JP2016051589A - Multidirectional switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multidirectional switch in which the compression amount of a coil spring for the stroke length of slide operation is small.SOLUTION: A multidirectional switch 1 has an operation body capable of push operation and slide operation, a first switch element performing on/off operation by push operation of the operation body, a coil spring, a lever rotating in the forward direction about a rotating shaft by the slide operation of the operation body, and rotates in the reverse direction of the forward direction by action of the coil spring, and a second switch element performing on/off operation by rotation of the lever. The distance from the action point of the operation body for the lever to the rotating shaft is set longer than the distance from the action point of the coil spring for the lever to the rotating shaft.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

  The present invention relates to a multidirectional switch, and more particularly, to a multidirectional switch capable of a push operation and a slide operation.

  A multi-directional switch that operates by a slide operation or a push operation is known as a switch mounted on an information communication device such as a mobile phone. In particular, in recent years, with the demand for thinning of devices on which multidirectional switches are mounted, it has become necessary to reduce the thickness of multidirectional switches themselves.

  In Patent Document 1, an operating body, a first contact that is turned on / off by a push operation of the operating body, a second contact that is turned on / off via a pusher by a sliding operation of the operating body, and an operating body are contacted. A switch is described that includes a coil spring that contacts and biases the operating body to an initial position.

JP 2000-285765 A

  In a switch of a type that slides the operating body, a certain stroke length of the slide operation is required in order to obtain a user's operational feeling. However, in the case of a switch including a coil spring for biasing the operating body to the initial position, in order to make the coil spring difficult to sag even if a compression amount equal to the stroke length is applied to the coil spring, the coil diameter is increased, The coil length must be increased. As a result, there is a problem that the entire switch becomes thick, particularly when the coil diameter is increased.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a multidirectional switch that can solve the above-described problems.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a multidirectional switch in which the amount of compression of the coil spring is small with respect to the stroke length of the slide operation.

  The multi-directional switch according to the present invention can be operated by a push operation and can be slid, a first switch element that is turned on and off by a push operation of the operation body, a coil spring, and a slide operation of the operation body. A lever that rotates in the forward direction about the rotation axis, and that rotates in the opposite direction to the normal direction by the action of the coil spring; and a second switch element that performs an on / off operation by rotating the lever; The distance from the operating point of the operating body to the rotating shaft with respect to the lever is set to be longer than the distance from the operating point of the coil spring to the rotating shaft with respect to the lever.

  In the multi-directional switch according to the present invention, it is preferable that the multi-directional switch further includes a rotation preventing unit that prevents the lever from rotating in the reverse direction when the operation unit is in the initial position.

  The multi-directional switch according to the present invention further includes a movable portion that is elastically movable around the movable center by a rotating lever, and further includes a movable portion that is disposed in the positive direction from the movable center with respect to the rotation axis. It is preferable that the switch element 2 is turned on and off by the action of the movable part.

  In the multi-directional switch according to the present invention, it is preferable that the movable portion has a protrusion that contacts the second switch element.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a thin multi-directional switch including a coil spring having a small coil diameter.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to provide the multidirectional switch with which the coil spring was extended in lifetime.

2 is a plan view of the multidirectional switch 1. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the multidirectional switch 1. FIG. 2 is a front view of the multidirectional switch 1. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a multidirectional switch 1. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a cover 10. FIG. It is a top view of buffer member 11a. It is a top view of buffer member 11b. It is a top view of buffer member 11c. 3 is a plan view of a frame body 12. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a substrate 13. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating a wiring pattern. (A) is the top view of the operation body 20, (b) is the figure which looked at the operation body 20 from the direction 20F. (A) is the top view of the lever 30a, (b) is the figure which looked at the lever 30a from direction 30aF. (A) is the top view of the lever 30b, (b) is the figure which looked at the lever 30b from direction 30bF. (A) is a top view of the metal plate 40, (b) is a cross-sectional view along the EE ′ line shown in (a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view along the FF ′ line shown in (a). It is. (A) is a top view of the coil spring 50a, (b) is a top view of the coil spring 50b. 2 is a perspective plan view of the multidirectional switch 1. FIG. (A) is sectional drawing along the AA 'line shown in FIG. 1, (b) is sectional drawing along the BB' line shown in FIG. 1, (c) is CC 'line shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which followed, (d) is sectional drawing along DD 'line shown in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement at the time of push operation of the multidirectional switch 1. FIG. (A) And (b) is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement at the time of the slide operation to the direction S1 of the multidirectional switch 1. FIG. (A) And (b) is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement at the time of the slide operation to the direction S2 of the multidirectional switch 1. FIG. (A) And (b) is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement at the time of the slide operation to the direction S1 of the multidirectional switch 2. FIG.

  Hereinafter, a multidirectional switch according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, but extends to the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

  1 is a plan view of the multidirectional switch 1, FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the multidirectional switch 1, FIG. 3 is a front view of the multidirectional switch 1, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the multidirectional switch 1. It is.

  The multidirectional switch 1 includes a cover 10 having a through-hole 10T on the upper surface, and a part of the operation unit 21 for operating the multidirectional switch 1 protrudes from the through-hole 10T. Electrodes 80a, 80b, 81a, 81b, 82a, 82b are arranged on the bottom surface of the multidirectional switch 1.

  The multi-directional switch 1 includes a cover 10, a buffer member 11 a, a frame body 12, a buffer member 11 b, a metal plate 40, a buffer member 11 c, and a substrate 13 stacked in order from the top in FIG. 4. It is glued. Part of the operating body 20, the levers 30a and 30b, and the coil springs 50a and 50b are accommodated in the space in the stack.

  FIG. 5 is a plan view of the cover 10.

  The cover 10 is a substantially plate-like member having a substantially square outer periphery of about 12 mm square in plan view, and has a through hole 10T inside. The cover 10 has a thickness of about 0.15 mm. The cover 10 is made of, for example, metal, but may be made of other materials.

  FIG. 6 is a plan view of the buffer member 11a.

  The buffer member 11a is a substantially plate-like member having a substantially square outer periphery, and has through holes 11aR, 11aS, and 11aT inside. The thickness of the buffer member 11a is about 0.05 mm. The buffer member 11a is made of metal, for example, but may be made of other materials. The upper surface of the buffer member 11 a is bonded to the bottom surface of the cover 10.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view of the buffer member 11b.

  The buffer member 11b is a substantially plate-like member having a substantially square outer periphery, and has through holes 11bP, 11bQ, 11bR, 11bS, and 11bT inside. The thickness of the buffer member 11b is about 0.1 mm. The buffer member 11b is made of, for example, resin, but may be made of other materials.

  FIG. 8 is a plan view of the buffer member 11c.

  The buffer member 11c is a substantially plate-like member having a substantially square outer periphery, and has through holes 11cR, 11cS, and 11cT inside. The thickness of the buffer member 11c is about 0.05 mm. The buffer member 11c is made of, for example, resin, but may be made of other materials. The upper surface of the buffer member 11 c is bonded to the bottom surface of the buffer member 11 b, and the lower surface of the buffer member 11 c is bonded to the upper surface of the substrate 13.

  FIG. 9 is a plan view of the frame body 12.

  The frame 12 is a substantially plate-like member having a substantially square outer periphery, and has a through hole 12T inside. The thickness of the frame is about 0.45 mm. The frame 12 is made of resin, for example, but may be made of other materials. A part of the through-hole 12T is configured as guide portions 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d that are elongated in plan view. A part of the frame 12 functions as the rotation preventing portions 14a, 14b, 15a, 15b. The upper surface of the frame body 12 is bonded to the bottom surface of the buffer member 11a, and the lower surface of the frame body 12 is bonded to the upper surface of the buffer member 11b.

  FIG. 10 is a plan view of the substrate 13.

  The substrate 13 includes a substantially square base material 13a, a spacer member 13b, tact switches 60, 71, 72, and a protective sheet 13c. The tact switches 60, 71, 72 are placed on the base material 13a, and the spacer member 13b is placed around the tact switches 60, 71, 72 on the base material 13a. The protective sheet 13c is placed on the tact switches 60, 71, 72 and the spacer member 13b. The thickness of the base material 13a is about 0.2 mm, the thickness of the tact switches 60, 71, 72 and the spacer member 13b is about 0.1 mm, respectively, and the thickness of the protective sheet 13c is about 0.05 mm.

  The substrate 13 has groove portions 13R and 13S. The groove portions 13R and 13S have a groove-like structure including a bottom surface made of a base material 13a and a side wall made of a spacer member 13b and a protective sheet 13c. As shown in FIG. 2, electrodes 80a, 80b, 81a, 81b, 82a, and 82b are provided on the surface of the base material 13a opposite to the surface on which the spacer member 13b is placed. The electrodes 80a, 80b, 81a, 81b, 82a, 82b are connected to an external circuit for detecting the on / off operation of the tact switches 60, 71, 72.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a wiring pattern.

  11 is a plan view of the substrate 13 from which the protective sheet 13c and the dome-shaped springs 60c, 71c, 72c are removed, as viewed from the cover 10 side. In the figure, the dotted lines indicate that the electrodes 80a, 80b, 81a, 81b, 82a, and 82b are seen through the base member 13a and the spacer member 13b.

  The tact switch 60 includes a conductive first fixed contact 60a, a conductive second fixed contact 60b, and a conductive dome-shaped spring 60c. The first fixed contact 60a is circular and is placed on the substrate 13a. The second fixed contact 60b is annular and is placed on the substrate 13a so as to surround the first fixed contact 60a. The dome-shaped spring 60c is in contact with the second fixed contact 60b at its edge, and covers the first fixed contact 60a without contacting the first fixed contact 60a (see FIG. 18A).

  The tact switch 71 includes a conductive first fixed contact 71a, a conductive second fixed contact 71b, and a conductive dome-shaped spring 71c. The first fixed contact 71a is circular and is placed on the substrate 13a. The second fixed contact 71b is annular and is placed on the substrate 13a so as to surround the first fixed contact 71a. The dome-shaped spring 71c is in contact with the second fixed contact 71b at the edge, and covers the first fixed contact 71a without contacting the first fixed contact 71a (see FIG. 18B).

  The tact switch 72 includes a conductive first fixed contact 72a, a conductive second fixed contact 72b, and a conductive dome-shaped spring 72c. The first fixed contact 72a is circular and is placed on the substrate 13a. The second fixed contact 72b is annular and is placed on the substrate 13a so as to surround the first fixed contact 72a. The dome-shaped spring 72c is in contact with the second fixed contact 72b at the edge, and covers the first fixed contact 72a without contacting the first fixed contact 72a (see FIG. 18C).

  Inside the base material 13a, an internal wiring pattern 84A is provided along the surface direction of the base material 13a. The internal wiring pattern 84A is electrically connected to the first fixed contact 60a via the conduction path 83a in the base material 13a, and is electrically connected to the electrode 80a via the conduction path 83b in the base material 13a. ing. Therefore, the first fixed contact 60a is electrically connected to the electrode 80a.

  Inside the base material 13a, an internal wiring pattern 84B is provided along the surface direction of the base material 13a. The internal wiring pattern 84B is electrically connected to the second fixed contact 60b via the conduction path 83c in the base material 13a, and is electrically connected to the electrode 80b via the conduction path 83d in the base material 13a. ing. Therefore, the second fixed contact 60b is electrically connected to the electrode 80b.

  Similarly, the first fixed contact 71a is electrically connected to the electrode 81a via the internal wiring pattern 84C and the conduction paths 83e and 83f, and the second fixed contact 71b is connected to the internal wiring pattern 84D and the conduction path 83g, It is electrically connected to the electrode 81b through 83h.

  Similarly, the first fixed contact 72a is electrically connected to the electrode 82a via the internal wiring pattern 84E and the conduction paths 83i and 83j, and the second fixed contact 72b is connected to the internal wiring pattern 84F and the conduction path 83k, It is electrically connected to the electrode 82b through 83l.

  12A is a plan view of the operating body 20, and FIG. 12B is a view of the operating body 20 viewed from the direction 20F.

  The operating body 20 is substantially S-shaped in plan view, and includes arms 23a and 23b and protrusions 24a and 24b. The operation body 20 includes an operation unit 21 at the center of the surface opposite to the surface facing the substrate 13 and a protrusion 22 at the center of the surface facing the substrate 13. The thickness of the operation body 20 excluding the operation unit 21 and the protrusion 22 is about 0.4 mm.

  FIG. 13A is a plan view of the lever 30a, and FIG. 13B is a view of the lever 30a viewed from the direction 30aF.

  The thickness of the lever 30a is about 0.3 mm. The lever 30a has a through hole 33a for passing the shaft member 34a. The lever 30a includes an arm 31a and an arm 32a with the through hole 33a interposed therebetween.

  FIG. 14A is a plan view of the lever 30b, and FIG. 14B is a view of the lever 30b viewed from the direction 30bF.

  The thickness of the lever 30b is about 0.3 mm. The lever 30b has a through hole 33b through which the shaft member 34b passes. The lever 30b includes an arm 31b and an arm 32b with the through hole 33b interposed therebetween.

  15A is a plan view of the metal plate 40, FIG. 15B is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE ′ shown in FIG. 15A, and FIG. 15C is FIG. 15A. It is sectional drawing along FF 'line shown in FIG.

  The metal plate 40 is a substantially plate-like member having a substantially rectangular outer periphery of about 9.5 mm × about 7 mm in plan view, and has concave portions 40W, 40X, 40Y, 40Z, and through holes 40R, 40S. The metal plate 40 is a metal plate made of a material having a large elastic coefficient, such as a stainless steel plate (SUS plate). The thickness of the metal plate 40 is about 0.05 mm.

  The metal plate 40 includes a movable portion 42a defined by the concave portions 40W and 40X and the movable center 46a, a movable portion 42b defined by the concave portions 40Y and 40Z and the movable center 46b, the through holes 40R and 40S, and the lines 43a and 43b. And a movable part 43 drawn.

  The movable portion 42a forms a predetermined angle θ1 with the metal plate 40, and is elastically movable around the movable center 46a. The movable portion 42a includes a protrusion 45a that is formed by convex molding using a resin or molding using a metal press. The movable part 42b forms a predetermined angle θ2 with the metal plate 40, and is elastically movable around the movable center 46b. The movable part 42b includes a protrusion 45b that is formed by convex molding using a resin or molding using a metal press.

  The movable portion 43 has a substantially crossed shape in plan view and is elastically bent in the vertical direction of the metal plate 40.

  A portion of the lower surface of the metal plate 40 excluding the movable portions 42 a and 42 b is bonded to the upper surface of the substrate 13.

  FIG. 16A is a plan view of the coil spring 50a, and FIG. 16B is a plan view of the coil spring 50b.

  The coil spring 50a is made of, for example, stainless steel (SUS304WPB), the wire diameter 50ad is about 0.12 mm, the coil diameter 50aD is about 0.61 mm, the free length (length under no load) 50aL is about 7.2 mm, The effective number of windings 50aN is 18 and the spring constant 50ak is about 0.436 N / mm. The coil spring 50b is made of, for example, stainless steel (SUS304WPB), the wire diameter 50bd is about 0.12 mm, the coil diameter 50bD is about 0.61 mm, the free length (length under no load) 50bL is about 7.2 mm, The effective number of turns 50bN is 18 and the spring constant 50bk is about 0.436 N / mm.

  Next, the structure of the multidirectional switch 1 will be described.

  FIG. 17 is a plan perspective view of the multidirectional switch 1.

  The operating body 20 is disposed at the initial position when no operation is performed. Here, as shown in FIG. 17, the initial position is substantially the center of the substantially square outer periphery in a plan view of the multidirectional switch 1. The arm 23 a of the operating body 20 is guided by the guide portion 12 a of the frame body 12, and the arm 23 b of the operating body 20 is guided by the guide portion 12 b of the frame body 12. Since the longitudinal direction of the guide portion 12a and the longitudinal direction of the guide portion 12b are parallel, the operating body 20 can slide in a direction S1 parallel to the guide portions 12a and 12b and a direction S2 opposite to the direction S1.

  The lever 30a is fixed on the buffer member 11b by the shaft member 34a so as to be rotatable around the shaft member 34a. The arm 31 a is in contact with the protrusion 24 a of the operating body 20. One side of the arm 32a is in contact with one end of the coil spring 50a, and the other side is in contact with the rotation preventing portion 14a.

  The lever 30b is fixed on the buffer member 11b by the shaft member 34b so as to be rotatable around the shaft member 34b. The arm 31b is in contact with the protrusion 24b of the operation body 20. One side of the arm 32b is in contact with one end of the coil spring 50b, and the other side is in contact with the rotation preventing portion 14b.

  The coil spring 50 a is guided by the guide portion 12 c of the frame body 12. One end of the coil spring 50a is fixed to the end of the guide portion 12c, and the other end of the coil spring 50a is in contact with the arm 32a of the lever 30a.

  The coil spring 50 b is guided by the guide portion 12 d of the frame body 12. One end of the coil spring 50b is fixed to the end of the guide portion 12d, and the other end of the coil spring 50b is in contact with the arm 32b of the lever 30b.

  18A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA ′ shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 18B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB ′ shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 18D is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD ′ shown in FIG.

  The tact switch 60 is disposed below the protrusion 22 of the operating body 20 and the movable portion 43 of the metal plate 40. The tact switch 71 is disposed below the movable portion 42 a of the metal plate 40. The tact switch 72 is disposed below the movable portion 42b of the metal plate 40.

  Next, the operation during the push operation of the multidirectional switch 1 will be described.

  FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining an operation during a push operation of the multidirectional switch 1.

  FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the multidirectional switch 1 taken along the line AA ′ shown in FIG. 1 during a push operation. When the user pushes the operation body 20 in the direction P by the operation unit 21, the operation body 20 is pushed down in the direction P. Then, the protrusion 22 bends the movable part 43 downward while contacting the movable part 43. The movable part 43 pushes down the dome-shaped spring 60c in the direction P through the protective sheet 13c while bending downward. Then, the dome-shaped spring 60c is reversed while generating a click feeling, and comes into contact with the first fixed contact 60a. When the dome-shaped spring 60c comes into contact with the first fixed contact 60a, the first fixed contact 60a and the second fixed contact 60b are brought into conduction, and the tact switch 60 is turned on.

  Next, when the user stops the push operation, the movable portion 43 returns to the initial position together with the protective sheet 13c adhered to the movable portion 43 by elastic force. Then, the movable part 43 pushes up the operating body 20 in the direction opposite to the direction P while abutting against the protruding part 22, and the operating body 20 returns to the initial position. Then, the dome-shaped spring 60c is returned to the initial position by the elastic force, and the contact between the dome-shaped spring 60c and the second fixed contact 60b is eliminated, thereby eliminating the conduction between the first fixed contact 60a and the second fixed contact 60b. Then, the tact switch 60 is turned off.

  Next, the operation at the time of the sliding operation of the multidirectional switch 1 in the direction S1 will be described.

  FIG. 20A and FIG. 20B are diagrams for explaining the operation at the time of the sliding operation of the multidirectional switch 1 in the direction S1. FIG. 20A is a plan perspective view of the multidirectional switch 1 during the sliding operation in the direction S1, and FIG. 20B is a plan view of the multidirectional switch 1 along the line GG ′ shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing.

  When the user slides the operating tool 20 in the direction S1 using the operating unit 21, the operating tool 20 slides in the direction S1. Eventually, the protrusion 24a comes into contact with the lever 30a. Then, the operating body 20 rotates the lever 30a in the positive direction R1a about the rotation axis K1 while bringing the protrusion 24a into contact with the lever 30a. Here, it is assumed that the rotation axis K1 passes through the center of the through hole 33a and is substantially perpendicular to the surface direction of the buffer member 11b.

  When the lever 30a rotates about the rotation axis K1 in the positive direction R1a, the arm 31a eventually comes into contact with the movable portion 42a. When the lever 30a further rotates, the arm 31a pushes down the movable portion 42a toward the protective sheet 13c with the movable center 46a as an axis, and eventually the protrusion 45a comes into contact with the protective sheet 13c. When the arm 31a further pushes down the movable part 42a, the movable part 42a pushes down the dome-shaped spring 71c via the protective sheet 13c. Then, the dome-shaped spring 71c is reversed while generating a click feeling, and comes into contact with the first fixed contact 71a. When the dome-shaped spring 71c contacts the first fixed contact 71a, the first fixed contact 71a and the second fixed contact 71b are brought into conduction, and the tact switch 71 is turned on. The rotation of the lever 30a stops when the arm 31a contacts the rotation preventing unit 15a, but also stops even if the user stops the slide operation before the arm 31a contacts the rotation preventing unit 15a.

  On the other hand, the coil spring 50a is compressed via the arm 32a when the lever 30a rotates in the positive direction R1a about the rotation axis K1.

  In the multidirectional switch 1, the movable portion 42a is disposed in the positive direction R1a from the movable center 46a with respect to the rotation axis K1. The movable portion 42a rises from the movable center 46a with a predetermined angle θ1 with respect to the metal plate 40, and is disposed in a space through which the lever 30a passes. The movable portion 42a is pushed down by the lever 30a when the lever 30a rotates in the positive direction R1a about the rotation axis K1. According to such a structure, since the lever 30a can be smoothly rotated without being obstructed by the movable portion 42a, the thickness of the lever 30a can be reduced.

  Next, when the user stops the sliding operation in the direction S1 and releases the operation unit 21, the coil spring 50a pushes back the arm 32a of the lever 30a by elastic force, and the lever 30a is moved in the reverse direction R2a opposite to the forward direction R1a. Rotate. At the same time, the lever 30a abuts against the protrusion 24a and pushes the operating body 20 back in the direction opposite to the direction S1. Further, at this time, the movable portion 42a rises again while being in contact with the arm 31a of the lever 30a rotating in the reverse direction R2a by the elastic force. Eventually, when the angle between the metal plate 40 and the movable portion 42a reaches a predetermined angle θ1, the rising of the movable portion 42a stops there, the contact between the arm 31a and the movable portion 42a is canceled, and the lever 30a further moves in the reverse direction R2a. Continue to turn. Eventually, when the arm 32a of the lever 30a comes into contact with the rotation preventing portion 14a, the rotation of the lever 30a in the reverse direction R2a stops and the operating body 20 stops at the initial position.

  When the lever 30a abuts against the rotation preventing portion 14a, the operating body 20 cannot be pushed back any further, so that the operating body 20 is stably biased to the initial position.

  Next, the operation at the time of the sliding operation of the multidirectional switch 1 in the direction S2 will be described.

  FIG. 21A and FIG. 21B are diagrams for explaining the operation at the time of the sliding operation of the multidirectional switch 1 in the direction S2. FIG. 21A is a plan perspective view of the multi-directional switch 1 during the sliding operation in the direction S2, and FIG. 21B is a plan view of the multi-directional switch 1 along the line HH ′ shown in FIG. It is an enlarged view of a cross section.

  When the user slides the operating tool 20 in the direction S2 using the operating unit 21, the operating tool 20 slides in the direction S2. Eventually, the protrusion 24b comes into contact with the lever 30b. Then, the operating body 20 rotates the lever 30b in the positive direction R1b around the rotation axis K2 while bringing the protrusion 24b into contact with the lever 30b. Here, it is assumed that the rotation axis K2 passes through the center of the through hole 33b and is substantially perpendicular to the surface direction of the buffer member 11b.

  When the lever 30b rotates about the rotation axis K2 in the positive direction R1b, the arm 3131b eventually comes into contact with the movable portion 42b. When the lever 30b further rotates, the arm 31b pushes down the movable portion 42b toward the protective sheet 13c with the movable center 46b as an axis, and eventually the protrusion 45b comes into contact with the protective sheet 13c. When the arm 31b further pushes down the movable part 42b, the movable part 42b pushes down the dome-shaped spring 72c via the protective sheet 13c. Then, the dome-shaped spring 72c is reversed while generating a click feeling, and comes into contact with the first fixed contact 72a. When the dome-shaped spring 72c contacts the first fixed contact 72a, the first fixed contact 72a and the second fixed contact 72b are brought into conduction, and the tact switch 72 is turned on. The rotation of the lever 30b stops when the arm 31b contacts the rotation prevention unit 15b, but also stops even if the user stops the slide operation before the arm 31b contacts the rotation prevention unit 15b.

  On the other hand, the coil spring 50b is compressed via the arm 32b when the lever 30b rotates in the positive direction R1b about the rotation axis K2.

  In the multidirectional switch 1, the movable portion 42b is disposed in the positive direction R1b from the movable center 46b with respect to the rotation axis K2. The movable part 42b rises from the movable center 46b with a predetermined angle θ2 with respect to the metal plate 40, and is disposed in a space through which the lever 30b passes. The movable portion 42b is pushed down by the lever 30b when the lever 30b rotates in the positive direction R1b about the rotation axis K2. According to such a structure, since the lever 30b can be smoothly rotated without being obstructed by the movable portion 42b, the thickness of the lever 30b can be reduced.

  Next, when the user stops the sliding operation in the direction S2 and releases the operation unit 21, the coil spring 50b pushes back the arm 32b of the lever 30b by the elastic force, and the lever 30b moves in the reverse direction R2b opposite to the normal direction R1b. Rotate. At the same time, the lever 30b abuts against the protrusion 24b and pushes the operating body 20 back in the direction opposite to the direction S2. At this time, the movable portion 42b rises again while coming into contact with the arm 31b of the lever 30b rotating in the reverse direction R2b by the elastic force. Eventually, when the angle between the metal plate 40 and the movable portion 42b reaches a predetermined angle θ2, the rising of the movable portion 42b stops there, the contact between the arm 31b and the movable portion 42b is eliminated, and the lever 30b further moves in the reverse direction R2b. Continue to turn. Eventually, when the arm 32b of the lever 30b comes into contact with the rotation preventing portion 14b, the rotation of the lever 30b in the reverse direction R2b stops and the operating body 20 stops at the initial position.

  When the lever 30b comes into contact with the rotation preventing portion 14b, the operating body 20 cannot be pushed back any further, so that the operating body 20 is stably biased to the initial position.

  The coil springs 50a and 50b urge the operating body 20 from the opposite directions to the initial position via the levers 30a and 30b, respectively. Therefore, even if there is a difference between the elastic force of the coil spring 50a and the elastic force of the coil spring 50b, as long as the coil springs 50a and 50b have the elastic force that presses the levers 30a and 30b against the rotation preventing portions 14a and 14b, 20 is stably biased to the initial position.

  Next, the relationship between the stroke length of the slide operation and the compression amount of the coil spring when the multi-directional switch 1 is slid in the direction S1 will be described. Since the relationship between the stroke length of the sliding operation and the compression amount of the coil spring at the time of the sliding operation in the direction S2 in the multidirectional switch 1 is the same, the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 17, in the multidirectional switch 1, the distance L1a from the operating point SA1 of the operating body 20 to the lever 30a to the rotational axis K1 of the lever 30a is from the operating point CA1 of the coil spring 50a to the lever 30a. It is designed to be longer than the distance L2a to K1. When actually measured, L1a is about 2.56 mm, L2a is about 1.08 mm, and the relationship of L1a> L2a is satisfied. Note that changes in L1a and L2a due to the slide operation are assumed to be negligibly small.

  As shown in FIG. 20 (a), the stroke length St1 of the slide operation at the time of the slide operation in the direction S1 in the multi-directional switch 1 is the center Ss of the operation unit 21 at the start of the slide operation, and at the end of the slide operation. It is equal to the distance from the center Sf1 of the operation unit 21. The compression amount δ1 of the coil spring 50a is equal to the distance between the contact point Cs1 between the coil spring 50a and the lever 30a at the start of the slide operation and the contact point Cf1 between the coil spring 50a and the lever 30a at the end of the slide operation.

  When actually measured, St1 was about 1.18 mm, and δ1 was about 0.69 mm. Therefore, the ratio of the compression amount δ1 of the coil spring 50a to the stroke length St1 of the slide operation is (δ1 / St1) = about 0.58 <1.

  The multidirectional switch 2 is a multidirectional switch for comparison.

  The relationship between the stroke length of the sliding operation and the compression amount of the coil spring at the time of the sliding operation in the direction S1 in the multidirectional switch 2 will be described. Since the relationship between the stroke length of the sliding operation and the compression amount of the coil spring at the time of the sliding operation in the direction S2 in the multidirectional switch 2 is the same, the description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 22A and FIG. 22B are diagrams for explaining the operation at the time of the sliding operation of the multidirectional switch 2 in the direction S1. FIG. 22A is a plan perspective view of the multidirectional switch 2, and FIG. 22B is a plan perspective view of the multidirectional switch 2 during the sliding operation in the direction S1.

  The multidirectional switch 2 includes levers 30c and 30d, shaft members 34c and 34d, and coil springs 50c and 50d, and other configurations are basically the same as those of the multidirectional switch 1.

  The distance L1c from the operating point SA3 of the operating body 20 to the lever 30c to the rotation axis K3 of the lever 30c is designed to be equal to the distance L2c from the operating point CA3 of the coil spring 50c to the rotating axis K3 to the lever 30c. Yes. When actually measured, both L1c and L2c were about 2.56 mm.

  The stroke length St3 of the slide operation when the multi-directional switch 2 is slid in the direction S1 is a distance between the center Ss of the operation unit 21 at the start of the slide operation and the center Sf3 of the operation unit 21 at the end of the slide operation. equal. The compression amount δ3 of the coil spring 50c is equal to the distance between the contact point Cs3 between the coil spring 50c and the lever 30c at the start of the slide operation and the contact point Cf3 between the coil spring 50c and the lever 30c at the end of the slide operation.

  When actually measured, St3 was about 1.18 mm, and δ3 was also about 1.18 mm. Therefore, the ratio of the compression amount δ3 of the coil spring 50c to the stroke length St3 of the slide operation is (δ3 / St3) = 1.

  From the above, since (δ1 / St1) <(δ3 / St3), compared with the multidirectional switch 2, the multidirectional switch 1 reduces the compression amount of the coil spring while maintaining the stroke length of the sliding operation. I was able to.

1, 2 Multi-directional switch 10 Cover 11a Buffer member 11b Buffer member 11c Buffer member 12 Frame body 13 Substrate 14a, 14b Anti-rotation part 20 Operation body 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d Lever 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d Shaft member 40 Metal plate 50a, 50b, 50c, 50d Coil spring 60, 71, 72 Tactile switch 80a, 80b, 81a, 81b, 82a, 82b Electrode

Claims (4)

An operating body that can be pushed and slid,
A first switch element that is turned on and off by a push operation of the operating body;
A coil spring;
A lever that rotates in a forward direction around a rotation axis by a slide operation of the operating body, and that rotates in a reverse direction opposite to the forward direction by the action of the coil spring;
A second switch element that performs an on / off operation by rotation of the lever,
The multi-direction characterized in that the distance from the operating point of the operating body to the lever with respect to the lever is set longer than the distance from the operating point of the coil spring to the lever with respect to the lever. switch.   The multidirectional switch according to claim 1, further comprising a rotation prevention unit that prevents rotation of the lever in the reverse direction when the operation unit is in the initial position. A movable portion that is elastically movable around a movable center by the rotating lever, and further includes a movable portion that is disposed in the positive direction from the movable center with respect to the rotation axis;
3. The multidirectional switch according to claim 1, wherein the second switch element is turned on and off by the action of the movable part that is movable.   The multi-directional switch according to claim 3, wherein the movable portion has a protrusion that contacts the second switch element.

Images