JP2015133233A - Multidirectional push button switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multidirectional push button switch for avoiding an erroneous operation by guiding a key of a keytop provided with the key in a cross direction so as to be pressed accurately, and improving usability by highlighting the key of one direction which is frequently used and highly prioritized.SOLUTION: On a surface 41 of a keytop 60 provided with a key 5 in a cross direction, a projection part 47 with a center of surface risen in a direction of either up and down or right and left of the key 5 is formed. Since the projection part 47 is formed with step parts 45 and 46 parallel to the direction of either up and down or right and left provided in the surface 41 without the key 5, it is hard to push a part without the key due to a discomfort of feel by the step parts 45 and 46. Therefore, it is spontaneously guided so that an accurate key is pressed, and an erroneous operation may be avoided. Moreover, by highlighting the key 5 of one direction which is more frequently used and prioritized than the projection part 47, usability is improved.

Description

  The present invention relates to a multidirectional push button switch used for various operating devices.

  Such a multi-directional push button switch is mainly used in a controller for remotely operating an electric device. For example, in the conventional example 1, a multi-directional push button switch having a square shape is provided on the operation unit of the controller, and a triangular instruction mark indicating a key and a direction is provided on each long side of the square. Pressing up activates the function assigned to each key. (For example, see Patent Document 1)

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, the multi-directional pushbutton switch 9 of the conventional example 2 has a key top 90 with a rhombus shape, and positions and directions of keys and keys in the vicinity of each corner 91 in the cross shape of the rhombus shape. A triangular indication mark 92 is provided, and the design is such that the direction of the indication mark 92 matches the shape of the corner portion 91 of the key top. (For example, see Patent Document 2)

Design Registration No. 1317858 Design Registration No. 1314078

However, since the square multi-directional push button switch of Conventional Example 1 has long been adopted in mobile phones in addition to controllers that remotely control electrical equipment, the operator can select the surface portions near each side of the square. There is a case where the pressing operation is performed, and the surface portion near the side portion may feel easier to press than the corner portion, and the rhomboid key top 90 in FIG. 8 also has a cross direction in the vicinity of the upper corner portion 91a. The key operation may not be performed correctly because the surface of the upper right side 94 side or the upper left side 95 side connected to the upper corner 91a is pushed instead of the instruction mark 92.
If the surface portion on the upper right side 94 side is pressed, the control mechanism may control that the instruction mark 92 of the upper corner 91a is pressed, or may control that neither is pressed. Although it is possible, there is a possibility of an erroneous operation, so that it is required to reliably press the instruction mark 92 of the upper corner portion 91a.

  Therefore, although not shown, it is also possible to partition the key by providing convex ribs on the surface between the corners of the key top 90, but in that case, the ribs become an obstacle when pressing the key, The aesthetics also get worse.

  In addition, a key top having keys in the cross direction has a priority order of keys to be pressed. For example, when the key top 90 of the conventional example 2 is used as a controller of an air conditioner, the indication marks 92 on the upper corner portion 91a and the lower corner portion 91b mainly serve as up / down keys for raising and lowering the temperature, the air volume, etc., and the right corner portion 91c The instruction mark 92 in the left corner portion 91d serves as a left / right movement key for selecting an operation item. In this case, the up / down key is used more frequently, so the priority is higher, and the design is more conspicuous than the left / right movement key, thereby improving usability.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems and guides each key of the key top provided with the keys in the cross direction to be pressed accurately, thereby avoiding erroneous operation and further increasing the frequency of use and high priority. Provided is a multi-directional push button switch that makes direction keys stand out and improves usability.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention provides a multidirectional push button switch having a key top with a key in a cross direction.
On the surface of the key top, a protruding portion is formed by raising a central portion of the surface in either the up / down direction or the left / right direction of the key.

  In addition, it is also included that the protruding portion is formed by a stepped portion that is provided on the surface without the key and is parallel to either the upper or lower direction or the left or right direction.

  The multi-directional pushbutton switch of the present invention configured as described above has a protruding portion that is raised on the surface of the key top provided with a key in the cross direction, with the central portion of the surface being raised in either the vertical or horizontal direction of the key. The projecting part is formed by a stepped part parallel to either the top or bottom or the left or right direction provided on the surface without the key, so that the part without the key is difficult to press due to the uncomfortable feeling of the stepped part. Thus, the user can be guided by pressing an accurate key by itself and avoid an erroneous operation. Further, the one-way key 5 that is frequently used and has a high priority is made conspicuous by the protruding portion, thereby improving the usability.

It is a perspective view of the controller provided with the multi-directional push button switch of this invention. It is a figure of the controller provided with the multidirectional pushbutton switch of this invention, (a) is a front view, (b) is A-A 'sectional drawing of (a). It is a figure of the multidirectional pushbutton switch of this invention, (a) is a front view, (b) is a bottom view. (A) is B-B 'sectional drawing of FIG. 3, (b) is a figure which shows the state which pressed down (a). It is a figure which shows a rubber sheet, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a perspective view of a back direction. It is another example of the key top of FIG. It is a figure which shows the other example of the rubber sheet | seat of FIG. 5, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a front view. It is a figure which shows the keytop of the prior art example 2, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a front view.

  EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the form for implementing this invention is demonstrated in detail as an Example based on an accompanying drawing.

1 and 2 is used for a controller 10 that operates an air conditioner (not shown).
The controller 10 is attached to an indoor wall surface to be air-conditioned and sends a signal to the air conditioner through a communication line passing through the wall surface. The controller 10 is formed with a square front view and a thin depth so as to adapt to the wall surface in consideration of the design, and includes a liquid crystal display unit 11 in the upper part of the front surface in consideration of operability, and an operation part 12 in the lower part of the front surface. Prepare.

  The multi-directional push button switch 1 of the present invention is not limited to the air conditioner controller 10, but can be widely used in the main body operation unit and remote control of home appliances and AV devices, and the operation unit of a mobile phone.

The controller 10 includes a synthetic resin lower case 13 that is locked to a wall surface, a control board 14 that is placed on a rib 13 a that is erected inside the lower case 13, and a liquid crystal that is provided on the control board 14. A display unit 11 and a plurality of switches 15 are provided.
The operation unit 12 side of the control board 14 is covered with a rubber sheet 2 made of silicon rubber shown in FIG. The rubber sheet 2 includes a single key top 20 formed integrally with the rubber sheet 2 and a key top 60 having a different shape from the single key top 20.
The single key top 20 and the switch 15 on the control board 14 constitute the push button switches 31 to 35, and the key top 60 and the switch 15 on the control board 14 constitute the multidirectional push button switch 1.

  Next, the upper case 16 in which the liquid crystal display unit 11, the multidirectional push button switch 1 and the push button switches 31 to 35 are opened is put on the lower case 13, and the lower case 12 and the upper case 16 are locked to each other. Secure with nails and screws. The upper case 16 is affixed with a display board 17 made of a vinyl chloride sheet in which the multi-directional push button switch 1 and the push button switches 31 to 35 are opened. As shown in FIG. 2A, icons and characters indicating the functions of the push button switches 31 to 35 are printed on the display board 17.

  The layout of the multidirectional push button switch 1 and the push button switches 31 to 35 is composed of a multidirectional push button switch 1 disposed at the center of the operation unit 12 and a multi-directional push button with a horizontally long oval convex single key top 20. A push button switch 31 disposed on the switch 1, a push button switch 32 of a horizontally long oval convex single key top 20 disposed on the upper left of the multi-directional push button switch 1, and the multi-directional push button switch 1 The push button switch 33 of the horizontally long oval convex single key top 20 disposed at the upper right of the multi-directional push button switch 1 and the push button of the horizontally oblong convex single key top 20 disposed at the lower left of the multi-directional push button switch 1 A single key top with a horizontally long oval shape arranged on the lower right of the switch 34 and the multi-directional push button switch 1 Consisting of a push-button switch 35 of 0.

  The push button switch 31 switches between start and stop of the operation of the air conditioner. The push button switch 32 selects the operation mode of the air conditioner. The push button switch 33 selects the air volume of the air conditioner. The push button switch 34 switches a menu appearing on the liquid crystal display unit 11. The push button switch 35 determines a menu appearing on the liquid crystal display unit 11.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the multidirectional push button switch 1 has a plurality of corner portions 42 (upper corner portion 421, lower corner portion 422, right corner portion 423, left corner) in the cross direction when the key top 60 is viewed from the front. Part 424) and a plurality of side parts 43 (the upper right side part 431, the lower right side part 432, the lower left side part 433, and the upper left side part 434) having the same length connecting the same corner parts 42, As shown in FIG. 4A, it is three-dimensionally formed and protrudes from the display panel 17.

The key top 60 in FIG. 3A has a slightly horizontally long rhombus shape, but is not limited thereto, and may be a vertically long rhombus shape or a rhombus shape having the same vertical and horizontal widths.
Further, the key top 60 is not limited to a rhombus shape, but may be a circle although not shown.

  The multidirectional push button switch 1 includes a cross key 5 in the cross direction. As shown in FIG. 2A, the functions of the up direction key 501, the down direction key 502, the right direction key 511, and the left direction key 512 are shown on the corner 42 side of the surface 41 of the key top 60 according to the cross direction. An instruction mark is formed by printing or forming an uneven surface. The portion of the indication mark becomes the key pressing point. The up direction key 501 and the down direction key 502 are collectively the up / down key 50, and the right direction key 511 and the left direction key 512 are collectively the left / right movement key 51.

Next, the operation of the multidirectional push button switch 1 will be described. For example, when it is desired to change the set temperature, the upper direction key 501 or the lower direction key 502 of the multi-directional push button switch 1 is pressed while looking at the liquid crystal display unit 11 until the desired temperature is displayed.
When the push button switch 34 is pressed once, a menu appears on the liquid crystal display unit 11. Although not shown, for example, to set the current time, the right direction key 511 or the left direction key 512 is pressed to move the cursor appearing on the liquid crystal display unit 11 to “time display”, and the up direction key 501 or the down direction key 502 is pressed to select “ “Hour” is set, the right key 511 is pressed, the up key 501 or the down key 502 is pressed to set “minute”, and finally the push button switch 35 is pressed to determine.

  The rhombus shape of the key top 60 of the multi-directional push button switch 1 has an upper key 501 and a lower key 502 on the surface 41 in accordance with the directions of the upper corner portion 421, the lower corner portion 422, the right corner portion 423, and the left corner portion 424, respectively. By providing the right direction key 511 and the left direction key 512, the design of the corner portion 42 and the cross key 5 is matched, and it is a design that is easy to use with an integrated function and shape and excellent in aesthetics. .

  The up / down key 50 is pressed more frequently than the left / right movement key 51, and the up / down direction of the up / down key 50 has priority over the left / right direction of the left / right movement key 51. Making the direction key 502 more conspicuous than the right direction key 511 and the left direction key 512 also improves operability.

  However, since the square push button switch has long been adopted in mobile phones in addition to the remote control, the operator is familiar with the action of pushing the surface part near the side of the square, and more than the corner part. The surface portion near the side portion may feel easier to press, and even in the multidirectional push button switch 1, the upper right side surface 431a, the lower right side surface 432a, the lower left side portion of the surface 41 shown in FIG. The surface 433a and the vicinity of the upper left side surface 434a may be pressed, and key operations may not be performed correctly.

Therefore, the upper key 501, the lower key 502, the right key 511, and the left key 512 are correctly pressed without pressing the upper right side surface 431 a, the lower right side surface 432 a, the lower left side surface 433 a, and the upper left side surface 434 a. In order to make the up key 501 and the down key 502, which are frequently pressed, more prominent than the right key 511 and the left key 512, the surface 41 of the key top 60 of the push button switch 1 A protrusion 47 is formed by raising the center of the surface in either the up / down direction or the left / right direction of the cross key 5.
Further, the protruding portion 47 is formed by step portions 45 and 46 which are provided on the surface 41 without the cross key 5 and which are parallel to either the vertical or horizontal direction.
Specifically, the step portions 45 and 46 are provided on the parallel lines connecting the side portions 43 adjacent to either the top or bottom of the rhombus shape on the surface 41 of the key top 60. In FIG. 3A, the step 45 provided on the line connecting the centers of the upper right side 431 and the lower right side 432 adjacent to each other with the right corner 423 interposed therebetween, and the upper left side adjacent to each other with the left corner 424 interposed therebetween. A step 46 provided on a line connecting the center of the portion 434 and the lower left side portion 433 is provided. The step 45 and the step 46 are parallel lines. The inner side surrounded by the stepped portion 45 and the stepped portion 46 becomes higher and becomes a protruding portion 47.

  Accordingly, step portions 45 and 46 are formed on the upper right side surface 431a, the lower right side surface 432a, the lower left side surface 433a, and the upper left side surface 434a. The upper right side surface 431a, the lower right side surface 432a, the lower left side surface 433a, and the upper left side surface 434a are difficult to press, and the operator is guided to press the accurate cross key 5 by itself, thereby avoiding an erroneous operation. .

  Further, by forming the protruding portion 47, the up / down key 50 of the up direction key 501 and the down direction key 502 is emphasized as one body, and the right direction key 511 and the left direction key 512 of the left / right movement key 51 are It is divided by 47. Thereby, the up direction key 501 and the down direction key 502 become conspicuous, and the usability is improved.

  Up to now, the push button switch 1 has been provided with the projecting portion 47 so that the up / down key 50 is given priority over the left / right direction of the left / right movement key 51. However, the present invention is not limited to this. When used for other than an air conditioner, the upper right side 431 and the upper left side that are adjacent to each other with the upper corner 421 sandwiched so as to emphasize the left / right movement key 51a as a priority direction like the push button switch 1a shown in FIG. A step portion 45a provided on a line connecting the centers of the portions 434, and a step portion 46a provided on a line connecting the centers of the lower right side portion 432 and the lower left side portion 433 adjacent to each other across the lower corner portion 422. A protrusion 47a may be provided inside the stepped portion 46a.

The single key top 20 constituting the push button switches 31 to 35 described above is integrally provided on the rubber sheet 2 made of silicon rubber as shown in FIG. The structure of the push button switches 31 to 35 includes a single key top 20 and a skirt 22 that connects the lower end of the key top 20 and the flat portion 21 of the rubber sheet 2. The skirt 22 is elastic because the rubber sheet is formed thinner than the other parts, and the skirt 22 is inclined so as to spread from the periphery of the lower end of the key top 20 and is connected to the flat portion 21 of the rubber sheet 2.
On the back surface of the single key top 20, there is a movable contact portion 23 coated with a conductive paint. When the single key top 20 is pressed, the entire skirt 22 is bent, and the movable contact portion 23 presses the switch 15 to energize it. When the single key top 20 is released, the skirt 22 is repelled and stands up. The operator can obtain a click feeling due to the elasticity at this time.

  On the other hand, since the multidirectional push button switch 1 includes the cross key 5, it does not press the entire single key top 20 like the push button switches 31 to 35, but the up direction key 501, the down direction key 502, and the right direction key 511. And the left arrow key 512 must be pressed accurately. However, as shown in FIG. 8A, when the skirt 93 that is inclined so as to spread from the periphery of the outer shape of the lower end 90a of the rhombus key top 90 is formed, for example, the skirt 93 at a position in contact with the upper corner portion 91a is also an upper corner. A rectangular shape is formed along the portion 91a. The skirt is easy to bend when it is formed in a straight line, but hard when it is formed into a square. Therefore, when the instruction mark 92 in the vicinity of the upper corner portion 91a is pressed, the pressing force 97 is not in the direction of the upper corner portion 91a, but the force vector 96 is directed toward the upper right side portion 94 or the upper left side portion 95 constituting the upper corner portion 91a. It becomes easy to hit. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8B, even if the instruction mark 92 in the vicinity of the upper corner portion 91a is pressed, the skirt 93 is not bent toward the upper corner portion 91a, but the upper right side portion 94 side connected to the upper corner portion 91a is Inclination in either direction on the left side 95 side occurs.

  Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the multi-directional push button switch 1 according to the present invention has a rhombus key top 60 and a key top base 61 integrally provided with the key top 60 below the key top 60. And a skirt 62 that is inclined so as to spread from the periphery of the outer shape of the lower end of the key top base 61 and the rubber sheet is formed thinner than other portions connected to the flat portion 21 of the rubber sheet 2. The key top base 61 has a three-dimensional shape having a predetermined height obtained by rotating the key top 60 by 90 ° around the center of the surface 41 thereof. The key top 60 is viewed from the front in FIG. Are formed by a rounded ridgeline portion 64 that connects a straight tangential portion 63 in contact with each corner portion 42 and an adjacent tangential portion 63. The key top base 61 is formed so as to be located inside the upper case 16. The predetermined height may be a height that is more rigid than the skirt 62.

  By providing the key top base 61 provided with the linear tangent portion 63 in contact with the corner portion 42, the skirt 62 connected to the rubber sheet 2 from the lower end of the key top base 61 also extends along the tangential portion 63 in contact with the corner portion 42. It is formed. Thus, when one of the cross keys 5 is pressed, a force vector 66 is applied to the linear skirt 62 connected to the tangent portion 63 of the key top base 61 that contacts each corner portion 42, and the skirt 62 is bent. The key top 60 tilts reliably in the operation direction.

  In FIG. 5, the key top base 61 is formed of a rounded quadrangular prism. The side surface of the quadrangular prism is the tangential portion 63 and the rounded corner is the ridge line portion 64. When the length of the tangential portion 63 is L1, the skirt 62 is a long straight line and can be easily bent without applying a force. For example, when the down direction key 502 is pressed, the skirt 62 is bent accurately in the direction of the lower corner portion 422 without falling down to the lower right side portion 432 or the lower left side portion 433, and the key top that reliably tilts in the operation direction. 60.

The longer the skirt 62 is, the easier it is to bend, but the repulsive force is weakened accordingly, and the click feeling is also weakened.
Therefore, in the key top base 71 shown in FIG. 7, the length L2 of the tangential portion 73 in contact with the diamond-shaped corner portion 42 of the key top 60 is made shorter than the length L1 of the tangential portion 63 of the key top base 61 in FIG. Thus, the ridge line portion 74 connecting the tangent portions 73 is formed in an arc shape protruding toward the key top 60 side. As a result, the skirt 72 formed in accordance with the tangential portion 73 and the ridge line portion 74 of the outer shape of the lower end of the key top base 71 is easily bent at the portion connected to the tangential portion 73, and at the portion connected to the arc-shaped ridge line portion 74. For example, when the downward key 502 is pressed, the skirt 72 is bent accurately in the direction of the lower corner portion 422, and the key top 60 is reliably tilted in the operation direction. Furthermore, since the length L2 of the tangent portion 73 is shorter than the length L1 of the tangent portion 63, a click feeling is also obtained.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5C, the support 60 a for supporting the key top 60 is provided at the center of the key top 60, and the switch 15 of the control board 14 is provided on the back surface of the cross key 5. A movable contact portion 23 to which a conductive paint to be pressed is applied, and a rib 60 b that prevents the side portion 43 from being pressed between the movable contact portions 23 are provided.
As shown in FIG. 4, since the height toward the control board 14 is the support 60a> the rib 60b> the movable contact portion 23, the key top 60 is not pressed by the support 60a even if the center is pressed. Guided to the cross key 5. Further, when any of the side portions 43 is pressed, the pressing is also prevented by the rib 60b.
When one of the cross keys 5 is pressed, the skirt 62 is bent in the correct direction by the key top base 61, and the switch 15 is pressed down to conduct.

1: multi-directional push button switch, 14: control board, 15: switch 2: rubber sheet, 20: single key top 31/32/33/34/35: push button switch 41: surface, 42: corner, 43: Side part, 45/46: Step part, 47: Projection part 5: Cross key, 50: Up / down key, 51: Left / right movement key 60: Key top, 61/71: Key top base, 62/72: Skirt, 63 / 73: Tangent part, 64/74: Ridge part

Claims (3)

In a multi-directional pushbutton switch having a key top with a key in the cross direction,
A multi-directional push button switch characterized in that a projecting portion is formed on the surface of the key top so that a central portion of the key top is raised in either the vertical or horizontal direction of the key.   2. The multi-directional push button switch according to claim 1, wherein the projecting portion is formed by a stepped portion provided on the surface without the key and parallel to either the up-down direction or the left-right direction.   The key top has a rhombus shape having corners in the cross direction and connecting the same corners with sides having the same length, and adjacent sides on either side of the rhombus shape. The multi-directional push button switch according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step portion is provided on a parallel line connecting the centers of the portions.

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