JPS6026422Y2 - push button switch - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a push button switch for a keyboard used in a data input/output terminal or the like or a switch panel for performing various input operations.

The aim is to simplify the assembly of keyboards and other devices, and to make the switch structure ultra-thin, to develop a switch that has a flat configuration that allows for easy blind operation and good keystroke operability.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a conventional push button switch of this type, and the outline of its construction will be explained according to the figure.

In the figure, 1 is a push button of the switch, 2 is a keystroke operation panel on which the pushbuttons 1 are arranged, 3 is an actuation spring made of a spring material that transmits the keystroke stroke of the pushbutton to the switch element 5 below, and 4 is incorporated in the switch element 5. 6 is a circular dish-shaped spring, and 6 is an external terminal of the switch element 5, which is connected to an insulating substrate 10 on which a device side circuit such as a keyboard is covered by soldering.

In the illustrated example, two switch elements are shown, but in a keyboard device or the like, such elements 5 are mounted on the substrate 10 in both the X and Y directions.
Assemble in a grid array.

Reference numeral 7 designates a flexible elastic sheet made of plastic, for example, for dustproofing and moistureproofing, which is placed over the operation panel 2.

In the switch element 5 having the above-mentioned arrangement and configuration, when the key is pressed, the dish-shaped spring 4 is reversely displaced (in the illustrated state, it moves in a downward convex shape), and the contact point is closed. When the waist push button is no longer pressed, the spring 4
returns to the state shown.

The switch emits a click sound when activated, and the operator can feel a pleasant snap action.

However, switches that are suitable for forming keyboards and the like using such an assembly method have the disadvantages of being individually assembled, the element itself not being dust-proof and sealed, so there are concerns about reliability, and the switch structure having difficulty in making it thinner. be.

In order to make it thin, for example, a contact point and a dish-shaped reversing spring may be provided directly on the substrate 10, but in this case, the pressing down stroke of the push button is short, and furthermore, the flat switch surface on the operation panel 2 is required. 8 has various disadvantages in switch operation, such as difficulty in blind operation similar to operation on an English typewriter.

The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, and in order to achieve the purpose, an insulating substrate in which a plurality of contact parts and a switch circuit that conducts to the contact parts are formed on the same substrate, and In a switch formed of a keyboard or the like having a planar arrangement, the switch has a plate-shaped inversion spring that is placed on the contact part and opens and closes the contact by keystroke operation, and a flexible elastic sheet is covered from above the inversion spring. The flexible elastic sheet is a push-button switch that is provided with a rib that curves up and down around the dish-shaped inversion spring to clearly indicate the corresponding position of the switch to be pressed.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 2, and will be explained according to the figure.

The figure is a cross-sectional view showing the main part structure of a push button switch formed on an insulating substrate 10 such as a printed circuit board at an appropriate arrangement pitch.

In the figure, 12 and 12' are on the surface of the insulating substrate 10,
The contact portion for forming the switch circuit is formed at the same time as the conductor pattern forming the circuit such as the keyboard.

Reference numeral 15 indicates a dish-shaped inverted spring made by punching a thin metal spring plate into a circular shape or the like and further forming it into a dome shape.

The spring is placed over the corresponding part of the contact on the board, and the spring 15 closes the contact between the contacts 12 and 12' to perform a switch function.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a flexible elastic sheet, for example, a resin material such as polyester, polycarbonate, polyurethane, etc. is vacuum formed or thermoformed to form a highly flexible sheet body, and the sheet 13 and the substrate 10 are bonded with an adhesive. 16.

The sheet body 13 is provided with an inverted U-shaped rib 14 that curves up and down at the position corresponding to the attachment position of the dish-shaped inversion spring, and fixes the periphery of the dish-shaped spring with a mark 17 shown in the figure. It has a structure that makes it easy to identify by touch.

The sheet surface 19 forming the central keying surface of the disc-shaped spring 15 has a gap or space 18 of an appropriate height between it and the disc-shaped spring 15.
This is effective in improving the operability of push-button switches by increasing the keystroke stroke and improving the difficulty of handling that tends to occur with switches such as this type of keyboard with a waist flat configuration.

According to the push button switch of the present invention, the components include a flexible elastic sheet, a dish-shaped inversion spring, and an insulating substrate on which a switch circuit and a contact circuit are formed, and the contact portion is sealed with the flexible sheet. Contact operation is highly reliable.

Further, as mentioned above, this switch has many advantages such as being small, having a large amount of rotation, and being thin.

From this point of view, the present invention has great practical value.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a conventional push button switch to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing an embodiment of the push button switch of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a push button for keystroke operation, 4 and 15 are both disk-shaped inverted springs, 8 is a flexible elastic sheet, 10 is an insulating substrate, 12 and 12' are contact parts or contact parts, and 13 is the implementation of the present invention. In the flexible elastic sheet as an example, 14 is a rib that curves up and down, and 18 is a gap (height) between the disk-shaped inversion spring 15 and the elastic sheet 13.

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] (1) An insulating substrate in which a plurality of contact portions and a switch circuit conducting to the contact portions are formed on the same substrate, and a dish-shaped inverted spring that is placed on the contact portion of the substrate and opens and closes the contacts by keystroke operation; In a switch formed of a keyboard or the like having a planar arrangement in which a flexible elastic sheet is covered from above the reversing spring, the flexible elastic sheet is curved vertically around the dish-shaped reversing spring. A push button switch characterized in that a rib is provided to clearly indicate the corresponding position of the switch at which the key should be pressed. (2) Utility Model Registration Claim (1) In the switch configuration of the keyboard, etc. described in claim (1), the rib-set keying operation surface of the flexible elastic sheet is provided with a space of an appropriate height with respect to the dish-shaped inversion spring. A push button switch characterized by: