JP2003059373A - Seesaw switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a seesaw switch capable of making the width of the whole switch compact. SOLUTION: Steel balls 123 move on movable pieces 53a, 53b, 55a, 55b, 57a, 57b by the oscillating operation of switch knobs 25, 27, 29. A movable contact is brought into contact with and separated from a fixed contact by oscillating the movable pieces 53a, 53b, 55a, 55b, 57a, 57b. The movable pieces 53a, 53b, 55a, 55b, 57a, 57b are made of a plate and detent grooves are formed in the edges of the movable pieces. The movable pieces 53a, 53b, 55a, 55b, 57a, 57b are erected upright to the switch knobs 25, 27, 29 so that the steel balls 123 abut on the detent grooves elastically.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a seesaw type switch used for a power window switch of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional seesaw-type switch is shown in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 3-20844.
There is one as shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view, and FIG. 11 is a sectional view.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a conventional seesaw-type switch 201 includes a terminal plate 203, a fixed terminal 205, and a fixed terminal 205.
207 and a common fixed terminal 209 are provided. A movable contact piece 211 is swingably supported by the common fixed terminal 209. Movable contacts 213 and 215 are provided at both ends of the movable contact piece 211. The movable contact piece 211
Is formed of a plate material and is arranged such that the plate surface faces upward. A pin 21 for moderation is formed on the upper surface of the movable contact piece 211.
7 is in contact. The pin 217 is accommodated in the sliding body 219 via the coil spring 221.

Therefore, when the sliding member 219 is moved to the state shown in FIG. 11 by operating the switch knob, one movable contact 2
13 contacts one of the fixed contacts 205, and the one fixed contact 205 and the common fixed contact 209 are electrically connected. or,
When the slide body 219 moves to the right side in FIG. 11 by operating the switch knob, the pin 217 moves to the right side of the common fixed contact 209 while sliding on the upper surface of the movable contact piece 211. By the movement of the pin 217, the movable contact piece 211 rotates clockwise in FIG. 11, and the other movable contact 215 comes into contact with the other fixed contact 207. As a result, conduction is established between the other fixed contact 207 and the common fixed contact 209.

In this way, the movable contact piece 211 is operated by the seesaw operation by operating the switch knob, and the movable contacts 213 and 215 are moved.
Can be brought into and out of contact with the fixed contacts 205 and 207.

[0006]

However, in the above structure, since the movable contact piece 211 is arranged with the plate surface facing upward, there is a limit to miniaturization in the switch width direction. . For this reason, when it is installed in a narrow portion such as an armrest where there is almost no room in the width direction due to the demand for securing a vehicle interior space, such as a power window switch of an automobile, there is a significant space disadvantage. .

An object of the present invention is to provide a seesaw-type switch which enables miniaturization in the switch width direction.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a movable contact having a fixed contact fixedly supported by a housing and a movable contact which is swingably supported on the housing side and is brought into contact with and separated from the fixed contact. One piece and a switch knob that is swingably supported by the housing and that is operated to move an elastic contact member that elastically contacts the movable piece, and the elastic contact member moves on the movable piece by the swing operation of the switch knob. In a seesaw-type switch that swings the movable piece to bring the movable contact into contact with and separates from the fixed contact, the movable piece is formed of a plate material, and a moderation groove is formed at an edge, and the elastic contact is made in the moderation groove. The movable piece is vertically arranged with respect to the housing so that the member elastically contacts.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the seesaw type switch according to the first aspect, the movable piece has a leg portion integrally provided by bending the plate material in an out-of-plane direction.
The movable contact is integrally provided at an end of the leg so as to be substantially orthogonal to the plate member.

A third aspect of the present invention is the seesaw-type switch according to the first or second aspect, wherein the elastic contact member is formed of a steel ball, and the steel ball is housed through a biasing member to form an end portion. A cylindrical ball support portion having an opening is provided, and a fitting groove that is loosely fitted to the end edge of the movable piece is provided in the opening of the ball support portion.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the seesaw type switch according to the third aspect, the ball support portion is made of resin, and the opening is formed to have a diameter smaller than that of the steel ball. The steam ball is pushed in from the opening while being elastically deformed and accommodated.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is the seesaw-type switch according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, in which the accommodating wall portion provided in the housing and surrounding the fixed contact and the elastic contact member are supported. The slider that moves by the swinging operation of the switch knob and the accommodation wall portion that is detachably attached to the accommodation wall portion and that accommodates the slider and the movable piece. And a slider cover for movably covering the.

[0013]

According to the first aspect of the invention, the elastic member elastically contacted with the movable piece can be moved and operated by the switch knob which is swingably supported by the housing. The movable piece is swingably supported on the housing side, and when the elastic contact member moves on the movable piece, the movable piece swings to bring the movable contact into and out of contact with a fixed contact fixedly supported by the housing. be able to.

Further, since the movable piece is formed of a plate material and the moderation groove is formed at the end edge, and the movable piece is erected with respect to the switch knob so that the elastic contact member makes elastic contact with the moderation groove. The space in the width direction occupied by the movable pieces can be significantly reduced, and a plurality of movable pieces can be arranged side by side, so that the switch can be downsized in the width direction. In particular, when it is installed in an armrest or the like such as a power window switch for automobiles, it is necessary to minimize the widthwise space in the vehicle interior in order to secure the widthwise space, which is extremely advantageous in such a case. It becomes a switch.

Further, since the moderation groove is formed at the end edge of the movable piece, when the movable piece is formed by pressing, it becomes possible to form the moderation groove into an accurate shape by pressing, and a good moderation is achieved. It is possible to get a feeling. Further, the moderation groove can be deepened, and the degree of freedom in the shape of the moderation groove can be expanded.

According to the invention of claim 2, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 1, the movable piece has a leg portion integrally provided by bending in the out-of-plane direction of the plate member, and an end portion of the leg portion. In addition, since the movable contact is integrally provided so as to be substantially orthogonal to the plate member, when the movable contact contacts the fixed contact, the reaction force from the fixed contact can be applied along the plate surface of the movable piece. Therefore, in combination with the elastic contact member elastically contacting the moderation groove at the end edge of the movable piece, the movable piece is suppressed from collapsing when the movable piece swings and the movable contact comes into contact with the fixed contact. It is possible to reliably make contact with and separate from the fixed contact.

According to the invention of claim 3, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 1 or 2, the elastic contact member is formed of a steel ball, the steel ball is accommodated through a biasing member, and an opening is formed at the end. Since the cylindrical ball support portion having is provided and the fitting groove that is loosely fitted to the edge of the movable piece is provided in the opening of the ball support portion, the opening of the ball support portion is closed by the edge of the movable piece. You can Therefore, when the steel ball moves on the movable piece, it is possible to prevent the steel ball from falling off the ball support portion and to prevent the movable piece from collapsing. Therefore, the movable piece can be swung reliably, and the movable contact can be more reliably brought into contact with and separated from the fixed contact. Further, since a steel ball can be used for the seesaw-type switch, the durability of the movable piece having the moderation groove can be improved and the cost can be reduced. Steel balls have a small friction coefficient because they are spherical, are cheaper than resin moderation pins, are hard and have excellent durability, are easy to manufacture even compared to metal moderation pins, and are inexpensive because they are standard products.

According to the invention of claim 4, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 3, the ball support portion is made of resin, and the opening is formed to have a diameter smaller than the diameter of the steel ball, so that the steel ball is formed. Since the opening is elastically deformed and pushed in to be accommodated, the diameter of the opening is smaller than that of the steel ball after the steel ball is pushed in through the opening of the ball support portion, so that the falling of the steel ball is prevented. can do. Therefore, at the time of assembling, it is possible to prevent the steel ball and the urging member from coming off from the ball supporting portion without particularly pressing the steel ball, and the assembling can be performed easily.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of any one of the first to fourth aspects, the accommodating wall portion that is provided in the housing and surrounds the fixed contact and the elastic contact member are supported. It is possible to move the slider by forming an accommodating space for accommodating the slider and the movable piece between the slider that is moved by the swing operation of the switch knob and the accommodating wall that is detachably attached to the accommodating wall. Since it is provided with a slider cover that covers the inside of the housing, the housing wall and the slider cover can prevent dust and the like from entering the housing space, and can ensure the operation of the movable piece. The separation can be performed more reliably. Since the fixed contact, the movable contact, the slider, the slider cover, and the housing wall portion form a small switch, and the fixed contact and the housing wall portion are formed in the housing, the number of parts and the number of assembly steps are reduced. Therefore, the cost can be reduced.

[0020]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a power window switch 1 for an automobile, for example, as a switch to which a seesaw-type switch according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. This car power window switch 1
Indicates a right-hand drive vehicle, and is installed, for example, on the armrest of the driver's seat door or on the passenger compartment side of the door. It should be noted that the positions and the directions of the respective parts, members described below indicate the directions in the attached drawings, and the directions of up, down, left, right, front, and back vary depending on the mounting state of the power window switch 1 for a vehicle in the vehicle. It is not limited to. Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to an arbitrary state illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Power window switch 1 for automobile
Includes a case 3 and a terminal block 5.
The case 3 and the terminal block 5 are coupled to each other to form a housing 6.

The case 3 is made of resin and has a box shape whose lower surface is open, and has a plurality of knob mounting portions 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 on its upper surface. The left and right side walls 3a of the case 3 (only the left side wall is shown in FIG. 1) are provided with two engaging windows 30 for detachably attaching to the terminal block 5. The knob mounting portions 7, 9, 11, 13, 15,
17 includes switch knobs 19, 21, 23 and 2 respectively.
5,27,29 are supported.

The switch knob 19 is a member for locking the door, is pivotally supported by the knob mounting portion 7 of the case 3, and is swingably mounted on the case 3. The switch knob 21 is a push-lock switch that is vertically movably assembled to the knob mounting portion 9 of the case 3 and locks the window. Switch knob 2
Reference numeral 3 is a two-stage seesaw switch that is pivotally supported by the knob mounting portion 11 of the case 3 and is swingably attached to the case 3 to open and close the window of the driver's seat.

The switch knob 25 is pivotally supported by the knob mounting portion 13 of the case 3 and is swingably mounted on the case 3 to open and close the window on the passenger side. This is a seesaw type switch.
The switch knob 27 is the knob mounting portion 1 of the case 3.
5 is pivotally supported and is swingably attached to the case 3,
1 is a seesaw-type switch to which an embodiment of the present invention for opening / closing a window on the rear driver's side is applied. The switch knob 29 is pivotally supported by the knob mounting portion 17 of the case 3, is swingably attached to the case 3, and an embodiment of the present invention for opening and closing the window on the rear passenger side is applied. It is a seesaw type switch.

The terminal block 5 is formed by insert molding a plurality of conductive plates 31 electrically connected to the terminals and fixed contacts with an insulating resin. The terminal block 5 has a fixed contact support portion 3 corresponding to the switch knob 19.
3, a storage wall portion 35 corresponding to the switch knob 21, a storage wall portion 36 corresponding to the switch knob 23, a storage wall portion 37 corresponding to the switch knob 25, a storage wall portion 39 corresponding to the switch knob 27, The switch knob 29
The accommodation wall portions 41 corresponding to are provided respectively.

A moving block 43 is arranged on the accommodating wall portion 35, an auto switch 45 is arranged on the accommodating wall portion 36, and sliders 47, 49, 51 are arranged on the accommodating wall portions 37, 39, 41. Each is arranged.

The slider 47 has a pair of movable pieces 53.
It is accommodated in the accommodation wall portion 37 via a and 53b, and the slider cover 59 is detachably attached to the accommodation wall portion 37. Similarly, the slider 49 is housed in the housing wall 39 via a pair of movable pieces 55a and 55b, and a slider cover 61 is detachably attached to the housing wall 39. The slider 51 is also housed in the housing wall portion 41 via the pair of movable pieces 57a and 57b, and the slider cover 63 is detachably attached to the housing wall portion 41. The switch knobs 25, 27, 29 correspond to and cooperate with the sliders 47, 49, 51.

That is, the sliders 47, 49, 51
Is a switch knob 25, 2 supporting an elastic contact member described later.
It is moved by rocking operation of 7, 29. Also,
The slider covers 59, 61, 63 are the same as the housing wall 3
7, 39, 41 respectively attached to the accommodation wall 3
7, 39, 41 between the sliders 47, 49, 51
And movable pieces 53a, 53b, 55a, 55b, 57a,
An accommodation space, which will be described later, for accommodating each of the 57b is formed to cover the sliders 47, 49, 51 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction.

The terminal block 5 is provided with two engaging protrusions 42 on the left and right wall surfaces thereof, and the engaging window 30 of the case 3 engages with the engaging window 30 in a disengageable manner. However,
In FIG. 1, only one engagement protrusion 42 is shown on the left wall.

A circuit board 65 is supported on the terminal block 5. The circuit board 65 is provided with a light emitting element (LED) 67 or a lamp as a light source. The circuit board 65 is fitted in the upper opening of the terminal block 5. The terminals 69 and 71 projecting upward from the terminal block 5 are inserted into the through holes 73 and 75, and the terminals 69 and 71 are soldered to the through holes 73 and 75, so that the circuit board 6
5 is fixed to the terminal block 5.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the terminal block 5, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line SA--SA of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the accommodating wall portions 37, 3
The reference numerals 9 and 41 have almost the same structure and are divided into left and right portions by inner walls 77, 79 and 81, respectively.

Intermediate walls 77, 81 of the accommodating wall portions 37, 41
The left side (lower side in FIG. 2) accommodates the descending contact, and the right side accommodates the ascending contact. The left side (lower side in FIG. 2) of the middle wall 79 of the accommodation wall 39 accommodates the ascending contact, and the right side accommodates the descending contact. That is, the fixed contacts 83a and 83b, the fixed contact portions 85a and 85b, and the left and right inside the housing wall 37, respectively.
Fixed contacts 87a and 87b also serving as fulcrums are provided. Similarly, the fixed contacts 89a, 89 are provided in the accommodation wall 39.
b, fixed contact portions 91a and 91b, fixed contact also serving as a fulcrum 93
a and 93b are provided. Fixed contact points 95a and 95b and fixed contact portions 97a and 97 are provided in the housing wall portion 41.
b, fixed contacts 99a and 99b also serving as fulcrums are provided. These fixed contacts 83a, 83b, 89a, 89b,
97a, 97b, fixed contacts 87a, 87b, 9 also serving as fulcrums
3a, 93b, 99a, 99b are properly connected to the conductor 31 to form a switch circuit. The housing wall 3
Engaging claws 101 for engaging and disengaging the slider covers 59, 61, 63 are provided on the left and right outer wall surfaces of 7, 39, 41, respectively.

4 and 5 are SB-SB and SC of FIG.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a switch knob 27 as viewed in the direction of arrow SC. 4 and 5, the details of the seesaw type switch according to the embodiment of the present invention will be further described. Although FIGS. 4 and 5 show a cross section of the housing wall 39, the seesaw-type switches in the other housing walls 37 and 41 have substantially the same configuration, and therefore the cross-sectional views of FIGS. Will be described as a representative.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the fixed wall contacts 39a and 89b, the fixed contact portions 91a and 91b, and the fixed contact points 93a and 93b also serving as fulcrums are supported on the bottom wall 100 of the housing wall portion 39. . A guide portion 103 is provided on one side of the housing wall portion 39 so as to project upward. A guide surface 107 is formed on the guide portion 103 so as to be inclined. The receiving wall portion 39 has a guide wall 1 on the side opposite to the guide portion 103.
05 is provided. A guide surface 107 is also formed on the guide wall 105 so as to be inclined. The guide portion 103,
Inside the guide wall 105, cover support surfaces 109 are provided in front of and behind the storage wall portion 39. The front and rear walls 111 of the slider cover 61 are in contact with the cover supporting surface 109.

The slider cover 61 is made of resin. The slider cover 61 has two engaging holes 115 in each of the left and right wall portions 113, as will be apparent from the exploded sectional view of FIG. 6. The engagement hole 115 is engaged with the engagement claw 101 of the accommodation wall portion 39. Therefore, the slider cover 61 is attached to the accommodation wall 3
It is detachably attached to 9. Accordingly, the accommodation space 117 is provided between the accommodation wall portion 39 and the slider cover 61.
Are formed. The slider 49 and the movable pieces 55a and 55b are housed in the housing space 117.
A window 119 is provided in the slider cover 61.

In this way, the slider cover 61 is guided by the guide portion 103 and the guide wall 105 and fixed to the housing wall portion 39 with one touch by the engaging claw 101. Therefore, when the slider cover 61 is assembled to the housing wall portion 39. As shown in FIG. 6, the slider cover 61 can be assembled simply by dropping it on the accommodation wall 39 and pressing it, and automatic assembly can be easily performed by a machine.

The slider 49 is made of resin, and the slider 49 is provided with a pair of left and right ball support portions 121. A steel ball 123 as an elastic contact member is accommodated in each of the ball support portions 121 via a coil spring 125 as an urging member, and an opening 1 is formed at the end.
Has 27.

The slider 49 includes a slider cover 6
A slider plate portion 129 is provided so as to project in the front-rear direction on the lower surface side of 1. With this slider plate portion 129, the window 11
It is possible to prevent dust and the like from entering into the housing wall portion 39 from 9. Slider protrusions 131 are provided on the left and right sides of the slider 49. This slider protrusion 13
1 is interposed between the cover support surface 109 of the accommodation wall portion 39 and the lower surface of the slider cover 61 and is slidably guided.

A head 133 is provided on the slider 49. The head 133 is the same as the ball support 12
Along with the upper side of No. 1, it projects from the window 119 of the slider cover 61 to the switch knob 27 side. The head 133
An operation recess 135 is provided in the. In the operation recess 135, the operation lever portion 13 of the switch knob 27 is provided.
7 is fitted.

The switch knob 27 is pivotally supported by the pin portion 139 of the knob mounting portion 15. That is, the switch knob 27 is swingably supported by the housing 6, and the slider 49 is moved by the swing to move the movable piece 5.
It is configured to move and operate a steel ball 123 as an elastic contact member that elastically contacts the 5a and 55b.

The movable piece 55a is swingably supported on the fulcrum / fixed contact 93a. This movable piece 55
A fixed contact 141 is provided on one side in the front-rear direction of a, and a movable contact portion 143 is provided on the other side. The movable contact 141 is configured to come into contact with and separate from the fixed contact 89a by swinging of the movable piece 55a.

Steel ball 123 of the slider 49
Is configured to move on the movable piece 55a and swing the movable piece 55a to bring the movable contact 141 into and out of contact with the fixed contact 89a. The structure around the movable piece 55a will be further described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the structure around the movable piece 55a, and FIG. 8 is a side view of the contact state viewed from the SD direction in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the movable piece 55 is
The letter a is formed by pressing a conductive metal plate material. A moderation groove 145 is formed at the edge 144 of the movable piece 55a.
Is provided. The moderation groove 145 provides moderation when the steel ball 123 makes elastic contact movement, and provides a moderation feeling to the operation of the switch knob 27. The moderation groove 145 has a slope 147 cut in a V shape in the center.
And the slopes 149 and 15 that are slightly inclined before and after that.
It is formed by 1.

A swing engagement groove 153 is provided on the lower edge side of the movable piece 55a. The movable piece 55a is swingably supported on the terminal block 5 side that constitutes the housing by engaging the swing engagement groove 153 with the fulcrum / fixed contact 93a.

Before and after the movable piece 55a, the leg 15
5,157 are provided. This leg 155,157
Are integrally provided by bending the plate material forming the movable piece 55a in the out-of-plane direction. The legs 155,
157 are respectively bent in the left and right directions and arranged substantially symmetrically. The movable contact 141 is provided at an end of the leg 155. This movable contact 141 is
The movable piece 55a is integrally provided so as to be substantially orthogonal to the plate material constituting the movable piece 55a. The movable contact portion 143 is provided at the end of the leg portion 157. The movable contact portion 143 has a substantially symmetrical arrangement with respect to the movable contact 141. The movable piece 55a having such a configuration is provided with the moderation groove 1
The steel ball 123 is erected on the switch knob 27 so as to make elastic contact with the steel ball 45. The ball support 121 of the slider 49 is provided with a fitting groove 159 at the front and rear. The fitting groove 159 is configured to be loosely fitted to the end edge 144 of the movable piece 55a.

Such a structure is the same on the side of the movable piece 55b arranged in parallel with the movable piece 55a. However, in order to perform the lifting operation, on the movable piece 55b side, the movable contact 1
41 and the fixed contact 89b and the movable contact portion 143 and the fixed contact portion 91b have the opposite positional relationship, and in the state of FIG. 4, in the movable piece 55b, the movable contact 141 and the fixed contact 8 are provided.
9b is on the right side, and the movable contact portion 143 and the fixed contact 91
b is on the left.

FIG. 9 shows a cross section of the slider 49. The opening 127 of the ball support portion of the slider 49 is
The inner diameter portion 127a is formed to have a diameter smaller than that of the steel ball 123. Therefore, the steel ball 123
Is configured to be pushed in and accommodated while elastically deforming the opening 127 from the opening 127.

At the time of assembly, the movable piece 55a is rockably supported by the fixed contact 93a which also serves as a fulcrum. In this case, the swinging engagement groove 153 of the movable piece 55a is used as the fulcrum fixed contact 93a.
It is done by fitting it to. In this swinging support, the movable contact portion 14 is separated by the fixed contact 93a serving also as a fulcrum as a boundary.
3 has a center of gravity, and the movable contact portion 143 has the fixed contact portion 91.
Since the movable contact 141 and the movable contact portion 143 which are in contact with a and are bent and formed at the left and right ends of the movable piece 55a are symmetrically projecting from the side surface of the movable piece 55a, they are vertically balanced. The movable piece 55a is stored in a stable state. The movable piece 55b is also stored in the same manner.

In the slider 49, the coil springs 12 are inserted through the openings 127 of the ball support portions 121.
5 is inserted and each steel ball 123 can be pushed in with a predetermined pressing force. At this time, the opening edge 127a is expanded by pushing in the steel ball 123, and when the steel ball 123 enters the ball supporting portion 121, it is restored to the original diameter by the elastic force. Therefore, although the steel ball 123 biased by the coil spring 125 is partially exposed from the opening 127, it does not fall out of the opening 127 to the outside. Therefore, when assembled, the coil spring 125 and the steel ball 123 can be integrally handled only by gripping the slider 49, and the assembly is extremely easy.

The head portion 133 of the slider 49 is made to face the upper side of the ball supporting portion 121 through the window 119 of the slider cover 61, and is assembled as shown in FIG.
Although the movable piece 55a is not shown in FIG. 6, the movable pieces 55a and 55b are swingably supported on the fulcrum / fixed fixed contacts 93a and 93b as described above. In this state, the slider 49 and the slider cover 61 are lowered to assemble the slider cover 61 on the housing wall 39. At the time of this assembly, the slope 107 serves as a guide, and the slider cover 6
1 can be easily assembled on the accommodation wall 39.
As a result, the front and rear wall portions 111 of the slider cover 61 come into contact with the cover support surface 109 of the accommodation wall portion 39, and the engaging holes 115 of the slider cover 61 are accommodated in the accommodation wall portion 39.
4, the slider cover 61 is engaged with the engaging claw 101 of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, it is assembled on the accommodation wall portion 39.

In this state, each steel ball 123 of the slider 49 makes elastic contact with the inclined surface 147 of each of the movable pieces 55a and 55b. In addition, each fitting groove 159 of the ball support portion 121 of the slider 49 has the movable pieces 55a, 55.
The state is loosely fitted to the edge 144 of b.

Thus, the switch knob 27 and the movable pieces 55a and 55b are positioned relative to each other, and the movable piece 55 is
On the a side, the movable contact 141 is separated from the fixed contact 89a,
The movable contact portion 143 comes into contact with the fixed contact portion 91a and enters a standby state for switch operation. The movable piece 55b side is also in a symmetrical standby state in a similar manner.

The slider 47 and the movable pieces 53a, 53
b, the slider 51, the movable pieces 57a, 57b, etc. are also assembled in the same relationship according to the fixed contacts 83a, 83b, 95a, 95b. In addition, a moving block 43, an auto switch 45, etc. are also assembled.

The slider covers 59, 61 and 63,
The sliders 47, 49, 51 and the coil spring 125
, The steel ball 123, the movable pieces 53a, 53b,
55a, 55b, 57a, 57b and housing wall portions 37, 3
9, 41 and fixed contacts 83a, 83b, 89a, 89
b, 95a, and 95b form a small switch such as the auto switch 45. The slider cover 5
Reference numerals 9, 61, 63 form the upper case of each small switch. The accommodating wall portions 37, 39, 41 constitute three lower cases of the respective small switches. Fixed contacts 83a, 83b, 89 that form the pole board of three small switches
a, 89b, 95a, 95b and housing wall portions 37, 39,
41 is insert-molded into the terminal block 5 consisting of one member, and since the terminal block 5 also serves as the lower case and pole board for each small switch, the number of parts and the number of assembly steps can be significantly reduced. The cost can be reduced.

Next, the circuit board 65 is fitted into the opening of the terminal block 5, and the terminals 69 and 71 are inserted into the through holes 73 and 75 and fixed by soldering. The switch knobs 19, 21, 23, 25, 27 and 29 are the knob mounting portions 7, 9, 11, 13, 1 of the case 3, respectively.
5 and 17 are supported. The case 7 is fitted from above the terminal block 5, and the engaging windows 30 of the cover 3 are engaged with the engaging protrusions 42 of the terminal block 5 to complete the assembly.

In this assembled state, for example, when the switch knob 27 is shown, as shown in FIG.
7 is fitted in the operation recess 135 of the slider 49, and the switch is operated in a linked state. This relationship also applies to the relationship between the switch knobs 25 and 29 and the sliders 47 and 51.

Next, the switch operation will be described. Since this switch operation is the same for the switch knobs 25, 27, 29, the switch knob 27 will be described.
When the power window is raised by the switch knob 27, the operating portion 27a of the switch knob 27 is pulled up and the switch knob 27 is rotated clockwise in FIG. As a result, the operating lever portion 137 causes the operating concave portion 13 to move.
5, the slider 49 is moved leftward in FIG. The steel ball 123 moves from the slope 147 to the slope 149 in the moderation groove 145, and swings the movable piece 55a counterclockwise about the fulcrum / fixed contact 93a. This swing causes the movable contact 141 to move the fixed contact 89.
The fixed contact 89a, the movable contact 141, the movable piece 55a, and the fixed contact 93a also serving as a fulcrum are closed to form a closed circuit.
The power window can be raised.

When the slider 49 is moved, since the fitting groove 159 (FIG. 7) of the ball supporting portion 121 of the slider 49 is kept loosely fitted to the end edge 144 of the movable piece 55a, the steel ball 123 is supported by the ball. It is possible to prevent the movable piece 55a from falling off from the portion 121 and also to prevent the movable piece 55a from falling sideways.

When the movable contact 141 comes into contact with the fixed contact 89a, a predetermined contact pressure is maintained by the elastic contact of the steel ball 123 via the bias of the coil spring 125, and the fixed contact with the movable contact 141 is maintained. The contact with the contact 89a can be reliably maintained. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8, the steel ball 123 and the movable piece 55
The relationship between a, the movable contact 141, and the fixed contact 89a is the movable piece 5.
Since it is in a substantially straight line along 5a, the fixed contact 89
The reaction force from a can be applied along the plate surface of the movable piece 55. Therefore, the urging force of the steel ball 123 and the reaction force from the fixed contact 89a are canceled at almost the center of the thickness of the movable piece 55a, so that the movable piece 55a is more reliably prevented from falling and rattling. The contact between the movable contact 141 and the fixed contact 89a can be prevented more reliably.

When the hand is released from the switch knob 27, the steel ball 123 is automatically returned from the inclined surface 149 to the inclined surface 147 by the urging force of the coil spring 125. By this return, the movable contact 141 is separated from the fixed contact 89a as shown in FIG. 4 by the action opposite to the above, and the movable contact portion 143 is in contact with the fixed contact portion 91a. This state is steel ball 123
Can surely be maintained by entering the V-shaped inclined surface 147 having a large inclination. Further, by setting the slopes 149 and 147 as described above, the switch knob 2
It is possible to surely give a feeling of moderation in the operation of 7. When the steel ball 123 moves to the inclined surface 147, the steel ball 123 is in a state of further protruding from the opening 127 of the ball support portion 121, and at this time also, the fitting groove 159 of the ball support portion 121 of the slider 49 (see FIG. 7). ) Is a movable piece 55
Since the state in which the steel ball 123 is loosely fitted to the end edge 144 of a is maintained, it is possible to prevent the steel ball 123 from falling off the ball support portion 121.

When lowering the power window,
The operation portion 27a of the switch knob 27 is pressed to rotate the switch knob 27 counterclockwise in the state of FIG. At this time, the slider 49 moves to the right in FIG. 4, and the steel ball 123 moves from the inclined surface 147 to the inclined surface 151 on the movable contact portion 143 side. By this movement, the movable contact portion 143 contacts the fixed contact portion 91a, that is, the movable piece 55a maintains the state of FIG.

Even in this case, the ball support 12
The first fitting groove 159 maintains the loosely fitted state with respect to the end edge of the movable piece 55a, and likewise the fall of the movable piece 55a and the falling of the steel ball 123 can be reliably prevented. Further, since the relationship among the steel ball 123, the movable piece 55a, the movable contact portion 143, and the fixed contact portion 91a is in a substantially straight line state along the movable piece 55a, the same reaction force offsetting effect as described above can be obtained.

In this state, on the movable piece 55a side,
The movable contact 141 remains separated from the fixed contact 89a, but on the side of the movable piece 55b, which is arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to the movable piece 55a, a movement opposite to that of the movable piece 55a is performed.
The movable contact 141 of the movable piece 55b contacts the fixed contact 89b to form a closed circuit as described above, and the power window can be lowered.

When the switch knob 27 is released, the switch knob 27 is automatically returned as described above, the steel ball 123 is positioned on the slope 147 of the moderation groove 145, and the operation standby state is restored. In this state, the movable contact portion of the movable piece 55b contacts the fixed contact portion 91b.

Then, as described above, the movable pieces 53a, 53
b, 55a, 55b, 57a, 57b are formed of a plate material, and a moderation groove 145 is formed in the end edge 144, and the movable pieces 53a, 53b, 55a, 55b are elastically contacted with the moderation groove 145. , 57a, 5
Since 7b is arranged upright with respect to the switch knobs 25, 27, 29, the movable pieces 53a, 53b, 55a, 55b,
The width direction space occupied by 57a and 57b is made extremely small, and a plurality of movable pieces 53a, 53b, 55a, 55b and 5
7a and 57b can be arranged side by side, and the switch can be significantly downsized in the width direction. In particular, when it is installed in an armrest or the like such as a power window switch for automobiles, it is necessary to make the width direction space as small as possible from the demand for securing the width direction space in the vehicle interior.
In such a case, the switch is extremely advantageous. Also,
The moderation groove 145 is formed in the movable pieces 53a, 53b, 55a, 55.
Since it is formed on the edge 144 of the b, 57a, and 57b, the shape of the moderation groove 145 can be formed into an accurate shape by pressing, and a good moderation feeling can be obtained. Furthermore, the moderation groove 145 can be deepened, and the degree of freedom in the shape of the moderation groove 145 can be expanded. The moderation groove 145 is provided on the movable pieces 53a, 53b, 55 having the movable contact 141 and the movable contact portion 143.
Since it is provided at a, 55b, 57a, and 57b, the neutral position of the movable contact 141 and the like can be positioned more directly and accurately.

The fixed contacts 83a, 83b, 89a, 8
9b, 95a, 95b surrounding the housing wall portions 37, 39,
41, slider covers 59, 61, 63 are detachably attached to form a housing space 117.
9, 51 and movable pieces 53a, 53b, 55a, 55b,
Since 57a and 57b are accommodated, it is possible to suppress the entry of dust and the like into the accommodation space 117, and to more reliably contact and separate the fixed contact and the movable contact.

In the above embodiment, the movable pieces 53a,
Although the whole 53b, 55a, 55b, 57a, 57b is formed by press molding of a conductive metal, the movable contact 141
And the movable contact portion 143 is formed by a plate material of a conductive metal extending in the front-rear direction by press molding, and the upper portion including the moderation groove 145 is integrally formed as a plate material with resin on the movable contact 141 and the movable contact portion 143. Alternatively, the resin plate member may be placed upright with respect to the housing 6.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a power window switch to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a terminal block according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line SA-SA of FIG. 2 according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a partially omitted cross-sectional view of an assembled state taken along the line SB-SB in FIG. 2 according to the embodiment.

5 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled state taken along the line SC-SC in FIG. 2 according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing an engagement relationship between a slider cover and a housing wall portion according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a movable piece and its periphery according to one embodiment.

8 is a schematic side view of the contact state when viewed from the SD direction of FIG. 7 according to the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a relationship between a slider and a steel ball according to one embodiment.

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a relationship between a fixed terminal and a movable terminal of a switch according to a conventional example.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional example in an assembled state.

[Explanation of symbols]

3 Case 5 Terminal Block 6 Housing 25, 27, 29 Switch Knobs 37, 39, 41 Housing Walls 47, 49, 51 Sliders 53a, 53b, 55a, 55b, 57a, 57b Movable Pieces 59, 61, 63 Slider Cover 89a Fixed Contact 121 Ball Support 123 Steel Ball (Elastic Contact Member) 125 Coil Spring (Biasing Member) 127 Opening 141 Movable Contact 144 End Edge 145 Moderation Groove 155 Leg 159 Fitting Groove

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A fixed contact fixedly supported by a housing, a movable piece having a movable contact which is swingably supported on the housing side and is brought into contact with and separated from the fixed contact, and swingably supported by the housing. And a switch knob for moving an elastic contact member elastically contacting the movable piece, wherein the elastic contact member moves on the movable piece by the swing operation of the switch knob to swing the movable piece to move the movable contact. In a seesaw-type switch for contacting and separating the fixed contact with the movable piece, the movable piece is formed of a plate material, and a moderation groove is formed at an edge thereof, and the movable piece is arranged so that the elastic contact member elastically contacts the moderation groove. A seesaw type switch characterized by being installed upright with respect to the housing. 2. The seesaw-type switch according to claim 1, wherein the movable piece has a leg portion integrally provided by bending the plate material in an out-of-plane direction, and an end portion of the leg portion. In the seesaw-type switch, the movable contact is integrally provided so as to be substantially orthogonal to the plate material. 3. The seesaw-type switch according to claim 1, wherein the elastic contact member is formed of a steel ball, and the steel ball is accommodated via a biasing member and has an opening at an end thereof. A seesaw-type switch, characterized in that a ball-shaped ball support portion is provided, and a fitting groove that is loosely fitted to an end edge of the movable piece is provided in an opening of the ball support portion. 4. The seesaw type switch according to claim 3, wherein the ball support portion is made of resin, and the opening is formed to have a diameter smaller than a diameter of the steel ball. A seesaw-type switch, characterized in that the opening is elastically deformed from the opening and is pushed in to be housed. 5. The seesaw-type switch according to claim 1, wherein the switch knob supports the accommodating wall portion provided in the housing and surrounding the fixed contact, and the elastic contact member. And a housing that is detachably attached to the housing wall and accommodates the slider and the movable piece between the slider and the housing, and covers the slider movably. A seesaw-type switch having a slider cover.