GB2350932A

GB2350932A - Film-type switch

Info

Publication number: GB2350932A
Application number: GB9913163A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mei-Chu Lui
Original assignee: LUI MEI CHU
Current assignee: LUI MEI CHU
Priority date: 1999-06-08
Filing date: 1999-06-08
Publication date: 2000-12-13
Also published as: GB9913163D0

Abstract

The switch includes two thin and flexible sheet members 11 laminated to form an integral film-like lamination, two layers of conductive films 12 separately provided at inner surfaces of the sheet members, and an isolating means 14 having discrete thickness and evenly distributed open areas 15 located between the two layers of conductive films. The switch is mounted in an outer body made of material having good elasticity and restoring force, such that the switch and the outer body may deform at the same time under external forces, the deformation causing one of the two conductive films to contact with the other conductive film via the open areas distributed over the intermediate isolating means and actuating other electronic devices in the outer shell to function, such as giving out sound and/or light. Restoration of the outer body immediately breaks the contact to disable the electronic devices.

Description

2350932 A FILM-TYPE SWITCH The present invention relates to a film-type

switch, and more particularly to a film-type switch that shall make a circuit whenever it is deformed under an external force applied on it. 10 There are various kinds of switches particularly designed for invisibly mounted in toys, so that players may actuate the toys by making the switches in different and novel manners. An example of such novel switches is the mercury switch that is sealed in a shaped outer body. Whenever the 15 outer body is moved in any manner, the mercury switch inside the outer body shall make due to the fluidity of the mercury. Another example is the impact switch that is usually sealed in a shaped outer body, too. When the outer body collides with something or suddenly stops during moving, the impact 20 switch inside the outer body shall make as a result of inertia effect. A further example is the sound-control switch that shall easily make at a certain predetermined music or simply a sound produced by clapping hands. When these novel switches are turned on, they immediately cause 25 a circuit in the outer body to make, so that sound and/or light are given out from the outer body to produce good entertaining effect. Among various kinds of toys, there is one made of soft and 30 flexible material, such as foamed PU plastic material. The flexibility of the foamed PUmaterial allows it to be molded 2 into different and interesting shapes for a player to toy with.. A toy made of such flexible foamed PU material may be arbitrarily beaten, compressed, twisted or treated in any other manner without preventing it from restoring its original shape when the external force applied on the toy is removed. Since such flexible toys usually have differently and irregularly shaped appearances, it is desirable to have a switch suitable for mounting inside such f lexible toys and being turned on to actuate other functions designed for the toys whenever the toys are deformed under external forces, such as twisting, bending and compressing forces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a f ilm-type switch that is mounted in a soft and flexible toy, such that whenever the toy and accordingly the film-type switch are deformed under an external force, the film-type switch easily becomes on to make a circuit in the toy, allowing the toy to show other functions designed for it.

The film-type switch according to the present invention mainly includes two thin and flexible sheet members laminated to form an integral film-like lamination. The two sheet members are provided at their inner surfaces facing each other with a layer of conductive film each, and an isolating means in proper thickness and having evenly distributed open areas is provided between the two layers of conductive films. When the lamination forming the film-type switch deforms due to external forces applied on 3 it in one or more directions, a difference in bending angles of the two sheet members shall cause the conductive film on one of the sheet members to contact with the conductive film on the other sheet member via the open areas distributed over the intermediate isolating means and therefore forms a close circuit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, sectional view of a film-type switch according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective of the f ilm-type switch of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective of a film-type switch according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a perspective of the film-type switch of Fig. 2 in a bent state; Fig. 5 is a perspective of the filmtype switch of Fig. 2 in a locally compressed and deformed state; Fig. 6 is a perspective of the film-type switch of Fig. 2 in a twisted state; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, exploded, sectional view of a film-type switch according to a third embodiment of the present invention having a differently structured 4 isolating means; Fig. 8 is a front view of a film-type switch according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; 5 Fig. 9 is an exploded sectional view of a film-type switch according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention having another differently structured isolating means; I Fig. 10 exemplifies a first application of the film-type switch of the present invention; Fig. 11 exemplifies a second application of the film-type switch of the present invention; Fig. 12 exemplifies a third application of the film-type' switch of the present invention; and Fig. 13 exemplifies a fourth application of the film-type switch of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to Figs. 1 and 2, in which a f ilm-type switch 10 according to the present invention is shown. The film-type switch 10 mainly includes two thin and flexible sheet members 11 laminated to form an integral film-like lamination 10. The two sheet members 11 are provided at their inner surfaces facing one another with a layer of conductive film 12 each. The conductive film 12 each has an outward projected pin 13 connected thereto for electrically connecting to external circuits. An isolating means 14 having evenly distributed open areas 15 is provided between the two layers of conductive films 12.

The isolating means 14 may be a layer of insulating varnish in proper thickness directly applied on the surface of one of the two conductive films 12. There is not insulating material at the open areas 15 to isolate the two layers of conductive films 12 from one another. It is preferable the open areas 15 are evenly distributed over the isolating means 14 to enable even distribution of pressure over inner surfaces of the flexible sheet members 11 when they are laminated, and to enable high sensitiveness of the whole lamination 10 to external force applied on it.

The film-type switch 10 illustrated in Fig. 2 has an isolating means 14 with spaced and longitudinally extended' open areas 15. Since the flexible sheet members 11 may be made of transparent plastic material, such as a film, the sheet members 11 in all the illustrated figures are shown as such transparent film. It is to be noted there is not any limitation to the shape and/or sizes of the lamination 10. As shown in Fig. 3, the lamination 10 may be formed from two circular flexible sheet members 11. The circular sheet members 11 are also provided at their inner sides with conducting layers 14 that have two pins 13 connected thereto and are separated from one another by an isolating means 14.- Open areas 15 on the isolating means 14 of Fig. 3 are in the form of multiple spaced concentric circles.

Please now refer to Figs. 4, 5, and 6. When the lamination is subjected to different types of external forces, such 6 as bending, compressing and/or twisting forces,its original straight shape is deformed. At,this point, areas of the two laminated sheet members 11 at the deformed position shall have the same radian but dif f erent arc length, because one of the two laminated sheet members 11 located at inner side of the bent, compressed, or twisted lamination shall have an arc length shorter than that of the other sheet member 11 at outer side. Difference in the arc lengths of the two laminated sheet members 11 at the deformed position results in differential angles, forcing the sheet member 11 at inner side of the deformed lamination to approach to the other sheet member 11. Theconductive film 12 on the sheet member 11 at inner side of the deformed lamination 10 shall therefore exceed open areas 15 of the isolatingmeans 14 at the deformed position and contact with the conductive film 12 on the other sheet member 11. When the two conductive films 12 contact with one another, the whole lamination 10, that is, the film-type switch 10, is immediately in a making state. Any other electronic devices connected to the pins 13, such as sound producer and/or light emitter, shall be actuated at the same time.

Fig. 7 illustrates another lamination 20 that is structurally and functionally similar to the lamination 10.

As shown, the lamination 20 includes two flexible sheet members 21, conductive films 22 spread over inner surfaces of the two sheet members 21, two pins 23 separately connected to the conductive f ilms 22, and an isolating means 24 located between the two sheet members 21. Thelamination 20 is dif f erent f rom the lamination 10 in that the isolating means 24 includes a plurality of small protuberances 7 directly formed and evenly distributed on an inner surface of one of the two sheet members 21. These small protuberances are not coated with the conductive film 22.

The evenly distributed small protuberances 24 on one of the sheet members 21 allow that sheet member 21 having the protuberances 24 to apply even pressure against the other sheet member 21 and be tightly attached to the other sheet member 21 to form a unitary body.

Fig. 8 illustrates a further lamination 40 that is also structurally and functionally similar to the laminations and 20, except that the lamination 40 is enclosed and sealed in a cover 50 by means of heating seal of the cover and pins 43 connected to the lamination 40 are in the form of enameled wires, making the whole lamination 40 a watertight film-type switch.

Fig. 9 illustrates a still further lamination 30 that is also structurally and functionally similar to the laminations 10 and 20 and includes two flexible sheet members 31, conductive films 32 separately spread on inner surfaces of the sheet members 31, pins 33 separately connected to the conductive f ilms 32, and an isolating means 34 located between the two sheet members 31. Thelamination is different from the laminations 10 and 20 in that the isolating means 34 is a single sheet member having a plurality of open areas 35 in the form of through holes.

Figs. 10, 11, 12, and 13 exemplify the application of the film-type switch of the present invention in different manners. In these drawings, the film-type switches are 8 denoted by reference numeral 10 However, it is understood that.other embodiments of the film-type switch 10 described herein above, that is, laminations 20, 30 and 40, may be used to replace the film-type switch 10 in any of these applications. The lamination 10 forming the film-type switch of the present invention maybe made into different shape and size depending on the shape and size of an article within which the film-type switch is mounted. The f ilm-type switch 10 is usually mounted in an article 50 that is preferably made of soft and flexible material and therefore has excellent elasticity and restoring force to resist deformation caused by external force applied on it.

The article 50 is not necessarily limited to a fixed shape, or size. One or more film-type switches 10 according to the present invention may be arranged in the molds for forming the article 50 at a position or positions depending' on actual need, so that the film-type switches 10 and the article 50 are molded at the same time to form an integral body. However, it is preferable the film-type switch 10 is located below and near outer surface of the article 50.

When there is more than one film-type switch 10 buried in the article 50, they may be connected to the same one electronic device 60 by means of conductors. The film type switch of the present invention is tested and proven to be highly sensitive and is very suitable for mounting within soft toys at different areas, such as at the legs and nose of the toy bear shown in Fig. 13.

9

Claims

1. A f ilm-type switch comprising two thin and flexible sheet members laminated to form an integral film-like lamination, said two sheet members being provided at inner surfaces facing one another with a layer of conductive film each, said conductive film each hav"ing an outward projected pin connected thereto for electrically connecting to external circuits, said conductive films being separated from one another by an isolating means that is located between said two layers of conductive films and has evenly distributed open areas prov. ided thereon, whereby when s aid f i lm- 1 i ke 1 aminat ion is not subjected to any external force and is therefore in a flat state, said two layers of conductive films are not in contact with one another and the film-type switch' is in a break state, and when said film-like lamination is subjected to any external force and deformed, portions of said conductive film of one of said flexible sheet members at the deformed position are forced to exceed open areas of said isolating means to contact with said conductive film on the other said sheet member, so that said film-type switch is in a make state.

2. A film-type switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flexible sheet members have not limitation in their shape and size that can be changed depending on actual need.

3. A, film-type switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flexible sheet members can be made of soft and flexible plastic material such as films.

4. A film-type switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein said isolating means is a layer of insulating varnish painted over one of said two layers of conductive f ilms and having evenly distributed areas that are not painted with said insulating varnish.

5. A film-type switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein said isolating means is a single sheet member made of insulating material and having through holes evenly distributed thereon.

6. A film-type switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein said isolating means includes a plurality of small protuberances directly formed and evenly distributed on one of said two flexible sheet members, and said conductive film on said flexible sheet member having said small protuberances is not applied on said small protuberances.

7. A film-type switch as claimed in 1, wherein said film-like lamination is sealed in an outer shell made of flexible material having good elasticity and restoring force, such that said film-like lamination and said outer shell deform at the same time under external forces to make said film-type switch, and said film like lamination and said outer shell shall restore their original shape due to the elasticity and restoring force of said outer shell and therefore break said film-type switch.

8. A film-type switch substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any one of the accompanying drawings.