JPH07262872A - Press switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enhance switching operation feeling by forming a projection in the periphery of a boss formed in a rubber member of a press switch and bringing into contact with a switch button in pressing operation. CONSTITUTION:A boss 4 corresponding to electrodes 2 is formed in a rubber member 3 installed on a printed circuit board 1. A projection 6 is integratedly formed with the rubber member 3 so as to surround the periphery of the boss 4. A switch piece 5 is fixed to the inside upper surface of the boss 4. When a switch button 9 is pressed, the boss 4 starts to deform and exceeds a certain limit, the elasticity of the boss 4 turns reversely. In this process, the switch piece 5 comes in contact with a pair of electrode patterns A, B to operate as a switch. The projection 6 formed in the periphery of the boss 4 comes in contact the lower surface of the switch button 9 and pressing force is absorbed. Since the switch button 9 does not move in the pressing direction so much, feeling of switching operation is transmitted to an operator.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a push switch operated by a rubber member.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional pressure switch using a rubber member is shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, 11 is a printed circuit board, 12
Is a pair of adjacent electrode patterns (A, B) formed on the printed circuit board 11 together with the circuit pattern, and the insulating film on this electrode pattern 12 is removed. Reference numeral 13 is a rubber member made of silicon rubber installed on the printed circuit board 11, and 14 is a cylindrical trapezoidal ridge formed at a position corresponding to the electrode pattern 12 of the rubber member 13. Reference numeral 15 denotes a switch piece attached to the inner upper surface of the raised portion 14, which is made of conductive rubber in which carbon or the like is mixed in silicon rubber. Reference numeral 16 is a front plate attached in parallel with the printed circuit board 11, and 17 is a switch button. The switch button 17 is arranged so as to be vertically movable in a state where the upper portion thereof projects from the opening formed in the front plate 16 due to the elasticity of the raised portion 14.

With such a configuration, the switch button 1
When the pressing operation of 7 is performed, the raised portion 1 made of the rubber member 13
4 is deformed, and the conductive switch piece 15 formed in the raised portion 14 contacts both the pair of electrode patterns A and B below. As a result, the electrode pattern A and the electrode pattern B are electrically connected via the switch piece 15 and operate as a switch. After the pressing operation is completed, the elasticity of the raised portion 14 restores the switch button 17 and the switch piece 15 to the original state.

The amount of deformation of the raised portion 14 formed on the rubber member 13 is not constant with respect to the operating force because the raised portion 14 tries to maintain its original shape, and an operating force of a certain magnitude or more is applied. When it is given, it suddenly reverses and deforms significantly. This is transmitted to the operator as a click feeling and serves as a guide for the switch operation. As described above, it is possible to give the operator a click feeling peculiar to the rubber member despite the simple switch structure.

[0005]

The feeling of the switch operation greatly affects the impression of the product, and the operator can judge the operating state of the switch from the feeling of the switch operation such as the click feeling, so that the switch is accurately pressed. For this reason, the feel of the switch operation is important. However, with conventional switches, the operating characteristics such as the click feeling are determined by the shape and thickness of the raised portion, so if the characteristics are partially changed, for example, if the pressing operation is continued after the switch piece contacts the electrode pattern. When changing the operating characteristics of, the elasticity of the switch piece made of conductive rubber must be taken into consideration.
It is difficult to determine the shape and wall thickness of the raised portion, and it has not been possible to easily obtain the desired switch operation feeling by adjusting only the raised portion.

It is an object of the present invention to have a simple switch structure and yet to improve the feeling of switch operation.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention comprises a rubber member having a raised portion and a switch button installed on the raised portion of the rubber member. Is a pressing switch that is operated by pressing the rubber member through the rubber member, and abuts on the periphery of a raised portion formed on the rubber member with the switch button during the pressing operation of the switch button. It is characterized in that it is provided with a projecting portion having elasticity.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the protrusion is formed integrally with the rubber member.

[0009]

The switch button is installed on the raised portion formed on the rubber member, and the elastic protrusion is formed around the raised portion so that when the switch button is pressed, the raised portion is formed. Is deformed and the switch is operated in the raised portion, and the lower portion of the pressed switch button comes into contact with the elastic protrusion formed around the raised portion. As a result, the operating force in the pressing direction is absorbed by the elasticity of the protrusion, so that the feel of the switch operation changes. Therefore, it is possible to easily change the feel of the switch operation by changing the height, shape, etc. of the elastic protrusion. Further, by combining with the design of the shape of the raised portion, it becomes possible to adjust the feeling of the switch operation which is finer.

Further, by forming the above-mentioned elastic projection integrally with the rubber member on which the raised portion is formed, the elastic projection can be easily provided.

[0011]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the push switch of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a printed circuit board, 2 is a pair of adjacent electrode patterns (A, B) formed together with a circuit pattern on the printed circuit board, and the insulating film on this electrode pattern 2 is removed. Reference numeral 3 denotes a rubber member made of silicon rubber installed on the printed circuit board 1, and 4 denotes a cylindrical trapezoidal ridge formed on the rubber member 3, which corresponds to the position of the electrode pattern 2. Reference numeral 5 denotes a switch piece attached to the inner upper surface of the raised portion 4, which is made of conductive rubber in which carbon or the like is mixed in silicon rubber. As shown in a perspective view in FIG. 2, reference numeral 6 denotes a protrusion formed so as to surround the peripheral edge of the raised portion 4 and is integrally formed with the rubber member 3. Reference numeral 7 denotes a fixing piece formed on the rubber member, and the fixing member 7 is press-fitted into a hole formed in the printed board 1 to fix the rubber member 3 on the printed board 1. Reference numeral 8 is a front plate attached in parallel with the printed circuit board 1, and 9 is a switch button. The switch button 9 is arranged so as to be vertically movable in a state in which an upper portion thereof projects from an opening formed in the front plate 8 due to the elasticity of the raised portion 4.

When the switch button 9 is pushed, the raised portion 4 below the switch button 9 is pushed and deformation starts as in the conventional case. When an operating force exceeding a certain deformation is applied, the raised portion 4 is pressed. The elastic force of is reversed. In the process, the conductive switch piece 5 comes into contact with both the pair of electrode patterns A and B below the conductive switch piece 5,
The pair of electrode patterns A and B are electrically connected via the switch piece 5 to operate as a switch.

At this time, the height of the protrusion 6 formed on the peripheral edge of the raised portion 4 is set so that the protrusion 6 comes into contact with the lower surface of the switch button 9 almost at the same time when the contact between the switch piece 5 and the electrode pattern 2 is started. Then, even if the switch piece 5 is further pressed after coming into contact with the electrode pattern 2, the protrusion 6 provided on the peripheral edge of the raised portion 4 comes into contact with the lower surface of the switch button 9, so that the pressing operation force is absorbed and the switch is pressed. Since the button 9 does not move much in the pressing direction, it is transmitted to the operator as a feeling of switch operation. In this way, the feel of the switch operation can be easily changed partially regardless of the shape of the raised portion 4, and it is also easy to eliminate the click feeling by adjusting the height of the protrusion. Fine adjustment is possible by designing in combination with.

Further, the presence or absence of the protrusion 6 or the height thereof may be adjusted by cutting the protrusion 6 once formed as needed. Further, in the present embodiment, the structure is such that the protrusion is provided on the entire periphery of the raised portion, but the same applies to the case where the protrusion 10 is partially formed around the raised portion 4 as shown in FIG.

By changing not only the height of the protrusions but also the shape thereof in this manner, the elasticity of the protrusions can be changed, so that further adjustment can be performed and a desired switch operation feeling can be obtained. it can. In the above embodiment, the protrusions 6 and 10 are integrally formed with the rubber member 3. However, a protruding piece is separately formed by an elastic member such as rubber, and the protruding piece is provided around the desired raised portion 4. By attaching it,
The protrusions 6 and 10 may be formed.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the switch button is brought into contact with the elastic projection, the operation force in the pressing direction is absorbed, so that the feeling of pressing the switch button changes. Therefore, by changing the height and shape of the elastic protrusion, it is possible to easily change the feel of the switch operation with a simple structure, and it is possible to further finely adjust the operability so that the desired switch operation can be performed. A feel is obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the shape of a rubber member according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a shape of a rubber member according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a conventional pressure switch.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 ... Electrode pattern 3 ... Rubber member 4 ... Protrusion 5 ... Switch piece 6 ... Projection

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A rubber member having a raised portion, and a switch button installed on the raised portion of the rubber member.
A push switch that is operated by pressing the switch button through the rubber member, wherein the switch button is provided in the vicinity of a raised portion formed on the rubber member during the push operation of the switch button. A press switch comprising an elastic protrusion that comes into contact with the pressure switch. 2. The press switch according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is formed integrally with the rubber member.