JP2006059562A - Switching arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable to smoothly carry out a push operation of a push knob without deteriorating appearance in a normal state. <P>SOLUTION: In the push knob 14 push-operatably installed adjacent to the standard member 17, stoppers 23a, 24a to restrict recovery movement of the push knob 14 at the original position against a recovery force given by a spring built in the switch main body 20 are formed on the opposite side (24a) to the standard member 17 side in a slope state, and the push knob 14 to recovery-move is made to be moved toward the standard member 17 side (arrow head B). As a result, in the normal state, the push knob 14 eliminates or reduces a gap between the standard member 17, and still in push operating the push knob 14, the push knob 14 is released from pull-in action by the slope of the stopper 24a and becomes free, and moves without causing a catch between the standard member 17. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a switch device in which a push knob is provided close to a reference member.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, a switch device for a vehicle, particularly an automobile, configured as shown in FIG. 4 has been provided. In this configuration, a plurality of push knobs 1 (four as an example) and a central columnar member 2 as a reference member are provided close to the periphery thereof. All of the push knobs 1 can be pushed in the direction of arrow A. When the push knob 1 is pushed, a switch body having a contact (not shown) is turned on, and the push knob 1 is restored by a biasing means such as a spring. It comes to return by.

In the above conventional configuration, in order for the push knob 1 to be smoothly pushed, not only between the push knobs 1 but also between the push knob 1 and the columnar member (reference member) 2 is rubbed. It is necessary to prevent the occurrence of catching, and for this purpose, the illustrated gap G is secured between them.
However, in the conventional device in which the gap G is secured not only between the push knobs 1 but also between the push knob 1 and the columnar member (reference member) 2, the appearance in the normal state is poor. It had the problem that.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and therefore an object of the present invention is to provide a switch device that can make the push knob push operation smooth without deteriorating the appearance in the normal state.

  In order to achieve the above object, a switch device according to the present invention includes a push knob that is provided so as to be able to perform a push operation in the vicinity of a reference member, and an urging force that applies a return force to the push knob when the push knob is operated. And a stopper that restrains the return movement of the push knob in its original position against the return force applied by the biasing means, and the stopper is inclined on the side opposite to the reference member side. The push knob that is formed and moved back by this inclined surface is brought close to the reference member side.

  According to the above means, normally, when the push knob approaching the reference member eliminates or reduces the gap between the reference member and the push knob is pushed, the push knob is caused by the slope of the stopper. It is released from the shifting action and becomes free, and moves without being caught between the reference member. Thus, the push knob can be smoothly pushed without deteriorating the normal appearance.

Hereinafter, an embodiment (one embodiment) of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
First, FIG. 2 shows one of switch devices for vehicles, particularly for automobiles, and has a plurality of (in this case, four) push knobs 11-14.

  Among the push knobs, the push knob 11 is for automatically adjusting the blowout destination of the air inside or outside the vehicle, the push knob 12 is for circulating the air inside the vehicle, and the push knob 13 is used for circulating the air outside the vehicle inside the vehicle. The push knob 14 is used to stop the fans for circulating the air inside the vehicle and introducing the air outside the vehicle. Each push knob 14 has a display 15 with characters or pictures representing its use. Among them, the push knobs 11 to 13 have a translucent indicator 16 for displaying that a predetermined input has been made by a switch body (described later) that responds to these operations.

  Thus, the push knobs 11 to 14 each have a fan-like shape in which the flat shape is obtained by dividing the circular shape into four equal parts, and the push knobs 11 to 14 are adjacent to the reference member 17 having a small circular shape and surround it on the outer periphery thereof. They are arranged in such a manner as to form a planar circular shape as a whole.

  Next, FIG. 1 shows a structure represented by one of the push knobs 11 to 14 (push knob 14) and ahead of them, and as is clear from FIG. Is columnar (cylindrical). An annular peripheral wall member 18 is integrally formed on the outer periphery of the reference member 17 through, for example, four ribs (not shown) extending radially from the reference member 17, and pushed between them. The knobs 11 to 14 are arranged so that they can be pushed from the top to the bottom in the drawing.

  Further, a circuit board 19 is coupled below the reference member 17 and the peripheral wall member 18, and the circuit board 19 has a necessary circuit pattern (not shown) and a switch body 20 mounted thereon. Have. The switch body 20 is composed of, for example, a tact switch. The switch body 20 is disposed at a circumferential position on each outer peripheral side of the push knobs 11 to 14, and the upper end of the actuator 20 a protruding upward is arranged on the push knob 11. The push knobs 11 to 14 are pushed up by the spring force of a built-in spring (not shown).

  And the convex parts 21 and 22 are formed in the up-and-down intermediate part of the inner surface which is the reference member 17 side, respectively, and the upper and lower intermediate part of the outer surface which is the surrounding wall member 18 side of the push knobs 11-14, Among them, the upper surface 21a of the convex portion 21 is formed in a horizontal plane, and the upper surface 22a of the convex portion 22 is formed in a slope shape that gradually descends outward.

  On the other hand, convex portions 23 and 24 are formed at the upper and lower intermediate portions of the outer peripheral surface of the reference member 17 and the upper and lower intermediate portions of the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall member 18, respectively. Among these, the convex part 23 is a stopper on the side of the reference member 17 with respect to the push knobs 11 to 14 (particularly, the upper surface 21a of the convex part 21) of the lower surface 23a, and is formed in a horizontal plane. The convex portion 24 has a lower surface 24a which is a stopper on the side opposite to the reference member 17 side with respect to the push knobs 11 to 14 (particularly, the upper surface 22a of the convex portion 22). It is formed in a slope shape that gradually descends.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
First, as described above, the push knobs 11 to 14 are pushed up via the actuator 20a by the spring force of the built-in spring of the switch body 20, and the push knobs 11 to 14 are shown in FIG. When the push operation is performed from above to below, the actuator 20a of the switch body 20 is pushed down by the push knobs 11 to 14, and the switch body 20 is turned on.

  On the other hand, if the operation of the push knobs 11 to 14 is released, the push knobs 11 to 14 are pushed up via the actuator 20a by the spring force of the built-in spring of the switch body 20, and the push knobs 11 to 14 are moved. Return. That is, the built-in spring of the switch body 20 functions as an urging unit that applies a restoring force to the push knobs 11 to 14.

  Therefore, the original positions of the push knobs 11 to 14 are such that the upper surfaces 21a and 22a of the convex portions 21 and 22 of the push knobs 11 to 14 that return as described above are the lower surface 23a and the peripheral wall of the convex portion 23 of the reference member 17, respectively. The bottom surface 24a of the convex portion 23 of the reference member 17 and the lower surface 24a of the convex portion 24 of the peripheral wall member 18 are used as stoppers as push stoppers 11-14. The return movement is controlled in-situ.

  And the upper surface 22a of the convex part 22 of the push knobs 11-14 which press-contacted with the lower surface 24a of the convex part 24 of the surrounding wall member 18 with the restoring force by the built-in spring of the switch main body 20 has the lower surface 24a of the convex part 24 facing outward. Since the slope gradually descends, the slope is slid as shown by an arrow B in FIG. 3, and the upper surface 21a of the convex portion 21 is pressed against the lower surface 23a of the convex portion 23 of the reference member 17. With the portion as a fulcrum, the push knobs 11 to 14 are moved toward the reference member 17 as shown by the arrow B in FIG.

  Therefore, the push knobs 11 to 14 are in a normal state with no gap between the push knobs 11 and 14 or a very small number of the gaps. Further, if the push knobs 11 to 14 are pushed from this state as described above, the push knobs 11 to 14 are released from the shifting action by the inclined surface of the lower surface 24a of the convex portion 24 and become free. Move without getting caught in between.

  As described above, in this configuration, the push knobs 11 to 14 normally move toward the reference member 17 side to eliminate or reduce the gap between the push knobs 11 to 14 and push the push knobs 11 to 14. In this case, it moves without being caught between the reference member 17, and the push operation of the push knobs 11 to 14 can be smoothly performed without deteriorating the appearance in the normal state.

  In addition, the switch main body 20 incorporating a spring as a biasing means for the push knobs 11 to 14 is disposed below the positions on the outer peripheral sides of the push knobs 11 to 14 (on the convex portion 24 side having the lower surface 24a serving as a stopper). Thus, the push knobs 11 to 14 can be more reliably brought toward the reference member 17 side. Moreover, by doing in this way, there also exists an advantage which can utilize parts (for example, center part) other than the outer peripheral side of push knobs 11-14 as a light guide path with respect to the translucent indicator 16.

  However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the switch body 20 may be disposed below a position other than the outer peripheral sides of the push knobs 11 to 14, and as a biasing means, other than a spring built in the switch body 20 Alternatively, a single coil spring or a leaf spring disposed below the push knobs 11 to 14 may be used.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to a switch device for a vehicle such as an automobile, and can be similarly applied to other switch devices.
In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications within a range not departing from the gist.

Partial longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention Overall perspective view Expanded longitudinal section of the main part FIG. 2 equivalent diagram showing a conventional example

Explanation of symbols

In the drawings, 11 to 14 are push knobs, 17 is a reference member, 20 is a switch body (biasing means), and 23a and 24a are lower surfaces (stoppers) of convex portions.

Claims (1)

A push knob provided in the proximity of the reference member and capable of being pushed;
An urging means for applying a return force when the push knob is pushed;
A stopper that restrains the return movement of the push knob in its original position against the return force applied by the biasing means;
The switch device is characterized in that the stopper is formed in a sloped shape on the side opposite to the reference member side, and the push knob that moves to return is brought close to the reference member side by the slope.

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