JP2013134562A - Pressing operation type switch device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pressing operation type switch device capable of securing overload durability even when an operator is strongly pressed, in a configuration of transmitting vibrations to the operator by vibrations of a vibration part to be a free part with respect to a fixed part.SOLUTION: A vibrator 20 is provided on a part where a touch panel 16 is abutted in an energizing state from an opposite side of a pressing direction in a bezel 3. Thus, even when large pressing force acts on the touch panel 16, since the touch panel 16 is separated from the vibrator 20 and the large pressing force does not act, the overload durability of the vibrator 20 and a switch device 1 is secured.

Description

  The present invention relates to a pressing operation type switch device in which an operating element to be pressed has a vibration function.

  In a configuration having a coordinate detection device such as a touch panel as a press operation type switch device, it has a feedback function when touching the touch panel, and performs a determination operation by a press operation in a state where a selection item displayed on the touch panel is selected. A switch device has been proposed (see Patent Document 1). In other words, it is equipped with a vibration function that vibrates the touch panel, and by detecting that the finger touches the touch panel and vibrating the touch panel with the vibration function, the user can recognize that the finger has touched and improve operability. Is.

JP 2010-152888 A

  In order to provide the touch panel with a vibration function, a configuration may be considered in which a vibrator is provided in a holder that supports the touch panel from below, and the vibration of the vibrator is transmitted to the touch panel to notify the user that a finger has touched. In this case, when, for example, a piezo vibrator is used as the vibrator, the piezo vibrator is sandwiched between both ends fixed to the holder, and the free center portion vibrates. Will support the touch panel. For this reason, when the user presses the knob strongly and accidentally, a large pressing force acts on the central portion of the piezo vibrator, and the overload durability required for the vibrator and thus the switch device cannot be secured. There is.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is when the operating element is strongly pressed in a configuration in which vibration is transmitted to the operating element by vibrating a free part that is free with respect to the fixed part. Even so, an object of the present invention is to provide a pressing operation type switch device capable of ensuring overload durability.

The present invention is provided so that it can be pressed through a window formed in the ceiling of the housing, and is in contact with the back surface of the ceiling in a biased state from the direction opposite to the pressing operation direction, and the operation When the child is urged in the direction opposite to the pressing operation direction, and the operating element moves in the pressing operation direction, the detection means for detecting the movement and the free part that is free relative to the fixed part vibrate In a pressing operation type switch device provided with a vibrator for transmitting vibration to an operator,
The vibrator is provided at a portion where the back surface of the ceiling portion of the housing and the operation element come into contact with each other in a biased state.

  According to the present invention, since the vibrator has a structure in which a free part that is free with respect to a fixed part vibrates, although the overload durability when a large load acts on the free part is low, Since the operating element is provided at a position away from the ceiling surface of the housing by a pressing operation on the operating element, even if a large pressing force is applied to the operating element, a large pressing force is applied to the vibrator. In other words, it is possible to ensure the overload durability of the vibrator and the switch device.

The side view which shows the switch apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention in a cross section Top view of switch device FIG. 1 equivalent view showing a pressing operation state on the touch panel. Block diagram showing electrical configuration of switch device

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side view showing the switch device in cross section, and FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof. A casing of the switch device 1 closes a rectangular cylindrical body 2, a bezel 3 (corresponding to a ceiling portion) fixed to an opening end portion of the upper portion of the body 2, and an opening end portion of a lower portion of the body 2. And a cover 4. A rectangular window 5 is formed at the center of the bezel 3. The body 2 is integrally formed with a partition 6 that partitions the interior vertically. Four columnar bosses 7 are integrally formed on the lower surface side of the partition 6, an opening 8 is formed in the center, and a notch 9 is formed on the left side in the figure.

A printed wiring board 10, a spacer 11, and a cover 4 are attached to the boss part 7 of the partition part 6 with screws 12 in a co-tightened state, whereby the printed wiring board 10 is positioned in the body 2 in a positioned state. ing. A tact switch 13 (corresponding to detection means) is mounted at the center of the upper surface of the printed wiring board 10.
A holder 14 is positioned between the partition 6 and the bezel 3 in the body 2, and the holder 14 is supported by a guide member (not shown) so as to be slidable in a pressing operation direction (downward direction in the drawing). A cylindrical pressing part 15 is integrally formed on the lower surface of the holder 14, and the pressing part 15 penetrates the opening 8 of the partition part 6 and contacts the tact switch 13.

  A touch panel 16 (corresponding to an operator) is attached to a rectangular frame-shaped step portion 14 a formed on the upper surface of the holder 14, and the upper surface thereof is located above the upper surface of the holder 14. The touch panel 16 has a rectangular plate shape larger than the window portion 5 of the bezel 3, and includes a capacitive touch position detection unit and a liquid crystal display unit. The touch position detection means detects the touch position (coordinates) when a human finger is touched on the upper surface of the touch panel 16. The display means displays items selected by the user.

  The touch panel 16 supported by the holder 14 is in contact with the back surface of the bezel 3. In this case, the pressing portion 15 of the holder 14 is in contact with the tact switch 13 in a state where the tact switch 13 is slightly pressed (preloaded), whereby the touch panel 16 is attached to the back surface of the bezel 3 in the direction opposite to the pressing operation direction. They are in contact with each other. It should be noted that the tact switch 13 is off even if it is slightly pressed.

  In the bezel 3, two holes 19 are formed on both sides of the window 5 and where the touch panel 16 abuts in an energized state, and the vibrator 20 is energized by the controller 18 in the hole 19. Is fixed. The vibrator 20 is a piezo vibrator, and both end portions (corresponding to a fixed portion) are fixed to the inner wall of the hole portion 19 and are free to be sandwiched between the both end portions (corresponding to a free portion). Will vibrate. In this case, the vibrator 20 is fixed to the bezel 3 so that the center portion protrudes downward from the hole portion 19 in the drawing, and the upper surface of the touch panel 16 is in contact with the protruding portion in a biased state. . With such a configuration, vibration is transmitted from the vibrator 20 to the touch panel 16 in a state where the central portion of the vibrator 20 vibrates. In FIG. 1, the vibrator 20 is shown not fixed to the bezel 3, but actually, both ends of the vibrator 20 that are perpendicular to the paper surface are fixed to the bezel 3. Yes.

  One end of the flexible printed circuit board 17 is connected to one end of the touch panel 16 (left end in FIG. 1), and the other end is passed through the notch 9 of the partition 6 and the notch 21 formed in the printed wiring board 10. It is connected to the lower surface of the printed wiring board 10. Thereby, the touch panel 16 and the printed wiring board 10 are electrically connected by the flexible printed circuit board 17.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the switch device 1. The control device 18 is configured by a microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM, and receives a touch position detection signal from the touch position detection unit of the touch panel 16 and an on signal from the tact switch 13. Based on these signals and a control program provided in advance, the control device 18 controls display items on the display means of the touch panel 16 and energizes the vibrator 20 and outputs predetermined signals to the outside. It has a function to do.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
In the non-pressed state, the touch panel 16 is located at a normal position where it is in contact with the back side of the bezel 3 in a biased state as shown in FIG. 1, and a plurality of selection items are displayed by the display means. In this state, in order to select and execute one selection item from the plurality of selection items displayed by the user, a desired selection item is displayed among the plurality of selection items displayed on the touch panel 16. Touch the designated position.

  When the finger touches the touch panel 16, the capacitance of the touch panel 16 changes, so that the control device 18 determines that the finger has touched based on that and energizes the vibrator 20. The center part of the vibrator 20 vibrates in response to energization. At this time, since the touch panel 16 is in contact with the vibrator 20 in the biased state, the vibration of the vibrator 20 is transmitted to the touch panel 16 and the touch panel 16 vibrates. As a result, the user recognizes that the desired selection item has been selected as the touch panel 16 vibrates, and therefore presses the touch panel 16. When the touch panel 16 is pressed, the touch panel 16 moves in the pressing direction and moves away from the vibrator 20, so that the vibration of the touch panel 16 stops. Even when the touch panel 16 is separated from the vibrator 20, the vibration of the vibrator 20 continues.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 3 showing the pressing operation state with respect to the touch panel 16, when the pressing portion 15 of the holder 14 presses the tact switch 13, the tact switch 13 is turned on, so that the control device 18 energizes the vibrator 20. While stopping, a decision signal indicating that the selection item has been decided is output to the outside. Thereby, for example, an external ECU (Electronic Control Unit) executes control according to the determined selection item.

  By the way, since the window part 5 formed in the bezel 3 is formed large so that the touch operation can be performed on the touch panel 16, the user may accidentally touch the touch panel 16. In such a case, in the conventional configuration in which the vibrator is arranged between the touch panel and the holder, a large load is applied to the vibrator, and thus the overload durability of the vibrator and thus the switch device cannot be ensured.

  However, in this embodiment, when the touch panel 16 is pressed, the touch panel 16 is separated from the vibrator 20 provided on the bezel 3, so that the user strongly presses the touch panel 16 accidentally. Even when a strong pressing force is applied, no strong pressing force is applied to the vibrator 20.

  According to such an embodiment, since the vibrator 20 is provided in the part where the touch panel 16 contacts the bezel 3 in the biased state from the side opposite to the pressing direction, a large pressing force is applied to the touch panel 16. However, the overload durability of the vibrator 20 and thus the switch device 1 can be ensured.

(Other embodiments)
The number of vibrators 20 is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more.
The vibrator 20 may be provided on the touch panel 16. In this case, both ends of the vibrator 20 are fixed to the touch panel 16, and the center is brought into contact with the lower surface of the bezel 3 in a biased state.
The condition for energizing the vibrator 20 to vibrate the touch panel 16 is not limited to a touch operation on the touch panel 16, but a state in which a predetermined display item displayed on the touch panel 16 is selected, or It may be a case in which the user is warned like an inoperable state.

Instead of the touch panel 16, the knob may be vibrated in response to the touch operation of the pressing operation type knob.
A voice coil motor may be used as the vibrator.
The tact switch 13 may be one that turns off from being turned on when the touch panel 16 is pressed, or the touch panel 16 may be biased with a spring and the movement of the touch panel 16 may be detected by a displacement sensor.

  In the drawings, 1 is a switch device, 2 is a body (housing), bezel (housing, ceiling), 4 is a cover (housing), 5 is a window, 13 is a tact switch (detecting means), and 16 is a touch panel. (Operator), 20 is a vibrator.

Claims (4)

An operation element that is provided so as to be able to be pressed through a window formed in a ceiling part of the housing and is in contact with the back surface of the ceiling part in a biased state from a direction opposite to the pressing operation direction, and the operation element is pressed. When the operation element moves in the pressing operation direction by urging in the direction opposite to the direction, the detection means for detecting the movement and the free part that is free with respect to the fixed part vibrate to vibrate the operation element. In a pressing operation type switch device provided with a vibrator for transmitting
The press operation type switch device, wherein the vibrator is provided at a portion where a back surface of a ceiling portion of the housing and the operation element come into contact with each other in a biased state.   2. The pressing operation type switch device according to claim 1, wherein the operation element is a touch panel.   The pressing operation type switch device according to claim 2, wherein the vibrator vibrates according to an operation state of the touch panel.   4. The pressing operation type switch device according to claim 1, wherein the vibrator is a piezo vibrator.

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