The household switch is a two-position switching device with normally open contacts , designed to operate in networks with voltages up to 1000 volts, not intended to disconnect short-circuit currents , without special arc suppression devices , local control, with manual drive.
Other characteristics of this switch, such as operating current, degree of moisture, dust and explosion protection (IP), climate performance, installation method, contact material - are determined by the manufacturer and depend on the specific model.
Moreover, for the domestic switch, the actual design is for indoor installation (built into the wall, for hidden wiring) or for external installation (mounted on the wall, for open wiring).
Mainly used to turn on and off lighting ( chandeliers , shades ). For the same purpose, switches with smooth dimmer control appeared on sale: dimmers , dimmers , trimmers .
Content
History
1879 - Edison demonstrates the modern electric lighting system he developed, including an incandescent lamp, a screw-threaded socket, a base, terminals, a switch, a plug and socket, an electric meter, fuses.
Views
Switches are very diverse in design, their types depend on the purpose, the number of closed electrical circuits and the amount of current that they can pass. In everyday life, as a rule, circuit breakers for voltage up to 250 V are used, and the maximum current is 4, 6 or 10 A (other values are less common). The main types (for domestic purposes):
By way of management
Keyboard
These are the usual switches with a key. In Russia, the upper position of the key corresponds to the light on, and the lower position to the off (although sometimes the switches are accidentally set upside down). This has been the case since the invention of circuit breakers because of their design features. A similar switch orientation is also accepted in European countries, the USA and Canada . In England , Australia , New Zealand, and Ireland , the reverse orientation of the switch is generally accepted when the circuit closes in the lower position of the key.
Some switches of this type may also have indicator lights to quickly find them in the dark. When the light is turned on, the indicator goes out, and when the light is off, it is constantly on.
Structurally are the keys . That is, in one position they open the circuit, and in the other they close it.
Button
This is a switch, instead of a key having a spring-loaded push button . The button can be stylized as a key. Then pressing occurs on its lower part.
Structurally, as a rule, they are impulse , that is, simply buttons. While the button is pressed, the circuit is closed. These buttons are used, for example, in calls. There are also key switches of the key type, which close and open the circuit alternately with each press.
In the US, push-button switches are devices that have two buttons, not one. When one button is pressed, the other is squeezed out automatically. These switches are structurally keys , not buttons .
Lever
A switch that has a control lever instead of a key. The design of this switch was patented by William Newton and Morris Goldberg in 1916.
Structurally are the keys .
Rotary (rotary)
The swivel handle closes the chain in one position and opens it in the other. Structurally are the keys . An example is a PG switch.
Cord
They are also called rope, in the jargon - "yankers". Turning on and off the light occurs by pulling the cord from the switch housing. Structurally, they can be both keys and buttons , and even mechanical "two-digit binary counters" capable of sequentially taking states 00, 01, 10, 11, then again 00, and so on. Unreliable. When such switches fail, the owners often replace the cord with an electric cord, at the end of which there is a conventional switch for open wiring on an insulating stand.
Touch
These switches do not require mechanical action on any control. The impact on the switch occurs when it is touched. Structurally, they can be both keys and buttons .
Functionality
Key (ordinary household switch)
Such a switch in one state opens the circuit, and in another closes it. Thus, the switch is the key . Sometimes called simply - switches.
By the control method, they are most often keypads, although there are rotary, cord, touch, and even push-button switches.
Pulse (button)
Contact occurs only when exposed, without fixing in this position.
Most often used in calls. To control electrical appliances require connection to a pulse relay or controller.
By the method of exposure, they are most often push-button, although there are keyboard, touch and cord impulse switches.
Passes
- A closer look at the topic: Multiway switching
2-way switch, "pass-through" switch. This device closes a specific circuit in each of the positions. If you connect 2 lamps to it, the first will work in one position and the second in the other. It has 3 connectors for connection.
Most often used in loop-through schemes, when 2 independent switches are required to be connected to one consumer.
By the principle of control, as a rule, keyboards
| Off | On |
|---|---|
Cross
"Double", intermediate switch. The switch having 4 sockets for connection. When switching from one state to another, it inverts the switching of the cables connected to it. Used in loop-through circuits with three independent switches in combination with two switches.
Paired Devices
Dimmers, twilight switches, etc.
Constructively
- outdoor installation
- recessed
- modular
- dust and moisture protective (outdoor or for wet rooms)
- special
The design of the switch, the color, the material of the decorative elements and the design of the mechanism depend on the series of wiring products.
A twilight relay is one type of relay used to turn on or off electric lighting depending on the level of ambient light.
Links
- Electric switch / A. M. Bronstein, V. T. Nezhdanov // Big Soviet Encyclopedia : [in 30 vol.] / Ch. ed. A.M. Prokhorov . - 3rd ed. - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978.
- Circuit breakers. Main types and types
- DIY switch, installation and connection
- Classification of sockets and switches
- Classification of household switches.
- Circuit breakers