JPH0355216Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Technical Field of the Invention) The present invention relates to a push-button switch used in keyboards of electronic typewriters, word processors, terminals, etc., and particularly relates to a push-button switch that has both a click feeling and a click sound.

(Prior art and its problems) It is desirable for push button switches used in keyboards to have tactile feedback from an ergonomic point of view.

In other words, when the switch is pressed, the switch turns ON.
By providing a click feeling at the same time, the operator can know that the switch has been turned on, and this allows the operator to know that the switch has turned on.
There is no need to press the switch any more after the switch is turned on, thus creating a keyboard that is easy for the operator to operate and reduces fatigue. Our company filed the first application for this type of push-button switch in 1977.
There is No.-104986 (Jitko No. 63-45711). This push button switch is equipped with a stem 2, a switch element 5, and a leaf spring 7 for click feeling in a case 1. By operating the stem 3 of the push button switch, the switch element 5 is turned on and the leaf spring is moved. This gives a click sensation.

However, in the push button switch of the prior application, when pressed by the stem, the stem rides on the click spring section, causing a click sensation. There was a problem that the parts were being scraped off.

[Purpose of invention]

The object of the present invention is to provide a push button switch having a leaf spring structure that prevents the case from being scraped when the leaf spring for click feeling is moved.

(Structure of the invention) The push button switch of the invention includes a case, a switch element disposed in the case, a stem inserted into the case, and a stem that faces the switch element within the case via the stem. The leaf spring has an upright part that comes into contact with the inner surface of the side wall of the case, a bent part provided at the lower end of the upright part and whose tip is bent upward, and an upper end of the upright part. It integrally has a bent part bent from the outside and a click spring part extending downward from the bent part toward the stem, and a click protrusion that projects toward the stem is provided at the tip of the click spring part. The stem is in constant contact with the click spring part to urge the upright part against the inner surface of the side wall of the case, and when the stem is pressed, the stem presses the slope part of the click protrusion. The leaf spring is then bent forward toward the stem, and then the stem rides on the click protrusion and presses the leaf spring in the lateral direction, and the bent part reciprocates to push the upright part against the case side wall. A protrusion is provided on the inner surface of the side wall of the case or on the upright part of the leaf spring to cause the protrusion to collide with the inner surface and generate a collision sound, and when the collision occurs, the switch element is brought into conduction by the stem, and the tip of the bent portion is brought into contact with the case. It is characterized in that it is brought into contact with the inner bottom surface.

(Example of the invention) Hereinafter, the details of the invention will be explained based on the drawings.

1 to 5 show examples of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a sectional side view showing the push button switch when it is not pressed, FIG. 2 is a sectional side view showing the push button switch in the middle of being pressed, and FIG.
The figure is a sectional side view showing the push button switch when it is fully pressed, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the leaf spring, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lower surface of the upper case.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an upper case made of synthetic resin, and the inner surface of the upper case 1 is provided with step portions 1a, 1b and step portions 1a', 1b' facing each other.
A groove portion 1c is provided next to b′, and step portions 1a, 1
Side wall inner surfaces 1d and 1e are opposed to the other inner surfaces where b, 1a', and 1b' are not provided.

A lower case 2 is made of the same material as the upper case 1, has a protrusion 2a on the central inner bottom surface, and is attached to the upper case 1 by a snap-in (not shown).
Reference numeral 3 denotes a stem made of synthetic resin, which has a protrusion 3a on its lower central surface, and a coil spring 4 disposed between this protrusion 3a and the protrusion 2a of the lower case 2. 5 is a membrane type switch element,
Although not shown, the fixed contact and the movable contact are
They are stacked with a spacer in between, and when the movable contact is pressed, the movable contact contacts the fixed contact and turns on.

A pressure spring 6 made of stainless steel or the like is attached to the switch element 5 to press the switch element 5, and a leaf spring 7 made of the same material as the pressure spring 6 is provided at a position facing the switch element 5 via the stem 3. It is located. The spring 7 consists of an upright part 7a, a bent part 7b, and a click spring part 7c, and the upright part 7a has wing parts 7d at both ends thereof that contact the groove side wall A of the upper case 1, and the lower end of the upright part 7a has a wing part 7d that contacts the groove side wall A of the upper case 1. The bent portion 7 that comes into contact with the inner bottom surface B of 2
h and a protrusion 7e that abuts against the inner surface 1e of the side wall of the upper case 1. The click spring portion 7c is bifurcated at its lower part, and a protrusion 7f is provided at each lower end.

Next, a method of assembling the push button switch of the present invention will be explained.

Upper case 1 central step portions 1a, 1b, 1a', 1
Insert the stem 3 between b' and the protrusion 3a of the stem 3.
A coil spring 4 is placed at. A switch element 5 to which a pressure spring 6 is attached is disposed on the side surface of the stem 3, that is, between the stepped portions 1a, 1a' and the inner surface of the side wall 1d. A leaf spring 7 is disposed on the other side of the stem 3, that is, in the groove portion 1c. And finally, lower case 2
is fitted and fixed with the upper case 1 using a snap-in to complete the assembly.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be explained. When the stem 3 is pressed, the stem 3 first presses the slope portion 7g of the click protrusion 7f, and the leaf spring 7 rotates around the wing portion 7d, and the stem 3 is pushed from the upper part of the leaf spring 7, that is, near the bent portion 7b. The protrusion 7e of the spring 7 moves to the side so that the protrusion 7e touches the inner surface 1 of the side wall of the upper case 1.
e, and the vicinity of the bent portion 7b comes into contact with the protrusion 1f of the upper case 1. Also, since the leaf spring 7 is pressed by the stem 3, the bent portion 7h of the leaf spring 7
is pressed against the inner bottom surface B of the lower case 2. At this time,
The pressing spring 6 is also pressed at the same time, but the switch element 5 is not yet turned on. When the stem 3 is further pressed, the stem 3 rides on the click protrusion 7f of the leaf spring 7, producing a click feeling. At this time, the stem 3 acts to press the click protrusion 7f in the lateral direction, so that the leaf spring 7 returns toward the inner surface 1e of the side wall, and the projection 7e of the leaf spring 7 collides with the inner surface 1e of the side wall. This collision produces a collision sound, which forms a click sound. At the same time, the pressing spring 6 presses the switch element 5 to turn on the switch.

That is, as soon as the switch is turned on, a clicking feeling and a clicking sound occur. Next, when the pressure on the stem 3 is released, the coil spring 4 pushes the stem 3 upward, and the stem 3 separates from the click protrusion 7f and the switch element 5.
Turn it off. Here, by changing the height of the wing portion 7h, the intensity of the impact sound of the leaf spring 7 can be changed. In addition, in the embodiment, the switch element 5
Although the switch element 5 is configured to be pressed by a pressure spring 6, the switch element 5 may be another switch element such as a reed switch, and is not particularly limited to one using a pressure spring.

Further, in the embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which a protrusion 7e for generating a collision sound is provided on the leaf spring 7, but instead of providing this protrusion 7e, the side wall inner surface 1e of the upper case 1 is
It may be set in

(Effect of the invention) As described above, according to the invention, when the click spring part of the leaf spring is pressed by the stem, the bent part of the leaf spring reciprocates and the standing part of the leaf spring collides with the inner surface of the side wall of the case, causing a collision noise. Since the protrusion for generating this is provided on the inner surface of the side wall of the case or on the upright part of the leaf spring, it is possible to generate a clear click sound at the same time as the click feeling to the finger.

Further, since a bent portion is provided at the lower end of the upright portion of the leaf spring, the lower case is not scraped due to the vertical movement of the leaf spring during the stem pressing operation.

Therefore, it is possible to reliably notify the operator that the switch has been turned on by the click feeling on the finger and the click sound, which makes the operation easy, reduces fatigue, and is highly reliable with excellent ergonomics. You can get a push button switch.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 5 are examples of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a sectional side view showing the push button switch when it is not pressed, FIG. 2 is a sectional side view showing the push button switch in the middle of being pressed, and FIG. The figure is a cross-sectional side view showing the push button switch when it is fully pressed, and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the leaf spring.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lower surface of the upper case. 1...Upper case, 1a, 1b...Stepped portion, 1c...
...Groove portion, 1d, 1e...Inner surface of side wall, 2...Lower case, 3...Stem, 5...Switch element, 7...
Itabane, 7a... Standing part, 7b... Bent part, 7
c...Click spring part, 7h...Bending part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] It has a case, a switch element arranged in the case, a stem inserted into the case, and a leaf spring arranged in the case so as to face the switch element via the stem,
The leaf spring has an upright part that comes into contact with the inner surface of the side wall of the case, a bent part provided at the lower end of the upright part and whose tip is bent upward, a bent part bent from the upper end of the upright part, and a bent part bent from the bent part. It integrally has a click spring portion extending downward toward the stem, and the tip of the click spring portion is provided with a click protrusion that protrudes toward the stem side, and the stem is always in contact with the click spring portion. When the stem is pressed, the stem presses the slope of the click protrusion and bends the leaf spring forward toward the stem. Then, the stem rides on the click protrusion and presses the leaf spring laterally, and the bent part reciprocates to cause the upright part to collide with the inner surface of the case side wall to generate a collision sound. A protrusion is provided on the inner surface of the side wall of the case or on the upright portion of the leaf spring, and the switch element is brought into conduction by the stem upon the collision, and
A push button switch characterized in that the tip of the bent portion is brought into contact with the inner bottom surface of the case.