CN218631742U - Panel-switch - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a panel switch (100) comprising: a face cover (10) including a pressing area; and a support frame (20) comprising a peripheral rim (26) and at least one actuation blade (25) pivotably connected at one side of the peripheral rim (26), wherein the actuation blade (25) forms a pivot at said one side and a free end (28) at the other side opposite to said pivot, wherein the actuation blade (25) is adapted to pivot in response to depression of the depression area. According to the panel switch of the embodiment of the disclosure, the structure is simple, and the operation sensitivity is high.

Description

Panel-switch

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a panel switch.

Background

The conventional panel switch includes a panel cover and a switch module. The switch module can be actuated through the operation surface cover to realize the switch control of the panel switch. However, the conventional face cover has insufficient handling sensitivity, which is particularly significant when the face cover is formed in a large size, for example. It is desirable to improve panel switches.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a panel switch that addresses one or more of the above issues and other potential issues.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a panel switch is provided. The panel switch includes: a face cover including a pressing area; a support frame including a peripheral rim and at least one actuation blade pivotably connected at one side of the peripheral rim, wherein the actuation blade forms a pivot at the one side and a free end at another side opposite the pivot; and a switch module adapted to be actuated by the actuation blade; wherein the actuation flap is adapted to pivot in response to depression of the depression area to at least partially depress the switch module by pivoting of the actuation flap to switch the switch state of the switch module.

According to the panel switch of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the actuating sheet pivoted to the peripheral frame at one side of the peripheral frame can provide a moving stroke required by the actuating sheet to actuate the switch module in a simple manner. According to the panel switch of the embodiment of the disclosure, the structure is simple, and the operation sensitivity is high.

In some embodiments, the actuation tab is hinged to the peripheral rim by a hinge.

In some embodiments, the face cover and the support frame are movably mounted to each other, wherein the face cover and the support frame are movable relative to each other in a pressing direction of the face cover.

In some embodiments, the face cover may include at least one first protrusion protruding from a bottom surface thereof, and the support frame includes at least one opening to be fitted with the at least one first protrusion, wherein the first protrusion is movable relative to the opening in a pressing direction of the face cover.

In some embodiments, the face cover may further include a stopper adapted to restrict movement of the face cover in a direction perpendicular to the pressing direction.

In some embodiments, the stop portion may include at least one second protrusion protruding from the bottom surface of the face cover, the second protrusion protruding into a gap between the at least one actuator blade and the peripheral bezel and adapted to contact an abutment of the at least one actuator blade.

In some embodiments, the actuation tab and the face cover may cooperatively interact through an axial aperture such that the actuation tab moves in response to depression of the face cover.

In some embodiments, the face cover may include at least one protrusion protruding from a bottom surface thereof, wherein the protrusion includes a hole for a shaft, the actuation tab includes at least one opening and a shaft extending across the at least one opening, wherein the shaft is formed corresponding to the hole to form the shaft hole fit.

In some embodiments, the respective locations against which the pivot projections abut may be disposed away from the free end and proximate to a side of the hinge.

In some embodiments, the support frame may include at least one pair of actuation tabs arranged opposite one another, wherein adjacent ends of a pair of actuation tabs of the at least one pair of actuation tabs form a free end.

In some embodiments, the panel switch may further include a mounting panel mounted with the support frame, wherein the mounting panel is provided with a pivot protrusion protrudingly provided toward the actuator blade so as to abut against the actuator blade when the actuator blade moves in response to the pressing of the pressing region to form a pivot axis of the actuator blade.

In some embodiments, the hinge may be configured to: projecting the actuation tabs more toward the face cover than the peripheral bezel.

In some embodiments, the actuation blade is pivotably connected to the support frame by a pivot.

In some embodiments, the panel switch further comprises a resilient element arranged between the actuation tab and the support frame such that the actuation tab remains protruding towards the face cover.

In some embodiments, the switch module is disposed adjacent to a side on which the free end is located.

In some embodiments, the panel switch may further comprise a plurality of switch modules, the switch modules being micro switch modules, wherein the micro switch modules are arranged in a region between the free end and the hinge.

Drawings

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become readily apparent from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, several embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation.

Fig. 1 shows an overall schematic diagram of a panel switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 shows an exploded view of the panel switch shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic structural view of another perspective of a face cover according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 shows a structural schematic diagram of another perspective of a support frame according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Like or corresponding reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. While the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be embodied in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

The term "include" and variations thereof as used herein is meant to be inclusive in an open-ended manner, i.e., "including but not limited to". Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term "or" means "and/or". The term "based on" means "based at least in part on". The terms "one example embodiment" and "one embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment". The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". The terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," and the like, refer to placement or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, merely for convenience in describing the principles of the disclosure, and do not indicate or imply that the referenced elements must be in a particular orientation, constructed or operated in a particular orientation, and therefore should not be taken as limiting the disclosure.

The conventional panel switch has a reduced operation sensitivity of the face cover when the face cover is formed in a large size or a full size. The term "large size" or "full size" herein refers to a face cover switch in which the size of the face cover is significantly large, for example, the size of the face cover may be 88mm × 88mm, 86mm × 86mm, etc. The panel switch may include one or more switch modules, and the one or more switch modules may be operated by pressing any region of the manipulation surface of the panel cover. According to the panel switch of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the manipulation performance of the panel switch is improved by improving the structure of the support frame and providing the support frame with the hinged actuating sheet structure. A panel switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the panel switch 100 may include: the panel cover 10, the support frame 20, the installation panel 30 and the switch module 40.

The face cover 10 may include a pressing area. In some embodiments, the entire surface of the face cover 10 may be formed as a manipulation pressing area; in some embodiments, a part of the predetermined area of the surface of the face cover 10 may be formed as the manipulation pressing area.

The mounting panel 30 may be generally fixed to a fixed body such as a wall. In the illustrated embodiment, the mounting panel 30 may include an opening through which the switch module 40 may at least partially protrude. The mounting panel 30 may be fixed into the fixing body using a fastener such as a screw. The support frame 20 may be mounted with the mounting panel, for example, by a snap fit. The mounting panel 30 may provide support for the switch module 40, the face cover 10, and the like. It is worth noting that this is merely exemplary. The mounting panel 30 may be embodied in any other suitable form.

As shown in fig. 2 and 4, the support frame 20 may include a peripheral rim 26 and an actuation tab 25 hinged to the rim at one side of the peripheral rim 26. In some embodiments, the actuation blade 25 may be formed in the shape of a blade. The actuating leaf 25 can be separated from the peripheral rim 26, for example by a gap 28, the actuating leaf 25 being hinged to the peripheral rim 26 at one side of the peripheral rim 26 by a hinge 27. The actuating blade 25 forms a hinge 27 on the hinge side and a free end 28 on the side opposite the hinge.

The actuation flap is adapted to pivot in response to the pressing of the pressing area to at least partially press the switch module by pivoting of the actuation flap 25, thereby switching the switching state of the switch module.

In some embodiments, hinge 27 may be formed in the form of an articulated arm, such as an M-shaped, arcuate arm, or the like. The hinge arms can provide a degree of flexibility to the actuation blade 25 to allow the actuation blade 25 to rotate relative to the peripheral rim 26. In some embodiments, the hinge 27 of the actuation lobe 25 with the peripheral rim 26 may be arranged to project the actuation lobe 25 more towards the face cover 10 than the peripheral rim 26. Thereby, it is ensured that the actuating sheet 25 always remains in contact with the face cover 20 to provide a good handling feeling.

In the illustrated embodiment, each actuation leaf 25 can be hinged together with the peripheral rim 26 by means of a pair of hinges 27. It is worth mentioning that this is merely exemplary. The number of hinges 27 may be other numbers, for example, one or more.

It is worth mentioning that although in the illustrated embodiment the actuation flap 25 is pivotably connected to the support frame by means of a hinge 27, this is merely exemplary. The actuation blade 25 may be pivotally connected to the support frame by other pivoting means. For example, in some embodiments not shown, the actuation blade is pivotably connected to the support frame or other fixed body of the face cover switch by a pivot. In some embodiments, the panel switch may further comprise a resilient element, which may be arranged, for example, between the actuation tab and the support frame, such that the actuation tab remains protruding towards the face cover. When the face cover is pressed to pivot the actuation blade 25, the elastic element can be compressed; after the force applied to the face cover is removed, the actuating blade 25 can be reset by the elastic element to continue abutting the face cover.

In the illustrated embodiment, the support frame 20 may include a pair of actuation tabs 25 disposed opposite each other. Each of the pair of actuating leafs 25 is hinged to the peripheral rim 26 by a respective hinge 27. The free ends 28 of the respective pair of actuating blades 25 are arranged close to each other. With such a structure, it is possible to make the entire surface of the face cover 10 used for the operation area and ensure the manipulation touch feeling of the entire operation area. In some embodiments, a pair of actuation blades 25 may be symmetrically arranged. In some embodiments, pairs of actuation tabs 25 may be arranged in the support frame 20 to form a plurality of panel switches.

In the illustrated embodiment, the mounting panel 30 may further include a pivot boss 31, the pivot boss 31 being protrudingly disposed toward the actuation blade 25 of the support frame 20. Thus, when the user presses the face cover 10, the actuator blade 25 abuts the pivot boss 31 when the actuator blade 25 moves downward in response to the pressing of the pressing area, whereby the pivot boss 31 serves as a pivot shaft of the actuator blade 25, so that the actuator blade 25 rotates around the pivot boss 31 as the pivot shaft. By providing the pivot boss 31, the stroke of the pressing direction of the actuator blade can be easily controlled. In some embodiments, pivot boss 31 may be disposed adjacent peripheral rim 26 and distal from free end 28.

In the illustrated embodiment, the actuation blade 25 may include one or more tabs 21, and the tabs 21 of the actuation blade 25 may abut the pivot boss 31 to form a pivot axis. By the form of the tab 21, the rigidity and force transmission properties of the actuating sheet 25 can be optimized even further. In the illustrated embodiment, two pivot axes can be provided for each actuation blade 25. It is worth mentioning that this is merely exemplary and that one or more pivot axes may be provided.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 2 and 4, the switch module 40 may be disposed adjacent the free end 28. In the embodiment of fig. 2 and 4, the switch module 40 can comprise a push button 42, the push button 42 being contactable with an area 252 (indicated by the dashed line) in which the free end 28 is located and being pressable by the actuating blade 25 to actuate the switch module. At this region 252, a maximum stroke of the actuating blade 25 can be achieved. By this arrangement, the displacement travel of the actuating blade 25 at the free end 28 can be maximized, whereby the actuating button 42 on the switch module 40 can be conveniently pressed to effect the switching action of the panel switch.

In some embodiments (not shown), the panel switch may include a plurality of microswitch modules. The term "microswitch module" refers to a switch module which is smaller in size relative to a normal switch module and which requires only a small movement stroke to be actuated. The microswitch module can be arranged in a region between the free end 28 and the hinge 27, for example in a region intermediate the free end 28 and the hinge 27, in view of the small travel of the actuating sheet 25 required for the activation of the microswitch module. For example, in the embodiment shown in fig. 4, the push button of the microswitch module can be in contact with a region 254 (shown in phantom) of the actuation blade 25. In this case, four microswitch modules can be driven, for example, using the panel switch shown in fig. 4. It is worth noting that this is merely exemplary. The microswitch modules may be arranged in various other ways in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, the cover 10 and the support frame 20 are movably mounted to each other. The face cover 10 and the support frame 20 are movable relative to each other in the pressing direction of the face cover 10. In this case, the travel of the face cover 10 relative to the actuating blade 25 of the support frame 20 can be further increased.

The movable arrangement of the face cover 10 and the support frame 20 may include various implementations. In the embodiment shown in fig. 2 and 3, the face cover 10 includes a first protrusion 12 protruding from a bottom surface thereof, and the support frame 20 includes an opening 22 to be fitted with the first protrusion 12. The opening 22 may provide a sliding track of the pressing direction of the first protrusion 12, whereby the first protrusion 12 can move in the pressing direction of the face cover 10 with respect to the opening 22. It should be noted that the illustrated manner is merely exemplary, the number of the first protrusions 12 and the openings 22 may be set to other numbers as needed, and the shapes of the first protrusions 12 and the openings 22 may be formed in other suitable shapes.

In some embodiments, the face cover 10 further includes a stopper adapted to restrict the movement of the face cover 10 in a direction perpendicular to the pressing direction. This prevents the face cover 10 from being shaken. The stopper portion for restricting the movement of the face cover 10 in the direction perpendicular to the pressing direction may include various implementations. In the embodiment shown in fig. 2 and 3, the stopper portion may include a second protrusion 16 protruding from the bottom surface of the face cover 10, the second protrusion 16 protruding into a gap 29 between the actuation piece 25 and the peripheral rim 26 and contacting the actuation piece 25. Thus, the lateral movement of the face cover 20 is limited by the contact of the second protrusion 16 with the actuation tab 25. In some embodiments, the actuation blade 25 may further comprise an abutment 262, and the abutment 262 may be formed to form fit with the second protrusion 1. The spacing capability can be enhanced by the abutment 262 contacting the second projection 16. It is to be noted that the illustrated manner is merely exemplary, the number of the second protrusions 16 and the abutting portions 262 may be set to other numbers as needed, and the shapes of the second protrusions 16 and the abutting portions 262 may be formed into other suitable shapes.

In some embodiments, the actuation tab 25 and the face cover 10 cooperatively interact through an axial hole such that the actuation tab 25 moves in response to depression of the face cover 10.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 3 and 4, the face cover 10 may include a protrusion 14 protruding from a bottom surface thereof. The tab 14 may include a hole 142 for a shaft, and the actuation tab 25 includes an opening 24 and a shaft 242 extending across the opening 24. The shaft 242 is formed to correspond to the bore 142 to form a shaft-bore fit. By such a structure, the thickness occupied by the shaft hole fitting can be reduced, thereby achieving pivotable actuation between the face cover 10 and the actuation piece 25 without affecting the actuation stroke. It should be appreciated that the illustrated manner is merely exemplary and that the shaft 242 and the bore 142 may be implemented in any other suitable manner. Further, the number of the shafts 242 and the holes 142 may be provided in other numbers as needed, and the shapes of the shafts 242 and the holes 142 may be formed in other appropriate shapes.

Although in the illustrated embodiment, the panel switch includes one switch module. It is worth mentioning that this is merely exemplary. In other embodiments, the panel switch may include a plurality of microswitch modules. According to the teachings of the present disclosure, the microswitch modules can be arranged in a suitable manner as long as the movement stroke required for actuating the microswitch modules is provided by the actuating sheet 25.

Further, while operations are depicted in a particular order, this should be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Under certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Likewise, while several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure. Certain features that are described in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination.

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Having described embodiments of the present disclosure, the foregoing description is intended to be exemplary, not exhaustive, and not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen in order to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application, or improvements made to the technology in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims (16)

1. A panel switch, comprising:

a face cover (10) including a pressing area;

a support frame (20) comprising a peripheral rim (26) and at least one actuation blade (25) pivotably connected at one side of the peripheral rim (26), wherein the actuation blade (25) forms a pivot at said one side and a free end (28) at the other side opposite to the pivot, and

a switch module adapted to be actuated by said actuation blade (25);

wherein the actuation flap (25) is adapted to pivot in response to a pressing of the pressing area to at least partially press the switch module by pivoting of the actuation flap (25) to switch a switching state of the switch module.

2. The panel switch according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuation blade (25) is hinged to the peripheral rim by a hinge (27).

3. The panel switch according to claim 1, wherein the face cover (10) and the support frame (20) are movably mounted to each other, characterized in that the face cover (10) and the support frame (20) are movable relative to each other in a pressing direction of the face cover (10).

4. The panel switch according to claim 3, wherein the face cover (10) includes at least one first protrusion (12) protruding from a bottom surface thereof, and the support frame (20) includes at least one opening that is fitted with the at least one first protrusion (12), wherein the first protrusion (12) is movable relative to the opening in a pressing direction of the face cover (10).

5. The panel switch according to claim 3, wherein the face cover (10) further comprises a stopper portion adapted to restrict movement of the face cover (10) in a direction perpendicular to the pressing direction.

6. A panel switch according to claim 5, characterized in that said limit stop comprises at least one second projection (16) projecting from the bottom surface of said face cover (10), said second projection (16) projecting into the gap (29) between said at least one actuation blade (25) and said peripheral rim (26) and being adapted to come into contact with an abutment (262) of said at least one actuation blade (25).

7. The panel switch of claim 1, wherein the actuation blade (25) and the face cover (10) cooperatively interact through an axial hole such that the actuation blade (25) moves in response to depression of the face cover (10).

8. The panel switch according to claim 7, characterized in that the face cover (10) comprises at least one protrusion (14) protruding from its bottom surface, wherein the protrusion (14) comprises a hole (142) for a shaft, the actuation blade (25) comprises at least one opening and a shaft (242) extending across the at least one opening, wherein the shaft (242) is formed in correspondence with the hole (142) to form the shaft hole fit.

9. A panel switch according to claim 2, characterised in that the hinge (27) is arranged to: -projecting the actuation blade (25) more towards the face cover (10) than the peripheral rim (26).

10. The panel switch according to claim 2, further comprising a mounting panel (30) mounted with the support frame (20), wherein the mounting panel (30) is provided with a pivot boss (31), the pivot boss (31) being protrudingly provided toward the actuation blade (25) so as to abut against the actuation blade (25) when the actuation blade (25) moves in response to pressing of the pressing region to form a pivot axis of the actuation blade (25).

11. A panel switch according to claim 10, characterised in that the respective point against which the pivot boss (31) abuts is arranged away from the free end (28) and close to one side of the hinge (27).

12. The panel switch according to any of claims 1-11, characterized in that the actuating blade (25) is pivotably connected to the support frame (20) by a pivot shaft.

13. The panel switch according to claim 12, characterized in that it further comprises an elastic element arranged between the actuation blade (25) and the support frame (20) so that the actuation blade (25) remains projecting towards the face cover.

14. The panel switch according to any of claims 1-11, 13, characterized in that the support frame (20) comprises at least one pair of actuating blades (25) arranged opposite each other, wherein adjacent ends of one pair of actuating blades (25) of the at least one pair of actuating blades (25) respectively form a free end (28).

15. A panel switch according to any one of claims 1-11, 13, characterised in that the switch modules are arranged adjacent to the side where the free end (28) is located.

16. A panel switch according to any one of claims 2, 9, 10, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of switch modules, which are microswitch modules, wherein the microswitch modules are arranged in the area between the free end (28) and the hinge (27).

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