GB2278240A

GB2278240A - Slide control device

Info

Publication number: GB2278240A
Application number: GB9409990A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tsunesuke Takano; Kouichi Sinzawa
Original assignee: Daiichi Denso Buhin Co Ltd
Current assignee: Daiichi Denso Buhin Co Ltd
Priority date: 1993-05-19
Filing date: 1994-05-18
Publication date: 1994-11-23
Also published as: GB9409990D0; CN1099901A; JPH06333462A; CA2123832A1; DE4417577A1

Description

1 SLIDE CONTROL DEVICE 2278240 The present invention relates to a slide

control device and more particularly to such a device, for example a slide switch or a slide volume control, incorporating a pivotal lever to effect sliding movement of a slider.

An example of a slide switch of the prior art is shown in Fig. 10..

As shown in Fig. 10, this example of the prior art is a swinging operating device of a sliding control member wherein, in a slide switch which slides a single slider 2 together with movable contact 2a along a plurality of conductors la mounted on a single insulating base.1 of said slide switch, fulcrum 0 of swinging lever 5, equipped so as

2 to partially engage at engaging point P in vertical slot 4 formed in operating piece 3 of said slider 2, is provided greatly separated from the lower portion of the switch body by distance d, and said slot 4 is formed orthogonally to the direction of movement of slider 2.

Since the above-mentioned prior art is able to slide slider 2 with the swinging force of swinging lever 5 having a fixed fulcrum, in contrast to offering the advantages of a solid feel of operation and enabling slider 2 to be moved either finely or over a broad range with one -hand, since two of the same components are used arranged -in parallel to increase the number of poles as a result of a single slider being required on a single base, the disadvantage results in which the thickness or surface area ends up doubling.

In order to eliminate each of the above-mentioned problems, it would be desirable to be able to accommodate multiple poles and multiple contacts while maintaining a small surface area by arranging in parallel a 3 large number of opposing fixed conductors of two sliding control members such as slide switches and so forth, as well as to make the portion relating to the sliding control member, such as the shift lever mechanism In a socalled automatic transmission automobile, compact, lightweight and inexpensive by moving the slider with a moving contact-using a swinging lever.

Moreover, since the above-mentioned prior art is able to slide slider 2 with the swinging force of swinging lever 5 having a fixed fulcrum, in contrast to offering the advantages of a solid feel of operation and enabling slider 2 to be moved either finely or over a broad range with one hand, since slot 4 of slider operating piece 3 is provided orthogonally to the sliding path of slider 2, the sliding distance (swinging width) of the slider ends up being equal to the width of movement of the slider engaging portion of swinging lever 5.

Thus, in the case of using this device by relating 'to the shift lever of a contemporary automatic transmission automobile, it is necessary to gain adequate width for 4 sliding movement by moving the fulcrum of the shift lever away from the slide switch itself by distance d to ensure an interval between contacts in order to make the operation of multipolar, multi-contact and large current type slide switches more reliable and stable. Thus, this device of the prior art had the disadvantages of the portion related to the shift lever being large and heavy, as well as the structure being complex and expensive.

Moreover, since two of the same components are used arranged in parallel to increase the number of poles as a result of a single slider being required on a single base, the disadvantage results in which the thickness or surface area ends up doubling.

In order to eliminate each of the above-mentioned problems, it would be desirable to be able to accommodate multiple poles and multiple contacts while maintaining flatness by arranging in parallel a large number of opposing f ixed conductors of two sliding control members such as slide switches and so forth, as well as to make the portion relating to the sliding control member, such as the shift lever mechanism in a so-called automatic transmission automobile, compact, lightweight and inexpensive by moving the slider with a moving contact using a swinging lever while greatly amplifying that movement more than the swinging width of the swinging lever even when using a swinging lever which revolves at a nearby fulcrum.

According to the present invention, this can be achieved in the composing of an operating device which slides a slider together with a movable contact along a plurality of conductors mounted on an insulating base by, together with providing two insulating bases In parallel so that their corresponding surfaces on which said conductors are formed are in mutual opposition, a slider, having movable contacts, which make sliding contact with each of said conductors within the gap between said opposing surfaces, is movably arranged between said two insulating bases by a guide; and, together with setting the fulcrum of swinging lever, equipped to engage at an engaging point in slot or groove formed in an operating piece, in a pivot 6 support arranged in the direction of passage of said slot or groove, the orientation of said slot or groove is inclined in the direction of the gradient of a line which connects said fulcrum and said engaging point.

By way of examples only, embodiments of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. 1 Is a block drawing of an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the broken line of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a schematic drawing of the principle of that shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective view indicating another embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the broken line of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a perspective view indicating another embodiment of the present invention; 7 Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the broken line of Fig. 6. Furthermore, the state in which slider 2 is protruding from the upper side of insulating base 1 is shown for reference purposes; Fig. 8 is a block drawing of an example in which the present invention is applied to a sliding-type variable resistor; Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the broken line of Fig. 6P, Fig. 10 is a block drawing indicating an example of the prior art.

8 The following provides an explanation of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

To begin with, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the basic constitution (first constitution) of the present invention consists of composing slider 2, made of fluororesin and so forth, to be able to slide along guide lb together with movable contacts 2a, made of phosphor bronze and so forth, along conductors la mounted on insulating base I of a slide switch mounted by a known means such as caulking or adhesion. Together with providing two insulating bases 1 in advance in parallel so that their corresponding surfaces on which conductors are formed are in opposition, slider 2, having movable contacts 2a which make sliding contact with each of said conductors la within the gap between said opposing surfaces as shown in Fig. 2, is provided to be able to be moved by guide lb between said two insulating bases 1.

Swinging lever 5 is provided which partially engages at engaging point P of a pin and so forth in inclined slot 4 formed in its operating piece 3.

9 In addition, together with setting its fulcrum 0 at a pivoting portion 6, such as a pivot shaft, arranged protruding from a chassis to which the lower portion of insulating base 1 or insulating base 1 is attached in the direction of passage of said slot 4, the orientation of said slot 4 is inclined in the direction of the gradient, for example downward and to the right, of a line connecting said fulcrum 0 and said engaging point P.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, forming groove 4a in operating piece 3 instead of slot 4 and engaging with the pin of swinging lever 5 produces the same effect. In addition, reference numeral S in Fig. 2 indicates a spring that enables movable contacts 2a to make elastic contact with conductors la.

In addition, as shown In Figs. 4 and 5, a second constitution of the present invention may be carried out by having slider 2 protrude from the gap of the lower side of opposing insulating bases 1, arranging operating piece 3 attached to this protruding portion 2b to turn in the shape of the letter "U" thereby enabling slider 2 to slide along guide lb, and having swinging lever 5, having pivot fulcrum 0 on a chassis to which the lower portion of base 1 or base 1 is attached, engage at engaging point P on slot 4 (or groove 4a) of said operating piece 3.

Whereupon, since operating piece 3 does not largely protrude beyond the periphery of base 1, there are no longer any protruding members resulting in a compact and streamline.appearance.

In addition, as shown in Fig. 5. two opposing movable contacts 2a, equipped on both surfaces of slider 2, may be composed so as to respectively make elastic contact with each of fixed conductors la, each opposed with a single common spring S arranged within a slider hole between each contact.

In addition, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the present invention may also be carried out by composing such that slider 2 protrudes from the lower side of insulating base 1, and slides along guide 1b, arranging operating piece 3, attached to this p'rotruding portion 2b, by turning in the shape of the letter 'V' so as to continue along the base surface. Swinging lever 5, having fulcrum 0 on a chassis to which is attached the lower portion of base 1 or insulating base 1, engages at engaging point P in inclined slot 4 (or groove 4a) of said operating piece 3.

Whereupon, since operating piece 3 does not largely protrude beyond the periphery of base 1, there are no longer.any protruding members resulting in a compact and streamline appearance.

In addition, slider 2 may also be made to protrude from the upper side of insulating base 1 as shown in Fig. 7.

The constitution of the present invention is as has been described above. The following provides a detailed description of an example of its use.

In the present invention, together with two insulating bases 1 being provided in parallel so that the corresponding surfaces on which conductors are formed are in opposition, slider 2, having movable contacts 2a which make sliding 12 contact with each of said conductors la within the gap between said opposing surfaces, is provided to be able to be moved by guide lb between said two insulating bases 1. As a result, a large number of moving contacts on both surfaces of slider 2 are able to make sliding contact with fixed conductors la.

In addition, together with fulcrum 0 of swinging lever 5, provided to engage at engaging point P in slot 4 formed in operating piece 3 of slider 2, being set at a pivoting portion 6, arranged in the direction of passage of said slot 4, since the orientation of said slot 4 or groove 4a is inclined in the direction of the gradient of a line connecting said fulcrum 0 and said engaging point P as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, slider 2 slides to the location of the broken line of Figs. 1 and 4 in the direction of the arrangement of fixed contacts of insulating base 1 due to the swinging force of' said swinging lever 5 which engages at engaging point P of a pin and so forth in slot 4 or groove 4a of its operating piece 3 as shown with broken lines in Figs. 1 and 6.

13 However, in carefully considering sliding width WS of the slider, if the angle formed by the line in the direction of slot 4 or groove 4a in Fig. 3 and the line in the direction of movement of slider 2 is taken to be 0, and the width of parallel movement of swinging lever 5 is taken to be W, as shown in Fig. 3, the sliding width WS of the slider becomes:

WS = W/sin 0 (1) Thus, in the case 0 = 450, WS = 1.41421356 x W, thereby demonstrating an amplification factor of roughly 1.4.

Furthermore, the amplification factor is 2 when 0 300, and 2/1.7320508 3 = 1.154 when e = 600.

In addition, since movable contacts 2a move by straddling while making sliding contact with a plurality of conductors la during movement of the above-mentioned slider 2, the electrical continuity between each conductor la can be controlled, thereby allowing use as a slide switch.

14 Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 8, the present invention can also be applied as a linked slide variable resistor or so-called multiple slide volume, enabling control of high levels of electrical power and so forth, by controlling the distribution of the volume of right and left stereo channels or Triac and other SCR devices, to be performed by swinging operation of slider 2 by swinging lever 5.

Namely, thi can be carried out by causing movable contacts 2a, which straddle while making sliding contact between two conductors la of the length shown in Figs. 8 and 9 and an electrical resistor film r of ordinary length, to slide in the same manner as the above-mentioned embodiment by means of slot 4 due to the swinging force of swinging lever 5.

The present invention offers the effects described below as a result of being composed in the manner explained above.

ja In the invention as set forth, in the composing of an operating device which slides movable contacts 2a, which make elastic contact with a plurality of conductors la mounted on insulating base 1, with a slider, together with providing two Insulating bases 1 in parallel so that their corresponding surfaces on which said conductors are formed are in opposition, since slider 2, having movable contacts 2a, which make sliding contact with each of said conductors la within the gap between said opposing surfaces, is movably arranged between said two insulating bases 1 by guide lb, movable contacts 2a, equipped on both surfaces of a single slider 2. are able to make sliding contact with a large number of fixed conductors formed on two opposing insulating bases 1, thereby offering the advantage of being able to realize considerable flatness greater than a device in which two units providing one slider for a single insulating base are arranged next to each other.

In addition, together with setting the fulcrum of swinging lever 5, equipped to engage at engaging point P in slot 4 16 formed in operating piece 3, in pivot support 6 arranged in the direction of passage of said slot 4, since the orientation of said slot 4 is inclined in the direction of the gradient of a line which connects said fulcrum 0 and said engaging point P, slider 2 of a sliding control member such as a slide switch is moved while greatly amplifying that movement more than swinging width of the swinging lever even when using a swinging lever which swings at a nearby fulcrum 0, thereby offering a second advantage of enabling portions related to a sliding control member such as the shift lever of a so-called automatic transmission automobile to be compact, lightweight and inexpensive.

As operating piece 3 does not greatly protrude beyond the periphery of base 1, the additional advantage is offered of enabling the appearance around the base to be compact and streamline.

The invention also enables the adjustment operation of a sliding-type variable resistor or so-called slide volume to be improved.

Claims

17 CLAIMS

1 A slide control device comprising a pair of parallel insulating bases between which is located a slider capable of guided linear movement between said bases from a rest position to a displaced position, a plurality of electrical conductors mounted on each insulating base, and one or more electrical contacts mounted on each side of the slider to make selective sliding engagement with the conductors on the associated base, the slider including an operating piece in which is formed a slot or groove, the device further comprising a lever pivotal about a fulcrum fixed relative to the bases and engaging in said slot or groove in the operating piece whereby, on pivotal movement of the lever about the fulcrum, the slider is moved linearly between the bases, the orientation of the slot or groove being inclined substantially along a line interconnecting the fulcrum with the point of engagement of the lever with the slot or groove with the slider in its rest position.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the operating piece of the slider extends upwardly from the upper regions of the bases.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the slider includes a lower portion of substantially U-shape one arm of which projects downwardly from within the parallel bases through the lower regions of said bases and the other arm of which projects upwardly outside said bases, the operating piece being attached to said other arm of the lower portion of the slider, the fulcrum of the pivotal lever being provided 18 on a chassis to which the bases are attached.

4. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the electrical conductors mounted on each base include an electrical resistor strip.

5. A slide control device substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.