JPH0142451B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention provides a method for changing the state from the first state to the second state by manual operation.
This invention relates to a manually operated switch that automatically returns to the first state upon release of the operation, and in particular, the present invention proposes a manually operated switch that is characterized by an automatic return mechanism for this type of switch.
As is well known, this type of switch is installed in many electrical devices, and a side mirror adjustment switch for an automobile will be explained as an example.

The mirror adjustment switch is installed in a part of the instrument panel in front of the driver's seat, and various structures have been proposed today, but basically it consists of a slide block that moves according to manual operation, and a slide block that moves according to manual operation. It consists of a sliding terminal base.

The switch shown in FIG. 1 is an example of the mirror adjustment switch described above. This switch has a flat operation member 2 on the front surface of the switch body 1 with a drive rod 3 standing upright in the center of the back surface, and further includes:
A slide block 4 connected to the tip of the drive rod 3 slides on the upper surface of a terminal base 5 made of a printed circuit board.

Further, the above-mentioned operating member 2 is supported by the raised portion 1a protruding toward the trunk of the driving rod 3, and is interposed between the receiving plate 6 fixed to the driving rod 3 and the switch body 1. A restoring force is provided by the inverted conical spring 7.

The terminal base 5 is provided with respective electrical terminals of a control circuit that adjusts the mirror surface tendency of the mirror in the vertical or horizontal direction, and by sliding the slide block 4, a specific electrical terminal can be connected. There is a growing connection between the two. Further, a through hole 8a provided in the partition plate 8 has a cross shape with respect to the plate surface, and the swinging direction of the drive rod 3 described above is regulated by the through hole 8a.

The above-mentioned mirror adjustment switch is operated by pressing one of the four positions on the surface of the operating member to adjust the mirror. For example, when the left side portion of the operating member 2 is pressed, the member 2 is pressed against the raised portion 1.
The slide block 4 is rotated slightly counterclockwise in the figure using the tip of a as a fulcrum, and the slide block 4 is moved to the right in the figure by the tip of the drive rod 3 that swings in the same direction. As a result, predetermined terminals of the terminal base 5 are connected, and the mirror surface is adjusted to face leftward, for example. The operating member 2 is pressed against the expansion force of the sprig 7, and the above adjustment operation continues unless this pressing force is released. In the above state, when the pressing force on the operating member 2 is released, the drive rod 3 receives the stored force of the spring 7 and swings to the position shown in the figure, so that the operating member 2 and the slide block 4 automatically return to the state shown in the figure. Return.

When the slide block 4 returns to the illustrated position, the above-mentioned mirror adjustment operation stops, but if another position on the surface of the operating member is pressed, the mirror surface can be adjusted rightward or vertically in the same manner as above. be able to.

The above-mentioned mirror adjustment switch can be installed for each of the left and right mirrors, but most of the switches are equipped with a selection switch that selects the control circuit for the left or right mirror. In this model, the left and right mirrors can be adjusted by a single adjustment switch.

Although the above-mentioned conventional example shows a press type operating member 2, it is widely known that a rod-shaped operating lever that can be replaced with this member 2 is operated by tilting.

By the way, in the above-mentioned mirror adjustment switch which applies a return force using the inverted conical spring 7, the slide block 4 may not slide back to a predetermined position, resulting in unstable operation.

The main reason for this is the following.

(1) The spring 7 accumulates a restoring force on one side of the sprig due to the swinging of the drive rod 3, and this restoring force becomes weaker than when the expansion force of the entire sprig is used.

(2) Since the return force of the spring 7 is zero in the neutral state where the drive rod 3 is in the illustrated position, it becomes weaker as the drive rod 3 approaches this neutral state, and almost no return force acts in the stage before shifting to the neutral state.

(3) Since the swinging load of the slide block 4 is applied to the drive rod 3, the return force of the spring 7, which becomes weaker toward the neutral state, cannot slide the block 4 back to the accurate neutral position (the position shown in the figure). It becomes difficult.

(4) The return force of the spring 7 becomes weaker toward the neutral state shown in the figure, and this return force hardly acts in the stage before moving to the neutral state, making it easy for the slide block 4 to slide carelessly in the neutral position. , resulting in an unstable state.

Since the side mirrors of automobiles can be adjusted in each direction: left, right, up, or down, individual electrical terminals necessary for adjustment in each direction are arranged on the upper surface of the terminal base 5, and as a result, the sliding block 4
It is necessary to accurately slide and return it to the predetermined position.

In addition, if a selection switch is added to select the control circuit for the left mirror and the right mirror, the number of electrical terminals on the terminal base increases, and the mirror adjustment switch is required to be smaller. The individual spacing has become narrower, which makes accurate movement of the slide blocks 4 important.

Although the present invention was developed primarily to solve the drawbacks of the mirror adjustment switch described above, it is also effective when implemented as a manually operated switch installed in other electrical equipment.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a manually operated switch configured to change from a first state to a second state by manual operation, and automatically return to the first state upon release of this operation. a rocking member supported swingably on the body; a protruding member with a flat tip provided on the body so as to be movable back and forth and constantly applying advancing force; a pivoting member positioned in the advancing direction of the protruding member;
A slide block is provided which opens and closes the electrical terminal in conjunction with the pivoting member, and the pivoting member includes a flat surface for maintaining a first state in which the flat end portion of the protruding member is in pressure contact with the sliding block, and a sliding block that opens and closes the electrical terminal in conjunction with the pivoting member. an inclined surface for retracting the protruding member when the protruding member is manually operated to the second state, and the singing member together with the pivoting member that pivots when the protruding member presses the inclined surface when the protruding member is released from the manual operation; and slide block first
The feature is that it is configured to return to the original state.

In the switch of the present invention configured as described above, the switch enters the first state when the flat end portion of the protruding member comes into pressure contact with the flat portion formed on the pivoting member.
In this first state, the slide block is stably and reliably held in a predetermined position, and the tip of the protruding member acts as if sliding down the slope formed on the pivoting member, causing the pivoting member to return to its original position, and the switch is activated. Second
Since the state returns to the first state, the restoring force until the state changes to the first state hardly decreases.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An example of a manually operated switch according to the present invention implemented as a side mirror adjustment switch for an automobile will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Figure 2 is a front view of the mirror adjustment switch.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line A--A in FIG. 1. In these drawings, 10 is a switch body, on the surface of which a manual operation 11 is provided. As shown in the figure, this manual operation member 11 is a flat plate with a circular front surface, and the center of the back surface is the switch body 10.
It is supported by the support protrusion.

As detailed in FIG. 5, the switch body 10 has a circular depression 10a and a hollow square raised part 10b provided at the center of the circular depression 10a.
It is located on the top surface of the . The raised portion 10b is fixed to the switch body 10 by a support plate 10e having window holes 10d on all sides.

The manual operation 11 has a support recess 11a formed in the center of its back surface, and the support protrusion 10c described above.
is fitted into this support recess 11a to support the operating member 11 so that it can freely sing.

Further, on the back surface of the manual operation member 11, there are provided four support arms 11b standing upright from all four directions, as shown in FIG. 10 and extends inward. A cut groove 11c formed outward at the tip of each support arm 11b fixes the pivoting member 12, which will be described below.

The pivoting member 12, which is shown in detail in FIG. 8, is composed of a circular head 12a and a driving rod 12b standing upright from the back side. Circular head 12a
has four fitting grooves 12c arranged at equal intervals around it and a cut groove 12 formed along its circumferential side.
d, and the surface of the circular head 12a is provided with a quadrilateral plane part 12e formed by digging, and an inclined plane extending from each side in the direction of the periphery and rising toward the periphery. A surface 12f is provided.

The distal ends of the four support arms 11b described above are fitted into the respective fitting grooves 12c of the pivoting member 12, and the cut grooves 11 communicate with each other through this fitting.
By fitting the linear ring 13 between c and 12d, the pivoting member 12 is integrally fixed to the manual operation member 11.

On the other hand, a square-shaped protruding member 14, detailed in FIG. It is constantly pressed inward (downward in FIG. 2) of the switch body 10 under the expansion force. Therefore, when the switch is in the first state, the flat end portion of the protruding member 14 is aligned with the flat portion 12e of the pivoting member 12.
It is in pressure contact with the

The drive rod portion 12b of the pivoting member 12 is connected to the partition plate 1
A slide block 18 disposed between the terminal base 17 and the terminal base 17 is connected so as to be slidably driven. That is, the drive rod portion 12b is connected to the partition plate 16.
The slide block 18 is slid in a swinging direction regulated by a known cross-shaped hole 16a provided in the slide block 18. The slide block 18 is equipped with an electrical terminal piece 18a, which closes and opens the electrical terminals of the mirror control circuit arranged on the upper surface of the terminal base 17. be.

The above-mentioned drive rod portion 12b and slide block 1
8, the slide block 18, and the terminal base 17 are well known, and detailed explanations thereof will be omitted.

Note that the operation knob 19 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3
1 is an operating member related to a selection switch for selecting a control circuit for the left mirror and the right mirror, and this operating knob 19 is mounted so as to be pivotable about a support shaft 20. A slide block 21 is connected to the lower part of this operation knob 19, and by operating this knob 19 to the left or right in FIGS. 1 and 4, the slide block 21 is connected to the terminal base. The control circuit for either the left mirror or the right mirror is selected by sliding the top surface of the mirror 17. Electrical terminals related to the selected control circuit are connected in a circuit such that they can be opened and closed by one of the slide blocks 18 described above. Further, the sliding position of the slide block 21 is regulated by a click stop mechanism 22 (see FIG. 3) constructed between this block 21 and the switch body 10. Note that FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 2.

The operation of the mirror adjustment switch described above will be explained below.

First, it is assumed that the operation knob 19 is operated in the right direction as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, and the control circuit for the right side mirror is selected.

Further, when the manual operating member 11 is in the state shown in FIG. 3 in which no pressing force is applied, the switch is in a neutral state and the mirror control circuit is open. Now, in this neutral state, when one direction portion of the manual operation member 11 is pressed, for example, the U position in FIG.
Tilt in one direction with 0c as the fulcrum. That is, the U position is lowered and the D position is raised.

As a result, the pivoting member 12 pivots slightly clockwise in FIG. 3 using the support protrusion 10c as a fulcrum, and its drive rod portion 12b slides the slide block 18 to the left in the diagram. FIG. 9 shows this operating state.

During the above-mentioned operation process in which the pivoting member 12 pivots, the inclined surface 12f provided on the circular head 12a pushes up the tip corner of the protruding member 14 and turns downward, so that the protruding member 14 is affected by the expansion force of the coil spring 15. It slightly recedes toward the raised portion 10b against the pressure.

As long as the above operation continues, the slide block 18 connects its control circuit to adjust the right mirror upward.

When the right side mirror reaches a desired adjustment amount, the pressing force on the manual operation member 11 is released.

By releasing this pressing force, the tip corner of the protruding member 14 presses the inclined surface 12f of the circular head 12a, so that the inclined surface 12f receives a force such that it is pushed out to the right in FIG. As a result, the pivoting member 12 pivots counterclockwise in FIG. 9 using the support protrusion 10c as a fulcrum. Due to this rotation, the protruding member 1
The flat end portion of No. 4 is the flat portion 12e of the circular head 12a.
At this point, the pivoting member 1
2, the rotation stops.

Accordingly, the manual operation member 11 and the slide block 18 return to the state shown in FIG. 3, and the control circuit for the right mirror is opened to stop the adjustment operation of this mirror.

The mirror adjustment operation described above is the same when pressing the D position, L position, or R position of the manual operation member 11, and when the D position is pressed, the right side mirror is directed downward. , press the L position to adjust the mirror to the left, and press the R position to adjust the mirror to the right.

Furthermore, when the operating knob 19 is operated in the upper left direction in FIGS. 2 and 4, the control circuit for the left mirror is selected. Under this condition, by pressing the manual operating member 11 in the same manner as described above, the control circuit for the left mirror is selected. can be adjusted.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the flat manual operation member 1
We have explained the model that presses 1, but for example,
A rod-shaped operating lever may be erected at the center of the manual operating member 11, and the operating lever may be tilted left and right or up and down.

As described above, in the manually operated switch according to the present invention, the flat end portion of the protruding member provided on the switch body comes into pressure contact with the flat portion formed on the pivoting member, so that the switch can be brought into the neutral state, that is, the first state of the switch. Therefore, in this state, the slide block is held mechanically and electrically stable, and when the switch operation returns from the second state to the first state, the tip of the protruding member is formed into a pivoting member. Because it operates as if pushing around the sloped surface, the return force hardly decreases even just before shifting to the first state, and it is possible to reliably return to the first state. Moreover, the return operation is sensitive. be.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional automobile side mirror adjustment switch, FIG. 2 is a front view of a manually operated switch according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an A in FIG.
- A sectional view taken along the line A, Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line B-B in Figure 2, Figure 5 is a perspective view of the switch body with the manual operation member removed, and Figure 6 is the back side of the manual operation member. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a protruding member provided on the switch body so that it can move forward and backward, FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a pivoting member that is integrally fixed to a manual operation member, and FIG. 9 is an operating state. FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3; 10... switch body, 10b... raised part,
10c...Support protrusion, 11...Manual operation member, 1
1a...Support recess, 11b...Support arm, 11c...
... Cut groove, 12 ... Rotating member, 12a ... Circular head, 12b ... Drive rod part, 12d ... Cut groove,
12e... Flat part, 12f... Inclined surface, 13...
Linear ring, 14... Projection member, 15... Coil spring, 17... Terminal base, 18... Slide block.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a manually operated switch configured to change from a first state to a second state by manual operation and automatically return to the first state upon release of this operation, a part of the switch body a rocking member supported so as to be swingable on the body; a projecting member with a flat tip provided on the body so as to be movable back and forth and constantly applying advancing force; and a projecting member fixed to a support arm provided on the rocking member to extend the projection The pivoting member is provided with a pivoting member positioned in the advancing direction of the member, and a slide block that opens and closes an electrical terminal in conjunction with the pivoting member, and the pivoting member has a flat end portion of the protruding member. A flat surface for maintaining the first state of pressure contact and an inclined surface for retracting the protruding member when manually operated to the second state are provided, and the protruding member presses the inclined surface when the manual operation is released. An automatic return type manually operated switch which returns the swinging member and the slide block from the second state to the first state together with the pivoting member that pivots. 2. In the manually operated switch described in claim 1, the rocking member is flat, and the second state is set by pressing any one of the four sides of the surface of this member. Automatic return type manual operation switch. 3. In the manually operated switch described in claim 1, an automatic return type switch is provided in which a swinging member is provided with an upright operating lever, and the second state is achieved by tilting the lever. Manually operated switch.