JP2003288820A - Tightly sealed push switch - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tightly sealed push switch with sure waterproof, good productivity, and without chattering. <P>SOLUTION: With the tightly sealed push switch, a flat-plate part 3a of a waterproof member 3 is pressed by a cover 4 to make an inside of a container 1e in a tightly sealed state for a ring-shaped end face 1d as a whole located at opening 1c side of a side wall 1b constituting a part of the container of a case 1, so that the inside of the container 1e can be surely sealed tightly for sure waterproof, and at the same time, its structure can be simple and excellent in productivity. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sealed push switch suitable for use in a micro switch or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A drawing of a conventional sealed push switch will be described. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an essential part of the conventional sealed push switch, and FIG. It is an expanded sectional view.

Next, the structure of a conventional sealed push switch will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. An insulating base 51 made of an insulating material projects outward from the base 51a and both sides of the base 51a. This insulating base 5 having a protruding portion 51b
One fixed base 5a has three fixed contacts 5 made of a metal plate.
2, 53, 54 are embedded and attached.

A movable contact 55 made of a metal plate having a spring property.
Has a contact portion 55a provided at the free end of the other end movably mounted between the fixed contacts 53 and 54, with one end being locked to the support portion 52a of the fixed contact 52.

The coil spring 56 has one end hooked on the hooking portion 52b of the fixed contact 52 and the other end hooked on the movable contact 55, and the coil spring 56 supports the movable contact 55 on the fixed contact 52. The contact portion 55a comes into contact with or separates from the fixed contact 53 or 54 by reversing the portion 52a as a fulcrum.

The case 57 made of a synthetic resin molded article is
The upper surface wall 57a, one through hole 57b provided in the upper surface wall 57a, and a recess 57c provided on the outer surface of the upper surface wall 57a in a state of being located on the outer peripheral portion of the through hole 57b.
And a convex portion 57d for caulking provided around the concave portion 57c, a cylindrical side wall 57e provided so as to project downward from the upper surface wall 57a, and a housing portion surrounded by the upper surface wall 57a and the side wall 57e. With 57 g.

The case 57 has a movable contact 55.
The case 57 is covered by the upper surface of the insulating base 51 so as to cover the coil spring 56 and the like, and is locked to the protrusion 51b of the insulating base 51, and the case 57 and the insulating base 51 are adhered or welded to each other. Attached to. At this time, the movable contact 55 and the coil spring 5 are accommodated in the accommodation portion 57g.
6 etc. are accommodated.

A cup-shaped waterproof member 58 made of rubber or the like
Has a ring-shaped pedestal portion 58a provided at the hem portion and a hole 58b provided at the top portion. This waterproof member 58 has the pedestal portion 58a in the recess 57c of the upper surface wall 57a. The convex portion 57d is attached to the case 57 by heat crimping or the like.

The push button 59 made of an insulating material has a convex portion 59a at the top thereof. The push button 59 is inserted through the through hole 57b of the upper surface wall 57a and is movably attached to the push button 59. Inserted through the hole 58b of the waterproof member 58,
The top portion of the convex portion 59a is crushed by thermal caulking or the like, so that the push button 59 and the waterproof member 58 are joined together.

The accommodating portion 57g is formed by crimping the convex portion 57d of the upper surface wall 57a and the convex portion 59a of the push button 59.
Although the waterproofing is performed on the side of the through-hole 57b in the above, there is often a case where the adhesion or the welding is insufficient, which causes a gap S between the insulating base body 51 and the case 57 to be accommodated. The part 57g is not sufficiently sealed.

Next, the operation of the conventional push switch having such a structure will be described. When the push button 59 is pressed against the elasticity of the waterproof member 59, the push button 59 moves with the through hole 57b as a guide. Then, the intermediate portion of the coil spring 56 is pressed.

Then, the intermediate portion of the movable contact 55 is pulled down, and the movable contact 55 performs a reversing operation with the supporting portion 52a as a fulcrum, and is displaced from the contact state of the fixed contact 54 to the contact state of the fixed contact 53. Thus, the fixed contacts 52 and 53 are turned on.

Then, when the push button 59 is released in this state, the push button 59 is pushed back by the coil spring 56 to return to the state before the push, and the movable contact 55 reverses with the supporting portion 52a as a fulcrum. As a result, the fixed contact 53 is separated from the fixed contact 53 and the fixed contacts 52 and 54 return to the original state of the ON state. That is, the movable contact 55 is the fixed contact 5
It is in contact with 3,54 by batting. In this way, the push switch is operated.

[0014]

In the conventional push switch, since the insulating substrate 51 and the case 57 are fixed by adhesion or welding, there is a problem that the assembly time becomes long and the equipment becomes large. . In addition, it is difficult to confirm whether or not the sealing is surely achieved by adhesion or welding, and in some cases adhesion or welding is insufficient, which causes a gap between the insulating substrate 51 and the case 57. There is a problem that a gap S is generated in the space, and the accommodation portion 57g is not sufficiently sealed. In addition, when mounting the waterproof member 58, it is necessary to thermally crimp the convex portion 57d provided on the upper surface wall 57a, which is troublesome to mount and there is a problem that productivity is deteriorated. Further, since the movable contact 55 is in contact with the fixed contacts 53 and 54 by batting, chattering occurs, and since it is a single-sided contact, the contact is unstable, and there is a problem that the contact resistance is high.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sealed push switch which is surely waterproof, has good productivity, and does not cause chattering.

[0016]

As a first solving means for solving the above problems, a box-shaped casing made of an insulating material and having an opening on one surface side, and a plurality of boxes attached to the casing are provided. Fixed contact, an operation member movably held, a movable contact held by the operation member to switch the contact by contacting and separating from the fixed contact, a waterproof member for sealing the inside of the housing, and the housing The housing includes a bottom wall, an annular side wall projecting upward from the bottom wall, an accommodating portion surrounded by the bottom wall and the side wall, and one end side of the side wall. With the opening provided, the accommodating portion accommodates the contact portion of the fixed contact, the movable contact, and the main body of the operation member that holds the movable contact, and the waterproof member is The flat plate portion and the plate portion that protrudes upward And a flat portion of the waterproof member is pressed by the cover over the entire annular end surface of the side wall on the side of the opening, and the inside of the accommodating portion is sealed. , Inside the dome portion protruding outward through the insertion hole of the cover,
The operation part of the operation member is arranged.

As a second means for solving the problems, a hole is provided at the top of the dome portion, and a convex portion provided at the tip of the operating portion is inserted into the hole to caulk the dome portion. It was made into the composition. Further, as a third solving means, a biasing member for biasing the operating member is interposed between the operating member and the housing, and a tip portion of the operating portion contacts an inner surface of a top portion of the dome portion. It was a contact structure.

As a fourth solving means, the cover has an upper surface plate having the insertion hole and at least a pair of side surface plates extending downward from the upper surface plate, and the side surface plate and the side wall of the housing. And are snap-connected by a locking means. Further, as a fifth solution means, the outer periphery of the main body portion housed in the storage portion is formed in a shape along the outer shape of the storage portion, and the main body portion moves while being guided by the inner surface of the side wall. The configuration is as follows.

As a sixth means for solving the problems, the movable contact is formed by bending a metal plate having a spring property, and is provided with first and second base portions which are provided so as to face each other with an opening. First and second connecting portions that are spaced apart from each other and connect the first and second base portions, and the first and second connecting portions.
And at least two first and second contact portions provided so as to project from the first and second base portions so as to face each other in a state of being located between the connecting portions of The contact portion of the fixed contact extending to the first and second
Is located between the open portion located between the base portions of the first and second contact portions, and the movable contact is moved in the direction in which the contact portion extends by the operation of the operating member, , O between the two fixed contacts through the second contact portion
The configuration is such that it is turned off and on.

As a seventh solving means, the movable contact is formed by bending the first and second connecting portions into a U shape, and the movable contact is formed between the first and second connecting portions. The first and second contact portions are arranged in the provided hole,
The first and second bases are arranged closer to the bottom wall than the first and second contact parts, and the fixed contact passes through the open parts of the first and second bases. It is configured to reach the first and second contact portions.

As an eighth means for solving the problems, the main body portion has an accommodating portion provided in a lower portion for accommodating the movable contact, and a through hole provided in an upper portion of the accommodating portion,
The contact portion is located in the through hole at least when the body portion is moved.

[0022]

1 is an exploded perspective view showing a hermetically-sealed push switch of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hermetically-sealed push switch of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a main part of another embodiment of the sealed push switch according to the present invention.

Next, the structure of the sealed push switch of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. A box-shaped housing 1 made of a molded product of an insulating material comprises a bottom wall 1a and a bottom wall 1a. An annular side wall 1b protruding upward from the bottom wall 1a, an opening 1c provided at one end of the side wall 1b, and the side wall 1
The annular end surface 1d located on the side of the opening 1c of b and the bottom wall 1
The housing 1e is surrounded by a and the side wall 1b, and a plurality of wedge-shaped projections 1f provided on the outer peripheral surface of the opposing side wall 1b.

The three fixed contacts 2 made of a metal plate are embedded in the bottom wall 1a and attached to one surface (top surface) of the bottom wall 1a.
From the bottom wall 1a, a contact portion 2a extending upwardly from the bottom wall 1a and a terminal portion 2b extending downward from the bottom wall 1a are provided. Further, the contact portion 2a of the fixed contact 2 is formed such that two of the three are higher (longer) than the other one, and the hole 2c is formed in one of the two with a high height. Is provided.

The waterproof member 3 made of a rubber material or the like has a flat plate portion 3a, a dome portion 3b protruding upward from the flat plate portion 3a, and a hole 3c provided at the top of the dome portion 3b. In the waterproof member 3, the flat plate-shaped portion 3a is placed on the end surface 1d of the side wall 1b.

Box-shaped cover 4 made of a molded product of insulating material
Is provided in a substantially rectangular upper surface plate 4a, a circular insertion hole 4b provided in the upper surface plate 4a, four side surface plates 4c protruding downward from four sides of the upper surface plate 4a, and side surface plates 4c facing each other. And a recess 4d formed therein. The side surface plate 4c may be formed of two side surface plates 4c arranged to face each other.

The cover 4 is fitted to the housing 1 so as to cover the waterproof member 3, and the projection 1f is fitted (snap-fitted) into the recess 4d provided in the side surface plate 4c, so that the cover 4 is covered with the housing 4. It is attached to 1. That is, the protrusion 1
The f and the recessed portion 4d constitute a locking means, and the locking means is snap-coupled so that the both are combined.

When the cover 4 is attached to the housing 1, the dome portion 3b projects outward from the insertion hole 4b, and the flat plate portion 3a of the waterproof member 3 is pressed against the entire end surface 1d by the top plate 4a. As a result, the inside of the housing portion 1e is sealed.

Operation member 5 formed of a molded product of an insulating material
Is a main body portion 5a, a cylindrical operating portion 5b protruding upward from the main body portion 5a, a convex portion 5c provided at the tip of the operating portion 5b, and a storage portion provided at the lower portion of the main body portion 5a. 5
d, and a through hole 5e provided in the upper part of the storage portion 5d
And a storage portion 5f that is provided in parallel with the storage portion 5d and that is provided below the main body portion 5a that faces the operation portion 5b. Further, the outer periphery of the main body portion 5a is formed in a shape along the outer shape of the housing portion 1e of the housing 1.

The operating member 5 is movably accommodated in the accommodating portion 1e of the housing 1 in which the main body portion 5a is sealed with the waterproof member 3, and the operating portion 5b is positioned in the dome portion 3b. The convex portion 5c is inserted into the hole 3c of the waterproof member 3 and is caulked to the dome portion 3b.

When the operating member 5 is attached to the housing 1, the main body 5a is guided by the inner surface of the side wall 1b,
It is movable in the vertical direction, and the contact portion 2a of the fixed contact 2 is in a state of being extended so as to be located inside the storage portion 5d, and when the main body portion 5a moves, the contact portion 2a Are located in the through holes 5e. That is, the through hole 5e provided in the main body 5a is
Is a relief portion, which reduces the size of the main body portion 5a in the height direction.

The movable contact 6 formed by bending a metal plate having a spring property into a U-shape has strip-shaped first and second bases 6b and 6c which are arranged to face each other with an opening 6a.
And spaced apart from each other, the first and second bases 6
U-shaped first and second connecting portions 6d for connecting b and 6c,
6e, a hole 6f provided between the first and second connecting portions 6d and 6e, and a hole 6 between the first and second connecting portions 6d and 6e.
It has three clip-shaped first and second contact portions 6g and 6h provided so as to project from the first and second base portions 6b and 6c so as to face each other in a state of being located inside f.

The movable contact 6 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 5d of the operating member 5 with the first and second contact portions 6g and 6h facing upward, and is operated by an appropriate means.
Attached to.

When the movable contact 6 is attached to the operating member 5, the first and second base portions 6b and 6c are arranged closer to the bottom wall 1a than the first and second contact portions 6g and 6h. At the same time, the contact portion 2a of the fixed contact 2 extends through the open portion 6a located between the first and second base portions 6b and 6c to reach the first and second contact portions 6g and 6h. There is. Furthermore,
Each of the three sets of the first and second contact portions 6g and 6h is 3
It is in a state corresponding to each of the fixed contacts 2.

When the operating member 5 moves in the vertical direction, the movable contact 6 moves together with the operating member 5, and as a result, the first and second contact portions 6g and 6h are the contact portions of the fixed contact 2. By moving in the extending direction of 2a, each of the three first and second contact portions 6g and 6h contacts the contact portion 2a by sandwiching the contact portion 2a from both sides, or moving away from the contact portion 2a, the fixed contact 2
It is designed to switch between the two.

The urging member 7 made of a coil spring is interposed between the operating member 5 and the bottom wall 1a in a state of being positioned inside the accommodating portion 5f of the operating member 5, and always urges the operating member 5 upward. is doing.

Next, the operation of the push switch according to the present invention having such a structure will be described. When the operating member 5 is not in operation, the movable contact 6 is in the upper position as shown in FIG. There are two first and second contact parts 6
g and 6h sandwich the two contact portions 2a having a high height, and the two fixed contacts 2 are in the ON state.

In this state, when the operating portion 5b is pressed against the urging member 7 together with the dome portion 3b, the movable contact 6 moves together with the operating member 5 and one first and second contact portion 6 is moved.
g and 6h are located in a hole 2c provided in one of the two contact portions 2a having a high height, and are in a non-contact state.

Then, another fixed contact 2 having a high height
In a, one of the first and second contact portions 6g and 6h maintains the contact state, and the other of the first and second contact portions 6g and 6h.
g and 6h come into contact with each other while sandwiching the contact portion 2a having a low height, and the two fixed contacts 2 are turned on.

In the meantime, the three first and second contact portions 6g, 6h move in the extending direction of the contact portion 2a, that is, downward, and the tip of the contact portion 2a passes through the storage portion 5d. It is in a state of entering the through hole 5e.

Next, when the pressing of the operating portion 5b is released, the operating member 5 is moved by the biasing member 7 as shown in FIG.
Automatically returns to the state before pressing. In the meantime, the movable contact 6 moves together with the operating member 5, and the three first and second contact portions 6g and 6h move in the extending direction of the contact portion 2a, that is, move upward, and at the same time, between the fixed contacts 2. The contacts are switched. In this way, the push switch is operated.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the hermetically sealed push switch according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the convex portion 5c and the hole 3c in the above embodiment are eliminated, and the tip of the operating portion 5b is eliminated. The portion contacts the inner surface of the top of the dome portion 3b. The rest of the configuration is the same as that of the above-described embodiment, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted here.

[0043]

The sealed push switch of the present invention is
A box-shaped housing made of an insulating material and having an opening on one surface side, a plurality of fixed contacts attached to the housing, an operation member held movably, and an operation member held and fixed by the operation member. A movable contact that contacts and separates from the contact and switches the contact,
The housing includes a waterproof member that seals the inside of the housing, and a cover that is attached to the housing. The housing includes a bottom wall, an annular side wall protruding upward from the bottom wall, and a housing portion surrounded by the bottom wall and the side wall. And an opening provided at one end of the side wall, the accommodating portion accommodates the contact portion of the fixed contact and the movable contact, and the main body of the operation member that holds the movable contact, and the waterproof member is a flat plate. The entire annular end face located on the side of the opening of the side wall has a dome-shaped part and a dome part protruding upward from this flat plate-shaped part,
The flat plate part of the waterproof member is pressed by the cover,
The inside of the accommodating portion is sealed, and the operating portion of the operating member is arranged inside the dome portion that projects outward through the insertion hole of the cover. That is, since the flat plate-shaped portion of the waterproof member is pressed by the cover over the entire annular end surface located on the side of the opening of the side wall to seal the inside of the housing portion, the inside of the housing portion can be reliably sealed, and compared with the conventional case. As a result, waterproofing is ensured, the structure is simple, and the productivity is good.

A hole is provided at the top of the dome,
Since the convex portion provided at the tip of the operating portion is inserted into the hole and crimped to the dome portion, the operating portion can be immediately pressed during the pressing operation, and the operability is excellent.

Further, since the urging member for urging the operating member is interposed between the operating member and the housing and the tip of the operating portion comes into contact with the inner surface of the top of the dome portion, the pressing operation is performed immediately. It is possible to press the part and obtain a good operability.

Further, the cover has an upper surface plate having an insertion hole and at least a pair of side surface plates extending downward from the upper surface plate, and since the side surface plate and the side wall of the housing are snap-coupled by the locking means, The assembling work is simplified, and a product with good productivity can be obtained.

Further, since the outer periphery of the main body accommodated in the accommodating portion is formed in a shape along the outer shape of the accommodating portion and the main body portion is guided and moved by the inner surface of the side wall, the movement of the main body portion is prevented. In this case, the number of guide surfaces is increased, and a stable movement of the operation member can be obtained.

Further, the movable contact is formed by bending a metal plate having a spring property, and is spaced apart from each other by the first and second base portions which are arranged to face each other with an opening. The first and second connecting portions connecting the first and second base portions and the first and second connecting portions protruding from the first and second base portions so as to face each other while being positioned between the first and second connecting portions. And at least two first and second contact portions provided by
The contact portion of the fixed contact extending upward from the bottom wall includes the first and second contact points.
The movable contact is located between the open portion located between the base portions of the first and second contact portions, and the movable contact is moved in the extending direction of the contact portion by the operation of the operation member, so that the first and second contact portions are formed. Through 2
The configuration is such that the fixed contacts are turned on and off. As described above, since the contact of the movable contact with the fixed contact is sandwiched by the pair of first and second contact portions, chattering due to the batting contact as in the related art is eliminated. Also,
Since the first and second contact portions of the movable contact move in the extending direction of the contact portion, the movable contact can be downsized in the moving direction, and the fixed contact is held between the first and second contact portions for contact. Therefore, the contact is stable and the contact resistance is small. Further, since the first and second contact portions of the movable contact come in contact with the fixed contact in the extending direction of the first and second contact portions to sandwich the fixed contact, deformation of the first and second contact portions is reduced. it can.

The movable contact is formed by bending the first and second connecting portions into a U-shape, and at the same time, the first and second connecting portions are formed.
First and second contact portions are arranged in the holes provided between the connecting portions, and the first and second base portions are arranged closer to the bottom wall than the first and second contact portions. Then, the fixed contact is made to reach the first and second contact parts through the open parts of the first and second base parts, so that the contact parts are protected by the connecting parts located on both sides, and the movable contact is assembled. The deformation of the contact portion at the time can be reduced.

Further, the main body portion has an accommodating portion provided at a lower portion for accommodating the movable contact and a through hole provided at an upper portion of the accommodating portion, and at least when the main body portion moves, the contact portion is Since the through-hole is located inside the through-hole, the through-hole serves as an escape for the contact portion, and the main body can be made smaller in the height direction.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a sealed push switch according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an essential part showing a sealed push switch according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts showing another embodiment of the sealed push switch of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a main part of a conventional sealed push switch.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a conventional sealed push switch.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 housing 1a bottom wall 1b Side wall 1c opening 1d end face 1e accommodation 1f protrusion 2 fixed contacts 2a contact part 2b terminal 2c hole 3 prevention member 3a Flat part 3b dome part 3c hole 4 cover 4a Top plate 4b insertion hole 4c Side plate 4d recess 5 Operation member 5a main body 5b Operation part 5c convex part 5d storage 5e through hole 5f accommodation 6 movable contacts 6a open part 6b first base 6c Second base 6d 1st connection part 6e Second connection part 6f hole 6g First contact part 6h Second contact part 7 Biasing member

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A box-shaped casing made of an insulating material and having an opening on one surface side, a plurality of fixed contacts attached to the casing, an operating member movably held, and an operating member. A movable contact that is held by the contact and switches the contact by contacting and separating from the fixed contact; and a waterproof member that seals the inside of the housing.
A cover attached to the housing, wherein the housing has a bottom wall, an annular side wall projecting upward from the bottom wall, an accommodating portion surrounded by the bottom wall and the side wall, and one end of the side wall. The opening portion provided on the side, and the accommodating portion accommodates the contact portion of the fixed contact, the movable contact, and the main body portion of the operation member that holds the movable contact, and the waterproof member. Has a flat plate-shaped portion and a dome portion projecting upward from the flat plate-shaped portion, and the flat plate-shaped portion of the waterproof member is provided on the entire annular end surface located on the side of the opening of the side wall. The operating portion of the operating member is arranged in the dome portion that is pressed by the cover to make the inside of the housing portion in a sealed state and projects outward through the insertion hole of the cover. Sealed push switch. 2. A hole is provided at the top of the dome portion,
The hermetically sealed push switch according to claim 1, wherein a convex portion provided at a tip end portion of the operation portion is inserted into the hole and caulked to the dome portion. 3. An urging member for urging the operation member is interposed between the operation member and the housing, and a tip end portion of the operation portion contacts an inner surface of a top portion of the dome portion. The sealed push switch according to claim 1, wherein the push switch is sealed. 4. The cover has an upper surface plate having the insertion hole and at least a pair of side surface plates extending downward from the upper surface plate, and the side surface plate and the side wall of the housing are snapped by locking means. The sealed push switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the push switch is sealed. 5. The outer periphery of the main body accommodated in the accommodating portion is formed in a shape along the outer shape of the accommodating portion, and the main body portion is guided by the inner surface of the side wall to move. The sealed push switch according to claim 1, wherein the push switch is sealed. 6. The movable contact is formed by bending a metal plate having a spring property, and is spaced apart from each other with first and second base portions provided with an opening and facing each other. , The first and second connecting portions connecting the first and second base portions, and the first and second connecting portions facing each other in a state of being located between the first and second connecting portions. At least two first and second contact portions provided so as to project from the base portion, the contact portion of the fixed contact extending upward from the bottom wall is located between the first and second base portions. Located between the open portion and the first and second contact portions, the movable contact is moved in the extending direction of the contact portion by the operation of the operation member, and the first and second contact portions are moved. Through the section 2
The sealed push switch according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the fixed contacts are turned on and off. 7. The movable contact is formed by bending the first and second connecting portions into a U-shape, and is formed in a hole provided between the first and second connecting portions. , The first,
A second contact portion is disposed, the first and second base portions are disposed closer to the bottom wall than the first and second contact portions, and the fixed contact is the first and second. The sealed push switch according to claim 6, wherein the first and second contact portions are arranged to reach the first and second contact portions through an opening portion of the base portion. 8. The main body portion has a storage portion provided at a lower portion for storing the movable contact and a through hole provided at an upper portion of the storage portion, and at least when the main body portion is moved, The sealed push switch according to claim 6, wherein the contact portion is located in the through hole.