05/192912

06/05/1973

10/27/1971

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The Raymond Lee Organization, Inc. (New York, NY)

200/51.140

200/293

H01H9/08; H02B1/044; H01H9/00; H02B1/015; H01R33/28

200/51.14,168R

1895035	Switch	January 1933	Hanson
2298053	Automatic circuit breaker	October 1942	Helland
1672729	Magnetic cut-out plug	June 1928	Pape

Schaefer, Robert K.

Smith, William J.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is

1. A replaceable electric switch which is housed in a shell of generally cylindrical proportions, with the external wall of the housing being fitted with a metal shell in the form of a male screw thread of a size to mate with a metal female screw thread of an electrical socket, such that the electrical switch may be fastened electrically and mechanically to the electrical socket by means of said mating threads, with a protruding tip on the internal end of the switch, in the assembled mode, making electrical contact with metal center contact in the socket,

2. The combination as recited in claim 1, in which the cross-section of the shaft is in the shape of a rectangle.

3. The combination as recited in claim 2, in which the cross-section of the shaft is in the shape of a square.

It is the purpose of my invention to enable the simple replacement of defective electrical switches, such as are used in households, by permitting the removal of the switch element from the switch housing, and the replacing of a new switch element.

In my invention, it is not necessary to tamper with the connections of the external electrical conductors to the switch housing, as such connections are automatically made to the switch element, when said element is installed in the switch housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

The objects and features of my invention may be further understood with reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an electrical switch of my invention mounted in a conventional wall receptacle;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the switch housing; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the replaceable switch element which fits into the switch housing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates the complete switch 10 installed in a conventional electrical junction box 17.

As shown in FIG. 1, the external electrical conductors are fastened to terminal screws 11 and 12.

The switch 10, consists of switch housing 20 and switch element 30, detailed in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 respectively. Switch housing 20 is permanently fastened to frame 13 which is fastened to the junction box 17 by means of screws 15. A conventional wall plate 16 is fastened over the switch frame 13 to enclose junction box 17 by means of screws 14 which thread into tapped holes in frame 13.

Electrical connector terminal screw 11 threads into conductor 19 of the switch housing which is permanently connected to female metal socket thread 21 inside the housing 20. Electrical connector terminal screw 12 threads into conductor 22 which is permanently connected to metal spring element 18, which may be of U shaped construction.

Switch element 30 is enclosed in external metal thread 32 which mates with female socket thread 21, enabling the switch element 30 to be screwed into the switch housing 20 with electrical contact 33 of the switch element contacting electrical spring contact 18, and metal thread 32 electrically contacting metal socket thread 21. The switch is turned to the ON position by rotating operator 31 which rotates shaft 37 so that the long side of rectangular metal contact 36 is lined up and in contact with both electrical contacts 34 and 35, which are respectively permanently connected to contacts 33 and 32 respectively.

Further rotation of operator 31 rotates rectangular metal contact 36 so that the short side of said contact faces the internal switch contacts 34 and 35, breaking the electrical connection between contacts 34 and 35, since the length of the short side of contact 36 is less than the spacing between the internal switch contacts 34 and 35.

Operator shaft 37 may also be rectangular, or square in cross-section and is insulated from metal contact 36. It is held in either the ON or the OFF position by compression spring elements 38.

While the preferred embodiment utilizes a rotary switch mechanism to make and break electrical contacts, the invention contemplates the use of other conventional switching means in the switch element 30, such as a toggle switch mechanism, or a push button mechanism.

The switch element 30 may be removed from the switch housing 20, when it is defective, by rotating said switch element out of the housing. Another similar switch element may be screwed in as a replacement, without requiring removal of the wall plate 16 or tampering with the external electrical conductors which are externally screwed to the switch housing by terminal screws 11 and 12. Thus repair of a defective switch by replacing the switch element may be accomplished with the same ease, as the replacement of conventional electrical bulbs in conventional electrical sockets.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended to be interpreted in an illustrative sense and not a limiting sense.