JPH0528666Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Industrial application field The present invention is a push-button switch, in particular, which provides a click feeling and a click sound, and is used in keyboards of electronic typewriters, word processors, computer terminals, etc. Regarding push button switches.

BACKGROUND ART AND PROBLEMS Conventionally, in order to provide a push button switch that is easy for operators of electronic typewriters and the like to operate and causes less fatigue, it is preferable that the push button switch has a click feel and a click sound. As a push button switch that has a click feeling and a click sound,
For example, there is one described in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 19928/1983.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9,
A case 1, a push button 2 inserted into the case 1 and provided so as to be movable up and down, a switch element 3 housed in the case 1 and operated as the push button 2 moves up and down, and the case 1. a click plate spring 4 that is provided inside the push button 2 and generates a click feeling and a click sound as the push button 2 moves up and down;
There is something that consists of

Then, when push button 2 is pressed, push button 2
The arm portion 4 is located at the upper end of the click leaf spring 4.
a, and the bent portion 4b is pressed against the side wall 1 of the case 1.
a It moves away from the inner surface and falls toward the push button 2, and the bent portion 4b abuts against the protrusion 1b of the case 1, producing a clicking sound. At this time, the pressing spring 5 is also pressed at the same time, but the switch element 3 is not operated yet. Furthermore, when the pushbutton 2 is pressed, the pushbutton 2 rides on the tip 4c of the arm 4a provided on the leaf spring 4, giving a click feeling, and the pushbutton 2 also touches the leaf spring 4 for clicking.
The plate spring 4 returns to the inner surface of the side wall 1a of the case 1 and comes into contact with the inner surface of the side wall 1a of the case 1, producing a clicking sound. At the same time, the push button 2 operates the switch element 3 via the push spring 5. Note that 6 is a coil spring for returning the push button 2 to its original position.

However, in this case, when the push button 2 is pressed, the bent portion 4b of the click leaf spring 4 reciprocates and contacts the case 1 twice, producing a click sound twice, which is confusing. For this reason, the operator cannot determine which click sound indicates the operation of the switch element, resulting in a problem that operation errors are likely to occur.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention includes a case, a push button inserted into the case and having a return spring that is movable up and down, and a push button that is housed in the case. A push button switch comprising: a switch element that operates as the push button moves up and down; and a click plate spring that is provided in the case and generates a click feeling and sound as the push button moves up and down, an upright portion in which the click leaf spring is loosely fitted into the case;
The arm part extends inwardly and laterally from the upright part, and before the push button is pressed, the push button comes into contact with the upper surface of the arm part, and the push button and the upright part extend from the inner surface of the side wall of the case. When the abutting part located at the upper part of the upright part comes into contact with the protrusion protruding between the raised part and the push button and the arm part is pressed down, the click leaf spring is pressed against the lower end of the upright part. When the push button is rotated outward about the fulcrum, at least a portion of the outer surface of the upright portion located near the contact portion contacts the inner surface of the side wall of the case, and the push button is released. returns upward via the return spring, and the click plate spring rotates around the lower end of its upright portion as a fulcrum while sliding the upper surface of its arm portion to the push button and returns to its original position. The click plate spring is housed in the case so that the click plate spring can be returned to the original state.

Function Therefore, according to the present invention, when the push button is pressed, the leaf spring rotates outward using the lower end of the upright portion as a fulcrum, and at least the contact portion of the outer surface of the upright portion is rotated outward. A portion located nearby will collide with the inner surface of the side wall of the case only once.

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of FIGS. 1 to 7.

The push button switch according to the first embodiment has a first
As shown in Figures 4 to 4, approximately case 10
, a push button 20, a switch element 30, and a click leaf spring 40.

The case 10 consists of an upper case 11 and a lower case 15, both of which have a substantially box shape, and the upper case 11 has external dimensions that allow it to fit into the opening of the lower case 15. In addition,
The lower case 15 is attached to the upper case 11 with a snap-in (not shown) after internal components such as a push button 20, which will be described later, are assembled into the upper case 11.

The push button 20 is inserted into the insertion hole 1 of the upper case 11.
A pair of protrusions 13, 13 are inserted into the upper case 11 and provided on both side surfaces on the inner surfaces of the opposing side walls of the upper case 11.
It is guided by a pair of opposing protrusions 14, 14 arranged in parallel with these protrusions 13, 13, and can freely move up and down. And the push button 20 is in the lower case 1
It is always urged upward by a coil spring 21 positioned by a protrusion 16 provided at the center of the bottom surface of 5.

The switch element 30 is the protrusion 13 of the upper case 11,
13 and the inner surface of the side wall thereof.
Note that 31 is a pressure spring held between the switch element 30 and the upper case 11.

As shown in FIG. 3, the click leaf spring 40 includes upright parts 41, 41,
It consists of arm parts 42, 42 extending laterally from between the lower end parts 41a, 41 of the upright parts 41, 41.
The arms 4 a are each bent so that they can rotate smoothly within the case 10.
The tip portions 43, 43 of 2, 42 are bent downward, so that the push button 20 can be smoothly slipped. The leaf spring 40 is loosely fitted between the pair of protrusions 14, 14 of the upper case 11 and the inner surface of the side wall thereof, and is positioned at the upper part of the outer surface of the leaf spring 40 facing the inner surface of the side wall. A part of the vicinity of the contact portion 44 can come into contact with a protrusion 11a provided at an upper corner of the upper case 11.

Next, the operation of the push button switch constructed as described above will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings of FIGS. 1 and 2.

First, before the push button 20 is pressed, the push button 20 is located at the uppermost position, and the protrusion 31a of the push spring 31 is separated from the switch element 30. The lower corner of the button 20 abuts, and the abutting portion 44 abuts the pair of protrusions 14, 14.

Then, when the push button 20 is pressed, its lower corner presses the arms 42, 42 of the leaf spring 40, and accordingly, the upright part 41 of the leaf spring 40 bends in an arched manner, and the potential energy of the leaf spring 40 is reduced. increase Further, when the push button 20 is pressed, the push button 20
The push button 20 rides on the tip 43 of the leaf spring 40, giving a click feeling, and the push button 20 rides on the tip 43 of the leaf spring 40.
As a result, the plate spring 40 rotates outward about the lower end 41a as a fulcrum, and the contact portion 44 of the outer surface of the upright portion 41 The portion located nearby comes into contact with the protrusion 11a of the upper case 11, producing a clicking sound. At the same time, the projection 31a of the pressing spring 31 presses the switch element 30 to operate it.

Finally, when the push button 20 is released, the push button 20 is moved upward by the restoring force of the coil spring 21, the push spring 31 releases the switch element 30, and the leaf spring 40 moves its arm 42 upward. is gradually rotated while slidingly contacting the lower corner of the push button 20, and returns to its original state without colliding.

In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, whereas in the first embodiment, arms 42, 42 cut up from between the upright parts 41, 41 are pressed by a push button 20. , the upper part of the standing part 41 is punched out, and the bent arm parts 42, 42 are attached to the push button 2.
It is pressed at 0.

The rest is almost the same as the previous embodiment, so the explanation will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in the third embodiment, the abutting portion 44 of the leaf spring 40 having a flat shape in the previous embodiment is replaced by a protrusion provided at the upper corner of the upper case 11. 11a to obtain the click sound, whereas the contact part 44 of the leaf spring 40 bent outward is brought into contact with the flat inner surface of the side wall of the lower case 19 to obtain the click sound. be.

Note that the switch element 30 according to the above-mentioned embodiment
is a case where it operates via the pressing spring 31,
It is needless to say that the switch element is not necessarily limited to a switch element operated by the pressure spring 31, and a switch element having other configurations may be used.

Effects of the Device As is clear from the above explanation, according to the present invention, when the push button is pressed, the leaf spring rotates outward using its lower end as a fulcrum, and its abutting portion is attached to the side wall of the case. It contacts the inner surface only once. Therefore, a click sound can be heard only once between pressing the push button and operating the switch element. As a result, the operator does not hear the click sound twice between pressing the push button and operating the switch element, unlike in the conventional case, which is less confusing and has the effect of preventing operator errors. .

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 1 and 2 are cross-sectional views showing before and after pressing, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a click leaf spring, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the upper case; FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the leaf spring of the second embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
7 and 7 show a third embodiment according to the present invention, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a leaf spring, FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the operating state, and FIGS. 8 and 9 are related to a conventional example. It is sectional drawing which shows before and after pressing of an Example. 10...Case, 11...Upper case, 14...
Projection, 15...Lower case, 20...Push button, 2
1... Coil spring, 30... Switch element, 40
. . . leaf spring, 41 . . . standing portion, 41a . . . lower end portion, 42 .

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A case, a push button inserted into the case and having a return spring that is movable up and down, and a switch that is housed in the case and operates as the push button moves up and down. and a click leaf spring that is provided in the case and generates a click feeling and a click sound as the push button moves up and down. It consists of a raised part to be fitted and an arm part extending inward and laterally from the raised part, and before the push button is pressed, the push button comes into contact with the upper surface of the arm part, and the inner surface of the side wall of the case An abutting portion located at an upper part of the upright portion comes into contact with a protrusion protruding between the push button and the upright portion, and when the push button is pressed and the arm is pushed down, the click button is pressed down. The leaf spring rotates outward using the lower end of the upright portion as a fulcrum, and at least a portion of the outer surface of the upright portion located near the contact portion abuts the inner surface of the side wall of the case, and the push button is pressed. When released, the push button returns upward via the return spring, and the click plate spring slides the upper surface of its arm portion onto the push button, while using the lower end of its upright portion as a fulcrum. A push button switch, characterized in that the click leaf spring is housed in the case so that it can be rotated and returned to its original position.