JPH0447871Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] - Industrial application field - The present invention relates to an operating device, and in particular, a thin skirt part connected to the base of the operating element is elastically deformed to operate the operating element forward. The invention relates to an operating device.

〓Summary of the invention〓 This invention changes the wall thickness of the skirt portion according to the amount of eccentricity between the force application point and the center of the operator, and changes the thickness of the part where the force is applied to be larger to the thickness of the part where the force is applied less. This increases the click feeling, improves the feel of the operation, and prevents the operator from tilting.

〓Prior art〓 A rubber key having an operator integrated into a rubber sheet is used for various operations. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, such an operating device includes a rubber key 3 integrally formed with a rubber sheet 1 via a thin skirt portion 2. A conductive contact 4 is attached to the bottom surface of the rubber key 3, and when the key 3 is pressed from above, the skirt portion 2 is elastically deformed, and this contact 4 shorts the conductive pattern 6 on the printed wiring board 5. This allows the user to perform a predetermined operation.

Conventionally, in an operating device consisting of such a rubber key 3, the skirt portion 2 has a uniform wall thickness over its entire circumference, which gives a click feeling when the key 3 is pressed, and also prevents the return spring from firing. He was fulfilling his role. Skirt part 2 with such uniform thickness
According to the key 3, when the force application point 8 is shifted from the center 7 of the key 3, only the skirt portion 2 on the force application point 8 side is significantly deformed, as shown in FIG. , the skirt portion 2 on the opposite side was becoming difficult to deform. Such non-uniform deformation of the skirt portion 2 reduces the click feeling, worsens the operational feel, and further deteriorates the key 3.
The problem was that it was tilted.

The present invention was developed in view of these problems, and even when the point of application of force is eccentric to the center of the key, the click feeling during operation does not deteriorate and the feeling is improved. is,
A further object of the present invention is to provide an operating device in which tilting of the operating element is prevented.

〓Means for solving the problem〓 The present invention operates the operator by elastically deforming the thin skirt connected to its base, and when the force applied to the operator is released. In the operating device that is returned to the original position by the elastic restoring force of the skirt portion, the wall thickness of the skirt portion is changed depending on the eccentricity between the point of application of the operating element and the center. The thickness of the parts where the force is greater is greater than the thickness of the parts where the force is less.

〓Effect〓 Therefore, according to the present invention, since the thickness of the skirt portion is changed according to the amount of eccentricity between the force application point and the center, the skirt portion is deformed uniformly.
This improves the click feeling, prevents deterioration of the feeling, and furthermore prevents the operator from tilting.

〓Example〓 The present invention will be described below with reference to an illustrated example.
1 and 2 show a rubber key 11 constituting an operating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and this rubber key 11 is integrally molded with a rubber sheet 12. As shown in FIG. The rubber key 11 has a stepped portion 13 on its side surface and is connected to the rubber sheet 12 via a thin skirt portion 14. Further, a conductive contact 15 is attached to the bottom surface of the rubber key 11, and a conductive pattern 1 formed on the surface of the printed wiring board 16 is attached to the bottom surface of the rubber key 11.
It is now facing 7. The upper end of the rubber key 11 is loosely fitted into an opening 19 formed in the front panel 18. A display section 20 is formed on the surface of the front panel 18 near the opening 19, and this rubber key 1
1 function is displayed.

Furthermore, the force application point 21 of the rubber key 11 is eccentric with respect to the center 22 of the key 11. This is the opening 19 of the front panel 18 and the display section 2.
0 conductive pattern 17 of printed wiring board 16
This is due to constraints on the location of According to the eccentricity of the force application point 21, the thickness of the skirt portion 14 becomes uneven, and the thickness of the part on the force application point 21 side with respect to the center 22 of the key 11 is different from that of the part on the opposite side. It is larger than the wall thickness of. In other words, the wall thickness is changed depending on the magnitude of the applied force.

In the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 3, when the upper surface of the key 11 protruding from the opening 19 of the front panel 18 is pressed, the skirt portion 14 is elastically deformed, thereby causing the key 11 to deform.
descends. The conductive contacts 15 attached to the bottom surface of this key 11 connect to the printed wiring board 1.
The pair of conductive contacts 15 of 6 are short-circuited, thereby performing a predetermined operation. When the force applied to the key 11 is removed, that is, when the finger is released from the key 11, the elastic restoring force of the skirt portion 14 causes the key 11 to move back and return to the position shown in FIG. Become. Accordingly, the conductive contacts 15 are separated from the conductive patterns 17 of the printed wiring board 16, thereby cutting off the pair of wiring patterns 17.

Further, according to this rubber key 11, the thickness of the skirt portion 14 is not uniform all around, but changes depending on the value of the applied force, and the thickness of the skirt portion 14 is not uniform around the entire circumference. 14 becomes thicker, and the thickness of the opposite side becomes thinner. Therefore, with such a configuration, the force applied to the skirt portion 14 is uniformly distributed, thereby improving the click feeling and deforming the skirt portion 14 almost uniformly over the entire circumference. This improves the feeling of operation. Furthermore, since the skirt portion 14 is uniformly deformed, the rubber key 11 is prevented from tilting and does not interfere with the opening 19. Furthermore, the display 20 of the front panel 18 can be made larger, or the position of the conductive pattern 17 of the printed wiring board 16 can be shifted with respect to the opening 19 of the front panel 18, which increases the degree of freedom in design. Become.

〓Effects of the invention〓 As described above, the present invention changes the wall thickness of the skirt portion according to the amount of eccentricity between the point of force application and the center of the operator, and changes the wall thickness of the part where a large force is applied to It is made larger than the thickness of the small part.
Therefore, with this configuration, it is possible to deform the skirt portion almost uniformly, thereby preventing a decrease in the click feeling, improving the feeling of operation, and further preventing the operator from tilting. become.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an operating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a rubber key constituting this operating device, FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the same operating state, and FIG. The figure is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional operating device. In addition, in the symbols used in the drawings, 11...Rubber key, 12...Rubber sheet, 14...Thin skirt portion, 18...Front panel, 19...Opening, 21...Placement point, 22...Center of key , is.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] The operator is operated by elastically deforming a thin skirt connected to its base, and
In this operating device, when the force applied to the operating element is released, the operating element is returned to its original position by the elastic restoring force of the skirt portion, and the eccentricity between the point of application of force and the center of the operating element is The operating device is characterized in that the wall thickness of the skirt portion is changed accordingly, and the wall thickness of the portion where a large force is applied is made larger than the wall thickness of a portion where a small force is applied.