JPH0134147Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to an electronic watch switch structure in which the circuit board is a single-sided board and has a side button.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a switch section of a conventional electronic watch in which the circuit board is a single-sided board.

Reference numeral 1 denotes an outer body, in which a through hole 2 for a button is formed, and a button 3 is set therein. 4 is a waterproof gasket that prevents water from entering the inside of the watch. 5 is a retaining ring that prevents the button 3 from coming out. Reference numeral 6 is a back cover, and 7 is a cover glass.The exterior case is composed of the above-mentioned main parts. 8 is a liquid crystal panel that displays the time; 9 is a panel frame made of plastic material;
etc., and supports and guides them. The protrusion 1 is on the panel frame 9.
0 is formed and a switch lead terminal 11 made of a coil spring is set.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a switch terminal made of a copper foil pattern formed on a circuit board 13, and the terminal 11 is electrically connected by a spring force. A switch spring 14 is made of a metal spring material and has a positive potential. When the button 3 is pushed in, the switch spring 14 comes into contact with the switch lead terminal 11, and as a result, an input signal is input to the switch terminal 12. The switch spring 14 also serves as a return spring for the button 3. As described above, since the switch spring 14 is a metal cantilever spring, in order to suitably design the repeated durability of the spring and the return force of the button 3, it becomes a long spring and requires a large space. As a result, the watch becomes large and has a poor design.

The present invention eliminates these drawbacks, and its purpose is to provide a switch structure for an electronic watch that is simple in structure and consists of a single-sided substrate.

The electronic watch switch structure according to the present invention includes a button set in a button through hole formed on the side surface of the outer body, a switch rubber formed in a rectangular parallelepiped made of an elastic body with which the tip of the button comes into contact, and the switch rubber. The switch rubber has a panel frame for holding, a liquid crystal panel held by the panel frame to display the time, and a circuit board disposed below the panel frame and having a switch terminal formed on one side, and the switch rubber includes: A recess to which a conductive rubber is fixed is formed on the surface of the circuit board facing the switch terminal and below the height position where the button contacts, and the surface other than the surface in contact with the button and the surface contacting the switch terminal is formed. is characterized in that it is surrounded and fixed to the panel frame.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the switch section of the digital watch according to the present invention.

The exterior structure is exactly the same as the conventional example. 8 is a liquid crystal panel for displaying time, and 9 is a panel frame made of plastic material that guides the liquid crystal panel 8, switch rubber 21, etc. The switch rubber 21 is made of elastic silicone rubber and is formed into a rectangular parallelepiped shape. A conductive rubber 22 is formed on the surface of the switch rubber 21 facing the switch terminal 12 on the circuit board 13, and the switch terminal 12
A depression is formed so that an appropriate gap 23 can be maintained. Further, the surface other than the surface 24 for the button 3 is tightly mounted in a space surrounded by a box 25 formed in the panel frame 9 and the circuit board 13. As a result, when the switch rubber 21 is compressed by pressing the surface 24 with the button 3, the gap 23 becomes zero due to the volume reduction. Further, a ground terminal 20 having a positive potential is formed in parallel with the switch terminal 12, and a switch signal is input to the switch terminal 12 when the conductive rubber 22 contacts the switch terminal 22 and the ground terminal 20 at the same time. When the pushing force applied to the button 3 is removed, the compression force of the switch rubber 21 causes the button 3 to return to its original position, forming a gap 23.

As is clear from the above, in the present invention, the panel frame is surrounded except for the surface that contacts the button and the surface that contacts the switch terminal of the circuit board, and the surface that contacts the switch terminal of the circuit board. By forming a recess in which the conductive rubber is fixed at a position lower than the button position, the switch rubber that is pressed by the button is extended in the vertical direction of the exterior case within the panel frame, establishing continuity with the switch terminal on the circuit board. By simply setting the switch rubber 21, which is a molded part, it is possible to perform exactly the same functions as a conventional switch structure without changing the conventional exterior structure. Further, since the switch rubber 21 only needs to have a small volume, the watch can be compactly assembled and a very compact design is possible. Furthermore, since the switch rubber 21 is a molded part, it is easy to manufacture, and has great durability and reliability, which is very effective.

Although the switch rubber of this embodiment has a conductive portion molded separately, the entire switch rubber may be made conductive by mixing graphite or metal powder into the switch rubber and molding the mixture.

The present invention can be applied not only to electronic watches but also to switch structures of clocks, electronic toys, calculators, etc.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a switch section of a conventional electronic watch in which the circuit board is a single-sided board. 1... Outer body, 3... Button, 11... Switch lead terminal, 12... Switch terminal, 13... Circuit board, 14... Switch spring. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the switch portion of the digital watch according to the present invention. 3...Button, 9...Panel frame,
12...Switch terminal, 13...Circuit board, 20...
...Earth terminal, 21...Switch rubber, 22...
Conductive rubber, 23...Gap between the conductive rubber 22 and the switch terminal 12, 25...The surface of the switch rubber 21 facing the button 3, 25...A box formed on the panel frame 9.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A button to be set in a button through hole formed on the side surface of the outer body, a switch rubber formed in a rectangular parallelepiped made of an elastic body with which the tip of the button comes into contact, a panel frame for holding the switch rubber, and a panel frame for holding the switch rubber. It has a liquid crystal panel that is held and displays the time, and a circuit board that is disposed below the panel frame and has a switch terminal formed on one side, and the switch rubber faces the switch terminal of the circuit board. A recess to which conductive rubber is fixed is formed in the surface and below the height position where the button contacts, and the surface other than the surface in contact with the button and the surface in contact with the switch terminal is surrounded and fixed to the panel frame. A switch structure for electronic watches characterized by: