1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a switch, more particularly to a rolling-ball switch that is mounted on a circuit board for changing between OFF and ON states.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
The housing includes a bottom seat 13 and a cover body 11. The bottom seat 13 is made of plastic, and has top and bottom surfaces, and four spaced-apart insert holes 131 extending through the top and bottom surfaces. Each of the insert holes 131 is defined by four interconnected hole walls 132. The cover body 11 is made of plastic, and has a top wall 111, and four interconnected side walls 112 extending downwardly from a peripheral end of the top wall 111. The top wall 111 and the side walls 112 cooperatively define a chamber 113, and a bottom opening 114 opposite to the top wall
The bottom seat 13 is inserted into the chamber 113 after the conductive ball 12 is disposed in the latter so as to close the bottom opening 114 and thereby confine the conductive ball 12 within the chamber 113.
The terminal rods 14 are inserted respectively and interferentially into the insert holes 131 by a jig (not shown) so as to position the terminal rods 14 in the respective insert holes 131. Each terminal rod 14 has an inner end 141 located within the chamber 113, an outer end 142 located outwardly of the bottom seat 13, and four interconnected side surfaces 143 that interconnect the inner and outer ends 141, 142.
In use, the outer ends 142 of the terminal rods 14 are inserted respectively into through holes 21 in a circuit board 20, after which the terminal rods 14 are soldered to the circuit board 20, thereby mounting and positioning the switch 10 on the circuit board 20. The switch 10 is tilted or turned so as to shift from an OFF state to an ON state, and vice versa.
Although the aforementioned conventional switch 10 can achieve its intended purpose, it has the following drawbacks:
1. Because the switch 10 can have various applications, the switch 10 is not always mounted uprightly on the circuit board 20, as shown in
2. Because each terminal rod 14 is configured as a single individual body, when the terminal rods 14 are inserted respectively into the insert holes 131, it is difficult to control the lengths of the inner ends 141 of the terminal rods 14 that extend into the chamber 113. Hence, difficulties are encountered with respect to controlling the quality of the conventional switch 10.
3. Since the side surfaces 143 of the terminal rods 14 are smooth, connections between the side surfaces 143 and the hole walls 132 of the insert holes 131 are weak and unstable.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a rolling-ball switch that is capable of overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art.
According to this invention, a rolling-ball switch is adapted to be fixed on a circuit board. The rolling-ball switch comprises a housing, two conducting units, and a conductive ball. The housing defines a chamber, and has a bottom wall provided with four spaced-apart through holes arranged in a rectangular array. The conducting units respectively have plate-like connecting members disposed in parallel below the bottom wall. Each of the connecting members has at least one abutment surface in abutment with the bottom wall, a first connecting surface opposite to the abutment surface, and second and third connecting surfaces extending between the abutment surface and the first connecting surface. Each of the conducting units further includes two terminals extending upwardly from the abutment surface of one of the connecting members into the chamber and passing respectively through two of the through holes. The two terminals are spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of a corresponding one of the connecting members. The second and third connecting surfaces are opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction. The first, second, and third connecting surfaces are adapted to be selectively fixed on the circuit board. The conductive ball is disposed movably in the chamber to move toward or away from the terminals.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.
Referring to
The housing 30 is made of plastic, defines a chamber 34 having a top open end 35, and has a bottom wall 31, four interconnected side walls 32 extending upwardly from a peripheral end of the bottom wall 31, and a top cover 50 covering the top open end 35 of the chamber 34. The bottom wall 31 is formed with four spaced-apart through holes 33 arranged in a rectangular array. Each of the through holes 33 is defined by a four-sided hole wall 331.
The housing 30 further has a bottom face 301, a top face 302, and four lateral faces 303 interconnecting the bottom and top faces 301, 302. The bottom wall 31 has the bottom face 301, and is substantially perpendicular to the four lateral faces 303. The top cover 50 has the top face 302. The chamber 34 has a lower section 341 proximate to the bottom face 301, an upper section 342 having a cross-section larger than that of the lower section 341, and a tapering section 343 extending downward from the upper section 342 to the lower section 341.
The conducting units 60 respectively have plate-like connecting members 61 disposed in parallel below the bottom wall 31. Each of the connecting members 61 has an abutment surface 611 in abutment with the bottom face 301 of the housing 30, a first connecting surface 612 opposite to the abutment surface 611, and second and third connecting surfaces 613, 614 extending between and interconnecting the abutment surface 611 and the first connecting surface 612. The distance between the second and third connecting surfaces 613, 614 may be larger than or equal to the distance between two opposite ones of the side walls 32 of the housing 30. In this embodiment, the first connecting surface 612 has a cutout part to facilitate checking of the soldering condition of the first connecting surface 612 to a circuit board 100.
Each of the conducting units 60 further includes two terminals 62 extending upwardly from the abutment surface 611 of the corresponding connecting member 61 into the chamber 34 via the corresponding through holes 33 in the bottom wall 31 of the housing 30. The two terminals 62 are spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the corresponding connecting member 61. The second and third surfaces 613, 614 of each connecting member 61 are opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction, and are adapted to be selectively fixed on the circuit board 100.
Each of the terminals 62 includes an insert section 621 extending upwardly from the abutment surface 611 of the corresponding connecting member 61 and inserted into the corresponding through hole 33, a contact section 622 extending from the insert section 621 into the chamber 34, and an engaging member 623 provided on four sides of the insert section 621 and engaging the hole wall 331 of the corresponding through hole 33. The contact sections 622 of the terminals 62 are provided with substantially the same height, and extend into the tapering section 343 of the chamber 34. The engaging member 623 may be configured as an indentation, as shown in
The conducting units 60 are made by stamping, and have similar dimensions. A jig (not shown) is used to insert the terminals 62 of the conducting units 60 into the respective through holes 33 in the bottom wall 31 of the housing 30 until the abutment surface 611 of each conducting unit 60 abuts against the bottom wall 31 or the bottom face 301 of the housing 30. Hence, not only is assembly of the conducting units 60 and the housing 30 relatively easy, the lengths of the terminals 62 that extend into the chamber 34 can be easily and accurately controlled as well.
The conductive ball 40 is disposed in the chamber 34, and is movable toward or away from the contact sections 622 of the terminals 62. The conductive ball 40 is limited to move within the chamber 34 through engagement of the cover body 50 with top ends of the side walls 32 of the housing 30 so as to close the top open end 35 of the chamber 34.
After assembly of the switch 200, the user may proceed with the soldering process in a manner that suits his/her particular requirements. With reference to
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The housing includes a bottom seat 70 and a cover body 80. The bottom seat 70 has a bottom wall 71, and four interconnected lower side walls 72 extending upwardly from a peripheral end of the bottom wall 71. The bottom wall 71 is formed with four spaced-apart through holes 73. Each of the through holes 73 is defined by a four-sided hole wall 731.
The cover body 80 has a top wall 81, and four interconnected upper side walls 82 extending downwardly from a peripheral end of the top wall 81 and surrounding the lower side walls 72 beyond the bottom wall 71. The top and bottom walls 81, 71 and the upper and lower side walls 82, 72 cooperatively define a chamber 74.
The housing further has a bottom face 801, a top face 802, and four lateral faces 803 interconnecting the bottom and top faces 801, 802. The bottom wall 71 has the bottom face 801. The upper side walls 82 respectively have the lateral faces 803. The top wall 81 has the top face 802.
The conducting units 90 are similar to the conducting units 60 of the first preferred embodiment. Particularly, the conducting units 90 respectively have plate-like connecting members 91 disposed in parallel below the bottom wall 71. Each connecting member 91 has first, second, and third connecting surfaces 912, 913, 914. However, in this embodiment, each of the connecting members 91 further has a fourth surface 911 opposite to the first connecting surface 912, and two spaced-apart upward protrusions 92 extending upwardly from the fourth surface 911. Each of the upward protrusions 92 has an abutment surface 94.
Each of the conducting units 90 further includes two terminals 93 extending upwardly and respectively from the abutment surfaces 94 of the upward protrusions 92. Each terminal 93 includes an insert section 931 extending upwardly from the abutment surface 94 of the corresponding upward protrusion 92 and inserted into the corresponding through hole 73, a contact section 932 extending from the insert section 931 into the chamber 74, and an engaging member 933 provided on four sides of the insert section 931 and engaging the hole wall 731 of the corresponding through hole 73.
The conductive ball 40 is disposed in the chamber 74, and is movable toward or away from the contact sections 932 of the terminals 93.
After the conductive ball 40 is confined within the chamber 74, the terminals 93 of the conducting units 90 are inserted interferentially into the corresponding through holes 73 through the use of a jig (not shown) until the abutment surface 94 of each upward protrusion 92 abuts against the bottom wall 71 (i.e., the bottom face 801 of the housing). A resin is then injected into a space defined by the upper side walls 82, the bottom wall 71 (i.e., the bottom face 801 of the housing), and the fourth surfaces 911 of the connecting members 91. As a result, a sealing member 110 is formed within the upper side walls 82 and between the bottom face 801 of the housing and the fourth surfaces 911 of the connecting members 91 after the resin is cured. The protrusions 92 of the connecting members 91 are embedded within the sealing member 110 at this time.
Like the first preferred embodiment, the user may choose to fix the first, second or third connecting surfaces 912, 913, 914 of the conducting units 90 to the circuit board 100 using surface mount technology as needed.
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From the aforementioned description, the advantages of the rolling-ball switch 200, 200′, 200″, (200a-200f) of the present invention can be summarized as follows:
1. Because the first, second, or third connecting surfaces 612, 912, 613, 913, 614, 914, or the connecting legs 63, 95 of the conducting units 60, 90 can be fixed selectively to the circuit board 100, the orientation of the switch 200, 200′, 200″, (200a-200f) of the present invention can be altered to accommodate the different requirements of users without the switch 200, 200′, 200″, (200a-200f) having to undergo complicated manufacturing processes or use high-cost bendable materials. Ultimately, the production cost of the switch 200, 200′, 200″, (200a-200f) is reduced.
2. Because the terminals 62, 93 of each conducting unit 60, 90 are simply inserted interferentially into the corresponding through holes 33, 73 in the housing 30 through the use of a jig (not shown) until the abutment surface 611, 94 abuts against the bottom wall 31, 71 (i.e., the bottom face 301, 801 of the housing 30), not only is the assembly of the switch 200, 200′, 200″, (200a-200f) of the present invention easy, the lengths of the terminals 62 that extend into the chamber 34, 74 can be easily and accurately controlled as well.
3. Because the insert sections 621, 931 of the conducting units 60, 90 are provided with the engaging members 623, 933, the connections between the terminals 62, 93 and the bottom wall 31, 71 can be strengthened.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what are considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20080073194 A1 | Mar 2008 | US |