Safety disconnect electric switch
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Switches have been known heretofore that have included features affording opening thereof under contact sticking or welding conditions. For example, positive action switches such as shown in H. W. Hults U.S. Pat. No. 3,035,134, dated May 15, 1962 have been provided with an operating mechanism whereby the operating lever positively and unyieldingly transmits force to the movable contactor to provide shear for breaking any weld. While these prior switches have been useful for their intended purpose, this invention relates to a safety-disconnect switch that does not rely on forcibly opening welded contacts but instead opens a separate connection in the circuit under such conditions. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide an improved safety-disconnect switch. 
     A more specific object of the invention is to provide a safety-disconnect switch that incorporates auxiliary means for interrupting the electrical connection under contact-weld conditions. 
     Another specific object of the invention is to provide a safety-disconnect switch that includes in series with the switch contacts a separable connector for actuation under contact-weld conditions. 
     Another specific object of the invention is to provide a switch of the manual close, return spring open type with safety-disconnect means such that the potential energy of the return spring is changed to kinetic energy to open the contacts under normal operation and such kinetic energy causes the switch to go into its safety-disconnect mode under contact-weld conditions. 
     Another specific object of the invention is to provide a safety-disconnect switch of the aforementioned type incorporating means for automatically opening said separable connector in response to opening movement of the switch actuator under contact-weld conditions and for preventing reclosure thereof when the switch actuator is released. 
     Another specific object of the invention is to provide a safety-disconnect switch of the aforementioned type incorporating means for snap-action opening of said separable connector and for maintaining the same open thereafter. 
     Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an enlarged, longitudinal, vertical, partial cross-sectional view of a trigger-operated safety-disconnect double-pole electric switch for industrial use taken substantially along line 1--1 of FIG. 2 to show the switch operating mechanism and safety-disconnect structure but with the trigger end portion being shown in elevation; 
     FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 2--2 of FIG. 1 to show the two poles of the double-pole switch and the safety-disconnect tripping mechanism; 
     FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 3--3 of FIG. 2 to show the movable contact mounting and carrier structure; 
     FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 4--4 of FIG. 1 to show the actuator return spring mechanism; 
     FIG. 5 is a lateral, vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 5--5 of FIG. 1 to show the safety-disconnect, separable connectors associated with the respective poles of the switch; 
     FIG. 6 is a further enlarged, isometric, exploded view of the contact carrier and cam of the switch of FIGS. 1-5; 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view like FIG. 1 minus the trigger end portion but showing the switch in its welded-contact and safety-disconnect tripping position; and 
     FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of the manner of mounting and connecting the switch to a portable electric saw. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a safety-disconnect electric switch for industrial use constructed in accordance with the invention. As shown therein, this switch is of the double-pole, overhanging trigger type adapted to be mounted in the handle of a portable electric tool such as a drill, saw, or the like as shown in FIG. 8. As shown therein, portable electric saw 2 has a motor 4 for running the same and a handle 2a whereby it is grasped by the user. Switch 6 is mounted in this handle with its trigger 14 extending out to be depressed by the forefinger of the user in conventional manner. Motor 4 is powered from an electric source through plug and cord assembly 7 which is connected through switch 6 to the motor as indicated by broken lines 8 and 9 and as hereinafter more fully described. This switch comprises an insulating switch frame or housing 10, an insulating cover 12, a trigger 14, and a switch actuator 16 coupled to the trigger and biased from the cover by a helical return spring 18. 
     Housing 10 encloses the double-pole switch mechanism which comprises a pair of stationary contacts 20 and 22 shown in FIG. 2 at the right-hand end of the housing, a pair of movable butt contacts 24 and 26, an insulating contact carrier 28 supporting the movable contacts, a follower cam 30 for snap-action operation of the contacts and supported on the contact carrier, a pair of terminals 32 and 34 shown in FIG. 2 at the left-hand end of the housing, a pair of pivot hinges 36 and 38 shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, and a pair of helical tension springs 40 and 42 for the dual purpose of providing resilient force for the snap-action mechanism and for providing bias force for actuating the safety-disconnect mechanism in the event the contacts weld. 
     In addition, the switch is provided with means for connecting it to an external circuit. This means comprises a pair of terminal screws 44 and 46 for attaching electrical conductors to terminals of stationary contacts 20 and 22, respectively, and a pair of terminal screws 48 and 50 for attaching electrical conductors to terminals 32 and 34, respectively. One pair of these terminals may be connected to an electric source while the other pair thereof is connected to a load device. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, molded plastic housing 10 is generally rectangular in shape and is provided with a bottom, elongated front and rear walls 10a and 10b, and relatively shorter left and right end walls 10c and 10d, respectively, providing a compartment for the switch mechanism. To serve as a pivot for the movable contacts, there is provided an integrally molded upstanding ridge 10e extending up from the bottom of the housing and all the way across from front wall 10a  to rear wall 10b and spaced slightly clear of screws 44 and 46 to support the movable contacts in both their open and closed positions. The left end wall of the housing is provided with a pair of spaced apertures 10f and 10g, FIG. 2, each having a continuous groove along its front, bottom and rear sides and being open at the top through which the respective terminal 32, 34 is slid down for retention therein by the cover as hereinafter described. As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal screws are threaded through the upper portions of the terminals such as 32 and these terminals are spaced inwardly from the end of the housing so that the extreme end of the housing may be provided with a half-height wall 10h to shield the pivot hinge and bias-spring-mounting, lower portion of the terminals while leaving the upper portions of the apertures open for access to the heads of the terminal screws. The right end wall of the housing is also provided with a pair of spaced apertures 10j and 10k as shown in FIG. 2, each having a continuous groove along its front, bottom and rear sides and being open at the top through which the respective movable contact is slid down for retention therein by the overlying cover as hereinafter described. The terminal screws such as 44 shown in FIG. 1 extend through the lower portions of the stationary contacts to provide space at the upper portions thereof for engagement by the movable contacts. 
     Cover 12 is provided with a generally flat portion 12a coextensive with the top of the housing as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 for closing the top of the housing and is secured to the latter by known means such as, for example, ultra-sonic welding or the like. This cover is also provided with an inverted channel portion 12b extending longitudinally along its midportion and rising above its flat portion 12a and having a downwardly opening channel 12c therealong for accommodating actuator 16 and guiding the latter in its reciprocal operation. A tab 12d extends down from the cover centrally within channel 12c into the trough 16b in actuator 16 to serve as an abutment for one end of return spring 18 while the other end thereof is depressed by the actuator as hereinafter described. Cover 12 is also provided with an integrally molded, depending plate 12e extending down into the switch compartment and extending substantially all the way thereacross to serve as a stop for the movable contacts in their open position as shown in FIG. 1. 
     In addition, cover 12 is provided with an extension affording switch supporting and trigger pivoting means. This trigger pivoting means comprises an inclined portion 12f extending at an upward angle above channel 12c and having a lateral hole 12g at its tip to which trigger 14 is pivoted by a pivot pin 52 passing therethrough and through a pair of holes in the two sides of the generally U-shaped trigger aligned with hole 12g. The switch supporting means comprises a forwardly-offset plate 12h extending downwardly from the cover extension below the trigger and having a pair of spaced holes 12j therein by which the switch may be mounted in the handle of a portable tool. A lug 12k is provided on inclined portion 12f to serve as a stop to limit trigger depression. A pair of 45 degree angular lugs such as 12m in FIG. 5 are provided for engaging each complementarily-formed stationary contact and terminal to retain it in place. 
     The switch is provided with means for supporting the movable contacts and for snap-action movement thereof between closed and open positions with respect to the stationary contacts when the trigger is operated. This means comprises insulating contact carrier 28 shown in FIGS. 1-3, 5 and 6. This contact carrier comprises a generally flat molded plastic member having a raised trough 28a along its upper center portion for accommodating cam 30 and a pair of spaced grooves 28b and 28c along its lower surface on opposite sides of the bottom of the trough for retaining movable contacts. For this purpose, each such groove has a round projection integrally molded therein which extends through a corresponding hole in the movable contact and is spread over to form a rivet 28d as shown in FIG. 3 to secure the movable contact to the contact carrier, there being a low &#34;land&#34; 28e across the groove at the root of the rivet to space the opposite end portions of the movable contact slightly from the bottom of the groove as shown in FIG. 3 thereby to avoid the requirement for close tolerance manufacture of these parts. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the movable contacts 24 and 26 comprises a flat strip of good electrically conducting metal such as copper, brass, or the like and has a 90 degree upwardly bent portion 24a, 26a near one end to form a contacting portion for engaging the corresponding stationary contact. As shown in FIG. 1, the movable contacts extend through the slot between plate 12e and ridge 10e and pivotally rest on ridge 10e while plate 12e forms a stop for the upwardly bent portions thereof in the contact open position. 
     The tail ends 24b and 26b of the movable contacts are supported by a mechanism that not only provides the necessary upward bias thereon and allows resilient depression thereof for snap-action operation of the contacts but also provides automatic safety-disconnect opening of the two circuits in the event the contacts should weld. This mechanism comprises the pair of like pivot hinges 36 and 38 and respectively cooperating tension springs 40 and 42. As shown in FIG. 1, these pivot hinges are pivotally supported on terminals 32 and 34, and are biased in a counter-clockwise direction by tension springs 40 and 42, respectively. For this purpose, each terminal 32 and 34 is provided with a reduced-width portion 32a, 34a at its lower end as shown in FIG. 5. This reduced-width portion has a horizontal notch 32b, 34b on its right-hand surface as shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 7. For pivotal cooperation with such notch, each pivot hinge 36 and 38 has a rectangular slot 36a, 38a at its left end as shown in FIG. 1 providing a pair of spaced legs which straddle the reduced portion of the terminals as shown in FIG. 5 while the bottom of this slot engages the notch in the terminal to pivotally support the pivot hinge thereon as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7. 
     To support bias spring 40, terminal 32 has a cutout with an outwardly offset tongue 32c extending thereinto as shown in FIG. 1. This tongue has a hole into which one end hook of spring 40 is engaged. Spring 42 is similarly connected to terminal 34. 
     The other end of spring 40 is connected to pivot hinge 36 to bias it counterclockwise. For this purpose, pivot hinge 36 is provided with an aperture 36b at its upward bend as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 and a slot 36c directly above such aperture providing a narrow section therebetween to which the other end hook of spring 40 is attached. Pivot hinge 38 is provided with a similar aperture 38b and slot 38c for attaching the other end hook of tension spring 42 to the narrow section therebetween. 
     The upwardly bent end of pivot hinge 36 is provided with a shallow rectangular slot 36d defined by two spaced upstanding lugs for retaining and supporting the aforesaid tail end 24b of movable contact 24 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5. The upper end of pivot hinge 38 is provided with a similar shallow rectangular slot 38d for retaining and supporting the tail end 26b of movable contact 26. 
     The switch is provided with means affording snap-action operation of the movable contacts and for alternatively tripping the safety-disconnect mechanism in the event the contacts should weld. This means comprises cam 30 positioned in trough 28a in contact carrier 28 as shown in FIG. 1. This cam is provided with a double-inclined upper surface having a right incline 30a and a left incline 30b joined at a center high point for sliding engagement by the actuator as hereinafter described. This cam is also provided with flat front and rear walls as shown in FIG. 6 whereby it is confined between contiguous, flat front and rear inner walls of trough 28a in the contact carrier as shown in FIG. 2 affording longitudinal sliding thereof in the trough without tipping as hereinafter described. The left end of this cam has a short, flat and wide projection 30c shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6 held under ledge 28f at the left end of trough 28a as seen in FIG. 1 to securely hold this end of the cam to the contact carrier. This is necessary because in normal operation actuator 16 actuates the cam with snap-action and the cam moves the contact carrier therewith. The right end of this cam has a similar short flat projection 30d shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6 held under a resilient integrally-molded tongue or spring member 28g extending angularly up from the right, lower end corner of the trough in the contact carrier. The purpose of this integral spring member 28g is to maintain the cam normally in its leftward position within the trough as shown in FIG. 1 but to permit forcible movement of this cam to the right in the event the contacts weld as shown in FIG. 7. While an integrally-molded spring member 28g has been shown, it will be apparent that other means such as, for example, an helical compression spring between the cam and the right internal wall of trough 28 could be used in place thereof. 
     Cam 30 is further provided with means coacting with contact carrier 28 affording sudden downward tripping of the cam in response to return movement of the actuator in the event the contacts are welded to open the safety-disconnect connector as shown in FIG. 7. This means comprises a pair of spaced legs 30e and 30f extending down from the bottom of the cam along the longitudinal axis thereof as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6. Leg 30e is round and leg 30f is square and the lower ends thereof rest on the bottom of the trough in the contact carrier. 
     To allow the cam to drop down into the trough upon tripping, a pair of spaced holes 28h and 28j are provided in the bottom of the contact carrier as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7. Hole 28h is round and large enough to freely receive round leg 30e. Hole 28j is substantially rectangular as shown in FIG. 2 to provide a definite and accurately-defined slip-off edge for square leg 30f. Holes 28h and 28j which are larger than legs 30e and 30f are spaced apart such that their left slip-off edges are the same distance apart as the left slip-off edges of legs 30e and 30f. In this way, both legs will drop in their holes simultaneously on tripping while square leg 30f along with the left edge of rectangular hole 28j accurately determines the point of cam movement at which it will occur. 
     The switch is provided with means for actuating follower cam 30. This means comprises actuator 16 which is an elongated insulating molded plastic member. As shown in FIG. 4, this actuator has an enlarged right half 16a providing a trough 16b therein for accommodating return spring 18 and abutment tab 12d of the cover. As shown in FIG. 1, one end of spring 18 abuts the right end wall of trough 16b while the other end of the spring is stopped against stationary tab 12d. This actuator has a narrower left half 16c extending along channel 12c in the cover and terminating in a pair of opposed, lateral journals, one, 16d, of which is shown in FIG. 1, to which the opposite sides of the generally U-shaped trigger 14 are rotatably coupled, thereby to translate pivotal motion of the trigger to linear motion of the actuator. 
     Actuator 16 is also provided with a driver lug 16e extending down from the bottom of enlarged right-half 16a thereof into engagement with the inclined surface of follower cam 30. This driver lug 16e has a generally V-shaped contour and extends at least all the way across the cam which it drives as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4. 
     Actuator 16 is further provided with a stop lug 16f spaced toward the left from driver lug 16e as shown in FIG. 1. This stop lug is narrower than the driver lug as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4 and has a vertical left edge for abutting against the inner surface of the left end wall 10c of the housing to limit actuator movement when the trigger is depressed. Rounded ridges 16g and 16h shown in FIG. 4 on the upper edges of actuator 16 on the opposite sides of trough 16a reduce the friction against the cover. 
     The operation of the switch will now be described. When the aforementioned tool handle is gripped and trigger 14 is depressed by the forefinger of the user, it swings clockwise as seen in FIG. 1 and pulls actuator 16 linearly toward the left. Return spring 18 is compressed and driver lug 16e slides along inclined surface 30a of cam 30. For this to happen, since driver lug 16e cannot move up, cam 30 must move down. Therefore, as driver lug 16e moves up incline 30a, cam 30 and contact carrier 28 and movable contacts 24 and 26 secured to the latter swing counterclockwise with the movable contacts pivoting on ridge 10e. As the tail ends of the movable contacts swing down, pivot hinges 36 and 38 pivot clockwise as indicated by the broken lines in FIG. 1 and stretch springs 40 and 42 until driver lug 16e passes over the center high point between the inclined surfaces of the cam. As this occurs, the upward bias of springs 40 and 42 causes the cam to be accelerated in the right hand direction with a snap-action as driver lug 16e slides down inclined surface 30b. This cam moves the contact carrier with it to close upwardly bent portions 24a and 26a of the movable contacts against stationary contacts 20 and 22. This causes two connections to be closed through the respective two poles of the switch from screw 44 to screw 48 and from screw 46 to screw 50 to connect the tool motor to the power supply. 
     When the trigger is released, actuator 16 returns toward the right under the force of return spring 18. Driver lug 16e slides up incline 30b while the movable contacts pivot on ridge or fulcrum 10e and bias springs 40 and 42 are stretched and after passing the high point, snaps the cam back in the leftward direction to open the contacts and disconnect the tool motor from the power supply. This pivoting of the movable contacts tends to break any small welds thereon by torsional and shear action. 
     Now let it be assumed that the contacts have been closed as hereinbefore described and have welded to one another. This might occur due to arcing and overheating of the movable and stationary contacts surfaces causing melting and fusing of the metal to weld one or both of the movable contacts to the respective stationary contacts. When the trigger is released in an attempt to open the contacts and driver lug 16e attempts to slide up inclined surface 30b as shown in broken lines in FIG. 7, the cam, the contact carrier and the tail ends of the movable contacts cannot swing down. This is for the reason that one or both of upwardly bent contacting portions 24a and 26a are welded to stationary contacts 20 and 22 and the movable contacts cannot pivot on ridge 10e. As a result, driver lug 16e forces cam 30 rightwardly against the force of spring 28g until the cam trips down when its legs 30e and 30f suddenly drop into holes 28h and 28j in the bottom of the contact carrier. This relieves the downward restraining force on the cam enough so that, due to the length and resiliency of the movable contacts and spacing of plate 12e therefrom, bias springs 40 and 42 are able to flip pivot hinges 36 and 38 up clear of tail ends 24b and 26b of the movable contacts to break the connections. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, since plate 12e of the cover does not abut the upper surface of the movable contacts and each movable contact is secured at a single point, rivet 28d shown in FIG. 3, to the contact carrier, the movable contacts will flex upwardly under the force of bias springs 40 and 42 since these contacts are resilient, causing the tail ends of these contacts to rise the small amount needed to allow pivot hinges 36 and 38 to rotate counter-clockwise free thereof. These bias springs then maintain the connections open permanently to overcome all danger of completion of the circuit. The lower ends of these pivot hinges remain confined in the notches in the terminals or pressed against the bottom of the housing so that they cannot fall loose and inadvertently touch the movable contacts. As a result, the connection has been opened in a safety-disconnect manner despite the failure of the contacts to open in their normal manner. The switch must then be replaced in order to reoperate the tool since the safety-disconnect connectors cannot be reclosed by external means. While this requires replacement of the switch, it also provides the utmost in safety-disconnect opening of the circuit. 
     While the apparatus hereinbefore described is effectively adapted to fulfill the objects stated, it is to be understood that the invention is not intended to be confined to the particular preferred embodiment of safety-disconnect electric switch disclosed, inasmuch as it is susceptible of various modifications without departing from the scope of the appended claims.