Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Electric switch details – Indicators
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-24
2003-09-23
Friedhofer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Electric switch details
Indicators
C200S0050EA, C200S317000, C362S028000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06624368
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switch device, and more particularly to an improved a switch device having an indicator for indicating an operation amount of a switch.
2. Description of Related Art
Switch devices are conventionally used for setting an amount of control for various devices. For example, rotary volume switches and sliding switches are widely used.
FIG. 6
shows a mixer device
100
used for recording, which is one example of an operation panel in which a large number of such switch devices are arranged. In such a mixer device
100
, because it is necessary to visually recognize the operation amount of many switch devices instantaneously, an indicator
102
capable of showing visually noticeable change is often provided. In particular, for a mixer device
100
often used in a dimly-lighted room, a light emitting indicators
102
which allows quick judgment of the operation amount (the amount or level to which a switch device has been operated, moved, or adjusted) are widely used, because such indicators are easier to recognize and costs less to manufacture than number display type switches, for example.
As an example,
FIGS. 7A and 7B
illustrate a switch structure including a rotary volume switch (hereinafter simply referred to simply as a “switch”)
104
and an indicator
102
including a plurality of LEDs
102
a
arranged in a circle around the switch. More specifically,
FIG. 7A
shows an example in which the position of a lit LED
102
a
is sequentially moved in accordance with the operation amount of an operation knob (hereinafter simply referred to as a “knob”)
104
a
of the switch
104
. The operation amount of the knob
104
a
corresponds to an operation amount of the switch
104
. In the example shown in
FIG. 7A
, an LED
102
at
(at the apex position) is lit in accordance with the amount of operation of the knob
104
a
.
FIG. 7B
shows another example in which a single LED
102
a
indicating a special condition of the switch
104
, such as a point which requires particular attention including a predetermined threshold or the like of the switch
104
(hereinafter, such a point will be referred to as an “attention point”), continuously lights up, whereas another LED
102
a
sequentially lights up in accordance with the operation amount of the knob
104
a
. In the example shown in
FIG. 7B
, the LED
102
at
(at the apex position), which serves as an attention point, is continuously lit to indicate the threshold value, and the LED
102
ap
next to the LED
102
at
on the right side also lights up for indicating the operation amount of the knob
104
a.
Similar type of switch devices which are provided with such an indicator are also used in, for example, an operation panel in the cockpit of an air plane and operation panels for various devices installed in a vehicle. In any of these cases, it is necessary to quickly and easily recognize visually the operation amount of the switch device.
While mixer devices
100
shown in
FIG. 6
come in a wide range of sizes, a typical device may have a width of 1 m or more and a depth of approximately 0.6 m. An operator operates the mixer device
100
while he/she is sitting or standing at approximately the midpoint in front of the mixer device
100
. This causes a problem that for a switch
104
having a knob
104
a
with a predetermined height as shown in
FIGS. 7A and 7B
, part of the indicator
102
is concealed behind the knob
104
a
itself. In other words, the knob
104
a
may generate a blind spot region in the indicator
102
. In
FIG. 7C
, which corresponds to
FIG. 7A
, LED
102
a
which lights up to indicate the operation amount (LED
102
at
) is completely within the blind spot region, and cannot be seen by the operator. In
FIG. 7D
, which corresponds to
FIG. 7B
, because the operation amount of the knob
104
a
increases, lit LED
102
a
is now moved to the LED
102
ap
. While part of the LED
102
ap
is out of the blind spot region and is now visible in the example shown in
FIG. 7D
, such a point of view may change depending on the position of the switch
104
, the standing position or physique of the operator, and the like. Therefore, the blind spot region may also change, which would put LED
102
at
and also LEDs
102
a
on both sides of LED
102
at
(i.e., total of three LEDs) completely within the blind spot region, thereby lowering the visibility of the indicator
102
. Further, when the attention point as described above is within the blind spot region, there is, of course, a problem that a point which requires particular attention cannot be recognized. Even when such an attention point is located outside the blind spot region, however, there is still a possibility that a change of the point of view makes it difficult to decide whether the operation amount of the switch
104
has exceeded the attention point. The visibility of the indicator
102
is similarly lowered in this case. Thus, there has been a demand that devices allow easy and accurate recognition as to whether indication of the indicator
102
has reached the special indication region indicative of a specific operation amount (such as the blind spot or the attention point) or the state (the indication position) of the indicator
102
in the special indication region. This enhanced visibility of the indicator is especially strongly desired for an operation panel on which a plurality of switches, indicators, and other various instruments are disposed. When it is necessary to simultaneously monitor a plurality of switches, indication lights, indication meters or the like, it is desirable that they can be monitored by moving just the users focus of attention, while minimizing any need to change posture.
Further, when the indicator
102
is placed at a distance from the knob
104
a
, the problem of the blind spot region as described above can be eliminated. However, an operation panel on which the switch
104
, the indicator
102
and other instruments are disposed has a limited space, and formation of an extra space in such a panel will decrease in the number of switches or the like which can be disposed on the panel or increase the size of the operation panel. Also, provision of the switch
104
and the indicator
102
at a distance is not preferable because there is a possibility that the relevance between them will be less recognizable or that their visibility will be decreased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was conceived in view of the aforementioned problems of the related art and aims to provide a switch device enabling easy recognition of an operation amount of a switch device with an inexpensive structure and without the need for an operator to change their posture, even when the visibility of the indication of the operation amount by an indicator is obstructed in a special indication region generated as a part of the indicator in the switch device during the indication of the operation amount by the indicator.
In order to achieve the foregoing object, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a switch device comprising an operation knob for a switch; an indicator whose indication state is changed in accordance with an operation amount of the operation knob, the indicator including a special indication region indicating a specific operation amount of said switch and a visible region which is always visible; and a control section for controlling such that the indication state of the indicator is sequentially changed in accordance with the operation amount of the operation knob, the control section changing the indication state in part of the visible region when the change of the indication state of the indicator reaches the special indication region.
Further, in order to achieve the foregoing object, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a switch device comprising an operation knob for a volume switch; an indicator disposed around said operation knob, whose indication state is chan
Endo Kazuhiko
Nakayama Mikio
Nishi Toshikatsu
Sato Dai
Watanabe Takuo
Christensen O'Connor Johnson & Kindness PLLC
Friedhofer Michael
TEAC Corporation
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