JP7443873B2 - push button device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a push button device that includes a built-in light source that irradiates a display section with light.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Electronic devices such as telephones are often equipped with push-button devices for input. The button surface of this type of push button device is provided with a display of predetermined numbers, symbols, etc. corresponding to input contents. These displays are often performed by printing. The markings printed on the surface of the buttons may peel off and become unrecognizable after long-term use.

In order to solve this problem, the push button device described in Patent Document 1 adopts a configuration in which the numbers and symbols on the surface are formed as parts separate from the push button body, so that there is no need to print them. It is being Further, as a conventional push button device, there is also known one that has a structure in which the push button body illuminates by transmitting LED light, as described in Patent Document 2, for example.
These conventional push button devices are capable of determining the state before and after the operator presses the button based on the touch of the finger, such as a click sensation.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-190830 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-153214

With conventional push button devices, it was not possible to visually distinguish between the state before and after the push button was pressed.
An object of the present invention is to provide a push button device that allows an operator to visually determine the state before and after the push button is pressed.

In order to achieve such an object, the push button device according to the present invention is configured to move between a substrate, an operating position close to the substrate, and a non-operating position separated by a predetermined distance from the substrate. a pushbutton body configured with an operating portion at one end located on the opposite side of the substrate; a spring member that applies a force; and a light source that is provided between the substrate and the push button body and irradiates light toward the push button body, the push button body being close to the substrate. It has a light guide part that passes light from the end to the operation part, and a light shield part that is formed so that no light passes through and surrounds the light guide part, and the light shield part is arranged so that the push button body The push button body is configured to block light irradiated onto the outer edge of the operating portion when the push button body is located at the non-operating position, and to allow light to be irradiated onto the outer edge when the push button body is located at the operating position. It is configured.

In the button device according to the present invention, the operation section is formed of a display section that transmits light and a mask section that does not transmit light, and the outer edge section of the operation section may be included in the display section. good.

In the push button device of the present invention, the spring member is formed of an elastic body that transmits light and is provided between the substrate and the push button body, and the end surface of the spring member facing the substrate A contact point of a switch for opening/closing a circuit for lighting the light source may be provided on the surface of the substrate opposite to this end surface.

In the push button device according to the present invention, when the push button body is pushed by the operator and moved to the operating position, light from the light source is irradiated onto the outer edge of the operating portion. The outer edge of the operating section is not easily covered by the operator's finger when the operating section is pressed by the finger, and is always exposed. When the light from the light source reaches the outer edge of the operating section, the outside of the finger pressing the operating section becomes illuminated.
Therefore, it is possible to provide a push button device that allows the operator to visually determine the state before and after the push button is pressed.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a push button device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the push button device. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the push button body. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the push button body. FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the push button device with the push button body located in the non-operating position. FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the push button device with the push button body located in the operating position. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the contacts of the spring member and the contacts of the board.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the push button device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.
The push button device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is installed in an electronic device (not shown), and is configured so that an operating section 3 of a push button body 2 that is pressed by an operator's (not shown) finger is exposed. ing. The operating unit 3 is pushed downward from the top in FIG. 1 by the operator.

The push button main body 2 is formed by combining a plurality of functional parts so that the entire push button body 2 has a substantially cylindrical shape. An operating section 3 is provided at one end of the push button body 2 in the axial direction. The internal configurations of the operating section 3 and the push button body 2 will be described later. The other end of the push button main body 2 is supported by a frame 4 via a supporting arm 5, as shown in FIG. The frame 4, the supporting arm 5, and the other end of the push button body 2 are integrally formed by integral molding of a flexible plastic material. The plastic materials forming these parts are colored so that no light can pass through them.

The frame body 4 is formed in a shape that surrounds the two push button bodies 2 from three directions, and is supported by the substrate 7 via a plate portion 6a of a spring member 6, which will be described later. A housing 8 is attached to an end of the frame body 4 located on the opposite side from the spring member 6. The housing 8 is a member that provides the external appearance of the push button device 1. The housing 8 is formed with circular through holes 8a through which the operation parts 3 of the two push button bodies 2 are passed.
The support arm 5 extends from one side of the frame 4 to the inside of the frame 4, and is connected to the push button body 2 through the vicinity of the other side. This supporting arm 5 is formed into an elongated rod shape so that it can be easily bent when the push button main body 2 is pushed by an operator.

The spring member 6 is formed into a predetermined shape by an elastic body that transmits light, and includes a flat plate portion 6a that is overlapped with the substrate 7, and two parts that protrude from this plate portion 6a toward the push button body 2. It has a cup portion 6b. These cup portions 6b are formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and are positioned so that the bottom outer surface 6c overlaps the other end of the push button body 2. When the push button body 2 is pressed by the operator, the bottom outer surface 6c is pushed by the push button body 2, and a portion of the outer circumference of the cup portion 6b is bent. A click feeling can be given to the operator by partially bending the cup portion 6b.

As shown in FIG. 7, two protrusions 11 are provided inside the cup portion 6b. These protrusions 11 protrude toward the substrate 7 from the bottom inner surface 6d of the cup portion 6b. A film 12 made of a conductor is provided on the protruding side end surface of the protrusion 11 . In FIG. 7, the range where the membrane 12 is provided is indicated by hatching. In this embodiment, the protruding side end surface of the protrusion 11 corresponds to the "end surface of the spring member facing the substrate" in the invention set forth in claim 3, and the film 12 made of a conductor corresponds to the "end surface facing the substrate of the spring member" in the invention set forth in claim 3. , corresponds to a "contact" provided on the end surface of the spring member 6.

The cup portion 6b bends until the protrusion 11 comes into contact with the substrate 7 when the bottom outer surface 6c is pressed by the push button body 2. The position of the push button body 2 when the cup portion 6b is pushed by the push button body 2 until the protrusion 11 comes into contact with the substrate 7 and the push button body 2 approaches the substrate 7 will be referred to as the "operating position" below. When the operator releases his/her finger from the push button main body 2, the push button main body 2 returns to the "non-operated position", which is the position before being operated, by the elastic force of the spring member 6. Therefore, the push button main body 2 moves between an operating position close to the substrate 7 and a non-operating position separated from the substrate 7 by a predetermined distance. The spring member 6 applies a resilient force to the push button body 2 during a process in which the push button body 2 moves from the non-operating position to the operating position.

As shown in FIG. 7, the board 7 has two LEDs 13 and a contact 14 located near the LEDs 13.
The LED 13 is provided between the substrate 7 and the push button body 2 at a position corresponding to the push button body 2, and emits light toward the push button body 2 in a lit state. In this embodiment, the LED 13 corresponds to the "light source" in the present invention. The light from the LED 13 passes through the bottom portion of the cup portion 6b of the spring member 6 and is irradiated onto the push button body 2.

The LED 13 is connected to the switch circuit 15 by a wiring pattern not shown. The contacts 14 of the substrate 7 constitute the switch 16 in cooperation with the membrane 12 made of a conductor of the spring member 6 described above, and are provided on the surface of the substrate 7 facing the membrane 12 made of a conductor of the spring member 6. and connected to the switch circuit 15. The switch 16 is turned on when the conductor film 12 of the spring member 6 comes into contact with the contact 14 of the substrate 7, and turned off when the conductor film 12 separates from the contact 14 of the board 7.

The switch circuit 15 performs an input operation for each push button body 2 and turns on the LED 13 when the switch 16 is in the ON state, and stops the input operation and turns off the LED 13 when the switch 16 is in the OFF state. . In this embodiment, the switch circuit 15 corresponds to the "circuit that lights up the LED" in the third aspect of the invention. That is, the switch 16 is a switch that opens and closes a circuit that lights up the LED 13. Note that the switch circuit 15 may be configured to light the LED 13 while waiting for the push button body 2 to be operated.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the push button main body 2 is constructed by combining a plurality of functional sections. The plurality of functional parts include an operation part 3 located at one end of the push button body 2, a light guide part 21 that passes the light of the LED 13 from the other end of the push button body 2 close to the substrate 7 to the operation part 3, and A light shielding section 22 surrounds the light section 21.
The operation unit 3 includes a display unit 23 that transmits light and is configured by one end of a light guide unit 21 described later, and a mask that does not transmit light and is formed by an opaque disk and is attached to one end of the light guide unit 21. 24. A disk forming the mask section 24 is bonded to one end of the light guide section 21 with an adhesive (not shown). Note that the light guide section 21 and the mask section 24 of the operation section 3 can be formed by fixing by two-color molding, fitting, or the like.

The light guide section 21 is made of, for example, a transparent plastic material. As shown in FIG. 4, the light guide section 21 according to this embodiment includes a cylindrical first light guide section 21a and a conical second guide section connected to one end of the first light guide section 21a. It is formed by a light section 21b and a disk-shaped third light guide section 21c connected to one end of the second light guide section 21b. The first light guide section 21a, the second light guide section 21b, and the third light guide section 21c are positioned on the same axis.

The first light guide portion 21a is a portion that contacts the bottom outer surface 6c of the spring member 6 described above.
The second light guide portion 21b is formed into a conical shape whose outer diameter gradually increases as it moves away from the first light guide portion 21a. The outer diameter of the third light guide section 21c is larger than the outer diameter of one end of the second light guide section 21b.
As shown in FIG. 3, one end of the third light guide section 21c has a circular recess 25 into which the mask section 24 fits, and embossed numbers 26 and letters 27 that are the display contents of the push button body 2. It is formed.

Holes 28 and 29 are formed in the mask portion 24, into which the numbers 26 and letters 27 fit. The holes 28 and 29 are formed to penetrate the mask portion 24 in the thickness direction. When the mask part 24 fits into the circular recess 25 of the third light guide part 21c, the numbers 26 and letters 27 fit into the holes 28 and 29 of the mask part 24. In this manner, when the mask portion 24 is fitted into the circular recess 25 of the third light guide portion 21c, a portion of one end of the third light guide portion 21c is exposed. The display section 23 is constituted by this exposed portion. That is, the display section 23 is constituted by a ring-shaped outer edge section 31 of the third light guide section 21c, and outer surfaces 32 and 33 of the numbers 26 and letters 27.

As shown in FIG. 5, the light shielding part 22 has a through hole 34 into which the first light guide part 21a and the second light guide part 21b of the light guide part 21 fit, and the third light guide part The light guide portion 21 is supported with the portion 21c exposed. The light guiding section 21 according to this embodiment is adhered to the light shielding section 22 with an adhesive (not shown). The support arm 5 mentioned above connects the light shielding part 22 and the frame 4. The fracture position in FIG. 5 is the position where the virtual plane P crosses the push button device 1 in FIG. The virtual plane P extends along the axis of the light guide section 21 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the two push button bodies 2 are lined up. Note that the light guide section 21 and the light shielding section 22 are not limited to bonding, and may be formed by fixing by two-color molding, fitting, or the like.

The light blocking portion 22 blocks a portion of the light emitted from the LED 13 when the push button body 2 is located in the non-operating position as shown in FIG. 5, so that the effective directivity angle of the LED 13 becomes α1. It is configured as follows. By being irradiated with light at this directivity angle α1, the light does not reach the outer edge portion 31 of the operating portion 3. In this case, the light emitted from the LED 13 does not reach the outside of the mask section 24, and very little light is reflected within the light guide section 21 and passes through the outer edge section 31 of the operation section 3. In other words, if the switch circuit 15 is configured to turn on the LED 13 while waiting for the push button body 2 to be operated, the operation section 3 will be turned on when the push button body 2 is in the non-operating position. The numbers 26 and letters 27 shine, but the outer edge 31 of the operating section 3 does not shine.

Moreover, the light shielding part 22 is configured so that the substantial directivity angle of the LED 13 is α2 when the push button main body 2 is located at the operating position as shown in FIG. The directivity angle α2 is larger than the directivity angle α1. By being irradiated with light at this orientation angle α2, the outer edge portion 31 of the operating portion 3 is irradiated with the light of the LED 13. That is, when the LED 13 lights up while the push button main body 2 is pressed by the operator, the outer edge 31 of the operating part 3 will shine with the light from the LED 13.

The outer edge 31 of the operating section 3 is not easily covered by the operator's finger when the operating section 3 is pressed by the finger, and is always exposed. When the light from the LED 13 reaches the outer edge 31 of the operating section 3, the outside of the finger that presses the operating section 3 becomes illuminated.
If the switch circuit 15 is configured to light up the LED 13 while waiting for the push button body 2 to be operated, in addition to the numbers 26 and letters 27 when the push button body 2 reaches the operating position, The outer edge 31 of the operating section 3 also becomes illuminated.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a push button device in which the operator can visually distinguish between the state before and after the push button.
The operating section 3 according to this embodiment is formed by a display section 23 that transmits light and a mask section 24 that does not transmit light. An outer edge portion 31 of the operation unit 3 is included in the display unit 23. Therefore, the portion of the operating portion 3 other than the outer edge portion 31 can be shielded from light by the mask portion 24, so that when the light from the LED 13 reaches the outer edge portion 31, the portion adjacent to the outer edge portion 31 does not shine. Therefore, when an operation is performed, the brightness and darkness are emphasized and the outer edge 31 of the operation section 3 lights up, making it even clearer to distinguish when the push button body 2 is pressed.

The spring member 6 according to this embodiment is formed of an elastic body that transmits light, and is provided between the push button body 2 and the substrate 7. The end face of the spring member 6 facing the substrate 7 (the end face on the protruding side of the protrusion 11) and the surface of the substrate 7 facing this end face are provided with contacts (membrane 12 and contacts) of the switch 16 that opens and closes the circuit for lighting the light source. 14) is provided.
Therefore, since the outer edge 31 of the operating section 3 does not light up unless the push button body 2 is pushed to the operating position, it is possible to prevent an erroneous operation in which the push button body 2 is not pushed enough.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Push button device, 2...Push button body, 3...Operation unit, 6...Spring member, 7...Substrate, 12...Membrane (contact), 13...LED (light source), 14...Contact, 15...Switch circuit, 16 ... switch, 21 ... light guide section, 22 ... light shielding section, 23 ... display section, 24 ... mask section, 31 ... outer edge section.

Claims (3)

A substrate and
a push button configured to move between an operating position close to the substrate and a non-operating position a predetermined distance away from the substrate, and having an operating section at one end located on the opposite side from the substrate; The main body and
a spring member that applies elastic force to the push button body in a process in which the push button body moves from the non-operating position to the operating position;
a light source provided between the substrate and the push button body and irradiating light toward the push button body;
The push button main body includes a light guide section formed of one member that passes light from the other end close to the substrate to the operation section, and a light guide section formed so that no light passes through. and a light shielding part surrounding the
An outer edge portion of the operation portion is formed by the light guide portion,
The light shielding part supports the light guide part in a state where an outer edge of the operating part is exposed, and illuminates the outer edge of the operating part when the push button body is located in the non-operating position. 2. A push button device, characterized in that the push button device is configured to block light from the push button body and to irradiate the outer edge portion with light when the push button main body is located at the operating position. The push button device according to claim 1,
The light shielding portion is configured such that a substantial directivity angle of the light source changes between a state in which the push button body is located in a non-operating position and a state in which the push button body is located in an operating position. ,
When the push button main body is located at a non-operating position, the directivity angle becomes relatively small and light irradiated to an outer edge of the operating portion is blocked;
A push button device, wherein the directivity angle becomes relatively large when the push button main body is located at an operating position, and light is irradiated onto an outer edge of the operating section . The push button device according to claim 1,
The spring member is formed of an elastic body that transmits light and is provided between the substrate and the push button body,
A push button device characterized in that an end face of the spring member facing the substrate and a surface of the board facing the end face are provided with contacts of a switch that opens and closes a circuit for lighting the light source. .

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