JPH01109619A - Push-button switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the error operation of an operating member as well as to reduce the number of parts of an electron appliance by incorporating a projection member which projects out of the armoring cover of the electron appliance and exercises a function different from the operating member at a base member. CONSTITUTION:A rubber switch 2 is composed by forming the whole body of a base 2b to hold the key top 2a of an operating member movable integrally with an elastic material. Adding to this composition, a projection member 2d is incorporated to the base 3b at the upper side ot the base 2b. The member 2d projects from the upper side of an upper cover 1 through a hole 1b formed at the upper cover 1. In this case, the member 2d is composed projecting at the four corners of the upper side of the cover 4, to prevent an error operation by contacting the key top 2a to some part when the electron appliance is turned over, for example. In such a composition, the number of parts can be reduced as well as the key top 2a can be prevented from an error operation.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a pushbutton switch provided as an input means or operation means in various electronic devices, and in particular to an operating member for operating the pushbutton switch, and the operating member. The present invention relates to a pushbutton switch in which a base member movably supporting the pushbutton switch is integrally molded from an elastic material.

[Prior Art] FIG. 5 illustrates the structure of a switch called a rubber switch, which is used to construct a keyboard in a small electronic device such as a calculator, as an example of the above-mentioned type of pushbutton switch. This shows a cross section of the area around the switch of an electronic device incorporating the same switch.

In FIG. 5, reference numerals 1 and 3 indicate an upper cover and a lower cover, respectively, and the outer cover of the electronic device is constructed by vertically connecting the two force bars 1.3.

Reference numeral 2 is the above-mentioned rubber switch, and the key top 2a, which is an operating member for operating the switch 2, and the plate-shaped base portion 2b that movably supports the key top 2a are made of rubber or rubber. The entire body is integrally molded from an elastic material. A plurality of key tops 2a are formed and supported movably in the directions of arrows A and B on a base portion 2b via thin trapezoidal support portions 2c. Further, an elastic conductive member 2h is provided on the back surface of the key top 2a.

In the rubber switch 2, various electronic components 5 constituting the electronic circuit of the electronic device are mounted inside the exterior cover of the electronic device, which is composed of a bidirectional bar 1.3, and the wiring pattern of the circuit is provided on the surface. It is mounted and provided on the circuit board 4. An elastic conductive member 2h is arranged on the back surface of each of the key tops 2a of the rubber switch 2 so as to face each of a plurality of pairs of switch patterns of a key input circuit (not shown) provided on the circuit board 4. It is located.

Further, each of the key tops 2a is arranged so as to protrude above the upper cover 1 so as to be movable up and down in the directions of arrows A and B through holes 1a formed in the upper cover 1.

With this structure, when the key top 2a is pressed down, the conductive member 2h on the back side of the key top 2a comes into contact with a pair of switch patterns (not shown) on the circuit board 4 facing it, shorting them. This allows switch input to be performed.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, in various small electronic devices equipped with push button switches such as rubber switches as described above, if the electronic device is turned over on a desk or the like and the key top hits something. It is necessary to prevent incorrect operation. For this purpose, a structure is adopted in which a protruding member that protrudes to a higher position than the key top when not pressed on the upper surface of the upper cover where the key top is arranged is integrally molded with the upper cover or provided as a separate member. ing. Additionally, in these electronic devices, it is necessary to provide feet to protect the outer cover from damage, and for this reason, a structure is adopted in which protruding members that protrude as feet are provided either integrally with the lower cover or separately. There is.

Furthermore, since the exterior cover is made of a slippery material such as plastic or metal, a protruding member that protrudes outside the exterior cover to prevent slipping is provided integrally or separately with the cover.

However, when these various protruding members are configured separately from the exterior cover, there is a problem that the number of parts of the electronic device increases accordingly, the number of assembly steps increases, and the manufacturing cost of the electronic device increases.

On the other hand, when these protruding members are configured integrally with the exterior cover, the original appearance of the protruding members, such as the original gloss, is the same as the exterior cover, but since the protruding members protrude, they are easily scratched and are not used. As the color changes, the appearance changes over time, such as by becoming glossy, detracting from the overall appearance. In addition, since the exterior cover is made of a slippery and hard material as mentioned above, a protruding member that functions as a buffer against mechanical force applied to the electronic device from the outside or as a non-slip member is integrally molded with the exterior cover. In this case, since the protruding member is naturally made of the same material as the exterior cover, the material of the protruding member is not suitable for the function of the protruding member, and the function cannot be fully obtained.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve these problems, according to the present invention, an operating member for operating a pushbutton switch and a base member movably supporting the operating member are made of elastic material. The pushbutton switch is integrally molded from a material, and employs a structure in which a protrusion member is integrally molded on the base member and protrudes outside the exterior cover of the electronic device in which the pushbutton switch is incorporated, and has a function different from the operation member. .

[Function] According to such a configuration, the above protruding member is integrally molded with the base member of the pushbutton switch, so the number of parts of the electronic device in which the pushbutton switch is incorporated, that is, the electronic device in which the protruding member is provided, is reduced. In addition to reducing the number of protruding members, the number of assembly steps can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost of electronic devices can be reduced. Further, the material of the protruding member made of an elastic material is optimal as a protective protruding member that buffers mechanical force applied from the outside. In addition, elastic materials have a large coefficient of friction and are ideal for forming anti-slip materials. In addition, the protruding member is separate from the exterior member and has a different appearance from the beginning, and since it is made of an elastic material, it does not become shiny even when rubbed, so the exterior of the protruding member portion may change over time. This prevents the overall appearance of the electronic device from being damaged.

[Example] Hereinafter, details of an example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. In addition, here, a rubber switch installed in the aforementioned small electronic device is used as an example, and in these figures, the same reference numerals are given to the parts common or equivalent to those in FIG. 5 of the conventional example, and the explanation thereof is as follows. Omit it or only mention it briefly.

Figures 1 and 2 explain the structure of a rubber switch according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 1 shows a cross section of the peripheral area of the rubber switch of an electronic device incorporating the rubber switch. , FIG. 2 shows the overall appearance of an electronic device incorporating a rubber switch. Note that FIG. 2 also shows a protruding member 2g provided in a third embodiment to be described later.

As shown in FIG. 1, the basic structure of the rubber switch 2 of this embodiment is the same as that of the conventional example described above, and includes a base portion 2b that movably supports the key top 2a of the operating member. The entire body is integrally formed from rubber or an elastic material similar to rubber. The rubber switch 2 is also mounted on a circuit board 4 within the exterior cover of the electronic device, which is composed of an upper cover 1 and a lower cover 3, as in the conventional case. The key top 2a is disposed so as to protrude above the upper cover 1 so as to be movable up and down in the directions of arrows A and B through a hole 1a provided in the upper cover 1. In addition, key top 2
A is formed in plural numbers, each as a key top 2a of a numeric keypad or other function keys constituting a keyboard of an electronic device, as shown in FIG.
It is arranged on the upper cover 1. In addition to the key tops 2a, the upper cover 1 is provided with a display 6 such as a liquid crystal display for displaying input/output processing data of the electronic device.

By the way, in addition to the basic structure similar to the conventional one as described above, the rubber switch 2 of this embodiment has a protruding member indicated by the reference numeral 2d in FIG. be. The protruding member 2d protrudes onto the upper cover 1 through a 61b formed on the upper cover 1.

Here, the protruding member 2d is provided to prevent the electronic device shown in FIG. 2 from being turned upside down on a desk, for example, and to prevent each key top 2a from coming into contact with something and being operated erroneously. It is configured to protrude from each of the four corners of the top surface. Further, the height of the protruding member 2d protruding from above the upper cover 1 does not need to be higher than the key top 2a, and at least the difference in height between the key top and the protruding member 2d is greater than the pressing stroke of the key top. It would be a good thing if it were smaller. In addition, the protruding member 2d is made of an elastic material and may buckle if external force is applied to it. Therefore, the diameter of the hole 1b of the upper cover 1 through which the protruding part 2d is pushed is set relative to the protruding member 2d so that the protruding part 2d does not buckle. In addition, the portion around the 61b is made thick as a restraining portion 1c that restrains the protruding member 2d.

In addition, in the rubber switch 2 of this embodiment, this protruding member 2
In addition to d, in order to protect the display device 6 shown in FIG. 2 from external mechanical forces, a protruding member 2d similar to the protruding member 2d is provided.
' Attach the base part 2b of the rubber switch 2 so that it protrudes from each of the four corners around the display 6 on the upper cover 1.
It shall be provided by integral molding.

Note that the external shape of each of the protruding members 2d and 2d' is different from that of the key top 2a so that the user of the electronic device does not mistake them for each of the key tops 2a.

According to the rubber switch 2 of this embodiment as described above, the protruding members 2d and 2d' integrally molded on the base portion 2b prevent the key top 2a from being erroneously operated when the electronic device is turned over as described above. In addition, the display device 6 can be protected from external mechanical force.

Furthermore, since the protruding members 2d and 2d' are made of an elastic material, they effectively buffer mechanical forces applied from the outside and protect the electronic device as a whole. Furthermore, since the protruding members 2d and 2d', both made of elastic materials, have a large coefficient of friction,
It also functions effectively to prevent electronic equipment from slipping, and from that point of view it also protects the entire electronic equipment.

According to this embodiment, the above-mentioned functions can be obtained by the protruding members 2d and 2d', and the protruding members 2
Since d and 2d' are integrated into the rubber switch 2, the number of parts of the electronic device can be reduced accordingly, and the number of man-hours for assembling them can also be reduced, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the electronic device.

In addition, the protruding members 2d and 2d' are separate from the upper cover 1, and have a different appearance from the upper cover 1, and are difficult to become shiny even when rubbed. , 2d' changes over time, so that the overall appearance of the electronic device is not impaired.

11 Straight 11 By the way, the protruding members that can be integrally molded on the rubber switch 2 are not limited to those described above. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 as a second embodiment of the present invention, a protruding member 2e serving as a foot and a non-slip member is integrally molded on the lower surface of the base portion 2b of the rubber switch 2, and a hole 3a formed in the lower cover 3 is It is conceivable to provide it so as to protrude below the lower cover 3 through the lower cover 3. In this case, the lower end surface 2f of the protruding member 2e is formed with fine irregularities, such as a satin-like texture, to increase the coefficient of friction and improve ground contact as a non-slip surface.

Further, in order to prevent the protruding member from being pushed into the exterior cover when a large load is applied to the protruding member 2e, the portion of the upper cover 1 that faces the protruding member 2e is provided with the protruding member 2e.
The receiver that comes into contact with and receives is formed to have a large wall thickness as a portion 1d.

Furthermore, in order to prevent the protruding member 2e from buckling when an external force is applied to the protruding member 2e, the upper part of the lower cover 3 around the hole 3a is made thicker as a restraining part 3b that restrains the protruding member 2e. Form.

According to this embodiment, the protruding member 2e functions as a foot and a non-slip member, so that the lower cover 3, which is particularly susceptible to damage, is protected from external force, and the entire electronic device is also protected from external force. Further, since the protruding member 2e is made of an elastic material such as rubber having a large coefficient of friction, it is ideal for preventing slipping. Moreover, in addition to this, according to this embodiment, it is a matter of course that the same effects as in the case of the first embodiment described above can be obtained.

In addition to the above-mentioned protruding members, other protruding members that can be integrally formed with the rubber switch 2 are also conceivable. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 as a third embodiment of the present invention, the protruding members 2d and 2e of the above-mentioned first and second embodiments are attached to the base portion 2b of the rubber switch 2. It is conceivable that the protruding members 2d" and 2e' are integrally molded, and the protruding member 2g that functions as a seam concealer between the upper cover 1 and the lower cover 3 is integrally molded. In this case, the protruding member 2g is the upper cover 1, From the seam 7 between the lower covers 3 to the double-sided bar 1.3
The rubber switch 2 protrudes outward and extends over the entire periphery of the plate-shaped base portion 2b of the rubber switch 2 so as to cover the seam 7 over the entire periphery of the exterior cover of the electronic device, as shown in FIG.

In the case of this embodiment as well, in order to prevent the protruding members 2d'', 2e' and 2g from buckling or being pushed in, the restraining parts 1c and 3b and the receivers of the upper cover 1 and the lower cover 3 are provided in the part 1d. shall form each of the following.

According to this embodiment as described above, the protruding members 2d'', 28
' can provide the same functions as the first and second embodiments, and the protruding member 2g can provide the double force bar 1.3.
It has the function of hiding the seams between the parts and preventing slipping when carrying. In addition, the same effects as described above can be obtained.

By the way, in the above-mentioned first to third embodiments, each of the protruding members 2d, 2d', 2d", 2e, 2e' and 2g protrudes outside the cover 1.3 and is visually observed from the outside, so its color cannot be determined. Therefore, if rubber is used as the entire molding material for the rubber switch 2, rubber can be molded in multiple colors, so the color of the protruding member can be appropriately selected. If you do not want it to stand up, you can make it the same color as the exterior surface of the cover 1.3, or you can mold it in a different color according to your preference.

Regarding the hardness of the protruding member, it is now possible to change the rubber hardness of only a part of the molded product using rubber molding technology, so it is possible to change the luminous intensity of the protruding member part as necessary. You can also make it equivalent to
It is also possible to make them different.

Note that the protruding members that can be integrally molded into the rubber switch 2 are as follows:
Of course, the present invention is not limited to those listed in the first to third embodiments described above.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, an operating member for operating a pushbutton switch and a base member movably supporting the operating member are integrally molded from an elastic material. The pushbutton switch has a structure in which the base member is integrally molded with a protrusion member that protrudes outside the exterior cover of the electronic device in which the pushbutton switch is incorporated and has a function different from that of the operation member. , for example, can provide various functions such as preventing erroneous operation of operating members, protecting electronic equipment from external forces, preventing slippage, and hiding seams in covers.It also greatly reduces the number of parts and assembly man-hours of electronic equipment, and greatly improves the performance of electronic equipment. This provides an excellent effect of reducing costs.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the area around the rubber switch of an electronic device incorporating the rubber switch of the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the overall appearance of the electronic device incorporating the same rubber switch, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the area around the rubber switch of an electronic device incorporating the rubber switch according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the area around the rubber switch of an electronic device incorporating the rubber switch according to the third embodiment. FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the vicinity of a rubber switch of an electronic device incorporating a conventional rubber switch. 1...Top cover 2...Rubber switch 2a...
・Key top 2b...Base part 2d, 2d'
, 2d'', 2e, 2e', 2g...
Projecting member 3...lower cover 4...circuit board 5...
・Electronic components 6...Display device error procedural amendment (voluntary) February 16, 1988

Claims (1)

[Claims] A pushbutton switch in which an operating member for operating the pushbutton switch and a base member movably supporting the operating member are integrally molded from an elastic material, and the pushbutton switch protrudes outside the exterior cover of an electronic device in which the pushbutton switch is incorporated. A push-button switch characterized in that a protruding member that performs a function different from that of the operating member is integrally molded on the base member.