The present invention relates to a power supply switch unit, particularly for a domestic electrical appliance such as a washing machine or dishwasher.

One object of the present invention is to provide an innovative power supply switch unit which can yield a considerable saving of energy.

This and other objects are achieved according to the invention with a power supply switch unit comprising: a support structure in which are mounted: a manually actuated bistable electrical switch device, having an operating member which extends outside the support structure and which is movable manually with respect to said structure, and a movable reset member which extends in said structure and which, when actuated, can cause the switch device to change to the open state; and an electrically operated control actuator device, associated with said reset member and capable of activating this member when it receives an electrical operating signal.

As described more fully below, in one embodiment the reset member takes the form of a push button, and the control actuator device comprises an electromagnet including a control coil or solenoid mounted in said structure and an associated movable core which can actuate the reset button as a result of the excitation of said coil or solenoid.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be made clear by the following detailed description, provided purely by way of example and without restrictive intent, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a power supply switch unit according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view from above of the switch unit of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front view of the switch unit of the preceding figures;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V-V of Figure 2. In the drawings, the number 1 indicates the whole of a power supply switch unit according to the present invention.

The switch unit 1 comprises a support structure, indicated as a whole by 2, and made for example from moulded plastic material.

As shown more fully in Figure 4, in the embodiment illustrated by way of example a first and a second housing 3 and 4, adjacent to each other, are formed in the support casing 2, the housings being separated by a partition 5 having a large intermediate aperture or interruption 6.

The housings 3 and 4 are open at their tops.

The housing 4 is associated with a shaped cover, indicated by 8 (see for example Figures 1 and 2) in which an electrical connector, indicated by 8a, is formed.

A manually actuated bistable electrical switch of a known type, indicated as a whole by 9, is mounted in the housing 3.

In the illustrated embodiment, the switch device 9 comprises a boxlike body 10 of essentially parallelepipedal shape, in the top wall of which there is formed a multi-pole electrical connector indicated as a whole by 11 (see, in particular, Figures 1 and X).

The switch device 9 has a manual operating member 12, essentially in the form of a shaped bar, which extends outside the support casing 2, and which is movable manually with respect to this casing 2 in a first direction which intersects the housing 3, and which is indicated by A-A in Figures 2 and 4.

With particular reference to Figures 2 and 4, the switch device 9 also comprises a reset member 13 which extends inside the casing 2 and is movable in a second direction indicated by B-B in Figure 4. This direction intersects both housings 3 and 4 of the casing 2.

When the reset member 16 is actuated, it can act in a known way to force the movement of the switch device 9 to the open state (provided that the switch is in the closed state, in other words in the state in which it allows power to be supplied to the equipment in which it is installed).

In the illustrated example of embodiment, the reset member 13 is, in particular, a push button which, when pressed, can cause the open state of the electrical switch 9 to be restored.

The switch unit 1 also comprises an electrically operated control actuator device, indicated as a whole by 14, positioned in the housing 4 of the support casing 2 (Figures 4 and 5). This actuator device 14 is associated with the reset member 13 of the switch 9, in such a way that, when the actuator device 14 receives an electrical operating signal, it can cause the actuation of said member 13, and the consequent restoration of the open state of the switch 9.

In the illustrated embodiment, the control actuator device 14 essentially comprises an electromagnet including a control coil or solenoid 15 carried by a printed circuit board or card 17 connected to the connector 8a. Said electromagnet also comprises a core 16 (Figure 5) which is mounted axially and can be translated within the coil or solenoid 15, and which has an end tip 16a (Figure 4) designed to interact with the reset member 13 of the electrical switch 9.

With reference to Figure 4, a flexible strip 18, made in one piece with the support casing 2 for example, is conveniently, but not necessarily, placed between the tip 16a of the core 16 of the actuator 14 and the reset button 13. When the unit is used in a configuration in which the core 16- 16a extends vertically above the reset button 13, this strip can prevent the button from being actuated incorrectly by said core as a result of gravity.

Conversely, when the coil 15 of the actuator 14 is excited, the flexibility of the strip 18 is such that the force can be transmitted from the core 16 of the actuator to the reset button 13.

For operation, the user of the domestic electrical appliance in which the power supply switch unit is installed can connect the appliance to the power supply source (mains) by actuating the bar 12 of the switch device 9, thus causing the switch to change from the open state to the closed state. The user can then select an operating cycle and start it, using other operating devices which are not shown.

On completion of the selected operating cycle, the controller of the operation of the appliance can send an excitation pulse to the actuator 14 to automatically open the power supply switch 9, by means of the actuation of the reset button 13. This prevents unnecessary electricity consumption.

Clearly, provided that the principle of the invention is retained, the forms of application and the details of embodiment can be varied widely from what has been described and illustrated purely by way of example and without restrictive intent, the invention extending to all embodiments which achieve the same usefulness by using the same innovative principles.

In particular, although the directions of movement A-A and B-B of the actuating member and the reset member respectively are different from each other in the described and illustrated example of embodiment, these directions may be coincident with each other or simply parallel to each other in other embodiments.