Miniature rotary switch

Abstract

This utility model discloses a miniature rotary switch in the field of switching equipment, including a housing, an inner shell fixed inside the housing, and a rotating shaft rotatably disposed within the inner shell. Multiple positioning grooves are arranged in a circular array on the inner wall of the inner shell, with smooth transitions between adjacent positioning grooves. A through hole is provided on the rotating shaft along its radial direction, and a steel ball and a spring are disposed within the through hole. In its natural state, the spring partially pushes the steel ball out of the through hole and engages it with the positioning groove. This utility model achieves rotational positioning of the switch by setting an inner shell with positioning grooves within the housing and placing a spring and steel ball inside the rotating shaft. The engagement of the steel ball with the positioning groove achieves rotational positioning of the switch. Under the spring's thrust, when the steel ball crosses the arc-shaped surface between adjacent positioning grooves, a clear and powerful tactile feedback is generated, which is beneficial for precise switch adjustment. Since the steel ball and spring are both placed inside the rotating shaft, the structure is compact, thus reducing the overall size of the switch while ensuring a clear operating feel, meeting the space requirements of miniature devices.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of switchgear, and in particular to a miniature rotary switch. Background Technology

[0002] Mechanical rotary switches are basic electronic components that switch circuit connections by rotation, and are widely used in various instruments, electronic devices, and industrial equipment. With the rapid development of wearable devices, micro-sensors, and micro-communication devices, the size requirements for their internal components are becoming increasingly stringent. Existing small rotary switches typically have a diameter of over 10mm, making it difficult to meet the space layout requirements of these micro-devices. For example, the rotary switch disclosed in patent document CN209729798U, if its structure were simply scaled down proportionally, would bring a series of problems: 1. Poor operating feel: After miniaturization, the traditional ratchet-spring type positioning mechanism is difficult to provide a clear and powerful stepping feel, and the feel is vague or even fails; 2. Low contact reliability: The reduced size of the moving contact leads to insufficient elasticity and contact pressure, making it prone to poor contact due to vibration or oxidation, resulting in unstable electrical performance; 3. Weak structural strength: Overly small parts are easily damaged during assembly and use, resulting in a shortened switch life.

[0003] Therefore, in order to meet the needs of micro-devices, there is an urgent need to research a more reliable micro rotary switch with a diameter of 10 mm or less. Utility Model Content

[0004] To overcome the aforementioned shortcomings of existing miniature switches after size reduction, the technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a miniature rotary switch with a compact structure and clear operating feel.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve its technical problem is: A miniature rotary switch includes a housing and a rotating shaft rotatably disposed within the housing. A fixed contact plate is provided at the bottom of the housing, and a moving contact that slides in contact with the fixed contact plate is provided at the bottom of the rotating shaft. An inner shell is fixedly disposed inside the housing, and the rotating shaft is located inside the inner shell. Multiple positioning grooves are arranged in a circular array on the inner wall of the inner shell, and adjacent positioning grooves are smoothly transitioned by an outwardly convex arc surface. A through hole is provided on the rotating shaft along its radial direction, and a steel ball and a spring are disposed in the through hole. In the natural state, the spring pushes part of the steel ball out of the through hole and engages it in the positioning groove.

[0006] Furthermore, a rotating block is provided at the lower end of the rotating shaft, the rotating block is rotatably disposed within the inner shell, the moving contact is disposed on the lower side of the rotating block, and the through hole is disposed on the rotating block.

[0007] Furthermore, the through hole extends through both sides of the rotating block, and the steel ball comprises two balls, located at both ends of the through hole respectively. The spring abuts between the two steel balls, and there is an even number of positioning grooves. Under the action of the spring, the two steel balls are respectively inserted into two opposite positioning grooves.

[0008] Furthermore, the inner wall of the inner shell is provided with a limiting post, and the side of the rotating block is provided with a limiting boss. When the rotating shaft rotates clockwise and counterclockwise to the point where the limiting boss contacts the limiting post, these are the two extreme positions of the rotary switch rotation.

[0009] Furthermore, the fixed contact plate includes a central contact and a ring array of multiple peripheral contacts outside the central contact. The number and position of the peripheral contacts correspond to the positioning groove. The bottom of the moving contact is provided with a forked double-contact metal spring, and the two contacts of the double-contact metal spring contact the central contact and the peripheral contacts respectively.

[0010] Furthermore, the lower end of the fixed contact plate is provided with multiple plug-in pins, and the upper ends of the plug-in pins are connected to the center contact and the peripheral contact in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0011] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: by setting an inner shell with a positioning groove inside the outer shell, and setting a spring and a steel ball inside the rotating column, the rotation positioning of the switch is achieved by the engagement of the steel ball with the positioning groove. Under the spring thrust, when the steel ball crosses the convex arc surface between adjacent positioning grooves, a clear and powerful jumping sensation can be generated, which is beneficial to the precise adjustment of the switch. In addition, since the steel ball and spring are both placed inside the rotating column, the structure is compact. Therefore, the overall size of the switch can be reduced while ensuring a clear operating feel, thus meeting the space requirements of micro devices. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is the front view of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a main sectional view of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a side sectional view of the present invention; Figure 4 yes Figure 1 AA section view in the middle; Figure 5 yes Figure 1 BB section view in the middle; Figure 6 yes Figure 1 CC section view in the image.

[0013] The markings in the diagram are as follows: 1-outer shell, 2-rotating shaft, 3-fixed contact plate, 4-moving contact, 5-inner shell, 6-rotating block, 7-plug-in post, 31-center contact, 32-peripheral contact, 41-double contact metal spring, 51-positioning groove, 52-limiting post, 61-through hole, 62-steel ball, 63-spring, 64-limiting boss. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0015] It should be noted that if this utility model contains directional indicators such as up, down, left, right, front, and back, these terms are used to describe the relative positional relationships between components and are not specific references to the absolute positions of the components or the relationships between them. They are only used to explain the relative positional relationships and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicator will also change accordingly. If this utility model contains terms related to quantity such as "many," "multiple," or "several," these terms specifically refer to two or more.

[0016] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the present invention provides a miniature rotary switch, comprising a housing 1 and a rotating shaft 2 rotatably disposed within the housing 1. A fixed contact plate 3 is provided at the bottom of the housing 1, and a movable contact 4, which slides in contact with the fixed contact plate 3, is provided at the bottom of the rotating shaft 2. An inner shell 5 is fixedly disposed within the housing 1, and the rotating shaft 2 is located within the inner shell 5. Multiple positioning grooves 51 are arranged in a circular array on the inner wall of the inner shell 5, with adjacent positioning grooves 51 smoothly transitioning through convex arc-shaped surfaces. A through hole 61 is provided on the rotating shaft 2 along its radial direction, and a steel ball 62 and a spring 63 are disposed within the through hole 61. In its natural state, the spring 63 partially pushes the steel ball 62 out of the through hole 61 and engages it within the positioning groove 51. Figure 4 As shown, when the shaft 2 rotates, the steel ball 62 rolls from one positioning groove 51 over the convex arc surface and into the next positioning groove 51, thus producing a clear stepping and positioning feel. Compared with the existing ratchet-spring type positioning mechanism, this utility model uses a helical spring 63 to provide thrust and a structure in which the steel ball 62 cooperates with the positioning groove 51 to position the rotation of the shaft. At the same time, the steel ball 62 and the spring 63 are hidden inside the shaft 2, which not only reduces the space occupied by the positioning mechanism, but also provides sufficient elasticity to ensure the clarity of the operating feel, thereby meeting the requirements of micro switches for size and operating feel.

[0017] To facilitate the manufacturing and assembly of components, this utility model also includes a rotating block 6. The upper end of the rotating block 6 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the rotating shaft 2. The moving contact 4 is located on the lower side of the rotating block 6, and the through hole 61 is located on the rotating block 6. The rotating shaft 2 and the rotating block 6 are machined separately and then assembled together, which facilitates their machining and assembly. During assembly, the inner shell 5 is first inserted into the outer shell 1 through the lower opening. The shape fit prevents relative rotation between the two. Then, the rotating block 6 is assembled with the rotating shaft 2. A steel ball 62 and a spring 63 are installed in the through hole of the rotating block 6. Next, the rotating block 6 is inserted into the inner shell 5 through the lower opening. The rotating shaft 2 passes through the through hole at the top of the outer shell 1, and the positioning step of the rotating shaft 2 contacts the top surface of the inner cavity of the outer shell 1 for positioning. Finally, a fixed contact plate 3 is installed at the bottom of the outer shell 1 to limit the lower ends of the inner shell 5 and the rotating block 6. The entire assembly process is convenient and quick, and the components fit together tightly, ensuring the structural stability of the switch as well as its resistance to impact and vibration.

[0018] Using a single steel ball 62 engaged with the positioning groove 51 might affect the tactile feedback during rotation. Therefore, a further solution is to have the through hole 61 extending through both sides of the rotating block 6, with two steel balls 62 located at opposite ends of the through hole 61, and a spring 63 abutting between the two steel balls 62. There is an even number of positioning grooves 51, and the two steel balls 62 are engaged into two opposing positioning grooves 51 under the action of the spring 63. The symmetrically distributed steel balls 62 ensure uniform force distribution on the rotating shaft 2, improving the smoothness of rotation.

[0019] For rotary switches, some do not require circumferential limits and can achieve cyclic control by rotating 360°, while others require setting limit positions for left and right rotation. For switches with limit requirements, a limit post 52 can be set on the inner wall of the inner shell 5, and a limit boss 64 can be set on the side of the rotating block 6, such as... Figure 5 As shown, when the rotating shaft 2 rotates clockwise and counterclockwise until the limiting boss 64 contacts the limiting post 52, these are the two extreme positions of the rotary switch rotation.

[0020] like Figure 6As shown, to achieve adjustment of different positions or functions of the switch, the fixed contact plate 3 includes a central contact 31 and a ring array of multiple peripheral contacts 32 surrounding the central contact 31. The number and position of the peripheral contacts 32 correspond to the positioning groove 51. The bottom of the moving contact 4 is provided with a forked double-contact metal spring 41. The two contacts of the double-contact metal spring 41 contact the central contact 31 and the peripheral contacts 32 respectively. The double-contact metal spring 41 refers to a spring with two bent protruding contacts. Compared with the existing single-point contact spring, the double-contact design provides redundancy for each circuit connection, effectively preventing failures caused by poor single-point contact, and greatly improving the stability and service life of the electrical connection. In addition, to facilitate the connection of the switch with other circuits, multiple plug-in posts 7 are provided at the lower end of the fixed contact plate 3. The upper end of the plug-in post 7 is connected to the central contact 31 and the peripheral contacts 32 one by one. During installation, the plug-in post 7 is inserted into the wiring slot interface of the equipment, which is convenient and quick.

Claims

1. A miniature rotary switch, comprising a housing (1) and a rotating shaft (2) rotatably disposed within the housing (1), wherein a fixed contact plate (3) is provided at the bottom of the housing (1), and a moving contact (4) is provided at the bottom of the rotating shaft (2) for sliding contact with the fixed contact plate (3), characterized in that: An inner shell (5) is fixedly installed inside the outer shell (1). The rotating shaft (2) is located inside the inner shell (5). Multiple positioning grooves (51) are arranged in a ring array on the inner wall of the inner shell (5). Adjacent positioning grooves (51) are smoothly transitioned by an outwardly convex arc surface. A through hole (61) is provided on the rotating shaft (2) along its radial direction. A steel ball (62) and a spring (63) are provided in the through hole (61). In the natural state, the spring (63) pushes part of the steel ball (62) out of the through hole (61) and into the positioning groove (51).

2. The miniature rotary switch as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the rotating shaft (2) is provided with a rotating block (6), which is rotatably disposed inside the inner shell (5). The moving contact (4) is disposed on the lower side of the rotating block (6), and the through hole (61) is disposed on the rotating block (6).

3. The miniature rotary switch as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The through hole (61) passes through both sides of the rotating block (6). The steel ball (62) includes two, located at both ends of the through hole (61). The spring (63) abuts between the two steel balls (62). The positioning groove (51) is an even number. The two steel balls (62) are respectively inserted into the two opposite positioning grooves (51) under the action of the spring (63).

4. The miniature rotary switch as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The inner wall of the inner shell (5) is also provided with a limiting post (52), and the side of the rotating block (6) is provided with a limiting boss (64). When the rotating shaft (2) rotates clockwise and counterclockwise to the point where the limiting boss (64) contacts the limiting post (52), these are the two extreme positions of the rotary switch rotation.

5. The miniature rotary switch as described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that: The fixed contact plate (3) includes a central contact (31) and a ring array of multiple peripheral contacts (32) around the central contact (31). The number and position of the peripheral contacts (32) correspond to the positioning groove (51). The bottom of the moving contact (4) is provided with a forked double contact metal spring (41). The two contacts of the double contact metal spring (41) are in contact with the central contact (31) and the peripheral contacts (32) respectively.

6. The miniature rotary switch as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The lower end of the fixed contact plate (3) is provided with multiple plug-in pins (7), and the upper end of the plug-in pins (7) is connected to the center contact (31) and the peripheral contact (32) in a one-to-one correspondence.

Images