JPH0341379Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] This invention relates to a switch mechanism for operating a push switch used in electronic equipment.

[Summary of the idea]

In a switch mechanism in which a push button equipped with a display section that is illuminated with light is biased away from a press switch, this invention is designed to move the push button away from the press switch by using a support provided on a panel, for example. By configuring the push button to be biased by a leaf spring held between the pieces, the distance from the push switch to the front surface of the push button can be shortened. Furthermore, by making the leaf spring translucent, the display portion of the push button can be illuminated with light from the back surface of the leaf spring.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Electronic devices such as car stereos are equipped with a large number of switches on the front surface to operate a cassette or a radio.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a part of the front surface of such a car stereo, where 31 indicates a panel, and the panel 31 has push buttons 32A for operating push switches.
32M, an eject button 33, a digital display section 34, and a cassette insertion slot 35.

In a car stereo like the one shown in Figure 6, each push button 32A
When 32M is pressed to activate the corresponding press switch, the car stereo is controlled to enter a predetermined operating mode.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view showing a conventional switch mechanism to which the push buttons 32A and 32B of FIG. 6 are attached. In this figure, 36A, 36B, 37A,
and 37B are holes provided in the panel 31;
A and 38B are display portions provided on the push buttons 32A and 32B through which light passes; 39A and 39B are display portions of the push buttons 3;
A claw that engages with the panel 31 provided on 2A and 32B,
40A and 40B indicate pressing portions provided on the push buttons 32A and 32B; 41A and 41B indicate coil springs interposed between the panel 31 and the push buttons 32A and 32B;
2B is urged away from the panel 31, and the claws 39A and 39B engaged with the panel 31 move the panel 3
1 and the front surfaces of push buttons 32A and 32B are positioned on the same plane.

Reference numeral 42 designates a printed circuit board attached to the panel 31, etc., which includes tact switches 43A, 43B pressed by pressing parts 40A, 40B, and display part 3.
A light emitting diode (hereinafter referred to as
It's called an LED. ) 44A and 44B are attached.

In the conventional switch mechanism shown in FIG. 7, for example, when the push button 32A is pressed, when the LED 44A emits light, the light passing through the hole 37A illuminates the display section 38A, so that the type of button operated can be known. That is, when the push button 32A is pressed against the coil spring 41A, the pressing part 40A is activated by the tact switch 43A.
If you press push button 32A as described above while the car stereo is in a predetermined mode, for example while receiving AM broadcasts, it will switch to a state where it can receive FM broadcasts, indicating that it is in the FM band. , the frequency is displayed on the display section 34 (FIG. 6). When the pressing force of the push button 32A is released in this state, the push button 32A is pushed back by the biasing force of the coil spring 41A, and the claw 39A engages with the panel 31.

Note that the other push buttons 32B operate in the same manner to operate the tactile switch 43B and set the car stereo to a predetermined mode.

In some cases, the LEDs 44A and 44B are turned on when the power is turned on, and the mode to which the switch is made is displayed on the display section 34 by pressing the push button 32A or 32B.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, the conventional switch mechanism shown in FIG. 7 uses coil springs 41A, 41B to push buttons 32A,
32B is urged away from the tact switches 43A, 43B, and the claws 39A, 39B are moved away from the panel 3.
Since the positions of push buttons 32A and 32B are determined by locking them to tact switches 43A and 43B,
The dimension from the front surface of the push buttons 32A, 32B becomes longer.

Moreover, when the dimensions of the push buttons 32A, 32B become smaller, the display parts 38A, 38B are replaced by the LEDs 44A, 44.
When irradiating with B, coil springs 41A, 41B
Then, the part of the panel 31 that the coil springs 41A, 41B come into contact with becomes an obstacle, and the LEDs 44A, 44B
The light no longer reaches the display sections 38A and 38B.
Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to tell what operation button the push buttons 32A, 32B are operated from from the front side.

This idea was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it shortened the distance from the push switch to the front of the push button, and also made it possible to illuminate the display part of the push button with light from the back of the leaf spring. This provides a switch mechanism with

[Means for solving problems]

In the switch mechanism of this invention, the urging means for urging the push button for operating the press switch to move away from the press switch is composed of a leaf spring that clamps a support provided on a member, and the back surface of the leaf spring. The structure is such that the light from the push button reaches the display section of the push button without being blocked by the leaf spring.

[Effect]

In this invention, the leaf spring urges the push button away from the push switch, and the light from the back of the leaf spring is not blocked by the leaf spring, so the dimension from the push switch to the front of the push button is As the length becomes shorter, the display section of the push button can be illuminated from the back side of the leaf spring.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of this invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the assembled state.

In these figures, 1 indicates a panel forming, for example, the front of a car stereo, and has an opening 2 and
A strut 3 is provided that bridges the opening 2, and a recess 4 is formed in the strut 3.

5 is a synthetic resin, such as heat-resistant polyester;
A leaf spring made of polyimide, etc. is shown, and the pillar 3
It is composed of two pairs of tongue pieces 6A, 6B that elastically sandwich and elastic pieces 7A, 7B, and cutouts 8A, 8B are provided in the elastic pieces 7A, 7B.

Reference numerals 9A and 9B indicate push buttons inserted into the opening 2, which include display sections 10A and 10B, claws 11A and 11B that engage with the panel 1, and pressing sections 12A and 12B.
is provided. And display parts 10A, 10
B is engraved with, for example, characters indicating the type of operation button.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a printed circuit board attached to the panel 1 etc., which includes tact switches 14A and 14B pressed by pressing parts 12A and 12B, and display part 10.
A light emitting diode (hereinafter referred to as
It's called an LED. ) 15A and 15B are attached.

The switch mechanism of this invention uses the elastic force of the tongues 6A and 6B to clamp the column 3 of the panel 1 in the state shown in FIG. Ru.

Then, insert the push buttons 9A and 9B into the opening 2,
When the claws 11A, 11B are engaged with the sides of the opening 2 of the panel 1, the push buttons 9A, 9B are moved by the elastic pieces 7A, 7.
B is pressed toward the front of the panel 1, and the position is regulated by the claws 11A, 11B engaged with the panel 1, so that the front surfaces of the panel 1 and the push buttons 9A, 9B are flush with each other. If the printed circuit board 13 is installed in this state, the second
It can be assembled into the switch mechanism shown in the figure.

In the switch mechanism of this invention as described above, the push buttons 9A, 9B are biased by the leaf spring 5, so that the distance between the tact switches 14A, 14B and the front surfaces of the push buttons 9A, 9B is shortened.

Furthermore, the leaf spring 5 is provided with cutouts 8A and 8B in order to allow the light from the LEDs 15A and 15B to reach the display sections 10A and 10B of the push buttons 9A and 9B.
Since the light of LEDs 15A and 15B can illuminate display parts 10A and 10B without being blocked, push button 9
You can see from the front what operation buttons A and 9B are. In this case, even if the push buttons 9A and 9B become smaller, the display parts 10A and 10B can be changed to the LEDs 15A and 15B.
5B can provide enough light.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the leaf spring,
16 indicates a leaf spring made of light-transmissive synthetic resin, such as polyester, polyimide, etc.;
It is composed of a pair of tongue pieces 17 and elastic pieces 18A and 18B.

When assembling as shown in FIG. 2 using the leaf spring 16 shown in FIG. 3, the support 3 is held by the elastic force of the tongue piece 17 and assembled as shown in FIG. In this case, the tact switches 14A, 14B are
A, 11B, or the pressed part 12A whose position has been changed,
12B.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, the switch mechanism of this invention uses, for example, a leaf spring that clamps a support provided on a panel as a biasing means for biasing a push button for operating a press switch so as to separate from the press switch. Because of this structure, the dimension from the push switch to the front of the push button is shortened.

Furthermore, since the light from the back side of the leaf spring illuminates the display section of the push button without being blocked by the leaf spring, there is an advantage that it is possible to see what operation button the push button is operated from the front side.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing one embodiment of this invention, Figure 2 is a sectional view showing the assembled state, and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an assembled state.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the leaf spring, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a part of the front of the car stereo, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a conventional switch mechanism. In the figure, 1 is a panel, 2 is an opening, 3 is a support, and 5
6A and 6B are tongue pieces, 9A and 9B are push buttons, 10A and 10B are display portions, and 11A and 11B are claws.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] (1) A panel member having an opening, a support that bridges the opening so as to divide the opening into approximately two equal parts, and an inner side of the support at a position opposing the opening on both sides of the support. a pair of push switches respectively disposed in the openings, a pair of push buttons having claws that are engaged with the openings and arranged so as to come into contact with the push switches, and at least a pair of tongue pieces that sandwich the pillars. and a leaf spring made of an elastic piece that urges each of the pair of push buttons toward the outside of the panel member. (2) The switch mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the leaf spring is made of a material that transmits light that is applied to the push button. (3) The switch mechanism according to claim 1 of the utility model registration, wherein the leaf spring is provided with a notch through which light irradiated on the push button passes.