JPH07120568A - Button unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure the stroke while improving the design by inserting the shaft section slidingly into a fixing section cut from the upper face toward the side face and providing a push button being fixed to the machine case through the shaft member. CONSTITUTION:Through holes are made at a constant interval in a first step section 4 and a shaft member 15 is inserted slidingly into each through hole. The member 15 fixes each push button 11-14 to the fixing part 7 of machine case 1 and it is press-fitted to a corresponding push button from the lower face thereof. The member 15 penetrates an elastic member 17 inserted into the through hole and slides therein to conduct switching. A second section 5 continuous to the first step section 4 has pectinated outer end part and the side part of the push button 11-14 is formed to be irregular. The push buttons 11-14 are arranged from the upper face toward the side face of the case 1 and the moving amount is set by the side face of the case 1 at the time of pressing operation. This structure ensures the stroke of the push button 11-14.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a button device provided in equipment such as a wrist watch and an electronic notebook.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the above-mentioned equipment, a button device is attached for selecting a function mode and inputting data. This button device has a push button that is pressed, and the push button is arranged on the side surface or the top surface of the equipment case according to the function or the like, and data is input by pressing a predetermined push button.

[0003]

In the conventional button device, it is necessary for the push button to operate with a predetermined stroke, and in order to secure this stroke, the push button is mounted so as to project from the equipment case. For this reason, there is a problem in that the portion where the push button is mounted is more likely to stick out than the outer shape of the device case, there is a limit to the improvement of the appearance, and it is difficult to integrate the push button and the device case in terms of design.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides a button device capable of reducing the protrusion amount of the push button while securing the stroke of the push button and integrating the push button and the device case. The purpose is to do.

[0005]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention achieves the above object by disposing a push button over the upper surface and side surfaces of a device case. More specifically, the present invention provides
A mounting portion cut out from the upper surface to the side surface of the device case, a shaft member slidably inserted in the mounting portion of the device case, and a device having a shape that covers the mounting portion and a device via the shaft member. And a push button attached to the case.

[0006]

Embodiment 1 FIGS. 1 and 2 show a plan view and a side view of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an electronic wrist watch. Display units 2 and 3 for displaying time, date and other information in digital or analog form are arranged in parallel on the upper surface of the equipment case 1, and the button device 1 is provided on the side surface of the equipment case 1 at the 3 o'clock side.
0 is set. The button device 10 includes a plurality of (four in the illustrated example) push buttons 11 and 1 each made of synthetic resin.
By arranging 2, 13, and 14 in the state where they are adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction of the equipment case 1, the outer shape portion thereof is formed.
These push buttons 11, 12, 13, 14 are for changing the time, setting the alarm time, and other modes by pressing the upper surface of the push buttons 11, 12, 13, 14. In this case, the push buttons 12 and 13 located on the inner side are the push buttons 11 and 1 located on both sides.
It is formed so as to be somewhat higher than 4, so that it is possible to easily operate the middle push buttons 12 and 13 and to operate the push buttons 11 and 14 on both sides to the same extent. There is. In this embodiment, the push buttons 11, 12, 1
All of the buttons 3 and 14 have the same width dimension and the same outer shape to give them a design sense of unity, and the push buttons 11, 12, 13, and 14 are assembled as a whole. Moreover, the entire push buttons 11, 12, 13, 14 are formed in a shape along the upper surface and the side surface on the 3 o'clock side of the device case 1 so as to be in harmony with the outer shape of the device case 1. As a result, the push buttons 11, 12, 13, and 14 form a part of the outer shape of the device case 1, and have a design that improves the aesthetic appearance without a sense of discomfort.

FIG. 3 shows the mounting structure of the push button 13.
Is a sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 3, and the other push buttons 11, 12, and 14 have the same structure. Further, FIG. 4 shows these push buttons 1
The top view of the equipment case 1 before mounting of 1, 12, 13, 14 is shown. The upper surface of the equipment case 1 on the 3 o'clock side is cut out in steps to form the first stepped portion 4 and the second stepped portion 5, and the outer surface is cut out in a recessed shape to form a second step. The recessed portion 6 is formed so as to be continuous with the stepped portion 5, and the first and second stepped portions 4, 5 and the recessed portion 6 form the push button mounting portion 7. Each push button 11, 12, 1
3, 14 are formed in a shape that covers the first and second step portions 4, 5 and the recessed portion 6, and are attached to the attachment portion 7.

Through holes 8 are formed at four locations in the first step portion 4 at equal intervals, and a shaft member 15 is slidably inserted into each through hole 8. The shaft member 15 has the push buttons 11, 12, 13, 14 attached to the mounting portion 7 of the device case 1.
The upper end portion is press-fitted into the corresponding push button from the lower surface. Also, the shaft member 15
A retaining ring 16 such as an E ring is attached to the tip of the insertion into the through hole 8 and penetrates an elastic member 17 such as a spring inserted into the through hole 8. This elastic member urges each shaft member 15 so that the push button pushes up the shaft member. The shaft member 15 slides in the through hole 8 by pressing the push button,
As a result, a switch member (not shown) formed of a movable contact and a fixed contact is provided inside the device case 1 corresponding to each shaft member 15 for performing the switching by moving into the device case 1. Are arranged. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 18 is a seal ring such as an O-ring provided in the through hole 8.

As shown in FIG. 4, the second step portion 5 following the first step portion 4 has its outer end portion formed into a comb tooth shape so that the concave portions 5a and the convex portions 5b are alternately formed. The recess 6 formed on the side surface of the device case 1 has a shape continuous with the recess 5a and the projection 5b. That is, the concave portion 6 on the side surface of the device case 1 has a zigzag groove shape communicating with the concave portion 5a and the convex portion 5b. On the other hand, push button 1
Convex pieces 11a, 12a, 13a, 14b that enter into the concave portion 5a and convex portions 5b are provided on the side surface portions of 1, 12, 13, and 14.
Abutment pieces 11b, 12b, 13b, 14 contacting the outside of the
b (in FIG. 3, the convex piece 13a and the contact piece 13b are shown) are formed in an uneven shape. A chain line B in FIG. 4 indicates a boundary line between adjacent push buttons, and push buttons 11, 12, 1
3, 14 are attached to the equipment case 1 in a state of engaging with one convex portion 5b and concave portions 5a on both sides of the convex portion 5b. With such a mounting structure, the push buttons 11, 12, 13,
Since 14 is positioned with the equipment case 1 in an uneven shape,
The positioning accuracy is improved, and it is possible to position reliably,
It does not shake even when pressed.

In this embodiment as described above, the push buttons 11, 1
2, 13, and 14 are provided from the upper surface to the side surface of the device case 1, and move along the side surface of the device case 1 during a pressing operation. With such a structure, the amount of movement during the pressing operation can be set on the side surface of the device case 1,
As a result, the stroke of the push button can be secured.
In such a configuration in which the stroke of the push button is secured on the side surface portion of the device case 1, the amount of protrusion to the upper surface side of the device case can be reduced. In addition, since the push button moves in the vertical direction, the amount of protrusion of the device case 1 to the side surface side also decreases.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 20 is a contact piece 1 of the push button 13.
3b is a cushioning material interposed between the mounting portion 7 of the device case 1 and the other push buttons 11, 12, 13, 14 and the mounting portion 7.
It is similarly arranged between and. The cushioning member 20 is made of rubber or synthetic resin, and is bonded to the portion of the recessed portion 6 of the mounting portion 7 that is continuous with the protruding portion 5b, so that the cushioning member 20 is connected to the push buttons 11, 12, 13, and 14. It is provided in. In the structure provided with the cushioning material 20 as described above, the push button 1
Even if a load such as an impact is applied to the side surfaces 1, 12, 13, 14 from the side, the cushioning material 20 absorbs or attenuates the load.
It can withstand and can be durable.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but can be variously modified, and can be applied to, for example, a small radio device such as a pager, an electronic notebook, and other devices. Further, the push button is not limited to the number and shape as long as it is provided from the upper surface to the side surface of the device case, and the mounting structure can be changed. Furthermore, in the present invention, the push button may be pressed from the side of the device case.

[0013]

According to the present invention, since the push button is provided from the upper surface to the side surface of the equipment case, the projection amount of the push button is reduced while securing the stroke of the push button, and the push button can be integrated with the equipment case to improve the design. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial side view of an embodiment.

3 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the device case before the push button is attached.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Equipment case 4 1st step part 5 2nd step part 6 Recessed part 7 Mounting part 10 Push button device 11, 12, 13, 14 Push button 15 Shaft member 20 Cushioning material

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A mounting portion that is cut out from a top surface to a side surface of a device case, a shaft member slidably inserted in the mounting portion of the device case, and a shaft having a shape that covers the mounting portion. A button device comprising a push button attached to a device case via a member. 2. The button device according to claim 1, wherein the push button is partially in contact with the mounting portion, and a buffer is provided at the contact portion. 3. The button device according to claim 1, wherein the facing portion between the push button and the mounting portion is engaged in an uneven shape. 4. The button device according to claim 1, wherein the push button is formed in a shape forming a part of the outer shape of the device case.