CN215911338U - Push-button switch - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model provides a push button switch. This has the advantage that the operation sound can be easily suppressed. A push-button switch (1) is provided with a main body (2), a fixed contact (7), a movable member (3), and a membrane (6). The fixed contact part (7) is held by the main body (2). The movable member (3) is formed in a diaphragm shape. The movable member (3) has a movable contact portion and a bent portion (31). The bending part (31) is arranged around the movable contact part. The movable member (3) is disposed at a position facing the fixed contact portion (7), and when pressed, the bent portion (31) is bent so that the movable contact portion comes into contact with the fixed contact portion (7). The film (6) is positioned on the movable member (3) in a state of being in contact with the bending part (31) at both the time before and after the bending part (31) is bent.

Description

Push-button switch

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to push button switches. More specifically, the present invention relates to a push switch that is turned on or off by deformation of a movable member.

Background

A push switch is disclosed in document 1(JP2010-251101 a). The push switch includes a rubber rod and a switch portion. The switch unit includes a fixed contact and a dome-shaped movable contact provided so as to cover an upper portion of the fixed contact. When the rubber lever is pressed downward, a downward load is applied to the upper surface of the movable contact by the protruding portion of the rubber lever. When the load exceeds a certain level, the movable contact is reversed, and a part of the lower surface of the movable contact comes into contact with the fixed contact, whereby a switch input can be performed.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

Problem to be solved by utility model

The push switch (push switch) described in patent document 1 has no structure for suppressing a sound generated when the movable contact (movable member) is reversed, and has a problem that an operation sound cannot be sufficiently suppressed.

The utility model aims to provide a push-button switch which can easily suppress operation sound.

Means for solving the problems

A push button switch according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a main body, a fixed contact portion, a movable member, and a film. The fixed contact portion is held by the main body. The movable member is formed in a diaphragm shape. The movable member has a movable contact portion and a bent portion. The bending portion is provided around the movable contact portion. The movable member is disposed at a position facing the fixed contact portion, and the bent portion is bent when pressed, so that the movable contact portion is in contact with the fixed contact portion. The film is positioned on the movable member in a state of being in contact with the bending portion at both times before and after the bending portion is bent.

In the push-button switch according to claim 2 of the present invention, in addition to the push-button switch according to claim 1, the film is disposed only in a part of the movable member.

In the push-button switch according to claim 3 of the present invention, in addition to the aspect 2, the film exposes at least a central portion of the movable member in a state of being located on the movable member.

In the push-button switch according to claim 4 of the present invention, in addition to claim 2 or claim 3, an outer diameter of the membrane is smaller than an outer diameter of the movable member.

In the push-button switch according to claim 5 of the present invention, in any one of claims 1 to 3, the film is bent together with the bent portion.

In the push-button switch according to claim 6 of the present invention, in any one of claims 1 to 3, the film is bonded to the movable member by an adhesive member.

In the push-button switch according to claim 7 of the present invention, in addition to any one of claims 1 to 3, the movable member includes a 1 st surface having the movable contact portion and a 2 nd surface on a side opposite to the 1 st surface. The film is in contact with the 2 nd face.

The push-button switch according to claim 8 of the present invention is the push-button switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further including a pressing member. The pressing member is disposed at a position facing the movable member, and presses the movable member by receiving an external force. The elastic modulus of the film is greater than that of the pressing piece.

The push-button switch according to claim 9 of the present invention is the push-button switch according to claim 8, further comprising a support portion. The support portion is provided around the pressing member, supports the pressing member, and deforms in accordance with the pressing operation of the pressing member on the movable member. The outer peripheral portion of the support portion is held by the main body.

Effect of the utility model

The present invention has an advantage that the operation sound is easily suppressed.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a push switch according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an overall perspective view of the push switch.

Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the push switch when it is not in operation.

Fig. 4 is a schematic sectional view of the push switch in operation.

Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the mute characteristic of the push switch.

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a push switch according to modification 1 of the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the mute characteristic of the push switch.

Description of the reference numerals

1. 1A, a button switch; 2. a main body; 3. a movable member; 6. 6A, a film; 7. a fixed contact part; 8. a movable contact part; 31. a bending part; 51. a pressing member; 52. a support portion; 521. a protrusion (outer circumferential portion); p1, side 1; p2, face 2.

Detailed Description

(1) Summary of the utility model

The push switch 1 (see fig. 1) of the present embodiment is described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are only some of the various embodiments of the present invention. The embodiments described below can be variously modified according to design and the like, if the object of the present invention can be achieved. The drawings described in the following embodiments are schematic drawings, and the ratio of the size and thickness of each component in the drawings does not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratio.

As shown in fig. 1, the push switch 1 of the present embodiment includes a main body 2, (1 st) fixed contact point portion 7, a movable member 3, and a film 6. The fixed contact portion 7 is held by the main body 2. The movable member 3 is formed in a diaphragm shape. The movable member 3 includes a movable contact portion 8 (see fig. 3) and a bent portion 31. The bent portion 31 is provided around the movable contact portion 8. The movable member 3 is disposed at a position facing the fixed contact portion 7, and is pressed to bend the bending portion 31, so that the movable contact portion 8 is in contact with the fixed contact portion 7. The film 6 is positioned on the movable member 3 in a state of being in contact with the bent portion 31 at both the time before and after the bending of the bent portion 31.

The movable member 3 is movable between an on position where the movable contact portion 8 is in contact with the fixed contact portion 7 and an off position where the movable contact portion 8 is away from the fixed contact portion 7. The movable member 3 is configured to move from the off position to the on position by being pressed. The fixed contact portion 7 and the movable contact portion 8 constitute a contact portion 4. The contact portion 4 is turned on in a state where the movable contact portion 8 is located at the on position, and is turned off in a state where the movable contact portion 8 is located at the off position.

In the present embodiment, the movable member 3 is pressed by a presser 51 (described later). The pressing piece 51 is configured to press the movable member 3 upon receiving an external force from the push switch 1. The "force from the outside" referred to in the present invention is a force applied to the push switch 1 from the outside of the push switch 1 when the push switch 1 is operated. In other words, the "force from the outside" is a force applied to the push switch 1 by the operator of the push switch 1 (hereinafter, this force is referred to as "operation force"). The operating force is a concept that: the pressing member 51 includes a force applied to the pressing member 51 by the operator directly pressing the pressing member 51, and also includes a force applied to the pressing member 51 by the operator pressing the pressing member 51 via an intermediate member (the intermediate member is, for example, an operation knob 10 described later).

In the present embodiment, the movable member 3 is configured to perform a reverse operation in accordance with an operation force applied to the pusher 51. Specifically, the movable member 3 has such characteristics: the load applied to the pressing piece 51 from the movable member 3 increases until the magnitude of the operation force reaches a predetermined magnitude, and when the magnitude of the operation force reaches the predetermined magnitude, the bending portion 31 bends, and the load applied to the pressing piece 51 from the movable member 3 decreases. The "bent portion" in the present invention refers to a boundary portion between a convex portion and a concave portion which is generated when the movable member 3 is bent (inverted) by receiving a force of a predetermined magnitude or more. The term "convex portion" as used herein refers to the outer peripheral portion of the movable member 3 in fig. 4 (the outer peripheral portion refers to the region of the movable member 3 that is distant from the center of the movable member 3), and the term "concave portion" refers to the region of the movable member 3 in fig. 4 that includes the center thereof. In a state where no force is applied to the movable member 3, the bent portion 31 may not be distinguished from other portions of the movable member 3 in appearance.

In the present embodiment, the push switch 1 is a momentary switch in which the contact portion 4 is turned on only when operated. When the push switch 1 is operated, a downward operating force acts on the pressing member 51 by pressing the upper end of the pressing member 51. The "pressing operation" in the present invention is an operation of pressing the upper end portion of the presser 51 in a direction (downward) toward the movable member 3. When the pressing operation is stopped, the movable member 3 is elastically returned, and the contact portion 4 is turned off.

From the start to the end of the pressing operation, the state in which the film 6 is in contact with the bent portion 31 is maintained. That is, this state is maintained at the time before and after the bending of the bending portion 31. Therefore, an effect of suppressing the sound generated at the bent portion 31 by the film 6 can be obtained. That is, in the present embodiment, when the operation force is applied to the push switch 1 and the bent portion 31 is bent, the sound generated by the bending of the bent portion 31 is absorbed by the film 6. In the present embodiment, when the operating force applied to the push switch 1 is removed and the movable member 3 is elastically returned to return the bent portion 31 from the bent state to the original state, the sound generated by the elastic return of the movable member 3 is also absorbed by the film 6. That is, in the present embodiment, sound generated along with the deformation of the bent portion 31 is absorbed by the film 6. Therefore, the present embodiment has an advantage that the operation sound (here, the operation sound is the sound generated along with the deformation of the bent portion 31) can be easily suppressed.

(2) Detailed description of the utility model

(2-1) push-button switch

The push switch 1 of the present embodiment is described in detail below. The push switch 1 is used for an operation portion of various devices such as a personal digital assistant, an in-vehicle device, and a home appliance. The push switch 1 is incorporated in a casing of the device in a state of being mounted on a printed circuit board, for example. In this case, for example, the operation knob 10 (see fig. 3) is disposed as an intermediate member at a position corresponding to the push switch 1 in the housing. The operator indirectly operates the push switch 1 through the operation knob 10 by pressing the operation knob 10.

The main body 2 has a recess 210 having one surface (upper surface in fig. 1) opened. The fixed contact portion 7 is disposed in the recess 210. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the surface of the main body 2 on which the recess 210 is formed will be referred to as the upper surface of the main body 2, and the depth direction of the recess 210 will be referred to as the "vertical direction". Hereinafter, a direction in which the 1 st terminal 11 and the 2 nd terminal 12 protrude from the body 2 is referred to as a "left-right direction", and a direction orthogonal to both the up-down direction and the left-right direction (a direction orthogonal to the paper surface of fig. 3) is referred to as a front-back direction. That is, in fig. 1 and the like, the directions of up, down, left, right, front, and rear are defined as indicated by arrows of "up", "down", "left", "right", "front", and "rear". However, these directions are not intended to specify the direction of use of the push switch 1. In addition, arrows indicating respective directions in the drawings are merely marked for explanation and are not solid.

As shown in fig. 1 to 4, the push switch 1 includes a main body 2, a movable member 3, a contact portion 4, an operating body 5, a film 6, and a metal body 9. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, a non-operation of the push switch 1, that is, a state in which the push switch 1 is not pressed will be described.

(2-2) Main body

The main body 2 has a base 21 and a cover 22. By coupling the base 21 and the cover 22, a space for accommodating the movable member 3, the film 6, and the like is formed.

The base 21 is made of synthetic resin. The base 21 has electrical insulation. The base 21 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. A recess 210 having a circular shape in plan view is formed in the upper surface of the base 21. The center of the recess 210 coincides with the center of the base 21 as viewed from above.

An outer peripheral portion of bottom surface 211 of concave portion 210 (outer peripheral portion refers to a region of bottom surface 211 apart from the center thereof) is a region in contact with movable member 3. In the present embodiment, the outer peripheral edge of the movable member 3 is in contact with the bottom surface 211 over the entire circumference.

The base 21 has a pair of projections 212 on its front and rear surfaces, respectively.

The cover 22 is made of metal. The hood 22 has a hood main body 220 and a plurality of (4 in fig. 1) tabs 23. The cover main body 220 is rectangular plate-like in shape. The thickness direction of the cover main body 220 is along the vertical direction. The protruding pieces 23 protrude downward from the four sides of the cover main body 220. Two 1 st protruding pieces 231 (here, protruding pieces 23 on both sides in the left-right direction of the cover main body 220) of the 4 protruding pieces 23 restrict movement of the operating body 5 in the left-right direction in a state where the operating body 5 is held by the main body 2. In addition, the remaining two 2 nd projecting pieces 232 (here, projecting pieces 23 on both sides in the front-rear direction of the hood 22) of the 4 projecting pieces 23 respectively have a pair of hooks 233 projecting from both sides in the left-right direction. The base 21 and the cover 22 are coupled to each other by hooking a pair of hooks 233 of each of the two 2 nd projecting pieces 232 (of the front and rear sides) to a pair of protrusions 212 provided on the front surface and the rear surface of the base 21, respectively.

A through hole 24 through which the upper end of the presser 51 passes is provided in the center of the cover main body 220. The top view shape of the through hole 24 is a circular shape. The pressing piece 51 is held by the main body 2 in a state where an upper end portion of the pressing piece 51 faces the outside through the through hole 24.

(2-2) Metal body

The metal body 9 has a 1 st metal member 91 and two 2 nd metal members 92. The 1 st metal member 91 and the two 2 nd metal members 92 are each constituted by a metal plate having electrical conductivity. The 1 st metal member 91 and each 2 nd metal member 92 are electrically insulated from each other.

The 1 st metal member 91 and the two 2 nd metal members 92 are held by the base 21. In the present embodiment, the 1 st metal member 91 and the two 2 nd metal members 92 are integrated with the base 21 by insert molding. That is, the base 21 is formed by insert molding the metal body 9 (the 1 st metal member 91 and the two 2 nd metal members 92) as an insert.

The 1 st metal member 91 has a (1 st) fixed contact portion 7 and two (only 1 is illustrated in fig. 1) 1 st terminals 11. The fixed contact portion 7 is formed by a region of the 1 st metal member 91 which is circular in plan view and protrudes upward from the upper surface thereof. The fixed contact portion 7 is exposed from the bottom surface 211 of the recess 210. The fixed contact portion 7 is exposed at a central portion of the recess 210.

The two 1 st terminals 11 are electrically connected to the fixed contact portion 7. That is, the fixed contact portion 7 and the two 1 st terminals 11 are electrically connected to each other through the portion of the 1 st metal member 91 embedded in the base 21. The two 1 st terminals 11 are exposed to the outside of the body 2. That is, one 1 st terminal of the two 1 st terminals 11 protrudes from the right surface of the base 21, and the other 1 st terminal protrudes from the left surface of the base 21.

The two 2 nd metal members 92 are electrically connected to each other. The two 2 nd metal members 92 are integrally formed.

The two 2 nd metal members 92 have (2 nd) fixed contact portions 921 and 2 nd terminals 12, respectively. The fixed contact part 921 is exposed from the bottom surface 211 of the recess 210. The fixed contact point part 921 is exposed at the outer peripheral portion of the bottom surface 211.

The 2 nd terminal 12 is electrically connected to the fixed contact point portion 921. That is, the fixed contact 921 and the 2 nd terminal 12 are electrically connected to each other through the portion of the 2 nd metal member 92 embedded in the base 21. The 2 nd terminal 12 is exposed to the outside of the body 2. That is, the 2 nd terminal 12 of one 2 nd metal member 92 of the two 2 nd metal members 92 protrudes from the right surface of the base 21, and the 2 nd terminal 12 of the other 2 nd metal member 92 protrudes from the left surface of the base 21.

The 1 st terminal 11 and the 2 nd terminal 12 are mechanically bonded and electrically connected to a conductive member on a printed circuit board, for example, by soldering.

Fixed contact point portion 7 and fixed contact point portion 921 protrude upward from bottom surface 211 of concave portion 210. The surrounding area of the fixed contact portion 7 in the 1 st metal member 91 and the surrounding area of the fixed contact portion 921 in the 2 nd metal member 92 are formed substantially flush with the bottom surface 211.

(2-3) Movable Member

The movable member 3 is made of metal. The movable member 3 is disposed in the recess 210 of the base 21. In the present embodiment, the movable member 3 is formed of a plate material having elasticity. The movable member 3 is made of a metal plate such as stainless steel (SUS), for example. In the present embodiment, the movable member 3 is constituted by 1 leaf spring. The movable member 3 has a disk-like outer shape. The movable member 3 has a shape (circular shape) corresponding to the recess 210, and the movable member 3 is formed smaller than the recess 210 by one turn so as to be accommodated in the recess 210. The center portion of the upper surface of the movable member 3 constitutes a pressure receiving portion 32 (see fig. 3). That is, the central portion of the upper surface of the movable member 3 functions as the pressure receiving portion 32 that receives the operation force from the presser 51.

In addition, a portion near the outer edge of the movable member 3 constitutes a bent portion 31. The region occupied by the bent portion 31 is an annular region when the movable member 3 is viewed in plan.

The movable member 3 is a so-called metal dome. The movable member 3 is formed in a dome shape curved so that the central portion thereof protrudes upward. The outer peripheral edge of the movable member 3 is in contact with the bottom surface 211 of the recess 210 over the entire circumference. Further, the outer peripheral edge of the movable member 3 contacts the fixed contact point 921 exposed at the bottom surface 211. Thereby, the movable member 3 is electrically connected to the fixed contact point portion 921. That is, the movable member 3 is electrically connected to the two 2 nd metal members 92. On the other hand, the movable member 3 is electrically insulated from the 1 st metal member 91 (fixed contact portion 7). Preferably, a conductive film having conductivity is formed on the entire lower surface of the movable member 3 by, for example, gold (Au) plating or silver (Ag) plating.

A portion of the lower surface of the movable member 3 corresponding to the central portion (pressure receiving portion 32) constitutes the movable contact portion 8. In addition, when an operating force of a predetermined magnitude or more acts on the pressure receiving portion 32, the bent portion 31 of the movable member 3 is deformed (bent) and the movable member 3 is bent downward. As an example, as shown in fig. 4, the movable member 3 is deformed into a dome shape in which the central portion of the movable member 3 protrudes downward. As shown in fig. 4, the load applied from the movable member 3 to the pressing piece 51 is reduced due to the deformation of the bent portion 31. That is, the movable member 3 is configured to perform the reverse operation in accordance with the operation force applied to the pusher 51 (or the amount of movement of the pusher 51). At this time, the movable contact portion 8 formed on the lower surface of the pressure receiving portion 32 is in contact with the fixed contact portion 7, and the movable contact portion 8 and the fixed contact portion 7 are electrically connected.

That is, the movable contact portion 8 and the fixed contact portion 7 constitute the contact portion 4. The pressure receiving portion 32 is pressed in a direction (downward) to approach the bottom surface 211 of the recess 210 to deform the movable member 3, thereby switching the contact portion 4 from off to on. Specifically, in a state where no operating force is applied to the pressure receiving portion 32 (the state shown in fig. 3), the movable contact portion 8 is separated from the fixed contact portion 7, and thus the contact portion 4 is opened. At this time, the 1 st metal member 91 and the 2 nd metal member 92 are electrically insulated, and thus the 1 st terminal 11 and the 2 nd terminal 12 are not electrically conducted. On the other hand, when an operating force is applied to the pressure receiving portion 32 and the movable contact portion 8 comes into contact with the fixed contact portion 7 (see fig. 4), the contact portion 4 is turned on. At this time, the 1 st metal member 91 and the two 2 nd metal members 92 are electrically connected via the movable member 3, and thus the 1 st terminal 11 and the 2 nd terminal 12 are electrically connected.

(2-4) film

The film 6 is formed of, for example, a synthetic resin. Examples of the resin constituting the film 6 include polyimide, Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and the like. The outer shape of the membrane 6 is circular, and the thickness of the membrane 6 is smaller than the thickness of the movable member 3.

As shown in fig. 1, the movable member 3 includes a 1 st surface P1 (lower surface) having the movable contact portion 8 and a 2 nd surface P2 (upper surface) on the opposite side of the 1 st surface P1, and the film 6 is in contact with the 2 nd surface P2. That is, the film 6 covers the upper surface of the movable member 3.

Preferably, the membrane 6 is disposed only in a part of the movable member 3. In the present embodiment, the film 6 is disposed only in a part of the movable member 3. More specifically, the outer diameter of the membrane 6 is smaller than the outer diameter of the movable member 3, the center of the membrane 6 and the center of the movable member 3 are aligned, and the membrane 6 is overlapped on the movable member 3. Therefore, the portion near the outer edge of the movable member 3 is exposed without the film 6. However, the film 6 is formed to have a size that contacts at least the bent portion 31 of the movable member 3 and covers the bent portion 31. In the present embodiment, the outer diameter of the membrane 6 is larger than the outer diameter of the annular bent portion 31. As shown in fig. 4, the film 6 covers at least the fold 31 and the area near the fold 31. The film 6 is positioned on the movable member 3 in a state of contacting the bent portion 31 and covering the bent portion 31 at both the time before and after the bending of the bent portion 31.

The entire surface (entire 1 st surface P1) of the film 6 is in contact with the movable member 3. The film 6 is bonded to the movable member 3 by an adhesive member. The adhesive member is a member for adhering a plurality of members. Examples of the adhesive member include an adhesive and an adhesive.

When the bending portion 31 of the movable member 3 is bent, the film 6 is bent together with the bending portion 31. While the movable member 3 has a property of being bent at a specific portion (bent portion 31), the film 6 may not have a property of being bent at a specific portion. The film 6 of the present embodiment does not have the property of being folded at a specific portion, and when the folding portion 31 is folded, the film 6 is pulled by the movable member 3, whereby the portion of the film 6 in contact with the folding portion 31 is folded.

In addition, the membrane 6 may not have elastic return properties. The film 6 of the present embodiment does not have a property of elastic return, and after the movable member 3 is elastically deformed so as to be bent at the bent portion 31, the movable member 3 that is elastically returned pulls the film 6, whereby the film 6 is restored to the original shape.

(2-5) operating body

The operating body 5 is made of rubber. Operating element 5 has electrical insulation. The operating body 5 has a pressing piece 51 and a support portion 52.

The pressing tool 51 is disposed at a position facing the movable member 3, and presses the movable member 3 by receiving an external force. Preferably, the elastic modulus of the film 6 is larger than that of the pressing piece 51.

The shape of the pressing piece 51 is a cylindrical shape having an axis in the vertical direction. The presser 51 is disposed above the movable member 3 and faces the pressure receiving portion 32 of the movable member 3. However, the film 6 is interposed between the pressure receiving portion 32 and the presser 51. In the present embodiment, the pressing piece 51 is in contact with the film 6 at the non-operation time. However, the presser 51 may not contact the membrane 6 and the movable member 3 during non-operation.

The presser 51 transmits the operation force applied to the upper end portion to the pressure receiving portion 32 of the movable member 3. That is, when an operation force acts on the upper end portion of the presser 51 from above, the operation force is transmitted to the pressure receiving portion 32 via the film 6 and acts on the pressure receiving portion 32 from above. Thereby, the pressing member 51 is pressed, and the pressure receiving portion 32 is indirectly operated by the pressing member 51.

The support portion 52 and the pressing piece 51 are integrally formed. The support portion 52 is provided around the pressing member 51 and connected to the pressing member 51. The support portion 52 surrounds the pressing piece 51. The support portion 52 is rectangular plate-like in shape. "rectangular" means a concept that includes squares and rectangles. The thickness direction of support portion 52 is along the vertical direction. The support portion 52 has a protruding portion 521 on the outer peripheral portion thereof. The projection 521 protrudes downward from the periphery of the projection 521.

The support portion 52 supports the presser 51. The support portion 52 is housed in the main body 2 so as to be partially exposed to the outside of the main body 2. The outer peripheral portion (protruding portion 521) of the support portion 52 is held by the main body 2.

The support portion 52 deforms in accordance with the pressing of the movable member 3 by the presser 51. That is, when the pressing member 51 is pressed, the pressing member 51 moves downward, and the support portion 52 elastically deforms about the protruding portion 521 (see fig. 4). When the pressing tool 51 is not pressed, the support portion 52 is elastically restored, and the shape of the operating body 5 is restored to the shape before the pressing operation (see fig. 3).

The support portion 52 is surrounded by the plurality of tabs 23 of the cover 22. Thereby, the movement of the operating body 5 in the plane orthogonal to the moving direction of the pressing piece 51 is regulated. The position of support portion 52 in main body 2 is defined by sandwiching support portion 52 between the upper surface of base 21 and the inner surface of cover 22.

(3) Movement of

Hereinafter, the operation of the push switch 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 3 and 4. When the operator presses the pressing piece 51 of the push switch 1 with a force equal to or greater than a certain value, the operation force acts on the pressure receiving portion 32 of the movable member 3 from above via the pressing piece 51. Then, the pressure receiving portion 32 is pressed downward, and the movable member 3 is gradually deformed. Thereafter, when the magnitude of the operation force acting on the movable member 3 exceeds a predetermined magnitude, as shown in fig. 4, the movable member 3 is bent abruptly at the bent portion 31 to be largely deformed. At this time, the elastic force of the movable member 3 acting on the pressure receiving portion 32 changes rapidly. By the reverse rotation operation of the movable member 3, for example, as shown in fig. 4, the movable member 3 is deformed into a dome shape or the like curved so that the central portion (pressure receiving portion 32) protrudes downward. Therefore, the operator who presses the push switch 1 feels a click feeling (click feeling) along with the deformation of the movable member 3. When the movable member 3 is deformed as described above, as shown in fig. 4, the movable contact portion 8 formed on the lower surface of the movable member 3 comes into contact with the fixed contact portion 7, and the contact portion 4 is turned on. In this state, the 1 st terminal 11 and the 2 nd terminal 12 are electrically connected to each other.

On the other hand, when the operating force acting on the pressure receiving portion 32 disappears in the state where the movable member 3 is deformed as described above, the movable member 3 is restored (deformed) into a dome shape or the like that is curved so that the central portion (the pressure receiving portion 32) bulges upward by the restoring force of the movable member 3. At this time, the elastic force of the movable member 3 acting on the pressure receiving portion 32 changes rapidly, and therefore the movable member 3 is restored (deformed) to its original shape abruptly. When the movable member 3 is deformed to its original shape, as shown in fig. 3, the movable contact portion 8 formed on the lower surface of the movable member 3 is separated from the fixed contact portion 7, and the contact portion 4 is opened. In this state, the 1 st terminal 11 and the 2 nd terminal 12 are not electrically connected to each other.

(4) Advantages of the utility model

Hereinafter, advantages of the push switch 1 of the present embodiment will be described in connection with comparison with the push switch of the comparative example. The push switch of the comparative example is different from the push switch 1 of the present embodiment in that the membrane 6 is not provided.

Here, the operation sound, which is the sound generated when the push switch is operated, is roughly divided into two types of sounds. That is, the operation sound includes a sound generated due to collision of the movable member 3 and the fixed contact portion 7, and a sound generated accompanying inversion of the movable member 3.

In the push-button switch of the comparative example, when the elastic energy of the pressing piece 51 is reduced by adjusting the rigidity of the pressing piece 51 or adjusting the distance between the pressing piece 51 and the movable member 3 at the time of non-operation, it is possible to suppress the sound generated by the collision between the movable member 3 and the fixed contact portion 7. However, in the push-button switch of the comparative example, when the movable member 3 is reversed, that is, when the bent portion 31 of the movable member 3 is bent or returned to the original state, the movable member 3 and the pusher 51 are in a non-contact state. Therefore, in the push-button switch of the comparative example, the sound generated along with the reverse rotation of the movable member 3 cannot be suppressed, and as a result, it is difficult to suppress the operation sound.

In contrast, the push switch 1 of the present embodiment includes the film 6, and maintains the state in which the bent portion 31 is in contact with the film 6 even when the bent portion 31 of the movable member 3 is bent or returned to the original state. Therefore, in the push switch 1 of the present embodiment, the sound generated along with the reverse rotation of the movable member 3 is absorbed by the film 6. Therefore, the push switch 1 of the present embodiment has an advantage that the operation sound (here, the operation sound refers to the sound generated along with the reverse rotation of the movable member 3) can be easily suppressed as compared with the push switch of the comparative example.

Hereinafter, the advantages will be described using the graph shown in fig. 5. In fig. 5, the abscissa indicates the outer diameter of the membrane 6, and the ordinate indicates the "average sound pressure level" generated by the push switch 1 including the membrane 6 having the outer diameter indicated by the abscissa. Here, the "average sound pressure level" refers to an average value of "sound pressure levels" generated by a plurality of (here, 3) push switches 1. Using a plurality of push switches 1 of the same shape, the average sound pressure level corresponding to each outer diameter (horizontal axis) was measured. Here, the "sound pressure level" refers to a value: the maximum value of the sound generated by the push switch 1 is obtained until the movable member 3 returns to the original shape after the movable member 3 starts to deform after the pushing operation of the pusher 51 is stopped after the contact portion 4 is turned on.

The white circles in fig. 5 indicate measured values when the film 6 formed of polyimide is used. The black circles in fig. 5 show the measured values when the film 6 formed of PTFE is used. Among them, the measured value corresponding to the case where the outer diameter is 0[ mm ] is the measured value of the push switch of the comparative example without the membrane 6.

The broken line in fig. 5 corresponds to the distance from the center of the movable member 3 to the bending portion 31. That is, when the outer diameter of the film 6 is shorter than the length (about 3.8[ mm ]) corresponding to the broken line, the bent portion 31 is not covered with the film 6. When the outer diameter of the film 6 is equal to or longer than the length corresponding to the broken line, the film 6 covers the bent portion 31.

First, a description will be given with reference to a measured value (white circle) when the film 6 formed using polyimide as a material is used. In the case where the outer diameter of the membrane 6 is shorter than the length corresponding to the broken line (about 3.8[ mm ]), the average sound pressure level is not greatly different from the measured value when the push switch 1 does not have the membrane 6 (outer diameter of 0[ mm ]). On the other hand, when the outer diameter of the membrane 6 is longer than the length corresponding to the broken line (outer diameter 4[ mm ]), the average sound pressure level decreases. Specifically, the average sound pressure level when the push switch 1 does not include the membrane 6 is about 15[ dB ], whereas the average sound pressure level (white circle) when the outer diameter is 4[ mm ] is reduced to about 10[ dB ].

Next, a description will be given with reference to a measured value (black circle) when the film 6 formed using PTFE as a material is used. In the case where the outer diameter of the membrane 6 is shorter than the length (about 3.8[ mm ]) corresponding to the broken line, the average sound pressure level is larger than the measured value in the case where the push switch 1 is not provided with the membrane 6 (outer diameter of 0[ mm ]). On the other hand, when the outer diameter of the membrane 6 is longer than the length corresponding to the broken line (outer diameter 4[ mm ]), the average sound pressure level decreases. Specifically, the average sound pressure level when the push switch 1 does not include the membrane 6 is about 15[ dB ], whereas the average sound pressure level (black circle) when the outer diameter is 4[ mm ] is reduced to about 13.5[ dB ].

Next, the relationship between the elastic modulus and the sound pressure level of the film 6 will be described. The elastic modulus here is an elastic modulus obtained from the amount of deformation when a force is applied in the vertical direction. The elastic modulus of the film 6 made of polyimide is larger than that of the film 6 made of PTFE. The elastic modulus of the presser 51 is smaller than that of the film 6 made of polyimide and larger than that of the film 6 made of PTFE.

As shown in fig. 5, the average sound pressure level when polyimide was used as the material of the membrane 6 was smaller than that when PTFE was used as the material of the membrane 6. This is considered to be because the greater the elastic modulus of the film 6 (i.e., the more difficult it is to deform), the more difficult it is to store elastic energy. Since there is a possibility that elastic energy stored in the film 6 becomes sound, it is more advantageous in terms of noise reduction as it becomes more difficult to store elastic energy. Further, polyimide has a higher loss elastic modulus than PTFE, and is advantageous in terms of noise reduction because elastic energy is easily diffused as thermal energy.

(5) Modification example

The above-described embodiment is only one of various embodiments of the present invention. The above-described embodiment can be variously modified according to design and the like as long as the object of the present invention can be achieved. Modifications of the above embodiment will be described below. The modifications described below can be applied in appropriate combinations.

(5-1) modification 1

As shown in fig. 6, the membrane 6A of the push switch 1A of modification 1 is annular (circular ring shape) in a plan view. That is, the film 6A exposes at least the central portion (pressure receiving portion 32) of the movable member 3 in a state of being positioned on the movable member 3. Here, a movable contact portion 8 (see fig. 3) is provided on the lower surface of the central portion of the movable member 3. The film 6A may be disposed on the lower surface of the movable member 3 so as to expose the movable contact portion 8.

Even in the form in which the membrane 6A is annular, the operation sound (here, the sound generated along with the inversion of the movable member 3) can be suppressed. This is explained with reference to fig. 7.

Fig. 7 again shows a detail of fig. 5. That is, points other than the right-end points D1 and D2 in fig. 7 show the relationship between the outer diameter of the membrane 6 and the average sound pressure level in the push switch 1 of the embodiment and the comparative example. Points D1 and D2 on the right end of fig. 7 indicate the average sound pressure level of the push switch 1A of modification 1. In the push switch 1A of modification 1, the outer diameter of the membrane 6A is 4[ mm ], and the inner diameter of the membrane 6A is 3[ mm ]. In addition, the average sound pressure level corresponding to each of the film 6A (corresponding to the point D2) formed of polyimide as a material and the film 6A (corresponding to the point D1) formed of PTFE as a material was measured.

The average sound pressure level of the push-button switch 1 without any of the films 6 and 6A (outer diameter 0 mm) is about 15 dB, whereas the average sound pressure level is reduced to about 12 dB to 12.5 dB in the push-button switch 1A of modification 1. Thus, the present modification 1 can suppress the operation sound.

In addition, when the material of the membranes 6 and 6A is polyimide, the average sound pressure level of the structure of the embodiment is smaller than that of the present modification 1. This is considered to be because, in the embodiment, the film 6 covers a larger range of the movable member 3, and the film 6 has a relatively good effect of absorbing the vibration of the movable member 3. On the other hand, when the material of the membranes 6 and 6A is PTFE, the elastic modulus is relatively small, and therefore, as in the embodiment, the larger the area of the membrane 6 is, the more the amount of elastic energy stored increases, which is considered to be disadvantageous for silencing.

(5-2) other modification

In the above-described embodiment, the stroke length of the push switch 1, that is, the amount of movement of the pusher 51 from the time of non-operation to the time of turning on the push switch 1 by the pressing operation can be appropriately set. For example, the push switch 1 may be of a short stroke type having a relatively short stroke length, a long stroke type having a relatively long stroke length, or a middle stroke type corresponding to a range between the short stroke type and the long stroke type.

In the above-described embodiment, the push switch 1 may not include the push piece 51. In this embodiment, the movable member 3 receives a force from the outside through the film 6. In this embodiment, the operation force is a force that the operator directly presses the film 6 and applies to the movable member 3 through the film 6.

In the above-described embodiment, the push switch 1 is not limited to a configuration in which it is operated by a person using an operation unit of the device, and may be used for position detection of the device, for example. By moving the device to a predetermined position, the push piece 51 of the push switch 1 provided at the predetermined position is pushed, and a signal is output from the push switch 1.

In the above-described embodiment, the movable member 3 is constituted by 1 leaf spring, but the movable member 3 may be constituted by stacking a plurality of leaf springs. In this case, the magnitude of the operation force required for the movable member 3 to bend changes depending on the number of the leaf springs to be stacked, and the operation feeling of the push switch 1 changes.

In the above-described embodiment, when the conductive film is provided on the lower surface of the movable member 3, for example, the conductive film may be formed on the entire lower surface of the movable member 3. Alternatively, a conductive film may be formed locally on the contact portion of the lower surface of the movable member 3 with the fixed contact portion 7.

A recess may be formed in the bent portion 31. By forming the concave portion in the bent portion 31, the movable member 3 is easily bent at the bent portion 31.

The outer shapes of the movable member 3 and the membrane 6 are not limited to the circular shape. The outer shape of at least one of the movable member 3 and the membrane 6 may be, for example, a rectangular shape, a square shape, or an elliptical shape.

The film 6 may be fixed to the movable member 3 by a method other than adhesion. The film 6 may be fixed to the movable member 3 by laser welding, for example, or may be applied or printed on the movable member 3.

(conclusion)

As described above, the push switch 1, 1A of the 1 st aspect includes the main body 2, the fixed contact portion 7, the movable member 3, and the films 6, 6A. The fixed contact portion 7 is held by the main body 2. The movable member 3 is formed in a diaphragm shape. The movable member 3 has a movable contact portion 8 and a bent portion 31. The bent portion 31 is provided around the movable contact portion 8. The movable member 3 is disposed at a position facing the fixed contact portion 7, and when pressed, the bent portion 31 is bent and the movable contact portion 8 is brought into contact with the fixed contact portion 7. The films 6 and 6A are positioned on the movable member 3 in a state of being in contact with the bent portion 31 at both the time before and after the bending of the bent portion 31.

This method has an advantage that the operation sound can be easily suppressed.

In the push switches 1 and 1A according to embodiment 2, the films 6 and 6A are disposed only in a part of the movable member 3 in addition to embodiment 1.

According to this embodiment, the magnitude of the elastic energy accumulated in the films 6 and 6A can be reduced.

In the push switch 1A according to embodiment 3, in addition to embodiment 2, the film 6A exposes at least a central portion of the movable member 3 in a state of being located on the movable member 3.

According to this embodiment, the magnitude of the elastic energy accumulated in the film 6A can be reduced.

In the push switch 1, 1A according to the 4 th aspect, the outer diameter of the membrane 6, 6A is smaller than the outer diameter of the movable member 3 in addition to the 2 nd or 3 rd aspect.

According to this embodiment, the magnitude of the elastic energy accumulated in the films 6 and 6A can be reduced.

In the push switch 1, 1A according to the 5 th aspect, the film 6, 6A is bent together with the bent portion 31 in any one of the 1 st to 4 th aspects.

According to this aspect, the generation of sound at the bent portion 31 is easily suppressed.

In the push switch 1, 1A according to claim 6, in addition to any one of the 1 st to 5 th aspects, the films 6, 6A are bonded to the movable member 3 by an adhesive member.

According to this embodiment, the possibility that the films 6 and 6A are separated from the bent portion 31 when the bent portion 31 is bent can be reduced.

In the push switch 1, 1A according to claim 7, in addition to any one of the 1 st to 6 th aspects, the movable member 3 includes a 1 st surface P1 having the movable contact portion 8 and a 2 nd surface P2 on the opposite side of the 1 st surface P1. The films 6, 6A are in contact with the 2 nd plane P2.

According to this embodiment, the movable contact portion 8 can be prevented from being covered with the films 6 and 6A.

The push switch 1, 1A according to claim 8 is one of the push switches according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further including a pusher 51. The pressing piece 51 is disposed at a position facing the movable member 3, and presses the movable member 3 by receiving an external force. The elastic modulus of the films 6, 6A is larger than that of the presser 51.

According to this aspect, the quietness can be further improved.

In the push switch 1, 1A according to claim 9, the push switch further includes a support portion 52 in addition to the push switch according to claim 8. The support portion 52 is provided around the pressing member 51 and supports the pressing member 51. The support portion 52 deforms in accordance with the pressing of the movable member 3 by the presser 51. The outer peripheral protruding portion 521 of the support portion 52 is held by the main body 2.

According to this embodiment, the pusher 51 can be positioned.

The configuration other than that of embodiment 1 is not essential to the push switches 1 and 1A, and can be omitted as appropriate.

Claims (9)

1. A push-button switch is characterized in that,

the push button switch includes:

a main body;

a fixed contact portion held by the main body;

a movable member formed in a diaphragm shape and having a movable contact portion and a bent portion provided around the movable contact portion, the movable member being disposed at a position facing the fixed contact portion, the bent portion being bent when pressed, and the movable contact portion being brought into contact with the fixed contact portion; and

and a film that is positioned on the movable member in a state of being in contact with the bending portion at both times before and after the bending of the bending portion.

2. The push button switch according to claim 1,

the film is disposed only in a part of the movable member.

3. The push button switch according to claim 2,

the film exposes at least a central portion of the movable member in a state of being located on the movable member.

4. Push button switch according to claim 2 or 3,

the membrane has an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the movable member.

5. The push button switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the membrane is folded together with the fold.

6. The push button switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the film is bonded to the movable member by an adhesive member.

7. The push button switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the movable member has a 1 st surface having the movable contact portion and a 2 nd surface opposite to the 1 st surface,

the film is in contact with the 2 nd face.

8. The push button switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the push switch further includes a pressing member that is disposed at a position facing the movable member and presses the movable member by receiving an external force,

the elastic modulus of the film is greater than that of the pressing piece.

9. The push button switch according to claim 8,

the push switch further includes a support portion provided around the pressing piece, supporting the pressing piece, and deforming in accordance with a pressing operation of the pressing piece to the movable member,

the outer peripheral portion of the support portion is held by the main body.

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