JPH09167538A - Switch device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a switch device capable of eliminating a load upon a mechanical tact switch 1 during operation in a limited space without adding parts. SOLUTION: This device is provided with a switch operation knob 6 for a case 5 covering a mechanical tact switch 1 arranged on a base board 4. And, an integrally molded spring-type switch actuation part 20 is provided inside the case, a knob-side switch operation part 10 is linked with this switch actuation part 20, and the mechanical tact switch 1 is operated by acting the operation force of the knob 6. Thus, for the mechanical tact switch 1, the operation force of the knob 6 is indirectly acted via the switch actuation part 20, therefore, the load upon the switch during operation is alleviated. Since this switch actuation part 20 is integrally molded during case fabrication, addition of a new process for producing the switch actuation part 20 is unnecessary, and since the part 20 is present inside the case, the switch device is not large-sized and is advantageous in space saving.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a switch device incorporating a mechanical tact switch, and more specifically, a spring type switch operating portion is integrally formed in a case covering the mechanical tact switch to switch the operating force of a switch operating knob. The present invention relates to a switch device configured to indirectly act on a mechanical tact switch via an actuating portion.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the mechanical tact switch 1 shown in FIG. 5, a contact 2 of an elastic leaf spring is pressed by an operation button 3 and reversed to contact the contact 2.
The terminals A and B are electrically connected to each other via the, or the connection is released by reverse inversion. The switch device incorporating the mechanical tact switch 1 has been proposed and put into practical use for a mechanism for operating the mechanical tact switch. In the switch device shown in FIG. 2, a mechanical tact switch 1 is mounted on a PCB substrate 4, and a case 5 is fixed so as to cover the mechanical tact switch. Knob 6 in case 5
Is formed in the operating direction (arrow), and a knob locking projection 8 is provided on the side surface of the guide 7. The knob 6 has an inner surface guided by the guide portion 7 of the case, and a long hole 9 extending in the operating direction of the knob is provided on a side portion of the knob forming the inner surface. The knob locking projection 8 of the case is inserted into the elongated hole 9 and the knob 6 is locked to the case 5 so that the knob 6 can move only in the operating direction. A switch operating portion 10 for operating the mechanical tact switch is provided inside the knob 6 by integral molding, and a spring 11 for urging the knob 6 in a counter operating direction is provided between the switch operating portion 10 and the PCB board 4. It is arranged. The tip of the switch operating portion 10 faces the operation button 3 of the mechanical tact switch.

In the switch device having such a structure, the knob 6
When is pressed in the direction of the arrow, the switch is directly pressed by the tip of the switch operating unit 10, that is, the operating force of the knob directly acts on the operating button 3 of the mechanical tact switch,
It becomes easy to apply an excessively large operating force (overload). When such an overload is applied, the contact may be permanently deformed or the click feeling may be lost. As a countermeasure against this, in the switch device shown in FIG. 3, a part of the knob 6 is projected from the case 5 and is prevented from coming off the case 5 by the step portion of the knob, and a spring is provided between the inside of the knob and the substrate 4. 11 is arranged, and this spring 11
The upper part of the knob is maintained so as to project from the case. The knob in the case is integrally provided with a switch operating portion 12 extending outward. When the switch actuating portion 12 is provided outside the knob 6 as described above, it is necessary to take a large space. In the switch device shown in FIG. 4, the switch operating portion shown in FIG. 2 is replaced with the spring 13. However, in such a structure, the spring 13 must be added, and a process for incorporating the spring 13 is also required. It is added and becomes a factor of high cost. An object of the present invention is to provide a switch device that can reduce the load applied to the mechanical tact switch in a limited space without adding any parts.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention according to claim 1 provides a mechanical tact switch arranged on a substrate, a case covering the mechanical tact switch, and a case provided on the case. In a switch device having a knob for operating the mechanical tact switch, a mechanical switch actuating portion integrally formed inside the case is provided, and a mechanical pressing force is applied to the switch operating portion to operate the mechanical tact switch. It is configured to do so.

According to the above arrangement, the operation of the knob displaces the switch actuating portion in the operating direction to operate the mechanical tact switch. By providing a spring-type switch actuating part inside the case in this way, the mechanical tact switch does not receive the operating force of the knob directly, and it indirectly acts through the switch actuating part. Even if a large operating force is applied to the switch, the switch operation part absorbs the load, and the mechanical tact switch is prevented from being overloaded, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of problems such as deformation of the contact and loss of click feeling. Also, since the switch actuating part is integrally molded when the case is manufactured, it is not necessary to add a new process to make the switch actuating part, and because it is inside the case, the switch device does not become large and space is limited. Will also be advantageous.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of this embodiment. Since the present embodiment has a basic configuration of the switch device of FIG. A, members having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the members will be omitted. In the present embodiment, as a switch operating means for pressing the operation button 3 of the mechanical tact switch 1, a spring-type switch operating portion 20 linked to the operation button 3 is integrally provided in the case 5, and the switch operating portion 20 is provided with a knob. The operation force of 6 is applied to indirectly press the operation button 3.

Inside the case 5, with respect to the wall forming the guide portion 7 of the knob 6, it extends toward the PCB board 4 side,
Further, an L-shaped switch operating portion 20 extending in the center direction of the case
Is provided. Since the case 5 is made of a resin material, the switch operating portion 20 is formed as a resin spring. A switch operating unit 10 for operating the switch operating unit 20 is provided inside the knob 6. Switch operation part 1
Regarding the position where 0 acts on the switch actuating portion 20, the operation button 3 of the mechanical tact switch is arranged so as to be linked to the intermediate portion of the switch actuating portion 20 in the illustrated example, and the switch operating portion 10 causes the switch actuating portion 20 to operate. It is related to push the tip side of. As another arrangement, the operation button 3 of the mechanical tact switch is linked to the tip side of the switch actuating portion 20, and the switch operating portion 10
May be configured to push an intermediate portion of the switch actuating portion 20.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. Knob 6
When is operated in the direction of the arrow, the switch operating unit 10 pushes the switch operating unit 20 toward the substrate side, and the switch operating unit 20 is elastically deformed in the substrate direction according to the operation displacement amount of the knob at this time. The operation button 3 of the mechanical tact switch is pushed by the bending due to the elastic deformation of the switch operating portion 20, and the switch state is switched from ON to OFF, for example. Since the present invention is characterized in that the switch actuating portion is integrally molded inside the case, the shape of the switch actuating portion is not limited to the case described in the above embodiment in which the case is formed into an L shape. For example, it may extend from the shoulder portion of the case for forming the guide portion of the knob, that is, the boundary portion with the guide portion toward the center of the case.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a switch device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional switch device incorporating a mechanical tact switch.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of another conventional switch device.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of another conventional switch device.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a mechanical tact switch.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Mechanical tact switch, 2 ... contact, 3 ...
Operation buttons, 4 ... PCB board, 5 ... Case, 6 ... Knob,
7 ... Knob guide part, 10 ... Switch operating part, 20 ... Switch operating part

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A switch device having a mechanical tact switch arranged on a substrate, a case for covering the mechanical tact switch, and a knob provided on the case for operating the mechanical tact switch, the inside of the case 1. A switch device, comprising: a switch actuating portion integrally formed with the spring, wherein a mechanical pressing force of the knob is applied to the switch actuating portion to operate the mechanical tact switch.