JP2003234047A - Multi-direction operation switch - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multi-direction operation switch used in various electrical equipment which can be down sized in a simple constitution. <P>SOLUTION: In a case 1 planted with a plurality of fixed contacts 2 on an inner bottom surface, an operating body 3 mounted with a moving contact 4 brought into contact with and separated from the fixed contact 2 is stored. A winding part 5A of a torsion spring 5 is held in the middle of the case 1, and a pair of two arms 5B extended from both ends of the winding part 5A is elastically installed to a side of the case 1. By constituting the multi-direction operation switch by elastically installing a press part 3C on both bottom edges of the operating body 3 in the middle of the arm part 5B, an operation of rotating and pressing can be carried out with one switch and down sizing can be carried out in a simple constitution. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multidirectional operation switch used in various electronic devices such as mobile phones and video cameras.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, as various electronic devices such as mobile phones and video cameras have been highly functionalized, these operation switches are also combined with various switches having different operation types such as rotating operation and pressing operation. There is an increasing number of devices that operate multiple devices with a single operation knob.

For example, in a mobile phone or the like, a rotary operation switch and a push operation switch are arranged close to each other in the device, and the rotary operation switch is operated by rotating the operation knob to select a telephone number, and then the same operation is performed. There is one in which the knob is pressed in a direction different from the rotating operation, and thereby the pressing switch is operated to call the selected telephone number.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional operation system, since a plurality of switches having different operation types such as rotation operation and pressing operation are combined and these are operated by one operation knob, each of them is operated. The arrangement and configuration of parts are limited, and the overall space increases,
There is a problem that it is difficult to reduce the size.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is intended to solve such a conventional problem, and an object thereof is to provide a multi-directional operation switch which has a simple structure and can be downsized.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following constitution.

The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention enables rotation and movement of an operating body in which a movable contact which comes in contact with and separates from a fixed contact is mounted in a case in which a plurality of fixed contacts are planted on the inner bottom surface. The torsion coil spring is stored in the middle of the case and the pair of arms extending from both ends of the winding part are elastically mounted on the sides of the case. A multi-directional operation switch is constructed by elastically attaching both ends of the operating body to one side, and rotation and pressing operation can be performed with one switch, and the middle of both arms of the torsion coil spring is elastically attached to both ends of the operating body. By providing the switch, it is possible to obtain a multi-directional operation switch which can be downsized with a simple structure and can be easily assembled.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the first aspect of the invention, the upper surface of the case is covered with a cover, and a concavo-convex portion for fitting with the cover and the operating body is provided. The uneven portion between the bodies has the effect of providing a feeling of moderation in operation.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a multidirectional operation switch according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the same. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a top opening made of an insulating resin. In the case, a plurality of fixed contacts 2 made of copper alloy or the like plated with a noble metal are implanted on the inner bottom surface of the case 1, and a protruding columnar shaft portion 1A is formed in the lower middle. There is.

Reference numeral 3 is also an operating body made of an insulating resin. The operating portion 3A projects from the upper side of the case 1, and an elongated hole 3B is provided in the middle of the lower side.
A is inserted and the operating body 3 is housed in the case 1 so as to be rotatable in the left-right direction and movable in the up-down direction.

Further, 4 is a movable contact made of an elastic thin plate metal such as a copper alloy plated with a noble metal, and 5 is a torsion coil spring such as a steel wire. The movable contact 4 is mounted on the back surface of the operating body 3 and is slightly bent. While being elastically contacted with the fixed contact 2 in this state, the winding portion 5A at the center of the torsion coil spring 5 is held on the outer periphery of the shaft portion 1A in the middle of the case 1.

Further, a pair of arm portions 5B extending leftward and rightward from both ends of the winding portion 5A of the torsion coil spring 5 have their tips elastically attached to the step portions 1B of the side walls on the left and right sides of the case 1 in a state of being slightly bent downward. At the same time, the pressing portions 3C at both lower ends of the operating body 3 are elastically provided in the middle of the arm portion 5B, whereby the operating body 3 is urged upward, and the lower part of the long hole 3B is elastically installed below the outer periphery of the shaft portion 1A. is doing.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a cover made of stainless steel or the like. The cover 6 covers the upper surface of the case 1, and the lower surface of the cover 6 is provided with a convex portion 6A which fits into a concave portion 3D on the upper surface of the operating body 3, thereby providing a multi-direction cover. The operation switch is configured.

In the above structure, when the operating portion 3A of the operating body 3 is rotated leftward from the neutral position shown in FIG.
As shown in the sectional view of FIG. 3, while the pressing portion 3C at the lower left end presses and bends the left arm portion 5B of the torsion coil spring 5, the operating body 3 rotates about the shaft portion 1A as a fulcrum, The mounted movable contact 4 slides slidably on the fixed contact 2 planted on the inner bottom surface of the case 1, and electrically contacts with a combination of two of the plurality of fixed contacts 2 via the movable contact 4. Separation takes place.

When the operating force applied to the operating portion 3A is released, the left arm portion 5B of the flexed torsion coil spring 5 pushes the pressing portion 3C at the lower left end, so that the operating body 3 is neutralized in FIG. Return to position.

When the operating portion 3A is rotated rightward, the operating portion 3 rotates while the pressing portion 3C at the lower right end presses the right arm portion 5B of the torsion coil spring 5, and a plurality of operating members 3 rotate. Contact and separate with the other two combinations of fixed contacts 2 of
For example, when using this switch for a mobile phone,
A telephone number is selected by these rotating operations.

Further, when the operation portion 3A is pressed downward, as shown in the sectional view of FIG. 4, the pressing portions 3C at the lower left and right ends press and bend the left and right arm portions 5B of the torsion coil spring 5. The operating body 3 in which the long hole 3B is inserted into the shaft portion 1A of the case 1 moves downward, and the movable contact 4 mounted on the back surface of the movable contact 4 slides on the fixed contact 2 to make a plurality of fixed contacts. Contact 2
Two more of them are contacted and separated, and, for example, a call to the telephone number selected by the above-mentioned rotation operation is performed.

When the operating force applied to the operating portion 3A is released, the left and right lower end pressing portions 3C are pressed against the left and right arm portions 5B of the bent torsion coil spring 5, and the operating body 3 of FIG. Return to neutral position.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, on the lower surface of the cover 6, the convex portion 6 fitted into the concave portion 3D on the upper surface of the operation body 3 is provided.
Since A is provided, when the operation portion 3A is pressed downward from the neutral position, a difference in operation force between the neutral position and the pressing operation occurs, and a feeling of moderation is obtained.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the winding portion 5A of the torsion coil spring 5 is held in the middle of the case 1, and the pair of both arm portions 5B extending from both ends of the winding portion 5A are formed into the case. One side is elastically mounted, and the pressing portions 3C at both lower ends of the operating body 3 are elastically mounted in the middle of both arms 5B to form a multidirectional operation switch, so that rotation and pressing operation can be performed with one switch. In addition, it is possible to obtain a multi-directional operation switch which can be downsized with a simple structure.

By constructing the multi-directional operation switch as described above, the operation body 3 having the movable contact 4 mounted on the back side is housed in the case 1 having the plurality of fixed contacts 2 planted on the inner bottom surface. Since the torsion coil spring 5 is slightly bent and assembled on top of this, and the cover 6 covers them, so-called stacking type assembly can be performed, so that the assembly is easy and the assembly can be automated easily.

Further, by providing the convex portion 6A and the concave portion 3D, which are fitted to each other, on the lower surface of the cover 6 and the upper surface of the operating body 3, it is possible to obtain a feeling of moderation when pressing.

In the above description, the detent feeling is generated only when the operating body 3 is pressed, but the concave portion 3D is also recessed in the left-right direction, so that the rotating operation can be performed. Also, it is possible to obtain a feeling of moderation in operation.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, there is an advantageous effect that it is possible to obtain a multidirectional operation switch which can be downsized with a simple structure and can be easily assembled.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a multidirectional operation switch according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the same rotating operation.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the same pressing operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 case 1A shaft 1B step 2 fixed contacts 3 operation body 3A operation part 3B long hole 3C pressing part 3D recess 4 movable contacts 5 torsion coil spring 5A winding part 5B arm 6 cover 6A convex part

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Takahiko             1006 Kadoma, Kadoma-shi, Osaka Matsushita Electric             Sangyo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yoshiharu Abe             1006 Kadoma, Kadoma-shi, Osaka Matsushita Electric             Sangyo Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 5G019 CY13 CY51 CZ02 CZ10 CZ14                       KK10 KK21 SK07 SY14

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A case having a plurality of fixed contacts planted on the inner bottom surface thereof, an operating body housed in the case so as to be rotatable and movable, and a movable body mounted on the operating body to contact and separate from the fixed contacts. It consists of a contact point and a torsion coil spring in which a pair of arms extends from both ends of the winding part. The winding part of the torsion coil spring is held in the middle of the case and both arms are elastically attached to the side of the case. A multidirectional operation switch in which both ends of the operating body are elastically provided in the middle of both arms of the torsion coil spring. 2. The multidirectional operation switch according to claim 1, further comprising: a cover covering an upper surface of the case, and a concavo-convex portion which is fitted to the cover and the operating body.