JPH07141957A - Switch with touch feel variable - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a switch which can control the load of a touch feel when an entry is made from the switch. CONSTITUTION:The inside of each key top 1 is made hollow, in which a liquid crystal 2 is encapsulated, and the inside is partitioned into an upper and a lower chamber by two-polar electrode plates 4, and between them a liquid crystal path for the upper and lower chambers is formed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a switch for various electronic devices.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A tactile load at the time of inputting a switch, especially a contact rubber switch is determined by the shape and material of the switch.

Therefore, when a switch having a different feel is required, it is manufactured with a different shape, different rubber hardness, or different material.

[0004]

With the conventional switch, when the keyboard has a large number of keys, and when it is desired to change the touch feeling only for important and frequently used function keys, the other keys are different from those of the other keys. The keys with different shapes and materials are used, and the ones with different touch feelings are prepared.When assembling, it is necessary to select them individually, which not only complicates the assembly work but also increases the number of parts. Problems also arise in the production and storage of parts.

When one switch has a plurality of functions, for example, when the shift key is used to shift to one function and the touch function is used to shift to the other function, it is the same. This cannot be achieved with the keys, and in such cases, visual means such as signals must be used for discrimination.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] When an electric field is applied to liquid crystal, the orientation of liquid crystal molecules changes and the viscosity changes. Also, when an electric field is applied to an electrorheological fluid (ER fluid), particles dispersed in the fluid cause dielectric polarization, form clusters of particles, and apparent viscosity changes.

Therefore, the present invention intends to change the touch-feeling load of switching by encapsulating these viscous fluids in the rubber-like elastic body of the key top portion of the switch and applying various electric fields to the viscous fluids. is there.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The inside of the key top 1 made of a rubber-like elastic body is a cylindrical hollow body, and a liquid crystal (viscous fluid) 2 is enclosed in this hollow body. A small distance is provided by an insulating spacer 3 so as to cross the center of the hollow body, and two electrode plates 4a and 4b having two poles are placed in parallel to each other to define an upper chamber and a lower chamber. One hole 5a, 5b is formed on the opposite side of 4b. Therefore, a space 6 between the two electrode plates 4a and 4b serves as a flow path 6 for liquid crystal in the upper and lower chambers. The conductive portion 7 is fixed to the lower surface.

In the switch of the present invention, when the push portion 1a above the key top 1 is pushed, the liquid crystal 2 in the enclosed upper chamber flows, passes through the hole 5a of the upper electrode plate 4a, and the flow path 6 between the two electrode plates. Through the hole 5b of the lower electrode plate 4b to the lower chamber, the conductive portion 7 under the key top 1 descends and projects, and contacts the electrode of the lower printed circuit board (not shown) to establish electrical conduction.

At this time, by applying a voltage to both the electrode plates 4a and 4b, the viscosity of the liquid crystal passing through the flow path 6 between them is increased, and the touch feeling load can be increased.

[0012]

According to the switch of the present invention, the touch feeling load can be controlled by one switch, and the heavy feeling,
You can freely choose a light feel.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 Sectional view

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Key Top 2 Liquid Crystal (Viscous Fluid) 3 Insulating Spacer 4 Electrode Plate 5 Hole 6 Flow Path 7 Conductive Part

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A key top portion of a rubber switch is a hollow body, and a viscous fluid such as a liquid crystal or an ER fluid whose viscosity changes by applying a voltage inside is enclosed, and a bipolar electrode plate is attached to this viscous fluid. The hollow body is divided into two chambers, upper and lower, spaced apart from each other, and at least one hole is formed in each of the electrode plates to form a viscous fluid channel in the upper and lower chambers between the electrode plates. A touch-type variable touch switch.