JP2000100274A - Push button switch for vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To replace only a lens at the time of the refurbishment of a vending machine to reduce a refurbishment cost by providing the lens to radiate the light guided by a light guiding member to the outside and by composing a push button switch in a manner that allows the lens to be taken out from a lens hole to the outside when the engaging relationship with an elastic cover is canceled. SOLUTION: This push button switch for a vending machine is so composed that the periphery of a lens 11 is formed into a flat shape so as to prevent the lens 11 from engaging with a case 12, and a recessed part 11b of the lens 11 prevents the slip off of the lens 11 integral with a reflective case 8 while compressing a silicone cover 9 between the reflective case 8 and itself. In the case that the lens 11 is dirty when the vending machine is refurbished, a part of the periphery of the lens 11 is held and pulled with a special lens replacing tool 13 such as pincers to slip off the lens 11 from the silicone cover, and a new lens 11 is pushed onto the silicone cover 9.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a push button switch for a vending machine, and more particularly to a push button switch for a vending machine in which only a lens can be replaced at the time of renewal of the vending machine to reduce renewal cost.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 6 and 7 show a conventional push button switch for a vending machine, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional top view, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line A. This vending machine push button switch
An insertion portion 4 is passed through an insertion hole (not shown) of a front panel (not shown) of the vending machine, and the packing 2 prevents the water from invading the inside of the vending machine from the rear surface of the front panel to the base 1. It is fixed through screws. When the purchaser inserts a predetermined coin into the vending machine, the LED 7a (can be sold) mounted on the circuit board 5 together with the circuit element 6 and the like is turned on. On the other hand, when the sold product is sold out, the circuit board 5
The LED 7b (sold out) mounted above lights up. LE
The light of D7a or 7b passes through the light passage hole 8b of the reflect case 8, and is radiated to the outside through the silicon cover 9, the name plate 10, and the lens 11 while being reflected by the reflective surface 8a. Name plate 10 is LED7
There are display patterns (sellable and sold out) that transmit light at positions corresponding to a and 7b. When the LED 7a is turned on and the product is available for sale, when the purchaser presses the lens 11, the silicon cover 9 is compressed and deformed, and the switch 9a turns on a switch (not shown) of the circuit board 5 to sell the product for sale. It is carried out to the mouth. The lens 11 is exposed from the opening of the case 12 so that it does not come off when the engaging portion 12a of the case 12 is engaged with the engaging portion 11a. Etc. are protected in a watertight manner. The connector 3 is connected to an internal control unit (microcomputer chip).

[0003]

However, according to the conventional vending machine push button switch, when the vending machine is renewed, if the lens is dirty, it is replaced with a new vending machine push button switch. , Renewal costs were increasing.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine push button switch that allows only a lens to be replaced at the time of renewal of the vending machine, thereby reducing renewal costs.

[0005]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a predetermined space is formed between the two by fixing a case having a lens hole to a base, and a switch is provided in the space. A circuit board on which the light emitting element is mounted, an elastic cover for watertightly protecting the circuit board, a light guide member for guiding the light of the light emitting element, and the elastic cover exposed from the lens hole and not pressed. A position where the switch is turned off by the elastic force of the elastic member, when pressed, the elastic cover is compressed to turn on the switch, and a lens that emits light guided by the light guide member to the outside is provided. The lens provides a vending machine push button switch configured to be detachable from the lens hole when the engagement with the elastic cover is released.

[0006] It is preferable that the lens is configured so that the engagement relationship is maintained by compression fitting the elastic cover with the light guide member, and the lens can be pulled out by a tool.

It is preferable that the lens is configured to maintain the engagement relationship by being bonded to the elastic cover, and to be separated from the elastic cover by injecting a release agent.

[0008] The lens maintains the engagement relationship by being fixed to the light guide member with a screw screwed by a special driver via the elastic cover,
It is preferable that the screw can be removed by releasing the screwing by the special driver.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A push button switch for a vending machine according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a push button switch for a vending machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a top sectional view, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. . In these figures, the same parts as those in FIGS. 6 and 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals and symbols, and duplicate description will be omitted. In this vending machine push button switch, the lens 11 and the case 12 are prevented from engaging with each other by forming the periphery of the lens 11 in a flat shape, and the concave portion 11b of the lens 11 The structure is such that the lens 11 is prevented from coming off integrally with the reflect case 8 while compressing between them.

FIG. 3 shows a sectional structure of the reflective case 8 and the lens 11 without the silicon cover 9.
The reflect case 8 and the lens 11 are each formed in a predetermined size such that a gap t ₁ between the periphery of the reflect case 8 and the periphery of the concave portion 11b of the lens 11 is set to, for example, 0.45 mm. .

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional structure of the silicon cover 9 before the assembly. After the assembly, the thickness t _{2 of the} portion located between the peripheral edge of the reflective case 8 and the peripheral edge of the concave portion 11 b of the lens 11 is, for example, It is set to 0.6 mm.
Therefore, when the concave portion 11b of the lens 11 is engaged with the reflect case 8 via the silicon cover 9 and assembled,
This portion is compressed by about 0.15 mm, and the compression fitting force prevents the lens 11 from coming off.

FIG. 5 shows when the lens 11 is replaced. If the lens is dirty when the vending machine is renewed, the case 1 is replaced with a special lens replacement tool 13 such as pliers.
The lens 11 is pulled out by grasping a part of the periphery of the lens 11 exposed from 2 and pulling the lens 11 out of the silicon cover 9. Thereafter, the new lens 11 is pushed onto the silicon cover 9 using the lens replacement tool 13, and is compression-fitted and fixed with the reflect case 8.

As described above, since the concave portion 11b of the lens 11 is engaged with the reflect case 8 while compressing the silicon cover 9, the lens 11 is prevented from coming off due to the compression fitting force of the silicon cover 9, so that the exclusive lens is formed. Since the lens 11 can be removed only by the removal tool 13, only the lens can be replaced at the time of renewal of the vending machine, and the renewal cost can be reduced. Further, when the silicon cover 9 having a thickness t ₂ of 0.6 mm is compressed to 0.45 mm, the lens 11 cannot be removed without the lens replacement tool 13, thereby preventing mischief.

[0015]

As described above, according to the push button switch for a vending machine of the present invention, the lens is prevented from coming off by the compression fitting force for compressing the elastic cover and can be pulled out by the tool. Therefore, only the lens can be replaced at the time of renewal of the vending machine, and the renewal cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a push button switch for a vending machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the reflect case and the lens according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the silicon cover before assembly according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the lens according to the first embodiment at the time of replacement.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a conventional push button switch for a vending machine.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 6;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Base 2 Packing 3 Connector 4 Insertion part 5 Circuit board 6 Circuit element 7a, 7b LED 8 Reflect case 8a Reflect surface 8b Light passage hole 9 Silicon cover 9a Switch 10 Name plate 11 Lens 11a Engagement part 11b Recess 12 Case 12a Engage Part 13 Tool for lens exchange

Claims (4)

[Claims] A case having a lens hole is fixed to a base to form a predetermined space therebetween, and a circuit board on which a switch and a light emitting element are mounted in the space, and the circuit board is watertight. An elastic cover that protects the light emitting element, a light guide member that guides the light of the light emitting element, and a switch that is exposed from the lens hole and is turned off by the elastic force of the elastic cover when not pressed. When the switch is turned on by compressing the elastic cover, a lens that emits light guided by the light guide member to the outside is provided, and the lens is released from the engagement with the elastic cover. A push button switch for a vending machine, wherein the push button switch is configured to be detachable from the lens hole to the outside. 2. A push button switch for a vending machine, wherein the lens maintains the engaging relationship by compression fitting the elastic cover between the lens and the light guide member and can be pulled out by a tool. 3. A push-button switch for a vending machine, wherein the lens maintains the engagement by being bonded to the elastic cover, and is separated from the elastic cover by injection of a release agent. 4. The lens is maintained in the engagement relationship by being fixed to the light guide member by a screw screwed by a special driver via the elastic cover, and the screwing is released by the special driver. Push button switch for vending machines that can be pulled out by being removed.