Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Multiple circuit control – Pivoted contact
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-12
2002-02-05
Friedhofer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Multiple circuit control
Pivoted contact
Reexamination Certificate
active
06344618
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a multi-directional operating switch activated by a tilting manipulation as well as a pushing manipulation of a manipulating shaft, and used mainly in an input controller or the like of a mobile communications apparatus such as a cellular phone, a radio pager, etc., as well as an electronic apparatus of various kinds such as a remote controller, audio equipment, a game machine, a car navigation system, an electronic camera, and the like. The invention also relates to a multi-directional operating apparatus using the same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional multi-directional operating switch of a kind will be described hereinafter by referring to FIG.
13
through FIG.
16
.
In
FIG. 13
depicting a sectional front view, a box-like case
1
made of plastic resin has an opening on top surface covered by a cover
2
made of metal plate or the like.
A bottom surface of the case
1
is provided with a central stationary contact
3
A, an outer stationary contact
3
B and four peripheral stationary contacts
4
through
7
disposed at an equal distance from the central stationary contact
3
A in directions toward right, left, back and front side, all fixed by insertion formation as shown in
FIG. 14
of an exploded perspective view with a case cut away partially. These contacts are connected individually to their respective terminals
14
A,
14
B, and
15
through
18
. A dome-like circular movable contact
8
is placed on the outer stationary contact
3
B. A congregated movable contact
9
is fixed by pillars
1
A above the peripheral stationary contacts
4
through
7
in such a manner that flexible contact leaves
10
through
13
of the congregated movable contact
9
face their respective peripheral stationary contacts
4
through
7
. The congregated movable contact
9
is connected to a terminal
19
A for external connection via a contact
19
.
A supporting body
21
is positioned above the congregated movable contact
9
, and a square-shaped upper end
21
A of the supporting body
21
maintains a resilient contact with an underside surface of the cover
2
, as it is biased upwardly by a compression coil spring
20
disposed besides an inner periphery along side walls of the case
1
. A recess portion
21
B in a center of the supporting body
21
holds a semispherical rotating body
22
.
The rotating body
22
is in its position where a flange portion
22
A at its lower perimeter rests on a bottom surface of the recess portion
21
B in the center of the supporting body
21
, and an upper spherical portion
22
B fits in contact with a spherical surface of a circular hole
2
A in a center of the cover
2
. A rod-like manipulating shaft
23
made of metal is inserted and held in a vertical center hole
22
C of a noncircular shape in the rotating body
22
in a manner of sliding vertically.
The manipulating shaft
23
has a lower end
23
A projecting downwardly from the rotating body
22
, so as to rest in contact with the dome-like circular movable contact
8
in a center of the bottom surface of the case
1
. A manipulation knob
24
is mounted on a tip end
23
B of the manipulating shaft
23
projecting upwardly above the case
1
.
A lower surface around an outer perimeter of the supporting body
21
is provided with depressing points
25
A through
25
D, corresponding respectively to the flexible contact leaves
10
through
13
of the congregated movable contact
9
. Due to the sectional view from one side of the switch, the accompanying figure does not show the depressing points
25
C and
25
D corresponding to the flexible contact leaves
12
and
13
.
The multi-directional operating switch operates in a manner as described hereinafter. To begin with, the manipulating shaft
23
is in its vertical neutral position, and all contacts of the multi-directional operating switch are in their open position in a state of
FIG. 13
, wherein the lower end
23
A of the manipulating shaft
23
does not depress the dome-like circular movable contact
8
.
When a left upper surface of the manipulation knob
24
mounted on the tip end
23
B at an upper part of the manipulating shaft
23
is depressed downward, the manipulating shaft
23
tilts and the rotating body
22
rotates toward the left side while keeping in contact with the spherical surface of the circular hole
2
A of the cover
2
, as shown by an arrow in
FIG. 15
of a section front view. This causes an edge of the flange portion
22
A on the underside of the rotating body
22
to push the bottom surface of the recess portion
21
B of the supporting body
21
downward, and to tilt the supporting body
21
toward left with a fulcrum being at an upper edge
21
A at a side of the square form opposite to the surface being pushed. The supporting body
21
then pushes down the flexible contact leaf
10
corresponding to the depressing point
25
A, thereby making it to contact with the peripheral stationary contact
4
. This establishes an electrical continuity between the congregated movable contact
9
and the peripheral stationary contact
4
, and completes a closed circuit through the terminals
19
A and
15
for external connection. During this movement, a left side of the upper edge
21
A in the perimeter of the supporting body
21
separates from the underside surface of the cover
2
while depressing the compression coil spring
20
downward.
When the depressing force applied to the manipulation knob
24
is removed afterwards, a restoring force of the compression coil spring
20
pushes back the supporting body
21
and the rotating body
22
to their original neutral positions shown in FIG.
13
. At the same time, the restoring force also returns the flexible contact leaf
10
to the original position shown in
FIG. 13
by separating it from the peripheral stationary contact
4
, thereby turning off the switch contact.
Likewise, a closed circuit can be established through any of the terminals
16
to
18
for external connection by changing a position to be depressed among a right side, a front side and a back side on the upper surface of the operating knob
24
mounted on the manipulating shaft
23
.
When a center upper surface of the operating knob
24
, i.e. the manipulating shaft
23
, is pushed downward by placing a vertical depressing force from the above, as shown by an arrow in a sectioned front view of
FIG. 16
, the lower end
23
A pushes the dome-like circular movable contact
8
on the bottom surface of the case
1
, causing it to distort. This produces a tactile response, and establishes a closed circuit through the terminals
14
A and
14
B by making continuity between the central stationary contact
3
A and the outer stationary contact
3
B. The manipulating shaft
23
is pushed up by a restoring force of the dome-like circular movable contact
8
, and returned to its original position of
FIG. 13
, when the depressing force is removed.
In spite of a growing demand for downsizing of a variety of the latest electronic apparatuses, however, a reduction in overall size and thickness of the conventional multi-directional operating switch of the type described above has been difficult to attain due to the numerous constituent components, and it has been expensive. The switch has also had a problem in that it is difficult for an operator to sensory determine when a switch contact turns on, since the switch does not produce a positive tactile response during a switching made by tilting the manipulating shaft.
The present invention is intended to solve the above problem of the prior art, and it aims at providing a multi-directional operating switch, which is small and thin as it requires a small number of components, yet it is capable of making a reliable switching with a tactile response even when the switching is made by tilting the manipulating shaft sideways. The invention also aims at providing a multi-directional operating apparatus using the multi-directional operating switch.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A multi-directional operating switch of the pr
Friedhofer Michael
Ratner & Prestia
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