JPH054245Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a seesaw-type electrical component that performs resistance value adjustment and switching operations by swinging an operation key.

[Conventional technology]

As a seesaw type electric component, a seesaw type switch, which performs a switching operation by swinging an operation key, has been widely known. for example,
The seesaw type switch disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 57-173229 has an operation key swingably attached to the frame through a support shaft, and a position perpendicular to the support shaft below the operation key. A conductive slider is cantilevered by extending a slider receiving plate, and a substrate having a plurality of fixed contacts patterned thereon is placed in the frame at a position facing the slider receiving plate. The slider is fixed to the surface of the substrate, and the slider is brought into elastic contact with the surface of the substrate. When an operation key is pressed, the slider receiving plate rotates as a unit, and the slider slides on the surface of the board and changes its relative position with each fixed contact, so the pressing stroke of the operation key Depending on the contact, the slider can make contact with a particular fixed contact to switch that circuit on, or the slider can move away from another fixed contact to switch off that circuit. be able to.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

Incidentally, in recent years, there has been an increasing demand for see-saw type variable resistors whose resistance value can be adjusted steplessly, for purposes such as adjusting the zoom speed of hand-held video cameras. The conventional seesaw type switch mentioned above can also be used as a variable resistor by forming a resistor or current collector on the board instead of a fixed contact, but this switch can be used as a variable resistor by rotating the operation key. Since the substrate is installed perpendicular to the center and the slider slides on the surface of the substrate in conjunction with the swinging of the operation key, the height dimension can be set small. First, if this device is incorporated into a small electronic device such as a hand-held video camera, the installation space becomes undesirably large.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a seesaw type electric component that can be easily made thin and can also be used as a variable resistor.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a frame, a substrate integrated with the frame and having a conductive pattern formed on its surface, an operation key swingably supported by the frame, and a spring. a conductive contact made of a plate material having a conductive material formed into an arc shape, and the contact is interposed between the operation key and the substrate in a state where the vicinity of both ends of the contact is pressed against the operation key. ,
The present invention is characterized in that the contactor is configured to roll on the conductive pattern of the substrate in conjunction with the rocking of the operation key.

[Effect]

According to the above means, the contact position between the contact and the substrate surface changes according to the pressing stroke of the operation key, and the operation key,
Since the contactor and the substrate can be assembled into the frame in a stacked state, the height dimension can be set small.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a seesaw type variable resistor according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view thereof, and FIG.
4 is a sectional view of a contact incorporated in this seesaw type variable resistor, and FIG. 5 is a plan view of the resistance board.

The seesaw type variable resistor shown in these figures has the first
As clearly shown in the figure, the operation key 1 and the leaf spring 2
It is mainly composed of a frame body 3, a contactor 4, a resistance board 5, and a mounting plate 6.

The operation key 1 is a resin molded product, and has approximately U-shaped side walls 1a protruding from both sides. When the concave groove 1b of the side wall 1a, which has an open end at the top, is snapped into the support pin 3a of the frame 3, the side wall 1a is rotatably supported by the support pin 3a, and the operation key 1 can be operated. Since the center portion 1c of the key 1 in the longitudinal direction is rotatably supported by the receiving portion 3b of the frame 3, the operation key 1 is swingably attached to the frame 3 by this snap-in.
That is, this operation key 1 has pressing parts 1 at both ends.
When either one of d is pressed, it rotates, and the maximum stroke is obtained when the back surface of the pressing portion 1d comes into contact with the regulating wall 3c of the frame 3. Further, a pair of knobs 1e protruding below the operation key 1 are always in contact with the vicinity of both ends of the contact 4 within the frame 3. In addition, the side wall 1 of the operation key 1
The pin 1f protruding from a is for locking a makeup knob (not shown) attached to the top surface of the operation key 1.

The leaf spring 2 is made of a thin metal plate such as phosphor bronze, and functions as a return spring for returning the operation key 1 to its initial position after being pressed. In other words, operation key 1
When the pressing part 1d is pressed, the arm part 2a of the leaf spring 2 located below is bent and the pressing part 1d is pressed.
Since spring pressure is applied to the back surface of the key 1, the operating key 1 is automatically returned to the initial position after a pressing operation due to the spring pressure. In addition, a square hole 2b is protruded approximately at the center of the leaf spring 2.
The leaf spring 2 is positioned on the frame 3 by fitting the square projection 3d protruding from the upper surface of the frame 3 into the square hole 2b.

The frame body 3 is a resin molded product, and the support pins 3a protruding from both sides and the receiving portions 3b protruding from the top surface adjacent to each support pin 3a serve as mutually complementary support members to support the operation key 1. It is rotatably supported. That is, the cylindrical surface of the support pin 3a that contacts the bottom of the concave groove 1b of the operation key 1 and the cylindrical surface of the receiving portion 3b that contacts the back surface of the central portion 1c of the operation key 1 are set to be concentric with each other. , the operation key 1 is rotated around this cylinder center line O (see Fig. 3).
The operating key 1 is regulated in its upward or lateral position by a support pin 3a, and in its downward position by a receiving portion 3b. In other words, operation key 1
The downward external force that presses the central portion 1c is received by the entire frame 3 via the receiving portion 3b.
A leaf spring 2 is disposed on the upper surface of the frame 3, and a contact 4 and a resistance board 5 are installed inside the frame 3 from below.

The contactor 4 is made of a metal thin plate made of phosphor bronze or the like formed into an arc shape, and is in elastic contact with the surface of the resistance board 5 with the vicinity of both ends being pressed by the knob 1e of the operation key 1. It has high rigidity and its arc shape hardly changes, as shown in Figure 3.
It rolls on the resistance board 5 in conjunction with the swinging of the operation key 1. This contactor 4 has a plurality of ribs 4a extending in the longitudinal direction and bulging toward the resistance board 5 side.
As a result, each rib 4a makes point contact with the surface of the resistance substrate 5 to ensure good contact pressure, and furthermore, a slit 4b extending in the longitudinal direction is formed between adjacent ribs 4a. Therefore, each rib 4a can be elastically deformed independently. Further, U-shaped locking pieces 4c are protruded from both sides of the center part of the contact 4.
When assembling into the frame 3, each locking piece 4c is inserted into the tapered groove 3e formed on the inner wall of the frame 3. 4 is positioned in the width direction and longitudinal direction. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the locking piece 4c
is located at the bottom of the tapered groove 3e when not operated, but when the operation key 1 is pressed and the contact 4 rolls on the resistance board 5, the locking piece 4c moves up and down within the tapered groove 3e. move.

On the surface of the resistance substrate 5, a strip-shaped resistor 7 extending in the longitudinal direction, a first current collector 8 and a second current collector 9 extending in the longitudinal direction on both sides of the resistor 7,
A central electrode 10 is patterned across the center of the resistor 7 and bridging the first and second current collectors 8,9. Further, lead portions 7a and 7b for terminal connection formed at both ends of the resistor 7 and lead portions 8a and 7b for terminal connection formed at both ends of the first current collector 8,
A lead terminal 11 is fixed to each of the terminals 8b by caulking. And on this resistance board 5,
A contact 4 having ribs 4a formed at positions corresponding to the resistor 7 and the first and second current collectors 8 and 9 is always in elastic contact with the resistor 7 and the first current collector 4 through the contact 4. Alternatively, since the second current collectors 8 and 9 are electrically short-circuited, when the contactor 4 rolls on the resistor substrate 5 and the contact position of the rib 4a with respect to the resistor 7 changes, the contact position of the rib 4a with respect to the resistor 7 changes. The resistance value changes as the temperature increases. Note that the first current collector 8 and the second current collector 9
and are electrically connected to each other via the central electrode 10, so the contacts 4 corresponding to both current collectors 8 and 9
It is sufficient that the outer rib 4a is in contact with either one of the current collectors. Furthermore, since the contactor 4 rolls due to the pressing operation of the operation key 1, the inner rib 4a of the contactor 4 corresponding to the resistor 7 comes into contact with the center electrode 10 when it is not operated. The resistance value is maximum.

The mounting plate 6 has four arms 6a and two legs 6b.
The leaf spring 2 and the resistance board 5 are integrated into the frame 3 via the mounting plate 6. That is, by bending the tips of each arm portion 6a of the mounting plate 6 inward, the leaf spring 2 is attached to the frame body 3.
The resistor board 5 fitted into the bottom of the frame 3 is supported and reinforced from the back side. Note that the leg portion 6b of the mounting plate 6
is for attaching this seesaw type variable resistor to a circuit board (not shown).

Next, the operation of the seesaw type variable resistor having the above configuration will be explained.

Now, when the pressing part 1d on the right side of FIG. 3 is pushed downward by a predetermined amount, the operation key 1 will rotate clockwise, and the contact 4 pressed by the knob 1e on the right side of the figure will rotate slightly on the resistance board 5. Due to this movement, the contact position of the contactor 4 on the resistance board 5 moves to the right in the figure, and the resistance value between the lead portion 7a and the lead portion 8a changes. That is, due to this pressing operation, the rib 4a of the contactor 4 that was in contact with the center electrode 10 of the resistor board 5 comes into contact with the resistor 7 on the right side of FIG. 5, and as the pressing stroke increases, As the contact position with the resistor 7 moves to the right in the figure, the resistance value between the lead portions 7a and 8a gradually decreases. When the back surface of the pressing portion 1d comes into contact with the regulating wall 3c of the frame 3, the regulating wall 3c
c functions as a stopper, and at this maximum stroke, the rib 4a moves from above the resistor 7 to the lead portion 7.
Since the contact position is moved above point a, the resistance value between lead portion 7a and lead portion 8a is approximately zero. Note that during this operation, the lead portion 7b
The resistance value between the lead portion 8b and the lead portion 8b does not change.

Further, the above-described pressing operation is performed on the arm portion 2a of the leaf spring 2.
This is done against the spring pressure of Automatically returns to the initial state. Note that when the operation key 1 is pressed, the contact 4 is pushed into the knob 1e and the radius of curvature becomes slightly larger, so a restoring force is generated in the contact 4 that tries to return its radius of curvature to its original value. This restoring force also contributes to the automatic return of the operation key 1 described above.

The above-mentioned resistance value change accompanying the pressing operation and automatic return after the operation are performed simultaneously for the pressing part 1d on the left side of Fig. 3, and the resistance value changes according to the stroke amount of each pressing part 1d as shown in Fig. 6. Change.
In Fig. 6, when the stroke amount is 0 to 1 mm, the contact 4 is in contact with the center electrode 10, so the resistance value is maximum, and by pushing in either one of the pressing parts 1d, the stroke amount is changed from 1 mm to 2.2 mm. As the contact position of the contactor 4 moves on the resistor 7, the resistance value gradually decreases along the curve on the right or left side of the figure. Note that the stroke amount in FIG. 6 indicates the amount of descent of the tip of the pressing portion 1d, and the maximum stroke is within 3 mm.

Now, the seesaw type variable resistor described above was manufactured for adjusting the zoom speed of a handy type video camera. The speed in the zoom pulling direction can be adjusted in section 1d. In other words, when you press either one of the pressing parts 1d with your finger, the speed of pushing (or pulling) the zoom will change steplessly according to the pressing stroke, and if the stroke amount is small, it will slow down, and then the When the amount is large, the zoom is pushed (or pulled) quickly. After the pressing operation, the pressing part 1d
When you release your finger from the button, the pressing portion 1d that has been lowered automatically returns to its initial position, so the zoom state does not change.

In this way, the arc-shaped contact 4 is placed on the resistance board 5.
By rolling the contactor 4, the contact position of the contactor 4 with respect to the resistor 7 can be greatly changed by a minute stroke of the pressing part 1d, and the operation key 1, the contactor 4, and the resistance board 5 etc. can be incorporated into the frame 3 in a laminated state, an extremely thin seesaw type variable resistor with a thickness of 10 mm or less can be realized. Therefore, even if this is installed in a handy type video camera, the space factor is good, and for example, a see-saw type variable resistor for zoom speed adjustment can be installed in the limited installation space above the battery box.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a support pin 3a that contacts the bottom of the groove 1b of the operation key 1, and a receiving portion 3b that is concentric with the support pin 3a and contacts the back surface of the center portion 1c of the operation key 1. support the operation key 1 in a mutually complementary manner, so the downward pressing force applied to the central part 1c is received by the entire frame 3 via the receiving part 3b, and this pressing force There is no risk that the support pin 3a will be damaged. Moreover, since the support structures are complementary to each other, there is no member that can be called the rotation shaft of the operation key 1, and therefore there is no need to form a through hole in the operation key 1 or the frame 3 for passing the rotation shaft. Another advantage is that the resin molding process is easy. Note that if the support pin 3a is cylindrical, a burr will be formed that will hinder the rotation of the operation key 1, but in the above embodiment, the upper half of the support pin 3a is formed narrow, so there is no need to worry about this. Moreover, since the top half of the tip of the support pin 3a is tapered, the operation key 1 can be snapped in very easily.

In addition, in the above embodiment, since the plurality of ribs 4a extending in the longitudinal direction are formed on the contactor 4, each rib 4a comes into point contact with the surface of the resistance board 5, so that a good contact pressure can be achieved. is obtained. Moreover, since the slits 4b are formed between adjacent ribs 4a, the independence of each rib 4a is increased, and therefore, some of the ribs 4a may get on foreign matter such as dirt or dust on the resistor board 5. Even in this case, the contact between the remaining ribs 4a and the surface of the resistive substrate 5 is easily maintained, and the reliability of the contact is further improved.

Further, in the above embodiment, the first current collector 8 and the second current collector 9 are electrically connected to each other via the center electrode 10 on both sides of the resistor 7 in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, even if the contact 4 is tilted due to backlash during operation or foreign matter on the resistor board 5, the structure is such that poor conduction is unlikely to occur.
That is, as shown in FIG. 7, when the contactor 4 is tilted in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the resistance board 5, the contactor 4 is tilted toward the first current collector 8 (or the second current collector 8).
However, contact with the second current collector 9 (or first current collector 8) located on the opposite side of the resistor 7 is ensured.
There is little risk that the electrical connection between the resistor 7 and the first or second current collector 8, 9 via the contactor 4 will be undesirably interrupted.

Note that the above-mentioned seesaw type variable resistor can be widely applied as an adjustment electric component to various electronic devices other than video cameras.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to greatly change the contact position between the contact and the substrate surface with a minute stroke, and the height dimension is significantly reduced, resulting in an extremely thin seesaw type variable It can be used as a resistor, and has a wide range of uses as an electrical component for adjusting various electronic devices, and has remarkable practical effects.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figures are all for explaining one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a seesaw type variable resistor, FIG. 2 is a side view thereof, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the operation, and FIG. The figure is a cross-sectional view of the contact included in this seesaw type variable resistor, Figure 5 is a plan view of the resistance board, Figure 6 is a characteristic diagram showing the correlation between stroke and resistance value, and Figure 7 FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a contactor tilted on a resistive substrate. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Operation key, 1d... Pressing part, 1e... Knob, 3... Frame, 4... Contact, 5... Resistance board, 7... Resistor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A frame body, a substrate integrated with the frame body and having a conductive pattern formed on its surface, an operation key swingably supported by the frame body, and a conductive plate material having spring properties formed into an arc shape. and a contactor,
The contact is interposed between the operation key and the substrate with the vicinity of both ends being pressed by the operation key, and as the operation key swings, the contact increases the conductivity of the substrate. An electrical component characterized by being configured to roll on a pattern.