Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Multiple circuit control – Pivoted contact
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-14
2001-06-12
Friedhofer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Multiple circuit control
Pivoted contact
C200S0050EA
Reexamination Certificate
active
06246019
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a multidirectional switch for use in various electronic apparatus and a complex type switch using the multidirectional switch.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Range of the operating functions is expanding and diversifying among various electronic apparatus developed recently. A cursor moving in a display or selection keys provided on a key board are increasingly used as means for selecting an operational function when using an apparatus. As a device for inputting signals in such apparatus, a switch having multiple functions is requested, in which switch one operating body can manage action of pluralities of switch elements. For satisfying the above needs, various types of multidirectional switches that can be operated in a number of directions have been proposed.
A conventional multidirectional switch is described in the following with reference to FIG.
12
through FIG.
15
.
FIG. 12
shows a cross sectional view of a conventional multidirectional switch,
FIG. 13
is an exploded perspective view of the switch,
FIG. 14
is a cross sectional view of the switch in a state when the operating body is being pressed at the center,
FIG. 15
is a cross sectional view of the switch in a state when the operating body is being pressed at a peripheral place.
As shown in FIG.
12
and
FIG. 13
, the conventional switch comprises a switch substrate
1
provided on the upper surface with a pair of fixed contact points
1
A for the center switch element and four pairs of fixed contact points
1
B for the periphery switch elements disposed in the peripheral region; a driving body
2
placed on the switch substrate
1
, which driving body
2
being formed of a base portion
2
A of an almost-flat board shape, a center drive portion
2
D having on the bottom surface a movable contact point
2
B opposing to the fixed contact points
1
A and connected at the bottom circumference with the base portion
2
A by a dome-shaped connection portion
2
C of thin wall thickness, and four periphery drive portions
2
G disposed around the center drive portion
2
D, each having on the bottom surface a movable contact point
2
E opposing to the fixed contact points
1
B, connected at the bottom circumference with the base portion
2
A by a dome-shaped connection portion
2
F of thin wall thickness.
An operating body
3
of a thick disc shape is making contact at the bottom center with the upper surface of the center drive portion
2
D, and is provided with an engagement portion
3
A for positioning surrounding side wall of the center drive portion
2
D and a flange
3
B protruding from the outer circumference, which flange
3
B having a plurality of cuts
3
C. A resin case
4
is having an opening
4
B for allowing the operating body
3
to rise and a plurality of pillars
4
A disposed on the reverse surface for engagement with a certain clearance to the cuts
3
C.
In the normal state, clearance between the movable contact point
2
B and the fixed contact points
1
A is set to be smaller than the sum of a clearance B between the movable contact point
2
E and the fixed contact points
1
B plus a clearance C between the bottom surface of flange
3
B of operating body
3
and the upper surface of periphery drive portion
2
G. Namely, clearance A<(clearance B+clearance C).
FIG. 12
illustrates the above described structure in the neutral state. When the operating body
3
is pressed down at the center as indicated with an arrow mark in
FIG. 14
, the center drive portion
2
D moves down with flexion of the connection portion
2
C, and the movable contact point
2
B contacts with the fixed contact points
1
A. Thereby, the center switch element turns into ON state. At this state, since the sum of clearances B and C is greater than the clearance A, the movable contact point
2
E does not contact with the fixed contact points
1
B; the periphery switch elements remain in OFF state. As soon as the pressure applied on the operating body
3
is withdrawn, the operating body
3
is pushed up by the center drive portion
2
D with an elastic restorative force of the connection portion
2
C. Thus it restores the neutral state.
When the operating body
3
is pressed at a peripheral region as illustrated with an arrow mark in
FIG. 15
, the operating body
3
tilts guided by the cut
3
C of flange
3
B and the pillar
4
A. The connection portion
2
C flexes and the bottom circumferential surface of operating body
3
makes contact with the upper surface of periphery drive portion
2
G. With a further press, the connection portion
2
F flexes allowing the periphery drive portion
2
G to go down, and the movable contact point
2
E contacts with the fixed contact points
1
B. Thus ON state is created with the periphery switch elements. At this time, since the movable contact point
2
B is set to maintain a certain clearance against the fixed contact points
1
A, the fixed contact points
1
A are not connected. Thus the center switch element is kept in OFF state. As soon as the pressure applied on the operating body
3
is withdrawn, the operating body
3
is pushed up by the center drive portion
2
D and the periphery drive portion
2
G with the elastic restorative force of connection portions
2
C and
2
F, and moves upward guided by the pillar
4
A of resin case
4
. Thus it restores to the neutral state.
In the conventional switch, however, there has been a problem that in some cases both the center switch element and the periphery switch element are brought into ON state altogether at a same time, if an operating force intended to press the operating body
3
at the center dislocated somewhat towards peripheral area, or if pressed with too much force although pressed at a right place.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A switch of the present invention comprises a switch substrate provided with a center switch element and a periphery switch element, and a driving body provided with a center press portion and a periphery press portion that correspond to the respective switch elements, the driving body being placed above the switch substrate. A first protrusion is provided on the bottom surface of the periphery press portion. The protrusion works to separate respective functions of the center press portion and the periphery press portion.
With the above described configuration, even if an operating force intended at the center, or the periphery, of operating body is exerted in a place somewhat deviating from a right place, only a targeted switch, either the center switch element, or the periphery switch element, are surely put into ON-OFF operation.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4820890 (1989-04-01), Tamura et al.
patent: 5555004 (1996-09-01), Ono et al.
patent: 5632453 (1997-05-01), Maeda
patent: 5691517 (1997-11-01), Yamamoto et al.
patent: 5952628 (1999-09-01), Sato et al.
patent: 6080941 (2000-06-01), Yokobori
Kamimura Yoshihiko
Nakamura Takaya
Friedhofer Michael
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
McDermott & Will & Emery
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