JP2002367486A - Multidirectional input contact mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow multidirectional input of sixteen directions or more, stabilize quality and reduce the cost of a structure, in a multidirectional contact mechanism. SOLUTION: A multidirectional input key device 13 is so composed that plural fixed contacts 12, 12, etc., are disposed on a board 19 in multiple directions, moving contacts 14 are formed corresponding to the fixed contacts 12, 12, etc., and the fixed contacts 12, 12, etc., are electrically connected together by selectively bringing the moving contacts 14 into contact with the plural fixed contacts 12, 12, etc. In the key device, the plural fixed contacts 12, 12, etc., are formed into a segment-like shape, and the fixed contacts 12, 12, etc., are disposed in the radial direction, so that this multidirectional input contact mechanism 11 structured, so as to selectively electrically connect the adjacent fixed contacts 12, 12, etc., by the moving contacts 14 is provided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multi-directional input contact mechanism, and more particularly, to a multi-directional input key device and the like configured to selectively bring a movable contact into contact with a plurality of fixed contacts to conduct electricity. The present invention relates to a multidirectional input contact mechanism in which a plurality of fixed contacts are radially arranged on a substrate in multiple directions.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional multidirectional input contact mechanism of this type, an eight-way input switch used for a small joystick is commercially available.
The eight-way input switch has a configuration in which eight individual switches are mounted on a substrate.

However, since the eight-way input switch connects the board and the switch alone with solder, the number of solder connections increases, and the solder may cause quality problems. Since a large number of lands for soldering are required in the space provided, it has been difficult to configure the input switch as a multi-directional input contact mechanism exceeding eight directions.

Further, since the above-mentioned switch has a structure in which a pressed metal is usually fixed with plastic, manufacturing equipment is expensive and cost is high.

A multi-directional input contact mechanism 1 used as a remote controller or a controller shown in FIG. 3A is also known. In the multi-directional input contact mechanism 1, concave contacts are fitted on a substrate. Are arranged in four directions so as to face each other.

FIG. 3 (b) shows a multi-directional input key device 3 using the multi-directional input contact mechanism 1. The multi-directional input key device 3 corresponds to the different pole contacts 2, 2,. The movable contacts 4, 4,... Are provided above the pole contacts 2, 2,..., And are fixed to the lower portion of the substantially disc-shaped rubber top 5 by carbon printing or insert. In the rubber top 5, a convex portion 6, which is a tilting fulcrum of the rubber top 5, is protruded downward at a lower central portion, and a flexible leg 7 is provided diagonally downward in a lower peripheral portion of the rubber top 5. The foot 8 is disposed at the tip of the flexible leg 7, and the foot 8 is mounted on the substrate 9.

When one end of the upper surface of the rubber top 5 is pressed down, the flexible leg 7 bends, whereby the rubber top 5 tilts around the convex portion 6 and the movable contact 4 , 4,... Contact one of the different-pole contacts 2, 2,.

However, in the multi-directional input contact mechanism 1, it is difficult to construct a multi-directional input contact mechanism exceeding four directions since the different pole contacts 2, 2... is there.

Therefore, in the multi-directional contact mechanism, there are technical problems to be solved in order to enable multi-directional input in 16 or more directions, to stabilize the quality, and to make the configuration inexpensive. Therefore, the present invention aims to solve this problem.

[0010]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed to achieve the above object, and has a plurality of fixed contacts arranged on a substrate in multiple directions and movable in correspondence with the fixed contacts. In a multidirectional input key device configured to provide a contact and selectively bring the movable contact into contact with the plurality of fixed contacts so as to make the fixed contact conductive, the plurality of fixed contacts are cut into pieces. And a multi-directional input contact mechanism configured to radially dispose the plurality of fixed contacts and selectively conduct the adjacent fixed contacts by the movable contact, and a plurality of fixed contacts on the substrate. The contacts are arranged in multiple directions, a movable contact is provided corresponding to the fixed contact, and the fixed contact is made conductive by selectively contacting the movable contact with the plurality of fixed contacts. Consisting of multiple directions In the force key device, the fixed contacts are formed by radiating a plurality of fixed contact portions formed in the shape of a section and connecting them to each other to form a common fixed contact, and separating the fixed contact portions from each other. And a multi-directional input contact mechanism configured to selectively connect the fixed contact portion and the fixed contact piece adjacent to each other by the movable contact. The contact is a multidirectional input contact mechanism formed by pattern printing on the substrate, and
The fixed contact provides a multi-directional input contact mechanism formed by carbon printing on the substrate.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 1A, 11
Is a multi-directional input contact mechanism.
1 is provided with a plurality of segment-shaped fixed contacts 12, 12... Radially provided on a substrate by pattern printing or carbon printing, and the fixed contacts 12, 12.
Are arranged.

The fixed contacts 12, 12,... Can be arranged radially in, for example, 16 directions. In the case of the 16 directions, if the inner diameter of the fixed contact 12 is 10 mm, the distance between adjacent contacts is 12 mm. Is as follows.

10π / 16 = 1.96 mm Normally, the distance between the contacts is 0.5 mm so that insulation is possible. Therefore, even if the contacts in the above-mentioned 16 directions are provided, there is room in space.
Therefore, further calculation in 32 directions is 10π / 32 = 0.98 mm, and a contact distance of 0.5 mm can be secured, and contact arrangement in 32 directions is also possible.

In FIG. 1B, reference numeral 13 denotes a multi-directional input key device provided with the multi-directional input contact mechanism 11, and the multi-directional input key device 13 corresponds to the fixed contacts 12, 12,. An annular movable contact 14 is provided above the fixed contacts 12, 12,..., And the center of the annular movable contact 14 is arranged concentrically with the radiation center of the arrangement of the fixed contacts 12, 12,. That is, the movable contact 14 is fixed to the lower portion of the substantially disk-shaped rubber top 15 by carbon printing or insert, and a convex portion 16 serving as a tilting fulcrum of the rubber top 15 is formed downward at the lower central portion of the rubber top 15. A flexible leg 17 is provided so as to protrude, and is provided at a lower peripheral portion so as to extend downward. A foot portion 18 is provided at a distal end portion of the flexible leg 17, and the foot portion 18 is mounted on a substrate 19. Mounted on top.

When one end of the upper surface of the rubber top 15 is pressed down, the flexible leg 17 bends, so that the rubber top 15 tilts with the convex portion 16 as a fulcrum. When a part of the fixed contact 12 contacts the adjacent two fixed contacts 12, the two fixed contacts 12, 12 become conductive.

Since the fixed contacts 12, 12,... Are provided radially by pattern printing or carbon printing in the multi-directional input contact mechanism 11, the number of solders and lands used in the conventional example can be reduced or eliminated. This makes it possible to provide a multi-directional input contact mechanism of 16 or more directions, further stabilize the quality, and reduce the cost of the configuration.

FIG. 2 shows a multi-directional input contact mechanism 22 provided with a common fixed contact 20 and fixed contact pieces 21, 21 in place of the fixed contacts 12, 12 of the multi-directional input contact mechanism 11. The common fixed contact 2 of the multi-directional input contact mechanism 22
, A plurality of segment-shaped contact portions 20a, 20a,... Are radially arranged, and the center portions of the contact portions 20a, 20a,.
The fixed contact pieces 21, 21,... In the form of pieces are arranged between the contact pieces 20a, 20a,. The common fixed contact 20 is provided with one lead wire 20b, and the fixed contact pieces 21, 21.
1a, 21a... Are provided.

When a part of the movable contact comes into contact with the one fixed contact piece 21 and contacts the contact portion 20a of the common fixed contact 20 adjacent to the fixed contact piece 21, the fixed contact piece 21 And the common fixed contact 20 are conducted.

Thus, in the multi-directional input contact mechanism 22, the same effect as the multi-directional input contact mechanism 11 can be expected. However, in the multi-directional input contact mechanism 22, it is possible to provide 16 fixed sections 21, 21,...
Accordingly, an input contact mechanism of 16 directions is formed, and the number of input directions is smaller than that of the multi-directional input contact mechanism 11, but the structure is simplified since the common fixed contact 20 has one lead wire 20b.

As another embodiment, a commercially available tact switch is additionally provided at the center of the multi-directional input contact mechanism 11 and the multi-directional input contact mechanism 22, and the tact switch is used as a decision key. Conceivable.

Further, a plastic key can be placed on the rubber top 15 provided with the multi-directional input contact mechanism 11 to change the operational feeling.

The present invention can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the present invention extends to the modified ones.

[0023]

According to the present invention, as described in detail in the above embodiment, in the multidirectional input key device according to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of fixed contacts are formed in the shape of a section and the plurality of fixed contacts are formed. Since the fixed contacts are arranged radially, and the movable contacts are configured to selectively conduct adjacent fixed contacts,
A large number of solders and lands in the conventional example can be reduced or made unnecessary, and a multi-directional input contact mechanism of 16 or more directions can be realized, and the quality of the input contact mechanism can be stabilized, and the configuration can be improved. Can be inexpensive.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the multi-directional input key device, a plurality of fixed contact portions formed in the shape of a section are radially arranged and connected to each other to form a common fixed contact. A fixed contact is formed by disposing a fixed contact piece between the fixed contact parts, and the movable contact selectively connects the adjacent fixed contact part and the fixed contact piece selectively. Therefore, the same effect as the effect of the invention described in claim 1 can be expected, and the configuration is simplified because the common fixed contact has one lead wire.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the fixed contact is printed on the substrate by pattern printing. Therefore, in addition to the effects of the first or second aspect of the present invention, the quality can be further stabilized. The configuration can be made inexpensive.

Furthermore, in the invention according to claim 4, the fixed contact is printed with carbon on the substrate, so that in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 1 or 2, the same effect as the invention according to claim 3 is obtained. This is an invention that has an extremely large effect, such as an effect can be expected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a plan view of a multidirectional input contact mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. (B) The longitudinal section of the multidirectional input key device, showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention, and is a plan view of a multi-directional input contact mechanism.

FIG. 3A is a plan view showing a conventional example, showing a multi-directional input contact mechanism. (B) is a longitudinal sectional view of a multidirectional input key device, showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11, 22 Multi-directional input contact mechanism 12 Fixed contact 14 Movable contact 19 Substrate

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of fixed contacts are provided on the substrate in multiple directions, and a movable contact is provided corresponding to the fixed contacts.
In the multi-directional input key device configured to make the fixed contact conductive by selectively contacting the movable contact with the plurality of fixed contacts, the plurality of fixed contacts are formed into sections. A multi-directional input contact mechanism, wherein the plurality of fixed contacts are arranged radially, and the movable contact selectively connects adjacent fixed contacts. 2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising: arranging a plurality of fixed contacts on the substrate in multiple directions, and providing a movable contact corresponding to the fixed contacts;
In the multi-directional input key device configured to make the movable contacts conductive by selectively contacting the movable contacts with the plurality of fixed contacts, the plurality of fixed contact portions formed in the shape of a section are radially connected. And the fixed contact portions are connected to each other to form a common fixed contact, and the fixed contact portions are separately arranged between the fixed contact portions to constitute the plurality of fixed contacts. A multi-directional input contact mechanism, wherein the movable contact selectively connects the adjacent fixed contact portion and the fixed contact piece selectively. 3. The multi-directional input contact mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the fixed contact is formed by pattern printing on the substrate. 4. The multi-directional input contact mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said fixed contact is formed by carbon printing on said substrate.