TW202203275A - Switch and operating device capable of realizing power saving while maintaining a high-speed response - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a switch and an operating device that can realize power saving while maintaining a high-speed response. The switch assembled to the operating device includes: a movable member that swings based on the external pressing; a contacted member that is contacted and separated through the swinging of the movable member; and a light receiving element that can detect light when the power is on. The switch is able to output a signal while the movable member is swung to contact to the contacted member, and output the signal by transmitting or blocking the light detected by the light receiving element due to the swing of the movable member. In addition, after the signal is output based on the light detection status of the light receiving element accompanying with the swing of the movable member, which is as in the status while the movable member comes into contact with the contacted member and the signal is began to output, the switch will restrict the conduction of the light receiving element.

Description

Switches and Operating Devices

The present invention relates to a switch including a movable member, and an operating device including the switch.

As input devices to electronic devices such as computers, operation devices such as a mouse including switches such as micro switches are becoming popular. Especially nowadays, various characteristics are required for a mouse used in a computer game called electronic sports. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a micro switch that can be applied as a switch of a mouse. In the microswitch disclosed in Patent Document 1, optical elements such as a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element are used, and the circuit is opened and closed by the optical element. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2016/112842

[The problem to be solved by the invention] Since a switch for opening and closing a circuit by an optical element as disclosed in Patent Document 1 needs to energize the element constantly or intermittently, there is a problem that power consumption increases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its main object is to provide a switch capable of reducing the power consumption of an element.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide an operating device using such a switch. [Means of Solving Problems]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the switch described in the present application includes a movable member that swings by pressing from the outside, and outputs a signal based on the swing of the movable member, and the switch includes a contacted member, The movable member swings to make contact and separation; a control unit controls energization of the element; and a light receiving element can detect light during energization, and the switch can be in contact with the to-be-contacted member based on the swing of the movable member A signal is output by contacting a member, and a signal can be output by transmitting or shielding light detected by the light-receiving element in association with the swing of the movable member, and the control unit includes: After outputting a signal according to the detection state of the light of the light-receiving element, when the movable member contacts the contacted member and starts to output a signal, a member that restricts energization to the light-receiving element.

Furthermore, the switch described in the present application includes a conductive movable member that swings with a first end side as a swing fulcrum and a second end side due to pressing from the outside, outputs a signal to the outside based on the swing of the movable member, and The switch includes: a conductive support member, which supports the first end side of the movable member freely; a conductive contacted member, which allows the second end side to be contacted and separated by the swing of the movable member; control a light-receiving element capable of detecting light during power-on, and the movable member has a light-shielding sheet for shielding light to be received by the light-receiving element, and the switch can be moved based on the The member outputs a signal by contacting the contacted member with the swing, and can output a signal by transmitting or shielding the light to be detected by the light-receiving element by the light-shielding sheet following the swing of the movable member, and the control The part includes: after outputting a signal based on the detection state of the light of the light-receiving element accompanying the swing of the movable member, when the movable member contacts the contacted member and starts to output the signal, restricting the direction to the The energized part of the light-receiving element.

In addition, in the switch, the supporting member is formed of a conductive material, and when the movable member is in contact with the contacted member, the supporting member and the contacted member are in conduction, thereby this output signal.

In addition, the switch further includes a light-emitting element that emits light when energized, the light-receiving element capable of receiving the light emitted from the light-emitting element, and the control unit includes: A member that restricts the energization of the light-emitting element after outputting a signal based on the detection state of the light of the light-receiving element due to the swinging of the member.

In addition, in the switch, the control unit includes: after restricting the energization to the light-receiving element, when the movable member is separated from the contacted member and the output of the signal is stopped, releasing the A component that is restricted by the energization of the light element.

In addition, the switch includes a switching unit that accepts a switching input for switching the energization method and can stop energization to the light-receiving element based on the switching input from the outside.

Furthermore, the switch described in the present application includes a movable member that operates based on pressing from the outside, and outputs a signal based on the movement of the movable member, and the switch includes a contacted member that is operated by the movable member and contact separation; and a detection element, which detects the detection object during energization, and the switch can output a signal based on the contact separation of the movable member and the contacted member accompanying the movement, and the switch can output a signal according to the movement of the movable member. A signal is output based on the detection status of the detection object detected by the detection element due to the movement of the member, and after the signal is output based on the detection status of the detection element accompanying the movement of the movable member, the signal is output based on the detection status of the contacted member. When the contact is separated and the output of the signal is started, the energization to the detection element is restricted.

Furthermore, the operation device described in the present application includes: a pressing operation part that accepts a pressing operation from the outside; the switch that transmits the pressing operation accepted by the pressing operation part in the form of pressing from the outside; and an output unit for outputting the signal output by the switch to an external device.

The switch and the operating device described in this application restrict the energization of the element according to the situation. [Effect of invention]

The switch and the operating device of the present invention restrict the energization of the detection element after outputting a signal based on the detection state of the detection element, such as a light-receiving element, accompanying the operation of the movable member. Thereby, the present invention has excellent effects such as being able to reduce the power consumption of the element.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Application example> The operation device described in the present application is used, for example, as an operation device such as a mouse used for the operation of a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a personal computer). In addition, the switch described in the present application is incorporated as a micro switch in various electronic devices including an operating device. Hereinafter, the operation device 1 and the switch 2 illustrated in the drawings will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Operating Device 1> First, the operation device 1 will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the operation device 1 described in the present application. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the operation device 1 described in the present application is applied to a mouse used for operating an electronic device such as a personal computer. The operation device 1 includes a pressing operation unit 10 such as a mouse button and the like, which receives an operation pressed by the user's finger, and a rotating operation unit 11 such as a mouse wheel, which receives an operation that is turned by the user's finger. In addition, the turning operation part 11 is comprised so that not only a turning operation but also a pressing operation may be received, and also functions as the pressing operation part 10. FIG. In addition, a signal line 12 for outputting electrical signals to external devices such as a personal computer is connected to the operation device 1 . Furthermore, the operation device 1 is not limited to wired communication using the signal line 12, and can output electrical signals by various communication methods such as wireless communication. Further, the operation device 1 includes a switching operation unit 13 such as a push button that accepts a switching operation for switching the energization method on the side. The user performs various operations on the operation device 1, such as a pressing operation of pressing the operation part 10, a turning operation of turning the operation part 11, and a moving operation (drag) to move the operation device 1 in a state where the pressing operation part 10 is pressed down. operate.

Inside the operation device 1, a switch 2, which will be described later, is accommodated in each of the push operation unit 10 and the rotation operation unit 11. When the push operation unit 10 is pushed down, the inside of the push operation unit 10 is pushed down. Press the corresponding switch 2 for the part. The switch 2 outputs a signal based on the pressing state from the signal line 12 to an external electronic device such as a personal computer.

That is, the operation device 1 described in the present application includes a push operation unit 10 that accepts a push operation from the outside, a rotation operation unit 11 that accepts operations such as a rotation operation, and a switch operation unit 13, and further includes the switch 2 inside. Then, the operation device 1 transmits the pressing operation received by the pressing operation unit 10 and/or the rotating operation unit 11 to the switch 2 in the form of pressing from the outside, and outputs a signal based on the operation of the switch 2 from the signal line 12 . to external electronic equipment.

<Switch 2> Next, the switch 2 described in the present application will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the switch 2 described in the present application. Furthermore, in the specification of the present application, with regard to the direction of the switch 2, the left front side toward FIG. 2 is referred to as front, the right inner side is referred to as rear, the left inner side is referred to as left, and the right front side is referred to as right. , the upper side is referred to as the upper side, and the lower side is referred to as the lower side, but for the convenience of description, the assembly direction of the switch 2 is not limited. As described above, the switch 2 is housed in the electronic device such as the operation device 1 as a micro switch, and accepts the pressing operation received by the pressing operation part 10 and other parts of the operating device 1 as a pressing from the outside.

The switch 2 includes a frame body 20 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The frame body 20 is formed by the lower base 20a and the upper cover 20b. On the upper surface of the frame body 20, a rectangular-shaped insertion hole 200 through which the pressing member 21 is inserted is opened at a position to the left from the center when viewed from the front. The pressing member 21 inserted through the insertion hole 200 is a member that is pressed from the outside of the housing 20 to move up and down in a range from a first position above to a second position below. The upper end of the pressing member 21 protrudes from the upper surface of the frame body 20 .

Furthermore, the first terminal 220 which is a part of the support member 22 (refer to FIG. 3 and the like) described later, the second terminal 230 which is a part of the contacted member 23 (refer to FIG. 3 and the like) described later, and the light emitting unit 24 ( A part of the third terminal pair 240 (refer to FIG. 3 etc.) and a part of the fourth terminal pair 250 of the light receiving unit 25 (refer to FIG. 3 etc.) described later protrude from the lower surface of the housing 20 . The first terminal 220 protrudes from the left end side of the lower surface of the frame body 20 . The second terminal 230 protrudes from the vicinity of the center of the lower surface of the frame body 20 . The third terminal pair 240 and the fourth terminal pair 250 protrude from the right end side of the lower surface of the housing 20 in a row in front, rear, left and right. The two terminals lined up and protruding on the front side of the lower surface of the housing 20 are the third terminal pair 240 , and the two terminals lined up and protruding on the rear side are the fourth terminal pair 250 .

In the switch 2 thus formed, the pressing operation from the outside accepted by the operation device 1 is transmitted to the pressing member 21 as a pressing from the outside of the housing 20 . The pressing member 21 is moved from the first position on the upper side to the second position on the lower side when pressed from the outside, and when the pressing from the outside is released, the pressing member 21 moves from the second position on the lower side to the first position on the upper side.

Next, the internal structure of the switch 2 will be described. FIG. 3 is a schematic exploded perspective view showing an example of the switch 2 described in the present application. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross-section of the switch 2 described in the present application. FIG. 4 shows a cross-section cut along a vertical plane including the line segment A-B shown in FIG. 2 , as viewed from the front.

Inside the housing 20 of the switch 2, a space is secured as a storage chamber 201 that accommodates various members for opening and closing an electrical circuit. An insertion hole 200 penetrating from the outer side of the housing 20 is opened on the upper surface of the storage chamber, and a pressing member 21 is inserted through the insertion hole 200 .

Various members accommodated in the storage chamber 201 will be described. In the storage chamber 201 , in addition to the above-described pressing member 21 , support member 22 , contacted member 23 , light-emitting unit 24 , and light-receiving unit 25 , various members such as movable member 26 are disposed. A first locking portion 221 serving as a part of the support member 22 is arranged on the lower left side of the storage chamber 201 , and a second locking portion 222 serving as a part of the support member 22 is arranged on the lower center side of the storage chamber 201 . . A contacted member 23 is disposed on the lower right side of the storage chamber 201 . On the lower right side of the storage chamber 201 , a light-emitting unit 24 is arranged in front of the contacted member 23 , and a light-receiving unit 25 is arranged behind the contacted member 23 . The movable member 26 is arranged so as to extend left and right in the storage chamber 201 , and is locked by the first locking portion 221 and the second locking portion 222 of the support member 22 .

The supporting member 22 and the contacted member 23 will be further described. FIG. 5 is a schematic external view showing an example of the support member 22 and the contacted member 23 included in the switch 2 described in the present application. FIG. 5 is a front view illustrating only the support member 22 and the contacted member 23 arranged in the switch 2 from the viewpoint of the front direction of the switch 2 . The supporting member 22 and the contacted member 23 illustrated in FIGS. 3 , 4 , and 5 are formed of conductive metal plates, and are arranged in the frame body 20 to be spaced apart.

The support member 22 has a thin plate shape, and is erected so that the normal direction becomes the front-rear direction. The lower portion of the support member 22 is formed as a first terminal 220 protruding from the lower surface of the frame body 20 . The upper part of the support member 22 located in the storage chamber 201 is divided into two left and right parts, the left side is formed as the first locking part 221 , and the right side is formed as the second locking part 222 . The first locking portion 221 and the second locking portion 222 are bent toward the front side so as to easily lock the movable member 26 .

The contacted member 23 has a thin plate shape erected so that the normal direction becomes the front-rear direction, and is erected at a position behind the light-emitting unit 24 and in front of the light-receiving unit 25 , spaced apart from the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 . The lower portion of the contacted member 23 is formed as a second terminal 230 protruding from the lower surface of the frame body 20 . The upper part of the contacted member 23 located in the storage chamber 201 is the contacted portion 231 , which is contacted by the movable member 26 when the pressing member 21 is at the second position and the movable member 26 is pressed by the pressing member 21 . . In the contacted member 23 , below the contacted portion 231 , a light shielding plate 232 for shielding the light emitted from the light emitting unit 24 is formed.

The light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 will be further described. FIG. 6 is a schematic external view showing an example of the light emitting unit 24 included in the switch 2 described in the present application. The light-emitting unit 24 illustrated in FIGS. 3 , 4 , and 6 receives power from the control unit CU (see FIG. 11 and the like) described later to emit light, and the light-receiving unit 25 receives the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 24 . The light-receiving unit 25 can detect the received light only during the energization from the control unit CU. The light-emitting unit 24 is configured using light-emitting elements 241 such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The light-emitting element 241 of the light-emitting unit 24 is molded into the resin-made unit frame 242 , and the third terminal pair 240 protrudes from the unit frame 242 . Two substantially linear lead frames 243 are arranged inside the unit frame 242 . One end of the lead frame 243 protrudes from the inside of the unit frame 242 to the outside, and becomes the third terminal pair 240 . The other end side of the lead frame 243 is located in the unit frame body 242 , on which the light-emitting element 241 is mounted, and is bonded by a wire bonding 244 . The light emitting element 241 , the lead frame 243 and the bonding wire 244 are arranged at the bottom of the concave portion formed in the unit frame body 242 . The concave portion formed in the unit frame 242 is filled with high transmittance resin such as epoxy resin during the manufacturing process, and components such as the light emitting element 241 are molded in the unit frame 242 in a state that can be seen from the outside. FIG. 6 shows the light emitting unit 24 in a state in which the unit casing 242 is filled with a resin with high transmittance, and the inside can be visually recognized. The light-receiving unit 25 is configured by using a light-receiving element 251 such as a photodiode (PD) and a phototransistor (PT) as a detection unit that detects light. The light receiving element 251 can detect light during energization from the control unit CU. The structure of the light-receiving unit 25 is substantially the same as that of the light-emitting unit 24, so the description of the light-emitting unit 24 is referred to, and the detailed description is omitted. In addition, the light-emitting element 241 and the third terminal pair 240 described as the structure of the light-emitting unit 24 are replaced by the light-receiving element 251 and the fourth terminal pair 250 when the light-receiving unit 25 is understood.

In the frame body 20 of the switch 2 , the light-emitting element 241 and the light-receiving element 251 are arranged in an opposing position for the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 , so that the light-receiving element 251 of the light-receiving unit 25 is received from the light-emitting unit. 24 light-emitting element 241 emits light. By energizing the light-emitting unit 24 through the third terminal pair 240, the light-emitting element 241 of the light-emitting unit 24 emits light. The light receiving element 251 of the light receiving unit 25 changes the energization state when light is detected, so the fourth terminal pair 250 outputs an ON signal based on the change in the energization state due to light reception.

The movable member 26 will be further described. The movable member 26 illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 is a member formed of a conductive metal plate, and is disposed so that the longitudinal direction in the storage chamber 201 may be in the left-right direction. The left end side of the movable member 26 is a fixed end which is locked by the first locking portion 221 and functions as a swing fulcrum 260 . The right end side of the movable member 26 is a movable contact portion 261 that swings as a free end and that is in contact with and separated from the contacted portion 231 of the contacted member 23 by the swinging. In addition, the right end side of the movable member 26 is a substantially rectangular light shielding piece 262 bent downward from the movable contact portion 261 . The light-shielding sheet 262 is formed so that the normal direction becomes the front-rear direction, and a substantially rectangular transmission window 263 through which the light emitted from the light-emitting unit passes is opened. The light shielding sheet 262 is located in front of the contacted member 23 and at the rear of the light emitting unit 24 , and is located at a position entering between the contacted member 23 and the light emitting unit 24 in a state of being separated from the contacted member 23 and the light emitting unit 24 . . Furthermore, the movable member 26 is formed with an urging portion 264 that is punched near the center and bent into an arc shape and functions as a return spring. The second locking portion 222 formed near the center. The urging portion 264 generates a reaction force against the pressing of the pressing member 21 .

In the switch 2 configured as described above, the pressing member 21 moves downward when pressed from the outside, and presses the movable member 26 . When the movable member 26 is pressed down, the movable contact portion 261 and the light shielding sheet 262 on the right end side, which are the free ends of the movable member 26, descend. When the movable contact portion 261 of the movable member 26 descends, the movable contact portion 261 comes into contact with the contacted portion 231 of the contacted member 23 . When the movable contact portion 261 of the movable member 26 comes into contact with the contacted portion 231 of the contacted member 23 , the first terminal 220 of the supporting member 22 and the second terminal 230 of the contacted member 23 are in a conductive state. By conducting conduction between the first terminal 220 and the second terminal 230 , the first circuit outside the switch 2 can be closed to output an ON signal. The light path from the light-emitting element 241 of the light-emitting unit 24 to the light-receiving element 251 of the light-receiving unit 25 passes through the transmission window 263 opened on the light-shielding sheet 262 by the light-shielding sheet 262 of the movable member 26 descending. Therefore, the light emitted from the light-emitting element 241 of the light-emitting unit 24 transmits through the transmission window 263 opened on the light-shielding plate 262 of the movable member 26 during the power-on from the control unit CU, and further through the opening in the light-shielding plate 232 of the contacted member 23 The transmission hole 233 reaches the light-receiving element 251 of the light-receiving unit 25 . When the light-receiving element 251 from the control unit CU detects the light received from the light-emitting element 241 during power-on, the light-receiving element 251 is turned on and an ON signal can be output. In addition, when the movable contact portion 261 of the movable member 26 descends, the movable contact portion 261 comes into contact with the contacted portion 231 of the contacted member 23 . When the movable contact portion 261 of the metal movable member 26 touches the contacted portion 231 of the metal contacted member 23, a metallic sound is generated. The user recognizes the metallic sound generated when the movable member 26 touches the contacted member 23 as a click sound. In addition, the user recognizes the tactile sensation of the movable member 26 touching the contacted member 23 as a click sensation. Furthermore, by appropriately designing the materials and shapes of the movable member 26 and the contacted member 23, it is also possible to control the sound generated when the movable member 26 touches the contacted member 23 and the tactile sensation of the touch, and to adjust the click sound and the click sensation. . For example, by using materials and shapes that make it difficult to generate a click sound, it is possible to achieve muting during clicks.

When the pressing of the pressing member 21 is released, the movable member 26 is biased upward by the reaction force of the biasing portion 264 . When the movable member 26 is urged upward, the pressing member 21 moves upward. When the movable member 26 is biased upward by the biasing portion 264, the movable contact portion 261 and the light shielding sheet 262 located on the right end side of the movable member 26 are raised. When the movable contact portion 261 of the movable member 26 is raised, the movable contact portion 261 is separated from the contacted portion 231 of the contacted member 23 . Since the movable contact portion 261 of the movable member 26 is separated from the contacted portion 231 of the contacted member 23 , the first terminal 220 of the support member 22 and the second terminal 230 of the contacted member 23 are insulated. The first circuit is opened by the insulation between the first terminal 220 and the second terminal 230 . When the light-shielding sheet 262 of the movable member 26 is raised, the light emitted from the light-emitting element 241 of the light-emitting unit 24 is blocked by the light-shielding sheet 262, and the state is turned off.

Next, the opening and closing of the circuit by the switch 2 described in the present application will be described. 7 and 8 are schematic cross-sectional views showing an example of the switch 2 described in the present application. FIGS. 7 and 8 show a cross-section cut along a vertical plane including the line segment A-B shown in FIG. 2 , as viewed from the front. In addition, in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the outer shapes of the support member 22 and the contact member 23 hidden by the frame body 20 are indicated by dotted lines. FIG. 7 shows a state in which the pressing member 21 is located at the upper first position without being pressed from the outside, and FIG. 8 shows a state where the pressing member 21 is lowered by being pressed from the outside and is located at the second position below. The right end side of the movable member 26 descends and the movable member 26 comes into contact with the contacted member 23 by being pressed from the state illustrated in FIG. When the movable member 26 is in contact with the contacted member 23 , the conductive state is established from the first terminal 220 of the supporting member 22 to the second terminal 230 of the contacted member 23 . Due to the conduction between the first terminal 220 and the second terminal 230, a current flows as indicated by a solid arrow in FIG. 8, and the state is turned on. By releasing the pressing from the outside and returning to the state illustrated in FIG. 7 , the flowing current is interrupted and the state is turned off.

9 and 10 are schematic cross-sectional views showing an example of the switch 2 described in the present application. FIGS. 9 and 10 show a cross-section cut along a vertical plane including the line segment C-D shown in FIG. 2 , as viewed from the right. FIG. 9 shows the state where the pressing member 21 is located at the first position above without being pressed from the outside, and FIG. 10 shows the state where the pressing member 21 is lowered by being pressed from the outside and is located at the second position below. 10 , the right end side of the movable member 26 descends, and the light-emitting element 241 of the light-emitting unit 24 leads to the light-receiving element 251 of the light-receiving unit 25 by being pressed from the state illustrated in FIG. 9 , which is not pressed. The light path of the light passes through the transmission window 263 opened on the shading sheet 262 . Therefore, as indicated by the solid arrows in FIG. 10 , the light emitted from the light emitting element 241 of the light emitting unit 24 that is energized passes through the transmission window 263 opened in the light shielding sheet 262 of the movable member 26 , and passes through the contacted member 23 . The light-receiving element 251 of the light-receiving unit 25 reaches the light-receiving element 251 of the light-receiving unit 25 through the through hole 233 opened on the light-shielding plate 232 . The light-receiving element 251 which is energized detects the light received from the light-emitting element 241 and is turned on. By releasing the pressure from the outside and returning to the state illustrated in FIG. 9 , the optical path between the light-emitting element 241 and the light-receiving element 251 is blocked and the state is turned off.

<Functional structure> Next, the functional configuration of the operation device 1 described in the present application will be described. FIG. 11 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the functional configuration of the operation device 1 described in the present application. The switch 2 includes a contact mechanism 27 using members such as a support member 22 and a contact member 23, and a contactless mechanism 28 using members such as a light-emitting unit 24 and a light-receiving unit 25. Furthermore, the operation device 1 includes a switching unit SU linked with the switching operation unit 13 , a power supply unit PSU that supplies power to a control unit CU that controls various processes, and the like. In addition, in FIG. 11, the thin line which connects each structure shows the wiring which becomes the medium of various signals, and the thick line shows the wiring which becomes the medium of electric power. The light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 of the contactless mechanism 28 are energized from the control unit CU via the signal line 12 . In addition, the line extending rightward toward FIG. 12 represents the signal line 12 connected to the operation device 1 . For example, by forming the signal line 12 with a communication line conforming to a communication standard such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard, it can be used as a medium for signal communication and power supply.

The switching unit SU is a circuit that accepts the switching operation as a switching input from the outside when the switching operation unit 13 accepts a switching operation for switching the energization method. The switching unit SU transmits a switching input from the outside to the control unit CU as a switching signal. In addition, the switching input from the outside is not limited to the illustrated operation from the switching operation unit 13, and can be appropriately designed to receive switching signals from an external electronic device such as a connected computer.

The control unit CU is configured using a processor such as a microcomputer, and is a circuit that exchanges various commands and signals with the switching unit SU, the power supply unit PSU, the non-contact mechanism 28 and the contact mechanism 27 and controls these circuits . Specifically, the control unit CU outputs a signal via the signal line 12 based on the open/closed state of the contact mechanism 27 . In addition, the controller CU controls the energization of the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 of the contactless mechanism 28 , and when the light-receiving unit 25 detects light reception, outputs a signal based on the detection status via the signal line 12 . Furthermore, the control unit CU switches the energization method to the contactless mechanism 28 based on the switching signal from the switching unit SU.

The power supply unit PSU is a circuit that supplies power to various components included in the switch 2 . The power supply unit PSU may be configured using a battery built into the housing of the operation device 1 or the switch 2 , or may be configured as a circuit that controls power supplied from the outside via the signal line 12 .

Furthermore, the switching unit SU, the control unit CU, and the power supply unit PSU can be appropriately designed so as to be arranged in the casing of the switch 2 or outside the casing 20 , for example, on a substrate on which the switch 2 is mounted.

＜Signal Processing＞ Next, the signal processing of the switch 2 described in the present application will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the energization method switching process performed by the switch 2 described in the present application. The control unit CU included in the switch 2 executes the energization method switching process when, for example, the switching unit SU accepts a switching input from the outside, such as a switching operation on the switching operation unit 13 .

As the energization method switching process, the control unit CU of the switch 2 accepts a switching input from the switching unit SU ( S101 ), and switches the energization method based on the accepted switching input ( S102 ). The power-on method is set to a high-speed mode, a high-speed power saving mode, and a power saving mode, and can be appropriately switched. Furthermore, when the power supply unit PSU is configured using a battery, the switching of the energization method may be switched based on the remaining power of the power supply unit PSU. The high-speed mode is an energization method in which the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 of the contactless mechanism 28 are always energized, and can maintain a small and high-speed response from operation to signal output. The high-speed power saving mode is an energization method that suppresses power consumption while maintaining a high-speed response. The power saving mode is an energization method for restricting energization of the light emitting unit 24 and the light receiving unit 25 of the contactless mechanism 28 according to the situation.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of energization control processing in the high-speed power saving mode in the switch 2 described in the present application. As the energization control process, the control unit CU of the switch 2 energizes the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 of the contactless mechanism 28, monitors whether the contactless mechanism 28 is in the ON state, and determines whether the contactless mechanism 28 is ON state (S201). When the pressing operation portion 10 of the operation device 1 is pressed, the contact mechanism 27 and the contactless mechanism 28 are turned on. However, since the contactless mechanism 28 has high responsiveness, the contactless mechanism 28 is usually the first becomes the ON state. This is due to factors such as the fact that the contact mechanism 27 jumps when the movable member 26 contacts the contacted member 23 , so it takes more time than the contactless mechanism 28 before transitioning to a stable on state.

In step S201 , when the light-receiving element 251 detects light and the contactless mechanism 28 is turned on ( S201 : YES), the control unit CU outputs an ON signal from the operation device 1 ( S202 ). After outputting the ON signal, the control unit CU determines whether or not the contact mechanism 27 is in the ON state ( S203 ).

In step S203 , when it is determined that the contact mechanism 27 is turned on ( S203 : YES), the control unit CU stops energization to the light-emitting element 241 of the contactless mechanism 28 ( S204 ), and stops the light receiving Energization of the element 251 ( S205 ). The output of the signal to the outside is performed only by the contact mechanism 27 by performing restriction processing such as stopping the energization. The determination process of step S203 is a process which takes into consideration the time difference after the non-contact mechanism 28 becomes the ON state until the contact-contact mechanism 27 becomes the ON state. Furthermore, it is also possible to set a sufficient predetermined standby time before the contact mechanism 27 is turned on, and execute the standby process for the predetermined standby time instead of the determination process in step S203. In the case where the standby process is configured to be executed, the determination process of step S203 can be omitted. That is, after outputting the ON signal in step S202 and executing the standby process for a predetermined standby time, it is possible to perform the process of stopping the energization of the light-emitting element 241 in step S204. The predetermined waiting time that is sufficient before the on-state is brought into consideration refers to the waiting time that takes into account the time until the jumping generated when the movable member 26 comes into contact with the contacted member 23 converges.

After the energization to the light-emitting element 241 and the light-receiving element 251 of the contactless mechanism 28 is stopped, the control unit CU monitors whether the contacted mechanism 27 transitions to the OFF state ( S206 ). In step S206 , when the contact mechanism 27 is in an open state ( S206 : YES), the control unit CU stops outputting an ON signal to the outside ( S207 ). Then, the control unit CU releases the stop of energization to the light-emitting element 241 of the contactless mechanism 28 ( S208 ), cancels the stop of energization to the light-receiving element 251 ( S209 ), restarts the energization, returns to step S201 , and repeats the following steps. deal with.

In step S201 , when it is determined that the off state is maintained ( S201 : NO (NO)), the control unit CU repeats the process of step S201 of monitoring the contactless mechanism 28 to determine whether or not it is in the on state. That is, the ON state of the contactless mechanism 28 is monitored until the contactless mechanism 28 becomes the ON state.

In step S203 , when it is determined that the contact mechanism 27 is not in the ON state ( S203 : NO), the control unit CU repeats the process of step S203 of monitoring the contact mechanism 27 to determine whether the contact mechanism 27 is in the ON state. deal with. That is, the state of the contact mechanism 27 is monitored until the contact mechanism 27 is turned on. As described above, when the standby process is executed instead of the determination process in step S203, the monitoring process itself is not required.

In step S206 , when the contact mechanism 27 is maintained in the ON state ( S206 : NO), the control unit CU repeats the process of step S206 for monitoring the contact mechanism 27 to determine whether or not to transition to the OFF state. . That is, the state of the contact mechanism 27 is monitored until the contact mechanism 27 becomes the open state.

In this way, after the ON signal is output based on the detection state of the light of the light receiving element 251, when the output of the ON signal is started by the contact between the movable member 26 and the contacted member 23, the switch 2 included in the operation device 1 is operated. The energization to the light-emitting element 241 and the light-receiving element 251 is restricted. Furthermore, when the movable member 26 is separated from the contacted member 23 and the output of the ON signal is stopped, the switch 2 releases the restriction on the energization of the light-emitting element 241 and the light-receiving element 251, and restarts the energization. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the amount of power consumption during the period from the stop of the energization to the restart of the energization while maintaining the response speed by the contactless mechanism 28 . The energization control process is performed in the above manner.

The high-speed mode is an energization method in which the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 of the contactless mechanism 28 are always energized. The power saving mode is an energization method of always stopping energization to the light emitting unit 24 and the light receiving unit 25 of the contactless mechanism 28 .

Next, waveform diagrams of signals in each energization method are illustrated. FIG. 14 is a waveform diagram showing an example of signal processing performed by the switch 2 described in the present application. Figure 14 shows the waveform diagram in high speed mode. In FIG. 14 , the waveform (MOUSE) shown at the top represents the pressed state of the operation device 1 , the upper state represents the unpressed off state, and the lower state represents the pressed on state. The waveform (LED) shown second from the top represents the energized state of the light-emitting element 241 , the upper state represents the unenergized off state, and the lower state represents the energized light emitting state. The waveform (PD) shown at the bottom represents the detection state of light reception by the light receiving element 251 , the upper state represents the non-sensing state where no light reception is detected, and the lower state represents the sensible state where light reception is detected.

In the high-speed mode, since the light-emitting element 241 is energized intermittently, the light-emitting element 241 emits light at regular intervals, and the light-emitting waveform becomes a pulse wave as shown in FIG. 14 . When the light-receiving element 251 is always energized and light is emitted from the light-emitting element 241 , the sensing state is achieved when the light transmitted through the transmission window 263 of the movable member 26 and the transmission hole 233 of the contacted member 23 is received. Even if the light-emitting element 241 is turned off, the light-receiving element 251 transitions from the inductive state to the non-inductive state due to the presence of residual light as a waveform of a curve. When the contact mechanism 27 is in the ON state or the light receiving element 251 of the non-contact mechanism 28 is in the inductive state, the switch 2 outputs the ON signal. Furthermore, it is also possible to control the output of the communication signal only by the contactless mechanism 28. In this case, when the light-receiving element 251 is in the inductive state, the communication signal is output, and in the non-inductive state, the communication signal is continuously constant. During this period, the output of the connection signal is stopped. Therefore, the switch 2 can adopt a redundant structure by the non-contact mechanism 28 and the contact-connected mechanism 27 , so that the reliability can be improved with a high-speed response.

FIG. 15 is a waveform diagram showing an example of signal processing performed by the switch 2 described in the present application. Figure 15 shows a waveform diagram in the high-speed power saving mode. In FIG. 15 , the waveform (MOUSE) representing the pressed state of the operation device 1 , the waveform (LED) representing the energization state of the light-emitting element 241 , and the waveform (PD) representing the detection state of the light-receiving element 251 are shown from the top. ). The way of expressing these waveforms is the same as that in FIG. 14 , and for comparison with FIG. 14 , the waveforms shown in FIG. 14 are represented by dotted lines. In addition, the waveform shown at the bottom shows the state of the contact mechanism 27 as a waveform (CONTACT), the upper digit represents the open state in which the connection signal is not output, and the lower digit represents the closed state in which the connection signal is output. In the waveform of the contact mechanism 27 , the vibration immediately before the transition from the open state to the closed state and the vibration immediately after the transition from the closed state to the open state indicate a state in which the movable member 26 bounces.

As also explained in the flowchart of FIG. 13 , in the high-speed power saving mode, after the light-receiving element 251 is in the inductive state, when the contact mechanism 27 is in the closed state, the switch 2 stops sending the light-emitting element 241 to the light-emitting element 241 and the The light-receiving element 251 is energized. Furthermore, when the movable member 26 is separated from the contacted member 23 and the output of the ON signal is stopped, the switch 2 releases the restriction on the energization of the light-emitting element 241 and the light-receiving element 251, and restarts the energization. Therefore, the switch 2 described in the present application can reduce the power consumption during the period from stopping the energization to the light-emitting element 241 and the light-receiving element 251 until restarting, while maintaining the response speed by the contactless mechanism 28 .

FIG. 16 is a waveform diagram showing an example of signal processing performed by the switch 2 described in the present application. Figure 16 shows a waveform diagram in the power saving mode. In FIG. 16 , the waveform (MOUSE) representing the pressed state of the operation device 1 , the waveform (LED) representing the energization state of the light-emitting element 241 , and the waveform (PD) representing the detection state of the light-receiving element 251 are shown from the top. , and a waveform (CONTACT) showing the state of the contact mechanism 27 . The expression method related to these waveforms is the same as that shown in FIG. 15 . In addition, in order to compare with FIG. 14, the waveform shown in FIG. 14 is shown by a dotted line.

In the power saving mode, the switch 2 always stops energization to the light emitting element 241 and the light receiving element 251 . Therefore, when the contact mechanism 27 is in the closed state, the switch 2 outputs the ON signal, and when the contact mechanism 27 is in the open state, the switch 2 stops outputting the ON signal. In the power saving mode, since the light-emitting element 241 and the light-receiving element 251 are not energized, power consumption can be greatly reduced.

As described above, after the light-receiving element 251 is in the inductive state, when the contact mechanism 27 is in the closed state, the switch 2 or the like described in this application performs restrictions such as stopping the energization of the light-emitting element 241 and the light-receiving element 251 . . Furthermore, when the movable member 26 is separated from the contacted member 23 and the output of the ON signal is stopped, the switch 2 or the like releases the restriction on energization to the light-emitting element 241 and the light-receiving element 251, and restarts the energization. Thereby, the switch 2 and the like described in the present application can reduce the power consumption during the period from stopping the energization to the light-emitting element 241 and the light-receiving element 251 until restarting, while maintaining the response speed by the contactless mechanism 28 . For example, it is possible to reduce power consumption during a movement operation (drag) for moving the operation device 1 while maintaining a state in which the user presses the operation unit 10 of the operation device 1 such as a mouse.

In addition, the switch 2 and the like described in the present application can switch the energization method other than the above-mentioned high-speed power saving mode by accepting the switching input from the switching unit SU. For example, in the high-speed mode in which the contactless mechanism 28 is always energized, in addition to speeding up the response, the redundant structure of the contactless mechanism 28 and the contactless mechanism 27 can be used to improve reliability, Various excellent effects such as expansion of functions by controlling different electrical loads by the non-contact mechanism 28 and the contact-connected mechanism 27 .

Furthermore, when the power saving mode is set, there is an excellent effect that power consumption can be reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the respective embodiments described above, and can be developed in various other forms. Therefore, the embodiments described above are merely illustrative in all respects and are not to be interpreted restrictively. The technical scope of the present invention is described by the scope of the patent application, and is not limited by the text of the specification. Furthermore, the deformation|transformation and the change which belong to the equivalence range of the claim are all within the scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, as the contactless mechanism 28, an optical mechanism using a light-emitting element 241 that emits light and a light-receiving element 251 that is a detection unit that detects light to be detected is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various mechanisms that do not have contacts can be used. For example, it can be applied to various forms, such as forming the contactless mechanism 28 using a magnet that generates magnetic force and a Hall element that detects the magnetic force to be detected.

In addition, for example, in the above-described embodiment, as the contact mechanism 27 , the conductive support member 22 and the contacted member 23 are used, and the contact is separated by the contact and separation of the conductive movable member 26 with the swing. The form in which the circuit is opened and closed. The present invention is not limited to a conductive member as long as it is an opening and closing mechanism having a contact. In addition, the operation of the movable member 26 is not limited to swinging, but can be applied to various operations such as vertical movement accompanied by pressing. That is, as long as the circuit can be opened and closed by the contact separation of the movable member 26 that moves, it can be appropriately designed, for example, so that the contacted member 23 pressed by the movable member 26 that moves from above to below by pressing moves to open and close the circuit. The form of opening and closing, etc. In addition, regarding the contactless mechanism 28, it is not necessary to make the movable member 26 a conductive member.

In addition, for example, in the above-described embodiment, as a limitation of energization to the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25, the state where energization is stopped is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the intermittent energization time can be extended for a long time. The interval and other forms are expanded.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 are assembled into the housing 20, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the housing 20 may be covered by surface mounting or the like. Mounting Method Various forms such as the light-emitting unit 24 and the light-receiving unit 25 mounted on the substrate are developed.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the form in which the light emitted from the light-emitting element 241 is transmitted when the movable member 26 is swung is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the movable member 26 can be appropriately designed to oscillate. In the case of shielding the light emitted from the light-emitting element 241 and the like. In addition, it is also possible to appropriately design to reflect the light emitted from the light-emitting element 241, and to output an on-signal or the like according to the light reception condition of the reflected light.

1: Operating device 2: switch 10: Press the operation part 11: Rotate the operation part 12: Signal line (output part) 13: Switch the operation part 20: Frame 20a: Pedestal 20b: Cover 21: Press the member 22: Support Components 23: Contacted components 24: Lighting unit 25: Light receiving unit 26: Movable components 27: There is a contact mechanism 28: Contactless mechanism 200: through hole 201: Storage Room 220: first terminal 221: The first locking part 222: Second locking part 230: second terminal 231: Contacted parts 232: visor 233: Through Hole 240: The third terminal pair 241: Light-emitting element 242: Unit frame 243: Lead Frame 244: Wire 250: Fourth terminal pair 251: Light receiving element (detection part) 260: Swing pivot 261: Movable contact part 262: Shades 263: Through the Window 264: Force Department CONTACT, LED, MOUSE, PD: Waveform CU: Control Department PSU: Power Supply Unit SU: Switching Department S101, S102, S201, S202, S203, S204, S205, S206, S207, S208, S209: Steps

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the operating device described in the present application. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the switch described in the present application. 3 is a schematic exploded perspective view showing an example of the switch described in the present application. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross-section of the switch described in the present application. 5 is a schematic external view showing an example of a support member and a contacted member included in the switch described in the present application. FIG. 6 is a schematic external view showing an example of a light-emitting unit included in the switch described in the present application. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the switch described in the present application. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the switch described in the present application. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the switch described in the present application. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the switch described in the present application. FIG. 11 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the functional configuration of the operation device described in the present application. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the energization method switching process performed by the switch described in the present application. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of energization control processing in the high-speed power saving mode in the switch described in the present application. FIG. 14 is a waveform diagram showing an example of signal processing by the switch described in the present application. FIG. 15 is a waveform diagram showing an example of signal processing by the switch described in the present application. FIG. 16 is a waveform diagram showing an example of signal processing by the switch described in the present application.

CONTACT, LED, MOUSE, PD: Waveform

Claims (8)

A switch includes a movable member that swings based on pressing from the outside, the switch outputs a signal based on the swing of the movable member, and the switch includes: The contacted member is contacted and separated by the swing of the movable member; a control section that controls the energization of the element; and The light-receiving element can detect light while energized, The switch can output a signal based on the contact of the movable member with the contacted member accompanying the swing, and A signal can be output by transmitting or shielding the light detected by the light-receiving element along with the swing of the movable member, The control part includes: After outputting a signal based on the detection state of the light of the light-receiving element accompanying the swinging of the movable member, when the movable member comes into contact with the contacted member to start outputting a signal, the light-receiving element is restricted to be outputted. energized components. A switch including a conductive movable member that swings with a first end side as a swing fulcrum and a second end side due to pressing from the outside, the switch outputs a signal to the outside based on the swing of the movable member, and the switch include: a conductive support member that supports the first end side of the movable member in a swingable manner; a conductive contacted member, the second end side is contacted and separated by the movable member swinging; a control section that controls the energization of the element; and The light-receiving element can detect light while energized, The movable member has a light shielding sheet for shielding light to be received by the light receiving element, The switch can output a signal based on the contact of the movable member with the contacted member accompanying the swing, and A signal can be output by transmitting or shielding the light to be detected by the light-receiving element by the light-shielding sheet along with the swing of the movable member, The control part includes: After outputting a signal based on the detection state of the light of the light-receiving element accompanying the swinging of the movable member, when the movable member comes into contact with the contacted member to start outputting a signal, the light-receiving element is restricted to be outputted. energized components. A switch as claimed in claim 2, wherein The support member is formed using a conductive material, The switch is in contact with the contacted member through the movable member, and the support member and the contacted member are in conduction, thereby outputting a signal. The switch according to any one of claim 1 to claim 3, further comprising a light-emitting element, The light-emitting element emits light when energized, The light-receiving element can receive the light emitted from the light-emitting element, The control part includes: A means for restricting energization to the light-emitting element after outputting a signal based on the detection state of the light of the light-receiving element accompanying the swinging of the movable member. The switch of any one of claim 1 to claim 3, wherein The control part includes: A means for releasing the restriction of energization to the light-receiving element when the movable member is separated from the contacted member to stop outputting a signal after restricting the energization to the light-receiving element. The switch according to any one of claim 1 to claim 3, comprising a switching portion, The switching unit accepts a switching input for switching the energization method, The switch can stop energization to the light-receiving element based on a switching input from the outside. A switch includes a movable member that operates based on external pressing, the switch outputs a signal based on the movement of the movable member, and the switch includes: The contacted member is contacted and separated by the operation of the movable member; and The detection element detects the detection object during power-on, The switch is capable of outputting a signal based on the contact separation of the movable member from the contacted member accompanying the movement, and A signal can be output according to the detection status of the detection object detected by the detection element along with the movement of the movable member, After a signal is output based on the detection state of the detection element accompanying the operation of the movable member, when the signal output starts due to the contact separation of the contacted member, energization to the detection element is restricted. An operating device, comprising: Press the operation part to accept the pressing operation from the outside; The switch according to any one of claim 1 to claim 7, wherein the pressing operation accepted by the pressing operation unit is transmitted in the form of pressing from the outside; and The output unit outputs the signal output by the switch to an external device.

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