EP1662529A2

EP1662529A2 - Electronic apparatus provided with power button

Info

Publication number: EP1662529A2
Application number: EP05257307A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Tatsuya c/o Orion Electric Co. Ltd. Uchizono
Original assignee: Orion Electric Co Ltd
Current assignee: Orion Electric Co Ltd
Priority date: 2004-11-30
Filing date: 2005-11-28
Publication date: 2006-05-31
Also published as: EP1662529A3; JP2006156201A

Abstract

To provide an electronic apparatus provided with a power button with improved work efficiency capable of mounting the power button without the power button coming off. An operation section 11 of a power button 10 is inserted into a hole 3 of a cabinet 2 of a television receiver 1. An engaging convex part 21 of a switch 12 for turning ON/OFF power is inserted into the engaging concave part 13. An engaging projection 14 provided in the switch 12 is engaged with an engaging part 22 of the power button 10 and the power button 10 is attached to the switch 12. Since the engaging projection 14 of the switch 12 is engaged with the engaging part 22 of the power button 10 with the engaging convex part 21 engaged with the engaging concave part 13, it is possible to prevent the power button 10 from coming off the switch 12.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus provided with a power button which turns ON/OFF power, and more particularly, to an electronic apparatus provided with a push-button type power button arranged so as to protrude outward from the inside of a cabinet of the electronic apparatus.

Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, an electronic apparatus which is provided with a push-button type power button for turning ON/OFF power arranged so as to protrude from the inside of a cabinet of the electronic apparatus to the outside of its front, capable of turning ON/OFF power by repeatedly pushing this power button interlocked with a switch is generally used. A prior art related to such an electronic apparatus is a power button positioning structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 11-120860 (patent document 1) in which a projection protruding forward is provided above two mating lugs arranged in a power button and an upper part of the power button is caused to contact a control panel with the mating lugs inserted into a mating hole of the control panel so as to position the power button in vertical direction with respect to the control panel.
Furthermore, FIG. 9 illustrates a cross section of an electronic apparatus provided with a power button which is conventionally used. In the electronic apparatus 100 shown in the figure, when a power switch 103 fixed to a circuit board 102 is fixed at a predetermined position of a cabinet 101 of this electronic apparatus 100 using a screw 108, the material of various members such as the cabinet 101 is generally a molded product made of resin, and therefore if the power switch 103 is fixed to the cabinet 101 at the predetermined position through the circuit board 102 using the screw 108 in consideration of problems such as bending of various members such as the molded cabinet 101 and dimensional errors in design accuracy during volume production, an operation section 105 of a power button 106 which should originally be inserted into a hole 104 formed in the cabinet 101 cannot be smoothly inserted into the hole 104 at the predetermined position due to the above described dislocation or dimensional errors or the like. Furthermore, when the operation section 105 is forcibly inserted into the hole 104, part of the power button 106 digs into guide ribs 107 of the cabinet 101 for guiding movement of the power button 106 provided in the vicinity of the hole 104 during operation as shown in FIG. 9, which prevents the power button 106 from smoothly moving back and forth, causing malfunction accompanied by operational trouble.
In the above described conventional electronic apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 9, in order to adjust the insertion position of the operation section 105 into the hole 104 which is a predetermined position, it is necessary to manually adjust the position at every step of the way by, for example, loosening the screw 108 so that the circuit board 102 fixed to the cabinet 101 comes to a position at which the power button 106 can be inserted into the hole 104. This adjustment work takes much time and reduces the efficiency of the mounting work, resulting in a problem that the manufacturing efficiency is decreased.
Furthermore, the structure shown in the patent document 1 can adjust the position of the power button to a predetermined position, and when the power button is mounted, it is possible to position the power button using an elastic force of a spring by causing the upper part of the power button and the projection of the mating lug to contact the control panel, whereas when the power button is operated, that is, when the power button is held depressed, the projection for vertical positioning separates from the control panel and loses contact therewith, and therefore this structure is different from a structure that can position the power button with respect to the control panel when the power button is operated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been implemented in view of the above described problems and it is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic apparatus provided with a power button with improved work efficiency capable of securely positioning an operation button to be built in a cabinet of the electronic apparatus and carrying out mounting work without the power button for turning ON/OFF power of the electronic apparatus coming off or dropping.
The electronic apparatus comprising a power button according to the present invention is an electronic apparatus comprising a power button having an operation section, which is inserted from an inside of a cabinet into a hole formed in the cabinet of the electronic apparatus and arranged so as to protrude outward, wherein a recessed part is provided at a back of the power button integrated therewith, a projecting part for operating a switch for turning ON/OFF power of the electronic apparatus provided inside the cabinet is inserted into the recessed part, a gap is provided between the projecting part and recessed part, an engaging projection provided in the switch is engaged with an engaging part provided in the power button and the power button is attached to the switch.
The structure according to the invention causes the engaging projection of the switch to engage with the engaging part of the power button with the projecting part (e.g. convex part) of the switch engaged with the recessed part (e.g. concave part) of the power button, and can thereby prevent the convex part from coming off the concave part and prevent the power button from coming off the switch and also provides a gap between the convex part and concave part, which allows the power button to move by an amount corresponding to the gap. Therefore, when the body of the switch is fixed at a predetermined position with the operation section inserted in the hole of the cabinet or even when there are dimensional errors in members such as the cabinet, it is possible to prevent malfunction accompanied by operational trouble in the conventional art such as part of the power button digging into the cabinet and the power button being unable to smoothly move back and forth.
The electronic apparatus comprising a power button according to claim 2 of the present invention is the electronic apparatus comprising a power button according to claim 1, wherein the engaging convex part is formed into a prismatic shape and the engaging convex part is engaged with an engaging concave part having a width diameter slightly larger than a width diameter of the prismatic engaging convex part and having substantially the same shape as the engaging convex part.
The structure according to claim 2 provides the prism-shaped engaging concave part and engaging convex part, and can thereby regulate the power button so as not to turn with respect to the switch.
The electronic apparatus comprising a power button according to claim 3 of the present invention is the electronic apparatus comprising a power button according to claim 2, wherein the power button is provided with a collar-shaped base which serves as a base, an outer perimeter of the base is engaged with a plurality of guide ribs formed in the cabinet in a freely slidable manner and when the power button is mounted in the cabinet with the operation section inserted in the hole, the plurality of guide ribs regulate a direction in which the power button moves back and forth when the operation section is operated.
The structure according to claim 3 causes the outer perimeter of the base to be engaged with the guide ribs when the power button is operated, and can thereby allow the power button capable of slightly moving between the engaging convex part and engaging concave part by an amount corresponding to the gap to move in a predetermined direction sliding along the perimeter of the base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view of a power button provided for the above described electronic apparatus.
FIG. 3 is a side view of the power button provided for the above described electronic apparatus.
FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a situation in which a switch provided with the power button is fixed to a cabinet through a circuit board provided for the above described electronic apparatus.
FIG. 5 is a partially exploded cross-sectional view showing a situation in which the switch provided with the power button is fixed to the cabinet through the circuit board provided for the above described electronic apparatus.
FIG. 6 is a front view showing a situation in which the power button is attached to the switch fixed to the circuit board provided for the above described electronic apparatus.
FIG. 7 is a side view showing a situation in which the power button is attached to the switch fixed to the circuit board provided for the above described electronic apparatus.
FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a situation in which the operation section of the power button is moved by an amount corresponding to a gap for the above described electronic apparatus.
FIG. 9 is an illustration of a cross section of an electronic apparatus provided with a power button which is conventionally used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

An embodiment as a preferred mode of implementing the present invention will be explained according to FIG. 1 to FIG. 8 below. It goes without saying that the present invention is also easily applicable to structures other than that explained in the embodiment within a range without departing from the essence of the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an electronic apparatus according to this embodiment, FIG. 2 is a front view of a power button provided for the electronic apparatus, FIG. 3 is a side view of the power button, FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a switch provided with the power button fixed to a cabinet through a circuit board, FIG. 5 is a partially exploded cross-sectional view showing the switch provided with the power button fixed to the cabinet through the circuit board, FIG. 6 is a front view showing a situation in which the power button is attached to the switch fixed to the circuit board, FIG. 7 is a side view showing a situation in which the power button is attached to the switch fixed to the circuit board and FIG. 8 illustrates the operation section of the power button moved by an amount corresponding to a gap.
The electronic apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is a television receiver 1 and an operation section 11 disposed at an end of a power button 10 is inserted into a hole 3 formed in a resin cabinet 2 of this television receiver 1 and this operation section 11 is disposed so as to protrude out of the cabinet 2 and a plurality of guide ribs 4 are formed in the vicinity of the inner perimeter of the hole 3 integrated with the cabinet 2.
The power button 10 is a so-called push-type power button 10 which is operated by pushing the operation section 11 and pressing this power button causes an engaging convex part 21 of a switch 12 to move back and forth in an interlocked manner so as to turn ON/OFF power of the television receiver 1, the operation section 11 is disposed on the front of a base 15 which serves as a base of the power button 10 integrated therewith, a square-tube shaped engaging concave part 13 is disposed on the back of the power button 10 which is the back of this base 15 integrated therewith and a hole-shaped engaging part 22 which engages with an engaging projection 14 integrated with a body 12A of the switch 12 is disposed at one end of the back of the engaging concave part 13. In one example of this embodiment, by engaging the engaging projection 14 of the switch 12 with the engaging part 22 of the power button 10, the switch 12 engages with the power button 10, but the present invention is not particularly limited to this and it is also possible to provide the engaging part 22 in the switch 12 and provide the engaging projection 14 in the power button 10 and the present invention can be implemented modified in various ways if it includes at least engaging means for engaging the switch 12 with the power button 10.
Furthermore, a terminal disposed at the bottom of the body 12A of the switch 12 is attached by means of soldering to a circuit board 20 fixed to the cabinet 2 using a screw or the like and a prismatic engaging convex part 21 having a square cross section is provided at an end of the switch 12. As shown in FIG. 7, the engaging convex part 21 of the switch 12 is inserted into the engaging concave part 13 of the power button 10, engaged therewith and this engaging convex part 21 moves back and forth when the engaging convex part 21 is pushed and moved with respect to the body 12A of the switch 12 fixed to the circuit board 20 and pressing the power button 10 with the engaging convex part 21 engaged with the engaging concave part 13 causes the engaging convex part 21 to move back and forth in synchronization with the movement so that the power of the television receiver 1 is repeatedly turned ON/OFF. Note that there is a gap S between the engaging concave part 13 of the power button 10 and the engaging convex part 21 of the switch 12 and the provision of the gap S between the above described engaging concave part 13 and engaging convex part 21 when the engaging convex part 21 is inserted in the engaging concave part 13 and the switch 12 of the engaging projection 14 is engaged with the engaging part 22 of the power button 10 allows the power button 10 to be freely moved in any one of vertical and horizontal directions by tilting it by an amount corresponding to the gap S with respect to the fixed switch 12.
Next, the procedure for mounting the switch provided with the power button in the cabinet will be explained. As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the switch 12 is fixed to the circuit board 20 by means of soldering or the like, the engaging convex part 21 is inserted into the engaging concave part 13 of the power button 10 and the engaging projection 14 is engaged with the engaging part 22. In this case, since the prismatic engaging convex part 21 is engaged with the engaging concave part 13 having substantially the same shape with a diameter slightly larger than a width diameter W of this engaging convex part 21, it is possible to regulate the power button 10 so as not to turn with respect to the switch 12 and engaging the engaging projection 14 with the engaging part 22 prevents the power button 10 attached to the switch 12 from coming off the switch 12. In the next step of mounting the power button 10 attached to the switch 12 in the cabinet 2, the operation section 11 of the power button 10 is inserted into the hole 3 of the cabinet 2 while moving a collar-shaped outer perimeter 15A which extends from the base 15 of the power button 10 along a plurality of guide ribs 4 formed in the cabinet 2 and the circuit board 20 is fixed to a boss section (not shown) or the like formed in the cabinet 2 integrated therewith using a screw (as shown in FIG. 5).
In this way, the television receiver 1 which is the electronic apparatus in this embodiment has a structure that facilitates mounting the power button 10 attached to the power supply switch 12 which turns ON/OFF power of the television receiver 1 in the cabinet 2, namely this structure can prevent the power button 10 from coming off the switch 12 in the middle of the mounting work.
In addition, with the provision of the gap S between the engaging convex part 21 and engaging concave part 13, the power button 10 attached to the switch 12 can be freely tilted and the power button 10 is attached to the switch 12 with the engaging projection 14 of the switch 12 engaged with the engaging part 22 of the power button 10, and therefore it is possible to prevent the power button 10 from coming off the switch 12 in the middle of mounting the circuit board 20 in the cabinet 2, prevent the mounting work from being interrupted and thereby carry out the mounting work efficiently and reduce the manufacturing cost.
Moreover, after the power button 10 is attached to the above described cabinet 2, the outer perimeter 15A of the base 15 of the power button is guided to move along the plurality of guide ribs 4, and therefore it is possible to regulate the position of the operation section 11 of the power button 10 which protrudes outward from the hole 3 of the cabinet 2 so as to protrude horizontally, not diagonally, that is, when the user presses and operates the operation section 11 attached to the cabinet 2, the guide ribs 4 of the cabinet 2 regulate the power button 10 so as to move in horizontal direction which is a predetermined direction, making it possible to operate the power button 10 smoothly without interrupting the operation of the power button 10.
Furthermore, if the switch 12 mounted on the circuit board 20 is mounted tilted or deviated instead of being located at a predetermined position, it is possible to move or tilt the power button 10 with respect to the switch 12 by an amount corresponding to the gap S between the engaging concave part 13 and engaging convex part 21 as shown in FIG. 8, and therefore when the circuit board 20 is finally fixed to the cabinet 2, it is possible to regulate the power button 10 so as to move at a predetermined position along the guide ribs 4 so that the operation section 11 of the power button 10 moves by an amount corresponding to the gap S with respect to the hole 3 and is not deviated from the predetermined position. In the condition shown in FIG. 5, when the power button 10 attached to the cabinet 2 is pressed and operated, the base 15 of the power button 10 moves smoothly sliding along the guide ribs 4 of the cabinet 2, preventing operational trouble such as the power button 10 being caught in the middle of the guide ribs 4.
As described above, according to this embodiment, the hole 3 is formed in the cabinet 2 of the television receiver 1 which is an electronic apparatus, the power button 10 provided with the operation section 11 is inserted into the hole 3 from the inside of this cabinet 2 and disposed so as to protrude outward, the engaging concave part 13 is provided integral with this power button 10, the engaging convex part 21 for operating the switch 12 which turns ON/OFF power of the television receiver 1 is inserted into the engaging concave part 13, the gap S is provided between the engaging convex part 21 and engaging concave part 13, the engaging projection 14 provided in the switch 12 is engaged with the engaging part 22 provided in the power button 10 and in this way the power button 10 is attached to the switch 12. Since the engaging projection 14 of the switch 12 is engaged with the hole-shaped engaging part 22 of the power button 10 with the engaging concave part 13 of the power button 10 engaged with the engaging convex part 21 of the switch 12, it is possible to prevent the engaging convex part 21 from coming off the engaging concave part 13 and prevent the power button 10 from coming off the switch 12 and dropping and the provision of the gap S between the engaging convex part 21 and engaging concave part 13 allows the power button 10 to be moved by an amount corresponding to the gap S. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, when the body 12A of the switch 12 is fixed at a predetermined position with the operation section 11 inserted in the hole 3 of the cabinet 2 or even when the cabinet 2 or circuit board 20 or both of these members include dimensional errors or the like, it is possible to prevent part of the power button from digging into the cabinet and interfering with smooth back and forth movement of the power button and prevent malfunction accompanied by operational trouble as in the case of the conventional art, and thereby provide the television receiver 1 which reduces malfunction to a minimum degree.
Furthermore, the engaging convex part 21 has a prismatic shape and the engaging convex part 21 is engaged with the engaging concave part 13 having a width diameter slightly larger than the width diameter W of this prismatic engaging convex part 21 or having substantially the same shape. By forming the engaging concave part 13 and the engaging convex part 21 into the same shape or substantially the same prismatic shape, it is possible to regulate the power button 10 so as not to turn with respect to the switch 12.
Furthermore, the power button 10 is provided with a collar-shaped base 15 which serves as a base, the outer perimeter 15A of this base 15 is engaged with the plurality of guide ribs 4 formed in the cabinet 2 in a freely slidable manner and when the power button 10 is attached to the cabinet 2 with the operation section 11 inserted into the hole 3 of the cabinet 2, the direction in which the power button 10 moves back and forth when the operation section 11 is operated is regulated by the guide ribs 4, and therefore by engaging the outer perimeter 15A of the base 15 with the guide ribs 4 in a freely slidable manner when the power button 10 is operated in the condition shown in FIG. 5, the power button 10 which can slightly move between the engaging convex part 21 and engaging concave part 13 by an amount corresponding to the gap S can smoothly move in the horizontal direction which is a predetermined moving direction sliding along the guide ribs 4 without rattling.
The embodiment of the present invention has been explained in detail so far, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment and can be implemented modified in various ways within a range without departing from the essence of the present invention. In this embodiment, the engaging concave part 13 and the corresponding engaging convex part 21 are formed into a prismatic shape having a square cross section, but the shape is not particularly limited to that shape and any shape having a cross section such as a triangle, pentagon or hexagon instead of square can be selected if it allows the turning of the power button 10 to be regulated with respect to the switch 12.
The electronic apparatus comprising a power button according to claim 1 of the present invention is an electronic apparatus comprising a power button having an operation section, which is inserted from an inside of a cabinet into a hole formed in the cabinet of the electronic apparatus and arranged so as to protrude outward, wherein an engaging concave part is provided at a back of the power button integrated therewith, an engaging convex part for operating a switch for turning ON/OFF power of the electronic apparatus provided inside the cabinet is inserted into the engaging concave part, a gap is provided between the engaging convex part and engaging concave part, an engaging projection provided in the switch is engaged with an engaging part provided in the power button and the power button is attached to the switch, and can thereby prevent the power button from coming off the switch, improve the efficiency of mounting work, allow the power button to move in a predetermined direction even when there are dimensional errors in members such as the cabinet and prevent malfunction of the electronic apparatus.
The electronic apparatus comprising a power button according to claim 2 of the present invention is the electronic apparatus comprising a power button according to claim 1, wherein the engaging convex part is formed into a prismatic shape and the engaging convex part is engaged with an engaging concave part having a width diameter slightly larger than a width diameter of the prismatic engaging convex part and having substantially the same shape as the engaging convex part, and can thereby regulate the turning of the power button and arrange the power button so as not to deviate from a predetermined position.
The electronic apparatus comprising a power button according to claim 3 of the present invention is the electronic apparatus comprising a power button according to claim 2, wherein the power button is provided with a collar-shaped base which serves as a base, an outer perimeter of the base is engaged with a plurality of guide ribs formed in the cabinet in a freely slidable manner and when the power button is mounted in the cabinet with the operation section inserted in the hole, the plurality of guide ribs regulate a direction in which the power button moves back and forth when the operation section is operated, and can thereby allow the power button capable of slightly moving between the engaging convex part and engaging concave part by an amount corresponding to the gap to move in a predetermined direction when the power button is operated.

Claims

An electronic apparatus comprising a power button having an operation section, which is inserted from an inside of a cabinet into a hole formed in said cabinet of the electronic apparatus and arranged so as to protrude outward, wherein an engaging concave part is provided at a back of said power button integrated therewith, an engaging convex part for operating a switch for turning ON/OFF power of said electronic apparatus provided inside said cabinet is inserted into said engaging concave part, a gap is provided between said engaging convex part and engaging concave part, an engaging projection provided in said switch is engaged with an engaging part provided in said power button and said power button is attached to said switch.
The electronic apparatus provided with a power button according to claim 1, wherein said engaging convex part is formed into a prismatic shape and said engaging convex part is engaged with an engaging concave part having a width diameter slightly larger than a width diameter of the prismatic engaging convex part and having substantially the same shape as said engaging convex part.
The electronic apparatus provided with a power button according to claim 2, wherein said power button is provided with a collar-shaped base which serves as a base, an outer perimeter of the base is engaged with a plurality of guide ribs formed in said cabinet in a freely slidable manner and when said power button is mounted in said cabinet with said operation section inserted in said hole, said plurality of guide ribs regulate a direction in which said power button moves back and forth when said operation section is operated.