JPH08212892A - Membrane switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To improve the waterproofing property with a simple structure, and effectively take an electrostatic countermeasure by pressing the center part of a switch plate toward a membrane base by the magnetic force repulsion of the magnet of an operation part with the switch plate. CONSTITUTION: An operation part 16 has a magnet 17 exposed to the lose surface, and the magnet 17 is magnetized in such a manner that the center part of a switch plate 14 is pushed downward by the magnetic force repulsion of the magnet 17 with the plate 14 when the part 16 is set above the plate 14. When the part 16 is moved horizontally along the upper surface of a housing 15 by the finger of a hand to set the part 16 above the plate 14, the magnetic force repulsion is generated by the interaction of the magnetic flux of the magnet 17 of the part 16 with the magnetic flux of the plate 14. The center part of the plate 14 is thus elastically deformed downward, the center part of the plate 14 makes contact with a center contact 12 on the surface of a membrane base 11, and a peripheral contact 13 is electrically connected to the central contact 12 through the plate 14. Thus, excellent waterproofing property can be provided, and an effective electrostatic countermeasure can be taken.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a membrane switch, and more particularly to a membrane switch which is designed to prevent static electricity, moisture and the like from entering a contact portion.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, such a membrane switch is constructed, for example, as shown in FIG. That is,
In FIG. 4, the membrane switch 1 includes a membrane substrate 2, a central contact 3 formed by a conductive pattern in a switch region on the upper surface of the membrane substrate 2, and in the same manner as the central contact 3 adjacent to the central contact 3. A peripheral contact 4 formed on the peripheral portion of the switch region of the substrate 2, and a convex shape that is placed on the membrane substrate 2 so as to contact the peripheral contact 4 and straddle the central contact 3 and project upward. Switch plate 5, a seal 6 placed to cover the switch plate 5, and a push button 8 supported by a housing 7 so as to be vertically movable above the center of the switch plate 5. ing.

The membrane substrate 2 is formed of, for example, a PET film.

The switch plate 5 is made of a conductive material having elasticity, and is elastically deformed by pressing the central portion downward, so that the lower surface of the central portion contacts the central contact 3. It is like this.

The seal 6 has an air hole 6a for bleeding air in the space below the switch plate 5 when the central portion of the switch plate 5 is deformed downward by pressing the push button 8. I have it.

The push button 8 has a boss portion 8 projecting at the center of the lower end thereof for pushing down the central portion of the switch plate 5.
a.

According to the membrane switch 1 thus constructed, when the upper surface of the push button 8 is pushed down with a finger or the like, the boss portion 8a extending below the push button 8 is formed.
Will press the central portion of the switch plate 5 downward. As a result, the central portion of the switch plate 5 is elastically deformed downward, and the lower surface of the central portion of the switch plate 5 contacts the central contact 3 formed on the membrane substrate 2. Become. Therefore, the peripheral contact 4 formed on the peripheral portion of the membrane substrate 2 is electrically connected to the central contact 3 on the membrane substrate 2 via the switch plate 5, and the switch-on is performed. It becomes a state.

At this time, when the switch plate 5 is elastically deformed downward, the switch plate 5 is inserted through the air hole 6a of the seal 6.
Since the air in the space below the seal 6 escapes above the seal 6, the switch plate 5 can be smoothly deformed downward.

[0009]

However, in the membrane switch 1 having such a structure, since there is a gap between the housing 7 and the push button 8, static electricity may enter the inside through this gap. However, there is a problem in terms of waterproofness and electrostatic resistance because moisture may enter.

In view of the above points, the present invention eliminates the gap between the operating portion and the housing with a simple structure,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a membrane switch that has improved waterproofness and is provided with measures against static electricity.

[0011]

According to the present invention, the above object is to provide a membrane substrate in which a central contact and a peripheral contact are formed by a conductive pattern in the central part and its peripheral part in at least one switch region on the surface. A switch plate composed of a rubber magnet arranged on the surface of the membrane substrate so as to contact the peripheral contacts and straddle the central contact; and a housing arranged to surround the switch plate and the membrane substrate, An operating unit having a magnet movably supported outside the housing so that the operating unit can be brought close to the switch plate, and when the operating unit is brought near the switch plate, the magnet of the operating unit includes the switch plate. According to the membrane switch, the central part of the switch plate is pushed toward the membrane substrate by the magnetic repulsion with , It is achieved.

In the membrane switch according to the present invention, preferably, the operation portion is supported as a push button so as to be movable in the vertical direction with respect to the switch plate.

In the membrane switch according to the present invention, preferably, the operation portion is supported as a slide switch so as to be movable in the horizontal direction with respect to the switch plate.

[0014]

According to the above structure, when the switch is operated, the operation part is moved by fingers or the like and brought to the vicinity of the switch plate, and the magnet of the operation part causes magnetic repulsion with the switch plate to switch the switch. It pushes while deforming the central part of the plate toward the membrane substrate. Therefore, the central portion of the switch plate comes into contact with the central contact on the surface of the membrane substrate. Thereby, the peripheral contact of the switch area of the membrane substrate can be connected to the central contact via the switch plate.

Since the operating portion is arranged outside the housing and can be moved outside the housing, the housing does not need a through hole for accommodating the operating portion. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a membrane switch that is excellent in waterproofness and has an effective countermeasure against static electricity, since moisture and static electricity do not enter inside.

When the operation section is supported as a push button so as to be movable in the vertical direction with respect to the switch plate, the operation section is depressed to have a structure similar to that of the conventional push button type membrane switch. Of push-button membrane switches could be provided.

The operation section is a slide switch.
When the switch plate is supported so as to be movable in the horizontal direction, by sliding the operation unit in the horizontal direction, it is possible to provide a slide-type membrane switch having the same configuration as the conventional slide-type membrane switch. become.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the membrane switch according to the present invention. That is, in FIG. 1, the membrane switch 10 is configured as a slide type membrane switch, and the membrane substrate 11
And a central contact 12 formed by a conductive pattern in a switch region on the upper surface of the membrane substrate 11, and similarly, adjacent to the central contact 12 and adjacent to the membrane substrate 1
Peripheral contact 13 formed in the peripheral portion of the switch area 1
A switch plate 14 disposed on the surface of the membrane substrate 11 so as to contact the peripheral contact 13 and straddle the central contact 12, and the switch plate 14 and the membrane substrate 1
1, a housing 15 disposed above the housing 15 and an operation portion 16 supported along the upper surface of the housing 15 so as to be horizontally movable.

The membrane substrate 11 is, for example, PET.
Formed from film.

The switch plate 14 is made of a rubber magnet, and is elastically deformed when the central portion is pushed downward, and the lower surface of the central portion has the central contact 1
2 can be contacted.

The operating portion 16 has a magnet 1 exposed on the lower surface.
7 is provided. As shown in FIG. 2, when the operating portion 16 is brought above the switch plate 14, the magnet 17 and the switch plate 14 magnetically repel each other, so that the magnet 17 has a central portion. It is magnetized so that the part is pushed downward.

Membrane switch 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention
0 is configured as described above, and the operating portion 16 is moved horizontally along the upper surface of the housing 15 by fingers or the like, so that the operating portion 16 is positioned above the switch plate 14 as shown in FIG. When brought, the magnet 17 of the operating portion 16
Interacts with the magnetic flux of the switch plate 14 to generate magnetic repulsion. As a result, the switch plate 1
In No. 4, the central part is pushed downward.

As a result, the central portion of the switch plate 14 is elastically deformed downward, and the central portion of the switch plate 14 contacts the central contact 12 on the surface of the membrane substrate 11. Therefore, the peripheral contacts 13 in the switch area of the membrane substrate 11 are
It will be electrically connected to the central contact 12 via 4 and will be in a switch-on state.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the membrane switch according to the present invention. That is, in FIG. 3, the membrane switch 20 is configured as a push button type membrane switch, and a push button 21 supported in a vertically movable manner is provided above the housing 15 instead of the horizontally movable operation section 16. Except that it is provided,
It has the same configuration as the membrane switch 10 of FIG. The push button 21 is provided with a magnet 22 on the lower surface thereof similarly to the operation unit 16, and the magnet 22 is provided with the push button 21.
When is pressed down to approach the upper side of the switch plate 14, the magnet 22 and the switch plate 14 repel magnetic force,
The central portion of the switch plate 14 is magnetized so as to be pushed downward.

The membrane switch 20 having such a configuration
According to this, when the push button 21 is pushed downward by fingers or the like and the push button 21 operation portion 16 is brought above the switch plate 14, the magnetic flux of the magnet 22 of the push button 21 is switched. By interacting with the magnetic flux of the plate 14, magnetic repulsion occurs. As a result, the central portion of the switch plate 14 is pushed downward.

As a result, the central portion of the switch plate 14 is elastically deformed downward, and the central portion of the switch plate 14 contacts the central contact 12 on the surface of the membrane substrate 11. Therefore, the peripheral contacts 13 in the switch area of the membrane substrate 11 are
It will be electrically connected to the central contact 12 via 4 and will be in a switch-on state.

Thus, in any of the embodiments, the housing 15 does not have a through hole for accommodating the operating portion 16, so that, for example, moisture, static electricity, etc., can be applied to the housing 15.
It does not intrude into the interior beyond the range, and the waterproof property can be guaranteed, and effective countermeasures against static electricity can be realized.

In the above description, the magnet 17 or 2 is operated by operating the operation unit 16 or the push button 21.
By bringing 2 above the switch plate 14,
The central portion of the switch plate 14 is brought into contact with the central contact point of the membrane substrate 11 so that the switch operation can be performed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As long as the central portion of the switch plate 14 is brought into contact with the central setting of the membrane substrate by bringing it to the vicinity, the direction of each component is not limited to the case of the embodiment, and the configuration relating to an arbitrary direction, for example, the vertical direction Obviously, an inverted configuration, a 90 ° rotated configuration, etc. are possible.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the switch is operated, the operating portion is moved by fingers or the like,
When brought to the vicinity of the switch plate, the magnet of the operation portion pushes while deforming the central portion of the switch plate toward the membrane substrate due to magnetic repulsion with the switch plate. Therefore, the central portion of the switch plate comes into contact with the central contact on the surface of the membrane substrate. As a result, the peripheral contacts in the switch area of the membrane substrate are
It can be connected to the central contact.

Here, since the operating portion is arranged outside the housing and can be moved outside the housing, the housing does not need a through hole for accommodating the operating portion. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a membrane switch that is excellent in waterproofness and has an effective countermeasure against static electricity, since moisture and static electricity do not enter inside.

Thus, according to the present invention, the gap between the operating portion and the housing is eliminated by a simple structure,
It is possible to provide an extremely excellent membrane switch that has improved waterproofness and is provided with measures against static electricity.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an embodiment of a membrane switch according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state when the membrane switch of FIG. 1 is operated.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing another embodiment of the membrane switch according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of a conventional membrane switch.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 20 Membrane switch 11 Membrane substrate 12 Central contact point 13 Peripheral contact point 14 Switch plate 15 Housing 16 Operating part 17,22 Magnet 21 Push button

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A membrane substrate having a central contact and a peripheral contact formed by a conductive pattern in the central part and its peripheral part in at least one switch region on the surface, and contacting the peripheral contact and straddling the central contact. A switch plate made of a rubber magnet arranged on the surface of the membrane substrate, a housing arranged so as to surround the switch plate and the membrane substrate, and movable outside the housing so that the switch plate can be approached. When the operation unit is brought near the switch plate, the magnet of the operation unit causes the magnetic repulsion with the switch plate to move the central part of the switch plate to the membrane substrate. Membrane switch characterized in that it is configured to push toward. 2. The membrane switch according to claim 1, wherein the operation portion is supported as a push button so as to be movable in a vertical direction with respect to the switch plate. 3. The membrane switch according to claim 1, wherein the operation portion is supported as a slide switch so as to be movable in a horizontal direction with respect to a switch plate.