JP2009230852A - Switch and electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a switch which achieves a high waterproofness with a simple structure as a switch installed on equipment having a waterproof case. <P>SOLUTION: A dive computer 1 is contained in a case 2 having waterproofness and includes a liquid crystal display panel 11 to display various information and a contact switch 4 capable of operation from the outside of a case 2. The contact switch 4 includes a dielectric layer 42 consisting of impermeable dielectric installed exposed on the surface of the case 2, a plurality of electrodes 43 embedded under the dielectric layer 42, and an insulating member arranged between the plurality of neighboring electrodes 43. Operation on the contact switch 4 is detected based on electrostatic capacity between the electrodes 43. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a switch that can be disposed in a waterproof case, and an electronic device including the switch.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, many electronic devices such as a watch having a waterproof case include a switch that is pressed. In a typical switch provided in such a device, a member to be pressed is disposed across the inside and outside of the case, and a waterproof packing is disposed at a joint portion between the member and the case to ensure waterproofness. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-148367 A

As described above, in a device provided with a waterproof case, when a member straddling the inside and outside of the case is provided, it is necessary to ensure waterproofness using a packing or the like. A device that uses a packing to ensure waterproofness requires regular maintenance to cope with changes in the packing over time.
In addition, in a device that requires more reliable waterproofness, a structure in which packings are arranged in a double manner or the like is employed in order to eliminate the influence of changes in packing over time and individual differences. Such a complicated structure causes an increase in cost due to an increase in the number of man-hours and members in the manufacturing process, and further, there is a problem that work during maintenance becomes difficult.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a switch that can realize a high waterproof property with a simple structure as a switch provided in a device having a waterproof case.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a switch disposed in a waterproof case, the impermeable dielectric layer disposed exposed on the surface of the case, and the dielectric A plurality of conductors embedded under the body layer and spaced apart from each other, and an insulator disposed between the plurality of adjacent conductors, each conductor having a space between the plurality of conductors Provided is a switch characterized in that wiring is connected so as to be able to detect the capacitance of the switch.

Further, the present invention is housed in a waterproof case, and a display screen for displaying various information,
A switch operable from the outside of the case; and an operation detection unit for detecting an operation on the switch, the switch being exposed on the surface of the case and being impermeable dielectric layer, A plurality of conductors embedded under the dielectric layer and spaced apart from each other; and an insulator disposed between the plurality of adjacent conductors; and the operation detection unit includes a plurality of conductors. An electronic device is provided that detects an operation on the switch based on a capacitance between them.

In the above configuration, when the operation detection unit selects and combines two conductors from a plurality of the conductors, the operation detection unit sets the capacitance between the conductors in each combination to the electrostatic capacitance between the conductors in another combination. By comparing with the electric capacity, the operation to the switch may be detected and the operation position may be specified.

Further, in the above configuration, the operation detection unit includes a combination of the two conductors selected from the plurality of conductors, wherein a capacitance between the conductors is greater than a capacitance between the conductors in other combinations. When there is a small combination, it may be detected that there is a contact operation between the conductors constituting the combination.
Furthermore, in the above-described configuration, the operation detection unit includes a combination in which two conductors are selected from a plurality of the conductors, and the capacitance between the conductors is greater than the capacitance between the conductors in other combinations. When there is a large combination, it may be detected that there is a contact operation between the conductors constituting the combination.

An underwater determination unit that determines whether or not the electronic device is underwater is further included, and the operation detection unit selects and combines the determination result by the underwater determination unit and two conductors from the plurality of conductors. Based on the capacitance between the conductors in each combination of cases, the operation to the switch may be detected and the operation position may be specified.

The above configuration may be an information display device that displays various types of information to divers who are diving in the water.
Moreover, the timepiece which time-measures time may be provided, and the timepiece which time-measures by the said time-measurement part may be displayed on the said display screen.

According to the present invention, by realizing a switch that detects a contact operation based on a change in capacitance between conductors buried under a dielectric layer, the switch is disposed across the inside and outside of the waterproof case. Since there is no member, waterproofness can be easily ensured without using packing or the like. Thereby, since it is realizable with a simple structure, man-hours and members at the time of manufacture can be reduced, and it can be realized at low cost. In addition, the frequency of maintenance can also be reduced.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a usage state of a dive computer 1 as an embodiment according to an electronic apparatus and a timepiece of the invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a configuration of the dive computer 1 (divers information processing apparatus), and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the dive computer 1. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 1 shows a state where the user (diver) wears equipment when diving.
The diving equipment 200 generally includes a tank unit 201 having a plurality of tanks 201A and 201B, a switching valve / regulator 202, a water depth / residual pressure gauge 203, and a dive computer 1.
The function of the dive computer 1 is to calculate and display the diver's depth and diving time during diving and measure the amount of inert gas (mainly nitrogen gas) accumulated in the body during diving. There is a function to display safety information such as the time until the nitrogen accumulated in the body is discharged after being submerged from the water.

The dive computer 1 has a structure in which a belt 3 is connected to a 6 o'clock side and a 12 o'clock side of a wristwatch on a rectangular case 2 that accommodates each part. Can be used. Case 2, for example, is a case part that is divided into upper and lower parts and is sealed by fixing it by a method such as screwing in a completely watertight state. The case 2 has a so-called waterproof structure and has a waterproof property capable of withstanding a predetermined water pressure. is doing. A substrate (not shown) on which various electronic components are mounted is accommodated in the case 2. The power source for the entire dive computer 1 is a button-type battery (not shown) built in the case 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, on the upper surface (front surface) of the case 2, a display unit 1 for displaying various information.
0 is arranged. The display unit 10 is configured such that a liquid crystal display panel 11 (display screen) is visibly accommodated inside a glass or synthetic resin windshield (not shown) fitted in the case 2.
On the side surface of the case 2, four switches A to D for operating the dive computer 1 are arranged. These four switches A to D are all push button switches that are pressed.
Further, on the upper surface of the case 2, a contact switch 4 is provided in an area adjacent to the display unit 10 (downward in the drawing).
Is provided. The contact switch 4 is a switch that is operated by a user touching with a finger or the like. The surface of the contact switch 4 is covered with a dielectric layer 42, and a plurality of electrodes 43 (conductors) are embedded directly under the dielectric layer 42. Has been. The dielectric layer 42 is exposed on the surface of the case 2.
The windshield and the dielectric layer 42 of the display unit 10 constitute a waterproof structure together with other parts of the case 2, and are closely joined to the other parts of the case 2 by adhesion or the like.

Further, on the upper surface of the case 2, electrodes 31 and 32 for detecting whether or not the dive computer 1 is submerged are exposed on the 9 o'clock side (left side in the figure) of the wristwatch. The electrodes 31 and 32 are electrodes for determining whether or not the dive computer 1 is submerged in water by an underwater determination sensor 30 described later.

As shown in FIG. 3, the dive computer 1 of the present embodiment includes a liquid crystal display panel 11 for displaying various types of information and notifying a user, and a display unit 10 including a liquid crystal driver 12 for driving the liquid crystal display panel 11, The control unit 50 is configured to perform processing in each mode and cause the liquid crystal display panel 11 to perform display according to each mode. For the control unit 50, the electrode 31,
An underwater determination sensor 30 that determines whether the dive computer 1 is underwater using 32.
And the output of the operation unit 35 that detects the operation of the switches A to D and the contact switch 4 are input. The operation unit 35 is connected with a contact operation detection unit 36 (operation detection unit) that detects whether or not the contact switch 4 is operated and an operation position. The presence or absence of the operation detected by the contact operation detection unit 36 and the operation are detected. An operation signal indicating the position is output to the control unit 50.
In this embodiment, the control unit 50 uses a CPU 51 that controls the entire apparatus, and a control circuit 52 that controls the liquid crystal driver 12 and the time counter 63 under the control of the CPU 51. Each mode to be described later is realized by each process performed by the CPU 51 based on the above. The RAM 54 is used as a working memory that temporarily stores various programs and various data.

Since the dive computer 1 displays the normal time and measures the dive time, the clock output from the oscillation circuit 61 is input to the control unit 50 via the frequency dividing circuit 62, and is output by the time counter 63. A time measuring unit 60 for measuring time in units of one second is configured.
The dive computer 1 measures and displays the water depth and measures the amount of nitrogen gas (inert gas) accumulated in the body from the water depth (water pressure) and the dive time, so that the pressure sensor 66 ( Semiconductor pressure sensor) and an amplifier circuit 67 for the output signal of the pressure sensor 66
And the water depth measurement part 65 provided with the A / D conversion circuit 68 which converts the analog signal output from this amplifier circuit 67 into a digital signal, and outputs it to the control part 50 is comprised. further,
The dive computer 1 includes a sound report device 57, which can notify a diver of an alarm or the like with an alarm sound.

The underwater determination sensor 30 has two electrodes 31 exposed on the surface of the case 2 as shown in FIG.
, 32, and based on the electric resistance value between the electrodes 31, 32, it is determined whether the dive computer 1 is submerged in water. When the dive computer 1 is submerged in water, both the electrodes 31 and 32 become conductive when immersed in seawater or fresh water, and the resistance value between the electrodes 31 and 32 becomes small. Based on the quantity, it can be determined whether the dive computer 1 is underwater or on land.
Note that the dive computer 1 uses the output of the underwater determination sensor 30 to detect that water has entered, and shifts to a diving mode to be described later, and does not determine that one dive has started. That is, even if the underwater determination sensor 30 determines that it is underwater, there is a possibility that the arm on which the dive computer 1 is attached has only been immersed in seawater. The dive computer 1 of the present embodiment is considered to have started diving when the water depth (water pressure) exceeds a certain level by a pressure sensor built in the apparatus body, for example, when the water depth is deeper than 1.5 m in this embodiment. In addition, it has a function of assuming that diving has ended when the water depth becomes shallower than this depth value.

The dive computer 1 configured as described above operates by switching the operation mode in accordance with the operation of the switches A to D or the contact switch 4 under the control of the control unit 50, and starts diving in the diving mode. Is displayed, the depth of water obtained from the detected value of the pressure sensor 66, the amount of accumulated inert gas in the body calculated based on these information, the current time, etc., and is reported if necessary. Notification by the sound device 57 is performed. This
Providing important information accurately to divers during diving and assisting in the safe and smooth diving.

Further, the dive computer 1 executes the following various operation modes according to the operation of the control unit 50 in accordance with the operation of the switches A to D or the contact switch 4.
Examples of the operation mode of the dive computer 1 include a time mode, a surface mode, a planning mode, a setting mode, a diving mode, and a log mode. Less than,
An outline will be described.
The time mode is an operation mode when the switch is not operated and the nitrogen partial pressure in the body is in an equilibrium state and is carried on land. In this time mode, the liquid crystal display panel 11 has
The current date, current time and altitude rank are displayed.
The surface mode is a mode when carrying on land until 48 hours have passed since the last dive, and the dive computer 1 is in the state in which the underwater determination sensor 30 that has been in a conductive state during the dive after the last dive is insulated. When it becomes, it will shift to surface mode automatically. In this surface mode, in addition to the current month and day, current time and altitude rank displayed in the time mode, the body nitrogen excretion time is displayed in a countdown manner. However, when the time to be displayed as the body nitrogen excretion time reaches 0 hour 00 minutes, the display is not performed thereafter. In the surface mode, the elapsed time after the end of diving is displayed as the water surface pause time.

The planning mode is an operation mode in which the maximum depth of the next dive to be performed and an approximate dive time can be input before the dive. In this planning mode, the water depth rank, the no-decompression dive time, the water surface pause time, and the body nitrogen graph are displayed.
The setting mode is an operation mode for setting on / off of a warning alarm and setting of a safety level in addition to setting of the current date and time. In this setting mode,
In addition to the current year and current time, a safety level (not shown), alarm on / off (not shown), and altitude rank (not shown) are displayed.
The diving mode is an operation mode during diving, and includes a no-decompression diving mode that is an operation mode during no-decompression diving, a current time display mode, and a decompression diving display mode that is an operation mode during decompression diving. In this diving mode, information necessary for diving such as the current water depth, diving time, maximum water depth, non-decompressible diving time, body nitrogen graph, altitude rank, decompression stop time, and the like are displayed.
The log mode is a function for storing and displaying various data when diving at a depth of more than 1.5 m for 3 minutes or more in the diving mode. Such diving data is sequentially stored as log data for each diving, and a predetermined number (for example, 10 times) of diving log data is stored and held.

The liquid crystal display panel 11 is configured with eight display areas for displaying information in accordance with the various operation modes.
That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the first display area 111 located in the upper part of FIG. 2, that is, the 12 o'clock side of the wristwatch is configured to be the largest among the display areas, which will be described later. In the diving mode, the surface mode (time mode), the planning mode, and the log mode, the current water depth, the current month date, the water depth rank, and the diving date (log number) are displayed.
The second display area 112 arranged at 3 o'clock side (right side in the figure) from the first display area 111 has a dive time, dive mode, surface mode (time mode), planning mode, and log mode, respectively. The current time, no decompression dive time, and dive start time (dive time) are displayed.
The third display area 113 arranged at 6 o'clock (lower side in the figure) from the first display area 111 has a maximum water depth in diving mode, surface mode (time mode), planning mode, and log mode, respectively. , Body nitrogen excretion time, safety level, maximum water depth (average water depth) are displayed.
In the fourth display area 114 arranged on the 3 o'clock side (right side in the figure) from the third display area 113, there is no decompression in diving mode, surface mode (time mode), planning mode, and log mode, respectively. The dive time, water surface pause time, temperature, and dive end time (maximum depth water temperature) are displayed.

A fifth display area 115 arranged on the 6 o'clock side (lower side in the figure) from the third display area 113 has a remaining battery capacity display 104 and a high rank display 103. The remaining battery capacity display 104 displays the remaining battery capacity (not shown) according to the number of lit marks among the five marks. In addition, when the remaining battery capacity falls below a predetermined level,
Indicates that the battery is almost exhausted.
In the sixth display region 116 arranged at the most 6 o'clock side (the lower side in the figure) of the liquid crystal display panel 11, the in-vivo nitrogen accumulation amount is displayed in a graph. In the seventh display area 117 arranged on the 3:00 o'clock side (right side) from the sixth display area 116, is nitrogen (inert gas) tending to be absorbed when a reduced pressure diving state is entered in the diving mode? An area indicating whether or not there is a tendency to discharge, an area displaying “SLOW” as one of the rising speed violation warnings indicating that the rising speed is too high, and “DECO” as a warning indicating that a decompression dive has been reached during diving An area for displaying is configured.
As described above, the dive computer 1 functions as an information display device that displays various information useful for management during diving on the liquid crystal display panel 11 and displays the current time in the first display area 111 in the time mode. And function as a clock.

As described above, the contact switch 4 that is touched by the user is disposed on the upper surface of the case 2. The configuration of the contact switch 4 will be described in detail.
4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating the configuration of the contact switch 4, in which FIG. 4A is an enlarged plan view of a main part and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the main part. 4A and 4B show the positions corresponding to each other.
As shown by a broken line in FIG. 4A, in the contact switch 4, a plurality of electrodes 43 are arranged and buried under the dielectric layer 42. In the present embodiment, six electrodes 43A to 43F are arranged in a line, and the intervals between adjacent electrodes 43 are equal.

As shown in FIG. 4B, in the contact switch 4, an electrode 43 is embedded under a dielectric layer 42 made of a dielectric material such as synthetic resin or ceramics, and between the adjacent electrodes 43A to 43F and 43A to 43F, An insulating member 45 is disposed in contact with the electrodes 43A and 43F located at the ends, and an insulating layer 46 is disposed under the insulating member 45.
The dielectric layer 42 constitutes a part of the waterproof structure of the case 2 and is a water-impermeable plate or film that retains the above-described waterproof property and is bonded to other parts of the case 2. It has a predetermined thickness so that sufficient strength can be secured. Since the dielectric layer 42 is touched by a user's finger, the surface of the dielectric layer 42 preferably has a certain strength against friction.

Each of the electrodes 43A to 43F is a rod-shaped member made of a conductor such as metal, and a detection wiring 44 is connected to the lower end thereof. Each of the detection wirings 44 is electrically connected to the electrodes 43A to 43F and is connected to the contact operation detection unit 36 (FIG. 3).
An insulating member 45 made of synthetic resin or the like is disposed around the electrode 43 to insulate the electrode 43 from other members. The insulating member 45 may be in contact with the electrode 43.
The lower end of the insulating member 45 is supported by the insulator layer 46. The insulator layer 46 is a film or plate made of an insulator such as a synthetic resin, and its thickness is arbitrary as long as it has a strength that can support the insulating member 45 from below. The lower end of the electrode 43 protrudes through the insulator layer 46, and the detection wiring 44 described above extends from the protruding portion to the contact operation detection unit 36.

In the contact switch 4 configured as described above, the electrodes 43A to 43F are insulated from each other by the presence of the insulating member 45 or the like, and a dielectric layer 42 is disposed on the electrodes 43A to 43F. Yes. Therefore, the two adjacent electrodes 43 constitute a capacitor (capacitor) with the dielectric layer 42 interposed therebetween, and a predetermined capacitance exists between the two electrodes 43. To do. As described above, the electrodes 43 </ b> A to 43 </ b> F are arranged at equal intervals, so that the capacitance between the two adjacent electrodes 43 is the same for any two electrodes 43. For example, the capacitance between the electrode 43A and the electrode 43B is as follows.
3C, between electrode 43C and electrode 43D, between electrode 43D and electrode 43E, electrode 43
The capacitance between E and the electrode 43F is almost equal.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an operation state of the contact switch 4. FIG. 5A illustrates an example of an operation in air, and FIG. 5B illustrates an example of an operation in water.
As shown in FIG. 5A, when the user's finger 5 comes into contact with the dielectric layer 42, the electrostatic capacitance between two adjacent electrodes 43 (electrode 43C and electrode 43D in the example of FIG. 5A) across this contact position. The capacity changes. Specifically, the apparent dielectric constant of the dielectric layer 42 located between the electrode 43C and the electrode 43D is increased by the finger 5 having a dielectric constant higher than that of air contacting the dielectric layer 42. . For this reason, since the electrostatic capacitance between the electrode 43C and the electrode 43D is significantly increased as compared with the combination of the other two electrodes 43, the change in the electrostatic capacitance is detected by the contact operation detection unit 36. Thus, it can be detected that the contact operation of the finger 5 is performed between the electrode 43C and the electrode 43D.

By the way, since the dive computer 1 has a structure in which each part is housed in a waterproof case 2, it can be used even in water.
As shown in FIG. 5B, the dielectric layer 42 is in contact with the water 7 in water. Since the relative permittivity of water 7 is higher than that of the human body, and the difference between the relative permittivity of water 7 and finger 5 is not so large, the capacitance changes even if finger 5 is in contact with dielectric layer 42 in water 7. Is small. However, since the dive computer 1 is a device that displays necessary information during diving, the user is most likely wearing the glove 6 when the user wearing the dive computer 1 is underwater. The globe 6 is usually made of synthetic resin or synthetic rubber, and the difference in relative dielectric constant with water 7 is remarkable. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5B, the surface of the dielectric layer 42 is immersed in water 7,
When the user's finger 5 wearing the globe 6 contacts the dielectric layer 42, the capacitance between two adjacent electrodes 43 (electrode 43C and electrode 43D in the example of FIG. 5B) across the contacted portion is increased. Change. Specifically, the apparent dielectric constant of the dielectric layer 42 located between the electrode 43C and the electrode 43D is reduced by contacting the dielectric layer 42 with the globe 6 having a relative dielectric constant lower than that of the water 7. To do. For this reason, the electrostatic capacitance between the electrode 43C and the electrode 43D is different from the other two electrodes 43.
Since the change in capacitance is detected by the contact operation detection unit 36, the contact operation of the finger 5 is performed between the electrode 43C and the electrode 43D. It can be detected.
Note that, even if the water 7 is seawater or fresh water, the same capacitance change occurs, so that the operation can be detected by the contact operation detection unit 36.

As described above, when an operation in which the user's finger 5 comes into contact with the contact switch 4 is performed, the contact operation can be detected regardless of whether the case 2 is in water or on land. The contact position can also be specified.
Further, the contact operation detection unit 36 specifies the operation position by specifying the combination having the largest capacitance or the smallest capacitance for the combination including the two adjacent electrodes 43.
That is, when there are six electrodes 43A to 43F as described above, the contact operation detection unit 36 has a combination of the electrode 43A and the electrode 43B, a combination of the electrode 43B and the electrode 43C, and a combination of the electrode 43C and the electrode 43D. The electrostatic capacities of the combinations of the electrode 43D and the electrode 43E and the combination of the electrode 43E and the electrode 43F are compared. And the largest capacitance,
Or the smallest combination is specified, the position corresponding to this combination is specified as the operation position,
A signal indicating the operation position is output to the control unit 50.

Therefore, for example, even when an operation in which the finger 5 is in contact with the three or more electrodes 43 is performed, the contact operation detection unit 36 can specify the operation position based on the magnitude of the capacitance. .
Note that, when the difference in capacitance between the combinations of the plurality of electrodes 43 is large, the contact operation detection unit 36 corrects the difference in capacitance between the combinations to reduce the capacitance. The operation position may be specified by detecting a change in capacitance in each combination and comparing the amount of change.
Further, the contact operation with respect to the dielectric layer 42 may not be an operation that completely crosses over the two adjacent electrodes 43. For example, the finger 5 or the globe 6 is placed on a very small part of the dielectric layer 42. It may be a touching operation. Also in this case, since the capacitance changes between the electrode 43 close to the contact position and the adjacent electrode 43, the contact operation detection unit 36 can reliably detect the contact operation.

Here, the operation | movement which detects the contact operation in the contact switch 4 is put together.
The contact operation detection unit 36 sequentially detects the capacitance at every predetermined time for all the combinations of two adjacent electrodes 43 that are set as detection targets in advance. This detection is performed sequentially from one end of the electrodes 43A to 43F, for example.
The control unit 50 specifies whether or not the dive computer 1 is underwater based on the determination result input from the underwater determination sensor 30, and determines whether the dive computer 1 is underwater or not. The control signal is output so as to specify either the combination with the maximum capacitance or the combination with the minimum capacitance. This control signal is input to the contact operation detection unit 36 via the underwater determination sensor 30.
And the contact operation detection part 36 compares the detected electrostatic capacitance about all the combinations formed by combining two of the electrodes 43A to F, and selects the combination with the largest or smallest electrostatic capacitance. The operation signal indicating the position is output.
The contact operation detection unit 36 determines that the contact operation has not been performed when the difference in capacitance detected for all the combinations is within a predetermined range, and indicates that there is no operation. Is generated and output.
Note that the contact operation detection unit 36 may have a function of temporarily storing the capacitance detected for all combinations as necessary.
Further, the contact operation detection unit 36 may determine whether or not the dielectric layer 42 is in water by comparing the capacitance detected for all the combinations with the reference capacitance. .
In this case, the dive computer 1 is used without using the determination result by the underwater determination sensor 30.
The operation position can be accurately specified depending on whether or not is in the water.

If the combination of the electrodes 43 in the contact switch 4 corresponds to one operation, the contact switch 4 in which the six electrodes 43 are arranged has a combination of five electrodes 43.
Five types of operations are possible. That is, it is equivalent to a configuration in which five switches are arranged. Therefore, based on the operation position specified by the contact operation detection unit 36, the operation intended by the user can be specified from the five types of operations. In this way, since a configuration in which a large number of switches are arranged can be replaced by one compact contact switch 4, the case 2 having a limited size can be used.
Therefore, various operations can be performed and operability can be improved.

As described above, according to the dive computer 1 according to the embodiment to which the present invention is applied, the liquid crystal display panel 11 that displays various information on the waterproof case 2 and the contact switch that can be operated from the outside of the case 2. 4 and a built-in circuit having a contact operation detection unit 36 for detecting an operation on the contact switch 4, and the contact switch 4 is exposed on the surface of the case 2 and disposed on the surface of the case 2. 42 and a plurality of electrodes 43 embedded under the dielectric layer 42 so as to be separated from each other, and the contact operation detection unit 36 operates the contact switch 4 based on the capacitance between the electrodes 43. Since the detection is performed, the user's contact operation can be detected by the contact switch 4 having a simple configuration that does not have a member penetrating the inside and outside of the case 2. It is possible to easily ensure a high case 2 waterproof. As a result, it is possible to reduce the cost of the dive computer 1 and to maintain the waterproof property of the dive computer 1 by providing the contact switch 4 that can be realized at low cost with fewer man-hours and members at the time of manufacture. Therefore, the maintenance frequency can be reduced.
In particular, the contact switch 4 can detect the operation of the plurality of electrodes 43 embedded under the dielectric layer 42 based on the capacitance between the adjacent electrodes 43 by the contact operation detection unit 36. Since there are no movable parts that move during operation, there is very little concern about mechanical failure, and sufficient performance can be maintained even if the frequency of maintenance is greatly reduced.
Further, by disposing the insulating member 45 between the electrode 43 and the electrode 43, the electrodes 43 can be stably held without conducting.

In addition, when two electrodes 43 are selected and combined from the plurality of electrodes 43, the contact operation detection unit 36 compares the capacitance between the electrodes 43 in each combination with the capacitance in other combinations. Thereby, it is good also as what detects operation to contact switch 4 and specifies an operation position. In this case, since the capacitances in a plurality of combinations are compared, for example, even when the user's finger 5 (or glove 6) is in contact across three or more electrodes 43 constituting the plurality of combinations, it is promptly performed. One operation position can be specified.
Further, since the electrodes 43 are arranged at equal intervals, the capacitance between the two adjacent electrodes 43 is substantially equal when any two electrodes 43 are selected. For this reason, it is possible to quickly identify the position where the contact operation is performed without performing a complicated calculation by simply comparing the capacitance between the electrodes 43 for a plurality of combinations.

In the above configuration, the contact operation detection unit 36 includes a plurality of electrodes 43 to two electrodes 43.
If there is a combination in which the capacitance between the electrodes 43 is smaller than the capacitance between the electrodes 43 in other combinations, the contact operation is performed between the electrodes 43 constituting this combination. Detect that there was. Thus, as shown in FIG. 5A, the dive computer 1
Is in the air, the presence / absence of the contact operation and the operation position can be reliably detected.
Furthermore, in the above configuration, the contact operation detection unit 36 includes two electrodes 4 from the plurality of electrodes 43.
3 is selected, when there is a combination in which the capacitance between the electrodes 43 is larger than the capacitance between the electrodes 43 in the other combinations, the position between the electrodes 43 constituting this combination. Detects that there is a touch operation. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the dive computer 1 is in water, it is possible to reliably detect the presence / absence of the contact operation and the operation position.

When the control unit 50 controls the contact operation detection unit 36 based on the determination result of the underwater determination sensor 30, the contact operation detection unit 36 selects and combines the two electrodes 43 from the plurality of electrodes 43. Based on the capacitance between the electrodes 43 in each of the combinations, the operation to the contact switch 4 is detected and the operation position is specified. For this reason, whether the dive computer 1 is in the air or in the water can quickly and accurately specify the presence / absence of the contact operation and the operation position.
The dive computer 1 can be used as an information display device that displays various types of information to divers who are diving underwater, and can also be used as a clock that measures time. In other words, both as an information display device for displaying information during diving and as a watch, there is an advantage that the contact switch 4 with high operability is provided and a highly waterproof structure can be easily realized.

In the above embodiment, in order for the user to know the position of the electrode 43,
A mark or the like may be attached to the dielectric layer 42. Further, the shape of the contact switch 4 is not limited to the linear shape as shown in FIG. 2, and may be a shape including a curve. Hereinafter, these cases will be described as modified examples.

[Modification 1]
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the contact operation units 40A and 40B as a modification of the embodiment, FIG. 6A is a plan view of the contact operation unit 40A, and FIG. 6B is a plan view of the contact operation unit 40B.
The contact operation unit 40A shown in FIG. 6A is obtained by attaching a circular operation guide symbol 48 indicating the position of the electrode 43 embedded immediately below the surface of the dielectric layer 42. Operation guide sign 48
Is a circle of approximately the same size as the diameter of the electrode 43, and clearly shows the size and position as viewed from the upper surface of the electrode 32. When the contact operation unit 40A is used, the user can perform an operation by touching the finger 5 so as to straddle the two operation guide symbols 48, and can perform an operation so that the intended operation is reliably detected. . As a result, it is possible to give a sense of security that the certainty of the operation is increased, and it is possible to improve the operability by displaying the operation guideline.
6B has an operation guide symbol 49 at a position corresponding to the space between the electrode 43 and the electrode 43 on the surface of the dielectric layer. If the contact operation is performed using the operation guide symbol 49 as a guide, the contact operation is performed on the center of the two electrodes 43, so that the contact operation detection unit 36 can reliably detect the operation position. Further, as described above, when the contact switch 4 is used as an equivalent of a plurality of switches, the operation position corresponding to each switch can be guided to the user. There is an advantage that it is easy to operate.

[Modification 2]
FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an example in which the contact operation unit 40C is arranged in the dive computer 1 as a modification of the embodiment.
In the modification shown in FIG. 7, the case 2 of the dive computer 1 is provided with a contact operation portion 40C bent in an L shape. In the contact operation unit 40C, a plurality of electrodes 43 are embedded side by side on both of the two sides forming the L shape.
That is, the configuration shown in FIG. 7 is equivalent to a configuration in which a large number of switches are arranged when the combination of two adjacent electrodes 43 in the contact operation unit 40C is viewed as one switch.
For this reason, a large variety of operations can be performed by arranging a large number of electrodes 43 in the case 2 of a limited size.
Not limited to the modification shown in FIG. 7, the contact switch 4 may be, for example, a semicircular shape or may be arranged to draw an arc. Further, the electrodes 43 may be arranged vertically and horizontally to be equivalent to an aggregate of switches in a matrix form, and limited by changing the shape of the contact switch 4 and the arrangement of the electrodes 43 in accordance with the shape of the case 2. Various operations can be performed using the space.

Note that the above-described embodiments and modifications are merely examples of the present invention,
Any modifications and applications are possible within the scope of the present invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiments and modifications, the dielectric layer 42 may be configured by a plurality of layers including at least one layer made of a dielectric, or may be a flexible plate material having a predetermined thickness and rigidity. It is good also as a film which has property. Furthermore, the electrode 43 is not limited to a round bar shape, and may be a rectangular parallelepiped or a cube, or may be a columnar shape having a circular, elliptical, or polygonal cross section, and the size is not particularly limited. The size and shape of the insulating member 45 are arbitrary as long as they do not form an extremely large space with the electrode 43, and a single insulating member 45 may be configured by combining a plurality of members. Alternatively, all the electrodes 4 are formed in one insulating member 45 by using a single insulator lump formed with a plurality of holes for penetrating the plurality of electrodes 43.
3 may be provided. Further, it is possible to fix the electrode 43 by inserting an insulating adhesive or filler between the insulating member 45 and the electrode 43, and the detection wiring 44 is fixed to the insulating member 45. You may provide the structure for doing. Furthermore, the insulating member 45 may be formed, for example, by filling a space formed around the electrode 43 between the dielectric layer 42 and the insulating layer 46 with urethane foam or the like. Further, the contact operation detection unit 36
The electrostatic capacity may be detected not only for the adjacent electrodes 43 but also for a combination of two electrodes 43 that are separated from each other.

For example, the upper surface of the case 2 and the shape of the display unit 10 are not limited to the shapes illustrated in FIGS. 2, 6, and 7, and may be other arbitrary shapes such as a perfect circle, an ellipse, a track shape, and a polygonal shape. May be. Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the dive computer 1 was set as the structure provided with switch AD and the contact switch 4, this invention is not limited to this, Switch AD
It is good also as a structure which abolished, and increasing / decreasing the number is also arbitrary. In the above-described embodiment, the material constituting the belt 3 may be any of synthetic resin, synthetic rubber, or synthetic or natural fiber, and the shape and material of the belt thread for attaching the belt 3 to the case 2 are arbitrary. The shape is not limited as long as the belt 3 can be attached to and detached from the belt 3 as well as a configuration in which the belt 3 is simply passed through the hole. In addition, about the detailed composition of the dive computer 1,
Needless to say, the present invention can be arbitrarily changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

It is a figure which shows the use condition of the dive computer which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the structure of the dive computer main body. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of a dive computer. It is a figure which shows the structure of the contact switch with which a dive computer is provided. It is a figure which shows typically the example of the operation state of a contact switch. It is a figure which shows the structure of the modification of a contact switch. It is a figure which shows the structure of another modification of a contact switch.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Dive computer (electronic device), 2 ... Case, 4 ... Contact switch (switch),
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Display part, 11 ... Liquid crystal display panel (display screen), 30 ... Underwater determination sensor (underwater determination part), 31, 32 ... Electrode, 36 ... Contact operation detection part (operation detection part), 42 ... Dielectric layer, 43 ...
Electrode (conductor), 44 ... detection wiring, 45 ... insulating member, 46 ... insulator layer, 50 ... control section.

Claims (8)

A switch disposed in a waterproof case,
An impermeable dielectric layer disposed exposed on the surface of the case;
A plurality of conductors embedded under the dielectric layer and spaced apart from each other;
A wiring is connected to each of the conductors so that capacitance between the plurality of conductors can be detected,
Switch characterized by. A display screen that is housed in a waterproof case and displays various information, a switch that can be operated from the outside of the case, and an operation detection unit that detects an operation on the switch,
The switch is
An impermeable dielectric layer disposed exposed on the surface of the case;
A plurality of conductors embedded under the dielectric layer and spaced apart from each other;
The operation detection unit detects an operation to the switch based on a capacitance between the plurality of conductors;
Electronic equipment characterized by When the operation detection unit selects and combines two conductors from the plurality of conductors, the capacitance between the conductors in each combination is compared with the capacitance between the conductors in other combinations. Detecting the operation to the switch and specifying the operation position,
The electronic device according to claim 2. When the operation detection unit has a combination in which two conductors are selected from a plurality of conductors, the capacitance between the conductors is smaller than the capacitance between the conductors in other combinations. Detecting that there is a contact operation between the conductors constituting this combination,
The electronic device according to claim 3. The operation detection unit has a combination in which the capacitance between the conductors is larger than the capacitance between the conductors in other combinations among the combinations in which the two conductors are selected from the plurality of conductors. Detecting that there is a contact operation between the conductors constituting this combination,
The electronic device according to claim 3. An underwater determination unit for determining whether or not the electronic device is in water;
The operation detection unit is connected to the switch based on the determination result by the underwater determination unit and the capacitance between the conductors in each combination when two conductors are selected and combined from the plurality of conductors. Detecting the operation and identifying the operation position,
The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein: It is an information display device that displays various information to divers diving underwater,
The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein: A timepiece having a timekeeping unit for measuring time, and displaying a time measured by the timekeeping unit on the display screen;
The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein:

Images