JP7378252B2 - Push switch and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a push switch.

Various techniques are known for improving the click feeling of push switches used as operation buttons for electronic devices.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes a push switch in which a click plate is pressed down by a flexible pressing member having a recess on the tip surface in order to improve the click feeling. The pressing member described in Patent Document 1 has a diameter that is 40 to 80% of the diameter of the tip surface, and a maximum depth of the tip surface of the columnar convex portion projected perpendicularly onto the outer surface of the dome portion of the click board. This is 80 to 160% of the height difference of the outer surface of the dome part within the projection area when

In the push switch described in Patent Document 1, the contact area between the columnar convex portion and the dome portion of the click plate increases when pressed, and the elastic deformation of the columnar convex portion and the bending area of the dome portion of the click plate when pressed occur. It is possible to minimize stress and concentrate stress on the bent portion. The push switch described in Patent Document 1 can concentrate stress on the bent portion, so even if a flexible resin click plate is used, it is not as good as a push button switch using a metal dome body. A click feeling can be achieved.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-167540

However, in the push switch described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to arrange the tip with high precision so that the tip matches the top of the click plate, and a manufacturing device that can set the position where the pressing member is arranged with high precision is required. This may increase manufacturing costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a push switch that has a good click feeling and can be manufactured at a lower manufacturing cost.

The push switch according to the present invention has a substrate, a first fixed contact disposed on the substrate, a second fixed contact disposed around the first fixed contact, and a convex dome shape, and has an end portion. is arranged on the surface of the substrate so as to be in contact with the second fixed contact, and the first movable contact has a convex dome shape and whose center portion contacts the first fixed contact when pressed. a second movable contact disposed above the contact; a holding sheet disposed between the first movable contact and the second movable contact and having a through hole through which a central portion of the second movable contact can pass; a case member that is arranged on the substrate to form a storage section together with the substrate that accommodates the first fixed contact, the second fixed contact, the first movable contact, and the second movable contact; and a case member that covers the storage section. and a protective cover adhered to the surface of the device.

Furthermore, in the push switch according to the present invention, it is preferable that the end portion of the holding sheet is supported by the case member at least at one or more locations.

Further, in the push switch according to the present invention, it is preferable that the end portion of the holding sheet is supported over the entire surface by the case member.

Furthermore, in the push switch according to the present invention, the holding sheet has an outer edge of the through hole that is outside the inner edge of the second movable contact and inner than the outer edge of the second movable contact. It is preferable to arrange it so that it may be in a certain position.

Further, in the push switch according to the present invention, the holding sheet is preferably held by the case member.

Further, in the push switch according to the present invention, the holding sheet is preferably held by the substrate and the case member.

Further, in the push switch according to the present invention, it is preferable that the height of the first fixed contact is equal to the height of the second fixed contact.

Furthermore, the push switch according to the present invention further includes a first electrode connected to the first fixed contact, and a second electrode connected to the second fixed contact, and the first electrode and the second electrode are It is preferable to arrange it directly under the case member.

Further, in the push switch according to the present invention, it is preferable that the first fixed contact and the second fixed contact form the same surface as the surface of the substrate.

Furthermore, in the push switch according to the present invention, it is preferable that the height of the second movable contact is higher than the height of the first movable contact.

The push switch according to the present invention has a good click feeling and can be manufactured at a lower manufacturing cost.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a push switch according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the push switch shown in FIG. 1. FIG. (a) is a plan view of the push switch shown in FIG. 1, (b) is a side view (part 1) of the push switch shown in FIG. 1, and (c) is a side view (part 1) of the push switch shown in FIG. Part 2). 2 is a cross-sectional view (part 1) taken along line AA shown in FIG. 1, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG. 1 (part 2). FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a push switch according to a second embodiment. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the push switch shown in FIG. 5. FIG. (a) is a plan view of the push switch shown in FIG. 5, (b) is a side view (part 1) of the push switch shown in FIG. 5, and (c) is a side view (part 1) of the push switch shown in FIG. Part 2). 5 is a sectional view (part 1) taken along the line AA shown in FIG. 5, and (b) is a sectional view (part 2) taken along the line AA shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the method of embedding a 1st fixed contact and a 2nd fixed contact in a board|substrate, (a) is a figure which shows a 1st process, (b) is a figure which shows a 2nd process, (c ) is a diagram showing the third step. (d) is a sectional view taken along line CC in (a), (e) is a sectional view taken along line DD in (a), and (f) is a sectional view taken along line EE in (a). (g) is a cross-sectional view showing the fourth step. (a) is a perspective view (part 1) of a push switch according to a modification, (b) is a perspective view (part 2) of a push switch according to a modification, and (c) is a perspective view (part 2) of a push switch according to a modification. It is a sectional view along the C line.

Hereinafter, a push switch and a method for manufacturing the push switch according to one aspect of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. However, it should be noted that the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, but extends to the inventions described in the claims and their equivalents.

(Configuration and function of push switch according to embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a push switch according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the push switch shown in FIG. 1. 3(a) is a plan view of the push switch shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3(b) is a side view (part 1) of the push switch shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3(c) is a plan view of the push switch shown in FIG. It is a side view (part 2) of a push switch. 3(b) is a side view seen from arrow C in FIG. 3(a), and FIG. 3(c) is a side view seen from arrow B in FIG. 3(a). 4(a) is a sectional view (part 1) taken along line AA shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4(b) is a sectional view (part 2) taken along line AA shown in FIG.

The push switch 1 includes a substrate 10 , a first fixed contact 11 , a second fixed contact 12 , a first movable contact 13 , a second movable contact 14 , a holding sheet 15 , a case member 16 , and a pressing member 17 , a protective cover 18 , a first electrode 21 , and a second electrode 22 .

The substrate 10 is made of a resin material such as glass epoxy. The first fixed contact 11 is a conductive thin film made of metal such as copper and has a circular planar shape, and is arranged at the center of the surface of the substrate. The second fixed contact 12 is a conductive thin film made of metal such as copper and has a frame-like planar shape, and is arranged around the first fixed contact. The height of the first fixed contact 11 is set to be equal to or lower than the height of the second fixed contact 12.

The first movable contact 13 and the second movable contact 14 are made of a thin dome-shaped elastic conductive member such as stainless steel or brass, and have the same shape. The first movable contact 13 and the second movable contact 14 may be formed, for example, by cutting a convex dome-shaped plate spring member, and may have a barrel shape with opposing sides. Further, the first movable contact 13 and the second movable contact 14 may have other shapes such as a circular shape or a dome shape.

The first movable contact 13 has a peripheral portion 31 and a central portion 32 . At least a portion of the peripheral edge 31 of the first movable contact 13 is in contact with the second fixed contact 12 . The second movable contact 14 has a peripheral portion 41 and a central portion 42 . The peripheral edge 41 of the second movable contact 14 is supported by the peripheral edge 31 of the first movable contact 13 via the holding sheet 15 . The center portion 42 of the second movable contact 14 is spaced apart above the center portion 32 of the first movable contact 13 .

As shown in FIG. 4(a), the center portion 32 of the first movable contact 13 is arranged at a position separated from the first fixed contact 11 when the pressing member 17 is not pressed down. When the pressing member 17 is not pressed down, the first fixed contact 11 and the first movable contact 13 are separated, so that the first electrode 21 connected to the first fixed contact 11 and the second fixed contact 12 are separated. There is no conduction between the push switch 1 and the second electrode 22, and the push switch 1 is turned off.

In response to the pressing member 17 being pressed down, the central portion 32 of the first movable contact 13 and the central portion 42 of the second movable contact 14 move together with the pressing member 17 onto the substrate 10, as shown in FIG. 4(b). move in the direction. First, the center portion 42 of the second movable contact 14 pressed down by the pressing member 17 contacts the center portion 32 of the first movable contact 13 . Next, the center portion 32 of the first movable contact 13 and the center portion 42 of the second movable contact 14 rotate inverted while contacting each other, and contact the first fixed contact 11 . When the first fixed contact 11 is contacted, the first electrode 21 connected to the first fixed contact 11 and the second electrode 22 connected to the second fixed contact 12 are electrically connected, and the push switch 1 is turned on. state. When the pressing member 17 is no longer pressed down, the first movable contact 13 and the second movable contact 14 restore their original shapes due to elasticity, and the center portion 32 of the first movable contact 13 moves in a direction away from the substrate 10. The push switch 1 is separated from the first fixed contact 11 and turns off.

The holding sheet 15 is a rectangular sheet member having a through hole 50 through which the central portion 42 of the second movable contact 14 can pass, and is made of a resin material such as polyimide. The thickness of the holding sheet 15 may be any thickness that improves the click feeling, and is 12.5 μm in one example and 25 μm in another example. The holding sheet 15 may be made of a soft material or a hard material as long as it is not easily scraped when held between the first movable contact 13 and the second movable contact 14. . However, if the holding sheet 15 is made of a soft material, the distance between the center portion 32 of the first movable contact 13 and the center portion 42 of the second movable contact 14 will not be constant, which is not preferable. Furthermore, if the holding sheet 15 is made of a hard material, it may be damaged when it is sandwiched between the center portion 32 of the first movable contact 13 and the center portion 42 of the second movable contact 14, which is not preferable.

The holding sheet 15 is positioned such that the outer edge of the through hole 50 is outside the inner end of the second movable contact 14 and inside the outer end of the second movable contact 14. Placed.

The case member 16 includes a first case member 61 and a second case member 62. The first case member 61 and the second case member 62 have a frame-like shape in which a hole is opened in the central region in which the first movable contact 13 and the second movable contact 14 can be arranged, and are made of resin material such as polyimide. is formed. The case member 16 is disposed on the substrate 10 so that a housing section for accommodating the first fixed contact 11 , the second fixed contact 12 , the first movable contact 13 , the second movable contact 14 , and the pressing member 17 is placed on the substrate 10 . form together.

The shapes of the outer frames of the first case member 61 and the second case member 62 are approximately the same shape as the outer circumference of the substrate 10 . The back surface of the first case member 61 may be fixed by being adhered to the substrate 10 via an adhesive layer (not shown), for example. The front surface of the first case member 61 and the back surface of the second case member 62 hold the outer edge of the holding sheet 15, for example, via an adhesive layer (not shown).

The pressing member 17 is made of a resin material such as polyimide and has a cylindrical shape, and is arranged above the central portion 42 of the second movable contact 14 . By arranging the pressing member 17, the operability of pressing the push switch 1 is improved. In addition, in the push switch according to the embodiment, the pressing member 17 may have a shape other than a cylindrical shape such as a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Further, in the push switch according to the embodiment, the pressing member 17 may be omitted.

The protective cover 18 is a sheet material made of flexible synthetic resin such as polyimide, and is adhered to the surface of the case member 16 so as to cover the storage section formed by the substrate 10 and the case member 16.

The first electrode 21 and the second electrode 22 are arranged on the back surface of the substrate 10 and are electrically connected to the first fixed contact 11 and the second fixed contact 12, respectively.

The push switch 1 is manufactured by the following steps. First, a housing part forming step is performed in which the first case member 61 is placed on the substrate 10 via an adhesive layer to form a housing part. Next, a movable contact placement step is performed in which the first movable contact 13, the second movable contact 14, the holding sheet 15, and the pressing member 17 are sequentially disposed in the formed housing portion. Next, a protective cover placement step is performed in which the protective cover 18 is placed above the second case member 62 via the adhesive layer. Then, a reflow process is performed to reflow the substrate 10 on which the first movable contact 13, the second movable contact 14, the holding sheet 15, the case member 16, the pressing member 17, and the protective cover 18 are arranged, and the push switch 1 is manufactured. be done. Note that a plurality of push switches 1 may be manufactured all at once using a collective substrate on which a plurality of substrates 10 can be formed.

(Operations and effects of the push switch according to the first embodiment)
In the push switch 1, since the first movable contact 13 and the second movable contact 14 are arranged through the holding sheet 15, the movement distance of the pressing member is increased by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the holding sheet 15, so that the push switch 1 can be clicked. It can improve the feeling. In addition, since the push switch 1 can improve the click feeling by arranging the first movable contact 13 and the second movable contact 14 via the holding sheet 15, the manufacturing cost does not increase significantly.

In addition, in the push switch 1, the holding sheet 15 is formed with a through hole through which the central portion 42 of the second movable contact 14 can pass, so that the holding sheet 15 is connected to the central portion 32 of the first movable contact 13 and the second movable contact. It does not interfere with the contact with the center portion 42 of the 14 and reduce the click feeling.

Further, in the push switch 1, the outer edge of the through hole 50 of the holding sheet 15 is on the outside of the inner end of the second movable contact 14 and on the inner side of the outer end of the second movable contact 14. Since it is at a certain position, there is no risk of interfering with the reversing operation of the second movable contact 14.

In addition, in the push switch 1, the end portion of the holding sheet 15 is supported over the entire surface by the case member 16, so that the holding sheet 15 moves inside the push switch 1 and the first movable contact 13 and the second movable contact There is no possibility that the positional relationship with the contact point 14 will change.

(Configuration and function of push switch according to second embodiment)
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a push switch according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the push switch shown in FIG. 5. 7(a) is a plan view of the push switch shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 7(b) is a side view (Part 1) of the push switch shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 7(c) is a plan view of the push switch shown in FIG. It is a side view (part 2) of a push switch. 7(b) is a side view seen from arrow C in FIG. 7(a), and FIG. 7(c) is a side view seen from arrow B in FIG. 7(a). 8(a) is a sectional view (part 1) taken along line BB shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 8(b) is a sectional view (part 2) taken along line BB shown in FIG.

The push switch 2 includes a substrate 70 , a first fixed contact 71 , a second fixed contact 72 , a first electrode 81 and a second electrode 82 , a substrate 10 , a first fixed contact 11 , a second fixed contact 12 , a first electrode 21 and The push switch 1 differs from the push switch 1 in that it has the second electrode 22 instead. Further, the push switch 2 is different from the push switch 1 in that it includes a first conduction section 73 and a second conduction section 74. The configurations and functions of the components of the push switch 2 other than the substrate 70 to the second conductive portion 74 are the same as those of the push switch 1 with the same reference numerals, so detailed explanations will be omitted here. .

The substrate 70 is different from the substrate 10 in that a first fixed contact 71, a second fixed contact 72, a first conductive portion 73, and a second conductive portion 74 are embedded in the substrate 70. The configurations and functions of the components of the substrate 70 other than that the first fixed contact 71, the second fixed contact 72, the first conductive portion 73, and the second conductive portion 74 are embedded are the same as those of the substrate 10 with the same reference numerals. Since the configuration and function of the constituent elements are the same, detailed explanation will be omitted here.

Like the first fixed contact 11 and the second fixed contact 12, the first fixed contact 71 and the second fixed contact 72 are conductive thin films made of metal such as copper. The first conductive portion 73 and the second conductive portion 74 are conductive thin films made of metal such as copper. The first conductive portion 73 is electrically connected to the first fixed contact 71 via a connecting portion embedded in the substrate 70 and is electrically connected to the first electrode 81 by contacting the first electrode 81. be done. The second conductive portion 74 is electrically connected to the second fixed contact 72 via a connecting portion embedded in the substrate 70 and is electrically connected to the second electrode 82 by contacting the second electrode 82. be done.

The first electrode 81 and the second electrode 82 are electrodes made of a conductive material and filled in a semicircular notch formed at the center of the short side of the substrate 70. A semicircular notch formed at the center of the short side of the substrate 70 is located directly below the case member 16 , and the first electrode 81 and the second electrode 82 are arranged directly below the case member 16 . The first electrode 81 is connected to the first fixed contact 71 via the first conducting part 73, and the second electrode 82 is connected to the second fixed contact 72 via the second conducting part 74.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a method of embedding the first fixed contact 71, the second fixed contact 72, the first conductive part 73, the second conductive part 74, etc. in the substrate 70. FIG. 9(a) is a diagram showing the first step, FIG. 9(b) is a diagram showing the second step, and FIG. 9(c) is a diagram showing the third step. 9(d) is a sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 9(a), FIG. 9(e) is a sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 9(a), and FIG. ) is a sectional view taken along line EE in FIG. 9(a), and FIG. 9(g) is a sectional view showing the fourth step.

First, in a first step, a first fixed contact 71, a second fixed contact 72, a first conductive part 73, a second conductive part 74, a first connecting part 75, and a second connecting part 76 are formed on the surface 101 of the substrate 70. be done. The first fixed contact 71, the second fixed contact 72, the first conductive part 73, the second conductive part 74, the first connecting part 75, and the second connecting part 76 are formed by depositing a metal such as copper on the surface 101, for example. It is formed by etching.

Then, in the second step, the first connection portion 75 and the second connection portion 76 are etched. The depth to which the first connection portion 75 and the second connection portion 76 are etched is, for example, 25 μm.

Next, in a third step, a resist is patterned on the surface 101 of the substrate 70 excluding the first fixed contact 71, the second fixed contact 72, the first conductive part 73, and the second conductive part 74. In the third step, the first connection portion 75 and the second connection portion 76 are embedded in the surface 101 by patterning a resist on the surface 101.

Then, in the fourth step, the first fixed contact 71, the second fixed contact 72, the first conductive portion 73, the second conductive portion 74, and the resist patterned in the third step are polished. By performing the fourth step, the first fixed contact 71, the second fixed contact 72, the first conductive part 73, and the second conductive part 74 are formed on the substrate 70 so as to form the same surface as the surface 101 of the substrate 70. The embedding process ends.

(Modified example of push switch according to embodiment)
In the push switches 1 and 2, the end of the holding sheet 15 is supported over the entire surface by the case member 16, but in the push switch according to the embodiment, the holding sheet does not need to be held by the case member. When the holding sheet is not held by the case member, the holding sheet is held by being held between the first movable contact and the second movable contact. When the holding sheet is held by the first movable contact and the second movable contact, the area of the holding sheet may be smaller than the area of the first movable contact.

Further, in the push switches 1 and 2, the holding sheet 15 is held by the case member 16, but in the push switch according to the embodiment, the holding sheet may be held by the substrate and the case member. By holding the holding sheet on the substrate and the case member, the case member can be formed from a single member instead of two members, the first case member 61 and the second case member 62, and the number of members is reduced. Manufacturing costs can be reduced. Note that when the holding sheet is held by the substrate and the case member, the area of the holding sheet is larger than the area of the first movable contact.

In addition, in the push switch according to the embodiment, it is preferable that the holding sheet is supported by the case member at at least one location. It is more preferable for the holding sheet to be supported at two places than at one place, and more preferably at three places than at two places.

Furthermore, in the push switches 1 and 2, the height of the position where the holding sheet 15 is held by the case member 16 is higher than the height of the position where the holding sheet 15 is held between the first movable contact 13 and the second movable contact 14. However, in the push switch according to the embodiment, these height relationships may be reversed. That is, in the push switch according to the embodiment, the height of the position where the holding sheet is held by the case member may be lower than the height of the position where the holding sheet is held between the first movable contact and the second movable contact.

Further, in the push switches 1 and 2, two movable contacts, the first movable contact 13 and the second movable contact 14, are arranged in an overlapping manner, but in the push switch according to the embodiment, three or more movable contacts are arranged in an overlapping manner. It may be arranged as follows. When three or more movable contacts are arranged in a superimposed manner, the holding sheet may be held between any two of the movable contacts, but the holding sheet may be held between all the movable contacts. .

Further, in the push switches 1 and 2, the first movable contact 13 and the second movable contact 14 have the same shape, but in the push switch according to the embodiment, the shape of the first movable contact and the shape of the second movable contact are different. , may be different. For example, the first movable contact disposed below may be a plate-shaped contact member, and the second movable contact disposed above may be a dome-shaped contact member having a higher height than the first movable contact. By making the height of the second movable contact higher than the height of the first movable contact, the separation distance between the central portions of the first movable contact and the second movable contact becomes longer, and the click feeling is improved.

Further, in the push switches 1 and 2, both the holding sheet 15 and the through hole 50 have a rectangular planar shape, but in the push switch according to the embodiment, at least one of the holding sheet 15 and the through hole 50 has a circular planar shape. It may have a planar shape.

Further, in the push switches 1 and 2, the substrates 10 and 70 are flat substrates, but in the push switch according to the embodiment, the substrate has an L-shaped cross section, and the end portion of the mounting substrate It may be implementable.

FIG. 10(a) is a perspective view (part 1) of a push switch that can be mounted on the edge of a mounting board, and FIG. 10(b) is a perspective view (part 2) of a push switch that can be mounted on the end of a mounting board. ), and FIG. 10(c) is a sectional view taken along the line CC shown in FIG. 10(a).

The push switch 3 is different from the push switch 2 in that it has a substrate 90, a first electrode 91, and a second electrode 92 instead of the substrate 70, the first electrode 81, and the second electrode 82. The configurations and functions of the components of the push switch 3 other than the substrate 90, the first electrode 91, and the second electrode 92 are the same as those of the push switch 2 with the same reference numerals, so detailed descriptions will be given here. Explanation will be omitted.

The board 90 has an L-shaped cross section so that it can be mounted on the end of the mounting board. The first electrode 91 and the second electrode 92 are arranged to penetrate the substrate 90 in the longitudinal direction, and are electrically connected to the first fixed contact 71 and the second fixed contact 72, respectively.

1, 2, 3 Push switch 10, 70, 90 Board 11, 71, 91 First fixed contact 12, 72, 92 Second fixed contact 13 First movable contact 14 Second movable contact 15 Holding sheet 16 Case member 17 Pressing member 18 Protective cover

Claims (10)

A substrate and
a first fixed contact disposed on the substrate;
a second fixed contact arranged around the first fixed contact;
a first movable contact having a convex dome shape, disposed on the surface of the substrate so that an end is in contact with the second fixed contact, and whose center part is in contact with the first fixed contact when pressed; and,
a second movable contact having a convex dome shape and disposed above the first movable contact;
a holding sheet disposed between the first movable contact and the second movable contact, the holding sheet having a through hole through which a central portion of the second movable contact can pass;
a case member that is disposed on the substrate to form, together with the substrate, a housing portion that accommodates the first fixed contact, the second fixed contact, the first movable contact, and the second movable contact;
a protective cover adhered to the surface of the case member so as to cover the storage section ;
The push switch is characterized in that the holding sheet is held between the first movable contact and the second movable contact . The push switch according to claim 1, wherein an end portion of the holding sheet is supported by the case member at at least one location. The push switch according to claim 1, wherein an end portion of the holding sheet is entirely supported by the case member. The holding sheet is arranged such that the outer edge of the through hole is located outside an inner end of the second movable contact and inside than an outer end of the second movable contact. A push switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the push switch is arranged. The push switch according to claim 1, wherein the holding sheet is held by a case member. The push switch according to claim 1, wherein the holding sheet is held by the substrate and the case member. The push switch according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the height of the first fixed contact is equal to the height of the second fixed contact. a first electrode connected to the first fixed contact;
further comprising a second electrode connected to the second fixed contact,
The push switch according to claim 6, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are arranged directly under a case member. The push switch according to claim 8, wherein the first fixed contact and the second fixed contact form the same surface as the surface of the substrate. The push switch according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the height of the second movable contact is higher than the height of the first movable contact.

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