JPS6341700Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a switch device useful for use in key switch devices of electronic desktop calculators, electric typewriters, and the like.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, a part of an elastic member for returning an operation button, which is disposed on the surface of a printed circuit board on which a pair of electrodes are formed, is pressed and displaced by the operation button, and a conductive contact provided on the elastic member is used to press and displace a part of the elastic member for returning the operation button. A switch device is used to establish electrical continuity between the pair of electrodes.

As this type of switch device, one constructed as shown in FIG. 1 is known.

The switch device 1 shown in FIG.
By pressing , the elastic displacement part 5 for returning the operation button formed in a part of the elastic member 4 for returning made of an elastic member such as silicone resin is pressed and displaced, and one main surface 6a of the printed circuit board 6 is pressed. A pair of electrodes 7 and 8 forming switch contacts formed with a part of the conductive wiring pattern formed above is connected to a conductive rubber 9 attached to the surface of the elastic displacement section 5 facing the electrodes 7 and 8. It is constructed so as to achieve electrical continuity.

Since the switch device configured in this way does not have a means for displaying the operating status of the switch, it is difficult to centralize a large number of switch devices, such as key switch devices such as electronic desktop calculators and electric typewriters. When applied to an array of switches, the operated switch devices cannot be easily recognized visually. In order to solve this problem, a self-illuminated switch device as shown in FIG. 2 is used in which the operation buttons of the switch device are optically displayed.

The switch device 2 shown in FIG.
Similarly to the switch device shown in the figure, by pressing the operation button 10, the elastic displacement part 12 for returning the operation button formed in a part of the elastic member 11 for returning made of an elastic member is pressed and displaced, and the printed circuit board A pair of electrodes 14 and 15 formed on one main surface 13a of 13
In addition to the structure in which electrical continuity is achieved by a conductive rubber 16 attached to the surface of the elastic displacement section 12 facing the electrodes 14 and 15, the A through hole 17 is bored at the position, and an incandescent lamp 18 is inserted into the through hole 17. Further, a transparent body 19 that can transmit light is fitted into the center of the operation button 10. And operation button 10
When the incandescent lamp 18 is turned on by pressing the button, the light from the incandescent lamp 18 illuminates the transparent body 1.
9 to the outside of the lid body 20, and the operated operation button 10 is displayed by light.

According to the switch device configured to display the operated operation button 10 with light,
When applied to a switch device in which a large number of operation buttons are arranged in a concentrated manner, the operated operation buttons can be easily recognized visually, and the operability of the switch device can be improved.

[The problem that the idea aims to solve]

By the way, the switch device 2 configured as shown in FIG. Therefore, in addition to a printed circuit board on which a pair of electrodes serving as switch contacts are formed, a mounting board such as a printed circuit board for mounting the incandescent lamp 18 is required, which increases the number of parts to configure the switch device. , the configuration is also complicated. In particular, in addition to the length l of the light emitting part of the incandescent lamp 18, a lead wire is required for electrical connection to the mounting board, making it impossible to reduce the thickness of the entire switch device.

The switch device 2 also includes an incandescent lamp 18.
Since only the transparent body 19 of the direct operation button 10 is illuminated with light, there are areas where the light is concentrated due to the function of the incandescent lamp 18, and when the transparent body 19 is illuminated, so-called uneven light occurs. Therefore, the transparent body 19 cannot be evenly illuminated. In particular, when a part of the surface of a transparent body is covered with opaque paint, etc., and the transparent part is formed as a display area for predetermined codes, symbols, characters, etc., it is difficult to uniformly illuminate the display area due to light unevenness. This makes it impossible to see accurately.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a switch device that can reduce the thickness of the device itself and evenly display illumination without causing uneven light when an operation button is illuminated. It was proposed for this purpose.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes an operation button placed opposite to a printed circuit board and separated from the printed circuit board, and an operation button placed between the operation button and the printed circuit board to return the operation button to the return position. a return elastic member to be returned; and a conductive contact that is provided integrally with the return elastic member and electrically connects and separates the electrodes formed on the printed circuit board in accordance with the elastic displacement of the return elastic member. In the switch device, the return elastic member is elastically displaced by pressing the operation button to establish electrical continuity between the electrodes by the conductive contact. A mortar-shaped curved surface is formed in a portion of the member that faces the transparent body fitted to the operation button, and an opening is formed at the bottom of the curved surface, and the electrode of the printed circuit board is formed in this opening. A light-emitting element disposed on a curved surface is faced, and the light emitted from the light-emitting element and reflected by the curved surface is guided to the transparent body and radiated to the outside through the transparent body. It is.

[Effect]

In the switch device according to the present invention, when the operation button is pressed and the light emitting element emits light, the light from the light emitting element is emitted from the mortar-shaped part of the elastic member for return facing the transparent body fitted to the operation button. The light is reflected by the curved surface of the body, guided to the transparent body, and radiated to the outside through the transparent body. That is, since the conical curved surface portion reflects light and guides it to the transparent body, the transparent body is evenly illuminated.

In addition, in the present invention, the light emitting element is arranged on the surface of the printed circuit board on which the electrode serving as the switch contact is formed, so the printed circuit board can be used as a mounting board for the light emitting element. No separate mounting board is required to mount the device.

[Embodiments] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The switch device 21 according to the present invention is constructed as shown in Fig. 3, and has a plurality of pairs of electrodes 23, 24 that serve as switch contacts formed of a part of a conductive wiring pattern formed on one main surface 22a of a printed circuit board 22. Each pair of electrodes 23, 24 on one main surface 22a of the printed circuit board 22 on which the electrodes 23, 24 are formed is
The LED 25 is a light-emitting element located between 3 and 24.
The LED 25 is the fourth
As shown in the figure, the LED is welded to a silver-plated wiring pattern 31 with silver paste 32, and the external connection electrode 35 on the upper surface is electrically connected to another wiring pattern 36 on the printed circuit board 22 via a lead wire 37.
25 is a small one measuring 0.3 mm to 0.4 mm square.

One main surface 22a of the printed circuit board 22
On the top, a substantially plate-shaped return elastic member 28 made of an elastic material such as silicone resin is disposed. This return elastic member 28 has an operation button 29.
an elastic displacement part 27 for returning the operating button which elastically displaces when pressed and returns the operating button 29 to the returning position with an elastic return force; and a cone-shaped curved surface with an opening 26a formed at the bottom. Part 2
6 is formed. The elastic displacement part 27 for returning the operation button is formed by a pair of electrodes 2 formed on the printed circuit board 22 that become switch contacts when the elastic member 28 for returning is disposed on the printed circuit board 22.
3 and 24, and the curved surface portion 26 is located on the printed circuit board 22.
It is provided so as to be located at a position corresponding to the LED 25. The LED 25 faces the opening 26a of the curved surface section 26, and
Extruded into 6. In addition, on the inner surface of the portion of the elastic displacement section 27 that bulges upward in the figure, facing the electrodes 23 and 24, when the elastic displacement section 27 is pressed and displaced by the operation button 29, the pair of The electrodes 23, 24 are in contact with each other.
A conductive rubber 30, which is a conductive contact for electrical continuity of 24, is fixed integrally with the conductive rubber 30.

Further, the operation button 29 is disposed so as to face the curved surface portion 26 facing the LED 25 and to span between the two elastic displacement portions 27 , 27 . This operation button 2
9 has a translucent transparent body 33 fitted in a central portion facing the LED 25. As shown in FIG. A predetermined display can be made by appropriately coating the upper surface of the transparent body 33 with a non-transparent paint or the like to form a translucent portion having a shape corresponding to a predetermined symbol or code. A section is formed.

Switch device 21 configured as described above
When the operation button 29 is pressed, the conductive rubber 30
When conduction is achieved between the pair of electrodes 23 and 24 and the LED 25 corresponding to the operation button 29 emits light, the transparent body 3 fitted and disposed on the operation button 29
3 is illuminated by light emitted in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 4 and light reflected in the vertical direction in the direction of arrow A in FIG. The entire surface of the body 33 is illuminated with light.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the switch device according to the present invention, in which a relatively thick conductive rubber sheet material 38 is used as an elastic member for returning the operation button, and this conductive rubber sheet material 38 is used as an elastic member for returning the operation button. A part of the conductive rubber sheet material 38 is used as a conductive contact that electrically connects and disconnects the conductive rubber sheet material 38 and an electrode 39 formed on one principal surface of the printed circuit board 22 and serving as a switch contact. be. That is, a part of the conductive rubber sheet material 38 is cut out to form a cone-shaped curved surface 40 that guides the light from the LED 25 to the transparent body 33, and an opening from which the LED 25 faces is formed at the bottom of the curved surface 40. The protrusion 42 formed when the hole is drilled serves as a conductive contact that electrically connects and disconnects the electrode 39 serving as the switch contact and the conductive rubber sheet material 38.

Then, the conductive rubber sheet material 38
0 corresponds to the LED 25 on the printed circuit board 22,
One main surface 2 of the printed circuit board 22 is electrically insulated from the wiring pattern of the printed circuit board 22 by interposing an insulating sheet 41 such as a Mylar sheet.
2a. Note that the electrode 39 serving as a switch contact is formed at a position corresponding to the protrusion 42 . At this time, the conductive rubber sheet material 38 is attached to the printed circuit board 22 with an insulating sheet 41 interposed therebetween.
Since the protruding piece 42 is disposed above the electrode 39, the protruding piece 42 is spaced apart from the electrode 39. Then, when the conductive rubber sheet material 38 is pressed by the operation button 29 and is elastically deformed, the protrusion 42 is also elastically deformed and comes into contact with the electrode 39, and the electrode 39 and the conductive rubber sheet When the pressing of the operation button 29 is released, the protruding piece 42 is elastically restored and separated from the electrode 39 to connect the electrode 39 and the conductive rubber sheet material 38. It becomes non-conductive. That is, the protruding piece 42 serves as a conductive contact that electrically connects and disconnects the electrode 39, which serves as a switch contact, and the conductive rubber sheet material 38.

Switch device 21a configured in this way
Also in this case, the light from the LED 25 is reflected by the curved surface portion 40 so that the entire surface of the transparent body 33 can be illuminated uniformly.

[Effect of idea]

As described above, in the present invention, when the operation button is pressed and the light emitting element emits light, the light from the light emitting element is transmitted through the mortar formed in the part of the return elastic member facing the transparent body fitted to the operation button. The light is reflected by the curved surface portion of the shape, is guided to the transparent body, and is radiated to the outside via the transparent body. That is, in order to reflect the light by the mortar-shaped curved surface and guide it to the transparent body,
Since this transparent body is evenly illuminated, it is possible to construct a switch device that enables uniform illumination display without uneven light.

In addition, in the present invention, the light emitting element is arranged on the surface of the printed circuit board on which the electrode serving as the switch contact is formed, so the printed circuit board can be used as a mounting board for the light emitting element. Since an independent mounting board for mounting the elements is not required, the device itself can be made thinner.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a conventional switch device, and FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a conventional switch device equipped with an illumination function. FIG. 3 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is an enlarged schematic longitudinal sectional view of the main part. FIG. 5 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention. 21, 21a... Switch device, 22... Printed circuit board, 23, 24, 39... Electrode serving as a switch contact, 26, 40... Mortar-shaped curved part, 2
6a...Opening part, 27...Elastic displacement part, 28...
Elastic member for return, 29... Operation button, 30... Conductive rubber, 33... Transparent body, 38... Conductive rubber sheet material.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] An operation button located at a position facing the printed circuit board and separated from the printed circuit board, and a return located between the operation button and the printed circuit board for returning the operation button to the return position. and a conductive contact that is provided integrally with the return elastic member and electrically connects and disconnects the electrodes formed on the printed circuit board according to the elastic displacement of the return elastic member, In the switch device, the return elastic member is elastically displaced by pressing the operation button, thereby establishing electrical continuity between the electrodes using the conductive contact. A mortar-shaped curved surface portion is formed in a portion facing the transparent body fitted to the operation button, and an opening is formed at the bottom of this curved surface portion, and the surface of the printed circuit board in which the electrode is formed is formed in the opening. Facing the light-emitting elements placed above,
A switch device in which light emitted from the light emitting element and reflected by the curved surface portion is guided to the transparent body and radiated to the outside via the transparent body.