JPS5917489B2 - spring button - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a spring-loaded push button used in electronic devices such as electronic desktop calculators.

In general, pushbutton devices used in electronic devices such as electronic desk calculators include a plurality of pushbuttons molded from synthetic resin, etc., which respond to and transmit the pushing force from the operator, and pushbuttons such as C-shaped pushbuttons. A so-called push button return spring that biases the button upward is provided separately in correspondence with the push button.

Such a push button return spring may be a plate spring made by cutting and raising a portion of a single steel plate corresponding to the push button and integrally molding a plurality of push button return springs, or a plate spring made by integrally molding a plurality of push button return springs, or a plate spring made by individually molding a plurality of push button return springs. Typically, a coiled spring was used.

However, a leaf spring in which a plurality of push button return springs are integrally molded has a cut-and-raised portion that must be changed for each of the push buttons arranged at different spacings, and thus lacks versatility. , when assembling it,
At least a plurality of push buttons and leaf spring assembly steps were required.

Additionally, although coiled springs are versatile for pushbuttons with different spacings, when assembling them, at least multiple pushbuttons and multiple pushbutton return springs must be assembled individually. Not only that, but the number of steps involved increases considerably.

Furthermore, providing the push button and the spring for returning the push button separately increases the number of steps and manufacturing equipment when manufacturing individual parts, which not only makes the push button device more expensive, but also increases the number of assembly steps as described above. As a result, the assembling efficiency of the push button device decreases, resulting in various drawbacks such as an increase in the price of electronic devices such as electronic desktop calculators incorporating the push button device.

The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a spring-equipped push button in which the number of parts and assembly steps are reduced by integrally molding the push button and the spring for returning the push button from synthetic resin or the like. shall be.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 indicates a spring-loaded push button made of synthetic resin. A disk-shaped flange 3 with a larger diameter, and a pair of spring parts 4, 4' that are point symmetrical with respect to the center of the flange 3 and integrally provided on the flange 3.
It is composed of.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the spring portions 4, 4' form an approximately semicircular downward spiral shape downward from the collar portion 3, and the tips of the spring portions 4, 4' include: In order to reduce the frictional resistance between the spring parts 4, 4' and the sliding surface 6, sliding protrusions 5, 5' having a substantially semicircular shape on the sliding surface 6 side are integrally provided.

Next, the operation of the spring-loaded push button having the above structure will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 4 shows a so-called normal state in which no pressing force is applied to the lead part 2, and the collar part 3 of the spring-loaded push button 1, which is urged upward by the elastic force of the spring parts 4 and 4', is in the push button storage position. Step part 8 of section T
The lead portion 2 is exposed to the outside of the push button storage portion 7 through the exposure hole 9.

When a pressing force is applied to the lead part 2, the spring part 4°4' bends against its own elastic force as shown in FIG. Press the side wall 10 of the button storage section 7
The spring-loaded push button 1 entirely enters the push button housing 7.

After that, when the pressing force applied to the lead part 2 is released, the spring parts 4, 4' operate to release the deflection due to their own elastic force, and the sliding protrusions 5, 5' that do not follow this action The spring-loaded push button 1 slides on the sliding surface 6 in the direction away from the side wall 10.
push upward.

When the collar portion 3 comes into contact with the stepped portion 8 and the lead portion 2 is exposed to the outside of the push button storage portion 7 through the exposure hole 9, resulting in the normal state shown in FIG. 4, the spring-loaded push button 1 is restored. The operation ends.

In addition, in this embodiment, a spring part 4.4' is provided on the side of the collar part 3.
However, the present invention is not limited to this,
Spring parts 4, 4' may be formed on the sides of the lead part 2, and the outwardly protruding parts may have the same function as the collar part 3.

Further, the spring parts 4, 4' may be formed on the bottom surface of the collar part 3.

The point is that the lead portion 2 and the spring portion 4° 4' may be integrally molded, and the shape may be a spiral.

Next, an example of use in which the spring-loaded push button 1 of the above embodiment is incorporated into a push button device of an electronic desktop calculator, for example, will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

In this usage example, a pressing protrusion 11 is provided at the lower part of the flange 3, and the sliding surface 6 of the above embodiment is replaced with an elastic conductive sheet 13 having a movable contact 12 corresponding to the portion of the pressing protrusion 11. A substrate 1 arranged to be spaced apart and facing the movable contact 12
A fixed contact 15 is provided at a position corresponding to the movable contact 12 in No. 4, and the pressing protrusion 11 presses down the movable contact 12 by the same suppressing operation as in the above embodiment, and comes into electrical contact with the fixed contact 15. It is.

When the pressing force on the lead part 2 is released, the lead part 2 is urged upward by the spring parts 4 and 4', and the movable contact 12 also returns to its original position by the elastic force of the elastic conductive sheet 13. , the electrical contact is to be broken.

In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the spring parts 4, 4 having spring properties
′ has been described as a pair (two), but the present invention is not limited to this, and any number of springs may be used as the spring portion, and in particular, springs may be provided point-symmetrically with respect to the center of the flange portion 3. There is no need to provide one.

In short, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be modified and applied in various ways without departing from the gist of the present invention.

As detailed above, the spring-loaded push button according to the present invention has a lead part and a plurality of spiral spring parts integrally molded from synthetic resin, and each tip of the spring part slides as the lead part is pressed. This eliminates the need for the process and manufacturing equipment used to separately mold the push button return spring, and also eliminates the need to recreate the push buttons each time for models with different push button arrangement spacing, making it extremely versatile. It is rich in sexuality.

Furthermore, the number of parts is reduced, and the spring part is also attached at the same time when only the lead part is assembled, reducing the number of assembly steps.
Assembling work efficiency can be improved, and as a result, the overall price of various electronic devices incorporating the spring-loaded push button of the present invention can be reduced.

In particular, the spring-loaded push button of the present invention has a plurality of spring parts each formed in a spiral shape, and each tip of the spring part slides as the lead part is pressed. It has the excellent advantage of being smooth to operate and allowing extremely good button operation.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the same as seen from the bottom side, FIGS.
The figure is a partially longitudinal front view for explaining the operating state, and FIG. 6 is a partially longitudinal front view showing the same state of use. 1...Push button, 2...Lead part, 4,4'.
...Spring part.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A single lead part that is pressed, a flange that protrudes to the side of the single lead part, and a flange that extends from the flange to the side of the lead part and stores elastic force when the pressing operation is performed. A plurality of spring parts at the bottom are integrally formed of synthetic resin, and as the pressing operation is performed, each tip of the spring part expands and the spring part is compressed, and the elastic force of the spring part itself is compressed. A spring-loaded push button configured to return to its original state.