JPH06139879A - Composite push switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a composite push switch used for the remote control device of an AV apparatus or the keyboard switch of an OA apparatus and having a reduced play in the stroke of an operating button, good operation feeling, no restriction on the shape of the operating button, and good assembly workability. CONSTITUTION:A composite push switch is constituted of four unit push switches 18B, a molding resin contact substrate 11 integrally formed with four elastic legs 15B having tip claws 14B in the middle, holding legs 30B having claws 29B coupled with the tip claws 14B, a flat plate-like operating button 27 integrally provided with push rod sections 28B corresponding to the unit switches 18B, and a compression coil spring (not shown in the Figure) for keeping the operating button 27 at the stationary position. One of the coupling sections between the claws 14b of the elastic legs 15B and the claws 29B of the holding legs 30B is used for the fulcrum when the operating button 27 is tilted, and a composite push switch having a reduced play stroke when operated and the free shape of the operating button 27 is obtained.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a composite push switch for multi-functional operation, which is used as a remote control device for consumer video and audio equipment, or as a keyboard switch for office automation equipment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional technique will be described with reference to FIGS.

A composite push switch of this type is often constructed by utilizing a panel board of a device and a printed wiring board, and as shown in FIGS. 11 to 14, an opening provided in the panel board 1 of the device. Square flat-shaped operation buttons 3 arranged on the section 2 and the orthogonal X on the printed wiring board 4 in the device.
-It is composed of four unit push switches 5A to 5D mounted on the axis line equidistant from the intersection of the Y axes.

On the lower surface of the flat operation button 3,
The four push rod portions 6A to 6D corresponding to the single push switches 5A to 5D are integrally formed, and
A protrusion 7 is also formed on the center portion thereof and a coil spring 8 is fitted therein.

The coil spring 8 presses the flat-shaped operation button 3 against the stepped portion 2a of the opening 2 of the panel board 1 by the repulsive force compressed between the coil spring 8 and the printed board 4, and keeps it in a steady position.

Therefore, when operating the composite push switch, as shown in FIG. 14, when the predetermined push position 9A of the flat-shaped operation button 3 corresponding to the single push switch 5A to be operated is pressed, the square operation button 3 is pressed. Is tilted with the step 2a on the opposite side of the opening 2 of the panel plate 1 as a fulcrum, and the push rod 6A below the push position 9A pushes the push switch 5A.
The single switch 5A is operated by pushing the knob 10A.

When the pushing force applied to the pushing position 9A is removed, the operation button 3 returns to the original steady position by the repulsive force of the coil spring 8.

At the time of this operation, the push rods 6B and 6D at the intermediate position of the tilted operation button 3 do not push the knobs 10B and 10D of the corresponding push switches 5B and 5D, so that the push switches 5A to 5D. 5D knob 10
A predetermined gap x is provided at a steady position between A-10D and the corresponding push rod portions 6A-6D as shown in FIG.

Therefore, when the pushing position 9A of the flat-shaped operation button 3 is pushed in order to operate a predetermined single push switch (for example, 5A), the push rod portion 6A on the lower surface of the push rod portion 6A is shown in FIG. It is necessary to move downward by the operation stroke a) of the push switch. At that time,
The push rod portions 6B and 6D at the intermediate positions correspond to the knobs 10B and 10 of the single push switches 5B and 5D on the Y-axis, respectively.
In order not to press D, the movement b of 6B and 6D must be equal to or less than the above-mentioned gap x. Therefore, the arrangement pitch of the single push switches 5A to 5D on the X axis (that is, the push rod portion 6A of the flat-shaped operation button 3). C is the arrangement pitch of the X-axis of 6D to 6D, and d is the dimension from each push rod portion 6A to 6D to each end of the operation button 3, the push rod portions 6A to 6D.
The movement b of is expressed as in (Equation 1).

[0010]

[Equation 1]

From this (Equation 1), the gap x is expressed as (Equation 2).

[0012]

[Equation 2]

That is, each individual push switch 5A-
The gap x between the 5D knobs 10A to 10D and the corresponding push rod portions 6A to 6D needs to be larger than the operation stroke a of the single push switch.

The size of the push unit is 5A.
Arrangement pitch of 5D and push rod portion 6A of the flat-shaped operation button 3
Although it depends on the ratio of the dimension from 6D to the end portion, considering the dimensional variation at the time of machining parts or assembling, it is necessary to make the gap more than twice the operation stroke of the single push switch.

[0015]

However, in the conventional composite push switch described above, when the gap x is increased, the apparent operation stroke including play when the operation button 3 is pressed to operate the composite push switch increases. The tilt of the operation button 3 at the time of operation becomes large, and the touching positions of the push rod portions 6A to 6D with respect to the knobs 10A to 10D of the individual push switches 5A to 5D are deviated, and the operation feeling of the switches deteriorates.

Further, as a whole of the composite push switch,
Since the panel board 1 and the printed wiring board 4 of the device are used, it is necessary to combine the operation button 3 and the coil spring 8 when assembling the device, and the workability of assembling the device is poor.

Further, when the operation button 3 is tilted, its outer periphery is used as a fulcrum, so that the shape of the operation button 3 needs to be a quadrangle or a shape close thereto, which is a problem in designing the device. It was

The present invention is intended to solve such a conventional problem, and has a small gap between the push rod portion of the operation button and each single push switch, and can be constructed independently of the panel plate of the equipment. It is intended to provide a push switch.

[0019]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, the present invention intends to have a structure in which an operation button of a composite push switch is held by elastic legs integrated with a switch contact board and a panel plate of a device is not used. To do.

[0020]

Therefore, according to the present invention, the composite push switch can be independently configured irrespective of the panel plate or the like of the device, and the operation button can be formed in any shape.

[0021]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the composite push switch of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 is a side sectional view taken along the X ₁ axis of FIG.

In the figure, numeral 11 is a contact substrate made of insulating resin, on the upper surface of which four sets of fixed contacts 12 for a single push switch are arranged on an axis line equidistant from the intersection of the X and Y axes orthogonal to each other.
A contact sheet 13 made of a heat-resistant resin film on which A to 12D are printed is attached. At the intersections of the parallel lines of the X-axis and the Y-axis passing through the positions of the respective contacts 12A-12D, four elastic legs 15A-15D each having retaining claws 14A-14D inside the tips are contacted. Board 1
1 is made of resin and is integral with each fixed contact 12A to
Diaphragm-shaped movable elastic contacts 16A-1 on 12D
6D are respectively fixed by the adhesive insulating films 17A to 17D to form four sets of single push switches 18A to 18D.

This single push switch 18A-18D
The details of each fixed contact 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 5.
A to 12D are C-shaped ring-shaped contacts 19A to 19D on the outer circumference, small circle contacts 20A to 20D in the center, and lead portions 22A to 22D and 23A for connecting the respective contacts to the terminal portion 21.
23D, the lead portions 23A-23D from the small circle contacts 20A-20D are C-shaped ring contacts 19A-19D.
The insulating paint film 24A-2
4D is overprinted. In addition, the lead portions 22A to 2
Although 2D and 23A to 23D are connected to the terminals of the terminal portion 21, they are omitted in FIG.

The diaphragm-type movable contacts 16A to 16D fixedly mounted thereon are positioned so that the outer peripheral edges 25A to 25D thereof contact the C-shaped ring contacts 19A to 19D differently, and the entire upper surface thereof is positioned. The periphery is pasted on the fixed contact substrate 11 by the insulating films 17A to 17D with an adhesive for covering. At this time, the curved center portion 26A of the diaphragm-type movable contacts 16A to 16D
26D maintain a constant gap e with the small circle contacts 20A to 20D and lead portions 23A to 2D thereof.
The outer peripheral edges 25A to 25D of the movable contacts 16A to 16D, which overlap with 3D, are insulated by the insulating paint films 24A to 24D.

The operation buttons 27 for operating the unit push switches 18A to 18D composed of the fixed contacts 12A to 12D and the diaphragm type movable contacts 16A to 16D are provided on the lower surface thereof with the unit push switches 18A to 1D.
It is similar to the conventional example that it has push rod portions 28A to 28D corresponding to 8D, but each push rod portion 28A to 28D.
The four elastic legs 15 of the contact board 11 are located at the intermediate position of
Four holding legs 30A to 30D having retaining claws 29A to 29D respectively engaged with the claw portions 14A to 14D of A to 15D on the outer ends of the tips are formed inside the elastic legs 15A to 15D, and the operation button 27 is formed. Is held so that it can move up and down.

The holding legs 30A to 30D and the elastic leg 15A.
The coupling of ~ 15D is forcibly combined from the distal end side by using the elasticity of the elastic legs 15A-15D.

The four holding legs 30A to 30D are elastic legs 15A to 15D of the contact substrate 11, as shown in FIG.
The rotation preventing protrusions 31A to 31D arranged side by side regulate the movement in the rotation direction, and also serve to position the operation button 27 so as not to rotate.

Then, each individual push switch 18A-
In order to ensure the operation of 18D, a gap f is provided between the tip of each push rod portion 28A to 28D of the operation button 27 and the diaphragm type movable contacts 16A to 16D, and the operation button 27 is placed in the contact substrate 11 at the steady position. In order to keep the claws 29A to 29D of the holding legs 30A to 30D and the claws 14A to 14D of the elastic legs 15A to 15D in contact with each other, the compression coil spring positioned by the projection 32 at the center of the lower surface of the operation button 27. 33 is inserted between the contact substrate 11.

The elastic legs 34 with claws provided on the bottom surface of the contact board 11 are for attaching the composite push switch to a printed wiring board of a device, and the like.
The terminal portion 21 of the contact sheet 13 is connected to the circuit of the device by a connector or the like.

Next, the operation of the composite push switch of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the operation button 27 corresponding to the unit push switch 18A to be operated is shown.
For example, when a predetermined push position 35A is pressed, the operation button 2
7 is the claws 14B and 14C of the two elastic legs 15B and 15C on the opposite side, as shown on the elastic leg 15B side in FIG.
And the holding rods 30B and 30C are engaged with the engaging portions of the claws 29B and 29C as fulcrums, and the push rod portion 28A on the lower surface of the pushing position 35A moves downward by the gap f, and then the single push switch 18A. Diaphragm movable contact 1
8A by pushing the central portion 26A of 6A downward by the gap e.
As shown in FIG.
Contact with A.

When the pushing force applied to the pushing position 35A is removed, the operation button 27 returns to the original steady position by the repulsive force of the compression coil spring 33. At this time, the diaphragm type movable contact 16A of the single push switch 18A
The elastic force also restores the original state as shown in FIG.

Here, in order to prevent the push rod portions 28B, 28D at the intermediate position of the tilted operation button 27 from pushing the diaphragm type movable contacts 16B, 16D of the corresponding single push switches 18B, 18D during the above operation. Since the movement g of the push rod portions 28B and 28D must be equal to or less than the gap f as shown in FIG. 7, the arrangement pitch of the single push switches 18A to 18D on the X axis is set to C as in the conventional example. Operation button 2 from the center of button 27
Assuming that the distance between the claw 14C of the elastic leg 15C and the claw 29C of the holding leg 30C, which is the fulcrum when the 7 is tilted, is h, the movement g of the push rods 28B and 28D is as follows (Equation 3). )
It becomes like

[0033]

[Equation 3]

From (Equation 3), the gap f is given by the following (Equation 4)
Is represented as

[0035]

[Equation 4]

In the above embodiment, since h = c, f ≧ e
Therefore, the gap f between each single push switch 18A to 18C and the corresponding push rod portion 28A to 28D.
Is the reversing operation stroke e of the diaphragm type movable contacts 16A to 16D of the single push switches 18A to 18D.
(I.e., the operation stroke of the single push switch) may be equal to or greater than that.

Here, h <c, that is, the operation button 27
Claws 29A-2 for engagement of the holding legs 30A-30D from the center of the
The distance h up to 9D can be set to a single push switch 18A-18
The gap f can be made smaller than the operation stroke e by making it smaller than the arrangement pitch C of D on the X axis.

In the above embodiments, the contact sheet 13 in which the fixed contacts 12 are printed and formed on the heat-resistant resin film is laminated on the contact substrate 11, but this is a fixed contact made of a metal plate. Of course, insert molding may be performed on the molding resin of the contact substrate 11.

Further, in the constitution of the single push switch 18 in the present invention, the diaphragm type movable elastic contact 16 is fixed on the fixed contact 12 by the adhesive insulating film 17, but this is the whole composite push switch. This is to reduce the height dimension, and like the conventional example,
Of course, a single push switch may be mounted as a single push switch.

Further, FIGS. 9 and 10 show another embodiment of the present invention, in which the four sets of single push switches 18A to 18D on the contact substrate 11 are arranged in the center of the compression coil spring 33 at the center. A single push switch 18 consisting of a fixed contact and a diaphragm type movable elastic contact (not shown)
E is provided, and a hole 36 is provided at the center of the operation button 27, and a push rod portion 28E and a push portion 35 are provided in the hole 36.
The small button 37 having E is attached.

The small button 37 moves independently with respect to the operation button 27, but pushes up the push rod portion 28E.
Of the operation button 27 is prevented from coming off at a position equal to or higher than the other four push rod portions of the operation button 27.

Therefore, by pushing the small button 37, the single push switch 18E can be operated independently of the other single push switches, and when the operation button 27 is operated, the single push switch 18E is operated. It is not affected.

[0043]

As is apparent from the above embodiment, the composite push switch of the present invention has the following features. (1) The gap between each single push switch and each push rod portion of the corresponding operation button has a conventional gap. Since it can be reduced to about half, the apparent operation stroke including play when operating the composite push switch can be reduced, and the switch operation feeling is good.

(2) Since the switch can be formed as an independent switch regardless of the panel of the device or the printed wiring board, the efficiency of the switch assembling work and the mounting work to the device is good.

(3) When the operation button is tilted, the claw portion of the holding leg serves as a fulcrum, so that there is no restriction on the shape of the operation button.
High degree of freedom in device design. Etc. have useful effects.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of an embodiment of a composite push switch of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the contact board portion.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view taken along the X-axis of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the main part of the same push switch.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view taken along the X-axis of FIG. 2 with the operation button pressed.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view taken along the X ₁ axis of FIG. 2 with the operation button pressed.

FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of an essential part for explaining the operation of the single push switch.

FIG. 9 is an external perspective view of a composite push switch according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the same side.

FIG. 11 is a side sectional view of a conventional composite push switch.

FIG. 12 (A) is a perspective view of the operation button from above, and FIG. 12 (B) is a perspective view of the operation button from below.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the printed wiring board from above.

FIG. 14 is a side view showing a state where the operation button is pressed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Contact board 14A-14D Claw for retaining 15A-15D Elastic leg 18A-18E Single push switch 27 Operation button 28A-28D Push rod part 33 Compression coil spring 37 Small button

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. At least four unit push switches are formed on an axis equidistant from the intersection of orthogonal X and Y axes, and at least four elastic legs having retaining claws are provided on each unit switch. An operation button that has a contact point made of molded resin integrally formed at the intermediate position of the contact point and a push rod part corresponding to the above single switch, and is held up and down by elastic legs with claws on the contact point, and this operation A composite push switch consisting of a compression coil spring inserted between the center of the lower surface of the operation button and the contact plate to keep the button in a steady position. 2. The four elastic legs are arranged at or inside the intersection of the parallel lines of the X and Y axes passing through the centers of the four single push switches, and each push rod portion of the operation button and the single switch. The composite push switch according to claim 1, wherein the gap between the knob and the knob is equal to or larger than the operation stroke of the single switch. 3. The composite according to claim 1, wherein another single push switch is mounted inside the compression coil spring, and another operation button which independently moves only downward is held in the central portion of the flat plate operation button. Push switch. 4. The single push switch according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the unitary push switch comprises a fixed contact formed on the upper surface of the contact substrate and a diaphragm type movable elastic contact fixed on the fixed contact by an adhesive insulating film. Composite push switch.