JP7708628B2 - Switching device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a switch device.

Some automobiles are equipped with a switch device that adjusts the position of the seat (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The switch device described in Patent Document 1 has an operating body that can be pressed and rotated around a predetermined axis by the automobile passenger. Also, a switch device (push button switch) that has a push button that can be pressed and rotated like the switch device described in Patent Document 1 is also known (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Patent No. 2712927 Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 59-144840

The switch device described in Patent Document 1 has an actuating piece as a restricting member that restricts the pressing operation and the turning operation from being performed in parallel (simultaneously). Therefore, the structure of this switch device becomes more complex due to the actuating piece, which may result in, for example, the movement of the operating body becoming sluggish. The switch device described in Patent Document 2 has an elastic sheet on which the push button is placed. A hollow portion (recess) is formed in this elastic sheet. The push button is placed on the elastic sheet with its lateral restricting piece in contact with the side opposite the hollow portion of the elastic sheet. In such a placed state, the push button may become wobbly due to the hollow portion, and may not be operated stably.

The present invention aims to provide a switch device with a simple configuration that can stably and smoothly perform a first operation and a second operation that have different operating directions.

In order to achieve the above object, the switch device of the present invention includes an operating member capable of a first operation in which the operating member is rotated toward one side in the X-axis direction and a second operation in which the operating member is rotated around the Y-axis when two mutually perpendicular axes are assumed to be the X-axis and Y-axis, respectively. The switch device also includes a biasing member that biases the operating member toward the other side in the X-axis direction, a first support portion that supports the operating member so that it can be operated in the first direction, and a second support portion that supports the operating member so that it can be operated in the second direction. The operating member is provided on one side in the Y-axis direction and has a one-end shaft portion that extends along the Y-axis direction, and the first support portion has a one-side abutment portion that abuts against the one-end shaft portion from one side in the X-axis direction and a second-side abutment portion that abuts against the one-end shaft portion from the other side in the X-axis direction, and the position of the one-side abutment portion and the position of the second-side abutment portion differ in the Y-axis direction.

According to the present invention, a first operation and a second operation, which have different operating directions, can be performed stably and smoothly with a simple configuration.

FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the switch device shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic diagram of an area [C] surrounded by a dashed line in FIG. 3 (first pre-operation state and second pre-operation state). FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic diagram (first operation state) of an area [C] surrounded by a dashed line in FIG. 3 . FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic diagram of an area [D] surrounded by a dashed line in FIG. 4 (first pre-operation state and second pre-operation state). FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic diagram (second operation state) of an area [D] surrounded by a dashed line in FIG. 4 . FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic diagram of an area [D] surrounded by a dashed line in FIG. 4 (first operation state and second operation restricted state).

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 9. However, the configurations described in the following embodiments are merely examples, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the embodiments. Note that the upper side in Figures 1 to 9 may be referred to as "upper (or upper side)" and the lower side as "lower (or lower side)."

The switch device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is mounted, for example, in a suitable location in the cabin of an automobile, for example, on a steering wheel. Note that the switch device 1 is not limited to being mounted on a steering wheel, and can also be mounted, for example, on an instrument panel. In this embodiment, three mutually orthogonal axes are set (assumed) as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. The X-axis direction is the direction from the front side, which is the operating surface of the operating member, to the back side, the Y-axis direction is the direction in which the first axis portion and the second axis portion extend from the operating member, and the Z-axis direction is the direction in which the finger hook portion falls during the second operation (described later) of the operating member. The direction in which the arrows of each direction point is called the "positive side," and the opposite direction is called the "negative side."

As shown in Figure 1, the switch device 1 comprises an operating member (operating knob) 2 operated by a driver who drives a vehicle, a case 3 that supports the operating member 2, and a base 9 arranged on the lower part (back side) of the case 3. Also, as shown in Figure 2, the switch device 1 comprises a switch (first switch) 10A, a switch (second switch) 10B, and a switch (third switch) 10C that are built into and arranged in the case 3.

1, the operating member 2 is supported by the case 3 so that it can perform a first operation in which it is rotated in the direction of the arrow α around an axis parallel to the Z axis, and a second operation in which it is rotated (swinged) in the directions of the arrows β and β' around an axis parallel to the Y axis. As shown in FIG. 2, switches 10A, 10B, and 10C are arranged on the underside of the operating member 2. The switches 10A to 10C are each in contact with a different part of the operating member 2 (for example, see FIG. 3 for the switch 10A). The switches 10A to 10C are each electrically connected to an electronic circuit (not shown) built into the base 9. The switch 10A is pressed in conjunction with the first operation. This causes the switch 10A to be turned on. The switch 10B is pressed in conjunction with the second operation in the direction of the arrow β. This causes the switch 10B to be turned on. Similarly, switch 10C is pressed in conjunction with the second operation in the direction of arrow β'. This causes switch 10C to turn on.

For example, if the switch device 1 is used to adjust the audio volume, when switch 10B is turned on by the second operation in the direction of arrow β, the volume is increased, and conversely, when switch 10C is turned on by the second operation in the direction of arrow β', the volume is decreased. Also, when switch 10A is turned on by the first operation, the sound is muted.

In addition, when the switch device 1 is used to adjust the vehicle speed, when switch 10B is turned on by the second operation in the direction of arrow β, the vehicle accelerates, and conversely, when switch 10C is turned on by the second operation in the direction of arrow β', the vehicle decelerates. In addition, when switch 10A is turned on by the first operation, the speed at the time of the first operation is maintained. In this way, the switch device 1 can be given a cruise function.

Furthermore, when the switch device 1 is used to operate the display of a car navigation system, when switch 10B is turned on by a second operation in the direction of the arrow β, the cursor on the display is moved upwards, and conversely, when switch 10C is turned on by a second operation in the direction of the arrow β', the cursor is moved downwards. By moving the cursor in this manner, an item displayed on the display can be selected. When switch 10A is turned on by a first operation, the item at the destination of the cursor is determined.

In addition, when the switch device 1 is used to operate an air conditioner, when the switch 10A is turned on by the first operation, the air conditioner starts or stops. When the switch 10B is turned on by the second operation in the direction of the arrow β, the air volume increases, and conversely, when the switch 10C is turned on by the second operation in the direction of the arrow β', the air volume decreases.

Switches 10A to 10C each also function as a biasing member that biases operating member 2 toward the negative side (the other side) in the X-axis direction. This allows operating member 2 to return to its original position (home position), i.e., the position before each operation. In the original position, each operation is released and switches 10A to 10C are each in the OFF state. In switch device 1, switches 10A to 10C each function as a biasing member that biases operating member 2, so it is possible to omit providing a biasing member in addition to switches 10A to 10C. This allows for the switch device 1 to be made smaller and lighter by the amount of the biasing member omitted.

As described above, the operating member 2 is capable of a first operation (push operation) and a second operation (toggle operation) which are different in the operating direction. The first operation switches the switch 10A from an off state to an on state. The second operation switches the switches 10B and 10C from an off state to an on state. As shown in FIG. 2, the operating member 2 has a main body 21, a finger hook (lever) 22, a guide 23, a first shaft (one end shaft) 24, and a second shaft (the other end shaft) 25, which are integrally formed.

The main body 21 is a flat-shaped part. A finger hook 22 is formed on the upper surface of the main body 21 to protrude. The finger hook 22 extends along the Y-axis direction, and has a total length smaller than the total length of the main body 21 and a width smaller than the width of the main body 21. As shown in FIG. 1, the first operation can be performed by pressing the negative Y-axis side part of the finger hook 22 toward the positive X-axis side (one side) using the pressing point 221 as a pressing point. In addition, a second operation in the direction of the arrow β can be performed by placing a finger on the side surface 222 on the negative Z-axis side (the other side) of the finger hook 22 and tilting the finger hook 22 toward the negative Z-axis side, i.e., toward the back of the paper in FIG. 1. Conversely, the second operation in the direction of the arrow β' can be performed by placing a finger on the side surface 223 on the Z-axis positive side (one side) of the finger hook 22 and tilting the finger hook 22 toward the Z-axis positive side, i.e., toward the front side of the paper in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the guide portion 23 is provided on both side surfaces located in the Z-axis direction (width direction) of the main body portion 21, and has a fitting hole 231 with which the fitting claw 42 of the case 3 described later engages. The fitting hole 231 is a through hole that has an oval shape along the X-axis direction. This allows the fitting claw 42 to move relatively along the X-axis within the fitting hole 231 when either the first operation or the second operation is performed. This movement guides the operating member 2, allowing the first operation and the second operation to be performed stably.

The first shaft portion 24 is provided on the Y-axis positive side (one side) of the main body portion 21, and the second shaft portion 25 is provided on the Y-axis negative side (the other side). Therefore, in the operating member 2, the first shaft portion 24 and the second shaft portion 25 are arranged in a state of being spaced apart in the Y-axis direction. The first shaft portion 24 and the second shaft portion 25 each extend in a columnar shape along the Y-axis direction. The first shaft portion 24 has a cross-sectional shape when cut along a plane perpendicular to the Y-axis, at least a part of which is curved, for example, preferably circular. When the cross-sectional shape of the first shaft portion 24 is circular, it is preferable that the diameter φd24 of the first shaft portion 24 is constant along the Y-axis direction (see FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 4, the second shaft portion 25 has an axis abutment portion 26 and a reduced width portion 27 protruding from the axis abutment portion 26 toward the X-axis positive side. The abutment portion 26, like the first shaft portion 24, preferably has a cross-sectional shape that is at least partially curved, for example, circular, when cut along a plane perpendicular to the Y axis. In addition, when the cross-sectional shape of the abutment portion 26 is circular, it is preferable that the diameter φd26 of the abutment portion 26 is constant along the Y axis direction (see FIG. 7). In this embodiment, the diameter φd26 of the abutment portion 26 is smaller than the diameter φd24 of the first shaft portion 24, but is not limited thereto. For example, the diameter φd26 may be the same as the diameter φd24 of the first shaft portion 24, or may be larger than the diameter φd24 of the first shaft portion 24. As shown in FIG. 3, the abutment portion 26 is disposed coaxially with the first shaft portion 24. In the second operation, the operating member 2 rotates around the axis O2 common to the abutment portion 26 and the first shaft portion 24. The reduced width portion 27 has a width w27 that is smaller than the diameter φd26 of the abutment portion 26, and the width w27 is preferably constant along the Y-axis direction (see FIG. 7). In addition, the amount of protrusion of the reduced width portion 27 from the abutment portion 26 is preferably constant along the Y-axis direction.

As described above, the first shaft portion 24 and the second shaft portion 25 are disposed at a distance from each other in the Y-axis direction. This allows a recess 28 to be formed between the first shaft portion 24 and the second shaft portion 25 of the operating member 2 as shown in FIG. 3. In this recess 28, for example, a light-guiding component 12 that receives light from the light-emitting component 11 described below, or other diffusing components that diffuse the light from the light-emitting component 11, etc., can be disposed. For example, the light from the light-emitting component 11 can be illuminated onto the operating member by the light-guiding component 12, allowing the operator to grasp the operating state of the switch device 1.

2, the case 3 has a case body 4, a cover 5, and a frame 6. The case body 4 is made of a flat-shaped member. The switches 10A to 10C fixed to the base 9 penetrate and protrude from the upper surface of the case body 4. The case body 4 has a box-shaped portion 41 provided between the switch 10A and the switches 10B and 10C. For example, the light-emitting component 11 that emits light toward the light-guiding component 12 can be stored inside the box-shaped portion 41. As described above, in the switch device 1, the light-guiding component 12 can be placed in the recess 28 between the first shaft portion 24 and the second shaft portion 25. The light-emitting component 11 can be placed in the box-shaped portion 41 facing the light-guiding component 12. If the light-guiding component 12 and the light-emitting component 11 are close to each other, the light-guiding component 12 can be omitted. The optical components arranged in the recess 28 of the operating member 2 and the box-shaped portion 41 of the case body 4 are not limited to the light-emitting component 11 and the light-guiding component 12. This allows the optical components to be selected appropriately, increasing the freedom of design. The case body 4 also has mating claws 42 that protrude from the box-shaped portion 41. The mating claws 42 are provided on both outer side surfaces of the box-shaped portion 41 in the Z-axis direction, and engage with the mating holes 231 of the operating member 2.

The lid body 5 is made of a member having a flat shape. The lid body 5 can be attached to the upper side of the case body 4 to cover the case body 4. An opening 51 is formed through the lid body 5. The frame body 6 is fitted into this opening 51. The frame body 6 has a plurality of claw portions 61 (three in this embodiment) formed on the frame body 6 and protruding downward. Each claw portion 61 engages with the engagement portion 43 of the case body 4. This fixes the frame body 6 to the case body 4. In addition, the finger hook portion 22 of the operating member 2 is disposed inside the frame body 6. The finger hook portion 22 protrudes from the frame body 6. This allows the finger to be easily hooked on the finger hook portion 22, allowing the first operation and the second operation to be performed stably and smoothly.

A base 9 is disposed below the case body 4. The base 9 has a plurality of claws 91 (four in this embodiment), and is fixed to the case body 4 by each claw 91 engaging with an engagement portion 44 of the case body 4. As shown in FIG. 3, the base 9 is also fixed to the case body 4 by a screw 13. The base 9 has a flat shape, and switches 10A to 10C are each fixed to its upper surface.

As shown in FIG. 3, the case 3 includes a first support portion 31 that supports the operating member 2 in a first operable manner, and a second support portion 32 that supports the operating member 2 in a second operable manner.

5 and 6, the first support portion 31 has a lower abutment portion (one-side abutment portion) 45 provided on the case body 4 and an upper abutment portion (other-side abutment portion) 65 provided on the frame body 6. The lower abutment portion 45 abuts against the outer peripheral surface 241 of the first shaft portion 24 of the operating member 2 from the positive side in the X-axis direction, i.e., from the lower side. The upper abutment portion 65 abuts against the outer peripheral surface 241 of the first shaft portion 24 from the negative side in the X-axis direction, i.e., from the upper side. As a result, the first shaft portion 24 is sandwiched in the X-axis direction between the lower abutment portion 45 and the upper abutment portion 65. In addition, the position of the lower abutment portion 45 and the position of the upper abutment portion 65 are different in the Y-axis direction, and in particular, in this embodiment, since the operating member 2 rotates in the direction of the arrow α, the position of the lower abutment portion 45 is on the positive side in the Y-axis direction than the position of the upper abutment portion 65. Specifically, the offset m between the position of the lower contact portion 45 and the position of the upper contact portion 65 is preferably such that, for example, when the operating member 2 is at least at the first operating limit as shown in FIG. 6, the contact point 451 between the lower contact portion 45 and the first shaft portion 24 is located to the positive side in the Y-axis direction relative to the contact point 651 between the upper contact portion 65 and the first shaft portion 24.

As described above, the first support portion 31 clamps the first shaft portion 24 between the lower contact portion 45 and the upper contact portion 65, and the lower contact portion 45 and the upper contact portion 65 are arranged with a shift amount m in the Y-axis direction. With the first support portion 31 having such a simple configuration, when the pressing point 221 of the operating member 2 is pressed toward the positive side in the X-axis direction, the operating member 2 can be easily and sufficiently rotated in the direction of the arrow α with the lower contact portion 45 and the upper contact portion 65 as fulcrums. This allows the first operation to be performed stably and smoothly. In addition, since the lower contact portion 45 and the upper contact portion 65 are arranged with a shift, it is possible to prevent the first shaft portion 24 from bending when the operating member 2 rotates, and to prevent excessive bending stress from acting on the first shaft portion 24. Because the first shaft portion 24 does not need to bend, the overall length of the first shaft portion 24 can be reduced, thereby making it possible to reduce the size (thinning) of the switch device 1.

5 and 6, the lower contact portion 45 has a curved convex surface (curved surface) 452 curved in an arc. The upper contact portion 65 also has a curved convex surface (curved surface) 652 curved in an arc. As a result, regardless of the rotation angle of the operating member 2, that is, regardless of the posture of the operating member 2 during the first operation, both the curved convex surface 452 and the curved convex surface 652 can abut against the outer circumferential surface 241 of the first shaft portion 24. Such abutment allows the operating member 2 to rotate smoothly in the direction of the arrow α, thereby facilitating the first operation. Note that it is preferable that the radius of curvature of the curved convex surface 452 and the radius of curvature of the curved convex surface 652 are the same, but this is not limited thereto. In addition, it is preferable that the curved convex surface 452 of the lower contact portion 45 and the curved convex surface 652 of the upper contact portion 65 each make line contact with the first shaft portion 24 along the circumferential direction (Z-axis direction) of the first shaft portion 24, regardless of the posture of the operating member 2 during the first operation. This allows the operating member 2 to rotate stably in the direction of the arrow α.

As described above, the case 3 includes a second support portion 32 that supports the operating member 2 in a second operable manner. As shown in Figs. 7 to 9, the second support portion 32 has a bearing portion 66 provided on the frame body 6. The bearing portion 66 is formed as a recess that is recessed toward the negative side in the X-axis direction, and can receive the second shaft portion 25 on its inside. The width w66 of the bearing portion 66 is constant along the X-axis direction and is equal to or slightly larger than the diameter φd26 of the abutment portion 26 of the second shaft portion 25 (see Fig. 7). As a result, the outer peripheral surface 261 of the abutment portion 26 abuts against the side surface 661 of the bearing portion 66. This abutment allows the operating member 2 to stably swing in the directions of the arrows β and β' as shown in Fig. 8, i.e., to stably rotate around the axis O2, thereby facilitating the second operation.

As shown in FIG. 4, the case 3 is provided with an operation restricting portion 33 that restricts the second operation when the first operation is performed. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the operation restricting portion 33 is provided on the case body 4 and has a recess 46 recessed toward the positive side in the X-axis direction. The width w46 of the recess 46 is constant along the X-axis direction and is the same as or slightly larger than the width w27 of the reduced width portion 27 of the second shaft portion 25 (see FIG. 7). As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, during the first operation, the reduced width portion 27 of the second shaft portion 25 enters the recess 46, and the reduced width portion 27 and the recess 46 engage with each other. This engagement restricts the second operation from being performed during the first operation, preventing simultaneous operations and erroneous operations.

The upper part of the recess 46 is provided with a chamfered chamfered portion 461, and the lower part of the reduced width portion 27 is provided with a curved convex surface 271 curved in an arc shape. This allows the reduced width portion 27 of the second shaft portion 25 to smoothly enter the recess 46. As shown in FIG. 8, when the second operation is performed, the curved convex surface 271 of the reduced width portion 27 abuts against one of the two chamfered portions 461. This reaches the limit of the second operation. The curved convex surface 271 may abut against the side surface 661 of the bearing portion 66. As shown in FIG. 9, when the first operation is performed, the curved convex surface 271 of the reduced width portion 27 abuts against the bottom surface 462 of the recess 46. This reaches the limit of the first operation.

In addition, in this embodiment, the operation restricting portion 33 is formed integrally with the case 3. This configuration can reduce the number of parts in the switch device 1 compared to, for example, a case in which the operation restricting portion 33 is a separate member from the case 3. This allows the structure of the switch device 1 to be simplified and made lighter. In addition, the degree of freedom in layout when arranging the optical components described above within the case 3 is increased.

1 Switch device 2 Operation member (operation knob)
24 First shaft part (one end shaft part)
25 Second shaft part (other end shaft part)
31 First support part 32 Second support part 45 Lower contact part (one side contact part)
65 Upper contact part (other side contact part)

Claims (7)

an operating member capable of a first operation of being rotated toward one side in the X-axis direction and a second operation of being rotated around the Y-axis when two mutually orthogonal axes are assumed to be an X-axis and a Y-axis, respectively;
a biasing member that biases the operation member toward the other side in the X-axis direction;
A first support portion that supports the operating member so as to be capable of being operated by the first operation;
a second support portion that supports the operating member so as to be capable of performing the second operation;
The operating member is provided on one side in the Y axis direction and has a one-end shaft portion extending along the Y axis direction,
the first support portion has a one-side contact portion that contacts the one-end shaft portion from one side in the X axis direction and an other-side contact portion that contacts the one-end shaft portion from the other side in the X axis direction,
A switch device in which the position of the one side abutment portion and the position of the other side abutment portion differ in the Y axis direction. The switch device according to claim 1, wherein the position of the one-side abutment portion is on one side in the Y-axis direction from the position of the other-side abutment portion. The switch device according to claim 1, wherein when the operating member is at least at the first operating limit, the position of the one-side abutment portion and the position of the other-side abutment portion differ in the Y-axis direction. The switch device according to claim 1, wherein the one-side contact portion and the other-side contact portion each have a curved surface. The switch device according to claim 4, wherein, assuming a Z-axis perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis, the one-side contact portion and the other-side contact portion each make line contact with the one-end shaft portion along the Z-axis direction, regardless of the attitude of the operating member during the first operation. an operation restriction unit that restricts the second operation when the first operation is performed;
the operation member is provided on the other side in the Y axis direction and has a second end shaft portion extending along the Y axis direction,
the second support portion has a bearing portion that receives the other end shaft portion,
the other end shaft portion has a cross-sectional shape when cut along a plane perpendicular to the Y axis, at least a portion of which is curved, and has an abutting portion that abuts against the bearing portion during the second operation, and a reduced width portion that protrudes from the abutting portion toward one side in the X axis direction and has a reduced width compared to the abutting portion,
The switch device according to claim 1 , wherein the operation restricting portion has a recess with which the reduced width portion engages during the first operation. an operating member capable of a first operation of being rotated toward one side in the X-axis direction and a second operation of being rotated around the Y-axis when two mutually orthogonal axes are assumed to be an X-axis and a Y-axis, respectively;
a biasing member that biases the operation member toward the other side in the X-axis direction;
A first support portion that supports the operating member so as to be capable of being operated by the first operation;
A second support portion that supports the operating member so as to be capable of performing the second operation;
an operation restriction unit that restricts the second operation when the first operation is performed,
The operating member has a shaft portion extending along the Y-axis direction,
the operation restriction portion has a recess with which the shaft portion engages during the first operation,
the first support portion has a one-side contact portion that contacts the shaft portion from one side in the X axis direction and an other-side contact portion that contacts the shaft portion from the other side in the X axis direction,
The switch device , wherein the biasing member is a switch that is turned on by the first operation or the second operation .