JP4087991B2 - Lever-type swing switch device operability adjustment method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a lever-type swing switch, and more particularly to a technique for improving switch operability by appropriately adjusting an operation load and an operation stroke.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The lever-type swing switch is a switch that uses the principle of lever. A seesaw type switch is known as a typical example of a swing switch, and is often used as an open / close switch for a wind glass. 1A and 1B are configuration examples of a seesaw type switch, FIG. 1A is an exploded perspective view, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. It is a figure (set state).
[0003]
In FIG. 1, the knob 1 is supported by a design panel (not shown) at a fulcrum 3 so as to be swingable. The push switch 5 is mounted on the substrate 7. Two switches 5 for opening the window and closing the window are arranged on both sides of the fulcrum 3. When the operator presses the knob 1, the knob 1 swings and the push arm 9, which is a wall protruding from the bottom of the knob 1, presses the push switch 5.
[0004]
As the push switch 5, a general <general-purpose product> is used. An “operation load F” necessary for swinging the knob 1 against the reaction force of the push switch 5 is applied by the operator, and the knob 1 is moved by “operation stroke S”, specifically, the push switch. Moved until 5 contacts are closed.
[0005]
From the viewpoint of the operability of the switch (ease of operation, operation feeling, etc.), it is important to make the operation load F and the operation stroke S appropriate. In the conventional switch device, the operation load F and the operation stroke S are obtained as follows.
[0006]
Referring to FIG. 2, the switch distance a is the distance between the fulcrum 3 and the push switch 5. The operation distance d is a distance from a standard position where the operator's finger hits the knob 1 to the fulcrum. The reaction force generated by the push switch 5 is R, and the opening / closing stroke (length of the elastic movement range) of the push switch 5 is e. At this time, the operation load F and the operation stroke S are expressed by the following equations.
[0007]
[Expression 1]
F = R × (a / d) = (R / d) × a (1)
[Expression 2]
S = e × (d / a) = (e × d) / a (2)
Here, the operation distance d, the switch reaction force R, and the switch opening / closing stroke s are constant. Therefore, the operation load F and the operation stroke S are determined depending on the switch distance a.
[0008]
Further, when the operation distance d and the switch distance a are deleted from the expressions (1) and (2), the following expression (3) is obtained. As can be seen from this equation, the operation load F and the operation stroke S are inversely proportional.
[0009]
[Equation 3]
F = (R · e) / S (3)
FIG. 3 shows the relationship among the operation load F, the operation stroke S, and the switch distance a based on the equations (1) to (3). As indicated by the characteristic line L, it is shown here that the operation load F and the operation stroke S are determined depending on the switch distance a. When the switch distance a is set large, the operation load F is large and the operation stroke S is small. Conversely, when the switch distance a is set small, the operation load F is small and the operation stroke S is large.
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, in the prior art, when the switch distance a is determined, the operation load F and the operation stroke S are simultaneously determined. Therefore, the operation load F and the operation stroke S cannot be arbitrarily set independently. For this reason, even if appropriate targets for the operation load F and the operation stroke S are set, the targets are often not satisfied at the same time.
[0011]
For example, it is assumed that the targets for the load F and the stroke S are set as shown in FIG. However, the combination of the actual load F and stroke S can be set only on the characteristic line L. Therefore, only the load F and stroke S which are greatly different from the target can be set within the range indicated by the dotted line m in FIG. As a result, one or both of load F and stroke S had to be compromised.
[0012]
Of course, the desired load F and stroke S can be achieved by using the <dedicated> push switch instead of using the <general purpose> push switch as in the conventional apparatus of FIG. However, the use of dedicated parts is not preferable because it increases costs.
[0013]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a switch device that can reduce the operation load and operation stroke to any appropriate size at a low cost, thereby improving operability. It is in.
[0014]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a knob lever supported by a fulcrum and a push switch disposed at a switch distance away from the fulcrum, and the knob lever swings around a fulcrum to push the push This is a method to adjust the operability of the lever-type swing switch device that pushes the switch. The switch distance of multiple push switches of the same specification is set to a common value for each switch, and the switch operation stroke and switch operation according to the switch distance. The switch operability is adjusted by selecting the switch distance based on the change of the load and selecting the number of switches based on the change of the switch operation load according to the number of push switches .
[0021]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0022]
FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B show the lever-type swing switch device of the present embodiment. Here, the present invention is applied to a seesaw type switch as one form of the swing switch. This seesaw type switch is used for opening and closing a window of a vehicle as in FIG. FIG. 5A is an exploded perspective view. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view seen from the side, and corresponds to FIG.
[0023]
As shown in FIG. 5, the knob 1 is inserted into the opening 13 of the design panel 11. A fulcrum receiving hole 17 is provided in a support wall 15 erected on the design panel 11. The fulcrum shaft 3 of the knob 1 is inserted into the fulcrum receiving hole 17 so that the knob 1 is swingably supported. The fulcrum shaft 3 and the fulcrum receiving hole 15 are provided on both sides of the switch device.
[0024]
The wiring board 7 is fixed to the design panel 11 with screws or the like (not shown). The board 7 is equipped with an electric push switch 5. Window opening and window closing switches are arranged on both sides of the fulcrum 3. When the operator presses the knob 1, the knob 1 swings and the push arm 9 (wall portion) protruding from the bottom of the knob 1 presses the push switch 5. A general general-purpose product is used as the push switch 5. The push switch 5 is a type that elastically expands and contracts, and the contact is closed when contracted.
[0025]
In the present embodiment, two push switches 5 having the same specifications are arranged side by side in a direction parallel to the fulcrum rotation axis on each of the open side and the closed side (four in total). These two push switches 5 are pressed simultaneously when the knob 1 is operated. The number of switches installed is selected based on the following principle of the present invention.
[0026]
The principle of the present invention will be described. As described above, the “operation load F” is a force required to swing the knob 1 against the reaction force of the push switch 5. The “operation stroke S” is the amount of swing (distance or angle) of the knob 1 during operation. As shown in FIG. 5B, the switch distance a is the distance between the fulcrum 3 and the push switch 5. The operation distance d is a distance from a standard position where the operator's finger hits the knob 1 to the fulcrum. Further, the reaction force generated by the push switch 5 is R, and the opening / closing stroke of the push switch 5 is e. “Furthermore, in the present invention, the number of installed switches is n and n is used as an adjustment parameter.” At this time, the operation load F and the operation stroke S are expressed by the following equations.
[0027]
[Expression 4]
F = n × R × (a / d) = (R / d) × a × n (4)
[Equation 5]
S = e × (d / a) = (e × d) / a (5)
FIG. 6 shows the relationship among the operation load F, the operation stroke S, the switch distance a, and the number of switches installed n based on the above equations (4) and (5). The characteristic lines L1, L2, L3... Indicate the magnitude of the operation load F and the operation stroke S according to the switch distance a when the number of switches n = 1, 2, 3,. . On each line, as the switch distance a increases, the operation load F increases and the operation stroke S decreases. On the contrary, when the switch distance a is decreased, the operation load F is decreased and the operation stroke S is increased. Furthermore, the characteristic line moves to the upper right as the number of switches n increases.
[0028]
As shown in equations (4), (5) and FIG. 6, the operation load F and the operation stroke S vary depending on the switch distance a and the number n of installation. That is, the operation stroke S and the operation load F change according to the switch distance a, and the operation load F changes according to the number n of switches installed even if the switch distance a is the same.
[0029]
In the present invention, utilizing such characteristics, push switches of the number n of installations selected according to the desired operation load F are installed at the switch distance a selected according to the desired operation stroke S.
[0030]
As a specific example, assume that the target point P1 (target operation weight F1 and target operation stroke S1 in FIG. 6 is set. The characteristic line close to the target point P1 is L2. Therefore, the number of installed switches is set to two. Further, a point P1 ′ on the characteristic line L2 close to the target point P1 is set, and the switch distance is set to a1 corresponding to this point P1 ′, so that the stroke and the weight are close to the target value. 5, the two switches are arranged side by side at the same distance from the fulcrum according to the above selection.
[0031]
FIG. 7 shows another specific example. This time, since the target point P2 is close to the characteristic line L3, 3 is selected as the number of switches. Then, a point P2 ′ on the line L3 close to the target point P2 is set, and the switch distance is set to a2 corresponding to the point P2 ′. FIG. 8 shows a switch device corresponding to this specific example, and three push switches are installed on the open side and the close side.
[0032]
In FIGS. 6 and 7, the points P1 ′ and P2 ′ are preferably set within the ranges of the dotted lines m1 and m2, respectively. That is, it is set between two points where the horizontal line and the vertical line passing through the target point intersect with the characteristic line L (in FIG. 6, the stroke is S1 or less and the weight is F1 or less; in FIG. 7, the stroke is S2 or more, The load is in the range of F2 or less).
[0033]
Where to select within the range of the dotted lines m1 and m2 may be determined depending on which of the stroke and the load is important, and is a problem of fine adjustment. Also, the stroke or load may be perfectly matched with the target. Furthermore, if the target point is located on any one of the characteristic lines, a preferable result can be obtained in which the stroke and the load completely coincide with the target value.
[0034]
In the principle of the present invention described above, it is not always necessary to set a target value in advance. An appropriate operation stroke and operation load as shown in FIG. 6 or 7 may be obtained by appropriately adjusting the number of switches and the switch distance.
[0035]
By the way, as shown in, for example, JP-A-8-31270, there is a configuration example in which a plurality of switches are arranged on both sides of a fulcrum, which is similar to the switch configuration of the present invention at first glance. However, the purpose of installing a plurality of conventional switches is not to improve operability such as stroke and load. Rather, from the viewpoint of operability, the number of switches is set according to circumstances, and it is not considered whether the operation stroke and the operation load are appropriate. On the other hand, the present invention pays attention to the fact that the number of switches affects the operability as well as the switch distance, and by appropriately setting these parameters, an appropriate operation stroke and an operation load are realized and the operability is improved. is doing.
[0036]
Next, still another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the above embodiment, only one type of push switch is used and only the number is changed. However, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of types of push switches having different operation reaction forces are prepared. A combination and number of push switches selected so as to obtain a desired operation stroke and a desired operation weight are provided from these push switches.
[0037]
In the example of FIG. 9, three types of push switches 5A, 5B, and 5C (operation reaction forces RA, RB, and RC) are prepared. Assume that RA: RB: RC = 1: 2: 5. Furthermore, the operation weight when only the switch 5A is provided is 1 (reference). In this case, by changing the number and combination of switches, operation weights in many stages (specifically, 13 stages) can be set with 3 or less switches (FIG. 9B), and the operability characteristic line is also set. It becomes a large number (FIG. 9A).
[0038]
Suppose that the operation characteristic target point P3 (operation load F3 and operation stroke S3) is on the CCB line. CCB indicates a combination of two switches 5C and one switch 5B. This combination is adopted, and the switch distance a3 corresponding to the point P3 is further obtained. Three selected push switches are arranged at a position away from the fulcrum by this distance. FIG. 10 shows an example of the arrangement of such push switches. Of course, the push arm on the operation knob side is also provided at the same position.
[0039]
In this manner, according to the embodiment according to FIG. 9, an operation weight and an operation stroke closer to the target value can be obtained by using a plurality of types of push switches. Note that the plurality of types of push switches used here are preferably general-purpose switches. For example, when the present invention is applied to a vehicle window switch as in the present embodiment, the combination and number of switches are determined in accordance with the weight and stroke target values determined according to the vehicle type. As a result, the cost can be kept low.
[0040]
Other modifications will be described. On both sides of the fulcrum of the seesaw type switch, the number of push switches and the switch distance may be different. In the example of FIG. 5 or FIG. 8, the operability required for the opening side and the closing side may be different. In that case, the number of switches and the switch distance may be set individually according to the required operability for the open side and the close side.
[0041]
Further, the same applies when a plurality of types of switches are used as shown in FIG. Depending on the required operability, the combination and number of switches and the switch distance may be set differently on both sides of the fulcrum.
[0042]
Further, it is preferable that all of the four push switches 5 in FIG. 5 are connected to the wiring on the substrate 7, so that the switch function is maintained even if some switches are disconnected. However, a configuration in which only one switch is connected to the substrate wiring on both sides of the fulcrum is also included in the scope of the present invention. The same applies to the six push switches in FIG. 8 or FIG. 10, and all or a part of the push switches may be connected to the wiring.
[0043]
In FIG. 5, the present invention is applied to a seesaw type switch. However, the present invention may be applied to any other swing type switch. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the present invention may be applied to a hinge type switch. The hinge type switch has a configuration of only one half of the fulcrum of the seesaw type switch.
[0044]
In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to the window switch as described above, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention is preferably applied to a switch for any application. For example, the present invention can be applied to an audio volume switch.
[0045]
As described above, Roh Bureba in addition to the fulcrum and switches the distance is the distance of the push switch, by appropriately setting the number of push switches, oscillating switch the desired proper switch operation weights and switch operation stroke The apparatus can be put on the apparatus, which can improve operability.
[0046]
Also, by the operation reaction force to select a different type of combination from the push switch and the switch number, it is possible to appropriately set the more finely operation and weighting operation stroke.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional lever-type swing switch.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the switch of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a relationship among an operation load, an operation stroke, and a switch distance of the switch of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram similar to FIG. 3, showing the relationship between the target values of the operation load and operation stroke and the realizable values.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a switch device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a diagram showing the principle of the present invention for determining the specifications of the operation switch of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 and showing another specific example of switch specification setting.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a device having three push switches on one side according to the setting of FIG.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a method of selecting an appropriate switch from a plurality of types of push switches according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a switch device in which a plurality of types of push switches are provided in combination according to FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a hinge switch as an example of another switch to which the present invention can be applied.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 knob, 3 fulcrum, 3a fulcrum shaft, 5 push switch, 7 substrate, 9 push arm, 11 design panel.

Claims (1)

Operation of a lever-type oscillating switch device including a knob lever supported by a fulcrum and a push switch arranged at a switch distance from the fulcrum, and the knob lever swings around the fulcrum and pushes the push switch A method of adjusting sex,
Switches distance of a plurality of push switches of the same specification as the switches common value, further select switch distance based on the change switch operation stroke and the switch operating load in response to switch the distance, the number of push switches together A method for adjusting the operability of the lever-type swing switch device, wherein the switch operability is adjusted by selecting the number of switches based on the change in the switch operation load accordingly .

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