Abstract:
An industrial grade trigger switch having an on-off switch and a resistor controlled speed control circuit both controlled by trigger depression, and characterized by a reciprocal button reversing switch integrally within the trigger, a heftier trigger, longer trigger travel, double-pole contacts for the on-off switch, higher current rating, larger heat sink area for the solid state current control element for continuous service, better dust proofing and double insulation.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Speed control trigger switches with an integral reversing switch have been known heretofore. My Prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,936, dated Jan. 4, 1972, and assigned to the assignee of this invention, shows three versions of integral reversing trigger switches. This invention relates to improvements thereover affording a switch construction especially adapted for industrial applications. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide a speed control trigger switch with an improved integral reversing switch. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide an improved speed control trigger switch especially adapted for industrial applications. 
     A more specific object of the invention is to provide a trigger switch with improved double-pole contacts and speed control parts affording a higher current rating. 
     Another specific object of the invention is to provide a speed control trigger switch with a housing having two halves bonded together thereby affording better dustproofing. 
     Another specific object of the invention is to provide a speed control trigger switch with a heftier trigger having longer trigger travel thereby providing a stronger, more massive switch for the larger industrial portable electric tools. 
     Another specific object of the invention is to provide a speed control trigger switch of the aforementioned type having no metal parts exposed thereby affording double-insulation when used in an insulated tool handle. 
     Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an enlarged isometric view of an industrial speed control trigger switch with integral reversing switch showing the left end of the laterally reciprocal reversing switch button, the variable stop button and the lock button; 
     FIG. 2 is a further enlarged, vertical longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 3 to show the on-off switch, reversing switch, variable stop and heat sink; 
     FIG. 3 is a vertical laterial cross-sectonal view through the switch housing taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2 to show the variable stop, variable resistor, heat sink and connectors; 
     FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view through the switch housing taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3 to show the upper surface of the substrate including the stationary contacts of the double-pole on-off switch mounted thereon; 
     FIG. 5 is a further enlarged vertical lateral cross-sectional view through the trigger taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 2 to show the integral reversing switch; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged isometric view of the printed circuit (PC) connector board of the switch of FIGS. 2, 3 and 8 with the connectors mounted thereon; 
     FIG. 7 is a top view of the PC connector board of FIG. 6 with the connectors removed and the reversing switch PC board and its movable contacts of FIGS. 2, 3 and 5; 
     FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the switch of FIG. 1 with the left half of the housing and the on-off switch stationary contacts removed to show the heat sink and substrate; 
     FIG. 9 is an enlarged vertical laterial cross-sectional view through the switch housing taken along line 9--9 of FIG. 2 to show the on-off contacts and connectors; 
     FIG. 10 is an enlarged bottom view of the substrate of FIG. 4 showing the printed circuit thereon comprising the speed control circuit of the switch; 
     FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the speed control circuit of FIG. 10; and 
     FIG. 12 is an enlarged exploded view showing the reversing switch PC board of FIG. 7 in top view and its underlying connector and bias spring in isometric view. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an industrial speed control trigger switch with integral reversing switch constructured in accordance with the invention. This switch comprises a housing 2 and 4, a lock button 6 and a trigger 8 mounted on the housing. 
     This housing or base is made of two halves of insulating material including a left half 2 and a right half 4 rigidly secured together at their interfitting edges as by solvent bonding or the like. The right half has four slots 4a extending through its top wall for insertion of connectors into the base. An integrally molded interlocking finger 4b extends from the forward upper portion of the right half of the base. This interlocking finger extends first upwardly and then forwardly as shown in FIG. 2. This forwardly extending part of this finger is reduced in lateral width to provide a narrower finger on the center line of the base for interlocking to prevent actuation of the reversing switch when the trigger is in &#34;on&#34; or depressed position. 
     Trigger 8 is molded of insulating material and has a forwardly-extending finger-engaging portion 8a and a rearwardly-extending contact actuator, sliding portion 8b mounted for linear sliding movement in the upper portion of the housing as shown in FIG. 1. This trigger is spring-biased by a helical return spring 10 from the rear end of the base so that it will return to its &#34;off&#34; position when released as shown in FIG. 2. This trigger is limited in its forward movement by internal ribs 2b, 4c on the lateral walls of the housing that slide in grooves 8c and 8d in the left and right sides of the trigger and stop against the rear ends of these grooves as shown in FIGS. 3 and 9. 
     This trigger is provided with a variable stop means. This means comprises a rotary stop button 12 defining the lower part of the forward, finger-engaging face of the trigger. An integral shaft 12a extends rearwardly from this button and is journaled in a complementary hole 8e in the trigger as shown in FIG. 2. This shaft is restrained from longitudinal movement by a key while permitting rotary movement. This key is a pin 14 that is pressed into a hole in the trigger so that it extends through one side of an annular groove keyway 12b in shaft 12a as shown in FIG. 2 and in broken lines in FIG. 5. Rearwardly of this keyway, the remainder of this shaft is a reduced diameter threaded section 12c that meshes with halfturn threads on a stop block 16. The extreme rear end of shaft section 12c is provided with a central boss 12d as shown in FIG. 2 for retaining the forward end of trigger return spring 10. This stop block 16 is provided with a recess or catch 16a in its left side having an undercut rear lip as shown by a dotted line in FIG. 3 for retaining the inner end of the lock pin when lock button 6 is pressed thereinto, this recess being best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Thus, when the trigger is depressed, the lock button can be pressed to cause the end of the lock pin to enter recess 16a, and release of the trigger causes the lock pin to catch on the undercut rear lip of this recess to lock the trigger in such speed control position. Rotation of variable trigger-stop button 12 allows vernier adjustment of the trigger while the lock is engaged. A slight depression of the trigger allows the lock button spring to return the lock button and the stop pin to normal disengaged position. 
     The aforesaid trigger 8 is also provided with an integral reversing switch; that is, the reversing switch is completely built into the trigger. This reversing switch is provided with a manual operator in the form of a double-ended pushbutton 18 mounted for lateral reciprocal movement in the trigger. The left end of this pushbutton is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 as extending out of the trigger since the right end, which is similar, has been pushed in. As indicated by the letter &#34;F&#34; in FIG. 1, pushing the right end of the pushbutton in sets the reversing switch for running the tool motor in the forward direction. Pushing the left end in will extend the right end out and at the same time will set the reversing switch for running the tool motor in the reverse direction. The right end of this pushbutton has an &#34;R&#34; to indicate this reversal. 
     The mechanism of this reversing switch is shown most clearly in FIGS. 2 and 5. Thus, pushbutton 18 is guided for the aforesaid reciprocal sliding movement by the apertures in the left and right sides of the trigger and is held therein by cover plate 8f. This cover plate is secured to the trigger by a pair of integrally molded cylindrical projections 8g extending through corresponding holes through diagonally opposite corners of the insulating cover plate and frictionally held therein. 
     This pushbutton 18 of the reversing switch is provided with a spring retainer. This consists of a lateral slot 18a extending up from the lower surface of this pushbutton and having a boss 18b extending down into the upper end of an helical compression overcenter spring 20 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. This slot is provided with laterally downwardly diverging sides 18c as shown in FIG. 5 to afford clearance for this overcenter spring 20 when the pushbutton is shifted to the left or right. A pair of ribs 18d forwardly and rearwardly from boss 18b to the respective vertical sides of slot 18a to provide a pivot for the upper end of the overcenter spring while the boss retains the spring in place. 
     The aforesaid integral reversing switch also comprises a laterally reciprocal contact carrier 22, a pair of spring-biased movable contacts 24 and 26 carried thereby and stationary contacts in the form of a PC board 28 as shown in FIGS. 2, 5, 7 and 8. This contact carrier 22 is provided with a spring retainer in its upper surface like that in the lower surface of the pushbutton including a lateral slot 22a having laterally upwardly diverging sides 22b as shown in FIG. 5, a boss 22c and ribs 22d for retaining and pivoting the lower end of spring 20. This spring 20 is in compression between the pushbutton and contact carrier so that, when the pushbutton is moved overcenter to the right side, the spring snaps the contact carrier against the left wall of the housing and, when the pushbutton is moved back overcenter to the left side as shown in FIG. 5, it snaps the contact carrier against the right wall of the housing. 
     The aforesaid contact carrier 22 is provided with a pair of square slots in its lower surface for retaining movable contacts 24 and 26 and their respective bias springs 24a and 26a as shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 7. These bias springs which may be resilient &#34;silastic&#34; pads bias the movable contacts down against the conductors on the upper surface of switching PC board 28 shown in FIG. 7. 
     This switching PC board is shown most clearly in FIG. 12 along with its underlying combined leaf spring and connector 30. This PC board has four conductors 28a, 28b, 28c and 28d covering and extending from its four corresponding divided fingers at its right-hand end. This right-hand end is so divided for independent flexibility of the fingers to insure that each makes contact with the connector board 40 (FIGS. 2 and 6-8) hereinafter described. Conductor 28e on PC board 28 in FIG. 12 is connected to conductor 28d through underlying connector 30. For this purpose, sheared tabs 30a and 30b extend up through corresponding holes 28f and 28g in the PC board and are bent over on top, and may be soldered if desired, to make electrical connection with conductors 28b and 28e to connect them together. Combined leaf spring and connector 30 is made of BeCu (berrylium-copper) or the like for good electrical conductivity and good spring action and its right-hand end portion is bent slightly up at line 30c, as shown in FIG. 12, to provide an upward bias on the fingers of PC board 28 to maintain them in contact with connector board 40 at all times as shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 7. This PC board is wider at its left end to provide a catch 28h at its right-hand side whereby it is locked in a complementary space within the trigger and prevented from sliding relative to the trigger when the trigger is actuated. 
     The manner in which the movable contacts connect the conductors of this PC board is shown in FIG. 7. Movable contacts 24 and 26 in their solid line position, which corresponds to the reverse position R of the reversing switch in FIGS. 1 and 5, connect conductors 28b-28e and 28d and connect conductors 28a and 28c, respectively, as shown in FIG. 7. When the pushbutton is shifted to its forward position F, movable contacts 24 and 26, in their dotted line position in FIG. 7, connect conductors 28a and 28b-28e and connect conductors 28c and 28d, respectively. Therefore, if the armature of a universal motor is connected across conductors 28b and 28c, and the field of this motor is connected between conductor 28a and one side of an electrical source and conductor 28d is connected to the other side of the source, it will be apparent that this switch can reverse the direction of current flow in the armature relative to the current in the field thereby to reverse the direction of motor rotation. 
     The trigger is provided with means for maintaining the four fingers of switch PC board 28 apart. This means comprises three integrally molded spaced apart ribs 8h along the top of sliding portion 8b of the trigger as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9. These ribs extend partly into the three spaces between the fingers of PC board 28 to the rear of leaf spring 30 and beneath connector board 40 to keep these fingers and the conductors thereon electrical separated and in correct alignment with the conductors on connector board 40. When the trigger is depressed, switching PC board 28 moves rearwardly with it and conductors 28a-28d thereof slidingly remain in contact with conductors on the lower surface of connector PC board 40 under the force of leaf spring 30. 
     This connector PC board 40 is shown in FIGS. 2, 6, 7 and 8. 
     A top view of this connector PC board is shown in FIG. 7 with the four printed circuit conductors on its lower surface being shown in broken lines. This includes conductors 40a, 40b, 40c and 40d. As shown in FIG. 7, conductors 40a -d are slidingly contacted by conductors 28a-d, respectively, of the switch PC board. 
     The manner of mounting the five connectors 42, 44, 46 and 48 and 50 on connector board 40 is shown in FIG. 6. These connectors are made of electrically conducting material such as brass or the like. Conductors 42, 44 and 46 are alike and will be described in connection with connector 46. As shown in FIG. 6, connector 46 is made from a ribbon-like strip of metal having two spaced apart tabs 46a and 46b sheared to extend down from its horizontal midportion. These tabs are used to secure or both secure and electrically connect these connectors to the connector board and the printed circuit conductors. For this purpose, these tabs extend down through corresponding holes in board 40 and are bent over against the lower surface of the board. Left end 46c of connector 46 is bent down at 90° and has a reduced end portion 46d that is bent under the edge of substrate 52 as shown in FIG. 10 which is a bottom view of the substrate. Right end 46e of this connector forms the terminal to which an external wire terminal is connected by pressing it down through the appropriate hole 4a in the housing shown in FIG. 8. This terminal end 46e is shorter than the left end and is bent down to an angle of less than 90 degrees so that it will be biased to the right to provide pressure against an external terminal 53 that is inserted down through the rear hole in the housing, as shown in FIG. 3. 
     Connectors 42 and 44 are similar to connector 46 and therefore will not be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, connector 42 is connected by its right-hand tab to printed circuit conductor 40a on the lower surface of this PC board. Connector 44 is similarly connected to conductor 40b. Connector 46 is merely mounted on this PC board 40 and serves only to connect the external wire terminal to the printed circuit on substrate 52 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 10. 
     Connectors 48 and 50 differ from the other connectors and from each other. As shown by FIGS. 6 and 7, connectors 48 and 50 are like connector 46 but broken at the middle and provided with additional tabs on each side of the break. Thus, connector 48 has a downwardly bent right end providing a terminal like terminal 46e, has a tab 48a like tab 48a and an additional tab 48b at its left end by which two tabs it is mounted on the PC board and also connected to conductor 40c of this PC board. Thus, connector 48 will serve to connect an external terminal to conductor 40c of the PC board. On the other hand, connector 50 has a downwardly bent left end with a reduced end portion like end portion 46d of connector 46. However, instead of being bent under the stubstate, this reduced end portion is left straight and is electrically connected, as by soldering, to the left plate of heat sink 54 shown in FIG. 8. This connector 50 has a tab 50a like tab 46b  and an additional tab 50b at its right end by which two tabs it is mounted on the PC board and also connected to conductor 40d through the pair of holes shown in FIG. 7. 
     The aforesaid substrate 52 supports the speed control circuit on its lower surface as shown in FIG. 10 with the exception of the solid state Triac-Diac element TD which is supported on the heat sink as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. This heat sink 54 is a large cooling capacity U-shaped plate having its center part against the front wall of the housing as shown in FIG. 2 and having its left and right side plates 54a and 54b extending rearwardly along the left and right walls, respectively, of the housing as shown in FIGS. 3, 8 and 9. Three short projections 54c, 54d and 54e extend up into notches in the substrate to support the latter as shown in FIG. 10. The Triac-Diac element TD is mounted on the heat sink so that terminal T2 in FIG. 11, sometimes called the anode, is electrically contacting the heat sink. Thus, the heat sink serves as the terminal T2 (FIG. 11) connection for the Triac for connecting this Triac to the speed control circuit on the substrate. 
     This substrate 52 shown in FIG. 10 has a thick film printed circuit shown by the strips. This circuit includes a conductor 52a that connects to the heat sink projection 54e at the lower right-hand corner. This conductor is connected by the movable slider 56 (FIG. 2) to resistor strip R1 is provide a variable resistor actuated by the trigger. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a divided projection 8j extends down through elongated aperture 52b in the substrate. This aperture is elongated so that the divided projection can move therealong as the trigger is depressed. A thin rectangular bowed wiper 56 having a rectangular hole is inserted over this projection and an helical spring 58 is pushed up below the wiper. This divided projection may be pinched together and the spring cammed up and over the detents which will then retain it compressed against the wiper as shown in FIG. 2. This wiper is thus resiliently biased against and bridges conductor 52a and resistor R1 on the substrate to provide a variable resistor under trigger control. 
     The printed circuit of substrate 52 also comprises a conductor 52c extending from resistor R1 to resistor R2 and capacitor C2. These same conductors are shown on the circuit diagram in FIG. 11. A conductor 52d extends from the other side of resistor R2 to capacitor C1 and to a terminal 59 from which a wire is connected to Diac D terminal T on the solid state element mounted on the heat sink, this connection being shown in FIG. 11. A conductor 52e extends in FIG. 10 from the other sides of capacitors C1 and C2 to on-off contact 60 of the on-off switch and also to terminal 61 from which a wire extends to the corresponding terminal T1 of the Triac TR in the solid state element as shown in FIG. 11. A conductor 52f extends from on-off contact 62 in FIG. 2 to the upper right-hand corner where it connects to the tip 46d of connector 46. With these connections there is provided the speed control circuit shown diagrammatically in FIG. 11 including reversing switch RS which reverses the current to armature A of the motor relative to the current in field F. 
     Each pole of the on-off switch includes a pair of stationary contacts, one of which has a terminal connected to a power line, and a bridging movable contact actuated by the trigger. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 9, inner generally T-shaped contact-terminal 64 of the right pole of the on-off switch and inner generally T-shaped contact-terminal 66 of the left pole thereof are similar except that they are relatively reversed so that their eccentric downwardly projecting terminals 64a and 66a are staggered, thus affording space for insertion of push-in wire leads without relative interference as shown in broken lines in FIG. 4. These contact terminals are retained from rising up by sharp bosses that bite into intermediate insulator and divider strips 68 and 70 which in turn are held down by similar sharp bosses on adjacent surfaces of outer contacts 60 and 62, respectively, that are secured to the substrate. A pair of resilient connector clips 72 and 74 are retained in oppositely-directed and forwardly offset horizontal slots in the housing as shown in FIG. 9 and the bare ends of the wires L1 and L2 are pressed in between these clips and the respective terminals 64a and 66a. 
     These outer contacts 60 and 62 are also generally T-shaped but shorter than the contact-terminals and their stems extend only slightly below the substrate and are staked thereto. To enable use of identical contacts 60 and 62 with the boss on the same side on each while providing sufficient clearance from resistor strip R3 on the substrate, the holes for these contacts are staggered on the substrate as shown in FIG. 10. Also, the stem of each such contact 60 and 62 is correspondingly offset with respect to the cross of its T. Thus, one contact 60 can be turned 180° to enable its boss to bite into the adjacent insulator 68 whereas the contacts above the substrate are in perfect alignment as shown in FIG. 4. 
     Insulator dividers 68 and 70 are similar and perform the dual function of spacing and insulating the contacts and also providing cams 68a and 70a for lifting the movable contacts from the stationary contacts as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9. Thus, each of these insulators has a stem extending down into the hole in the substrate between the associated contacts and has an uprising cam at its forward end between and beyond the forward ends of the associated stationary contacts. The remainder of this insulator rearwardly of these cams is below the level of the associated stationary contacts as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9 so as not to interfere with the movable contact engaging the same. 
     The movable contacts of the double-pole on-off switch are carried by the trigger. For this purpose, the rear end portion of the slidable part 8b of the trigger is provided with two spaced pockets extending up from the bottom thereof, which pockets are square in cross-section. Each such pocket contains a helical compression spring 76 or 78 and a square movable contact 80 and 82, respectively, therebelow and biased downwardly by such compression spring against the stationary contacts. 
     With this arrangement of two pairs of stationary contacts, combined divider and cam members between the contacts of each such pair, and two movable contacts there is provided a double-pole bridging contact on-off switch. With the trigger in its forwardly-extended &#34;off&#34; position, movable contacts 80 and 82 are resting on the horizontal flats on top of the respective cams 68a and 70a above the level of and separated from the two pairs of stationary contacts as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9. As the trigger is depressed, the movable contacts slide down the rear slopes of these cams quickly to bridge the stationary contacts. The forward slopes on these cams raise the movable contacts to enable the trigger to be slid into place on assembly. 
     Further depression of the trigger causes wiper 56 (FIG. 2) to slide toward the rear to decrease the resistance of resistor R3 in circuit in FIGS. 10 and 11. As will be apparent in FIG. 11, closure of on-off contacts 80 and 82 causes A.C. power to be applied across the Triac and the motor in a circuit extending from line L1 through contact 80, terminals T1 and T2 of the Triac, connector 50, conductor 40d, reversing switch RS, conductor 40b, connector 44, armature A, connector 48, conductor 40c, reversing switch RS, conductor 40a, connector 42, field F, connector 46, and contact 82 to line L2. This causes the motor to run at a slow speed in either direction according to the position of the reversing switch. For this purpose, on each half-cycle current flows through resistors R1 and R2 to charge capacitors C2 and C1. When the charge on capacitor C1 reaches the tripping value of Diac D, it triggers into conduction sending a pulse of current into the gate of Triac TR to render the latter conducting. When the resistance of resistor R1 is reduced by trigger depression, the capacitors charge faster and reach the tripping value earlier on each half-cycle. Thus, Triac TR conducts for a longer period during each half-cycle applying more power to the motor. This increases the motor speed. 
     The variable stop can be used to set the speed of the motor. After the trigger has been depressed a certain amount, lock button 6 may be pressed so that the lock pin hooks into slot 16a in stop block 16. Relaxation of the trigger then keeps the lock pin engaged. This stop block 16 is assembled into the trigger by inserting it up through an opening in the bottom of the trigger. This stop block is snapped past the catches 8k shown in FIG. 3, one on each side of the opeing, and these catches then keep the stop block in sliding position within the trigger. Once the lock pin is engaged on the rear lip of the slot in the stop block, variable speed knob 12 can be turned for vernier adjustment of the motor speed. During this time, return spring 10 applies a forwardly directly force on the trigger. A slight depression of the trigger allows the lock pin to snap back free of the stop block whereafter the return spring will return the trigger to normal &#34;off&#34; position. 
     An interlock prevents actuation of the reversing switch when the trigger is in depressed position. For this purpose, projection 4b enters one of the slots 18e or 18f shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, depending upon whether the reversing switch pushbutton is in its right or left position, thereby to prevent this pushbutton from being moved. However, in normal trigger position, projection 4b clears these slots as shown in FIG. 2 so that the reversing switch can be operated. 
     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 industrial speed control trigger switch with integral reversing switch disclosed, inasmuch as it is susceptible of various modifications without departing from the scope of the appended claims.