Push and rotary operating type electronic component

Details Push and rotary operating type electronic component Push and rotary operating type electronic component

2000-09-20

2002-05-14

Luebke, Renee (Department: 2833)

Electricity: circuit makers and breakers

Multiple circuit control

Operating means

C200S014000, C200S571000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06388212

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a push and rotary operating type electronic component employed mainly in a computer peripheral such as a mouse and the like, a communication terminal apparatus such as a cellular phone and the like, a vehicle-mounted electric device, and so on. In particular, the invention relates to a push and rotary operating type electronic component that allows for rotary manipulation of a peripheral surface of a cylindrical operating knob projecting from a control surface of the apparatus in a tangential direction, and also for push manipulation in a direction toward a central axis of rotation of the knob.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A rotary encoder equipped with a push switch (hereinafter referred to simply as “REPS”), such as one shown in a general perspective view of
FIG. 15
, has been hitherto known, as this kind of push and rotary operating type electronic component is prior art.
FIG. 16
is a cross-sectional side view of the REPS. With reference to FIG.
15
and
FIG. 16
, the REPS of the prior art will be described hereinafter.
The REPS of the prior art comprises a mounting substrate
1
having contact points, a rotary encoder
2
disposed on one side of the mounting substrate
1
having contact points, as a rotary operation part, and a push switch
3
disposed on the other side of the mounting substrate
1
having contact points, as a push operation part.
The rotary encoder
2
is held on the mounting substrate
1
in a manner such that it is movable within a certain range in a vertical direction (the direction shown by arrows V in FIG.
15
and FIG.
16
). Further, the push switch
3
is fixed to the mounting substrate
1
so as not to move.
As shown in a general perspective view of
FIG. 17
, the mounting substrate
1
having contact points is provided with a recess
5
formed in a plate-like plastic body having guide rails
4
for the rotary encoder
2
to move along, another recess
6
for fixing the push switch
3
, three terminals
7
connected to their respective contact plates
8
for leading an electric signal of the rotary encoder
2
to an outside, and a support leg
1
A positioned on a mount surface
1
B at a lower end for installation of the REPS on a wiring board of an apparatus.
As shown in the cross-sectional side view of
FIG. 16
, the rotary encoder
2
comprises a sliding contact body
9
made of plastic, inserted in the recess
5
of the mounting substrate
1
with contact points, three flexible contact bars
10
secured to the sliding contact body
9
by insertion molding, a cylindrical axle
15
mounted on the sliding contact body
9
, a discoidal operating knob
12
mounted on the cylindrical axle
15
in a rotatable manner, a rotary body
14
made of plastic mounted on an inner surface of the discoidal operating knob
12
, and a radially-oriented movable contact
13
secured to the rotary body
14
.
The sliding contact body
9
is fitted in the recess
5
and retained with the guide rails
4
in a manner that it is movable within a certain range in a vertical direction (the direction shown by the arrow V).
FIG. 19
is a plan view depicting one aspect of the three flexible contact bars
10
in contact with the radially-oriented movable contact
13
. As shown in
FIG. 19
, the three flexible contact bars
10
consisting of a common flexible contact bar and two signaling flexible contact bars, all fixed to the sliding contact body
9
, are in resilient contact with an annular contact portion
13
A and a radial contact portion
13
B of the radially-oriented movable contact
13
. In other words, the three flexible contact bars
10
are so arranged as to be in contact with the radially-oriented movable contact
13
secured to the rotary body
14
, which is rotatable about the cylindrical axle
15
. Hence, the three flexible contact bars
10
slide on the annular contact portion
13
A and the radial contact portion
13
B, while maintaining resilient contacts therewith, when the operating knob
12
is rotated. The above operation causes the rotary encoder
2
to generate an electric signal.
Furthermore, three flexible contacts
11
in electrical continuity with their respective flexible contact bars
10
are so arranged such that they maintain contact with the three contact plates
8
positioned on the mounting substrate
1
. Therefore, the electric signal generated in the rotary encoder
2
is led to the terminals
7
through the flexible contacts
11
and the contact plates
8
.
In addition, a leaf spring
16
, mounted on a lower end portion of the sliding contact body
9
, stays in resilient contact with projecting studs
17
(refer to
FIG. 17
) of the mounting substrate
1
. In this structure, the leaf spring
16
provides a biasing force to keep the rotary encoder
2
in a position away from the push switch
3
in a normal state.
The push switch
3
is fitted and secured in the recess
6
(shown in
FIG. 17
) in an opposite surface of the mounting substrate
1
with respect to the rotary encoder
2
. The push switch
3
is arranged so that an actuating button
18
thereof is in contact with a pushing portion
15
A of the cylindrical axle
15
of the rotary encoder
2
, as shown in FIG.
16
. Terminals
19
to deliver an electric signal of the push switch
3
to an outside project downward.
The REPS of the prior art is constructed as described above.
FIG. 18
is a partially sectioned side view depicting an example in which this REPS is mounted in an enduse apparatus. The mounting substrate
1
having contact points is mounted on a wiring board
20
with the support leg
1
A, as shown in
FIG. 18
, so as to keep the mount surface
1
B at a bottom end thereof in close contact with a surface of the wiring board
20
. In addition, the terminals
7
of the rotary encoder
2
and the terminals
19
of the push switch
3
are inserted into mounting holes
21
and
22
in the wiring board
20
of the apparatus, and soldered. Also, the REPS is mounted in the apparatus in a manner that a peripheral rim
12
A, serving as an operating portion of the discoidal operating knob
12
, protrudes from a control surface
23
on an upper enclosure of the apparatus.
The REPS of the prior art constructed as discussed above operates in a manner, which will be described hereinafter.
First, the rotary encoder
2
will be described. An operator rotates the discoidal operating knob
12
by applying a force on the peripheral rim
12
A of the operating knob
12
in the tangential direction (the direction of an arrow H shown in FIG.
15
). This rotary motion causes the rotary body
14
to rotate about the axle
15
. Accordingly, the three flexible contact bars
10
slide on the annular contact portion
13
A and the radial contact portion
13
B of the radially-oriented movable contact
13
secured to the rotary body
14
, while maintaining resilient contact therewith. As a result, the rotary encoder
2
generates an electric signal corresponding to a direction of the rotation of the operating knob
12
, so as to function as a rotary type encoder. This electric signal is transferred to the contact plates
8
on the mounting substrate
1
from the flexible contact bars
10
via the three flexible contacts
11
. The electric signal is further transferred to a circuit on the wiring board
20
of the apparatus through the terminals
7
for external connections.
The push switch
3
will be described next. The operator applies a depressing force on the peripheral rim
12
A of the discoidal operating knob
12
in a direction toward the central axis of rotation (the direction of arrows V
1
shown in FIG.
16
and
FIG. 18
) against the biasing force of the leaf spring
16
, which provides the force to push the rotary encoder
2
upward. The depressing force shifts the entire rotary encoder
2
in the direction of the arrow V
1
along the guide rails
4
of the mounting substrate
1
having contact points. This movement causes the pushing portion
15
A of the cylindrical axle
15
to depress the actuating button
18
. The depressed motion of

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