Overheating Destructive Switch

Abstract

An overheating destructive switch, comprising: a first conductive element, a second conductive element, a movable conductive element, an overheating destructive element, an operating component, and a second elastic element. The movable conductive element connects the first conductive element and the second conductive element. A first elastic element and the second elastic element act on an operating element. The first elastic element is compressed and has a first elastic force, and the second elastic element has a second elastic force. The first elastic force is greater than the second elastic force under in a normal state. When the overheating destructive element is destroyed due to overheating, the first elastic force is reduced or lost, such that the second elastic force becomes greater than the first elastic force. The movable conductive element is consequently disconnected from the first conductive element and the second conductive element, thus achieving protection against overheating.

Claims

1. An overheating destructive switch, comprising: a base having a receiving space; a first conductive element penetrated into and provided in the base; a second conductive element penetrated into and provided in the base; a movable conductive element provided in the receiving space, electrically connected to the first conductive element and selectively connected to the second conductive element; an overheating destructive element destroyable at a destructive temperature, wherein the destructive temperature is between 100 C. to 250 C., and the overheating destructive element is located on the movable conductive element; an operating component assembled on the base, wherein the operating component comprises an operating element and a first elastic element, the first elastic element is compressively limited between the overheating destructive element and the operating element and has a first elastic force; a second elastic element having a second elastic force, wherein the second elastic force acts on the operating element; when the operating element is in a first position, the first elastic force forces the movable conductive element to be contacted with the second conductive element so as to form an electrically connected state, in the electrically connected state, currents flow through the first conductive element, the movable conductive element and the second conductive element to generate a heat energy, and the overheating destructive element absorbs the heat energy and be destroyed at the destructive temperature, such that the first elastic force is reduced or lost resulting in the second elastic force greater than the first elastic force, the second elastic force thus forces the operating element to be moved to a second position and, in consequence, the movable conductive element becomes separated from the second conductive element to form an electrically disconnected state.

2. The overheating destructive switch of claim 1, wherein the first elastic element and the second elastic element are both springs.

3. The overheating destructive switch of claim 1, wherein the movable conductive element is a rocker conductive element, the rocker conductive element is movably provided over the first conductive element, and the rocker conductive element is contacted with or separated from the second conductive element in a manner of rocking motions.

4. The overheating destructive switch of claim 3, wherein the operating element is provided with a pivotal point, the pivotal point is pivotally connected to the base, and the operating element can be rotated reciprocally in a limited manner by having the pivotal point as an axle center, the first elastic element is fixedly connected to the operating element and the overheating destructive element, the first elastic element is located in a position adjacent to the pivotal point and is bent and deformed along with rotations of the operating element.

5. The overheating destructive switch of claim 4, wherein the rocker conductive element has an accommodating groove in a position adjacent to the first conductive element, and the overheating destructive element is located in the accommodating groove.

6. The overheating destructive switch of claim 5, wherein the rocker conductive element is integrally bent to form a first wall, a second wall, and a bottom wall, and the accommodating groove is defined among the first wall, the second wall and the bottom wall.

7. The overheating destructive switch of claim 6, wherein stopping walls are extended from two sides of the bottom wall, and the accommodating groove is collectively defined among the first wall, the second wall, the bottom wall and the stopping walls.

8. The overheating destructive switch of claim 4, wherein the rocker conductive element has a fixing protruding portion in a position adjacent to the first conductive element, and the overheating destructive element is sleeved on the fixing protruding portion.

9. The overheating destructive switch of claim 4, wherein the rocker conductive element has a fixing hole in a position adjacent to the first conductive element; the rocker conductive element further comprising a thermal conductive shell, wherein the thermal conductive shell includes a protruding pillar located at one end of the thermal conductive shell and inserted into the fixing hole; the overheating destructive element is mounted into the thermal conductive shell.

10. The overheating destructive switch of claim 1, wherein the overheating destructive element is a block, a pillar, a cap, a sphere or an irregular body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] FIG. 1 is a sectional view in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention and illustrates a structure of a rocker switch and that the rocker switch is in a disconnected state.

[0037] FIG. 2 is a disassembled view showing a rocker conductive element and an overheating destructive element in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 3 is a sectional view in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention and illustrates that the rocker switch is in a connected to state.

[0039] FIG. 4 is a sectional view in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention and illustrates that the overheating destructive element is in an overheated and destroyed state.

[0040] FIG. 5 is a sectional view in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention and illustrates that when the overheating destructive element is overheated and destroyed, a movable conductive element is separated from a second conductive element so as to enable the rocker switch to be returned to the disconnected state from the connected state.

[0041] FIG. 6 is a sectional view in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 7 is a disassembled view showing a rocker conductive element and an overheating destructive element in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] FIG. 8 is a sectional view in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] FIG. 9 is a disassembled view showing a rocker conductive element and an overheating destructive element in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] FIG. 10 is a sectional view in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] FIG. 11 is a sectional view in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present invention and illustrates that the push switch is in a connected state.

[0047] FIG. 12 is a sectional view in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present invention and illustrates that when the overheating destructive element is overheated and destroyed, a movable conductive element is separated from a second conductive element so as to enable the push switch to be returned to the disconnected state from the connected state.

[0048] FIG. 13 is a disassembled view showing an overheating destructive switch of the present invention applied to a power socket of an extension cord.

[0049] FIG. 14 is a plan view showing an overheating destructive switch of the present invention applied to a power socket of an extension cord.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0050] In summary of the above-described technical features, the main effects of the overheating destructive switch and the power socket thereof of the present invention can be clearly illustrated in the following embodiments.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 1 for a first embodiment of the present invention, an overheating destructive switch of the embodiment is in a form of a rocker switch, wherein FIG. 1 shows that the rocker switch is in a disconnected state.

[0052] The rocker switch comprises: a base (1N) having a receiving space (11N); a first conductive element (2N) and a second conductive element (3N) penetrated into and provided in the base (1N); a movable conductive element (which can be referred to as a rocker conductive element (4N) in this embodiment) provided in the receiving space (11N); an overheating destructive element (5N); an operating component (6N) assembled on the base (1N), wherein the operating component (6N) comprises an operating element (61N) and a first elastic element (62N); and a second elastic element (7N). In which:

[0053] the rocker conductive element (4N) is provided over the first conductive element (2N) and electrically connected to the second conductive element (3N). The overheating destructive element (5N) is provided on the rocker conductive element (4N). Preferably, a part of the rocker conductive element (4N) corresponding to the first conductive element (2N) is provided with an accommodating groove (41N) for accommodating the overheating destructive element (5N) therein. The overheating destructive element (5N) can be destroyed at a destructive temperature, and the destructive temperature is between 100 C. to 250 C. It should be noted that the overheating destructive element (5N) is not used to maintain the continuous supply of currents, and thus can be selectively made of an insulative material such as a plastic, or selected from a non-insulative material such as an alloy having a low melting point; for example, an alloy consisted of bismuth and any one or more of cadmium, indium, silver, tin, lead, antimony and copper, or other metals or alloys having a low melting point between 100 C. to 250 C., wherein a tin-bismuth alloy has a melting point approximately between 138 C. to 148 C. according to different compositions. Referring to FIG. 2, to illustrate in further details, the overheating destructive element (5N) can be a block, but can also be a pillar, a cap, a sphere or an irregular body, which are also feasible embodiments. The rocker conductive element (4N) may be integrally bent to form a first wall (42N), a second wall (43N) and a bottom wall (44N), in which the aforesaid accommodating groove (41N) is defined among the first wall (42N), the second wall (43N) and the bottom wall (44N). Preferably, stopping walls (441N) are further extended from two sides of the bottom wall (44N), in which the aforesaid accommodating groove (41N) is collectively defined between the first wall (42N), the second wall (43N), the bottom wall (44N) and the stopping walls (441N) so as to more preferably accommodate the overheating destructive element (5N).

[0054] Referring back to FIG. 1, the first elastic element (62N) is compressively limited between the overheating destructive element (5N) and the operating element (61N) and has a first elastic force. Further, the overheating destructive element (5N) comprises a destructive portion (51N) and a bulge (52N). For example, the first elastic element (62N) is a spring; the first elastic element (62N) is fixedly connected to the operating element (61N) and the overheating destructive element (5N). In this embodiment, the first elastic element (62N) has one end thereof fixedly pressed against the destructive portion (51N). The bulge (52N) is located on the destructive portion (51N), and the bulge (52N) extends into the first elastic element (62N). The second elastic element (7N) is a spring in the embodiment, and the second elastic element (7N) has a second elastic force; the second elastic force acts on the operating element (61N), and the first elastic force is greater than the second elastic force as shown in FIG. 1.

[0055] The operating component (6N) is used to operate the rocker conductive element (4N) to be connected to the first conductive element (2N) and the second conductive element (3N). It should be noted that in the overheating destructive switch, the first conductive element (2N) is used as a first end of the live wire, and the second conductive element (3N) is used as a second end of the live wire. If overheating occurs in a circuit, a disconnection is preferably generated in the live wire. Therefore, a live wire connection may be formed by connecting the rocker conductive element (4N) to the first conductive element (2N) and the second conductive element (3N), or a live wire disconnection may be formed by disconnecting the first conductive element (2N) from the second conductive element (3N). The operating element (61N) has a pivotal point (611N), wherein the pivotal point (611N) is pivotally connected to the base (1N), such that the operating element (61N) can be rotated reciprocally in a limited manner by having the pivotal point (611N) as an axle center. In the embodiment, the operating element (61N) has a recess (612N) on an internal surface thereof, and a portion of the first elastic element (62N) extends into the recess (612N).

[0056] Referring to FIG. 3, a user may operate and enable the operating element (61N) to rotate around the pivotal point (611N), and since the first elastic element (62N) is located in a position adjacent to the pivotal point (611N), the first elastic element (62N) is bent and deformed along with the rotation of the operating element (61N), so as to enable the first elastic element (62N) to drive the rocker conductive element (4N) to be selectively contacted with or separated from the second conductive element (3N) in a manner of rocking motions. When the first elastic element (62N) drives the rocker conductive element (4N) to positionally move towards the second conductive element (3N), the first elastic force forces a silver contact point (45N) of the rocker conductive element (4N) to be contacted with the second conductive element (3N) and form an electrically connected state.

[0057] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, when an external conducting apparatus connected to the first conductive element (2N) or the second conductive element (3N) is in an abnormal state; for example, the external conducting apparatus may be a power socket, and when there are oxidized substances, dusts, incomplete insertion of metal pins and deformations of metal pins present between the metal pins of a plug and the power socket, consequently resulting in the generation of a greater heat energy in a conductive part of the power socket, the heat energy is transmitted to the rocker conductive element (4N) via the first conductive element (2N) or the second conductive element (3N), and then transmitted to the destructive portion (51N) of the overheating destructive element (5N) via the rocker conductive element (4N), the destructive portion (51N) absorbs the heat energy and gradually loses a rigidity thereof before reaching a material melting point thereof; for instance, the overheating destructive element (5N) may be made of a tin-bismuth alloy, and although a melting point thereof is 148 C., the rigidity is reduced when a temperature thereof is close to the melting point; therefore, under the effect of the first elastic force, the destructive portion (51N) of the overheating destructive element (5N) is pressed and deformed by the first elastic element (62N) or even broken, such that the first elastic force is reduced or lost, and the second elastic force becomes greater than the first elastic force at this moment. It should be further noted that in this embodiment, an arrangement direction of the first elastic element (2N) and the second elastic element (3N) is defined as a longitudinal direction, and the operating element (61N) has a length in the longitudinal direction; the first elastic element (62N) is configured in a central position of the length, and a distance is present between a configured position of the second elastic element (7N) and the central position; therefore, when the second elastic force becomes greater than the first elastic force, a torque effect forces the operating element (61N) to rotate on the pivotal point (611N) as an axle center, and also enables the first elastic element (62N) to drive the rocker conductive element (4N) to move positionally, thereby forcing the operating element (61N) to be moved to a position of disconnection which resulting the silver contact point (45N) of the rocker conductive element (4N) to be separated from the second conductive element (3N), and in consequence, forming a state of electrical disconnection and achieving protection against overheating.

[0058] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 for a second embodiment of the present invention, an overheating destructive switch is shown in the embodiment and is in a form of a rocker switch, wherein FIG. 6 shows that the rocker switch is in a connected state. The embodiment is approximately the same as the first embodiment, which comprises a base (1P) having a receiving space (11P); a first conductive element (2P) and a second conductive element (3P) penetrated into and provided in the base (1P); a movable conductive element (which can be referred to as a rocker conductive element (4P) in this embodiment) provided in the receiving space (11P); an overheating destructive element (5P); an operating component (6P) assembled on the base (1P), wherein the operating component (6P) comprises an operating element (61P), a first elastic element (62P), and a second elastic element (7P); the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that: a part of the rocker conductive element (4P) adjacent to the first conductive element (2P) is provided with a fixing bulge (41P) for enabling a sleeving hole (52P) of the overheating destructive element (5P) to be sleeved on the fixing bulge (41P). Accordingly, the overheating destructive element (5P) can be steadily fixed to the rocker conductive element (4P).

[0059] Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9 for a third embodiment of the present invention, an overheating destructive switch is shown in the embodiment and is in a form of a rocker switch, wherein FIG. 8 shows that the rocker switch is in a connected state. The embodiment is approximately the same as the first embodiment, which comprises a base (1Q) having a receiving space (11Q); a first conductive element (2Q) and a second conductive element (3Q) penetrated into and provided in the base (1Q); a movable conductive element (which can be referred to as a rocker conductive element (4Q) in this embodiment) provided in the receiving space (11Q); an overheating destructive element (5Q); an operating component (6Q) assembled on the base (1Q), wherein the operating component (6Q) comprises an operating element (61Q), a first elastic element (62Q) and a second elastic element (7Q); the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that: a part of the rocker conductive element (4Q) adjacent to the first conductive element (2Q) is provided with a fixing hole (41Q); the rocker conductive element (4Q) further comprises a thermal conductive shell (411Q) which includes a protruding pillar (412Q); the protruding pillar (412Q) is located at one end of the thermal conductive shell (411Q) and inserted into the fixing hole (41Q); the thermal conductive shell (411Q) is used to accommodate the overheating destructive element (5Q). Accordingly, the overheating destructive element (5Q) can be steadily fixed to the rocker conductive element (4Q).

[0060] Referring to FIG. 10 for a fourth embodiment of the present invention, an overheating destructive switch is shown in the embodiment and is in a form of a push switch, wherein FIG. 10 shows that the push switch is in a disconnected state.

[0061] The push switch comprises:

[0062] a base (1R) having a receiving space (11R) and a protruding portion (12R); a first conductive element (2R) and a second conductive element (3R) penetrated into and provided in the base (1R); a movable conductive element provided in the receiving space (11R), wherein the movable conductive element is a conductive cantilever element (4R); an overheating destructive element (5R) which can be destroyed at a destructive temperature, wherein the destructive temperature is between 100 C. to 250 C. The overheating destructive element (5R) is not used to maintain the continuous supply of currents, and thus can be selectively made of an insulative material such as a plastic but is not limited thereto, and can also be selected from a non-insulative material such as an alloy having a low melting point; for example, an alloy consisted of bismuth and any one or more of cadmium, indium, silver, tin, lead, antimony and copper, or other metals having a low melting point between 100 C. to 250 C.; for instance, a tin-bismuth alloy having a melting point approximately at 148 C. In this embodiment, the conductive cantilever element (4R) has a mounting portion (41R) thereon, and the overheating destructive element (5R) is provided on the mounting portion (41R). For example, the mounting portion (41R) comprises a recess, and the overheating destructive element (5R) is mounted in the recess.

[0063] It should be particularly noted that in the overheating destructive switch, if overheating occurs in a circuit, a disconnection is preferably generated in the live wire. Therefore, the first conductive element (2R) is used as a first end of the live wire, and the second conductive element (3R) is used as a second end of the live wire, such that a live wire connection may be formed by connecting the conductive cantilever element (4R) to the first conductive element (2R) and the second conductive element (3R).

[0064] The push switch of the embodiment further comprises an operating component (6R) for operating the conductive cantilever element (4R) to be connected to the first conductive element (2R) and the second conductive element (3R) to form a live wire connection, or to disconnect the connection between the first conductive element (2R) and the second conductive element (3R) so as to form an open circuit on the live wire. The operating component (6R) is assembled on the base (1R) and comprises an operating element (61R) and a first elastic element (62R), wherein the operating element (61R) is sleeved on the protruding portion (12R) and can be moved reciprocally in a limited manner on the protruding portion (12R). The reciprocal movement and the position-fixing structure of the whole operating component (6R) is the same as a push button structure in a conventional automatic ball-point pen, or the structure of the Button Switch disclosed in the prior art of China Patent No. CN103441019. Therefore, a few conventional position-fixing structures are omitted in the drawings of the embodiment. The operating element (61R) further comprises a limiting element (612R), wherein the limiting element (612R) is provided in an inwardly concaved accommodating space (6121R), and the first elastic element (62R) is provided in the accommodating space (6121R); the first elastic element (62R) is compressively limited between the overheating destructive element (5R) and the limiting element (612R).

[0065] The push switch of the embodiment further comprises a second elastic element, in which the second elastic element is a spring plate (7R), and the first elastic element (2R), the spring plate (7R) and the conductive cantilever element (4R) are integrally formed; the spring plate (7R) has a second elastic force which acts on the operating element (61R).

[0066] Referring to FIG. 11, a user operates the operating element (61R) to positionally move relative to the protruding portion (12R), just like operating a button of an automatic ball-point pen, so as to enable the conductive cantilever element (4R) to be selectively contacted with or separated from the second conductive element (3R). When the operating element (61R) is positionally moved towards the conductive cantilever element (4R) and becomes fixed, the operating element (61R) pushes on a silver contact point (45R) of the conductive cantilever element (4R), such that the conductive cantilever element (4R) is contacted with the second elastic element (3R) to form an electrically connected state, and the first elastic element (62R) is further compressed at the same time to increase the first elastic force, thus making the first elastic force greater than the second elastic force at the moment.

[0067] Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, when an external conducting apparatus connected to the first conductive element (2R) or the second conductive element (3R) is in an abnormal state; for example, the external conducting apparatus may be a power socket, and when there are oxidized substances, dusts, incomplete insertion of metal pins and deformations of metal pins present between the metal pins of a plug and the power socket, consequently resulting in the generation of a greater heat energy in a conductive part of the power socket, the heat energy is transmitted to the conductive cantilever element (4R) via the first conductive element (2R) or the second conductive element (3R), and then further transmitted to the overheating destructive element (5R) via the conductive cantilever element (4R); the overheating destructive element (5R) absorbs the heat energy and gradually reaches a material melting point thereof, and the rigidity of the overheating destructive element (5R) is gradually lost at this point; for example, the overheating destructive element (5R) may be made of a tin-bismuth alloy, and although a melting point thereof is 148 C., the rigidity is gradually lost when a temperature thereof is close to the melting point. Under the effect of the first elastic force, the overheating destructive element (5R) is compressed by the first elastic element (62R), and then the overheating destructive element (5R) is pressed and deformed or even broken, such that the overheating destructive element (5R) can no longer limit the first elastic element (62R) and the first elastic force is reduced or lost, thus making the second elastic force greater than the first elastic force at this moment, and forcing the conductive cantilever element (4R) to be reset (or slightly sprung back) and the silver contact point (45R) of the conductive cantilever element (4R) to be separated from the second conductive element (3R), thereby forming an electrically disconnected state and achieving protection against overheating.

[0068] Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14 for another embodiment of the present invention, the embodiment applies the overheating destructive rocker switch in the previously described embodiment to an extension cord having three sets of socket holes (81), the extension cord comprises:

[0069] a shell (8) having an upper shell (8A) and a lower shell (8B), wherein the upper shell (8A) includes the three sets of socket holes (81) and each set of the socket holes (81) includes a live wire jack (811) and a neutral wire jack (812).

[0070] A live wire conductive element (9) mounted on the shell (8), wherein the live wire conductive element (9) has three live wire connection ends (92) provided at intervals and in correspondence with three independent live wire pins (91), each of the live wire pins (91) includes a live wire slot (911), and the live wire slot (911) corresponds to the live wire jack (811).

[0071] A neutral wire conductive element (10) mounted on the shell (8), wherein the neutral wire conductive element (10) has three neutral wire slots (101) provided at intervals and each of the neutral wire slots (101) are in correspondence with the neutral wire jack (812).

[0072] Three overheating destructive switches (20), the overheating destructive switches (20) are described in the aforesaid first embodiment to the fourth embodiment, wherein the first conductive elements (201) of the overheating destructive switches (20) are connected to the live wire connection ends (92) of the live wire conductive element (9) and the second conductive elements (202) are connected to the live wire pins (91); alternatively, the first conductive elements (201) of the overheating destructive switches (20) are connected to the live wire pins (91), and the second conductive elements (202) are connected to the live wire connection ends (92) of the live wire conductive element (9). In this embodiment, the exemplary illustration is that the first conductive elements (201) are connected to the live wire connection ends (92) of the live wire conductive element (9), and the second conductive elements (202) are connected to the live wire pins (91) [the part of connection features are already illustrated in the first embodiment through the third embodiment, and will not be repeated here]. Accordingly, when a working temperature of any of the live wire pins (91) of the extension cord is increased abnormally, the heat energy may be transmitted to the associated overheating destructive switch (20) via the first conductive element (201) or the second conductive element (202), such that the overheating destructive switch (20) is overheated and becomes disconnected to stop power supply; the live wire pin (91) which has an abnormal temperature may terminate the power supply immediately, so that the working temperature is not further increased and the working temperature is reduced as well. Since each of the overheating destructive switches (20) independently controls one set of the live wire jacks (811) and the neutral wire jack (812), when a set of the overheating destructive switches (20) therein is disconnected due to overheating, the live wire jack (811) and the neutral wire jack (812) of the other sets can still function normally and be used further.

[0073] In summary of the description of the aforesaid embodiments, it is of course to be understood that the embodiments described herein is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that a wide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.