Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Electric switch details – Cases and bases
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-05
2001-11-06
Friedhofer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Electric switch details
Cases and bases
C200S547000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06313420
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slide switch to be used in an attached state to, for example, a case of an electronic device for an automobile. Particularly, the invention is concerned with a waterproof structure for both the case and an operating knob.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As an electronic device used in an automobile there is known a remote keyless entry device, in which is used a slide switch as a memory recall switch.
An example of such a conventional slide switch is illustrated in
FIGS. 6
to
10
, of which
FIG. 6
is an exploded perspective view of a remote keyless entry device,
FIG. 7
is an exploded perspective view of a slide switch portion,
FIG. 8
is a plan view of the slide switch portion,
FIG. 9
is a sectional view taken on line
9
—
9
in
FIG. 8
, and
FIG. 10
is a sectional view taken on line
10
—
10
in FIG.
8
.
In the figures, an upper case
11
and a lower case
12
are each formed in a box shape having a receptacle portion in the interior thereof, using an insulating material such as a synthetic resin. The upper and lower cases
11
,
12
are superimposed one on the other to constitute a casing. A plurality of window apertures
11
a
are formed in the upper case
11
and a rubber key pad
13
is received in the receptacle portion of the case. The rubber key pad
13
is formed in a box shape having a lower opening, using, for example, silicone rubber or an elastomer resin having flexibility. On an upper surface side of the rubber key pad
13
are integrally formed a plurality of operating keys
13
a
so as to project into the window apertures
11
a
respectively. Further, a substrate block
15
with electronic circuit components, e.g., push-button switches
14
, mounted thereon is attached to a lower surface side of the rubber key pad
13
. Thus, the substrate block
15
is covered with the rubber key pad
13
to shield the electronic circuit components against the entry of water or water drops.
The lower case
12
is provided with a cell receptacle portion
12
a
for receiving a button-shaped cell
16
therein and is also provided with a contact receptacle portion
12
b
for receiving therein a slide contact
17
as a contact member which constitutes a slide switch. The slide contact
17
is formed using an electrically conductive metallic plate such as, for example, a stainless steel plate or a phosphor bronze plate. The slide contact
17
is disposed in the contact receptacle portion
12
b
slidably. Further, the slide contact
17
is provided with spring pieces
17
a
for elastic contact with the inside of the lower case
12
. Outside the lower case
12
is mounted a slide knob
18
which is engaged with the slide contact
17
and which is formed of an insulating material such as a synthetic resin, and is also provided a slide portion
12
c
adapted to be slid. The slide portion
12
c
is formed with a slide hole
12
d
for insertion therein of a shaft portion
18
a
of the slide knob
18
.
Outside the slide hole
12
d
of the slide portion
12
c
is formed an annular recess
12
e
, into which is engaged an O ring-like rubber seal
19
formed of an elastic material such as rubber. When the shaft portion
18
a
of the slide knob
18
is inserted into the slide hole
12
d
of the lower case
12
and is put in engagement with the slide contact
17
, a lower surface of the slide knob
18
is brought into elastic contact with the rubber seal
19
with the biasing force of the spring pieces
17
a
of the slide contact
17
, thereby preventing the entry of water or water drops from the slide hole
12
d
of the slide portion
12
c.
However, in the above conventional slide switch structure, for stably positioning the O ring-like rubber seal
19
against a frictional force acting between it and a lower surface of the slide knob
18
, it is necessary that the recess
12
e
be formed in the slide portion
12
c
and that therefore the thickness of the lower case
12
be increased by an amount corresponding to the recess
12
e
, thus giving rise to the problem that the thickness of the casing increases.
Besides, the working efficiency of the work for bringing the rubber seal
19
into engagement with the recess
12
c
is poor and there arises the problem that the rubber seal
19
comes off during the assembling work.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a slide switch structure capable of positioning a shield member stably without increasing the case thickness and without impairing the waterproofness between the case upper surface and the slide knob lower surface and superior in the assembling work efficiency.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a slide switch comprising a case having a slide hole, a slide knob attached slidably to an outer surface of the case, the slide knob having a shaft portion inserted into the slide hole of the case, a shield member disposed between a lower surface of the slide knob and an outer surface of the case, the shield member having an insertion hole for insertion therein of the shaft portion of the slide knob, and a contact member disposed in the interior of the case and retained by the shaft portion of the slide knob, wherein the shield member is engaged with the shaft portion of the slide knob so as to be slidable with the slide knob and is formed with an annular projection outside an outer periphery of the insertion hole, also formed with a thin plate-like substrate portion inside the annular projection, the substrate portion having the insertion hole, and is further formed with a thin plate-like outer edge portion which surrounds the outside of the annular projection.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided, in combination with the first aspect above, a slide switch wherein the annular projection is formed on each of upper and lower surfaces of the shield member so that the shield member is spaced from the lower surface of the slide knob and also from the outer surface of the case.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided, in combination with the second aspect above, a slide switch wherein the contact member is provided with a spring piece for elastic contact with an inner surface of the case, and the shield member is held grippingly between the lower surface of the slide knob and the outer surface of the case with the biasing force of the spring piece.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3723692 (1973-03-01), Wilbrecht
patent: 4764745 (1988-08-01), Aoi et al.
patent: 4876422 (1989-10-01), Kanezawa
patent: 5575380 (1996-11-01), Imai
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Friedhofer Michael
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