Electrical switch construction and an electrical control system utilizing the same or the like

Claim 2

An electrical switch construction comprising a housing means, a pair of movable spring blades carried by said housing means and respectively having contact means normally placed out of contact with each other by the normal bias of said switch blades, a pair of cams rotatably carried by said housing means and being respectively engageable with said switch blades, one of said cams when in one position relative to said housing means being adapted to hold its respective switch blade into electrical contact with the other switch blade to complete an electrical circuit therebetween, the other of said cams when in one position thereof relative to said housing means being adapted to hold its respective switch blade out of contact with the other switch blade even though said one cam is in its said one position thereof to thereby prevent completion of said electrical circuit, a movable actuator carried by said housing means and being adapted to simultaneously engage said cams and move the same to said respective one positions thereof, and latch means for holding said one cam in said one position thereof.

Claim 3

An electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein trip means is carried by said housing means to move said latch means from its latching position with said one cam whereby the natural bias of said switch blades moves said switch blades to an open condition thereof to open said circuit.

Claim 4

An electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 2 wherein said latch means comprises a bimetal member for latching with said one cam when said bimetal member senses one certain temperature and for warping away from said one cam to unlatch therefrom when sensing another certain temperature.

Claim 5

An electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 3 wheRein said trip means includes a heater means for said bimetal member to provide said other certain temperature when operated a certain amount.

Claim 6

An electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 4 wherein said trip means includes means for adjusting the same so that the amount of time said heater means is to be operated before said latch member moves to an unlatching position thereof can be selected within certain limits.

Claim 7

An electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cams are rotatably carried by said housing means in side-by-side relation.

Claim 8

An electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 6 wherein said cams are rotatably mounted to said housing means by the same shaft means.

Claim 9

An electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 7 wherein said actuator must be moved from an unactuated position thereof to an actuated position thereof to move said cams to said one position thereof, said housing means having biasing means tending to always move said actuator from said actuated position thereof to said unactuated position thereof.

Claim 10

An electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 7 wherein said cams are so constructed and arranged that when said switch blades are out of contact with each other by the normal bias thereof said cams have surfaces disposed in aligned relation that are respectively engaged simultaneously by said actuator to be moved in unison by said actuator when said actuator is moved from said unactuated position thereof to said actuated position thereof whereby actuation of said actuator will not cause said switch blades to contact each other unless said latch means holds said one cam in its said one position thereof when said actuator subsequently moves back from said actuated position thereof to said unactuated position thereof.

Claim 11

An electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 9 wherein the switch blade operated by said one cam has a cut-out therethrough through which said other cam projects to engage its respective switch blade.

Claim 12

An electrical control system comprising an electrical power source, an electrically operated control device, and an electrical circuit means for interconnecting said source to said device to operate the same, said circuit means having an electrical switch construction therein, said switch construction having a housing means, a pair of movable spring switch blades carried by said housing means and respectively having contact means normally placed out of contact with each other by the normal bias of said switch blades, a pair of cams rotatably carried by said housing means and being respectively engageable with said switch blades, one of said cams when in one position relative to said housing means being adapted to hold its respective switch blade into electrical contact with the other switch blade to complete an electrical circuit therebetween whereby said source is interconnected to said control device to operate the same, the other of said cams when in one position thereof relative to said housing means being adapted to hold its respective switch blade out of contact with the other switch blade even though said one cam is in its said one position thereof whereby said electrical circuit cannot be completed when said cams are respectively in said one position thereof, a movable actuator carried by said housing means and being adapted to simultaneously engage said cams and move the same to said respective one positions thereof, and latch means for holding said one cam in said one position thereof.

Claim 13

An electrical control system comprising an electrical power source, an electrically operated control device, and an electrical circuit means for interconnecting said source to said device to operate the same, said circuit means having an electrical switch construction therein, said switch construction having a housing means, a pair of movable spring switch blades carried by said housing means and respectively having contact means normally placed out of contact with each other by the normal bias of said switch blades, a pair of cams rotatably carried by said housing means and being respectively engageable with said switch blades, one of said cams when in one position relative to said housing means being adapted to hold its respective switch blade into electrical contact with the other switch blade to complete an electrical circuit therebetween whereby said source is interconnected to said control device to operate the same, the other of said cams when in one position thereof relative to said housing means being adapted to hold its respective switch blade out of contact with the other switch blade even though said one cam is in its said one position thereof whereby said electrical circuit cannot be completed when said cams are respectively in said one position thereof, a movable actuator carried by said housing means and being adapted to simultaneously engage said cams and move the same to said respective one positions thereof, and latch means for holding said one cam in said one position thereof.

Claim 14

An electrical control system as set forth in claim 11 wherein trip means is carried by said housing means to move said latch means from its latching position with said one cam whereby the natural bias of said switch blades moves said switch blades to an open condition thereof to open said circuit whereby said source is disconnected from said control device.

Claim 15

An electrical control circuit as set forth in claim 12 wherein said latch means compriseS a bimetal member for latching with said one cam when said bimetal member senses one certain temperature and for warping away from said one cam to unlatch therefrom when sensing another certain temperature.

Claim 16

An electrical control system as set forth in claim 13 wherein said trip means includes a heater means for said bimetal member to provide said other certain temperature when operated a certain amount.

Claim 17

An electrical control system as set forth in claim 14 wherein said trip means includes means for adjusting the same so that the amount of time said heater means is to be operated before said latch member moves to an unlatching position thereof can be selected within certain limits.

Claim 18

An electrical control system as set forth in claim 11 wherein said cams are rotatably carried by said housing means in side-by-side relation.

Claim 19

An electrical control system as set forth in claim 16 wherein said cams are rotatably mounted to said housing means by the same shaft means.

Claim 20

An electrical control system as set forth in claim 17 wherein said actuator must be moved from an unactuated position thereof to an actuated position thereof to move said cams to said one position thereof, said housing means having biasing means tending to always move said actuator from said actuated position thereof to said unactuated position thereof.

Claim 21

An electrical control system as set forth in claim 17 wherein said cams are so constructed and arranged that when said switch blades are out of contact with each other by the normal bias thereof said cams have surfaces disposed in aligned relation that are respectively engaged simultaneously by said actuator to be moved in unison by said actuator when said actuator is moved from said unactuated position thereof to said actuated position thereof whereby actuation of said actuator will not cause said switch blades to contact each other unless said latch means holds said one cam in its said one position thereof when said actuator subsequently moves back from said actuated position thereof to said unactuated position thereof.

Claim 22

An electrical control circuit as set forth in claim 19 wherein the switch blade operated by said one cam has a cut-out therethrough through which said other cam projects to engage its respective switch blade.