JP4332543B2 - Side push type push switch - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a small and thin lateral push type push switch used as an operation switch for side operation of, for example, a mobile phone or a portable audio player.

  Many of these types of side-push type push switches are mounted on the board by surface mounting in order to realize their small size and thin type, and many use a dome-shaped metal plate with springiness as the movable contact. The operating force is converted to a direction perpendicular to the operating direction and transmitted to the dome-shaped metal plate, and the dome-shaped metal plate is pushed down to operate.

As such a conventional lateral push type push switch, the one shown in Patent Document 1 is known. One dome-shaped metal plate is installed on the inner bottom surface of the housing, and the push button is supported by the housing. In accordance with the pressing operation of the operation portion protruding from the side portion of the dome, the dome-shaped metal plate moves while being guided in a direction perpendicular to the operation direction. The push button is integrally formed with the operation part in a straight line with the operation part, and the cover attached to the housing is formed integrally with the operation force of the push button in the moving direction of the dome-shaped metal plate. And an operating force in the moving direction of the push button that accompanies the pressing operation of the operating portion is perpendicular to the moving direction of the push button by sliding the tip of the hinge portion on the inclined portion. The direction of movement of the dome-shaped metal plate is converted.
JP 2005-122989 A

  In a conventional lateral push type push switch, a part (inclined part) that converts a lateral operation force into a movement direction of the dome-shaped metal plate in a direction perpendicular to the operation direction and the movement direction of the dome-shaped metal plate. Since the operating part cannot be transmitted as it is to the dome-shaped metal plate, the center part of the dome-shaped metal plate is pressed with high accuracy. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain good operating characteristics of the dome-shaped metal plate.

  In addition, it is difficult to accurately limit the excessive push-in stroke of the push button due to the overlap of dimensional errors of components and assembly, and the excessive operation force (load) due to this excessive push-in stroke causes the hinge part and tilting. There is a possibility that the initial shape of the part is deformed and the contact reliability is impaired.

  By the way, in addition to downsizing and thinning of cellular phones and portable audio players, etc., as multi-functionality is progressing, a conventional lateral push type push switch uses a single dome-shaped metal plate and is 1 in one step. Because it is a one-stage operation type that opens and closes various types of switch circuits, it is a two-stage operation type that has two dome-shaped metal plates in two stages in its direction of operation and opens and closes two types of switch circuits in two stages. There is a strong demand for a side push push switch.

  However, in the case of the two-step operation type, the switch operation stroke is longer than that in the one-step operation type, and thus the above-described problem appears remarkably.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a first object of the present invention is to provide a small, thin, and highly reliable side press capable of obtaining good operating characteristics of a dome-shaped metal plate. It is to provide a type push switch.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a small, thin, two-stage operation type lateral push type push switch with high contact reliability, which can obtain good operation characteristics of a dome-shaped metal plate.

In order to achieve the first object described above, a lateral push type push switch of the present invention uses a dome-shaped metal plate having a push button operating portion protruding from a side portion and having a spring property as a movable contact. A lateral push type push switch for converting an operation force in a moving direction of the push button accompanying a pressing operation of an operation unit into an operation direction of a dome-shaped metal plate perpendicular to the moving direction of the push button, the push button And a pusher push-down portion that is integrated with the operation portion, and an inclination that slides the pusher push-down portion after contact to convert the operation force in the moving direction of the push button into the operation direction of the dome-shaped metal plate. parts and, the hinge portion flexible with which the inclined portion is provided in the lower portion of the inclined portion is moved in the operation direction of the dome-like metal plate, and continuously formed on the upper portion of the front Symbol inclined portion, the press button A curved portion for absorbing the deformation of the excessive operating force due to excessive pushing stroke, which is characterized in that it comprises a pusher having a pressing portion, the pressing down the dome-shaped metal plate is provided on the lower side of the curved portion By adopting this configuration, the operating force is transmitted to the dome-shaped metal plate as it is, the center of the dome-shaped metal plate is pressed with high accuracy, and good operating characteristics of the dome-shaped metal plate are obtained. Excessive operating force due to the excessive push-in stroke of the push button is absorbed by deformation of the bending portion of the pusher, preventing the initial shape of the pusher inclined portion and the hinge portion from being deformed, and high contact reliability is obtained.

  In order to achieve the second object described above, the lateral push-type push switch of the present invention is the same as the lateral push-type push switch of the present invention for achieving the first object. It is characterized in that it is installed in two stages in the direction, whereby a two-stage operation type lateral push type push switch is obtained.

  As described above, according to the lateral push-type push switch of the present invention, it is possible to provide a small, thin, and highly reliable contact push-type push switch capable of obtaining good operating characteristics of a dome-shaped metal plate. it can.

  Further, it is possible to provide a two-stage operation type lateral push type push switch that is small and thin and has high contact reliability, which can obtain good operation characteristics of the dome-shaped metal plate.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a two-stage operation type lateral push type push switch according to an embodiment of the present invention before operation.

  In the figure, reference numeral 1 is made of synthetic resin which is integrally formed with three different fixed contact terminals 2, 3 and 4 by insert molding and constitutes a switch case with a metal cover (not shown). This is an insulating housing. A stepped recess 1a is formed on the inner bottom surface of the housing 1, and a part of the first fixed contact terminal 2 is substantially flush with the stepped outer peripheral surface of the stepped recess 1a so as to be a common as a first fixed contact. A contact 2a is formed, and a part of the second fixed contact terminal 3 is exposed substantially on the outer surface of the bottom of the stepped recess 1a to form a first selection contact 3a as a second fixed contact. A part of the third fixed contact terminal 4 is exposed substantially at the center of the bottom surface of the attached recess 1a to form a second selection contact 4a as a third fixed contact.

  Each of the fixed contact terminals 2, 3 and 4 is formed by punching and bending a conductive metal thin plate, and one end of each of the fixed contact terminals 2, 3 and 4 is taken out of the housing 1, and is laterally pressed. External connection terminals (not shown) are formed for surface mounting of the push switch. Each external connection terminal is fixed and connected to a printed circuit board (not shown) by soldering.

  In the figure, reference numeral 5 denotes a first dome-shaped metal plate having a spring property used as the first movable contact. The first dome-shaped metal plate 5 is installed on the step surface of the outer periphery of the stepped recess 1a of the housing 1, and the outer side is always in contact with the common contact 2a.

  In the figure, reference numeral 6 denotes a second dome-shaped metal plate having a spring property used as a second movable contact. The second dome-shaped metal plate 6 is installed on the bottom surface of the stepped recess 1a of the housing 1, the outer portion is always in contact with the first selection contact 3a, and the center portion is opposed to the second selection contact 4a. .

  Thus, the two first and second dome-shaped metal plates 5 and 6 are installed in two steps on the upper and lower sides in the stepped recess 1 a of the housing 1.

  Further, in the figure, reference numeral 7 denotes a push button made of synthetic resin and having an insulating property, which is pressed from the side. The push button 7 includes an operating portion 7a protruding from one side (left side) of the housing 1 laterally outward of the housing 1 and a pusher in the housing 1 that faces an inclined portion of the pusher described later. The push-down portion 7b is integrally formed. The push button 7 is supported by a guide member (not shown) made of synthetic resin that is fitted and fixed in the housing 1 so as to be reciprocally movable in a predetermined range in the lateral direction.

  In the figure, reference numeral 8 designates the first and second dome-shaped metal plates 5 and 6 by sliding the pusher push-down portion 7b of the push button 7 after the contact so that the operating force in the moving direction (lateral direction) of the push button 7 is increased. An inclined portion 9 for converting the moving portion into a moving direction (downward direction), and a flexible hinge portion 10 for moving the inclined portion 9 in the moving direction of the first and second dome-shaped metal plates 5 and 6; The pressing portion 11 that presses down the first and second dome-shaped metal plates 5 and 6 and the inclined portion 9 are continuously formed, and an excessive operating force due to an excessive pressing stroke (overstroke) of the push button 7 is deformed. The pusher integrally includes the curved portion 12 to be absorbed.

  The inclined portion 9, the hinge portion 10, and the bending portion 11 of the pusher 8 are integrally formed by a cantilever metal plate spring. The metal leaf spring is fixed on the inner bottom surface of the housing 1 on the lower side of the push button 7 and toward the front side of the pusher pressing portion 7b of the push button 7 from the fixed end. And a substantially semi-circular free end portion that projects upward from the tip of the arm portion and extends upward from the first dome-shaped metal plate 5. The free end portion is displaced up and down with the fixed end portion as a fulcrum, and the hinge portion 10 is formed from the fixed end portion to the lower portion of the arm portion, and at the upper portion of the arm portion facing the pusher pressing portion 7b of the push button 7. An inclined portion 9 is formed, and a substantially semicircular curved portion 12 bulging upward at the free end is formed.

  A pressing portion mounting plate 13 made of a metal flat plate passed between the inclined portion 9 and the distal end portion of the bending portion 12 is fixed to the lower side of the bending portion 12 of the pusher 8, and the pressing portion 11 of the pusher 8 is It is made of an insulating synthetic resin and is a hemispherical shape that protrudes downward with its upper part fixed to the pressing part mounting plate 13, and its substantially lower center part is in contact with the upper center part of the first dome-shaped metal plate 5. It touches.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state after the switch operation of the first stage of the lateral push type push switch according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a two stage diagram of the lateral push type push switch according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the state after the switch operation | movement of eyes. Next, the operation of the lateral push type push switch according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the state before the operation without operating the push button 7, the push button 7 is retracted to the initial position where the pusher pressing portion 7b does not press the inclined portion 9 of the pusher 8. The pusher 8 is held in a substantially free state (initial state) with almost no elastic deformation at the hinge portion 10.

  Further, the first dome-shaped metal plate 5 and the second dome-shaped metal plate 6 are separated from each other in a state where they are swollen upward, and the second dome-shaped metal plate 6 is separated from the second selection contact 4a. Here, the pressing portion 11 of the pusher 8 has its lower end substantially centered at the upper center of the first dome-shaped metal plate 5 and is pushed upward so that the lower end substantially center of the pressing portion 11 and the first dome. The substantially central portion of the upper surface of the metal plate 5 is held in contact.

  From this state, when the operation portion 7a of the push button 7 is pressed in the right direction in FIG. 1, the push-down portion 7b of the push button 7 is moved in the right direction as shown in FIG. After contacting the part 9, it slides on it. Accordingly, the pusher 8 moves the pressing portion 11 downward while being bent and elastically deformed by the hinge portion 10, so that the upper surface of the first dome-shaped metal plate 5 is substantially at the lower end of the pressing portion 11. Push down the approximate center.

  As a result, the first dome-shaped metal plate 5 reverses downward and comes into contact with the lower second dome-shaped metal plate 6, so that the common contact 2a and the first selection contact 3a are connected to the first and second domes. Conducting through the metal plates 6 and 7, the first switch of the first stage is turned on.

  From this state, when the operation portion 7a of the push button 7 is further pressed to the right in FIG. 2, the pusher push-down portion 7b of the push button 7 is further moved to the right as shown in FIG. Further slide on the inclined portion 9. Along with this, the pusher 8 is further bent and elastically deformed at the hinge portion 10 to move the pressing portion 11 further downward, so that the pressing portion 11 is second through the first dome-shaped metal plate 5. A substantially central portion of the upper surface of the dome-shaped metal plate 6 is pushed down.

  As a result, the second dome-shaped metal plate 6 reverses downward and comes into contact with the second selection contact 4a, so that the common contact 2a and the second selection contact 4a are connected to the first and second dome-shaped metal plates 5,5. 6, the second switch of the second stage is turned on following the first switch of the first stage.

  In addition, while the operation part 7a of the push button 7 is pressed and the 2nd dome shape metal plate 6 and the 2nd selection contact 4a are contacting, the ON state of the 1st, 2nd switch is maintained.

  If the pressing operation force of the operating portion 7a of the push button 7 is removed from this state, the pusher 8 returns to the initial state before the switch operation of FIG. 1 returns to the initial position before the switch operation. At this time, with the return of the pusher 8, the first and second dome-shaped metal plates 5 and 6 are reversed upward by the spring force, and the second dome-shaped metal plate 6 is separated from the second selection contact 4a. Then, the second switch is turned off. Subsequently, the first dome-shaped metal plate 5 is separated from the second dome-shaped metal plate 7, and the first switch is turned off.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the push button of the lateral push type push switch according to the embodiment of the present invention is excessively pushed and an overstroke occurs.

  For example, the excessive push-in stroke of the push button 7 cannot be accurately limited when the second switch is turned on due to the overlap of the dimensional error of the component parts, the dimensional error of the assembly, and the like, as shown in FIG. 7 is pushed excessively and an overstroke occurs, the pusher pressing portion 7b passes through the inclined portion 9 of the pusher 8 due to an excessive amount A of the pushing stroke of the push button 7, and from the inclined portion 9 It reaches the continuously formed bending portion 12 and presses the bending portion 12 to further flex the hinge portion 10 and elastically deform the hinge portion 10. Since the second dome-shaped metal plate 6 is reversely moved downward and is in contact with the second selection contact 4a, the pressing portion 11 cannot move downward and the hinge portion 10 cannot be bent. .

  In this state, the bending portion 12 of the pusher 8 is pressed by the pusher pushing-down portion 7b by the excessive amount A of the push button 7 being pushed, so that the bending portion 12 has a distal end portion of the pressing portion mounting plate. 13 is connected to the inclined portion 9 so as not to release an excessive operating force due to the excessive amount A of the pushing stroke, so that a dent deformation 12a is generated at the contact portion with the pusher pushing-down portion 7b, and this dent deformation 12a The excessive operating force (load) due to the excessive amount A of the pushing stroke is absorbed by, and the initial shape of the inclined portion 9 and the hinge portion 10 of the pusher 8 is deformed by the excessive operating force due to the excessive amount A of the pushing stroke. To prevent.

  As a result, the pusher 8 converts the lateral operation force into a direction perpendicular to the operation direction (downward) in accordance with the pressing operation of the operation unit 7a of the push button 7, and the first and second domed shapes The first and second dome-shaped metal plates 5 and 6 are pushed down to perform reverse operation, and the first and second switches of the first and second stages are turned on, and the first and second switches are turned on. The contact pressure between the first dome-shaped metal plate 5 and the second dome-shaped metal plate 6 and the contact pressure between the first and second dome-shaped metal plates 5, 6 and the fixed contacts 2a, 3a, 4a are ensured. Therefore, high contact reliability can be obtained.

  When the pressing operation force of the operating portion 7a of the push button 7 is removed, the bent portion 12a having the dent deformation 12a is swelled upward by its own elastic restoring force as the push button 7 returns to the initial position. It returns to a semi-circular shape.

As described above, in the lateral push type push switch according to the embodiment of the present invention, the operation portion 7a of the push button 7 protrudes from the side portion, and the dome-shaped metal plates 5 and 6 having a spring property at the movable contact point. Is used to convert the operating force in the moving direction of the push button 7 accompanying the pressing operation of the operating portion 7a into the operating direction of the dome-shaped metal plates 5 and 6 perpendicular to the moving direction of the push button 7. The push button 7 is provided with a pusher push-down portion 7b integrally provided with the operation portion 7a, and the push-push push-down portion 7b is slid after contact to move the push button 7 in the moving direction. An inclined portion 9 that converts operating force into the movement direction of the dome-shaped metal plates 5 and 6, and a lower portion of the inclined portion 9 that can be moved in the movement direction of the dome-shaped metal plates 5 and 6. Flexible And Nji portion 10, a bending portion 12 before SL continuously formed on the upper inclined portion 9, is absorbed by the deformation 12a excessive operating force due to excessive pushing stroke of the push button 7, the bottom of the bending portion 12 By providing the pusher 8 provided on the side and having the pressing portion 11 that pushes down the dome-shaped metal plates 5, 6, the operating force can be transmitted to the dome-shaped metal plates 5, 6 as it is. 6 can be pressed with high accuracy, so that good operating characteristics of the dome-shaped metal plates 5 and 6 can be obtained, and an excessive operating force due to an excessive pushing stroke of the push button 7 is exerted on the pusher 8. Since it can absorb by the deformation | transformation 12a of the curved part 12, and it can prevent that the initial shape of the inclination part 9 of the pusher 8 and the hinge part 10 deform | transforms, high contact reliability can be acquired.

  Further, since the hinge portion 10 of the pusher 8 is formed of a metal plate spring, durability can be improved and characteristics can be stabilized as compared with a resin hinge portion.

  Furthermore, the lateral push type push switch according to the embodiment of the present invention provides a lateral push type push switch of the two-stage operation type because the dome-shaped metal plates 5 and 6 are installed in two stages in the operation direction. Can do.

  Therefore, it is possible to provide a small, thin, and lateral contact type push switch with high contact reliability that can obtain good operating characteristics of the dome-shaped metal plates 5 and 6. Further, it is possible to provide a small and thin two-stage operation type lateral push type push switch capable of obtaining good operating characteristics of the dome-shaped metal plates 5 and 6.

  As mentioned above, although this embodiment showed one suitable embodiment of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to it but can be variously modified within the range which does not deviate from the gist.

It is sectional drawing which shows the state before operation | movement of the horizontal push type push switch by one embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the state after the switch operation | movement of the 1st step | paragraph of the horizontal push type push switch by one embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the state after the switch operation | movement of the 2nd step | paragraph of the side push type push switch by one embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which the pushbutton of the horizontal push type push switch by one embodiment of this invention pushed in excessively, and became an overstroke.

Explanation of symbols

5 First dome-shaped metal plate (first movable contact)
6 Second dome-shaped metal plate (second movable contact)
7 Push button 7a Operation part 7b Pusher pushing part 8 Pusher 9 Inclining part 10 Hinge part 11 Pressing part 12 Bending part 12a Depression deformation A Excessive push button pushing stroke

Claims (2)

The operating part of the push button protrudes from the side part, and a dome-shaped metal plate having a spring property is used for the movable contact, and the operating force in the moving direction of the push button accompanying the pressing operation of the operating part is applied to the push button. The moving direction is a lateral push type push switch that converts the movement direction of the dome-shaped metal plate in the vertical direction, and the push button includes a pusher push-down portion that is integrated with the operation portion, and the push-down push portion And an inclined part that converts the operating force in the moving direction of the push button into the operating direction of the dome-shaped metal plate by sliding after the contact, and the inclined part is provided below the inclined part and the operation of the dome-shaped metal plate a hinge portion having a flexible moving direction, continuously formed on the upper portion of the front Symbol inclined portion is absorbed by deforming the excessive operating force due to excessive pushing stroke of the push button curved When the lateral press push switch, characterized in that it comprises a pusher having a pushing portion for pushing down the dome-shaped metal plate is provided on the lower side of the bending portion. The lateral push type push switch according to claim 1, wherein the dome-shaped metal plate is installed in two stages in the operation direction.

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