GB2171559A - Operating apparatus for a switch - Google Patents

Abstract

An operating apparatus for a switch has a rotatably supported driven shaft 28, a driven plate 33 secured to the driven shaft, and a drive plate 29 which is rotatably mounted on the driven shaft. Spring 31 is disposed between the drive plate 29 and the driven plate 33 in such a manner that the rotation of the drive plate 29 causes the spring 31 to store energy and to exert a torque on the driven plate 33 in the direction of rotation of the drive plate 29. The driven plate 33 is prevented from rotating when the drive plate 29 is rotated by one of a first pair of latches 37a, 37b which latches the driven plate 33 and by one of a second pair of latches 41a, 41b which latches the first latch and maintains the engagement between the first latch and the driven plate 33. The portion of the first latch which engages the driven plate 33 is so shaped that the direction of the torque applied to the first latch by the driven plate 33 is the same as the direction of the torque applied to the driven plate 33 by the spring 31. The operating apparatus may also comprise a latching mechanism 50a, 50b for maintaining the spring 31 in a state in which it stores energy even when no drive force is applied to the drive plate 29, the switch being subsequently actuated by releasing the second latch 41 by a remote control device to cause rotation of the driven shaft 28 and actuation of switch contacts. The second latch 41 may alternatively be released by a release member on the drive plate 29. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Reversible operating apparatus for a switch Background of the invention The present invention relates to an operating apparatus for a switch, and in particular to a reversible operating apparatus which stores operating energy in an elastic member and which can be operated instantaneously by remote control.

In Japanese Patent Application No.59-101695, a multiple-position, reversible operating apparatus of the type illustrated in Figure 1 is decribed. As shown in the figure, the operating apparatus has a drive portion 1 consisting of a drive plate 3 which is fit over a driven shaft 2 so as to be able to freely rotate thereon, and a pair of drive pins 4 which are secured to the drive plate 3. The drive pins 4 are disposed on either side of an elastic energy storage member in the form of an energy storage spring 5 mounted on a shaft portion 3a of the drive plate 3, and they contact the opposite ends of the spring 5.

A driven portion 6 comprises the driven shaft 2, a driven plate 7 which is secured thereto, and a pair of set pins 8 which are secured to the driven plate 7.

The set pins 8 are disposed on both sides of the spring 5 and serve to set its initial shape.

A latch portion 9 which is mounted on the driven shaft 2 comprises a latch plate 10 which is secured to the driven shaft 2 and a latch pin 11 which is mounted on the end of the latch plate 10. The latch pin 11 rotates together with the latch plate 10 about the center of the driven shaft 2 when the driven shaft 2 is rotated, and it is able to engage with the inner ends 15a, 15b, 15e and 15d of maintaining members 14a, 14b, 14c and 14d which are rotatably mounted on pivot pins 12 and 13 which are mounted on an unillustrated frame which rotatably supports the driven shaft 2. The maintaining members are grouped into two pairs (14a and 14d; 14b and 14c) which are symmetrically mounted on the pivot pins 12 and 13.The maintaining members 14a, 14b, 14c and 14d possess recesses 16a, 16b, and 16d, repectively, and the rotation of the maintaining members 14a, 14b, 14c and 14d is limited by set pins 17a and 17b which are secured to the unillustrated frame and which extend into these recesses.

The outer ends 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d of the maintaining members 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d are positioned on the path of rotation of a release member 19 which is secured to the outer end of the drive plate 3. These outer ends 18a-18d engage with the release member 19 when it is rotated about the center of the driven shaft 2 by the rotation of the drive plate 3. In the state shown in the figure, maintaining members 14a and 14b can rotate by a small angle in the counterclockwise direction and maintaining members 14c and 14d can rotate by a small angle in the clockwise direction.

A main shaft 20 has one end connected to the driven shaft 2 so as to rotate therewith, while the other end has a drive lever 21 connected thereto which is connected to a movable contact 23 through an electrically insulating rod 22. One end of the movable contact 23 is pivotably supported by a fixed terminal 24, and the other end of the movable contact 23 is disposed so that it can electrically contact with fixed contacts 25 and 26 when it is pivoted.

The operation of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1 is as follows. If the drive plate 3 is rotated clockwise about the center of the driven shaft 2, the lefthand drive pin 4 contacts with the left side of the energy storage spring 5 and pushes it to the right, causing the righthand side of the energy storage spring to exert a clockwise torque on the driven plate 7. However, the driven plate 7 is prevented from rotating by the engagement between the latch pin 11 and retaining member 14c.

Accordingly, the clockwise rotation of the lefthand drive pin 4 causes the spring 5 to be wound up and to store energy, the amount of stored energy increasing as the clockwise rotaion of the drive pin 14 continues, and the torque exerted on the driven plate 7 by the spring 5 correspondingly increases. At the point when a sufficient drive force has been obtained, the release member 19 which rotates with the drive plate 3 engages with the outer end 1 8c of maintaining member 14c and pushes it downwards in the figure, causing maintaining member 14c to rotate clockwise about pivot pin 13.As a result of this clockwise rotation, the engagement between the inner end 15c of maintaining member 14cant the latch pin 11 is released, the driven plate 7 is free to rotate in the clockwise direction under the torque applied to it by the spring 5, and the driven shaft 2 is rapidly rotated by the release of the energy stored in the spring 5. As a result of this rotation of the driven shaft 2, the drive lever 21 is rotatted clockwise by the main shaft 20, the movable contact 23 is pivoted by the insulating rod 22 and contacts the fixed contact 25, and current can flow from the fixed terminal 24 to the fixed contact 25.

Due to the symmetry of the apparatus, it can be operated reversibly, and if the drive plate 3 is instead rotated in the counterclockwise direction, fixed terminal 24 can be electrically connected to fixed contact 26 by a process similar to that described above.

Although the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1 is able to perform reversible, multiple-position operation while employing a simple structure, it has the disadvantage that it is unsuitable for instantaneous remote-controlled operation.

Namely, it includes no means for maintaining the spring 5 in a state in which energy is stored in it when no drive force is applied to the drive plate 3, ready to be instantaneously released by a small force.

Another problem with the above-described apparatus arises from the fact that in order to achieve stable operation, the inner ends 15a--15d of maintaining members 14a--14d which engage with the latch pin 11 must be formed so that rotational force is applied to the maintaining members 14a-d by the latch pin 11 in the direction such that the engagement with the latch pin 11 can not be released. For example, in the case of maintaining member 14c, the shape of its inner end 15c must be formed so that the force exerted by the latch pin 11 thereon will produce a counterclockwise torque on maintaining member 14c, or else the end 1 sic must be formed with an arcuate shape which is concentric with respect to the center of pivot pin 13.However, in the former case, the force which must be exerted by the release member 19 on the opposite end 18c becomes very large in order to overcome the torque exerted by the latch pin 11. Furthermore, it is necessary to provide gaps between the latch pin 11 and the ends 15a--15d of the maintaining members 14a--14d to enable them to be reset, but the provision of such gaps makes the operation position unstable. In the latter case in which the end surfaces of the retaining members 14a-d are concentric with respect to the pivot pins 12 and 13, as a result of the springing backofthe maintaining members 14a-14d during operation, their engagement with the latch pin 11 is sometimes released, imposing a limit on the drive force which can be stored in the spring 5.

Summary of the invention It is an object of the present invention to provide a reversible operating apparatus for a switch which can be operated with a smaller force than is necessary for an operating apparatus of the type illustrated in Figure 1.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a reversible operating apparatus for a switch which can stably store a large amount of operating energy in an energy storage member.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a reversible operating apparatus for a switch which can be instantaneously operated by remote control.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a reversible operating apparatus for a switch which has an energy storage member which can be deenergized without operating a switch.

An operating apparatus according to the present invention has a driven portion comprising a rotatably supported driven shaft which is drivingly connected to a switch and a driven plate which is secured to the driven shaft, a drive portion comprising a drive plate which is rotatably mounted on the driven shaft, and an elastic energy storage member which is disposed between the drive plate and the driven plate and is connected therebetween in a manner such that when the drive plate is rotated, the energy storage member elastically deforms, thereby storing energy, and exerts a torque on the driven portion through the driven plate in the direction of rotation of the drive plate.

The driven portion is prevented from rotating under this torque by first latches which engage with the driven portion, and by second latches which latch the first latch plates and maintain the engagement between the first latches and the driven portion. The portions of the first latches which engage with the driven portion are shaped such that the direction of the torque exerted on the first latches by the driven portion is the same as the direction ofthetorque exerted on the driven portion by the energy storage member.

The apparatus may also be equipped with a mechanism for maintaining the energy storage member in a state in which it stores energy even when no drive force is applied to the drive plate.

According to an embodiment of a two position operating apparatus, this maintaining mechanism comprises two latches which are disposed on opposite sides of the drive plate and which engage with the drive plate and latch it when the drive plate is rotated to either of the two operating positions.

The latching of the drive plate by the drive plate latches is released when the driven plate rotates towards the drive plate latches and contacts them.

According to another embodiment, the maintaining mechanism comprises a plurality of drive plate latches, each of which engages with the same portion of the drive plate at one of the operating positions of the apparatus and prevents the rotation of the drive plate in a single direction from that operating position. An engagement release member is mounted on the drive plate near the portion which engages with the drive plate latches. When an operating lever which is rotatably mounted on the driven shaft is rotated by a small angle, it operates the engagement release member and releases the engagement between the drive plate and the drive plate latches, enabling the drive plate to rotate.

Brief description of the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of an operating apparatus of the type described in Japanese Patent-Applica No. 59-101695.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a first embodiment of an operating apparatus according to the present invention, showing an initial state prior to operation.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the embodiment of Figure 2, showing the first stage of operation in which energy is stored in the spring.

Figure 4 is also a plan view of the embodiment of Figure 2, showing the final state of operation in which the energy which was stored in the spring is released.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the present invention, applied to an 8-position switch.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a third embodiment of the present invention, showing an initial state prior to operation.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the embodiment of Figure 6 from which the first and second latches have been omitted for clarity, showing the first stage of operation.

Figure 8 is also a plan view of the embodiment of Figure 6 from which the first and second latches have been omitted, showing the state after energy has been stored in the energy storage spring and the energy storage spring is maintained in this state, ready to be released.

In the figures, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Description ofthe preferred embodiments A first embodiment of an operating apparatus according to the present invention will now be described while referring to Figures 2 through 4 of the accompanying drawings, which show an operating apparatus according to the present invention used in conjunction with a 2-position switch.

This embodiment has a drive portion 27 comprising a drive plate 29 which is rotatably mounted on a driven shaft 28 and a pair of drive pins 30 which are secured to the drive plate 29. The drive pins 30 are disposed on either side of and contact the opposite ends of an elastic energy storage member in the form of an energy storage spring 31 which is mounted on a shaft portion 28a of the driven shaft 28.

A driven portion 32 comprises the driven shaft 28, a driven plate 33 which is secured thereto, a pair of set pins 34 which are secured to the top of the driven plate 33, and a latch pin 35 which is also secured to the top of the driven plate 33. The latch pin 35 serves as an engaging portion which when latched prevents the rotation of the driven portion 32. The set pins 34 are disposed on both sides of the spring 31 and serve to set its initial shape. The latch pin 35 rotates together with the driven plate 33 about the center of the driven shaft 28 and it can engage with engaging surfaces formed on the inner ends 38a and 38b of first latches 37a and 37b respectively, of a maintaining portion 48, the first latches 37a-b being rotatably and symmetrically mounted on a pivot pin 36 which is mounted on an unillustrated frame which rotatably supports the driven shaft 28.The first latches 37a and 37b have recessed portions 39a and 39b, respectively, and these recessed portions 39a and 39b engage with engaging portions in the form of maintaining pins 42a and 42b which are mounted on the ends of second latches 41a and 41 b, respectively. The second latches 41 a and 41 b are rotatably mounted on a second latch pivot pin 40 which is secured to the unillustrated frame. At the ends of the second latches 41 a-b opposite from the maintaining pins 42a-b are formed lever arms on the ends of which are mounted rollers 43a and 43b. By the application of a force to the ends of the rollers 43a-b, the second latches 41 a and 41 b can be rotated out of engagement with the first latches 37ab.The ends of the second latches 41 a and 41 b opposite from the rollers 43a and 43b have tabs 47a and 47b, respectively, formed thereon, and set pins 46a and 46b which protrude from the first latches 37a and 37b can engage with the tabs 47b and 47a, respectively.

The first latches 37a and 37b have hooks 44a and 44b, respectively, secured thereto, and reset springs 45a and 45b which apply a reset force so as to cause the first latches 37a and 37b and the second latches 41 a and 41 b to mutually engage are connected between the hooks 44a and 44b and the maintaining pins 42a and 42b, respectively.

Drive plate latches 50a and 50b are pivotably mounted on pivot pins 49a and 49b which are secured to the unillustrated frame. These drive plate latches 50a and 50b are disposed on the right and left sides of the drive plate 29, respectively, in a manner such that their recessed portions can engage with the drive pins 30 on the drive plate 29.

The drive plate latches 50a-b serve as a means for maintaining the energy storage spring 31 in a state in which it stores energy even when no drive force is applied to the drive plate 29. Each of the drive plate latches 50a-b has a driven plate engaging surface formed on the end opposite from the pivot pins 49ab. The driven plate engaging surfaces each have a shape such that when the driven plate 33 rotates towards it, one of the set pins 34 mounted on the driven plate 33 will press against it and cause the drive plate latch to rotate away from the drive plate 29, releasing the engagement between the drive pin 30 of the drive plate 29 and the drive plate latch.

A main shaft 20, a drive lever 21, an insulating rod 22, a movable contact 23, a fixed terminal 24, and a fixed contact 25 perform the opening and closing of the movable contact 23 by the linked motion of the main shaft 20 and the driven shaft 28 in the same manner as in the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1.

The engaging surfaces of the inner ends 38a and 38b of the first latches 37a and 37b are arcuate and have centers, which are eccentric with respect to the pivot pin 36, which is the center of rotation of the first latches 37a and 37b. When the latch pin 35 engages with either of the first latches 37a-b, the direction ofthetorque exerted by the latch pin 35 on the first latch with which it engages with respect to the pivot pin 36 will be the same as the direction of the torque exerted on the driven plate 33 by the spring 31. For example, if the latch pin 35 is engaged with the inner end 38a of first latch 37a, when the spring 31 produces a counterclockwise torque on the driven plate 33, the latch pin 35 exerts a counterclockwise torque on the first latch 37a.

The operation of this embodiment is as follows.

Figure 2 shows an initial state prior to operation in which the switch is closed. From this state, if the drive plate 29 of the drive portion 27 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, the lower end of the spring 31 in the figure is pressed by the lower drive pin 30, and the upper end of the spring 31 exerts a counterclockwise torque on the driven plate 33 through the upper set pin 34. However, as the latch pin 35 which is secured to the driven plate 33 is latched by the inner end 38a of first latch 37a and as the maintaining pin 42a of second latch 41 a and the recessed portion 39a of first latch 37a are engaged, first latch 37a, latch pin 35, and the driven plate 33 are all prevented from rotating. Accordingly, as the drive plate 29 rotates towards the position shown in Figure 3, the spring 31 is wound up, storing operating energy. When the drive plate 29 reaches the state shown in Figure 3, the upper drive pin 30 engages with drive plate latch 50b, and the spring 31 is maintained in a wound-up state, even if the drive force applied to the drive plate 29 is removed.

In this state, if the roller 43a of second latch 41 a is pushed by a release member 19 which operates together with a drive plate 13 of the same type as shown in Figure 1 or by other suitable means for releasing the engagement between the second latches and the first latches such as a solenoid, second latch 41a is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, the engagement between the maintaining pin 42a of second latch 41 a and the recessed portion 39a of first latch 37a is released, first latch 37a is rotated in the counterclockwise direction by the drive force of the spring 31 applied to the inner end 38a of first latch 37a through the latch pin 35, and the engagement between the latch pin 35 and the first latch 37a is released.

The driven plate 33 and thus the driven portion 32 as a whole are free to rotate, and the driven shaft 28 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction at a high speed by the energy stored in the spring 31. As shown in Figure 4, the rotation of the driven shaft 28 rotates the main shaft 20 and opens the switch.

When first latch 37a rotates counterclockwise, the engagement between the set pin 46a of first latch 37a and the tab 47b of second latch 41 b causes second latch 41 b to rotate in the clockwise direction, and the engagement between the maintaining pin 42b of second latch 41b and the recessed portion 39b of first latch 37b is released. Therefore, first latch 37b is also rotated in the clockwise direction and rotates to a position in which it will not interfere with the movement of the latch pin 35. When the operation of the driven portion 32 has been completed, the maintaining portion 48 is reset, and the inner end 38b of first latch 37b and the latch pin 35 engage.

In this embodiment, the drive plate latches 50a and 50b can indefinitely maintain the energy storage spring 31 in the wound-up state shown in Figure 3 until it is desired to release the stored energy. Furthermore, because of the provision of the second latches 41 a-b to maintain the engagement between the first latches 37a and 37b and the latch pin 35, the engagement between the latch pin 35 and the first latches 37a and 37b can be released by the application of only a small force to the rollers 43a of the second latches 41a and 41 b.

Accordingly, it is easily possible to perform instantaneous operation of a switch by remote control of the apparatus.

Figure 5 illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention. Instead of a single maintaining portion 48, in this embodiment there are eight maintaining portions 4 & through 48-8 (only five of which are illustrated) disposed around a driven portion 32, each of which has the same structure as the single maintaining portion 48 of the first embodiment. With these eight-maintaining portions 4S1 through 4 & , operation of an eight-position switch can be performed.In this embodiment, a release pin 68 is secured to the end of the drive portion 27 and rotates together with the drive portion 27. A movable contact 51 which is directly connected to a main shaft 20 rotates together with the driven portion 32 to contact one of eight pairs of fixed contacts 52-67 at each of the.eight positions of the switch. There is of course no requirement that the operating apparatus and the switch have eight positions, the number of positions being limited only by spatial considerations.

As in the first embodiment, the inner ends of the first latches which engage with the latch pin 35 have cylindrical surfaces which are eccentric with respect to the pivot pins 36 on which they are mounted, so that the direction ofthetorque exerted by the latch pin 35 on the first latches is the same as the direction of the torque exerted by the spring 31 on the driven plate 33. For this reason, it is not necessary to provide gaps between the inner ends of the first latches and the latch pin 35, so that the operating positions ofthe apparatus are more stable. Also, as in the first embodiment, the engagement between the latch pin 35 and the first latches can be released by the application of only a small force to the rollers 43a of the second latches.

Figures 6through 8 illustrate a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a drive portion 127 comprises a drive plate 129 which is mounted on a driven shaft 128 so as to be able to freely rotate thereon, and a pair of drive pins 130 which are secured to the drive plate 129. The drive pins 130 are disposed on either side of and contact the opposite ends of an elastic energy storage member in the form of an energy storage spring 131 which is mounted on a shaft portion 128a.

A driven portion 132 comprises the driven shaft 128, a driven plate 133 which is secured therto, and a pair of set pins 134which are secured to the top of the driven plate 133. The set pins 134 are disposed on both sides of the energy storage spring 131 and serve to set its initial shape.

A driven side latch portion 135 which is mounted on the driven shaft 128 comprises a latch plate 136 which is secured to the driven shaft 128 so as to rotate therewith and a latch pin 137 which is mounted on the end of the latchplate 136 and serves as an engaging portion. The latch pin 137 rotates together with the latch plate 136 about the center of the driven shaft 128. The latch pin 137 is disposed such that it engages with the inner ends 141 a, 141 b, 141 c and 141d of first latches 140a, 140b, and 140d, respectively, which are symmetrically disposed and rotatably mounted on pivot pins 138 which are mounted on an unillustrated frame which rotatably supports the driven shaft 128.As in the first embodiment, the inner ends 141 a-d of the first latches 140a-d have arcuate surfaces which are eccentric with respect to the pivot pins 138 on which the first latches 141a-d are mounted so that the direction of the torque exerted through the latch pin 137 by the driven portion 132 on the first latches 140a-d will be the same as the direction of the torque exerted by the spring 131 on the driven portion 132.

Second latches 145a-145d are rotatably mounted on pivot pins 143 which are supported by the unillustrated frame. At their one ends they have maintaining pins 146a, 146b, l46cand and 146d which serve as engaging portions and engage with respective recessed portions 142a, 142b, 142c and 142d formed in the first latches 140a, 140b, 140c and 140d, respectively. At the other ends of the second latches 145a-d with respect to the pivot pins 143 are lever arms on the ends of which rollers 1 47a, 1 47b, 1 47e and 147d are rotatably mounted.

The support pins 143 also have mounted thereon drive plate latches 148a, 148b, 148c and 148d which prevent the rotation of the drive portion 127 and maintain it in a stationary position. These drive plate latches 148a-d serve as a means of maintaining the energy storage spring 131 in a wound-up state in which it stores energy when no drive force is applied to the drive plate 129. Kick pins 149a, 149b, 149c and 149d are mounted on the free ends of the drive plate latches 148a-148d, respectively, and reset springs 159 which exert a rotational force which acts to reset the drive plate latches 148a, 148b, 148c and 148d are mounted on the support pins 43.A drive plate latch pin 150 is rotatably mounted on the end of the drive plate 129 and is disposed in a location such that it engages with the drive plate latches 148a, 148b, 148c and 148d. An engagement release member 151 is secured to one end of the drive plate latch pin 150 so as to rotate therewith. This engagement release member 151 is disposed in a position so that it can engage with the kick pins 149a, 149b, 149c and 149d. A drive pin 152 is secured to the other end of the drive plate latch pin 150. This drive pin 152 engages with a guide 158 which is formed on the radially outer end of an operating lever 155 of an operating portion 154 which is rotatably mounted on the driven shaft 128 and which is capable of rotating the drive plate latch pin 150 and the engagement release member 151 by turning the drive pin 152.The operating lever 155 can rotate independently of the driven shaft 128.

The operating portion 154 comprises the operating lever 155, an operating pin 156 which is secured to the lever 155, and an operating shaft 157. The operating pin 156 extends into a guide hole 129a which is formed in the drive plate 129 and which has a larger diameter than the operating pin 156 so that the operating lever 155 can freely rotate by a specified angle with respect to the drive plate 129.

A main shaft 20 which is connected to the driven shaft 128 so as to rotate therewith, a drive lever 21, an insulating rod 22, a movable contact 23, a fixed terminal 24, and fixed contacts 25 and 26 are exactly the same as those in the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

The operation of this third embodiment of an operating apparatus is as follows. Figure 6 illustrates the state in which the switch is open and the apparatus is in the initial state prior to operation.

If the operating shaft 157 of the operating portion 154 is rotated clockwise from this state, initially only the operating lever 155 rotates until the operating pin 156 contacts the inner periphery of the guide hole 129a formed in the drive plate 129. As a result of this rotation, as shown in Figure 7, the guide 158 on the end of the operating lever 155 pushes the drive pin 152 downwards and rotates the engagement release member 151 in the counterclockwise direction in the figure through the latch pin 150 mounted on the drive plate 129. When the engagement release member 151 rotates, it pushes the kick pin 1 49b of drive plate latch 148b, rotates drive plate latch 148b in the clockwise direction, and releases the engagement between drive plate latch 1 48b and the latch pin 150, as shown in Figure 7.When the operating lever 155 is further rotated, the operating pin 156 contacts with the surface of the guide hole 129a and exerts a force causing the drive plate 129 to rotate in the clockwise direction, and the upper end of the energy storage spring 131 is rotated clockwise by the upper drive pin 130 which rotates clockwise with the drive plate 129. However, the latch pin 137 of the driven side latch portion 135 is latched by the inner end 141 b of first latch 140b, and the driven plate 133 and thus the lower end of the spring 131 are unable to rotate.

As the drive plate 129 is further rotated clockwise, the spring 131 is wound up and stores energy, as shown in Figure 8. When the operating lever 155 reaches the position shown in Figure 8, the latch pin 150 engages with drive plate latch 148a, and the spring 131 is maintained in a wound-up state in which it stores energy, ready to be released.

From the state shown in Figure 8, if the roller 147b which is mounted on the outer end of second latch 145b is pressed by an engagement release mechanism such as a drive apparatus operated by an electromagnet so as to cause second latch 145b to rotate in the clockwise direction, the engagement between the maintaining pin 146b of second latch 154b and the recessed portion 142b of first latch 140b is released. First latch 140b is rotated clockwise by the release of the energy stored in the spring 131 which applies a force thereon through the latch pin 137, the driven shaft 128 is rotated, the main shaft 20 is rotated therewith, the movable contact 23 is driven through the drive lever 21 and the insulating rod 22, and the movable contact 23 is made to contact the fixed contact 25.

From the state shown in Figure 8, it is also possible to release the energy stored in the spring 131 without moving.the movable contact 23. If the operating shaft 157 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction by suitable means, the guide 158 of the operating lever 155 rotates the drive pin 152 in the clockwise direction, thereby causing the engagement release member 151 to push the kick pin 1 49a of drive plate latch 1 48a downwards. This causes drive plate latch 148a to rotate counterclockwise and releases the engagement between drive plate latch 148a and the latch pin 150. The spring 131 produces a counterclockwise torque on the drive plate 129 which cause it to rotate counterclockwise towards the initial position of Figure 6.Since the movement of the drive plate 129 is restricted by the engagement between the guide hole 129a and the operating pin 156, the drive plate 129 can rotate no faster than the operating lever 155, and so long as the operating lever 155 is rotated slowly in the counterclockwise direction, the energy stored in the spring 131 can be gradually released. When the operating lever 155 reaches the position shown in Figure 6, the latch pin 150 engages with drive plate latches 148b and 148c, energy release is complete, and the apparatus is ready for the next operation.

It can be seen from the symmetry of this embodiment that the movable contact 23 can be rotated counterclockwise into contact with fixed contact 26 by operations similar to those described above if the operating shaft 157 is rotated counterclockwise instead of clockwise.

Furthermore, although the unillustrated embodiment has only 3 operating positions, by disposing a corresponding number of first latches, second latches, and drive plate latches around the periphery of the driven shaft 128, an apparatus having any desired number of operating positions can be achieved.

In the present embodiment, because the energy storage spring 131 can be indefinitely maintained in the position shown in Figure 8 until it is desired to release the energy, it is possible to instantaneously release the stored energy by remote control.

Furthermore, since the inner ends 141a-d of the first latches 140a-d are shaped such that the torque applied thereto by the latch pin 137 has the same direction as the torque applied to the driven portion 132 by the spring 131. It is not necessary to maintain gaps between the inner ends of the first latches 140a-d and the latch pin 137, thus making the operating positions more stable. As in the previous embodiments, the provision of second latches make it possible to release the engagement between the latch pin and the first latches by the application of only a small force to the second latches.

In each of the previous embodiments, the inner ends of the first latches are formed with arcuate surfaces. However, so long as the shape of the inner ends is such that that force applied to the surfaces by the driven portion produces a torque having the same direction as the torque applied to the driven portion by the energy storage spring, the inner ends can be formed with flat surfaces and equivalent effects can be achieved.

Claims (7)

1. A reversible operating apparatus for a switch comprising: a drive portion comprising a rotably supported driven shaft which can be drivingly connected to said switch and a driven plate which is secured to said driven shaft so as to rotate therewith; a drive portion comprising a drive plate which is rotatably mounted on said driven shaft so as to be able to rotate independently thereof; an elastic energy storage member which is disposed between said drive plate and said driven plate and which is connected therebetween in a manner such that when said drive plate is rotated, said energy storage member elastically deforms, thereby storing energy, and exerts a torque on said driven portion through said driven plate about said driven shaft in the direction of rotation of said drive plate;; first latching means for latching said driven portion dnd preventing its rotation when said drive plate is rotated; second latching means for latching said first latching means and maintaining the latching of said driven portion by said first latching means; and release means for releasing the engagement between said second laching means and said first latching means.

2. An operating apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein; said first latching means comprises a plurality of rotatably supported first latches, each of said first latches having an engaging portion which can engage with said driven portion at one of the operating positions of said apparatus; and the engaging portion of each of said first latches is shaped such that the direction ofthetorque exerted on it with respect to its center of rotation when it latches said driven portion is the same as the direction ofthetorque exerted on said driven portion by said energy storage member.

3. An operating apparatus as claimed in Claim'2, wherein; each of said first latches has a recessed portion formed therein; said second latching means comprises a plurality of rotatably mounted second latches equal in number to said first latches, each of said second latches having an engaging portion at one end which can move into and out of engagement with the recessed portion of a corresponding first latch when said second latch is rotated, said engaging portion of each of said second latches preventing the rotation of the corresponding first latch when it is engaged with the recessed portion of the corresponding first latch; each of said second latches has a lever arm formed at the end opposite from its engaging portion with respect to its center of rotation; and said release means comprises means for exerting a force on the lever arm of any one of said second latches so as to rotate the second latch and move the engaing portion of said second latch out of engagement with the notch of the corresponding first latch.

4. An operating apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, further comprising means for maintaining said elastic energy storage member in a state in which energy is stored therein when no drive force is applied to said drive plate.

5. An operating apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, wherein said means for maintaining said elastic energy storage member comprises two rotatably supported drive plate latches disposed on opposite sides of said drive plate, each of said drive plate latches having a recess formed therein which can engage with said drive plate and a driven plate engaging surface with which said driven plate engages when rotated towards said drive plate latch, said engaging surface being shaped such that a force applied by the driven plate thereon causes the drive plate latch to rotate so as to release the engagement between it and said drive plate.

6. An operating apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, wherein: said means for maintaining said elastic energy storage member comprises a plurality of rotatably supported drive plate latches each of which corresponds to one of the operating positions of said apparatus and engages with said drive plate and prevents its rotation in a single direction from the corresponding operating position;; said apparatus further comprises drive plate releasing means for releasing the engagement between said drive plate latches and said drive plate and an operating arm which is rotatably mounted on said driven shaft so as to rotate independently thereof, said means being mounted on said drive plate, said operating arm having a free end which can operate said drive plate releasing means when the operating arm is rotated, thereby releasing the engagement between said drive plate and said drive plate latches, said operating arm being drivingly connected to said drive plate in a manner such that it can rotate with respect to said drive plate by a specified angle, said specified angle being sufficient for said operating arm to operate said drive plate releasing means, the further rotation of the operating arm upon its reaching this angle of rotation causing the drive plate to rotate as a single body with said operating arm.

7.A switch operating mechanism substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 2 to 4, FigureS, or Figures 6 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.