Multi-direction switch

Details Multi-direction switch Multi-direction switch

2003-12-22

2004-09-14

Lee, Kyung (Department: 2832)

Electricity: circuit makers and breakers

Multiple circuit control

Combined pivoted and reciprocating contact

C200S00600C, C200S0050EA, C338S099000, C345S157000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06791037

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a miniature switch and particularly to the structure of a multi-direction switch.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Multi-direction switch is one of input devices adopted for use on small electronic devices such as personal digital assistant (PDA) or mobile communication devices. A conventional multi-direction switch provides input commands or instructions that include horizontal “direction instruction” (such as X and Y axes and right up, right down, left up and left down) and a single “button key instruction” (such as the instruction generated when the multi-direction switch is depressed). By means of this multi-direction switch, the cursor of a small electronic device may be controlled or operation of functional items may be executed.
Refer to
FIGS. 1A
,
1
B and
1
C for a conventional multi-direction switch. As shown in
FIG. 1A
, it has a base dock
10
which has first to fourth electrodes
101
-
104
located respectively at four corners. There is a central electrode
105
in the center surrounding by a common electrode
106
(generally a common ground electrode). The first to fourth electrodes
101
-
104
have respectively a leg
101
a
-
104
a
exposed outside the periphery of the base dock
10
to connect a circuit (such as a circuit on a printed circuit board). The central electrode
105
and the common electrode
106
connect respectively to the circuit through legs
105
a
and
106
a
that also are exposed outside the base dock
10
. The main operation element of the multi-direction switch is a joystick
11
. It has four metal contact legs
110
extending horizontally from the periphery thereof. By moving the joystick
11
, the four metal legs
110
may be respectively in contact with the first to fourth electrodes
101
-
104
. The joystick
11
has a bottom end
111
in the center above two overlapped and elastic metal blades
121
and
122
in normal conditions. The metal blade
122
is located at the lower side to be in contact with the common electrode
106
in the normal conditions (also referring to FIG.
1
C).
When the joystick
11
is depressed vertically, the two elastic metal blades
121
and
122
are deformed to enable the center point of the lower metal blade
122
in contact with the central electrode
105
so that the central electrode
105
and the common electrode
106
are connected and become conductive through the elastic metal blade
122
to generate a button key instruction. By the same token, when the joystick
11
is moved in the horizontal direction, the metal contact leg
110
in the corresponding direction will be moved to contact any one or more of the first to fourth electrodes
101
-
104
in the corresponding direction. Through the contact of the first to fourth electrodes
101
-
104
and the metal contact leg
110
, the metal contact leg
110
and the elastic metal blades
121
and
122
that in contact with the bottom end
111
of the joystick
11
in normal conditions, and the common electrode
106
may form electric connection. And through signal triggering conditions of the first to fourth electrodes
101
-
104
, a “directional instruction” of the joystick
11
may be determined.
The maximum compression displacement of the joystick
11
of such a multi-direction switch is limited by the deformation of the elastic metal blades
121
and
122
(about 0.15 mm). The oscillation amplitude of the joystick
11
at two sides of the axial direction is also restricted in a smaller range. As a result, it causes inconvenience during user operation. Moreover, as the metal contact leg
110
is extended horizontally, when the joystick
11
is moved, in order to ensure that the metal contact leg
110
to connect any one or more of the first to fourth electrodes
101
-
104
, the locations of the first to fourth electrodes
101
-
104
have to be raised to an elevation close to the metal contact leg
110
(as shown in FIG.
1
B). Such a design shrinks the vertical distance between the metal contact leg
110
and the first to fourth electrodes
101
-
104
and is prone to cause erroneous movement. For instance, when the joystick
11
is depressed, a small shaking of the joystick
11
could cause the metal contact leg
110
to mistakenly touch the first to fourth electrodes
101
-
104
and result in erroneous movement and generate a wrong directional instruction. And the small dimension and gap also make fabrication and assembly difficult.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore the primary object of the present invention is to provide a multi-direction switch that is less likely to generate erroneous movements.
The present invention mainly has redesigned the metal contact legs of the joystick and the corresponding electrode elements to achieve the object mentioned above. The invention has lowered the location of the electrode elements and changed the shape of the metal contact legs to increase the interval of the metal contact legs and the electrode elements. Therefore it can prevent the metal contact legs from mistakenly connecting to the electrode elements when the joystick is depressed. The oscillation amplitude of the joystick during operation increases and operational maneuverability improves.
Furthermore, the design of the invention also reduces the difficulty of fabrication and assembly.
The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4492830 (1985-01-01), Kim
patent: 4778952 (1988-10-01), Watkins et al.
patent: 5486669 (1996-01-01), Oshgan
patent: 5889242 (1999-03-01), Ishihara et al.
patent: 6160225 (2000-12-01), Isikawa
patent: 6184480 (2001-02-01), Nishimoto et al.
patent: 6586690 (2003-07-01), Shimomura et al.

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