Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Electric switch details – Cases and bases
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-20
2004-06-08
Enad, Elvin (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Electric switch details
Cases and bases
C200S235000, C200S335000, C200S407000, C200S412000, C200S441000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06747223
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to waterproof switch device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An operator often makes contact with a switch in an electronic or electric device with his/her wet hand. For instance, a switch of an elevator is often contacted by an operator's wet hand. As an alternative, a switch in an electronic or electric device may be wet in rain in dependence on a circumstance where the switch is used. Hence, a switch with which water or moisture may make contact is usually designed to have a waterproof structure in order to protect internal electronic or electric parts from water or moisture.
FIG. 1
is an exploded perspective view of a switch device used for an elevator, suggested in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-315710.
The illustrated switch device is comprised of a plate
101
on which indicators
102
indicative of stories of a building are formed, a pair of push buttons
103
indicative of up or down and formed below the indicators
102
, protection covers
106
on each of which transparent protection filter
105
is adhered, and gap fillers
107
.
The protection covers
106
are fixedly adhered at their outer edges to the plate
101
through an adhesive around the push buttons
103
. Both of the transparent protection filters
105
and the protection covers
106
are composed of waterproof material. The gap fillers
107
each comprised of a transparent plate
107
a
are sandwiched between the push buttons
103
and the transparent protection filters
105
.
FIG. 2
is a cross-sectional view of the switch device illustrated in FIG.
1
.
The plate
101
is formed with a recess, in which the push buttons
103
are located. Rectangular frames
111
are adhered to the plate
101
so that each of the frames
111
surrounds each of the push buttons
103
. The frames
111
prevent the push buttons
103
from upwardly deviating.
A frame
112
, which is a part of the protection cover
106
, is fixedly adhered at its bottom to the plate
101
through an adhesive such that the frame
112
surrounds the rectangular frame
111
. The transparent protection filter
105
is fixedly adhered to and covers the frame
112
therewith through an adhesive
114
.
The transparent protection filter
105
is comprised of a flexible sheet, and hence, even if an operator pushes the push button
103
through the transparent protection filter
105
, the push button
103
could not be sufficiently actuated. Hence, the transparent gap filler
107
is arranged between the push button
103
and the transparent protection filter
105
. Specifically, as illustrated in
FIG. 2
, the transparent gap filler
107
is adhered at its bottom surface to the push button
103
through an adhesive such that an operator could push the push button
103
, if he/she slightly pushes the transparent protection filter
105
.
Japanese Unexamined Utility Model No. 4-15878 has suggested a switch device having a structure similar to the structure of the switch device illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
. The suggested switch device has the same structure as that of the switch illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
except the gap filler
107
. In the suggested switch device, a transparent or semi-transparent film covers a keyboard therewith. Since a gap between the keyboard and the transparent or semi-transparent film is quite small, it is not necessary to arrange a gap filler between the keyboard and the transparent or semi-transparent film.
FIG. 3
illustrates another conventional switch device.
The illustrated switch device is comprised of a main body
121
, a first cover
123
detachably fixed to the main body
121
through bolts
126
, switches
122
arranged on a bottom of a recess formed at a surface of the main body
121
, and a second cover
124
covering the recess therewith and detachably fixed to the main body
121
.
The illustrated switch is used in a waterproof electronic device. The switch illustrated in
FIG. 3
is different from the switch illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
in that the switch illustrated in
FIG. 3
is only sometimes used, whereas the switch illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
is frequently used. Hence, the second cover
124
is taken out of the first cover
123
, only when the switches
122
are actuated.
The first cover
123
is fixed to the main body
121
through a packing (not illustrated) by means of the bolts
126
. As illustrated in
FIG. 4
, a packing
127
in the form of a rectangular frame is adhered to a lower surface of the second cover
124
. Since the switches
122
are located below a surface
128
of the main body
121
, when the second cover
124
is fixed to the surface
128
of the main body
121
by inserting bolts
129
into associated threaded holes
131
, the packing
127
is compressed onto the surface
128
of the main body
121
, ensuring that the switches
122
are kept waterproof.
In the switch device illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
where a waterproof sheet such as the transparent protection filter
105
is located above the push button
103
, an operator deforms the transparent protection filter
105
to thereby actuate the push button
103
through the gap filler
107
. Accordingly, if the push button
103
is necessary to be actuated to a high degree, the switch device illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
is not suitable for actuating the push button
103
.
For instance, if a switch comprised of a toggle switch which turns on or off a contact in accordance with an angle in which a lever is inclined is to be actuated through a sheet such as the transparent protection filter
105
, it is quite difficult to exactly actuate the toggle switch, because the transparent protection filter
105
is not flexible. If the toggle switch is forced to be actuated through the transparent protection filter
105
, the filter
105
might be broken.
In contrast, the switches
122
are actuated directly by an operator after the second cover
124
is taken off, in the switch device illustrated in
FIGS. 3 and 4
. Accordingly, if the switches
122
have to be actuated to a high degree, it would be possible to do so, because an operator can directly actuate the switches
122
with his/her fingers.
However, the second cover
124
has to be taken off before actuating the switches
122
, in the switch device illustrated in
FIGS. 3 and 4
. Hence, the second cover
124
has to be fixed again to the surface
128
of the main body
121
after actuating the switches
122
. If an operator inappropriately fixes the second cover
124
to the surface
128
or forgets doing so, the switches
122
are not kept waterproof. In addition, the switches
122
are not kept waterproof also due to degradation or falling of the packing
127
, inappropriate setting of the packing
127
when a packing
127
is exchanged to a new one, and/or insufficient fastening of the bolts
129
.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 57-50042 has suggested a switch device comprising a key switch slightly projecting through a window of a front panel, and a flexible transparent dust-proof mask. The dust-proof mask is detachably adhered to a lower surface of the front panel.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-47860 has suggested a push button switch device comprised of an electrically insulating base formed with a recess, a plurality of fixed contacts being arranged on a bottom of the recess, an electrically conductive movable projection which is accommodated in the recess and which is elastically deformable, a push button having a polygonal flange projecting from an outer surface thereof, and centrally pushing the movable projection to turn on or off the fixed contacts, a planar cover having a polygonal inner surface along which the polygonal flange is slidably guided, and being engaged to an inner edge of a through-hole of the push button for preventing the push button from falling, and an elastic sheet which hermetically seals the recess and which is sandwiched at its outer edge between the cover and the base.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-164602 ha
Enad Elvin
Poker Jennifer A
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