JP3216187B2 - Multi-contact switch device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multi-contact switch device having two or more switch contacts.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In electronic devices such as electronic wristwatches, various switches are provided for switching functions and setting functions. Among them, a seesaw switch is conventionally used as a switch having two or more switch contacts. This seesaw switch is provided with a pair of operation shafts on both sides of a switch plate, and the operation shafts are mounted by inserting a case. A switch contact is provided inside the case corresponding to the operation shaft. When one side of the switch plate is pressed to move the operation shaft downward, the tip of the operation shaft comes into contact with the switch contact. Switching is performed. In the case of an electronic device, such a seesaw switch also requires waterproofness, and therefore, a packing is provided in a shaft hole through which an operation shaft is inserted.

[0003]

However, since the conventional seesaw switch has only two switch contacts,
It cannot be applied to many types of switching. For this reason, a plurality of seesaw switches are provided to cope with a large number of switchings. In this case, however, the number of switches increases and the structure becomes complicated. In addition, since waterproofing is performed for each operation shaft, assembly processing for providing a waterproof structure is troublesome, and manufacturing is complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a multi-contact switch device capable of performing a large number of switching operations of two or more, and having a simple structure and capable of reliably waterproofing. And

[0005] To achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is provided.
The multi-contact switch device of (1) has an opening (4) and this opening
(4) A plurality of through holes at predetermined intervals along the bottom surface
(5) are the case (1) formed, the upper surface peripheral portion
Press operation to a position corresponding to the plurality of through holes (5).
Depending on the operation, move forward with the center as a fulcrum.
A key button (2) disposed in the opening, and the plurality of through holes
The movable part (10) inserted into (5) is placed on the lower surface
The lower surface of the key button (2) and the opening of the case (1).
An elastic member (3) disposed between the bottom of the mouth and the casing;
Over scan the circuit board disposed in the lower part of (1) (11), this
The plurality of through holes in the upper surface of the circuit board (11).
A plurality of switch contacts arranged at positions corresponding to (5)
(12) and the central part of the key button (2) is elastic from below.
Arranged at the center of the elastic member (3) so as to push it upward.
And a spring (18) disposed therein.
The member (3) is provided with the plurality of members through an opening of the case (1).
To prevent water from entering the switch contact (12),
The plurality of through holes (5) and the spring (18)
Being disposed on the bottom surface of the opening (4) to cover
It is characterized by . The multi-contact switch device according to the second aspect of the present invention.
The multi-contact switch device according to claim 1, wherein
The case (1) is a case body having the opening (4).
(1) and a pedestal (2) having the plurality of through holes (5).
1). Claim 3
The multi-contact switch device according to the present invention is the multi-contact switch according to claim 1.
In the switch device, outside the outer peripheral portion of the elastic member (3)
The rim is provided with a ring-shaped seal (13),
The key button on the ring-shaped seal portion (13);
Between the outer periphery of (2) and the inside of the opening of the case (1)
Characterized in that a holding plate (16) is arranged on the
You.

[0006]

1 and 2 show one embodiment of the present invention.
A case 1 such as a wristwatch, a key button 2 and an elastic member 3 disposed in an opening 4 of the case 1 are provided. Case 1
The opening 4 is formed in a circular shape, and through holes 5 communicating with the opening 4 are formed at four places on the circumference of the case 1. Further, a ring-shaped groove 6 is formed in an outer portion of the through hole 5. Further, a concave groove 7 is formed in the central portion of the opening 4.
Are formed, and a shaft 8 is erected from the central portion of the concave groove 7. The shaft 8 serves as a fulcrum when the key button 2 is pressed, as described later, and is formed to be higher than the bottom 9 of the opening 4.

The elastic member 3 is formed of a synthetic resin such as rubber and has a circular shape slightly larger than the key button 2 and is inserted between the case 1 and the key button 2. The elastic member 3 has a shape that covers all of the shaft portion 8, the concave groove 7, the through hole 5, and the ring-shaped groove portion 6 of the case 1, thereby waterproofing the opening 4 of the case 1. The elastic member 3 has a movable portion 10 inserted into the through hole 5 of the case 1.
The movable portion 10 is formed to be somewhat shorter than the through hole 5, and the lower end portion is drawn into the through hole 5.
On the other hand, a circuit board 11 is provided in the case 1,
In a portion of the circuit board 10 facing the through hole 5,
A switch contact 12 is formed in each case. like this
The movable part 10 of the elastic member 3 is inserted into the through hole 5 of the case 1
In the structure described above, the movable part 10 is guided to the through hole 5.
The movable part 10 and the circuit board 1 facing the through hole 5
0 switch contact 12 can be reliably contacted.
You.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the switch contact 12, which is a comb-shaped conductive pattern. On the other hand, the lower end surface of the movable portion 10 of the elastic member 3 has a structure having conductivity. This conductivity may be obtained by molding only the lower end of the movable portion 10 with two colors of conductive rubber, or by printing the lower end surface of the movable portion 10 with conductive ink, or may be provided by other means. As described above, the movable portion 10 of the elastic member 3 is separated from the switch contact 12 of the circuit board 11 in the normal state, but the lower end surface of the movable portion 10 is pressed when the movable portion 10 is pressed downward. Switch contact 12 corresponding to
Is in contact with Thus, switching is performed.

Further, a seal portion 13 is formed in a ring shape outside the movable portion 10 of the elastic member 3, and the seal portion 13 is fitted into the groove 6 of the case 1 by press fitting. The fitting of the seal portion 13 ensures that the elastic member 3 is waterproofed.

The key button 2 is entirely formed in a circular shape, and is attached to the opening 4 of the case 1 from above the elastic member 3. As shown in FIG. 2, a mark 2a indicating a switching portion is formed on the upper surface of the key button 2 by printing or the like. The mark 2a is formed at a position corresponding to the through hole 5 of the case 1 (that is, the movable portion 10 of the elastic member 3). A convex portion 14 is formed on the upper surface of the movable portion 10 to be in contact with the movable portion 10. Therefore, when the predetermined mark 2a is pressed, the pressing force is reliably transmitted to the movable portion 10 of the elastic member 3 corresponding to the mark 2a, so that the movable portion 10 moves downward and the switching is performed. Is performed.

A stepped lower hook portion 15 is formed in a ring shape on the outer peripheral portion of the key button 2, and a holding plate 16 is provided for the hook portion 15. The holding plate 16 has a circular ring shape, and an upper end on the inner side thereof extends in a hook shape to form a holding portion 17.
After the holding plate 16 is fitted into the opening 4 of the case 1, it is fixed to the case 1 by ultrasonic welding, bonding or the like. In this fixed state, the lower end surface presses the seal portion 13 of the elastic member 3 to increase waterproofness, and the hook-shaped pressing portion 17 presses the hook portion 15 of the key button 2 to press the key button 2.
Do not fall off. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 18 denotes a return spring inserted into the concave groove 7 at the center of the opening 4 of the case 1.

In this embodiment having the above structure, the return spring 18, the elastic member 3, the key button 2, and the pressing plate 16 are assembled into the case 1 in this order, so that the assembly can be easily performed. When the mark 2a on the outer peripheral portion of the key button 2 is pressed in this assembled state, the movable portion 10 of the elastic member 3 corresponding to the mark 2a moves downward and comes into contact with the switch contact 12 of the circuit board 11. Therefore, the switching can be performed. In such a configuration, since the switch contacts 12 are provided in two or more numbers, a single switch can be applied to a large number of switchings, and the switch can have a simple structure.

Although the key button 2 and the opening 4 of the case 1 are circular in the above embodiment, they may be formed in a non-circular shape such as an elliptical shape or an oval shape. Can be prevented from being inadvertently rotated.

FIG. 4 shows a modification in which the upper and lower ends of the through hole 5 of the case 1 into which the movable portion 10 of the elastic member 3 is inserted are chamfered into a C-plane shape. Since the portion 10 moves smoothly, the contact between the movable portion 10 and the switch contact 12 of the circuit board 11 can be reliably performed.

FIGS. 5 to 11 show modifications of the above embodiment. In the modification of FIG. 5, a large-diameter assembling hole 20 communicating with a lower portion of the opening 4 of the case 1 is formed, and a receiving table 21 is fitted into the assembling hole 20. The pedestal 21 has a shaft portion 8, a concave groove 7, and a through hole 5 formed in order from a central portion to a peripheral portion. A pressing plate 16 with which the hook portion 15 on the outer peripheral side of the key button 2 comes into contact is formed integrally with the case 1. In this configuration, by assembling the key button 2, the elastic member 3, and the pedestal 21 in order from the lower side of the case 1, the assembly can be performed.

In the modified example of FIG. 6, the receiving table 21 is formed in a shape in which the shaft portion 8 is omitted, and it is possible to assemble the case 1 from the lower side as in FIG. FIG. 7 shows the state of the switching operation of FIG. 6, and when the key button 2 is pressed in the direction of the arrow, the movable portion 10 of the elastic member 3 corresponding to the pressed portion comes into contact with the circuit board 11, so that the switching is reliably performed. It can be carried out.

FIG. 8 shows a modification in which the shaft 8 at the center of the case 1 is omitted, and assembly is performed from the upper side of the case 1.

In the modification shown in FIG. 9, the central portion of the elastic member 3 which is in contact with the shaft portion 8 at the central portion of the pedestal 21 is flattened. It has a structure. FIG. 10 shows the switching operation in FIG. 9. When the key button 2 is pressed in the direction of the arrow, the key button 2 moves downward with the shaft 8 as a fulcrum, so that switching can be performed.

In a modification shown in FIG.
And a central portion of the elastic member 3 abutting on the shaft portion 8 has a flat shape.

Another embodiment of the present invention applied to the electronic wristwatch shown in FIGS. 12 to 15 is shown. The electronic watch 30 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, a watch case 32 (hereinafter, referred to as a case 32) to which a band 31 is attached at 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock, and a switch 40 provided at a position adjacent to the right side of the case 32 are provided. I have. Reference numeral 33 denotes a display unit for displaying time and the like provided on the upper surface of the case 32.

As shown in FIG. 13, a timepiece module having a circuit board 34 is provided inside the case 32. An opening 35 is formed in a predetermined portion of the case 32, and a switch 40 is mounted in the opening 35. The switch 40 includes a disk-shaped key button 41 and an elastic member 42 provided below the key button 41. The key button 41 has an arc shape in which a central portion is raised upward, and an arc-shaped shaft portion 43 protrudes from a lower surface of the central portion. An operation shaft 44 is integrally provided on the lower surface of the peripheral portion of the key button 41.

FIGS. 14 and 15 show a plan view and a bottom view of the key button 41, in which operation shafts 44 are formed at four places in the circumferential direction (see FIG. 15). On the upper surface of 41, a mark 45 as a guide of the switching position is formed by printing, engraving or the like. Therefore, by pressing the portion where the mark 45 is formed, the operation shaft 44 corresponding to the mark 45 is pressed. Further, as shown in FIG. 13, the outer peripheral portion of the key button 41 is a stepped lower hook portion 46, and a hook-shaped pressing plate 47 is inserted into the opening 35 of the case 32 and fixed by bonding or the like. By doing so, the hook-shaped holding portion 48 of the holding plate 47
Engages with the hook portion 46 to prevent the key button 41 from coming off. The operation shaft 44 of the key button 41 is guided downward by inserting a guide plate 36 provided in the opening 35 of the case 32.

The elastic member 42 is provided at the opening 35 of the case 32.
Is formed so as to cover the entirety thereof, and a seal portion 49 is formed on the outer peripheral portion thereof.
Is fitted in the groove 37 formed in the groove. Therefore, the inside of the opening 35 is waterproofed by the elastic member 42.
A central portion of the elastic member 42 is a shaft portion 50 extending downward.
The shaft 50 is supported by the timepiece module. That is, the housing 52 of the watch module
The receiving shaft 51 is integrally extended from the shaft, and the shaft portion 50 of the elastic member 42 is in contact with the receiving shaft 51. Further, a movable portion 5 is provided on the lower surface of the elastic member 42 corresponding to the operation shaft 44.
3 are integrally formed, and each movable part 53 is in contact with the switch plate 54.

The switch plate 54 has a receiving shaft 51 inserted into a central portion thereof, and is supported by a return spring 55 attached to the receiving shaft 51. This switch plate 54
Is bent so as to have a spring property as a whole, and is elastically in contact with the movable portion 52 of the elastic member 42.
In addition, an inner portion of the elastic member 42 that comes into contact with the movable portion 53 is bent downward to form a movable contact 56. A switch contact 57 as a fixed contact is formed on the upper surface of the circuit board 34 corresponding to each movable contact 56.

In such a configuration, an appropriate mark 4
When the portion for forming 5 is pressed, the key button 41 is tilted downward with the shaft portion 43 as a fulcrum, so that the operation shaft 44 corresponding to the mark 45 is pushed down. And this operation shaft 44
Since the movable part 53 of the elastic member 42 corresponding to the above moves downward, the switch plate 54 is elastically deformed downward. Thereby, the movable contact 56 of the switch plate 54 comes into contact with the corresponding switch contact 57, so that switching can be performed. Therefore, even in such a configuration, 2
A large number of switching operations as described above can be performed, and a structure having waterproofness can be obtained.

FIGS. 16 to 18 show still another embodiment of the present invention, and the same elements as those in the embodiment shown in FIG. 13 are assigned the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, the key button 41 is formed in a thick wall shape in an arc shape, and a boss-shaped operation shaft 44 protrudes at four locations on the lower surface in the circumferential direction. On the other hand, the movable member 5 corresponding to each operation shaft 44 is provided on the elastic member 42.
3 is formed, and a shaft portion 60 for supporting a central portion of the lower surface of the key button 41 is formed in a central portion. A flexible circuit board 61 is provided in the case 32 below the elastic member 42.

A switch contact 62 is formed at a portion of the flexible circuit board 61 corresponding to the movable section 53, and each switch contact 62 is connected to the circuit board 34 of the timepiece module via the connection section 63. In this case, the distal end of the connection portion 63 is pressed by the conductive buffer 66 attached to the housing 65 and is connected to the substrate 34. The lower end surface of the movable portion 53 of the elastic member 42 is formed so as to have conductivity, so that the switching can be performed by pressing the key button 41.

As described above, according to the present invention, the key button
Elastic member arranged between the surface and the bottom of the case opening
However, to cover multiple through holes and springs,
Multiple switching operations are performed by pressing the outer periphery.
Not only can it be
Ensure that water does not enter the contact
And a small switch device that can

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a key button according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an example of a switch contact.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a modification of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a modification of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a modification of the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the operation of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a modification of the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a modification of the embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing the operation of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a modification of the embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a plan view of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a plan view of a key button.

FIG. 15 is a bottom view of the key button.

FIG. 16 is a sectional view of still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a sectional view of a key button.

FIG. 18 is a bottom view of the key button.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 case 2 key button 3 elastic member 12 switch contact

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-2-27629 (JP, A) Japanese Utility Model Showa 50-44274 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Showa 60-145525 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Showa 60- 59432 (JP, U) Jiko 3-13951 (JP, Y2) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01H 25/00 H01H 9/04 H01H 25/04

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] An opening formed along a bottom surface of the opening;
A case in which a plurality of through holes are formed at intervals, and a portion of the upper surface peripheral portion corresponding to the plurality of through holes.
By pressing, it moves downward with the central part as a fulcrum .
The key buttons arranged in the opening and the movable parts respectively inserted into the plurality of through holes
And the bottom surface of the key button and the bottom surface of the opening of the case.
An elastic member disposed therebetween, a circuit board disposed at a lower portion of the case, and a plurality of through holes formed on an upper surface of the circuit board.
And a plurality of switch contacts arranged at different positions, and a central portion of the key button is elastically pushed up from below.
A spring disposed at the center of the elastic member.
The elastic member is connected to the plurality of switches through an opening of the case.
To prevent water from entering the switch contact side.
On the bottom of the opening so as to cover the through hole and the spring
A multi-contact switch device characterized by being arranged . 2. The multi-contact switch device according to claim 1,
And The case includes a case body having the opening, and the
And a pedestal having a number of through holes.
Characteristic multi-contact switch device. 3. The multi-contact switch device according to claim 1,
And The outer peripheral edge of the elastic member has a ring-shaped seal portion.
On the ring-shaped seal portion and the key
-Hold between the outer periphery of the button and the inside of the case opening
Multi-contact switch device characterized in that plates are arranged
Place.