JPH0421229Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to a multistage press switch.

[Background of the idea]

As a conventional press switch of this type, there is one shown in FIG. 6, for example. This press switch is provided with a conductive pattern that becomes fixed contacts 2 and 2' on a printed circuit board 1, and furthermore, a spacer 3 is placed on the conductive pattern to form fixed contacts 4 and 2' on the upper surface.
A switch actuating body 7 is formed by stacking flexible films 5 having a conductive pattern 4' on top of each other, and forming a bulge 6 made of silicone rubber or the like on the flexible films 5 and having a cross-section of a substantially square shape. At the same time, a movable contact 8 is fixed to the inside of the top of the bulge 6, which contacts between the fixed contacts 4 and 4' when pressed, and a fixed contact 8 is fixed to the lower surface of the flexible film 5. A movable contact 9 is provided which can contact between 2 and 2'.

In order to operate this press switch, the bulge 6 is pressed by a key top (not shown), so that the bulge 6 buckles, and the movable contact 8 comes into contact with the fixed contacts 4, 4'. By pressing down the bulge 6, the movable contact 9 moves to the fixed contact 2,
2', two pairs of fixed contacts 4, 4' and 2,
2' contacts in multiple stages, turning on the switch circuit, and when the pressing force of the bulge 6 is released, the movable contacts 8 and 9 rise due to the restoring force of the bulge 6 and the flexible film 5. The switch circuit turns off.

However, in such a conventional push switch, the switch operating body 7 has a bulge 6 having a substantially square cross section, and furthermore, the vertical movement of the bulge 6 of the switch operating body 7 causes Then, movable contact 8
Since the switch has a structure in which the switch is moved into contact with and away from the fixed contacts 4, 4', there are problems in that the number of parts in the switch increases, the structure of the switch becomes complicated, and the switch as a whole becomes larger. In particular, there was a problem in that it became bulky.

[Purpose of invention]

The present invention was made to solve these conventional problems, and the purpose is to provide a multi-stage pressure switch that has a simple structure and can be made thinner. .

[Example of idea]

The present invention will be explained in detail below based on the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 5.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a first switch lower electrode 1 formed in a band shape on the upper surface of an insulating sheet member 11 forming a substrate.
2 are horizontally arranged by etching at equal intervals, and a first dot-shaped spacer 13 is printed and formed between the first switch lower electrodes 12. . Reference numeral 14 denotes a first upper wiring board in which first upper switch electrodes 16 formed in a band shape are vertically provided by etching at equal intervals on the lower surface of an insulating sheet member 15 having flexibility;
The first switch upper electrode 16 and the first lower switch electrode 12 of the first lower wiring board 10 intersect with each other, and a first A plurality of lower switch parts are formed at the intersections of the first lower switch electrode 12 and the first upper switch electrode 16, which are arranged to face each other with a dot-shaped spacer 13 in between.

Further, on the upper surface of the sheet member 15 of the first upper wiring board 14, a second lower switch electrode 17 formed in a strip shape is horizontally provided at a distance by etching. A second dot-shaped spacer 18 having the same height as the first dot-shaped spacer 13 is printed and molded between the lower switch electrodes 17 . Reference numeral 19 indicates a second switch upper electrode 2 on the lower surface of an insulating sheet member 20 having flexible elasticity.
1 is a second wiring board installed vertically by etching so that the upper electrode 21 for the second switch intersects the lower electrode 17 for the second switch of the first upper wiring board 14. The second switch upper electrode 21 and the second switch lower electrode 17 are arranged opposite to each other on the upper part of the first upper wiring board 14 with the second dot-shaped spacer 18 in between. A plurality of upper switch portions are formed in the portion. In this embodiment, the interval between the second dot-shaped spacers 18 formed on the upper surface of the first upper wiring board 14 is the same as that of the first dot-shaped spacer 18 formed on the upper surface of the first lower wiring board 10. The pressing force of the sheet members 20 of the second wiring board 19 supported by the second dot-shaped spacers 18 is applied to the pressing force of the sheet members 15 of the first upper wiring board 14. After turning on the upper switch section (see Figure 3) by applying a stronger pressure than the upper switch section, the lower switch section can be turned on by applying a stronger pressing force with the upper switch section turned on. (See Figure 4). 22 is a lower switch part press position detection circuit connected to each of the first switch lower electrodes 12 and each of the first switch upper electrodes 16;
The pressed position of the lower switch part is detected, and the detected pressed position of the lower switch part is stored in the lower switch part pressed position storage circuit 23. Reference numeral 24 denotes an upper switch part press position detection circuit connected to each of the second lower switch electrodes 17 and each second switch upper electrode 21, which detects the pressed position of the upper switch part. The pressed position of the upper switch section is stored in the upper switch section press position storage circuit 25.

[Effects of embodiments of the invention]

As described above, according to this embodiment, the three wiring boards 10, 14, 19 are connected to the dot-shaped spacers 13, 1.
The switch electrodes 12, 16, 17, and 21 are arranged vertically and spaced apart from each other through the switch electrodes 8, and are provided on the opposing surfaces of the wiring boards facing each other. a second wiring board 1 which further forms an upper switch section;
9 and the first upper wiring board 14
The spacing between the dot-shaped spacers 18 is set smaller than the spacing between the first dot-shaped spacers 13 interposed between the first lower wiring board 10 and the first upper wiring board 14 forming the lower switch section. By changing the pressing force for the same pressing position, the upper and lower switch sections can be turned on and off.

Therefore, even though the switch has a large number of switch parts in the upper and lower stages, the switch as a whole can be made smaller, and in particular, since there is no bulging part unlike the conventional switch, the thickness can be reduced.

Further, since the spacing between the second dot-shaped spacers 18 in the upper switch section is small, the sheet member 20 of the second wiring board 19 is easily bent, so that the effect that it can be pressed with a feather touch can be obtained.

Further, switch electrodes 12, 16, 17, 21 and spacers 1 provided on each sheet member 11, 15, 20 of each wiring board 10, 14, 19
Since 3 and 18 are formed by etching and printing means, manufacturing is easy and assembly work is simple, resulting in an effect of reducing costs.

Further, since the spacers 13 and 18 are dot-shaped, the transmittance of the switch is improved, and for example, when this press switch is used on the surface of a display, the transmittance is improved.

[Summary of the idea]

As explained above, the present invention has a first layer on the surface.
A flexible first upper wiring board 14 is disposed opposite to a first lower wiring board 10 on which a lower switch electrode 12 is formed with a first spacer 13 interposed therebetween. A first switch upper electrode 16 corresponding to the first switch lower electrode 12 is formed on the upper wiring board 14, and a second switch lower electrode 17 is formed on the surface of the first switch lower electrode 12. A flexible and elastic second wiring board 19 is disposed opposite to the wiring board 14 via a second spacer 18, and the second lower switch electrode 17 and This is a press switch formed by forming a corresponding upper electrode 21 for a second switch, in which the spacers 13 and 18 are arranged in a dot shape, and the second spacer 18 is further away from the first spacer 13. This is a push switch characterized by sparsely spaced switches.

[Effect of idea]

Therefore, according to the present invention, three wiring boards 1
0, 14, and 19 are arranged to face each other vertically apart from each other via the first dot-shaped spacer 13 and the second dot-shaped spacer 18, and by the switch electrodes provided on the opposing surfaces of each wiring board. Matrix-like switch portions are provided in the upper and lower rows, respectively, and the second dot-shaped spacers 18 are spaced more sparsely than the first dot-shaped spacers 13 to form the second wiring board 19. The pressing force is applied to the first upper wiring board 14.
By changing the pressing force for one pressing position, the upper and lower switch sections can be operated, even though there are many switch sections. The number of points can be reduced, and the entire switch can be made smaller.
In particular, the effect of reducing the thickness can be obtained. Furthermore, since the spacers 13 and 18 are dot-shaped, there is an effect that the transmittance of the switch is improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing one embodiment of the push switch according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A' in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 shows the state in which the upper switch section is operated. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the lower switch part is operated, FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a circuit connected to the press switch shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a conventional press switch. FIG. 10...first lower wiring board, 11, 15, 20
... Insulating sheet member, 12 ... First switch lower electrode, 13 ... First dot-shaped spacer,
14...First upper wiring board, 16...First switch upper electrode, 17...Second switch lower electrode, 18...Second dot-shaped spacer, 19...
. . . second wiring board, 21 . . . upper electrode for second switch, 22 . . . lower switch section press position detection circuit, 23 .
24... Upper switch part press position detection circuit, 25
...Upper switch section press position memory circuit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A first spacer 13 is attached to a first lower wiring board 10 on which a first switch lower electrode 12 is formed.
The first upper wiring board 14 has flexible elasticity through the
are arranged facing each other, and the first upper wiring board 14 has a first upper switch electrode 16 corresponding to the first lower switch electrode 12 formed thereon, and a second lower switch electrode 16 on the surface thereof. A second wiring board 19 having a flexible elasticity is disposed opposite to the first upper wiring board 14 with an electrode 17 formed thereon via a second spacer 18, and the second wiring board 19 includes: Said second
A press switch is formed by forming a second upper switch electrode 21 corresponding to a lower switch electrode 17, in which the spacers 13 and 18 are arranged in a dot shape, and the second spacer 18 A press switch characterized in that the first spacers 13 are arranged at sparser intervals than the first spacers 13.