A high life time micro switch

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of high-life microswitch, and its technical solution main points include base and the press handle that moves up and down relative to base, the base is provided with several electric contacts, the electric contact top is provided with the pot piece for the electric contact is conducted, the press handle is provided with auxiliary elastic member, the auxiliary elastic member one end protrudes the bottom of press handle, so that when press handle is pressed down, protruding auxiliary elastic member is used on pot piece. The utility model is driven with the auxiliary elastic member set in press handle to pot piece deformation, reduce the impact force too big and deformation too big etc. Problem brought by press handle direct drive pot piece deformation, prolong the service life of microswitch.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of tactile switch technology, and more specifically to a long-life tactile switch. Background Technology

[0002] A tactile switch, also known as a push-button switch, is used to close the circuit when pressure is applied in the direction of operation to meet the required force. When the pressure is released, the switch opens. Its internal structure relies on the change of force on a metal spring to achieve the switching function.

[0003] Currently, the basic internal structure of existing tactile switches can be referenced from a tactile switch disclosed in Chinese Patent No. CN212277064U. Its basic structure consists of a pressing device, a spring (or commonly known as a dome switch), and a contact below the spring. Existing pressing devices directly contact the spring. When the pressing device is pressed down, it directly drives the spring to deform, thereby making the contact below the spring conductive.

[0004] However, traditional tactile switches have a limited lifespan, which is generally limited by the metal fatigue of the spring itself. After analyzing various conditions that affect the metal fatigue life, it was found that directly driving the spring by the pressing device can cause problems such as excessive pressing impact force and excessive pressing deformation. These problems further aggravate the metal fatigue of the spring and shorten the service life of the tactile switch. Utility Model Content

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this utility model provides a high-lifespan tactile switch. It uses an auxiliary elastic element inside the pressing handle to drive the deformation of the dome switch, reducing the problems of excessive impact force and excessive deformation caused by the pressing handle directly driving the deformation of the dome switch, thus extending the service life of the tactile switch.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a high-life tactile switch, comprising a base and a pressing handle that moves up and down relative to the base. The base is provided with a plurality of electrical contacts, and a dome switch for conducting electrical contacts is provided above the electrical contacts. An auxiliary elastic element is provided inside the pressing handle, and one end of the auxiliary elastic element protrudes from the bottom of the pressing handle so that when the pressing handle is pressed down, the protruding auxiliary elastic element acts on the dome switch.

[0007] The present invention is further configured such that: the pressing handle is provided with a receiving hole with an opening at the bottom, the auxiliary elastic element is placed in the receiving hole, one end of the auxiliary elastic element abuts against the receiving hole, and the other end extends out from the opening of the receiving hole.

[0008] The present invention is further configured such that: the bottom of the pressing handle has a laterally protruding protrusion, the base has a guide groove, and the protrusion is adapted to the guide groove.

[0009] The present invention is further configured such that the auxiliary elastic element is a spring.

[0010] The present invention is further configured such that: the electrical contact includes a first contact located on both sides and a second contact located in the middle, the first contact abutting against the edge of the hot metal dome, and the second contact corresponding to the dome structure and abutting against the dome structure when the dome structure is pressed down.

[0011] The present invention is further configured such that: the bottom of the pressing handle has a laterally protruding protrusion, the position of the protrusion corresponding to the position of the first contact point, so that when the pressing handle is pressed down, the edge of the hot plate is pressed between the protrusion and the first contact point.

[0012] The present invention is further configured such that a conductive copper sheet is provided below the protruding part.

[0013] The present invention is further configured such that the top of the receiving hole is provided with a micro air hole that communicates with the outside.

[0014] The present invention is further configured such that: the second contact point has a frustum-shaped contact point in the middle, the auxiliary elastic element is a spring, and the outer diameter of the contact point is smaller than the inner diameter of the spring.

[0015] The present invention is further configured such that: two connection pins are provided below the base, which are respectively electrically connected to the first contact and the second contact.

[0016] In summary, this utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] This invention incorporates an auxiliary elastic element. When the handle is pressed down, the auxiliary elastic element deforms the dome switch. The advantages of this method are twofold: First, when a person presses the handle, the downward pressure is rapid and forceful, directly impacting the dome switch. The auxiliary elastic element absorbs this impact force through its elasticity, converting it into a relatively stable, gradual elastic force before it is applied to the dome switch, resulting in more even and stable force distribution. Second, each downward press involves forcefully pressing the dome switch to its lowest point. After a period of use, the internal clearances inevitably widen. In this case, each press to the bottom can easily over-press the dome switch. The auxiliary elastic element absorbs this excessive pressure, preventing over-pressing and deformation of the dome switch, thus extending the overall lifespan of the tactile switch. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal cross-sectional structure.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a 3D schematic diagram of the internal structure of the base.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the press handle structure.

[0023] Reference numerals: 1. Base; 101. Guide groove; 2. Press handle; 201. Receiving hole; 2011. Micro air hole; 202. Protruding part; 2021. Conductive copper sheet; 3. Electrical contact; 301. First contact; 302. Second contact; 3021. Contact point; 4. Dome switch; 5. Auxiliary elastic element; 6. Connecting pin; 7. Top cover; 8. Connecting post. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] This embodiment discloses a high-lifespan tactile switch, such as... Figure 1-5As shown, the device includes a base 1 and a pressing handle 2 that moves up and down relative to the base 1. A perforated top cover 7 is also provided above the base 1. The base 1 and the top cover 7 are connected by a connecting post 8. Preferably, the connecting post 8 is integrally formed with the base 1. After the top cover 7 is installed in place, the top of the connecting post 8 is hot-riveted to fix the top cover and the base. In this embodiment, the base 1 has several electrical contacts 3, and a dome switch 4 for conducting electricity is provided above the electrical contacts 3. The pressing handle 2 has an auxiliary elastic element 5, one end of which protrudes from the bottom of the pressing handle 2, so that when the pressing handle 2 is pressed down, the protruding auxiliary elastic element 5 acts on the dome switch 4. Specifically, the dome switch 4 is driven by the auxiliary elastic element 5. When the auxiliary elastic element 5 is subjected to the downward pressure of the handle 2, it first compresses itself elastically and then releases the elastic force. This elastic force drives the dome switch 4 to deform. The advantage is that the impact force of the hand pressing the handle 2 will not directly act on the dome switch 4, but will be absorbed by the auxiliary elastic element 5 first. The elastic force released by the auxiliary elastic element 5 drives the dome switch 4, making the force on the dome switch 4 more stable and greatly reducing the impact force. The dome switch 4 is less likely to suffer from metal fatigue cracks due to strong impact force. Meanwhile, after a period of use, the clearance between the contacts inevitably widens. In traditional tactile switches, the downward stroke of the pressing handle tends to increase, potentially leading to excessive pressure and deformation of the dome switch 4. However, in this embodiment, the increased downward stroke only slightly increases the compression of the auxiliary elastic element 5, thus slightly increasing the pressing force of the auxiliary elastic element 5 on the dome switch 4, without causing excessive pressure or deformation of the dome switch 4. This mitigates the metal fatigue problem caused by excessive deformation of the dome switch 4. Furthermore, the auxiliary elastic element 5 also provides some of the rebound force of the pressing handle 2, sharing the rebound burden of the dome switch 4. Therefore, through the above structure, the time before the dome switch 4 experiences metal fatigue is extended, thus extending the overall service life of the tactile switch.

[0026] Further details regarding the specific structure can be found by referring to [reference needed]. Figure 2-3 The handle 2 is provided with a receiving hole 201 with an opening at the bottom. The auxiliary elastic element 5 is placed in the receiving hole 201. One end of the auxiliary elastic element 5 abuts against the receiving hole 201, and the other end extends out from the opening of the receiving hole 201. The extended part is used to drive the hot plate.

[0027] To prevent axial rotation of the pressing handle 2, the bottom of the pressing handle 2 has a laterally protruding part 202, and the base 1 has a guide groove 101, with the protruding part 202 fitting into the guide groove 101. The function of this is to guide the up-and-down sliding of the pressing handle 2 through the protruding part 202 and the guide groove 101, and to prevent the pressing handle 2 from rotating, thereby preventing the internal auxiliary elastic element 5 from rotating, and further preventing wear on the surface of the dome switch 4.

[0028] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the auxiliary elastic element 5 is set as a spring. The spring can effectively absorb impact force, and its output elastic force is a gradually decreasing load, that is, as the spring stretches, the output elastic force gradually decreases, which is very suitable for the driving force acting on the dome switch 4, greatly reducing the impact on the dome switch 4.

[0029] Furthermore, refer to Figure 3-4 The electrical contact 3 includes a first contact 301 located on both sides and a second contact 302 located in the middle. The first contact 301 abuts against the edge of the dome switch 4, and the second contact 302 corresponds to the dome structure of the dome switch 4 and abuts against it when the dome structure is pressed down. Through this structure, when the dome structure of the dome switch 4 deforms downward and contacts the second contact 302, the first contact 301 and the second contact 302 are made conductive. Simultaneously, two connection pins 6 are provided below the base 1, each electrically connected to the first contact 301 and the second contact 302. The connection pins 6 are connected to an external circuit board, so that when the tactile switch is pressed down, the circuit of the corresponding circuit board is made conductive, and when the tactile switch is released, the circuit is disconnected.

[0030] Furthermore, refer to Figure 2-3 and Figure 5 The bottom of the pressing handle 2 has a laterally protruding protrusion 202, the position of which corresponds to the position of the first contact point 301, so that when the pressing handle 2 is pressed down, the edge of the dome switch 4 is pressed between the protrusion 202 and the first contact point 301. Through this structure, the protrusion 202 can hold the edge of the dome switch 4 in place, preventing the edge of the dome switch 4 from lifting up, thus making the conduction between the first contact point 301 and the second contact point 302 more stable. Preferably, in this embodiment, the protrusion 202 that guides the pressing handle 2 to slide up and down and the protrusion that holds the edge of the dome switch 4 are made of the same component, thereby simplifying the structural complexity.

[0031] Furthermore, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 5A conductive copper sheet 2021 is provided below the protruding part 202. While pressing down on the edge of the dome switch 4, the conductive copper sheet 2021 increases the conductive area. The protruding part 202 is an integral injection-molded part of the pressing handle 2, with a relatively flat surface, while the conductive copper sheet 2021 is a stamped copper sheet with a higher surface flatness. The flatter conductive copper sheet 2021 can better press down on the dome switch 4. Furthermore, since the conductive copper sheet 2021 protrudes downwards, even after it fully contacts the dome switch 4 and the dome switch 4's arch is flattened by the auxiliary elastic element 5, a gap always exists between the dome switch 4 and the bottom of the pressing handle 2, further preventing direct contact between the dome switch 4 and the pressing handle 2.

[0032] Furthermore, the travel of a traditional tactile switch is the deformation travel of the dome switch, so the travel is very short. However, in this embodiment, the dome switch 4 is indirectly driven by the auxiliary elastic element 5, so the travel is relatively longer. Since the tactile switch is a very small component, the top of the receiving hole 201 needs to be provided with a micro air hole 2011 that communicates with the outside to facilitate the balance of internal and external air pressure, making the pressing smoother.

[0033] Furthermore, refer to Figure 3 The second contact 302 has a frustum-shaped contact point 3021 in the middle, and the auxiliary elastic element 5 is a spring. The outer diameter of the contact point 3021 is smaller than the inner diameter of the spring. With the above structure, the point of force of the spring is located outside the contact point 3021, so that the force can extend further downward to the contact point 3021. That is, the driving force of the spring is more penetrating, rather than stopping at the surface of the contact point 3021, thus ensuring a better working effect of the spring.

[0034] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the design concept of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A long-life microswitch comprising a base (1) and a push handle (2) which is movable up and down relative to the base (1), characterised in that: The base (1) is provided with a plurality of electrical contacts (3), and a dome switch (4) for conducting electrical contacts (3) is provided above the electrical contacts (3). An auxiliary elastic element (5) is provided in the pressing handle (2). One end of the auxiliary elastic element (5) protrudes from the bottom of the pressing handle (2) so that when the pressing handle (2) is pressed down, the protruding auxiliary elastic element (5) acts on the dome switch (4).

2. The high life span micro switch according to claim 1, wherein: The pressing handle (2) is provided with a receiving hole (201) with an opening at the bottom. The auxiliary elastic element (5) is placed in the receiving hole (201). One end of the auxiliary elastic element (5) abuts against the receiving hole (201), and the other end extends out from the opening of the receiving hole (201).

3. The high life span tactile switch according to claim 1, wherein: The bottom of the pressing handle (2) has a laterally protruding protrusion (202), and the base (1) has a guide groove (101), the protrusion (202) being adapted to the guide groove (101).

4. A high life time micro switch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The auxiliary elastic element (5) is configured as a spring.

5. A high-lifespan tactile switch according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrical contact (3) includes a first contact (301) located on both sides and a second contact (302) located in the middle. The first contact (301) abuts against the edge of the dome switch (4), and the second contact (302) corresponds to the dome structure of the dome switch (4) and abuts against it when the dome structure is pressed down.

6. A high-lifespan tactile switch according to claim 5, characterized in that: The bottom of the pressing handle (2) has a laterally protruding protrusion (202), the position of which corresponds to the position of the first contact point (301), so that when the pressing handle (2) is pressed down, the edge of the dome switch (4) is pressed between the protrusion (202) and the first contact point (301).

7. A high-lifespan tactile switch according to claim 6, characterized in that: A conductive copper sheet (2021) is provided below the protruding part (202).

8. A high-lifespan tactile switch according to claim 2, characterized in that: The top of the receiving hole (201) is provided with a micro air hole (2011) that communicates with the outside.

9. A high-lifespan tactile switch according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second contact (302) has a frustum-shaped contact point (3021) in the middle, and the auxiliary elastic element (5) is configured as a spring, wherein the outer diameter of the contact point (3021) is smaller than the inner diameter of the spring.

10. A high-lifespan tactile switch according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base (1) has two connection pins (6) that are electrically connected to the first contact (301) and the second contact (302) respectively.

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