Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Multiple circuit control – Operating means
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-01
2003-04-29
Luebke, Renee (Department: 2833)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Multiple circuit control
Operating means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06555770
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composite operation switch, and more particularly to the structure of a composite operation switch providing for many functions that is used with various electronic equipment for home use and vehicle use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As operation switches of various equipment for home use and vehicle use, composite operation switches with many switch functions are used. According to a generally known structure of the conventional composite operation switches, a hollow ring-shape rotary switch is placed outside, and a multi-direction operation switch comprising a four-direction inclination switch and a push switch is placed inside the hollow area.
In the conventional composite operation switches, the rotary switch placed outside comprises a hollow ring-shape housing and a rotor rotatably disposed within the housing. The housing is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, and fixed contacts made of a conductive metallic material are disposed on the inside bottom face of the housing. To the rotor, movable contacts made of a conductive metallic material are fixed in opposed relation to the fixed contacts, and as the rotor rotates, the movable contacts move in contact on the fixed contacts, whereby contact switching is performed.
The multi-direction operation switch placed inside the hollow area comprises a housing having an internal storing part formed in box shape and a slide member stored so as to be vertically slidable and tiltably supported in the storing part of the housing. The housing is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, and plural fixed contacts are disposed on the inside bottom face of the housing. The plural fixed contacts include a central fixed contact operated when the slide member is pushed, and peripheral fixed contacts operated in the respective operation directions when the slide member is inclined in four directions.
On the above-described plural fixed contacts, domed movable contacts made of a conductive metallic material are respectively disposed in opposed relation to the fixed contacts. The plural movable contacts include a central movable contact pushed and connected to the central fixed contact when the slide member is pushed, and peripheral movable contacts pushed and connected to the peripheral fixed contacts when the slide member is tilted in four directions.
The rotary switch and the multi-direction operation switch are integrally fitted to a frame of electronic equipment or the like and a circuit board. A hollow rotation operation knob is fitted to the tip of the rotor of the rotary switch, and an inclination operation knob fitted in the slide member of the multi-direction operation switch is placed in the center of the rotation operation knob, constituting an integral composite operation switch.
According to the composite operation switches, this one switch provides plural switch functions of a push switch, a four-direction inclination switch, and a rotation pulse switch.
However, since the respective switches of the above described conventional composite switches have only a single function, if more selection functions are required, more switches must be provided, posing the problem that if the hollow area of the rotary switch is expanded as switches increase, the switch will increase in size.
In this case, since many switches are placed on a plane, there has been a possibility that malfunction may occur due to the user's mistaken press during switch selection operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the present invention provides a composite operation switch that solves the above-described problems, provides for more functions without increasing the number of switches and expanding its size, and provides satisfactory operability for switch selection operation.
To solve the above-described problems, as first means, the present invention provides a composite operation switch that includes: a housing that has a hollow ring-shape area and is provided with fixed contacts on an inside bottom face of the ring-shape area; a first rotor that is rotatably mounted in the housing and provided with movable contacts, which, upon rotation, contact or separate from the fixed contacts; a second rotor that is mounted in the first rotor and rotates together with the first rotor; and a multi-direction operation switch placed inside the hollow ring-shape area of the housing, wherein the second rotor is mounted in the first rotor so as to be vertically movable, and in the vicinity of the housing, a detecting switch is provided that detects a vertical movement position of the second rotor and outputs a signal for switching the types of selection functions of the multi-direction operation switch.
As second means, the first rotor is provided with up-and-down guide parts engaged with the second rotor; and by the up-and-down guide parts, the second rotor is disposed outside the first rotor so as to be vertically movable, the second rotor is fitted in the first rotor so that they rotate at the same time, and the first and second rotors are integrally mounted rotatably in the housing.
As third means, the first rotor is provided with convex cam parts, the second rotor is provided with elastic members engaging with the convex cam parts, and when the second rotor ascends or descends, the elastic members move across the cam parts.
As fourth means, a parallel link mechanism for controlling vertical movement of the second rotor is provided between the first rotor and the second rotor.
As fifth means, the multi-direction operation switch is a four-direction inclination switch with a center push switch.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5607611 (1997-03-01), Lee
patent: 5821480 (1998-10-01), Machida
patent: 5847335 (1998-12-01), Sugahara et al.
patent: 5945647 (1999-08-01), Hoskins
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Beyer Weaver & Thomas LLP
Luebke Renee
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