WO2013042403A1

WO2013042403A1 - Waterproof and dust protected switch

Info

Publication number: WO2013042403A1
Application number: PCT/JP2012/062586
Authority: WO
Inventors: 宮田致良; 中山尚也; 峯田康祐
Original assignee: ミック電子工業株式会社
Priority date: 2011-09-21
Filing date: 2012-05-17
Publication date: 2013-03-28
Also published as: CN103828004B; JPWO2013042403A1; KR101827510B1; JP6045114B2; EP2760036A4; KR20140064881A; EP2760036A1; CN103828004A

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a waterproof and dust protected switch having superior shape retention characteristics, durability, and operating stability. [Solution] This waterproof and dust protected switch (SW) is provided with a switch mechanism unit (1) that switches contacts by the operation of an outside force and a switch case (2) that protects the switch mechanism unit (1). The switch case (2) is constituted of a case main body (7) formed from a hard material that accommodates the switch mechanism unit (1) and a cover (9) that covers the case main body (7) and is formed from a soft material. The case main body (7) and cover (9) are integrated by two-color molding, and also a reinforcing rib (8) is provided integrated with the case main body (7) or separately on a part where the outside force operates on the cover (9).

Description

Waterproof dustproof switch

The present invention relates to a waterproof and dustproof switch that can be used as a power switch in an electronic device such as an electronic book terminal or a mobile phone, and can prevent entry of water droplets, dust, dust, or the like into the switch mechanism or the electronic device.

Conventionally, a waterproof switch previously filed by the present applicant is known as a switch having the above characteristics (see Patent Document 1 below). This waterproof switch has a switch body portion housed in a switch case, and the switch case has a two-layer structure including a waterproof cover and a case body molded in two colors on its outer surface. In the switch case, a part of the waterproof cover protrudes in a dome shape on the outer surface of the case body, and the knob of the switch main body is disposed inside the dome. Therefore, according to this waterproof switch, since the knob of the switch body is completely covered by the dome that is a part of the waterproof cover, water that enters the switch case from around the knob can be prevented.

JP 2005-209527 A

By the way, in the waterproof switch of Patent Document 1, the dome that is a part of the waterproof cover is configured to expand and contract integrally with the knob when the knob is pressed. For this reason, in order to ensure the stretchability of the dome, the thickness of the resin constituting the dome must be formed thinner than other waterproof cover portions (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 7 of Patent Document 1). Therefore, if the pressing operation of the knob is repeatedly performed, the thin part of the dome has a sag or crack in the resin, and there is a problem that a stable switch operation cannot be obtained.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and the object of the present invention is to reliably prevent intrusion of water droplets and dust into the switch case and to improve durability. It is an object of the present invention to provide a waterproof and dustproof switch that can be improved to ensure stable switch operation over a long period of time.

In order to achieve the above object, the waterproof and dustproof switch of the present invention includes a switch mechanism portion that switches contacts by the action of an external force, and a switch case that protects the switch mechanism portion, and the switch case includes the switch mechanism portion. The case body is composed of a hard material to be accommodated, and a cover made of a soft material covering the case body, and the case body and the cover are integrated by two-color molding, and an external force in the cover A reinforcing rib that is integral with or separate from the case main body is provided in a portion that receives the above action.

In the waterproof and dustproof switch of the present invention, the switch case may employ a configuration in which a leaf spring is formed by the top plate of the case body and the reinforcing rib inclined with respect to the top plate. .

Further, in the waterproof and dustproof switch of the present invention, the switch case may be disposed at a position where the reinforcing rib presses the operating body of the switch mechanism when an external force is applied to the cover.

In the waterproof and dustproof switch of the present invention, the switch case may employ a configuration in which the case body is made of polyamide resin and the cover is made of silicone rubber.

In the waterproof and dustproof switch of the present invention, the switch mechanism may be a lever switch that switches contacts by tilting the lever.

According to the waterproof and dustproof switch of the present invention, the case main body and the cover are integrated by two-color molding, and the cover is in close contact with the case main body so that the switch mechanism is completely sealed. This prevents the intrusion of water droplets and dust, and can reliably protect the switch mechanism. Also, because the cover is provided with reinforcing ribs that are integral with or separate from the case body, the cover is free from sagging or cracking even after repeated use, and its shape retention is good. In addition to being able to be maintained, there is an effect that it is excellent in durability and can realize a smooth and stable operation over a long period of time.

The external appearance of the waterproof dustproof switch of 1st Embodiment is shown, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view. FIG. 2 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the waterproof and dustproof switch of FIG. 1. 1 shows a base constituting the waterproof and dustproof switch of FIG. 1, (a) is a plan view before cutting, (b) is a front view, (c) is a cross-sectional view along AA, (d) is a right side view, (E) is a BB cross-sectional view, and (f) is a plan view after cutting. 1A and 1B show a contact pattern constituting the waterproof and dustproof switch of FIG. 1, wherein FIG. 1A is a plan view, FIG. 1B is a front view, and FIG. 1 shows a lever constituting the waterproof and dustproof switch of FIG. 1, (a) is a plan view, (b) is a right side view, (c) is a front view, (d) is a cross-sectional view along AA, (e) FIG. 3 is a front view of a state in which a contact spring piece is mounted. FIGS. 1A and 1B show a state when the switch case constituting the waterproof and dustproof switch of FIG. 1 is primary molded. FIG. 1A is a plan view, FIG. 1B is a front view, FIG. Is a right side view, (e) is a BB cross-sectional view, and (f) is a CC cross-sectional view. FIG. 2 shows the state of the switch case constituting the waterproof and dustproof switch of FIG. 1 at the time of secondary molding. Is a right side view, and (e) is a BB sectional view. The state at the time of stillness of the waterproof dustproof switch of Drawing 1 is shown, (a) is an appearance figure and (b) is a sectional view. The state at the time of operation | movement of the waterproof dustproof switch of FIG. 1 is shown, (a) is an external view, (b) is sectional drawing. The external appearance of the waterproof dustproof switch of 2nd Embodiment is shown, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view. FIGS. 10A and 10B show a state of the switch case constituting the waterproof and dustproof switch of FIG. 10 at the time of primary molding, where FIG. 10A is a plan view, FIG. 10B is a front view, FIG. Is a right side view, (e) is a BB cross-sectional view, and (f) is a CC cross-sectional view. FIGS. 10A and 10B show a state of the switch case constituting the waterproof and dustproof switch of FIG. 10 during secondary molding, where FIG. 10A is a plan view, FIG. 10B is a front view, FIG. Is a right side view, and (e) is a BB sectional view.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the waterproof and dustproof switch SW of the present embodiment is a small switch that can be used as a power switch in an electronic device such as an electronic book terminal or a mobile phone. This switch is characterized in that a waterproof and dustproof structure is adopted for the switch case 2 in order to prevent water droplets, dust, dust and the like from entering the internal switch mechanism 1 and the electronic device main body during use. The illustrated power switch is merely an example, and the present invention can be used as another switch used in an environment where waterproofness and dustproofness are required.

As shown in an exploded view in FIG. 2, the waterproof and dustproof switch SW includes a switch mechanism unit 1 and a switch case 2. The switch mechanism 1 switches contacts by the action of an external force (for example, pressing with a finger). In this embodiment, a lever switch that switches contacts by tilting the lever 5 as an operating body is employed. The switch case 2 protects the switch mechanism 1, and in the present embodiment, the switch mechanism 2 is completely sealed by a double structure of the case body 7 and the cover 9.

Here, first, the structure of the switch mechanism 1 will be described. FIG. 3 shows the base 3 constituting the switch mechanism unit 1. The base 3 is formed of an insulating resin material (polyamide resin in this embodiment), and is provided with a space 31 for housing components inside a flat box-type main body so that it can be mounted on a substrate. A concave portion 32 for installing a later-described lever 5 is formed on the front surface and the back surface of the main body, and a pedestal 33 is formed on the inner bottom surface of the main body. A locking claw 34 for mounting a switch case 2 described later is provided on the outer wall surface of the main body.

FIG. 4 shows a contact pattern 4 constituting the switch mechanism unit 1. The contact pattern 4 is obtained by punching a conductive metal plate (in this embodiment, a phosphor bronze plate), and has two rows of

fixed contacts

41 and 42 arranged at a predetermined interval in the center. ing. Each of the fixed

contacts

41, 42 is provided with four

connection terminals

43, 43,.

As shown in FIG. 3, the contact pattern 4 is insert-molded when the base 3 is molded, so that two rows of fixed

contacts

41 and 42 are fixed to the inner bottom surface of the base 3 and connected to the fixed

contacts

41 and 42. The

connection terminals

43, 43,... Protrude from the base 3. In addition, after insert molding, by cutting the dotted line portion shown in FIG. 3A, the two rows of fixed

contacts

41 and 42 are separated from each other as shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 shows the lever 5 constituting the switch mechanism 1. The lever 5 is formed of an insulating resin material (polyamide resin in this embodiment), and transmits an external force to the operation portion 51 that receives an external force, a holder portion 52 that holds the contact spring piece 6, and the external force to the contact spring piece 6. The cam portion 53 is provided. As shown in FIG. 5 (e), the contact spring piece 6 is fitted and fixed to the lever 5 in the holder portion 52 in the accumulated state. The contact spring piece 6 is formed by bending a metal piece into a U shape to give elasticity, bifurcating the end portion into two legs, and forming a pair of leg portions, the tips of which are independent

movable contacts

61 and 62, respectively. It is. As shown in FIG. 2, the lever 5 to which the contact spring pieces 6 are fixed is supported rotatably by inserting the shaft portion 54 provided on the outer wall surface into the concave portion 33 of the base 3 and using the shaft portion 54 as a fulcrum. .

Next, the structure of the switch case 2 will be described. 6 and 7 show the switch case 2 in accordance with the molding process. The switch case 2 has a double structure composed of a case body 7 molded by primary molding shown in FIG. 6 and a cover 9 molded by secondary molding shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6, the case body 7 is made of a hard material having an insulating property (polyamide resin in this embodiment). Molded into a shape. The case body 7 is placed on the base 3 to protect the switch mechanism 1. A space 71 for housing the lever 5 is provided inside the body, and the lever 5 is inserted through the top plate 72 on the upper surface of the body. An opening 73 is formed. Mounting pieces 74 for fixing to the base 3 are provided on the front and back surfaces of the main body, and the mounting pieces 74 are formed with locking holes 75 that fit into the locking claws 34 of the base 3.

Further, a reinforcing rib 8 which is a framework of the cover 9 is provided by the same hard material as the case body 7. The reinforcing ribs 8 are arranged in an inclined state with respect to the top plate 72 of the case body 7 as shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C, and the reinforcing ribs 8 and the top plate 72 have elasticity. A spring portion 81 is configured. Further, as shown in FIGS. 6D, 6 </ b> E, and 5 </ b> F, two rows of

protrusions

82 and 82 formed in the same mountain shape as the lever 5 are provided at one end of the reinforcing rib 8. Moreover, the other end of the reinforcing rib 8 is provided with a round hole 83 for securing a contact area with the cover 9 as shown in FIGS. In this embodiment, the reinforcing rib 8 is provided separately from the case main body 7. However, instead of this, the reinforcing rib 8 may be connected to the top plate 72 of the case main body 7 and provided integrally.

As shown in FIG. 7, the cover 9 is made of an insulating soft material such as an elastomer resin (silicone rubber in the present embodiment). The dome shape having a cavity 91 is formed. As the molding process, after the case body 7 is molded, the mold is opened, only the upper mold is replaced with an upper mold for cover molding (with the reinforcing rib 8 set in the mold), and then the mold is clamped. Liquid silicone rubber may be injected into the mold and finally cooled and cured. Thus, the switch case 2 in which the case body 7 and the cover 9 are integrated is formed by molding the hard material (polyamide resin) and the soft material (silicone rubber) in two colors.

As shown in FIG. 8, the switch case 2 molded in two colors is mounted on a base 3 on which a lever 5 is installed. The switch case 2 is covered from above the base 3, and the base 3 and the switch case 2 are fixed by hooking the locking claw 34 of the base 3 into the locking hole 75 of the case body 7 as shown in the figure.

The switch case 2 is formed by integrating a cover 9 covered on the case body 7 by two-color molding, so that the cover 9 is in close contact with the case body 7 so that water drops, dust, etc. enter from the outside. Can be completely shut off. In addition, since the reinforcing rib 8 made of a hard material is joined to the cover 9 made of a soft material at a portion subjected to the action of an external force, the cover 9 has significantly improved performance such as shape retention, durability, and operational stability. improves. Further, as shown in FIG. 7C, silicone rubber constituting the cover 9 enters the round hole 83 of the reinforcing rib 8, and as shown in FIGS. A protrusion 92 made of silicone rubber that constitutes the cover 9 is also inserted between and bonded to 82. Therefore, a large contact area between the case body 7 and the cover 9 is ensured, and the adhesion between them is further enhanced.

Finally, the operation of the waterproof and dustproof switch SW of this embodiment will be described. 8 is stationary, the shaft portion 54 of the lever 5 is sandwiched between the concave portion 32 of the base 3 and the top plate 72 of the case main body 7 to prevent the lever 5 from operating, and the lever 5 is operated from the opening 73 of the case main body 7. The part 51 protrudes. Further, the protruding operation portion 51 is disposed in the space 71 of the case body 7 and is disposed at a position facing the reinforcing rib 8 having the leaf spring portion 81. At this time, in the contact spring piece 6, one movable contact 61 is in contact with the fixed contact 41, but the other movable contact 62 is not in contact with the fixed contact 42. For this reason, the fixed

contacts

41 and 42 are not conducting, and the switch is in an OFF state.

On the other hand, in the operation shown in FIG. 9, when the projection 92 of the cover 9 is pushed by a finger or the like, the entire cover 9 made of silicone rubber is recessed and deformed, and the reinforcing rib 8 integrated with the cover 9 is deformed. The leaf spring portion 81 is compressed. Here, the compressed leaf spring portion 81 presses the operation portion 51 of the lever 5, the lever 5 rotates around the shaft portion 54 as a fulcrum, and the operation portion 51 that receives external force thereby acts as a force point. The cam part 53 which contacts 6 functions as an action point. At this time, the contact spring piece 6 is pressed and compressed by the cam portion 53, and the other movable contact 62 contacts the fixed contact 42. Therefore, the fixed

contacts

41 and 42 are conducted through the contact spring piece 6, and the switch is switched to the ON state.

In addition, when the force to release and release the finger is released, the lever 5 that has fallen rises due to the elastic return force of the contact spring piece 6. Along with this, the recessed cover 9 is also lifted to the original position by the elastic return force of the leaf spring portion 81. As a result, the other movable contact 62 of the contact spring piece 6 is separated from the fixed contact 42, the conduction of the fixed

contacts

41 and 42 is cut off, and the switch is turned off.

Thus, according to the waterproof and dustproof switch SW of the present embodiment, not only the entry of water droplets and dust from the outside is prevented, but also the reinforcing rib 8 made of a hard material is joined and integrated to the cover 9 made of silicone rubber. Thus, no sagging or cracking occurs even after repeated use, and the shape retention of the cover 9 can be maintained well. Further, the protrusion 92 that receives the action of an external force is protected by being sandwiched by a thick protrusion 82 made of a hard material, and thus has excellent durability. In addition, the cover 9 made of silicone rubber has a stepped step 93, and when pressed with a finger, it becomes a starting point of a dent and is easily deformed, and also has strength, so it is smooth and stable over a long period of time. Operation can be realized.

In the above embodiment, the case main body 7 and the reinforcing rib 8 constituting the switch case 2 are separated from each other. However, the case main body 7 and the reinforcing rib 8 can be integrally provided instead. In the waterproof and dustproof switch SW shown in FIG. 10, the switch case 2 is composed of a case body 7 formed by primary molding shown in FIG. 11 and a cover 9 formed by secondary molding shown in FIG. It has a heavy structure.

As shown in FIG. 11, in this embodiment, the reinforcing rib 8 is connected to the top plate 72 of the case body 7 made of a hard material (polyamide resin in the present embodiment), and the connecting portion has a resilient spring. Part 81 is configured. Then, as shown in FIG. 12, a soft material such as an elastomer resin (silicone rubber in this embodiment) is heated and melted and injection-molded to form a dome-shaped cover 9 having a hollow portion 91 inside. . Thus, the switch case 2 in which the case body 7 and the cover 9 are integrated is formed by molding the hard material (polyamide resin) and the soft material (silicone rubber) in two colors.

Also in the waterproof and dustproof switch SW of the present embodiment, since the cover 9 is in close contact with the case body 7 constituting the switch case 2, entry of water droplets or dust from the outside is completely blocked, and the switch mechanism unit 1 is It can be surely protected. In this embodiment, in particular, the case body 7 and the reinforcing rib 8 are connected, and the connecting portion constitutes a leaf spring 81. Therefore, the compression and elastic return operations by the leaf spring 81 are performed smoothly. There is an advantage that stable switch operation with good responsiveness can be realized.

In the embodiment described above, the lever switch is employed as the switch mechanism unit 1 constituting the waterproof and dustproof switch SW. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a switch having another structure such as a push switch or a slide switch may be employed. Further, the shape and material of the case main body 7 and the cover 9 constituting the switch case 2 are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the ordinary creation of those skilled in the art within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. It can be changed appropriately depending on the ability.

SW: Waterproof and dustproof switch 1 ... Switch mechanism 2 ... Switch case 3 ... Base 31 ... Space 32 ... Recess 33 ... Base 34 ... Locking claw 4 ... Contact pattern 41 ... Fixed contact 42 ... Fixed contact 43 ... Connection terminal 5 ... Lever DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 51 ... Operation part 52 ... Holder part 53 ... Cam part 54 ... Shaft part 6 ... Contact spring piece 61 ... Movable contact 62 ... Movable contact 7 ... Case main body 71 ... Space 72 ... Top plate 73 ... Opening part 74 ... Mounting piece 75 ... Locking hole 8 ... Reinforcement rib 81 ... Plate spring part 82 ... Protrusion part 83 ... Round hole 9 ... Cover 91 ... Cavity 92 ... Protrusion part 93 ... Step

Claims

A switch mechanism that switches contacts by the action of external force;
A switch case for protecting the switch mechanism,
The switch case is
A case body made of a hard material for accommodating the switch mechanism,
It is composed of a cover made of a soft material that covers the case body,
The case main body and the cover are integrated by two-color molding, and a portion of the cover that receives an external force is provided with a reinforcing rib that is integral with or separate from the case main body. Dust-proof switch.
The waterproof and dustproof switch according to claim 1, wherein the switch case includes a plate spring formed by a top plate of the case body and the reinforcing rib inclined with respect to the top plate.
3. The waterproof and dustproof structure according to claim 1, wherein the switch case is disposed at a position where the reinforcing rib presses the operating body of the switch mechanism when an external force is applied to the cover. switch.
The waterproof and dustproof switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the switch body is made of a polyamide resin and the cover is made of silicone rubber.
The waterproof and dustproof switch according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the switch mechanism unit is a lever switch that switches a contact point by a tilting operation of the lever.