WO2012098716A1

WO2012098716A1 - Switch

Info

Publication number: WO2012098716A1
Application number: PCT/JP2011/066782
Authority: WO
Inventors: 晴夫吉田
Original assignee: Smk株式会社
Priority date: 2011-01-18
Filing date: 2011-07-15
Publication date: 2012-07-26
Also published as: JP2012151079A

Abstract

Provided is a push switch that can support the increased compactness of a compact portable operation terminal and that, without causing an output terminal to protrude in the direction of operation, can allow mounting to the edge of an electrical circuit board. The push switch comprises: a flat-plate-shaped main body section (60) having an upper flat surface (12), a lower flat surface (13), and a side surface (14); and an output terminal (39) that has an elastically deformable elastic piece section and that is formed with a touch section at the tip that protrudes form the side surface (14). The output terminal (39) is formed within the space between a first imaginary plane (A) that contains the upper flat surface (12) and a second imaginary plane containing the lower flat surface (13).

Description

switch

The present invention relates to a push switch incorporated in a small electronic device such as a mobile phone having a switch operation unit on a side surface of a main body case.

In a small portable operation terminal such as a cellular phone, operation switches are arranged on the front and side surfaces of the main body case. Many of these switches are arranged on the front side of the main body case, and accordingly, an electric circuit board corresponding to the switch is also arranged in the main body case in parallel with the front surface in conjunction with the recent miniaturization of electronic devices. For this reason, the operation surface of the push switch arranged on the side surface of the main body case and the electric circuit board are arranged in a direction orthogonal to each other.
As a conventional example, as shown in FIG. 8, a push switch 100 having a flat plate-like main body is arranged on the side surface of the main body case 200 in a direction orthogonal to the electric circuit board 300. In order to electrically connect 100 and the electric circuit board 300, the push terminal 100 pushes the output terminal 120 of the push switch 100 so as to protrude in the operation direction P of the push switch 100 and contact the electric circuit board 300 from above. There is a method of mounting the switch and push switch on the side of the main body case. (For example, Patent Document 1)

JP 2007-149491 A

However, in recent years, multifunctional and miniaturization has progressed, and many operation parts are arranged on the front of the main body case. As a result, the mounting density of various electronic components on the electric circuit board has increased. It is difficult to provide a mounting pattern in the central direction of the electric circuit board for mounting a switch as in the conventional example protruding backward in the direction.
In view of the above-described problems, the present invention can cope with downsizing of a small portable operation terminal such as a mobile phone, and protrudes from the switch body when the mounting density of the electric circuit board is increased. An object of the present invention is to provide a push switch that can be mounted on an edge portion of an electric circuit board without causing the output terminal to protrude in the operation direction.

In order to solve this conventional problem, a push switch according to claim 1 includes a flat main body having an outer surface having an operation surface, a lower surface parallel to the upper surface, and a side surface. An elastically deformable elastic piece having a fixed contact and a movable contact each including an output terminal protruding from the side surface, the output terminal being made of a thin metal plate and having a contact portion formed at a tip portion thereof. And the output terminal is formed in a space between a first virtual plane including the upper plane and a second virtual plane including the lower plane.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the push switch according to the first aspect, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the output terminal includes a first flat surface portion in which a flat surface of the thin metal plate protrudes from the side surface substantially parallel to the operation surface; A second flat surface portion that is continuous with the flat surface portion and is bent at a substantially right angle with respect to the upper surface; and a contact portion that is continuous with the second flat surface portion and bent into a substantially U shape and curved at the tip portion. And formed in a pair on the side surface.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the push switch according to the third aspect, the pair of output terminals are bilaterally symmetric, and a tangent line connecting the contact portions is parallel to the side surface and separated from the main body portion. It is characterized by being located.

In the present invention, the output terminal protruding from the side surface of the flat plate-shaped main body is formed in the space between the first virtual plane including the upper plane having the operation surface and the second virtual plane including the lower plane. Therefore, when installing the push switch according to the present invention on the side surface of the main body case of a mobile phone or the like, it can be installed as long as there is a space in the side width of the push switch main body along the side surface of the main body case. Mounting on the edge of the electric circuit board is also possible, so that it can be easily used for a miniaturized mobile phone or the like.
Furthermore, since the output terminals having a pair of elastic pieces on the side surfaces are formed, when the output terminals are mounted in elastic contact with a flat electric circuit board, a well-balanced contact is possible and a stable conduction state is achieved. It becomes possible.
Further, the pair of output terminals are symmetrical, and the tangent line connecting each contact portion is parallel to the side surface and located away from the main body portion, so that the side surface is placed on the electric circuit board. Since the pair of output terminals are elastically deformed equally and come into contact with the electric circuit board with equal contact pressure, a stable conduction state can be achieved. In addition, as long as the shape that restricts the main body portion with respect to the operation direction and the shape that restricts the position of the main body portion so that the contact pressure of the output terminal can be maintained are present on the side surface of the main body case of the mobile phone or the like, the present invention This push switch can be easily installed in a stable contact state.

1 is a front view of a push switch according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a left side view of the push switch according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a case in which a terminal incorporated in the push switch according to the present invention is integrally formed. FIG. 6 shows the push switch according to the present invention mounted on an electric circuit board. FIG. 7 is a schematic assembling diagram when the push switch according to the present invention is incorporated in a side portion of a mobile phone or the like. FIG. 8 is an assembling diagram of a conventional push switch.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 to 7 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view of a push switch according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a left side view of the push switch according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A, FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the push switch according to the present invention showing the first virtual plane and the second virtual plane, and FIG. 5 is a terminal incorporated in the push switch according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front view of the case where the push switch according to the present invention is placed on the electric circuit board, and FIG. 7 is a diagram when the push switch according to the present invention is incorporated into a side portion of a mobile phone or the like. FIG. The push switch 01 includes a case 10, a terminal 30, a contact 40, and a seat 50.
The case 10 has a flat plate shape made of a molding material, and an outer shape is formed by an upper plane 12 having an opening 11, a lower plane 13 parallel to the upper plane 12, an upper plane 12, and a side surface 14 substantially perpendicular to the lower plane 13. . Here, the side surface 14 includes the right side surface 15, the left side surface 16, the upper side surface 17, the lower side surface 18, the right inclined side surface 19 that connects the right side surface 15 and the lower side surface 18, and the left side surface 16 and the lower side surface 18. The case 10 is configured by six left inclined side surfaces 20, and the outer shape of the case 10 is formed symmetrically in the direction of viewing the upper plane 12. From the right side surface 15 and the left side surface 16, there are formed a right side convex portion 21 and a left side convex portion 22 that protrude from the side extending to the upper side surface 17 as one side.
The opening 11 is formed in a substantially circular shape, and a central contact portion 33 of a terminal 30 to be described later is disposed at the center of the bottom surface of the opening 11 so as to expose the surface. Is exposed and the outer contact portion 34 of the terminal 30 is disposed.
The terminal 30 is made of a conductive thin metal plate, and has a right terminal 31 and a left terminal 32 as shown in FIG. As described above, the central contact portion 33 located at one end of the right terminal 31 and the outer contact portion 34 located at one end of the left terminal 32 are disposed on the bottom surface of the opening 11 as described above, and the central contact portion 33 and the outer contact portion are formed. A part continuing from 34 is integrally formed inside the case 10, and the other parts appear outside the case 10, thereby constituting the output terminal 39.
Since the output terminal 39 is a part of the terminal 30, the output terminal 39 is formed by bending a thin metal plate, and protrudes from the right side surface 15 and the left side surface 16 of the case 10 and is formed symmetrically. Since the embodiment is symmetrical, only the output terminal 39 of the left terminal 32 arranged on the left side will be described below.
The output terminal 39 protrudes from the left side surface 16 of the case 10, and the output terminal 39 made of a thin metal plate forms a first flat portion 35 in which the flat surface of the thin metal plate protrudes parallel to the upper plane 12 of the case 10. Next, the first plane part 35 is bent at a substantially right angle at a certain point to form a second plane part 36. The second flat surface portion 36 has a belt-like shape and is bent at a substantially right angle from the first flat surface portion 35 to become a surface parallel to the left side surface 16, and at a fixed position in a direction away from the left side convex portion 22 provided in the case 10. After that, the second flat surface portion is bent in a direction away from the left side surface 16 to form the elastic piece portion 37. Hereinafter, the shape of the elastic piece portion 37 will be described.
The elastic piece portion 37 is bent at an angle of less than 90 degrees in the direction away from the case 10 in the plane of the strip-shaped sheet metal continuous from the second plane portion 36, and in the present embodiment, the direction of viewing the upper plane 12. In the direction where the end of the flat surface of the sheet metal in the shape of a band is close to the case 10 at a certain position after being bent clockwise with respect to the left side surface 16 at an angle of less than 90 degrees. By being bent and bent at an angle of about 70 degrees in the present embodiment, the elastic piece portion 37 is formed in a substantially square shape in the direction of viewing the upper plane 12 of the case 10 and ends. Is curved in the direction of the case 10, and a contact portion 38 is formed in the curved portion along the longitudinal direction of the belt-like shape.
Further, when the left and right output terminals 39 are symmetrically arranged on the right side surface 15 and the left side surface 16 of the case 10, the output terminal 39 has two characteristics described later in the description of the assembly of the push switch 01. Shapes are formed and arranged to fill.
The contact 40 is used as a contact member, and is formed by forming a thin metal plate into a dome shape. The surface is subjected to metal plating for obtaining high conductivity in order to reduce contact resistance.
The sheet 50 is formed by forming a film-like material made of a polymer material such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) into a substantially similar shape smaller than the upper plane shape of the case 10, and is attached to the case 10 on one surface. Adhesive or adhesive tape is applied or affixed.
Next, assembly of the push switch 01 using the above-described components will be described. First, the contact 40 is incorporated in the case 10 in which the terminal 30 is integrally formed. The case 10 is assembled so that the dome top portion of the contact 40 faces upward in the opening 11 of the case 10 so that the outer peripheral end portion of the contact 40 is placed on the outer contact portion 34 exposed on the bottom surface of the opening 11. As a result, the top of the dome of the contact 40 is opposed to the central contact portion 33 exposed on the bottom surface of the opening 11. Next, the sheet 50 is attached to the upper plane of the case 10, whereby the opening 11 is closed by the tape 50 and the push switch 01 is completed.
Here, two characteristics related to the shape and arrangement of the terminal 30 in a state in which the push switch 01 described in the description of the shape of the terminal 30 is completed will be described. First, in the push switch 01, a tangent line connecting the outer peripheries of the contact portions 38 of the left and right output terminals 39 is parallel to the lower side surface 18 of the case 10, and the tangent line extends outward from the outer shape of the case 10. Are located at a certain distance (a).
The second one includes a first virtual plane (A) that includes the surface of the sheet 50 that serves as an operation surface of the push switch 01 and that is not limited in scope, and a second virtual plane that includes the lower plane 13 of the case 10 and is not limited in scope. The output terminal 39 is formed and arranged in a shape that fits in the space between (B).
Then, the push switch 01 completed in this way is attached to and operated in an electric device such as a mobile phone as follows. Normally, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, an electric circuit board 70 is incorporated in a mobile phone or the like, and a connection pattern 71 corresponding to the output terminal 39 of the push switch 01 is provided. The push switch 01 is positioned so that the contact portions 38 of the left terminal 31 and the right terminal 32 are placed on the connection pattern 71, and the lower side surface 18 of the push switch 01 is further moved from the placed state. The elastic piece portion 37 is elastically deformed until it comes into contact with the electric circuit board, and a contact pressure is generated between the contact portion 38 and the connection pattern 71, whereby the push switch 01 and the electric circuit board 70 are connected and conducted. The Rukoto. At this time, since the tangent line connecting the outer circumferences of the contact portions 38 of the left and right output terminals 39 and the lower side surface 18 of the case 10 are parallel and located at a predetermined distance, the lower side surface 18 is located on the electric circuit board 70. The amount of elastic deformation of the left and right elastic piece portions 37 becomes equal and constant, so that the contact pressure at the left and right contact portions 38 becomes equal and constant. That is, the electrical connection between the left and right output terminals 39 and the electric circuit board 70 can be facilitated simply by providing a member for positioning the lower surface 18 of the push switch 01 in contact with the electric circuit board 70 in an electric device such as a cellular phone. It becomes possible.
Further, the output terminal 39 is formed in a space between the first virtual plane (A) including the operation surface of the push switch 01 and the second virtual plane (B) including the lower plane 13 of the case 10. Even if it is difficult to provide a mounting space in the depth direction in the operation direction, it can be easily installed without requiring a mounting space in the depth direction even when the push switch is installed on the side surface of the main body case of a mobile phone or the like. Therefore, this contributes to downsizing of mobile phones and the like. The push switch 01 can be easily provided only by providing a slit-like member 80 that abuts a part of the operation surface and a part or all of the lower plane to regulate the position of the push switch 01 in the operation direction. Can be installed.
Further, by providing the right and left

convex portions

21 and 22 on the left and right sides of the case 10, the push switch 01 can be attached simply by providing a member for positioning the right and left

convex portions

21 and 22 on the side surface of a cellular phone or the like. It becomes possible.
In addition, regarding the operation of the push switch, it is possible to more easily position the operation member that operates the push switch 01 by providing a convex shape at a position where the dome-shaped top of the contact 40 contacts on the operation surface of the seat 50. Is possible.
As described above, the push switch 01 is entirely formed in the space between the first virtual plane (A) and the second virtual plane (B), including the output terminal 39. Assembling is possible, so that it can be advantageously incorporated into a side surface where it is difficult to secure a mounting space in the depth direction of a mobile phone or the like. Note that the shape of the output terminal is not limited to that according to the present embodiment, but may be any shape that fits in the space between the first virtual plane (A) and the second virtual plane (B) described above. It is possible to form a shape.

01 Push Switch 10 Case 11 Opening 12 Upper Plane 13 Lower Plane 14 Side 15 Right Side 16 Left Side 17 Upper Side 18 Lower Side 19 Right Inclined Side 20 Left Inclined Side 21 Right Convex 22 Left Convex 30 Terminal 31 Right Terminal 32 Left terminal 33 Central contact portion 34 Outer contact portion 35 First plane portion 36 Second plane portion 37 Elastic piece portion 38 Contact portion 39 Output terminal 40 Contact 50 Sheet 60 Body portion 70 Electric circuit board 71 Connection pattern 80 Slit-like member A 1st virtual plane B 2nd virtual plane

Claims

A fixed contact and a movable contact comprising an upper flat surface having an operation surface, a lower flat surface parallel to the upper flat surface, and a flat plate-shaped main body having a side surface, and an output terminal protruding from the side surface. A push switch, the output terminal is made of a thin metal plate, has an elastically deformable elastic piece portion with a contact portion formed at the tip, and the output terminal includes a first virtual plane including the upper plane. And a second virtual plane including the lower plane, the push switch being formed in a space.
The output terminal includes a first plane portion in which a plane of the thin metal plate protrudes substantially parallel to the operation surface from the side surface, and the plane that is continuous with the first plane portion and substantially perpendicular to the upper plane. A bent second flat surface portion, and an elastic piece portion which is formed in a substantially letter-like shape and is continuously bent to the second flat surface portion, and a contact portion which is curved at the distal end portion is formed, and a pair is formed on the side surface. The push switch according to claim 1, wherein the push switch is formed.
3. The push switch according to claim 2, wherein the pair of output terminals are symmetric, and a tangent line connecting each of the contact portions is parallel to the side surface and separated from the main body portion.