JP5292198B2 - Input device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inputting device capable of using a light load switch by canceling looseness of a rotating body and improving functionality by making the switch to work in a double step. <P>SOLUTION: The inputting device is composed of a printed circuit board 32 having a peripheral stationary contact and a rotary encoder contact, a peripheral moving contact 52a, a first switch 34 positioned on the peripheral moving contact 52a, a housing 35 mounted on the printed circuit board 32 and having a bearing part 35b connected with a mounting stationary part 35a with an arm part 35c in-between, a rotating body 36 with an axial part 36b axially supported by the bearing part 35b and with a peripheral wall part 36 positioned on the first switch 34, and a contact member 38 having a slider 38 contact-sliding with the rotary encoder contact. The first switch 34 can be operated by a lighter load than the second switch composed of the peripheral stationary contact and the peripheral moving contact 52a, and the rotating body 36 can be operated in an inclined action together with the bearing part 35b by elastic deformation of the arm part 35c and the first and the second switches are pushing-operated one by one. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an input device in which a multidirectional operation switch and a rotary encoder are integrated.

  This type of input device is used in an input unit of a device such as a mobile phone, a digital camera, or a portable information terminal. 19 to 20 show a configuration described in Patent Document 1 as a conventional example of such an input device, FIG. 19A shows an external appearance, and FIG. 19B shows a partially broken interior. Is. FIG. 20 is an exploded view of each part.

  In this example, the input device includes a base 11, a flexible printed wiring board 12 disposed on the base 11, a housing 13 fixed on the base 11, a rotary encoder 14 rotatably attached to the housing 13, and a rotary A key top 15 disposed in the center of the encoder 14 and a rotating body (encoder jog) 16 connected to the rotary encoder 14 so as to be integrally rotatable are provided.

  The flexible printed wiring board 12 includes a circular portion 12a mounted on the base 11 and a cable portion 12b derived from the circular portion 12a. A central fixed contact 17 is formed at the center of the circular portion 12a. A rotary encoder contact 18 is formed on the circumference surrounding the fixed contact 17. Further, four peripheral fixed contacts 19 are formed at 90 ° intervals on the circumference surrounding the rotary encoder contact 18.

  A central movable contact 21 is formed on the central fixed contact 17 in the form of a dome that is click-reversed to form a central switch. Similarly, a peripheral movable contact 22 in the form of a dome is disposed on each peripheral fixed contact 19. Peripheral switches are configured.

  The housing 13 has a disc portion 13a having an opening in the center and an annular shaft portion 13b formed to project from the periphery of the opening. The disc portion 13a has four peripheral switch pressing portions 13c in a cantilever shape. Is formed.

  The rotary encoder 14 includes an operation ring member 23, a conductive ring plate 24, and the like, and a plurality of detent recesses 23a that provide a click feeling when rotating are formed on the lower outer peripheral surface of the operation ring member 23. In the conductive ring plate 24, pins provided in the operation ring member 23 are passed through the four positioning holes 24a so as to be in contact with the lower surface of the operation ring member 23. At this time, each pin has a sliding contact for the encoder. (Not shown) is attached in contact with the conductive ring plate 24.

  The rotary encoder 14 inserts the operation ring member 23 into the annular shaft portion 13b of the housing 13 from the lower side of the housing 13, so that the portion where the detent recess 23a is formed contacts the lower surface of the annular shaft portion 13b. And is rotatably attached to the housing 13. A detent spring 25 that engages with the detent recess 23 a is attached to the housing 13.

  The rotating body 16 has an annular shape with an opening in the center, and a locking piece 16a for locking the rotating body 16 and the rotary encoder 14 together on the lower surface side is locked by the locking portion 23b of the operation ring member 23. Four are formed at intervals of 90 °. An annular portion 16b is formed on the lower surface side so as to be positioned on the peripheral switch pressing portion 13c of the housing 13.

  The key top 15 is inserted and attached to the central hole of the rotary encoder 14 from below, and the housing 13 is sandwiched between the rotary encoder 14 to which the key top 15 is attached and the rotating body 16 so that they are assembled together. The assembly is completed by inserting and fixing the pin provided on the lower surface of the housing 13 into the mounting hole 11a of the base 11.

  In this input device, when the rotating body 16 is rotated, the rotary encoder 14 is rotated. When the rotating body 16 is tilted, the annular portion 16b presses the protrusion 13d of the peripheral switch pressing portion 13c on the tilting side, thereby correspondingly. The peripheral movable contact 22 is inverted and the peripheral switch is operated. Further, when the key top 15 is pressed, the center switch is operated.

JP 2007-66635 A

  By the way, in the conventional input device having the structure as described above, the rotating body 16 tilts when the outer peripheral side of the rotating body 16 is pushed. To enable this tilting operation, A certain amount of margin (gap between the four locking pieces 16a of the rotating body 16 that engages with the locking portion 23b of the operating ring member 23 inserted into the annular shaft portion 13b of the housing 13 and the operating ring member 23. ) Is necessary, and accordingly, the rotating body 16 is likely to be rattled.

  Further, since the rotating body 16 is assembled and connected to the rotary encoder 14 only by the four locking pieces 16a located at the peripheral edge of the central opening, a slight force is required when the rotating body 16 is rotated. However, the rotating body 16 is easy to tilt, and also in this respect, the rotating body 16 is likely to be rattled. Therefore, the rotating operability and stability are difficult.

  On the other hand, if there is a backlash in the rotating body that serves as both the rotary encoder rotation operation and the peripheral switch pressing operation, there is a problem that, for example, when a light load switch is used for the peripheral switch, a malfunction is likely to occur. It has been difficult to use this switch.

  In view of such a problem, the object of the present invention is to eliminate looseness of a rotating body that is rotated and tilted so as to obtain good operability, and to be able to use a light load switch. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an input device in which peripheral switches are arranged in two stages to improve functions.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, an input device in which a multidirectional operation switch and a rotary encoder are integrated includes a plurality of peripheral fixed contacts arranged on the circumference, and the circle on the inner side of the circumference. A printed wiring board having a plurality of rotary encoder contacts arranged in a ring shape around the circumference, a peripheral movable contact disposed on each peripheral fixed contact, and a first positioned on each peripheral movable contact The switch is mounted on the printed wiring board, and is mounted in a ring shape surrounding a plurality of peripheral fixed contacts, and is located in the mounting fixed portion and is connected via the mounting fixed portion and the plurality of arms. A housing having an annular bearing portion, an operating surface, and a shaft portion protruding in the center opposite to the operating surface is pivotally supported by the bearing portion, and the peripheral wall portion is positioned on the first switch. Fixed to the tip of the shaft and the shaft The shaft portion is configured to prevent the shaft portion from coming off from the bearing portion, and includes a contact member having a slider that is in sliding contact with the rotary encoder contact. The first switch includes a peripheral fixed contact and a peripheral movable contact. It is possible to perform a pressing operation with a light load from the switch 2, and the rotating body can be tilted together with the bearing portion by elastically deforming the arm portion, and the tilting first switch is pressed by the tilting, Further tilting causes the second switch to be pressed.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a protrusion for pressing the first switch is formed on the outer periphery of the bearing portion, and the protrusion is sandwiched between the peripheral wall portion and the first switch. .

  According to the invention of claim 3, in the invention of claim 2, the mounting fixing part is formed with a plurality of protrusions protruding on the inner peripheral surface and having the lower surface in contact with the printed wiring board, and the upper surfaces of the protrusions are It is located below the contact surface of the peripheral wall portion and the projection.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the spring having an engaging portion that engages with the concavity and convexity is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the portion of the shaft portion located on the bearing portion. Mounted on the housing.

  According to the invention of claim 5, in the invention of claim 1, a through hole is formed in the center of the rotating body, a button is disposed in the through hole, and a central switch that is pressed by the button is provided on the printed wiring board. It is done.

  In the invention of claim 6, in the invention of claim 5, the central switch is a two-stage switch.

  In the invention of claim 7, in the invention of claim 1, the first switch is made of a membrane switch, and the lower electrode sheet of the membrane switch and the printed wiring board are integrally formed by folding the flexible printed wiring board. A presser that presses the peripheral edge of the membrane switch against the reaction force is formed on the housing.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the first switch includes the peripheral movable contact and a metal plate pusher that contacts and separates from the peripheral movable contact. The pusher includes a printed wiring board and an elastic member. The contacting spring piece is integrally formed, and a presser that presses the peripheral edge of the pusher against the spring force of the spring piece is formed on the housing.

  According to this invention, when the outer peripheral portion of the rotating body is pushed in, the arm portion of the housing is elastically deformed, and the tilting operation of the rotating body is possible by tilting the bearing portion of the housing. The shaft portion can be pivotally supported by the bearing portion without play.

  Therefore, there is no rattling on the rotating body, good rotating operability and stability can be obtained, and it is possible to place a light load switch under the rotating body. By adopting a two-stage structure of the second switch and the first switch operated with a lighter load than the second switch, it is possible to realize an input device with excellent operability and rich functions.

The figure which shows 1st Example of the input device by this invention, A is a front view, B is a side view, C is a rear view. The perspective view of the input device shown in FIG. Sectional drawing of the input device shown in FIG. The elements on larger scale of FIG. The perspective view which abbreviate | omitted one part of the input device shown in FIG. The perspective view which decomposed | disassembled the input device shown in FIG. 1, and was seen from upper direction. The perspective view which decomposed | disassembled the input device shown in FIG. 1, and was seen from upper direction. The perspective view which decomposed | disassembled the input device shown in FIG. 1, and was seen from the downward direction. The perspective view which decomposed | disassembled the input device shown in FIG. 1, and was seen from the downward direction. The perspective view for demonstrating the assembly of the input device shown in FIG. The perspective view for demonstrating the assembly of the input device shown in FIG. The disassembled perspective view for demonstrating the 2nd Example of the input device by this invention. The disassembled perspective view for demonstrating the 2nd Example of the input device by this invention. The perspective view which abbreviate | omitted a part of 2nd Example of the input device by this invention. The disassembled perspective view of the 3rd Example of the input device by this invention. The disassembled perspective view of the 3rd Example of the input device by this invention. The expansion perspective view of the pusher in Drawing 13-2. The perspective view which abbreviate | omitted a part of 3rd Example of the input device by this invention. The top view which a part of 3rd Example of the input device by this invention abbreviate | omitted. FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 16. FIG. 18 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 17. A is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional configuration of an input device, and B is a perspective view showing a partially broken internal structure. The disassembled perspective view of the input device shown in FIG.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1 and 2 show the appearance of a first embodiment of an input device according to the present invention, FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional structure thereof, and FIG. 4 shows a partially enlarged view of FIG. . FIG. 5 shows the internal structure with a part omitted, and FIGS. 6-1, 6-2 and 7-1, 7-2 are broken down into parts and viewed from above and below, respectively. It is shown. First, the configuration of each unit will be described with reference to FIGS. 6-1, 6-2, 7-1, and 7-2.

  In this example, the input device includes a plate 31, a flexible printed wiring board 32 having a predetermined pattern and a switch formed on the upper surface thereof, a pusher 33, a membrane switch 34, a housing 35, and a rotating body 36. The stopper member 37, the contact member 38, and the button 39 are used, and double-sided tapes 41 and 42 are used to fix the flexible printed wiring board 32 and the pusher 33, respectively.

  The rectangular plate 31 is made of metal, and a pair of holes 31a for fixing the input device and positioning holes 31b and 31c are formed at four corners.

  The flexible printed wiring board 32 includes a substantially circular portion 32a and a cable portion 32b derived from the substantially circular portion 32a. A central switch 51 is formed at the center of the substantially circular portion 32a, and a peripheral switch 52 is formed on the circumference surrounding the central switch 51. In this example, four peripheral switches 52 are arranged at intervals of 90 °. Between the circumference in which the peripheral switches 52 are arranged and the central switch 51, rotary encoder contacts 53 are arranged in an annular shape along the circumference. In FIG. 6B, dotted electrodes 53a indicate, for example, a-phase electrodes, and hatched electrodes 53b indicate b-phase electrodes. Reference numeral 53c denotes a ground electrode.

  In this example, the central switch 51 includes a central fixed contact formed on the flexible printed wiring board 32 and a central movable contact 51a (see FIG. 3) disposed on the central fixed contact 51a. An ON / OFF operation is performed by clicking and reversing. Similarly, the peripheral switch 52 is composed of a peripheral fixed contact formed on the flexible printed wiring board 32 and a dome-shaped peripheral movable contact 52a (see FIG. 3) disposed on the peripheral switch 52, and the peripheral movable contact 52a is clicked. The ON / OFF operation is performed by reversing. A circular cover sheet 54 is covered on the central movable contact 51a, and a ring-shaped cover sheet 55 is covered on the four peripheral movable contacts 52a. The central movable contact 51a is covered by these cover sheets 54 and 55. The peripheral movable contact 52a is positioned and fixed at a predetermined position.

  The membrane switch 34 includes an upper electrode sheet 61, a lower electrode sheet 62, a spacer 63, and an ACF (anisotropic conductive film) 64. The upper electrode sheet 61 and the lower electrode sheet 62 are laminated with the spacer 63 and the ACF 64 interposed therebetween. Composed. In this example, the lower electrode sheet 62 is integrated with the flexible printed wiring board 32, and is connected to the substantially circular portion 32a of the flexible printed wiring board 32 through a pair of connecting portions 32c.

  The membrane switch 34 has a ring shape as a whole, and has a square protrusion on the outer periphery of which the ACF 64 is disposed. Electrodes 65 and 66 are formed on the opposing surfaces of the upper electrode sheet 61 and the lower electrode sheet 62 so as to oppose each other, and an ON / OFF operation is performed by contacting and separating these electrodes 65 and 66. The electrodes 65 and 66 are formed so as to be positioned on four peripheral switches 52 formed on the flexible printed wiring board 32, respectively, and the membrane switch 34 has four switch portions 67 (see FIG. 3). It has become. The electrode 66 includes a small circular pattern and a ring-shaped pattern surrounding the small circular pattern, and the electrode 65 is a large circular pattern. The spacer 63 is formed with four holes 68 so that the electrodes 65 and 66 face each other.

  The pusher 33 is disposed between the membrane switch 34 and the peripheral switch 52, has a ring shape, and has four protrusions 33a formed on the lower surface thereof corresponding to the positions of the four peripheral switches 52. .

  The housing 35 has an annular shape, a mounting fixing portion 35a having a size surrounding the four peripheral switches 52, an annular bearing portion 35b located in the center of the mounting fixing portion 35a, the mounting fixing portion 35a and the bearing portion 35b. And an arm portion 35c that connects the two. The arm portions 35c are formed by extending in the circumferential direction, and in this example, four arm portions 35c are provided at equiangular intervals.

The mounting fixing portion 35a has four plate-like protruding portions 35d protruding on the inner peripheral surface on the lower surface side.
Further, a connecting portion 35e having a height slightly higher than the mounting fixing portion 35a is formed following the protruding portion 35d, and one end side of each arm portion 35c is connected to the upper side of the connecting portion 35e. ing. On the other hand, the other end side of each arm portion 35c is connected to a protruding portion 35f protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the bearing portion 35b. A protrusion 35g is further formed to protrude from the lower surface of the tip of each of the four protrusions 35f.

  The bearing portion 35b and the four arm portions 35c have a small thickness and are positioned so as to float above the lower surface of the mounting and fixing portion 35a, and the bearing portion 35b has a so-called floating structure. The upper surfaces of the four protrusions 35g are positioned above the upper surface of the protruding portion 35d of the mounting fixing portion 35a, and the lower surfaces thereof are positioned above the lower surface of the mounting fixing portion 35a. A boss 35h is formed on the lower surface of each protruding portion 35d, and two narrow protrusions 35i are formed on the lower surface of the bearing portion 35b in a concentric manner. Further, a notch is provided on the inner peripheral side (opposite side of the protruding portion 35d) of the lower surface of each connecting portion 35e, and a presser 35j is formed by a step portion formed by the notch. Further, a notch 35k is formed on the lower surface of the mounting fixing portion 35a.

  The rotating body 36 has a circular operation surface 36a, and a shaft portion 36b is formed to project at the center opposite to the operation surface 36a (back surface side). The shaft portion 36b includes a large diameter portion 36c and a small diameter portion 36d, and three bosses 36e are formed on the distal end surface of the small diameter portion 36d on the distal end side. A peripheral wall portion 36f is formed on the outer periphery of the operation surface 36a, and a flange portion 36g is further formed on the outer peripheral lower end side of the peripheral wall portion 36f. A through hole 36h is formed in the center of the rotating body 36, and an inner peripheral side portion of the operation surface 36a surrounding the through hole 36h is a tapered surface 36i, that is, has a countersink shape. A large number of minute convex portions 36j are formed radially on the outer peripheral side portion.

  The retaining member 37 has a donut plate shape, and is formed with three holes 37a through which the bosses 36e of the rotating body 36 are inserted.

  The contact member 38 has a ring shape, and is formed by cutting and raising a slider 38a at three locations in the circumferential direction. Further, like the retaining member 37, three holes 38b into which the bosses 36e of the rotating body 36 are inserted are formed.

  The button 39 includes a columnar portion 39a that constitutes a pressing operation surface, a pressing projection 39b that is formed to project from the center of the lower surface, and a pair of leg portions 39c that are formed to project from the peripheral surface of the lower surface of the columnar portion 39a. These leg portions 39c are projected from the lower surface of the columnar portion 39a, then stretched in the circumferential direction, and further lowered in one step and stretched in the circumferential direction. In addition, an assembly boss 39d is formed to project from the lower surfaces of the distal ends of the pair of leg portions 39c, and a small-diameter positioning boss 39e is formed to project from the lower surface of the distal end of one leg portion 39c. A large diameter portion 39f is provided at the lower end of the columnar portion 39a.

  The rotating body 36, the housing 35, and the button 39 are made of resin, and the retaining member 37 and the pusher 33 are made of metal or resin. The contact member 38 is formed, for example, by processing a phosphor bronze plate, and its surface is plated with Au. The plate 31 is formed of, for example, a stainless plate.

  Each part is assembled as follows.

The substantially circular portion 32a of the flexible printed wiring board 32 in which the central switch 51 and the peripheral switch 52 are configured is mounted and fixed on the plate 31 as shown in FIG. Fixing is performed using a double-sided tape 41. As described above, the lower electrode sheet 62 of the membrane switch 34 is integrally formed via the substantially circular portion 32a of the flexible printed wiring board 32 and the pair of connecting portions 32c. FIG. 8 shows a state before the pair of connecting portions 32 are folded back. Shows the state.

  The flexible printed wiring board 32 to which the plate 31, the double-sided tape 41, and the cover sheets 54 and 55 are attached is formed with a plurality of holes aligned with each other as shown in FIGS. 6-2 and 7-2. 8, holes 56 to 58 that penetrate from the cover sheets 54 and 55 to the plate 31 are formed by these holes. Four holes 56 are used for mounting the housing 35, and two holes 57 are used for mounting the button 39. The hole 58 is used for positioning the button 39.

  A pusher 33 is attached and fixed on the lower electrode sheet 62 of the membrane switch 34 using a double-sided tape 42, and then the pair of connecting portions 32c are folded back so that the membrane switch 34 is a substantially circular portion 32a of the flexible printed wiring board 32. Located on the top. FIG. 9 shows this state. The protrusions 33a of the pusher 33 are positioned on the four peripheral movable contacts 52a, and the switch portions 67 of the membrane switch 34 are positioned on the protrusions 33a (see FIG. 3).

  On the other hand, a small-diameter portion 36d on the distal end side of the shaft portion 36b of the rotating body 36 is inserted into the bearing portion 35b of the housing 35 from above, and a retaining member 37 and a contact member 38 are attached to the rotating body 36 from below the bearing portion 35b. . This attachment is performed by inserting the boss 36e of the rotating body 36 into each of the three holes 37a and 38b of the retaining member 37 and the contact member 38 and thermally crimping the tip of the boss 36e. The retaining member 37 is prevented from coming off and is rotatably supported by the bearing portion 35b, so that the contact member 38 rotates integrally with the rotating body 36.

  Next, the button 39 is attached to the flexible printed wiring board 32 mounted and fixed on the plate 31. This attachment is performed by inserting the positioning boss 39e formed on the button 39 into the hole 58, inserting the two bosses 39d for assembly into the hole 57, and caulking the tips of the bosses 39d. .

  Next, the four bosses 35h of the housing 35 are inserted into the holes 56, and the tips of the bosses 35h are caulked so that the housing 35 to which the rotating body 36, the retaining member 37 and the contact member 38 are attached is flexible printed wiring. It is mounted on the board 32 and the assembly is completed. The button 39 is located in the through hole 36h of the rotating body 36 and protrudes from the operation surface 36a, and the pair of folded connection portions 32c of the flexible printed wiring board 32 is located in the notch 35k of the housing 33 and is externally provided. Exposed to.

  3-5, the projection 35g of the housing 35 abuts on each switch portion 67 of the membrane switch 34, and the peripheral wall portion 36f of the rotating body 36 abuts on the upper surface of the projection 35g. 35g is sandwiched between the peripheral wall 36f and the membrane switch 34. Note that the peripheral edge of the membrane switch 34 is pressed by the presser 35j formed on the connecting part 35e of the housing 35 as shown in FIG. 5, that is, the presser 35j resists the reaction force caused by the folding of the connecting part 32c. The switch 34 is pressed in the direction of the plate 31, whereby a reaction force due to folding is not applied to the projection 35 g, and a light load pressing operation of the membrane switch 34 is possible.

  On the other hand, the pressing protrusion 39b of the button 39 is positioned on the central movable contact 51a of the central switch 51. The large-diameter portion 39 f of the button 39 is prevented from being detached by the rotating body 36. The tips of the three sliders 38a of the contact member 38 are brought into contact with the rotary encoder contact 53, and the rotary encoder is configured by the slider 38a and the rotary encoder contact 53.

  In the input device configured as described above, when a part of the outer peripheral portion of the operation surface 36a of the rotating body 36 is pushed in, the arm portion 35c of the housing 35 is elastically deformed, and the bearing portion 35b is tilted to incline the rotating body. 36 tilting operations are possible. Then, the tilted projection 35g is pushed by the peripheral wall portion 36f of the rotating body 36 due to the tilt of the rotating body 36, and the switch portion 67 of the membrane switch 34 is pressed by the projection 35g, so that the switch portion 67 is turned on. Further, when the rotating body 36 is tilted, the peripheral movable contact 52a of the peripheral switch 52 is pressed, and the pressed peripheral switch 52 is turned on.

  That is, in this example, the membrane switch 34 constitutes a first switch, the peripheral switch 52 constitutes a second switch, and has a two-stage switch structure. The first switch comprising the membrane switch 34 is a dome. Therefore, the first and second switches are sequentially pressed by tilting the rotating body 36 as described above, because the pressing operation can be performed with a lighter load than the second switch that reverses the movable peripheral contact 52a. .

  When the pressing force on the operation surface 36a is released, the rotating body 36 returns to the original position by the restoring force of the peripheral movable contact 52a and the elastic restoring force of the arm portion 35c, and the peripheral switch 52 and the membrane switch 34 are turned off.

  When the rotating body 36 is rotated, the contact member 38 rotates together with the rotating body 36, and the slider 38 a slides on the rotary encoder contact 53 and moves on the rotary encoder contact 53. The rotation of the rotating body 36 is detected by electrically detecting this movement.

  On the other hand, when the button 39 is pushed in, the pair of leg portions 39c are elastically deformed, and the central movable contact 51a of the central switch 51 is pressed by the pressing protrusion 39b, so that the central switch 51 is turned on. When the pressing is released, the pressing operation surface of the button 37 is returned to the original position by the restoring force of the central movable contact 51a and the elastic restoring force of the leg portion 39c, and the center switch is turned off.

  As described above, in this example, the arm portion 35c of the housing 35 is elastically deformed and the bearing portion 35b is tilted so that the rotating body 36 can be tilted. Therefore, the rotation supported by the bearing portion 35b is supported. There is no need for a margin (gap) between the shaft portion 36b (small diameter portion 36d) of the body 36 and the bearing portion 35b, so that the shaft portion 36b of the rotating body 36 can be pivotally supported without play.

  Further, the rotating body 36 is pivotally supported in this way, and is held horizontally by the elastic force of the arm portion 35c when not being pushed down, and the protrusion 35g is disposed in contact with the membrane switch 34. There is no rattling during the rotation operation, and no tilting occurs with a slight force, so that the rotation operation can be performed stably.

  In addition, even if, for example, an excessive load is applied to the rotating body 36 and the rotating body 36 is pushed in, in this example, the flange portion 36g of the rotating body 36 is a protruding portion 35d formed on the mounting fixing portion 35a of the housing 35. Therefore, it is possible to prevent excessive displacement from being applied to the contact member 38 and the peripheral movable contact 52a.

  As described above, in this example, since the rotating body 36 has a structure in which rattling is unlikely to occur, no malfunction occurs even if a light load switch such as the membrane switch 34 is arranged. In this example, the first switch composed of the membrane switch 34 is arranged on the peripheral switch 52 that constitutes the second switch, so that the peripheral switch is arranged in two stages to improve the function. If an input device having a switch structure is mounted on a digital camera, for example, the following usage is possible.

  That is, by operating the rotator 36 and turning on the first switch, an icon is displayed on the screen, and a menu related to the displayed icon is switched by rotating the rotary encoder. Then, the selected menu is confirmed by turning on the second switch.

  For example, if there is only one peripheral switch, if you want to display an icon on the screen, press another switch (for example, a menu display switch) to display the icon on the screen, and then use the rotary encoder (rotary switch) to However, in this example, such other switch (menu display switch) is not necessary, and the icon display as described above → menu switching → menu confirmation is performed only by operating the rotating body 36. In this respect, operability can be improved.

  In FIG. 3, reference numeral 71 denotes a housing of the device when the above-described input device is attached to a device such as a digital camera. The rotating body 36 has a hole 72 provided in the housing 71. Projecting to the outside. In such mounting, if the outer diameter of the flange portion 36g of the rotating body 36 is made larger than the diameter of the hole 72 of the housing 71, for example, even if an excessive load is applied during the tilting operation of the rotating body 36, Since the opposite flange portion 36g abuts against the inner surface of the casing 71, excessive lifting of the rotating body 36 on the side opposite to the tilting operation side is prevented, thereby avoiding a situation where a large stress is applied to the arm portion 35c, for example. can do.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 show only the configuration of the main part in a state where each part is disassembled. The other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, and FIG. Is shown.

  In this example, unevenness is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter portion 36c of the shaft portion 36b of the rotating body 36, that is, on the outer peripheral surface of the portion of the shaft portion 36b located on the bearing portion 35b of the housing 35 over the entire circumference. A spring 43 that engages with the uneven portion 36m is provided.

  The spring 43 includes a pair of spring pieces 43a and an attachment portion 43b that connects the base ends thereof, and is made of, for example, phosphor bronze or stainless steel having spring properties. On the free end side of the pair of spring pieces 43a, an engaging portion 43c is formed that is bent inwardly in a U-shape and engages with the concave portion of the concave and convex portion 36m. An attachment hole 43d is formed in the attachment portion 43b.

  The spring 43 is attached to the housing 35. In this example, a boss 35m is formed at one position of the connecting portion 35e of the housing 35, and a hole 43d is inserted into the boss 35m. Is attached to the housing 35. It should be noted that the outer periphery of the bearing portion 35b of the housing 35 is in contact with the proximal end side of the spring piece 43a and restricts the movement of the spring pieces 43a toward each other, that is, on the bearing portion 35b of the housing 35. A pair of stoppers 35n are provided.

  Thus, by forming the uneven part 36m in the rotary body 36 and attaching the spring 43 to the housing 35, in this example, by the recessed part of the uneven part 36m, and the engaging part 43c of the spring 43 engaged with the recessed part A detent mechanism is configured, and an operation feeling (click feeling) can be obtained when the rotating body 36 is rotated.

  Next, a description will be given of a third embodiment of the input apparatus according to the present invention.

  FIGS. 13A and 13B are exploded views of the input device. In this example, the first switch is constituted by a membrane switch separate from the second switch (peripheral switch 52). Instead, the peripheral movable contact 52a constituting the peripheral switch 52 is shared, that is, the peripheral movable contact 52a and the pusher 33 ′ constitute the first switch.

  In this example, the pusher 33 'is made of a metal plate and is conductive. As shown in FIGS. 13-2 and 14, the pusher 33 ′ has a circular central opening, and the outer shape is a rectangular frame with a corner. Four protrusions 33a are formed on the lower surface of the four corners of the pusher 33 'so as to correspond to the positions of the four peripheral switches 52. In this example, the protrusions 33a push the peripheral movable contact 52a. , Function as a contact as a first switch.

  A hole 33b is formed at the center of each square side of the pusher 33 ', and a pair of spring pieces 33c are formed on each side with the hole 33b interposed therebetween. The spring piece 33c is cut and raised so as to protrude to the lower surface side of the pusher 33 ′, like the protrusion 33a, and the hole 33b side is used as a support end and is extended along the side so that the protrusion 33a side is free. It is considered as an end. The free end is provided with a fold in the shape of a dogleg.

  In this example, four openings are provided on the cover sheet 55 that is placed on the four peripheral movable contacts 52a and that positions and fixes the peripheral movable contacts 52a at predetermined positions so as to expose the central portion of the peripheral movable contacts 52a. 55a is formed, and an opening 55b is formed at a position corresponding to the free end of each spring piece 33c of the pusher 33 ′. A contact is formed on the flexible printed wiring board 32 corresponding to the position of each opening 55 b of the cover sheet 55.

  On the other hand, the mounting fixing portion 35a of the housing 35 has a shape in which an annular part is cut out as shown in FIG. The cutouts 35p are provided at positions facing each other of the annular mounting fixing portion 35a. In this example, the housing 35 is reduced in size (slimmed) by the amount of such a pair of cutouts 35p. ing.

  FIG. 15A shows a state in which the central switch 51 and the peripheral switch 52 are configured, and the pusher 33 ′ is positioned on the flexible printed power distribution board 32 mounted on the plate 31, and FIG. The state where 35 is located is shown. 16 is a plan view of FIG. 15B as viewed from above, FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 16, and FIG. 18 is a partially enlarged view of FIG.

  The free end of each spring piece 33c of the pusher 33 'is positioned in the opening 55b of the cover sheet 55 and is brought into contact with the contact 61 (see FIG. 18) formed on the flexible printed wiring board 32. Each projection 33a of the pusher 33 'is positioned on the peripheral movable contact 52a with a predetermined gap as shown in FIGS.

  In this example, bosses 35q (see FIG. 17) are respectively formed on the lower surfaces of the four connecting portions 35e of the housing 35. The bosses 35 'are inserted into the holes 33b of the pusher 33' so that the pusher 33 'is 35. It should be noted that the peripheral portion of the pusher 33 ′ (the central portion of each side) is pressed as shown in FIG. 15B by a press 35j formed on the connecting portion 35e of the housing 35, that is, resists the spring force of the spring piece 33c. Thus, the presser 35j presses the pusher 33 'toward the flexible printed wiring board 32. Thereby, each spring piece 33c which makes a contact is elastically contacted with the contact 61.

  In this example, when the operating surface 36a of the rotating body 36 is pressed and the rotating body 36 is tilted, the pusher 33 'is pressed through the protrusion 35g, and the protrusion 33a of the pusher 33' contacts the peripheral movable contact 52a. Then, the first switch is turned on. Then, the second switch (peripheral switch 52) is turned ON by further tilting the rotating body 36. When the pressing force on the operation surface 36a is released, the pusher 33 'is returned to the original position by the elastic restoring force of the spring piece 33c, that is, the protrusion 33a is separated from the peripheral movable contact 52a.

  Thus, in this example, the pusher 33 'and the peripheral movable contact 52a constitute the first switch, and the membrane switch used to constitute the first switch in the first embodiment is used. 34 can be dispensed with. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced correspondingly, and the thickness can be reduced. Further, unlike the first embodiment, the folded portion (a pair of connecting portions 32c) of the flexible printed wiring board 32 is unnecessary, and the area of the flexible printed wiring board 32 can be reduced and the size can be reduced accordingly.

In any of the embodiments described above, the input device is provided with the button 39 at the center opening of the rotating body 36 and the center switch 51 operated by the button 39. A configuration without the central switch 51 can also be adopted. On the other hand, in the configuration including the central switch 51, on the other hand, for example, a membrane switch may be disposed on the central switch 51 to form a two-stage switch.

  Further, although the retaining member 37 is provided separately from the contact member 38, the retaining member 37 is formed, and the contact member 38 is fixed to the tip of the shaft portion 36b of the rotating body 36 to be fixed to the shaft portion 36b. It is good also as what keeps coming off from the bearing part 35b.

  Further, the central switch 51 and the peripheral switch 52 constituting the second switch are composed of a fixed contact formed on the flexible printed wiring board 32 and a dome-shaped movable contact disposed on the fixed contact in the above-described embodiment. However, other types of switches may be used, and the first switch that can be pressed with a light load is not limited to the embodiment, and other types of switches may be used.

Claims (8)

An input device in which a multidirectional operation switch and a rotary encoder are integrated,
And a plurality of peripheral fixed contacts are arranged and formed on the circumference, and the printed wiring board having a contact point for a plurality of rotary encoders that are arranged annularly formed along said circumference inside the circle,
Peripheral movable contacts disposed on each peripheral fixed contact;
A first switch located on each of the peripheral movable contacts;
It is mounted on the printed wiring board, a mounting fixed portion that is a ring shape surrounding the plurality of peripheral fixed contacts, located on the mounting fixed portion, which is connected via the mounting fixed portion and a plurality of arms annular A housing having a bearing portion of
An operation surface, the shaft portion projecting from the center of the side opposite to the operation surface is rotatably supported on the bearing portion, a rotating body peripheral wall portion is positioned on the first switch,
The shaft portion is fixed to the tip of the shaft portion to prevent the shaft portion from coming off from the bearing portion, and includes a contact member having a slider that is in sliding contact with the contact for the rotary encoder,
The first switch can be pressed with a lighter load than the second switch composed of the peripheral fixed contact and the peripheral movable contact,
The rotating body can be tilted together with the bearing portion by elastically deforming the arm portion, the first switch on the tilting side is pressed by the tilting of the rotating body , and the second switch is further tilted. An input device characterized in that the switch is pressed. The input device according to claim 1,
The projection for pressing the first switch on the outer periphery of the bearing portion is formed, an input device wherein the protrusion is characterized by being sandwiched between said wall portion first switch. The input device according to claim 2, wherein
The mounting fixing portion is formed with a plurality of protruding portions protruding on the inner peripheral surface thereof and having the lower surface in contact with the printed wiring board,
The input device according to claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the projecting portion is positioned below a contact surface between the peripheral wall portion and the protrusion. The input device according to claim 1,
Unevenness is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the portion located on the bearing portion of the shaft portion,
Input apparatus characterized by spring having a tip engaging portion for engaging with the uneven is attached to the housing. The input device according to claim 1,
Said centrally in the through hole of the rotating body is formed, the button is disposed in the through hole,
Input apparatus characterized by a central switch which is pressed by said button is provided on the printed wiring board. The input device according to claim 5, wherein
The input device, wherein the central switch is a two-stage switch. The input device according to claim 1,
The first switch comprises a membrane switch,
A lower electrode sheet of the membrane switch and the printed circuit board is integrally formed by folding the flexible printed circuit board,
An input device, wherein a presser that presses a peripheral edge of the membrane switch against a reaction force caused by the folding is formed on the housing. The input device according to claim 1,
Said first switch is configured with the peripheral movable contacts, the pusher of the peripheral movable contact and toward or away from metal plate,
The pusher is integrally formed with a spring piece that elastically contacts the printed wiring board,
An input device according to claim 1, wherein a presser for pressing the peripheral edge of the pusher against the spring force of the spring piece is formed on the housing.

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