Oscillating switch

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6756556
  • Patent Number
    6,756,556
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, November 15, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, June 29, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
An oscillating switch includes: a lower casing; a contact circuit member provided on the lower casing and including a through hole; a rubber switch member provided on the contact circuit member and including a pair of rubber contact portions and a through hole; an upper casing for covering the rubber switch member; an operating knob pivotally supported by the upper casing; pressing portions formed on the operating knob so as to depress the corresponding rubber contact portions, respectively; and a click feeling-producing mechanism, for producing a suitable click feeling when the operating knob is operated, which passing through the through holes of the contact circuit member and the rubber switch member.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to an oscillating switch, more particularly to an improved oscillating switch provided with a click feeling-producing mechanism for producing a suitable click feeling when an operating knob is operated.




As a switch for controlling various electric equipments (such as a power window mechanism) mounted, for example, on a door trim of a car door, a related oscillating switch


60


as shown in

FIG. 3

is known, which includes an oscillating switch


60


of the see-saw type in which an operating knob


61


is supported for pivotal movement about a support shaft


63


on a switch panel.




In this oscillating switch


60


, a PCB (printed circuit board)


66


serving as a contact circuit member is provided between an upper casing


64


and a lower casing


65


spaced a predetermined distance T


1


from each other. A pair of juxtaposed right and left switching elements


67


are fixedly mounted on the PCB


66


.




A pair of pressing portions


68


, corresponding respectively to the switching elements


67


, are formed on and project from a reverse surface (lower surface in

FIG. 3

) of the operating knob


61


, and the switching elements


67


are suitably pressed respectively by these pressing portions when the operating knob


61


is operated to be pivotally moved. A click feeling-producing mechanism (not shown) is provided within each switching element


67


, and produces a suitable click feeling when the operating knob


61


is operated.





FIG. 4

shows another example of oscillating switch in which there is provided a click feeling-producing mechanism


79


separate from switching elements.




More specifically, in this oscillating switch


70


, a PCB


73


serving as a contact circuit member is provided between an upper casing


71


and a lower casing


72


spaced a predetermined distance T


2


from each other, and a rubber switch member


75


having rubber contact portions


74


is provided on the PCB


73


.




When an operating knob


76


is pressed to be pivotally moved, one of a pair of pressing portions


77


and


77


formed on and projecting from a reverse surface (lower surface in

FIG. 4

) of the operating knob


76


depresses corresponding one of a pair of pressing pins


78


and


78


, so that the corresponding rubber contact portions


74


of the rubber switch member


75


can be depressed. The rubber contact portion


74


, thus pressed by the pressing pin


78


, is buckled, so that a conductive piece (not shown) thereof is pressed against a switch contact, provided on the PCB


73


, to close it.




The click feeling-producing mechanism


79


is provided between the reverse surface of the operating knob


76


and the upper casing


71


, and includes a ball plunger


82


which is mounted on a mounting portion of the upper casing


71


and has a compression spring


81


urging a steel ball (pressing element)


80


in a direction (upward direction in

FIG. 4

) toward the reverse surface of the operating knob


76


, and an operating portion


83


having a cam surface


83




a


which is held in sliding contact with the steel ball


80


so as to guide the same. When the operating knob


76


is operated, the click feeling-producing mechanism


79


produces a suitable click feeling of the operating knob


76


in accordance with a resistance of sliding contact between the steel ball


80


of the ball plunger


82


and the cam surface


83




a


of the operating portion


83


.




In the related oscillating switch


60


shown in FIG.


3


, the click feeling-producing mechanism is contained in the switching element


67


, so that the height (the dimension in the upward-downward direction in

FIG. 3

) of the switching element


67


increases. Therefore, the switching elements


67


must be firmly fixed to the PCB


66


, so that a gap α for receiving soldering leads of the switching elements


67


and snap-fit members thereof must be provided between the PCB


66


and the lower casing


65


.




Therefore, it is difficult to reduce the spacing T


1


between the upper casing


64


and the lower casing


65


in the oscillating switch


60


, and a dimension X


1


of a unit in the direction of its thickness (that is, the spacing between the upper casing


64


and the lower casing


65


; the dimension in the upward-downward direction in

FIG. 3

) can not be reduced. Therefore, there was encountered a problem that it was difficult to achieve a thin design of the whole of the unit and a space-saving effect when the unit is mounted on a vehicle.




On the other hand, in the oscillating switch


70


shown in

FIG. 4

, the click feeling-producing mechanism


79


separate from the switching elements is provided between the operating knob


76


and the outer surface of the upper casing


71


, and the rubber switch member


75


is adopted. Therefore, the spacing T


2


between the upper casing


71


and the lower casing


72


in the oscillating switch


70


can be made smaller as compared with the oscillating switch


60


shown in FIG.


3


.




However, the height H


2


of projecting of the operating knob


76


from the outer surface of the upper casing


71


is considerably larger than the height Hi of projecting of the operating knob


61


of the oscillating switch


60


shown in FIG.


3


.




Namely, the click feeling-producing mechanism


79


is provided between the operating knob


76


and the outer surface (upper surface in

FIG. 4

) of the upper casing


71


, and the spacing between a support shaft


84


, serving as an axis of pivotal movement of the operating knob


76


, and each rubber contact portion


74


of the rubber switch member


75


is large. Therefore in order that each rubber contact portion


74


can be properly pressed, the pressing pin


78


needs to be interposed between the operating knob and the rubber contact portion


74


.




Therefore, the pressing pins


78


are fitted respectively in guide portions


71




a


formed integrally on the upper casing


71


so as to move upward and downward, so that these guide portions


71




a


need to have a predetermined guide length (dimension in the upward-downward direction in

FIG. 4

) As a result, the dimension X


2


of the whole of the unit in the direction of thickness thereof (that is, the spacing between the upper casing


71


and the lower casing


72


; the dimension in the upward-downward direction in

FIG. 4

) can not be reduced. Therefore, as in the oscillating switch


60


of

FIG. 3

, there was encountered a problem that it is difficult to achieve a thin design of the whole of the unit (for example, a space-saving effect when the unit is mounted on a vehicle).




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




It is therefore an object of this invention to solve the above problems and to provide an oscillating switch which can achieve a thin design of the whole of a unit while securing a good click feeling when operating an operating knob.




In order to solve the aforesaid object, the invention is characterized by having the following arrangement.




(1) An oscillating switch comprising:




a lower casing;




a contact circuit member provided on the lower casing and including a through hole;




a rubber switch member provided on the contact circuit member and including a pair of rubber contact portions and a through hole;




an upper casing for covering the rubber switch member;




an operating knob pivotally supported by the upper casing;




pressing portions formed on the operating knob so as to depress the corresponding rubber contact portions, respectively; and




a click feeling-producing mechanism, for producing a suitable click feeling when the operating knob is operated, which passing through the through holes of the contact circuit member and the rubber switch member, wherein the click feeling-producing mechanism includes,




a cam surface formed on one of the operating knob and the lower casing,




a pressing element formed on the other of the operating knob and the lower casing, and




a urging member for urging the pressing element to the cam surface.




(2) The oscillating switch according to (1), wherein the cam surface is formed on a distal end of an operating portion which projects from the operating knob and passes through the through holes of the contact circuit member and the rubber switch member, and the urging member is received and held in a receiving recess in the lower casing.




In the above construction, the contact circuit member and the rubber switch member are provided on the lower casing, and the click feeling-producing mechanism is interposed between the operating knob and the lower casing, and extends through the contact circuit member and the rubber switch member. Therefore, the spacing between the upper casing and the lower casing can be reduced.




When the spacing between the upper casing and the lower casing is reduced, the distance between the axis of pivotal movement of the operating knob and each of the rubber contact portions of the rubber switch member can be reduced, and therefore any separate members, such as pressing pins, are not necessary for properly pressing the rubber contact portions, and the number of the component parts is reduced, and besides the provision of guide portions, having a predetermined guide length so as to respectively guide the pressing pins, is not necessary, and the height of projecting of the operating knob from the outer surface of the upper casing can be reduced.




Therefore, only those portions, corresponding respectively to the click feeling-producing mechanisms, project a minimum distance from the outer surface of the lower casing, and a thin design of the whole of a switch unit can be easily achieved while securing a good click feeling when operating the operating knob.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is an exploded, perspective view of a power window switch unit provided with one preferred embodiment of oscillating switches of the invention.





FIG. 2

is a vertical cross-sectional view of an important portion of the oscillating switch shown in FIG.


1


.





FIG. 3

a vertical cross-sectional view of an important portion of a related oscillating switch.





FIG. 4

is a vertical cross-sectional view of an important portion of another related oscillating switch.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




One preferred embodiment of an oscillating switch of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.





FIG. 1

is an exploded perspective view of a power window switch unit provided with using the oscillating switches according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and

FIG. 2

is a vertical cross-sectional view of an important portion of the oscillating switch shown in FIG.


1


.




The power window switch unit


10


shown in

FIG. 1

is a switch unit which is mounted on a door trim of a car door and controls a power window drive mechanism and a courtesy lamp mechanism (not shown) or the like. This power window switch unit includes: an FPC (flexible printed circuit)


20


provided on an inner surface of a lower casing


12


formed into a predetermined curved shape; a rubber switch member


30


including a plurality of pairs of rubber contact portions


31


and


31


, and superposed on the FPC


20


; and an upper casing


41


covering the rubber switch member


30


.




The plurality of oscillating switches


40


are arranged on an upper surface of the upper casing


41


. Each of these switches, provided respectively in openings


41




a


formed in the upper casing


41


, includes an operating knob


40




a


pivotally supported on a support shaft


42


, and a click feeling-producing mechanism


50


for producing a suitable click feeling of the operating knob


40




a.






The FPC


20


is a film-like contact circuit member having flexibility, and is made, for example, of a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin, and has a circuit pattern (not shown) formed thereon. In this embodiment, the FPC


20


forms electric circuits for controlling the power window mechanism and the courtesy lamp mechanism or the like, and is electrically connected to the power window mechanism through an input/output signal line portion


21


and a connector


22


, and is also electrically connected to the courtesy lamp mechanism through an input/output signal line portion


23


and a lamp circuit board


24


.




The plurality of rubber contact portions


31


and


31


, corresponding respectively to switch contacts


20




b


on the circuit pattern formed on the FPC


20


, are formed integrally on the rubber switch member


30


. A conductive piece (not shown), provided in the rubber contact portion


31


, is pressed against the switch contact


20




b


opposed thereto, thereby closing the circuit.




As shown in

FIG. 2

, a pair of pressing portions


43


and


43


are formed on a reverse surface (lower surface in the drawings) of the operating knob


40




a


so as to press the corresponding rubber contact portions


31


, respectively, in accordance with the pivotal movement of the operating knob


40




a.






A distal end surface


43




a


of the respective pressing portions


43


is cut into a slanting angle corresponding to an angle of pivotal movement of the operating knob


40




a


, and can be properly held in contact with the corresponding rubber contact portion


31


in a fully pivotally-moved condition of the operating knob


40




a.






An operating portion


44


is formed on and projects from a generally central portion of the reverse surface of each operating knob


40




a


. The operating portion


44


passes through a through hole


30




a


formed through the rubber switch member


30


and a through hole


20




a


formed through the FPC


20


, and extends into a receiving recess


13


formed in the lower casing


12


. A cam groove


51


, having a cam surface constituting the click feeling-producing mechanism


50


(described later), is formed in a distal end of the operating portion


44


.




The click feeling-producing mechanism


50


for producing a suitable click feeling when operating the operating knob


40




a


includes the cam groove


51


, and a ball plunger


52


received and held in the receiving recess


13


.




The cam groove


51


is a groove of a generally V-shaped cross-section extending along the axis of pivotal movement of the operating knob


40




a.






The ball plunger


52


includes a compression coil spring (urging means)


54


which is received in the receiving recess


13


in the lower casing


12


, and resiliently urges a steel ball (pressing element)


53


toward the cam surface of the cam groove


51


.




By displacement of the operating portion


44


in accordance with the pivotal movement of the operating knob


40




a


, a suitable click feeling is obtained by the friction between the steel ball


53


and the cam surface of the cam groove


51


.




Instead of the steel ball


53


, a slide pin may be used as the pressing element.




Next, the operation of the oscillating switch


40


of this embodiment will be described.




When the operating knob


40




a


of the oscillating switch


40


is pressed to be pivotally moved in one direction, the pressing portion


43


formed on and projecting from the reverse surface of the operating knob


40




a


presses the corresponding rubber contact portion


31


. The rubber contact portion


31


, thus pressed, is buckled, so that the conductive piece thereof is pressed against the switch contact


20




b


on the FPC


20


, thereby closing the circuit.




At this time, as a result of displacement of the operating portion


44


in accordance with the pivotal movement of the operating knob


40




a


, a suitable click feeling is obtained by the friction between the steel ball


53


and the cam surface of the cam groove


51


of the click feeling-producing mechanism


50


.




Namely, in the oscillating switch


40


of this embodiment, the FPC


20


and the rubber switch member


30


are provided on the lower casing


12


, and the click feeling-producing mechanism


50


is interposed between the operating knob


40




a


and the lower casing


12


in such a manner that this mechanism


50


passes through the through holes


20




a


and


30




a


formed respectively through the FPC


20


and the rubber switch member


30


. Therefore, the spacing T


3


between the upper casing


41


and the lower casing


12


can be reduced, and a dimension X


3


of the major portion of the switch unit in the direction of the thickness thereof can be reduced.




When the spacing T


3


between the upper casing


41


and the lower casing


12


is reduced, the distance between the axis of pivotal movement (the support shaft


42


) of the operating knob


40




a


and each of the corresponding rubber contact portions


31


of the rubber switch member


30


can be reduced. Therefore any separate members, such as the pressing pins


78


in the related oscillating switch


70


of

FIG. 4

, are not necessary for properly pressing the rubber contact portions


31


.




Therefore, in the oscillating switch


40


of this embodiment, the number of the component parts is smaller as compared with the related oscillating switch


70


, and the provision of the guide portions


71




a


for respectively guiding the pressing pins


78


is not necessary, and further the height H


3


of projecting of the operating knob


40




a


from the outer surface of the upper casing


41


can be reduced.




Incidentally, the outer surface (lower surface in

FIG. 2

) of the lower casing


12


projects convexly at those regions at which the receiving recesses


13


are formed, respectively. Therefore, a dimension X


4


of these portions of the switch unit in the direction of the thickness thereof is increased. However, part of the switch unit, that is, only those portions, corresponding respectively to the click feeling-producing mechanisms


50


, project to a minimum degree.




Therefore, the substantial dimension X


3


of the power window switch unit


10


in the direction of the thickness thereof can be reduced while securing a good click feeling when operating the operating knob


40




a


, and a thin design of this switch unit for space-saving purposes can be easily achieved. Therefore, the good ability thereof to be mounted on the vehicle can be obtained.




The constructions of the contact circuit member, the rubber switch member, the operating knob, the click feeling-producing mechanism and soon of the oscillating switch of the present invention are not limited to those of the above embodiment, and each of them can take any of various forms on the basis of the subject matter of the present invention.




For example, in the above embodiment, although the film-like FPC


20


is used as the contact circuit member, other contact circuit member, such as a PCB, can be used. Further, by suitably setting the cam surface, the urging means and so on of the click feeling-producing mechanism, the amount of projecting of the convex portions from the outer surface of the lower casing


12


can be made smaller.




As described above, in the oscillating switch of the present invention, the contact circuit member and the rubber switch member are provided on the lower casing, and the click feeling-producing mechanism is interposed between the operating knob and the lower casing, and extends through the contact circuit member and the rubber switch member. Therefore, the spacing between the upper casing and the lower casing can be reduced.




When the spacing between the upper casing and the lower casing is reduced, the distance between the axis of pivotal movement of the operating knob and each of the rubber contact portions of the rubber switch member can be reduced, and therefore any separate members, such as pressing pins, are not necessary for properly pressing the rubber contact portions, and the number of the component parts is reduced, and besides the provision of guide portions, having a predetermined guide length so as to respectively guide the pressing pins, is not necessary, and the height of projecting of the operating knob from the outer surface of the upper casing can be reduced.




Therefore, only those portions, corresponding respectively to the click feeling-producing mechanisms, project a minimum distance from the outer surface of the lower casing, and a thin design of the whole of the switch unit can be easily achieved while securing a good click feeling when operating the operating knob.



Claims
  • 1. An oscillating switch comprising:a lower casing; a contact circuit member provided on the lower casing and including a first through hole; a rubber switch member provided on the contact circuit member and including a pair of rubber contact portions and a second through hole; an upper casing for covering the rubber switch member; an operating knob pivotally supported by the upper casing; pressing portions formed on the operating knob for depressing the corresponding rubber contact portions, respectively; and a click feeling-producing mechanism, for producing a suitable click feeling when the operating knob is operated, which passes through the first and second through holes, wherein the click feeling-producing mechanism includes, a cam surface formed on one of the operating knob and the lower casing, a pressing element formed on the other of the operating knob and the lower casing, and a urging member for urging the pressing element to the cam surface, wherein the cam surface is formed on a distal end of an operating portion which projects from the operating knob and passes through the first and second through holes, and the urging member is received and held in a receiving recess in the lower casing.
  • 2. The oscillating switch according to claim 1, wherein the operating portion projects from a central portion of the operating knob.
  • 3. The oscillating switch according to claim 1, wherein the cam surface has a v-shaped cross-section along an axis of pivotal movement of the operating knob.
  • 4. An oscillating switch comprising:a lower casing; a contact circuit member provided on the lower casing and including a first through hole; a rubber switch member provided on the contact circuit member and including a pair of rubber contact portions and a second through hole; an upper casing for covering the rubber switch member; an operating knob pivotally supported by the upper casing; pressing portions formed on the operating knob for depressing the corresponding rubber contact portions, respectively; and a click feeling-producing mechanism, for producing a suitable click feeling when the operating knob is operated, which passes through the first and second through holes, wherein the click feeling-producing mechanism includes, a cam surface formed on one of the operating knob and the lower casing, a pressing element formed on the other of the operating knob and the lower casing, and a urging member for urging the pressing element to the cam surface, wherein the urging member is a coil spring.
  • 5. An oscillating switch comprising:a lower casing; a contact circuit member provided on the lower casing and including a first through hole; a rubber switch member provided on the contact circuit member and including a pair of rubber contact portions and a second through hole; an upper casing for covering the rubber switch member; an operating knob pivotally supported by the upper casing; pressing portions formed on the operating knob for depressing the corresponding rubber contact portions, respectively; and a click feeling-producing mechanism, for producing a suitable click feeling when the operating knob is operated, which passes through the first and second through holes, wherein the click feeling-producing mechanism includes, a cam surface formed on one of the operating knob and the lower casing, a pressing element formed on the other of the operating knob and the lower casing, and a urging member for urging the pressing element to the cam surface, wherein the pressing element consists of a steel ball.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
P2000-351273 Nov 2000 JP
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number Name Date Kind
5496977 Date et al. Mar 1996 A
5698825 Karasik Dec 1997 A
5803243 Nestor et al. Sep 1998 A
Foreign Referenced Citations (6)
Number Date Country
41 04 572 Aug 1991 DE
195 14 653 Oct 1995 DE
196 19 124 Nov 1997 DE
2277199 Oct 1994 GB
2792571 Oct 1991 JP
WO 9721236 Jun 1997 WO