JP2007242517A - Rotary operation type output device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inexpensively compose an operation conversion means for converting operational rotation of a rotary knob to linear movement of a mover. <P>SOLUTION: The operation conversion means for converting operational rotation of a rotary knob 24 to linear movement of a mover 32 is composed of: a tilted surface 28 formed on an axial end surface of the rotary knob 24 (knob inner body 24b) by axially tilting it with respect to its rotating direction; a passive part (projection 32a) provided for the mover 32; and a spring 34 with the passive part axially brought into press contact with the tilted surface 28 of the rotary knob 24. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a rotary operation type output device having improved operation conversion means for converting operation rotation of a rotary knob into linear movement of a moving element.

  Conventionally, as a rotary operation type output device, for example, there are a volume and a switch used for selecting an intermittent operation time in an intermittent wiper of a vehicle such as an automobile. FIG. 5 shows the conventional structure itself, and a rotary knob 2 is provided on the lever 1 so as to be rotatable coaxially. Specifically, the rotary knob 2 is composed of a double cylindrical member of a knob outer body 2a and a knob inner body 2b, and they rotate together. And the groove | channel 3 which inclines to an axial direction with respect to the rotation direction of the rotary knob 2 is formed in the knob inner body 2b of them in the intermediate part near the end surface of the one side (right side in a figure) of an axial direction. .

  A sliding switch 4 is provided on the insulator 5 inside the knob inner body 2b. The sliding switch 4 has a moving element 6, and a switch output corresponding to the moving element 6 is generated by linear movement of the moving element 6. A slide pin 7 is attached to the movable element 6 to form a passive portion, and the slide pin (passive portion) 7 is inserted into the groove 3 of the knob inner body 2b.

  The knob inner body 2b is also formed with a plurality of moderation valleys 8 in an annular arrangement on the end surface of the one side, and the moderation piece 9 is pressed against and engaged with one of them by the spring force of the spring 10. ing. The spring 10 is stored in a storage portion 11 formed inside the lever 1, and the moderation piece 9 projects from the storage portion 11.

With the above configuration, if the user rotates the rotary knob 2 (knob outer body 2a and knob inner body 2b), in the clockwise rotation direction A, the inclined edge 3a on the moderation valley 8 side of the groove 3 The slide pin 7 is linearly moved in the axial direction X in the left direction in the figure, while in the rotation direction B opposite to the clockwise direction, the inclined edge 3b on the opposite side to the moderation valley 8 side of the groove 3 When the slide pin 7 is linearly moved in the right axial direction Y in the figure opposite to the axial direction X, the slider 6 is linearly moved in both axial directions X and Y. Emits a switch output accordingly. During this time, the moderation valley 8 changes the engagement position of the moderation piece 9, and the rotary knob 2 is locked by the engagement at the position after the rotary operation of the rotary knob 2 (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-231872

  In the case of the above-mentioned conventional one, the slide pin 7 which is a passive part of the groove 3 and the moving element 6 is an operation converting means for converting the operation rotation of the rotary knob 2 into the linear movement of the moving element 6. It is formed in the middle part of the rotary knob 2 (knob inner body 2b), and its formation is difficult because it requires a complicated mold and is expensive.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the object thereof is to provide a rotary operation type output device capable of constructing operation conversion means for converting operation rotation of a rotary knob into linear movement of a moving element at a low cost. There is.

  In order to achieve the above object, the rotary operation type output device of the present invention converts the operation rotation of the rotary knob into a linear movement of the moving element by the operation converting means, and obtains an output corresponding to the linear movement of the moving element. In such a configuration, the motion converting means is formed by inclining an axial end surface portion of the rotary knob in the axial direction with respect to the rotational direction of the rotary knob, a passive portion included in the moving element, The passive portion is constituted by a spring press-contacted with the inclined surface of the rotary knob in the axial direction.

  According to the above means, the operation converting means for converting the operation rotation of the rotary knob into the linear movement of the moving element is formed by inclining the axial end surface portion of the rotary knob in the axial direction with respect to the rotational direction of the rotary knob. And a spring formed by pressing the passive portion in the axial direction against the inclined surface of the rotary knob, and an inclination formed on an end surface portion of the rotary knob. Unlike the groove formed in the intermediate portion of the conventional rotary knob, the surface is easy to form, and in addition, the spring used is inexpensive, so that the overall cost can be reduced.

Hereinafter, a first embodiment (first embodiment) of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
First, FIG. 2 shows the overall configuration of a lever combination switch device for a vehicle, particularly an automobile, and a lever 22 is provided on the switch body 21 in a protruding manner. The lever 22 can be turned up and down from the switch body 21, and the up and down rotation of the lever 22 controls the front wiper of the automobile. For this reason, the lever 22 has a front wiper of the automobile. A control mark 23 is provided, and the switch body 21 is provided with a contact (not shown) that switches according to the vertical rotation of the lever 22.

  The lever 22 is provided with a rotary knob 24 that is coaxially rotatable. In this case, the rotary knob 24 is used for selecting the intermittent operation time of the front wiper of the automobile. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the rotary knob 24 has a double cylindrical shape including a knob outer body 24a and a knob inner body 24b. It consists of members and they rotate together. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the knob outer body 24a is provided with an uneven portion 25 for improving the user's finger engagement on the outer peripheral surface, and an instruction mark 26, corresponding to this. The lever 22 is provided with a sign 27 indicating an increase or decrease in the intermittent operation time of the front wiper of the automobile.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the knob inner body 24b has an inclined surface 28 that is inclined in the axial direction (left and right in FIG. 1) with respect to the rotational direction of the rotary knob 24. In this case, it is formed on the end surface portion on the side opposite to the switch body 21 side. Further, a large number of moderation valleys 29 are formed in a semi-annular arrangement on one end face of the knob inner body 24b.

  On the other hand, an insulator 30 is arranged inside the knob inner body 24b, and a plurality of fixed contacts 31 are exposed and embedded in one surface portion of the insulator 30, and a movable element is further provided on one side thereof. 32 is arranged so as to be linearly movable in the axial direction of the lever 22. The mover 32 is a contact holder that holds a movable contact (not shown) on the lower surface, and the movable contact changes the contact with the fixed contact 31 by the movement of the mover 32 to intermittently operate the front wiper of the automobile. An output that increases or decreases the time is generated.

  The movable element 32 has a protrusion 32a on the upper surface, and the knob 32 is applied by a spring force of a spring 34 provided between the protrusion 32a and a spring seat 33 formed on one surface of the insulator 30. The inner body 24b (rotary knob 24) is pressed against the inclined surface 28 in the axial direction.

  Further, the moderation piece 35 is engaged with one of the moderation valleys 29 by being pressed by the spring force of the spring 36. The spring 36 is housed in a housing portion 37 formed inside the lever 22, and the moderation piece 35 protrudes from the housing portion 37.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a rotary knob 38 different from the rotary knob 24 is rotatably provided at the tip of the lever 22. The rotary knob 38 is for controlling the rear wiper of the automobile, and an indicator 39 for that purpose is provided on the outer surface of the lever 22, and a contact (not shown) that switches according to the rotation of the rotary knob 38 is provided inside the lever 22. Provided.

  With the above configuration, if the user rotates the rotary knob 24 (the knob outer body 24a and the knob inner body 24b), the protrusion 32a of the moving element 32 is formed on the inclined surface 28 in the clockwise rotation direction A. On the other hand, in the rotation direction B opposite to the clockwise direction, the protrusion 32a of the moving element 32 is pushed against the spring force of the spring 34 in the rotation direction B opposite to the clockwise direction. The protrusion 32a of the moving element 32 is linearly moved in the axial direction X in the left direction and the axial direction Y in the right direction in the figure. As a result, each of the movable elements 32 is also moved in the same direction, so that the movable contact held by the movable element 32 changes the contact with the fixed contact 31 and outputs an increase or decrease in the intermittent operation time of the front wiper of the automobile. Be emitted. Meanwhile, the moderation valley 29 changes the engagement position of the moderation piece 35, and the rotary knob 24 is locked by the engagement of the rotary knob 24 at the position after the rotation operation.

  Accordingly, the protrusion 32 a of the moving element 32 is a passive part that receives movement movement due to the rotation of the rotary knob 24, and the inclined surface 28 of the rotary knob 24 changes the operation rotation of the rotary knob 24 to the linear movement of the moving element 32. The inclined surface 28 formed on the axial end surface portion of the rotary knob 24 is complicated to form unlike the groove 3 formed in the intermediate portion of the conventional rotary knob 2. There is no need for a metal mold, the formation is easy, and the spring 36 used in addition to that is also inexpensive, and as a result, it can be constructed at a lower cost than the conventional one.

In contrast to this, FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment (second embodiment) of the present invention. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. Only the part is described.
In this case, a rotary knob 41 is provided on the lever 22 so as to face the rotary knob 24. This rotary knob 41 is also configured in the same manner as the rotary knob 24 (knob outer body 41a, knob inner body 41b), and an inclined surface 42 that is parallel (point-symmetric) to the inclined surface 28 of the rotary knob 24 is provided with the knob inner body 41b. It is provided on the end surface portion on the rotary knob 24 side which is the end surface portion in the axial direction. And the protrusion (passive part) 43a of the moving element 43 is press-contacted to the inclined surface 42 by the spring force of the common spring 44 installed between the moving element 32 and the moving element 43. The protrusion 32 a of the moving element 32 is also pressed against the inclined surface 28 of the rotary knob 24 by the spring force of the spring 44.

  The spring 44 is inserted through a cylindrical portion 45 formed on the upper surface portion of the insulator 30. The rotary knob 41 also has a large number of moderation valleys 46 formed on the end surface on the rotary knob 24 side, and a moderation piece 47 is installed between the moderation piece 35 and one of the moderation valleys 47. Accordingly, the moderation piece 35 is also pressed and engaged with one of the moderation valleys 29 of the rotary knob 24 by the spring force of the spring 48. In addition, the spring 48 is housed in a cylindrical housing portion 49 formed inside the lever 22, and the moderation pieces 35 and 47 protrude from the housing portion 49.

  Further, in this case, the insulator 30 is provided with a fixed contact 50 in addition to the fixed contact 31, in which a movable contact (not shown) held by the mover 43 changes contact with the movement of the mover 43.

  With the above configuration, if the rotary knob 24 is rotated, the movable element 32 operates in the same manner as described above with the inclined surface 28 of the rotary knob 24 and the spring force of the spring 44, and if the rotary knob 41 is rotated, The protrusion 43a of the movable element 43 operates in the same manner as the movement of the movable element 32 when the rotary knob 24 is rotated by the inclined surface 42 of the rotary knob 41 and the spring force of the spring 44.

  That is, in this case, the movement of the moving element 32 by the rotating operation of the rotary knob 24 and the moving of the moving element 43 by the rotating operation of the rotary knob 41 can be performed by using the spring 44 in common. The spring 48 and the insulator 30 can be used in common and can be realized with a reasonable structure.

  In addition, the present invention is not limited only to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings. For example, the rotary knob is not divided into a knob outer body and a knob inner body, and may have them integrally. In addition, the one that responds to the mover may be a variable resistor instead of a contact point, and as a whole, it is not limited to a vehicle such as an automobile, but may be changed as appropriate without departing from the scope of the invention. Can be implemented.

The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the principal part which shows 1st Example of this invention Front view of the entire lever combination switch device for automobiles Exploded perspective view of main parts FIG. 1 equivalent view showing a second embodiment of the present invention 1 equivalent diagram showing a conventional example

Explanation of symbols

  In the drawings, 24 is a rotary knob, 28 is an inclined surface, 32 is a moving element, 32a is a protrusion (passive part), 34 is a spring, 41 is a rotary knob, 42 is an inclined surface, 43 is a moving element, 43a is a protrusion (passive) Part), 44 indicates a spring.

Claims (1)

In the operation rotation of the rotary knob is converted into a linear movement of the moving element by the action converting means, and an output corresponding to the linear movement of the moving element is obtained.
The motion converting means;
An inclined surface formed by inclining in the axial direction with respect to the rotational direction of the rotary knob at the axial end surface portion of the rotary knob;
A passive part of the mover;
A rotary operation type output device characterized in that the passive portion is constituted by a spring press-contacted in the axial direction to the inclined surface of the rotary knob.

Images