Complex operation input device

Details Complex operation input device Complex operation input device

2002-04-30

2003-09-16

Enad, Elvin (Department: 2832)

Electricity: circuit makers and breakers

Multiple circuit control

Combined pivoted and reciprocating contact

C200S0110TC, C200S0050EA

Reexamination Certificate

active

06621016

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a complex operation input device that can be suitably used with a digital camera or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To describe the configuration of a complex operation input device according to the prior art with reference to FIG.
10
and
FIG. 11
, a fixed member
52
is fitted above a housing
51
, which is a molded synthetic resin item.
An insulating substrate
53
is fitted to the housing
51
so as to cover a receptacle
51
a
provided in the housing
51
, and over this insulating substrate
53
is mounted a first flexible insulating substrate
54
having a plurality of fixed contacts (not shown).
A movable contact
55
consisting of a leaf spring, in a state of opposing fixed contacts provided on the first flexible insulating substrate
54
, is mounted on the first flexible insulating substrate
54
. As the upper part of the movable contact
55
is pressed and reversed, the movable contact
55
comes into contact with one of the fixed contacts. These fixed contacts and movable contact
55
constitute a first push switch part S
3
.
A second flexible insulating substrate
56
provided with a fixed contact (not shown) is arranged so as to cover the upper part of the movable contact
55
, and the fixed contact provided on this second flexible insulating substrate
56
is connected by a communicating means (not shown) to the fixed contacts provided on the first flexible insulating substrate
54
.
A holding member
57
, which is a molded synthetic resin item, has a plate
57
a
and a cylindrical shaft
57
b
provided over this plate
57
a
, and this holding member
57
, in a state in which its plate
57
a
is accommodated in the receptacle
51
a
, is rotatably held by pressing the shaft
57
b
through the fixed member
52
.
A rubber contact
58
provided with a contact point is fitted within the shaft
57
b
so as to oppose the fixed contact provided on the second flexible insulating substrate
56
.
When the upper part of the rubber contact
58
is suppressed, the rubber contact
58
is bent to come into contact with the fixed contact provided on the second flexible insulating substrate
56
. These fixed contact and rubber contact
58
constitute a second push switch part S
4
.
As a result, the first and second push switch parts S
3
and S
4
constitute a two-stage suppressive switching section P
2
, and the first and second push switch parts S
3
and S
4
constituting this two-stage suppressive switching section P
2
are arranged in a layered state in the direction of the rotation axis G
2
of the holding member
57
.
In the two-stage suppressive switching section P
2
, first the rubber contact
58
is pressed to operate the second push switch part S
4
, and its continued pressing causes the movable contact
55
to be suppressed to operate the first push switch part S
3
.
A slider
59
consisting of a metal plate is fitted to the plate
57
a
in a position outer than the two-stage switching section P
2
in the radial direction, and this slider
59
comes into sliding contact with the fixed contact provided on the first flexible insulating substrate
54
. These fixed contact and slider
59
constitute a rotary electrical part D
2
.
This rotary electrical part D
2
is arranged in a radial direction orthogonal to the rotation axis G
2
of the two-stage suppressive switching section P
2
.
A lever
60
, which is a molded synthetic resin item, has a holder
60
a
and an arm
60
b
extending in one direction from this holder
60
a
. This lever
60
, in a state of being linked so as to rotate the holding member
57
, is arranged over the fixed member
52
.
A key top
61
arranged to be able to suppress the rubber contact
58
, in a state in which it is prevented from coming off by the holder
60
a
of the lever
60
, is fitted to be shiftable in the direction of the rotation axis G
2
.
A button
63
, which is a molded synthetic resin item elastically pressed by a coil spring
62
, is fitted to be vertically movable in a state in which it is prevented from coming off by the arm
60
b
of the lever
60
. This button
63
is provided with a projection
63
a,
which can be engaged with and disengaged from the fixed member
52
. When the button
63
is suppressed against the coil spring
62
, the projection
63
a
can come off a hole
52
a
of the fixed member
52
to enable the lever
60
to rotate.
A spring
64
fixed to the rotatable holding member
57
can be engaged with and disengaged from the insulating substrate
53
to form a detent mechanism, so that, when the holding member
57
rotates, the spring
64
engages with or disengages from the insulating substrate
53
to give a sense of click to the rotary action of the holding member
57
and the lever
60
.
To describe the operation of the conventional complex operation input device having such a configuration, first, when the key top
61
is suppressed in the direction of the rotation axis G
2
, the rubber contact
58
is pressed, and the second push switch part S
4
is manipulated. When the key top
61
is further suppressed, the rubber contact
58
suppresses the movable contact
55
via the second flexible insulating substrate
56
, and the first push switch part S
3
is manipulated.
Then, when released from suppression by the key top
61
, the movable contact
55
and the rubber contact
58
automatically return to their respective original states by their own elasticity, and the key top
61
returns to its own original state with the return of the rubber contact
58
.
Next, when the button
63
is suppressed against the coil spring
62
, the projection
63
a
is disengaged from the fixed member
52
to enable the lever
60
to turn, and if in this state the lever
60
is turned with the arm
60
b
, the holding member
57
will rotate to turn the slider
59
, which comes into sliding contact with the fixed contact on the first flexible insulating substrate
54
to cause the rotary electrical part D
2
to be operated.
Then, the spring
64
engages with or disengages from the insulating substrate
53
to cause the lever
60
to turn with a sense of click.
Or if the lever
60
is released from rotation, the lever
60
and the holding member
57
will be stopped by the detent mechanism where they have turned by a prescribed angle and, if in this position the button
63
is released from suppression, the button
63
will be pushed back by the coil spring
62
to enter into a state in which the fixed member
52
is engaged with the hole
52
a.
Such manipulations cause the complex operation input device to be operated.
The complex operation input device according to the prior art, in which the two-stage suppressive switching section P
2
and the rotary electrical part D
2
are arranged in the radial direction orthogonal to the direction of the rotation axis G
2
, has a large dimension in the lateral direction, and accordingly involves a problem of allowing no size reduction in the radial direction.
Especially, there is a problem that the device is unsuitable for portable items, such as a digital camera.
There is another problem that, on account of the use of the mutually separate first and second flexible insulating substrates
54
and
56
, not only is an extra task of electrically connecting them needed but also their incorporation is troublesome, resulting in poor productivity.
Still another problem is that, as the second flexible insulating substrate
56
provided with the fixed contact for the second push switch part S
4
is mounted over the movable contact
55
of the first push switch part S
3
and, moreover, the movable contact
55
is deformed in a state in which the rubber contact
58
is in contact with the fixed contact, the contact of the second push switch part S
4
is destabilized.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a complex operation input device which permits a size reduction in the lateral direction, provides high productivity and stabilizes the contact of the doub

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