JP7769677B2 - Switching device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a switch device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a paddle shift switch attached to a steering wheel.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2018-0038218

This type of paddle switch has a case fixed to the steering wheel, a shaft supported by the case, and an operating knob rotatably supported by the shaft.

The control knob is a part that is operated by the user. If the control knob is made of a conductive material, static electricity may flow through the control knob when the user operates it due to the potential difference between the user and the control knob.

The case contains a circuit board on which electronic components are mounted, and if static electricity flowing through the control knob acts on the electronic components on the circuit board, it could affect their operation.
Therefore, there is a need to reduce the possibility that static electricity will act on electronic components on a board.
In addition to such requirements, another objective of the present invention is to achieve actions and effects derived from the various configurations disclosed in the "Forms for Implementing the Invention" described below, which actions and effects cannot be obtained with conventional technologies.

The present invention provides
a housing that accommodates a substrate on which electronic components are mounted;
an operating member supported in the housing so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis along the board,
When viewed from an axial direction along a direction in which the operation member and the circuit board face each other, the housing has an installation area for the circuit board and an installation area for a ground-side conductive member defined therein,
the operation member is provided with a protruding portion at a portion facing the conductive member, the protruding portion being disposed opposite the conductive member with a gap between the protruding portion and the conductive member,
The operating member is a switch device configured to allow the movement of electric charge to the protruding portion.

This invention reduces the possibility of static electricity acting on electronic components on a board.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a switch device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a switch device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a case of the switch device. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an operation knob. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 1 is an enlarged view of a main part of a case of a switch device.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described using as an example a switch device 1 (paddle shift switch) that is attached to a steering wheel of a vehicle and used to operate an in-vehicle transmission.
1 and 2 are diagrams illustrating a switch device 1. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the switch device 1 is installed on a steering wheel SW. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the switch device 1.
In FIG. 1, the steering wheel SW is shown by a virtual line.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the case 2 of the switch device 1. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the case 2 as seen from the side where the operation knob 3 is attached, and the case 2 is schematically shown. FIG. 3 corresponds to a view of the switch device 1 attached to a steering wheel (not shown) as seen from the front side of the vehicle. Note that in FIG. 3, cross hatching is used to indicate open areas. Furthermore, in FIG. 3, to make the position of the peripheral wall portion 22 of the case 2 easier to understand, the end surface of the peripheral wall portion 22 on the near side of the page is shown hatched.
4 is a cross-sectional view of the switch device 1. In FIG. 4, a cross section of the switch device 1 taken along line AA in FIG.
In the following description, the positional relationship of each component of the switch device 1 will be described based on the vertical direction in Fig. 4 as needed. For example, the term "upper side" refers to the upper side in the vertical direction in Fig. 4. Note that depending on the installation state of the switch device 1 on the steering wheel SW, the "upper side" in Fig. 4 may actually be the "lower side."

1, the switch device 1 is attached to a frame 102 of a steering wheel SW. The frame 102 is a portion that connects a connecting portion 100 of a steering shaft (not shown) and a ring-shaped grip portion 101.
The switch device 1 is attached to the rear side of the frame 102 when viewed from the driver operating the steering wheel SW.

The switch device 1 has an operating knob 3 that is operated by the driver when performing an upshift or downshift. The switch device 1 is a so-called paddle shift switch device.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the switch device 1 has a resin case 2 , a shaft 4 supported by the case 2 , and an operating knob 3 rotatably supported by the shaft 4 .
As shown in FIG. 3, the case 2 accommodates a printed circuit board 5, a rubber member 6 placed on the printed circuit board 5, and the shaft 4 inside.

The case 2 has a bottom wall portion 21 and a peripheral wall portion 22 that completely surrounds the outer periphery of the bottom wall portion 21. The case 2 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom that is open on the front side of the paper.
The case 2 has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the front. The surface of the case 2 facing the rear of the drawing serves as a mounting surface for a steering wheel SW (not shown).

The peripheral wall portion 22 is formed in a cylindrical shape from side wall portions 221 and 222 that are parallel to each other and side wall portions 223 and 224 that connect the ends of the side wall portions 221 and 222 to each other.
Support holes 23, 24 for the shaft 4 are provided at one end (side wall 223 side) of the side wall portions 221, 222 in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction in the figure). The support holes 23, 24 penetrate the side wall portions 221, 222 in the thickness direction (up-down direction in FIG. 3).
3 and 4, the support holes 23, 24 are provided to support one and the other longitudinal ends of the shaft 4. Therefore, the support holes 23, 24 are provided in the side wall portions 221, 222 in regions that intersect with the axis X (the central axis of the shaft 4) that extends along the longitudinal direction of the shaft 4.
As shown in FIG. 4, the support holes 23 and 24 are provided concentrically with respect to the axis X.

3, inside the peripheral wall portion 22, a rib 225 is provided on the inside of the side wall portion 223. The rib 225 is provided along the inner periphery of the side wall portion 223 in the range from one side wall portion 221 to the other side wall portion 222 in the direction of the axis X.
A rib 226 is also provided on the inner side of the peripheral wall 22 on the side of the side wall 224 (left side in the drawing) as viewed from the axis X. The rib 226 is provided along the axis X in a range from one side wall 221 to the other side wall 222 in the direction of the axis X. The rib 225 and the rib 226 are provided in a symmetrical positional relationship with respect to the axis X.
As shown in FIG. 3, in case 2, the region between rib 225 and rib 226 forms an opening 227.

As shown in FIG. 4, the shaft 4 is supported by the case 2 with one end 4 a and the other end 4 b in the longitudinal direction inserted into support holes 23 and 24 of the case 2 .
At one end 4 a and the other end 4 b of the shaft 4 , connecting portions 34 , 34 on the operating knob 3 side are fitted onto the shaft 4 at positions adjacent to the side wall portions 221 , 222 .

As shown in Figure 2, the operating knob 3 has a base 31 with connecting portions 34, 34 of the shaft 4, an operated portion 32 operated by the user, and a connecting portion 33 connecting the base 31 and the operated portion 32.
The connecting portions 34, 34 are provided on both sides of the base 31 in the direction of the axis X. The connecting portions 34, 34 have insertion holes 341, 341 that penetrate the connecting portions 34, 34 in the thickness direction. The shaft 4 penetrates the insertion holes 341, 341 in the direction of the axis X. The insertion holes 341, 341 are formed with an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter D4 (see FIG. 4 ) of the shaft 4. Therefore, the connecting portions 34, 34 are loosely fitted into the shaft 4. The operating knob 3 is supported by the shaft 4 in a state where it is allowed to rotate about the axis X (rotation axis).
The operation knob 3 is formed of a conductive material such as zinc, for example. The operation knob 3 allows charge to move at least from the operated portion 32 to the protrusion 38 (described later). When a static electricity current flows from the user's finger to the operated portion 32, it can flow to the protrusion 38 (see FIG. 5A).

5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the operation knob 3. Fig. 5A is a plan view of the operation knob 3 as seen from the case 2 side. Fig. 5B is a perspective view of the operation knob 3 as seen from the case 2 side.
FIGS. 6 to 8 are cross-sectional views of the switch device 1. FIGS. 6 and 7 are schematic cross-sectional views of the switch device 1 taken along line B-B in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 shows the arrangement of the operation knob 3 when it is positioned at the reference position, i.e., when no operating force is applied to the operation knob 3. FIG. 7 shows the arrangement of the operation knob 3 when it is positioned at the operating position, i.e., when an operating force is applied to the operation knob 3 and the operation knob 3 is displaced toward the printed circuit board 5. FIG. 8A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the switch device 1 taken along line C-C in FIG. 3. FIG. 8B is an enlarged view of region A in FIG. 8A, and schematically shows the positional relationship between the protrusion 38 and the bushing 27 when the operation knob 3 is positioned at the reference position. FIG. 8C is a schematic cross-sectional view of the operation knob 3 when it is positioned at the operating position.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the operation knob 3, the base portion 31 and the operated portion 32 are provided so as to be offset in position in the vertical direction.
At the connecting portion 33, the outer surface 31b of the base 31 and the inner surface 32a of the operated portion 32 are separated in the vertical direction by a height h33. A wall portion 35 is provided on the inner surface 32a of the operated portion 32 on the case 2 side, utilizing the step between the base 31 and the operated portion 32.
As shown in Figure 5, the wall portion 35 has a pair of first side wall portions 351, 352 arranged at a distance from each other in the direction of the axis X, and a second side wall portion 353 connecting one end portion 351a, 352a of the first side wall portions 351, 352.
The first side walls 351, 352 are provided in a range extending from the operated portion 32 through the connection portion 33 to the base portion 31 (the range in the left-right direction in FIG. 5A). The other ends 351b, 352b of the first side walls 351, 352 are located closer to the base portion 31 (to the right in the drawing) than the boundary Bx between the base portion 31 and the connection portion 33.

A space Ra is formed on the surface of the operation knob 3 facing the case 2, surrounded by the wall 35 (first side wall 351, 352, second side wall 353) and the connection portion 33. In this space Ra, the area overlapping with the connection portion 33 becomes shallower in depth toward the base 31 (right side in the figure).
In the switch device 1, when the operating knob 3 is attached to the case 2, the wall portion 35 is inserted inside the peripheral wall portion 22 of the case 2. In this state, the opening of the peripheral wall portion 22 is covered by the operated portion 32, the region of the connecting portion 33 surrounded by the wall portion 35, and the base portion 31.

5B, the height h36 of the second side wall portion 353 from the operated portion 32 is greater than the height h35 of the first side wall portion 351 from the operated portion 32. The first side wall portion 351 and the first side wall portion 352 have the same height h35.
5A, the second side wall 353 is provided with a guide piece 36 on the first side wall 351 side (upper side in the drawing) of the center line C3 of the operation knob 3. The center line C3 is a straight line that passes through the center of the case 2 in the width direction (up-down direction in the drawing) and is perpendicular to the axis X that runs along the rotation axis of the shaft 4.
The guide piece 36 extends further toward the front side of the paper than the first side wall portions 351 and 352 and the second side wall portion 353 .
6B , the guide piece 36 has a length L36 that extends beyond the tip 351 c of the first side wall 351 toward the printed circuit board 5. When the operation knob 3 and the case 2 are assembled, the tip 36 c of the guide piece 36 is located closer to the bottom wall 21 (lower in the figure) than the surface 5 a of the printed circuit board 5 that faces the bottom wall 21 (lower in the figure). Therefore, the tip 36 c of the guide piece 36 crosses the side of the printed circuit board 5 in the vertical direction (the direction in which the operation knob 3 and the printed circuit board 5 face each other: the direction of the axis Y in FIG. 8 , which will be described later).

An engagement hole 361 is provided on the tip 36c side of the guide piece 36, penetrating the guide piece 36 in the thickness direction. The engagement hole 361 is engaged with the engagement claw 251 of the engagement arm 25 on the case 2 side.
The engagement arm 25 extends from the bottom wall 21 toward the operation knob 3. The engagement claw 251 protrudes from the inner periphery of the engagement arm 25 toward the inside of the case 2. The engagement arm 25 is cantilevered by the bottom wall 21 on the case 2 side. The engagement claw 251 side of the engagement arm 25 is elastically displaceable in the radial direction (left and right direction in the figure) relative to the engagement hole 361.
6B, the engaging arm 25 overlaps with the side wall portion 224. The engaging arm 25 is provided by utilizing the thickness of the side wall portion 224.

The engaging claw 251 of the engaging arm 25 is inserted into the engaging hole 361 of the guide piece 36. The thickness W251 of the engaging claw 251 is shorter than the length L361 of the engaging hole 361 (L361>W251).
The operation knob 3 is movable relative to the case 2 within the length L361 of the engagement hole 361. As described above, the operation knob 3 is rotatably supported by the shaft 4. Therefore, the guide piece 36 is movable in the circumferential direction about the axis X. The engagement pawl 251 is engaged with the lower side edge of the engagement hole 361, thereby defining the range of movement of the operation knob 3 in the direction away from the case 2 (upward in FIG. 6B ).

As shown in Figure 6 (A), the operating element 37 is provided on the operating knob 3 at a position offset from the guide piece 36 toward the connection portion 33 (to the right in the figure). As shown in Figure 5 (A), the operating element 37 is located on a straight line Cx2. The straight line Cx2 is a straight line parallel to the center line C3 of the operating knob 3.

The operator 37 is located offset from the guide piece 36 toward the connection portion 33 (to the right in the figure). The operator 37 protrudes toward the case 2. As shown in Figure 6A, the tip 37a of the operator 37 has a flat surface. The tip 37a rests on the cylindrical mounting portion 62 on the rubber member 6 side.

6B, the rubber member 6 has a base portion 61, a mounting portion 62, a support wall portion 63, and a stopper portion 64. The rubber member 6 is an integrated part made of a flexible elastic material such as rubber.
The base 61 is a portion that is placed on the printed circuit board 5. The mounting portion 62 is a portion that supports the operator 37. The support wall portion 63 is a portion that holds the mounting portion 62 at a position separated from the printed circuit board 5 and supports the mounting portion 62 so that it can be displaced in a direction perpendicular to the printed circuit board 5 (the up and down direction in the figure).
The stopper portion 64 protrudes from the lower end of the mounting portion 62 toward the printed circuit board 5 (the lower side in the figure) and supports a contact 65. The contact 65 is provided on the surface of the stopper portion 64 that faces the printed circuit board 5 (the lower surface in the figure). A contact 66 is provided on the printed circuit board 5 at a location that faces the contact 65.
When the operation knob 3 is operated, the mounting portion 62 supporting the operator 37 on the operation knob 3 side is displaced relative to the printed circuit board 5 in the direction facing the printed circuit board 5 (up and down in the figure). At this time, the contact 65 provided on the stopper portion 64 is also displaced in conjunction with the operation of the operation knob 3, and comes into contact with or separates from the contact 66 on the printed circuit board 5. The contact 65 (movable side contact) of the stopper portion 64 and the contact 66 (fixed side contact) of the printed circuit board 5 constitute a switch that turns on/off in response to the operation of the operation knob 3.

The operating knob 3 is biased in a direction away from the printed circuit board 5 by a biasing force acting from the rubber member 6. The operating knob 3 is positioned in the reference position (see Figure 6(B)) by a biasing force acting from the rubber member 6. In the reference position, the engaging claw 251 on the case 2 engages with the end face on the tip 36c side of the engaging hole 361 of the guide piece 36, restricting displacement of the operating knob 3 in a direction away from the printed circuit board 5. When the operating knob 3 is positioned in the reference position, the movable side contact 65 is positioned away from the fixed side contact 66.

When the operating knob 3 is operated to displace the operating element 37 in a direction approaching the printed circuit board 5, the mounting portion 62 of the rubber member 6 is pushed by the operating element 37 and displaces in a direction approaching the printed circuit board 5 while deforming the support wall portion 63.
The operation knob 3 is displaced toward the printed circuit board 5 to a position where the contact 65 of the stopper portion 64 abuts against a contact 66 on the printed circuit board 5 side (operation position: see FIG. 7).
At this time, the contact 65 on the mounting portion 62 abuts against the contact 66 on the printed circuit board 5, and the voltage resulting from the operation of the operating knob 3 is output to the outside from a terminal (not shown) connected to the printed circuit board 5.
When the operating force acting on the mounting portion 62 is released, the restoring force of the support wall portion 63 causes the mounting portion 62 to be displaced in a direction away from the printed circuit board 5. The support wall portion 63 constantly applies a biasing force to the operating element 37 (operation knob 3) placed on the mounting portion 62 in a direction returning the operating element 37 (operation knob 3) to the reference position before the displacement.

6B, the printed circuit board 5 is provided with a gap between it and the bottom wall 21 due to a plurality of ribs 29 provided on the bottom wall 21. In this state, the printed circuit board 5 is provided substantially parallel to the bottom wall 21 and oriented along the axis X (rotation axis) of the shaft 4.
The printed circuit board 5 has contacts 66 on a surface 5b of the operation knob 3. The printed circuit board 5 has a plurality of electronic components 51 mounted on a surface 5a of the printed circuit board 5 on the bottom wall 21 side of the case 2.

Figure 9 is an enlarged view of the main parts of the case of the switch device 1. Figure 9 (A) shows an enlarged schematic view of the installation area A of the printed circuit board 5 and the installation area B of the bushing 27 in the case 2. Figure 9 (B) shows the state in which the rubber member 6 on the printed circuit board 5 has been removed, exposing the printed circuit board 5. Note that in Figure 9, the position of the tip 38a of the protrusion 38 when viewed from the axis Y direction is superimposed on the drawing for the purpose of explaining the position of the tip 38a.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the printed circuit board 5 is positioned at a predetermined position within the case 2 by positioning pillars 28, 28, 28 on the case 2 side.
Within the case 2, from the side wall portion 224 side, an installation area A for the printed circuit board 5, an installation area B for the bushing 27, and an installation area C for the shaft 4 are arranged in the radial direction of the axis X in this order.

As shown in Figure 9 (A), when viewed from the operating knob 3 side, the rubber member 6 is formed with a size that covers the surface 5b of the printed circuit board 5 on the side wall portion 224 side (left side in the figure). The area of the printed circuit board 5 on the shaft 4 side (right side in the figure) is not covered by the rubber member 6 and is exposed.

A boss portion 26 in which a bushing 27 is embedded is provided in the installation region B. The bushing 27 is a nut into which a bolt B (see FIG. 8) for mounting the switch device 1 is screwed.
8B, the bushing 27 has a base 271 with a screw hole 270 in the center. A screw thread 272 is formed on the inner periphery of the ring-shaped base 271. The bushing 27 is embedded in the resin material that constitutes the case 2. The bushing 27 is made of a conductive material that conducts electricity, such as brass.
8, the bushing 27 is embedded in the case 2 with the threaded hole 270 extending in the thickness direction of the bottom wall 21 (the vertical direction in FIG. 8A). The thickness direction of the bottom wall 21 is the direction in which the operation knob 3 and the printed circuit board 5 face each other, and is also the direction along the axis Y that passes through the center of the threaded hole 270.

In the case 2, the area where the bushing 27 is embedded forms a boss portion 26 that protrudes both to the inside and outside of the bottom wall portion 21. As shown in Fig. 8A, an engagement portion 261, which is an area of the boss portion 26 that protrudes from the bottom wall portion 21, is inserted into an insertion hole 103 provided in a frame 102 of the steering wheel SW.
The insertion hole 103 opens to the mounting surface 102a of the metal frame 102 on which the switch device 1 is mounted. After the engaging portion 261 on the switch device 1 side is inserted into the insertion hole 103, the shank BS of the metal bolt B that has passed through the frame 102 is screwed into the bushing 27, thereby fixing the switch device 1 to the frame 102. In this state, the bolt B provides electrical continuity between the bushing 27 and the frame 102. Therefore, charge can be transferred between the bushing 27 and the frame 102 via the bolt B. The frame 102 on the vehicle body side is ultimately grounded (earthed). Therefore, the bushing 27 corresponds to a conductive member on the ground side.

9, the boss portion 26 has a flat portion 260 for avoiding interference with the printed circuit board 5. The flat portion 260 is a flat surface formed by cutting off the printed circuit board 5 side (left side in the figure) of the area of the boss portion 26 where the bushing 27 is not embedded, parallel to the axis X.
9A , when viewed from the opening direction of the screw hole 270 of the bushing 27 (the direction of the axis Y), a part of the region of the boss portion 26 on the opposite side from the printed circuit board 5 (the right side in the figure) is integrated with the rib 226. When viewed from the direction of the axis Y, the outer periphery of the bushing 27 embedded in the boss portion 26 extends to a position overlapping with the rib 226.

The surface of the bushing 27 on the operation knob 3 side is covered with a resin material except for a portion on the rib 226 side.
As shown in FIG. 9B , the boss portion 26 has a recess 262 (cutout portion) in a region on the rib 226 side. The recess 262 is formed by cutting out the regions of the boss portion 26 and the rib 226 on the near side of the page along the center line Cx. Both side edges 262 a, 262 a of the recess 262 are parallel to each other and symmetrically positioned with respect to the center line Cx. When viewed from the direction of the axis Y, the recess 262 is formed in a strip shape extending from the screw hole 270 to the rib 226 along the center line Cx. The recess 262 is formed with the same width W262 along its entire length in the direction of the center line Cx.
In the recess 262 when viewed from the axial Y direction, the upper surface 27a of the bushing 27 is exposed on the screw hole 270 side (left side in the drawing).

In this embodiment, the operation knob 3 is provided with a protrusion 38 for guiding the charge transferred from the user's finger to the bushing 27 (see FIG. 8).
The protrusion 38 is formed to protrude toward the bushing 27 from a region of the operation knob 3 that faces the installation region B of the bushing 27. As shown in Figures 5B and 8, for example, the protrusion 38 has a truncated cone shape with an outer diameter D38 that decreases toward the bushing 27. A tip 38a of the protrusion 38 has a flat surface, and the tip 38a is disposed opposite the upper surface 27a of the bushing 27 with a gap Sa between it and the upper surface 27a.
The shape of the protrusion 38 is not limited to a truncated cone shape. Preferably, the protrusion 38 has a shape that tapers toward the bush 27, and more preferably, the protrusion 38 may have a flat surface on the surface facing the bush 27. As another example, the protrusion 38 may have an elliptical truncated cone shape.

As shown in Figure 9 (B), when viewed from the direction of axis Y, the tip 38a of the protrusion 38 is positioned so that it overlaps the upper surface 27a of the bushing 27. The center of the tip 38a of the protrusion 38 is positioned based on the intersection of the center line Cx and the outer periphery 271a of the bushing 27.

In this embodiment, as a more preferred specific aspect, the protrusion 38 is positioned so as to satisfy the following conditions.
(a) When viewed from the direction of axis Y, the distance L1 from the tip 38a of the protrusion 38 to the screw hole 270 is shorter than the distance L2 from the tip 38a of the protrusion 38 to the printed circuit board 5 (L2 > L1: see Figure 9 (A)).
(b) When viewed from the direction of the axis Y, the distance L1 from the tip 38a of the protrusion 38 to the screw hole 270 is shorter than the distance L3 from the tip 38a of the protrusion 38 to the rubber member 6 (L3 > L1: see Figure 9 (A)).
(c) When the operating knob 3 is operated to the operating position, the protrusion 38 does not interfere with the bush 27 (see FIG. 8C).
(d) When the operating knob 3 is operated to the operating position, the protruding portion 38 faces the bushing 27 with a gap Sa' therebetween (see FIG. 8C).
(e) The gap Sa′ is narrower than the gap Sa when the operation knob 3 is positioned at the reference position (Sa>Sa′).
(f) When viewed from the direction of the axis Y, the protrusion 38 does not overlap with the screw hole 270 of the bushing 27 .
(g) The gap Sa is narrower than the gap (separation distance) at the narrowest point between each part on the operating knob 3 side and the substrate 5 when the operating knob 3 is disposed at the reference position.

As described above, the switch device 1 is fixed to the frame 102 of the steering wheel SW by the bolt B. The bolt B and the frame 102 are subject to runout during manufacturing. Furthermore, the bolt B and the frame 102 may be manufactured by a different entity than the switch device 1, and there is a risk that the dimensions of the bolt B and the frame 102 cannot be controlled during the manufacturing process of the switch device 1. For this reason, the shank BS of the bolt B may penetrate the bushing 27 and protrude into the case 2. Similarly, the shank BS of the bolt B may penetrate the bushing 27 and protrude into the case 2 due to runout in the thickness of the frame 102 in the mounting direction of the switch device 1, etc.
In this case, if the protrusion 38 and the screw hole 270 are positioned so as to overlap when viewed from the direction of the axis Y, the protrusion 38 may interfere with the tip BSa of the stem BS depending on the degree to which the tip BSa protrudes into the case 2. In this embodiment, in order to avoid interference between the stem BS and the protrusion 38, the protrusion 38 is disposed at a position offset from the screw hole 270 in the radial direction of the axis Y.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the protrusion 38 is located on the opposite side (axis X) of the center line Cx from the printed circuit board 5 when viewed from the screw hole 270. The operation knob 3 is supported by the shaft 4 at one end and displaces circumferentially about the axis X. Therefore, by positioning the protrusion 38 on the center line Cx side, the amount of displacement of the protrusion 38 in the axis Y direction (the up-down direction in FIG. 8A) when the operation knob 3 is operated is reduced.

The closer the protrusion 38 is to the printed circuit board 5 (the left side in FIG. 8A ), the more likely it is that the charge that has moved to the protrusion 38 will reach the printed circuit board 5. Furthermore, the further away from the protrusion 38 is in the direction of the axis X, the greater the displacement of the protrusion 38 when the operation knob 3 is operated. If the displacement of the protrusion 38 becomes large, it may become necessary to enlarge the case 2 in the direction of the axis Y or the center line Cx in order to avoid interference with other components inside the case 2.
In this embodiment, the protrusion 38 is disposed closer to the axis X, which makes it possible to suitably suppress the transfer of charge to the printed circuit board 5 and the increase in size of the case 2 .

Furthermore, the bushing 27 is embedded in the insulating resin material that is the constituent material of the case 2, and only the top surface 27a of the bushing 27 is exposed. This limits the destination of the charge that has reached the protrusion 38 to the limited range of the top surface 27a of the bushing 27, preventing it from moving to other parts such as the printed circuit board 5.
7, the operation knob 3 has a guide piece 36 that crosses the printed circuit board 5 toward the bottom wall 21 of the case 2, and there is a possibility that electric charges may also transfer to the tip 36c of this guide piece 36. In this embodiment, the minimum gap Sb between the guide piece 36 and the printed circuit board 5 is set wider than the gap Sa (see FIG. 8) between the protrusion 38 and the bush 27 (Sb>Sa). Therefore, electric charges are more likely to transfer from the protrusion 38 to the bush 27 than from the guide piece 36 to the printed circuit board 5.
If charge transfer occurs from the guide piece 36 to the printed circuit board 5, it may affect the electronic components 51 mounted on the printed circuit board 5. By making the gap Sb wider than the gap Sa, this situation is made less likely to occur.

In the above embodiment, the operation knob 3 is made of a conductive material such as zinc.
The operation knob 3 may be made of a resin part whose surface is plated with a conductive material.
Furthermore, when the operation knob 3 is formed from a resin part, at least the operated portion 32 of the operation knob 3 may be plated with a conductive material, and wiring (wiring layer) that electrically connects the operated portion 32 and the protruding portion 38 may be provided inside or on the surface of the operation knob 3 so that electric charge moves only to the protruding portion 38.

In the above embodiment, the bushing 27 is embedded in the structural material of the case 2, except for the upper surface 27a exposed within the recess 262. The bushing 27 does not necessarily have to be embedded in the structural material of the case 2 in the area that does not face the operating knob 3.

As described above, the switch device 1 according to the embodiment has the following configuration.
(1) The switch device 1 includes a case 2 (housing) that houses a printed circuit board 5 (board) on which electronic components 51 are mounted;
The case 2 has an operation knob 3 (operation member) supported rotatably around an axis X (rotation axis) along the printed circuit board 5 .
When viewed from the axis Y direction along the opposing direction of the operating knob 3 and the printed circuit board 5, the case 2 has an installation area A for the printed circuit board 5 and an installation area B for the bush 27, which is a conductive member on the ground side.
The operation knob 3 is provided with a protrusion 38 that protrudes toward the bush 27 at a portion facing the bush 27. The protrusion 38 faces the bush 27 with gaps Sa, Sa' between it and the bush 27.
The operation knob 3 allows the movement of electric charges from each part of the operation knob 3 to the protrusion 38 .

In the switch device 1, every time a user touches the operation knob 3, a transfer of electric charge occurs between the user's finger and the operation knob 3. If the potential on the operation knob 3 side is low, static electricity is generated due to the transfer of electric charge from the user's finger to the operation knob 3.
With the above-described configuration, inside the case 2, the protrusion 38 on the operation knob 3 side and the bush 27, which is a conductive member on the ground side, are arranged opposite each other, so that the charge that has moved to the operation knob 3 side can be transferred to the bush 27 without moving to the printed circuit board 5 side. This reduces the possibility that static electricity generated in the operation knob 3 will act on the electronic components 51 on the printed circuit board 5.

Note that at least a portion of the installation area B is arranged so as not to overlap with the ground contact area A when viewed from the axis Y direction, and at least a portion of the installation area B must face the operating knob 3 in the axis Y direction.

In this case, by making the distance between the protrusion 38 and the bushing 27 shorter than the distance L2 between the protrusion 38 and the printed circuit board 5, the charge that has moved to the operating knob 3 side can be moved to the bushing 27 without moving to the printed circuit board 5 side.

(2) In (1) above,
When viewed from the direction of the axis Y, the case 2 has an installation area A for the printed circuit board 5 and an installation area B for the bush 27 that are offset from each other in the radial direction of the axis X (rotation axis).
The installation area B of the bush 27 is located between the installation area A of the printed circuit board 5 and the axis X which is the rotation axis of the shaft 4 .

The relative displacement between the operation knob 3 and the printed circuit board 5 when the operation knob 3 is operated becomes smaller as the operation knob 3 approaches the axis X.
By providing the protrusion 38 on the side where the relative displacement amount is smaller, the amount of fluctuation in the gap Sa between the protrusion 38 and the bush 27 can be reduced when the operating knob 3 is displaced from the reference position to the operating position.
If the amount of change in the gap Sa increases, it will affect the ease with which charges can move to the bushing 27. This will increase the possibility that charges will move to the printed circuit board 5.
With the above-described configuration, the electric charge that has moved from the operation knob 3 to the protrusion 38 is more likely to be guided to the bush 27. This reduces the possibility of the electric charge moving to the printed circuit board 5 side.

(3) In (1) or (2) above,
The operation knob 3 is relatively displaceable between a reference position when no operation force is applied and an operation position when an operation force is applied,
When the operating knob 3 is positioned in either the reference position or the operating position, the distance (gaps Sa, Sa') between the protrusion 38 and the bush 27 is shorter than the distance L2 between the protrusion 38 and the printed circuit board 5.

This configuration reduces the possibility that the charge that has migrated to the protrusion 38 will then be transferred to the printed circuit board 5. This reduces the possibility that the charge will affect the electronic components 51 mounted on the printed circuit board 5.

(I) In the above (3),
The protrusion 38 faces the bush 27 with a gap therebetween, whether the operation knob 3 is in the reference position or the operation position.

With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the protrusion 38 from interfering with the bush 27 and causing a problem in the operation of the operation knob 3, and to move the charge that has moved to the operation knob 3 side preferentially to the bush 27 without moving it to the printed circuit board 5 side.
This allows the charge that has moved from the user's fingers to the operation knob 3 to be moved closer to the bush 27 than to the printed circuit board 5, thereby reducing the possibility that static electricity flowing through the operation knob 3 will act on the electronic components 51 on the printed circuit board 5.

(4) In any one of (1) to (3) and (I) above,
Operation knob 3 is
a guide piece 36 that guides the displacement of the operation knob 3 in the axial Y direction;
The guide piece 36 has an engagement hole 361 with which the engagement claw 251 on the case 2 side engages.
The guide piece 36 has a length L36 in the direction of the axis Y that crosses the side of the printed circuit board 5.
The engagement hole 361 has a length L361 in the direction of the axis Y that is determined according to the displacement range of the operation knob 3.

When a guide piece 36 is provided to guide the displacement of the operation knob 3, the guide piece 36 may be positioned near the resin printed circuit board 5. In this case, there is a possibility that charge transferred to the operation knob 3 will transfer from the guide piece 36 to the printed circuit board 5. As described above, the protrusion 38 is positioned close to the bushing 27, which is a conductive member. Therefore, charge transferred to the operation knob 3 is more likely to transfer from the protrusion 38 to the bushing 27 than from the guide piece 36 to the printed circuit board 5. This reduces the possibility that static electricity flowing through the operation knob 3 will affect the electronic components 51 on the printed circuit board 5.

(II) In the above (4), a rubber member 6 made of an elastic material is placed on the surface 5b of the printed circuit board 5 on the side of the operation knob 3;
a movable member (a mounting portion 62 and a stopper portion 64) disposed in the rubber member 6 at a position spaced from the printed circuit board 5 toward the operation knob 3 so as to be displaceable in the direction of the axis Y;
a contact 65 (first contact) provided at a portion of the stopper portion 64 facing the printed circuit board 5;
a contact 66 (second contact) provided on the printed circuit board 5 at a position facing the contact 65;
The operating knob 3 has an operating element 37 extending from a portion of the operating knob 3 facing the mounting portion 62 to the mounting portion 62 .
When viewed from the direction of the axis Y, the guide piece 36 and the operating element 37 are positioned on the same straight line Cx2 that is perpendicular to the axis X.

When the operation knob 3 is operated, the operator 37 displaces in the axial Y direction together with the operation knob 3 , displacing the mounting portion 62 toward the printed circuit board 5 and bringing the contact 65 into contact with the contact 66 on the printed circuit board 5 .
The guide piece 36 and the operating element 37 are positioned on the same straight line Cx2, which increases the rigidity of the operation knob 3 in the direction along the straight line Cx2. This reduces the possibility that the operating element 37 will push the mounting portion 62 toward the printed circuit board 5 in a tilted state when the operation knob 3 is operated.
If the guide piece 36 is not provided, distortion may occur in the operation knob 3 when the operation knob 3 is displaced toward the printed circuit board 5, and the operator 37 may displace the mounting portion 62 toward the printed circuit board 5 in a tilted state. In such a case, the displacement of the mounting portion 62 by the operator 37 may be hindered. Furthermore, the displacement of the protrusion 38 toward the bush 27 may also be hindered.
As described above, the provision of the guide piece 36 makes it possible to appropriately guide the movement of the operating element 37, which rotates around the axis X, toward the printed circuit board 5. Since distortion of the operation knob 3 can be suppressed, the contacts 65, 66 can be appropriately brought into contact with each other when the operation knob 3 is operated. Furthermore, since the protrusion 38 can be disposed close to the bushing 27, the charge that has moved to the operation knob 3 can be appropriately guided toward the bushing 27.

(5) In any one of (1) to (4), (I), and (II) above,
The bushing 27 is a cylindrical conductive member having a screw hole 270 .
The bushing 27 is embedded in the case 2 with the screw hole 270 oriented along the axis Y (the opposing direction of the operation knob 3 and the printed circuit board 5).

For example, when molding the resin case 2, if the case 2 is produced so that at least a portion of the bush 27 is embedded inside by molding, the position of the bush 27 in the case 2 can be created with high precision.
As a result, the distance between the bushing 27 and the protrusion 38 only needs to take into consideration the influence of the manufacturing accuracy of the operation knob 3 and the support accuracy of the operation knob 3 in the case 2.
If the bushing 27 is a separate part that is later assembled to the case 2, variations in the distance between the bushing 27 and the protrusion 38 may occur due to assembly tolerances. Depending on the degree of variation in the distance, the protrusion 38 may interfere with the bushing 27, causing problems with operation of the operating knob 3.
As described above, when the bush 27 is embedded in the case 2 and formed integrally, there is no possibility of vibration occurring due to assembly, and therefore the possibility of interference between the bush 27 and the protrusion 38 causing problems in operating the operating knob 3 can be reduced.

(6) In any one of the above (1) to (5), (I), and (II),
When viewed from the direction of the axis Y, in the installation area B of the case 2 where the bush 27 is embedded, a recess 262 (cutout portion) that exposes the bush 27 is provided in the area facing the protrusion 38.
The bushing 27 is embedded in the case 2 except for the portion exposed in the recess 262 .

When configured in this manner, in the area on the case 2 side facing the protrusion 38, a portion of the upper surface 27a of the bush 27 is exposed by the recess 262, so that the charge moving from the protrusion 38 to the case 2 side can be guided to the bush 27.
In particular, in the region facing the operation knob 3, the upper surface 27a of the bushing 27 made of a conductive material is exposed only in the recess 262, so that the charge that has moved to the protrusion 38 can be guided to the bushing 27. This reduces the possibility of the charge moving to the printed circuit board 5 side.

(III) In the above (6),
When viewed from the direction of the axis Y, the recess 262 (cutout portion) is located between the screw hole 270 and the axis X in the radial direction of the axis X.

With this configuration, the recess 262 is located on the opposite side of the screw hole 270 from the printed circuit board 5. This reduces the possibility of charge transferring from the protrusion 38 to the case 2 side and transferring to the printed circuit board 5 side.

(IV) In any one of (1) to (6), (I), (II), and (III) above,
The printed circuit board 5 has an electronic component 51 provided on a surface 5 a opposite to the operation knob 3 .

The charge that moves from the protrusion 38 to the printed circuit board 5 easily reaches the surface 5b of the printed circuit board 5 on the operation knob 3 side. With the above configuration, even if charge moves from the operation knob 3 side to the printed circuit board 5, the charge moves to the surface 5b on the side where the electronic component 51 is not mounted, thereby reducing the possibility of the transferred charge directly reaching the electronic component 51.

(7) In any one of (1) to (6) and (I) to (IV) above,
The entire operation knob is made of a conductive material, or the surface thereof is covered with a conductive material.

With this configuration, no matter where the user's finger touches the operation knob 3, an electric charge will be transferred to the operation knob 3. By using a combination of the protrusion 38 and the bushing 27, the possibility of the electric charge transferred to the operation knob 3 being transferred to the printed circuit board 5 can be reduced.

(8) In any one of (1) to (7) and (I) to (IV) above,
The switch device 1 is a paddle shift switch for operating an in-vehicle transmission.

This configuration reduces the possibility of electric charges transferring from the operating knob 3 to the printed circuit board 5, allowing for proper gear changes when operating the switch device 1.

The above describes embodiments and variations of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical concept of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Switch device 2: Case 21: Bottom wall portion 22: Peripheral wall portions 221, 222, 223, 224: Side wall portions 225, 226: Rib 25: Engagement arm 251: Engagement claw 26: Boss portion 261: Engagement portion 262: Recess 27: Bush 27a: Upper surface 270: Screw hole 271: Base portion 271a: Outer periphery 272: Screw thread 3: Operation knob 31: Base portion 32: Operated portion 33: Connection portion 34: Linking portion 35: Wall portions 351, 352: First side wall portion 353: Second side wall portion 36: Guide piece 361: Engagement hole 37: Operator 38: Protrusion portion 38a: Tip 4: Shaft 5: Printed circuit board (circuit board)
51: Electronic component 6: Rubber member 61: Base 62: Placement portion 63: Support wall portion 64: Stopper portions 65, 66: Contacts 102: Frame 102a: Mounting surface 103: Insertion hole B: Bolt BS: Shaft portion BSa: Tip C3: Center line Cx: Center line SW: Steering wheels Sa, Sa', Sb: Gap X: Axis (rotation axis)
Y: Axis line

Claims (8)

a housing that accommodates a substrate on which electronic components are mounted;
an operating member supported in the housing so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis along the board,
When viewed from an axial direction along a direction in which the operation member and the circuit board face each other, the housing has an installation area for the circuit board and an installation area for a ground-side conductive member defined therein,
the operation member is provided with a protruding portion at a portion facing the conductive member, the protruding portion being disposed opposite the conductive member with a gap between the protruding portion and the conductive member,
A switch device, wherein the operating member is capable of transferring electric charges to the protrusion. In claim 1,
When viewed from the axial direction, an installation area of the substrate and an installation area of the conductive member are set to be offset from each other in a radial direction of the rotation shaft,
A switch device, wherein the installation area of the conductive member is located between the installation area of the substrate and the pivot shaft. In claim 1,
the operating member is relatively displaceable between a reference position when no operating force is applied and an operating position when the operating force is applied,
A switch device in which the distance between the protrusion and the conductive member is shorter than the distance between the protrusion and the substrate or the electronic component, regardless of whether the operating member is positioned in the reference position or the operating position. In claim 3,
The operating member is
a guide piece that guides displacement of the operating member in the axial direction;
an engagement hole provided in the guide piece and into which the locking claw of the housing engages;
the guide piece has a length in the axial direction that crosses a side of the substrate,
The engagement hole has a length in the axial direction determined according to a displacement range of the operating member. In any one of claims 1 to 4,
the conductive member is a cylindrical bushing having a screw hole,
The bushing is embedded in the housing with the screw hole oriented along the axial direction. In claim 5,
When viewed from the axial direction, in a region of the housing where the bushing is embedded, a notch that exposes the bushing is provided in a region facing the protrusion,
The bushing is embedded in the housing except for a portion exposed at the notch. In claim 6,
The operating member is formed of a conductive material. In claim 1,
The switch device is a paddle shift switch for operating an in-vehicle transmission.