JPH0548163U - Keyboard switch - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To reduce the number of parts and work hours. [Structure] A base member 18, a key top 21 movable in a predetermined direction, a switch element 3 provided on the base member 18, and a stretchable elastic body 5. Key top 2 above
1 has a pressing portion 8 at a substantially central portion thereof that allows the switch element 3 to be pressed in one direction of the predetermined direction and can be pressed in one direction of the predetermined direction. The base member 18 and the key top 21 have a guide device for movably guiding the key top at a position distant from the pressing portion 8 and in the predetermined direction.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a keyboard switch provided on a keyboard.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a conventional keyboard switch is provided with a base member 1, a key top 2 provided on one surface of the base member 1 and an opposite surface of the base member 1 on the base member. A switch element 3 such as a membrane switch, an elastic body 5 interposed between the base member 1 and the key top 2, and a crankshaft 6 provided between the base member 1 and the key top 2. Contains.

The key top 2 is movably provided in a predetermined direction crossing the base member 1. This keytop is mainly applied to the large keytop among the keytops arranged on the keyboard. The switch element 3 is sandwiched and fixed between the base member 1 and the reinforcing member 7 formed of a material that does not easily deform. The elastic body 5 is compressed and deformed when the key top 2 is pressed, and extends when the key top 2 is released to position the key top 2 in the original position. Further, the key top 2 has a pressing portion 8 extending toward one surface of the base member 1 at a substantially central portion thereof. The tip of the pressing portion 8 presses a switch contact (not shown) of the switch element 3 when the key top 2 is pressed in one direction. Further, the base member 1 is provided with a guide portion 9 for guiding the pressing portion 8 in a predetermined direction. The base member 1 is formed with a through hole 10 formed so that when the pressing portion 8 moves in one direction, the tip portion of the pressing portion 8 passes and projects from one surface of the base member 1 to the opposite surface. ..

Further, the crankshaft 6 is held by a pair of holding portions (only one holding portion is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) 11 formed on one surface of the key top 2, and the holding portion 11 is held. It is rotatable as an axis. The crankshaft 6 is made by bending a hard rod-shaped material into a crank shape. Both ends of the crankshaft 6 are slidably engaged with sliding guide portions 1a and 1b formed on the base member 1. Further, the key top 2 is provided with a pair of arm portions 12 extending in one surface direction of the base member 1, that is, one direction in a predetermined direction. At the tip of the arm portion 12, there is formed a hook portion 14 that engages with the engaging portion 13 formed on the base member 1 in a direction opposite to a predetermined direction. That is, when the key top 2 is biased by the elastic body 8 in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction, the hook portion 14 is locked to the locking portion 13 and prevents the keyboard 2 from moving further. is doing.

Now, when the key top 2 is pressed by the operator, there are many cases where the end portion of the key top 2 having a large shape is pressed. When the key top 2 is pressed with a finger, the elastic body 5 is compressed, and at the same time, the pressing portion 8 slides on the guide portion 9 and moves in one direction while being guided. In the key top 2, the tip of the pressing portion 8 contacts the switch element, and when the key top 2 is further pressed, the circuit contact can be changed by turning on or off the switch contact of the switch element 3. At this time, when the end of the key top 2 is pushed down, the crankshaft 6 rotates about the portion held by the holding portion 11 and slides along the sliding guide portions 1a, 1b. By sliding the crankshaft 6, it is possible to obtain a feeling of end pushing. That is, by adding the crankshaft 6, even when the end of the keytop 2 is pushed, the pushing force is distributed to the sliding guide portions 1a and 1b of the crankshaft 6 and the guide portion 9, so that the keytop 2 is pushed. 2 can be pressed almost in parallel.

Further, a click feeling is obtained by compressing the elastic body 5. After that, when the pressing of the keyboard 2 is released, the extension force of the elastic body 5 causes the keyboard 2 and the crank shaft 6 to return to their original positions. In this keyboard switch, the crankshaft 6 is held in order to assist sliding of the crankshaft 6 and to minimize the clicking sound of the crankshaft during sliding. Grease is applied to the portion 11 and the sliding guide portions 1a and 1b.

[0007]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in this keyboard switch, the number of parts is increased because a crankshaft or the like is used, and the number of steps is increased due to application of grease material or crank shaft assembly. There is.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard switch improved so as to reduce the number of parts and the number of work steps.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 According to the present invention, a base member, a key top that faces one surface of the base member and is movable in a predetermined direction intersecting with the base member, and a switch element provided on the opposite surface of the one surface of the base member. And a stretchable elastic body interposed between the key top and the base member. The key top extends to the base member side in a substantially central portion of the key top and the switch element in the predetermined direction. In a keyboard switch having a pressing portion that can be pressed in any direction, the base member and the keytop guide the keytop so that the keytop can be moved to a position that is not aligned with the pressing portion and in the predetermined direction. A keyboard switch having a guide device is obtained.

[0010]

[Action]

 When the keyboard is pressed in one direction with a finger, the elastic body is compressed and at the same time the pressing portion moves in one direction. At this time, the tip of the pressing portion of the key top contacts the switch element, and when the key top is further pressed, the circuit can be changed by turning on or off the switch contact of the switch element. At this time, the guide device moves the keytop in one direction while guiding it while making the keytop substantially parallel in one direction. Further, a click feeling can be obtained by compressing the elastic body. After that, when the keyboard is released, the elastic force of the elastic body returns the keyboard to its original position.

[0011]

1 and 2 show an embodiment of the keyboard switch of the present invention. In this embodiment, the same parts as those in FIG. 3 and FIG.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the keyboard switch includes a base member 18, a key top 21 provided to face one surface of the base member 18, and a base member 18 on a surface opposite to the one surface. The switch element 3 provided on the base member 18 and the elastic member 5 interposed between the base member 18 and the key top 21. The key top 21 has a pressing portion 8 which is capable of pressing the switch element 3 in a predetermined direction in one direction in a substantially central portion thereof. The base member 18 is provided with a cylindrical receiving portion 9a surrounding the pressing portion 8. The inner diameter of the receiving portion 9a is larger than the outer diameter of the pressing portion 8 and faces each other in a non-contact state. That is, the pressing portion 8 moves inside the receiving portion 9a in a predetermined direction. As will be described later, the base member 18 and the key tops 21 are guide devices (in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, one guide guide for movably guiding the key tops 21 to positions that are not aligned with the receiving portion 9a and in a predetermined direction). (Only device is shown).

More specifically, a key top 21 is provided on the base member 18 so as to be movable in a predetermined direction crossing the base member 18. This key top 21 is preferably applied to a large key top 21 among a plurality of key tops arranged mainly on a keyboard (not shown), for example, kana, kanji conversion key and shift key. The switch element 3 is a membrane switch in which a circuit and a switch contact for changing the circuit are arranged between two thin insulating sheets. The switch element 8 is fixed by being sandwiched between a reinforcing member 7 formed of a material that does not easily deform and a base member 18. The reinforcing member 7 is fixed to the keyboard device body (not shown). The elastic body 5 (click rubber) is made of a rubber material so that it can be expanded and contracted, and is compressed and deformed when the key top 21 is pressed, and when the key top 21 is released, the elastic body 5 expands and positions the key top 21 in the original position. The elastic body 5 is interposed between the upper outer surface of the receiving portion 9 and one surface of the key top 21. Further, the key top 21 is formed with a pressing portion 8 which extends in one direction in a predetermined direction at a substantially central portion thereof. The pressing portion 8 is capable of pressing the switch contact of the switch element 3 in one direction of a predetermined direction at its tip.

Further, the guide device includes a protrusion 30 extending in one direction in a predetermined direction on one surface of the key top 21, and a protrusion receiving portion 31 for guiding the protrusion 30 while sliding the protrusion 30 on the base member 18 in the predetermined direction. And have. A through hole 10 is formed in the base member 18 so that when the pressing portion 8 moves in a predetermined direction, the tip portion of the pressing portion 8 passes and projects from one surface of the base member 18 to the opposite surface. A first through hole 19 is also formed in the base member 18 at the base member 18 portion inside the projection receiving portion 31. A second through hole 20 is formed in the switch element 3 and the reinforcing member 7 so as to be continuous with the first through hole 19. The hole diameter dimension of the first and second through holes 10, 20 is set to be larger than the outer diameter dimension of the protrusion 30. These first and second through holes 10 and 20 serve to increase the guide amount in the movement of the protrusion 30 in a predetermined direction and to make the movement smooth.

Further, the key top 21 is provided with a pair of arm parts (only one arm part is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) 12 extending in one direction of a predetermined direction. A hook portion 14 is formed at the tip of the arm portion 12 so as to engage with the engaging portion 13 formed on the base member 18 in a direction opposite to a predetermined direction. That is, when the key top 21 is biased by the elastic body 5 in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction, the hook portion 14 is locked to the locking portion 13, and the keyboard or more is moved to move the base member. It has stopped falling from 18. In this keyboard switch, the projection 30, the guide 31, the arm 12 and the locking portion 13 are symmetrically positioned with respect to the center line A shown on the paper surface of FIGS. 1 and 2. The protrusion 30, the guide portion 31, the arm portion 12, and the locking portion 13 are provided as a pair, but the number of combinations thereof may be increased. Further, the pressing portion 8, the protruding portion 30, and the arm portion 12 can be formed by integral molding when molding the key top 21. Further, the guide part 9, the locking part 13 and the guide part 31 can be integrally formed when the base member 18 is formed.

With this keyboard switch, it is an ideal pressing operation to put a finger on the central portion of the key top 21 and press down the key top 21. However, when the key top 21 becomes large, the operator does not always press the center part, but often presses the end part. When the operator presses the large key top 21 in this way, when the key top 21 is pressed in one direction by a finger, the elastic body 5 is compressed and at the same time the pressing portion 8 moves in one direction. At this time, the tip of the pressing portion 8 of the key top 21 contacts the switch element 3, and when the key top 21 is further pressed, the switch contact of the switch element 3 can be turned on or off to change the circuit. At this time, the protrusion 30 slides in one direction in a predetermined direction by the guide portion 31 and moves the key top 21 in one direction in a substantially parallel state while being guided. Also, a click feeling can be obtained by compressing the elastic body 5. After that, when the pressing of the keyboard 21 is released, the key top 21 instantly returns to its original position by the extension force of the elastic body 5.

[0017]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above with reference to the embodiments, according to the keyboard switch of the present invention, the key top and the base member are provided with the guide device for guiding the key top in the predetermined direction, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the number of assembling steps can be reduced. be able to.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which only the left side is cross-sectioned from a central portion.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the keyboard switch of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a state in which only the left side from the central portion of a conventional keyboard switch is sectioned.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the keyboard switch of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,18 Base member 2,21 Key top 3 Switch element 5 Elastic body 6 Crank shaft 7 Reinforcing member 8 Pressing portion 9a Receiving portion 11 Holding portion 12 Arm portion 13 Locking portion 14 Hook portion 30 Protrusion portion 31 Guide portion

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A base member, a key top that faces one surface of the base member and intersects with the base member and is movable in a predetermined direction, and a switch element provided on a surface of the base member opposite to the one surface. An expandable elastic body interposed between the key top and the base member, the key top extending to the base member side in a substantially central portion thereof and capable of pressing the switch element in one direction of the predetermined direction. In the keyboard switch having the pressing portion, the base member and the key top have a guide device for movably guiding the key top in the predetermined direction at a position apart from the pressing portion. A keyboard switch characterized in that