JP7752149B2 - Microswitch - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a dual-type microswitch in which a pair of switch parts are housed side by side in a case.

Microswitches used in devices and the like are known in the past (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The microswitch described in Patent Document 1 is a dual-type microswitch in which a pair of switch parts are housed side by side in a case. In this microswitch, the terminal mounting surfaces of each switch part are arranged side by side.

Chinese Patent Publication No. 106708117

However, with the dual-type microswitch described in Patent Document 1 above, the terminal mounting surfaces of each switch section are simply arranged side by side, which poses the problem that the terminal arrangement of the switch as a whole is difficult to understand and difficult to use. On the other hand, simply aligning the terminal arrangement on the terminal mounting surfaces of each switch section to make the terminal arrangement easier to understand could result in the overall size of the switch increasing.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a dual-type microswitch that has an aligned terminal arrangement for the entire switch while minimizing size.

In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the microswitch is a dual-type switch comprising a case and a pair of switch parts housed side by side in the case with their terminal installation surfaces, which are located on the outer surface of the case where terminals are installed, facing in the same direction, and each of the pair of switch parts has multiple terminals arranged in an L-shape on the terminal installation surface, and the pair of switch parts are housed in the case with one inverted relative to the other so that, when viewed in a plane relative to the terminal installation surface, all of the terminals of the pair of switch parts are arranged in a lattice pattern.

In the above-mentioned microswitch, the terminal arrangement on the terminal mounting surface of each of the pair of switch sections is L-shaped, and the pair of switch sections are housed in a case with one section inverted relative to the other so that all terminals are arranged in a grid pattern. By inverting one section relative to the other, a grid pattern is formed in which the convex arrangement in one L-shape fits into the concave arrangement in the other L-shape, and this combination also helps to prevent the overall size of the switch from increasing. In other words, the above configuration makes it possible to obtain a dual-type microswitch with an aligned terminal arrangement for the entire switch while preventing it from becoming too large.

The microswitch is a dual-type switch comprising a case and a pair of switch parts housed side by side in the case with their terminal installation surfaces facing the same direction, each of the pair of switch parts having a plurality of terminals arranged in an L-shape on the terminal installation surface, and the pair of switch parts are housed in the case in an inverted state relative to the other so that all of the terminals of the pair of switch parts are arranged in a lattice pattern in a plan view of the terminal installation surface, and each of the pair of switch parts comprises an operating shaft that moves in a direction perpendicular to the terminal installation surface to switch the conductive state of the contacts of each switch part, and an operating lever that extends in a strip-like shape along a direction intersecting the operating shaft and is rotatable with one end side as a rotation axis, and receives an external force from the other end and presses one end of the operating shaft at its midpoint to move the operating shaft, and the pair of switch parts are housed in the case so that the operating shafts are lined up in a row along either the vertical or horizontal axis in the lattice pattern between the pair of switch parts, and the operating levers extend in the same direction with the same side as the rotation axis.

With this configuration, the actuating shafts of the pair of switch parts are aligned in a row, and the actuating levers extend in the same direction with the same side as the rotation axis. This means that the actuating levers of the two lined-up switch parts do not simply face in opposite directions, but are lined up facing the same direction, improving ease of use as a microswitch. Furthermore, because the pair of actuating shafts are aligned in a row, the microswitch can be made smaller in the direction intersecting the alignment direction.

The microswitch is a dual-type switch having a case and a pair of switch parts housed side by side in the case with their terminal installation surfaces facing the same direction, each of the pair of switch parts having multiple terminals arranged in an L-shape on the terminal installation surface, and the pair of switch parts are housed in the case in an inverted state with one of them inverted relative to the other so that, when viewed from above with respect to the terminal installation surface, all of the terminals of the pair of switch parts are arranged in a lattice pattern, and the terminal installation surface of each of the pair of switch parts is a stepped installation surface with the terminals arranged on each step.
The microswitch is a dual-type switch including a case and a pair of switch parts housed side by side in the case with their terminal installation surfaces facing the same direction, wherein each of the pair of switch parts has a plurality of terminals arranged in an L-shape on the terminal installation surface, and the pair of switch parts are housed in the case in an inverted state with respect to the other so that all of the terminals of the pair of switch parts are arranged in a lattice pattern in a plan view of the terminal installation surface, and the terminal installation surface of one of the pair of switch parts is surface-treated so that it can be visually distinguished from the terminal installation surface of the other switch part.

With this configuration, the work of fixing the wire terminal to the terminal on each stage can be carried out unhindered at a position offset in the step direction from the wire terminal fixed to the terminal on another stage, improving the workability of the terminal fixing work.

It is also preferable that the device further includes an insulating partition wall disposed inside the case to isolate at least the closest points between the conductive parts of each of the pair of switch parts.

With this configuration, even if the current-carrying parts of a pair of switch parts come close to each other due to the inverted arrangement, the partition will block the current at least at the closest point. This blocking allows the pair of switch parts to be arranged even closer together, which means that the size of the microswitch can be further reduced.

As described above, it is also preferable that the terminal mounting surface of one of the pair of switch portions is surface-treated so as to be visually distinguishable from the terminal mounting surface of the other switch portion.

With this configuration, the surface treatment on one of the terminal mounting surfaces makes it clear at a glance which switch part each terminal belongs to, improving the workability of terminal fixing work.

This invention makes it possible to obtain a dual-type microswitch that has an aligned terminal arrangement for the entire switch while minimizing size.

1 is an external perspective view showing a microswitch according to an embodiment; 2 is a cross-sectional view of the microswitch shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the microswitch shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, seen from the terminal installation surface side of a pair of switch portions. 4 is a plan view of a pair of terminal mounting surfaces shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a terminal arrangement on a pair of terminal installation surfaces shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the microswitch shown in FIG. 1 with the cover removed together with its top surface structure so that the internal switch portion can be seen. FIG. 7 is a side view of a structure for improving the insulation between the pair of switch portions shown in FIG. 6 inside the case, as viewed in the width direction of the microswitch. FIG.

One embodiment of the present invention is described below.

Figure 1 is an external perspective view showing a microswitch according to one embodiment, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the microswitch shown in Figure 1 taken along the A-A section line in Figure 1.

The microswitch 1 according to this embodiment constitutes part of a pressure switch that detects the pressure of a refrigerant in a compressor of a refrigeration cycle, for example. The microswitch 1 is a dual-type switch in which a pair of switch portions 1a are housed side by side inside a box-shaped case 10. The pair of switch portions 1a are housed side by side inside the case 10 with their terminal mounting surfaces 80 (described below) facing in the same direction. The pair of switch portions 1a also have the same structure, and the following description will focus on the structure of one of the switch portions 1a and refer to Figures 1 and 2.

The switch portion 1a includes an actuator 20 mounted on the upper portion of the case 10 and a micro-actuating shaft 30 that is moved back and forth by the actuator 20 in an axial direction perpendicular to the terminal mounting surface 80 (described below). The actuator 20 extends like a strip in a direction intersecting the micro-actuating shaft 30, with one end rotatably mounted around a rotation axis 21. The other end includes a lever 22 (described below) that receives an external force and presses one end of the micro-actuating shaft 30 at its midpoint, thereby moving the micro-actuating shaft 30. The switch portion 1a also includes the micro-actuating shaft 30, a switching mechanism 50 that applies a force when the micro-actuating shaft 30 is displaced axially, and a contact 60 whose electrical connection is switched by the switching mechanism 50. The switch portion 1a also includes multiple terminals 81 electrically connected to the contacts 60, and the terminals 81 of each switch portion 1a are fixed to a terminal portion 11a at the bottom of the case 10. In addition, in this terminal section 11a, the terminals 81 are arranged together for each switch section 1a, and the terminal section 11a has a terminal installation surface 80 corresponding to each switch section 1a. In other words, a pair of switch sections 1a are housed in the case 10 so that the terminal installation surfaces 80 face in the same direction to form the terminal section 11a. Furthermore, each terminal 81 is a plate-shaped metal terminal to which the target electric wire terminal or the like is connected using a screw 81a.

In the following description, arrows X, Y, and Z in the drawings represent directions perpendicular to one another. The axial direction of the micro-actuating shaft 30 (described later) is indicated by arrow Z and will be referred to as the "axial direction Z." One side of the axial direction Z will be referred to as the "upper side Z1," and the other side as the "lower side Z2." The horizontal direction is indicated by arrows X and Y and will be referred to as the "front-rear direction X" and the "width direction Y," respectively. One side of the front-rear direction X will be referred to as the "front side X1," and the other side as the "rear side X2." Note that this is for convenience of explanation only, and does not necessarily correspond to the directions in the actual usage state of the microswitch 1, and does not limit the directions in the actual usage state of the microswitch 1. According to these directions, the pair of switch portions 1a in the microswitch 1 are aligned in the width direction Y.

The case 10 comprises a substantially rectangular box-shaped box portion 11 and a lid portion 12 attached to the upper side Z1 of the box portion 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the box portion 11 has an internal storage space 13. Components such as the switching means 50 and contacts 60 are housed in the storage space 13. A protrusion 14 protruding toward the rear side X2 is formed on the rear side X2 of the side walls of the box portion 11. The protrusion 14 serves to secure the box portion 11 to a device (such as the pressure switch described above) on which the microswitch 1 is mounted, and together with the base portion 15 described below, forms a connection portion that connects the box portion 11 to the device. The lid portion 12 comprises a base portion 15 located above the protrusion 14 and extending toward the upper side Z1, and a lid main body 16 that is continuous with the base portion 15 and extends perpendicular to the base portion 15 in the front-to-rear direction X. The base portion 15 is formed in the shape of a thick plate, and together with the protrusion 14 described above, forms the connection portion that connects the box portion 11 to the device. A terminal portion 11a is formed on the outer surface of the bottom wall of the box portion 11, where the terminal installation surfaces 80 of a pair of switch portions 1a are aligned.

The surface of the base portion 15 facing the front side X1 has a total of two pairs of protrusions 15a spaced apart in the width direction Y and protruding toward the front side X1. A rectangular pedestal 17 is formed between the pair of protrusions 15a, protruding toward the front side X1 from the surface of the base portion 15 facing the front side X1. A fixing portion 18 for fixing a lever 22 (described below) is fixed to the pedestal 17 by a fastening member 19. The fixing portion 18 is formed by bending a metal plate, etc., and covers the upper side Z1 surface and both side surfaces in the width direction Y of the pedestal 17, protruding toward the front side X1 beyond the end of the front side X1 of the pedestal 17. The lid main body 16 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate extending in the front-rear direction X and the width direction Y. A through-hole 16a is formed in the center of the lid main body 16, penetrating in the axial direction Z.

The actuating unit 20 is a component that displaces in response to an external force, thereby moving the micro actuating shaft 30 back and forth in the axial direction. An example of such an external force would be a force generated and transmitted when a bellows, acting as a sensitive component, displaces in response to changes in refrigerant pressure, when the microswitch 1 is used as a pressure switch that detects the pressure of the refrigerant. In this case, the actuating unit 20 functions as a displacement transmission member that transmits the displacement of the bellows or the like to the micro actuating shaft 30. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the actuating unit 20 includes a rotating shaft 21 fixed to the fixed portion 18 and penetrating both side walls in the width direction Y, and a lever 22 rotatably supported by the rotating shaft 21. The lever 22 is configured to rotate around the axis of the rotating shaft 21 (counterclockwise as viewed from the direction shown in Figure 2) based on the force generated and transmitted by the displacement of the bellows. The lever 22 includes a plate-shaped portion 23 extending in the front-rear direction X, and a conical bearing portion 24 protruding upward Z1 from the plate-shaped portion 23. The inner circumferential surface of the bearing portion 24 forms a sliding contact surface that comes into sliding contact with one end portion 31 of the micro-actuating shaft 30, which will be described later.

The micro-actuating shaft 30 is a shaft member that moves back and forth in the axial direction Z in response to the rotational movement of the lever 22 in the actuating unit 20. It is inserted through the insertion hole 16a of the lid main body 16, extends in the axial direction Z, and is fixed to the case 10 so as to be displaceable in the axial direction Z. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the micro-actuating shaft 30 has one end 31 located outside the case 10 and constituting the end on the upper side Z1, and an engaging portion 33 located inside the case 10 and constituting the end on the lower side Z2. The one end 31 is in sliding contact with the inner circumferential surface of the bearing portion 24 of the lever 22, and its outer surface is formed in a hemispherical shape. The engaging portion 33 is a portion that engages with the switching means 50. By engaging this engaging portion 33 with the switching means 50, a force in the axial direction Z (axial) is applied to the switching means 50 when the micro-actuating shaft 30 moves back and forth.

2, the switching means 50 includes a movable piece 51 that engages with the engaging portion 33 of the micro-actuation shaft 30, a snap piece 52 that abuts against the tip of the movable piece 51 and biases a movable contact 63 (described later) toward the first fixed contact 61 or the second fixed contact 62, and a conductive piece 53 that has the movable contact 63 at its end on the front side X1. The contacts 60 are conductive members that are respectively connected to multiple terminals 81 provided on the case 10, and include a first fixed contact 61, a second fixed contact 62, and the movable contact 63 fixed to the end on the front side X1 of the conductive piece 53. The first fixed contact 61 is fixed to the case 10 within the accommodation space 13. The second fixed contact 62 is located above the first fixed contact 61 (Z1) and is fixed to the case 10 within the accommodation space 13, facing the first fixed contact 61 in the axial direction Z. The movable contact 63 is disposed between the first fixed contact 61 and the second fixed contact 62 and is capable of abutting against each of the first fixed contact 61 and the second fixed contact 62, allowing for switching of electrical connection. For each switch portion 1a, the terminals 81 are connected one-to-one to the first fixed contact 61, the second fixed contact 62, and the movable contact 63, and three terminals are provided on each terminal mounting surface 80 of the terminal portion 11a at the bottom of the case 10, for a total of six.

Next, the operation of each switch portion 1a in the microswitch 1 will be described. First, in Figure 2, the actuating portion 20 is not pressing the micro actuating shaft 30 downward Z2, and the movable contact 63, biased downward Z2 by the snap piece 52, is in contact with the first fixed contact 61, establishing electrical continuity. Next, an external force is transmitted to the actuating portion 20, causing the lever 22 of the actuating portion 20 to rotate counterclockwise around the axis of the rotation shaft 21, and the micro actuating shaft 30 is displaced downward Z2 in response to the rotation of the lever 22. This displacement causes a load acting toward the downward Z2 to act on the switching means 50, deforming the movable piece 51, and in conjunction with the deformation of the movable piece 51, the snap piece 52 is deformed. When the deformation of the snap piece 52 exceeds a certain amount, the biasing force on the conductive piece 53 reverses, and the conductive piece 53 is biased upward Z1, thereby releasing the electrical connection between the movable contact 63 and the first fixed contact 61 and causing the movable contact 63 and the second fixed contact 62 to come into contact and establish electrical connection. In other words, the switching means 50 switches the electrical connection of the contact 60. As the electrical connection of the contact 60 is switched in this way, the electrical connection of the terminal 81 on the terminal installation surface 80 also switches.

Figure 3 is an external perspective view of the microswitch shown in Figures 1 and 2, viewed from the terminal installation surface side of a pair of switch portions; Figure 4 is a plan view of the pair of terminal installation surfaces shown in Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the terminal arrangement on the pair of terminal installation surfaces shown in Figure 4.

Each of the pair of switch portions 1a that make up the microswitch 1 has three terminals 81 arranged in an L-shape on each terminal mounting surface 80. As described above, these three terminals 81 are connected one-to-one to the first fixed contact 61, second fixed contact 62, and movable contact 63, respectively, and serve as the first terminal 811, second terminal 812, and common terminal 813. In this embodiment, one of the pair of switch portions 1a is the first switch portion 1-1 and the other is the second switch portion 1-2. In particular, when the microswitch 1 is used as a pressure switch, the first switch portion 1-1 of the pair of switch portions 1a is used to detect low pressure, and the second switch portion 1-2 is used to detect high pressure.

In the microswitch 1, a pair of switch portions 1a are housed in the case 10, one inverted 180° relative to the other, so that all terminals 81 are arranged in a grid of two rows and three columns when viewed from above with respect to the terminal installation surface 80. This inverted arrangement forms a grid arrangement in which the convex arrangement in one L-shape fits into the concave arrangement in the other L-shape. In the example shown in Figures 3 to 5, the grid arrangement is formed by combining the first terminal 811 in one L-shape so that it is adjacent to the common terminal 813 in the other L-shape. The terminal portion 11a on the outer surface of the bottom wall of the box portion 11 in the case 10 of the microswitch 1 is combined with a pair of terminal installation surfaces 80 to form this grid arrangement.

In this embodiment, the terminal installation surface 80 of each of the pair of switch portions 1a is a stepped installation surface with terminals 81 arranged on each step. However, as described above, the inverted arrangement causes the entire terminal portion 11a of the microswitch 1 to have a two-step structure with upper and lower steps, and the terminals 81 arranged on each step of each terminal installation surface 80 differ between the pair of switch portions 1a. That is, on the terminal installation surface 80 of the first switch portion 1-1 shown in FIG. 5, the common terminal 813 is arranged on the lower step, and two terminals 81, the first terminal 811 and the second terminal 812, are arranged on the upper step. On the other hand, on the terminal installation surface 80 of the second switch portion 1-2, the two terminals 81, the first terminal 811 and the second terminal 812, are arranged on the lower step, and the common terminal 813 is arranged on the upper step.

On each terminal installation surface 80, the upper terminals 81 are installed on a surface one step lower than the outermost surface in the axial direction Z, while the lower terminals 81 are installed on a surface one step lower than the installation surface of the upper terminals 81, directly reaching the side of the rear side X2 of the box portion 11. Furthermore, on each of the upper and lower levels, adjacent terminals 81 in the width direction Y are separated by ribs 82, and at both ends in the width direction Y, sidewall ribs 83 extending from the side walls of the box portion 11 in the axial direction Z are provided so as to face the ribs 82. Due to the stepped structure of each terminal installation surface 80, the ribs 82 between the terminals 81, and the sidewall ribs 83, each terminal 81 is surrounded on three sides by walls, with the lower side Z2 in the axial direction Z and the rear side X2 in the front-to-rear direction X open. To each terminal 81, the target electric wire terminal or the like is connected from the two open sides.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, one of the pair of terminal mounting surfaces 80, i.e., the terminal mounting surface 80 of the second switch portion 1a in the example of Figures 4 and 5, is given a surface treatment that makes it visually distinguishable from the other terminal mounting surface 80 of the first switch portion 1-1. Specifically, the terminal mounting surface 80 of the second switch portion 1-2 is given a embossing treatment that gives it a wrinkled pattern.

In addition, the inverted arrangement of the pair of switch parts 1a is such that the micro-actuating shaft 30 and the lever 22 of the actuating unit 20 are aligned as follows:

Figure 6 shows the microswitch shown in Figure 1 with the cover removed along with its top surface structure, revealing the internal switch section.

As shown in Figure 6, the pair of switch sections 1a are arranged in a 180° inverted manner, with the switching means 50 and contacts 60 facing in opposite directions in the front-to-back direction X inside the case 10, forming a dual-type microswitch 1. Meanwhile, between the pair of switch sections 1a, a pair of micro-actuating shafts 30 are aligned in a row along either the vertical or horizontal axis (the width direction Y, which corresponds to the horizontal axis in this embodiment) of the lattice arrangement of the terminals 81. Also, as shown in Figure 1, the levers 22 of the actuating unit 20 extend in the same direction, with the same side serving as the rotation axis 21.

In addition, in this embodiment, the insulation between the pair of switch portions 1a inside the case 10 is improved by the following structure.

Figure 7 is a side view of the structure for improving the insulation between the pair of switch parts shown in Figure 6 inside the case, viewed from the width direction of the microswitch.

In this embodiment, an insulating partition wall 90 is disposed inside the case 10 to enhance the insulation. This partition wall 90 is disposed inside the case 10 so as to isolate the closest portions 1a-2 of the current-carrying portions 1a-1 (hatched portions in FIG. 6), which include the switching means 50, contacts 60, and connecting bus bars in each of the pair of switch portions 1a. Because many of the current-carrying portions 1a-1 are located on the upper side Z1 of the case 10 inside the microswitch 1, as shown in FIG. 7, the partition wall 90 is disposed so as to protrude in a rib-like manner from the underside of the lid portion 12 of the case 10. This rib-like partition wall 90 is inserted between the pair of current-carrying portions 1a-1, extending in the front-rear direction X. Furthermore, the center portion of the partition wall 90 protrudes in a tongue-like manner to reliably isolate the closest portions 1a-2 of the current-carrying portions 1a-1, and this protruding portion 91 is inserted between the closest portions 1a-2.

In the microswitch 1 of the embodiment described above, the terminal arrangement on the terminal mounting surface 80 of each of the pair of switch sections 1a is L-shaped. The pair of switch sections 1a are housed in the case 10 with one inverted relative to the other so that all of the terminals 81 are arranged in a grid pattern. By inverting one section relative to the other, a grid pattern is formed in which the convex arrangement in one L-shape fits into the concave arrangement in the other L-shape, and this combination also helps to prevent the overall size of the switch from increasing. In other words, the above configuration makes it possible to obtain a dual-type microswitch 1 in which the terminals of the entire switch are arranged in an aligned pattern while preventing the switch from becoming too large.

In this embodiment, each of the pair of switch portions 1a includes a micro-actuating shaft 30 that switches the conductive state of the contacts 60 and a lever 22 of the actuating unit 20 that moves the micro-actuating shaft 30. Between the pair of switch portions 1a, the micro-actuating shafts 30 are aligned along the horizontal axis (axis in the width direction Y) of the lattice arrangement of the terminals 81. Furthermore, the levers 22 of the actuating unit 20 extend in the same direction, with the same side serving as the rotation axis 21. With this configuration, the pair of micro-actuating shafts 30 are aligned in a row, and the levers 22 of the pair of actuating units 20 extend in the same direction, with the same side serving as the rotation axis 21. Therefore, the levers 22 of the two side-by-side switch portions 1a do not simply face in opposite directions, but face the same direction, improving the ease of use of the microswitch 1. Furthermore, because the pair of micro-actuating shafts 30 are aligned in a row, the microswitch 1 can be made smaller in the direction intersecting the alignment direction. In this embodiment, the micro-actuating shafts 30 are aligned in the width direction Y, and the microswitch 1 is miniaturized in the front-to-rear direction X.

In addition, in this embodiment, the terminal installation surface 80 of each of the pair of switch portions 1a is a stepped installation surface with terminals 81 arranged on each step. With this configuration, the work of fixing the wire terminals to the terminals 81 on each step can be performed unhindered at positions offset in the step direction from the wire terminals fixed to the terminals 81 on other steps, improving the workability of the terminal fixing work.

In addition, in this embodiment, an insulating partition 90 is arranged inside the case 10 to isolate at least the closest points 1a-2 of the current-carrying portions 1a-1 of each of the pair of switch portions 1a. With this configuration, even if the current-carrying portions 1a-1 of the pair of switch portions 1a are brought close to each other due to the inverted arrangement, the partition 90 will isolate them from each other, including the closest points 1a-2. This isolation allows the pair of switch portions 1a to be arranged even closer together, which means that the size of the microswitch 1 can be further reduced.

In addition, in this embodiment, of the terminal mounting surfaces 80 of the pair of switch parts 1a, the high-voltage terminal mounting surface 80 is textured to allow it to be visually distinguished from the low-voltage terminal mounting surface 80. With this configuration, the surface treatment on one of the terminal mounting surfaces 80 makes it clear at a glance which switch part 1a each terminal 81 belongs to, thereby improving the workability of the terminal fixing operation.

The above-described embodiments merely represent typical aspects of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these. In other words, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. As long as such modifications still comprise the microswitch configuration of the present invention, they are of course included within the scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the microswitch 1 used as a pressure switch is given as an example of a microswitch. However, the microswitch is not limited to this, and may be used as various switches other than pressure switches, as long as it switches the conductive state of the switch portion in response to some external force.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a switch portion 1a in which three terminals 81 are arranged in an L-shape on the terminal installation surface 80 is exemplified as an example of a switch portion. However, the switch portion is not limited to this, and the number of terminals on the terminal installation surface is not limited to a specific number as long as an L-shaped arrangement is possible.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a microswitch, a microswitch 1 is shown in which the micro actuating shafts 30 are aligned in a row and the pair of switch portions 1a are arranged in an inverted manner so that the levers 22 of the actuating unit 20 extend in the same direction. However, the microswitch is not limited to this, and as long as all terminals of the pair of switch portions are arranged in a grid pattern, the actuating shafts may be arranged offset from each other and the actuating levers may extend in opposite directions. However, as described above, aligning the micro actuating shafts 30 in a row and having the levers 22 of the actuating unit 20 extend in the same direction can improve the operability of the pair of micro actuating shafts 30 via the pair of levers 22.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, a stepped terminal installation surface 80 with terminals 81 arranged on each step is exemplified as an example of a terminal installation surface. However, the terminal installation surface is not limited to this and may be a simple flat surface. However, as described above, forming the terminal installation surface 80 in a stepped shape can improve the workability of the terminal fixing work.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example of a microswitch is illustrated as a microswitch 1 equipped with an insulating partition 90 that separates at least the closest portions 1a-2 of the current-carrying portions 1a-1 of each of a pair of switch portions 1a. However, the microswitch is not limited to this, and the current-carrying portions of each of the pair of switch portions may be spaced apart without any structure. However, as described above, by providing the insulating partition 90, the pair of switch portions 1a can be arranged even closer together, which means that the size of the microswitch 1 can be further reduced.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a microswitch, a microswitch 1 is exemplified in which the high-voltage terminal mounting surface 80 is textured as a surface treatment that makes it visually distinguishable from the low-voltage terminal mounting surface 80. However, the microswitch is not limited to this, and the pair of terminal mounting surfaces may have the same uniform surface condition. However, as mentioned above, the surface treatment of one terminal mounting surface 80 can improve the workability of the terminal fixing work. Furthermore, the surface treatment for distinguishing one terminal mounting surface is not limited to textured, and any surface treatment can be used as long as it makes it visually distinguishable from the other terminal mounting surface.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Microswitch 1a Switch portion 1a-1 Conductive portion 1a-2 Closest portion 1-1 First switch portion 1-2 Second switch portion 10 Case 11 Box portion 11a Terminal portion 12 Lid portion 13 Storage space 14 Protrusion 15 Base portion 15a Protrusion 16 Lid body 16a Insertion hole 17 Base 18 Fixing portion 19 Fastening member 20 Actuating portion 21 Rotating shaft 22 Lever 23 Plate-shaped portion 24 Bearing portion 30 Micro actuating shaft 31 One end portion 33 Engagement portion 50 Switching means 51 Movable piece 52 Snap piece 53 Conductive piece 60 Contact 61 First fixed contact 62 Second fixed contact 63 Movable contact 70 Fixed member 80 Terminal installation surface 81 Terminal 81a Screw 82 Rib 83 Side wall rib 90 Partition wall 91 Protruding portion 811 First terminal 812 Second terminal 813 Common terminal X Front-rear direction X1 Front side X2 Rear side Y Width direction Z Axial direction Z1 Upper side Z2 Lower side

Claims (5)

Case and
a pair of switch parts housed side by side in the case, with terminal installation surfaces located on portions of the outer surface of the case where terminals are installed facing the same direction;
Each of the pair of switch portions has a plurality of terminals arranged in an L-shape on the terminal installation surface,
A microswitch characterized in that the pair of switch portions are housed in the case in an inverted state with one of them inverted relative to the other so that all of the terminals of the pair of switch portions are arranged in a lattice pattern when viewed in a plan view relative to the terminal installation surface. Case and
A dual-type switch having a pair of switch parts housed side by side in the case with their terminal installation surfaces facing the same direction,
Each of the pair of switch portions has a plurality of terminals arranged in an L-shape on the terminal installation surface,
the pair of switch portions are accommodated in the case in a state in which one is inverted relative to the other so that all of the terminals of the pair of switch portions are arranged in a lattice pattern in a plan view with respect to the terminal installation surface,
Each of the pair of switch portions is
an operating shaft that moves in a direction perpendicular to the terminal installation surface to switch the conduction state of the contacts of each switch portion;
an operating lever extending in a strip shape along a direction intersecting the operating shaft, rotatable about one end side of the operating shaft, and receiving an external force on the other end side thereof, which presses one end of the operating shaft at a midpoint thereof to move the operating shaft;
A microswitch characterized in that the pair of switch parts are housed in the case so that the operating axes are aligned in a row along either the vertical or horizontal axis of the lattice arrangement between the pair of switch parts, and the operating levers extend in the same direction with the same side as the rotation axis. Case and
A dual-type switch having a pair of switch parts housed side by side in the case with their terminal installation surfaces facing the same direction,
Each of the pair of switch portions has a plurality of terminals arranged in an L-shape on the terminal installation surface,
the pair of switch portions are accommodated in the case in a state in which one is inverted relative to the other so that all of the terminals of the pair of switch portions are arranged in a lattice pattern in a plan view with respect to the terminal installation surface,
A microswitch characterized in that the terminal installation surface of each of the pair of switch portions is a stepped installation surface with the terminals arranged on each step. Case and
A dual-type switch having a pair of switch parts housed side by side in the case with their terminal installation surfaces facing the same direction,
Each of the pair of switch portions has a plurality of terminals arranged in an L-shape on the terminal installation surface,
the pair of switch portions are accommodated in the case in a state in which one is inverted relative to the other so that all of the terminals of the pair of switch portions are arranged in a lattice pattern in a plan view with respect to the terminal installation surface,
A microswitch characterized in that the terminal installation surface of one of the pair of switch portions is surface-treated so as to be visually distinguishable from the terminal installation surface of the other switch portion. The microswitch according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an insulating partition disposed inside the case so as to isolate at least the closest portions of the conductive portions of the pair of switch portions from each other .