ES2224867A1 - Electric push-button switch has resistance element for providing initial resistance force for movement of spring contact arm acted on by switch operating element - Google Patents

Abstract

The push-button switch has an operating element (1) displaced within a guide (4) between a normal position and a switching position, for displacement of a spring contact arm (7) against a spring bias, for contacting a current circuit switch contact (14). The spring contact arm is displaced during the first part of its movement against a resistance force provided by a resistance element (17) in the form of an angled ramp engaging the free end (16) of the spring contact arm, with resistance-free movement during the second part of its movement path.

Description

Button.

The invention relates to a button with a drive element that is mounted on a guide and alternates between a normal position and a contact position, so that, when passing said element from the normal position to that of contact, a contact arm provided with a spring and rotating in around a fulcrum moves against the force of the spring until you touch a contact element and thus close a electrical circuit.

Known push buttons of this type feature the inconvenience that, when activated, the user does not receive confirmation of whether the drive element has moved or not to the contact position and has closed the circuit.

Therefore, the invention aims to create a button of the type mentioned above that generates a signal of confirmation when the drive element moves to its contact position

To achieve this purpose, the invention proposes that, in the first part of the route that takes you from the position normal to the contact position, the elastic contact arm have to overcome the force exerted by an element of resistance, and in the second part of that route, move freely until The contact element.

Thus, in addition to the force necessary to move the contact arm provided with a spring, the user of the button must exert an additional force that overcomes resistance of the element of resistance. At the end of the first part of the path, this additional force is no longer necessary and the user only has to exert the essential force to move The contact arm. However, as the user cannot react to this sudden reduction in resistance level, continues to exert the same force on the element of drive until the contact arm touches the element of contact, which guarantees the closing of the electrical circuit.

The sudden drop in resistance level provides the user with a tactile signal that confirms that the button has established the contact.

Also, when the contact arm collides against the contact element you hear a click that also Confirm to the user that the contact has been established.

As the element of resistance consists of a inclined plane leading to the contact element, of so that the free end of the elastic contact arm is move along said plane, no other is required mobile component to generate the touch signal and the audible signal. From This mode, the button design is simple and requires few components.

So that the linear contact between the plane inclined and the contact arm experience minimal friction possible and also the contact surface is small, circumstances that increase contact security, the end free of the contact arm is curved and protrudes forming a angle with the contact element, so that that curved area constitutes the contact area that rests on the element of Contact.

To save space, the inclined plane can be more or less perpendicular to the contact arm, so that this experience additional lateral deviation when moving to along said plane.

How the contact arm can move freely to the contact element after reaching the end of the inclined plane closest to said contact, the reduction sudden of the level of force needed is achieved in a way simple.

To ensure the closing of the electrical circuit, The contact element consists of a plate.

To connect it to the electrical circuit, said Switching plate can incorporate a plug-in contact.

In a simple version based on few pieces, the contact arm is one of the two arms of a spring, while the other is a fixed support arm. Spring contact has one or more turns at the junction with the arm of support and is arranged in the same plane or in a plane parallel to the tilt plane of the contact arm, so that the deflection force of the contact arm, which is the force that you have to win, it is generated in the turns.

To provide support and a simple seat to contact arm, a fixed stump can be incorporated that passes between the turns of the contact spring and serve as a fulcrum.

If the free end of the support arm forms a plug-in contact that connects to the electrical circuit, is not requires no other additional parts.

For the structure to be simple and require few parts, the drive element guide and / or the plane inclined and / or a support of the contact element and / or an element support arm support and / or arm support point of Contact is a one-piece plastic component, manufactured preferably by injection molding.

A more detailed description is given below. example of the invention referring to the drawings attachments:

Fig. 1 perspective view of a button,

Fig. 2 front view of the button in fig. one,

Fig. 3 side view of the button in fig. one,

Fig. 4 exploded view in perspective of the button in fig. one,

Fig. 5 extension of detail "X" of fig. one

Fig. 6 enlarging a side view of the detail "X" of fig. 1, and

Fig. 7 schematic representation of the movement of the free end of the contact arm.

The button shown has an element of drive 1 integrated by a guide rod 2 and a button 3 on the upper end

The part of the rod 2 opposite the button 3 is axially displaces inside a guide 4 that is inside a box 5. At the end that penetrates the guide 4, opposite button 3, the rod 2 has an open slot 6. He contact arm 7, after the user has overcome the force of the spring, turn until it touches the bottom of that slot. The contact arm 7 is  one of the arms of a contact spring 8 whose other arm is a support arm 9. At the junction of the contact arm 7 with the arm of support 9, the contact spring 8 has three turns 10. A fixed stump 20 passes between the turns 10 and serves as a support point of the contact spring 8 and, consequently, of the arm of contact 7.

The support arm 9 forms an almost right angle with the contact arm 7 and goes through a recess in the bottom of the box 5. The end of the support arm 9 protruding of the box 5 serves as a plug-in contact.

In guide 4 of box 5 there is a window to through which the contact arm 7 comes out, whose free end 16 is curved at an angle of approximately 90 ° with with respect to the contact arm 7, the curved part being the area of contact 13 that touches a contact element.

In the normal resting position of the button, no reproduced in the figures, the contact zone 13 is separated from the plate 14 constituting the contact element. From this plate, firmly attached to the bottom of box 5, a plug-in contact 15.

By hand pressing button 3, the item of drive 1 penetrates guide 4. Then, the bottom of the slot 6 pushes the contact arm 7, whose free end, together with contact zone 13, turn in the direction of the contact 14. When this movement takes place, turns 10 of the contact spring tense and generate a force contrary to the driving force

In the first part of its journey, the end free 16 of the contact arm 7 touches an inclined plane 17 arranged approximately transverse to the axis Longitudinal contact arm 7.

When the contact arm 7 deviates laterally, its free end 16 slides along the longitudinal plane 17, which is inclined towards contact plate 14, until it reaches the end and thus complete the first part of your tour. This movement corresponds in Fig. 7 to the arrow that goes from point a to point b.

The lateral deviation of the contact arm 7 is made possible by the V-shape of the side walls of the slot 6.

The inclined plane 17 in a wall 18 of the box 5 is extended with a flange 19 that reaches the bottom of the box 5. Thus, when the contact arm 7 reaches the end lower of said inclined plane 17, the contact area 13 can move freely down until you touch plate 14, so that happens to the contact position. This movement corresponds to Fig. 7 to the arrow from point b to point c. In the second part of the travel of the contact arm 7 there is no longer the resistance that opposed the inclined plane 17, so that the area contact touches contact plate 14 and produces a click audible.

Claims (11)

1. Push button with a drive element that is mounted on a guide and alternates between a normal position and a contact position, so that, when said element passes from the normal position to the contact position, a contact arm provided with a spring and tilting on a support point, moves against the force of the spring until it touches a contact element and thus closes an electrical circuit, characterized by overcoming said contact arm (7) the force exerted by a resistance element in the first part of the route that takes it from the normal position to the contact position, and by freely moving until it touches the contact element in the second part of that route. 2. Button according to claim 1, characterized in that the resistance element consists of an inclined plane (17) leading towards the contact element, so that the free end (16) of the contact arm (7) moves as along said plane. 3. Button according to claim 2, characterized in that the free end (16) of the contact arm (7) is curved and protrudes at an angle with the contact element, so that that curved area constitutes the contact area (13) which rests on the contact element. 4. Button according to one of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that it is the inclined plane (15) more or less perpendicular to the contact arm (7). 5. Button according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the contact arm (7) moves freely to the contact element after reaching the end of the plane (15) closest to said contact. 6. Button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact element consists of a plate (14). 7. Button according to claim 6, characterized in that the contact plate (14) incorporates a plug-in contact (15) to connect to the electrical circuit. 8. Button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact arm (7) is one of the two arms of a contact spring (8), while the other is a fixed support arm (9), presenting the contact spring (8) one or more turns (10) at the junction of the contact arm (7) with the support arm (9) and being arranged in the same plane or in a plane parallel to the tilt plane of the arm of contact (7). 9. Button according to claim 8, characterized in that it has a fixed stump (20) that passes between the turns (10) of the contact spring (8) and serves as a support point for the contact arm (7). 10. Button according to one of claims 8 and 9, characterized in that the free end of the support arm (9) forms a plug-in contact (11) that connects to the electrical circuit. 11. Button according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is the guide (4) of the drive element (1) and / or the inclined plane (17) and / or a support of the contact element and / or a support element of the support arm (9) and / or the support point of the contact arm (7) a one-piece component, especially plastic.