Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6800825
-
Patent Number
6,800,825
-
Date Filed
Friday, July 25, 200321 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, October 5, 200420 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 200 6 R
- 200 6 C
- 200 401
- 200 402
- 200 449
- 200 553
- 200 559
- 200 224
- 200 290
- 200 339
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A switch device includes two switch elements, both elements being disposed in a case and given restoring force by a common leaf spring; a cover which closes a top opening of the case; and an operating knob having two projections for selectively activating the switching elements. The leaf spring includes a compressed portion which is resiliently compressed by the cover, a pair of pressing strips which resiliently presses against each shaft of a pair of drivers of the switching elements. The operating knob presses a protruding receiver of each of the drivers, thereby selectively tilting a pair of conductive plates to output a switch ON signal.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to switch devices that are operated with a tilting movement by using, for example, an operating knob. In particular, the present invention relates to a switch device that tilts a conductive plate to move into and out of contact with stationary contacts to switch between ON and OFF modes. Such switch device are used as a driving switch for an automatic window unit in a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 9
is a sectional view of a conventional switch device. As is shown in
FIG. 9
, a case
1
includes a bottom wall
1
a
on which a first stationary contact
2
a
, a second stationary contact
2
b
, and a third stationary contact
2
c
are fixed by insert molding; and three terminals
8
which extend from the stationary contacts
2
a
,
2
b
, and
2
c
and protrude downward from the case
1
. The stationary contacts
2
a
,
2
b
, and
2
c
are exposed on the bottom wall
1
a
, the stationary contact
2
a
being disposed in the center to function as a fulcrum for tilting a conductive plate
3
. The conductive plate
3
is a metal plate with an M-shape from a side view, having a depressed portion
3
a
between two elevated portions
3
b
and
3
c
. One longitudinal end of the conductive plate
3
can move into and out of contact with the stationary contact
2
b
, while the other end has the same movement with the stationary contact
2
c
. An actuating portion
4
a
of a driver
4
is disposed on the conductive plate
3
. A coil spring
5
causes the driver
4
to constantly apply force towards the bottom wall
1
a
, whereby the actuating portion
4
a
is in resilient contact with the conductive plate
3
. The driver
4
and the coil spring
5
are mounted inside a housing
6
a
of a tilt lever
6
. The tilt lever
6
is tiltably supported by a cover
7
which covers the case
1
. An operating knob, which is not shown in
FIG. 9
, is attached to the tilt lever
6
by an appropriate method. An operator of the apparatus tilts the operating knob to move the tilt lever
6
, thereby sliding the actuating portion
4
a
on the conductive plate
3
.
FIG. 9
shows a neutral state (stand-by mode) where the tilt lever
6
is not being moved. In
FIG. 9
, the stationary contacts
2
a
and
2
c
are connected via the conductive plate
3
, and the stationary contacts
2
a
and
2
b
are kept in an OFF mode. When the operating knob is pressed to tilt the lever
6
clockwise with respect to the drawing, the actuating portion
4
a
slides on the elevated portion
3
b
of the conductive plate
3
as the coil spring
5
becomes compressed. As the actuating portion
4
a
passes over the stationary contact
2
a
, the conductive plate
3
tilts counter-clockwise. As a result, the conductive plate
3
moves out of contact with the stationary contact
2
c
and moves into contact with the stationary contact
2
b
to create a state such that the stationary contacts
2
a
and
2
b
are connected via the conductive plate
3
to be switched to an ON mode. When the force applied from the operating knob is removed, the restoring force of the coil spring
5
causes the actuating portion
4
a
on the elevated portion
3
b
to slide in the opposite direction. This causes the actuating portion
4
a
to reversely pass over the stationary contact
2
a
to tilt the conductive plate
3
clockwise, whereby the switch device is switched back to the stand-by mode shown in FIG.
9
. Consequently, the stationary contacts
2
a
and
2
b
are automatically switched back to an OFF mode.
If the tilt lever
6
is tilted counterclockwise in a stand-by mode shown in
FIG. 9
, the actuating portion
4
a
slides along the elevated portion
3
c
. However, since the conductive plate
3
is already pressed against the stationary contact
2
c
and therefore cannot be tilted, the stationary contacts
2
a
and
2
b
are kept disconnected to be in an OFF mode.
The switch devices of this type are extensively used as a driving switch for automatic window units in vehicles. In such a unit, a driving signal for opening and closing the window is output for the period of time that an operating knob is pressed, by which the window can be manually operated until the desired opening is obtained.
The above-mentioned conventional switch device has the driver
4
combined with the coil spring
5
on the conductive plate
3
and therefore requires a large housing
6
a
in the tilt lever
6
. For this reason, the tilt lever
6
requires a reasonable height and may interfere with the achievement of a lower profile of the apparatus. Furthermore, the tilting movement requires a clearance space C between the tilt lever
6
and the cover
7
. Through this space, foreign particles, such as dust, may enter and land on the contacts in the case
1
, which may lead to a loss of reliability in the connections.
In a driving switch of an automatic window unit in a vehicle, two groups of the stationary contacts
2
a
,
2
b
, and
2
c
are disposed on the bottom wall
1
a
of the case
1
in a pair of rows, each group being provided with components such as the conductive plate
3
and the actuating portion
4
a
to form first and second switch elements. When the operating knob is pressed in one direction, the first switch element outputs a driving signal for opening, whereas pressing the knob in the other direction turns on the second switch element to output a driving signal for closing. To achieve such a double-pole double-throw switch device with the structure of the conventional apparatus as is shown in
FIG. 9
, the tilt lever
6
must be assembled with the case
1
and the cover
7
very carefully without misaligning the driver
4
and the coil spring
5
. Such assembly process is extremely inefficient.
Also, in a driving switch of an automatic window unit in a vehicle, a function which enables the window to be fully opened or fully closed through one-touch operation is in demand, although adding this type of function to the conventional switch device would normally require a push switch in the vicinity of the case
1
. In such a unit, when the tilt lever
6
is tilted with an operating knob, a single-purpose driving element presses the push switch to output a driving signal for a full-opening or a full-closing operation. However, if the driving element for the push switch is disposed outside the case
1
in a preferable position where the element can operate with respect to the timing of the movement of the driver
4
, the whole apparatus may lead to a large-scale and a complex structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the conventional switch devices and to provide a highly reliable switch device having a lower profile and more simple structure and being capable of ready assembly.
The switch device of the present invention includes a case with a bottom wall and a top opening; two switch elements assembled in the case; a common leaf spring whose restoring force is applied to the two switch elements; and a cover that presses a leaf spring and that covers the top opening. Each of the switch element includes stationary contacts that are fixed to the bottom wall of the case; a conductive plate that is disposed on the bottom wall and is tiltable to move into and out of contact with the stationary contacts; and a driver disposed on the conductive plate, the driver being rotatable around a shaft thereof and movable vertically. The driver includes a protruding receiver which protrudes from the case; and a sliding portion that slides on a slope of the conductive plate when the protruding receiver is pressed downward. The leaf spring includes a compressed portion which is resiliently compressed by the cover; and a pair of pressing strips which connect with the compressed portion and resiliently urge the shaft of the driver towards the bottom wall of the case.
With the pressing strip resiliently urging the shaft of the driver, the force applied by an operating knob to the protruding receiver moves the driver and causes the sliding portion to slide on the slope of the conductive plate. This allows the conductive plate to tilt and therefore excludes the need for an external driving element for tilting the conductive plate to move into and out of contact with the stationary contacts. Furthermore, the leaf spring can be disposed in the narrow space provided on the shafts of the drivers, whereby an apparatus with a lower profile can be readily achieved. The protruding receiver, which protrudes from the case, can turn on the push switch in the vicinity of the case when the operating knob is pressed with a great force to achieve a multifunctional apparatus. The additional driving element for the push switch therefore is not necessary, leading to a low-profile apparatus with a more simple, compact structure. After the conductive plates and the drivers include in the two switch elements are disposed onto the bottom wall, the leaf spring and the cover are disposed onto the switch elements, whereby the one common leaf spring applies a restoring force to both of the switch elements. This enables an automatic assembly of the apparatus. Furthermore, because the top opening of the case is covered with the cover, the case is protected from foreign dust particles, maintaining reliability in the connections for a longer period of time.
In this structure, the compressed portion of the leaf spring includes first bent strips formed of sharply bent first longitudinal end segments extending from the pressing strips, the first longitudinal end segments being bridged; and a second bent strip formed of sharply bent second longitudinal end segments extending from the pressing strips, the second longitudinal end segments being bridged. The cover is mounted above the leaf spring disposed at the top of the case and resiliently urges the first and the second bent strips. Thus, a resilient force is applied towards the pressing strips to create a spring force therein. The leaf spring, which applies its restoring force to the switch elements, has a simple, low-profile structure and contributes to lower costs of the parts as well as a lower profile apparatus.
The structure includes sidewalls orthogonal to the bottom wall for determining the longitudinal position of the pressing strips, and guides in the shafts of the drivers for determining the lateral position. Thus, the positioning of the leaf spring at the top of the case can be performed during the assembly, as well as preventing the misalignments of the components. Accordingly, the automatic assembly becomes easier and greatly reduces the assembly costs.
In plan view, this structure may preferably have the two switch elements including the stationary contacts, the conductive plate, and the driver being disposed point-symmetrically so that the apparatus may have a smaller size.
The present invention discloses a switch device which is driven when an operating knob is directly pressed against drivers, the drivers then being generated a tilting movement to tilt conductive plates so that the apparatus can be turned on. Since a leaf spring is disposed in narrow spaces provided on shafts of the drivers, an apparatus with a low profile can be readily achieved. Furthermore, in the assembly of this switch device, the conductive plates and the drivers composing the two switch elements are mounted on a bottom wall of a case, and the leaf spring and a cover are then mounted on the switch elements, whereby both of the switch elements receive the restoring force of one common leaf spring. Thus, a highly efficient, automatic assembly of the apparatus can be achieved. Furthermore, because a top opening of the case is covered with the cover, the case is protected from foreign dust particles to maintain reliability in the connections for a longer period of time.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is an exploded perspective view of a switch device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2
is a perspective view of the switch device when an operating knob is not mounted thereon.
FIG. 3
is a sectional view of the switch device shown in FIG.
2
.
FIG. 4
is a diagram illustrating the operation of the switch device.
FIG. 5
is a plan view of a case serving as an enclosure of the switch device.
FIG. 6
is a plan view of the switch device when conductive plates and drivers are disposed in the case.
FIG. 7
is a plan view of the switch device shown in
FIG. 6
when a leaf spring is further mounted in the case.
FIG. 8
is a sectional view of the switch device shown in FIG.
7
.
FIG. 9
is a sectional view of a conventional switch device.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1
is an exploded perspective view of a switch device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2
is a perspective view of the switch device when an operating knob is not mounted thereon.
FIG. 3
is a sectional view of the switch device shown in FIG.
2
.
FIG. 4
is a diagram illustrating the operation of the switch device.
FIG. 5
is a plan view of a case serving as an enclosure of the switch device.
FIG. 6
is a plan view of the switch device when conductive plates and drivers are disposed in the case.
FIG. 7
is a plan view of the switch device shown in
FIG. 6
when a leaf spring is further mounted in the case.
FIG. 8
is a sectional view of the switch device shown in FIG.
7
.
The switch device shown in the drawings is a double-pole double-throw switch having two switch elements and is used as a driving switch in an automatic window unit in a vehicle.
The switch device mainly includes a case
10
having sidewalls
10
b
and
10
c
and dividers
10
d
orthogonal to a bottom wall
10
a
to form a pair of spaces S
1
and S
2
for housing contacts; a first group of contacts consisting of stationary contacts
11
a
,
11
b
, and
11
c
and a second group of contacts consisting of stationary contacts
12
a
,
12
b
, and
12
c
, both groups of contacts being insert-molded on the bottom wall
10
a
of the case
10
; three terminals
13
which extend from the stationary contacts
11
a
,
11
b
, and
11
c
and protrude downward from the case
10
; three terminals
14
which extend from the stationary contacts
12
a
,
12
b
, and
12
c
and protrude downward from the case
10
; a pair of conductive plates
15
and
16
tiltably disposed on the bottom wall
10
a
in the spaces S
1
and S
2
, respectively; a pair of drivers
17
and
18
disposed on the plates
15
and
16
, respectively, the drivers
17
and
18
being rotatable around shafts
17
a
and
18
a
thereof and movable vertically; a leaf spring
19
having a pair of pressing strips
19
a
and
19
b
which resiliently urge the shafts
17
a
and
18
a
toward the bottom wall
10
a
; a metal plate cover
20
attached to the case
10
to cover a top opening
10
e
of the case
10
; and an operating knob
21
supported by a knob fulcrum
21
a
around which the knob
21
can move in a tilting motion. Referring to
FIG. 4
, the operating knob
21
includes downward pressing projections
21
b
and
21
c
that are in resilient contact with respective protruding receivers
17
b
and
18
b
of the drivers
17
and
18
. The switch device is mounted on a circuit board
22
that includes a pair of push switches
23
and
24
near the case
10
. The push switches
23
and
24
have upper pads
23
a
and
24
a
, respectively, disposed below the protruding receivers
17
b
and
18
b.
The case
10
includes the two parallel longitudinal sidewalls
10
c
, the four dividers
10
d
, and the two lateral sidewalls
10
b
perpendicular to the sidewalls
10
c
. Each of the sidewalls
10
c
and
10
c
and the dividers
10
c
is orthogonal to the bottom wall
10
a
. Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 5
, the two sidewalls
10
c
have notches
10
f
on the upper edges (near the top opening
10
e
), and two of the dividers
10
d
have notches
10
g
on the upper edges. Both axial ends of the drivers
17
and
18
are disposed in the notches
10
f
and
10
g
and can be moved vertically therein. In other words, the axial ends of the driver
17
are disposed in the notches
10
f
and
10
g
in the left half of the drawing in
FIG. 5
, whereas the axial ends of the driver
18
are disposed in the notches
10
f
and
10
g
in the right half. The two lateral sidewalls
10
b
each have an opening extending from the top edge through the center to form a slit
10
h
. These slits
10
h
hold arms
17
c
and
18
c
of the drivers
17
and
18
and allow the arms
17
a
and
18
a
to move vertically. Furthermore, the sidewalls
10
c
are provided with projections
10
i
on the inner surfaces, and the dividers
10
d
are also provided with projections
10
i
on the surfaces facing the sidewalls
10
c
. The upper corners of these projections
10
i
are rounded so that the conductive plates
15
and
16
can be smoothly positioned during assembly.
The stationary contacts
11
a
to
11
c
, which are aligned on the bottom surface of the space S
1
, include a first stationary contact
11
a
in permanent contact with the conductive plate
15
and serving as a fulcrum, a second stationary contact
11
b
, and a third stationary contact
11
c
, both contacts
11
b
and
11
c
capable of being in contact with or out of contact with the conductive plate
15
. Similarly, the stationary contacts
12
a
to
12
c
, which are aligned on the bottom surface of the space S
2
of the case
10
, include a first stationary contact
12
a
in permanent contact with the conductive plate
16
serving as a fulcrum, a second stationary contact
12
b
, and a third stationary contact
12
c
, both contacts
12
b
and
12
c
capable of being in contact with or out of contact with the conductive plate
16
. It should be noted that the first group of contacts
11
a
to
11
c
and the second group of contacts
12
a
to
12
c
are disposed point-symmetrically to each other in plan view. The three terminals
13
extending from the stationary contacts
11
a
to
11
c
and the three terminals
14
extending from the stationary contacts
12
a
to
12
c
are all connected to an external circuit.
Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 3
, the conductive plate
15
is a metal plate and includes an initial holding portion
15
a
that supports the driver
17
when the operating knob
21
is not mounted; an elevated portion
15
b
having a reversed V-shape from a side view, and serving as a slope extending from one end of the holding portion
15
a
; a flat portion
15
c
extending from the other end of the holding portion
15
a
; and a movable contact
15
d
extending from the elevated portion
15
b
away from the holding portion
15
a
. The movable contact
15
d
moves into and out of contact with the stationary contact
11
b
, and the flat portion
15
c
has the same movement with the stationary contact
11
c
. Furthermore, the conductive plate
15
has four lugs
15
e
, two of the lugs being provided on one edge of the holding portion
15
a
and the other two lugs being provided on the other edge. The lugs
15
e
are engaged with the corresponding projections
10
i
of the case
10
to prevent longitudinal dislocation of the conductive plate
15
during the tilting motion. The conductive plate
16
, which has the same shape as that of the conductive plate
15
, includes an initial holding portion
16
a
; an elevated portion
16
b
on one end of the holding portion
16
a
; a flat portion
16
c
on the other end of the holding portion
16
a
; and a movable contact
16
d
extending in one longitudinal direction. The movable contact
16
d
moves into and out of contact with the stationary contact
12
b
, and the flat portion
16
c
extending in the other longitudinal direction has the same movement with the stationary contact
12
c
. The conductive plate
16
has four lugs
16
e
, two of the lugs being provided on one edge of the holding portion
16
a
and the other two lugs being provided on the other edge. The lugs
16
e
are engaged with the corresponding projections
10
i
of the case
10
to prevent longitudinal dislocation of the conductive plate
16
during the tilting motion. Referring to
FIG. 6
, the conductive plates
15
and
16
are disposed point-symmetrically with each other in the case
10
in a plan view.
The driver
17
includes a sliding portion
17
d
which extends downward from the shaft
17
a
to sit on the conductive plate
15
; the arm
17
c
which laterally extends adjacent to the shaft
17
a
to be disposed in a first slit
10
h
; the protruding receiver
17
b
provided on the end of the arm
17
c
to protrude from the sidewalls
10
b
; and a pair of guides
17
e
protruding from the shaft
17
a
to face each other over a predetermined distance. Similarly, the driver
18
includes a sliding portion
18
d
which extends downward from the shaft
18
a
to sit on the conductive plate
16
; the arm
18
c
which extends laterally adjacent to the shaft
18
a
to be disposed in the second slit
10
h
; the protruding receiver
18
b
provided on the end of the arm
18
c
to protrude from the sidewalls
10
b
; and a pair of guides
18
e
protruding from the shaft
18
a
to face each other over a predetermined distance. Referring to
FIG. 6
, the drivers
17
and
18
are disposed point-symmetrically to each other in the case
10
in plan view, thereby aligning the two arms
17
c
and
18
c
in a straight line. In other words, the drivers
17
and
18
are arranged in the case
10
in a state such that the arms
17
c
and
18
c
are disposed in a narrow space between the spaces S
1
and S
2
of the case
10
, and that the protruding receivers
17
b
and
18
b
protrude through the pair of slits
10
h
which face each other in the longitudinal direction of the narrow space. Furthermore, the axial ends of the driver
17
are engaged with one pair of notches
10
f
and
10
g
, while the axial ends of the driver
18
are engaged with the other pair of notches
10
f
and
10
g
so that the drivers
17
and
18
can easily be disposed in the predetermined positions on the corresponding conductive plates
15
and
16
.
The leaf spring
19
is formed by press-working a single metal spring plate into the shape shown in FIG.
1
. The leaf spring
19
has a pair of parallel pressing strips
19
a
and
19
b
which are connected to the compressed portion
19
c
to form a substantial trapezoidal shape from a side view. The pair of pressing strips
19
a
and
19
b
resiliently urges the shafts
17
a
and
18
a
towards the bottom wall
10
a
. The cover
20
compresses the compressed portion
19
c
to create a spring force in the pressing strips
19
a
and
19
b
. The compressed portion
19
c
includes a first bent strip
19
d
having sharply bent first longitudinal end segments extending from the pressing strips
19
a
and
19
b
, and a bridge
19
e
that bridges the end segments to form a substantially H-shape; and a second bent strip
19
f
having sharply bent second longitudinal end segments extending from the pressing strips
19
a
and
19
b
, and a bridge
19
g
that bridges the end segments to form a substantially H-shape. Referring to
FIGS. 7 and 8
, the leaf spring
19
is disposed at the top of the case
10
during assembly so that one pressing strip
19
a
is disposed on the shaft
17
a
of the driver
17
and the other pressing strip
19
b
is disposed on the shaft
18
a
of the driver
18
. During assembly, the pressing strip
19
a
is fitted between the two guides
17
e
and the pressing strip
19
b
is fitted between the two guides
18
e
to position the leaf spring
19
laterally. Furthermore, the longitudinal length of the leaf spring
19
may be set substantially equal to the length between the two sidewalls
10
b
so that the pressing strips
19
a
and
19
b
of the leaf spring
19
can be positioned longitudinally. Thus, the leaf spring
19
can be easily and securely assembled into the predetermined position in the case
10
.
The cover
20
is provided with mounting tabs
20
a
at the lower four corners, and is attached to the case
10
by bending the tabs
20
a
into engagement with the four corners of the case
10
to cover the top opening
10
e
. Thus, the cover
20
attached to the case
10
causes the pre-mounted leaf spring
19
in the case
10
to be resiliently deformed from the state in
FIG. 8
to the state in FIG.
3
. In detail, when the cover
20
is mounted above the leaf spring
19
disposed at the top of the case
10
, the cover
20
resiliently urges the first bent strip
19
d
and the second bent strip
19
f
. Thus, the resilient force is applied towards the pressing strips
19
a
and
19
b
to create a spring force therein. The spring force causes one pressing strip
19
a
to resiliently urge the shaft
17
a
towards the bottom wall
10
a
, thereby causing the sliding portion
17
d
to resiliently contact the conductive plate
15
. Rotating the driver
17
around the shaft
17
a
, therefore, causes the sliding portion
17
d
to slide on the conductive plate
15
, also causing the conductive plate
15
to tilt. Similarly, the same spring force causes the other pressing strip
19
b
to resiliently urge the shaft
18
a
towards the bottom wall
10
a
, thereby causing the sliding portion
18
d
to resiliently contact the conductive plate
16
. Rotating the driver
18
around the shaft
18
a
, therefore, causes the sliding portion
18
d
to slide on the conductive plate
16
, also causing the conductive plate
16
to tilt.
The switch device described above includes a first switching element having the space S
1
for housing components such as the stationary contacts
11
a
to
11
c
, the conductive plate
15
, the driver
17
, and the pressing strip
19
a
; and a second switching element having the space S
2
for housing components such as the stationary contacts
12
a
to
12
c
, the conductive plate
16
, the driver
18
, and the pressing strip
19
b
. The first and second switching elements are arranged in parallel in the case
10
and receives the restoring force of one common leaf spring
19
.
When the switch device is installed in an automatic window unit in a vehicle, the operating knob
21
(with reference to
FIG. 4
) is mounted on the top of the case
10
. In this mounting process, the pair of pressing projections
21
b
and
21
c
of the operating knob
21
are brought into resilient contact with the respective protruding receivers
17
b
and
18
b
to create a pretension which eliminates the backlash between the operating knob
21
and the drivers
17
and
18
. In such a pretension state, the sliding portions
17
d
and
18
d
are positioned near the bottom of the slopes of the respective elevated portions
15
b
and
16
b
. When the operating knob
21
is removed, as is shown in
FIG. 3
, the sliding portions
17
d
and
18
d
, respectively, come into contact with the initial holding portions
15
a
and
16
a
to slightly raise the protruding receivers
17
b
and
18
b
. The movement of the drivers
17
and
18
from the state in
FIG. 3
to the pre-tension state may be estimated to determine the initial positions of the drivers
17
and
18
and the shapes of the conductive plates
15
and
16
. This estimation facilitates a structure that allows the protruding receivers
17
b
and
18
b
to have a large vertical motion when the sliding portions
17
d
and
18
d
slide on the conductive plates
15
and
16
.
The operation of the switch device including the above components will now be described. In the stand-by mode free of an operating force (the pre-tension state described previously), the sliding portion
17
d
of the driver
17
is in resilient contact with the bottom slope of the elevated portion
15
b
of the conductive plate
15
. Hence, the stationary contacts
11
a
and
11
c
are electrically connected via the conductive plate
15
, whereas the stationary contacts
11
a
and
11
b
remain in an OFF mode. In the same manner, the sliding portion
18
d
of the driver
18
is in resilient contact with the bottom slope of the elevated portion
16
b
of the conductive plate
16
. Hence, the stationary contacts
12
a
and
12
c
are electrically connected via the conductive plate
16
, whereas the stationary contacts
12
a
and
12
b
remain in an OFF mode.
When force is applied to the operating knob
21
, as is shown with the arrow in
FIG. 4
, the pressing projection
21
b
presses the protruding receiver
17
b
of the driver
17
. As the receiver
17
b
is pressed, the arm
17
c
moves counterclockwise in the drawing. The sliding portion
17
d
then slides upward along the slope of the elevated portion
15
b
of the conductive plate
15
. Finally, the shaft
17
a
is slightly raised against the pressing strip
19
a
. The sliding portion
17
d
then passes over the stationary contact
11
a
and tilts the conductive plate
15
, resulting in the state shown in FIG.
4
. As a result, the flat portion
15
c
moves out of contact with the stationary contact
11
c
while the movable contact
15
d
contacts the stationary contact
11
b
. The stationary contacts
11
a
and
11
b
are thus electrically connected, whereby a switch ON signal (a driving signal for opening a window) is output from the terminals
13
.
When the operating force is removed from the operating knob
21
in the state shown in
FIG. 4
, the restoring force of the pressing strip
19
a
is applied to the shaft
17
a
of the driver
17
, and thereby sliding the sliding portion
17
d
downward along the slope of the elevated portion
15
b
. When the sliding portion
17
d
reversely passes over the stationary contact
11
a
, the conductive plate
15
is tilted in reverse, that is, counterclockwise in the drawing, and the pressing projection
21
b
is pressed upward by the protruding receiver
17
b
. As a result, the movable contact
15
d
moves out of contact with the stationary contact
11
b
while the flat portion
15
c
moves into contact with the stationary contact
11
c
. The stationary contacts
11
a
and
11
b
are thus disconnected, whereby a switch OFF signal is output from the terminals
13
and the stand-by mode in which the operating knob
21
is substantially horizontal is recovered.
Another feature of the operation of this apparatus will be described. When the operating knob
21
is further pressed in the state of
FIG. 4
, the sliding portion
17
d
slides further along the elevated portion
15
b
, whereby the shaft
17
a
receives a greater resilient force from the pressing strip
19
a
. With the protruding receiver
17
b
being further pressed downward by the pressing projection
21
b
, the receiver
17
b
pushes the upper pad
23
a
to turn on the push switch
23
. The push switch
23
then outputs a driving signal for fully opening the window. When the operating force is removed from the operating knob
21
in this state, the force of the pressing strip
19
a
causes the sliding portion
17
d
to slide downward along the slope of the elevated portion
15
b
, thereby hanging back to the state in FIG.
4
and then to the stand-by mode.
When the operating knob
21
is tilted in the stand-by mode so as to push the pressing projection
21
c
against the protruding receiver
18
b
of the driver
18
, the arm
18
c
moves and the sliding portion
18
d
slides upward along the slope of the elevated portion
16
b
. This causes the shaft
18
a
to be pressed against the pressing strip
19
b
and allows the sliding portion
18
d
to pass over the stationary contact
12
a
to tilt the conductive plate
16
. The stationary contacts
12
a
and
12
b
are thus electrically connected, and a switch ON signal (a driving signal for closing the window) is output from the terminals
14
. When the operating knob
21
is further pressed, the pressing projection
21
c
pushes the upper pad
24
a
via the protruding receiver
18
b
, thereby allowing the push switch
24
to be turned on to output a driving signal for fully closing the window. When the operating force is removed, the resilient force of the pressing strip
19
b
causes the sliding portion
18
d
to slide downward along the slope of the elevated portion
16
b
. As a result, the conductive plate
16
is tilted in reverse while the protruding receiver
18
b
pushes the pressing projection
21
c
upward to be changed back to the stand-by mode.
As described above, the switch device of this embodiment allows the operating knob
21
to directly press against the drivers
17
and
18
and therefore does not require other intermediate driving elements. Furthermore, the leaf spring
19
disposed in the narrow space on the shafts
17
a
and
18
a
can provide an apparatus with a lower profile. In this apparatus, the push switches
23
and
24
is turned on when the protruding receivers
17
b
and
18
b
are pressed with the operating knob
21
, enabling an operation without an external driving element for the push switches. Furthermore, this multifunctional apparatus performs manual operation as well as full-opening and full-closing operations and accomplishes compactness and low profile without having a complex structure.
In the assembly of this switch device, the conductive plates
15
and
16
and the drivers
17
and
18
composing the two switch elements are mounted on the bottom wall
10
a
of the case
10
, and the leaf spring
19
and the cover
20
are then mounted on the switch elements. This assembly process is efficient. Furthermore, during the mounting of the cover
20
, the compressed portion
19
c
of the leaf spring
19
is urged by the cover
20
, creating spring forces in the pressing strips
19
a
and
19
b
. Consequently, both of the switch elements receive the restoring force of one common leaf spring
19
. The positioning of the conductive plates
15
and
16
with the projections
10
i
in the case
10
, the positioning of the drivers
17
and
18
with the notches
10
f
and
10
g
and with the slits
10
h
, and the positioning of the leaf spring
19
with the sidewalls
10
c
and with the guides
17
e
and
18
e
in the drivers
17
and
18
during the assembly enables automatic assembly of the apparatus without misalignment of components. Thus, the assembly costs can be greatly reduced. Since the top opening
10
e
of the case
10
is covered with the cover
20
, the switch device is protected from the entry of foreign dust particles into the case
10
, preventing poor connection and short circuiting to achieve a high reliability of the apparatus for a longer period of time.
In the switch device of this embodiment, the two switch elements are arranged point-symmetrically in plan view. Specifically, all the stationary contacts
11
a
to
11
c
and the stationary contacts
12
a
to
12
c
, the conductive plate
15
and conductive plate
16
, and the driver
17
and the driver
18
are arranged point-symmetrically. This contributes to the compactness of the apparatus for effectively using the spaces provided in the case
10
. Furthermore, the sidewalls
10
c
and the dividers
10
d
are provided with the notches
10
f
and
10
g
in which the axial ends of the drivers
17
and
18
are fitted and can move vertically, and the sidewalls
10
b
have slits
10
h
in which the arms
17
c
and
18
c
are fitted and can move vertically, thereby maintaining the space for moving the drivers
17
and
18
while minimizing the height of the case
10
.
The switch device of this embodiment has a structure in which the driver
17
is disposed between the conductive plate
15
and the pressing strips
19
a
, and the driver
18
is disposed between the conductive plate
16
and the pressing strip
19
b
. This structure allows the sliding portions
17
d
and
18
d
, respectively, to resiliently contact the conductive plates
15
and
16
, and also allows the protruding receivers
17
b
and
18
b
, respectively, to resiliently contact the pressing projections
21
b
and
21
c
. Accordingly, the leaf spring
19
resiliently urges the shafts
17
a
and
18
a
towards the conductive plates
15
and
16
. When force is not applied on the operating knob
21
, a resilient force tries to move the sliding portions
17
d
and
18
d
downward along the slope of the elevated portions
15
b
and
16
b
, causing the protruding receivers
17
b
and
18
b
to resiliently bias upward against the pressing projections
21
b
and
21
c
of the operating knob
21
. On the other hand, when force is applied on the operating knob
21
, the pressing projection
21
b
(or
21
c
) directly presses the protruding receiver
17
b
(or
18
b
) to move the sliding portion
17
d
(or
18
d
) on the conductive plate
15
(or
16
), whereas the removal of the force on the operating knob
21
causes the protruding receiver
17
b
(or
18
b
) to press against the operating knob
21
. In this manner, the backlashes between the operating knob
21
and the drivers
17
and
18
are prevented during operation, thereby always achieving a good manipulation of the apparatus.
Claims
- 1. A switch device comprising:a case having a bottom wall and a top opening; two switch elements assembled in the case; a common leaf spring whose restoring force is applied to the two switch elements; and a cover that presses the leaf spring and covers the top opening; wherein each of the switch elements comprises: stationary contacts that are fixed to the bottom wall of the case; a conductive plate that is disposed on the bottom wall and is tiltable to move into and out of contact with the stationary contacts; and a driver disposed on the conductive plate, the driver being rotatable around a shaft thereof and movable vertically; wherein the driver comprises: a protruding receiver which protrudes from the case; and a sliding portion that slides on a slope of the conductive plate when the protruding receiver is pressed downward; and wherein the leaf spring comprises: a compressed portion which is resiliently compressed by the cover; and a pair of pressing strips which connect with the compressed portion and resiliently urges the shaft of the driver towards the bottom wall of the case.
- 2. The switch device according to claim 1, wherein the compressed portion of the leaf spring comprises first bent strips formed of sharply bent first longitudinal end segments extending from the pressing strips, the first longitudinal end segments being bridged; and second bent strips formed of sharply bent second longitudinal end segments extending from the pressing strips, the second longitudinal end segments being bridged.
- 3. The switch device according to claim 1, wherein the case further has sidewalls, orthogonal to the bottom wall, for determining a longitudinal position of the pressing strips, and the driver further comprises guides on the shaft for determining a lateral position of the pressing strips.
- 4. The switch device according to claim 1, wherein the two switch elements are disposed point-symmetrically in plan view.
Priority Claims (1)
| Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
| 2002-221400 |
Jul 2002 |
JP |
|
US Referenced Citations (7)
