JP2007157636A - Multidirectional push switch - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multidirectional push switch with a structure in which an upper conductive part and a lower conductive part arranged at a lower part are made to contact with each other and conducted by rocking a rocking knob in multiple directions, in which an increase in the number of components is suppressed, and assembling and manufacturing are facilitated and simplified. <P>SOLUTION: The switch has a base plate 1 which is installed at a fixed position to the lower conductive part 5b of a lower circuit board 4b, and a rocking knob 2 has an engaging member 2a engaged with a recess 6 formed at the base plate 1 on a face contacting the base plate 1, and is supported by the base plate 1 by engaging this engaging member 2a with the recess 6. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a multi-directional press switch (a so-called cross key switch or the like) used for a small electronic device or the like.

  Conventionally, in small electronic devices such as personal computers and mobile phone devices, switches such as so-called disc spring type switches and membrane switches have been used as input devices. In recent years, with the diversification and multi-functionalization of input devices, multi-directional push-type switches that perform switch operations by swinging a swing knob in multiple directions have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a multi-directional push-type switch that has a so-called “cross key” as a swing knob and that is operated according to the swing direction of the “cross key”.

  The membrane switch operated through such a swinging knob has an upper conductive part provided on the upper circuit board and a lower conductive part provided on the lower circuit board. That is, the upper circuit board is formed with a disk-shaped upper conductive portion and a wiring portion for connecting the upper conductive portion to an external device. The lower circuit board is formed with a disk-shaped lower conductive portion and a wiring portion for connecting the lower conductive portion to an external device. The upper circuit board and the lower circuit board are fixed by an adhesive layer with a spacer sheet interposed therebetween. A gap corresponding to the thickness of the spacer sheet is formed between the upper conductive portion of the upper circuit board and the lower conductive portion of the lower circuit board.

  In the membrane switch having such a configuration, when a load is applied from the upper circuit board side, a part of the upper circuit board is deformed and the upper conductive part comes into contact with the lower conductive part. The conductive part electrode becomes conductive, and the switch operation is executed.

JP 2001-185004 A

  By the way, in the conventional multi-directional pressing switch as described above, the swing knob needs to be supported so as to be movable (swing) within a predetermined range with respect to the lower circuit board. In order to support the swing knob in such a state, it is necessary to use separate fixing parts, etc., which increases the number of parts, and makes assembly and manufacturing difficult and complicated. Soaring is invited.

  Therefore, the present invention is proposed in view of the above-described circumstances, and in a multi-directional press type switch (such as a so-called cross key switch) used for a small electronic device or the like, an increase in the number of parts is suppressed, It is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-directional pressing switch that does not cause difficulty and complexity in assembly and manufacturing.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration.

  The multidirectional pressing switch according to the present invention is a multidirectional pressing switch having a structure in which an upper conductive portion and a lower conductive portion arranged below are brought into contact with each other to be conducted by swinging a swing knob in multiple directions. The base plate is installed at a fixed position with respect to the lower conductive portion, and the swinging knob is fitted to a fitting portion provided on the base plate on a surface in contact with the base plate. It is characterized by being supported by the base plate by fitting this fitting portion to the fitted portion.

  In the multidirectional pressing switch according to the present invention, the swing knob has a fitting portion that fits into a fitting portion provided on the base plate on a surface that comes into contact with the base plate. Since it is supported by the base plate by being fitted to the fitted portion, a separate part for supporting the swing knob is unnecessary, and an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed.

  Moreover, in the multidirectional pressing type switch according to the present invention, it is possible to make the switch operation feeling more pleasant than the conventional multidirectional pressing type switch.

  That is, according to the present invention, an increase in the number of parts is suppressed in a multi-directional press switch (so-called cross key switch or the like) used for a small electronic device or the like, and assembly manufacturing becomes difficult and complicated. It is possible to provide a multi-directional push switch that does not.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a multidirectional pressing switch according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the multidirectional pressing switch according to the present invention has a base plate 1. The base plate 1 is formed in a substantially flat plate shape using a synthetic resin material or the like. The base plate 1 has a plurality of push button portions 1a. These push button portions 1a are continuous to the base plate 1 through a thin portion, and are displaced to the back side of the base plate 1 by being pressed from the front side of the base plate 1, and the pressing operation is released. Accordingly, the elastic member is returned to the initial position by the elastic force of the thin portion.

  FIG. 2 is an exploded plan view showing the configuration of the multidirectional pressing switch according to the present invention.

  A swing knob (cross key) 2 is attached to the base plate 1 from the back side. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the swing knob 2 is formed in four concave portions 6 which are a plurality of fitted portions provided on the base plate 1 on the surface in contact with the base plate 1 in the peripheral portion. It has four fitting pieces 2a to be a plurality of fitting portions to be fitted. The swing knob 2 is supported by the base plate 1 by fitting each fitting piece 2a in correspondence with each recess 6. The swing knob 2 faces the surface side of the base plate 1 through an opening 1 b provided in the base plate 1.

  The swing knob 2 is swung by displacing the pressed portion to the back side of the base plate 1 by pressing one of predetermined four locations on the peripheral side from the surface side of the base plate 1. At the same time, when the pressing operation is released, the initial position is restored by the elastic force of the fitting piece 2a.

  A push button 3 is attached to the base plate 1. The push button 3 has a pair of support rods 3 a at both ends, and the front end side of the support rod 3 a is attached to the back surface of the base plate 1. The push button 3 faces the surface side of the swing knob 2 through an opening 2 b provided at the center of the swing knob 2. The push button 3 is displaced to the back side of the base plate 1 by being pressed from the front side of the base plate 1, and is returned to the initial position by the elastic force of the support rod 3a by being released. ing.

  A membrane switch 4 is fixed to the base plate 1. The membrane switch 4 includes an upper circuit board 4a and a lower circuit board 4b. A disc-shaped upper conductive portion 5a and a wiring portion for connecting the upper conductive portion 5a to an external device (not shown) are formed on the back surface of the upper circuit board 4a. Further, a disk-shaped lower conductive portion 5b and a wiring portion for connecting the lower conductive portion 5b to an external device (not shown) are formed on the surface portion of the lower circuit board 4b. The upper circuit board 4a and the lower circuit board 4b are fixed by an adhesive layer with a spacer sheet in between, and between the upper conductive part 5a of the upper circuit board 4a and the upper conductive part 5a of the lower circuit board 4b, A gap corresponding to the thickness of the spacer sheet is formed. The shapes of the upper conductive portion 5a and the upper conductive portion 5a are not limited to a circle, and may be a square, a rectangle, a triangle, or the like.

  As the upper circuit board 4a and the lower circuit board 4b, for example, materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate, polyphenylene sulfide, polyetherimide, and polyimide are processed into a film shape. It is appropriately selected according to the conditions such as heat resistance. As a material for forming the upper conductive part 5a of the upper circuit board 4a and the lower conductive part 5b of the lower circuit board 4b, a metal foil made of a metal such as copper, silver, or gold, a conductive paste such as silver paste, carbon ink, or the like can be used. Used.

  As the spacer sheet, the same material as that of the upper circuit board 4a and the lower circuit board 4b is used. The material for forming the adhesive layer is not particularly limited, and is composed of a rubber adhesive obtained by adding a tackifying resin such as rosin and rosin ester to natural rubber, and a copolymer of acrylic acid and its ester. An emulsion type such as an acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive, a vinyl ether pressure-sensitive adhesive, and a urethane pressure-sensitive adhesive, a solvent type, a hot-melt type pressure-sensitive adhesive, and the like can be used.

  In this multidirectional pressing switch, the base plate 1 and the lower conductive portion 5b of the lower circuit board 4b are in a predetermined positional relationship fixed to each other. In this multi-directional push switch, the swing knob 2 is swung in multiple directions so that the upper conductive portion 5a and the lower conductive portion 5b disposed thereunder are brought into contact with each other to be conducted. ing. Further, in this multi-directional push type switch, a plurality of push button portions 1a and push buttons 3 are pressed, and the upper conductive portion 5a and the lower conductive portion 5b arranged thereunder are brought into contact and conducted. It has become.

  In this multidirectional pressing type switch, the upper conductive portion 5a and the lower conductive portion 5b are not limited to those constituting the membrane switch as in the above-described embodiment, but constitute what is called a disc spring type switch. There may be.

  This multi-directional pressing switch can be applied to various small electronic devices such as a mobile phone device, a personal computer device, a video camera device, and an image display device.

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of the multidirectional pressing type switch which concerns on this invention. It is a disassembled plan view which shows the structure of the said multidirectional pressing type switch.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Base plate 2 Swing knob 2a Fitting piece 4a Upper circuit board 4b Lower circuit board 5a Upper conductive part 5b Lower conductive part 6 Recessed part

Claims (1)

In the multi-directional press type switch having a structure in which the upper conductive portion and the lower conductive portion arranged below are brought into contact with each other and made conductive by swinging the swing knob in multiple directions.
A base plate installed at a fixed position with respect to the lower conductive portion;
The swing knob has a fitting portion that fits into a fitting portion provided on the base plate on a surface that contacts the base plate, and fits the fitting portion into the fitting portion. The multi-directional pressing type switch is supported by the base plate.

Images