Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Multiple circuit control – Pivoted contact
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-15
2003-04-01
Luebke, Renee (Department: 2833)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Multiple circuit control
Pivoted contact
C200S521000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06541716
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switch device, and, more particularly, to a switch device which is suitable for use in driving a mirror of an automobile.
2. Description of the Related Art
The switch device is used for remotely controlling a mirror which is mounted to, for example, the body of an automobile from the driver's seat by the driving power of a motor. In addition, the switch device is used to selectively operate a plurality of switches which are disposed inside a case by pressing an operating section which is rockably stopped at the top portion of the case.
A description of a conventional switch device is given with reference to the relevant drawings.
FIG. 15
is an exploded perspective view of the conventional switch drive.
FIG. 16
is a sectional view of the conventional switch device.
As shown in
FIG. 15
, the conventional switch device comprises a case
21
having an open bottom end and a cover
29
for covering the open end of the case
21
. The case
21
and the cover
29
are snappingly coupled together, whereby the external shell of the switch device is formed.
A printed wiring board
28
is placed on the cover
29
. The printed wiring board
28
has three stationary contacts
28
a
formed thereon. Three sliding members
25
are placed above the corresponding stationary contacts
28
a
which are formed on the printed wiring board
28
. The three sliding members
25
have corresponding movable contacts
27
formed thereon such that they come into contact with and separate from their corresponding stationary contacts
28
a
by sliding.
The three stationary contacts
28
a
which are formed on the printed wiring board
28
and the three sliding members
25
which have the corresponding movable contacts
27
affixed thereto form three switches.
A substantially square recess
21
a
is formed in the top surface of the case
21
. Clearance holes
21
b
are formed in three of the four corners of the recess
21
a.
A protruding wall
21
d
having a through hole
21
c
is formed in the center of the recess
21
a.
Three actuating members
22
are provided, each of which comprises a circular cylindrical base
22
a
and substantially semicircular ends
22
b
which are provided on both ends of its corresponding base
22
a.
A rubber spring
23
comprises a flat, substantially rectangular base
23
a
, substantially dome-shaped spring sections
23
b
-
1
,
23
b
-
2
,
23
b
-
3
, and
23
b
-
4
, and planar presser sections
23
c
-
1
,
23
c
-
2
,
23
c
-
3
, and
23
c
-
4
. The spring sections
23
b
-
1
,
23
b
-
2
,
23
b
-
3
, and
23
b
-
4
are formed on the four corners of the base
23
a
, respectively. The presser sections
23
c
-
1
,
23
c
-
2
,
23
c
-
3
, and
23
c
-
4
have circular cylindrical shapes, are formed on ends of the corresponding spring sections
23
b
-
1
,
23
b
-
2
,
23
b
-
3
, and
23
b
-
4
, and have their ends formed parallel to the base
23
a
, that is, in a horizontal direction.
A rectangular through hole
23
d
is formed in the center of the base
23
a
. An inside wall
23
e
is formed on the base
23
a
in a standing manner so as to surround the peripheral. portion of the through hole
23
d.
The rubber spring
23
is accommodated inside the recess
21
a
of the case
21
. At this time, the actuating members
22
are in contact with the inside walls of the three corresponding presser sections
23
c
1
,
23
c
-
2
, and
23
c
-
3
, and are disposed so as to be slidable inside their corresponding clearance holes
21
b
in the case
21
. The through hole
23
d
in the rubber spring
23
is disposed so as to oppose the through hole
21
c
in the case
21
.
As shown in
FIG. 16
, an operating member
24
is formed of, for example, a synthetic resin material by molding. The operating member
24
comprises a substantially rectangular top wall
24
a
, side walls
24
b
which extend in a substantially vertical direction from the peripheral ends of the top wall
24
a
so as to surround the peripheral end portions of the top wall
24
a
, and four cylindrical actuating sections
24
c
which are cross-shaped in cross section and which protrude inwardly from the vicinity of the four corresponding corners of the top wall
24
a.
An end surface of each actuating section
24
c
of the operating member
24
is formed with the same predetermined tilt angle &agr;
1
(such as, approximately three degrees) with respect to the top wall
24
a
(that is, the horizontal plane). Each end surface extends radially outward from substantially the center of the operating member
24
.
A description of the operation of the switch device will now be given.
As shown in
FIG. 15
, when, for example, the operator presses substantially the center portion of the lower left end side of the operating member
24
shown in
FIG. 15
with, for example, his/her finger (not shown), the operating member
24
tilts to the lower left side. When the operating member
24
tilts to the lower left side, the two left actuating sections
24
c
and
24
c
of the operating member
24
are pushed downward. When these two left actuating sections
24
c
and
24
c
are pushed, the corresponding presser sections
23
c
1
and
23
c
2
of the rubber spring
23
which have been brought-into contact with the two left actuating sections
24
c
and
24
c
are pushed downward.
When the presser sections
23
c
-
1
and
23
c
-
2
of the rubber spring
23
are pushed, each of the spring sections
23
b
-
1
and
23
b
-
2
buckles as the operator is provided with a tactile feel, so that the operator is provided with a proper tactile feel. At this time, the presser sections
23
c
-
1
and
23
c
-
2
cause the two actuating members
22
which are in contact with the inside walls of their corresponding presser sections
23
c
-
1
and
23
c
-
2
to be pushed and to slide downward.
When these two actuating members
22
slide downward, the ends
22
b
of each of these actuating members
22
move downward on inclined portions
25
c
of the two corresponding sliding members
25
. Here, these two sliding members
25
slide, along with their corresponding movable contacts
27
, above the corresponding stationary contacts
28
a
which are formed on the printed wiring board
28
so as to go against the resilient forces of corresponding coil springs
26
.
When these two sliding members
25
slide, each of the corresponding movable contacts
27
comes into contact with its corresponding stationary contact
28
a
, so that two switches are brought into an on state at the same time.
Next, when the operator moves his/her finger off the operating member
24
, the resilient forces of the two corresponding coil springs
26
cause the two corresponding sliding members
25
to slide back to their original positions. Here, each of the corresponding movable contacts
27
separates from its corresponding stationary contact
28
a
, so that the two switches are brought-into an off state.
By the sliding of the two sliding members
25
, the corresponding actuating members
22
are pushed upward, and the operating member
24
is pushed upward to its original position by the self-restoring force of the rubber spring
23
.
As shown in
FIG. 15
, when the operator presses, for example, substantially the center portion of the upper left end side of the operating member
24
shown in
FIG. 15
with, for example, his/her finger (not shown), the operating member
24
tilts to the upper left side. When the operating member
24
tilts to the upper left side, the corresponding actuating sections
24
c
of the operating member
24
are pushed downward. When the actuating sections
24
c
are pushed downward, the presser sections
23
c
-
1
and
23
c
-
4
of the rubber spring
23
which have come into contact with the actuating sections
24
c
are pushed downward.
The operations which follow the pushing down of the presser sections
23
c
-
1
and
23
c
-
4
are substantially the same as those when substantially the center portion of the lower left side of the operating member
24
is pressed, so tha
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Luebke Renee
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