Abstract:
A rotating sleeve lock switch comprising a main body, and a button having an axis. The button is mounted to the main body. A first engagement member is formed on the button. A sleeve lock is rotably mounted to the main body, and the sleeve lock has a sleeve lock internal surface. The sleeve lock internal surface has a second engagement member that is configured to receive the first engagement member when the sleeve lock is in an unlocked position. A button stop shoulder is formed on the sleeve lock and the button stop shoulder engages the first engagement member to prevent pressing of the button when the sleeve lock is in a locked position. Preferably, the first engagement member is a protrusion, and the second engagement member is an indentation.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention is in the field of electrical switches. 
       DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART 
       [0002]    A variety of switches have a locking mechanism for mechanically disabling a mechanical switch. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,003,803 Rear door safety lock, the door lock requires a user to turn a knob to push a mechanical button for actuating the door lock. 
         [0003]    Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,257 entitled Safety lock for automobiles, describes a locking sleeve for an automobile with a manual transmission operable by a shift stick. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    A rotating sleeve lock switch comprising a main body, and a button having an axis. The button is mounted to the main body. A first engagement member is formed on the button. A sleeve lock is rotably mounted to the main body, and the sleeve lock has a sleeve lock internal surface. The sleeve lock internal surface has a second engagement member that is configured to receive the first engagement member when the sleeve lock is in an unlocked position. A button stop shoulder is formed on the sleeve lock and the button stop shoulder engages the first engagement member to prevent pressing of the button when the sleeve lock is in a locked position. Preferably, the first engagement member is a protrusion, and the second engagement member is an indentation. 
         [0005]    The rotating sleeve lock switch has a button position spring having a spring arm terminating in a spring arm tip. The sleeve lock internal surface includes a position slot formed in a parallel direction to the axis. The position slot engages and disengages the spring arm tip as the sleeve lock rotates around the main body and around the button. A contact is mounted to the button. The contact has a contact retaining surface that engages an inside surface of the main body to retain the button to the main body. 
         [0006]    The sleeve lock stop shoulder is formed on the main body, and has a sleeve retainer having a sleeve retainer ring flange that extends from the sleeve retainer. The sleeve retainer is mounted to the main body at a sleeve retainer thread. The sleeve lock is retained in a rotable state between the sleeve lock stop shoulder and the sleeve retainer ring flange. 
         [0007]    A button helical spring is mounted in a button helical spring slot formed on the main body. The button helical spring biases the button into a neutral position. A sleeve lock stop shoulder is formed on the main body. A sleeve retainer can have a sleeve retainer ring flange that extends from the sleeve retainer. The sleeve retainer is mounted to the main body at a sleeve retainer thread. The sleeve lock is retained in a rotable state between the sleeve lock stop shoulder and the sleeve retainer ring flange. A button helical spring is mounted in a button helical spring slot formed on the main body. The button helical spring biases the button into a neutral position. The sleeve lock is configured to transition between the locked position and the unlocked position by rotation of the sleeve lock. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a rear perspective exploded view of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective exploded view of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a rear view of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a side cross-section view of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a side exploded view of the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0013]    The following call out list of elements can be a useful guide in referencing the elements of the drawings. 
         [0014]      20  Button 
         [0015]      21  Button Face 
         [0016]      22  Button Stem 
         [0017]      23  Button Stem Thread 
         [0018]      24  Button Stem Socket 
         [0019]      25  Button Stem Non-Cylindrical Surface 
         [0020]      26  Button Stem Thread Nut 
         [0021]      27  Button Stem Thread Nut Grip 
         [0022]      30  Button Adapter 
         [0023]      31  Protrusion 
         [0024]      32  Indentation 
         [0025]      33  Button Adapter Opening Each 
         [0026]      34  Button Spacer Opening 
         [0027]      35  Button Spacer 
         [0028]      40  Button Position Spring 
         [0029]      41  First Spring Tip 
         [0030]      42  Second Spring Tip 
         [0031]      43  First Spring Arm 
         [0032]      44  Second Spring Arm 
         [0033]      45  Button Position Spring Opening 
         [0034]      50  Button Helical Spring 
         [0035]      60  Sleeve Retainer 
         [0036]      61  Sleeve Retainer Ring Flange 
         [0037]      62  Sleep Retainer Thread 
         [0038]      70  Sleeve Lock 
         [0039]      71  Sleeve Lock Outer Surface 
         [0040]      72  Button Stop Shoulder 
         [0041]      73  Position Slot 
         [0042]      74  Button Opening 
         [0043]      75  Sleeve Lock Internal Surface 
         [0044]      76  Sleeve Mounting Rim 
         [0045]      80  Main Body 
         [0046]      81  Main Body External Thread 
         [0047]      82  Sleeve Lock Stop Shoulder 
         [0048]      83  Sleeve Retainer Rim 
         [0049]      84  Main Body Inside Ring 
         [0050]      90  Contact 
         [0051]      91  Contact Thread 
         [0052]      92  Contact Stem 
         [0053]      93  Contact Grip 
         [0054]      94  Contact Face 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0055]    According to the figures, the present invention is a button that has a sleeve lock for selectively locking the button from activation. Button  20  has a released position which is a neutral position, and an engaged position which is a depressed position. The button  20  has a button face  21  which can be a circular disk exposed to the user. The user may press the button face  21  with a finger. The button face can be made of a metal disc that has a button stem  22 . The button stem  22  is elongated and has a button stem thread  23  formed on a left and right side of the button stem  22 . The button stem  22  may also have button stem socket  24  disposed at a terminal end opposite the button face  21 . The button stem socket  24  can be threaded for receiving a contact thread  91 . The button stem is generally cylindrical, but may have a flat surface that is not cylindrical. The flat surface could also be made as a slot or protrusion that is not cylindrical so as to provide a button stem non-cylindrical surface  25 . The button stem non-cylindrical surface  25  resists rotation relative to other members after a button stem thread nut secures a button adapter  30 , a button spacer  35 , and a button position spring  40  to the button stem  22 . The button stem thread nut  26  can have an external surface formed as a grip to provide a button stem thread nut grip  27 . 
         [0056]    The button adapter  30  has a button adapter opening  33  sized to fit to the button stem  22  and the button stem non-cylindrical surface  25 . The button adapter  30  has a protrusion  31  that is aligned to fit into an indentation of the sleeve lock  70  when the button is in unlocked position. The button adapter  30  may have the protrusion not aligned with the indentation  32  when the button is in a locked position. The button adapter  30  can be made as a separate piece of metal from the button  20 , however the button adapter  30  can also be made of the same piece of metal as the button  20 . When the button adapter  30  is made as a separate piece or separate parts, the button adapter  30  can have varying numbers and positions of protrusions. For example, having a single protrusion  31  that can engage with a single indentation  32  provides a single unlocked position in a 360° rotation. Having a pair of protrusions  31  that engage with a pair of indentations  32  provides a pair of unlocked positions in a 360° rotation. Having three protrusions  31  that engage with three indentations  32  provides three unlocked positions within a 360° rotation such that went equally distantly spaced, a user need only rotate the sleeve by less than half a turn. 
         [0057]    The button adapter  30  abuts the button spacer  35  which has a button spacer opening  34  sized to engage with the button stem  22 . The button spacer  35  can be made of a plastic or metal material that allows slippage. Also, the button spacer  35  can be oiled so that it slides relative to the button position spring  40 . The button adapter and the button spacer can be integrally formed with the button  20  so that the protrusions  31  can be formed on the button  20 . Optionally, the button adapter and the button spacer can be separately formed to allow personalization options via modular configuration and reconfiguration such as by an end-user. The best mode is believed to be configuring the button  20  to include a button spacer  35  and button adapter  30  portion as an integral part of the button  20 . Integral formation of the button  20  can be by a single cast of a metal mold, or can be a single plastic injection molded piece. 
         [0058]    The button&#39;s position spring  40  has a pair of spring arms, namely a first spring arm  43  and a second spring arm  44 . The first spring arm  43  terminates at a first spring tip  41 , and the second spring arm  44  terminates at a second spring tip  42 . The first spring arm  43  and the second spring arm  44  have a spiral configuration relative to a central button position spring opening  45 . The button position spring  40  is generally planar with the first button spring tip  41  and the second button spring tip  42  engaging the sleeve lock internal surface  75 . The first button spring tip  41  and the second button spring tip  42  engage with the position slots  73  formed on an inside surface of the sleeve lock  70  which is known as the sleeve lock internal surface  75 . The spacing of the button spring tips allows a user to have a set defined position, tactile reinforcement, and optionally an audible click when the spring tip engages the position slot  73 . The position slots  73  are aligned with the location of the first and second spring tips so that the spring tips engage the position slots  73  when the indentation  32  aligns with the protrusion  31 . 
         [0059]    The buttons stem thread nut  26  preferably does not engage the first spring arm  43  and the second spring arm  44 , but rather only secures the button position spring  40  near the central button position spring opening  45  so that the first spring arm  43  in the second spring arm  44  are free to move outward and inward as they engage the sleeve lock internal surface  75 . If the first button spring tip  41  and the second button spring tip  42  are pointed, they can limit rotation to a counterclockwise or clockwise only rotation. Limiting to a one-way rotation may at some times be preferable. 
         [0060]    The button helical spring  50  has a larger diameter than the button stem thread nut  26  and engages the button position spring  40  near the button position spring opening  45  to bias the button into a neutral position. The button helical spring  50  restores the position of the button after the button is depressed by a finger. The button helical spring  50  is seated in a button helical spring groove located on the main body  80 . 
         [0061]    The sleeve lock  70  is mounted to the main body  80  using a sleeve retainer  60 . The sleeve retainer  60  has a sleeve retainer ring flange  61 . The sleeve retainer ring flange may further include a pair of semicircular openings to allow a wrench tool to turn the sleeve retainer ring flange relative to the main body  80  for the purpose of installing the sleeve retainer ring flange. The sleeve lock  70  is therefore loosely sandwiched between the main body  80  and the sleeve retainer  60 , so that the sleeve lock  70  can rotate relative to the main body  80  and can rotate relative to the sleeve retainer  60 . The sleeve retainer  60  has sleeve retainer thread  62  that engages the main body  80 . 
         [0062]    The sleeve lock  70  has a sleeve lock outer surface  71  that is symmetrical and can also receive a grip surface for superior tactile confirmation. The sleeve lock internal surface  75  has an indentation  32  and a position slots  73 . The sleeve lock  70  has a button opening  74  that terminates at a button stop shoulder  72 . The button face  21  travels along the button opening  74  and stops when the inside external periphery surface of the button face  21  engages the button stop shoulder  72 . The button stop shoulder  72  is formed as a ring shaped area of lesser diameter that is deeper than the button opening  74 . 
         [0063]    The sleeve lock  70  has a sleeve mounting rim  76  that engages with a sleeve retainer rim  83  of the main body  80 . The sleeve mounting rim  76  of the sleeve lock  70  fits over the sleeve retainer rim  83 . The sleeve lock  70  is retained between the sleeve lock stop shoulder  82  of the main body and the sleeve retainer ring flash  61  of the sleeve retainer  60 . The main body  80  also has a main body external thread  81  on its external circumferential periphery to provide mounting to a larger external electrical device. 
         [0064]    The contact  90  has contact thread  91  formed on a contact stem  92 . The contact  90  also has contact grip  93  that can provide a grip for a user to install the contact thread  91  into the button stem socket  24 . The contact  90  also has a contact face  94 . The contact face  94  can touch a variety of different electrical contacts to provide a closed circuit. The contact face moves with the woman of the button  20 . Optionally, a main body inside ring  84  can be installed to the main body  80 , and the main body inside ring  84  can have a wire coil to sense a capacitance change of the contact face  94  for example in a capacitance switch. In a contact switch, the main body inside ring could have a lighted LED for indicating and confirming a depression of the button  20 . The contact  90  has a contact retaining surface that engages an inside surface of the main body  80  to retain the button  20 .