JP4194814B2 - Seesaw switch - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a seesaw switch, and more particularly to an improvement in a seesaw switch that can easily perform assembly reliability improvement, structure simplification, rigidity enhancement, manufacturing cost reduction, operation reliability improvement, and the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a switch device is used when operating an electronic device or setting an electronic device. Examples of the switch device include a push switch that vertically presses the operation surface to turn on / off internal contacts, a volume switch that selects an operation amount and a position along the rotation direction by rotating an operation knob, A slide switch that selects the operation amount and position along the slide direction by sliding the knob, and seesaw that selectively turns ON / OFF the internal contact corresponding to the position by depressing one end of the wide operation surface. There are switches and the like, and an appropriate type of switch is selected and used according to the application.
[0003]
In particular, the seesaw switch allows easy selection of two or more operating states, as well as easy visual and tactile determination of the operating state of the operation knob. It is effective and frequently used when visual judgment or groping is required.
[0004]
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the external appearance and schematic structure of the seesaw switch 100. FIG. 3A is a front view of the seesaw switch 100, and shows a state in which the operation knob 102 is exposed from an opening 104 a formed in the decorative plate 104 of the device. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3A, and FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. . In FIG. 3B and FIG. 3C, the structure of the part not related to the description is omitted for simplification of the drawings.
[0005]
The seesaw switch 100 is generally configured to swing in the first direction (for example, the left side) or the second direction (for example, the right side) across the AA line, and the operation knob 102 is configured to swing in the first direction. When the left side of the operation knob 102 is pressed, the internal contact disposed on the left side inside the seesaw switch 100 is turned on, and when the right side of the operation knob 102 is pressed to swing in the second direction, the inside of the seesaw switch 100 is turned on. A second direction switching operation for turning on the internal contact disposed on the right side can be performed. Other types of seesaw switch 100 may have a neutral operation on the AA line in addition to the first and second switching operations. In either case, the state is selected by pressing one of the left and right sides across the AA line, and is configured to swing left and right about the AA line as a central axis.
[0006]
In such a case, as shown in FIG. 3B, in the seesaw switch 100, the swing shafts 106a and 106b formed in the portion corresponding to the AA line in the housing 106 are arranged on the back side of the operation knob 102. The engagement knobs 110a and 110b on the flanges 108a and 108b formed in the portion corresponding to the A-A line are engaged so that the surface of the operation knob 102 swings in the pressed direction. .
[0007]
As shown in FIG. 3C, operating elements 112a and 112b are projected and formed at both left and right ends of the back surface of the operation knob 102 shown in FIG. 3A, and are housed inside the housing 106 via the intermediate shaft 114. One of the internal contacts (push-ON type contacts) 118a and 118b mounted on the substrate 116 can be selectively turned on / off. The intermediate shaft 114 is supported by the guide 106c of the housing 106, and the intermediate shaft 114 slides in the operation direction of the internal contacts 118a and 118b (vertical direction in the figure). However, when the operation knob 102 is swung down, the top surface of the intermediate shaft 114 is pushed down while moving in the rocking direction, so that the rocking (rotating) motion of the operation knob 102 changes to a linear motion that depresses the internal contacts 118a and 118b. It is like that.
[0008]
As described above, the operation knob 102 supported by the swing shafts 106a and 106b can selectively turn on / off the internal contact corresponding to the position by pressing one end of the operation surface on the wide surface side. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
[0009]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-142129 (FIGS. 1 and 2).
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional seesaw switch 100, since the swing shafts 106a and 106b that support the operation knob 102 are formed in the same shape (the same diameter in the case of a cylindrical pin), the operation knob 102 is assembled upside down. Is also possible. That is, reverse assembly may occur. Therefore, a structure for preventing reverse assembly, for example, in order to determine the assembly posture (assembly direction) of both, uneven portions that engage with each other at predetermined positions corresponding to the operation knob 102 and the housing 106 are provided. It was. That is, a dedicated prevention structure is formed. As a result, there is a problem that the mold for molding the operation knob 102 and the housing 106 is complicated and the cost is increased, and the design flexibility of the operation knob 102 and the housing 106 is reduced.
[0011]
In addition, it is preferable in terms of operability that the seesaw switch 100 can perform a reliable switching operation with a slight swing operation. That is, it is desirable to increase the pressing amount of the internal contacts 118a and 118b while reducing the swing amount of the operation knob 102 as much as possible. Therefore, it is desirable to arrange the fulcrum position of the operation knob 102, that is, the positions of the swing shafts 106a and 106b as close to the surface side of the operation knob 102 as possible. On the other hand, when the engagement holes 110a and 110b are formed in the flanges 108a and 108b of the operation knob 102, it is necessary to remove the injection mold in the outward direction at the upper and lower positions. That is, it is necessary to form, for example, a substantially U-shaped notch 102a for removing the punching die outside the flanges 108a and 108b of the operation knob 102. As described above, when the positions of the swing shafts 106a and 106b, that is, the positions of the engagement holes 110a and 110b are as close as possible to the surface side of the operation knob 102, the notch 102a is brought close to a position near the surface of the operation knob 102. Need to form. However, in this case, a notch 102a that is not inherently related to the function of the operation knob 102 can be seen from the gap between the operation knob 102 and the decorative board 104, and there is a concern that the quality of the appearance may be deteriorated. Further, in order to form the engagement holes 110a and 110b, it is necessary to remove the injection molds in the direction away from each other, which complicates the mold and also raises the problem of cost increase. Although it is conceivable to reduce the shaft diameters of the swinging shafts 106a and 106b so that the size of the notch 102a is small and inconspicuous, it is not preferable because the rigidity is lowered.
[0012]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and can easily prevent reverse assembly without providing a dedicated structure with an easy configuration, while ensuring sufficient rigidity of the seesaw switch, It is another object of the present invention to provide a seesaw switch that can prevent a reduction in appearance quality and can reduce manufacturing costs.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a seesaw switch that performs a first direction switching operation or a second direction switching operation by swinging in a first direction or a second direction across a swing center. A housing having a pair of swing shafts as the swing center, an operation knob having a pair of engagement holes with which the swing shaft is engaged, and capable of swinging for switching operation; hints, is susceptible set load of the set of pivot shaft and the engaging hole to be engaged with each other Ri large der than the other pair, the surface shape of the operation knob, a said than the other sets of large The pair is curved so that the distance from the swing center to the surface of the operation knob is increased .
[0014]
According to this configuration, since one set of the swing shaft and the engagement hole that are engaged with each other is larger than the other set, the mounting position of the operation knob with respect to the housing is only one position (one direction), and the seesaw switch Thus, the reverse assembly preventing structure can be constituted by a swing mechanism which is originally required for the above. Further, by increasing the size of the one set, it is possible to improve the rigidity of the large-sized swing shaft. Furthermore, since the size of the engagement hole formed in the operation knob is different, it is possible to form two engagement holes by the mold release operation of the mold from one direction. An operation knob can be formed. In addition, the rigidity on the side where the operation load tends to increase can be enhanced.
[0015]
To achieve the above object, the present invention having the above structure, among the pre-Symbol operation knob, only at positions corresponding to the pair of engaging holes become the large, molding the engaging hole It is also characterized in that a notch for extracting a punching die for forming is formed.
[0017]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0018]
FIG. 1 shows an appearance and a schematic sectional view of a seesaw switch 10 according to this embodiment. The basic structure is the same as that of the conventional seesaw switch 100 shown in FIG.
[0019]
FIG. 1A is a front view of the seesaw switch 10 and shows a state in which the operation knob 12 is exposed from an opening 14a formed in the decorative plate 14 of the device. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1A, and FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. . In FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C, the structure of the part not related to the description is omitted for simplification of the drawings.
[0020]
The seesaw switch 10 is configured to swing in a first direction (for example, the left side) or a second direction (for example, the right side) across the AA line, for example, similarly to the seesaw switch 100 shown in FIG. When the left side of the operation knob 12 is pressed to swing in the first direction, the first direction switching operation for turning on the internal contact disposed on the left side inside the seesaw switch 10 and the operation knob 12 to swing in the second direction are performed. When the right side is pressed, a second direction switching operation for turning on the internal contact disposed on the right side inside the seesaw switch 10 can be performed. Other types of seesaw switch 10 may have a neutral operation on the AA line in addition to the first and second switching operations. In either case, the A-A line is set as the swing center O, and the state is selected by pressing either of the left and right sides with the A-A line as the center. Is configured to do.
[0021]
In this case, as shown in FIG. 1 (b), the swing shafts 16 a and 16 b formed in the portion corresponding to the AA line in the housing 16 correspond to the AA line on the back side of the operation knob 12. By engaging with engagement holes 20a and 20b on the flanges 18a and 18b formed in the portions to be operated, the surface of the operation knob 12 is swung in the pressed direction.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 1C, operating elements 22a and 22b are projected and formed at the left and right ends of the rear surface of the operation knob 12 shown in FIG. 1A, and are housed inside the housing 16 via the intermediate shaft 24. One of the internal contacts (push ON type contacts) 28a and 28b mounted on the substrate 26 can be selectively turned on / off. The intermediate shaft 24 is supported by a guide 26c of the housing 16, and the intermediate shaft 24 slides in the operation direction (vertical direction in the figure) of the internal contacts 28a and 28b. However, when the operation knob 12 is swung down while the top surface of the intermediate shaft 24 is moved in the rocking direction, the rocking (rotating) motion of the operation knob 12 is changed to a linear motion that depresses the internal contacts 28a and 28b. It ’s like that.
[0023]
As described above, the operation knob 12 supported by the swing shafts 16a and 16b is selectively turned ON / OFF by depressing one end portion of the operation surface on the wide surface side. can do.
[0024]
A characteristic feature of the present embodiment is that the swing shaft 16a supporting the operation knob 12 and the swing shaft 16b are different in size, and similarly, the engagement holes in which the swing shafts 16a and 16b are engaged. 20a and the engagement hole 20b are also different depending on the size of the swing shafts 16a and 16b. In other words, the size of one set composed of the rocking shaft 16a and the engagement hole 20a engaging each other is larger than the size of the other set composed of the rocking shaft 16b and the engagement hole 20b. is there.
[0025]
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, the swing shaft 16a has a cylindrical pin on both side surfaces facing each other substantially perpendicular to the operation knob 12 along a predetermined amount axis. Further, it has a shape that is cut off and chamfered on the operation knob 12 side of the end surface orthogonal to the axis. Note that the cut-off of both side surfaces of the swing shaft 16a is to provide play for releasing unnecessary force during the swing operation of the operation knob 12, and the operation knob 12 is used for chamfering the end surface. This is because the rocking shafts 16a and 16b can be easily guided and inserted into the engaging holes 20a and 20b when assembled to the housing 16. Of course, the above-described cut-off and chamfering are optional, and the original function of the seesaw switch 10 is not affected even if the swing shafts 16a and 16b are used in a cylindrical shape. The pin shape may be a square pin.
[0026]
In the present embodiment, the shaft diameter M of the swing shaft 16a (upper side in FIGS. 1B and 2) is larger than the shaft diameter based on the strength (minimum strength) required for the conventional seesaw switch. As shown, if the lower rocking shaft 16b has a shaft diameter N based on the strength (minimum strength) required for a conventional seesaw switch, for example, the thickness is increased by 50%. Similarly, the diameter of the engagement hole 20a with which the swing shaft 16a is engaged is, for example, 50% larger than the engagement hole 20b with which the swing shaft 16b is engaged.
[0027]
In this way, by making one set of the rocking shaft and the engagement hole that are engaged with each other larger than the other set, the operation knob 12 can be attached to the housing 16 only in one posture. Reverse assembly during assembly can be prevented. That is, it is no longer necessary to provide a dedicated structure for preventing reverse assembly (for example, an uneven shape) formed on the operation knob or the housing, and the mold for molding the operation knob 12 or the housing 16 is simplified. It can also contribute to reduction of manufacturing cost. In addition, since a dedicated structure is not necessary, the structural restrictions of the seesaw switch 10 are eased, and the degree of freedom in design is improved. It should be noted that the amount of increase relative to the other of the swing shaft and the engagement hole is preferably selected as appropriate depending on the size of the operation knob 12 and the use of the seesaw switch 10, but the swing of the seesaw switch 10 having a general size is preferably selected. Since the shaft 16a is about 2 to 3 mm, it is preferable to have a difference of about 50% or more in order to allow the reverse assembly preventing function to function well.
[0028]
Furthermore, when the shaft diameter of the rocking shaft 16a is increased, it is possible to contribute to an increase in the rigidity of the seesaw switch 10. In particular, as shown in FIG. 1B, the seesaw switch 10 in which the operation knob 12 is formed so as to protrude from the surface of the decorative plate 14 is often pressed on the upper side of the operation knob 12. In the present embodiment, the upper swing shaft 16a, which is easily loaded, can be reinforced, so that it is possible to contribute to improving the strength of the seesaw switch 10 as well as preventing reverse assembly.
[0029]
In this embodiment, since the diameters of the engagement holes 20a and 20b formed in the flanges 18a and 18b of the operation knob 12 are different (engagement hole 20a> engagement hole 20b), when the operation knob 12 is formed, The engagement holes 20a and 20b can be formed by a punching die that is pulled out from one direction of the mold. As a result, the structure of the mold for molding the operation knob 12 can be simplified, which can contribute to a reduction in manufacturing cost. Further, in the past, when a pair of punching dies that open engagement holes of the same diameter in the direction of separation is used, in order to pull out the punching die, as shown in FIG. It is necessary to form the notch 102a at a position corresponding to each engagement hole, and the notch 102a is visible from the surface side and impairs the appearance. However, the diameter of the engagement holes 20a and 20b is small. Since they are different, for example, it becomes possible to use a stepped punching die that is pulled out from one direction, and it becomes unnecessary to provide a notch in the non-pulling direction. As a result, the problem of deterioration in appearance caused by the notch 102a is also reduced.
[0030]
As shown in FIG. 1B, when the surface shape of the operation knob 12 is curved and the distance from the swing center O is different between the engagement hole 20a and the engagement hole 20b, the surface of the operation knob 12 The positions of the upper and lower engagement holes 20a, 20b are determined with reference to the side far from the upper side (in this case, the upper engagement hole 20a), and the punches for forming the engagement holes 20a, 20b are removed from the engagement hole 20a side. In this way, the notch necessary for the punching operation of the punching die can be formed at a position far from the surface of the operation knob 12, that is, a position that cannot be seen even when viewed from the outside. On the other hand, since the notch is not necessary on the engagement hole 20b side as described above, it can be formed without considering the appearance from the outside. That is, since it is not necessary to consider the appearance from the outside, it is not necessary to keep the swing center O away from the surface side. As a result, the amount of swing of the operation knob 12 does not increase, and operability is not impaired. In addition, it is possible to obtain a large stroke for depressing the internal contact 28a (28b) even with a small amount of swing, and the internal contacts 28a and 28b can be reliably depressed even with a slight switching operation, thereby improving the reliability of the seesaw switch. Can be improved.
[0031]
In the present embodiment, the structure of the seesaw switch can be changed as appropriate if the size of one set of the swing shaft and the engagement hole for swingingly supporting the operation knob 12 is larger than the size of the other set. The same effect as the embodiment can be obtained. Moreover, the effect similar to this embodiment can be acquired even if the large group is changed upside down as needed.
[0032]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, since one set of the pivot shaft and the engagement hole that are engaged with each other is larger than the other set, the assembly direction of the operation knob is only one posture, and no special structure is provided. A reverse assembly preventing structure can be configured. Further, the rigidity can be improved by making the one set large. Furthermore, since the size of the engagement hole formed in the operation knob is different, the two engagement holes can be molded by a mold release operation from one direction. It becomes possible to mold, and as a whole, the cost of the mold and the manufacturing cost can be reduced while maintaining the quality of the seesaw switch.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view illustrating an internal structure of a seesaw switch according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view for explaining details of a swing shaft and an engaging portion of the seesaw switch according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the internal structure of a conventional seesaw switch.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 seesaw switch, 12 operation knob, 14 decorative plate, 16 housing, 16a, 16b swing shaft, 18a, 18b flange, 20a, 20b engagement hole, 22a, 22b operation element, 24 intermediate shaft, 26 substrate, 26c guide, 28a, 28b Internal contacts.

Claims (2)

A seesaw switch that performs a first direction switching operation or a second direction switching operation by swinging in a first direction or a second direction across a swing center,
A housing having a pair of swing shafts serving as the swing center;
An operation knob having a pair of engagement holes with which the swing shaft is engaged, and capable of swinging for switching operation;
Including
Mutual susceptible load of the set of pivot shaft and the engaging hole for engaging the set of Ri large der than the other pair,
The surface shape of the operation knob is curved so that the distance from the swing center to the surface of the operation knob is larger in the larger set than the other set,
Seesaw switch characterized by that. The switch according to claim 1 , wherein
Of the operation knob, a cutout for removing a punch for forming the engagement hole is formed only at a position corresponding to the large-sized set of engagement holes. Seesaw switch.

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