Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Multiple circuit control – Sequential operations
Reexamination Certificate
2003-09-30
2004-08-10
Friedhofer, Michael A. (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Multiple circuit control
Sequential operations
C200S341000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06774321
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-stage push operating switch device for use with an apparatus for opening or closing a window of an automobile or the like, which allows acquisition of first- and second-stage click feelings in response to a push-down amount of a slider, as well as outputting electric signals.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a two-stage movement seesaw switch apparatus which outputs a first-stage and a second-stage electric signals in response to an operation of a manually operable knob has been proposed by the assignee of the present application, for example in Patent Reference
1
.
FIG. 11
is a plan view of the two-stage movement seesaw switch apparatus of the type mentioned above;
FIG. 12
is a plan view of the two-stage movement seesaw switch apparatus of
FIG. 11
with a manually operable knob removed; and
FIGS. 13A
to
13
C are to illustrate movement of the two-stage movement seesaw switch apparatus of
FIG. 11
, corresponding to sectional views taken along line
13
—
13
of FIG.
11
.
Referring to
FIGS. 11
to
13
C, the conventional two-stage movement seesaw switch apparatus includes a manually operable knob
2
supported for rocking motion on a casing
1
, a pair of operation plates
3
and
4
disposed in a juxtaposed relationship in the inside of the casing
1
for being pressed by the manually operable knob
2
, a base plate
6
having a pair of fixed contacts
5
a
and
5
b
thereon, and a click rubber member
8
in the form of a sheet disposed between the base plate
6
and the operation plates
3
and
4
and having a plurality of hollow projections
8
a
and
8
b
. A pair of movable contacts
7
a
and
7
b
are provided in an opposing relationship to the fixed contacts
5
a
and
5
b
in the hollow projections
8
a
and
8
b
, respectively. A damping member
3
a
is mounted on a surface of the operation plate
3
on the left side of the center of pivotal motion of the manually operable knob
2
such that, when the manually operable knob
2
is tilted leftwardly, a projection
2
a
provided on the bottom side of the manually operable knob
2
presses the operation plate
3
by way of the damping member
3
a
. Meanwhile, a damping member
4
a
is mounted on a surface of the other operation plate
4
on the right side of the center of pivotal motion of the manually operable knob
2
such that another projection not shown provided on the bottom side of the manually operable knob
2
presses the operations plate
4
by way of the damping member
4
a
. It is to be noted that the fixed contact
5
a
and the movable contact
7
a
cooperate with each other to form a push switch which is operated by the operation plate
3
, and simultaneously, the fixed contact
5
b
and the movable contact
7
b
cooperate with each other to form another push switch which is operated by the operation plate
3
. Similarly, another set of push switches (not shown) are provided for the other operation plate
4
.
In the above two-stage movement seesaw switch apparatus, if, when it is in an inoperative condition shown in
FIG. 13A
, the manually operable knob
2
is tilted to the left side in
FIG. 13A
against the resilient force of the click rubber member
8
, then the operation plate
3
is pressed by way of the damping member
3
a
located in the tilting direction, whereupon the operation plate
3
is first pivoted in the tilting direction around the hollow projection
8
B which is comparatively remote from the acting point of the pressing force. Thereupon, the hollow projection
8
A of the click rubber member
8
positioned in the tilting direction is pressed by the operation plate
3
, and consequently, the hollow projection
8
a
is yieldably deformed as shown in
FIG. 13B
to provide a click feeling. Further, since the movable contact
7
a
provided on the hollow projection
8
a
is thereafter brought into contact with the fixed contact
5
a
opposing thereto, a first-stage electric signal is outputted in accordance with the tilting direction of the manually operable knob
2
. If the manually operable knob
2
is further pushed to the left side in
FIG. 13B
, the operation plate
3
is pivoted in the direction opposite to the initial tilting direction around the hollow projection
8
a
, whereupon the other hollow projection
8
b
is pressed by the operation plate
3
Consequently, the hollow projection
8
b
is yieldably deformed as shown in
FIG. 13C
to produce a second click feeling. Further, since the movable contact
7
b
provided on the hollow projection
8
b
is thereafter brought into contact with the fixed contact
5
b
opposing thereto, a second-stage electric signal is outputted in accordance with the tilting direction and tilting angle of the manually operable knob
2
. Then, if the tilting force applied to the manually operable knob
2
is cancelled, then the manually operable knob
2
is returned to its neutral position by way of the operation plate
3
by the resilient forces of the hollow projections
8
a
and
8
b
of the click rubber member
8
, while the hollow projections
8
a
and
8
b
return to their individual non-operated conditions by their own resilient forces. Consequently, the movable contacts
7
a
and
7
b
are spaced away from the fixed contacts
5
a
and
5
b
and return to their initial off conditions, respectively.
On the other hand, if, when the two-stage movement seesaw switch apparatus is in the inoperative condition shown in
FIG. 13A
, the manually operable knob
2
is tilted to the right side in
FIG. 13A
, then since the other operation plate
4
is pressed by the manually operable knob
2
by way of the damping member
4
a
, first- and second-stage electric signals are outputted in response to a tilting angle from the set of push switches corresponding to the operation plate
4
similarly to the case described above wherein the operation plate
3
is pressed.
[Patent Reference]1
The Gazette of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 08-111142, (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,920) pages 2 to 3,
FIG. 6
to FIG.
8
.
In the meantime, there is a strong demand for size reduction as to the above two-stage movement seesaw switch apparatus that is described in the patent document
1
. When one rubber switch is pressed down to a bottom point, the narrower a distance between the two rubber switches are made, the larger interference to the other rubber switch may occur. Therefore, there has been a problem that a clear click feeling cannot be obtained.
Further, a rubber mat die is used to mold the rubber switch. In order to obtain two-stage click feeling, if the die is designed such that one rubber switch out of the two switches inverted with 100 g and the other is inverted with 200 g, molding by the rubber mat die generally causes an error of approximately ±50 g. Therefore, there has been a problem that several modifications with the rubber mat die are required so as to adjust the click feeling, thereby causing a long developing period of time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to solve such defects of the conventional art, and the objective of the present invention is to provide a multi-stage push operating switch device, with which it is possible to obtain a clear click feeling even with a narrower distance between the first and the second rubber switches, so that a planar dimension of a product can be made smaller, as well as preventing the developing time period from being extended.
The objective of the present invention as described above can be achieved by providing a multi-stage push operating switch device including:
a holder;
a first rubber'switch having a dome provided with a movable contact on an inner ceiling;
a second rubber switch having a dome provided with a movable contact on an inner ceiling;
a printed board on which a fixed contact is formed;
a slider provided with actuating portions for pressing the domes of the first and the second rubber switches, respectively, the slide
Komatsu Shinji
Sasaki Mikio
LandOfFree
Multi-stage push operating switch device, allowing... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Multi-stage push operating switch device, allowing..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Multi-stage push operating switch device, allowing... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3312578