The present invention relates to a push button structure provided on a panel of an in-vehicle apparatus and so on.
A conventional push button structure is a structure such that a push button is rotatably supported in an opening of a panel by a hinge section. When the button is pushed, the other end side thereof is rotated about the hinge section side, and a leg protrusively provided on the other side pushes a switch inside a panel. Since the panel to which the button is attached and a board on which the switch is mounted are disposed parallel to each other, the tip of the leg during rotation travels in a sliding manner on the switch. For this reason, when the button is depressed and recovered, friction is caused on the contact surfaces between the leg and the switch, which leads to a bad operational feeling of the button.
Thus, in a push button structure of Patent Document 1, for example, the contact faces between the tip of a leg of a button and a switch are provided with an inclined face so that frictional force upon recovery is reduced, thereby preventing an event such that the push button is not returned to an initial position.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-08-111137 (JP-A-1996-111137)
Since the conventional push button structure is arranged as described above, the tip of the leg travels on the switch in a sliding manner to push the switch upon depression of the button, so that friction is caused, and/or the rotating button rubs the fringe of a panel opening, resulting in a bad operational feeling of the button, which poses a problem.
The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the invention is to provide a push button structure having an improved operational feeling of a button.
A push button structure of the present invention includes: a panel in which an opening for exposing a button is provided; a button having a leg of which one end side is supported by the panel and of which the other end side has a leg extending in an orthogonal direction to the panel, wherein the other end side is rotated about the support unit when the button is pushed with exposed from the opening of the panel; and a board on which a switch is mounted, and which is attached at an angle to the panel such that a direction tangential to a rotational path of the leg is substantially the same as a stroke direction of the switch.
According to the invention, when the board and the button are attached at an angle to the panel, the direction tangential to the rotational path of the tip of the leg of the button is substantially the same as the stroke direction of the switch; thus, it becomes possible to restrain the tip of the leg from sliding on the switch, thereby providing the push button structure with an improved operational feeling thereof.
In the following, in order to explain the present invention in more detail, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
A constructional example to which a push button structure of a first embodiment in the invention is applied to a panel 1 on the front of an in-vehicle apparatus will be described. As shown in
Hereinafter, when parts common to the openings 2-1 to 2-6 are explained, the openings are simply referred to as an “opening 2” without distinction. Similarly, the switches 4-1 to 4-6 are referred to as a “switch 4,” the rotational central sections 5-1 to 5-6 are referred to as a “rotational central section 5,” the legs 6-1 to 6-6 are referred to as a “ leg 6,” and the buttons 7-1 to 7-6 are referred to as a “button 7.”
The board 3 is disposed in a condition inclined to the panel 1 and the button 7. For an attaching structure of the board 3 to the panel 1, as shown in
a) shows an enlarged view of a push button structure. Assuming that the surface of a button 7 exposed from an opening 2 is defined as the front, one end side of the bottom fringe facing toward the board 3 is rotatably supported by a supporting section 8 formed on the back of the panel 1. Parts common to the supporting sections 8-1 to 8-6 are also simply referred to as the “supporting section 8” when explained. In an illustrative example, it is configured that a fringe on one end side of the button 7 is bent, the tip of the bent fringe is sandwiched by the supporting section 8, and also the bent section is supported by the rotational central section 5 provided protrusively on the supporting section 8. Upon depression of the button 7, the other end side thereof is rotated about the support unit on the one end side, that is, the rotational central section 5, and upon recovery of the button, the other end side is recovered by the elastic force of the bent section to the position before the depression. A leg 6 extending to the switch 4 on the side of the board 3 is formed on the other end side of the button 7. The tip of the leg 6 is formed in a sphere to thus decrease a contact area with the switch 4.
As shown in
On the other hand, as shown in
As shown in
Further, the rotational central sections 5-1 to 5-6 are disposed in positions where the distance between the rotational central section 5 and the tip of the leg 6 is the same for each of the buttons 7-1 to 7-6. As shown in an enlarged view of
Further, as shown in the enlarged view of
Moreover, a stopper section 13 for preventing the button 7 from being excessively depressed is provided in a direction projecting from the tip of the leg 6.
On the other hand, conventionally, as similarly shown in
As described above, according to the first embodiment, the pushbutton structure is configured to include: the panel 1 in which the opening 2 for exposing the button 7 is provided; the button 7 of which the one end side is supported by the rotational central section 5 of the panel 1, and of which the other end side has the leg 6 extending in an orthogonal direction to the panel 1, such that the other end side rotates about the rotational central section 5 thereof when the button is pushed with exposed from the opening 2 of the panel 1; and the board 3 on which the switch 4 is mounted, and which is attached at an angle to the panel 1, such that the direction C tangential to the rotational path of the leg 6 is substantially the same as the stroke direction D of the switch 4. For this reason, the tip of the leg 6 of the button 7 can be restrained from sliding on the switch 4, and the push button structure with the improved operational feeling can be provided.
Further, according to the first embodiment, it is configured that when a plurality of buttons 7 are arranged, the length of the leg 6 of each of the buttons 7 is determined according to the distance between the panel 1 and the board 3, such that the leg 6 of the button 7 located in the shorter position between the panel 1 and the board 3 is shortened, and that the leg 6 of the button 7 located in the longer position between the panel 1 and the board 3 is elongated, and also the rotational central section 5 is disposed in a position where the distance between the rotational central section 5 and the tip of the leg 6 is the same for each of the buttons 7. For this reason, the operational feelings of the plurality of buttons 7 can be unified.
Moreover, according to the first embodiment, the sidewall 11 of the button 7 on the side thereof where the leg 6 is provided and the fringe portion 12 of the opening 2 of the panel 1 that faces the sidewall 11 are formed as an arc surface about the rotational central section 5 of the button 7, so that no rotating button 7 rubs the panel 1, thereby improving the operational feeling thereof.
Further, according to the first embodiment, it is configured that the leg 6 of the button 7 has the stopper section 13 having a shape that projects from the tip of the leg 6 and that abuts against the board 3 with straddling the switch 4, when the tip of the leg 6 pushes the switch 4. For this reason, no stopper section 13 interferes with the rotation of the button 7 before the switch pushing section 14 of the tip of the leg 6 depresses the switch 4, thereby improving the operational feeling thereof.
Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, when the tip of the leg 6 of the button 7 is shaped in a sphere, the contact area with the switch 4 is decreased to thus suppress the friction feeling upon the depression, thereby improving the operational feeling thereof.
As described above, since the push button structure of the present invention improves the operational feeling of the button, it is suitable for use in the push button structure provided in the casing of the electronic apparatus of the in-vehicle apparatus and so on.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/JP2010/004240 | 6/25/2010 | WO | 00 | 7/19/2012 |