Patent ID: 6121868
Filing Date: 2000-09-19
Classification: H01H

Abstract:
An electric switch device comprising:a housing;two electric terminals installed in the housing;a button mechanism installed in the housing comprising a push button which can be depressed to toggle between ""on"" and ""off"" statuses;a conductive reed installed in the housing for conducting electric current between the two electric terminals, the reed comprising a rear end fixed to a first electric terminal and a front end moveably positioned above a second electric terminal wherein when the button is pressed ""on"", the front end of the reed moves to a ""down"" position, touches the second electric terminal and electrically connects the two electric terminals, and when the button is pressed ""off"", the front end moves to an ""up"" position and disconnects the second electric terminal from the first electric terminal; andan elastic piece installed between the housing and the front end of the reed for elastically fixing the front end of the reed at the ""up"" or ""down"" position;wherein the button mechanism comprises a hook installed below the button having a lower side for moving the front end of the reed upward and an upper side for pushing the front end of the reed downward, when the button is set ""on"", the upper side of the hook pushes the front end of the reed downward, the elastic piece elastically moves and fixes the front end of the reed to the ""down"" position, and a reserve space exists between the lower and upper sides of the hook for the reed to spring upward without pushing the button upward, when the button pops up to the ""off"" position, the lower side of the hook moves the front end of the reed upward and the elastic piece elastically moves and fixes the front end of the reed to the ""up"" position, and when the button is set ""on"" and the current passing through the reed exceeds a predetermined current level, the reed becomes heated, the front end of the reed springs upward into the reserve space, and the elastic piece elastically moves and fixes the front end of the reed to the ""up"" position so as to electrically disconnect the two electric terminals.