DESC:FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to electrical switches and more particularly, relates to a switch assembly having a safety lock mechanism to prevent unintended activation of the switch assembly.

BACKGROUND

Commonly, electrical switches are employed for operating a wide range of appliances by controlling a flow of current to such appliances. In particular, the electrical switches are employed in electrical circuits to divert or interrupt the flow of current flowing towards the appliances, and thereby switching-ON or switching-OFF such appliances. However, such electrical switches usually fail to provide a mechanism to prevent unintended activation of the electrical switches. Owing to lack of such mechanism, the erroneous operation of the electrical switches may in turn lead to unintentional operation of the appliances connected to the electrical switches. This may lead to a significant reduction in service life of the appliances and the electrical switches. Further, due to unintentional operation of the appliances, safety of people in the vicinity of such appliances may be compromised.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved electrical switch with a mechanism to prevent erroneous operation of such electrical switch.

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.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the switch assembly is disclosed. The switch assembly includes a housing member and a supporting member coupled to the housing member. Further, the switch assembly includes a switching element movably disposed on the supporting member. The switch assembly also includes a safety lock mechanism coupled to the switching element and adapted to restrict sliding movement of the switching element. The safety lock mechanism includes a locking member coupled to the switching element and adapted to be engaged with the supporting member to restrict sliding movement of the switching element. The switching element is pushed to disengage the locking member from the supporting member to allow sliding movement of the switching element.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the switch assembly is disclosed. The switch assembly includes a housing member and a supporting member coupled to the housing member. Further, the switch assembly includes a switching element movably disposed on the supporting member. The switch assembly also includes a moving contact element pivotally disposed in the housing member. The switch assembly includes a safety lock mechanism coupled to the switching element and adapted to restrict sliding movement of the switching element. The safety lock mechanism includes a locking member coupled to the switching element and adapted to be engaged with the supporting member to restrict sliding movement of the switching element. Further, the safety lock mechanism includes a pushing member coupled to the locking member and adapted to slide on the moving contact element and simultaneously push the moving contact element. The switching element is pushed to disengage the locking member from the supporting member to allow sliding movement of the switching element and to allow sliding of the pushing member on the moving contact element.

To further clarify the advantages and features of the present invention, 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 invention 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 having a safety lock mechanism, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 2 illustrates an exploded view of the switch assembly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figures 3a and 3b illustratepartial exploded views of the switch assembly depicting the safety lock mechanism, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

Figure 4 illustrates a partial sectional view of the switch assembly taken along an axis X-X’ of Figure 1 depicting an operation of the switch assembly, 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 been necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the flow charts illustrate the method in terms of the most prominent steps involved to help to improve understanding of aspects of the present invention. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more 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 invention 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 ordinary skills 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 fulfil 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.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a switch assembly having a safety lock mechanism is disclosed. The switch assembly may be employed to operate a wide variety of appliances, such as household appliances. The safety lock mechanism of the switch assembly may be adapted to prevent erroneous operation of the switch assembly. In an embodiment, the switch assembly may include, but is not limited to, a housing member, a supporting member attached to the housing member, a switching element movably disposed on the supporting member, and the safety lock mechanism. In an embodiment, the switching element may be movable between an OFF-position and an ON-position. The safety lock mechanism may be provided to prevent erroneous movement of the switching element, for example, from the OFF-position to the ON-position.

The safety lock mechanism may include, but is not limited to, a locking member and a pushing member movably disposed in the locking member. The locking member may be coupled to the switching element. Further, the locking member may include a locking portion adapted to be engaged with a recess formed in the supporting member. In an embodiment, when the switching element is at the OFF-position, the locking portion may be engaged with the recess of the supporting member, and thereby restricting a movement of the switching element from the OFF-position to the ON-position. In order to operate the switch assembly, firstly, the switching element may be pushed in a downward direction, and subsequently moved towards the ON-position. Owing to such movement of the switching element, the locking portion may be disengaged from the recess, and thereby allowing the movement of the switching element to operate the switch assembly. Consequently, erroneous operation of the switch assembly is eliminated and thereby preventing unintentional operation of an appliance. As a result, service life of each of the switch assembly and the appliance is substantially improved while simultaneously ensuring safety.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a switch assembly 100 having a safety lock mechanism, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The switch assembly 100 may be provided with a safety lock mechanism 200 (shown in Figure 2) to eliminate the possibility of unintended activation of the switch assembly 100. In an embodiment, the switch assembly 100 may be employed for operating a wide range of appliances, such as household appliances. For instance, the switch assembly 100 may be employed to switch-ON or switch-OFF an operation of an electrical appliance. In the illustrated embodiment, the switch assembly 100 may be embodied as a sliding switch assembly. Constructional and operational details of the switch assembly 100 are explained in detail in the subsequent sections of the disclosure.

In an embodiment, the switch assembly 100 may include a housing member 102 adapted to accommodate various sub-components. The switch assembly 100 may include a supporting member 104 adapted to be coupled with the housing member 102. In an embodiment, the supporting member 104 may be removably coupled to the housing member 102. In an example, the supporting member 104 may be removably coupled to the housing member 102 through snap locks. Further, the switch assembly 100 may include a switching element 106 movably disposed on the supporting member 104. The switching element 106 may be adapted to slide between an ON-position and an OFF-position. In an embodiment, the switching element 106 may also be adapted to be pushed in a downward direction with respect to the supporting member 104.

In an embodiment, the switching element 106 may be movably disposed in a guiding cavity 108 formed on the supporting member 104. The guiding cavity 108 may be adapted to movably accommodate the switching element 106. The guiding cavity 108 may be adapted to guide a movement of the switching element 106 in a predefined direction. Owing to such an arrangement, the switch assembly 100 may eliminate the possibility of failures that may occur due to incorrect guiding of the switching element 106, while moving the switching element 106 between the ON-position and the OFF-position.

As mentioned earlier, the switch assembly 100 may include the safety lock mechanism 200 to prevent unintentional movement of the switching element 106. In an embodiment, the safety lock mechanism 200 may be adapted to restrict the movement of the switching element 106 from the OFF-position to the ON-position. In order to disengage the safety lock mechanism 200, firstly, the switching element 106 may be pushed in the downward direction, and simultaneously the switching element 106 may be moved from the OFF-position towards the ON-position. Constructional and operational details of the safety lock mechanism 200 are explained in detail in the description of Figure 2, Figure 3a, Figure 3b, and Figure 4 of the present disclosure.

Figure 2 illustrates an exploded view of the switch assembly 100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 2, the switch assembly 100 may include, but is not limited to, the housing member 102, the supporting member 104, the switching element 106, the safety lock mechanism 200, a moving contact element 202, a first electrical terminal 203, and a second electrical terminal 204. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing member 102 may include a cover member 206, a base member 208adapted to be coupled to the cover member 206, and an intermediate member 210 disposed in the base member 208.

Figures 3a and 3b illustrate partial exploded views of the switch assembly 100 depicting the safety lock mechanism 200, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the safety lock mechanism 200 may be adapted to be coupled to the switching element 106 and adapted to restrict sliding movement of the switching element 106. Referring to Figure 2, Figure 3a, and Figure 3b, in an embodiment, the safety lock mechanism 200 of the switch assembly 100 includes a locking member 302 and a pushing member 304 movably coupled to the locking member 302.

The locking member 302 may be adapted to be coupled with the switching element 106 of the switch assembly 100. Further, the locking member 302 may be adapted to be engaged with the supporting member 104 to restrict sliding movement of the switching element 106. The switching element 106 may be pushed to disengage the locking member 302 from the supporting member 104 to allow sliding movement of the switching element 106.

In the illustrated embodiment, the locking member 302 may include a connecting portion 306 and a locking portion 308. The connecting portion 306 may be embodied as a protrusion adapted to be coupled with the switching element 106. Further, the locking member 302 may be adapted to be moved via the switching element 106. For instance, when the switching element 106 is moved to one of the ON-position and the OFF-position, the locking member 302 may move along with the switching element 106 in the direction of movement of the switching element 106.

Further, the locking portion 308 may be adapted to be engaged with the supporting member 104 of the switch assembly 100. In particular, the locking portion 308 may engage with the supporting member 104 to restrict the movement of the locking member 302, and thereby restricting the movement of the switching element 106. The locking member 302 may be pushed in the downward direction to separate the locking portion 308 from the supporting member 104 and to allow sliding of the pushing member 304 on the moving contact member 202. In an embodiment, the locking member 302 may be pushed in the downward direction by pushing the switching element 106 coupled to the locking member 302. The switching element 106 may be adapted to abut the supporting member 104 when pushed in the downward direction for pushing the locking member 302.

In the illustrated embodiment, the locking portion 308 includes a protrusion adapted to be engaged with the supporting member 104 to restrict the movement of the locking member 302, and thereby restricting the movement of the switching element 106. Referring to Figure 3b, the locking portion 308 may be adapted to be engaged with a recess 310 formed in the supporting member 104 of the switch assembly 100. For instance, when the switching element 106 is in the OFF-position, the locking portion 308 may be engaged with the recess 310 to restrict the movement of the switching element 106 in the guiding cavity 108.

In an alternate embodiment, the supporting member 104 may include a protrusion adapted to be engaged with the locking member 302 to restrict the movement of the locking member 302. In such an embodiment, the locking member 302 may include a recess adapted to accommodate the protrusion formed on the supporting member 104. For instance, when the switching element 106 is at the OFF-position, the protrusion of the supporting member 104 may engage with the recess of the locking member 302. Therefore, the movement of the locking member 302 from the OFF-position to the ON-position may be restricted in the guiding cavity 108.

Furthermore, the locking member 302 may be adapted to accommodate the pushing member 304. Referring to Figure 3a, the pushing member 304 may include a first end portion 312 and a second end portion 314 distal to the first end portion 312. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking member 302 may include a cavity 316 adapted to resiliently accommodate the pushing member 304. The pushing member 304 may be adapted to resiliently move in the cavity 316. Further, the pushing member 304 may be resiliently accommodated in the cavity 316 through a resilient member 318. In the illustrated embodiment, the resilient member 318 may be embodied as a spring.

The resilient member 318 may be removably attached to the first end portion 312 of the pushing member 304. Further, the second end portion 314 of the pushing member 304 may be in contact with the moving contact element 202 of the switch assembly 100. The pushing member 304 may be adapted to slide on the moving contact element 202, when the locking member 302 is moved via the switching element 106. Owing to the sliding movement of the pushing member 304, the moving contact element 202 may be pivotally pushed in the downward direction. In an embodiment, the locking portion 308 may be adapted to abut with a lower surface 320 of the supporting member 104 to hold the switching element 106 down when the pushing member 304 slides on the moving contact element 202.

Referring to Figure 2, the moving contact element 202 may be pivotally disposed in the housing member 102 of the switch assembly 100. The moving contact element 202 may be adapted to be pivotally moved through the safety lock mechanism 200 to form an intermittent electrical contact with the first electrical terminal 203, interchangeably referred to as the riveted pillar 203. In particular, upon the movement of the locking member 302 via the switching element 106, the pushing member 304 may slide on the moving contact element 202 and simultaneously push the moving contact element 202 in the downward direction. Owing to such movement of the pushing member 304, the moving contact element 202 may be pivotally moved to form the intermittent electrical contact with the riveted pillar 203. In one instance, when the switching element 106 is moved to the ON-position, the moving contact element 202 forms a contact with the riveted pillar 203. In another instance, when the switching element 106 is moved to the OFF-position, the moving contact element 202 is not in contact with the riveted pillar 203.

Figure 4 illustrates a partial sectional view of the switch assembly 100 taken along an axis X-X’ of Figure 1 depicting an operation of the switch assembly 100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For the sake of brevity, details of the present disclosure that are explained in details in the description of Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3a, and Figure 3b are not explained in detail in the description of Figure 4.

As explained earlier, the switch assembly 100 may be operated by moving the switching element 106 to be in one of the OFF-position and the ON-position. In the illustrated embodiment, the safety lock mechanism 200 may prevent unintentional movement of the switching element 106 from the OFF-position to the ON-position. Referring to Figure 4, when the switching element 106 is at the OFF-position, the locking portion 308 may be engaged with the recess 310 of the supporting member 104. Thereby, the movement of the switching element 106 is restricted within the guiding cavity 108. In particular, the movement of the switching element 106 from the OFF-position to the ON-position is restricted owing to the engagement of the locking portion 308 with the recess 310.

In such an embodiment, the switching element 106 may be moved to the ON-position from the OFF-position by disengaging the safety lock mechanism 200 of the switch assembly 100. In order to disengage the safety lock mechanism 200, the switching element 106 may be pushed in the downward direction and simultaneously moved within the guiding cavity 108. Owing to such movement of the switching element 106, the locking portion 308 may be disengaged from the recess 310 of the supporting member 104. Thereby, the movement of the switching element 106 may be allowed from the OFF-position to the ON-position within the guiding cavity 108.

During the movement of the switching element 106, the pushing member 304 accommodated in the locking member 302 may slide on the moving contact element 202 while resiliently pushing the moving contact element 202 in the downward direction. In particular, owing to the movement of the switching element 106, the pushing member 304 may slide from a first end 322 to a second end 324 of the moving contact element 202. Owing to such movement of the pushing member 304, the moving contact element 202 may be pivotally moved to form an electrical contact with the riveted pillar 203.

As would be gathered, the present disclosure offers the switch assembly 100 having the safety lock mechanism 200 to prevent unintentional operation of the switch assembly 100. As mentioned earlier, the switch assembly 100 may be disposed on constructional surfaces, such as walls, for operating various electrical appliances. Therefore, the switch assembly 100 has a wide range of applications.

The safety lock mechanism 200 includes the locking member 302 coupled to the switching element 106. As explained earlier, when the switching element 106 is at the OFF-position, the locking member 302 may be engaged with the supporting member 104 of the switch assembly 100. Owing to such engagement of the locking member 302, the movement of the locking member 302 may be restricted that further restricts the movement of the switching element 106.

Therefore, the safety lock mechanism 200 prevents unintentional movement of the switching element 106 to operate the switch assembly 100. In order to operate the switch assembly 100, firstly, the user may push the switching element 106 to unlock the locking member 302, and may then subsequently move the switching element 106 from the OFF-position to the ON-position. As, the safety lock mechanism 200 must be disengaged prior to moving the switching element 106, possibility of accidental operation of the switch assembly 100 is eliminated. Therefore, the switch assembly 100 of the present disclosure is safe, risk-free, flexible in implementation, cost-effective, convenient, and has a wide range of applications.

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 in order to implement the inventive concept as taught herein. The drawings and the foregoing 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 member (102);
a supporting member (104) coupled to the housing member (102);
a switching element (106) movably disposed on the supporting member (104);
a safety lock mechanism (200) coupled to the switching element (106) and adapted to restrict sliding movement of the switching element (106), the safety lock mechanism (200) comprising:
a locking member (302) coupled to the switching element (106) and adapted to be engaged with the supporting member (104) to restrict sliding movement of the switching element (106);
wherein the switching element (106) is pushed to disengage the locking member (302) from the supporting member (104) to allow sliding movement of the switching element (106).

2. The switch assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking member (302) includes a connecting portion (306) adapted to be coupled with the switching element (106) and a locking portion (308) adapted to be engaged with the supporting member (104).

3. The switch assembly (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the locking portion (308) is a protrusion adapted to be engaged with a recess (310) formed in the supporting member (104).

4. The switch assembly (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the locking portion (308) is a recess adapted to be engaged with the protrusion formed on the supporting member (104).

5. The switch assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:
a first electrical terminal (203) disposed within the housing member (102); and
a moving contact element (202) pivotally disposed within the housing member (102) and adapted to be pivotally moved to form an intermittent electrical contact with the first electrical terminal (203).

6. The switch assembly (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the safety lock mechanism (200) includes a pushing member (304) coupled to the locking member (302) and adapted to slide on the moving contact element (202) and simultaneously push the moving contact element (202).

7. The switch assembly (100) as claimed in any of claim 2 and 6, wherein the locking member (302) is adapted to be pushed in a downward direction to separate the locking portion (308) from the supporting member (104) and to allow sliding of the pushing member (304) on the moving contact member (202).

8. The switch assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the locking member (302) is pushed in the downward direction by pushing the switching element (106) coupled to the locking member (302).

9. The switch assembly (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the locking portion (308) is adapted to abut with a lower surface (320) of the supporting member (104) to hold the switching element (106) down when the pushing member (304) slides on the moving contact element (202).

10. The switch assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching element (106) adapted to abut the supporting member (104) when pushed in the downward direction for pushing the locking member (302).

11. The switch assembly (100) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the supporting member (104) includes a guiding cavity (108) to accommodate the switching element (106) and adapted to guide a movement of the switching element (106) in a predefined direction.

12. A switch assembly (100) comprising:
a housing member (102);
a supporting member (104) coupled to the housing member (102);
a switching element (106) movably disposed on the supporting member (104);
a moving contact element (202) pivotally disposed in the housing member (102);
a safety lock mechanism (200) coupled to the switching element (106) and adapted to restrict sliding movement of the switching element (106), the safety lock mechanism (200) comprising:
a locking member (302) coupled to the switching element (106) and adapted to be engaged with the supporting member (104) to restrict sliding movement of the switching element (106);
a pushing member (304) coupled to the locking member (302) and adapted to slide on the moving contact element (202) and simultaneously push the moving contact element (202);
wherein the switching element (106) is pushed to disengage the locking member (302) from the supporting member 104 to allow sliding movement of the switching element (106) and to allow sliding of the pushing member (304) on the moving contact element (202).

13. The switch assembly (100) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the locking member (302) includes a connecting portion (306) adapted to be coupled with the switching element (106) and a locking portion (308) adapted to be engaged with the supporting member (104).

14. The switch assembly (100) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the locking portion (308) is a protrusion adapted to be engaged with a recess (310) formed in the supporting member (104).

15. The switch assembly (100) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the locking portion (308) is a recess adapted to be engaged with the protrusion formed on the supporting member (104).

16. The switch assembly (100) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the locking member (302) is adapted to be pushed in a downward direction to separate the locking portion (308) from the supporting member (104) and to allow sliding of the pushing member (304) on the moving contact member (202).