Oscillating switch

Details Oscillating switch Oscillating switch

2001-11-15

2004-06-29

Luebke, Renee (Department: 2833)

Electricity: circuit makers and breakers

Solid contact

Rocking actuator

C200S517000, C200S557000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06756556

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an oscillating switch, more particularly to an improved oscillating switch provided with a click feeling-producing mechanism for producing a suitable click feeling when an operating knob is operated.
As a switch for controlling various electric equipments (such as a power window mechanism) mounted, for example, on a door trim of a car door, a related oscillating switch
60
as shown in
FIG. 3
is known, which includes an oscillating switch
60
of the see-saw type in which an operating knob
61
is supported for pivotal movement about a support shaft
63
on a switch panel.
In this oscillating switch
60
, a PCB (printed circuit board)
66
serving as a contact circuit member is provided between an upper casing
64
and a lower casing
65
spaced a predetermined distance T
1
from each other. A pair of juxtaposed right and left switching elements
67
are fixedly mounted on the PCB
66
.
A pair of pressing portions
68
, corresponding respectively to the switching elements
67
, are formed on and project from a reverse surface (lower surface in
FIG. 3
) of the operating knob
61
, and the switching elements
67
are suitably pressed respectively by these pressing portions when the operating knob
61
is operated to be pivotally moved. A click feeling-producing mechanism (not shown) is provided within each switching element
67
, and produces a suitable click feeling when the operating knob
61
is operated.
FIG. 4
shows another example of oscillating switch in which there is provided a click feeling-producing mechanism
79
separate from switching elements.
More specifically, in this oscillating switch
70
, a PCB
73
serving as a contact circuit member is provided between an upper casing
71
and a lower casing
72
spaced a predetermined distance T
2
from each other, and a rubber switch member
75
having rubber contact portions
74
is provided on the PCB
73
.
When an operating knob
76
is pressed to be pivotally moved, one of a pair of pressing portions
77
and
77
formed on and projecting from a reverse surface (lower surface in
FIG. 4
) of the operating knob
76
depresses corresponding one of a pair of pressing pins
78
and
78
, so that the corresponding rubber contact portions
74
of the rubber switch member
75
can be depressed. The rubber contact portion
74
, thus pressed by the pressing pin
78
, is buckled, so that a conductive piece (not shown) thereof is pressed against a switch contact, provided on the PCB
73
, to close it.
The click feeling-producing mechanism
79
is provided between the reverse surface of the operating knob
76
and the upper casing
71
, and includes a ball plunger
82
which is mounted on a mounting portion of the upper casing
71
and has a compression spring
81
urging a steel ball (pressing element)
80
in a direction (upward direction in
FIG. 4
) toward the reverse surface of the operating knob
76
, and an operating portion
83
having a cam surface
83
a
which is held in sliding contact with the steel ball
80
so as to guide the same. When the operating knob
76
is operated, the click feeling-producing mechanism
79
produces a suitable click feeling of the operating knob
76
in accordance with a resistance of sliding contact between the steel ball
80
of the ball plunger
82
and the cam surface
83
a
of the operating portion
83
.
In the related oscillating switch
60
shown in FIG.
3
, the click feeling-producing mechanism is contained in the switching element
67
, so that the height (the dimension in the upward-downward direction in
FIG. 3
) of the switching element
67
increases. Therefore, the switching elements
67
must be firmly fixed to the PCB
66
, so that a gap &agr; for receiving soldering leads of the switching elements
67
and snap-fit members thereof must be provided between the PCB
66
and the lower casing
65
.
Therefore, it is difficult to reduce the spacing T
1
between the upper casing
64
and the lower casing
65
in the oscillating switch
60
, and a dimension X
1
of a unit in the direction of its thickness (that is, the spacing between the upper casing
64
and the lower casing
65
; the dimension in the upward-downward direction in
FIG. 3
) can not be reduced. Therefore, there was encountered a problem that it was difficult to achieve a thin design of the whole of the unit and a space-saving effect when the unit is mounted on a vehicle.
On the other hand, in the oscillating switch
70
shown in
FIG. 4
, the click feeling-producing mechanism
79
separate from the switching elements is provided between the operating knob
76
and the outer surface of the upper casing
71
, and the rubber switch member
75
is adopted. Therefore, the spacing T
2
between the upper casing
71
and the lower casing
72
in the oscillating switch
70
can be made smaller as compared with the oscillating switch
60
shown in FIG.
3
.
However, the height H
2
of projecting of the operating knob
76
from the outer surface of the upper casing
71
is considerably larger than the height Hi of projecting of the operating knob
61
of the oscillating switch
60
shown in FIG.
3
.
Namely, the click feeling-producing mechanism
79
is provided between the operating knob
76
and the outer surface (upper surface in
FIG. 4
) of the upper casing
71
, and the spacing between a support shaft
84
, serving as an axis of pivotal movement of the operating knob
76
, and each rubber contact portion
74
of the rubber switch member
75
is large. Therefore in order that each rubber contact portion
74
can be properly pressed, the pressing pin
78
needs to be interposed between the operating knob and the rubber contact portion
74
.
Therefore, the pressing pins
78
are fitted respectively in guide portions
71
a
formed integrally on the upper casing
71
so as to move upward and downward, so that these guide portions
71
a
need to have a predetermined guide length (dimension in the upward-downward direction in
FIG. 4
) As a result, the dimension X
2
of the whole of the unit in the direction of thickness thereof (that is, the spacing between the upper casing
71
and the lower casing
72
; the dimension in the upward-downward direction in
FIG. 4
) can not be reduced. Therefore, as in the oscillating switch
60
of
FIG. 3
, there was encountered a problem that it is difficult to achieve a thin design of the whole of the unit (for example, a space-saving effect when the unit is mounted on a vehicle).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to solve the above problems and to provide an oscillating switch which can achieve a thin design of the whole of a unit while securing a good click feeling when operating an operating knob.
In order to solve the aforesaid object, the invention is characterized by having the following arrangement.
(1) An oscillating switch comprising:
a lower casing;
a contact circuit member provided on the lower casing and including a through hole;
a rubber switch member provided on the contact circuit member and including a pair of rubber contact portions and a through hole;
an upper casing for covering the rubber switch member;
an operating knob pivotally supported by the upper casing;
pressing portions formed on the operating knob so as to depress the corresponding rubber contact portions, respectively; and
a click feeling-producing mechanism, for producing a suitable click feeling when the operating knob is operated, which passing through the through holes of the contact circuit member and the rubber switch member, wherein the click feeling-producing mechanism includes,
a cam surface formed on one of the operating knob and the lower casing,
a pressing element formed on the other of the operating knob and the lower casing, and
a urging member for urging the pressing element to the cam surface.
(2) The oscillating switch according to (1), wherein the cam surface is formed on a distal end of an operating portion which projects from the operating knob and passes through the through holes of the co

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