JP2005123005A - Ball contact type miniature switch - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a ball contact type miniature switch in which a stroke needed to open and close the contact can be eliminated, and which can be made miniaturized. <P>SOLUTION: This is the miniature switch provided with a plurality of metal wirings 2a, 2b arranged and installed with gaps in between, contact parts 4a, 4b provided inside mutual metal wirings in the vicinity of the metal wirings, and a metal surface ball 3 installed in free rolling among the plurality of metal wirings, and which rolls by an absorption power toward one which is electrified by electrification of the metal wirings, and a contact mechanism is made to be closed by interposing the ball 3 between the contact point parts 4a, 4b by movements of the ball 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a small contact type switch used in electronic equipment and the like.

Conventional small contact type switches include micro switches, small switches, and relays. In general, a micro switch having a minute contact interval and a snap action mechanism is such that a contact mechanism that opens and closes is covered with a case, and an actuator is provided outside the contact mechanism (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
The switch is generally a slide-type or rotary-type dip-type switch. In general, the relay has a coil and a contact mechanism.

JP-A-7-153347

FIG. 8 shows a small switch described in JP-A-7-153347.
In the drawing, a microswitch 60 has fixed terminals 62 and 63 fixed to one side wall of a case 61 with a space therebetween, and has fixed contacts 62a and 63a at its ends. A common terminal 64 is fixed to the lower wall of the case 61,
A movable plate 65 is rotatably coupled to the common terminal 64, and movable contacts 65a and 65b that are in electrical contact with the fixed terminals 62 and 63 are provided at the tips thereof.
A button 66 is coupled so as to be movable up and down along a guide wall formed on the upper wall of the case 61.
The elastic member 67 has one end fixed to the case 61 and the other end connected and fixed to the movable plate 65, and the movable plate 65 is fixed to the fixed terminals 62 and 63 by raising and lowering the button 66. Selective contact with one of these.

The operating state of this microswitch is as follows.
In a state where no external force is applied to the button 66, the movable plate 65 receives an upward force by the elastic force of the elastic member 67. Therefore, when the contact 65b formed on the upper surface of the movable plate 65 contacts the upper fixed terminal 62, the upper fixed terminal 62, the movable plate 65, and the common terminal 64 form an electrical contact.

  On the other hand, when the button 66 is pressed in such a state, the lower end portion of the button 66 presses the central portion of the elastic member 67, so that the axial center of the elastic member 67 is the axis of the movable plate 65. When passing through the dead center that coincides with the center of the direction, the elastic force of the elastic member 67 acts downward, causing the movable plate 65 to rotate downward. Accordingly, when the contact 65b formed on the lower surface of the movable plate 65 contacts the lower fixed terminal 63, the lower fixed terminal 63, the movable plate 65, and the common terminal 64 come into electrical contact.

In this state, when the external force applied to the button 66 is removed, the elastic member 67 returns to its original shape by the elastic force, and the movable plate 65 is further rotated upward, so that the movable plate 65 is fixed to the upper part. The state returns to the reference state in which the terminal 62 is in electrical contact.
As described above, the conventional microswitch, switch, and the like move the movable plate using an elastic member, a coil, or an external force.

However, since conventional microswitches, switches and relays are assumed to be used independently of each other, they are covered with a case and can only be opened and closed in fields that require ultra-miniaturization. However, there was a problem that the size was large in use.
In particular, switches and relays may be used mounted on a printed wiring board, but they are also covered with a case, and are used only for opening and closing contacts, especially in fields where ultra-miniaturization is required. Then there was a problem that it was large in size.
In addition, since a plate-shaped metal is used for the movable plate, the mechanism for moving the movable plate requires a stroke for opening and closing the contact, and the mechanism is likely to be complicated, so the size cannot be reduced. There was a problem.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a micro switch that has a simple mechanism and can achieve downsizing and can be incorporated into a printed wiring board.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention of the ball contact type small switch according to claim 1 is provided inside a plurality of metal wirings arranged at intervals and inside the metal wirings in the vicinity of the wirings. A small switch provided with a contact portion and a metal surface ball that is provided so as to be able to roll between the plurality of metal wires and that rolls with a suction force toward the energized direction when the metal wires are energized. The contact mechanism is closed by the ball being interposed between the contact portions by the movement of the ball.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the ball contact type small switch according to the first aspect, the ball has magnetism and conductivity.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the ball contact type small switch according to the first aspect, the ball is made of resin, and the outer surface thereof is coated with a metal having magnetism and conductivity.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the ball contact type small switch according to the first aspect, the moving speed and moving direction of the ball can be arbitrarily controlled by the magnitude of the current flowing through the metal wiring.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the ball contact type small switch according to the first aspect, the metal wiring is a coil.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the ball contact type small switch according to the first aspect, the contact mechanism is formed on a printed wiring board.

With the above configuration, the contact mechanism is configured by the ball, and the contact is opened and closed by moving the ball with the current flowing through the metal wiring. Stroke can be eliminated and miniaturization can be achieved.
Also, by making the ball magnetic and conductive, or coating the outer surface of the resin ball with a metal having magnetism and conductivity, it is possible to open and close the contact with the ball and to control the opening and closing speed by the current.
Further, by configuring the contact mechanism of this ball contact type small switch on a printed wiring board, the contact mechanism can be miniaturized.

Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1A is a top view of a ball contact type small switch according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
In the figure, 1 is a guide, 2 is a coil with metal wiring provided at both ends between the guides 1 and 1. 3 is a ball provided between the metal wires 2a and 2b between the guides 1 and 1, and 4 is a contact portion provided in the vicinity of the metal wires 2a and 2b.
Here, the guide 1 is made of resin, the metal wiring is a coil, the ball is magnetic and conductive Fe (Ni, Co, etc. are also conceivable), and the diameter thereof is 5 to 100 μm. The ball 3 may be made of a resin and coated with a metal having an outer surface, magnetism and conductivity, or a permanent magnet.
The ball contact type small switch according to the present invention has a maximum dimension of about 300 μm.

FIG. 2 is a top view showing the switch operation of the ball contact type small switch of FIG.
In FIG. 2, 5 is the direction of current and 6 is the direction of magnetic field.
Then, as shown in FIG. 2, when a current 5 is passed through the metal wiring 2a (coil) in the direction shown in the figure, the magnetic ball 6 is magnetized by the magnetic field 6 generated thereby, and an attractive force acts. Therefore, it moves to the contact part 4a along the guide. Contact portions 4 a and 4 b are provided at both ends of the guide 1, and a contact mechanism is formed when the ball 3 contacts the contact portion. When the ball is moved from the contact portion 4a to the contact portion 4b, a current is passed through the metal wiring 2b (coil). In particular, the ball can be fixed to the contact portion 4 by continuously supplying a constant current to the metal wiring 2.
The moving speed of the ball can be controlled by the value of current flowing through the metal wiring (coil). Needless to say, when a permanent magnet is used for the ball, only one metal wiring (coil) is required. (Second embodiment)

FIG. 3A is a top view of a ball contact type small switch according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
In the figure, reference numerals 1 and 1 are guides made of an interlayer resin, and 2a and 2b are metal wirings provided at both ends between the guides 1 and 1, which are coiled. 3 is a ball provided between the guides 1 and 1 and between the metal wires 2a and 2b, and 4 and 4 are contact portions provided in the vicinity of the metal wires 2a and 2b. Reference numeral 7 denotes a printed wiring board substrate.
The structure shown in the first embodiment is manufactured as it is in a printed wiring board by using a method for manufacturing a printed wiring board. For example, the guide 1 can be easily incorporated into the printed wiring board by using the interlayer resin of the printed wiring board, the metal wiring 2 using the chip coil, and the contact portion 4 using the copper foil of the printed wiring board. .
The switch operation of the ball contact type small switch according to the second embodiment is the same as the principle shown in FIG.
(Third embodiment)

FIG. 4A is a top view of a ball contact type small switch according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
In the figure, 1 and 1 are guides made of an interlayer resin, 2a and 2b are metal wirings provided at both ends between the guides 1 and 1, and are straight conductors. 3 is a ball provided between the guides 1 and 1 and between the metal wires 2a and 2b, and 4 and 4 are contact portions provided in the vicinity of the metal wires 2a and 2b.
In the third embodiment, the metal wiring 2 as in the first and second embodiments is not a coil but a straight conductor, and a current is passed therethrough to change the magnetic field generated by the current, thereby moving the ball. A gradient is created in the magnetic field near the guide to move the ball. In this case, if the gradient of the magnetic field is increased, the ball 3 can be moved smoothly.

5A and 5B are diagrams showing the switch operation of the ball contact type small switch of FIG. 4, where FIG. 5A is a top view, FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a temporal change in current, and FIG. is there.
In FIG. 5, 5 is the direction of the current, 5 ′ is the temporal change of the current 5, and 6 is the direction of the magnetic field at that time.
For example, when a pulsed current is applied to the metal wirings 2a and 2b (FIG. 4) in the direction 5 in the figure to create a magnetic field gradient from the contact 4b to 4a, the ball 3 moves along the guide to the contact 4a. When the current is increased stepwise in time, the magnetic field on the ball 3 changes and can move in the direction F in the figure.
In this case, the ball may be a magnet.
(Fourth embodiment)

FIG. 6 is a top view of a three-contact small switch according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
In the figure, metal wirings 2 a, 2 b, 2 c are provided outside each end of a star-shaped guide groove 1, and metal balls 3 are provided inside the guide groove 1. Similar to the first and second embodiments, contact portions (not shown) are arranged in the vicinity of each end of the star-shaped guide groove 1.
Therefore, when the metal wiring 2a is energized and the other metal wirings 2b and 2c are de-energized or reversely energized, the metal ball 3 is attracted to the metal wiring 2a side as indicated by the solid line, and is positioned there. When the ball 3 comes into contact with the contact portion to be made, a contact mechanism is formed.
Further, when the metal wiring 2b is energized and the other metal wirings 2c and 2a are de-energized or reversely energized, the metal ball 3 is attracted to the metal wiring 2b side as indicated by the dotted line, and is positioned there. When the ball 3 comes into contact with the contact portion to be made, a contact mechanism is formed.
Similarly, when the metal wiring 2c is energized and the other metal wirings 2a and 2c are de-energized or energized in the reverse direction, the metal ball 3 is attracted to the metal wiring 2c side as indicated by the dotted line, A contact mechanism is made when the ball 3 comes into contact with the positioned contact portion.
Thus, according to the fourth embodiment, a three-contact type small switch using a ball can be obtained.
(5th Example)

FIG. 7 is a top view of a 4-contact small switch according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
In the figure, metal wirings 2 a, 2 b, 2 c, 2 d are provided outside each end portion of the plus-shaped guide groove 1, and metal balls 3 are provided inside the guide groove 1. Similar to the first and second embodiments, contact portions (not shown) are disposed in the vicinity of each end of the plus-shaped guide groove 1.
Therefore, when the metal wiring 2a is energized and the other metal wirings 2b and 2c are de-energized or reversely energized, the metal ball 3 is attracted to the metal wiring 2a side as indicated by the solid line, and is positioned there. When the ball 3 comes into contact with the contact portion to be made, a contact mechanism is formed.
Further, when the metal wiring 2b is energized and the other metal wirings 2c and 2a are de-energized or reversely energized, the metal ball 3 is attracted to the metal wiring 2b side as indicated by the dotted line, and is positioned there. When the ball 3 comes into contact with the contact portion to be made, a contact mechanism is formed.
The same applies when the metal wirings 2c and 2d are energized.

As described above, according to the ball contact type small switch of the present invention, it is necessary to open and close the contact by providing a ball, forming a contact mechanism by the ball, and moving the ball by the current flowing through the metal wiring. Since the stroke can be eliminated and the contact mechanism can be easily configured, there is an effect that the size can be reduced.
In addition, the ball has magnetism and conductivity, or is made of resin and the outer surface is coated with a metal having magnetism and conductivity, so that the ball can move at any speed and direction depending on the current flowing in the metal wiring. It becomes possible to control and contact opening / closing by a ball becomes possible.
Further, by configuring the contact mechanism on the printed wiring board, there is an effect that the contact mechanism can be miniaturized.

It is the top view (a) and side sectional view (b) of the ball contact type small switch which shows the 1st example of the present invention. It is a top view which shows operation | movement of the ball contact type small switch of this invention. It is the top view (a) and side sectional view (b) of the ball contact type small switch which shows 2nd Example. It is the top view (a) and AA sectional view (b) of the ball contact type small switch concerning the 3rd example of the present invention. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing a switch operation of the ball contact type small switch of FIG. 4, in which FIG. 5A is a top view, FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a temporal change in current, and FIG. It is a top view of the three-contact type small switch concerning the 4th example of the present invention. It is a top view of the 4-contact type small switch which concerns on 5th Example of this invention. FIG. 1 is a transparent perspective view of a conventional microswitch. Guides 2a to 2d Metal wiring 3 Balls 4a and 4b Contact point 5 Direction 7 Printed wiring board base material

Claims (6)

A plurality of metal wirings arranged at intervals, a contact portion arranged inside the metal wirings in the vicinity of the wirings, and provided between the plurality of metal wirings so as to be able to roll. A small-sized switch having a metal surface ball that rolls with the attraction force toward the energized direction when the wiring is energized, and the contact mechanism is configured by interposing the ball between the contact portions by the movement of the ball. A ball contact type small switch characterized by closing. 2. The ball contact type small switch according to claim 1, wherein the ball has magnetism and conductivity. 2. The ball contact type small switch according to claim 1, wherein the ball is made of a resin, and a metal having magnetism and conductivity is coated on an outer surface thereof. 2. The ball contact type small switch according to claim 1, wherein the movement speed and the movement direction of the ball can be arbitrarily controlled by the magnitude of the current flowing in the metal wiring. The ball contact type small switch according to claim 1, wherein the metal wiring is a coil. 2. The small ball contact type switch according to claim 1, wherein the contact mechanism is a printed wiring board.

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