Casing for an electric household appliance switch

The invention concerns a casing for an electric household appliance switch, which casing is composed of a lower part of the casing and an upper part of the casing, wherebetween a first chamber, in which voltage carrying connecting pieces are mounted, and a second chamber, in which a switch actuating rod moves, are formed, both parts of the casing being assembled with each other in a simple manner, yet impermeably to liquids used in a household.

An electric switch used to be installed in a household appliance in a way that it was covered from the outside by an additional barrier or cover mounted in front of the electric switch. This prevented a liquid used in a household either a detergent for cleaning or spilled on the appliance from entering the interior of the switch. This type of protection of an electric switch against liquids is expensive due to the fact that an additional barrier or cover has to be built into a household appliance and it is space consuming.

Protection of an electric switch against penetration of a liquid into its interior can be carried out in a more price efficient way. The casing for an electric switch must be designed in a way that voltage carrying connecting pieces of an electric household

appliance switch do not come into contact with any liquid used in a household. There are two options of achieving it.

In the first case, the casing for an electric household appliance switch is composed of a lower part of the casing and an upper part of the casing, wherebetween a first chamber, in which voltage carrying connecting pieces are mounted, and a second chamber, in which a switch actuating rod moves, are formed (Arcoelectric Ltd., www.arcoelectric.co.uk, the switch E3102AA). The first chamber is hermetically sealed, what is accomplished by ultrasonic welding of both casing parts. This process calls for an expensive, sophisticated and energy wasting appliance for ultrasonic welding.

In the second case, a labyrinth is made around the chamber, in which voltage carrying connecting pieces are mounted, thus increasing the external dimensions of the electric switch.

As far as the drawbacks of the currently known electric household appliance switches are concerned the technical problem of the present invention is how to construct an electric switch or its casing, which is composed of a lower part of the casing and an upper part of the casing in a way that said casing parts will be assembled in a simple way and will prevent penetration of liquids into its chamber, in which voltage carrying connecting pieces are mounted.

Said technical problem is solved by a casing of the invention for an electric household appliance switch as characterized by the features of the characterizing

portion of the first claim, and the variants of the embodiment are characterized by dependent claims.

The casing of the invention for an electric household appliance switch is characterized in that it may be assembled in a simple way, it occupies little space and a household appliance user is reliably protected against getting in contact with high- voltage carrying connecting pieces.

The invention will now be explained in more detail by way of the description of an embodiment and the accompanying drawing representing in the sole Figure a vertical section across a casing for an electric household appliance switch.

A casing of the invention for an electric household appliance switch is derived from a known casing, which is composed of a lower part 1 of the casing and an upper part 2 of the casing (Figure). An arrow u points upwards. Between the parts 1 and 2 of the casing there is a first chamber ChI housing voltage carrying connecting pieces, and a second chamber Ch2, in which a switch actuating rod 3 moves.

Said known casing is improved by the invention in the following way.

The upper part 2 of the casing is positioned over the lower part 1 of the casing. Both parts 1 and 2 of the casing are form-locked to each other by means of bolts (not represented) provided in one part of the casing and holes (not represented) corresponding to the bolts and provided in the other part of the casing.

Peripheral vertical side walls 21, 22 of the upper part 2 of the casing project over and externally surround peripheral vertical side walls 11, 12 of the lower part 1 of the casing.

A vertical partition 13 salient out from an upper surface of the lower part 1 of the casing separates the first chamber ChI from the second chamber Ch2. A vertical partition projection 23 made salient out from a lower surface of the upper part 2 of the casing, externally with respect to the first chamber ChI, surrounds the upper part of the vertical partition 13.

Finally, in the preferred embodiment, the width d and the height h of a first gap Gl between the peripheral vertical side wall 21 of the upper part 2 of the casing and the peripheral vertical side wall 11 of the lower part 1 of the casing as well as of a second gap G2 between the vertical partition projection 23 of the upper part 2 of the casing and the vertical partition 13 of the lower part 1 of the casing are interconnected in a way that the capillary elevation of any liquid used in the household occuring in said gaps Gl, G2 is lower than the height h of said gaps Gl, G2, however, the width of said first and second gaps Gl, G2 should be kept as low as possible.

The liquid reaching the casing of the electric switch despite protection cannot reach the upper borders of the vertical side wall 11 of the lower part 1 and of the vertical partition 13 through said gaps Gl, G2 and spill over the interior surfaces of the first chamber ChI or moisten them. The liquid can thus not reach the voltage carrying connecting pieces.

With the casing of the invention assembled, the upper part 2 of the casing and the lower part 1 of the casing are somewhat spaced. The distance of upper edges of

peripheral vertical side walls 11, 12 of the lower part 1 of the casing and that of the vertical partition 13 from the lower surface of the upper part 2 of the casing is defined by spacing projections 14', 14" originating in the lower part 1 of the casing and touching the lower surface of the upper part 2 of the casing.

Third gaps G between the peripheral vertical side walls 22 of the upper part 2 of the casing and the peripheral vertical side walls 12 surrounding the second chamber Ch2 of the lower part 1 of the casing may also be implemented in the same way as said gaps Gl and G2.

The electric household appliance switch provided with the casing of the invention complies with the standard IEC 60335-2-24. The user is protected against coming in contact with high voltage carrying pieces.