JP2001035318A - Multidirectional rubber switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multidirectional rubber switch which does not give sense of incongruity for pressing down operation, and which operate surely. SOLUTION: A multidirectional rubber switch is constituted, such that multiple fixed contacts 4 are provided in four directions or two directions of a cross shape on the surface of an operation board 3 beneath an operation panel 1, a push button part 6 is provided to entirely cover over the multiple fixed contacts 4, multiple movable contacts 7 opposed to the multiple fixed contacts 4 on the bottom surface of the push-button part 6, and a support shaft 11 which protrudes downward at the center of the multiple movable contacts 7, and comes into contact with the surface of the operation board 3 to serve as a fulcrum for the swing motion of the push button part 6, an elastically holding thin part 9 is provided on a peripheral of the push-button part 6, and a key top 10 protruding from an opening hole 2 on the operation panel 1 is provided on a top part of the push-button part 6. The support shaft 11 and the key top 10 are formed integrally with a hard material. A fitting hole 8 is formed at the center of the push-button part 6 to insert and fitted the support shaft 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multidirectional rubber switch, and more particularly, to a configuration of a push button portion and a support shaft serving as a fulcrum where the push button portion tilts.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional multidirectional rubber switch is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, fixed contacts 4 are arranged in the four directions of the cross on the surface of the operation board 3 below the operation panel 1, and a push button portion 6 is arranged so as to cover the entire upper part of the four fixed contacts 4. Four movable contacts 7 opposed to the fixed contact 4 on the lower surface of the push button portion 6, project downward downward at the center of the four movable contacts 7, contact the surface of the operation board 3, and tilt the push button portion 6. A support shaft 11 serving as a fulcrum is provided, an elastic holding thin portion 9 is provided on the outer periphery of the push button portion 6, and a key protruding from the opening 2 of the operation panel 1 above the push button portion 9. The push button portion 6, the movable contact 7, the support shaft 11, and the elastic holding thin portion 9 are integrally formed of a rubber elastic material such as silicon rubber. Was. The above configuration operates as follows. When the portion where the movable contact 7 on the side of the key top 10 to be conducted is disposed is pressed, the support shaft 11 is pressed.
The push button 6 is tilted with the tip of the as a fulcrum, and the movable contact 7 on the side to be brought into contact with the fixed contact 4 is brought into conduction.

[0003]

However, in the above configuration, since the support shaft is a rubber elastic member such as silicon rubber, a part of the force for pressing the key top acts on the support shaft and the support shaft is pressed. Buckled, causing a sense of incongruity in the feeling of depressing the key top, and in the worst case, unintended contacts may become conductive. In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a multidirectional rubber switch that operates reliably without a sense of incongruity in a push-down operation.

[0004]

According to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a plurality of fixed contacts are provided on a surface of an operation board below an operation panel in four directions or two directions in a cross shape. Arrange the push button part to cover the whole upper part,
A plurality of movable contacts facing the plurality of fixed contacts on a lower surface of the push button portion, and a fulcrum where the push button portion is tilted by projecting downward at the center of the plurality of movable contacts and abutting on the operation board surface. A support shaft, an elastic holding thin portion on the outer periphery of the push button portion, and a key top projecting from an opening of the operation panel above the push button portion. In the flexible rubber switch, the support shaft and the key top are formed integrally with a hard material, and a fitting hole is formed in the center of the push button portion to insert and fit the support shaft. .

[0005] Further, the tip of the support shaft has a hemispherical shape.

Further, the fixed contact and the movable contact are provided only in two directions, and the tip end of the support shaft has a semi-cylindrical shape.

Further, a clearance is provided between the tip of the support shaft and the surface of the operation board.

The fitting between the support shaft and the fitting hole is tightly fitted.

Further, a flange is provided below the lower surface of the operation panel on the outer periphery of the key top.

In addition, the tip of the movable contact is inclined so that the inside is lowered.

Further, the elastic holding thin portion has a curved surface shape.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the embodiments of the present invention shown in FIGS. First, a first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described. Reference numeral 1 denotes an operation panel having an opening 2 formed therein, and 3 denotes a fixed contact 4 disposed below the operation panel 1 and extending in four directions of a cross.
Is disposed on the upper surface of the operation substrate 3, a rubber sheet made of a rubber elastic material such as silicon rubber, and 6 is disposed above the fixed contact 4 so as to face the fixed contact 4. A push button portion 10 having four movable contacts 7 on the lower surface, a fitting hole 8 formed in the center of the four movable contacts, and integrally formed on the outer periphery via the rubber sheet 5 and the elastic holding thin portion 9 is the same as the push button portion 10. A support shaft 11 disposed at the upper part of the push button portion 6 and protruding from the opening hole 2 and fitted into the fitting hole 8 by an interference fit, having a hemispherical tip and provided at the center of the lower surface; AB and the flange 12 provided on the outer periphery below the lower surface of
It is a key top integrally formed of a hard synthetic resin such as S (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene).

Next, the operation and effects of the above configuration will be described. When the portion of the key top 10 on which the movable contact 7 to be made conductive is pressed is pressed, the tip of the support shaft 11 becomes a fulcrum, and the push button portion 6 tilts, so that the side to be made conductive is formed. The movable contact 7 contacts the fixed contact 4 and becomes conductive. Since the support shaft 11 is formed integrally with the keytop 10 by a hard synthetic resin such as ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), a part of the force for pressing the keytop 10 is reduced by the support shaft 1.
Even if it acts on 1, the support shaft 11 does not buckle, preventing a sense of incongruity in pressing down the key top 10 and, in the worst case, preventing unintended contact from conducting. can do. By making the tip shape of the support shaft 11 hemispherical, the push button 6
Can be smoothly tilted in any of the four directions of the cross. By providing the clearance d between the tip of the support shaft 11 and the surface of the operation board 3, the dimensions of each part vary, and the elastic holding thin portion 9 originally holds the push button portion 6. The supporting shaft 11
Can be prevented from being lifted so that the tip of the elastic supporting member 3 sticks to the surface of the operation board 3, and an unreasonable load is applied to the elastic holding thin portion 9. Since the fitting between the support shaft 11 and the fitting hole 8 is a close fit, the fixing between the key top 10 and the push button portion 6 can be performed only by fitting. Things.

By providing a flange 12 below the lower surface of the operation panel 1 on the outer periphery of the key top 10,
It is possible to prevent the inside from being seen from the gap between the opening 2 and the key top 10 and to prevent the key top 10 from dropping upward from the opening 2. By inclining the tip of the movable contact 7 so that the inside is lowered, when the push button portion 6 is inclined to bring the movable contact 7 into contact with the fixed contact 4, the movable contact 7 can be brought into flat contact. Therefore, conduction can be ensured. By making the shape of the elastic holding thin portion 9 into a curved shape, when the push button portion 6 is tilted, the elastic holding thin portion 9 on the lifted side does not extend completely. Applying an unreasonable load to the thin portion 9 can be prevented.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3 will be described. The number of contacts and the tip shape of the support shaft are different from those of the first embodiment. The fixed contact 4 and the movable contact 7 are provided only in two directions, and the tip of the support shaft 11 is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape. Since the tip of the support shaft 11 has a semi-cylindrical shape, the push button portion 6 tilts only in two directions, so that the push button portion 6 can be reliably operated as a two-way seesaw switch.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A multidirectional rubber switch that operates reliably without any discomfort in the pressing operation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a first embodiment of a multidirectional rubber switch according to the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A is a plan view and FIG.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the multidirectional rubber switch according to the present invention, showing an operating state;

3A and 3B show a second embodiment of the multidirectional rubber switch according to the present invention, wherein FIG. 3A is a plan view and FIG. 3B is a sectional view.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional multidirectional rubber switch.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Operation panel 2 Opening hole 3 Operation board 4 Fixed contact 5 Rubber sheet 6 Push button part 7 Movable contact 8 Fitting hole 9 Elastic holding thin part 10 Key top 11 Support shaft 12 Flange d Clearance

Claims (8)

[Claims] A plurality of fixed contacts are disposed on the operation board surface below the operation panel in four directions or two directions in a cross shape, and a push button portion is disposed so as to cover the whole upper part of the plurality of fixed contacts. A plurality of movable contacts facing the plurality of fixed contacts on a lower surface of the push button portion, and a support projecting downward at the center of the plurality of movable contacts and abutting against the operation board surface to serve as a fulcrum where the push button portion tilts; A multi-directional structure in which a shaft is disposed, an elastic holding thin portion is disposed on the outer periphery of the push button portion, and a key top projecting from an opening of the operation panel is disposed above the push button portion. In the rubber switch, the support shaft and the key top are integrally formed of a hard material, and a fitting hole is formed in the center of the push button portion to insert and fit the support shaft. Multi-directional rubber switch. 2. The multidirectional rubber switch according to claim 1, wherein a tip end of said support shaft is formed in a hemispherical shape. 3. The multidirectional rubber switch according to claim 1, wherein the fixed contact and the movable contact are provided only in two directions, and a tip end of the support shaft has a semi-cylindrical shape. 4. The multidirectional rubber switch according to claim 1, wherein a clearance is provided between a tip of the support shaft and a surface of the operation board. 5. The multidirectional rubber switch according to claim 1, wherein the fitting between the support shaft and the fitting hole is made by an interference fit. 6. The multidirectional rubber switch according to claim 1, wherein a flange is provided below a lower surface of the operation panel on an outer periphery of the key top. 7. The multidirectional rubber switch according to claim 1, wherein a tip of the movable contact is inclined so that an inside thereof is lowered. 8. The multidirectional rubber switch according to claim 1, wherein the elastic holding thin portion has a curved shape.