JP5241130B2 - Switch mechanism and electronic device having switch mechanism - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a switch mechanism, and more particularly to a multidirectional operation switch mechanism.

  2. Description of the Related Art A switch mechanism that protects a switch body and a substrate from an excessive force applied when operating a switch mounted on an electronic device and improves the operation feeling is known.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a conventional switch mechanism. In FIG. 7, a switch mechanism is configured by including a user button 2 held in a casing 1, a connecting member 5 that connects the user button 2 and the shaft 4 of the switch body 3, and a spring member 6. The switch body 3 is soldered to the land pattern 8 of the substrate 7 fixed to the housing 1 and fixed to the substrate 7. The difference between the operation stroke L1 of the user button 2 and the proper operation stroke L2 of the shaft 4 is absorbed by the spring member 6. Therefore, the excessive force for operation is not transmitted to the switch body 3, the substrate 7, and the land pattern 8, and the operation feeling is improved while protecting them. (See Patent Document 1)
In some cases, a multi-directional switch mechanism is employed in which the key top of one operation portion protruding from the main body is operated by tilting in multiple directions. In particular, a push-in operation in one direction and a 5-way operation switch operated by tilting in four directions operate as a push-in switch by the push-in operation of the operation unit, and the operation unit is tilted radially from the center direction. Thus, it operates as a switch in any of the four directions. That is, it operates as an upper key when the operation unit is tilted upward, and operates as a down, right, and left key when tilted downward, right, and left, respectively. (See Patent Document 2)
JP 9-35577 A JP 2003-100182 A

Even in the multidirectional operation switch mechanism, if an excessive load is applied, the switch body or the printed circuit board may be broken or damaged. However, if the conventional example shown in FIG. 7 is applied to the multidirectional operation switch mechanism, there is a problem that the multidirectional operation switch mechanism becomes large.

  An object of the present invention is to protect a switch body and a substrate from excessive force without increasing the size of a switch mechanism capable of multidirectional input.

Switch mechanism of the present invention includes a manipulable operation member to at least the pushing direction inclined direction, a switch for outputting a signal in response to an operation of the operating member has a shaft portion, the operating member and the switch An elastic member interposed between the shaft portion and a stopper member that restricts displacement of the operation member in the pushing direction by contacting the operation member when the operation member is operated in the pushing direction; The elastic member is set to an elastic force larger than the force required for the switch to output a signal, and the portion where the operation member and the stopper member abut is at a position other than the tilt direction in which the switch outputs a signal. while being set, when they are operating the operating member in the tilt direction in which the switch outputs a signal, that the stopper member and the operating member do not abut And butterflies.

  The switch body and the substrate can be protected from excessive force without increasing the size of the switch mechanism capable of multi-directional input.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1-5 is a figure explaining the multidirectional operation switch mechanism which is embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a video camera as an electronic apparatus equipped with a multidirectional operation switch mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multidirectional operation switch of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a view of the multidirectional operation switch of FIG. 1 as viewed from the operation surface side. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

  Reference numeral 101 denotes an operation member that can be operated by the user of the video camera. Reference numeral 301 denotes a switch body. Reference numeral 302 denotes a printed circuit board having a circuit for transmitting an electrical signal of the switch body 301. Reference numeral 303 denotes an elastic member interposed between the operation member 101 and the switch body 301. A stopper member 304 is provided on the upper portion of the switch body 301.

  The switch body 301 is a switch that can output signals in five directions that can be pushed in at the center and tilted in four directions, up, down, left, and right.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the multidirectional operation switch body according to the embodiment of the present invention. The switch body 301 includes a box-shaped case 301a and a shaft portion 301d. As shown in FIG. 4, inside the switch body 301, a plurality of movable segments 602b and fixed contacts 602c, 602d are arranged at positions corresponding to the respective operation directions, and the shaft portion 301d has a plurality of movable segments. The convex part which presses 602b is formed.

  The switch body 301 operates the shaft portion 301d, so that the convex portion on the back surface of the shaft portion 301d presses the movable segment 602b corresponding to each operation direction, and is turned on for each operation direction. Further, the switch body 301 is turned on in the pushing direction by pushing the shaft portion 301d L3a. Further, by tilting the shaft portion 301d by θ3 in each direction, the shaft portion 301d is turned on in each of the four directions.

The operation member 101 includes a key top 101a, a flange 101b larger than the diameter of the key top, a convex portion 101c provided on the bottom surface of the operation member 101, and an opening 101d. A shaft portion 301d of the switch body 301 is inserted into the opening portion 101d of the operation member 101 via an elastic member 303 described later. As shown in FIG. 2, the convex portion 101 c provided on the bottom surface of the operation member 101 is formed in a direction different in phase by 45 degrees from the up, down, left, and right directions which are the tilt directions in which the switch body 301 outputs a signal. Further, the convex portion 101c is formed in the vicinity of the opening 101d for inserting the shaft portion 301d of the switch body 301. As a result, the amount of movement of the operation member 101 in the push-in direction caused by the displacement of the operation member 101 in the tilt direction can be reduced.

  The elastic member 303 is attached to the shaft portion 301 d of the operation switch body 301, and the shaft portion 301 d of the switch body 301 to which the elastic member 303 is attached is inserted into the opening portion 101 d of the operation member 101. As a result, the operation member 101 can be attached to the switch body 301 without play. Further, the same effect can be obtained even when the elastic member 303 is attached to the opening 101d side of the operation member 101 and the shaft portion 301d of the switch body 301 is inserted.

  Further, the elastic member 303 may be formed integrally with the shaft portion 301 d of the switch body 301 or the operation member 101. In addition, the elastic force of the elastic member 303 is set to be larger than the force with which the dome-shaped movable section 602b of the switch body 301 tries to return to the initial position. Therefore, the amount of deformation of the elastic member 303 is extremely small with the force required for the switch body 301 to output the ON signal, so that the operational feeling of the switch body 301 is not lost. In this embodiment, a cushion material is used as the elastic member 303, but an elastomer, a coil spring, or the like may be used.

  A front cover 102 having an opening hole larger than the diameter of the key top 101a of the operation member 101 and smaller than the diameter of the flange 101b is fixed to the casing of the video camera shown in FIG. It is configured not to fall out of the video camera body. The key top 101a of the operation member 101 is attached to the switch body 301 with a gap between the stopper member 304 and L3b in a state of protruding from the front cover 102.

The stopper member 304 is at least partially located on the upper part of the switch body 301 and is fixed to the frame member 400. At the center of the stopper member 304, the shaft portion 301d of the switch body 301 has hole is provided to be inserted, on the periphery of the hole, the base portion for contact with the protrusion 101c provided on the bottom surface of the operating member 101 304a is provided. By providing the pedestal portion 304a, it is possible to reduce the amount of movement in the push-in direction that occurs when the operation member 101 is operated in the tilt direction.

  Here, the stopper member 304 may be provided with a convex portion that contacts the bottom surface of the operation member 101 in a direction avoiding the operation direction due to the inclination of the operation member 101. Further, the stopper member 304 may be molded integrally with the frame member 400.

  Next, the operation of the multidirectional operation switch mechanism configured as described above will be described.

  In FIG. 3, FIG. 3 (a) particularly shows the state before the key top 101a is operated. FIG. 3B shows a state in which the key top 101a is operated in the pushing direction and is turned on in the pushing direction. FIG.3 (c) has shown the state which added the load to the excessive pushing direction beyond the switch operation load further from FIG.3 (b). In addition, in each form of FIG. 3, the code | symbol is not attached | subjected regarding the common member and site | part.

  In FIG. 3, when the push-down operation load Fy is applied and pushed into the key top 101a, the key top 101a is displaced from the position shown in FIG. 3A to the switch body 301 side. 3A, the switch body 301 is turned on at the position shown in FIG. 3B where the key top 101a is depressed L3a.

  In the switch main body 301, a stopper member 304 is arranged at a position taking into account the design margin L3x in order to ensure the reliability of the switch operation operation. That is, L3b = L3a + L3x is set. When a pressing operation load is further applied to the key top 101a from the position shown in FIG. 3B, the elastic member 303 is compressed L3x, and at the position shown in FIG. The convex portion 101c provided on the bottom surface comes into contact. Therefore, even if the key top 101a is pushed down with an excessive force, the displacement of the operation member 101 is limited. As a result, even if an excessive load in the direction in which the operation member 101 is pushed in is applied, no force is applied to the switch body 301 and the printed board 302, and the switch body 301 and the printed board 302 can be prevented from being broken or damaged. it can.

  The multi-directional operation switch of this embodiment tilts the shaft portion 301d of the switch body 301 in a desired direction by pressing the key top 101a from the side when tilting in four directions, up, down, left and right. ing. 5 and 3 (d) show the ON state in the tilt direction of the multidirectional operation switch mechanism of the present embodiment. In particular, FIG. 5 is a view of the multidirectional operation switch as viewed from the front. FIG. 3E shows a state in which an excessive load is applied to the operation member 101 from the position of FIG.

The abutment by the convex portion 101c provided on the bottom surface of the operation member 101 and the pedestal portion 304a of the stopper member 304 is centered on the inclination of the shaft portion 301d of the switch body 301 in a direction avoiding the inclination operation direction (up / down / left / right direction). It is set in a close part. Therefore, the amount of movement in the push-in direction during the tilt operation is reduced. Thereby, before the multidirectional switch is inclined by θ3, the stopper member 304 and the operation member 101 do not come into contact with each other, and the switch body 301 can be operated. That is, the stopper member 304 can tilt the shaft portion 301d of the switch body 301 by θ3 without hindering the operation of the operation member 101 in the tilting direction.

  Here, when a load in the tilt direction is further applied to the key top 101a, the elastic member 303 is compressed, and the front cover 102 and the operation member 101 come into contact with each other at the position shown in FIG. It will not move any more. As a result, even if an excessive load in the direction of tilting the operation member 101 is applied, no force is applied to the switch body 301 and the printed board 302, and the switch body 301 and the printed board 302 are prevented from being broken or damaged. be able to.

The perspective view of the multidirectional operation switch which is embodiment of this invention. The figure which looked at the multidirectional operation switch which is embodiment of this invention from the operation surface side. Sectional drawing of the multidirectional operation switch which is embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing of the principal part of the switch main body 301. FIG. The figure which looked at the multidirectional operation switch at the time of inclination operation from the operation surface side. The figure explaining the video camera carrying the multidirectional operation switch of this embodiment. The figure explaining the conventional switch mechanism.

Claims (5)

And operation member operable to at least pushing direction inclined direction,
A switch having a shaft portion and outputting a signal corresponding to the operation of the operation member;
An elastic member interposed between the operating member and the shaft portion of the switch;
A stopper member that restricts displacement of the operation member in the pushing direction by contacting the operation member when the operation member is operated in the pushing direction;
The elastic member is set to an elastic force larger than a force required for the switch to output a signal,
The portion where the operation member and the stopper member abut is set at a position other than the tilt direction in which the switch outputs a signal ,
When the operation member is operated in an inclination direction in which the switch outputs a signal, the operation member and the stopper member do not come into contact with each other .   The switch mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the stopper member that contacts the operation member is positioned between the operation member and the switch.   The switch mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a convex portion is formed on a portion of the operation member that contacts the stopper member.   4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cover member that restricts displacement of the operation member in the inclination direction by contacting the operation member when the operation member is operated in the inclination direction. 5. The switch mechanism described.   The electronic device which has a switch mechanism of any one of Claims 1 thru | or 4.

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