§
Luxuse
Patent Intelligence
Sign In
Patent US3731028A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US3731028A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Releasable locking mechanism for pushbutton switch with pilot-lamp assembly

Assignee: Azbil Corp
•
Filing: 1971-09-26
•
Granted: 1973-05-01
•
Expires: 1991-09-26
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A four-sided pushbutton 1 projecting from the top of a housing 4 is secured to a switch-actuating rod 3 traversing a lamp holder 7 which supports the sockets of four pilot lamps 8, this holder consisting of two superposed and fixedly interconnected plates 71, 72 rotatably bracketing a flange 91 of a guide sleeve 9 for the rod in axially fixed position with reference to the holder. Upon depression of the pushbutton, the lower end of the rod operates a switch structure b; a cross-pin 33 on the rod normally engages in a pair of diametrically opposite longitudinal slots 92 of the sleeve to entrain the latter rotatorily for detaching a pair of lugs 93 at the foot of the sleeve from respective shoulders 52 in a depending neck 5 of the housing whereby, upon sufficient withdrawal of the pushbutton from the housing to enable its rotation, the lamp holder, the sleeve and the pushbutton with its rod can be bodily extracted from the housing as the cross-pin rises to the top of the slots at the level of the flange 91 to bear from below upon the upper holder plate 71. Such rotation is prevented in a lower position of the pin 33 by a projection 72d depending from the lower holder plate 72; another projection 43, rising from the housing bottom, coacts with the depending projection 72d to insure correct reinsertion of the extracted unit into the housing. Proper relative orientation of the pushbutton and the pilot lamps is insured by an indexing spring 74 which normally fits into an elongate notch 31 on one side of the rod 3 to allow depression of the pushbutton 1 but which falls into another, lower notch 34 on the opposite side of the rod, blocking a descent thereof, if the pushbutton is rotated in the wrong sense to re-engage the lugs 93 of the sleeve with the shoulders 52.

Inventors

  • 👤 S Ando

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 23:37
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01H; H01H9/00; H01H9/16; H01H9/161; H01H9/162; H01H13/00; H01H13/02; H01H13/12; H01H13/14

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 238 words
A pushbutton switch comprising: a housing; a pushbutton slidably held in said housing and projecting from one end thereof; switch means secured to said housing at the opposite end thereof; a lamp holder removably seated in said housing; a guide member rotatably mounted on said lamp holder in axially fixed position, said guide member extending from said lamp holder toward said opposite end; a push rod guided in said member and secured to said pushbutton, said rod traversing said lamp holder for operating said switch means upon inward depression of said pushbutton; coupling means normally interconnecting said rod and said guide member for joint rotation, said guide member being provided with anchor means normally locking same to said housing, said anchor means being releasable upon rotation of said guide member through a predetermined angle relative to said housing, said coupling means including a transverse formation on said rod positively engageable with said lamp holder in a partly withdrawn position of said pushbutton and said rod for enabling axial extraction of said pushbutton, rod, guide member and lamp holder from said housing as a unit and subsequent reinsertion of said unit into said housing; and blocking means on said lamp holder engageable with said formation for preventing rotation of said guide member and rod in a position other than said partly withdrawn position, thereby inhibiting the release of said anchor means until said formation positively engages said lamp holder.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 238 words
A pushbutton switch comprising: a housing; a pushbutton slidably held in said housing and projecting from one end thereof; switch means secured to said housing at the opposite end thereof; a lamp holder removably seated in said housing; a guide member rotatably mounted on said lamp holder in axially fixed position, said guide member extending from said lamp holder toward said opposite end; a push rod guided in said member and secured to said pushbutton, said rod traversing said lamp holder for operating said switch means upon inward depression of said pushbutton; coupling means normally interconnecting said rod and said guide member for joint rotation, said guide member being provided with anchor means normally locking same to said housing, said anchor means being releasable upon rotation of said guide member through a predetermined angle relative to said housing, said coupling means including a transverse formation on said rod positively engageable with said lamp holder in a partly withdrawn position of said pushbutton and said rod for enabling axial extraction of said pushbutton, rod, guide member and lamp holder from said housing as a unit and subsequent reinsertion of said unit into said housing; and blocking means on said lamp holder engageable with said formation for preventing rotation of said guide member and rod in a position other than said partly withdrawn position, thereby inhibiting the release of said anchor means until said formation positively engages said lamp holder.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 44 words
A pushbutton switch as defined in claim 1 wherein said guide member is a sleeve and said formation is a cross-pin received in a pair of diametrically opposite longitudinal slots of said sleeve upon inward displacement of said pushbutton from said partly withdrawn position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 48 words
A pushbutton switch as defined in claim 2 wherein said cross-pin has tips projecting outwardly through said slots, said blocking means comprising a projection extending from said lamp holder toward said opposite end and engaging said tips upon inward displacement of said pushbutton from said partly withdrawn position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 64 words
A pushbutton switch as defined in claim 3 wherein said lamp holder comprises a first plate confronting said one end and a second plate confronting said opposite end, said plates being fixedly interconnected and forming between them an annular recess around said rod communicating with said slots, said cross-pin being rotatable in said recess upon removal of said pushbutton to said partly withdrawn position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 34 words
A pushbutton switch as defined in claim 4 wherein said housing is provided with a boss normally offset from said projection but confronting same upon angular misalignment of said lamp holder with said housing.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 96 words
A pushbutton switch as defined in claim 5 wherein said cross-pin is rotatable in said recess in either direction, further comprising resilient detent means on said lamp holder, said rod being provided on one side with an elongate notch engageable by said detent means in a correct relative angular position of said pushbutton and said lamp holder, said rod being provided on the opposite side with another notch longitudinally offset from said elongate notch for engagement by said detent means to prevent operative insertion of said pushbutton in an incorrect position thereof relative to said housing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 27 words
A pushbutton switch as defined in claim 6 wherein said detent means comprises an arcuate spring received in an undercut of said first plate adjacent said recess.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 39 words
A pushbutton switch as defined in claim 7 wherein each of said notches has a beveled edge remote from said pushbutton to enable outward camming of said arcuate spring upOn removal of said pushbutton to said partly withdrawn position.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3511954A Cited
US3528099A Cited
US3602678A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1976-04-30 1976-10-30 1977-05-01 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1980-04-30 1980-10-30 1981-05-01 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1984-04-30 1984-10-30 1985-05-01 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag