JPH0521796Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Technical Field) The present invention relates to a switch assembly particularly suitable for use in a video game machine.

(Prior Art) A television game machine includes a main body provided with a display device for displaying game content, and a control unit for changing the image of the display device.

The control unit includes a casing attached to the main body, and a character partially housed within the casing and attached to the casing, for controlling the operation of a character consisting of a person or an object appearing on the screen of the display device. It has a switch assembly and a switch for operations such as interrupting the game.

The switch assembly includes a support plate, a guide plate disposed parallel to the support plate and having a guide hole, and a guide plate that is swingably supported by the support plate and that is attached to the support plate. It includes a rod extending through the guide hole and a plurality of automatic return switches, such as microswitches, disposed between the substrate and the guide plate and surrounding the rod. According to this switch assembly, the switch operates in response to the swinging force of the swinging rod, and each part of the character on the screen moves in accordance with the operation of each switch. A guide hole in the guide plate guides the rod toward the switch, thereby selectively operating the switch.

Incidentally, with the spread of television games, games with complex content are required, and with this, a switch assembly that can operate more parts of the character has been required. In order to meet this requirement, it is conventionally known to incorporate a rotary switch into the switch assembly and to enable the rod to rotate in order to operate the rotary switch.

According to this, the movable shaft on which the movable contact of the rotary switch is provided is fixed to the tip of the rod, and the main body on which the fixed contact is provided is fixed to the rotary switch through the locking means so that the movable shaft is provided with the movable contact of the rotary switch. It can be locked to the support plate so as to follow the movement but not completely follow the rotational movement of the rod.

As a result of incorporating the rotary switch and making the rod rotatable, the movable parts of the character are increased by the number of fixed contacts that the rotary switch has. However, on the other hand, since the length of the rod in the axial direction increases, the switch assembly cannot be accommodated in the existing casing.

Further, the main body of the rotary switch is configured to support the rotary switch so that rotational movement of the rod for operating the rotary switch and swinging movement of the rod for operating the automatic return switch are possible. It is not fixed to the board. Therefore, the main body of the rotary switch swings together with the rod, and as the rod rotates, it rotates a short distance until it is locked in the locking means. This has resulted in a drawback that the lead wire connected to the fixed contact of the main body and extending to the outside of the main body is easily broken.

(Purpose of the invention) A switch assembly according to the invention includes a support plate, a guide plate arranged parallel to the support plate and attached to the support plate and having a guide hole, and a swingable and and a rod rotatably supported and extending through a guide hole in the guide plate.

In the present invention, the rods are installed and fixed on a mounting plate attached parallel to the support plate, surrounding the rods, and are selectively operated in response to the swinging force of the rods, each of which has an automatic return mechanism. A plurality of first switches each having a push button are disposed, each of which is installed and fixed on the support plate surrounding the rod, and is selectively operated in response to the rotational force of the rod which is rotated. A plurality of second switches each having a push button are disposed, and a rotational force transmitting member is attached to the rod and is rotatable together with the rod, and a rotational force transmitting member that is attached to the rod and is rotatable together with the rod, and a rotary force transmitting member that is rotatable and click-stops by relaxing the rod. The second
The feature is that the information is transmitted to the switch.

(Operations and effects of the invention) According to the invention, the distance between the support plate and the guide plate on which the first and second switches are arranged is as follows:
The size is large enough to ensure the swinging movement of the rod necessary to operate the first switch,
This size is approximately the same as that in conventional switch assemblies. This allows the length of the rod of the switch assembly in the axial direction to be approximately the same as that without the second switch. Therefore, when changing to a more complex video game, the switch assembly attached to the existing casing can be removed without changing the casing of the control unit that is part of the video game machine to a larger one. Thereafter, the switch assembly of the present invention can be attached to the casing.

Further, according to the present invention, the second switch has an automatic return push button, and since the switch operates via the rotational force transmitting means for transmitting the rotational force of the rod, these The switch can be fixed to the support plate. Therefore, no relative movement occurs between each second switch and the lead wire extending from the switch due to either the rocking motion or the rotational motion of the rod, and therefore the lead wire is disconnected. There's no fear. Furthermore, while preserving the above-mentioned advantages, the rod can be rotated freely not only in its neutral state, but also in any direction in which it is tilted, and its rotational force is the rotational force that rotates with it. The transmission is transmitted to the stopper of the rotating member through the locking protrusion of the transmission member, and the rotating member can be rotated, so that when any switch in the first switch group is turned on, the second switch is turned on. It is possible to turn on any of the switches in the switch group.

Furthermore, since the rotating member is not affected by the swinging of the rotational force transmitting member that swings with the rod, any switch in the first switch group can be turned on while any switch in the second group is turned on. This makes it possible to dramatically improve the operating range of the switch.

(Embodiments) The features of the present invention will become clearer from the following description of the illustrated embodiments.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the switch assembly 10 of the present invention includes a support plate 12, a guide plate 14,
A rod 16 is swingably and rotatably supported by a support plate 12.

The support plate 12, which has an overall rectangular shape, is provided with a columnar spacer 18 at approximately the center of each edge thereof in the direction of extension. Guide plate 1 having a disk shape as a whole
4 is disposed in contact with the end surface of the spacer 18 and is fixed to the spacer 18 via a plurality of screw members 19, thereby maintaining it parallel to the support plate 12. The height dimension of the spacer, ie, the distance between support plate 12 and guide plate 14, is approximately the same as that in conventional switch assemblies.

The support plate 12 has a socket portion 20 at its center. The rod 16 has one end of a small diameter extending through a socket portion 20 and the other end of a large diameter to which a grip ball 22 is secured. Attached to the one end of the rod 16 is a ball 24 which is received in a socket 20 and forms a spherical counterpart thereto. A spring force is applied to the rod 16 from the other end toward one end by a spring member to be described later. This allows the rod 16 to swing and rotate about its axis.

One end of the rod 16 supported by the support plate 12 extends through a guide hole 26 provided in the center of the guide plate 14. The guide hole 26 limits the swinging direction and swinging distance of the rod 16. The illustrated guide hole 26 is a straight line portion 2 consisting of a part of each side of a square.
6a, and a circular arc portion 26b connected to a pair of mutually adjacent linear portions 26a. The guide plate 14 has holes 27 through which each screw member 19 is inserted.
has. The hole 27 has a pair of opposing straight parts 26
It extends concentrically with the periphery of the guide plate 14 between the line connecting the respective midpoints of a and the line connecting the respective midpoints of the pair of opposing circular arc portions 26b.

Between the support plate 12 and the guide plate 14, there is a first switch 28 having a plurality (four in the illustrated example) of automatic return push buttons 41, and a plurality (four in the illustrated example) of automatic return push buttons 41. A second switch 30 having a push button 38 is fixedly arranged in two stages. Each of the illustrated switches is a microswitch having an overall rectangular parallelepiped shape, and each switch has a pair of terminals that are electrically connected to the main body of the video game machine via lead wires.

The first switch 28 is connected to the support plate 12 and the guide plate 14.
The rod 16 is surrounded by a generally rectangular mounting plate 32 which is disposed between and parallel to the rods 16 and 16. In the illustrated example, each switch 28 is located at each corner of the mounting plate 32, with a pair of adjacent switches 28 perpendicular to the other, and each switch 28 relative to the edge of the mounting plate 32. They form a right angle.

The mounting plate 32 has a pair of protrusions 32a for positioning each first switch 28 at the corner portion and for preventing each switch 28 from moving in the lateral direction. hole 2
8a is fitted. The mounting plate 32 also has a protective wall 32b for the switch 28 extending along its edge.
has.

The mounting plate 32 has a central hole 34 through which the rod 16 passes and is sized to allow rocking movement of the rod, and a square hole 36 through which each spacer 18 extends. On the other hand, the support plate 12 is provided with a wall 3 having a height dimension approximately equal to the height dimension of each second switch 30 for holding, positioning and protecting it.
It has 7. The mounting plate 32 is in contact with the end surface in the height direction of each wall 37 of the support plate. The first switch 28 and the mounting plate 32 are connected to the guide plate 1, respectively.
4 prevents the rod 16 from moving in the axial direction. Note that the mounting plate 32 and the wall 37 can be formed integrally.

The second switch 30 is arranged and held on the support plate 12 so as to surround the rod 16. In the illustrated example, each switch is located near each corner of the support plate 12, and a pair of adjacent switches 30 are at right angles to each other. In addition, each switch 30
, the automatic return pushbutton 38 is connected to the socket 20.
intersects each edge of the support plate 12 non-perpendicularly or obliquely so as to be directed toward the center of the support plate 12 .
A pair of projections (not shown) are provided on the mounting plate 32 to prevent lateral movement of each second switch 30, and the projections fit into a pair of holes 30a provided in each switch 30. They are mated.

The first switch 28 is connected to the rocking rod 16.
It operates by receiving the rocking force of. The swinging force of the rod 16 provided by the swinging operation of the grip ball 22 is caused by the pipe member 40 fitted to the one end of the rod 16;
The swinging force can be transmitted to the automatic return pushbutton 41 of each first switch 28 via a rocking force transmission means comprising an actuator 42 provided in each first switch 28 .

The tube member 40 consists of a large diameter portion 40a that can come into contact with the actuator 42 and a small diameter portion 40b that can come into contact with the edge of the guide hole 26 of the guide plate, and is attached to the tip of the one end of the rod 16. E ring 44
This prevents the robot from getting out of the rod.

By loosening the screw member 19 and rotating the guide plate 45 degrees, the guide plate 14 can be constructed such that the midpoint of each opposing pair of arcuate portions 26b of the guide hole 26 is located on the diagonal line of the support plate 12, as shown in FIG. It is possible to shift from the state shown in FIG. 3 to a state in which the midpoints of the straight portions 26a of each pair are located on the diagonal line. Thereby, the distance over which the rod 16 can swing can be changed.

In the state shown in FIG. 2, the small diameter portion 4 of the tube member
When the rod 16 is swung until the rod 0b abuts the circular arc portion 26b of the guide hole, the large diameter portion 40a of the tube member 40 abuts against a pair of actuators 42 close to the circular arc portion and presses them simultaneously. As a result, the pair of pushbuttons 41 are pressed simultaneously, and the adjacent pair of first switches 28 are operated simultaneously. Also, the small diameter portion 40b is connected to the straight portion 26 of the guide hole.
a, only one actuator 42 close to the linear portion 26a is pressed, and only one switch 28 is operated. When the guide plate 14 is in the displaced position, only when the small diameter portion 40b contacts the circular arc portion 26b of the guide hole, one actuator 42 adjacent to the circular arc portion 26b is pressed, and the switch 28 is operated. . In this manner, first switch 28 is selectively operated. Note that if the pair of switches 28 do not require simultaneous operation, it is not necessary to provide the actuator 42. Further, instead of the illustrated guide plate, a guide plate having a guide hole extending in a cross shape, a guide hole extending in a straight line, etc. can be used. Further, the guide plate may have another shape such as a rectangular plate instead of being a disk.

The second switch 30 is rotated by the rod 16.
It operates by receiving the rotational force of. The rotational force of the rod 16 can be transmitted to the push button 38 of each second switch 30 via transmission means.

The illustrated rotational force transmitting means includes a ball 24, which includes a tube portion 46a fitted to the one end of the rod 16, and a plurality of flange portions 46b connected to the tube portion.
and the rotational force transmission member 4 located between the pipe member 40 and the pipe member 40.
6 and a support plate 12 rotatable around the rod 16.
and a rotating member 48 attached to the rotary member 48. The cross section of the one end of the rod 16 is set to be non-circular so that no relative rotational movement occurs between the rotational force transmitting member tube 46a and the rod 16. It has an opening with a matching cross-sectional shape. The rotating member 48 has a disk portion 48a provided with an insertion hole 50 through which the rod 16 is inserted.
, a stopper 48b consisting of a plurality of walls provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the disk portion, and an arc-shaped pressing portion 48 that is continuous with the pair of adjacent stoppers 48b.
It has c. Flange portion 46 of rotational force transmission member
b is located between the stoppers 48b of the rotating member 48. Therefore, the rotational force of the rod 16 is applied to the four locking protrusions 4 protruding in the circumferential direction of the flange portion 46b.
The signal is transmitted from 6c to the rotating member 48 via the same four stoppers 48b that engage with these. however,
The circumferential spacing between the stoppers 48b is larger than the circumferential length of each flange portion 46b of the rotational force transmitting member 46 so that the rod 16 can swing toward each portion of the periphery of the guide hole 26. Pressing part 48c
When the rotating member 48 is rotated, the push button 3
It has a sufficient swell dimension to apply a pressing force to the switch 8 and push it in, and also has a length dimension that allows it to contact the push buttons 38 of a pair of adjacent switches 30 at the same time. Therefore, by rotating the rod 16, one or two switches 30 can be selectively operated. Incidentally, if simultaneous operation of the two switches 30 is not required, the length of the pressing portion 48c can be set to such a length that the pressing portion does not contact the push buttons of the pair of switches 30 at the same time.

A plurality of circular arc surfaces 52 that are continuous in a wavy manner are provided on the circumferential surface of the disk portion 48a so that the rotating member 48 can be rotated in a clickable manner. a coil spring 56 that exerts a spring force on the engaging member toward the circular arc surface 52;
They are respectively arranged in a pair of grooves 58 formed in the support plate 12.

Between the tube member 40 and the rotational force transmission member 46,
Compressed coil spring 6 surrounding rod 16
0 is placed. This coil spring 60
forces the rod 16 so that its axis passes through the center of the guide hole 26, and also forces the rotational force transmitting member 4
6 is pressed against the rotating member 48.

The switch assembly 10 is attached to a casing forming a part of the control unit of the video game machine via a plate 62 fixed to the support plate 12, and the grip ball 22 and the other end of the rod 16 are attached to the casing. exposed to the outside.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a switch assembly according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the switch assembly, Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the switch assembly, Figs. 4 and 5 are guide plates, Figures 1A and 1B are a plan view and a partially cutaway elevation view of the switch assembly, with the first switch and mounting plate removed. 10... Switch assembly, 12... Support plate, 1
4... Guide plate, 16... Rod, 26... Guide hole of guide plate, 26a... Straight part, 26b... Arc part, 27... Hole, 28... First switch, 30
...Second switch, 32...Mounting plate, 38,4
1... Push button, 40, 42... Pipe member and actuator (oscillating force transmission means), 46, 48...
...A rotational force transmission member and a rotating member (rotational force transmission means).

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] (1) A support plate, a mounting plate attached to the support plate at a predetermined interval, and a guide plate having a guide hole fixed to the support plate or the attachment plate;
a rod that is swingably and rotatably supported by the support plate and extends through a guide hole of the guide plate;
A plurality of first switches each having an automatic return push button are installed and fixed on the mounting plate surrounding the rod, and are adapted to receive the swinging force of the rod that swings while being guided by the guide hole. a first switch that is selectively operated; and a plurality of second switches each having an automatic return pushbutton that is installed and fixed on the support plate surrounding the rod, and that rotates the rod. a second switch that is selectively operated in response to a force; Even when the rod is oscillated, the rotational force is transmitted to the second switch via a transmission means that is clickably disposed on the support plate and includes a rotational member that engages with the rotational force transmission member. A switch assembly characterized by: (2) The rocking force is transmitted to the first switch via a transmission means consisting of a pipe member fitted to the rod and an actuator that is provided in each first switch and can come into contact with the pipe member. transmitted to. A switch assembly according to claim (1) of the utility model registration. (3) The guide hole of the guide plate has a hole edge portion consisting of a straight line portion consisting of a part of each side of a square and a circular arc portion connected to a pair of mutually adjacent straight line portions,
Further, the guide plate has a hole extending along a circle centered on the center of the guide hole between a line connecting midpoints of each of the pair of opposing straight portions. The switch assembly described in paragraph (1).