JP2005190812A - Two-step push switch - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a two-step push switch which can be thinned, since a protrusion for fixing a push member will not protrude from the lower surface of the two-step push switch. <P>SOLUTION: This two-step push switch is equipped with a mounting member 60, first and second switches 51, 52 vertically superimposed and installed on the mounting member 60 so as to face each, the push member 30 which is installed between the first and second switches 51, 52 and on which push parts 33, 32 are provided at the positions facing the first and second switches 51, 52, a keytop 20 installed on the second switch 52, and a case 10 in which an opening 11 to expose the push button part 26 of the keytop 20 is provided. Guide members 13, 13 are provided, by protruding them from the lower surface of the case 10, guide member insertion parts 36, 37 to be inserted with the guide members 13, 13 are provided in the push member 30, and the tips of the guide members 13, 13 are made to reach the top of the mounting member 60 or its inside, by inserting the guide members 13, 13 into the guide member insertion parts 36, 37, in order to guide the push member 30 freely movably upward and downward. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a two-stage push switch.

  Conventionally, among switches, there is a two-stage pressing switch having a structure in which a first switch is turned on when a key top is pressed, and a second switch is also turned on when the key top is further pressed.

  There exists what was described in patent document 1 as this kind of two step press switch. The two-stage pressing switch (two-stage seesaw switch) shown in FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1 has a switch board (flexible board) provided with a first switch on a mounting member (mounting plate). A pressing member (pressing portion forming member) provided with a pressing portion on its upper and lower surfaces is arranged on the top, and a switch board (flexible substrate) provided with a second switch is further attached to the lower surface of the pressing member. The key top is arranged. If the key top is pressed (oscillated), for example, the second switch is pressed by the pressing portion provided on the upper surface of the pressing member and turned on first, and if the key top is further pressed, the first switch is pressed. It is turned on by being pressed by a pressing portion provided on the lower surface of the member.

  By the way, in the two-stage press switch having the above-described structure, it is necessary to accurately position the press member with respect to the first and second switches. Therefore, the press member is fixed to the lower mounting member. . And as the fixing structure, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, a base provided at the tip of a hinge (arm) extending outward from the pressing portion of the pressing member is placed on the switch board on the mounting member, The protrusion (fixing part) protruding from the lower surface of the base part protrudes to the lower surface of the mounting member through the through holes provided in the switch board and the mounting member, and the protruding protrusion tip is crushed by heat caulking.

However, when the pressing member is fixed to the mounting member and the switch board by the above method, the crushed protrusion tip of the pressing member protrudes on the lower surface of the mounting member, and therefore, the pressing member of the mounting member is separated directly below the fixed portion. When trying to install this part, there was a problem that the crushed protrusion tip part would get in the way. In particular, when the two-stage press switch is required to have a thickness of a micron as the thickness of the device is reduced, the above problem is increased.
JP 2003-178852 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a two-stage pressure switch that can be reduced in thickness without projecting projections for fixing the pressure member from the lower surface of the two-stage pressure switch. There is to do.

  The invention according to claim 1 of the present application is provided between an attachment member, first and second switches installed on the attachment member so as to face each other, and the first and second switches. A pressing member provided with a pressing portion at a position facing the first and second switches, a key top installed on the second switch, and covering the key top And a case provided with an opening that exposes the push button portion of the key top, and a guide member that protrudes downward from the lower surface of the case and that inserts the guide member into the pressing member A member insertion portion is provided, and the guide member of the case is inserted into the guide member insertion portion of the pressing member so that the tip of the guide member reaches the mounting member or inside thereof, so that the pressing member can be moved up and down freely. In two-stage push switch, characterized in that it has.

  The invention according to claim 2 of the present application includes a mounting member, first and second switches that are installed on the mounting member so as to overlap each other upward and downward, and the first and second switches. A pressing member having a mounting surface for the second switch on the upper surface thereof, and a pressing member provided with a pressing portion at a position facing the first switch on the lower surface, and the second switch. And a case provided to cover the key top and provided with an opening exposing the push button portion of the key top, and projecting the guide member downward from the lower surface of the case A guide member insertion portion for inserting the guide member into the pressing member, and the guide member of the case is inserted into the guide member insertion portion of the pressing member so that the tip of the guide member is placed on or inside the mounting member. To reach , In two-stage push switch, characterized in that the pressing member vertically movable guide.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, a guide member receiving portion comprising a recess or a through hole is provided at a position facing the tip of the guide member of the case of the mounting member, and the tip of the guide member is provided in the guide member receiving portion. The two-stage press switch according to claim 1, wherein the two-stage press switch is positioned.

  The invention according to claim 4 of the present application is characterized in that the case is provided with a fixing member positioned on the outer periphery of the guide member for fixing the case to the mounting member. The two-stage push switch.

  The invention according to claim 5 of the present application is the two-stage press switch according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein the attachment member is a metal plate.

  According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, by inserting the guide member of the case into the guide member insertion portion of the pressing member and bringing the tip of the guide member to the mounting member or inside thereof, the pressing member is Since it is guided so that it can move up and down, it is not necessary to fix the pressing member to the mounting member installed on the lower side thereof. Therefore, the projection or the like for fixing the pressing member does not protrude from the lower side of the mounting member. The thickness decreases. Therefore, for example, when another electronic component or the like is installed immediately below the two-stage press switch, the space corresponding to the reduced thickness can be used effectively.

  According to the invention described in claim 1 of the present application, the first and second switches are placed one above the other so that they face each other, and the pressing member is placed between the first and second switches. Thus, the switch pressing member does not need to be placed and held on both the first and second switches, and therefore the thickness thereof can be reduced, thereby reducing the thickness of the two-stage pressing switch.

  Further, according to the first and second aspects of the present invention, since the guide member provided on the lower surface of the case is inserted into the guide member insertion portion of the press member, the press member is guided to move up and down. The entire pressing member can be guided to move in parallel in the pressing direction, and there is no need to bend it when pressing the key top like a hinge, and the pressing force to turn on the switch Requires only the pressing force required to turn on the first and second switches, and the operating force can be made lighter and better. In particular, in the case of a switch having a structure in which a switch is provided with a reversal plate thereon, the click feeling generated by reversing the switch can be improved.

  Further, according to the first and second aspects of the present invention, since the guide member provided on the lower surface of the case is inserted into the guide member insertion portion of the press member, the press member is guided to move up and down. With a simple structure, a reliable guide can be performed, and when the switch is turned on, the pressing member does not wobble, and the pressing part of the pressing member can accurately press the central part of the first and second switches pressed by this, The pressing feeling can be kept good.

  According to the invention described in claim 3 of the present application, since the guide member receiving portion including the concave portion or the through hole is provided in the mounting member, and the distal end of the guide member is positioned in the guide member receiving portion, the guide member is inserted into the guide member. The guide member insertion portion of the pressing member can be reliably prevented from coming off, and at the same time, the tip of the guide member does not protrude from the lower surface of the mounting member, so that the thickness does not increase.

  According to the invention described in claim 4 of the present application, since the fixing member for fixing the case to the mounting member with a predetermined interval is provided in the case, the interval between the case and the mounting member is surely set to the predetermined interval. Therefore, the operation of each member in the interior can be performed more reliably.

  According to invention of Claim 5 of this application, since the attachment member was comprised with the metal plate, thickness reduction can be performed more effectively.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the two-stage press switch 1-1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the two-stage press switch 1-1 includes a flexible substrate 40 provided with a first switch 51 and a second switch 52 on a mounting member 60, a press member 30, and a key top 20. Is installed and further covered with a case 10. Each component will be described below.

  The case 10 is a fixed-side plate-like member made of molded resin or the like, and is provided with an opening 11 that exposes the push button portion 26 of the key top 20 at a predetermined position. Although only a part of the case 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1, the case 10 is an exterior case of an electric device and is formed in a shape that covers other various electronic components. Further, a pair of columnar guide members 13 and 13 are provided to project from two places around the opening 11 on the lower surface of the case 10 (diagonal positions of the substantially rectangular opening 11), and the guide member on the lower surface of the case 10 is provided. Further, pillar-shaped fixing members 15 are provided so as to protrude from the four outer peripheral portions of 13 and 13. Engaging portions 14 and 14 are provided at the distal ends of the guide members 13 and 13 so as to protrude with a reduced outer diameter, and a fixing portion 17 is provided at the distal end of the fixing member 15 with a reduced outer diameter. It has been. The length of the fixing member 15 from the bottom surface of the case 10 to the base of the fixing portion 17 is made to coincide with the distance required between the case 10 and the mounting member 60 of the two-stage press switch 1-1 assembled below. .

  The key top 20 is configured by providing a substantially rectangular parallelepiped push button portion 26 on the upper surface of a base portion 21 formed in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. At two corners located on one diagonal of the base 21 and facing the guide members 13, 13 provided on the case 10, penetrating parts 22, 23 made of through holes are provided. . The through portions 22 and 23 are slightly larger than the outer diameters of the guide members 13 and 13 so that the key top 20 is supported so as to be reciprocally movable up and down when the guide members 13 and 13 provided in the case 10 are inserted. It is formed on the inner diameter. Further, on the lower surface of the two corners located on the lower surface of the base portion 21, opposite to the through portions 22 and 23, there are formed substrate mounting portions 24 and 25 formed in a slit shape so as to sandwich the flexible substrate 40. Has been. As shown in FIG. 2, the board mounting portion 24 projects an L-shaped projection 24 a from the lower surface of the base 21 toward the inside of the key top 20, so that the substrate mounting portion 24 is interposed between the projection 24 a and the lower surface of the base 21. The slit 24b is formed. The slit 24b has a gap dimension that can be fixed to the extent that the flexible substrate 40 is not displaced between them. The other board mounting portion 25 has the same shape as the board mounting portion 24, and an L-shaped protruding portion 25a protrudes in a direction facing the board mounting portion 24 (inward of the key top 20). Thus, a slit 25b is formed between the protrusion 25a and the lower surface of the base 21 so that the flexible substrate 40 is sandwiched between the protrusions 25a and fixed so as not to be displaced.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the pressing member 30 is formed of a synthetic resin in a substantially flat plate shape, and first and second switches 51 and 52 described below from the upper and lower surfaces of the center of the main body 31 formed in a substantially circular shape, respectively. The pressing portions 33 and 32 (see FIG. 3) opposite to each other are provided so as to protrude from each other, and extend from the pressing portions 32 and 33 in a direction perpendicular to the pressing direction (vertical movement direction) and extend in a pair of opposite directions. The arm-shaped guide portions 34 and 35 having the same length protrude from each other. Guide member insertion portions 36 and 37 each having a through hole are provided in the vicinity of the distal end portions of the guide portions 34 and 35. When the guide members 13 and 13 of the case 10 are inserted, the guide member insertion portions 36 and 37 are arranged so that the pressing member 30 has a vertical pressing direction (the first and second switches 51 and 52 overlapped as described below). The guide members 13 and 13 are formed to have an inner diameter that is slightly larger than the outer diameter so that they can be translated in the direction of the line connecting the centers. Incidentally, reference numeral 38 denotes a connecting portion that has connected the resin injection hole of the mold at the time of molding.

  Next, the flexible substrate 40 is configured by providing a substrate portion 41 and a substrate portion 42 on a single film and connecting them with a connecting portion 43. A first switch 51 and a second switch 52 are provided on the same surface side of the substrate portion 41 and the substrate portion 42, respectively. The first switch 51 has an inversion plate 53 (hereinafter referred to as “movable contact plate” in this embodiment) made of a dome-shaped elastic metal plate placed on a switch pattern 55 formed on the upper surface of the substrate portion 41. The movable contact plate 53 that is in contact with a switch pattern formed on the upper surface of the substrate portion 41 (not shown) is reversed by being pressed and comes into contact with the switch pattern 55 so that the switch patterns are connected to each other. The switch turns on. Similarly to the first switch 51, the second switch 52 is an inversion plate (hereinafter referred to as a “movable contact plate” in this embodiment) made of a dome-shaped elastic metal plate on a switch pattern 56 formed on the upper surface of the substrate portion 42. ) 54 is placed, and when pressed, the movable contact plate 54 in contact with the switch pattern formed on the upper surface of the substrate portion 42 (not shown) is reversed and abuts against the switch pattern 56. The switch patterns are connected and the switch is turned on. In the present embodiment, the pressing force required to turn on the first switch 51 and the second switch 52 is made different by changing the pressing force required to reverse the movable contact plate 53 and the movable contact plate 54. Are different.

  Further, at one diagonal portion of the substrate portion 41, insertion portions 44, 44 each having a small-diameter through hole into which the engaging portions 14, 14 at the tips of the guide members 13, 13 of the case 10 are inserted are provided. That is, the insertion portions 44 and 44 are formed to have an inner diameter dimension through which the engaging portions 14 and 14 are inserted, but the guide members 13 and 13 are not inserted.

  The attachment member 60 is a member on the fixed side and is made of a metal plate, and a pair of guide members formed of recesses at positions opposed to the engaging portions 14 and 14 at the tips of the pair of guide members 13 and 13 of the case 10. A receiving portion 61, 61 is provided, and at a position facing the tip of each fixing member 15 of the case 10, a fixing comprising a through hole having an inner diameter into which the fixing portion 17 can be inserted but the root fixing member 15 cannot be inserted. A part insertion part 63 is provided.

  Next, the assembly procedure of the two-stage press switch 1-1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the key top 20, the pressing member 30, and the flexible substrate 40 during assembly from the lower side. As shown in the figure, first, with the surface of the flexible substrate 40 on which the first and second switches 51 and 52 are provided turned upside down, one substrate portion 42 is placed on the lower surface of the key top 20 with the second switch 52. It is placed so that the side provided with is facing downward. The both sides of the substrate portion 42 are inserted into and fixed to the slits 24 b of the substrate attachment portion 24 and the slits 25 b of the substrate attachment portion 25 provided on the key top 20. By using the means for inserting and fixing the flexible substrate 40 in the substrate mounting portions 24 and 25 in this way, the flexible substrate 40 can be attached more easily than the conventional means for fixing the flexible substrate 40 by a heat caulking method. Workability is improved. In addition, when fixed by thermal caulking, the thickness of the crimped portion is increased, but the board mounting portions 24 and 25 can be formed thinner than the fixing portion by thermal caulking. 1 can be reduced in thickness.

  Next, the push button portion 26 of the key top 20 to which the substrate portion 42 in the state shown in FIG. 2 is attached is inserted into the opening 11 of the case 10 shown in FIG. At this time, the guide members 13 and 13 provided on the lower surface of the case 10 are inserted into the through portions 22 and 23 provided on the base 21 of the key top 20. Next, the pressing member 30 is disposed below the substrate portion 42, and at this time, the guide members 13 and 13 penetrating the penetrating portions 22 and 23 of the key top 20 are inserted into the pair of guide member insertion portions 36 and 37 of the pressing member 30. insert. Next, the substrate portion 41 of the flexible substrate 40 is folded back at the portion of the connecting portion 43 and overlaps the lower side of the pressing member 30, and the mounting member 60 is further installed on the lower side thereof. The fixing portion 17 at the tip is inserted into each fixing portion insertion portion 63 of the mounting member 60, and the tip of the fixing portion 17 protruding from the lower surface of the mounting member 60 is fixed by heat caulking. Thereby, the two-stage press switch 1-1 is completed. At this time, the engaging portions 14 and 14 at the distal ends of the guide members 13 and 13 of the case 10 are inserted into the insertion portions 44 and 44 of the substrate portion 41 of the flexible substrate 40 and penetrated therethrough. It is inserted into the guide member receiving portions 61, 61. Accordingly, the substrate portion 41 is pressed against the upper surface of the mounting member 60 to be positioned and fixed, and at the same time, the key top 20 and the pressing member 30 are prevented from coming off from the guide members 13 and 13. In this embodiment, by providing the guide member receiving portion 61, the distal end of the engaging portion 14 reaches the inside of the mounting member 60. However, the distal end of the engaging portion 14 contacts the surface of the mounting member 60. You may install in contact or close. In other words, it may be simply reached on the mounting member 60.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of the two-stage push switch 1-1. As shown in FIG. 3, the two-stage pressing switch 1-1 includes a mounting member 60 and first and second switches that are installed on the mounting member 60 so that their upper surfaces (pressing surfaces) face each other. 51, 52 and the pressing member 30 provided between the first and second switches 51, 52 and provided with pressing portions 33, 32 at positions facing the first, second switches 51, 52, respectively. A key top 20 installed on the second switch 52, and a case 10 provided so as to cover the key top 20 and provided with an opening 11 exposing the push button portion 26 of the key top 20. And provided with guide members 13 and 13 projecting downward from the lower surface of the case 10, and provided with guide member insertion portions 36 and 37 for inserting the guide members 13 and 13 into the pressing member 30, Push By inserting the guide members 13 and 13 of the case 10 into the guide member insertion portions 36 and 37 of the member 30 and bringing the tips of the guide members 13 and 13 to the mounting member 60 or inside thereof, the pressing member 30 is moved. The guide is configured to be movable up and down.

  Here, the pressing member 30 includes a pair of guide members 13 and 13 of the case 10 and a pair of guide member insertion portions 36 and 37 of the pressing member 30 that are movably inserted into the pair of guide members 13 and 13. The guide mechanism is guided so as to be reciprocally movable in the direction of the line connecting the center of the first switch 51 and the center of the second switch 52 (the pressing direction of the pressing member 30). Further, the key top 20 can also be reciprocally translated in the pressing direction of the key top 20 by inserting the pair of guide members 13 and 13 movably into the pair of through portions 22 and 23 provided in the key top 20. Guided.

  Next, the operation of the two-stage press switch 1-1 will be described. In FIG. 3, when the push button portion 26 of the key top 20 is pressed, the key top 20 guided by the guide mechanism by the guide members 13 and 13 and the penetrating portions 22 and 23 descends in parallel downward (in a free state). The opposed first and second switches 51 and 52 are simultaneously pressed by the pressing portions 33 and 32 of the pressing member 30 with substantially the same pressing force. Accordingly, for example, if the pressing force necessary for reversing the movable contact plate 53 is made weaker than the pressing force necessary for reversing the movable contact plate 54, the movable contact plate 53 is first reversed and the first switch 51 is reversed. When the key top 20 is further pressed, the movable contact plate 54 is reversed and the second switch 52 is turned on. On the other hand, if the pressure on the key top 20 is released, the movable contact plate 54 is automatically returned to the original state, the second switch 52 is turned off, and further the pressure on the key top 20 is released. In this case, the movable contact plate 53 is automatically restored to the original state, and the first switch 51 is also turned off. Of course, if the pressing force necessary for reversing the movable contact plate 53 is made stronger than the pressing force necessary for reversing the movable contact plate 54, the first and second switches 51, 52 turns on and off.

  In the two-stage pressing switch 1-1, the guide members 13, 13 of the case 10 are inserted into the guide member insertion portions 36, 37 of the pressing member 30, and the tips of the guide members 13, 13 are placed on the mounting member 60 or its Since the pressing member 30 is guided to move up and down by reaching the inside, it is not necessary to fix the pressing member 30 to the mounting member 60 installed below the pressing member 30, and therefore the pressing member 30 from the lower side of the mounting member 60. Therefore, the thickness of the two-stage press switch 1-1 can be reduced, and other electronic components are installed at a position directly below the two-stage press switch 1-1. However, the protrusion does not get in the way and its installation is not hindered. In addition, although the fixing | fixed part 17 of the fixing member 15 for fixing the case 10 to the attachment member 60 protrudes on the lower surface of the attachment member 60, the protrusion position is not a position below the two-step press switch 1-1, On the perimeter.

  Further, in the conventional two-stage press switch, since the pressing member is supported by the hinge as described above, a force for bending the hinge is added to the pressing force when pressing the switch, and the pressing operation is accordingly performed. There was a fear that the click feeling was not good because a large force was required. On the other hand, in the two-stage pressing switch 1-1 of the present embodiment, the entire pressing member 30 is translated in the direction of the line connecting the centers (that is, the pressed portions) of the first and second switches 51 and 52. The first and second switches 51 and 52 are turned on because the guide is guided in such a manner (that is, in a state where the first switch 51 and the second switch 52 can move freely in the direction of the line connecting them). The necessary pressing force is only the force necessary for reversing the movable contact plates 53 and 54, and the first and second switches 51 and 52 can be turned on with the corresponding light pressing force, and the click feeling is improved. Moreover, the part which produces stress at the time of operation like the conventional hinge is lost, and the lifetime of the two-stage press switch 1-1 can be increased.

  Further, since the space for providing the hinge necessary for the conventional two-stage push switch is not required, the two-stage push switch 1-1 can be downsized. In addition, since the pressing member 30 does not need a portion that bends like a hinge, there is no problem in durability even if the thickness thereof is reduced. Therefore, the pressing member 30 can be thinned, and thus the two-stage pressing switch 1-1 can be thinned.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the guide member insertion portions 36 and 37 provided on the guide portions 34 and 35 protruding from the pressing portions 32 and 33 of the pressing member 30 in the direction perpendicular to the pressing direction are provided on the fixed side. Since the guide mechanism is configured by being movably inserted into the guide members 13 and 13 provided in the case 10 which is a member, the entire pressing member 30 can be reliably translated with a simple structure. In addition, since the guide mechanism having such a structure is installed in the pressing member 30, the pressing member 30 does not wobble when the first and second switches 51 and 52 are turned on, and the pressing portions 32 and 33 of the pressing member 30 are prevented. However, the central portions of the first and second switches 51 and 52 can be accurately pressed, and the pressing feeling can be kept good. In order to prevent the pressing member 30 from wobbling, it is preferable that there are a plurality of guide portions 34 and 35, guide member insertion portions 36 and 37, and guide members 13 and 13, as in this embodiment.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the two-stage press switch 1-2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same or corresponding parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. Also in the two-stage pressing switch 1-2, the flexible board 40 provided with the first switch 51 and the second switch 52 on the mounting member 60 and the first and second switches 51 and 52 are provided. The pressing member 30 to be arranged and the key top 20 are installed, and the top is covered with a case 10. Each component will be described below.

  The case 10 is made of molded resin or the like as in the first embodiment, and is provided with an opening 11 exposing the push button portion 26 of the key top 20 at a predetermined position, and two places around the opening 11 on the lower surface of the case 10 ( A pair of columnar guide members 13, 13 are provided so as to protrude from the diagonal position of the substantially rectangular opening 11, and columnar fixing members are further provided at four locations on the outer periphery of the guide members 13, 13 on the lower surface of the case 10. 15 is provided so as to protrude. Engaging portions 14 and 14 are provided at the distal ends of the guide members 13 and 13 so as to protrude with a reduced outer diameter, and a fixing portion 17 is provided at the distal end of the fixing member 15 with a reduced outer diameter. It has been.

  Similarly to the first embodiment, the key top 20 is provided with a substantially rectangular parallelepiped push button portion 26 on the upper surface of the base portion 21 formed in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape, and two key tops 20 positioned at one diagonal of the base portion 21. Through portions 22 and 23 are provided at the corners at positions facing the guide members 13 and 13 provided in the case 10. Further, a projecting pressing portion 27 is provided at the center of the lower surface of the key top 20.

  The pressing member 30 is formed by molding a synthetic resin into a substantially flat plate shape. The upper surface of the main body portion 31 formed in a substantially circular shape is a flat mounting surface 39, and the first switch is located at the center of the lower surface of the main body portion 31. A guide member insertion portion comprising a through hole in the vicinity of the distal end portions of the arm-shaped guide portions 34 and 35 projecting from the outer periphery of the main body portion 31 in an approximately 180 ° opposite direction. 36 and 37 are provided. The guide portions 34 and 35 are not necessarily required, and the guide member insertion portions 36 and 37 may be provided directly on the main body portion 31.

  The flexible substrate 40 is configured by providing a substrate portion 41 and a substrate portion 42 on a single film and connecting them with a connecting portion 43. The board part 41 and the board part 42 are provided with a first switch 51 and a second switch 52, respectively. The first switch 51 has an inversion plate (hereinafter referred to as “movable contact plate” in this embodiment) 53 made of a dome-shaped elastic metal plate placed on a switch pattern (not shown) formed on the upper surface of the substrate portion 41. Similarly to the first switch 51, the second switch 52 is a reversing plate made of a dome-shaped elastic metal plate on a switch pattern (not shown) formed on the upper surface of the substrate portion 42 (hereinafter referred to as this embodiment). In this case, a movable contact plate) 54 is placed. Note that the pressing force required to turn on the first switch 51 and the second switch 52 is made different by making the pressing force necessary to reverse the movable contact plate 53 and the movable contact plate 54 different. This is also the same as in the first embodiment. Further, the substrate portion 42 is provided with through holes 42 a and 42 a for inserting the guide members 13 and 13 of the case 10, and the substrate portion 41 is inserted with the engaging portions 14 and 14 of the guide members 13 and 13. The insertion portions 44 and 44 are provided. That is, the insertion portions 44 and 44 are formed to have an inner diameter dimension through which the engaging portions 14 and 14 are inserted, but the guide members 13 and 13 are not inserted.

  The mounting member 60 is made of a metal plate, and a pair of guide member receiving portions 61 and 61 each having a through hole are provided at positions facing the engaging portions 14 and 14 at the tips of the pair of guide members 13 and 13 of the case 10. A fixing portion insertion portion 63 comprising a through hole having an inner diameter where the fixing portion 17 can be inserted but the root fixing member 15 cannot be inserted is provided at a position facing the tip of each fixing member 15 of the case 10. It has been.

  In order to assemble the two-stage pressing switch 1-2, first, the substrate portion 42 of the flexible substrate 40 is fixed on the mounting surface 39 of the pressing member 30 in advance by fixing means (not shown). Next, the push button portion 26 of the key top 20 is inserted into the opening 11 of the case 10 from the lower surface side to be exposed on the upper surface side of the case 10. At this time, the guide members 13 and 13 provided on the lower surface of the case 10 are inserted into the through portions 22 and 23 provided on the base 21 of the key top 20. Next, the pressing member 30 to which the substrate portion 42 is attached is disposed below the key top 20. At this time, the key top 20 is inserted into the through holes 42 a and 42 a of the substrate portion 42 and the guide member insertion portions 36 and 37 of the pressing member 30. The guide members 13 and 13 penetrating the through portions 22 and 23 are inserted. Next, the substrate portion 41 of the flexible substrate 40 is folded back at the portion of the connecting portion 43 so as to overlap the lower side of the pressing member 30, and the mounting member 60 is further installed on the lower side. The fixing part 17 at the tip of each fixing member 15 located on the outer periphery is inserted into each fixing part insertion part 63 of the mounting member 60, and the tip of the fixing part 17 protruding from the lower surface of the mounting member 60 is fixed by thermal caulking. Thereby, the two-stage push switch 1-2 is completed. At this time, the engaging portions 14 and 14 at the distal ends of the guide members 13 and 13 of the case 10 are inserted into the insertion portions 44 and 44 of the substrate portion 41 of the flexible substrate 40 and penetrated therethrough. It is inserted into each guide member receiving portion 61, 61 made of a hole. Accordingly, the substrate portion 41 is pressed against the upper surface of the mounting member 60 to be positioned and fixed, and at the same time, the key top 20 and the pressing member 30 are prevented from coming off from the guide members 13 and 13. The tip of the engaging portion 14 is located within the thickness of the mounting member 60 and does not protrude from the lower surface.

  That is, the two-stage pressing switch 1-2 is a first and second switch that is installed on the mounting member 60 and the mounting member 60 with the upper surface (pressing surface) thereof facing up and down. 51, 52 and the first and second switches 51, 52, the mounting surface 39 of the second switch 52 is provided on the upper surface thereof, and the position facing the first switch 51 on the lower surface thereof A pressing member 30 provided with a pressing portion 33, a key top 20 installed on the second switch 52, and a push button portion 26 of the key top 20 which is installed so as to cover the key top 20 is exposed. And a guide 10 for inserting the guide members 13, 13 into the pressing member 30. The guide members 13, 13 protrude downward from the lower surface of the case 10. Member insertion part 6 and 37, the guide members 13 and 13 of the case 10 are inserted into the guide member insertion portions 36 and 37 of the pressing member 30, and the tips of the guide members 13 and 13 reach the mounting member 60 or the inside thereof. By doing so, the pressing member 30 is configured to be movable up and down.

  Also in this embodiment, the pressing member 30 is a pair of guide members 13 and 13 of the case 10 and a pair of guide member insertion portions 36 and 37 of the pressing member 30 that is movably inserted into the pair of guide members 13 and 13. Is guided so as to be reciprocally movable in the direction of the line connecting the center of the first switch 51 and the center of the second switch 52 (the pressing direction of the pressing member 30). Yes. Further, the key top 20 can also be reciprocally translated in the pressing direction of the key top 20 by inserting the pair of guide members 13 and 13 movably into the pair of through portions 22 and 23 provided in the key top 20. Guided.

  Next, the operation of the two-stage push switch 1-2 will be described. In FIG. 4, when the push button portion 26 of the key top 20 is pressed, for example, if the pressing force necessary for reversing the movable contact plate 54 is made weaker than the pressing force necessary for reversing the movable contact plate 53, The pressing portion 27 of the key top 20 presses the movable contact plate 54 and reverses it, the second switch 52 is turned on, and further pressing the key top 20 causes the entire pressing member 30 to be lowered and the pressing portion. 33 reverses the movable contact plate 53 and the first switch 51 is turned on. On the other hand, if the pressure on the key top 20 is released, first, the movable contact plate 53 automatically returns to the original state, the first switch 51 is turned off, and further, the pressure on the key top 20 is released. The movable contact plate 54 also automatically returns to the original state, and the second switch 52 is also turned off.

  Also in this two-stage press switch 1-2, the guide members 13, 13 of the case 10 are inserted into the guide member insertion portions 36, 37 of the pressing member 30, and the tips of the guide members 13, 13 are placed on the mounting member 60 or its Since the pressing member 30 is guided to move up and down by reaching the inside, it is not necessary to fix the pressing member 30 to the mounting member 60 installed below the pressing member 30, and therefore the pressing member 30 from the lower side of the mounting member 60. When the two-stage press switch 1-2 can be reduced in thickness and other electronic components are installed at a position below the two-stage press switch 1-2. However, the protrusion does not get in the way and its installation is not hindered.

  Also in this two-stage pressing switch 1-2, the entire pressing member 30 is translated in the direction of the line connecting the centers (that is, the pressed portions) of the first and second switches 51 and 52 (that is, the pressing member 30). The pressure required to turn on the first and second switches 51 and 52 is guided (with free movement in the direction of the line connecting the first switch 51 and the second switch 52). Is only a force necessary for reversing the movable contact plates 53 and 54, and the first and second switches 51 and 52 can be turned on with a light pressing force, and the click feeling is improved. Moreover, the part which produces stress at the time of operation like the conventional hinge is lost, and the lifetime of the two-stage push switch 1-2 can be increased.

  Further, since the space for providing the hinge necessary for the conventional two-stage push switch is not required, the two-stage push switch 1-2 can be downsized.

  Furthermore, also in this embodiment, the guide mechanism is configured by movably inserting the guide member insertion portions 36 and 37 provided in the pressing member 30 into the guide members 13 and 13 provided in the case 10 which is a fixed member. Therefore, the parallel movement of the entire pressing member 30 can be reliably performed with a simple structure. Further, since the guide mechanism having such a structure is installed on the pressing member 30, the pressing member 30 will not wobble, and the pressing portions 33 and 27 can accurately press the central portions of the first and second switches 51 and 52. , The pressing feeling can be kept good. In order to prevent the pressing member 30 from wobbling, it is preferable that there are a plurality of guide member insertion portions 36 and 37 and a plurality of guide members 13 and 13 as in this embodiment.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims and the technical idea described in the specification and drawings. Deformation is possible. It should be noted that any shape, structure, and material not directly described in the specification and drawings are within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention as long as the effects and advantages of the present invention are exhibited. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the first switch 51 and the second switch 52 are provided on the single flexible substrate 40 has been described. However, the flexible substrate provided with the first switch 51 and the second switch are provided. Two flexible substrates provided with 52 may be separated. The structure of the first switch 51 and the second switch 52 is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, the movable contact plates 53 and 54 are arranged on the switch pattern formed by two each of the first and second switches 51 and 52 formed on the flexible substrate 40. It may be configured by a switch (so-called membrane switch) configured by disposing an inversion plate on the upper surface of the upper flexible substrate of the switch pattern portion formed facing the flexible substrate with a gap. In the above embodiment, the pressing member 30 reciprocally translates in the pressing direction of the key top 20 via the guide member 13. However, when the pressing member 30 is a cantilever-shaped hinge member, Has the same effect as the present invention. As a first modification, the fixed side of the cantilever-shaped hinge member is fixed to the outer surface of the lower surface of the key top 20, and the swing side (the portion where the pressing portion is located above and below) is the first switch as in the first embodiment. 51, between the second switch 52. In this case, the guide member 13 that protrudes from the case 10 is not necessary, but the member that protrudes downward is not attached to the mounting member 60 at a position below the first switch 51 and the second switch 52 as in the first embodiment. Absent. As a second modification, the fixed side of the cantilever-shaped hinge member is fixed to the outer surface of the lower surface of the key top 20, and the swinging side (while the pressing portion is below, a second switch is disposed thereon, The form is the same as in the second embodiment) is arranged on the first switch. In this case, the guide member 13 protruding from the case 10 is not necessary, but as in the second embodiment, the mounting member 60 below the first switch 51 and the second switch 52 has no member protruding downward. Absent.

It is a disassembled perspective view of the two-stage press switch 1-1 concerning 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the keytop 20, the pressing member 30, and the flexible substrate 40 in the middle of an assembly from the lower side. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the two-stage press switch 1-1. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the two-stage press switch 1-2 concerning 2nd embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1-1 Two-stage push switch 10 Case 11 Opening 13 Guide member 14 Engagement part 15 Fixing member 17 Fixing part 20 Key top 21 Base part 22, 23 Through part 26 Push button part 30 Pressing member 31 Main body part 32, 33 Pressing part 34, 35 Guide portions 36 and 37 Guide member insertion portion 40 Flexible substrate 41 Substrate portion 42 Substrate portion 44 Insertion portion 51 First switch 52 Second switch 53 Inversion plate (movable contact plate)
54 Reversing plate (movable contact plate)
60 Mounting member 61 Guide member receiving portion 63 Fixed portion inserting portion 1-2 Two-stage pressing switch 39 Mounting surface

Claims (5)

A mounting member;
A first switch and a second switch installed on the mounting member so as to oppose each other;
A pressing member that is installed between the first and second switches and has a pressing portion at a position facing the first and second switches;
A key top installed on the second switch;
A case provided so as to cover the top of the key top and provided with an opening exposing the push button portion of the key top;
Providing a guide member protruding downward from the lower surface of the case, and providing a guide member insertion portion for inserting the guide member into the pressing member,
The guide member of the case is inserted into the guide member insertion portion of the press member and the tip of the guide member is guided to the mounting member or inside thereof to guide the press member so as to be movable up and down. Two-stage press switch. A mounting member;
A first switch and a second switch installed on the mounting member so as to overlap each other in the upward direction;
A pressing member installed between the first and second switches, provided with a mounting surface for the second switch on the upper surface thereof, and provided with a pressing portion at a position facing the first switch on the lower surface;
A key top installed on the second switch;
A case provided so as to cover the top of the key top and provided with an opening exposing the push button portion of the key top;
Providing a guide member protruding downward from the lower surface of the case, and providing a guide member insertion portion for inserting the guide member into the pressing member,
The guide member of the case is inserted into the guide member insertion portion of the press member and the tip of the guide member is guided to the mounting member or inside thereof to guide the press member so as to be movable up and down. Two-stage press switch.   The guide member receiving part which consists of a crevice or a penetration hole is provided in the position which counters the tip of the guide member of the case of the attachment member, and the tip of a guide member is located in this guide member receiving part. The two-stage press switch according to 1 or 2.   The two-stage press switch according to claim 1, wherein the case is provided with a fixing member positioned on the outer periphery of the guide member for fixing the case to the attachment member.   The two-stage press switch according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein the attachment member is a metal plate.

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