Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Multiple circuit control – Multiple switch
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-06
2001-12-11
Friedhofer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Multiple circuit control
Multiple switch
C200S00600C
Reexamination Certificate
active
06329614
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a multi-directional switch comprising a plurality of manual switches and used in electronic devices such as a portable telephone, video camera, car radio and others.
The multi-directional switch comprises a plurality of fixed contacts circularly arranged in a housing, and an operating plunger tiltably provided in the housing and having a plurality of branches, each having a movable contact which can be contacted with a corresponding fixed contact in the housing by manipulating the operating plunger, thereby producing a specific signal.
FIG. 12
is a sectional side view of a multi-directional switch disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid open 10-188738. There is provided on the bottom of a housing
1
a central fixed contact
2
, four peripheral fixed contacts
4
, a central movable contact
6
corresponding to the central fixed contact
2
, four peripheral movable contacts
7
, each provided for a corresponding fixed contact
4
, and a circular common fixed contact
3
. The central movable contact
6
has a circular tray shape. The peripheral movable contact
7
has a central arcuated yieldable bridge
7
a.
A peripheral portion of the central movable contact
6
contacts with the common fixed contact
3
and the central portion of the contact
6
is not contacted with the central fixed contact
2
. An inner portion of the peripheral movable contact
7
contacts with the common fixed contact
3
, and the bridge
7
a
is not contacted with the peripheral fixed contact
4
.
A first stem
8
and a second stem
10
as an operating plunger are mounted on the movable contacts
6
and
7
. The first stem
8
comprises a cylindrical portion
8
a
and a skirt portion
8
b
having a spherical peripheral wall. The skirt portion
8
b
has four projections
8
c
on the underside thereof, each contacts with a corresponding bridge
7
a
of the movable contact
7
. The first stem
8
is tiltably held by wall of a hole of a cover
11
at the spherical wall thereof.
The second stem
10
has a quadratic prism shape and is vertically slidably mounted in a guide hole
9
of the first stem
8
, and prevented from removing from the hole
9
by a flange
10
a.
The switches are operated by manipulating the second stem
10
. For example, when the second stem
10
is tilted to the left, the first stem
8
is also tilted to the left, so that the projection
8
c
pushes the bridge
7
a
to yield it, thereby contacting the bridge to the fixed contact
4
. Thus, the contact
4
is electrically connected to the common contact
3
by the bridge
7
a
. Other switches are similarly operated.
When the second stem
10
is depressed, a projection
10
b
pushes the central movable contact
6
to yield it so that the movable contact
6
contacts with the fixed contact
2
.
In the above described conventional multi-directional switch, the first stem
8
comprises the cylindrical portion
8
a
and the skirt portion
8
b
, and the second stem
10
is upwardly projected from the first stem
8
. Consequently, the height of the switch becomes large, and hence it is difficult to reduce the thickness and the size of the switch.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-directional switch which may be reduced in thickness and size thereof.
Another object of the invention is to provide a multi-directional switch which is simple in construction and reliable in operation.
According to the present invention, there is provided a multi-directional manual switch comprising a substrate having a plurality of fixed contacts and a movable contact provided above each of the fixed contacts so that opposite contacts form a unit switch, a holding plate having a spherical overhang holding wall andmountedon the substrate, an operating plunger having a plurality of radially extending arms, and slidably mounted in a hole formed in the holding plate, and rotatably held in the spherical overhang holding wall, and a plurality of projections formed on the underside of the plunger, each of the projections being provided corresponding to the movable contact.
The unit switches comprise a central unit switch and a plurality of peripheral unit switches, the projections comprise a central projection and peripheral projections corresponding to the unit switches, the operating plunger is rotatably and axially slidably mounted in the spherical overhang holding wall, and a gap is formed between each of the peripheral projections and the corresponding movable contact in the condition that the central projection contacts with the corresponding movable contact.
The movable contact has an inverted tray shape, and the fixed contact of the unit switch comprises a central fixed contact and a plurality of peripheral fixed contacts.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4408103 (1983-10-01), Smith, III
patent: 4493219 (1985-01-01), Sharp et al.
patent: 4614847 (1986-09-01), Sasao
patent: 4992631 (1991-02-01), Gee
patent: 5430262 (1995-07-01), Matsui et al.
patent: 5621196 (1997-04-01), Nishijima et al.
patent: 5952628 (1999-09-01), Sato et al.
patent: 6080941 (2000-06-01), Yokobori
patent: 10188738 (1998-07-01), None
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Citizen Electronics Co. Ltd.
Friedhofer Michael
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