JPH04169019A - Seesaw type push button switch device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify a device structure and reduce a manufacturing cost by flexing and energizing supporting arms with the seesaw motion of a key top and balancing and restoring the seesaw motion with repulsion due to energization. CONSTITUTION:It consists of a mainframe 1 and a key top 2 which acts as a push button with seesaw motion allowable around a supporting rib 4 arranged inside of and integrally with the mainframe 1 to give a diaphragm switch 7 open-and-close operation corresponding to the seesaw motion. It also includes resilient supporting arms 3a, 3b to join the mainframe 1 and the key top 2 in the direction normal to the axis of the seesaw motion and in opposition to each other with a seesaw motion point as a center. In this case, the supporting arms are flexed and energized with the seesaw motion of the key top 2 and the seesaw motion can be balanced and restored with repulsion due to energization. It is thus possible to reduce a manufacturing cost in a relatively simple structure.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a seesaw type push button switch device in which a flam switch is opened and closed by seesaw action of a key top serving as a push button, and in particular to a seesaw type push button switch device for various electronic devices. The present invention relates to an improved spring-like structure for holding the key top in equilibrium and restorably in a seesaw type push button switch device used in other applications.

BACKGROUND ART The general structure of a conventional see-saw type push button switch device of this type is schematically shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the conventional device with the front panel removed, and FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway side view of the device.

In the configuration of the conventional device shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, 11 is a main body frame of the device, 12 is arranged inside the main body frame 11, and 1 is provided at both longitudinal ends of the surface portion.
A key top 13.13 having a pair of pressing surfaces 12a and 12b and serving as a push button connects the upper part of the inner wall surface of the main body frame 11 and the middle part of both sides of the key top 12 to form the key top 12. It is a pair of support arms that act as a torsion bar action, that is, a torsion spring action, with good and sufficient elasticity for balancing and restoring the seesaw action. In order to effectively obtain the torsion spring acting force, the spring is relatively long.

Further, 14a and 14b are a pair of switch press bins extending downward from the lower surface side corresponding to the positions of the pressing surfaces 12a and 12b on the key top 12, and 15 is a bottom panel of the main body frame 11. printed circuit board,
16a and 16b are provided on the surface of the printed circuit board 15, and are brought into light contact with the lower end surfaces of each of the pair of switch push pins 14a and 14b, and the contacts are opened and closed individually by pressing operation accompanying the seesaw operation. A set of flam switches 17 are surface panels of the main body frame 11, and the surface portions of the key tops 12 are exposed through openings formed at required portions so as to enable seesaw operation.

Next, the operation of the conventional device having the above configuration will be described.

In each of the figures of the conventional example, when one of the pressing surfaces of the key top 12, for example, the pressing surface 12a side, is pressed, the key top 12 torsionally biases the pair of support arms 13, 13, and stores energy. It is rotated in the direction of the arrow while applying force.

That is, in this case, a seesaw operation is performed, and the switch push pin 14a on the corresponding side presses the flam switch 16a to close the contact.

Then, by releasing the pressing operation on the pressing surface 12a side of the key top 12, each support arm 13.
Due to the repulsive force of the torsional bias stored in the key top 13, the key top 12 is restored to the equilibrium position before operation, and the pressing operation on the flam switch 16a is released and the contact can be opened. , the same operation can be performed on the other pressing surface 12b in a similar seesaw manner, and in this way, by selectively pressing one key top 12, one set of flam switches 16a ,
16b can be opened and closed individually.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the conventional seesaw type push button switch device configured as described above, the key top l can be balanced and restored in a seesaw manner by each of the pair of support arms 13 and 13. In order to effectively apply a good and sufficient torsion spring force to each support arm 13.13, each support arm 13.
13 must be set to a suitable length. For example, when multiple sets of flam switches 16a and 16b are arranged in parallel, each of the multiple sets of flam switches 16a.

16b, and by extension, the arrangement pitch interval p2 of each key top 12 (cannot be set, individual key tops 12
This method has the problem of being difficult to operate due to the scattering of the arrangement, and is also disadvantageous in terms of space.On the other hand, it is possible to improve this and obtain a similar seesaw action with short pitch intervals. As a means, it is possible to use separate members for the spindle of the seesaw operation and the spring mechanism for balance and restoration, but such a method would inevitably complicate the device configuration itself and increase costs. It has the disadvantage of becoming

The present invention is an attempt to solve these conventional problems, and in order to balance the key top as a push button with a seesaw operation type and to maintain it in a restorable manner, the elastic body parts etc. are completely removed by separate members ( The object of the present invention is to provide a seesaw type push button switch device of this type, which has a relatively simple configuration without the need for a pushbutton switch, enables cost reduction, and makes effective use of space. It is.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a main body frame,
and a key top as a push button that enables seesaw movement around a fulcrum rib arranged and integrally provided inside the main body frame, and opens and closes the flam switch in response to the seesaw movement, and support arms having an elastic force that connect the main body frame and the key top in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the key top and opposite to each other around the seesaw operating point; The device is characterized in that the supporting arm is bent to store energy as it moves, and the repulsive force generated by the stored energy can balance and restore the seesaw motion.

Therefore, according to the present invention, with the above-described configuration, the support arm is bent and stored energy as the key top is held in an equilibrium posture and seesawed by the pressing operation.
Then, the required closing operation of the flam switch is performed, and when the pressing force is released, the seesaw operation is balanced and restored by the repulsive force due to the stored energy of the deflected support arm, and the flam switch is closed. At the same time as the closing operation is performed, the key top can be restored to the equilibrium position before the operation.

Embodiment 1 An embodiment of the seesaw type push button switch device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

Fig. 1 is a plan view with the front panel removed, schematically showing an outline of a seesaw push button switch device to which this embodiment is applied, and Fig. 2 is a side view with a portion of the same device cut away. It is.

Also in the configuration of the embodiment device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, 2 is the main body frame of the device, 2 is arranged inside the main body frame 1, and a set of pressurizers are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the surface part. Key tops 3a and 3 that have surfaces 2a and 2b and function as push buttons and perform seesaw operations as described later;
b refers to the left and right side surfaces near the upper part of the inner wall surface of the main body frame 1 and the middle part of the key top 2 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the seesaw operation and facing each other with the seesaw operation point as the center; Each support arm 3a, 3b is connected to the key top 2 and has a good and sufficient elastic force for balancing and restoring the seesaw operation. By drawing the key tops 2.2 as close as possible to the left and right side surfaces of the key tops 2.2, the pitch interval p+ between adjacent key tops 2.2 can be substantially shortened.

Further, reference numeral 4 indicates a fulcrum rib which extends downward from the intermediate portion of the lower surface side of the key top 12 and uses an arcuate surface at the lower end of the extension as a fulcrum for seesaw operation; A pair of switch push pins 6 extending downward from the lower surface side corresponding to the positions of the pressing surfaces 2a and 2b form the bottom panel of the main body frame 1, and see-saw movement on the fulcrum rib 4. Printed circuit board that supports pressure points, 7
a and 7b are provided on the surface of the printed circuit board 6, and are brought into light contact with the lower end surfaces of each of the pair of switch push pins 5a and 5b, and the contacts are opened and closed individually by pressing operation accompanying the seesaw operation. A set of flam switches 8 are surface panels of the main body frame 1, and the surface portions of the key tops 2 are exposed through openings formed at required portions so as to be operable as a seesaw.

Next, the operation of the embodiment device having the above configuration will be described.

In each of the figures of the embodiments, when one of the pressing surfaces 9 of the key top 2 is pressed, for example, the pressing surface 2a side, the key top 2 moves from each of the pair with the seesaw operation point of the fulcrum rib 4 as the fulcrum. The support arms 3a and 3b are rotated in the direction of the arrow while being bent and biased respectively. In other words, the see-saw action is also performed here, and the switch push pin 5a on the corresponding side presses the flam switch 7a to close the contact.

Then, by releasing the pressing operation on the pressing surface 2a side of the key top 2, each support arm 3a, 3
Due to the repulsive force of the biasing force stored in b, the key top 2 is restored to the equilibrium position before operation, and the pressing operation on the flam switch 7a is released and the contact can be opened. , the other pressing surface 2b can be operated in exactly the same manner in a similar seesaw manner, and in this way, by selectively pressing one key top 2, one set of flam switches 7a can be operated. , 7b can be opened and closed individually.

In other words, as described above, a seesaw type push button switch device according to the configuration of this embodiment! Now, the key top 2, which opens and closes a pair of flamm switches 7a and 7b separately by performing a seesaw motion, is opposed to the key top 2 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the seesaw motion and centered on the seesaw operating point. As shown in FIG.
a and 3b provide a spring action for balancing and restoring the seesaw action when pressing the key top 2 to open and close each of the flam switches 7a and 7b. Therefore, the pitch interval p1 between 2 and 2 can be substantially shortened.

Effects of the Invention According to the seesaw type push button switch device according to the present invention, as is clear from the description of the above embodiments, the main body frame and the center, which is a fulcrum rib arranged and integrally provided inside the main body frame, are provided. a key top serving as a push button for opening and closing the flam switch in response to the seesaw movement; Since the main body frame and the key tops are connected to each other by a support arm having elastic force, the support arm is deflected and stored, and the necessary closing operation of the flam switch can be carried out, and when the pressing force is released, the seesaw movement is balanced by the repulsive force due to the stored power of the deflected support arm. , the flam switch can be restored, the flam switch can be closed, and the key top can be restored to the equilibrium position before activation, and in this way, the fulcrum rib can perform an independent see-saw movement of the key top. Therefore,
It is possible to apply a spring action by the opposing support arms in the direction perpendicular to the seesaw movement, and as a result, unlike the conventional case, each of the key tops is placed adjacent to each other. Even in some cases, the pitch interval between each of these key tops can be substantially shortened,
In addition to being able to effectively utilize the installation space, the device configuration itself can be extremely simplified, and its material and manufacturing costs can be significantly reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an outline of a seesaw push button switch device to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied, with the front panel removed, and Fig. 2 is a side view with a portion of the same device cut away. 3 is a plan view schematically showing an outline of a conventional seesaw type push button switch device with the front panel removed, and FIG. 4 is a side view with a portion of the same device cut away. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11... Body frame, 2... Key top serving as a push button, 2a, 2b... Pressing surface, 3a, 3b.
... Support arm, 4... Fulcrum rib, 5a, 5b...
・Switch push bottle, 6... Printed circuit board, 7...
Flam switch, 8... surface panel.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A main body frame, and a push button that is capable of see-saw movement around a fulcrum rib disposed and integrally provided inside the main body frame, and that opens and closes a flam switch in response to the seesaw movement. a key top, and a support arm having an elastic force that connects the main body frame and the key top in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the seesaw operation and facing each other around the seesaw operation point. A seesaw type characterized in that the support arm is bent to store energy as the key top seesaws, and the seesaw action can be balanced and restored by the repulsive force generated by the stored energy. Push button switch device.