Pushbutton arrangement

Communications: electrical – Miscellaneous

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C340S407100, C340S393300, C379S368000, C379S369000, C379S370000, C200S341000, C200S344000, C200S345000, C341S020000, C341S022000, C341S027000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06239726

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus having a pushbutton switch therein, such as a radio selective call receiver, radiotelephone equipment or the like and in particular to a pushbutton arrangement of the pushbutton switch for performing various kinds of operation.
2. Description of Related Art
A pushbutton arrangement installed in an electronic apparatus is generally structured by a switch part, a printed substrate onto which the switch part is fixedly provided and a pushbutton for operating the switch part.
There have recently been required a pushbutton arrangement that provides an operator with an improved feeling of a click of a button when it is depressed and that ensures a secure switching operation. A pushbutton arrangement that meets this demand has been proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 8-316664.
According to this conventional pushbutton arrangement, a printed substrate fixedly mounted with a switch part on it is fixed to a case by a pair of engagement bosses and ribs. Therefore, a depression of a button to operate a switch part does not cause a deflection of the printed substrate and thus this makes it possible to obtain a hard click feeling with a secure switching operation.
However, according to this conventional pushbutton arrangement, since the button is not fixedly engaged with other members, it is not possible to maintain a constant distance between the button and the switch part. Accordingly, a sufficiently satisfactory click feeling cannot always be obtained and a secure switching operation cannot be ensured.
Further, in case the conventional pushbutton arrangement is used for a radio selective call receiver or a portable telephone that employs a vibration generated by a motor for reporting an arrival of a call, the button becomes resonant with the vibration generated and this causes an interference noise to be generated between the button and the case or between the button and the switch part, because the button is not fixedly engaged with the other members as described above.
Furthermore, according to the conventional pushbutton arrangement, as the button is not fixedly engaged with the other members, the button is dropped easily at the time of assembling the pushbutton arrangement, which lowers the productivity with a resultant increase in manufacturing cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With a view to eliminating the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pushbutton arrangement which makes it possible to obtain a satisfactory click feeling of a button, ensures a secure switching operation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a pushbutton arrangement which prevents a generation of an interference noise of the button due to vibration.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a pushbutton arrangement, which makes it easy to produce it and lowers the manufacturing cost.
According to the present invention, a pushbutton arrangement includes a pushbutton switch mounted on a side of a substrate, the pushbutton switch having an actuating portion to which an external force is applied to do switch operation. The pushbutton arrangement further includes a supporting member fixed to the substrate on the same side as the pushbutton switch mounted and a button operation member for pushing the actuating portion of the pushbutton switch. An elastic connection member is fixed to the supporting member at one end thereof and has the button operation member fixed at the other end thereof so that the button operation member is placed on the actuating portion of the pushbutton switch.
A force caused by the elastic connection member is being applied to the button operation member in a predetermined direction. The force may be applied to the button operation member toward the pushbutton switch and movement of the button operation member is stopped by the actuating portion of the pushbutton switch. Alternatively, a stopper may be provided for stopping the button operation member moving in the predetermined direction.
The pushbutton arrangement preferably includes an engagement mechanism for engaging the supporting member with the substrate. The elastic connection member may connect the supporting member with the button operation member in a slope in such a way that the button operation member is kept away from the substrate and the supporting member is connected to the substrate by the engagement mechanism. Alternatively, the elastic connection member may connect the supporting member with the button operation member a way that the button operation member comes close to the substrate and the supporting member is connected to the substrate by the engagement mechanism.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4386240 (1983-05-01), Philipp et al.
patent: 5172990 (1992-12-01), Weng
patent: 5203448 (1993-04-01), Osada et al.
patent: 5638351 (1997-06-01), Kanada et al.
patent: 5819914 (1998-10-01), Yoneyama
patent: 5833491 (1998-11-01), Suzuki
patent: 5887704 (1999-03-01), Schorpp et al.
patent: 58-31633 (1981-08-01), None
patent: 58-33634 (1983-07-01), None
patent: 62-76437 (1987-05-01), None
patent: 63-178024 (1988-11-01), None
patent: 8-222073 (1996-08-01), None
patent: 8-235959 (1996-09-01), None
patent: 8316664 (1996-11-01), None
Japanese Office Action issued Aug. 24, 1999 in a related application.
English translation of the relevant portions of the Aug. 24, 1999 Japanese Office Action.

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