Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Multiple circuit control – Pivoted contact
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-17
2002-02-05
Friedhofer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Multiple circuit control
Pivoted contact
Reexamination Certificate
active
06344619
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, used mainly in an input controller or the like of a mobile communications device such as a portable telephone, a radio pager, etc., as well as various electronic devices such as remote controllers, audio equipment, game machines, car navigation systems, electronic cameras, and the like. The invention also relates to a multi-directional operating device using the same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional multi-directional operating switch will be described hereinafter by referring to FIG.
13
through FIG.
16
.
In
FIG. 13
depicting a sectioned front view, a box-like case
1
, made of plastic resin, has an opening in an upper surface covered by a cover
2
made of a metal plate, or the like.
A bottom surface of the case
1
is provided with a central contact
3
A, an outer contact
3
B, and four peripheral contacts
4
,
5
,
6
and
7
disposed in positions equidistant from the central contact
3
A toward directions of right, left, back and front, all fixed by an insert molding. These contacts are connected individually to their respective terminals
14
A,
14
B, and
15
,
16
,
17
and
18
. A dome-like circular movable contact
8
is placed over the outer contact
3
B. A common movable contact
9
is fixed by dowels
1
A above the peripheral contacts
4
,
5
,
6
and
7
in such a manner that flexible contact leaves
10
,
11
,
12
and
13
of the common movable contact
9
face their respective peripheral contacts
4
,
5
,
6
and
7
. The common movable contact
9
is connected to a terminal
19
A for external connection via a contact
19
on the bottom surface of the case
1
.
A supporting body
21
is positioned above the common 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 beside an inner periphery along side walls of the case
1
. A recessed portion
21
B in the center of the supporting body
21
holds a semispherical rotary body
22
.
The rotary body
22
is in a 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 the 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 having a noncircular shape in the rotary body
22
in a vertically slidable manner.
The manipulating shaft
23
has a lower end
23
A projecting downwardly from the rotary body
22
, so as to rest in contact with the dome-like circular movable contact
8
in the 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,
25
B,
25
C and
25
D, corresponding respectively to the flexible contact leaves
10
,
11
,
12
and
13
of the common movable contact
9
. Incidentally, the depressing points
25
C and
25
D corresponding to the flexible contact leaves
12
and
13
are not shown in
FIG. 13
, since it is a sectional view depicting only one side of the switch.
The multi-directional operating switch operates in a manner as described hereinafter. First, the manipulating shaft
23
is in its vertical neutral position, and all contacts of the multi-directional operating switch are in their OFF positions 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
at the center.
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, as indicated by an arrow
100
in a sectioned front view of
FIG. 15
, the manipulating shaft
23
tilts and the rotary body
22
rotates toward the left side while maintaining a contact with the spherical surface of the circular hole
2
A of the cover
2
. This causes an edge of the flange portion
22
A on the underside of the rotary body
22
to push the bottom surface of the recess portion
21
B of the supporting body
21
downward. The supporting body
21
then tilts left around a fulcrum at one side of the square-shaped upper edge
21
A opposite to the surface being pushed, and thereby the flexible contact leaf
10
corresponding to the depressed point
25
A is pushed downward to come in contact with the peripheral contact
4
. This establishes electrical continuity between the common movable contact
9
and the peripheral contact
4
, and completes a state of continuity between the terminals
19
A and
15
for external connections. 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 subsequently removed, the restoring force of the compression coil spring
20
pushes the supporting body
21
and the rotary body
22
back to their original neutral positions shown in FIG.
13
. At the same time, the resilient restoring force also returns the flexible contact leaf
10
to the original position shown in
FIG. 13
by separating it from the peripheral contact
4
, thereby returning the switch contact to the OFF state.
Likewise, electrical continuity can be established between any of the terminals
16
,
17
and
18
and the terminal
19
A for external connections, by changing a position to be depressed between the right side, near side and a back side, respectively, on the upper surface of the operating knob
24
mounted on the manipulating shaft
23
.
When a upper center surface of the operating knob
24
, i.e. the manipulating shaft
23
, is pushed downwardly by placing a vertical depressing force from above, as shown by arrow
200
(indicated 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 deform. This makes the dome-like circular movable contact
8
on the bottom surface produce a tactile response, and establish a state of continuity between the terminals
14
A and
14
B by establishing electrical continuity between the central contact
3
A and the outer contact
3
B. The manipulating shaft
23
is pushed up by the restoring force of the dome-like circular movable contact
8
, and returned to its original position shown in
FIG. 13
, when the depressing force is removed.
In spite of a growing demand for downsizing of a variety of the latest electronic apparatuses, it has been difficult to realize a reduction in the overall dimension and thickness of the above described conventional multi-directional operating switch. In addition, the cost has been too high due to the large number of constituent components. The conventional switch also has 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 when switching is made by tilting the manipulating shaft.
The present invention is intended to overcome the above problems of the prior art device, and aims at providing a multi-directional operating switch, which is small, thin and uses a small number of components, yet it is capable of making a reliable switching operation with a tactile response even when the switching is made by tilting a manipulating shaft sideways. The invention also aims at providing a multi-directional operating device employing the multi-directional operating switch.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A mul
Sato Jun
Yamasaki Masato
Friedhofer Michael
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Ratner & Prestia
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