JPH0332167B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Field of Industrial Application> The present invention relates to a tactile switch applied to industrial robots, machine tools, vending machines, and various other mechanical devices.

<Summary of the Invention> The present invention provides a switch base that is press-fitted into a cylindrical base and has a round shaft shape that matches the inner hole of the base.
It is composed of a main body and a lid that are offset from the shaft center and divided along the axial direction, and the main body has an engagement groove for both terminals on the joint surface, an engagement groove for a coil spring forming a normally closed contact, and a plunger shaft. The engagement groove and the receiving seat for the return spring are formed, and the lid body is formed with a closing surface for holding each component, thereby saving labor in assembly work and improving the stability of switch operation characteristics.

<Conventional Technical Field> Conventionally, this type of tactile switch is equipped with an actuator for detecting a workpiece at the tip of a cylindrical base, a plunger that slides into the base by the workpiece, and a switch mechanism inside that is opened and closed by the plunger. In particular, the switch base has a round shaft shape that can be press-fitted into the inner hole of the base, and is equally divided in the axial direction.
An engagement groove deep enough to engage the fixed terminal, a coil spring forming a normally closed contact, and 1/2 of the plunger shaft is formed on both joint surfaces, so when assembling the switch, it is divided into two parts. After tentatively assembling and engaging the parts equivalent to 1/2 width of the terminals, coil springs, plungers, etc. with one switch base, align the other switch base with the switch base, and at this time, the remaining 1/2 of the parts. For the protruding part corresponding to the width,
It engages the engagement groove on the inner surface.

However, in the case of the above structure, because the parts temporarily assembled on the switch stand are unstablely supported, it is time-consuming to align the engaging groove located on the inside with the protruding part of the part. It is difficult to engage several parts at once, such as the terminal, coil spring, and plunger shaft. Furthermore, as tactile switches become smaller and have thinner shafts, assembly work is becoming more difficult.

<Object of the Invention> The present invention makes it possible to easily and accurately incorporate and assemble even a large number of parts and even small parts by applying a simple device to the switch stand. The purpose is to reduce the size and improve operational stability.

<Structure and Effects of the Invention> In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a switch base that is press-fitted and fixed to a cylindrical base in a round shaft shape that matches the inner hole of the base, and that is offset from the center of the shaft. Consisting of a main body and a lid body that are divided along the axial direction, the main body side has an engagement groove in which each part engages in its entirety, and the lid body side has a closing surface that closes the opening of each engagement groove and holds the parts. It forms. According to the above configuration, in the present invention, each component, which has a large number of parts and is small in size, is entirely fitted into the engagement groove on the main body side by temporary assembly, and the groove opening is simply closed with the lid body. Because it is only one part, assembly work can be further labor-saving and costs can be reduced.

Furthermore, the assembly becomes more suitable and the stability of operation is improved, and it is particularly effective in miniaturizing the tactile switch.

<Description of Embodiments> The illustrated tactile switch is a switch base according to the present invention, which includes a cylindrical base 1 for attaching and fixing the tactile switch to a mechanical device, and a switch mechanism 3, which is press-fitted and fixed into the cylindrical base 1. 2, a plunger 4 that is slidably disposed in the cylindrical base 1 and operates the switch mechanism 3, and a plunger return spring 5 that is interposed between the plunger 4 and the switch base 2.
and an actuator 6 which is arranged in series at the tip of the cylindrical base 1 and actuates the plunger 4 when it comes into contact with a workpiece and is tilted or moved in the axial direction.

The cylindrical base 1 has a flat surface 11 on opposing parts of the outer peripheral surface and a thread groove 1 on the shaft peripheral surface between both flat surfaces 11.
2 and screw together the tightening nut 13,
The inner hole of the base 1 has a conical flange 1 at its upper end.
4 is provided protrudingly, and a plunger chamber 15 is provided at the upper part of the inner hole.
A switch loading part 16 is formed in the lower part thereof, and the switch stand 2 is press-fitted and fixed thereto.

The switch base 2, which is a feature of the present invention, has a round shaft shape with an outer diameter that can be press-fitted into the inner hole of the base, and a main body 2a and a lid body 2 that are offset from the center of the shaft and divided along the axial direction.
The main body 2a includes engagement grooves 21, 21 of a pair of fixed terminals whose upper ends opening at the joint surface are bent toward opposite sides, and a pair of engagement grooves 21, 21, which are located between the engagement grooves and whose upper ends are bent toward opposite sides. an engagement groove 23 for a normally closed contact coil spring communicating with the bent portions 22, 22 of the coupling groove; an engagement groove 24 for a plunger shaft formed on the upper wall of the upper end 2a of the main body 2a corresponding to the coil spring engagement groove 23; In addition to forming a coupling recess 25 at a proper location, a closing surface 26 is formed in the lid body 2b corresponding to each engagement groove 21, 23, 24, and a coupling protrusion 27 is formed corresponding to the coupling recess 25.
A terminal, a coil spring, and a plunger shaft forming the switch mechanism 3 are engaged with each of the engagement grooves 21, 23, and 24 of the main body 2a, and the lid body 2b is integrally connected to form a round shaft shape. Also, on the top of the switch stand 2,
A spring receiving seat 28 surrounds the plunger shaft engagement groove 24.
is formed.

The switch mechanism 3 has cable lead wires 31 connected to its lower ends, and an upper end bent inward to form a contact portion 33, which is connected to the engagement groove 2 of the main body.
A pair of fixed terminals 32, 32 adapted to 1, 21
and a coil spring 35 which forms a normally closed contact that fits into the spring engagement groove 23 and has its upper end energized to the contact portions 33, 33 of both terminals, and
A plurality of contact protrusions 34 protruding from the lower surface are formed to improve contact performance. The plunger 4 is a molded body made of synthetic resin, and operates by inserting the engaging groove 24 on the top surface of the switch base into the lower part of the guide shaft portion 41 that fits into the inner hole of the cylindrical base 1 and reaching the inner hole of the coil spring 35. A shaft 42 is provided, the actuation shaft 4
Operating protrusions 43, 43 are protrudingly provided on both sides of the coil spring 35 opposite to the upper end of the coil spring 35, and a spring receiving seat 44 is formed on the lower surface of the guide shaft portion 41, and the spring receiving seat 44 and the switch base A return spring 5 is interposed between the spring receiving seat 28 of 2, and the operating protrusion 43
is held in the switch release position.

The actuator 6 is constructed by attaching a workpiece detector 65 of an arbitrary shape to a mounting shaft 61 that is tiltably supported at the upper end of the cylindrical base 1 . A support part 62 having a conical part 63 corresponding to the conical flange 14 of the base 1 and a flat part 64 on the lower surface is integrally formed at the lower part of the mounting shaft 61, and the support part 62 is in contact with the support surface 45 of the plunger 4. It is engaged between the conical flange 14 of the base 1 and is biased toward the conical flange 14 via the plunger 4 by the return spring 5. An elastic sealing material 7 made of a rubber tube is fitted between the base 1 and the workpiece detector 65.

The sealing material 7 is provided with flanges 72 and 73 that protrude inward at the upper and lower cylinder openings of a cylinder body 71 whose cylinder wall is curved in the axial direction.
Engagement groove 1 that goes around the bottom of 5 and the top of base 1
7 and 66 to form the flange portions 7 at both ends of the cylindrical body 71.
2 and 73 are tightly engaged with each other by the elasticity of the materials, and the upper end of the base 1 including the mounting shaft 42 is sealed.

In the base 1, an opening surrounding the lead terminals of the switch base 2, a series of spaces between the switch base formed in the inner hole of the base, and the cable are filled with an epoxy resin 36 and hardened to insulate the lead terminals. Moreover, it is sealed.

Therefore, when assembling the switch mechanism of the present invention, the main body 2a constituting the switch base 2 is placed in a prepared jig with the joint surface facing upward, and
A pair of fixed terminals 32, 32 connected to lead wires and a coil spring 35 are loaded in advance into each of the engagement grooves 21, 23, 24. On the other hand, a return spring is fitted to the operating shaft 42 of the plunger 4, the operating shaft 42 is inserted into the inner hole of the coil spring 35 through the engagement groove 24, and one operating protrusion 43 on the shaft is engaged with the engagement groove 24. After fitting, cover the main body 2a with the lid 2b and connect them together, and then attach both ends of the return spring 5 to each spring receiving seat 28, 44.
By positioning the switch base 2, assembly of the switch base 2 is completed. Next, after inserting the actuator mounting shaft 61 into the inner hole of the base 1 and letting it emerge from the upper end, the switch base 2 is press-fitted from the plunger 4 side, and the workpiece detector 65 is fixed to the tip mounting shaft 61. The elastic sealing material 7 is fitted to complete the assembly of the tactile switch.

Next, the operation of the tactile switch of the present invention will be explained.

Normally, the actuator 6 is energized by the elasticity of the return spring 5 and the sealing material 7, and the operating protrusion 43 of the plunger 4 is separated from the coil spring 35 which forms a normally closed contact in the switch mechanism 3.

Now, when the detector 65 contacts the workpiece and the actuator 6 tilts with respect to the central axis of the base,
The conical support part 62 at the bottom of the actuator 6 is displaced with respect to the conical flange 14 of the base 1, with the inclined side being displaced to a small diameter part and the opposite side being displaced to a large diameter part, and at this time, the flat surface 54 corresponding to the small diameter side is moved down according to the inclination. Then, the plunger 4 is lowered while being displaced from the plunger support surface 45. When the inclination of the actuator 6 reaches a predetermined value, the protrusion 43 protruding from the plunger 4 compresses the coil spring 35 forming the corresponding normally closed contact, thereby releasing the contact portions 33, 33 of the terminals 32, 32. , outputs an electrical signal for workpiece detection between both terminals 32, 32.

Further, when an axial input is applied to the actuator 6, the conical support portion 62 moves to the plunger support surface 4.
5 is directly lowered, and the plunger 4 is lowered to separate the coil spring 35 from both contact portions 33, 33,
As described above, an electric signal is output between both ends and both terminals 32, 32.

Note that when the actuator 6 is separated from the workpiece, the restoring forces of the coil spring 35, return spring 5, and sealing material 7 act to return the plunger 4 and actuator 6 to their original states.

As described above, the present invention provides a switch base 2 that is press-fitted and fixed into a cylindrical base 1 that forms the main body of a tactile switch.
is shaped like a round shaft to match the inner hole of the base 1, and is composed of a main body 2a and a lid body 2b that are offset from the center of the shaft and divided along the axial direction, and each part constituting the switch mechanism 3 on the main body 2a side. and engagement grooves 21, 23, 24 in which the entire operating shaft of the plunger engages.
Since a closing surface 26 for closing the frontage of each engagement groove and holding the components is formed on the lid body 2b side, the temporarily assembled components are entirely engaged with the engagement grooves 21, 23, and 24 when assembling the switch. This completely eliminates problems such as wobbling and misalignment. Therefore, the assembly work is further simplified, and the cost and size of the switch can be reduced. Further, it has practical effects such as improving the stability of switch operation characteristics.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the tactile switch of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the switch stand, Fig. 4 is a front view of the main body constituting the switch stand, and Fig. 5. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line in FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line －, FIG. 7 is a front view of the lid body, FIG. . 1... Cylindrical base, 2... Switch stand, 2a...
...Body, 2b...Lid, 21, 23, 24...Engagement groove, 25...Recess, 26...Closing surface, 27...
Convex portion, 3... Switch mechanism, 4... Plunger, 5... Return spring, 6... Actuator.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cylindrical base, an actuator arranged at the upper end opening of the base to detect a workpiece, a plunger loaded into the base and moved up and down by the workpiece detection operation of the actuator, and a plunger press-fitted into the base and fixed therein. In the tactile switch, the switch base has a round shaft shape with an outer diameter that can be press-fitted into the inner hole of the base, and the switch base has a round shaft shape with an outer diameter that can be press-fitted into the inner hole of the base. It consists of a main body and a lid body that are divided along the axial direction. An engagement groove for the normally closed contact coil spring that communicates with the coil spring, an engagement groove for the plunger shaft formed on the upper wall of the switch base corresponding to the coil spring engagement groove, and a coupling recess formed at the appropriate location, and the lid body has each engagement groove. A tactile switch comprising a terminal engaged with a mating groove, a coil spring, a closing surface for holding a plunger shaft, and a coupling convex portion corresponding to a coupling recess.