CN118588477A - Switchgear - Google Patents

Abstract

A switch device includes a housing, a circuit board and a rotary switch. The circuit board is arranged inside the housing, and has an annular electrode area. An annular electrode and a plurality of conductive electrodes are arranged in the annular electrode area. The plurality of conductive electrodes are arranged in an annular shape and do not contact each other. The annular electrode and the plurality of conductive electrodes are arranged concentrically and do not contact each other. The rotary switch is rotatably arranged on one side of the housing, and has a local sensing area. The local sensing area at least partially overlaps with the annular electrode. The rotary switch can selectively rotate relative to the housing to move the local sensing area along the annular electrode area to connect one of the plurality of conductive electrodes to the annular electrode.

Description

Switchgear

Technical Field

The invention relates to an electronic device, in particular to a switch device.

Background Art

Switches are common devices in power systems that are used to open or break a circuit or transfer current to electronic components in other circuits to control the start or stop or operation of electrical equipment.

For rotary switches, encoders are generally used to achieve multi-stage switch control. However, current encoders require a complex structure and are difficult to accurately switch stages, and the cost and volume of existing rotary switches cannot be further reduced.

For example, common optical encoders on the market require the use of a light source, a rotary encoder disk, and multiple photoelectric sensors, which greatly increases the cost. In addition, the positions of the light source, the rotary encoder disk, and the multiple photoelectric sensors also need to be precisely coordinated to correctly switch the switch position, which increases the difficulty of the rotary switch process and the overall size cannot be reduced.

Summary of the invention

In view of the above, in one embodiment, a switch device is provided, including a housing, a circuit board, and a rotary switch. The circuit board is disposed inside the housing, and the circuit board has an annular electrode area, in which an annular electrode and a plurality of conductive electrodes are disposed, the plurality of conductive electrodes are arranged in an annular shape and do not contact each other, and the annular electrode and the plurality of conductive electrodes are arranged concentrically with each other and do not contact each other. The rotary switch is rotatably disposed on one side of the housing, and the rotary switch has a local sensing area, and the local sensing area at least partially overlaps with the annular electrode. The rotary switch can selectively rotate relative to the housing, so that the local sensing area moves along the annular electrode area, so as to connect one of the plurality of conductive electrodes to the annular electrode.

In summary, according to the switch device of the embodiment of the present invention, when the rotary switch rotates, the local sensing area can move along the annular electrode area of the circuit board, so as to selectively connect one of the multiple conductive electrodes and the annular electrode to each other through the local sensing area, thereby generating different signals. Therefore, the switch device of the embodiment of the present invention does not need to use an encoder or other complex optical and mechanical structures, and can accurately perform multi-stage switch control, while also greatly reducing costs and reducing volume.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a switch device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the switch device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of the first embodiment of the switch device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is another partially exploded perspective view of the first embodiment of the switch device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line segment 5-5 of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 6 is an operation diagram (I) of the first embodiment of the switch device of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an operation diagram (II) of the first embodiment of the switch device of the present invention.

FIG8 is an operation diagram (III) of the first embodiment of the switch device of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of pressing the switch device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view along line 10 - 10 of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of a switch device according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a partially exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of a switch device according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is another partially exploded perspective view of the second embodiment of the switch device of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a switch device according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a bottom view of the circuit board of the second embodiment of the switch device of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of pressing the switch device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

The following are the descriptions of the reference numerals:

1,2: Switching device

20: Shell

201: First Shell Plate

202: Second shell plate

21: Elastic parts

22: Elastomer

23: Conductor

25: Assembly port

30: Circuit Board

301,302,303,304: Luminous parts

31: Sensing surface

32: Ring electrode area

33: Ring electrode

34A-34J: Conductive electrodes

35,35a: shaft hole

36: Conductive part

361: first trigger electrode

362: Second trigger electrode

37: Back

38: Conductive area

381: first trigger electrode

382: Second trigger electrode

39: Protective film

40: Rotary switch

41: Rotating body

42,42a: Pivot

43: Ring-shaped tooth

44:Through hole

45: Trigger

46: Inner surface

47: Local Sensing Area

P1, P2: Part of the area

A1: First overlapping area

A2: Second overlapping area

48: Spacer layer

481: Light-guiding microstructure

50: Press the switch

51: Button

511: Boss

52,52a: elastic reset element

53: Conductive parts

60: Light guide

61: Light incident side

70: Outer cover

80: Base

81: Groove

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It should be noted that in the description of each embodiment, the so-called "first" and "second" are used to describe different elements, and these elements are not limited by such predicates. In addition, for the convenience and clarity of the description, the thickness or size of each element in the drawings is expressed in an exaggerated, omitted or schematic manner for the understanding and reading of ordinary technicians in the field, and the size of each element is not completely its actual size, and is not used to limit the limiting conditions that the present invention can be implemented, so it has no technical substantive significance. Any structural modification, change in proportional relationship or adjustment of size, without affecting the efficacy and purpose that the present invention can produce, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed by the present invention. The same reference numerals will be used to represent the same or similar elements in all drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a switch device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the first embodiment of a switch device of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of the first embodiment of a switch device of the present invention, FIG. 4 is another partially exploded perspective view of the first embodiment of a switch device of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line segment 5-5 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, a switch device 1 includes a housing 20, a circuit board 30, and a rotary switch 40. The switch device 1 is used to control the opening and closing or operation of electrical equipment (such as household appliances such as televisions, air conditioners, lamps, tablet computers or laptop computers, or other commercial appliances).

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 , the housing 20 is hollow and includes an assembly opening 25 . Here, the assembly opening 25 is disposed on one side of the housing 20 and communicates with the inner space of the housing 20 . The assembly opening 25 is used for assembling the rotary switch 40 .

In some embodiments, the shell 20 may be an assembled structure. For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , the shell 20 of this embodiment is assembled from a first shell plate 201 and a second shell plate 202. For example, the first shell plate 201 and the second shell plate 202 may be assembled and fixed by bonding, welding, snapping or locking.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 , the circuit board 30 is disposed inside the housing 20 and has an annular electrode area 32. In the present embodiment, the circuit board 30 has a sensing surface 31 facing the assembly port 25, and the sensing surface 31 has an annular electrode area 32, wherein the annular electrode area 32 is a local annular area on the sensing surface 31, and an annular electrode 33 and a plurality of conductive electrodes 34A-34J are disposed in the annular electrode area 32, the plurality of conductive electrodes 34A-34J are arranged in an annular shape and keep a distance from each other without contacting each other, and the annular electrode 33 and the plurality of conductive electrodes 34A arranged in an annular shape are arranged concentrically with each other and do not directly contact each other.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 , in this embodiment, the number of the plurality of conductive electrodes 34A-34J is 10, but this is not limited. The number of the plurality of conductive electrodes 34A-34J can be determined according to actual product requirements. For example, the more switch sections a product requires, the more the number of the plurality of conductive electrodes 34A-34J can be increased accordingly. In addition, the plurality of conductive electrodes 34A-34J can be arranged in an annular shape along the inner periphery of the annular electrode 33 (as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 ), or the plurality of conductive electrodes 34A-34J can be arranged in an annular shape along the outer periphery of the annular electrode 33, and this is not limited.

In some embodiments, the annular electrode 33 and each conductive electrode 34A-34J may be metal electrodes and have a conductive function. In addition, one of the annular electrode 33 and each conductive electrode 34A-34J may be a transmitting electrode (Tx), and the other may be a receiving electrode (Rx), wherein the transmitting electrode (Tx) may be electrically connected to a processor (not shown), and the processor may control the transmitting electrode (Tx) to continuously or periodically send a sensing signal (e.g., an AC signal).

As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the rotary switch 40 is rotatably disposed on one side of the shell 20. In the present embodiment, the rotary switch 40 is assembled at the assembly port 25 of the shell 20. The rotary switch 40 includes a rotating body 41 and a trigger member 45. The trigger member 45 is connected to the rotating body 41 and is located inside the shell 20. For example, the trigger member 45 can be assembled to the rotating body 41 by bonding, welding, snapping or locking, or the trigger member 45 and the rotating body 41 can also be an integrated structure.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 , in this embodiment, the rotating body 41 of the rotary switch 40 has a pivot 42, the circuit board 30 is provided with an axial hole 35, and the annular electrode 33 and the plurality of conductive electrodes 34A-34J are arranged concentrically with the axial hole 35 as the center. The pivot 42 of the rotating body 41 is pivoted to the axial hole 35 of the circuit board 30, so that the rotating switch 40 as a whole can rotate relative to the housing 20, and a part of the rotating body 41 is exposed outside the housing 20 for user operation. In some embodiments, the rotary switch 40 can also be pivoted to other components (such as the housing 20) and is not limited to being pivoted to the circuit board 30.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 , the rotary switch 40 has a local sensing area 47. In the present embodiment, the trigger member 45 of the rotary switch 40 has an inner surface 46, the inner surface 46 faces the sensing surface 31 of the circuit board 30, the inner surface 46 has a local sensing area 47, and the local sensing area 47 at least partially overlaps with the annular electrode 33. In addition, in the present embodiment, the local sensing area 47 is a local sector-shaped area on the inner surface 46, and a conductive material may be provided on the local sensing area 47 to have a conductive function, for example, the conductive material may be a metal material or a polymer conductive material (such as conductive plastic or conductive rubber). In some embodiments, the local sensing area 47 may also be in other shapes, such as circular, square, rectangular, trapezoidal or other irregular shapes.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 , a partial area P1 of the local sensing area 47 of the trigger element 45 overlaps with the annular electrode 33, and a slight distance is maintained between the partial area P1 and the annular electrode 33, for example, the distance may be 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, so that although the local sensing area 47 is not in contact with the annular electrode 33, the local sensing area 47 can still be electrically connected to the annular electrode 33 because the aforementioned distance is very small.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 , when the rotary switch 40 rotates relative to the housing 20 (for example, the user manipulates the rotary switch 40 to rotate), during the rotation process, the local sensing area 47 of the trigger member 45 of the rotary switch 40 moves along the annular electrode area 32 of the circuit board 30, and a partial area P1 of the local sensing area 47 moves along the annular electrode 33, so that the partial area P1 continuously overlaps with the annular electrode 33 and maintains mutual conduction. In addition, during the rotation process of the rotary switch 40, another partial area P2 of the local sensing area 47 overlaps with at least one of the plurality of conductive electrodes 34A-34J, so that at least one of the plurality of conductive electrodes 34A-34J and the annular electrode 33 are mutually conductive.

For example, referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 6 , taking the case where the local sensing region 47 overlaps with one of the conductive electrodes 34A, a partial region P2 of the local sensing region 47 maintains a slight distance from the conductive electrode 34A, for example, the distance may be 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, so that although the local sensing region 47 is not in contact with the conductive electrode 34A, the local sensing region 47 can still be electrically connected to the conductive electrode 34A due to the very small distance, thereby making the annular electrode 33 and the conductive electrode 34A electrically connected to each other through the local sensing region 47.

As mentioned above, when different conductive electrodes 34A-34J are respectively connected to the annular electrode 33, different trigger signals can be generated respectively, and different trigger signals can control the electrical equipment to perform different actions respectively, which is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 6 to FIG. 8 , assuming that the annular electrode 33 is a transmitting electrode (Tx) and continuously or periodically sends a sensing signal, and each conductive electrode 34A-34J is a receiving electrode (Rx), the rotary switch 40 can be rotated to a plurality of different positions, so that a partial area P2 of the local sensing area 47 of the trigger member 45 overlaps at least one of the plurality of conductive electrodes 34A-34J. For example, please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 6 , when the rotary switch 40 is rotated to the first position (the position shown in FIG. 6 ) relative to the housing 20, a partial area P2 of the local sensing area 47 overlaps the conductive electrode 34A, so that the conductive electrode 34A and the annular electrode 33 are connected to each other through the local sensing area 47, and therefore, the conductive electrode 34A can receive the sensing signal sent by the annular electrode 33 and generate a first trigger signal. Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 7 . When the rotary switch 40 rotates to the second position (the position shown in FIG. 7 ) relative to the housing 20, a partial area P2 of the local sensing area 47 overlaps with another conductive electrode 34B, so that another conductive electrode 34B and the ring electrode 33 are connected to each other through the local sensing area 47. Therefore, another conductive electrode 34B can receive the sensing signal sent by the ring electrode 33 and generate a second trigger signal different from the first trigger signal. However, the above embodiment is only an example. In other embodiments, each conductive electrode 34A-34J can also be a transmitting electrode (Tx) and continuously or periodically send a sensing signal, and the ring electrode 33 is a receiving electrode (Rx).

In some embodiments, the first trigger signal and the second trigger signal can respectively control the electrical equipment to perform different actions. For example, if the switch device 1 is used to control a lamp, the first trigger signal and the second trigger signal can respectively control the lamp to emit light of different brightness or color. Alternatively, if the switch device 1 is a color controller connected to a computer, the first trigger signal and the second trigger signal can respectively control the computer to select different colors.

From the structure and operation of the switch device 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, it can be seen that the switch device 1 of the embodiment of the present invention can accurately perform multi-stage switch control without using an encoder or other complex optical and mechanical structures, thereby reducing the cost of the switch device 1. In addition, the annular electrode 33, each conductive electrode 34A-34J, and the local sensing area 47 of the trigger member 45 are connected by overlapping, which can make the switch device 1 as a whole thinner and greatly reduce the product volume.

In addition, it is worth mentioning that the local sensing area 47 of the trigger member 45, the annular electrode 33 and the conductive electrodes 34A-34J are connected with each other at a slight distance, so that during the rotation of the rotary switch 40, there will be no wear between the local sensing area 47, the annular electrode 33 and the conductive electrodes 34A-34J, thereby improving the service life of the switch device 1. For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 , in this embodiment, a spacer layer 48 may be provided between the inner surface 46 of the trigger member 45 and the sensing surface 31 of the circuit board 30. The spacer layer 48 covers the annular electrode area 32, so that the local sensing area 47 and the annular electrode 33 and the local sensing area 47 and the conductive electrodes 34A-34J can maintain the above-mentioned slight distance through the spacer layer 48, so as to avoid the local sensing area 47 from directly electrically contacting the annular electrode 33 and the conductive electrodes 34A-34J, and to avoid the local sensing area 47, the annular electrode 33 and the conductive electrodes 34A-34J from being worn during the rotation of the rotary switch 40. In some embodiments, the spacer layer 48 may be an insulating layer made of an insulating material, for example, the insulating material may be plastic (such as polyester plastic), rubber or other dielectric materials.

In some embodiments, in addition to manipulating the rotary switch 40 to rotate to different positions so that the partial area P2 of the local sensing area 47 overlaps with different conductive electrodes to generate different trigger signals, the rotary switch 40 can also be manipulated to rotate to different positions so that the partial area P2 of the local sensing area 47 has different overlapping areas with the same conductive electrode, thereby generating different trigger signals, which is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 , 6 and 8 , taking the overlap of the local sensing area 47 and one of the conductive electrodes 34A as an example, when the rotary switch 40 rotates relative to the housing 20 to the first position (the position shown in FIG. 6 ), a partial area P2 of the local sensing area 47 and the conductive electrode 34A have a first overlapping area A1 (the mesh filling line area shown in FIG. 6 , the first overlapping area A1 is equal to the area of the conductive electrode 34A), so that the conductive electrode 34A and the annular electrode 33 are connected to each other to generate a first trigger signal. When the rotary switch 40 rotates to the third position (the position shown in FIG. 8 ) relative to the housing 20, a partial area P2 of the local sensing area 47 overlaps with the same conductive electrode 34A and has a second overlapping area A2 different from the first overlapping area A1 (the second overlapping area A2 is 1/2 of the area of the conductive electrode 34A in the mesh filling line area as shown in FIG. 8 ), so that the first overlapping area A1 is larger than the second overlapping area A2, so that the conductive electrode 34A and the annular electrode 33 are connected to each other to generate a third trigger signal different from the first trigger signal. That is to say, the first trigger signal, the second trigger signal and the third trigger signal can respectively control the electrical device to perform different actions.

To continue, specifically, when the partial area P2 of the local sensing area 47 and the conductive electrode 34A have different overlapping areas (such as the first overlapping area A1 and the second overlapping area A2 are different), the conductive electrode 34A and the ring electrode 33 can generate a capacitance value change after being connected, and then generate different trigger signals according to different capacitance values. That is to say, when the partial area P2 of the local sensing area 47 and the conductive electrode 34A have the first overlapping area A1, the conductive electrode 34A and the ring electrode 33 can be connected to each other to generate a first capacitance value, and can generate a first trigger signal according to the first capacitance value. When the conductive electrode 34A in the partial area P2 of the local sensing area 47 has a second overlapping area A2, the conductive electrode 34A and the ring electrode 33 can be connected to each other to generate a second capacitance value different from the first capacitance value, so as to generate a third trigger signal according to the second capacitance value.

Thus, the switch device 1 of the embodiment of the present invention generates different signals through the change of capacitance value, so that more switch segments can be designed within a limited space and with a limited number of conductive electrodes. For example, when the rotary switch 40 rotates so that the overlapping area of the partial area P2 of the local sensing area 47 and the conductive electrode 34A is 9/10, 8/10, 7/10, 6/10, 5/10, 4/10, 3/10, 2/10 or 1/10 of the area of the conductive electrode 34A, different capacitance values of different strengths can be generated respectively, thereby generating different trigger signals. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2 , although the number of conductive electrodes 34A-34J is 10, the switch segments can be designed to be more than 10 segments (such as 15 segments, 20 segments, 30 segments or even 100 segments).

In another embodiment, the embodiment of the present invention can also generate different trigger signals according to the change of the overlapping area between the local sensing area 47 and the two adjacent conductive electrodes. For example, when the rotary switch 40 rotates to a position relative to the housing 20, the partial area P2 of the local sensing area 47 overlaps with 9/10 of the area of the conductive electrode 34A to have a third overlapping area and overlaps with 1/10 of the area of the conductive electrode 34B to have a fourth overlapping area, a capacitance value of the first strength can be generated to generate a first trigger signal. When the rotary switch 40 rotates to another position relative to the housing 20, the partial area P2 of the local sensing area 47 overlaps with 8/10 of the area of the conductive electrode 34A to have a fifth overlapping area and overlaps with 2/10 of the area of the conductive electrode 34B to have a sixth overlapping area, because the third overlapping area is different from the fifth overlapping area, and the fourth overlapping area is different from the sixth overlapping area, a capacitance value of the second strength can be generated to generate a second trigger signal. By analogy, capacitance values of different strengths can generate different trigger signals respectively.

As shown in FIG. 2 , in the present embodiment, the rotating body 41 of the rotary switch 40 further has an annular tooth portion 43 , and an elastic member 21 is disposed in the housing 20 , wherein the elastic member 21 may be an elastic rod, an elastic sheet or a spring, etc., and the elastic member 21 abuts against the annular tooth portion 43 , so that when the rotary switch 40 rotates relative to the housing 20 , the user can feel the segment tactile sensation, and can also switch different switch positions more accurately.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 , in this embodiment, the switch device 1 further includes a push switch 50, which includes a button 51, at least one elastic reset member 52 and a conductive member 53. The rotating body 41 has a through hole 44, and the button 51 is slidably arranged in the through hole 44, that is, the button 51 can slide relative to the rotating body 41. The elastic reset member 52 and the conductive member 53 are located inside the through hole 44, and the elastic reset member 52 abuts against the button 51, and the conductive member 53 is connected to the button 51. The sensing surface 31 of the circuit board 30 also has a conductive portion 36, and the position of the conductive portion 36 corresponds to the position of the conductive member 53.

In some embodiments, the elastic reset member 52 may be a spring, a spring, an elastic rubber or an elastic rod, etc. The conductive member 53 may be a conductive column, a conductive block or a conductive sleeve, and the conductive member 53 is made of a metal material or a polymer conductive material and has a conductive function. For example, as shown in FIG. 5 , in this embodiment, the button 51 has a convex column 511 extending toward the circuit board 30, and the conductive member 53 is a conductive sleeve and is sleeved on the end of the convex column 511.

FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the pressing of the first embodiment of the switch device of the present invention. As shown in FIG9 , when the button 51 is pressed by the user and moves relative to the rotating body 41 close to the circuit board 30, the elastic reset member 52 can be pressed to accumulate elastic force, and the conductive member 53 will approach and trigger the conductive part 36, thereby generating a pressing trigger signal to control the opening and closing or operation of the electrical device. Please refer to FIG2 and FIG9 . In this embodiment, the conductive part 36 includes a first trigger electrode 361 and a second trigger electrode 362. For example, the first trigger electrode 361 can be a transmitting electrode (Tx) and can send a sensing signal, and the second trigger electrode 362 can be a receiving electrode (Rx). When the conductive member 53 approaches the conductive part 36, the first trigger electrode 361 and the second trigger electrode 362 can be connected to each other through the conductive member 53, so that the second trigger electrode 362 receives the sensing signal sent by the first trigger electrode 361, thereby generating the above-mentioned pressing trigger signal. In addition, when the button 51 is released, the button 51 can be restored to the original unpressed position by the elastic force accumulated by the elastic reset member 52.

In some embodiments, one of the first trigger electrode 361 and the second trigger electrode 362 may be a positive electrode and the other may be a negative electrode. When the conductive member 53 approaches and contacts the conductive portion 36, the first trigger electrode 361 and the second trigger electrode 362 may be connected to each other through the conductive member 53 to generate a trigger signal.

As shown in Figures 5 and 9, in this embodiment, the push switch 50 also includes another elastic reset member 52a, which presses against the button 51. The elastic reset member 52a can be conical in shape, so that when the button 51 is pressed by the user and presses against the elastic reset member 52a, a pressing touch can be generated through the instantaneous elastic deformation of the elastic reset member 52a.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 , the circuit board 30 further has at least one light-emitting element. In the present embodiment, the circuit board 30 has four light-emitting elements 301, 302, 303, 304. The four light-emitting elements 301, 302, 303, 304 surround the annular electrode area 32. The spacer layer 48 between the inner surface 46 of the trigger element 45 and the sensing surface 31 of the circuit board 30 may be a light-guiding layer. For example, the spacer layer 48 may be specifically made of a light-guiding material. For example, the spacer layer 48 may be made of polycarbonate (PC), acrylic plastic (PMMA) or glass material and has a light-guiding function. In addition, the spacer layer 48 may be a hard light-guiding plate or a soft light-guiding film.

In addition, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the light emitting elements 301, 302, 303, and 304 of the circuit board 30 can emit light and enter the spacer layer 48 respectively, so that the light is reflected and transmitted inside the spacer layer 48, so that the spacer layer 48 emits light as a whole. The rotating body 41 of the rotary switch 40 can be a light-transmitting body or the button 51 of the push switch 50 can be a light-transmitting button, so that the light emitted by the spacer layer 48 can be transmitted through the rotating body 41 or the button 51 to achieve the effect of indication.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view along line 10-10 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 4 and FIG. 10, in this embodiment, a light guide 60 is further provided in the through hole 44 of the rotating body 41 of the rotary switch 40. Specifically, the light guide 60 can be made of a light guide material. For example, the light guide 60 can be made of polycarbonate (PC), acrylic plastic (PMMA) or glass material and has a light guide function. The light guide 60 has a light entrance side 61. The light entrance side 61 is adjacent to the spacer layer 48. For example, the light entrance side 61 can contact the spacer layer 48 or have a slight gap (for example, 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm) between the light entrance side 61 and the spacer layer 48. In addition, a light guide microstructure 481 is further provided on the local surface of the spacer layer 48 corresponding to the light entrance side 61. For example, the light guide microstructure 481 can be a dot printed on the surface of the spacer layer 48 or a notch set on the surface of the spacer layer 48. Thereby, after each light emitting component 301, 302, 303, 304 of the circuit board 30 emits light and enters the spacer layer 48, the light will be reflected and transmitted within the spacer layer 48, and when part of the light is transmitted to the light-guiding microstructure 481, the light-guiding microstructure 481 will change the direction of travel of the light and concentrate it to enter the light-guiding component 60 from the light-entering side 61, so that the light-guiding component 60 will emit light as a whole and illuminate the rotating body 41 and/or the button 51, thereby improving the lighting efficiency.

In some embodiments, the plurality of light emitting elements 301, 302, 303, 304 can emit light of different colors, for example, the light emitting element 301 can emit red light, the light emitting element 302 can emit green light, and the light emitting element 303 can emit blue light, wherein the plurality of light emitting elements 301, 302, 303, 304 can emit light individually, so that the spacer layer 48 and the light guide 60 can emit light of different colors to illuminate the rotating body 41 or the button 51, so as to achieve different indication effects. Alternatively, at least two of the plurality of light emitting elements 301, 302, 303, 304 can emit light simultaneously, so that light of different colors can be mixed in the spacer layer 48 to produce more light of different colors.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the second embodiment of the switch device of the present invention, FIG. 12 is a partial exploded perspective view of the second embodiment of the switch device of the present invention, FIG. 13 is another partial exploded perspective view of the second embodiment of the switch device of the present invention, and FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the switch device of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 11 to FIG. 14, the switch device 2 of the present embodiment is similar to the switch device 1 of the first embodiment at least in that the switch device 2 also includes the same or similar components such as the housing 20, the circuit board 30, the rotary switch 40, the elastic member 21 and the light guide member 60, and the connection relationship between the above multiple components. Therefore, when the rotary switch 40 of the switch device 2 rotates relative to the housing 20, the local sensing area 47 can also be moved along the annular electrode area 32 of the circuit board 30 to connect one of the multiple conductive electrodes 34A-34J with the annular electrode 33, thereby generating different trigger signals. The specific operating principle of the rotary switch 40 has been described in detail above, and will not be repeated here.

FIG. 15 is a bottom view of a circuit board of a second embodiment of a switch device of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 11 to FIG. 15 , the difference between the switch device 2 of the present embodiment and the switch device 1 of the first embodiment is at least that the switch device 2 does not have a push switch 50, and the rotary switch 40 of the switch device 2 can also have a push trigger function. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the rotary switch 40 of the switch device 2 is slidably assembled on one side of the housing 20, so that when the rotary switch 40 is pressed, it can slide relative to the housing 20. The circuit board 30 is fixed in the groove 81 of the base 80 and has a back surface 37 relative to the sensing surface 31. The back surface 37 has at least one conductive area 38 (as shown in FIG. 15 , there are four conductive areas 38 here, but the number of conductive areas 38 is not limited). The housing 20 is provided with an elastic body 22 and a conductor 23, wherein the number of the conductors 23 corresponds to the number of the conductive areas 38, and the position of each conductor 23 corresponds to the position of each conductive area 38. The elastic body 22 abuts against the back surface 37 of the circuit board 30, and the number of the elastic body 22 can be determined according to product requirements.

In some implementations, the elastic body 22 may be a spring, an elastic rod or an elastic sheet, etc., and the conductor 23 may be made of a metal material or a polymer conductive material and has a conductive function.

FIG16 is a schematic diagram of a press of the second embodiment of the switch device of the present invention. As shown in FIG16 , in the present embodiment, the rotary switch 40 is further provided with an outer cover 70. When the outer cover 70 or the rotary switch 40 is pressed by the user, the rotary switch 40 can slide toward the circuit board 30 to drive the circuit board 30 and the base 80 to move synchronously, so that the elastic body 22 is compressed to accumulate elastic force, and the conductor 23 and the conductive area 38 of the circuit board 30 can approach each other and conduct with each other, thereby generating a press trigger signal to control the opening and closing or operation of the electrical equipment.

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 , in this embodiment, the conductive area 38 of the circuit board 30 includes a first trigger electrode 381 and a second trigger electrode 382. For example, the first trigger electrode 381 can be a transmitting electrode (Tx) and can send a sensing signal, and the second trigger electrode 382 can be a receiving electrode (Rx). When the conductor 23 and the conductive area 38 are close to each other, the first trigger electrode 381 and the second trigger electrode 382 can be connected to each other through the conductor 23, so that the second trigger electrode 382 receives the sensing signal sent by the first trigger electrode 381, thereby generating the above-mentioned pressing trigger signal. In addition, when the rotary switch 40 is released, the rotary switch 40 can return to the original unpressed position through the elastic force accumulated by the elastic body 22.

In some embodiments, one of the first trigger electrode 381 and the second trigger electrode 382 may be a positive electrode and the other may be a negative electrode. When the conductor 23 and the conductive area 38 are close to and in contact with each other, the first trigger electrode 381 and the second trigger electrode 382 may be connected to each other through the conductor 23 to generate a trigger signal.

As shown in Figures 13 to 15, in this embodiment, the back side 37 of the circuit board 30 may also be provided with a protective film 39, wherein the protective film 39 may be an insulating layer made of an insulating material, for example, the insulating material may be plastic (such as polyester plastic), rubber or other dielectric materials, and the protective film 39 covers each conductive area 38 on the back side 37 to prevent the conductive area 38 from directly contacting the conductor 23 and causing wear, thereby increasing the service life of the switch device 2.

As shown in Figures 11 and 14, another difference between the switch device 2 of the present embodiment and the switch device 1 of the first embodiment is that the diameter of the pivot 42a of the rotating body 41 and the diameter of the shaft hole 35a of the circuit board 30 can be larger than 1/3 of the diameter of the rotating body 41, so that after the pivot 42a of the rotating body 41 is pivoted on the shaft hole 35a of the circuit board 30, the rotary switch 40 can be more stable and less likely to shake during the rotation process.

In summary, according to the switch device of the embodiment of the present invention, when the rotary switch rotates, the local sensing area can move along the annular electrode area of the circuit board, so as to selectively connect one of the multiple conductive electrodes and the annular electrode to each other through the local sensing area, thereby generating different signals. Therefore, the switch device of the embodiment of the present invention does not need to use an encoder or other complex optical and mechanical structures, and can accurately perform multi-stage switch control, while also greatly reducing costs and reducing volume.

Although the technical contents of the present invention have been disclosed as above in the form of preferred embodiments, they are not intended to limit the present invention. Any changes and modifications made by any person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention should be included in the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be based on the scope defined in the attached claims.

Claims (17)

1. A switch device, comprising: case; a circuit board disposed inside the housing, the circuit board having an annular electrode area, wherein an annular electrode and a plurality of conductive electrodes are disposed in the annular electrode area, the plurality of conductive electrodes are arranged in an annular shape and do not contact each other, and the annular electrode and the plurality of conductive electrodes are concentrically disposed and do not contact each other; and A rotary switch is rotatably disposed on one side of the housing, wherein the rotary switch has a local sensing area, and the local sensing area at least partially overlaps with the annular electrode; The rotary switch can selectively rotate relative to the housing to move the local sensing area along the annular electrode area so as to connect one of the plurality of conductive electrodes to the annular electrode. 2. The switch device as described in claim 1 is characterized in that the circuit board has a sensing surface, the annular electrode area is located on the sensing surface, the rotary switch includes a rotating body and a trigger member, the trigger member is connected to the rotating body and is located inside the shell, the trigger member has an inner surface facing the sensing surface, and the local sensing area is located on the inner surface. 3. The switch device as described in claim 1 is characterized in that the multiple conductive electrodes include a first conductive electrode and a second conductive electrode, and the rotary switch can be selectively rotated to a first position or a second position; when the rotary switch is in the first position, the local sensing area overlaps with the first conductive electrode, so that the first conductive electrode and the ring electrode are conductive to each other and generate a first trigger signal; when the rotary switch is in the second position, the local sensing area overlaps with the second conductive electrode, so that the second conductive electrode and the ring electrode are conductive to each other and generate a second trigger signal. 4. The switch device as described in claim 3 is characterized in that the rotary switch can also be selectively rotated to a third position; when the rotary switch is in the first position, the local sensing area and the first conductive electrode have a first overlapping area; when the rotary switch is in the third position, the local sensing area overlaps with the first conductive electrode and has a second overlapping area, so that the first conductive electrode and the annular electrode are conductive to each other to generate a third trigger signal, wherein the second overlapping area is different from the first overlapping area. 5. The switch device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of conductive electrodes include a first conductive electrode and a second conductive electrode, and the rotary switch can be selectively rotated to a first position or a second position; when the rotary switch is in the first position, the local sensing area overlaps with the first conductive electrode to have a third overlapping area and overlaps with the second conductive electrode to have a fourth overlapping area, so that the first conductive electrode, the second conductive electrode and the ring electrode are connected to each other to generate a first trigger signal; when the rotary switch is in the second position, the local sensing area overlaps with the first conductive electrode to have a fifth overlapping area and overlaps with the second conductive electrode to have a sixth overlapping area, so that the first conductive electrode, the second conductive electrode and the ring electrode are connected to each other to generate a second trigger signal, wherein the third overlapping area is different from the fifth overlapping area, and the fourth overlapping area is different from the sixth overlapping area. 6. The switch device according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotary switch has a pivot, the circuit board is provided with an axis hole, and the pivot is pivotally mounted in the axis hole. 7 . The switch device according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary switch has an annular tooth portion, an elastic member is disposed in the housing, and the elastic member abuts against the annular tooth portion. 8. The switch device as described in claim 1 is characterized in that it also includes a push switch, the push switch includes a button, an elastic reset member and a conductive member, the rotary switch has a through hole, the button can be slidably assembled in the through hole, the elastic reset member and the conductive member are located inside the through hole, and the elastic reset member presses against the button, the conductive member is connected to the button, and the circuit board also has a conductive part, and the position of the conductive part corresponds to the position of the conductive member. 9. The switch device as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the conductive part includes a first trigger electrode and a second trigger electrode, and the button can selectively slide relative to the rotary switch to make the conductive member approach and conduct the first trigger electrode and the second trigger electrode. 10. The switch device as described in claim 1 is characterized in that the rotary switch can be slidably assembled on one side of the shell, the circuit board has a back side, the back side has a conductive area, an elastomer and a conductor are provided in the shell, the elastomer is against the back side, and the position of the conductor corresponds to the position of the conductive area. 11. The switch device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the conductive area includes a first trigger electrode and a second trigger electrode, and the rotary switch can selectively slide relative to the housing to make the conductor approach and conduct the first trigger electrode and the second trigger electrode. 12 . The switch device according to claim 10 , wherein a protective film is further provided on the back surface, and the protective film covers the conductive area. 13. The switch device according to claim 1, characterized in that a spacer layer is further provided between the rotary switch and the circuit board, and the spacer layer covers the annular electrode area. 14 . The switch device according to claim 13 , wherein the circuit board further comprises at least one light-emitting element, the spacer layer is a light-guiding layer, and the at least one light-emitting element emits light to enter the spacer layer. 15 . The switch device according to claim 14 , wherein the rotary switch has a through hole, a light guide is disposed in the through hole, the light guide has a light incident side, and the light incident side is adjacent to the spacer layer. 16 . The switch device according to claim 15 , wherein a light-guiding microstructure is further provided on a local surface of the spacing layer corresponding to the light incident side. 17. The switch device according to claim 1, characterized in that the circuit board further has at least one light-emitting element, and the rotary switch comprises a rotating body, and the rotating body is a light-transmitting body.