EP1995746B1 - Slide switch - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a slide switch, in which a user can adjust the latching behavior of the slide switch and the operating hardness or operating force. The slide switch consists of a fixed part and a part displaceable to the fixed part, wherein the displaceable part in at least two directions, at least in the horizontal plane, is displaceable.

There are a large number of slide switches comprising a slider with moving contacts and a base part or housing with stationary contacts. In such a slide switch, when the movable contacts are connected to or disconnected from the stationary contacts, a switching function, a mode switching function, or other electrical function are performed.

A conventional slide switch, for example for use in a dictation machine, consists of two parts, a displaceable part, which is movably mounted, and a fixed part relative to the movable part, the so-called latching gate. The movable part is moved over the detent gate; it can be moved over this. The detent gate here has elevations and depressions over which the displaceable part slides. The sliding part dives when moving over the detent gate in their wells. The displaceable part in this case has a resilient element, which allows the displaceable part to overcome the difference between elevations and depressions of the detent gate. If the displaceable part is positioned in the recess, electrical contact points of the displaceable part are connected to corresponding contact points. It is thus closed via these contact points when latched in the recess of the detent gate contact.

Out EP 1 126 482 B1 is a multidirectional slide switch known. This has a housing with a fixed contact part and a first sliding part and a second sliding part, which are arranged in a housing. The first slide member is slidably connected to the second slide member so that movement may be made only in the direction of one of two intersecting axes relative to the second slide member, the second slide member being movably disposed in the direction of the other of the two axes with respect to the housing is. The second sliding member is traceable by a return force of at least one return spring in a neutral position. The first sliding part is equipped with a control knob and a movable contact part. In the operation of the operation knob, the first and second sliding parts are moved in the respective directions, the movable contact piece being brought into contact with the fixed contact piece and at least one of the additionally attached contact pieces depending on the direction in which the operation button is moved , The first slide member is brought into the neutral position with respect to the second slide member at least by the return force of at least one return spring installed on the second slide member.

Out DE 40 15 695 A1 a switch with locking mechanism for a video camera is disclosed. This mechanically operated electric on / off switch is designed such that it can be operated with one finger. He also has a locking mechanism which is equipped such that it is effected by an operation of the slide switch transverse to the spring force of the engaging button.

Out US 5,365,028 A a sliding switch with an insulating housing is disclosed. The slide switch has a cavity in which a slider is slidably disposed. The slider has a knob which engages an aperture in the top wall of the support housing to permit movement of the slider between a first and second positions.

Out DE 102 24 773 B4 is another slide switch known. This slide switch comprises a base part, wherein two guide grooves of predetermined length are arranged parallel to each other on a surface. The slider is on the Base member mounted, wherein the slider comprises a sliding body on which two guide grooves of a predetermined length are formed parallel to each other in the lower surface, so that they lie symmetrically to the center on the lower surface.

Further, there is a slide bridge formed of two lower and two upper bridge parts, the two lower bridge parts being slidably fitted along the two parallel guide grooves in the base part, and the two upper bridges slidably fitted along the two parallel guide grooves in the slide switch are.

On the base part a plurality of contact blades of any shape is formed, in each of which a group of stationary contacts on an imaginary circular path with predetermined radii with a center on the surface of the base part is formed and a contact spring on the side of the slide switch, the Base is facing, is mounted. The contact spring has contact spring parts, which constitute movable contacts and are arranged radially at the same or unequal angle to a spring plate of the contact spring. The stationary and the movable contacts are arranged in the starting position so that they face each other.

A disadvantage of all these sliding switches is that they have a predetermined by the design locking behavior and a given operating hardness. A user is not able to adjust the latching behavior of the slide switch to his needs. The hardness or the force which is used to move the slide switch from one detent point to the other, is not changeable. In addition, the operation of the known slide switch by design, a non-uniform force required, which often leads to tilting and felt jerky operation.

Object of the present invention is to show a slide switch whose locking behavior and its operating hardness of a user are flexibly adjustable.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the further description, the dependent claims and the figures and the associated description of the figures.

The slide switch according to the invention according to the independent claim 1 consists of a displaceable element and a fixed element. Between the displaceable element and the fixed element, a third element is arranged. Furthermore, a fourth element is present, which acts on the third element, so that the force required for actuating the slide switch via the fourth element is adjustable from the outside.

The fourth element is a force action element. As a result, the operating properties of the slide switch can be influenced. In addition, the force acting element is adjustable. This allows a user to adjust the operating characteristics of the slide switch to his wishes. If the force acting element designed as a screw, this allows a simple structural design of the invention.

Advantageously according to the embodiment of claim 3 is that the fixedly arranged element includes a detent gate or that the displaceable element includes a detent gate and / or that the detent gate has at least one excavation. As a result, the detent gate is connected to the fixed element or the detent gate is connected to the displaceable element. It can be generated by the wells a defined locking as a switching point.

It is advantageous according to the embodiment according to claim 4, that the third element can be arranged by connection with a further component stationary relative to the displaceable element. In this way, a separate element can be saved, since the further component and the third element can be carried out together. In addition, the third element can be arranged with the fixed Element form a unity. This allows a high mechanical stability and at the same time a simple configuration, since the third element and the fixedly arranged element can be configured as a component. This allows a simplified embodiment and provides a cost-effective production.

Advantageous according to the embodiment of claim 5 is that the third element is fixedly connected to the displaceable element. This also saves a separate element, since the third element can be designed together with the displaceable element. In addition, it is preferred that the third element and the displaceable element form a unit. Furthermore, it is preferred that the third element and the fixed element form a unit.

According to the embodiment of claim 6 is preferred that the further component is a component of a device in which the slide switch is installed.

According to the embodiment according to claim 7, it is preferred that the third element is a spring and / or that the spring is a contact spring.

According to the embodiment of claim 8 is preferred that the bias of the third element is variable and adjustable by the fourth element.

According to the embodiment of claim 9, it is preferred that the device is a voice recorder or a mobile phone or a consumer electronics device or a device of the communication electronics.

According to the embodiment according to claim 10 it is preferred that the displaceable element is designed as a sliding part and has at least one contact point which closes contact with contact points in the recesses of the detent gate contact.

According to the embodiment according to claim 11 it is preferred that the displaceable element is designed as a sliding part and a contact point is present in each of the depressions of the detent gate, which is connected to at least one mating contact point, which is formed by the third element, a contact closes when touched.

According to the embodiment according to claim 12, it is preferred that the slide switch has a touch surface which rises above the housing of the device and / or that the slide switch has at least two switching points and / or that the slide switch for controlling selection bars in a menu, the on a display of the device is shown, is used.

The design of a slide switch, which can be moved at least two-dimensionally or in a horizontal plane in up to four directions, which each extend perpendicular to each other, has a predetermined operating hardness. The part which exerts pressure on the slide switch and which determines the operating hardness is specified by design.

According to the invention now the part of the construction of the slide switch, which is crucial for the operating hardness, designed such that it is adjustable by a user, d. H. in its capacity becomes changeable.

The slide switch according to the invention consists of a fixed, d. H. fixed element and a displaceable element arranged to this element. Furthermore, the slide switch on a detent gate. The detent gate is advantageously connected to the fixed element or is a part of it. For Rastkulisse a sliding element is arranged. This displaceable element slides at least partially over the fixed element and thus can also be referred to as a sliding part. Between the displaceably arranged element and the detent gate a third element is arranged. This element is at least partially compressible in an advantageous embodiment.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the slide switch in turn consists of a detent gate, but this with the displaceable element connected is. Between the detent gate and the fixed element again the third element is arranged.

There is also a fourth element, a so-called force action element, which acts on the compressible element. The force acting element is adjustable or adjustable or changeable. By means of the fourth element, the force acting element, the operating properties of the slide switch can be influenced. It can be influenced by an adjustment of the force acting element, the operating characteristics of the Scheibeschalters. A user can adjust the operating characteristic of the slide switch to his wishes by changing the force of the fourth element on the third element. The detent gate and the third element are at least part of each other. If the slide switch is not moved, there is a static friction between the third element and the locking slide, which must be overcome when the slide switch is actuated. In addition, there is a frictional force between the detent gate and the third member which a user must overcome to operate the slide switch. The frictional force and frictional grip force existing between the detent gate and the third member can influence a user via the fourth member by being able to vary, via the fourth member, the force existing between the detent gate and the third member. He can increase this force, which then causes the slide switch z. B. makes it difficult to move, or he can reduce this, which then the operating force for the user is reduced.

It is advantageous that the fourth element is designed as a screw.

The third element is at least partially compressible or braced or rotatable or bendable. Thus, this can be influenced by the force acting element, the fourth element.

The detent gate can either be arranged on the fixed element or on the displaceable element or be part of the same.

Also, the third element can be arranged fixed by a connection with another component relative to the displaceable element, but it can also be configured as a sub-element of the displaceable element or the fixed element. This makes it possible that the third element with the fixed element or the displaceable element forms a unit.

The third element is designed as a spring, in particular as a contact spring or leaf spring.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the detent gate is a component of the displaceable element.

In the further following description, further features and details of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings will be explained in more detail by means of exemplary embodiments. In this case, features and relationships described in individual variants can in principle be applied to all exemplary embodiments. There is no limitation of the invention to one of the following specific embodiments or the following embodiment. The same reference numerals are used in the figures description for the same elements in all figures. This is to better understand the description.

Fig. 1

ein Ausführungsbeispiel eines Diktiergerätes in einer Draufsicht mit einem Schiebeschalter,

Fig. 2a - 2d

das Ausführungsbeispiel gemäß Fig. 1 in einer Seitenansicht mit verschiedenen Schiebeschaltervarianten und

Fig. 3

ein konkretes Ausführungsbeispiel eines erfindungsgemäßen Schiebeschalters.

In the drawings show:

Fig. 1

an embodiment of a dictation machine in a plan view with a slide switch,

Fig. 2a - 2d

the embodiment according to Fig. 1 in a side view with different sliding switch variants and

Fig. 3

a concrete embodiment of a slide switch according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a slide switch according to the invention integrated in a dictation machine in a plan view. The dictation machine 1 has a housing G, an acoustic input and output unit I / O and a visual display unit, such as a display D on. Furthermore, the dictation machine has the menu control buttons MT and a sliding switch S arranged laterally on the dictating machine and a button T.

Fig. 2 shows the embodiment according to Fig. 1 in a side view. Fig. 2a shows the slide switch S in one embodiment as a slide switch Sa with two switching points and an additional laterally arranged button. The slide switch Sa is used to select functions of the dictation machine 1. In a particular embodiment variant of the dictation machine, the slide switch Sa serves to control selection bars in a menu which is shown on the display D. The T key is used to confirm the selected via the slide switch Sa menu items. Fig. 2b shows the slide switch S in one embodiment as a slide switch Sb with four switching points. Since the slide switch Sb serves both to select the menu items and to confirm, no additional key is required here. Fig. 2c shows the slide switch S in one embodiment as rocker switch Sc with additional button T and Fig. 2d as rocker switch Sd with four switching points.

Fig. 3 shows a section of the housing of the voice recorder 31 in the region of the slide switch S. The in Fig. 3 schematically illustrated slide switch S has a touch surface 33. This rises above the housing of the dictation machine 31 in order to be easy to operate for a user. The sliding switch S consists of a sliding part 34 and a detent gate 35. The sliding part 34 is provided with a spring 36, in particular a contact spring, which inserts into recesses 37 of the detent gate 35 and in the inserted state, a contact, in particular an electrical contact closes , The spring 36 is fixedly connected to the sliding part 34, so that when moving the sliding part 34 via the detent gate 35, the spring 36 is moved.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the spring 36 is fixedly connected to the housing of the dictation machine 31. In this case, the sliding part 34 has a contact point which is fixedly connected to this and which closes a contact with the mating contact points in the recesses 37 of the latching gate 35 when these contact points touch.

At the same time, the spring 36 causes a force which a user has to spend in order to move the sliding part 34 via the detent gate 35. Each time the sliding member 34 is displaced from a recess 37 of the latching gate 35 in another recess 37 of the latching gate 35, the spring 36 must be pressed so that the sliding part 34 can move over the latching gate 35. The spring 36 has a predetermined hardness. Now, if the slide switch S is moved, d. H. the sliding part 34 moves over the latching gate 35, so the spring 36 exerts a predefined force on the slide switch S, just a force between the sliding part 34 and the latching gate 35.

If the sliding part 34 overcomes a recess 37 of the latching gate 35, the pressure force between the sliding part 34 and the latching gate 35 increases since the spring 36 compresses. If the sliding part 34 then dips into the next recess 37 of the locking gate 35, the force of the spring 36 decreases again. Thus, a user must always spend a predefined force to move the sliding part 34 of a recess 37 of the locking gate 35 in another recess 37 of the detent gate 35.

There is now a force acting unit 38 is provided, which acts on the spring 36 from the outside. This force acting unit 38 is in an advantageous embodiment a screw or an adjustable element. By changing the setting of this force acting unit 38, the bias of the spring 36 is changed. As a result, a user can change the biasing force of the spring 36 from outside. In this way, he is able to influence the switching and latching behavior of the slide switch S. If he wants to increase the force required to move the slide switch from one position to the other position, he will change the force acting unit 38 such that the bias the spring 6 between the detent gate 35 and the sliding part 34 of the slide switch S is increased; the pressure and thus the force required to move the slide switch S is thus increased. If it reduces the action force, the slide switch S is easier to move, ie a user must spend less force to move the slide switch S.

Claims (12)

1. Slide switch (S) consisting of a displaceable element (34) and a fixedly arranged element (32), wherein a third element (36) is arranged between the displaceable element (34) and the fixedly arranged element (32), characterised in that in addition a fourth element (38) which acts on the third element (36) is present and the necessary force for actuation of the slide switch (S) is settable from outside by way of the fourth element (38), which is a settable force-applying element or a screw.
2. Slide switch (S) according to claim 1, characterised in that the third element (36) is at least partly compressible or the third element (36) is tightenable or twistable or bendable.
3. Slide switch (S) according to claim 1, characterised in that the fixedly arranged element includes a detent guide (35) or the displaceable element includes a detent guide (35) and/or the detent guide (35) has at least one depression (37).
4. Slide switch (S) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the third element (36) can be arranged, by connection with a further component, to be stationary relative to the displaceable element, and/or the third element (36) and the fixedly arranged element form a unit.
5. Slide switch (S) according to claim 1 to 4, characterised in that the third element (36) is fixedly connected with the displaceable element (34), and/or the third element (36) and the displaceable element (34) form a unit.
6. Slide switch (S) according to claim 5, characterised in that the further component is a component of apparatus (1) in which the slide switch (S) in incorporated.
7. Slide switch (S) according to claim 1, characterised in that the third element (36) is a spring and/or the spring is a contact spring.
8. Slide switch (S) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the biasing of the third element (36) is variable and settable by the fourth element (38).
9. Slide switch (S) according to claim 6, characterised in that the apparatus (31) is a dictation apparatus or a mobile telephone or electronic entertainment apparatus or electronic communications apparatus.
10. Slide switch (S) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the displaceable element (34) is constructed as a slide part and has at least one contact location which together with counter-contact locations in the depressions (37) of the detent guide (35) closes a contact when contacting takes place.
11. Slide switch (S) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the displaceable element (34) is constructed as a slide part and a contact location is present in each of the depressions (37) of the detent guide (35), which contact location together with at least one counter-contact location formed by the third element (36) closes a contact when contacting takes place.
12. Slide switch (S) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the slide switch (S) has a touch surface (33) which is elevated above the housing (G) of the apparatus (31) and/or the slide switch (S) has at least two switching points and/or the slide switch (S) serves for controlling selection bars in a menu illustrated on a display (D) of the apparatus (31).

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