JPH054770B2 - - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a key switch, and more particularly to a key switch capable of outputting multi-purpose signals by operating a single key top.

Prior Art A key switch that can output multi-purpose signals by operating a single key top can improve the efficiency of screen editing operations if it is used, for example, to quickly select and execute various functions with a blind touch while looking at the display screen. However, it is particularly effective when used for cursor movement. The present inventor has proposed several such keysuites so far. For example, a key switch proposed for controlling cursor movement is equipped with a single key top and four independent displacement means, and two adjacent displacement detection means are operated simultaneously to move the cursor in a diagonal direction. There are things that detect this and do something about it. Of course, when two adjacent displacement detection means are operating simultaneously, the output signal is treated as invalid,
The cursor may not be moved. In any case, I realized that when using such a key switch to control cursor movement, precise key top operations are required. This means that, for example, when you want to move the cursor straight up, if there is ambiguity in the operating position or operating direction of the key switch, the cursor may sometimes move diagonally upward. Since the accuracy of cursor movement control is particularly important when reaching the target position, a certain degree of accuracy is required in keytop operation in order to prevent erroneous cursor movement with a key switch having such a structure.

Furthermore, when using such a key switch to select and execute various functions for screen editing, it is necessary to somehow prevent or invalidate the output of duplicate signals. This is because some of the executed functions, such as the home clear function, once malfunction, make it difficult to recover lost information.

Purpose The present invention has been made in view of the problems in the prior art described above. Its purpose is to create a key switch that can output multi-purpose signals by operating a single key top, and to prevent duplicate signals from being output even if the key top is operated in a somewhat ambiguous position or direction. It is an object of the present invention to provide a key switch with high operational reliability that operates so as to reliably obtain a desired output signal.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Representative embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a personal computer using a key switch according to an embodiment of the present invention as a key switch for moving a cursor. Inside the main body 1 of this personal computer, there is a sixth
As shown in the figure, CPU9 controls the cursor movement.
Contains RAM10 and ROM11. Further, a display section 2 and a keyboard section 3 are provided externally. Note that FIG. 2 is a front view showing details of the keyboard section 3 including the key switch (hereinafter referred to as cursor moving key switch) 4 of the first embodiment.
In the figure, 13 is a conventional typewriter keyboard section consisting of numeric, alphanumeric, and symbol keys, and 14 is a function key section. A simple explanation of these function keys is:
"DEL" is a character deletion key, "INS" is a character insertion key, "CLR" is a screen clear key, and "HOME" is a home key that returns the cursor to the home position.

Next, a case will be described in which the cursor K on the display section 2 is moved to the left or upward as shown in FIG. 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the operation is as follows:
In the diagram for explaining the operation of the cursor moving key switch 4 shown in FIG. A, the cursor K is moved to the left or upward by simply pressing the key top 4-1 to the left (arrow A) or upward (arrow B).

The structure of the cursor moving key switch 4 is shown in FIG. To give a brief explanation of the drawings, Figures 5A, B, and C are cross-sections for explaining the operation of the parts to be cut at the operation display characters (left) and (right) in Figure 4A. 5D is a plan view of the structure corresponding to FIG. 4A. In addition, a cross-sectional view of the structure located between operation arrows C and D in the diagonal direction of the BNC key top 4-1 in Figure 4 is shown in Figure 5.
Fig. 4A is an operation explanatory diagram in which Fig. 4A is rotated 45 degrees to the left to correspond to Figs. E, F, and G; The plan view of the structure corresponding to FIG. 4B is shown in FIG. 5H.
It is shown in

In the above diagrams, first, as shown in Figure 5A,
A spherical motion-conducting ball 6 and a leaf spring contact 7 are provided around a key top 4-1 which is freely attached to a key switch body 5 (hereinafter also referred to as an electronic device body). -1 is brought into contact with the leaf spring contact 7 by applying a horizontal force. Furthermore, information based on this contact is read by the CPU 9, thereby controlling the moving direction of the cursor K. For example, when the key top 4-1 is pressed in the direction A in FIG. 4A, the leaf spring contact 7x (hereinafter referred to as
The subscript is used to specify the position of the leaf spring contact 7), and the cursor K can be moved to the left by applying force to the leaf spring contact 7x and making contact with the contact 7x. [See Figure 5B]. Next, release the key top 4-1 from the recess 5 of the key switch body 5.
The four duplicate input prevention convex portions 8 provided on the side surface of the key top 4-1 have an appropriate distance from the locking portion 4-2 on the side surface of the key top 4-1, and the size of the distance may be, for example, in the A direction. When the key top 4-1 is pressed, none of the convex portions 8 prevents the leaf spring contact 7x from coming into contact with the key top 4-1. Here, if the key top 4-
1 is pressed, assuming that there is no convex portion 8xy provided on the main body portion 5 of the key switch 4, force is applied to both leaf spring contacts 7x and 7y, and both contacts come into contact, but the convex portion 8xy, the movement of the key top 4-1 is stopped midway as shown in FIG. 5G. At this time, leaf spring contacts 7x and 7y
are arranged so that they do not come in contact with each other. Or, if it is the result of an ambiguous operation on the key top 4-1, and the pressed direction is even slightly deviated from the C direction to either (left) or (up), the convex part 8xy becomes the fulcrum. Due to the component force in the shifted direction, a pushing force is guided so that the leaf spring contact 7x applies force to one of the correct operations 7y, and the corresponding leaf spring contact contacts and moves the cursor K in the desired left direction. or can be moved upwards. Next, when you release your hand from the key top 4-1, the spring force of the leaf spring contact 7 pushes back the motion conduction ball 6, and the key top 4-1 returns to its original position. The key top 4-1 is then balanced at a position where the periphery of the key top 4-1 is evenly pressed. Next, leaf spring contact 7
The means for detecting opening and closing will be explained with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 7, the leaf spring contacts 7 are provided with leaf spring contacts 7-1 separated by an insulator 12.
and 7-2 are included. When a sliding force is applied to these contacts 7-1 and 7-2 key top 4-1, they close as shown in FIG. 5B. Therefore, the terminal 7t ₂ is short-circuited to the installed terminal 7t ₁ and outputs 0 volts. However, when it is not closed, the voltage is 5 volts due to the action of the pull-up resistor R. CPU9 periodically connects these leaf spring contacts 7
is configured to check terminal _7t2 of. Alternatively, an interrupt is input to the CPU 9 due to at least one contact being closed, thereby starting service to the key switch, and an interrupt input is input to the CPU 9 again due to all contacts being opened. , the service to the key switch may be terminated by this. In any of the above cases, the contact information of the contacts is taken into the CPU 9 at a predetermined cycle while the key switch is being serviced. Therefore, by monitoring the terminals _7t2 of the four sets of leaf spring contacts, it is possible to detect in which direction the cursor K is to be moved. Furthermore, if the contact information that is periodically taken in is the same, the CPU 9 repeats the same control.

Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the keyswitch according to the present invention utilizes keyswitches operated by selectively pressing different positions on a single keytop operating surface for cursor movement.

Next, a case will be described in which the cursor K on the display section 2 is moved to the left or upward as shown in FIG. 3 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the operation is performed by pressing the left part (point A) or the upper part (point A) of the key top 40-1 in the operation explanatory diagram of the key switch (hereinafter referred to as cursor moving key switch) 40 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. By pressing point B) from above, the cursor K is moved to the left or upward. The structure of the cursor moving key switch 40 is shown in FIG. Here, I would like to briefly explain the drawings: Figures 9A and B
and C are cross-sectional views for explaining the operation of the part cut by the operation display character part (left) and (right) of FIG. 8A, and FIG. 9D is a plane view of the structure corresponding to FIG. 8A. It is a diagram. Also, Figure 8B is the same figure A as facing right.
Figure 9E shows a cross-sectional view of the structure between operation press points A and B when viewed from the opposite side of point C in the operation explanatory diagram rotated by 45 degrees.
Shown in F and G. A plan view of the structure corresponding to FIG. 8B is shown in FIG. 9H.

In the following figures, first, as shown in FIG. 9A,
A spherical motion conduction ball 6 and a leaf spring contact 7 are provided on the underside of a key top 40-1 which is rotatably attached to the key switch body 5 (or the electronic device body). The leaf spring contacts 7 come into contact when a force is applied from above. Furthermore, as the information based on this contact is read by CPU9,
The moving direction of cursor K is controlled. For example, when the key top 40-1 is pressed down from above at point A in FIG. 8A, force is applied to the leaf spring contact 7x in FIG. [See Figure 9B].

Here, the four duplicate input prevention protrusions 8 provided on the key switch main body 5 are located between the key top 40-1 and the locking portion 40-2 on the back surface of the key top 40-1.
When the key top 40-1 is pressed down at the point A, for example, when the key top 40-1 is pressed down, the spacing is such that none of the convex portions 8 prevents the leaf spring contact 7x from coming into contact with the key top 40-1. do. If the key top 40-1 is pressed down from above while the leaf spring contact 7 is not provided as shown in point C in FIG. 8A, the convex portion 8xy (hereinafter referred to as
If the subscript is not used to specify the position of the convex portion 8), force would be applied to both leaf spring contacts 7x and 7y and both contacts would come into contact.
Because of the protrusion 8xy, pressing of the key top 40-1 is stopped midway as shown in FIG. 9G. At this time, the leaf spring contacts 7x and 7y are adjusted so that they do not come into contact with each other. Or key top 4
As a result of an ambiguous operation on 0-1, if the pressed part is even slightly deviated from point C, either (left) or (top), the convex part 8xy will serve as a fulcrum and the Due to the component force in the deviated direction, a pushing force is induced to apply force to one of the leaf spring contacts 7x to 7y for the correct operation, and the corresponding leaf spring contact 7 comes into contact and moves the cursor K in the desired left direction. or can be moved upwards. The key top 40-1 has a protrusion 15 supporting the operating portion 16 at the lower center thereof, and the spherical lower end of the protrusion 15 fits into a recess 5-3 provided in the key switch body 5. Therefore, the key top 40-1 is fixedly supported in the horizontal direction, but is supported so as to be tilted by selectively pressing the operating portion 16 in the vertical direction. When you release your hand from the key top 40-1, the spring force of the leaf spring contact 7 pushes back the movement conduction ball 6, and the key top 40-1 returns to its original state.
Key top 40 by four movement conduction balls 6
Balance is achieved at a position where the lower part of the periphery of -1 is evenly pushed up.

Next, the means for detecting the opening and closing of the leaf spring contact 7 is the same as that in Fig. 7, and
The monitoring of the four sets of leaf spring contact terminals _7t2 by the CPU 9 is also the same as that described in the first embodiment.

In the above explanation, even if the number of motion conduction balls 6, leaf spring contacts 7, and convex portions 8 is increased to increase the number of directions in which the cursor K can move, or instead of the motion conduction balls 6 and leaf spring contacts 7, a commercially available switch can be used. It goes without saying that even if the display section 2 and the key switch 4 or 40 are provided in a separate housing from the main body 1, there is no problem.

Effects As described above, according to the present invention, multi-purpose signals can be output by operating a single key top, and at the same time, even if the key top is operated in a somewhat ambiguous position or direction, the convex part for preventing duplicate input and the locking part This action prevents duplicate signal output and operates to reliably obtain a desired output signal, thereby providing a key switch with high operational reliability. Furthermore, by providing this protrusion for preventing duplicate input on the main body of the key switch or the main body of the electronic device, for example, a single key top that is freely slidable as in the above-mentioned first embodiment can be damaged by rough operation. Even if the key top rotates, the relationship between the convex portion and the locking portion will not be disturbed in any way. Therefore, there is an advantage that a key switch that is robust and easy to operate can be constructed. This also applies to the second embodiment. As described above, although the configuration of the present invention is simple, it can produce extremely large effects.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a personal computer using a key switch according to an embodiment of the present invention as a key switch for moving a cursor, FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the keyboard section of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are 5A to 5C and E to G are sectional views of the key switch according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5D
6 is a block diagram showing a personal computer equipped with a key switch according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is an example of terminal connection for detecting opening and closing of a leaf spring contact. 8A and B are operation explanatory diagrams of the key switch according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 9 A to C and E to G are cross sections of the key switch according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Figures 9D and 9H are also plan views. Here, 1...Personal computer main body, 2...Display section, 3...Keyboard section, 4, 4
0... Key switch, 4-1, 40-1... Key top, 4-2, 40-2... Locking part, 6... Operation conduction ball, 7... Leaf spring contact, 8... Convex part,
15... protrusion, 16... operating section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A key switch consisting of a single key top and a plurality of displacement detection means that output different signals in response to the displacement caused by the operation of the single key top, wherein the operation on the single key top extends across adjacent displacement detection means. 1. A key switch characterized in that a convex portion for preventing the key switch from being activated is provided on the main body of the key switch or the main body of an electronic device, and a locking portion responsive to the convex portion is provided on the single key top.