Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Including keyboard
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-30
2004-03-02
Awad, Amr (Department: 2675)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Including keyboard
C345S161000, C200S0050EA
Reexamination Certificate
active
06700565
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to slide switches. More particularly, the invention relates to a slide switch having a case member, a slide member movable within a planar range of movement defined in the case member, a conducting device formed between the case member and the slide member, and an elastic member for holding the slide member in a neutral position in which the conducting device becomes non-conducting.
2. Description of the Related Art
One example of slide switches as noted above is disclosed in Japanese laying-open patent publication H10-302576. This slide switch has a slide member movable within a planar range of movement defined in a case member, a conducting device formed between the case member and the slide member, and an elastic member for holding the slide member in a neutral position in which the conducting device becomes non-conducting. The conducting device comprises four elongate armatures formed by a conductive plate to act also as an elastic member. These four elongate armatures are mounted in a rectangular hollow space formed between the case member and the slide member. A conductive plate is disposed in the bottom of the rectangular hollow space for allowing the four elongate armatures to be used commonly. Specifically, each elongate armature is supported at one end thereof by a coiner of the case member, while the armature in a position adjacent the other end acting as a movable contact is pressed against a part of the slide member. As the slide member is moved in the range of movement by a manual operating force, a movable contact touches a fixed contact formed on an inner wall of the case member.
However, the above prior art construction has a large number of parts since the elastic member for maintaining the slide member in the neutral position consists of four elongate members. Further, a process of assembling the switch must include a complex step of pushing the four small elastic elongate members, against the elasticity of the elongate members, and in a way to maintain their correct posture, into the narrow rectangular hollow space between the case member and the slide member. This poses a problem of hampering improved manufacturing efficiency.
Another example of slide switches as noted above is disclosed in Japanese laying-open patent publication H7-235240. This switch has a case member, a slide member movable within a planar range of movement defined in the case member, a conducting device formed between the case member and the slide member, and an elastic member for holding the slide member in a neutral position. In this construction, a hollow, conductive, elastic ring mounted on a boss formed under the slide member acts as both the conducting device and the elastic member. A plurality of insulating projections erected on the bottom of the case member contact the outer surface of the elastic ring to hold the elastic ring in the neutral position. As the slide member is moved in the range of movement by a manual operating force, a peripheral part of the elastic ring is pushed out radially from between the insulating projections, to touch a fixed contact erected on the bottom of the case member.
This construction has a relatively small number of parts, and its assembling operation is considered relatively easy. However, it is technically difficult and involves increased cost to realize an elastic ring having sufficient conductivity, appropriate elasticity and physical durability, and the hollow structure as well.
An object of this invention is to provide a slide switch having a small number of parts, easy to assemble, and relatively inexpensive. Another object of this invention is to realize a slide switch, with a minimum number of parts, for constantly maintaining a slide member in an angular posture about an axis perpendicular to a plane of a range of movement.
A further object of this invention is to realize a slide switch, with a minimum number of parts, capable of detecting a manual operation applied to a slide member along Z-axis perpendicular to a plane of a range of movement in addition to a manual operation applied parallel to the plane of the range of movement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above objects are fulfilled, according to this invention defined in claim
1
, by a slide switch comprising a case member, a slide member movable in a planar range of movement defined in the case member, a conducting device formed between the case member and the slide member, and an elastic member for holding the slide member in a neutral position where the conducting device is non-conductive, the elastic member being an integral unit having a holding portion engaged with the slide member, and projecting portions extending from the holding portion along the planar range of movement toward inner walls of the case member, wherein the conducting device includes contacts arranged on the inner walls of the case member, and conductors arranged on the holding portion of the elastic member, and the conductors of the elastic member are movable into contact with the contacts of the case member by an external force for moving the slide member away from the neutral position against a biasing force of the elastic member, and separable from the contacts by the biasing force of the elastic member when the external force is removed.
With the above characteristic construction, the slide switch according to this invention defined in claim
1
has the elastic member formed as an integral unit, and therefore the number of parts is reduced correspondingly. For the same reason, the elastic member may be assembled into the case member with ease. Further, the conducting device is realized by arranging the conductors on the holding portion of the elastic member. This allows the elastic member itself to be formed of an ordinary, inexpensive non-conductive elastomer, hence an advantage of a relatively low manufacturing cost.
The inner walls of the case member and outer surfaces of the slide member may have a common polygonal shape, each of the outer surfaces of the slide member being maintained parallel to an opposed one of the inner walls of the case member, absent the external force, by the biasing force of the elastic member.
With this construction, where, for example, the slide member is made movable from a neutral position in four directions, right and left and up and down, along the planar range of movement to realize four types of switching operation corresponding to the four directions, the slide member is positioned to have the conductors contact the predetermined contacts by virtue of contact between a side wall of the case member and a side wall of the slide member. This is achieved not only when the slide member is operated in the four directions, right and left and up and down, but also when the slide member is operated in a direction between two adjacent directions of the four directions. This assures a reliable switching operation and an agreeable operational feeling.
The inner walls of the case member and the holding portion of the elastic member may form squares as seen in a direction perpendicular to the planar range of movement, the projecting portions of the elastic member extending from respective corners of the square of the holding portion toward respective corners defined by the inner walls of the case member, the contacts may be formed on the four inner walls of the case member, respectively, and the conductors may be formed on the four sides of the holding portion of the elastic member, respectively.
This construction enables a light and swift switching operation since the conductors formed on the holding portion of the elastic member can contact the contacts formed on the inner walls of the case member substantially only by means of deformation of the projecting portions having a small sectional area. Further, the elastic member is prevented from inadvertently rotating inside the case member by engagement between extreme ends of the projecting portions and respective corners defined by the inner walls
Awad Amr
Hosiden Corporation
Webb Ziesenheim & Logsdon Orkin & Hanson, P.C.
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