Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Multiple circuit control – Multiple switch
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-21
2002-01-01
Friedhoffer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Multiple circuit control
Multiple switch
C200S0050EA
Reexamination Certificate
active
06335496
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. 10
is a plan view of a multi-directional switch disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Application Laid Open 1-111431,
FIG. 11
is a sectional side view of the switch.
A multi-directional switch has four push button switches
12
on a substrate
11
, disposed on a cross line. An operating plunger
13
has an operating lever
13
a
, a spherical portion
13
c
, a conical recess
13
d
, four restricting portions
13
b
on the cross line, each restricting portion
13
b
has a parallelepiped shape. The operating plunger
13
is rotatably held by a spherical portion
15
a
of a cover of a case
14
and a conical support
16
secured to the substrate
11
.
The plunger
13
has four receiving arms
13
e
and four operating arms
13
f
in the cross line direction. A spring
17
secured to the case
14
engages with each receiving arm
13
a
, thereby holding the operating lever
13
a
of the plunger
13
in the vertical position.
In accordance with the above described construction, the inclination direction of the plunger
13
is restricted by restricting portions
13
b
to four directions on the cross line. Four perforations
18
are formed in the spherical portion
15
a
, each corresponding to the restricting portion
13
b
. Thus, the plunger
13
can be tilted, inserting the restricting portion
13
b
in the perforation
18
. If the plunger
13
is pushed in other directions than the cross line direction, the plunger
13
can not be tilted since the restricting portion
13
b
engages with a stopping portion
15
b
of the cover
15
.
When the plunger
13
is tilted in one of the four directions the operating arm
13
f
pushes a push button
12
a
of one of the switches
12
.
In the conventional switch
10
, since the conical support
16
is provided in the central position of the switch, it is impossible to modify the switch to a versatile switch in which an additional push button switch is provided at the central position. Further, in such a versatile switch, the plunger must be provided so as to be vertically moved to operate the central switch. However, in the conventional switch, the height of the switch becomes large.
In addition, since the spherical portion
13
c
is provided in the central portion, a vertical guide portion for vertically guiding the operating lever
13
a
is provided on the spherical portion
15
a
, the height of the switch becomes large, and the construction thereof becomes complicated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-directional switch having a central switch.
Another object is to provide a multi-directional switch which may be reduced in size and height and simple in construction.
According to the present invention, there is provided a multi-directional manual switch comprising, a substrate having a central fixed contact and a plurality of peripheral fixed contacts and a central movable contact and a plurality of peripheral movable contacts, each of the movable contacts being provided above each of the fixed contacts so that opposite contacts form a unit switch, a holding plate having a first holding corner formed on an underside thereof and mounted on the substrate, an operating plunger having a plurality of radially extending arms, and slidably, mounted in hole formed in the holding plate, and rotatably held in the first holding corner so as to be tilted about the first holding corner, and a plurality of projections formed on the underside of the plunger comprising a central projection and a plurality of peripheral first projections, each of the projections being provided corresponding to the movable contact.
The operating plunger is axially slidably held in the holding corner.
A plurality of second holding corner are formed on the underside of the holding plate, a peripheral plunger is provided between the peripheral projection and second holding corner so as to be pivoted about the corner, a second projection is formed on the underside of the peripheral plunger, each of the peripheral fixed contacts is offset from the peripheral projection and disposed so that the peripheral movable contact is depressed by the second projection.
The stroke between a top of the central projection and a surface of the central fixed contact is smaller than a stroke between a top of the second projection and a surface of the peripheral fixed contact.
The length between the peripheral first projection and the second projection is longer than a length between the second projection and the second holding corner.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4256931 (1981-03-01), Palisek
patent: 5498843 (1996-03-01), Date et al.
patent: 5621196 (1997-04-01), Nishijima et al.
patent: 5631453 (1997-05-01), Maeda
patent: 5889242 (1999-03-01), Ishihara et al.
patent: 5952628 (1999-09-01), Sato et al.
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Citizen Electronics Co. Ltd.
Friedhoffer Michael
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