The present invention relates to a push switch for use in an input section of various electronic devices.
With recent downsizing and improvement in quality of electronic devices, electronic components used in the electronic devices, such as a push switch, are required to be small and to provide less strain and good feel to fingers during operation. A push switch is required to be able to be pushed after being turned on, that is, to have a stroke after turning on (hereinafter referred to as “an over-stroke”) in addition to an operation stroke until the switch is turned on (herein after referred to as “an on-stroke”), providing a long operation stroke and a good operation feel.
Movable contact 4 has outer periphery 4A having a annular ring shape, and tongue 4B extending from outer periphery 4A to the center of the ring shape. Tongue 4B is coupled to outer periphery 4A at junction portion 4C. Tongue 4B is bent at junction portion 4C to incline upward. Outer periphery 4B of movable contact 4 is mounted on outer fixed contacts 3 to electrically contact fixed contacts 3. Tongue 4B faces central fixed contact 2 by a predetermined clearance between tongue 4B and fixed contact 2, providing a switch contact.
Elastic body 5 made of elastic material, such as elastomer, has rod portion 5A at the upper part of body 5, and conical portion 5B at the lower part of body 5. Conical portion 5B which is hollow and thin has an opening which opens downward. Elastic body 5 further has projection 5C projecting downward from the center of conical portion 5B opening downward. Projection 5C faces tongue 4B of movable contact 4 by a predetermined clearance between projection 5C and tongue 4B. Lower end 5D of conical portion 5B is mounted on outer periphery 4A of movable contact 4.
Cylindrical operating body 6 made of insulating resin is mounted on rod like portion 5A of elastic body 5 and has an opening at the lower part of body 6. Operating body 6 includes operating portion 6D, i.e. the upper part of the operating body, sidewall portion 6A extending downward from operating portion 6D, engaging portions 6B protruding outward from sidewall portion 6A, and stopper claws 6C projecting from the lower end of sidewall portion 6A. Each of engaging portions 6B has a predetermined width and extends vertically. Each of stopper pawls 6C projects from a position different from engaging portion 6B at the end of sidewall portion 6A.
Cylindrical cover 7 made of insulating resin has through-hole 7A formed therein. Operating portion 6D, i.e. the upper part of operating body 6, projects upward thorough through-hole 7A. Cover 7 has notches 7B in the lower part of cover 7. Each of notches 7B is engaged with a corresponding projection 1A and attached to case 1.
Grooves 7C extending vertically are formed in the inner wall of cover 7. Engaging portions 6B of operating body 6 are inserted into grooves 7C. Engaging portions 6B are engaged with grooves 7C to allow operating body 6 to be guided to be movable upward and downward smoothly without rattling. In an ordinary status shown in
Recesses 7D opening inside are formed in portions of the sidewall of cover 7 below stopper claws 6C and extend in vertical directions in which stopper claws 6C are positioned. Each recess 7D receives a stopper claw 6C positioned therein to allow claw 6C to be movable in recess 7D when operating body 6 moves downward. The sidewalls of recesses 7D guide stopper claws 6C. Grooves 7C and recesses 7D restrict engaging portions 6B and stopper claws 6C to be movable only upward and downward, respectively, thereby preventing operating body 6 from rotating or dropping out upward.
An operation of the conventional push switch will be described below.
When operating portion 6D in a turned-off status shown in
When the pressing force applied to operating portion 6D is removed, elastic body 5 and movable contact 4 return to their original shapes shown in
The conventional push switch has no portion which deforms further after conical portion 5B of elastic body 5 deforms to cause the switch to be turned on. In other words, as shown in
A push switch includes a case having a bottom face, first and second fixed contact provided on the bottom face of the case, a movable contact made of metal thin plate, an elastic body, and an operating body. The elastic body includes a cylindrical portion having a hole formed therein, a conical portion provided below the cylindrical portion, a projection located above the movable contact, and a junction portion coupling the projection to the cylindrical portion.
This push switch can provide a long over-stroke after turned on.
Movable contact 14 made of resilient thin metal plate has outer periphery 14A having an annular ring shape, and tongue 14B projecting from outer periphery 14A toward the center of outer periphery 14A. Tongue 14B is bent to incline against outer periphery 14A, and faces fixed contact 12 by a predetermined clearance between tongue 14B and fixed contact 12. Outer periphery 14A is mounted on fixed contacts 13.
Elastic body 15 made of elastic material, such as elastomer, has cylindrical portion 15A at the upper part of body 15, and conical portion 15B at the lower part of body 15. Conical portion 15B which is hollow has an opening which opens downward. Lower end 15G of conical portion 15B is mounted on outer periphery 14A of movable contact 14. Operating body 16 made of insulating resin is located on top surface 15J of cylindrical portion 15A.
Cover 17 having a substantially-cylindrical shape made of insulating resin is fixed to case 11, and has through-hole 17A formed therein. Operating portion 16D of operating body 16 projects through through-hole 17A. Cover 17 supports operating body 16 to allow operating body 16 to be movable upward and downward. Similarly to operating body 6 and cover 7 shown in
Cylindrical portion 15A at the upper part of elastic body 15 has hole 15E formed therein that opens substantially at the center of top surface 15J. Hole 15E has bottom 15H. Elastic body 15 has projection 15C located at the open center of conical portion 15B and projecting toward fixed contact 12. Projection 15C faces tongue 14B of movable contact 14 by a predetermined clearance between projection 15C and tongue 14B, and is positioned above fixed contact 12. Projection 15C is coupled to cylindrical portion 15A with junction portion 15F at bottom 15H of hole 15E.
Operating body 16 has circular pedestal 16H provided on bottom face 16G of operating portion 16D. Circular pedestal 16H has a diameter larger than the outer diameter of cylindrical portion 15A. Protrusion 16E, which is to be inserted into hole 15E of elastic body 15 protrudes from the center of circular pedestal 16H. Circular pedestal 16H contacts top surface 15J of cylindrical portion 15A of elastic body 15. Protrusion 16 is inserted to reach a middle portion of hole 15E. Two grooves 16K communicating with hole 15E of elastic body 15, are formed in protrusion 16E. Two channels 16J extending from grooves 16K to the outside of cylindrical portion 15A of elastic body 15 are formed in circular pedestal 16H. Two grooves 16K and two channels 16J provide two channels 16F allowing hole 15E to communicate with the outside of cylindrical portion 15A. Two channels 16F are located symmetrically to each other about protrusion 16E.
An operation of the push switch of this embodiment will be described below.
First, operating portion 16D of operating body 16 in an ordinary status where no operating force is applied as shown in
Protrusion 16E of operating body 16 is inserted into hole 15E formed in cylindrical portion 15A of elastic body 15. This arrangement prevents cylindrical portion 15A from deforming even when operating force F11 is applied to cylindrical portion 15A, thus preventing operating body 16 from being displaced with respect to cylindrical portion 15A. This structure provides a good and stable operation feel of the switch.
Next, operating potion 16D is further depressed in downward direction D11 with increased operating force F11 in the status shown in
As described above, even after conical portion 15B of elastic body 15 deforms to turn on the switch, junction portion 15F and cylindrical portion 15A elastically deform. This structure provides a pressing allowance, i.e., a long over-stroke, with which the switch can be pressed further with increased operating force F11, hence providing the switch with good operation feel. Range A12 where the operation stroke exceeds point Q corresponds to the over-stroke.
Two channels 16F formed in circular pedestal 16H of operating body 16 and allowing hole 15E of elastic body to communicate with the outside of cylindrical portion 15A are located symmetrically to each other about protrusion 16E. These channels prevent central hole 15E from being covered with operating body 16. Thus, air inside of hole 15E passes through channels 16F, and hence, does not produce compressive repellent force, thus providing the push switch with a good operation feel.
Then, when operating force F11 applied to operating body 16 is removed, junction portion 15F and cylindrical portion 15A of elastic body 15 return to the status shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2004-305471 | Oct 2004 | JP | national |
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20060081451 A1 | Apr 2006 | US |