JPH05266751A - Push button switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely rolling caulk an insulating case and suppress the wear of a blade for cutting a terminal and lower the material cost by contriving the external shape and the bottom face shape of the insulating case and using a wire material which is more economical and easier to be processed than a strip metal plate. CONSTITUTION:A wire material 8 is used as a matrix of a fixed contact 9 and a terminal 2 and at the same time an insulating case 1 is made to have almost a cylindrical shape with a bottom and step-down parts 1b are formed in peripheral part of the bottom face at a plurality of sites parted from the base part of the terminal 2.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a small push button switch which incorporates a rubber contact as a movable contact and an actuator and is suitable for taping packaging and automatic mounting.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a push-button switch of this type generally comprises an insulating case made of a synthetic resin and formed in the shape of a bottomed rectangular tube, a pair of fixed contacts exposed on the inner bottom surface of the insulating case, and each fixed contact. A pair of terminals that are led out from the insulating case and project to the outside of the insulating case; and an elastically deformable rubber contact formed by providing a movable contact on the ceiling surface of a rubber member that is molded into a substantially bowl shape. A pair of metal strips extending in parallel is inserted into the mold when the insulating case is molded, and after molding, each metal strip is cut or bent to fix part of each metal strip. Used as contacts and terminals. Further, the rubber contact is incorporated into the inside of the insulating case from the opening end side, and the ceiling surface of the rubber contact is opposed to the inner bottom surface of the insulating case so that the movable contact can come into contact with and separate from the pair of fixed contacts. Therefore, when the top of the rubber contact is pushed for a predetermined stroke, the rubber contact is elastically deformed so that the movable contact comes into contact with both fixed contacts, and both fixed contacts are conducted via this movable contact, so that the switch is switched on. When the pushing operation force is removed in the switch-on state, the elastically deformed rubber contact returns to the original substantially bowl shape, so that the movable contact is separated from both fixed contacts and automatically returns to the switch-off state.

As described above, the push button switch incorporating the rubber contact functioning also as the movable contact and actuating member can reduce the number of parts as compared with the case where the moving contact and the actuating member are incorporated separately, and the rubber contact is incorporated. Since the rubber contact can be prevented from falling off by performing a simple caulking operation of plastically deforming the peripheral edge portion of the opening end of the insulating case, it is not necessary to cover the opening of the insulating case with the cover member.
In other words, this type of push button switch can be constructed with a minimum number of parts and is easy to assemble, which is extremely advantageous in terms of downsizing and cost reduction.

The crimping work of plastically deforming the peripheral edge of the opening end of the insulating case is also called rolling crimping. Specifically, a metal member as a fixed contact and a base material of a terminal is put in a mold. After molding the insulating case by inserting it into the, the insulating case is positioned on the platen of the automatic assembly machine, and the rubber contact is incorporated inside.In this state, while pressing the peripheral edge of the opening end of the insulating case with the roller, This is a known technique of crushing the peripheral portion inward.

The push button switch thus completed is
As shown in FIG. 6, the tape is packaged, so that a large number can be efficiently stored / stored in a batch, and can be easily supplied to the automatic mounting machine. That is, in the figure,
In each push button switch which is tape-wrapped in a line at a predetermined interval, the tips of the terminals 2 projecting downward from the insulating case 1 are carried on a long carrier tape 3 made of cardboard or the like. By folding the carrier tape 3 in a zigzag manner, a large number of push button switches can be efficiently stored and stored in a component storage case (not shown). Further, when mounting on a printed circuit board, the push button switch is taken out from the parts storage case with the tape packaged and is supplied to the automatic mounting machine. First, the lead cutter (not shown) is used to cut the terminal 2 at the position indicated by the chain line in FIG. By doing so, the push button switch is separated from the carrier tape 3, and then, as shown in FIG. 7, the tip end of the terminal 2 is brought into contact with the tip end surface of the lead guide pin 7 inserted into the terminal mounting hole 6 of the printed circuit board 5. The lead guide pin 7 is moved downward to move the terminal 2 into a predetermined terminal mounting hole 6
By inserting it inside, and then cutting and bending the terminal 2 using a cutting and clinch blade (not shown),
The push button switch is attached to a predetermined position on the printed circuit board 5. Reference numeral 4 in the drawing denotes a substantially bowl-shaped rubber contact incorporated in each push button switch, and a movable contact (not shown) is provided on the ceiling surface of this rubber contact 4 and inside the insulating case 1. A fixed contact (not shown) is provided on the bottom surface at a position facing the movable contact.

[0006]

By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional push button switch, when the carrier tapes 3 carrying a large number of them are folded and folded, as shown in FIG. 8, the insulating cases 1 are overlapped with each other. When the insulating cases 1 formed in the shape of a bottomed square tube are stacked in this manner, the insulating cases 1 are entangled with each other when the push button switch is taken out from the component storage case for supplying to the automatic mounting machine. Sometimes could not be stretched smoothly. In particular, when the miniaturization of the push button switch is promoted and the density of the taping package is increased, the entanglement between the insulating cases 1 becomes remarkable, and the supply to the automatic mounting machine is often hindered.

Therefore, it is conceivable to form the insulating case into a bottomed cylindrical shape. In that case, however, the insulating case positioned on the platen of the automatic assembly machine will rotate during the above-mentioned rolling caulking, so that the insulating case It becomes impossible to plastically deform the peripheral portion of the opening end into a desired shape.

When the taping-wrapped push button switch is separated from the carrier tape 3 or attached to the printed circuit board 5, the terminal 2 is cut using the lead cutter or the cut / clinch blade as described above. Since the terminal 2 made of a strip-shaped metal plate cannot be cut unless a relatively large shearing force is applied, the blade is severely worn in the cutting process of the terminal 2, in other words, the life of the blade is short, which increases the cost of the push button switch. Had become a factor to invite.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to reliably roll and crimp an insulating case, prevent entanglement during taping packaging, and cut a terminal cutting blade. It is an object of the present invention to provide a push button switch in which the wear of the push button switch can be suppressed and the material cost can be reduced.

[0010]

The above-mentioned object of the present invention is to expose an insulating case made of a synthetic resin material and a part of a metal member inserted during molding of the insulating case to the inner bottom surface of the insulating case. Fixed contact, a terminal formed by protruding a part of the metal member to the outside of the insulating case, and a rubber contact elastically deformable having a movable contact for contacting and separating from the fixed contact. In a push button switch in which the rubber contact is incorporated to prevent the rubber contact from falling off by plastically deforming the peripheral edge of the opening end of the insulating case, a wire is used as the metal member and the insulating case is used. This is achieved by forming a substantially cylindrical shape with a bottom and providing stepped-down portions at a plurality of locations on the peripheral edge of the bottom surface of the insulating case, apart from the base of the terminal.

[0011]

According to the above means, since the wire can be cut with a relatively small shearing force, the abrasion of the terminal cutting blade can be suppressed, and the material cost can be reduced by using the wire.
The insulating case, which is positioned on the platen of the automatic assembly machine during rolling and crimping, can be prevented from rotating by engaging the stepped part at the peripheral edge of the bottom surface with the platen, and a carrier tape carrying a large number of push button switches. Even if the insulating cases are overlapped with each other by folding them, there is no possibility of being entangled because the insulating cases only contact the cylindrical surfaces.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. Here, FIG. 1 is a bottom view showing a manufacturing process of a push button switch as an embodiment, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a side view showing a completed state of the push button switch. 4 is a plan view showing the platen medium size of the automatic assembly machine,
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which the push button switch is tape-wrapped, and the same reference numerals are given to the portions corresponding to those in FIGS. 6 to 8 described above.

In FIGS. 1 to 3, an insulating case 1 of a push button switch is formed into a bottomed, substantially cylindrical shape, and a comparison is made to expose a wire 8 to be described later at the peripheral portion of the bottom surface of the insulating case 1. A pair of relatively deep notches 1a are provided in a point-symmetrical positional relationship, and a pair of relatively shallow step-drops 1b are provided at positions substantially equidistant from the two notches 1a. Then, when the insulating case 1 is molded, the two wires 8 are arranged in parallel and inserted into the mold, and after the molding, the insulating case 1 is rolled and swaged. The fixed contact 9 and the terminal 2 are obtained from each wire 8 by bending the terminal forming portion 8a protruding toward the inside at a substantially right angle in the cutout portion 1a and cutting the unnecessary portion 8b. That is, in this push button switch, in the finished product, the portion of each wire 8 exposed on the inner bottom surface of the insulating case 1 becomes the fixed contact 9, and the portion protruding outward of the insulating case 1 becomes the terminal 2, and the remaining portion. The portion is filled in the bottom plate portion 1c of the insulating case 1. Here, in this embodiment, since the hoop-shaped round wire material whose surface is covered with silver is used as the wire material 8, good conductivity of the fixed contact 9 and the terminal 2 is guaranteed, and at the same time, the molding die is used. Insert molding can be efficiently performed by connecting a plurality of insulating cases 1 until they are taken out.

Further, in order to eliminate the annular groove 1d for inserting the annular bottom portion of the substantially bowl-shaped rubber contact 4 in the inner wall portion of the insulating case 1 in the molding step and the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the rubber contact 4. The air escape groove 1e is provided, and further the annular caulking wall 1f divided into four by the air escape groove 1e is provided at the peripheral edge portion of the opening end of the insulating case 1. After molding, first, the insulating case 1 is mounted and positioned on the platen 10 (see FIG. 4) of the automatic assembly machine, and the rubber contact 4 having a substantially bowl shape is incorporated into the insulating case 1.
As is clear from the above, the insulating case 1 is previously attached to the platen 10.
Since the middle-sized mold 10a is provided, which has the concave and convex shape reverse to that of the bottom surface of
The middle die 10a engages with the cutout portion 1a and the stepped portion 1b of the insulating case 1, and the insulating case 1 is positioned on the platen 10 in a state in which it is reliably prevented from rotating. That is, the insulating case 1 has a cylindrical shape instead of the rectangular tube shape of the conventional product, but by engaging the peripheral edge of the bottom surface thereof with the middle mold 10a of the platen 10, it is possible to reliably regulate the position not only in the radial direction but also in the circumferential direction. Since the ring-shaped caulking wall 1f of the insulating case 1 positioned on the platen 10 is pressed by a roller (not shown) to plastically deform inward, the insulating case 1 is rotated. Therefore, the annular caulking wall 1f can be plastically deformed into a desired shape as shown by the chain line in FIG.
The rubber contact 4 is provided with a movable contact (not shown) on its ceiling surface facing the pair of fixed contacts 9 exposed on the inner bottom surface of the insulating case 1.

If the insulating case 1 is rolled and crimped to prevent the rubber contact 4 from falling off, the wire 2 is bent or cut to form the terminal 2 as described above.
Complete the push button switch. Then, the push button switch thus completed is taping-wrapped in a line at a predetermined interval as shown in FIG. 5, and the long carrier tape 3 carrying the terminal 2 is folded to form a parts storage case (not shown). A large number of push button switches can be stored and stored inside. Further, when mounting on a printed circuit board, as described above, the push button switch is taken out from the component storage case with the tape packaged and supplied to the automatic mounting machine, and first, the terminal 2 is cut by using the lead cutter to push the switch button switch. Is separated from the carrier tape 3, and then the tip of the terminal 2 is brought into contact with the tip surface of the lead guide pin to guide it to the terminal mounting hole of the printed circuit board. Then, the terminal 2 is cut and bent using a cutting / clinching blade. By processing, the push button switch can be automatically mounted at a predetermined position on the printed circuit board.

As described above, in the above-described embodiment, the wire rod 8 is used to form the fixed contact 9 and the terminal 2 of the push button switch. Therefore, a conventional metal plate is processed to form the fixed contact and the terminal. Compared with the above, the material cost is lower and the processing is easier, and since the wire rod 8 can be cut with a relatively small shearing force, the wear of the terminal cutting blade (lead cutter or cut / clinch blade) is suppressed, Longer life,
Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the push button switch can be significantly reduced.

If the insulating case 1 of the push button switch is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape having a bottom as in the above-described embodiment, the insulating tape 1 is formed by folding the carrier tape 3 carrying a large number of push button switches. Even if they overlap each other,
As shown in FIG. 5, since the insulating casings 1 only contact their cylindrical surfaces with each other, there is no possibility of being entangled with each other, so that the carrier tape 3 can be smoothly stretched when the taping-wrapped push button switch is supplied to the automatic mounting machine. As a result, there is no risk of hindering supply, and mounting work can be performed more efficiently.

Further, in the above embodiment, even if the insulating case 1 has a cylindrical shape, a pair of insulating case 1 is provided at the peripheral edge of the bottom face of the insulating case 1 in order to prevent the insulating case 1 from rotating on the platen 10 of the automatic assembling machine during the rolling crimping. The stepped-down portions 1b are provided, and the pair of cutouts 1a in which the bases of the terminals 2 are located and the paired stepped-down portions 1b are engaged with the middle mold 10a of the platen 10. The positioned insulating case 1 is surely prevented from rotating, and thus the annular caulking wall 1f of the insulating case 1 can be plastically deformed into a desired shape to reliably prevent the rubber contact 4 from falling off.

Although a round wire rod is used as the wire rod 8 in the above embodiment, substantially the same effect can be expected even if a square wire rod is used.

[0020]

As described above, the wire material is used as the base material of the fixed contact and the terminal, and the shape of the insulating case is a bottomed substantially cylindrical shape having stepped portions at a plurality of peripheral portions of the bottom surface. According to the present invention, since the wire material is used instead of the strip-shaped metal plate, the material cost can be reduced, the wear of the blade for cutting the terminal can be suppressed, and the insulating case positioned on the platen of the automatic assembly machine can be reduced. Can be locked by engaging the stepped part with the platen so that the rolling caulking can be performed reliably.Furthermore, even if the carrier tape carrying a large number of push button switches is folded and folded, each insulating case has a cylindrical surface. Since there is no danger of getting entangled because it is just contacting, the supply to the automatic mounting machine can always be done smoothly, etc.
Has various excellent effects.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a bottom view showing a manufacturing process of a push button switch according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a completed state of the push button switch.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a platen medium size of the automatic assembly machine.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which the push button switch is tape-wrapped.

FIG. 6 is a side view for explaining taping packaging of a push button switch.

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional side view for explaining work for mounting the push button switch.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a state in which a conventional push button switch is tape-wrapped.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Insulation case 1a Notch 1b Stepped portion 1f Annular caulking wall 2 Terminal 3 Carrier tape 4 Rubber contact 5 Printed circuit board 8 Wire rod 9 Fixed contact 10 Platen 10a Medium size

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An insulating case made of a synthetic resin material, a fixed contact formed by exposing a part of a metal member inserted during molding of the insulating case to an inner bottom surface of the insulating case, and a part of the metal member. And a rubber contact elastically deformable having a movable contact for contacting with and separating from the fixed contact, and an opening of the insulating case incorporating the rubber contact. In a push button switch in which the rubber contact is prevented from falling off by plastically deforming the end peripheral portion, a wire is used as the metal member, and the insulating case is formed into a bottomed substantially cylindrical shape. A push-button switch, characterized in that stepped portions are provided at a plurality of locations on the periphery of the bottom surface of the terminal apart from the base of the terminal.