Switch device

Details Switch device Switch device

2003-07-25

2004-10-05

Lee, Kyung (Department: 2832)

Electricity: circuit makers and breakers

Snap

C200S00600C, C200S339000, C200S553000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06800825

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to switch devices that are operated with a tilting movement by using, for example, an operating knob. In particular, the present invention relates to a switch device that tilts a conductive plate to move into and out of contact with stationary contacts to switch between ON and OFF modes. Such switch device are used as a driving switch for an automatic window unit in a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 9
is a sectional view of a conventional switch device. As is shown in
FIG. 9
, a case
1
includes a bottom wall
1
a
on which a first stationary contact
2
a
, a second stationary contact
2
b
, and a third stationary contact
2
c
are fixed by insert molding; and three terminals
8
which extend from the stationary contacts
2
a
,
2
b
, and
2
c
and protrude downward from the case
1
. The stationary contacts
2
a
,
2
b
, and
2
c
are exposed on the bottom wall
1
a
, the stationary contact
2
a
being disposed in the center to function as a fulcrum for tilting a conductive plate
3
. The conductive plate
3
is a metal plate with an M-shape from a side view, having a depressed portion
3
a
between two elevated portions
3
b
and
3
c
. One longitudinal end of the conductive plate
3
can move into and out of contact with the stationary contact
2
b
, while the other end has the same movement with the stationary contact
2
c
. An actuating portion
4
a
of a driver
4
is disposed on the conductive plate
3
. A coil spring
5
causes the driver
4
to constantly apply force towards the bottom wall
1
a
, whereby the actuating portion
4
a
is in resilient contact with the conductive plate
3
. The driver
4
and the coil spring
5
are mounted inside a housing
6
a
of a tilt lever
6
. The tilt lever
6
is tiltably supported by a cover
7
which covers the case
1
. An operating knob, which is not shown in
FIG. 9
, is attached to the tilt lever
6
by an appropriate method. An operator of the apparatus tilts the operating knob to move the tilt lever
6
, thereby sliding the actuating portion
4
a
on the conductive plate
3
.
FIG. 9
shows a neutral state (stand-by mode) where the tilt lever
6
is not being moved. In
FIG. 9
, the stationary contacts
2
a
and
2
c
are connected via the conductive plate
3
, and the stationary contacts
2
a
and
2
b
are kept in an OFF mode. When the operating knob is pressed to tilt the lever
6
clockwise with respect to the drawing, the actuating portion
4
a
slides on the elevated portion
3
b
of the conductive plate
3
as the coil spring
5
becomes compressed. As the actuating portion
4
a
passes over the stationary contact
2
a
, the conductive plate
3
tilts counter-clockwise. As a result, the conductive plate
3
moves out of contact with the stationary contact
2
c
and moves into contact with the stationary contact
2
b
to create a state such that the stationary contacts
2
a
and
2
b
are connected via the conductive plate
3
to be switched to an ON mode. When the force applied from the operating knob is removed, the restoring force of the coil spring
5
causes the actuating portion
4
a
on the elevated portion
3
b
to slide in the opposite direction. This causes the actuating portion
4
a
to reversely pass over the stationary contact
2
a
to tilt the conductive plate
3
clockwise, whereby the switch device is switched back to the stand-by mode shown in FIG.
9
. Consequently, the stationary contacts
2
a
and
2
b
are automatically switched back to an OFF mode.
If the tilt lever
6
is tilted counterclockwise in a stand-by mode shown in
FIG. 9
, the actuating portion
4
a
slides along the elevated portion
3
c
. However, since the conductive plate
3
is already pressed against the stationary contact
2
c
and therefore cannot be tilted, the stationary contacts
2
a
and
2
b
are kept disconnected to be in an OFF mode.
The switch devices of this type are extensively used as a driving switch for automatic window units in vehicles. In such a unit, a driving signal for opening and closing the window is output for the period of time that an operating knob is pressed, by which the window can be manually operated until the desired opening is obtained.
The above-mentioned conventional switch device has the driver
4
combined with the coil spring
5
on the conductive plate
3
and therefore requires a large housing
6
a
in the tilt lever
6
. For this reason, the tilt lever
6
requires a reasonable height and may interfere with the achievement of a lower profile of the apparatus. Furthermore, the tilting movement requires a clearance space C between the tilt lever
6
and the cover
7
. Through this space, foreign particles, such as dust, may enter and land on the contacts in the case
1
, which may lead to a loss of reliability in the connections.
In a driving switch of an automatic window unit in a vehicle, two groups of the stationary contacts
2
a
,
2
b
, and
2
c
are disposed on the bottom wall
1
a
of the case
1
in a pair of rows, each group being provided with components such as the conductive plate
3
and the actuating portion
4
a
to form first and second switch elements. When the operating knob is pressed in one direction, the first switch element outputs a driving signal for opening, whereas pressing the knob in the other direction turns on the second switch element to output a driving signal for closing. To achieve such a double-pole double-throw switch device with the structure of the conventional apparatus as is shown in
FIG. 9
, the tilt lever
6
must be assembled with the case
1
and the cover
7
very carefully without misaligning the driver
4
and the coil spring
5
. Such assembly process is extremely inefficient.
Also, in a driving switch of an automatic window unit in a vehicle, a function which enables the window to be fully opened or fully closed through one-touch operation is in demand, although adding this type of function to the conventional switch device would normally require a push switch in the vicinity of the case
1
. In such a unit, when the tilt lever
6
is tilted with an operating knob, a single-purpose driving element presses the push switch to output a driving signal for a full-opening or a full-closing operation. However, if the driving element for the push switch is disposed outside the case
1
in a preferable position where the element can operate with respect to the timing of the movement of the driver
4
, the whole apparatus may lead to a large-scale and a complex structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the conventional switch devices and to provide a highly reliable switch device having a lower profile and more simple structure and being capable of ready assembly.
The switch device of the present invention includes a case with a bottom wall and a top opening; two switch elements assembled in the case; a common leaf spring whose restoring force is applied to the two switch elements; and a cover that presses a leaf spring and that covers the top opening. Each of the switch element includes stationary contacts that are fixed to the bottom wall of the case; a conductive plate that is disposed on the bottom wall and is tiltable to move into and out of contact with the stationary contacts; and a driver disposed on the conductive plate, the driver being rotatable around a shaft thereof and movable vertically. The driver includes a protruding receiver which protrudes from the case; and a sliding portion that slides on a slope of the conductive plate when the protruding receiver is pressed downward. The leaf spring includes a compressed portion which is resiliently compressed by the cover; and a pair of pressing strips which connect with the compressed portion and resiliently urge the shaft of the driver towards the bottom wall of the case.
With the pressing strip resiliently urging the shaft of the driver, the force applied by an operating knob to the protruding receiver moves the driver and causes th

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