Trigger switch and device comprising same

Abstract

The invention provides a trigger switch capable of suppressing abrasion of a sliding electrode part and a device comprising the trigger switch. The trigger switch (TS) is provided with a front sub-brush (84) and a rear sub-brush (85) which, when a drive unit is driven by the movement of the trigger caused by a pressing operation on the trigger, move from an open position where the front sub-brush (84) and the rear sub-brush (85) come into contact with a front sub-electrode (82a) and a rear sub-electrode (82b) on a substrate (SU) to a closed position where the front sub-brush (84) and the rear sub-brush (85) do not come into contact with the front sub-electrode (82a) and the rear sub-electrode (82b). As the front sub-brush (84) and the rear sub-brush (85) move from the open position to the closed position, contact between the front sub-brush (84) and the rear sub-brush (85) and the substrate (SU) is released.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a trigger switch that drives a driving portion of a device by movement of the trigger caused by a pressing operation of the trigger, and the device including the trigger switch. Background Art

[0002] For example, a trigger switch used for controlling a device such as an electric tool includes a trigger that receives a pressing operation, a shaft member that supports the trigger at one end, a housing having a through hole through which the other end of the shaft member passes, and a switching mechanism (a switching mechanism including a brush of a sliding contact constituting a circuit) that is accommodated in the housing and connected to the other end of the shaft member. The trigger switch constructed in the above manner moves the shaft member toward the inside of the housing by pressing the trigger, and the switching mechanism moves inside the housing along with the movement, and the driving unit drives along with the on / off switching of the sliding contact caused by the movement. Moreover, by releasing the pressing operation of the trigger, the shaft member moves toward the outside of the housing, and the switching mechanism moves inside the housing along with the movement (moves in the opposite direction to the case of the pressing operation described above), and the driving unit stops along with the on / off switching of the sliding contact caused by the movement (switching opposite to the case of the pressing operation described above).

[0003] Patent document 1 discloses a trigger switch including a brush constituting a sliding contact having an on / off switching function of a drive unit and a brush constituting a sliding contact for adjusting the output of the drive unit in a switching mechanism (referred to as a plunger in Patent document 1).

[0004] [Prior art literature]

[0005] [Patent Document]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-30999 Summary of the invention

[0007] [Problems to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The sliding contact disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes an electrode formed on a substrate and a brush as a sliding electrode portion included in a switching mechanism, and the brush is switched between a state of contact with the electrode (a state in which the brush moves to a position in which the brush contacts the electrode) and a state of non-contact with the electrode (a state in which the brush moves to a position in which the brush does not contact the electrode) by the movement of the switching mechanism described above. In addition, when the brush is not in contact with the electrode, the brush is in contact with the surface of the substrate (a surface on the substrate where the electrode is not formed, hereinafter referred to as a resin surface).

[0009] For example, when the sliding contact of the microcomputer started on the substrate is used as a normally closed (NC) contact, the driving unit is driven while the brush of the sliding contact is kept in contact with the resin surface. Therefore, there is a concern that the vibration accompanying the driving of the driving unit is transmitted to the brush or the substrate, and the brush is worn due to the sliding between the brush and the resin surface. In the case of brush wear (especially wear of the contact portion of the brush that contacts the electrode), the contact reliability of the contact portion of the brush when in contact with the electrode is deteriorated. In addition, this problem occurs not only in the structure in which the electrode (fixed electrode) is set on the substrate, but also in the case of the electrode fixed by other fixed structures.

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a trigger switch capable of suppressing wear of a sliding electrode portion and a device including the trigger switch.

[0011] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0012] The solution disclosed in the present application for achieving the above-mentioned purpose is a trigger switch, which includes a sliding electrode portion, and when the driving portion is driven by the movement of the trigger caused by pressing the trigger, the sliding electrode portion moves from an open position in contact with a fixed electrode to a closed position in contact with the electrode, wherein the sliding electrode portion is released from contact with a fixed component that fixes the electrode as the sliding electrode portion moves from the open position to the closed position.

[0013] In addition, as an example of the sliding electrode part mentioned here, a brush that can contact the electrode on the fixing member can be cited. In addition, as the fixing member mentioned here, a substrate or other members that fix the electrode can be cited.

[0014] Furthermore, the trigger switch includes: a switching circuit that changes from an on state to a off state as the trigger is pressed, drives the driving unit, and releases the contact between the sliding electrode unit and the fixing member before the switching circuit changes from an on state to a off state as the trigger is pressed.

[0015] Furthermore, the sliding electrode portion is released from contact with the fixing member by deforming in a direction away from the electrode as the sliding electrode portion moves from the open position to the closed position.

[0016] Furthermore, the trigger switch includes: a posture limiting portion, which limits the sliding electrode portion to a posture of elastic deformation in a direction of contact with the electrode when the sliding electrode portion is in the open position, and releases the posture restriction of the posture limiting portion when the sliding electrode portion is in the closed position, and the sliding electrode portion recovers its shape from the elastically deformed posture, thereby releasing the contact with the fixed member.

[0017] Furthermore, the trigger switch includes: a moving member that can move between a pressed position and a pressed release position in response to a pressing operation on the trigger and a release of the pressing operation; and an elastic plate portion that is configured as follows, namely, when the moving member is in the pressed release position, it receives an external force from the moving member and becomes elastically deformed, the external force is released by the moving member moving from the pressed release position toward the pressed position, and the shape is restored from the posture elastically deformed by the external force, and when the elastic plate portion is in the elastically deformed posture, the sliding electrode portion becomes an open position in contact with the electrode by limiting the posture using the posture limiting portion, and when the elastic plate portion is performing the shape restoration, the posture restriction by the posture limiting portion is released, and the contact with the fixed member is released.

[0018] In addition, as an example of the moving member mentioned here, a drive switching mechanism including a part of the switching circuit mentioned above can be cited.

[0019] Furthermore, the fixing member has an opening formed in a region facing the sliding electrode portion in the closed position.

[0020] Furthermore, the peripheral portion of the electrode in the fixing member has a concave shape, and the concave shape is used to release the contact between the sliding electrode portion and the fixing member as the sliding electrode portion moves from the open position to the closed position.

[0021] Furthermore, a device including the trigger switch also falls within the scope of the technical concept disclosed in the present application. That is, in the device, the driving unit is driven in a state where the contact between the sliding electrode unit and the fixing member is released.

[0022] [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] The trigger switch disclosed in the present application releases the contact between the sliding electrode portion and the fixing member fixing the electrode (fixed electrode) as the sliding electrode portion moves from the open position to the closed position. Thus, it is possible to avoid the driving portion from being driven in a state where the sliding electrode portion is in contact with the fixing member, and to suppress the wear of the sliding electrode portion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the electric device disclosed in the present application.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the trigger switch disclosed in the present application.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic side view showing an example of the interior of the housing of the trigger switch disclosed in the present application.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic side view showing an example of a released state of the trigger switch disclosed in the present application.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a released state of the trigger switch disclosed in the present application.

[0029] Figure 6 It is along Figure 4 Cross-sectional view along line VI-VI in FIG.

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a part of a control structure included in the electric device disclosed in the present application.

[0031] Figure 8 This is a schematic side view showing an example of a trigger push operation being performed on the trigger switch disclosed in the present application.

[0032] Fig. 9 This is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a trigger push operation of the trigger switch disclosed in the present application.

[0033] Fig.10 It is along Figure 8 Cross-sectional view of line XX in .

[0034] Fig.11 This is a timing chart showing an example of changes in signals of a sub-sliding contact and a switching portion, a state of a microcomputer, and a rotation speed of the device when a trigger is pressed in the electric device disclosed in the present application.

[0035] Fig.12 This is a schematic diagram showing a contact state between a sub-brush and a sub-electrode when the trigger switch in a modified example of the trigger switch disclosed in the present application is in a released state.

[0036] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0037] 1: Trigger

[0038] 28: Posture restriction unit

[0039] 32: Drive switching mechanism (moving component)

[0040] 82a: Front secondary electrode (electrode)

[0041] 82b: rear secondary electrode (electrode)

[0042] 83: Elastic plate

[0043] 84: Front auxiliary brush (sliding electrode part)

[0044] 85: Rear auxiliary brush (sliding electrode part)

[0045] SU: Base plate (fixed member)

[0046] PT: Electric device (device)

[0047] TS: Trigger Switch

[0048] M: drive unit DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in the present application will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0050] [Application Examples]

[0051] The trigger switch disclosed in the present application can be applied to various electric devices represented by electric tools (devices) such as electric drills, electric screwdrivers, electric wrenches, and electric grinders that include a driving part such as a motor.

[0052] Furthermore, the trigger switch disclosed in the present application releases the contact between the brush and the fixed member as the brush of the sliding electrode portion (a brush that can move between an open position in contact with an electrode fixed to a fixed member and a closed position in contact with the electrode) that is a sliding contact of a circuit included in the electric device moves from an open position to a closed position. This is described in detail below. Furthermore, the case where a substrate is used as an example of a fixed member is described below.

[0053] [Construction example]

[0054] <Electric device PT>

[0055] Figure 1 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the electric device PT disclosed in the present application. The electric device PT disclosed in the present application includes a main device 100, in which a trigger switch TS that receives a pressing operation by a user is assembled. The main device 100 is provided with a door portion 110 that can be opened and closed, and the door portion 110 is provided with a window portion 120 through which the installation state of the trigger 1 of the trigger switch TS can be seen.

[0056] Figure 1The illustrated electric device PT is formed in a shape in which a hand-held part is attached to a substantially cylindrical part. In the following description, as shown in the figure, the direction of the substantially cylindrical part is taken as the top, and the direction of the hand-held part is taken as the bottom. Moreover, the description is taken as the direction in which the trigger 1 of the trigger switch TS is in position as the front, and the description is taken as the direction in which the trigger 1 is pressed as the rear. That is, in the electric device PT and the trigger switch TS, the direction from the front to the rear becomes the operation direction in which the trigger 1 is pressed by the pressing operation. These directions are for the convenience of description, and do not limit the directions in which the electric device PT and the trigger switch TS are used.

[0057] Figure 1 The released state in which the trigger switch TS is not operated by the user is shown as an example. Figure 1 From the illustrated release state, the user hooks the trigger 1 with a finger and performs a pressing operation to press the trigger 1 toward the main device 100 side (rear), thereby driving a drive unit (not shown) such as an electric motor built into the main device 100. The structure of the sliding contact and the switching unit of the circuit for driving and stopping the drive unit will be described below.

[0058] <Trigger Switch TS>

[0059] Next, the trigger switch TS included in the electric device PT will be described. Figure 2 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the trigger switch TS disclosed in the present application. Figure 2 The trigger switch TS disclosed in the present application is shown as viewed from an oblique upper perspective. Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of the interior of the housing of the trigger switch TS disclosed in the present application. Figure 3 The direction perpendicular to the paper is set as the left and right direction of the switch, the near side of the paper is set as the left side of the switch, and the back side of the paper is set as the right side of the switch. This is also for the convenience of explanation, and does not limit the direction of use of the electric device PT and the trigger switch TS.

[0060] The trigger switch TS is a switch operated by the user of the electric device PT, and includes a trigger 1 that is pressed by the user. The trigger switch TS includes a housing 2 assembled in the electric device PT, the trigger 1, a plunger 3, a return spring 4 that pushes the trigger 1, and a covering member 5. The trigger switch TS also includes a switching lever 6 that switches the driving direction of the driving unit, for example, the forward and reverse rotation direction of the electric screwdriver.

[0061] The trigger 1 is a member that receives a pressing operation by the user. The front surface of the trigger 1 is shaped to hook the finger when the user operates. The plunger 3 includes a rod-shaped shaft 31 and a drive switching mechanism (moving member) 32 formed continuously with the rear end of the shaft 31. The trigger 1 is supported by the front end of the shaft 31. The trigger 1 is embedded in the front end of the shaft 31 and can be installed and removed relative to the front end of the shaft 31.

[0062] The housing 2 is a hollow shell formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is composed of a first housing 21 located on the left side of the switch and a second housing 22 located on the right side of the switch. The drive switching mechanism 32 is accommodated in the internal space of the housing 2 including the first housing 21 and the second housing 22. In addition, a substrate (fixing member) SU (see FIG. 1 ) is mounted on the inner side surface (the surface facing the right side of the switch) of the first housing 21. Figure 6 ) A circuit for driving the driving unit is arranged on the substrate SU (not shown).

[0063] A through hole 23 of a roughly circular shape is provided on the front surface of the shell 2, through which the rear end (the other end side) of the shaft portion 31 passes. The periphery of the through hole 23 protrudes forward in a cylindrical shape. A switching lever 6 is mounted on the upper surface of the shell 2. The interior of the shell 2 is divided into a lower chamber 24 and an upper chamber 25 in two sections. A drive switching mechanism 32 is housed in the lower chamber 24 in the shell 2, and an action direction switching mechanism 61 is housed in the upper chamber 25. The drive switching mechanism 32 is a mechanism that controls the drive portion by opening and closing the circuit formed on the substrate SU. The drive switching mechanism 32 moves back and forth as the shaft portion 31 moves. That is, the drive switching mechanism 32 moves between the pressed position and the pressed release position as the trigger 1 is pressed and the pressed operation is released. As Figure 8 As shown in FIG. 1 (a schematic side view showing an example of a trigger 1 of a trigger switch TS disclosed in the present application being pressed), the driving switching mechanism 32 is moved backward by pressing the trigger 1, thereby the driving unit is operated, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown, the drive switching mechanism 32 is restored forward, whereby the drive unit stops.

[0064] The return spring 4 is formed by using a spring such as a compression coil spring. The return spring 4 is wound around the shaft 31 along the circumferential direction outside the housing 2, and pushes the shaft 31 in the opposite direction of the pressing direction, that is, the front direction, so that the shaft 31 pressed backward together with the trigger 1 is restored to the front release position. The front end of the return spring 4 is locked to the shaft 31, and the rear end is locked to the periphery of the through hole 23 of the housing 2.

[0065] The covering member 5 is formed in a substantially cylindrical bellows shape, and covers the shaft portion 31 and the return spring 4 along the circumferential direction on the outer side of the housing 2. The front end, which is one end side of the covering member 5, is mounted on the shaft portion 31. The rear end, which is the other end side of the covering member 5, is mounted in a manner covering the protruding portion of the periphery of the through hole 23 of the housing 2. The covering member 5 is a gasket formed using a material such as rubber having flexibility and sealing properties, and expands and contracts along the axial direction to seal the inside.

[0066] The action direction switching mechanism 61 is a mechanism for switching the wiring of the circuit opened and closed by the drive switching mechanism 32. The action direction switching mechanism 61 is mounted on the switching lever 6 and operates with the shaking of the switching lever 6. The action direction of the drive unit is switched by the operation of the action direction switching mechanism 61. The switching lever 6 is a member that receives a switching operation of switching the drive direction of the drive unit from the user and is shaken left and right, and transmits the shaking operation to the action direction switching mechanism 61. In addition, when the switching lever 6 is operated in a manner that is located in the middle of the shaking range, the switching lever 6 functions as a stopper that prevents the trigger 1 from being pressed.

[0067] The trigger switch TS constructed in the above manner is assembled in the electric device PT and receives the operation of the user. The user of the electric device PT performs operations such as pressing the trigger 1 and shaking the switching lever 6. The trigger 1 that receives the pressing operation moves backward. As the trigger 1 moves backward, the shaft 31 installed on the trigger 1 moves backward. As the shaft 31 moves backward, the drive switching mechanism 132 continuous with the rear end of the shaft 31 also moves backward, and the drive unit drives. Moreover, as the shaft 31 moves backward, the return spring 4 and the covering member 5 are compressed along the axial direction.

[0068] The user stops the driving unit and releases the pressing of the trigger 1. When the pressing is released, the urging force of the return spring 4 causes the trigger 1, the shaft 31 and the drive switching mechanism 32 to move forward and return to the released position. In addition, as the shaft 31 moves forward, the return spring 4 and the covering member 5 extend in the axial direction.

[0069] The trigger switch TS is provided with a switching unit 7, which has a sensor function for detecting the movement (or position) of the trigger 1 when the trigger 1 is pressed, and switches the driving and stopping of the driving unit according to the movement. The switching unit 7 includes a switching circuit. The switching circuit is composed of an optical sensor, a magnetic sensor, an electrostatic sensor, a resistance sensor, etc. that detects the movement (or position) of the trigger 1 in a non-contact manner, and outputs an on signal or an off signal according to the position of the trigger 1 detected by the sensor. In addition, as a switching circuit, an on signal or an off signal can also be output according to the contact of the movable contact and the fixed contact accompanying the movement (or position) of the trigger 1.

[0070] As a specific structure of the switching unit 7, a sensor detection member 71 formed of a conductive metal is provided on the left side of the switch in the drive switching mechanism 32. In addition, a detection portion 72 ( Figure 3 and Figure 4 That is, in the released state where the trigger 1 is not pressed, the sensor detection member 71 is in an open state at a position deviated from the detection portion 72, and the switching circuit for driving the driving unit is in an open state, and the driving unit stops.

[0071] From this state, when the shaft 31 and the drive switching mechanism 32 are moved backward by pressing the trigger 1, when the movement amount reaches a predetermined amount, the sensor detection member 71 is in a closed state at a position overlapping (facing) the detection portion 72 (see Figure 8 ), the driving unit is driven. In addition, in the present embodiment, the rotation speed of the driving unit is increased by sensing the position of the sensor detection member 71 that changes as the trigger 1 is pressed.

[0072] The trigger switch TS is provided with an auxiliary sliding contact 8 for activating a microcomputer (not shown) on the substrate SU. Specifically, the auxiliary brush 81 formed by bending a conductive metal is supported by the second housing 22. The substrate SU mounted on the inner side of the first housing 21 is provided with auxiliary electrodes 82a and 82b ( Figure 4 In the released state where the trigger 1 is not pressed, the auxiliary brush 81 is in a position overlapping the auxiliary electrodes 82a and 82b (the position in contact with the auxiliary electrodes 82a and 82b is the open position), and in this state, the microcomputer is in a stopped (sleep) state. The posture of the auxiliary brush 81 is formed by the external force received from the drive switching mechanism 32 as described below.

[0073] From this state, when the shaft 31 and the drive switching mechanism 32 are moved backward by pressing the trigger 1, when the movement amount reaches a predetermined amount, as shown in FIG. Figure 8As shown, the auxiliary brush 81 is in a position deviated from the auxiliary electrode 82a and the auxiliary electrode 82b (a position where the front auxiliary brush 84 and the rear auxiliary brush 85 are not in contact with the auxiliary electrode 82a and the auxiliary electrode 82b, i.e., a closed position), and in the above state, the microcomputer is in a startup (wake up) state. The posture of the auxiliary brush 81 is formed by releasing the external force received from the drive switching mechanism 32 as described below. In the present embodiment, the auxiliary brush 81 is moved upward so that it is in a position deviated from the auxiliary electrode 82a and the auxiliary electrode 82b. The following is a description of the structure for moving the auxiliary brush 81 upward. As described above, the auxiliary sliding contact 8 is configured as an NC contact. As described above, in the release state where the trigger 1 is not pressed, the microcomputer is set to a stop (sleep) state, thereby making the power consumption in the release state zero, and reducing the power consumption of the electric device PT as a whole.

[0074] As a feature disclosed in the present application, the auxiliary sliding contact 8 is constructed as follows: in the pre-stage of the switch portion 7 changing from the open state (a state in which the sensor detection member 71 does not overlap with the detection portion 72) to the closed state (a state in which the sensor detection member 71 overlaps with the detection portion 72), not only the contact between the auxiliary brush 81 and the auxiliary electrodes 82a and 82b is released, but also the contact between the auxiliary brush 81 and the substrate SU is released (the contact between the auxiliary brush 81 and the resin surface of the substrate SU is released). Specifically, the auxiliary brush 81 is constructed so that when the switch portion 7 changes from the open state (a state in which the sensor detection member 71 does not overlap with the detection portion 72) to the closed state (a state in which the sensor detection member 71 overlaps with the detection portion 72), the auxiliary brush 81 is released from the contact with the auxiliary electrode 82a and the auxiliary electrode 82b. Figure 4 position shown) to the closed position ( Figure 8 The auxiliary sliding contact 8 is deformed in a direction away from the auxiliary electrodes 82a and 82b (in a direction away from the substrate SU) by moving away from the auxiliary electrodes 82a and 82b, thereby releasing the contact with the substrate SU. The structure of the auxiliary sliding contact 8 is described in detail below.

[0075] Figure 4 1 is a schematic side view showing an example of a trigger switch TS in a released state. Figure 5 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a trigger switch TS in a released state. Figure 6 It is along Figure 4 Cross-sectional view along line VI-VI in FIG. Figure 4 and Figure 5 It shows the state where the first housing 21 is disassembled. Figure 6 The diagram shows a state in which the sub-electrodes 82 a and 82 b attached to the substrate SU on the inner side surface of the first housing 21 are in contact with the sub-brush 81 .

[0076] As shown in these figures, the auxiliary electrodes 82a and 82b are formed at two locations on the substrate SU, front and back. Here, the auxiliary electrode located on the front side is called the front auxiliary electrode 82a, and the auxiliary electrode located on the rear side is called the rear auxiliary electrode 82b. These auxiliary electrodes 82a and 82b are rectangular and are arranged at a position slightly lower than the lower end position of the drive switching mechanism 32 and at a predetermined interval in the front-to-back direction.

[0077] The auxiliary brush 81 includes an elastic plate portion 83 supported by the second housing 22 , a front auxiliary brush (sliding electrode portion) 84 formed integrally with the elastic plate portion 83 and capable of contacting the front auxiliary electrode 82 a , and a rear auxiliary brush (sliding electrode portion) 85 capable of contacting the rear auxiliary electrode 82 b .

[0078] The elastic plate portion 83 includes a locking plate portion 83 a , a main body portion 83 b , and a pressing plate portion 83 c .

[0079] Furthermore, an auxiliary brush support portion 26 is integrally formed inside the housing 2. The auxiliary brush support portion 26 is formed by partially increasing the thickness of the longitudinal wall (longitudinal wall extending in a direction perpendicular to the left-right direction of the switch) of the second housing 22, and includes a locking groove 27 and a posture restriction portion 28.

[0080] The locking groove 27 is provided at the substantially central portion of the auxiliary brush support portion 26 in the front-to-back direction, and the width dimension in the front-to-back direction is set to be equal to or slightly larger than the plate thickness dimension of the locking plate portion 83a of the elastic plate portion 83. The locking plate portion 83a is inserted into the locking groove 27, thereby locking the locking plate portion 83a in the locking groove 27.

[0081] The posture restriction portion 28 is used to restrict the posture of the front auxiliary brush 84 and the rear auxiliary brush 85 of the auxiliary brush 81 (restricted to an elastically deformed posture). The posture restriction portion 28 includes an inclined portion 28a that is inclined downward toward the left side of the switch, and a vertical portion 28b that extends from the lower end of the inclined portion 28a in a vertical direction (a direction orthogonal to the left and right direction of the switch). The restriction of the posture of the front auxiliary brush 84 and the rear auxiliary brush 85 by the posture restriction portion 28 is described below.

[0082] The main body portion 83 b of the elastic plate portion 83 is continuous with the upper end of the locking plate portion 83 a and is inclined upward toward the front.

[0083] The push plate portion 83c of the elastic plate portion 83 is continuous with the front end of the main body portion 83b. The push plate portion 83c is curved in a convex shape toward the upper side. Figure 8As shown in FIG. 1 , the upper end position of the push plate portion 83c when no external force acts on the elastic plate portion 83 is set to a position slightly higher than the lower end position of the drive switching mechanism 32 (a position slightly higher than the movement trajectory of the lower end position of the drive switching mechanism 32 when the drive switching mechanism 32 moves). Figure 8 As shown in FIG. 1 , when the trigger 1 is in a pressed state, the switching mechanism 32 is driven to move backward and does not contact the pressing plate portion 83c, so that no external force acts on the elastic plate portion 83 (pressing plate portion 83c). Figure 4 As shown, when the trigger 1 is in the released state, the switching mechanism 32 is driven to move forward and contact the upper surface of the push plate portion 83c, and an external force acts downward from the upper surface to press the push plate portion 83c, so that the rear end position of the main body portion 83b (near the boundary with the upper end of the locking plate portion 83a) is set as the swing center, and the main body portion 83b is elastically deformed downward. In this state, the main body portion 83b generates an upward reaction force.

[0084] Next, the front auxiliary brush 84 and the rear auxiliary brush 85 are described. The front auxiliary brush 84 and the rear auxiliary brush 85 have the same shape. Here, the front auxiliary brush 84 is used as a representative for description. Figure 6 As shown, the front auxiliary brush 84 includes an inclined portion 84a, an electrode contact portion 84b, and a pressing portion 84c.

[0085] The inclined portion 84a is continuous with the end portion on the left side of the switch of the main body portion 83b of the elastic plate portion 83, and is inclined downward toward the left side of the switch.

[0086] The electrode contact portion 84b is a portion that contacts the front sub-electrode 82a, is continuous with the lower end of the inclined portion 84a, and has a convex curved shape toward the left side of the switch.

[0087] The pressing portion 84c is continuous with the lower end of the electrode contact portion 84b and has a curved shape that is convex toward the right side of the switch.

[0088] Moreover, the front auxiliary brush 84 is under the external force (external force toward the left side of the switch, Figure 6 and Fig.10 When the external force (in the figure) is not exerted, the distance ( Fig.10 The dimension t1 in the figure is set to be greater than the distance from the left end of the switch in the main body 83b to the position of the front sub-electrode 82a (which is roughly the same as the distance from the left end of the switch in the main body 83b to the surface of the substrate SU, which is Fig.10That is, when no external force (external force toward the left side of the switch) acts on the front auxiliary brush 84, the electrode contact portion 84b retreats from the substrate SU (deviates from the substrate SU) and becomes a posture that does not contact the substrate SU.

[0089] As described above, the posture restricting portion 28 formed inside the housing 2 includes the inclined portion 28a and the vertical portion 28b. The boundary position between the inclined portion 28a and the vertical portion 28b is set to be closer to the state where the electrode contact portion 84b is in contact with the front auxiliary electrode 82a ( Figure 6 The position of the push portion 84c in the state shown in the figure is slightly above the position. Moreover, the position of the vertical portion 28b (the position in the left-right direction of the switch) is located at a position slightly above the position in the state where no external force is applied to the front auxiliary brush 84 ( Fig.10 The position of the push portion 84c of the front auxiliary brush 84 in the state shown in the figure is close to the position of the specified dimension on the left side of the switch. The specified dimension is set to the dimension of the electrode contact portion 84b in contact with the front auxiliary electrode 82a when the push portion 84c of the front auxiliary brush 84 abuts against the vertical portion 28b. Figures 4 to 6 As shown, in the released state of the trigger switch TS, the driving switching mechanism 32 contacts the upper surface of the pressing plate portion 83c, thereby pressing down the pressing plate portion 83c of the elastic plate portion 83. As a result, the front auxiliary brush 84 moves downward, and the pressing portion 84c abuts against the vertical portion 28b of the posture restricting portion 28, and receives the pressing force from the vertical portion 28b, thereby elastically deforming to the left side of the switch (elastically deforming in the direction toward the front auxiliary electrode 82a), and is in a state of contacting (pressing) with the front auxiliary electrode 82a.

[0090] On the other hand, Figure 8 to Figure 10 As shown, when the trigger switch TS is pressed, the contact between the drive switching mechanism 32 and the upper surface of the push plate portion 83c is released, and the elastic plate portion 83 returns to its original shape. In conjunction with this, the front auxiliary brush 84 moves upward, and the push portion 84c moves from a position abutting against the vertical portion 28b of the posture restriction portion 28 to a position not abutting against the vertical portion 28b (for example, a position abutting against the inclined portion 28a or a position floating from the inclined portion 28a), releasing the pushing force from the vertical portion 28b, thereby deforming to the right side of the switch (recovering its shape) and becoming a posture retreating from the substrate SU (a posture deviating from the substrate SU).

[0091] In addition, the rear auxiliary brush 85 also has the same structure as the front auxiliary brush 84. When the trigger switch TS is in the released state, it elastically deforms to the left side of the switch (elastically deforms in the direction toward the rear auxiliary electrode 82b) and is in contact with (pressed against) the rear auxiliary electrode 82b. When the trigger switch TS is pressed, it is in a posture of retreating from the substrate SU.

[0092] <Control structure>

[0093] Next, a control structure included in the electric device PT disclosed in the present application will be described. Figure 7 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a part of the control structure included in the electric device PT disclosed in the present application. Figure 7 As shown, the electric device PT is configured so that the main device 100 and the trigger switch TS can send and receive signals. The main device 100 includes a driving unit M such as a motor. The trigger switch TS includes a control unit 9, which outputs a driving signal to the main device 100 based on signals from the switching unit 7 and the auxiliary sliding contact 8.

[0094] The control unit 9 of the trigger switch TS is, for example, a circuit composed of a microcomputer using various LSI (Large Scale Integration Circuit), VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration Circuit), electronic components, and various terminals, and is arranged on the substrate SU in the housing 2. The control unit 9 receives signals from the switching unit 7 and the auxiliary sliding contact 8 as inputs, performs various processes based on the inputs, and outputs a drive signal for driving the drive unit M such as a motor included in the main unit 100 of the electric device PT to the main unit 100. The electric device PT drives the drive unit M based on the drive signal input to the main unit 100.

[0095] In the present embodiment, after a signal (close signal) is sent from the auxiliary sliding contact 8 in accordance with the pressing operation of the trigger 1, a signal (open signal) is sent from the switching unit 7. That is, in the previous stage when the switching unit 7 (the switching circuit of the switching unit 7) is changed from the open state to the closed state in accordance with the pressing operation of the trigger 1, the close signal is output from the auxiliary sliding contact 8, and the contact between the front auxiliary brush 84 and the rear auxiliary brush 85 and the substrate SU is released.

[0096] <Trigger pressing operation>

[0097] Next, the states of the auxiliary sliding contact 8 and the switching unit 7, the state of the microcomputer, and the change in the device rotation speed when the trigger is pressed will be described. Fig.11 This is a timing chart showing an example of changes in signals of the auxiliary sliding contact 8 and the switching unit 7 , the state of the microcomputer, and the device rotation speed when the trigger 1 is pressed in the electric device PT disclosed in the present application.

[0098] like Figures 4 to 6As shown in FIG. 1 , when the trigger switch TS is in the released state, the auxiliary sliding contact 8 is in the closed state (the state in which the front auxiliary brush 84 and the rear auxiliary brush 85 are in the open position). That is, by driving the switching mechanism 32 to move forward, the auxiliary sliding contact 8 is in contact with the upper surface of the push plate portion 83c, and the external force downward from the upper surface acts to press the push plate portion 83c, and the main body portion 83b is elastically deformed downward in a manner that the rear end position of the main body portion 83b is set as the swing center. In the above state, the push portion 84c of each auxiliary brush 84 and auxiliary brush 85 abuts against the vertical portion 28b of the posture restricting portion 28, and receives the pushing force from the vertical portion 28b, thereby elastically deforming to the left side of the switch (elastically deforming in the direction toward each auxiliary electrode 82a and auxiliary electrode 82b), and each auxiliary brush 84 and auxiliary brush 85 is in contact with each auxiliary electrode 82a and auxiliary electrode 82b. That is, the auxiliary sliding contact 8 is in the closed state. In this state, the microcomputer is in a stopped (sleep) state. Furthermore, the switch unit 7 is in an open state (the sensor detection member 71 is in a closed position), and the drive unit 24 is stopped.

[0099] When the trigger 1 is pressed from the above state, Figure 8 to Figure 10 As shown, along with the pressing operation, the plunger 3 moves backward. Along with the movement of the plunger 3 backward, after the contact state between the drive switching mechanism 132 and the upper surface of the pushing plate portion 83c is released, the elastic plate portion 83 of the auxiliary brush 81 returns to its original shape, and accordingly, each auxiliary brush 84 and auxiliary brush 85 moves upward to release the contact state with each auxiliary electrode 82a and auxiliary electrode 82b. Along with this, the pushing portion 84c of each auxiliary brush 84 and auxiliary brush 85 moves toward the upper side of the vertical portion 28b of the posture limiting portion 28, releasing the pushing force from the vertical portion 28b. As a result, each auxiliary brush 84 and auxiliary brush 85 also returns to its original shape and deforms in a manner of retreating from the substrate SU ( Fig.11 The timing of the "sub brush retreating and deforming" in the figure) is used to release the contact with the substrate SU (refer to Fig.10 ).

[0100] Thereafter, the trigger 1 is continuously pressed, and the plunger 3 further moves backward, and the sensor detection member 71 is in an open state at a position where it overlaps with the detection portion 72 (see Figure 8 ), and the circuit for driving the driving unit M is closed, and the driving of the driving unit M is started ( Fig.11In addition, as the trigger 1 is pressed, the signal from the switch 7 changes, and accordingly, the rotation speed of the drive unit M increases. As described above, at the time when the drive unit M starts to be driven, each auxiliary brush 84, 85 is deformed so as to retreat from the substrate SU, so even if the vibration accompanying the drive of the drive unit M is transmitted to each auxiliary brush 84, 85 or the substrate SU, each auxiliary brush 84, 85 and the substrate SU will not slide.

[0101] <Effects of implementation>

[0102] As described above, the trigger switch TS of the present embodiment releases the contact between the auxiliary brushes 84, 85 and the substrate SU as the auxiliary brushes 84, 85 constituting the auxiliary sliding contact 8 move from the open position to the closed position. Thus, the driving unit M is prevented from driving in a state where the auxiliary brushes 84, 85 are in contact with the substrate SU, and the wear of the auxiliary brushes 84, 85 can be suppressed, and the contact reliability when the auxiliary brushes 84, 85 are in contact with the auxiliary electrodes 82a, 82b can be well maintained. In addition, the wear of the resin surface of the substrate SU can be suppressed, so that the resin powder caused by the wear is not easily generated, and thus the contact reliability when the auxiliary brushes 84, 85 are in contact with the auxiliary electrodes 82a, 82b can be well maintained.

[0103] Furthermore, the trigger switch TS of the present embodiment releases the contact between the auxiliary brushes 84, 85 and the substrate SU at the stage before the switching unit 7 is switched from the on state to the off state in accordance with the pressing operation of the trigger 1. Therefore, it is possible to reliably avoid driving the driving unit M in a state where the auxiliary brushes 84, 85 are in contact with the substrate SU, and it is possible to reliably suppress the wear of the auxiliary brushes 84, 85.

[0104] <Modification>

[0105] In the above-described embodiment, the auxiliary brushes 84 and 85 are released from contact with the substrate SU by restoring their shapes from the elastically deformed posture. That is, the auxiliary brushes 84 and 85 are released from contact with the substrate SU by retreating from the substrate SU. This modified example releases the contact between the auxiliary brushes 84 and 85 and the substrate SU by improving the substrate SU.

[0106] Fig.12 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the positions of the auxiliary brushes 84 and 85 of the auxiliary sliding contact 8 when the trigger switch TS is in a released state in a modified example of the trigger switch TS disclosed in the present application. Fig.12As shown, in the substrate SU in this modified example, an opening 29 is formed on the upper side of each auxiliary electrode 82a, 82b. The opening 29 is designed to be in the following shape: when each auxiliary brush 84, 85 is moved to the closed position, the auxiliary brush 84, 85 does not contact the substrate SU. That is, it becomes the following structure: when each auxiliary brush 84, 85 is moved to the closed position, the electrode contact part 84b of each auxiliary brush 84, 85 faces the opening 29, thereby not contacting the substrate SU. In other words, the peripheral part of each auxiliary electrode 82a, 82b in the substrate SU has a concave shape, and the concave shape is used to release the contact between each auxiliary brush 84, 85 and the substrate SU as each auxiliary brush 84, 85 moves from the open position to the closed position.

[0107] In this variation, if Fig.12 As shown, it is not necessary to elastically deform the auxiliary brushes 84 and 85 when the auxiliary brushes 84 and 85 are in the open position. That is, it is not necessary to retract the auxiliary brushes 84 and 85 from the substrate SU when the trigger 1 is pressed, so it is not necessary to elastically deform the auxiliary brushes 84 and 85 to the left side of the switch (elastically deform in the direction toward the front auxiliary electrode 82a) when the pressing portion 84c abuts against the vertical portion 28b of the posture restriction portion 28. Therefore, the design of the auxiliary brushes 84 and 85 is easy.

[0108] <Other embodiments>

[0109] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and variations, and can be implemented in various other ways. Therefore, the embodiments and variations are only illustrative in all aspects and are not to be interpreted restrictively. The technical scope of the present invention is described by the scope of the claims and is not subject to any limitation in the specification. Furthermore, all variations and changes within the scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

[0110] For example, in the above-described embodiment and modified examples, the case where the invention is applied to the electric device PT is described as an example, but the invention may also be applied to devices such as a water gun, a paint spray gun, and a model gun.

[0111] In the above-described embodiment and modification, the auxiliary brush 81 is elastically deformed by the drive switching mechanism 32 provided with the sensor detection member 71, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, any movable member may be used as long as it can move between the pressed position and the pressed release position in accordance with the pressing operation and the releasing of the pressing operation of the trigger 1.

[0112] In the above-described embodiment and modified example, the auxiliary brush 81 is structured such that the elastic plate portion 83 is integrally formed with each auxiliary brush 84, 85, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the elastic plate portion 83 and each auxiliary brush 84, 85 may be separately formed, so that the auxiliary brush 81 may be composed of a plurality of components.

[0113] Furthermore, the embodiments and other matters disclosed in this specification can also be understood as technical ideas shown in the following notes.

[0114] (Note 1)

[0115] A trigger switch includes a sliding electrode portion, wherein the sliding electrode portion moves from an open position in contact with a fixed electrode to a closed position in contact with the electrode when a driving portion is driven by movement of the trigger caused by pressing the trigger, wherein the trigger switch releases contact between the sliding electrode portion and a fixed member fixing the electrode as the sliding electrode portion moves from the open position to the closed position.

[0116] (Note 2)

[0117] The trigger switch as described in Note 1 includes: a switching circuit that changes from an on state to a off state as the trigger is pressed, drives the driving unit, and releases the contact between the sliding electrode unit and the fixed member before the switching circuit changes from an on state to a off state as the trigger is pressed.

[0118] (Note 3)

[0119] The trigger switch as described in Supplementary Note 1 or 2, wherein the sliding electrode portion is released from contact with the fixing member by deforming in a direction away from the electrode as the sliding electrode portion moves from the open position to the closed position.

[0120] (Note 4)

[0121] The trigger switch as described in Note 3 includes: a posture limiting portion, which limits the sliding electrode portion to a posture of elastic deformation in a direction of contact with the electrode when the sliding electrode portion is in the open position, and when the sliding electrode portion is in the closed position, the posture restriction imposed by the posture limiting portion is released, and the sliding electrode portion recovers its shape from the elastically deformed posture, thereby releasing the contact with the fixed member.

[0122] (Note 5)

[0123] The trigger switch as described in Note 4 comprises: a movable member which is movable between a pressed position and a pressed release position in response to the pressing operation and the releasing of the pressing operation of the trigger; and an elastic plate portion which is configured as follows, namely, when the movable member is in the pressed release position, it is subjected to an external force from the movable member and becomes elastically deformed, the external force is released by the movable member moving from the pressed release position toward the pressed position, and the shape is restored from the posture elastically deformed by the external force, and when the elastic plate portion is in the elastically deformed posture, the sliding electrode portion becomes an open position in contact with the electrode by limiting the posture by the posture limiting portion when the elastic plate portion is in the elastically deformed posture, and when the elastic plate portion is performing the shape restoration, the posture restriction by the posture limiting portion is released, and the contact with the fixed member is released.

[0124] (Note 6)

[0125] The trigger switch as described in Supplementary Note 1 or 2, wherein an opening is formed in the fixing member in a region facing the sliding electrode portion in the closed position.

[0126] (Note 7)

[0127] A trigger switch as described in Note 1 or 2, wherein the peripheral portion of the electrode in the fixed member has a recessed shape, and the recessed shape is used to release the contact between the sliding electrode portion and the fixed member as the sliding electrode portion moves from the open position to the closed position.

[0128] (Note 8)

[0129] A device comprising the trigger switch as described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 7, wherein the driving portion is driven in a state where the contact between the sliding electrode portion and the fixing member is released.

Claims

1. A trigger switch, comprising a sliding electrode portion, wherein the sliding electrode portion moves from an open position in contact with a fixed electrode to a closed position in contact with the electrode when a driving portion is driven by movement of the trigger caused by a pressing operation of the trigger, The trigger switch is characterized in that the sliding electrode portion is released from contact with a fixing member fixing the electrode as the sliding electrode portion moves from the open position to the closed position.

2. The trigger switch according to claim 1, characterized in that: include: The switching circuit changes from an on state to a off state as the trigger is pressed, so that the driving unit is driven. The contact between the sliding electrode portion and the fixing member is released before the switching circuit is switched from the on state to the off state in accordance with the pressing operation.

3. The trigger switch according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The sliding electrode portion is released from contact with the fixing member by deforming in a direction away from the electrode as the sliding electrode portion moves from the open position to the closed position.

4. The trigger switch according to claim 3, characterized in that: include: a posture restricting portion that restricts the sliding electrode portion to a posture in which the sliding electrode portion is elastically deformed in a direction in contact with the electrode when the sliding electrode portion is in the open position; When the sliding electrode portion is in the closed position, the restriction of the posture by the posture restriction portion is released, and the sliding electrode portion recovers its shape from the elastically deformed posture, thereby releasing the contact with the fixing member.

5. The trigger switch according to claim 4, characterized in that: include: a moving member capable of moving between a pressed position and a pressed-released position in response to a pressing operation and a releasing operation of the trigger; and The elastic plate portion is configured to be elastically deformed by receiving an external force from the movable member when the movable member is in the push-release position, and the movable member is moved from the push-release position toward the push position to release the external force, and the shape is restored from the elastically deformed posture due to the external force. When the elastic plate portion is in the elastically deformed posture, the sliding electrode portion is in an open position in contact with the electrode by limiting the posture using the posture limiting portion, and when the elastic plate portion is performing the shape recovery, the posture limitation imposed by the posture limiting portion is released, thereby releasing the contact with the fixed member.

6. The trigger switch according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The fixing member has an opening formed in a region facing the sliding electrode portion in the closed position.

7. The trigger switch according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The peripheral portion of the electrode in the fixing member has a concave shape for releasing the contact between the sliding electrode portion and the fixing member as the sliding electrode portion moves from the open position to the closed position.

8. A device comprising the trigger switch according to claim 1 or 2, The device is characterized in that the driving unit is driven in a state where the contact between the sliding electrode unit and the fixing member is released.

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