Multiple-operation switch

Details Multiple-operation switch Multiple-operation switch

2000-10-02

2003-05-27

Luebke, Renee (Department: 2832)

Electricity: circuit makers and breakers

Multiple circuit control

Pivoted contact

C200S00600C

Reexamination Certificate

active

06570107

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a multiple-way operation switch having an operating rod protruding from the front panel, which switch providing electric signals in accordance with direction of tilting the operating rod. An electronic apparatus incorporating the multiple-way operation switch is also included in the invention.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional multiple-way operation switch is described below with reference to
FIG. 11
, a cross sectional view.
As shown in
FIG. 11
, a lower case
1
of an octagonal appearance made with an insulating resin is provided at the upper opening with a depression
1
A of octagon shape that substantially corresponds to the octagonal appearance, and a first fixed contact point
4
formed of a central fixed contact point
2
and an outer fixed contact point
3
at the bottom. The central fixed contact point
2
and the outer fixed contact point
3
are electrically connected, respectively, with external terminals
2
A and
3
A projecting from the lower case
1
.
A movable contact
5
of round dome shape made of thin conductive metal plate is placed on the outer fixed contact point
3
, making direct contact thereon at the bottom of outer edge
5
A.
An upper case
6
of octagonal appearance made with an insulating resin, which case couples with the opening of lower case
1
, has a round through hole
6
A at the center, and is provided on the bottom surface with eight fixed contact points
7
A-
7
H disposed at an equal distance from the center of the through hole
6
A with an equal spacing to each other, as shown in a rear view FIG.
12
. Each of the respective fixed contact points
7
A-
7
H is electrically led outside of the upper case
6
to terminals
7
I-
7
P.
Referring to FIG.
13
and
FIG. 14
, a cylindrical member
8
made of an insulating resin is provided with a through hole
9
, formed of a round hole
9
A in the upper part and an oblong hole
9
B in the lower part. In the middle part of the cylindrical member
8
, a conductive flange
10
of octagon shape is provided fixed by an insertion molding, which flange shape being slightly smaller than that of the depression
1
A of lower case
1
. The cylindrical member
8
and the conductive flange
10
constitute a movable contact body
11
.
The movable contact body
11
is inserted and engaged at its upper
10
cylindrical portion
8
A of the cylindrical member
8
with the through hole
6
A of the upper case
6
, and pushed upward by a conductive coil spring
12
, housed in the lower case
1
, with the upper end of the coil spring
12
making direct contact with the bottom surface of the conductive flange
10
. Thus the movable contact body
11
is supported to be able to make tilting motion.
Namely, in a normal state as shown in
FIG. 11
, the movable contact body
11
is being pushed upward by the coil spring
12
, and the upper surface of the conductive flange
10
is in contact with the fixed contact points
7
A-
7
H of the upper case
6
, maintaining the neutral position.
The contact points
7
B-
7
D,
7
F-
7
H are not shown in FIG.
11
.
The bottom end of the conductive coil spring
12
is always in contact with the outer fixed contact point
3
; as the result, the contact points
7
A-
7
H are in electrical connection with the outer fixed contact point
3
by way of the conductive flange
10
and the conductive coil spring
12
. So, the terminals
7
I-
7
P and the terminal
3
A are also in electrical connection.
The terminals
7
J-
7
L,
7
N-
7
P are not shown in FIG.
11
.
An operating rod
13
of round rod shape is penetrating through the through hole
9
of the cylindrical member
8
of the movable contact body
11
. The operating rod
13
makes contact at the bottom end
13
A with the movable contact
5
at the top point
5
B.
The operating rod
13
is provided on the outer circumference in the middle portion with an oblong round portion
13
B, which is engaged with the oblong hole
9
B of the through hole
9
of cylindrical member
8
. In this way, the operating rod
13
is supported by the movable contact point body
11
so that it an move up/down for a certain distance, while no revolving is allowed to each other.
A portion of the operating rod
13
protruding out of the upper case
6
is an operating section
13
C. In a normal state where there is no operating force exerted, the movable contact body
11
is pushed upward by the coil spring
12
to be in the neutral position; therefore, the operating rod
13
engaged with the through hole
9
is also held at the neutral position.
Now in the following, operation of the above-configured conventional multiple-way operation switch is described.
As already described, in the normal state where there is no operating force exerted to the operating section
13
C of the operating rod
13
, both the operating rod
13
and the movable contact body
11
are in neutral position, and the upper surface of the conductive flange
10
of the movable contact body
11
is in contact with the fixed contact points
7
A-
7
H provided in the upper case
6
.
When an operating force is exerted to the operating section
13
C of operating rod
13
in the direction of left, as shown with an arrow mark in
FIG. 15
, to tilt the operating rod
13
towards the location where fixed contact point
7
E is disposed, the operating rod
13
as well as the movable contact body
11
holding it tilt to compress at the left bottom surface of the conductive flange
10
the left portion of the coil spring
12
, with the point where the upper surface of the conductive flange
10
at the right, or at a side opposite to the direction indicated with the arrow mark, and the fixed contact point
7
A are making contact as the fulcrum point.
In this state, the fixed contact point
7
A locating at the place of fulcrum point keeps contact with the conductive flange
10
, while the fixed contact point
7
E shown in
FIG. 15
, and the fixed contact points
7
B-
7
D,
7
F-
7
H (not shown) are separated from the conductive flange
10
. These fixed contact points
7
B
7
H are electrically isolated to be in OFF state.
Tilting of operating rod
13
results in lowering of the bottom end
13
A, which pushes the top point
5
B of movable contact
5
disposed in the lower case
1
. The dome shape of the movable contact
5
is reversed, and the outer fixed contact point
3
and the central fixed contact point
2
are electrically connected by the movable contact
5
.
In the above state, the terminal
7
I of fixed contact point
7
A, the terminal
3
A of outer fixed contact point
3
and the terminal
2
A of central contact point
2
are electrically connected, while other terminals
7
J-
7
P stay in OFF state.
When the operating rod
13
is tilted to other directions, namely to the directions of respective fixed contact points
7
A-
7
D,
7
F-
7
H, the switch operates in almost the same manner as described in the above. A short description of the operation in such cases is given below.
The movable contact body
11
tilts around a fulcrum point at which one of the fixed contact points
7
B-
7
H disposed in a location opposite to the tilting direction of the operating rod
13
makes contact with the conductive flange
10
, only one fixed contact point locating at the fulcrum point among those fixed contact points
7
B-
7
H remains in electrical conduction while the other contact points leave to OFF state. The movable contact
5
is pushed as a result of lowering of the operating rod
13
caused by the tilting operation, and the dome shape is reversed, bringing the outer fixed contact point
3
and the central fixed contact point
2
into electrical conduction via movable contact
5
. The state of electrical connection among the fixed contact points
7
A-
7
H, the central fixed contact point
2
and the outer fixed contact point
3
are delivered outside through respective terminals
7
I-
7
P,
2
A and
3
A.
As soon as the tilting force exerted on the operating rod
13
is withdrawn, the coil spring
12
and the movable contact
5
are restored respective

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Multiple-operation switch does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Multiple-operation switch, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Multiple-operation switch will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3026613