JP4203217B2 - Illuminated switch device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an illuminating switch device in which switching is performed by pressing an illuminating knob disposed in an opening of a nose member, and the illuminating knob can be illuminated with a transparent shine.
[0002]
[Prior art]
This type of illumination type switch device employs an illumination knob made of colorless or colored transparent resin as a knob for pressing operation, and since this illumination knob can be shined with light from a light source such as an LED, In particular, it exhibits excellent design properties in the dark.
[0003]
Conventionally, in such an illumination type switch device, for example, a colored transparent illumination knob obtained by mixing a dye or the like into a transparent resin such as acrylic, and an actuator that exhibits milky white color and is opaque but has translucency are publicly known. The rear end surface of the illumination knob, which is the boundary surface between the two, is in close contact with the actuator. This integrated illumination knob and actuator is assembled with the illumination knob exposed in the opening of a nose member installed in an instrument panel or the like in the vehicle. Inside the nose member, the actuator is mounted on the printed circuit board. It is arranged in front of the tact switch or LED.
[0004]
In the illumination type switch device configured as described above, the tact switch can be turned on / off via the actuator by pushing the illumination knob, and when the LED is turned on, the light is transmitted inside the actuator. Since the light is diffused and supplied to the rear end surface of the illumination knob, the illumination knob can be illuminated with a transparent shine particularly in a dark place.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the conventional illumination type switch device described above, since the illumination knob and the actuator are produced by two-color molding, the boundary surface between the two is fused at a high temperature, which corresponds to this boundary surface. The rear end face of the illumination knob cannot be formed as flat as cut glass. For this reason, even if transmitted light diffused from a translucent actuator is supplied to the rear end surface of the illumination knob, the illumination knob cannot be made to shine beautifully like a cut glass. It was an obstacle. In addition, when the two-color molding technique is adopted, there is a problem that a rise in manufacturing cost is unavoidable because mold costs and processing costs increase.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in view of such a state of the art, and an object of the present invention is to illuminate an illumination switch that can make the illumination knob shine beautifully like a cut glass and reduce the manufacturing cost. To provide an apparatus.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, a separate illumination knob is engaged with an actuator that is opaque and has translucency, and the both are integrated, and the illumination knob is opposed to the back surface of the nose member. The stopper portion housed inside is projected. This eliminates the need for two-color molding, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost and making the rear end surface of the illumination knob flat so that the illumination knob can be shined beautifully like cut glass. . Further, even when the illumination knob is strongly pulled toward the front, the position of the stopper is abutted against the nose member, so that there is no fear that the illumination knob falls off the actuator.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the illuminated switch device of the present invention, an illumination knob made of a colorless or colored transparent resin disposed in the opening of the nose member, an opaque actuator having translucency, and a light source for irradiating the actuator with light A switch element that is pressed by the actuator when the illumination knob is pressed, and illuminates the illumination knob by diffusing the light from the light source. The actuator includes the nose. A front edge portion is provided opposite the back surface of the member, and a notch is provided in the front edge portion, and the rear portion of the illumination knob is engaged with the actuator to integrate them. protrudes into and back side facing said nose member is provided with a stopper portion which is housed in come the cut, the Actuator It is said stopper portion and the front edge portion of the over data has a configuration which is arranged to face the back surface of the nose member.
[0009]
Since the illumination type switch device configured in this way only needs to lock the rear part of the illumination knob formed separately to a separate actuator, compared to the case where both are produced by two-color molding, Not only can the manufacturing cost be reduced, but the rear end surface of the illumination knob to which the diffused light from the actuator is supplied can be made flat, making it possible to make the illumination knob shine beautifully like cut glass. Designability can be improved. Even when the illumination knob is strongly pulled toward the front, the position of the stopper is abutted against the nose member, so that the illumination knob can be reliably prevented from falling off the actuator.
[0010]
In the above configuration, it is possible to use snap coupling or adhesion as means for integrating the rear part of the illumination knob and the actuator, but it is possible to integrate both by fitting the rear part of the illumination knob to the actuator. Preferably, this simplifies the shape of the illumination knob and the actuator, thus allowing further reduction in manufacturing costs.
[0011]
【Example】
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an illumination type switch device according to the embodiment, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an integral part of the actuator, and FIG. 4 is a process explanatory diagram when integrating the illumination knob and the actuator shown in FIG.
[0012]
The illumination type switch device shown in FIG. 1 includes an illumination knob 1 having a plurality of stoppers 1a projecting from the side, an actuator 2 integrated with the illumination knob 1, and an actuator 2 mounted on a printed circuit board 3. The tact switch 4 that is opposed to the rear end face in the vicinity and the LED 5 that is also mounted on the printed board 3 and irradiates the actuator 2 with light. The illumination knob 1 is a colored transparent material in which a dye or the like is mixed in a transparent resin such as acrylic, and the rear end surface 1b is formed flat. On the other hand, the actuator 2 is an opaque but translucent resin material such as milky white, and a concave portion 2a having a plurality of notches 2b is formed on the front surface thereof, and an inner bottom surface of the concave portion 2a is also formed. It is molded flat. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the rear portion of the illumination knob 1 is lightly fitted into the concave portion 2a of the actuator 2 so that both the portions 1 and 2 are integrated, and each stopper portion 1a is placed in the notch 2b. Has been inserted. However, even if the rear portion of the illumination knob 1 is fitted into the actuator 2, a slight clearance C is secured between the rear end surface 1b of the illumination knob 1 and the inner bottom surface of the concave portion 2a of the actuator 2 as shown in FIG. ing.
[0013]
In the illumination type switch device having such a configuration, the integrated illumination knob 1 and actuator 2 are in a state in which the illumination knob 1 is exposed in the opening 6a of the nose member 6 installed in an instrument panel or the like in the vehicle. Incorporated, each stopper portion 1a of the illumination knob 1 is disposed at a position facing the back surface of the nose member 6. Inside the nose member 6, the stopper 1 a of the illumination knob 1 and the front edge of the recess 2 a of the actuator 2 face the back surface of the nose member 6, and the actuator 2 is connected to the tact switch 4 and the LED 5 on the printed circuit board 3. Arranged forward. When the illumination knob 1 is pushed in, the tact switch 4 can be turned on / off via the actuator 2. When the LED 5 is turned on, the light is diffused inside the actuator 2 and the rear end surface of the illumination knob 1. 1b is supplied.
[0014]
As described above, in this embodiment, the illumination knob 1 and the actuator 2, which are separate molded products, are lightly fitted to each other so that the two and the two are integrated. Compared with the case of manufacturing, the manufacturing cost including the mold cost can be greatly reduced. Moreover, since the illumination knob 1 and the actuator 2 are independent molded articles, the rear end surface 1b of the illumination knob 1 to which the diffused light from the actuator 2 is supplied can be flattened, and therefore the illumination knob 1 is cut glass. It can make it shine beautifully. Further, in the present embodiment, the stopper portion 1a facing the back surface of the nose member 6 protrudes from the illumination knob 1. Therefore, even when the illumination knob 1 is strongly pulled toward the front, the stopper portion 1a remains at the nose member 6. Therefore, the illumination knob 1 can be reliably prevented from falling off the actuator 2. That is, even if it is a simple integrated structure in which the rear portion of the illumination knob 1 is lightly fitted to the actuator 2, the illumination knob 1 is provided with the stopper portion 1a. There is no worry of being damaged.
[0015]
In the above-described embodiment, an integrated structure in which the rear part of the illumination knob 1 is lightly fitted to the actuator 2 is adopted. However, the two parts 1 and 2 are integrated by other methods such as strong fitting and snap coupling. In short, any structure may be used as long as the rear portion of the illumination knob 1 is locked to the separate actuator 2. Moreover, since the stopper part 1a is for contact | abutting to the nose member 6 and preventing dropping of the illumination knob 1, the magnitude | size and shape can be set arbitrarily.
[0016]
【The invention's effect】
The present invention is implemented in the form as described above, and has the following effects.
[0017]
The rear part of the illumination knob is locked to an opaque and translucent actuator to integrate the two, and protrudes sideways to the illumination knob so as to face the back surface of the nose member . since provided with a stopper portion which is accommodated in, compared with the case of manufacturing an illumination knob actuator in two-color molding together it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost, can be formed flat rear end face of the illumination knob, the It becomes possible to make the illumination knob shine beautifully like cut glass. In addition, even when the illumination knob integrated with the actuator is pulled strongly toward the front, the position of the stopper is abutted against the nose member, so that the illumination knob does not fall out of the actuator.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an illuminated switch device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG.
3 is a perspective view showing an integral part of an illumination knob and an actuator shown in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a process explanatory diagram when integrating the illumination knob and the actuator shown in FIG. 3;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Illumination knob 1a Stopper part 1b Rear end surface 2 Actuator 2a Recessed part 2b Notch 3 Printed circuit board 4 Tactile switch (switch element)
5 LED (light source)
6 Nose member 6a Opening C Clearance

Claims (2)

An illumination knob made of a colorless or colored transparent resin disposed in the opening of the nose member, an opaque actuator having translucency, a light source for irradiating light to the actuator, and the pressing operation of the illumination knob An illuminating switch device that comprises a switch element that is pressed and driven by an actuator, and diffuses light from the light source by the actuator to illuminate the illumination knob.
The actuator is provided with a front edge portion facing the back surface of the nose member, and a notch is provided in the front edge portion,
The rear part of the illumination knob is engaged with the actuator so as to integrate both, and a stopper part that protrudes laterally to the illumination knob and faces the back surface of the nose member and is accommodated in the notch. Provided,
The illuminated switch device , wherein the front edge portion of the actuator and the stopper portion are arranged to face the back surface of the nose member .   2. The illumination type switch device according to claim 1, wherein a rear portion of the illumination knob is fitted to the actuator.

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