JP4823217B2 - Lever type switch - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a lever-type switch suitable for detecting the origin of a machine tool drive servo control system or the like.

  Conventionally, “a switch body is provided with a lever, a cam that is operated by the operation of the lever, and a switch main body that is operated by the operation of the cam, and a hysteresis is provided between the lever and the cam. There is a switch structure characterized by including an inertia generating mechanism that generates inertia in the direction in which the main body has been turned on at the moment when the main body is turned on (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-91635

  However, since the switch structure described in Patent Document 1 has hysteresis between the lever and the cam, it has not been possible to realize on / off with high accuracy. Specifically, when the lever is tilted by 1 degree, it cannot be detected.

  Moreover, since the switch structure described in Patent Document 1 defines only two directions in which the lever tilts, it cannot be used in a situation where the lever tilts in all directions. Further, since the switch portion is a contact type including a cam or the like, wear due to use has occurred.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a lever type switch that solves the above-described problems.

In order to solve the above problems, the lever-type switch of the present invention includes:
A lever that is set to return to its original position when it is tilted by receiving external force and no longer receives external force,
Hall IC that is arranged in a plane around the lower end of the lever and outputs a digital signal corresponding to the presence or absence of the lever tilt,
A first magnet attached in a manner in which the first magnetic pole faces downward at the center of the lower end of the lever;
A ring-shaped second magnet attached so as to surround the first magnet in a manner in which a second magnetic pole opposite to the first magnetic pole faces downward in a peripheral portion of a lower end portion of the lever;
The positional relationship between each Hall IC and the first magnet and the second magnet is such that the polarity of the isomagnetic line applied to the switching point at which the output of each Hall IC switches before and after the lever receives an external force changes. I am doing so.

  The positional relationship between each Hall IC and the first magnet and the second magnet is set so that the switching point is located between a position directly below the side surface of the first magnet and a position immediately below the inner surface of the second magnet. Can be realized.

  Due to the positional relationship as described above, lines of equal magnetic force are formed in a direction perpendicular to the bottom surfaces of the first magnet and the second magnet. For this reason, the length from the fulcrum of the lever to the force point can be made longer than the length from the fulcrum to the action point. As a result, the lever type switch can detect even if the lever is tilted with a slight external force.

  The lever has a structure capable of adjusting the length of the lever itself. Specifically, the lever may be a telescopic structure like a camera tripod, or a connecting member that can be incorporated into the lever.

  Further, a light emitting element that emits light based on the digital signal may be provided. Thereby, for example, the presence or absence of the output of the digital signal can be grasped visually even from a distance from the lever-type switch body.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  Fig.1 (a) is sectional drawing which shows the typical structure of the lever type switch of embodiment of this invention. FIG.1 (b) is a top view which shows the typical structure of the lever type switch of this embodiment of FIG. In addition, the supplementary part which supplements the structure of the opening part 44 of the lower side member 38 mentioned later is also attached | subjected to the lower right position of Fig.1 (a).

  As shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b), the lever-type switch of the present embodiment is set so that it tilts when receiving an external force in the horizontal direction and returns to its original position when no external force is received. And a switch case 5 that receives a part of the lever 1 and accommodates a switch.

  The lever 1 is a portion that receives an external force, and has a contact member 2 made of a nonmagnetic material such as plastic, ceramic, or aluminum. The contact member 2 is made of aluminum, stainless steel, or the like, and has a leg portion 4 having a screw hole formed in the upper portion and a lower portion threaded. The contact member 2 and the leg part 4 are connected by a connecting member 3 having a screw hole formed in the upper part and a threaded part in the lower part. Above the switch case 5 is located a flange 10 shaped like a hexagonal nut made of aluminum or stainless steel that prevents dust and the like from entering the switch case 5. A leg receiving portion 14 to be screwed with the lower end of the leg portion 4 is located below the flange portion 10, and is formed on the upper surface of the leg receiving portion 14 in a recess formed on the bottom surface of the flange portion 10. The raised convex part is inserted. A bowl-shaped magnet receiver 16 made of aluminum or the like is connected to the lower end of the leg receiver 14 by press-fitting. A nut 20 for adjusting the tension of the diaphragm 18 is screwed to the upper end portion of the magnet receiver 16.

  A columnar first magnet 26 is attached to the center of the magnet receiver 16. For example, the first magnet 26 is attached so that the south pole is on the lower side and the north pole is on the upper side. A ring-shaped second magnet 24 is attached to the periphery of the magnet receiver 16. The second magnet 24 is attached so that, for example, the N pole is on the lower side and the S pole is on the upper side. Note that the directions of the magnetic poles of the first magnet 26 and the second magnet 24 may be reversed. When the first magnet 26 and the second magnet 24 are arranged in such an orientation, the lines of isomagnetic force extend substantially along the longitudinal direction of the lever 1. As described above, in the present embodiment, since the periphery of the first magnet 26 is surrounded by the second magnet 24 so that the lines of isomagnetic force extend substantially along the longitudinal direction of the lever 1, the digital Hall ICs 28, 30, 32 are provided. , 34 is not necessary, and the lever type switch can be miniaturized. The purpose here is to extend the lines of isomagnetic force substantially along the longitudinal direction of the lever 1, so the shapes of the first magnet 26 and the second magnet 24 are not limited to those described above. For example, the first magnet 26 may be a rectangular parallelepiped or a cube, and the periphery thereof may be surrounded by a rectangular second magnet 24 corresponding to the shape.

  The switch case 5 is roughly divided into an upper member 12 and a lower member 38. The upper member 12 and the lower member 38 are each made of zinc, stainless steel, aluminum, or the like. The upper member 12 and the lever 1 are selectively connected by a flexible protector 8 that prevents moisture and the like from entering the switch case 5. For example, rubber can be used as the material of the protector 8.

  After the outer wall of the lower member 38 is press-fitted into the inner wall of the upper member 12, it is fixed with an adhesive or the like. The peripheral portion of the diaphragm 18 made of a polyimide film or the like is connected to the upper end of the upper member 12 and the corresponding portion of the lower member 38 by an adhesive or the like. A central portion of the diaphragm 18 is opened, and a lower end of the leg receiving portion 14 of the lever 1 is passed therethrough.

  The vicinity of the center portion of the diaphragm 18 is gripped between the opposed surfaces of the leg receiving portion 14 and the magnet receiver 16. If necessary, the diaphragm 18 may be connected to the leg holder 14 and the magnet receiver 16 using an adhesive or the like. The diaphragm 18 also plays a role of preventing moisture or the like that could not be prevented by the protector 8 from entering the switch side. The intersection point with the axis of the lever 1 on the plane of the diaphragm 18 becomes a fulcrum when the lever 1 tilts due to an external force applied to the contact member 2 of the lever 1.

  The tension of the diaphragm 18 is adjusted as follows. That is, since the nut 20 is positioned on the lower side of the diaphragm 18, for example, when the tension of the diaphragm 18 is to be increased, the nut 20 may be rotated and raised. The diaphragm 18 is attached to the lever 1 in the vicinity of the opening, and the peripheral end is fixed to the lower member 38 or the like. Therefore, when the nut 20 is raised, the upper surface thereof is in the vicinity of the opening of the diaphragm 18. As a result, the diaphragm 18 is deformed into a substantially “shape” with the top surface of the nut 20 as the apex. As a result, the amount of deflection of the diaphragm 18 is reduced, and the tension of the diaphragm 18 is increased.

  On the outer wall of the lower member 38, for example, two opening portions 44 for mounting the lever type switch are provided. A step is provided on the inner wall of the lower member 38, and the lower side is relatively larger in radial direction than the upper side. The outer side edge on the lower side of the step is substantially rhombus. Here, a substantially diamond-shaped printed circuit board 36 is accommodated from below. On the surface of the printed circuit board 36, for example, four digital Hall ICs 28, 30, 32, and 34 are arranged on the center side of the printed circuit board 36 in such a manner that the negative electrode side terminals are positioned at an angular interval of 90 °. ing. The number of digital Hall ICs is an example, and may be eight, for example, and may be prepared according to the required angular resolution.

  Here, the reason why the lower shape of the printed circuit board 36 and the step is a rhombus is to prevent the printed circuit board from rotating around the axis relative to the lower member 38. That is, when the printed circuit board 36 rotates clockwise or counterclockwise in FIG. 1B, the orientation of the side surface of the digital Hall IC 28 and the like and the orientation of the side surface of the lower member 38 do not face each other. As a result, it is impossible to determine from which direction the external force is applied to the lever-type switch. Thus, the rotation can be prevented by making the printed circuit board 36 or the like into a shape other than a circle. However, the rotation may be prevented by making the printed circuit board 36 or the like circular and screwing or the like.

  The lever type switch of the present embodiment determines the direction in which the contact member 2 falls based on which output signal from the digital Hall IC 28 or the like is turned on. For example, when the printed circuit board 36 is arranged in a desired direction, when the contact member 2 receives an external force that falls to the right in FIG. 1B, only the output signal from the digital Hall IC 28 is turned on.

  On the other hand, if the printed circuit board 36 is circular and rotated 45 degrees clockwise, when the contact member 2 receives an external force that falls to the right in FIG. Output signals from both ICs 28 and 34 are turned on. This makes it impossible to correctly determine the direction of the external force received by the contact member 2. Therefore, the printed circuit board 36 and the like are shaped as described above to prevent their rotation.

  In practice, as shown in FIG. 3 showing a modification of the present embodiment, a through hole 50 through which a screw 46 is passed is formed in the printed circuit board 36, and the through hole is also formed below the step. A screw hole 52 for receiving a screw is formed at a position corresponding to, and the screw 46 is screwed into the screw hole 52 via a washer 48 and a through hole 50, thereby ensuring the prevention of the rotation.

  The digital Hall IC 28 or the like includes a magnetoelectric conversion element that outputs an electric signal having a power proportional to the magnitude of the magnetic field, an operational amplifier that amplifies the electric signal output from the magnetoelectric conversion element, and an electric signal amplified by the operational amplifier. A comparator for comparing with a predetermined threshold is integrated.

  In the digital Hall IC 28 and the like, a switching point where the digital output is switched by changing the polarity of the isomagnetic lines formed by the first magnet 26 and the second magnet 24 is located near the negative terminal. In the Hall IC, a positive electrode side terminal and an output terminal are attached to a surface opposite to the attachment surface of the negative electrode side terminal.

  Here, the positional relationship between each digital Hall IC 28 etc. and the first magnet 26 and the second magnet 24 is applied to the switching point where the output of each Digital Hall IC 28 etc. switches before and after the lever 1 receives an external force. The polarity of the isomagnetic line is changed. As an example, before the lever 1 receives an external force, a magnetic force of about −30 gauss is applied from the first magnet 26 and the second magnet 24 to the switching point of each digital Hall IC 28 or the like. is there.

  When the contact member 2 of the lever 1 receives an external force that falls to the right side in FIG. 1B, the switching point of each digital Hall IC 28 or the like from the first magnet 26 and the second magnet 24. A magnetic force of about +30 gauss is applied. At this time, the magnetic force applied to the switching point of the digital Hall ICs 30, 32, and 34 proceeds in a negative direction such as about −40 to −50 Gauss, but never proceeds in the positive direction.

  To this end, specifically, each digital Hall IC 28 or the like has its switching points positioned between the position immediately below the inner periphery of the second magnet 24 and the position immediately below the outer periphery of the first magnet 26. Can be arranged. Here, the digital Hall ICs 28 and the like are arranged so that the switching points are located almost directly below the inner circumference of the second magnet 24, and the digital Hall ICs 28 and the like are arranged on the side surfaces of the first magnet 26. It is arranged so that the attachment surface of each negative electrode type terminal is located almost directly below the.

  Although not shown in the drawing, all the negative terminals of each digital Hall IC 28 and the like are connected to a common connection line located on the back surface of the printed circuit board 36. Further, all the positive side terminals are connected to another common connection line located on the back surface of the printed circuit board 36. Each output terminal is connected to an independent connection line located on the back surface of the printed circuit board 36. In other words, the lever type switch cable 42 is a bundle of a total of six wires: four output wires, one common connection wire for the negative terminal, and one common connection wire for the positive terminal. It becomes.

  Further, the back surface of the printed circuit board 36 is filled with a filler 40 such as a resin after being connected to the cable 42 of the printed circuit board 36. Thereby, in combination with the protector 8 and the diaphragm 18, waterproofness, sealing property, etc. to the digital Hall IC 28 and the like are ensured.

  Note that the lever-type switch of the present embodiment is approximately the following size.

The distance from the bottom surface of the lever type switch body to the top surface of the digital Hall IC 28 etc. is 7.5 mm,
The distance from the top surface of the digital Hall IC 28 etc. to the bottom surfaces of the first magnet 26 and the second magnet 24 is 0.6 mm,
The distance from the top surface of the digital Hall IC 28 etc. to the bottom surface of the diaphragm 18 is 12 mm,
The lower member 38 has a height of 20 mm,
The thickness of the diaphragm 18 itself is 0.25 mm,
The height of the upper member 12 is 10.5 mm,
The thickness of the buttocks 10 itself is 4.5 mm,
The diameter of the printed circuit board 36 is 20 mm,
The leg holder 14 and the connecting member 3 have a small diameter (diameter of the threaded portion) of 4 mm and a large diameter of 6 mm.

  According to the lever type switch of the present embodiment, it is possible to detect which of the eight horizontal directions the contact member 2 has received an external force. That is, as described above, for example, when an external force that causes the contact member 2 to fall to the right side in FIG. 1B is received, only the output signal of the Hall IC 28 among the plurality of Hall ICs changes from OFF to ON. . In addition, when an external force that causes the contact member 2 to fall on the upper right side of FIG. 1B is received, the output signals of the Hall ICs 28 and 34 among the plurality of Hall ICs change from off to on. Therefore, if a change in the output signal from the lever-type switch output through the cable 42 is detected, it is possible to detect which of the eight horizontal directions the contact member 2 has received an external force.

  FIG. 2 is a view showing a modification of the lever type switch shown in FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the lever-type switch shown in FIG. 2 and 3, the same parts as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  This embodiment is different from the lever-type switch shown in FIG. 1 mainly in that the connecting member 3 is removed and the protector 8 is removed, and the diameter of the flange portion 10 is increased instead. The shape of the contact member 2 and the presence or absence of the connecting member 3 may be determined according to the application of the lever type switch. In addition to these, the material of each member may be determined in accordance with the use and usage of the lever type switch, and when the lever 1 itself is desired to be long, the connecting member 3 is not used but the lever. The structure of 1 may be a stretchable structure.

  Note that the lever 1 may be formed such that a part of the leg 4 is formed by a coil spring and the lever 1 itself is not destroyed by bending the coil spring portion even if an excessive external force is applied to the contact member 2.

  The lever type switch of the present embodiment can be suitably used as an origin detection switch of a servo control system of a machine tool, information for a crane control lever switch, a joystick for operating a game machine, a personal computer, or the like. It can also be suitably used as a pointing device as an input medium.

  It should be noted that the lever-type switch of this embodiment can be variously modified. For example, the contactless switch does not have to use the magnet and the Hall IC described above, and senses the direction of the detected displacement. In order to make it possible, a plurality of contactless switches are preferably installed on a predetermined circle, and the spherical contact member can be configured to use a member having hardness in order to have wear resistance.

  The cable 42 may be provided with an indicator lamp that indicates on / off of each digital Hall IC 28 or the like. Any indicator lamp may be used, but it is preferable that the indicator lamp includes a light emitting element and a translucent resin containing a light diffuser and covering the light emitting surface of the light emitting element. For details of the indicator lamp, refer to the description of the specification of Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-117257, which was unpublished at the time of filing of the present application and incorporated herein by reference.

  However, in the present embodiment, since the number of digital Hall ICs is four, it should be noted that the number of LEDs and notch contacts incidental thereto must be increased to four.

It is sectional drawing and a top view which show the typical structure of the lever type switch of embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the modification of the lever type switch shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the lever type switch shown in FIG. 2.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lever 2 Contact member 3 Connecting member 4 Leg part 5 Switch case 8 Protector 10 ridge part 12 Upper part member 14 Leg receiving part 16 Magnet receiver 18 Diaphragm 20 Nut 24 Second magnet 26 First magnet 28, 30, 32, 34 Digital type Hall IC
36 Printed circuit board 38 Lower member 40 Filler 42 Cable 44 Mounting opening

Claims (5)

A lever that tilts by receiving external force and returns to its original position when it no longer receives external force,
Hall IC that is arranged in a plane around the lower end of the lever and outputs a digital signal corresponding to the presence or absence of the lever tilt,
A first magnet that is attached to the center of the lower end of the lever in such a manner that the first magnetic pole is on the lower side;
A ring-shaped second magnet attached so as to surround the first magnet in a manner in which the second magnetic pole opposite to the first magnetic pole is on the lower side in the periphery of the lower end of the lever;
The positional relationship between each Hall IC and the first magnet and the second magnet is such that the polarity of the isomagnetic line applied to the switching point at which the output of each Hall IC switches before and after the lever receives an external force changes. A lever-type switch characterized by   The lever type switch according to claim 1, wherein the switching point is located directly under the side surface of the first magnet and immediately under the inner surface of the second magnet.   The lever type switch according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a length from the fulcrum to the force point of the lever is longer than a length from the fulcrum to the action point.   The lever type switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lever has a structure capable of adjusting a length of the lever itself.   The lever type switch according to claim 1, further comprising a light emitting element that emits light based on the digital signal.

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