JP2006331657A - Horn switch device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a horn switch device capable of improving workability of assembly, free from apprehension of mutual defective contact of electrodes. <P>SOLUTION: The horn switch is provided with a fixed plate 10 fixed to a steering wheel 1, and a movable plate 30 coupled to the fixed plate 10 in free approach and separation through a coil spring 20. The coil spring is assembled in advance by making a first seat 50 hold one end of the coil spring 20 and by making a second seat 70 hold the other end thereof, and by making a holding claw 74 arranged on the second seat 70 engage with a holding hole 35 formed on the movable plate 30. In the above state, the movable plate 30 is connected to the fixed plate 10 through connection members 21, and the horn switch is assembled. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a horn switch device provided in a steering wheel of an automobile or the like.

  A steering wheel of an automobile or the like is provided with a horn switch device for sounding a horn. A conventional horn switch device of this type is composed of a fixed plate supported by a steering wheel and a movable plate elastically supported on the fixed plate via a coil spring. Those that operate by bringing them into contact with each other are known. Then, with the one end of the coil spring held by a boss for holding the spring of the fixed plate, the movable plate is placed in contact with the other end of the coil spring, and the movable plate and the fixed plate are connected to the coil spring by a connecting bolt or the like. It is fastened and fixed through the inside of the winding shaft.

  Further, Patent Document 1 below includes a fixed plate (fixed member) and a movable plate (movable member) each having a contact, and a coil spring (elastic member) disposed between them, There is disclosed a horn switch device having a structure that is held by a cylindrical lower insulator disposed on a fixed plate and a cylindrical upper insulator that is slidably engaged and supported in the lower insulator.

In this horn switch device, the upper insulator is inserted from the through hole of the movable plate and disposed on the upper surface of the movable plate, and the lower insulator on which the coil spring is loosely fitted is put on and engaged with the outer periphery of the upper insulator. It is held between the upper insulator and the lower insulator and attached to the movable plate. Then, the separate connecting bolt (supporting member) is fastened and fixed to the fixed plate through the upper insulator, the movable plate, the coil spring, and the lower insulator for assembly.
JP-A-8-332960

  In the conventional horn switch device, it is necessary to fasten and fix the coil spring and the connecting bolt while assembling to the movable plate and the fixed plate, and the boss that becomes the mounting seat during the work. There is a problem that the assembly workability is poor because it is difficult to hold it in a predetermined position by slipping off or shifting. If the connecting bolts are tightened and fixed with the position shifted, there is a possibility that the assembly will be poor and the operation of the movable plate may be adversely affected.

  Further, in the above conventional horn switch device, the contact point of the movable plate and the fixed plate is provided at a location different from the coil spring and the connecting bolt, so that a hole for inserting the connecting bolt, a screw hole for screwing, etc. If there is a deviation due to a dimensional error or the like, the corresponding contacts of each plate are also displaced, which may cause a contact failure.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a horn switch device that can improve the assembly workability and does not cause a contact failure between electrodes.

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention is a horn switch device disposed on a steering wheel,
A stationary plate supported by the steering wheel and having one electrode of the operating circuit of the horn;
A movable plate that is disposed so as to be able to approach and separate from the fixed plate and has the other electrode of the operating circuit;
A coil spring disposed between the fixed plate and the movable plate and elastically biasing the movable plate in a direction away from the fixed plate at all times;
A connecting member that connects the fixed plate and the movable plate so that the movable plate can move within a predetermined range with respect to the fixed plate;
A first seat that contacts the one end of the coil spring and a second seat that contacts the other end;
The first receiving seat is erected with a hollow column portion that is inserted into the winding shaft of the coil spring and extends slidably through the second receiving seat,
Between the hollow column portion and the second receiving seat, an engagement means for engaging the hollow column portion with the back side of the second receiving seat and preventing it from coming off is provided.
One of the first receiving seat or the second receiving seat is provided with a holding means capable of temporarily holding the fixed plate or the movable plate,
A conductor is inserted into the column portion, and both ends of the conductor are exposed so as to come into contact with the electrodes of the fixed plate and the movable plate when the movable plate is brought close to the fixed plate. A horn switch device is provided.

  According to the first invention, the end of the coil spring is brought into contact with the first seat or the second seat, and the column portion extended from the first seat is inserted into the winding shaft of the coil spring. Further, the coil spring can be assembled between the first seat and the second seat by being inserted into the second seat and being engaged with the second seat by the engaging means. Next, the horn switch device can be assembled by temporarily holding the fixed plate or the movable plate by the holding means of the first receiving seat or the second receiving seat, and connecting the fixed plate and the moving plate by the connecting member. . In this way, the coil spring can be assembled between the first seat and the second seat and temporarily held on the fixed plate or movable plate in advance, so that the coil spring can be reliably prevented from coming off during assembly work. As a result, assembly workability can be improved. Also, a conductor is inserted into a hollow column that connects the first and second seats holding the coil spring, one end of the conductor abuts against the fixed plate, and the other end contacts the movable plate. Since the horn switch is operated by the contact, it is possible to prevent a contact failure due to a positional deviation between the contact points of the movable plate and the fixed plate.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a cylindrical wall is erected on the second receiving seat on the side opposite to the contact surface of the coil spring. When the holding means is provided, when the fixed plate and the movable plate are connected, the end portion of the conductor exposed from the end portion of the column portion on the second seat side, and The present invention provides a horn switch device configured so that a gap of a predetermined distance is provided between an electrode of a fixed plate or the movable plate.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the fixed plate and the movable plate are connected by the cylindrical wall provided on the second seat, the conductor exposed from the end of the column portion on the second seat side is exposed. Since a gap of a predetermined distance is formed between the end portion and the electrode of the fixed plate or the movable plate, the end portion of the conductor is always away from the electrode of the fixed plate or the movable plate. When the movable plate of the wheel is pressed, the coil spring is compressed with a stroke corresponding to the gap, so that the conductor contacts the corresponding electrode, and the circuit of the horn switch can be conducted.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, at least one of the first seat and the second seat has a plurality of cylindrical walls concentrically on a surface on which the coil spring abuts. The present invention provides a horn switch device that is formed in a shape and is configured such that the outer periphery or inner periphery of the coil spring is in contact with one of the cylindrical walls.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the coil spring is brought into contact with one of a plurality of cylindrical walls formed on at least one of the first seat and the second seat by the outer periphery or inner periphery of the coil spring. Can be maintained in a straight posture with respect to the column portion. In addition, by contacting one of a plurality of concentrically arranged cylindrical walls, it is possible to cope with a plurality of types of coil springs having different inner diameters or outer diameters. Therefore, the inner diameter or outer diameter of the coil spring varies depending on the vehicle type. However, it is possible to reduce the cost by sharing the first seat and the second seat.

  In the horn switch device of the present invention, the holding means includes a holding hole formed in the movable plate, and a holding claw that protrudes from the end surface of the cylindrical wall of the second seat and engages with the holding hole. It is preferable to be configured. According to this, when temporarily holding the second seat on the movable plate, the holding claw can be temporarily held while being bent, so that the temporary holding is facilitated and the assembling workability can be further improved.

  In the horn switch device according to the present invention, a concave groove surrounding the insertion hole of the conductor is formed on a surface opposite to the contact surface of the coil spring of the first seat, and an end of the conductor is formed. It is preferable that the part is provided with a flange in which a rib that enters the concave groove is formed on the periphery. According to this, even if the conductor is made of a relatively soft metal such as copper, and the end of the conductor is crushed by repeated contact, the peripheral rib of the flange enters the concave groove and is held. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a contact failure from occurring.

  According to the horn switch device of the present invention, the coil spring can be assembled between the first seat and the second seat and temporarily held by the fixed plate or the movable plate in advance. The disconnection can be reliably prevented, and the assembly workability can be improved. In addition, a conductor is inserted into a hollow column connecting the first seat and the second seat, and one end of the conductor is in contact with the fixed plate and the other end is in contact with the movable plate. Since the switch is operated, it is possible to prevent a contact failure due to a displacement between the contact points of the movable plate and the fixed plate.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a horn switch device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the horn switch device is disposed on a steering wheel 1 of an automobile or the like, and includes a fixed plate 10, a movable plate 30 that can move toward and away from the fixed plate 10, A coil spring 20 disposed between the fixed plate 10 and the movable plate 30 and a connecting member 21 for connecting the fixed plate 10 and the movable plate 30 are provided.

  The steering wheel 1 has a substantially annular shape, and is connected to the fixed plate 10 by a plurality of spokes 2 extending from the inner periphery thereof in a substantially central direction. A shaft mounting hole 11 to which a shaft (not shown) is connected is formed in the approximate center of the fixed plate 10. In addition, an opening 12 into which a harness or the like connected to an operating circuit of the horn or other switches is inserted and an attachment hole 13 for mounting the airbag unit 3 are formed around the shaft attachment hole 11. .

  Further, at the four corners of the fixing plate 10, cylindrical portions 14 formed with female screws to which a connecting member 21 to be described later can be screwed are respectively projected, and will be described later at four locations adjacent to the cylindrical portion 14. A boss 15 that houses the first seat 50 is provided in a protruding manner. The boss 15 has a cylindrical shape with an inner diameter that fits the first receiving seat 50, and positions the first receiving seat 50 and prevents rattling. The boss 15 of FIG. 1 has a cylindrical shape, but may have a shape in which a plurality of ribs are erected at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction as long as the first receiving seat 50 can be held. In addition, a tapered surface that gradually increases in diameter toward the opening may be formed on the inner periphery of the upper end portion of the boss 15 to serve as a guide when the first seat 50 is inserted.

  One electrode 16 constituting a working circuit of the horn projects from substantially the center of the boss 15 projecting from the fixed plate 10 (see FIG. 5). The electrode 16 is made of a material having good conductivity such as copper, has a circular protrusion with a raised center, and one end of a conductor 80 described later is always in contact therewith.

  A movable plate 30 is disposed on the fixed plate 10 via a coil spring 20. The movable plate 30 has a frame shape with an opening at the center. In this embodiment, the movable plate 30 is connected to a pair of belt-like portions 31, 31 arranged in parallel to each other and the belt-like portions 31, 31. It consists of part 32. A harness or the like (not shown) can be inserted through the opening at the center, and the airbag unit 3 can be attached to the attachment hole 13. Further, the cover 4 is attached above the movable plate 30 via a support member (not shown), and when the cover 4 is pressed, the movable plate 30 compresses the coil spring 20 and comes close to the fixed plate 10.

  The coil spring 20 that elastically biases the movable plate 30 is held by a first receiving seat 50 that abuts on one end thereof and a second receiving seat 70 that abuts on the other end.

  As shown in FIGS. 2A and 5, the first seat 50 has a circular bottom plate 51 and a cylindrical wall 52 that protrudes from the periphery of the bottom plate 51 at a predetermined height. A hollow cylindrical column portion 60 projects from the center of the bottom plate 51 in the same direction as the cylindrical wall 52. Inside the column portion 60, there is formed an insertion hole into which a conductor 80, which will be described later, is press-fitted with both ends exposed. A pair of protrusions 61 and 61 are formed at the tip of the column part 60 so as to protrude outward from opposing portions of the outer periphery thereof. The protrusions 61 and 61 are configured to engage with the peripheral edge of the back surface of the engagement hole 72 of the second receiving seat 70 described later.

  Further, a concave groove 53 surrounding the insertion hole of the conductor 80 of the column part 60 is formed on the surface opposite to the contact surface of the coil spring 20 of the first seat 50 (that is, the lower surface of the bottom plate 51). . Correspondingly, a flange 82 is formed at the lower end portion of the conductor 80. The flange 82 has a rib that enters the groove 53 formed on the periphery. As a result, even if the conductor 80 is made of a relatively soft metal such as copper and the end of the conductor 80 is crushed by repeated contact, the rib on the periphery of the flange 82 enters the concave groove 53 and is held. Therefore, it is possible to prevent poor contact.

  Further, the contact surface of the coil spring 20 of the first seat 50 (that is, the upper surface of the bottom plate 51) rises at the periphery of the column portion 60 corresponding to the concave groove 53 on the lower surface, and the cylindrical wall 54 protrudes from the periphery. The shape is made. Thus, a multi-cylindrical structure in which a cylindrical wall 54 having a smaller diameter is formed inside the cylindrical wall 52 on the outer periphery of the bottom plate 51 is formed. In this embodiment, the outer periphery of the end of the coil spring 20 is supported by the inner periphery of the outer cylindrical wall 52, but when the outer diameter of the coil spring 20 becomes smaller, the inner periphery of the end Can be supported by being brought into contact with the outer periphery of the inner cylindrical wall 54, and the coil springs 20 having different diameters can be supported. For this reason, it becomes possible to support a plurality of types of coil springs 20 having different outer diameters and inner diameters, and even if the inner diameter and outer diameter of the coil springs 20 vary depending on the vehicle type, parts can be shared.

  The conductor 80 inserted into the column part 60 is formed of a metal having good conductivity such as copper. The shaft part 81 inserted into the column part 60 and the outer diameter from the base end of the shaft part 81. And a flange 82 formed with ribs extending in the direction and entering the concave groove 53 at the periphery thereof. Then, the conductor 80 is press-fitted from the lower surface side of the first seat 50 into the insertion hole of the column portion 60 from the tip of the shaft portion 81, and the flange 82 protrudes from the lower surface of the first seat 50. Is mounted so as to protrude from the upper end of the column part 60. Note that the tip of the shaft portion 81 is hemispherical, and is easily brought into contact with the movable plate 30 to enhance electrical conductivity.

  Alternatively, the tip end of the shaft portion 81 protruding from the upper end may be prevented from coming off by expanding the outer diameter of the shaft portion 81 as shown in FIG. In this way, the area of the tip portion of the shaft portion 81 is enlarged, so that the contact area with the movable plate 30 can be increased, the electrical conductivity can be further increased, and even if the conductor 80 is used for many years, It is possible to effectively prevent wear and improve durability.

  Furthermore, if the rib on the periphery of the flange 82 provided at the lower end portion of the conductor 80 is fitted and held in the concave groove 53 as described above, the shaft portion 81 of the conductor 80, as shown in FIG. The diameter may be reduced to such an extent that it can be inserted into the insertion hole of the column part 60 through a gap.

  The second receiving seat 70 with which the other end of the coil spring 20 abuts has a circular substrate 71 having substantially the same size as the bottom plate 51 of the first receiving seat 50 as shown in FIGS. is doing. An engagement hole 72 is formed in the center of the substrate 71. The engagement hole 72 has a shape that allows the aforementioned column part 60 and the protrusion 61 at the upper end thereof to be inserted therethrough. That is, the engagement hole 72 is provided at a circular hole 72a having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the column part 60, and a pair of notches into which the protrusion 61 can be inserted. 72b, 72b.

  Therefore, the column portion 60 of the first receiving seat 50 is inserted into the winding shaft of the coil spring 20, and the tip end portion of the column portion 60 and the protrusions 61 and 61 are inserted through the engagement holes 72 of the second receiving seat 70. By rotating the second seat 70 relative to the column portion 60, the protrusions 61 and 61 are engaged with the peripheral edge of the engagement hole 72 on the back side of the second seat 70 to prevent the coil spring from coming off. 20 can be held between the first seat 50 and the second seat 70 in a compressed state (see FIG. 2B).

  In addition, although the protrusion 61 of the said pillar part 60 and the engagement hole 72 of the 2nd receiving seat 50 comprise the engagement means in this invention, an engagement means is not limited to the said shape.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a cylindrical wall 75 projecting downward from the outer periphery of the substrate 71 and an engagement hole are formed on the surface of the substrate 71 of the second receiving seat 70 with which the coil spring 20 abuts (that is, the lower surface of the substrate 71). A cylindrical wall 76 that surrounds 72 is formed concentrically to form a multiple cylindrical structure similar to that of the first seat 50. In this embodiment, the cylindrical walls 75 and 76 are supported so that the outer periphery of the upper end of the coil spring 20 is in contact with the inner periphery of the cylindrical wall 75, but the diameter of the coil spring 20 is small. In this case, the inner periphery can be supported by contacting the outer periphery of the cylindrical wall 76. As described above, the cylindrical walls 75 and 76 of the second seat 70 can support the coil springs 20 having different diameters in cooperation with the cylindrical walls 52 and 54 of the first seat 50.

  A cylindrical wall 73 that protrudes upward from the outer periphery of the substrate 71 is formed on the upper surface side of the second seat 70. A pair of holding claws 74 are formed on the end surface of the cylindrical wall 73 so as to face each other in the circumferential direction. The holding claw 74 includes a column part 74a protruding upward from the end surface of the cylindrical wall 73, and a claw part 74b protruding from the column part 74a in the outer diameter direction. Further, the holding claw 74 is tapered outside the claw part 74b. A portion 74c is formed. The taper portion 74c plays a role of ensuring insertion property by making the holding claw 74 easy to bend when inserted into the holding hole 35 of the movable plate 30. Then, the second receiving seat 70 can be temporarily held on the movable plate 30 by inserting the claw portion 74b of the holding claw 74 into the holding hole 35 of the movable plate 30 and engaging with the peripheral edge thereof. Yes.

  Note that the holding claw 74 of the second receiving seat 70 and the holding hole 35 of the movable plate 30 constitute the holding means in the present invention, but the first receiving seat 50 and the fixed plate 10 may be provided with holding means. Good. For example, a protrusion or the like may be protruded from the upper end of the boss 15 and engaged with the cylindrical wall 52 of the first receiving seat 50.

  The first seat 50 and the second seat 70 are formed of an insulating material such as a synthetic resin so that the conductor 80 can be held in an insulated state with respect to the fixed plate 10 and the movable plate 30. .

  On the other hand, insertion holes 34 are formed at both ends of each band-like portion 31 of the movable plate 30 at positions corresponding to the cylindrical portion 14 of the fixed plate 10. In addition, a pair of holding holes 35, 35 into which the holding claws 74 of the second receiving seat 70 are inserted are formed adjacent to the insertion holes 34 of the belt-like portion 31 and at positions corresponding to the bosses 15 of the fixing plate 10. Then, as described above, the holding claw 74 of the second seat 70 is inserted and engaged so that it can be temporarily held.

  The base of the movable plate 30 is made of a metal material that can be energized, and forms the other electrode of the horn operating circuit. Note that, similarly to the fixed plate 10, an electrode formed of copper or the like may be provided in a protruding manner. The surface of the movable plate 30 may be covered with an insulating resin cover except for the electrode portion.

  The movable plate 30 is coupled to the fixed plate 10 by a bolt-shaped coupling member 21 inserted through a bottomed cylindrical washer 25 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The connecting member 21 includes a circular head portion 21a, a shaft portion 21b extending from the head portion 21a, and a male screw portion 21c extending from the tip of the shaft portion 21b with a reduced diameter. Further, the length D1 of the shaft portion 21b excluding the male screw portion 21c is such that the exposed end portion of the conductor 80 described later contacts the movable plate 30 when the movable plate 30 is fastened and fixed to the fixed plate 10. It is not long. A hole 25a for inserting the connecting member 21 is formed in the center of the bottom surface of the cylindrical washer 25, and a tapered surface 25b is formed on the inner periphery of the upper end portion (see FIG. 3). It serves as a guide when the head 21a of the connecting member 21 is introduced.

  Then, with the cylindrical washer 25 placed on the upper surface of the movable plate 30, the shaft portion 21 b of the connecting member 21 is inserted, and the male screw portion 21 c is screwed to the cylindrical portion 14 of the fixed plate 10. 30 can be slidably connected to the fixed plate 10. As a result, the movable plate 30 is elastically biased in a direction away from the fixed plate 10 by the coil spring 20 at all times, and can be brought close to the fixed plate 10 when pressed through the cover 4.

  Referring also to FIG. 5, the coil spring 20 having both ends held by the first receiving seat 50 and the second receiving seat 70 in a state where the movable plate 30 is connected to the fixed plate 10 by the connecting member 21 is compressed. Then, the first seat 50 is pressed against the fixed plate 10, and the flange 82 at the lower end of the conductor 80 is pressed against the electrode 16 of the fixed plate 10.

  On the other hand, the connecting member 21 holds the movable plate 30 so as to be able to approach and move away from the fixed plate 10. However, the connecting member 21 is biased by the coil spring 20 and located at the maximum distance from the upper end of the conductor 80. The length D1 of the shaft portion of the connecting member 21 and the height D2 of the cylindrical wall 73 formed on the second receiving seat 70 are set so that does not contact the movable plate 30. That is, the distance C between the upper end portion of the conductor 80 and the movable plate 30 in the above state causes the movable plate 30 to be pressed through the cover 4 until the upper end portion of the conductor 80 contacts the movable plate 30. Stroke.

Next, an example of the assembly process of the horn switch device of the present invention will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 2A, the column portion 60 is inserted into the winding shaft of the coil spring 20, and the coil spring 20 is set on the first seat 50.

  In this state, the protrusion 61 of the column portion 60 is aligned with the notch 72b of the engagement hole 72 of the second receiving seat 70, the column portion 60 is inserted from the lower surface of the second receiving seat 70, and the coil spring 20 is moved. While being compressed, the protrusion 61 at the tip of the column part 60 is protruded from the back surface side of the substrate 71 of the second seat 70, and the column part 60 is relatively rotated by about 90 degrees in this state.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 2 (B), the protrusion 61 of the column portion 60 engages with the peripheral edge on the back side of the circular hole 72a of the substrate 71 to prevent the coil spring 20 from coming off in a compressed state. Then, the coil spring 20 is assembled between the first seat 50 and the second seat 70 to constitute a conductor / spring subassembly 90 (hereinafter referred to as a subassembly 90).

  At this time, one end of the coil spring 20 abuts on the upper surface of the bottom plate 51 of the first seat 50, the outer periphery thereof is held on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 52, and the other end of the coil spring 20 is connected to the second receiving member. Since the seat 70 abuts the lower surface of the substrate 71 and the outer periphery thereof is held by the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 75, the displacement of the coil spring 20, rattling, and the like are prevented, and the first seat 50 and the first seat 50. It can hold | maintain without inclining between 2 seats 70.

  Then, when the holding claw 74 of the second receiving seat 70 of the subassembly 90 is inserted into the holding hole 35 from the lower surface side of the movable plate 30, the tapered portion 74 c is pressed against the periphery of the holding hole 35, and the holding claw 74 is moved inward. The claw portion 74b bends and passes through the holding hole 35 and engages with the periphery of the upper surface of the holding hole 35, and the second seat 70 is temporarily held on the movable plate 30 as shown in FIG. As a result, the first seat 50 and the coil spring 20 assembled to the second seat 70 are also temporarily held.

  This operation is repeated to temporarily hold the sub-assembly 90 on the movable plate 30, and then each of the first receiving seats 50 is inserted into the boss 15 of the fixed plate 10, and as shown in FIG. The connecting member 21 is inserted into the movable plate 30 via the screw, and the male screw portion 21c of the connecting member 21 is screwed to the cylindrical portion 14 of the fixed plate 10, so that the movable plate 30 is slidably connected to the fixed plate 10. To do.

  At this time, the coil spring 20 is pressed through the second receiving seat 70, and the upper end of the column portion 60 protruding from the first receiving seat 50 protrudes above the substrate 71 of the second receiving seat 70. However, in this state, a distance C is provided between the upper end portion of the conductor 80 and the movable plate 30, and the horn switch circuit is opened.

  When the driver presses the cover 4, the coil spring 20 is compressed via the second seat 70 as shown in FIG. 6, the movable plate 30 approaches the fixed plate 10, and the upper end of the conductor 80. The portion comes into contact with the movable plate 30, the circuit of the horn switch is closed, and the horn device is activated to emit a horn sound.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the coil spring 20 can be assembled between the first receiving seat 50 and the second receiving seat 70 in advance and temporarily held on the fixed plate 10 or the movable plate 30. At this time, it is possible to reliably prevent the coil spring 20 from coming off or being displaced, and the positioning of the fixed plate 10 and the movable plate 30 is not necessary, so that the assembling workability can be improved.

  Further, since the conduction between the fixed plate 10 and the movable plate 30 is performed via the conductor 80 inserted through the column portion 60 of the first seat 50 that supports the coil spring 20, the fixed plate 10 and the movable plate 30 are movable. The contact with the plate 30 is not shifted and the electrodes on each plate do not cause poor contact, and a stable operation can be ensured.

  In the assembling step, the coil spring 20 is assembled in advance between the first receiving seat 50 and the second receiving seat 70 to form the subassembly 90, and the subassembly 90 is temporarily held on the movable plate 30. However, the second receiving seat 70 may be temporarily held on the movable plate 30 first, and the first receiving seat 50 on which the coil spring 20 is set may be assembled to the second receiving seat 70.

  FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the horn switch device according to the present invention. It should be noted that substantially the same parts as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  In this embodiment, the shapes of the second seat and the movable plate are different from those of the above embodiment. That is, the second receiving seat 70 a is not provided with the cylindrical wall 73 projecting upward in the above-described embodiment, and the holding claws 74 project directly from the opposing portion of the peripheral edge of the substrate 71. Correspondingly, a pedestal 31b raised above the movable plate 30a is formed at a position where the second receiving seat 70a of the movable plate 30a abuts, and a conductor is formed when the second receiving seat 70a is assembled. The front end of 80 is separated from the movable plate 30 to ensure a stroke for pressing and contacting the movable plate 30.

  That is, the upper end of the conductor 80 protruding from the tip of the column part 60 enters the inside of the base 31b and is normally separated from the movable plate 30, but when the movable plate 30a is pressed through a cover (not shown), Abutting on the bottom surface of the pedestal 31b, the operating circuit of the horn is closed via the conductor 80, and the horn operates.

  In the case of this embodiment, the height of the second seat 70a can be reduced compared to the above embodiment, and as a result, the interval between the fixed plate 10 and the movable plate 30 can be reduced. The horn switch device as a whole can be made compact.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used as a horn switch device that can improve assembling workability and does not cause a contact failure between electrodes.

It is a disassembled perspective view of the steering wheel which assembles the horn switch apparatus of this invention. The 1st seat and 2nd seat which hold a coil spring are shown, (A) is a perspective view before assembling the 2nd seat to the 1st seat, (B) is the 2nd seat. It is a perspective view after attaching to 1 seat. It is a perspective view which shows the 1st assembly process of the horn switch apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the 2nd assembly process of the horn switch apparatus. It is sectional drawing which shows the state before the operation | movement of the horn switch apparatus. It is sectional drawing which shows the state at the time of the action | operation of the horn switch apparatus. It is sectional drawing explaining another shape of a conductor. It is sectional drawing which shows other embodiment of the horn switch apparatus of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which performed the crimping process on the front-end | tip of the conductor inserted in the 1st seat.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Steering wheel 10 Fixed plate 14 Cylindrical part 15 Boss 20 Coil spring 21 Connecting member 25 Cylindrical washer 30 Movable plate 34 Insertion hole 35 Holding hole 50 1st receiving seat 51 Bottom plate 52, 54 Cylindrical wall 53 Recessed groove 60 Column part 61 Protrusion 70 Second receiving seat 71 Substrate 72 Engagement hole 73 Cylindrical wall 74 Holding claws 75, 76 Cylindrical wall 80 Conductor 82 Flange 90 Conductor / spring subassembly

Claims (3)

A horn switch device disposed on a steering wheel,
A stationary plate supported by the steering wheel and having one electrode of the operating circuit of the horn;
A movable plate that is disposed so as to be able to approach and separate from the fixed plate and has the other electrode of the operating circuit;
A coil spring disposed between the fixed plate and the movable plate and elastically biasing the movable plate in a direction away from the fixed plate at all times;
A connecting member that connects the fixed plate and the movable plate so that the movable plate can move within a predetermined range with respect to the fixed plate;
A first seat that contacts the one end of the coil spring and a second seat that contacts the other end;
The first receiving seat is erected with a hollow column portion that is inserted into the winding shaft of the coil spring and extends slidably through the second receiving seat,
Between the hollow column portion and the second receiving seat, an engagement means for engaging the hollow column portion with the back side of the second receiving seat and preventing it from coming off is provided.
One of the first receiving seat or the second receiving seat is provided with a holding means capable of temporarily holding the fixed plate or the movable plate,
A conductor is inserted into the column portion, and both ends of the conductor are exposed so as to come into contact with the electrodes of the fixed plate and the movable plate when the movable plate is brought close to the fixed plate. A horn switch device characterized by that.   In the second seat, a cylindrical wall is erected on the surface opposite to the contact surface of the coil spring, and the holding means is provided on the cylindrical wall, so that the second When the receiving seat is temporarily held on the fixed plate or the movable plate and the fixed plate and the movable plate are connected by the connecting member, from the end of the column portion on the second receiving seat side. The horn switch device according to claim 1, wherein a gap of a predetermined distance is provided between the exposed end portion of the conductor and the electrode of the fixed plate or the movable plate.   On at least one of the first seat and the second seat, a plurality of cylindrical walls are formed concentrically on the surface against which the coil spring abuts, and the outer periphery or inner periphery of the coil spring is The horn switch device according to claim 1, wherein the horn switch device is configured to abut against any one of the cylindrical walls.

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