Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Multiple circuit control – Combined pivoted and reciprocating contact
Reexamination Certificate
2003-03-05
2004-04-13
Scott, James R. (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Multiple circuit control
Combined pivoted and reciprocating contact
C200S00100B, C200S00100B, C200S0050EA, C200S00600C, C200S0110TC, C200S0110DA, C200S018000, C464S185000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06720504
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-operational electronic device, which is used mainly in centralized control systems of various electronic apparatuses or others and driven by tilting, rotating and pressing its operating lever.
2. Background Art
Conventionally known multi-operational electronic devices include a multi-operational electronic device with push switches. This device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. H10-241501 and is described hereinafter with reference to
FIGS. 8-11
.
FIG. 8
is a perspective view of the conventional multi-operational electronic device with the push switches.
FIG. 9
is a sectional view taken along line
9
—
9
in
FIG. 8
, and
FIG. 10
is an exploded perspective view of the same multi-operational electronic device.
As shown in
FIGS. 8-10
, inverted-U-shaped metal cover
1
, quadrangular frame
2
and fixed-contact board
3
cooperatively form a box-like casing, which has circular opening
1
A in the center of its upper surface. Fixed-contact board
3
, positioned at a lower part of the box-like casing, has push switch
7
A at its center, and a plurality of push switches
7
B,
7
C,
7
D,
7
E arranged around push switch
7
A, and these push switches
7
A-
7
E each operate when pressed downward. The box-like casing includes upwardly projecting resilient fixed contacts
8
.
Rotary member
9
is rotatably held by intermediate wall
4
of the box-like casing and holds contact plate
10
functioning as a movable contact corresponding to resilient fixed contacts
8
.
Operating member
12
is constructed of polygonal ball-like member
12
A, which is positioned at a lower end of operating member
12
and polygonal in horizontal section, and cylindrical operating lever
12
B extending upward.
Polygonal ball-like member
12
A is engaged in polygonal through-hole
9
A defined in the center of rotary member
9
so as to be tiltable and vertically movable independently of rotary member
9
and to rotate with rotary member
9
and is in contact with central push switch
7
A at its lower surface. Operating lever
12
B projects from circular opening
1
A in the upper surface of the box-like casing through central circular hole
13
A of drive member
13
.
Drive member
13
is a substantially polygonal plate and has domelike projection
13
B in the center of its upper surface. This projection
13
B is in contact with the box-like casing at circular opening
1
A so as to be turnable and tiltable. Operating lever
12
B of operating member
12
engages through central circular hole
13
A so as to be rotatable and vertically movable.
Drive member
13
also has projections
14
A,
14
B,
14
C,
14
D extending from its lower surface and contacting respective outer push switches
7
B,
7
C,
7
D,
7
E.
Click spring
11
provides a click feel during rotation.
A description is hereinafter provided of an operation of the multi-operational electronic device having the above structure. When operating lever
12
B is tilted to the right as indicated by arrow X in
FIGS. 8 and 9
by application of lateral pushing force, operating member
12
turns to the right on its polygonal ball-like member
12
A, as shown in FIG.
11
. Accordingly, drive member
13
engaging with an intermediate portion of operating lever
12
B tilts in direction XI, whereby its projection
14
A located in direction XI presses outer push switch
7
B downward, effecting operation of this push switch
7
B.
When operating lever
12
B is released from the lateral pushing force, push switch
7
B pushes projection
14
A or drive member
13
back from beneath due to its resilient restoring force. Consequently, operating member
12
returns to its original neutral position shown in FIG.
9
.
When operating lever
12
B is rotated so that operating member
12
rotates while being held in the neutral position, rotary member
9
engaging with polygonal ball-like member
12
A of operating member
12
to rotate with this ball-like member
12
A rotates with drive member
13
staying still. Accordingly, resilient fixed contacts
8
slide resiliently on contact plate
10
positioned at a lower surface of rotary member
9
, thereby producing an electric signal.
When operating lever
12
B is pressed downward as indicated by arrow V in
FIGS. 8 and 9
by application of downward pushing force, with drive member
13
and rotary member
9
staying still, polygonal ball-like member
12
A at the lower end of operating member
12
presses central push switch
7
A downward, whereby this push switch
7
A is operated.
In the conventional multi-operational electronic device described above, polygonal ball-like member
12
A of operating member
12
has a slight clearance where this ball-like member
12
A is engaged in polygonal through-hole
9
A of rotary member
9
in order not to transmit the vertical movement of operating member
12
to rotary member
9
when central push switch
7
A is operated at the press of operating lever
12
B.
The clearance at the above-mentioned engagement, however, provides looseness in the rotating direction when rotary member
9
is rotated through the rotation of operating lever
12
B of operating member
12
for generation of the electric signal. Thus, there has been a problem that the clearance has given a feel of backlash to a hand of a user, particularly when the rotating direction is reversed.
Also, there has been a problem that the multi-operational electronic device has, as a whole, the increased number of elements, which has increased cost because outer push switches
7
B,
7
C,
7
D,
7
E, are arranged as discrete, independent switches on fixed-contact board
3
of the box-like casing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A multi-operational electronic device of the present invention includes:
(a) a first switch including:
first fixed contacts arranged in a circle at established angular intervals on an inner surface of a first contact board; and
a resilient movable contact having a circular domelike shape large enough to cover all of the first fixed contacts across an established space and a through-hole in a center of the resilient movable contact, the resilient movable contact made of resilient sheet metal;
(b) a first casing including a circular opening in a center of an upper surface of the first casing;
(c) a first drive member stored in the first casing, the first drive member including: a turnable and tiltable domelike part extending along a border of an upper surface of the first drive member and contacting the first casing about the circular opening; a central hole through which an operating shaft including an operating lever at an upper part of the operating shaft is engaged to move vertically and rotate; and a specified projection provided on a lower surface of the first drive member and contacting an upper surface of the resilient movable contact in a position corresponding to the first fixed contacts in the first casing;
(d) a second casing placed below the first casing concentrically with the first casing and coupled to the first casing through a through-hole of the first casing, the second casing including: a central switch, which operates when pressed against a central part of an inner surface of a second contact board serving as a bottom of the second casing; and a second fixed contact extending along a circle surrounding the central switch; and
(e) a second drive member stored in the second casing, the second drive member including: a rotatable outer cylinder vertically supported and having, on a lower surface of the outer cylinder, a rotary movable contact, which engages with the second fixed contact to generate an electric signal for a rotary signal generator; an inner cylinder fixed to a lower part of the operating shaft passing through the through-hole of the resilient movable contact of the first switch; and a connecting part connecting the outer and inner cylinders to allow the outer and inner cylinders to move with each other in a rotating direction and to expand and contract vertically, the oute
Nishimoto Takumi
Sato Jun
Sugahara Jun
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