JP2007311308A - Key device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a key device with a small dimension in a pushing-down direction. <P>SOLUTION: The key device 10 is provided with a center key 20 and peripheral key 30. The center key 20 includes a frame body 54, arms 55, 56, a center key top 40, a center pushing-down part including a base part 57, and projection parts 52, 53. The arms 55, 56 includes one ends as fixed ends fixed on an inner side surface of the frame body 54, and other ends as free ends extending to a center part of the frame body 54. The center pushing-down part projects to an upstream side of the pushing-down direction P, and is supported in a floating state on a free end side of the arms 55, 56. The projections 52, 53 are arranged on the free end side of the arms 55, 56, and projects to the upstream side of the pushing-down direction P. The peripheral key 30 includes a seat part 70 and a peripheral key top 60. The seat part 70 includes at least a first hole part 77 for freely inserting the center pushing-down part of which a surface is flat, and the projection parts 52, 53. The peripheral key top 60 includes a second hole part 65 for inserting the center pushing-down part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a key device including a center key such as a determination key and peripheral keys such as cursor keys arranged around the center key.

  Some key devices include a center key such as a determination key and surrounding keys such as cursor keys arranged around the center key (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such a key device is installed in a main device such as a telephone or a facsimile device. In the key device as described above, for example, when a peripheral key is pressed, a desired setting condition is selected from a plurality of setting items on the setting condition input screen, and is selected by pressing the center key. Is determined by the set conditions.

Some peripheral keys include a peripheral key top and a pedestal that are separated from each other. Among the center keys are a frame, an elastic member extending from the inner surface of the frame toward the center of the frame, a central pressing portion that is floatingly supported by the elastic member and protrudes upstream in the pressing direction, and Some have a protruding portion that is arranged on the side of the central pressing portion and protrudes upstream in the pressing direction. The peripheral key top and the pedestal portion have a first hole portion and a second hole portion through which the central pressing portion is inserted. The central key pressing part of the central key is inserted through the first hole part and the second hole part of the peripheral key top and the pedestal part, so that the peripheral pressing part of the peripheral key is arranged around the central pressing part of the central key. The
JP 2003-257279 A

  However, in the conventional key device, in general, the first hole portion and the second hole portion are slightly larger than the cross section in the direction perpendicular to the pressing direction of the central pressing portion in order to eliminate rattling between the central key and the surrounding keys. It is formed in a size and shape.

  For this reason, the protrusion part of the center key is not inserted into the first hole part and the second hole part, and overlaps with the base part of the surrounding key in the pressing direction. Accordingly, the dimension in the pressing direction of the key device is increased.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a key device having a small size in the pressing direction.

  The present invention is configured as follows to solve the above-described problems.

  (1) The key device of the present invention includes a center key and a peripheral key. When the center key is pressed from the front side to the back side, at least a part of the center key is displaced in the pressing direction, thereby pressing the center switch arranged in the main device. The peripheral key has a plurality of peripheral pressing parts arranged around the center key, and when the peripheral pressing part is pressed, the peripheral pressing part is displaced in the pressing direction so that each peripheral arranged in the main device Press the surrounding switch corresponding to the pressed part.

  The center key has a frame, an elastic member, a center pressing portion, and a protrusion. The elastic member has one end that is a fixed end fixed to the inner surface of the frame, and the other end that is a free end extends toward the center of the frame. The central pressing portion protrudes upstream in the pressing direction, and is floatingly supported in the direction along the pressing direction on the free end side of the elastic member. The protrusion is disposed on the free end side of the elastic member and protrudes upstream in the pressing direction.

  The peripheral key has a pedestal and a peripheral key top. The pedestal portion has a first hole portion having at least a flat surface and allowing the central pressing portion and the projection portion to be inserted. The peripheral key top has a second hole portion through which the central pressing portion is inserted, and a peripheral pressing portion elastically supported by the pedestal portion.

  In this configuration, the central pressing portion and the protruding portion of the central key are freely displaceable in the direction along the pressing direction. The center pressing part of the center key is inserted through the first hole of the base part of the peripheral key and the second hole of the peripheral key top. At this time, the protrusion of the center key is inserted through the first hole of the pedestal.

  Further, since the surface of the pedestal portion is flat, the bottom surface of the surrounding key top can be formed flat. For this reason, even when the surrounding key top is formed of a transparent member, there is no complication.

  (2) In the key device of the present invention, the central pressing portion may have a base portion and a central key top. The base portion is supported in a floating manner in the direction along the pressing direction by the free end of the elastic member. The central key top is supported by the base and protrudes upstream in the pressing direction. The central key top is positioned by the protrusion.

  In this configuration, the central pressing portion has a central key top separated from the base portion. A protrusion is required to position the central key top. The protrusion is inserted through the first hole of the pedestal.

  (3) In the key device of the present invention, the surrounding key top may be formed of a transparent member.

  In this configuration, since the surrounding key top is formed of a transparent member, the bottom surface of the surrounding key top or the surface of the pedestal portion is seen through. Since the surface of the pedestal portion is formed flat, the bottom surface of the surrounding key top supported by the surface of the pedestal portion can also be formed flat. For this reason, there is no complicated feeling and the design is improved.

  Since the surface of the pedestal is formed flat, it is necessary to increase the distance between the frame and the pedestal so that the pedestal and the projection do not collide with each other. Directional dimensions were large. However, in this invention, since the projection part is penetrated by the 1st hole part of the 1st hole part of a base part, it is not necessary to enlarge the distance of a frame and a base part.

  According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

  (1) Since the projection of the center key is inserted through the first hole of the pedestal, the size in the pressing direction can be reduced. Further, by flattening the surface of the pedestal portion, the bottom surface of the surrounding key top can also be flattened, and the surrounding key top can be formed of a transparent member without giving a sense of complexity.

  (2) Since the projection for positioning the center key top is inserted through the first hole of the pedestal, the size in the pressing direction can be reduced.

  (3) The design can be improved without giving a sense of complexity, and the size in the pressing direction can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a key device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the key device 10. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the key device 10 without the surrounding key top 60. In FIG. 3, each of the central key top 40 and the support portion 50 is hatched to facilitate understanding of the drawing.

  The key device 10 includes a center key 20 and a peripheral key 30.

  For example, the surrounding key 30 is a cursor key, and the center key 20 is a determination key. For example, the surrounding key 30 receives an input of the moving direction of the cursor on the setting condition input screen. When the surrounding key 30 is pressed in the pressing direction P from the front side to the back side, a desired setting condition is selected from a plurality of setting items. The center key 20 receives an input for determining the setting condition being selected. When the center key 20 is pressed in the pressing direction P, the selected setting condition is determined. In this embodiment, the surrounding keys 30 accept input of cursor movement in four directions.

  The center key 20 includes a center key top 40 and a support portion 50.

  The center key top 40 is formed of a transparent member as an example, and includes a cylindrical columnar portion 41 and a flange portion 42 having an upper surface. The flange portion 42 is disposed at the downstream end portion in the pressing direction P of the columnar portion 41. The flange portion 42 is provided with two concave portions 43 and 44 (however, the concave portion 44 is not shown). The recesses 43 and 44 are recessed in the radial direction of the columnar part 41.

  The support unit 50 includes two protrusions 52 and 53, a frame body 54, two arms (elastic members) 55 and 56, and a base 57. The arms 55 and 56 have one end that is a fixed end fixed to the inner surface of the frame body 54, and the other end that is a free end extends toward the center of the frame body 54. The base portion 57 is floatingly supported in the direction along the pressing direction P on the free ends of the two arms 55 and 56. The protrusion 52 is disposed on the free end side of the arm 55 and protrudes upstream in the pressing direction P. Similarly, the protrusion 53 is disposed on the free end side of the arm 56 and protrudes upstream in the pressing direction P.

  The central key top 40 is positioned on the base 57 so that the two recesses 43 and 44 and the two protrusions 52 and 53 are positioned so as to fit each other. When the central key top 40 is pressed, both the central key top 40 and the base portion 57 are displaced in the pressing direction P. The center key top 40 and the base part 57 correspond to the center pressing part of the present invention.

  A central switch 81 is disposed at a position corresponding to the downstream side in the pressing direction P of the base unit 57 in the main apparatus such as a facsimile machine. The central switch 81 is, for example, a tact switch. When the center key top 40 is pressed, the center switch 81 is pressed on the back side of the base portion 57.

  The peripheral key 30 includes a peripheral key top 60 and a pedestal portion 70.

  The surrounding key top 60 is formed of a transparent member as an example. In this embodiment, the peripheral key top 60 has a cross shape and includes four peripheral pressing portions 61, 62, 63, 64 and a second hole 65. The second hole 65 is provided at the center of the peripheral key top 60 in a plane orthogonal to the pressing direction P. The second hole portion 65 is formed to be slightly larger than the cross section in the direction perpendicular to the pressing direction P of the columnar portion 41 to such an extent that rattling between the center key 20 and the surrounding key 30 is not noticeable.

  The pedestal portion 70 includes a frame body 71, four arms 72, 73, 74, 75, and a flat plate 76. The flat plate 76 has the same outer shape as the surrounding key top 60 in plan view. The arms 72 to 75 have one end that is a fixed end fixed to the inner surface of the frame 71 and the other end that is a free end extends toward the inside of the frame 71. The free ends of the arms 72 to 75 are connected to the portions of the flat plate 76 where the peripheral pressing portions 61, 62, 63 and 64 are placed. As a result, the flat plate 76 is floatingly supported by the frame body 71 in the direction along the pressing direction P at each of the positions where the peripheral pressing portions 61 to 64 are placed.

  Peripheral switches 82, 83, 84, 85 (however, the peripheral switches 83, 84 are not shown) are arranged on the back surfaces of the positions where the peripheral pressing parts 61-64 are placed on the flat plate 76. Has been. Peripheral switches 82 to 85 are mounted on the main device. The surrounding switches 82 to 85 are, for example, tact switches. By pressing the peripheral pressing portions 61 to 64 of the peripheral key top 60, the peripheral switches 82 to 85 are pressed on the back side of the flat plate 76.

  The flat plate 76 has a first hole 77 coaxial with the second hole 65 of the surrounding key top 60. The first hole 77 has a shape in which the flat plate 76 does not overlap with the protrusions 52 and 53 in the pressing direction P. The protrusions 52 and 53 are inserted through the first hole 77.

  4A is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the key device 10, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the key device 100 of the comparative example.

  In the key device 100, the first hole portion 177 of the pedestal portion 170 is formed to be slightly larger than the cross section in the direction orthogonal to the pressing direction P of the central pressing portion 141.

  In the key device 10, the protrusions 52 and 53 of the center key 20 do not overlap with the flat plate 76 in the pressing direction P, and are inserted into the first hole 77 of the pedestal portion 70. The size is smaller by the thickness T of the flat plate 76 than the key device 100 of the comparative example.

  Moreover, in the key apparatus 10, since the center key top 40 and the surrounding key top 60 are formed with a transparent member, design property improves.

  Since the surrounding key top 60 is formed of a transparent member, the bottom surface of the surrounding key top 60 or the surface of the flat plate 76 is seen through. Since the surface of the flat plate 76 is formed flat, the bottom surface of the surrounding key top 60 supported on the surface of the flat plate 76 can also be formed flat. For this reason, a design feeling improves without giving a complicated feeling.

  Since the surface of the flat plate 76 is formed flat, it is necessary to increase the distance between the support portion 50 and the pedestal portion 70 so that the flat plate 76 and the protrusions 52 and 53 do not collide with each other. As a result, the size of the key device 10 in the pressing direction is large. However, in the present invention, since the protrusions 52 and 53 are inserted through the first hole 77, it is not necessary to increase the distance between the support part 50 and the pedestal part 70. Therefore, the design is improved and the dimension in the pressing direction P of the key device 10 is reduced.

  In addition, the external shape of the cross section orthogonal to the pressing direction P of the columnar part 41 is not limited to a circular shape, and may be a quadrangle, other polygons, or an ellipse.

  Moreover, the surrounding key 30 is not limited to the structure which receives input operation of 4 directions, 2 directions, 3 directions, or 5 directions or more may be sufficient.

  Further, the center key 20 does not necessarily have to be separated into the center key top 40 and the support portion 50, and the size in the pressing direction P can be reduced even when the center pressing portion is integrally formed. The effect of the invention is exhibited.

  Further, the number of the protrusions 52 and 53 is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more.

  Finally, the description of the above-described embodiment is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above embodiments but by the claims. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance structure of the key apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of a key apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the key apparatus of a state without a surrounding key top. (A) is sectional drawing which shows the structure of a key apparatus, (B) is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the key apparatus of a comparative example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Key apparatus 20 Center key 30 Peripheral key 40 Center key top 41 Column-shaped part 42 Flange part 50 Support part 52,53 Projection part 55,56 Arm (elastic member)
60 Peripheral key top 61-64 Peripheral pressing part 65 Second hole part 70 Base part 76 Flat plate 77 First hole part 81 Central switch 82-85 Peripheral switch P Pressing direction

Claims (3)

When pressed from the front side to the back side, at least a part is displaced in the pressing direction, so that a central key that presses a central switch arranged in the main device;
A plurality of peripheral pressing parts arranged around the central key, and when the peripheral pressing part is pressed, the peripheral pressing part is displaced in the pressing direction, thereby disposing the peripheral pressing part in the main device; In a key device provided with a peripheral key for pressing a peripheral switch corresponding to each peripheral pressing unit,
The center key includes a frame, an elastic member in which one end that is a fixed end is fixed to an inner surface of the frame and the other end that is a free end extends toward the center of the frame, A central pressing portion protruding upstream in the pressing direction and floatingly supported in a direction along the pressing direction on the free end side of the elastic member, and arranged upstream on the free end side of the elastic member And a protruding portion protruding into the
The peripheral key includes at least a pedestal portion having a flat surface and a first hole portion through which the central push-down portion and the protrusion portion can be inserted, and a second hole portion and the pedestal portion through which the central push-down portion is inserted. A key device comprising: a peripheral key top having the peripheral pressing portion elastically supported. The central pressing portion includes a base portion that is float-supported in a direction along the pressing direction by a free end of the elastic member, and a central key top that is supported by the base portion and protrudes upstream in the pressing direction. Have
The key device according to claim 1, wherein the central key top is positioned by the protrusion.   The key device according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral key top is formed of a transparent member.

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