Rotary-push type electronic component and electronic...

Details Rotary-push type electronic component and electronic... Rotary-push type electronic component and electronic...

1999-12-22

2001-12-25

Luebke, Renee (Department: 2833)

Electricity: circuit makers and breakers

Multiple circuit control

Combined pivoted and reciprocating contact

C200S018000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06333473

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a rotary-push type electronic component used mainly in an electronic appliance such as a mobile telephone, which allows for rotation of a circumferential portion of a cylindrical operation knob projecting from the operation surface of the appliance in the tangential direction and also for pushing in the direction toward the rotary central axis of the knob, and an electronic appliance using such rotary-push type electronic component.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hitherto, as this kind of rotary-push type electronic component, a rotary encoder with push switch (hereinafter called REPS)
1
as shown in a perspective outline view in
FIG. 19
has been known.
FIG. 20
is a side sectional view of the REPS
1
. Hereinafter, the conventional REPS is explained by referring to FIG.
19
and FIG.
20
.
In this REPS
1
, a rotary operation part such as a rotary encoder
3
and push operation part such as a push switch
4
are disposed on a mounting substrate
2
which has contacts. The rotary encoder
3
is designed to be movable in a vertical direction V in a specified range.
The push switch
4
is fixed so as not to move.
The rotary encoder
3
comprises:
a slide contact element
5
held by the mounting substrate
2
so as to be movable in the vertical direction V in the specified range,
a rotating element
7
rotatably held by a center shaft
6
, and
a cylindrical operation knob
8
fitted to the shaft
6
so as to rotate the rotating element
7
.
A plate spring
9
projecting from the lower end of the slide contact element
5
elastically contacts with a pin protrusion
10
at the front side of the mounting substrate
2
, such that the rotary encoder
3
is normally urged upwardly to a position remote from the push switch
4
.
An operation button
11
of the push switch
4
is provided at a side of the mounting substrate
2
opposite the rotary encoder
3
so as to abut against a pushing part
6
A of the shaft
6
of the rotary encoder
3
.
The operation of this conventional REPS
1
is described below.
First, an electric signal of the rotary encoder
3
is generated when the rotating element
7
is rotated about the shaft
6
, by applying a force in the tangential direction H (
FIG. 19
) on the outer upper surface
8
A of the cylindrical operation knob
8
so as to rotate the cylindrical operation knob
8
.
An electric signal of the push switch
4
is generated when the operation button
11
is pushed by the pushing part
6
A of the shaft
6
, by applying a pushing force in the downward direction V toward the center on the outer upper surface
8
A of the cylindrical operation knob
8
sufficient to overcome the urging force of the plate spring
9
, so as to move the entire rotary encoder
3
.
When the pushing force applied to the cylindrical operation knob
8
is removed, the rotary encoder
3
is pushed back to its normal position by an elastic restoring force of the plate spring
9
.
When this REPS
1
is used in a mobile telephone
12
, it is often combined, with a two-circuit push switch
13
as shown in a perspective outline view of the mobile telephone in FIG.
21
.
The two-circuit push switch
13
is shown in a partially sectional front view of FIG.
22
. Two self-restoring push switches
15
A,
15
B disposed at a specific interval on a switch substrate
14
are designed to operate individually by pushing the top of an operation key
16
rotatably supported by a support member
14
A at the center of the switch substrate
14
.
The method of use of the mobile telephone
12
shown in
FIG. 21
is explained below.
Upon start of use of the mobile telephone
12
, a menu of plural function items is displayed in a specified sequence on a liquid crystal display unit
17
of its operation surface
12
A.
In this state:
1. A force in the radial direction is applied to the portion (i.e. the outer upper surface
8
A) of the cylindrical operation knob
8
of the REPS
1
projecting from the operation surface
12
A.
2. By rotating the outer upper surface
8
A of the knob
8
in a direction tangentially of the knob, a signal is generated from the rotary encoder
3
.
3. Based on the signal, the function item menu on the display screen is displayed. Rotation of the knob
8
causes scrolling through the menu to the line of the desired item.
4. By pushing the left upper surface
16
A or the right upper surface
16
B of the operation key
16
of the two-circuit push switch
13
, the corresponding push switch
15
A or
15
B is operated.
5. As a result, the function item menu on the display screen is moved through in right or left directions to the column of the desired item, so that the desired item can be selected.
6. For example, at the position of the item “Send”, the outer upper surface
8
A of the cylindrical operation knob
8
of the REPS
1
is pushed down towards the center axis of the knob. By this operation, the “Send” function is determined.
7. Once the “Send” function is determined, a menu of plural transmission destinations is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit
17
in a specified sequential order.
8. Again, a force in the forward or backward tangential direction (i.e. toward or away from the display unit
17
in
FIG. 21
) is applied to the outer upper surface
8
A of the cylindrical operation knob
8
of the REPS
1
to rotate the knob
8
.
9. As a result of the knob rotation, the transmission destination menu is scrolled through in forward or backward directions to the position of the desired destination.
10. At the position of the desired destination, the outer upper surface
8
A of the cylindrical operation knob
8
of the REPS
1
is pushed again toward its center axis, to determine the destination of the call.
11. Then a call signal is sent to this selected destination.
Thus, in a downsized electronic appliance such as the mobile telephone
12
comprising such conventional REPS, both the REPS
1
and the two-circuit push switch
13
are used. The user selects a desired item by moving through the menu composed of plural selection items included in the specified sequence in two different directions. In this case, the user must operate both the cylindrical operation knob
8
of the REPS
1
and the operation key
16
of the two-circuit push switch
13
while moving fingers between them. Therefore, the conventional REPS was difficult to control.
In the downsized electronic appliance such as the mobile telephone
12
, it was disadvantageous for purposes of layout design of the operation surface to dispose two electronic components for selection of function items on the operation surface
12
A.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is intended to solve the conventional problems in an electronic appliance which is used by selecting a desired item from a menu having plural selection items. It is hence an object of the invention to present a rotary encoder with push switch (REPS), that is, a rotary-push type electronic component excellent in controllability and with which it is possible to select and determine a desired item easily and quickly by moving through a menu composed of plural selection items in different directions by using one operation knob only.
To solve the problems, the REPS of the invention comprises:
a rectangular frame rotatable about a support shaft which has one side supported to be movable vertically in a specified range,
a cylindrical operation knob rotatably fitted within the frame,
a movable contact coupled to one end of the cylindrical operation knob, and a fixed contact disposed in the frame so as to be engaged with the movable contact,
a rotary operation part for emitting an electric signal by rotation of the cylindrical operation knob, and
two self-restoring push operation parts disposed below the frame at a specific interval so as to operate upon rotation of the rectangular frame.
The push operation parts can be operated individually by pushing near the outer upper surface of the cylindrical operation knob at one or the other end thereof. The two push operation parts can be operated simultane

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