JPH0896663A - Multi-way operation switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a small and inexpensive switch which has a rule and can also be used as a two-stage switch in a multi-way operation switch to be used in a multi-way input operation part of various electronic equipments. CONSTITUTION: An operation shaft 21 is fitted and held by a bearing part 22a on a top surface of a box-shaped case 22 so as 2 to be tiltable and vertically movable, and an arm-shaped spring 30 is fixed to an under surface of a flange part 25 of the operation shaft 21. A switch board 23 composed of a central contact point 49 on an insulating board, plural outside fixed contact points 45 arranged in equal angle positions at an almost equal distance from this, movable contact points 36 opposed to these contact points and a diaphragm 26 for a rule in an upper side central part of a movable contact point 37, is arranged on a bottom surface of the box-shaped case 22. A return spring 29 is arranged between the operation shaft 21 and the switch board 23, and the operation shaft 21 is constituted so as to be pressed against the top surface of the box-shaped case 22, and the switch contact points are integrally formed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multidirectional operation switch mainly used for an input operation section of various electronic equipment such as audio equipment, video equipment, car navigation system and the like.

[0002]

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

In the figure, reference numeral 1 is an operating shaft made of die-cast metal or the like, and a lower end hemispherical portion 1a thereof is placed on a bearing portion 2a provided in a molded resin case 2 and a coil spring 3 is provided from below.
The intermediate non-circular portion 1b is fitted into the tapered non-circular hole 4a of the molded resin moving body 4 while being held so that it can be tilted and moved up and down.

By combining the metal cover 5 from above, the moving body 4 and the four small coil springs 6 are positioned, and the moving body 4 moves horizontally in the center of the case 2 due to the balance of the elastic force of the small coil springs 6. The contact portions 7a and 7b of the slider 7 which is held as much as possible and is attached to the lower surface of the moving body 4 are elastically contacted with the plane contact 8 fixed to the bottom surface of the case 2 by insert molding.

Further, a switch driving projection 1c is provided at the center of the lower end of the operating shaft 1, and a push switch 9 is attached to the case 2 via a mounting member 10 just below the projection 1c.

Next, the operation of this switch will be described. When the operating shaft 1 and the moving body 4 are at the midpoint position, one contact portion 7a of the slider 7 is a plane contact 8a as shown in FIG. The contact points 7b are elastically contacted with each other, but the multi-directional contact portion 7b is located at an intermediate position between the flat contact points 8b and 8c.
It is off during the period (hereinafter referred to as OFF).

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, when a lateral force is applied to the knob 11 mounted on the upper tip 1d of the operating shaft 1, the operating shaft 1 is tilted to the left (or right). Along with this, the moving body 4 moves in parallel in the tilting direction while compressing the small coil spring 6, and the contact portions 7a and 7b of the slider 7 attached to the lower surface of the moving body 4 slide on the plane contact 8 of the case. A switch function is configured by short-circuiting the plane contacts 8a and 8b (or 8c), and
Output monoliths 12a and 12 respectively connected to b and 8c
The output signal is transmitted to the outside by b and 12c.

Then, when the operating force applied to the knob 11 is removed, the moving body 4 and the operating shaft 1 are returned to the midpoint position by the elastic restoring force of the small coil spring 6 which is compressed, and the lower surface of the moving body 4 is moved. The contact portion 7b of the attached slider 7 is disengaged from the flat contact 8b, the switch is turned off, and the state shown in FIG. 3 is restored.

In this way, by exerting a lateral force on the knob 11 to tilt the operating shaft 1, the front, rear, left, and
Output signals can be output between the terminals connected to the contacts corresponding to the four directions on the right (or eight directions including the front left, front right, rear left, and rear right in the middle).

Next, when a pushing force is applied to the knob 11 from above to move the operating shaft 1 vertically downward, the lower end projection 1c pushes the pushing operation portion 9a of the push switch 9 to operate the push switch 9. Can be made.

[0011]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional multi-directional operation switch, the moving body 4 and a large number of moving bodies 4 having a complicated structure are used as a mechanism for switching between the switch contacts 7 and 8 and as a mechanism for returning the midpoint position of the operation shaft 1. Since the small coil spring 6 is required, many components are used, and the number of assembling steps is large, the cost is high and the product is high.

Further, when the operation shaft 1 is tilted, there is no click feeling, and the switch operation in the tilt direction is a one-step operation.
In recent years, as the range of equipment to be used has expanded, there has been a demand for miniaturization and higher functionality such as a sense of moderation when tilting the operating shaft and a two-step switch operation in each tilting direction.

[0013]

In order to solve the above conventional problems, the present invention provides a switch substrate comprising a central counter contact, a plurality of sets of outer counter contacts arranged around the center counter contact, and a via-flame moderation spring. In addition to being integrally formed, it has a structure in which the operating shaft is returned to the center position with a single coil spring. The arm-shaped spring fixed to the operating shaft turns on the outer contact, and the lower end projection of the operating shaft turns on the central contact via the diaphragm-like moderation spring.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, the switch for turning on the tilting operation of the operating shaft and the vertical operation thereof is constructed on one board, and one coil spring for returning the operating point to the center point is also provided. Therefore, the number of parts used is small, the number of steps can be reduced, and the product height can be reduced.

Further, by combining the arm-shaped springs of the operating shaft, the outer contact is first turned on for each tilting direction of the operating shaft, and then the central contact is turned on together with the feeling of moderation. It can also be used as a two-stage switch.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the multidirectional operation switch of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 21 is an operating shaft made of die-cast metal or the like, which is a bearing portion 2 formed in a box-shaped case 22.
It is fitted and held by the 2a so that it can be tilted and moved up and down, and an arm-shaped spring 30 having a protrusion 30a serving as a pressing operation portion is fixed to the lower surface of the flange portion 25 by caulking or the like. Reference numeral 23 denotes a switch substrate, and an insulating substrate 46 having a center contact 29 and a plurality of outer fixed contacts 45 arranged at substantially equal distances and equiangular positions from each other, and a spacer 34 for forming a predetermined gap between these contacts. An insulating flexible substrate 38 having a movable contact 36 which is separated and opposed to each other, and its central movable contact 3
7 and a diaphragm-like moderation spring 26 set to be larger than the operating force of the movable contact 36 attached to the upper part of the switch 7. The switch board 23 is provided on the bottom surface of the box-shaped case 22. A return spring 29 is arranged between the operation shaft 21 and the switch board 23 to press the operation shaft 21 against the bearing portion 22a of the box-shaped case 22.

Next, the operation of the multidirectional operation switch will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, when the knob 32 attached to the upper end portion 21a of the operating shaft 21 is tilted by applying a lateral force, the operating shaft 21 uses the outer peripheral edge portion 25c of the flange portion 25 as a fulcrum. First, the protrusion 30a of the arm spring 30 fixed to the lower part of the operating shaft 21 is rotated.
Pushes down the movable contact 36 of the switch board 23 to short-circuit the outer fixed contact 45. When the knob 32 is further tilted, the arm-shaped spring 30 bends and short-circuits the outer fixed contact 45, while the lower tip protrusion 27 of the operating shaft 21 pushes and reverses the diaphragm-type moderation spring 26 to generate a moderation and at the same time the central contact 49. Short circuit. When the operation force applied to the knob 32 is removed, the operation shaft 21 is pushed up by the restoring force of the diaphragm-like moderation spring 26 and the return spring 29, and the switch circuit is turned off.

Further, when a pushing force is applied to the knob 32 from above to move the operating shaft 21 downward, the lower tip projection 27 thereof is formed.
Pushes and inverts the diaphragm-like moderation spring 26 directly below it to produce moderation and at the same time short-circuit the center contact 49.

This multi-directional operation switch is not only configured as a two-stage switch with a center switch, but is also a one-stage switch with moderation by processing the circuit so as to determine the direction when the second-stage switch is short-circuited. Can also be used, and diaphragm moderation spring 2
If 6 is removed, a non-moderating one-step switch can be easily constructed.

[0021]

As described above, according to the above-described embodiment, when the operating shaft is tilted, the outer peripheral switch is short-circuited first, and then the central switch is short-circuited together with a feeling of moderation. It can also be used as

Further, the switch operating mode in all directions of the operating shaft is made to function by the single diaphragm mode moderating spring arranged in the center, and the switch substrate is integrally formed with the opposing contacts, so that the structure is very simple and small. It has become possible to reduce costs and man-hours.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of an embodiment of a multi-directional operation switch of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing the same operating state.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a conventional multidirectional operation switch.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing the same operating state.

[Explanation of symbols]

 21 Operation Axis 22 Box Case 23 Switch Board 25 Flange 26 Diaphragm Moderation Spring 27 Tip Protrusion 29 Return Spring 30 Arm Spring 38 Insulation Flexible Board 45 Outer Fixed Contact 46 Insulation Board 49 Center Contact

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Hiroshi Matsui 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A center contact on an insulating substrate and a plurality of outer fixed contacts arranged at substantially equal distances and equiangular positions from each other, and arranged so as to face each contact with a predetermined gap. A movable contact and a switch substrate fixed to the upper surface of the center contact, the switch substrate including a diaphragm-like moderation spring having an operating force greater than that of the movable contact; and a box-shaped case having the switch substrate as a lower bottom surface, An operating shaft portion that protrudes from a central hole of the top surface of the box-shaped case and is vertically provided integrally with the lower end of the operation shaft portion, and an operating body that includes a flange portion that abuts on the inside of the top surface of the box-shaped case and a projection portion that performs pressing operation, An arm-shaped spring having a pressing operation portion corresponding to each of the outer fixed contacts and fixed to a lower portion of a flange of the operating body, and a compression coil spring for pushing the operating body upward. Multi-directional operation switch consisting of.