JP2008010289A - Switch and electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a switch having a stable switch function without newly providing an unnecessary part for a switch function. <P>SOLUTION: The switch includes a first conductive member 1, a second conductive member 2 fixed on a base member 4, and a rotatable lever member 3. The first conductive member 1 presses the lever member 3 in a direction parallel to a rotary shaft 4a of the lever member 3 with respect to the second conductive member 2. Thereby looseness of the lever member 3 is suppressed and the switch having the stable switch function can be provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a switch used in a digital camera, a video camera, a printer, a copying machine, and other electronic devices, and more particularly to a switch that is switched on / off by turning a lever member.

  Various switches used for electronic devices have been proposed. Among them, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 1 as a switch that performs on / off switching by deforming a conductive member in accordance with the rotation of a lever.

The switch disclosed in the gazette has a thin switch as a whole because the operation direction of the movable contact made of a thin metal plate pressed by the lever drive portion is orthogonal to the operation direction of the lever. It is a switch that made it possible. In addition, the switch is configured so that the contact portion of the movable contact in a bent state slides on the inner wall and the fixed contact of the switch case, thereby making contact / separation with the fixed contact, Even when the lever is in operation, a constant contact pressure of the contact can be secured.
JP 2001-184994 A (paragraph 0014, FIG. 1, etc.)

  However, the switch disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not have a configuration that prevents the lever from rattling by urging the lever in the direction of the rotation axis. For this reason, there is a possibility that the stable function as a switch may be impaired by the operation of the lever rattling in the direction of the rotation axis. In addition, an elastic member such as a torsion spring can be used to urge the lever in the direction of the rotation axis. However, parts that are not necessary for the original switch function are newly provided, and the number of parts increases. Or the assembly workability deteriorates.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a switch having a stable switch function and an electronic apparatus including the switch without newly providing unnecessary parts for the switch function.

  The switch as one aspect of the present invention includes a first conductive member, a second conductive member fixed to the base member, and a rotatable lever member. The first conducting member presses the lever member against the second conducting member in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the lever member.

  The electronic device provided with the switch also constitutes another aspect of the present invention.

  According to the present invention, the first and second conducting members and the lever member necessary for the switch function are used, and the lever member is rotated by the first conducting member with respect to the fixed second conducting member. Press in a direction parallel to the axis. Therefore, it is possible to realize a switch having a stable switch function by suppressing rattling of the lever member without newly providing a part unnecessary for the switch function.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 8 shows the appearance of a digital still camera (hereinafter referred to as camera) 20 that is an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 8, reference numeral 21 denotes a release button for instructing the start of a photographing operation, and reference numeral 22 denotes a lens mount portion for attaching an interchangeable lens to the front surface of the camera body. Reference numeral 23 denotes a connector portion for connecting various operation switches such as a power input switch and an external device such as a personal computer. A flash unit 24 illuminates the subject. Reference numeral 25 denotes a mode dial operated by the photographer to set the photographing mode of the camera 20. Reference numeral 27 denotes a controller such as a CPU for controlling various operations of the camera 20.

  Further, FIG. 9 shows a configuration of the camera 20 on the bottom side. In FIG. 9, reference numeral 16 denotes a battery door provided on the bottom surface of the camera 20 so as to be opened and closed. By opening the battery door 16, a battery (not shown) can be taken in and out (replaced). Reference numeral 26 denotes a screw portion for attaching a tripod (not shown).

  The camera 20 is provided with an open / close detection switch for detecting the open / closed state of the battery door 16. When the battery door 16 detects the closed state, the controller 27 detects the attachment of the battery, starts communication with the interchangeable lens, and starts operations such as charging a capacitor (not shown) that supplies electric energy to the flash unit 24. To do.

  FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the open / close detection switch. The open / close detection switch includes a first conducting member 1, a second conducting member 2, and a lever 3.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the first conducting member 1 is an elastic member formed in a torsion spring shape, and includes a coil portion 1c and first and second arm portions extending from both ends of the coil portion 1c. (Extension part) It has 1a, 1b.

  The coil portion 1 c is attached to the outer periphery of the shaft portion 4 a formed on the switch fixing member 4. The first arm portion (movable portion) 1a abuts against a contact surface 3d formed on the lever 3, and when the lever 3 rotates, the first arm portion 1a also rotates (moves). A portion on the distal end side of the second arm portion 1 b engages with a holding groove portion 4 d formed on a switch fixing member 4 as a base member constituting the main body of the camera 20. An intermediate portion of the second arm portion 1b is sandwiched between the shaft portion 4b and the shaft portion 4f formed on the switch fixing member 4. As a result, the second arm portion 1b is fixed to the switch fixing member 4 in the XY plane. Therefore, when the lever 3 is rotated in the + Y direction, only the first arm portion 1a extending in the + X direction is rotated in the + Y direction by the elastic deformation of the coil portion 1c.

  The switch fixing member 4 has a shaft portion 4c in addition to the shaft portions 4a, 4b, and 4f described above. The first conducting member 1 (coil portion 1c), the lever 3 and the second conducting member 2 are assembled in this order from the + Z direction with respect to the shaft portion 4a. The second conducting member 2 is composed of the shaft portions 4a and 4b. , 4c is fixed by a method such as heat caulking.

  FIG. 2 shows a state where the first conducting member 1, the second conducting member 2 and the lever 3 are assembled to the shaft portions 4a, 4b and 4c of the switch fixing member 4 as viewed from the + Z side. Show. A circuit board 15 electrically connected to the open / close detection switch is engaged with the board pressing portion 4e of the switch fixing member 4. The circuit board 15 is restricted from moving in the + Z direction by the engagement with the board pressing portion 4e.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a battery door 16 that rotates (opens and closes) about a shaft 18 is assembled to a camera body (not shown).

  FIG. 3 shows the shape of the first conductive member 1 described above. The first conductive member 1 has the above-described coil portion 1c and first and second arm portions 1a and 1b, and is formed on the circuit board 15 at the most distal end portion of the second arm portion 1b. A contact portion 1d for contacting the conductive pad surface is formed. Since the contact portion 1d contacts the circuit board 15 in the + Z direction that is the axial direction of the coil portion 1c via the conductive pad surface, the contact portion 1d has a shape bent in the + Z direction.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the configuration shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from the −Z direction. The first conductive member 1 is electrically connected to the circuit board 15 when the contact portion 1 d contacts the conductive pad surface 15 a provided on the circuit board 15. The first conductive member 1 is a conductive pad in a state where the contact portion 1d is urged by the circuit board 15 in the -Z direction, that is, the direction opposite to the direction in which the lever 3 is disposed with respect to the first conductive member 1. Contact the surface 15a. As a result, the coil portion 1c of the first conducting member 1 is moved toward the + Z direction on the shaft portion 4a, and the lever 3 is pressed against the second conducting member 2 fixed to the switch fixing member 4 in the + Z direction. (Energize). Therefore, rattling in the direction parallel to the rotation axis of the lever 3, that is, the direction parallel to the central axis of the shaft portion 4a is suppressed, and the open / close detection switch can obtain a stable function as a switch. .

  The first conducting member 1 has a torsion spring shape as described above, and elastically deforms the first and second arm portions 1a and 1b in the closing direction, thereby opening both the arm portions 1a and 1b. Elastic force is generated. The first conducting member 1 urges the lever 3 in the −Y direction with this urging force.

  Moreover, the 2nd conduction | electrical_connection member 2 has contact parts 2d and 2e, as shown also in FIG. In the state shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the first arm portion 1 a of the first conductive member 1 urges the lever 3 in the −Y direction and also contacts the contact portion 2 e of the second conductive member 2. To do.

  On the other hand, the contact portion 2 d of the second conductive member 2 is in contact with a conductive pad surface 15 b provided on the circuit board 15 and is electrically connected to the circuit board 15.

  In addition to the conductive pad surfaces 15a and 15b, various electric elements (not shown) are mounted on the circuit board 15. A CPU constituting the controller 27 may be mounted on the circuit board 15.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first arm portion 1 a in the first conducting member 1 and the contact portion 2 e in the second conducting member 2 are in electrical contact at point A. From this state, as shown in FIG. 6, when the lever 3 rotates in the + Y direction around the shaft portion 4a, the first arm portion 1a is separated from the point A, and the contact with the contact portion 2e is cut off. The open / close detection switch of this embodiment opens the battery door 16 to the controller 27 by an electrical signal input to the controller 27 in a conductive state in which the first arm 1a and the contact 2e are in contact at a point A. Let it be detected. Moreover, the controller 27 is made to detect the closing of the battery door 16 by interrupting the input of the electric signal to the controller 27 in the cut-off state in which the contact at the point A is cut off.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5, the battery door 16 has a protrusion 17 that can contact the lever 3 in the opened state immediately before the closed state (hereinafter referred to as the just-closed state). Have.

  When the battery door 16 is in a fully open state, the lever 3 is in the state of being lowered in the −Y direction in FIG. 2 and is in contact with the stopper surface 4g formed on the switch fixing member 4 and is stationary. In this state, the first arm portion 1a of the first conducting member 1 and the contact portion 2e of the second conducting member 2 are in contact at the point A.

  When the battery door 16 is rotated in the + Y direction (closing direction) about the shaft 18 from the opened state and reaches a state immediately before closing, the protrusion 17 of the battery door 16 is moved to the bottom surface of the lever 3 as shown in FIG. The projection 3c is formed in contact with the projection 3c. Further, when the battery door 16 rotates in the closing direction and the battery door 16 is almost completely closed with respect to the camera body, the lever 3 is moved to the first arm portion of the first conducting member 1 as shown in FIG. Lift 1a in the + Y direction. Thereby, the contact between the first arm portion 1a and the contact portion 2e of the second conducting member 2 is cut off, and the conducting members 1 and 2 are electrically disconnected.

  On the other hand, when the battery door 16 rotates in the −Y direction (opening direction) from the state of FIG. 6, the state returns to the state of FIG. 2, and both the conducting members 1 and 2 are electrically connected.

  In this embodiment, the switch used for detecting the opening / closing of the battery door of the camera has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be used as a switch for performing various detections in various electronic devices. it can.

The disassembled perspective view of the switch which is an Example of this invention. The front view of the switch (conducting state) of an Example. The enlarged view of the 1st conduction | electrical_connection member used for the switch of an Example. The enlarged view of the 2nd conduction member used for the switch of an Example. The top view of the battery door by which opening / closing is detected by the switch of an Example. The front view of the switch (blocking state) of an Example. The perspective view which shows the connection state of the switch and circuit board of an Example. The external appearance perspective view of the camera carrying the switch of an Example. The perspective view when it sees from the bottom face side of the camera by which the switch of an Example is mounted.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st conduction member 1a, 1b Arm part 1c Coil part 2 2nd conduction member 2d, 2e Contact part 3 Lever 4 Switch fixing member 4a, 4b, 4c, 4f Shaft part 15 Circuit board 16 Battery door 17 Protrusion part 20 Camera 22 Lens mount 24 Flash unit 25 Mode dial

Claims (4)

A first conducting member;
A second conducting member fixed to the base member;
A lever member that switches connection and disconnection between the first and second conducting members;
The switch, wherein the first conductive member presses the lever member against the second conductive member in a direction parallel to a rotation axis of the lever member. The first conducting member has a coil part and an extending part extending from the coil part,
The first conducting member receives the force in the direction opposite to the direction in which the lever member is disposed with respect to the first conducting member, so that the extending portion receives the lever member in the coil portion. The switch according to claim 1, wherein the switch is pressed against the second conductive member. The first conducting member is formed of an elastic member, and has a movable part that moves by deformation according to the rotation of the lever member,
3. The switch according to claim 1, wherein the movable portion is switched between a state in which the movable portion is in contact with the second conducting member and a state in which the movable portion is detached from the second conducting member in accordance with the rotation of the lever member. Switch.   An electronic apparatus comprising the switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and the base member.