Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Multiple circuit control – Multiple switch
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-11
2001-05-29
Friedhofer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Multiple circuit control
Multiple switch
C200S00100B, C200S00600C, C200S339000, C200S302300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06239392
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switch unit to be used for operating various devices such a powerwindow unit mounted on a vehicle such as a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A powerwindow unit up/down-operates a window glass installed at a door trim of a vehicle. Based on an operation signal from a switch unit provided on the door trim, the powerwindow unit drives a motor and so on for up/down-operating the window glass, thereby open and close a window.
The above switch unit has a knob as a operative body which is swingingly operably provided, a printed circuit board, a decorative members to cover the printed circuit board and to make the knob exposed. A first contacting member facing the printed circuit board is provided on one end portion of the knob. A second contacting member facing the printed circuit board is provided on the other end portion of the knob.
Between the first contacting member and one end portion of the knob provided are a returning spring and a pressing pin, which pressing pin presses the first contacting member toward the printed circuit board when one end portion of the knob is pushed toward the printed circuit board. Also, between the second contacting member and the other end portion of the knob provided are a returning spring and a pressing pin, which pressing pin presses the second contacting member toward the printed circuit board when the other end portion of the knob is pushed toward the printed circuit board. On the other hand, each returning spring return the knob in an initial state.
First and second contact portions to face the respective first and second contacting members are mounted on the printed circuit board. And, a supporting axis is laterally provided on a generally longitudinal middle portion the knob.
According to the above-described structure of the conventional switch unit, when one end portion of the knob is pushed toward the printed circuit board, the first contacting member is pressed through the pressing pin and comes into contact with the first contact portion. Then, this first contact portion outputs a signal, for example, to raise the window glass toward the powerwindow unit.
When the other end portion of the knob is pushed toward the printed circuit board, the second contacting member is pressed through the pressing pin and comes into contact with the second contact portion. Then, this second contact portion outputs a signal, for example, to raise the window glass toward the powerwindow unit.
And, when the pushing operation of one end portion or the other end portion of the knob is removed, one end portion or the other end portion of the knob returns to each initial state by means of each returning spring, whereby the output signal from each contact portion stops.
With respect to the above-described conventional switch unit, however, when one end portion of the knob is pressed toward the printed circuit board, the other end portion turns about the supporting axis, while being apart from the printed circuit board. As a result, the other end portion of the knob fairly largely projects over the decorative member.
On the contrary, when the other end portion is pressed toward the printed circuit board, one end portion turns about the supporting axis, while being apart from the printed circuit board. As a result, the one end portion of the knob fairly largely projects over the decorative member.
Accordingly, in the conventional switch unit, the end portions of the knob each have to be thick enough not to make a vertical clearance between each of them and the decorative member, for example, for preventing dust or the like from coming into the switch unit, which requires a relatively large distance between the decorative member and the printed circuit board.
Consequently, the conventional switch unit has a relatively large thickness, which increases a setting space of the unit onto the door trim and restricts a design of the door trim.
Further, the conventional switch unit requires the pressing pin and the returning spring are necessary, which increases the number of parts, thereby lowering the efficiency of assembly work and raising the cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a switch unit wherein a thin-modeling is attained thereby to reduce a mounting space thereof and simultaneously a cost reduction thereof is attained.
In order to achieve the above-described object, as a first aspect of the present invention, a switch unit comprises: an operative body being swingingly operably provided; a first contact portion being abuttable on one end portion of the operative body when the operative body is swingingly operated; a second contact portion being abuttable on the other end portion of the operative body when the operative body is swingingly operated; a fulcrum piece extending from a middle portion of the operative body in a direction where the operative body comes into contact with and gets off the first and second contact portions; a fulcrum receiving portion facing the fulcrum piece; an elastic support member to support the operative body in a state that the fulcrum piece and the fulcrum receiving portion have a gap therebetween when the operative body is not operated and to permit the fulcrum piece to approach the fulcrum receiving portion when the operative body is operated.
As a second aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above first aspect, the switch unit further comprises: a first contacting member provided on the one end portion of the operative body oppositely to the first contact portion; and a second contacting member provided on the other end portion of the operative body oppositely to the second contact portion, wherein the first and second contacting members can be put into contact with the first and second contact portions, respectively, by swingingly operating the operative body.
According to the above-described structures, the elastic support member supports the operative body in a state that the fulcrum piece and the fulcrum receiving portion have the gap therebetween when the operative body is not pushed and permits the fulcrum piece to approach the fulcrum receiving portion when the operative body is pushed.
And, when one end portion or the other end portion of the operative body is pushed toward the first or second contact portion, respectively, the operative body swings about the other end portion or one end portion, respectively, which can reduce upward projection of the other end portion or one end portion of the operative body.
Accordingly, distance between the decorative member and the base can be reduces, which attains thin-modeling of the switch unit itself, thereby reducing a mounting space thereof.
Since the elastically deforming portion returns the operative body to the original position when the pushing operation of the operative body ends, the number of parts can be reduced with its simple structure, thereby reducing the cost of the switch unit.
Further, when the operative body is swung, the operative body is operated, firstly, with relatively weak force till the fulcrum piece reaches the fulcrum receiving portion and, subsequently, with relatively strong force after the fulcrum piece has reached the fulcrum receiving portion. Therefore, the operative body can be operated with almost the same feeling as of the conventional one without giving a driver uncomfortable feeling.
As a third aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above second aspect, the gap between the fulcrum piece and the fulcrum receiving portion is smaller than a gap between the first contact portion and the first contacting member and also than another gap between the second contact portion and the second contacting member, in a state of the operative body being not operated.
According to the above-described structure, a contact between the first contacting member and the first contact portion and a contact between the second contacting member and the sec
Kubota Minoru
Nishitani Keizo
Serizawa Yasuyoshi
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Friedhofer Michael
Yazaki -Corporation
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