JPH0345405Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Summary] The connecting button structure includes a first connecting button assembly and a second connecting button assembly that are integrally molded from a suitable resin material. Each of the two connecting button assemblies includes a connecting member and at least one button member connected to the connecting member via a spring piece element, and each of the first and second connecting button assemblies has the respective dimensions and shapes. The combination of the two connecting button assemblies allows the two button members to be juxtaposed in close proximity to each other.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention is a connecting button structure consisting of a connecting member and at least one button member connected to the connecting member via a spring piece element, the connecting button structure being formed as an integrally molded product from a suitable resin material. Regarding.

[Conventional technology]

Referring to FIG. 2, a representative example of such a connecting button structure is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, and is formed as a single piece from a suitable resin material such as ABS resin, acrylic resin, etc. Ru.
In the example shown in FIG. 2, the connection button structure 10 includes a connection member 12 and a 5-piece structure connected to the connection member 12 along its longitudinal direction via a pair of spring element elements 14.
and two button members 16. A plurality of mounting holes 18 are formed in the connecting member 12, and these mounting holes 18
The connecting button structure 10 is attached to a predetermined attachment location.

Such a connecting button structure 10 is often used in, for example, in-vehicle audio equipment, and its main advantages are that a plurality of button members 16 can be attached at once, and that the spring piece element 14 Since each button member 16 is given an elastic biasing action,
One advantage is that there is no need to use a spring material such as a sponge material.

[The problem that the idea attempts to solve]

Now, in recent years, audio equipment and the like have become increasingly compact, and as a result, the setting range of operation buttons and the like has also tended to become narrower. Therefore, even in the connecting button structure 10 as shown in FIG. 2, it is required that the distance between the button members 16 be made closer to each other, but if the distance between the button members 16 is made too narrow, Various problems arise in the manufacture of the connecting button structure.

For example, particularly in the case of in-vehicle audio equipment, the button member 16 often displays a music selection number or AM/FM display as an illumination display. As an example of such an illumination display, the connecting button structure 10 is integrally molded from a transparent resin material or a semi-transparent resin material, the transparent or semi-transparent button members 16 are coated with an opaque paint, and then each button member 16 is made of an opaque material. There is a method of irradiating the paint surface with a laser beam to expose the transparent or opaque resin part and write the song selection number etc. However, if the distance between the button members 16 is too narrow, a problem arises in that it is difficult to sufficiently coat the opposing edges of two adjacent button members 16 with the opaque paint. Needless to say, if uneven coating occurs on the opposing edges, illumination light may leak when the button member 16 is illuminated.

It has also been pointed out that another problem when the interval between the button members 16 is made too narrow is that the mold for forming the connecting button structure 10 is easily damaged.
That is, such a mold is provided with a partition wall corresponding to the space between two adjacent button members 16, but if the space between the button members 16 is made too narrow, such a partition wall will naturally The problem is that the walls also become thinner and more easily damaged.

Therefore, when the spacing between the button members becomes too narrow, a button piece fitting method as shown in FIG. 3 or a button member individual molding method as shown in FIG. 4 is adopted.

As is clear from FIG. 3, in the button piece fitting method, a separately formed button piece 20 is used, and this button piece 20 corresponds to each button member 16 of the connecting button structure 10 of FIG. It is adapted to be fitted into part 16'. Note that when the button piece 20 is fitted, the claw piece 22 of the button piece 20 snaps into engagement with the hole 24 of the portion 16'.
This ensures that the button piece 20 is securely attached to the button 6'. In such a button piece fitting method, the size of the portion 16' can be made smaller than the original size of the button member, so the above-mentioned problem of breakage of the molding die is solved. In addition, when performing lighting display using the button piece fitting method, the above-mentioned lighting display processing is performed on the button piece 20, but the button piece 2
Since 0 is formed as a separate body, coating with an opaque paint during such illumination display processing can be performed extremely easily. Furthermore, the button piece fitting method can be said to be superior in that it also enjoys the advantages mentioned above regarding the connecting button structure.

However, the biggest drawback of the button piece fitting method is that the button piece 20 for each part 16'
The problem is that it involves fitting work, so when the button piece fitting method is adopted, the assembly cost is high, and the manufacturing cost is also high because a separate button piece is used. It has been pointed out that

The button member individual molding method as shown in FIG. 4 is a normal method in which each button member 16'' is simply formed independently.
Although there is no restriction on the arrangement interval, the above-mentioned advantages of the connecting button structure cannot be obtained as a matter of course.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a new connecting button structure that is constructed so that the spacing between the button members can be narrowed without sacrificing the advantages originally provided by the connecting button structure.

[Means to solve the problem]

The connecting button structure according to the present invention includes a first connecting button assembly and a second connecting button assembly that are integrally molded from a suitable resin material. Each of the first and second connecting button assemblies is composed of a connecting member and at least one button member connected to the connecting member via a spring piece element, and the dimensions and shapes of the first and second connecting button assemblies are the same as those of both of the connecting button assemblies. Due to the combination of three-dimensional structures, both button members can be juxtaposed in close proximity to each other.

In the present invention, the first connecting member of the first connecting button assembly is provided with two or more button members along its length, and the second connecting member of the second connecting button assembly is provided with two or more button members along its length.
If the connecting member is provided with two or more button members along its length, the distance between the button members of one of the first and second connecting button assemblies is such that the distance between the button members of the other connecting button assembly is One of the three-dimensional button members can be inserted therein.

[Effect]

As is clear from the above description, in the connection button structure according to the present invention, when assembling the first connection button assembly and the second connection button assembly, both connection button assemblies can be combined. As a result, the plurality of button members are arranged in close proximity to each other.

〔Example〕

Next, an embodiment of the connecting button structure according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

Referring to FIG. 1, a connecting button structure according to the present invention is illustrated in a perspective view, with reference numeral 26 indicating a first connecting button assembly and reference numeral 28 indicating a second connecting button assembly. In this embodiment, the first and second
The connecting button assemblies 26 and 28 are both integrally molded from a suitable transparent resin material, such as transparent ABS resin or transparent acrylic resin material.

The first connecting button assembly 26 includes a connecting member 30 and four button members 3 connected to the connecting member 30 along its longitudinal direction via a pair of spring piece elements 32.
4. A plurality of attachment holes 36 are formed in the connection member 30, and these attachment holes 36 are used for assembling the first connection button assembly 26.

The second connection button assembly 28 is also configured similarly to the first connection button assembly 26, and is comprised of a connection member 38.
and three button members 42 connected to the connecting member 38 along its longitudinal direction via a pair of spring piece elements 40. A plurality of mounting holes 44 are formed in the connecting member 38, and these mounting holes 44 are connected to the second mounting hole 44.
It is used for assembling the connecting button assembly 28.

As is clear from FIG. 1, when the first connecting button assembly 26 and the second connecting button assembly 28 are assembled, both connecting button assemblies 26 and 28 are assembled together. That is, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1, the connecting member 30 and the connecting member 38
are overlapped in such a manner that the corresponding mounting holes 36 and 44 of both are aligned, and in such an overlapping state, the first connecting button assembly 26 and the second connecting button assembly 26 are
The connecting button assembly 28 is assembled at a predetermined attachment location.

What should be noted here is that when the connecting member 30 and the connecting member 38 are overlapped as described above, each of the three button members 44 is accommodated in the space between the corresponding two adjacent button members 34. The point is that the four button members 34 and the three button members 42 are alternately arranged in close proximity to each other. In other words, the dimensions and shapes of the first connecting button assembly 26 and the second connecting button assembly 28 are predetermined so as to obtain such a juxtaposed relationship. In addition, the four button members 34
In order to make the surfaces of the button members 34 and 42 flush with each other when the three button members 42 are alternately arranged in close proximity to each other, the thickness of the three button members 42 is reduced by the thickness of the connecting member 30. It is preferable that the thickness be greater than the thickness of the four button members 34.

In this embodiment, the first connecting button assembly 26
Prior to assembling the second connecting button assembly 28, the button members 34, 42 of each connecting button assembly are subjected to the lighting display process as described above. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the three button members 26 from the left among the four button members 34 of the first connecting button assembly 26 are provided with illumination display portions for music selection numbers 1, 3, and 5. and the rightmost button member 34 has
An AM/FM illumination display section is formed. On the other hand, the three button members 42 of the second connection button assembly 28 are provided with illumination display portions with music selection numbers 2, 4, and 6 from the left side. Therefore, when the four button members 34 and the three button members 42 are arranged adjacent to each other alternately as described above, the six button members 24 and 42 from the left side are sequentially assigned song selection numbers 1 to 6. illumination displays are sequentially attached, and the rightmost button member 34
will be equipped with an AM/FM illumination display.
In this way, the illumination display processing for the button members 34, 42 of the first and second connecting button assemblies 26 and 28 is performed before the two connecting button assemblies 26 and 28 are combined. In the button assemblies 26 and 28, the distance between the button members 34 and 42 is sufficiently wide, so that when applying the opaque paint during lighting display processing, sufficient coating is applied to both side edges of the button members 34 and 42. be able to.

On the other hand, the first connecting button assembly 26 and the second connecting button assembly 28 are integrally molded separately, but in this case, the button members 34, 42 of each connecting button assembly 26, 28
Since the intervals between the two molds are set to be sufficiently wide, the problem of damage to each mold will be solved. Incidentally, if the molds for the first connecting button assembly 26 and the second connecting button assembly 28 are made together, the cost for producing the molds will not be high.

In the above-described embodiment, when the first connecting button assembly 26 and the second connecting button assembly 28 are assembled, the connecting members 30 and 38 of both of them are overlapped with each other, but these continuous members are stacked vertically. The first linking button assembly and the second linking button assembly may be combined in such a manner that they are arranged in relationship. Of course, in that case, it is preferable to make the length of the pair of spring elements of one connecting button assembly somewhat longer so that the upper and lower edges of both button members are aligned on a straight line.

Moreover, in the above-mentioned embodiment, each connecting member 34, 4
Although the connection of the button members 34, 42 to 2 is performed by a pair of spring piece elements 32, 40, there may be two or more such spring piece elements, or there may be a single spring piece element. good. In addition, when a single spring element is used, the spring element may extend over the entire width of the upper edge of each button member.

[Effect of idea]

As is clear from the above description, in the connecting button structure according to the present invention, when the first connecting button assembly and the second connecting button assembly are assembled, both connecting button assemblies are combined. Therefore, since the plurality of button members are arranged in close proximity to each other,
The arrangement interval of the button members can be narrowed without impairing the advantages originally obtained by the connecting button structure. In addition, in the connecting button structure according to the present invention,
The manufacturing and assembly costs are not particularly high compared to conventional linking button structures.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the connecting button structure according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a typical example of the conventional connecting button structure, and Fig. 3 explains a conventional example of the button piece fitting method. FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining a conventional example of a button member single molding method. 26...First connection button assembly, 28...Second connection button assembly, 30...Connection member, 32...Spring piece element,
34... Button member, 36... Mounting hole, 38... Connection member,
40... Spring piece element, 42... Button member, 44... Mounting hole.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] a first connecting button assembly and a second connecting button assembly integrally formed from a suitable resin material, each of the first and second connecting button assemblies including a connecting member; and at least one button member connected to the connecting member via a spring piece element, and the dimensions and shapes of the first and second connecting button assemblies are determined by the combination of the two connecting button assemblies. A connecting button structure characterized in that both button members can be juxtaposed in close proximity to each other.