JPH0345496B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a small switch, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a small switch, and in particular, the vibration of ultrasonic energy is applied to the joint surfaces of a base and a housing in a substantially horizontal direction to weld and join the joint surfaces, thereby achieving a complete welding. This invention relates to a method for welding and joining a small hermetically sealed switch.

Conventional Technology Conventionally, when using a switch that is not completely sealed, it is natural that the contact area inside the switch cannot be completely isolated from the outside air, so it is difficult to operate under adverse conditions. In the atmosphere, it is easily affected by this, which causes poor contact, which poses a problem in terms of long-term contact reliability.

Furthermore, by directly inserting the switch into the printed circuit board,
There is a demand for completely sealed switches that can be cleaned due to the automation of work, such as cleaning after soldering. In order to meet this demand, it has been considered to glue the joint between the housing and the base to achieve airtightness. adhesion and uneven coating, etc., resulting in extremely poor workability.
There were problems with mass production due to incomplete sealing.

In addition, in the method of joining by applying ultrasonic energy in the axial direction of the fixed contact piece, the entire circumference of the joint surface is not uniformly welded, and if the welder energy is increased to ensure sufficient melting, the insert or Ultrasonic energy in the axial direction acts on the fixed contact piece that is press-fitted and fixed, causing the terminal to vibrate up and down, causing burrs on the insert part, and furthermore, causing terminal looseness and other problems that may cause deformation or damage to the contact parts. It was harmful.

Furthermore, when the ultrasonic bonding method is applied to a switch that has a clip-like movable contact piece that holds a fixed contact piece, the clip-like movable contact piece opens under the influence of ultrasonic energy, and the fixed contact piece opens. There was a drawback that it became impossible to hold the pieces, resulting in unstable contact and even poor contact.

Therefore, in the past, if the switch was placed in a cleaning solution, water would seep in, and contact instability would occur, making it impossible to consistently obtain a safe seal, which caused problems in mass production. .

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to:
To provide a new welding method for a small switch, in which the joining surface can be easily and completely sealed without affecting the switch means using ultrasonic energy vibrating approximately horizontally with respect to the joining part. be.

Structure of the Invention In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the welding method for a small switch according to the present invention is such that a fixed contact piece is provided passing through the upper and lower parts of the base, and an elastic plate made of phosphor bronze or the like is mounted on the fixed contact piece. A housing is formed by providing a switch means that connects and separates a clip-shaped movable contact piece formed of At least both of the joint parts are made of a thermoplastic resin made of the same kind of polymer, a small protrusion is provided around the entire periphery of the substantially horizontal joint surface of either the base or the housing, and the clip-shaped movable contact piece Ultrasonic energy that vibrates in a direction parallel to or within 45 degrees to the plate surface having elasticity and approximately horizontal to the substantially horizontal bonding surface is applied via a horn, and the small protrusions on the bonding surface are It is constructed to be completely sealed by welding.

Embodiments of the Invention In the present invention, when ultrasonic energy is applied to a thermoplastic resin made of the same kind of polymer, it changes to thermal energy at the bonding interface, and this part is heated and melted.
It is instantaneously welded, and takes advantage of the fact that the compatibility of welding between different polymer resins or resins and metals is extremely poor, and it is a small, completely sealed product that does not affect the switch means. This is what gets you a switch.

Next, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be specifically explained with reference to the drawings.

Figures 1 to 3 are diagrams for explaining the first embodiment of the present invention, of which Figure 1 is a sectional view of a switch to which the present invention is applied, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a switch with the housing removed. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the upper surface of the base, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view.

In FIGS. 1 to 3 for explaining the first embodiment of the present invention, a housing 1 is formed of a round head 1b provided with an upper hole 1a and a square lower part 1c.
A push rod 2 is inserted into the hole so as to be slidable up and down. The push rod 2 consists of a circular upper part 2a, a circular lower part 2b, and a square plate part further below, and the upward stepped surface of the boundary between the upper part 2a and the lower part 2b collides with the downward stepped surface of the inner surface of the corresponding housing head 1b. This restricts the upper limit position of the push rod 2. There is a recess 2 on the bottom of the push rod 2.
d is formed, and the upper end of the compression spring 3 is inserted into this recess 2d. A plate-shaped actuator 2e extending downward following the right end face of the recess 2d is provided continuously and integrally with the push rod 2, and a claw piece 2f is formed at the lower end of the actuator 2e.

The converter 4 is provided in the housing 1 so as to be tiltable left and right, and a converter receiving piece 6 is inserted and fixed into a recess on the upper surface of the front half of the base 5 to receive the converter 4. A triangular projection 4a is formed at the center between the left and right sides of the lower surface of the front half of the converter 4, and its tip is placed on the lowest line of a triangular recess 6a formed at a position corresponding to the upper surface of the receiving piece 6. is attached so that it can be tilted left and right around this line. The upper surface of the front half of the converter 4 is divided into left and right recesses with a central high point as a boundary, with a projection 4b provided in the left recess and a hole 4c provided in the right recess. A spring 3 is installed around the protrusion 4b.
The lower end portion is placed, and the hole 4c is for inserting the lower end claw piece 2f of the actuator 2e.

A low place 6b is formed on the right side of the receiving piece 6 and is lowered by one step, and this is for receiving the claw piece 2f. A wide recess is provided on the lower surface of the rear half of the converter 4 on the left and right sides, and a clip-shaped elastic movable contact piece 7 is inserted into this recess. Corresponding to the movable contact piece 7, three left and right fixed contact pieces 8 are fixed to the rear half of the base 5 by insert molding or press-fitting, penetrating vertically. The clip-shaped movable contact piece 7 is formed so as to sandwich the fixed contact piece 8, and is configured to selectively come into contact with and separate from a plurality of left and right fixed contact pieces 8 by tilting the converter 4. .

The joint between the base 5 and the housing 1 constructed as described above is formed of a thermoplastic resin made of the same kind of polymer, and small protrusions 5a are provided on the entire peripheral surface of the joint, which is the joint surface of the base 5. Ultrasonic energy that vibrates in a direction parallel to or within 45 degrees to the elastic plate surface of the movable contact piece 7 and approximately horizontally to the approximately horizontal joint surface is transmitted, for example, as shown in FIG. It is attached to the lower surface of the base 5 via the horn 30, and the small protrusion 5a on the joint surface is welded to form a completely sealed small switch. In FIG. 7, a through hole 30a formed in the horn 30 is for loosely inserting the fixed contact piece 8 of the switch.

In the embodiments described above, the small protrusions 5a which are melted and become adhesive are provided on the peripheral surface of the base 5, but they may of course be formed on the peripheral surface (lower part) of the housing 1.

By applying vibrations of ultrasonic energy to the four outer surfaces of the housing 1 by guiding them with receiving jigs that are in close contact with each other, the housing 1 does not oscillate laterally, so there is no loss and the welding of the joint surfaces is more reliable. It will be held in An O-ring 9 made of an elastic material such as rubber is attached to the circular upper part 2a of the push rod 2 to improve sealing performance.

4 to 6 are diagrams for explaining a second embodiment of the present invention, of which FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a switch to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a switch with the housing removed. 6th plan view showing the top surface of the base.
The figure is an exploded perspective view.

Next, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, a round head 11b with an upper hole 11a and a square lower part 1 are shown.
A handle 12 is inserted into a housing 11 formed from 1c and is supported so as to be tiltable left and right. The enlarged portion 12a of the handle 12 collides with the upper inner surface of the round head 11b, and the lower part of the handle 12 fits into the converter 14, whereby the converter 14 is operated in conjunction with the tilting of the handle 12. A slider 20 is inserted into a hole formed below the converter 14 via a spring 13. A wide recess is provided on the lower surface of the rear half of the converter 14 from side to side, and a clip-shaped elastic movable contact piece 17 is inserted into this recess. Corresponding to the movable contact pieces 17, three left and right fixed contact pieces 18 are fixed to the rear half of the base 15 by insert molding or complete press fitting to maintain airtightness. A cam plate 21 is fitted into a recess on the upper surface of the front half of the base 15 to maintain good switching operation and moderation of the switch. Clip-shaped movable contact piece 1
7 slides while holding the fixed contact piece 18 to open and close the switch, and the slider 20 slides on the upper surface of the cam plate 21 to provide switching moderation.

The joint between the housing 11 and the base 15 is made of thermoplastic resin made of the same kind of polymer, and small protrusions 15 are provided around the entire periphery of the base 15 at the joint.
A is provided, and a horn is used to transmit ultrasonic energy that vibrates in a direction parallel to or within 45 degrees to the elastic plate surface of the clip-shaped movable contact piece 17, and in a direction substantially horizontal to the substantially horizontal joint surface. The small protrusion 15a on the joint surface is welded to the lower surface of the base 15 to form a complete seal.

A horn 30, for example as shown in FIG. 7, which applies ultrasonic energy is provided with a plurality of concave and convex portions perpendicular to the vibration direction in order to transmit the ultrasonic energy to the lower surface of the base without loss. Further, a recess may be formed to accommodate the outer shape of the lower surface of the base.

The enlarged portion 12a of the handle 12 is provided with a waterproof ring 19 made of an elastic material such as rubber to improve airtightness.
If the spring 13 interposes the waterproof ring 19
A pressing force is applied to the handle through the enlarged portion 12a, and the airtightness of that portion is maintained even more completely.

The base 15 and the housing 11 are made of the same kind of polymer, and the converter 14, the slider 20, the slider 20 and the cam plate 21 are made of different kinds of polymers.

Effects of the Invention The present invention is constructed as described above.According to the present invention, a small protrusion is provided on the entire periphery of the substantially horizontal joint surface of either the base or the housing, and a clip-shaped movable contact piece is provided with a small protrusion. In order to apply ultrasonic energy that vibrates in a direction parallel or within 45 degrees to the elastic plate surface and approximately horizontally to the joint surface, the clip-shaped movable contact piece is moved in the elastic direction. The clip-shaped movable contact piece does not open because it is not subjected to ultrasonic energy vibrations. Further, since vibration of ultrasonic energy is not applied to the fixed contact piece in the axial direction, the fixed contact piece does not lift up or burrs are generated at the base. Therefore, when the housing and the base are joined, damage such as deformation or damage to the switch means having a precise contact mechanism is not caused.

Furthermore, since the vibration of ultrasonic energy is applied to the bonding surface in the horizontal direction, that is, the protrusions on the bonding surface are rubbed together, the method of applying vibration of ultrasonic energy in the vertical direction, that is, the protrusion of the bonding surface is continuously Unlike the method of tapping, the bonding surfaces slide into contact and receive vibrations from the ultrasonic energy, so there is no loss, uniform melting occurs, and complete welding occurs, ensuring perfect sealing and strength at that part. can be obtained stably. Therefore, it is possible to stably mass-produce a small switch that is completely sealed and can be washed without any water leakage even when placed in a cleaning solution.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 3 are diagrams for explaining a first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the first switch to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a housing FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view, and FIGS. 4 to 6 are diagrams for explaining the second embodiment of the present invention, of which FIG. is a sectional view of a second switch to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the upper surface of the base with the housing removed, and FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view.
FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the joining method according to the present invention. 1, 11... Housing, 2, 12... Push rod, 3,
13... Compression spring, 4, 14... Converter, 5, 15...
Base, 5a, 15a...Protrusion, 6...Socket piece, 7, 1
7... Movable contact piece, 8, 18... Fixed contact piece, 9, 19...
Waterproof ring, 20... slider, 21... cam plate.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A plurality of fixed contact pieces are provided passing through the top and bottom of the base, and a clip-shaped movable contact piece formed of an elastic plate such as phosphor bronze is sandwiched between the fixed contact pieces. A housing is provided by providing a switch means for approaching and separating the switch means, covering the switch means and providing an upper hole through which an operator passes, and at least both the joint portions of the base and the housing are made of a heat-resistant material made of the same type of polymer. It is made of plastic resin, and a small protrusion is provided around the entire periphery of the substantially horizontal joint surface of either the base or the housing, and the protrusion is parallel to or at an angle of 45 degrees to the elastic plate surface of the clip-shaped movable contact piece. Ultrasonic energy is applied via a horn to vibrate in a direction within the range of approximately horizontal to the substantially horizontal joint surface, and the small protrusions on the joint surface are welded and completely sealed. Welding method for small switches. 2. The small melt switch according to claim 1, further characterized in that a horn that applies ultrasonic energy in the substantially horizontal direction is added to the lower surface of the base and transmits the ultrasonic energy to a joint surface of the base and the housing. Bonding method. 3. Claim 1 or 2 further characterized in that the horn that applies ultrasonic energy in the substantially horizontal direction is provided with a plurality of concave and convex portions parallel to the direction perpendicular to the vibration direction. The welding method for small switches described in . 4. Claim 1 further characterized in that the horn has a through hole into which a fixed contact piece is loosely inserted, and ultrasonic energy is applied to the lower surface of the base.
A method for welding a small switch according to items 1 to 3. 5. Claim 1 further characterized in that a waterproof ring is interposed on the upper inner surface of the housing in a close contact area with the operator receiving back pressure from a spring.
A method for welding a small switch according to items 1 to 4.