Technical Field
The present invention relates to a low-profile switch having the decreased number of components.
Related Art
Conventionally, as a switch, there is a switch device including a rotary handle body that includes an annular rotary shaft body and an operating body projecting from outer circumferential surface of the rotary shaft body, a device body, a movable contact spring, a pair of fixed contact units, and a substantially annular spring body. In the switch device, the device body includes first and second switch terminals electrically connected to the fixed contact units, respectively, and a common terminal to which the movable contact spring is electrically connected (see Patent Document 1).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-362979
However, only use of a coil spring as the substantially annular spring body is disclosed in the switch device, and there is a limit to a low profile. Additionally, because not only the substantially annular spring body but also the movable contact spring are required, unfortunately the number of components and assembly man-hours are increased.
One or more embodiments of the present invention provides a low-profile switch having the decreased number of components and the decreased assembly man-hours.
In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, a switch includes: a base, in which a flat circular recess is formed on an upper surface and a fixed contact is disposed in an inner surface of the flat circular recess; a spring body that includes a bellows shape in which a reference form unit is repetitively formed, the spring body being annularly disposed in the flat circular recess of the base; and an operating body that includes a turning unit fitted turnably in the flat circular recess of the base, and an operating projection being provided in an inward surface of the turning unit. In the switch, when the operating body is turned, the operating projection presses an end portion of the spring body to compress the spring body, which allows a contact to be switched.
According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the spring body having the bellows shape is annularly disposed, and the contact is switched by compressing the spring body. Therefore, the necessity of the use of the coil spring is eliminated to obtain the low-profile switch.
Additionally, the spring body has a spring function and a movable contact function, so that the necessity of the provision of another movable contact can be eliminated to obtain the switch having the decreased number of components and the decreased assembly man-hours.
In the switch, the fixed contact may be disposed in an inside surface of the flat circular recess and/or a bottom surface of the flat circular recess.
Accordingly, the disposition of the fixed contact can be changed as needed basis, and the switch having the increased degree of design freedom is obtained.
In the switch, a first switching fixed contact and a second switching fixed contact may be provided in parallel at a position where the first switching fixed contact and the second switching fixed contact can contact with the spring body during expansion and contraction on one end side of the spring body in the inner surface of the base, a third switching fixed contact and a fourth switching fixed contact may be provided in parallel at a position where the third switching fixed contact and the fourth switching fixed contact can contact with the spring body during the expansion and contraction on the other end side of the spring body, and the first switching fixed contact and the third switching fixed contact may alternately be used as a common fixed contact.
In the switch, a first switching fixed contact and a central fixed contact may be provided at a position where the first switching fixed contact and the central fixed contact can contact with the spring body during expansion and contraction on one end side of the spring body in the inner surface of the base, a second switching fixed contact and the central fixed contact may be provided at a position where the second switching fixed contact and the central fixed contact can contact with the spring body during the expansion and contraction on the other end side of the spring body, and the first switching fixed contact and the second switching fixed contact may alternately be used as a common fixed contact.
In addition to the both end portions of the spring body, a movable contact unit located at a leading end of an elastic arm extending from the spring body may contact with the switching fixed contact.
Accordingly, the first and second switching fixed contacts are alternately used as the common fixed contact according to a turning direction of the operating body, so that the low-profile switch having the simple structure can be obtained.
In the switch, the reference form units adjacent to each other in the spring body may differ from each other in a height of an apex located inside.
Accordingly, because the reference form units adjacent to each other differ from each other in the height, the apexes of the reference form units adjacent to each other do not collide with each other even if the spring body is compressed by the turning operating body, and smooth operation can be performed to obtain the switch having a good operation feeling.
In the switch, at least an apex located inside may be formed into a linear shape in the reference form units adjacent to each other in the spring body.
Accordingly, the spring body is formed by the repetition of the reference form unit including the linear shape, so that the switch having the further increased degree of design freedom can be obtained.
In the switch, a leading end of an elastic arm extending from at least one outside apex may be used as a movable contact in the reference form unit of the spring body.
Accordingly, even if the spring body is elastically deformed outward by the operation of the operating body, the elastic arm absorbs the elastic deformation to control a position. Therefore, the smooth operation feeling is obtained while a desired contact pressure is ensured.
In the switch, an operating lever projecting from the base may extend laterally from an outer circumferential edge portion of the turning unit of the operating body.
Accordingly, the switch that switches the contact through the self-return operating lever can be obtained.
In the switch, an operating shaft may project in a central portion in an outward surface of the turning unit of the operating body.
Accordingly, the switch in which the contact is manually opened and closed by turning the operating shaft using, for example, a dial can be obtained.
In the switch, an operating recess may be provided in the central portion in the outward surface of the turning unit of the operating body.
Accordingly, the switch, in which the contact is opened and closed with a slotted screwdriver by providing, for example, a single thread groove as the operating recess or the contact is opened and closed with a hexagonal wrench or a hexagonal rod by providing a recess or a through-hole having a hexagonal shape in plane, can be obtained.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The spring body 20 has a bellows shape in which a reference form unit 23 is constantly repeated, end portions 21 and 22 of the spring body 20 are symmetrically formed, and waveform shapes having different heights are alternately repeated in the reference form units 23 integral with the end portions 21 and 22. A sliding projection 24 having a semicircular shape in section projects suitably in a lateral direction at an apex of an outward side surface of the reference form unit 23. The sliding projection 24 is provided such that a frictional resistance against the base 10 is reduced and such that an electric contact is ensured. The section of the spring body 20 has an aspect ratio or at least 1 and, according to one or more embodiments of the present invention, may have an aspect ratio of at least 2. The spring body 20 may be formed by press working or electroforming. As used herein, the aspect ratio means a ratio of a thickness of the spring body 20 and a width of the reference form unit 23.
The spring body 20 is accommodated in the flat circular recess 11 of the base 10, whereby the end portions 21 and 22 of the spring body 20 press-contact with the positioning projection 13 from both sides while the sliding projection 24 contacts linearly with an inside surface of the flat circular recess 11.
The operating body 30 includes a turning unit 31 that can be fitted in the flat circular recess 11 of the base 10, and an operating lever 32 extends laterally from the turning unit 31. A shaft 33 projects in a central portion of a lower surface of the turning unit 31, and an operating projection 34 projects near the shaft 33.
The shaft 33 of the operating body 30 is fitted in the shaft hole 12 of the base 10, whereby both the sides of the operating projection 34 are biased from the end portions 21 and 22 of the spring body 20 while the operating lever 32 can slide along the operating step 14 of the base 10.
The cover 40 has a planar shape that can cover the base 10. A caulking projection 18 of the base 10 is fitted in a caulking hole 41 to melt the caulking projection 18, whereby the caulking projection 18 and the caulking hole 41 are integrally bonded to prevent falls of the spring body 20 and the operating body 30.
Motion of switch having the above configuration will be described below. For example, it is conceivable that the switch of the first embodiment is applied to the case that a zoom speed is switched from a normal speed to a high speed in a zoom mechanism of a DVD camera.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
When the operating body 30 is further turned, the sliding projection 24 located in the center of the spring body 20 contacts with the central fixed contact 15 to establish the electrical conduction with the central fixed contact 15 while the third switching fixed contact 17a remains in electrical conduction with the second switching fixed contact 16b. Therefore, the zoom of the lens of the DVD camera is performed at the high speed compared with the normal speed. Accordingly, the third switching fixed contact 17a acts as a common fixed contact.
When an operating force of the operating body 30 is released, the operating body 30 self-returns to an original state by a spring force of the spring body 20. Therefore, the lens of the DVD camera also returns to the original state.
The contact is similarly switched in the case that the operating body 30 is turned clockwise. Accordingly, the first switching fixed contact 16a and the third switching fixed contact 17a act alternately as the common fixed contact.
According to the first embodiment, a recess and a projection are alternately provided in the apexes inside the repetitive waveform shape in the reference form unit 23 of the spring body 20. This is because the apexes adjacent to each other do not collide with each other in the case that the spring body 20 is operated by the operating body 30. As a result, in the first embodiment, advantageously the switch that has a smooth operation feeling even if the spring body 20 is compressed can be obtained.
As illustrated in
Particularly, as illustrated in
The spring body 20 differs from that of the first embodiment in that the sliding projection 24 projects downwardly and laterally. The reason the sliding projection 24 projects laterally is that the frictional resistance generated during the sliding is reduced. The reason the sliding projection 24 projects downwardly is that the movable contact that contacts surely with the central fixed contact 15, the first switching fixed contact 16a, and the second switching fixed contact 16b is obtained.
Because other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment, the same component is designated by the same numeral, and the description is neglected.
According to the second embodiment, the fixed contact is disposed in the bottom surface of the flat circular recess 11, so that a degree of design freedom of the terminal can be increased to facilitate optimum design of the insert molding or a die. Particularly, because the terminal is insert-molded in the bottom surface of the base, advantageously a mechanical strength is increased.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Similarly to the first embodiment, the spring body 20 has the bellows shape in which the reference form unit 23 is constantly repeated, and the end portions 21 and 22 of the spring body 20 having symmetrical shape include pawl portions that engages with the positioning projection 13. In the reference form units 23 integral with the end portions 21 and 22, the waveform shapes having the same height are alternately repeated. In the outer side surface of the reference form unit 23, arc elastic arms 25 and 26 extend laterally in the apexes located near the end portions 21 and 22, and the leading ends of the arc elastic arms 25 and 26 constitute movable contact units 25a and 26a.
Therefore, as illustrated in
The reference form unit 23 does not contact with the inside surface of the flat circular recess 11 before the operation, but the reference form unit 23 may come close to and contact with the inside surface of the flat circular recess 11 as the operating body 30 is turned.
The number of elastic arms may be one or at least three.
Because other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment, the same component is designated by the same numeral, and the description is neglected.
The operation of the switch having the above configuration will be described below.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The contact is similarly switched in the case that the operating body 30 is turned clockwise.
According to the third embodiment, because the elastic arms 25 and 26 are provided in the spring body 20, even if the spring body 20 is elastically deformed outward by the operation of the operating body 30, elastic deformations of the elastic arms 25 and 26 absorb the elastic deformation to control the position. Therefore, in the third embodiment, the smooth operation feeling is obtained while a desired contact pressure is ensured.
As illustrated in
According to the fourth embodiment, because the inside apex is linearly formed, the design is easily performed because of the simple shape, and the degree of design freedom is increased.
Additionally, the first and third switching fixed contacts 16a and 17a act advantageously as the common fixed contact.
Because other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment, the same component is designated by the same numeral, and the description is neglected.
As illustrated in
The reference form unit 23 of the spring body 20 is formed into the bellows shape in which a pattern based on a straight line is repeated, and the arc elastic arms 25 and 26 extend from the apexes located near the end portions 21 and 22.
Because other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment, the same component is designated by the same numeral, and the description is neglected.
According to the fifth embodiment, advantageously a degree of design freedom is increased.
As illustrated in
Because other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment, the same component is designated by the same numeral, and the description is neglected.
According to the sixth embodiment, advantageously a selection range of the method for operating the operating body is widened to extend the use of the switch.
As illustrated in
Because other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment, the same component is designated by the same numeral, and the description is neglected.
According to the seventh embodiment, advantageously the selection range of the method for operating the operating body is widened to extend the use of the switch.
The bellows shape of the reference form unit 23 of the spring body 20 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention means not only the shape formed by repeating the simple waveform shape, but also the shape formed by the same pattern repeated.
In a free state before the spring body is assembled in the base 10, the spring body may have the linear shape or the spring body may have the arc shape.
The fixed contact may properly be disposed in the inside surface and/or the bottom surface of the flat circular recess.
The reference form unit is not limited to the substantial U-shape like the above embodiments, but various shapes of the reference form unit can be selected as needed basis.
The switch of the present invention is not limited to the above shapes, but the switch may include the spring body having another bellows shape.
While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2011-227125 | Oct 2011 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/JP2012/056656 | 3/15/2012 | WO | 00 | 4/28/2014 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2013/054556 | 4/18/2013 | WO | A |
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1417822 | May 2003 | CN |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20140231237 A1 | Aug 2014 | US |