment”, “additional embodiment” or variants thereof do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, one or more particular features and/or elements described in connection with one or more embodiments may be found in one embodiment, or may be found in more than one embodiment, or may be found in all embodiments, or may be found in no embodiments. Although one or more features and/or elements may be described herein in the context of only a single embodiment, or alternatively in the context of more than one embodiment, or further alternatively in the context of all embodiments, the features and/or elements may instead be provided separately or in any appropriate combination or not at all. Conversely, any features and/or elements described in the context of separate embodiments may alternatively be realized as existing together in the context of a single embodiment.

Any particular and all details set forth herein are used in the context of some embodiments and therefore should not be necessarily taken as limiting factors to the attached claims. The attached claims and their legal equivalents can be realized in the context of embodiments other than the ones used as illustrative examples in the description below.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The present disclosure discloses a switch assembly. The switch assembly may include a housing to accommodate one or more internal components. The one or more internal components may include a plurality of contacts, a plurality of terminals, an actuator. The housing may include an inner cover adapted to cover at least a portion of the one or more internal components. The inner cover may further be adapted to prevent a spark generated during an operation of the switch assembly from being visible to a user thereby enhance an aesthetic appeal of the switch assembly and a user experience.
Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a switch assembly 100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
The switch assembly 100 may include a housing 102. The housing 102 may serve as an outer casing or enclosure to contain and protect one or more internal components of the switch assembly 100. The housing 102 may include a cavity to accommodate the one or more internal components of the switch assembly 100. The housing 102 may accommodate an actuator 104 provided to initiate and stop an operation of the switch assembly 100 by applying a pressure on the actuator 104. The housing 102 may be made of materials such as plastic, metal, or a combination thereof.
In an embodiment, the actuator 104 may be adapted to move back and forth within the cavity of the housing 102 to open or close the electrical circuits. The actuator 104 may include a lever, a rocker, or paddle-shaped structure that may be pressed down on one side to make contact with a plurality of terminals inside the housing 102, thereby completing the electrical circuit and then released to break the electrical circuit.
Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of the switch assembly 100 without the actuator 104, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 illustrates an exploded view of the switch assembly 100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the switch assembly 100 taken along an axis X-X’ in Figure 1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a disassembled switch assembly 100 taken along the axis X-X’ in Figure 1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the switch assembly 100 taken along the axis X-X’ in Figure 1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
In an embodiment, the housing 102 may accommodate the one or more components such as the actuator 104, a plunger 304, a spring 302, a plurality of contacts 306, 316, the plurality of terminals, a spark shield 308, and an inner cover 202. The housing 102 may include a base portion 502. The one or more components may be situated on the base portion 502. Further, when the actuator 104 may be pressed down on one side, the actuator 104 may apply force on the plurality of contacts 306, 316 to either couple or decouple with the plurality of terminal.
In an embodiment, the actuator 104 may have a platform. A top surface of the platform may be visible to a user and may be adapted to enclose the one or more components from a side. A bottom surface of the platform may mount the plunger 304 and the spring 302. The spring 302 may be attached in between the platform and the spring 302. The plunger 304 may enable the actuator 104 to control an opening or closing of the electrical circuit. When the actuator 104 may be pressed down, the actuator 104 may engage with the plunger 304, causing the plunger 304 to move and contact the plurality of contacts 306, 316. The spring 302 may provide a necessary tension to return the actuator 104 and the plunger 304 to an original position after the actuation. The spring 302 may ensure that the switch assembly 100 resets to a default state once pressure is released from the actuator 104.
In an embodiment, the plurality of the contacts may include a moving contact 306 and a fixed contact 316 attached to the plurality of terminals. The plunger 304 may engage with the moving contact 306. Further, the coupling and decoupling of the moving contact 306 with the fixed contact 316 may make or break the electrical connections within the switch assembly 100. The moving contact 306 may be positioned on a pivot plate 312. The pivot plate 312 may enable the moving contact 306 to rotate thereon when actuated.
In an embodiment, the plurality of terminals may connect the switch assembly 100 to an external electrical circuit. The fixed contact 316 may be placed on a first terminal 318 from the plurality of terminals. The moving contact 306 may be placed on a second terminal 310 from the plurality of terminals. The fixed contact 316 and the moving contact 306 may be connected to each other to complete the electrical circuit. A terminal screw 314 may be attached to an end of the first terminal 318 and the second terminal 310. The terminal screw 314 may be used to secure electrical wires to the switch assembly 100 and facilitate electrical connections with external circuits.
In an embodiment, a spark may be generated due to coupling and decoupling of the moving contact 306 with the fixed contact 316. The spark shield 308 may be positioned on one side of the base portion 502. The spark shield 308 may have two adjoining walls which prevent the spread of a substance that scatters due to sparks produced between the moving contact 306 and the fixed contact 316. Furthermore, the inner cover 202 may be positioned within the housing 102 to trap sparks emitted within the switch assembly 100 thereby reducing a visibility of the sparks from the housing 102.
Figure 7 illustrates a perspective view of the inner cover 202 of the switch assembly 100 depicting a top surface of the inner cover 202, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 8 illustrates a perspective view of the inner cover 202 depicting a bottom surface of the inner cover 202, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 9 illustrates a top view of the inner cover 202, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 10 illustrates a side view of the inner cover 202, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
In an embodiment, the inner cover 202 may be positioned on top of the plurality of contacts 306, 316, the plurality of terminals, and the spark shield 308. The inner cover 202 may further cover at least a portion of the actuator 104 that includes the spring 302 and the plunger 304. The inner cover 202 may have a top portion 702 and a side portion 706 attached to the top portion 702 forming a curved profile. The top section of the inner cover 202 may have an opening 704. The opening 704 may be provided to accommodate the plunger 304 and the spring 302 within the housing 102.
In an embodiment, the side portion 706 may include a pair of first side walls 708 and a pair of second side walls 710. Each of the first side wall 708 may be disposed opposite to each other. Similarly, each of the second side walls 710 may be disposed opposite to each other. Each second side wall 710 may be positioned adjacent to the first side wall 708. Each of the first side wall 708 may include an interlocking mechanism 602 adapted to engage with the housing 102. The interlocking mechanism 602 may be extended from a mid-portion of each of the pair of first side walls 708. Further, a length of one of the pair of first side walls 708 may be greater than the other first side wall 708. The interlocking mechanism 602 may have a curved shaped profile having an uneven surface that allows the inner cover 202 to securely attach with the housing 102. The housing 102 may have a plurality of slots 510 positioned opposite to each other. The interlocking mechanism 602 may be fitted within a slot 510 from the plurality of slots 510. The pair of second side walls 710 may have a step profile that conforms with a contour of the housing 102. Furthermore, a shape of the inner cover 202 may be such that the inner cover 202 conforms with the contours of the housing 102 and the one or more components.
The present disclosure improves functionality and user experience of switch assemblies. By integrating the inner cover 202 to encapsulate sparks emitted within the assembly, the present disclosure minimizes a risk of accidents and enhances safety. Moreover, the present disclosure effectively reduces visibility of sparks, thereby improving the appearance of the switch assembly 100. Additionally, by concealing the sparks generated during switch operation, the present disclosure promotes user comfort and confidence hence leading to more positive interactions with an electrical device having the switch assembly 100.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one ordinary skilled in the art to which this invention belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.
While specific language has been used to describe the present subject matter, any limitations arising on account thereto, are not intended. As would be apparent to a person in the art, various working modifications may be made to the method to implement the inventive concept as taught herein. The drawings and the forgoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment.
,CLAIMS:1. A switch assembly (100) comprising:
a housing (102);
a plurality of terminals (310, 318) disposed in the housing (102);
a plurality of contacts (306, 316) disposed in the housing (102) and adapted to selectively couple or decouple with the plurality of terminals (310, 318) to supply flow of current within the housing (102);
an actuator (104) disposed in the housing (102) and adapted to apply force on the plurality of contacts (306, 316) to selectively couple or decouple with the plurality of terminals (310, 318); and
an inner cover (202) disposed in the housing (102) and adapted to encapsulate the plurality of terminals (310, 318), the plurality of contacts (306, 316), and at least a portion of the actuator (104) is adapted to trap a light produced through a spark generated from the coupling or decoupling of the plurality of contacts (306, 316) with the plurality of terminals (310, 318).

2. The switch assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner cover (202) comprises:
a top portion (702) having an opening (704) adapted to receive at least the portion of the actuator (104) therethrough; and
a side portion (706) extending downwardly from the top portion (702) forming a curved profile with the top portion (702).

3. The switch assembly (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the side portion (706) comprises:
a pair of first side walls (708) disposed opposite to each other, each first side wall (708) includes an interlocking mechanism (602) adapted to engage with the housing (102); and
a pair of second side walls (710) disposed opposite to each other, each second side wall (710) is positioned adjacent to the first side wall (708) and has a step profile.

4. The switch assembly (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the interlocking mechanism (602) extended from each of the pair of first side walls (708) and includes a curved profile adapted to fit within a slot (510) of the housing (102).

5. The switch assembly (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein a length of one of the pair of first side walls (708) is greater than other first side wall.