JPH0218493Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea] [Technical field of invention] This invention relates to an illuminated switch.

[Prior art]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an illuminated switch whose key top is illuminated and turned on by pressing a transparent key top has been designed, for example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. That is, in this type of switch, by pushing down the transparent key top 2 placed on the case 1 of the device, the bulging part 4 of the contact sheet 3 placed below is pushed down and elastically deformed. A ring-shaped movable contact 5 formed in the portion 4 is brought into contact with a fixed contact 7 on the printed circuit board 6 to make the fixed contact 7 conductive. The key top 2 is illuminated by lighting up an illumination lamp 8 disposed at the key top 2. In this case, the illumination lamp 8 is erected on the printed circuit board 6 with its legs protruding from the lower surface of the printed circuit board 6 and attached by soldering or the like, and when the key top 2 is pressed down, the illumination lamp 8 bulges out. According to the elastic deformation of the portion 4, the key top 2 is inserted through the ring-shaped movable contact 5 and the opening 4a formed in the upper part of the bulging portion 4, and inserted into the recess 2a formed in the lower surface of the key top 2. It is now designed to illuminate the

[Problems with conventional technology]

However, in the case of the above-mentioned illuminated switch, since the illumination lamp 8 is placed at the center of the bulge 4, the large ring-shaped movable contact 5 and fixed contact 7 through which the illumination lamp 8 is inserted are However, if the illumination lamp 8 is made smaller in order to solve this problem, the brightness of the transparent key top 2 will be reduced. In addition, the above switch has a ring-shaped movable contact 5 inside the bulge 4.
Since the fixed contact 7 must be formed, it is difficult to mold it, and since the fixed contact 7 facing the fixed contact 7 is also arranged in a ring shape, there is a problem that poor conduction between the contacts 5 and 7 is likely to occur. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned switch, the legs of the illumination lamp 8 have to protrude from the top surface of the printed circuit board 6 to the bottom surface, and must be soldered on the bottom side. There are inconveniences such as having to use

[Purpose of invention]

This idea was devised in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and not only allows the entire switch to be constructed compactly, but also illuminates the push operation member in good condition without reducing the brightness due to the light rays from the light source. The purpose is to obtain an illuminated switch that can

[Main Points of the Invention] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, this invention has a structure in which a through hole formed in a part of the side wall of the bulge is formed in the bulge that is elastically deformed by the pressing operation of the pressing operation member. The key point is that the light source is arranged so that it can be projected.

[First Embodiment] FIGS. 3 and 4 show a first embodiment of this invention, and numeral 10 in the figures is a case of a device or a switch. A transparent key top 11 having a flange 11a at the bottom is arranged in the case 10 so as to be movable up and down. A recess 11b is formed on the lower surface of the key top 11 at a location slightly shifted to the right from the center, and a colored layer 11c such as painting or a colored sheet is formed on the lower surface excluding the recess 11b.
is provided. Also, below the key top 11, a contact sheet 12 provided on a printed circuit board 13 is arranged. This contact sheet 1
2 is formed with a bulging portion 14 that bulges upward. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper part of this bulging part 14 normally comes into contact with the lower surface of the key top 11 except for the recess 11b, and pushes up the key top 11 and holds it upward. When it is pushed down, it is pushed down and elastically deformed. Furthermore, a movable contact 15 made of conductive rubber or the like is formed on the inner upper surface of the bulge 14, and a movable contact 15 made of conductive rubber or the like is formed.
A hole 16 corresponding to the recess 11b of the key top 11 is formed in the side wall of the key top 4. Further, on the printed circuit board 13, a fixed contact 17 consisting of a pair of electrodes is formed facing below the movable contact 15, and a fixed contact 17 consisting of a pair of electrodes is formed in correspondence with the hole 16 of the bulge 14. The illumination lamp 18 is connected to the bulge 14
It is located slightly to the right of the center. In this case, the illumination lamp 18 has its legs 18a,
18a protrudes from the upper surface to the lower surface of the printed circuit board 13, and is soldered on the upper surface side.

However, in the illuminated switch configured as described above, when the transparent key top 11 is pushed down, the bulging part 14 of the contact sheet 12 is pushed down and elastically deformed, and the movable contact 15 is moved to the printed circuit board 13. It contacts the upper fixed contact 17 and makes the fixed contact 17 conductive. Also, at this time, the illumination lamp 18 passes through the hole 16 of the bulge 14 which is elastically deformed when pressed down, and is inserted into the recess 11b of the pressed down key top 11, thereby illuminating the key top 11.

As described above, according to the above-mentioned illuminated switch, the illumination lamp 18 is arranged offset from the center of the bulge 14, and the hole 16 formed in the side wall of the bulge 14
The key top 11 is illuminated by inserting the bulge 14, movable contact 15,
There is no need to enlarge the fixed contact 17, etc., and only the hole 16 of the bulge 14 needs to be enlarged.
The entire switch can be configured compactly. In addition, since the illumination lamp 18 is inserted through the hole 16 of the bulge 14, there is no need to form the movable contact 15 in a ring shape, which facilitates the manufacture of the movable contact 15 and provides high continuity reliability. You can get something. Furthermore, the illumination lamp 18
4 and away from the fixed contact 17, the legs 18a, 1 of the illumination lamp 18
8a can be soldered on the upper surface of the printed circuit board 13, and therefore only one side is needed without using both the upper and lower surfaces of the printed circuit board 13, and the usable area of the printed circuit board 13 can be increased.

[Second Embodiment] FIGS. 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of this invention. In this case, the same parts as in the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

A contact sheet 20 provided on a printed circuit board 13 is disposed below a transparent key top 11 which is disposed on a case 10 so as to be movable up and down. This contact sheet 20 has a bulging portion 21 formed in the same way as in the first embodiment described above, and a movable contact 22 is formed on the inner upper surface thereof. This movable contact 22 has a swollen portion 21 that is connected to the key top 11.
When it is pressed down and elastically deformed, it comes into contact with a fixed contact 17 on the printed circuit board 13, thereby making the fixed contact 17 conductive. Further, a hole 23 is formed in the side wall of the bulging portion 21 over the flat portion of the contact sheet 20. Then, the key top 1 corresponds to this hole 23 and the key top 1
An illumination lamp 24 is arranged on the printed circuit board 13 at a location corresponding to the concave portion 11b. This illumination lamp 24 has its legs 24a, 24a bent on the printed circuit board 13 and extends into the hole 23 formed in the flat part of the contact sheet 20, and this extended portion is bent on the printed circuit board 13. is soldered to.

Even in the case of an illuminated switch configured in this manner, in addition to the same effects as in the first embodiment described above, the hole 23 is formed extending from the side wall of the bulging portion 21 to the flat portion of the contact sheet 20. Because it has been
Inside this hole 23, the legs 24a, 24 of the illumination lamp 24
A can be bent and soldered onto the printed circuit board 13, and the illumination lamp 24 can be easily replaced through the hole 23.

[Effect of idea]

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, the bulges (in this embodiment, the bulges 14 and 21) are elastically deformed by the pressing operation of the pressing operation member (in this embodiment, the key top 11). ), a through hole (in this embodiment, a through hole formed in a part of the side wall of the bulge when the pressing operation member is pressed)
Since the light source (illumination lamps 18, 24 in this embodiment) is arranged so that it can protrude from the holes 16, 23), when the pressing operation member is not pressed, the light source is inserted into the bulge. The light source is kept in the recessed state, and conversely, when the pressing operation member is pressed, the light source is projected to the outside of the bulge, thereby forming a recess (in this embodiment, the recess 11b) in the pressing operation member. The light source can be inserted inside. Therefore, not only can the light source be effectively arranged within a relatively narrow space, but also the recess formed at a position facing the light source can be located near the center of the pressing operation member. Therefore, the pressing operation member can be illuminated in good condition without reducing the brightness of the light beam from the light source. Further, since there is no need to use a large ring-shaped movable contact and fixed contact through which the light source is inserted as in the conventional case, the overall size of the switch device can be made compact.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 and 2 show an example of a conventional illuminated switch, Figure 1 is a sectional view thereof, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the contact sheet, and Figures 3 and 4 are the first example of this invention. An example is shown, FIG. 3 is a sectional view thereof, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view thereof.
The figure is an external perspective view of a contact sheet, Figures 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of this invention, Figure 5 is a sectional view thereof, and Figure 6 is a contact sheet showing a state in which illumination lamps are arranged. FIG. 11... Key top, 12, 20... Contact sheet, 13... Printed circuit board, 14, 21... Swelling portion, 15, 22... Movable contact, 16, 23...
Hole, 17...Fixed contact, 18, 24...Illumination lamp.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A contact sheet having a push operation member made of a transparent material that can be operated by pressure, and a movable contact on the inner lower surface of a dome-shaped bulge that is elastically deformed by the push operation of the push operation member. and a substrate having a fixed contact fixedly disposed at a position facing the movable contact at a predetermined distance from the movable contact, and when the pressing operation member is pressed, a side wall of the bulge portion is pressed. a light source disposed within the bulge so as to be able to protrude from a through hole formed in the bulge, and a light source placed on the lower surface of the pressing operation member facing the light source when the pressing operation member is pressed. An illuminated switch comprising a recess into which the light source is inserted.