JP2013110057A - Switch device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a switch device that can efficiently radiate light to a touch operation face at low costs.SOLUTION: A switch device 1 comprises: a switch operation part 3 receiving a touch operation; a conductive electrode plate 8 for detecting a static capacitance embedded in the switch operation part 3, formed of a non light permeable non-translucent material, and having a light permeable translucent hole 8a; a light source 6 radiating the light to the switch operation part 3 via the through hole 8a; and a shielding reflection plate 9 embedded in the switch operation part 3 to surround an entire periphery of the electrode plate 8 and having a noise insulation property and light reflectivity.

Description

  The present invention relates to a switch device, and more particularly to a switch device that detects proximity or contact from the outside and irradiates light from a light source onto a touch operation surface.

  Conventionally, an illuminated touch switch that utilizes a change in capacitance due to the proximity or contact of an operator's fingertip has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In the conventional touch switch described in Patent Document 1, a pair of touch detection electrodes is formed on the surface of the insulating substrate on the touch operation surface side, and the touch detection electrodes are covered with an insulating resin. The touch detection part is comprised by arrange | positioning the insulating plate on the surface. The touch detection unit further includes a shield electrode formed on the back side of the insulating substrate opposite to the touch operation surface side, and a light emitting unit provided on the back side of the shield electrode.

JP 11-136116 A (paragraph [0020])

  The conventional touch switch described in Patent Document 1 has a light extraction efficiency of a light emitting unit that irradiates from behind a touch detection unit having a structure in which a plurality of components are stacked in order to improve the visibility of a touch operation surface. It is necessary to improve and it is necessary to efficiently illuminate the touch operation surface. In addition, efficient illumination of the touch operation surface must be realized at low cost.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a switch device that is low in cost and can efficiently irradiate light on a touch operation surface.

[1] The present invention includes a switch operation unit that accepts a touch operation, a non-translucent material that is embedded in the switch operation unit and cannot transmit light, and has a light-transmitting hole that can transmit light. A conductive electrode plate for detecting capacitance, a light source that irradiates light to the switch operation unit through the light transmitting hole, and an inner portion of the switch operation unit so as to surround the entire periphery of the electrode plate And a shield / reflecting plate having noise shielding properties and light reflectivity.

[2] The shield / reflector according to [1] described above has a side wall portion formed in a frame shape surrounding the entire periphery of the electrode plate, and the side wall portion extends outward from the electrode plate. It has a reflective surface inclined in the direction.

[3] A grounding lead is connected to the shield / reflector according to [1] or [2].

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the low-cost switch apparatus which can irradiate light to the touch operation surface of a switch operation part efficiently can be obtained effectively.

It is a fragmentary sectional view showing typically an example of a switch device concerning a typical embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view for demonstrating the arrangement | positioning relationship of the component of the switch apparatus shown in FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows typically the component shown in FIG.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Overall configuration of switch device)
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 indicating the whole schematically shows a typical switch device according to the embodiment. The switch device 1 according to the illustrated example includes a switch operation unit 3 disposed in a case 2 having a panel. The switch operation unit 3 accepts a touch operation using the proximity or contact of a finger to the switch operation surface as an operation input, and is installed, for example, in various input operation units provided around the driver's seat of the vehicle.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the switch operation unit 3 has a non-conductive transparent resin molded body 4 and is attached to an opening 2 a formed in the case 2. Examples of the material of the resin molded body 4 include acrylic resins and polycarbonate resins.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a wiring board 5 is disposed at a portion of the case 2 that faces the switch operation unit 3. A light emitting diode 6 (hereinafter simply referred to as “LED 6”) is mounted on the wiring substrate 5. The LED 6 is used as a light source for irradiating the switch operation surface back through the resin molding 4 of the switch operation unit 3.

  The LED 6 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a chip-type LED or a plurality of LEDs having different wavelengths, and includes three types of red LED, green LED, and blue LED that emit different color lights. You may consist of LED which has. As another example of the LED 6, for example, among the single color lights of red light, green light, and blue light, color light obtained by mixing and combining two types of single color light, or by mixing three types of single color light. It is possible to use LEDs configured to be able to emit combined white light. As a light source other than the LED 6, for example, an organic EL element, a semiconductor laser, or the like can be used.

  On the switch operation surface of the switch operation unit 3, a non-conductive print layer 7 on which a display unit is printed is formed. The print layer 7 is formed of a light-shielding print layer subjected to silk printing except for a portion corresponding to the shape of the display unit. The print layer 7 is provided with a light-transmitting removal display portion 7a that is not printed. The extracted display portion 7a is composed of characters, numbers, figures, symbols, patterns, and the like. The light output from the LED 6 is shielded in a region where the printing of the switch operation unit 3 is performed, and is transmitted through the extraction display unit 7a which is a region where the printing of the switch operation unit 3 is not performed.

  According to the illustrated example, the configuration in which the printing layer 7 is directly printed on the surface of the switch operation surface of the switch operation unit 3 is illustrated, but the configuration is not limited thereto. For example, the printed layer 7 may be printed on the back surface of a light transmissive member that is attached to the surface of the switch operation surface. As the light transmissive member, for example, a plastic film such as an acrylic resin or a polycarbonate resin, a plastic sheet, or the like is preferably used.

  Since a fluorescent agent, a diffusing agent, or the like can be appropriately mixed in the resin molded body 4 of the switch operation unit 3, the brightness of the LED 6 can be easily adjusted. By forming a recess on the surface of the resin molded body 4 of the switch operation unit 3 that faces the LED 6, light from the LED 6 is uniformly incident on the resin molded body 4 and the loss of light quantity from the LED 6 is reduced. Can do. By forming irregularities having a pyramid shape or a conical shape on the LED facing surface of the resin molded body 4 of the switch operation unit 3, it is possible to reduce the loss of light amount from the LED 6.

(Configuration of electrode plate and shield combined reflector)
The main basic configuration of the switch device 1 according to this embodiment is that the switch operating unit 3 has a capacitance detection electrode plate 8 and a shield in which a shield and light reflection are shared. The dual reflector 9 is provided. Therefore, the configuration of the switch device 1 is not limited.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the electrode plate 8 and the shield / reflecting plate 9 are housed in a mold for molding the switch operating portion 3 and are placed in the mold. It is formed integrally with a resin molded body 4 molded by injecting molten resin.

  An electrostatic detection circuit, a capacitor and the like (not shown) are connected to the wiring substrate 5 arranged on the back side of the resin molded body 4 via a circuit pattern. This electrostatic detection circuit detects a change in the capacitance of the capacitor generated between the finger and the electrode plate 8 in response to the finger approaching or contacting the switch operation surface of the switch operation unit 3.

  The electrode plate 8 is not particularly limited, but is formed of a conductive metal material such as copper, for example, and a lead 8a obtained by bending the metal material is formed on one side edge of the electrode plate 8. Is formed. A connector 10 mounted on the wiring board 5 is electrically connected to the lead 8a.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a circular light transmitting hole 8 b for irradiating light from the LED 6 toward the switch operation surface of the switch operation unit 3 is provided in an intermediate portion corresponding to the LED 6 of the electrode plate 8. Is formed through. It is preferable to set the area of the light transmitting hole 8 b smaller than the area of the electrode plate 8. As a result, the reduction rate of the capacitor capacity can be kept small.

  As another example of the electrode plate 8, for example, a plurality of light transmitting holes 8 b,..., 8 b can be formed uniformly over the entire area of the electrode plate 8. Thereby, the switch operation surface of the switch operation part 3 can also be illuminated uniformly.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, one shield / reflector 9 has a reflection function of reflecting light from the LED 6 and a shield function of preventing the influence of external noise on the electrode plate 8. The shield / reflector 9 is not particularly limited, and is formed as a square cylindrical shield frame having four side walls that are open at both ends. It is arranged at a position corresponding to the switch operation surface of the unit 3.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a ground lead 9 a arranged in parallel to the lead 8 a of the electrode plate 8 is bent near the edge of the one side wall of the shield / reflector 9. ing. The ground lead 9 a is connected to a ground potential electrode via a connector 10 mounted on the wiring substrate 5, and a ground potential is applied to the shield / reflector 9. As a result, it is possible to prevent the influence of external noise on the electrode plate 8 without arranging the shield electrodes on the back side of the substrate as in the prior art.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the shield / reflecting plate 9 has an inner surface of a side wall portion formed of four inclined frames inclined in a direction extending outward from the electrode plate 8 as a reflecting surface 9 b. The light emitted from the LED 6 is irradiated toward the switch operation surface of the switch operation unit 3 through the light transmission hole 8b of the electrode plate 8, and is diffused and reflected with a uniform intensity by the reflection surface 9b of the reflection plate 9 serving as a shield. Is done. By diffusing and reflecting the light reflected around the electrode plate 8 by the reflecting surface 9b, it is possible to suppress a decrease in light from the LED 6.

  The shield / reflector 9 can be formed, for example, by processing a plate material made of stainless steel or aluminum having high reflectivity. The shield combined reflector 9 is formed by depositing a metal reflective film such as silver or gold containing a high reflectivity material on the reflective surface 9b, bonding a metal sheet such as silver or gold, or a high reflectivity material. You may form as a mirror surface by painting. Therefore, the form, material, etc. of the shield / reflector 9 are not particularly limited and can be determined as appropriate. For example, it may have a conical frame shape, a polygonal frame shape, etc. For example, 9a may be joined by soldering or the like.

(Effect of embodiment)
According to the switch device 1 configured as described above, in addition to the above effects, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) The structure surrounding the electrode plate 8 for capacitance detection is switched by the frame-shaped shield / reflector 9 having a shield function for reflecting the light from the LED 6 and blocking the external noise. Since it is embedded inside the operation unit 3, the reflection layer and the shield layer that are stacked on the resin molded body 4 of the switch operation unit 3 are not required. Thereby, component cost can be reduced.
(2) The display unit on the switch operation surface of the switch operation unit 3 is configured to irradiate the back surface by diffusing and reflecting the light from the LED 6 with a uniform intensity by the shield / reflector 9. Light emission can be displayed evenly.

(Modification)
As is clear from the above description, the switch device 1 of the present invention has been described based on the above-described embodiments and modifications. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, modifications, and illustrated examples. The present invention can be implemented in various modes without departing from the scope of the invention. In the present invention, for example, other modifications as shown below are possible.

(1) In the embodiment and the illustrated example, the configuration surrounding the entire periphery of the electrode plate 8 with the shield / reflector 9 separated is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this. Although it does not specifically limit as the switch operation part 3, For example, it arrange | positions in the state which overlap | superposed so that a part of shield-and-reflection board 9 and the edge part of the electrode plate 8 may contact directly via an insulator It is good also as the structure which carried out. As the insulator, for example, an insulating film, an insulating tape, an insulating paint, or the like can be used.
(2) In the above embodiment and illustrated example, one switch operation unit 3 is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the switch operation unit 3 may include a plurality of switch operation units 3,..., 3 arranged in a matrix in the opening 2 a of the case 2 as various selection buttons.
(3) As an application target of the switch device 1, for example, it can be suitably used as an input operation unit of various electronic devices such as a notebook computer, a mobile phone, and a video device.

  As is clear from the above description, not all the combinations of features described in the above-described embodiments, modifications, and illustrated examples are necessarily essential to the means for solving the problems of the present invention. Should be noted.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Switch apparatus, 2 ... Case, 2a ... Opening part, 3 ... Switch operation part, 4 ... Resin molded object, 5 ... Wiring board, 6 ... LED, 7 ... Printing layer, 7a ... Extraction display part, 8 ... Electrode plate , 8a ... lead, 8b ... translucent hole, 9 ... reflective plate for shielding, 9a ... lead for grounding, 9b ... reflecting surface, 10 ... connector

Claims (3)

A switch operation unit that accepts touch operations;
A conductive capacitance detection electrode plate embedded in the switch operation unit and formed of a non-translucent material that does not transmit light, and has a light transmitting hole;
A light source that irradiates light to the switch operation unit through the light transmitting hole;
A shield and reflector that is embedded in the switch operation unit so as to surround the entire periphery of the electrode plate, and that has noise shielding properties and light reflectivity;
A switch device comprising: The shield combined reflection plate has a side wall portion formed in a frame shape surrounding the entire periphery of the electrode plate,
The switch device according to claim 1, wherein the side wall portion has a reflection surface that is inclined in a direction extending outward from the electrode plate.   3. The switch device according to claim 1, wherein a grounding lead is connected to the shield / reflector.

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