Rear door opening / closing switch

Abstract

Rear door opening / closing switch (1;1a) for installation in a rear door (10) of a vehicle for opening or closing the rear door (10), comprising an arm (2) having an actuating section (21) to be pressed when the door (10) is opened or closed, and configured to rotate about an axis of rotation (2a) from an initial position to a switching position when the actuating section (21) is pressed, a switching section (3) configured to issue a signal to open or lock the rear door (10) when the arm (2) is rotated to the switching position, a spring element (4) for pressing the arm (2) in a rotational direction from the switching position towards the initial position, and a housing (5) that accommodates the arm (2), the switching section (3), and the spring element (4), and has an actuating section cover (522) that allows the actuating section (21) to be pressed from the outside, at which; the arm (2) is arranged such that its axis of rotation (2a) is located closer to the front of the vehicle than the actuating section (21), the spring component (4) has a rod-shaped or plate-shaped elastic component and is arranged such that an end section thereof is locked to the housing (5), when the arm (2) is moved rotatingly from the initial position to the switching position, another end section of the spring component (4) receives a force from a section of the arm (2) that is closer to the front of the vehicle than the axis of rotation (2a), and the spring component (4) is elastically deformed by the force and thereby pushes the arm (2), the switch (1; 1a) is designed to be attached to a door handle (13) which is provided above a license plate mounting section (11) of the rear door (10), the switch (1; 1a) further comprises: a light source (6) for illuminating a license plate (12) attached to the license plate mounting section (11); and a substrate (7) which is housed in the housing (5) and which mounts the light source (6) and at least one section of the switching section (3), and at least one section of the housing (5) has a transparent component which allows light from the light source (6) to pass through.

Description

[0001] The present application is based on Japanese patent application No. 2017-185053, which was filed on September 26, 2017, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The invention relates to a rear door opening / closing switch. Herein, the word "rear door" means a rear door (tailgate, tailgate) of a vehicle, such as an automobile, which swings upwards to grant access to a loading area (cargo area).

[0003] A vehicle's rear door (or tailgate, loading flap) is equipped with, for example, a rear door open / close switch for opening and closing the rear door, a license plate lamp (LPL) for illuminating a license plate, and a support camera for providing an image behind the vehicle.

[0004] If a rear door opener / closer switch and a license plate light are provided separately, the space required and the number of components are increased, and assembly takes time and effort. Therefore, JP 2007-1 524 A proposes integrating a rear door opener / closer switch with a license plate light.

[0005] The rear door opening / closing switch must be small in size, provide an adequate actuation force, and have a long service life. However, in the case of a push-button switch, for example, the actuation force decreases as the size of the switch decreases. Therefore, if a small switch is used, the actuation force will be too low and may not be adequate.

[0006] The actuation load could be adjusted (increased) by separately adding a spring component, such as a leaf spring. In this case, however, it is necessary to design the mechanism in such a way that a component, such as a housing that supports the spring component, is not damaged during repeated use.

[0007] For example, if a rear door opener / closer switch and a license plate light are integrated, as mentioned above, a small switch must be used, and it is desirable to adjust the actuation force by separately adding a spring component. However, in order for light to pass from a license plate light source, if the rear door opener / closer switch is integrated with the license plate light, the switch and the light must be joined (attached) to a non-transparent section of a partially transparent housing by welding or bonding / gluing, etc., or the entire housing must be formed from a transparent component.In this case, the housing lacks sufficient strength due to the connecting section or the material of the transparent component. As a result, the housing may not be able to withstand the repeated load exerted by the spring component and may be damaged. Therefore, there is a need for a highly reliable rear door opening / closing switch whose housing is protected from damage over extended periods, even with such a design. DE 10 2008 029 447 A1 and EP 1 533 451 A1 disclose further rear door opening / closing switches.

[0008] It is an object of the invention to provide a rear door opening / closing switch which has a suitable actuation load and a long service life, while being miniaturized.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the disclosure, a rear door opening / closing switch, defined by any one of claims 1 to 5, can be provided.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the disclosure, a rear door opening / closing switch can be provided which has an appropriate (sufficient / suitable) actuation load and a long service life while being miniaturized.

[0011] Next, the present revelation will be explained in more detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which: Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a rear door on which a rear door opening / closing switch is provided in the first embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the rear door opening / closing switch of Fig. 1 shows when an arm is moved rotating to a switching position; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the arm that is in the rear door opening / closing switch of Fig. 1 is used; Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B Diagrams are showing a rear door opening / closing switch in the second embodiment of the disclosure, of which Fig. 4A is a cross-sectional view and Fig. 4B another cross-section along a line AA in Fig. 4A shows; and Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B diagrams are those that show the rear door opening / closing switch of Fig. 4 show when the arm is moved rotating to the switching position, of which Fig. 5A is a cross-sectional view and Fig. 5B another cross-section along a line BB in Fig. 5A is shown.

[0012] Embodiments of the disclosure are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. First, the first embodiment of the disclosure is described.

[0013] Fig. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a rear door 10 on which a rear door opening / closing switch 1 is provided in the first embodiment of the disclosure. Fig. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the rear door opening / closing switch 1 of Fig. Figure 1 shows when an arm 2 is moved rotating to a switching position. Fig. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing arm 2, which is in the rear door opening / closing switch 1 of Fig. 1 is used.

[0014] The rear door opener / closer switch 1 is located on the rear door 10 of a vehicle for opening and closing the rear door 10 (or opening and locking / unlocking the rear door 10). The rear door 10 is a door, also called a tailgate or loading hatch, and is located at the rear of the vehicle.

[0015] The rear door 10 has a license plate mounting section 11 to which a license plate 12 is attached. A door handle 13, as a handle section (a hand-held section) for opening / closing the rear door 10, is provided on a section of the rear door 10 above the license plate mounting section 11 (a section on the upper side in a vehicle vertical direction). The door handle 13 is designed to project towards the rear of the vehicle relative to the license plate mounting section 11.

[0016] The door handle 13 has a mounting hole 13a that opens onto the underside of the vehicle, and the rear door opening / closing switch 1 is attached to the mounting hole 13a. The rear door opening / closing switch 1 is a license plate lamp integrated rear door opening / closing switch and has an integrated license plate lamp (LPL) 60 that illuminates the license plate 12, which is attached to the license plate mounting section 11.

[0017] The rear door opening / closing switch 1 is equipped with the arm (arm switch button / knob) 2, a switching section 3, a spring component 4, a housing 5, a light source 6, and a substrate 7. Each component is described in detail below.

[0018] The arm 2 has an actuating section 21, which is to be pressed when the door is opened / closed, and moves rotating about a pivot axis 2a from an initial position to a switching position when the actuating section 21 is pressed. Fig. In step 1, arm 2 is in its starting position. Fig. 2 is where arm 2 is located at the switching position, and the starting position is also indicated by a dashed line.

[0019] The arm 2 has an axle section 22. The axle section 22 has a substantially column-like shape with a center on the axis of rotation 2a and is integrated with the actuating section 21. The actuating section 21 extends obliquely downwards from the axle section 22 (in a direction inclined downwards and backwards). Furthermore, the actuating section 21 as a whole is curved and concave obliquely upwards (in a direction inclined upwards and backwards) when the arm 2 is in its initial position. The surface on the inside of the curve (the surface of the actuating section 21 on the underside and the front of the vehicle) is a push surface 21a, which is to be pressed by an operator's finger 100.

[0020] The arm 2 is arranged such that the axis of rotation 2a coincides substantially with one of the vehicle's width directions. The arm 2 is also arranged such that the axis of rotation 2a (the axis section 22) is located closer to the front of the vehicle than the actuating section 21. The pressing surface 21a is inclined relative to a horizontal plane that is perpendicular to the vehicle's vertical direction.

[0021] A through-hole 24, which penetrates the arm 2 in the vehicle's vertical direction, is formed on the actuating section 21 at a section in the vicinity of the axle section 22. The arm 2 is positioned relative to the housing 5 (which will be described later) by inserting a projection 511a of the housing 5 into the through-hole 24. Meanwhile, a switch actuating section 23 for actuating the switching section 3 is provided at an end section of the actuating section 21 on the side opposite the axle section 22. The switch actuating section 23 will be described later.

[0022] Switching section 3 outputs a signal to open or lock the rear door 10 when arm 2 is rotated to the switching position. Although this example shows one arm 2 and one switching section 3, two pairs of arm 2 and switching section 3 can be provided, such as one pair for opening the rear door 10 and one pair for locking the rear door 10.

[0023] The switching section 3 used in the first embodiment is a push-button switch 31 in which internal contacts are electrically connected by being pressed. That is, in the first embodiment, the switching section 3 outputs a contact signal (indicating whether the contacts are connected or not) as the signal to open or lock the rear door 10. However, it is not limited to this, as long as the switching section 3 can output a signal when the arm 2 is in the switching position. For example, a displacement sensor / position sensor / displacement sensor capable of detecting a change in the position of the arm 2 can be used as the switching section 3.

[0024] The pressure switch 31 is mounted together with the light source 6 on the common substrate 7. The substrate 7 is mounted parallel to a horizontal plane perpendicular to the vehicle's vertical direction, and the pressure switch 31 and the light source 6 are mounted on a surface of the substrate 7 on the underside of the vehicle. Mounting the switching section 3 (the pressure switch 31) and the light source 6 on the common substrate 7 allows for a reduction in the number of components and assembly hours, and also contributes to a smaller rear door opening / closing switch 1.

[0025] The pressure switch 31 is designed such that internal contacts are electrically connected when an end section on the rear of the vehicle is pressed towards the top of the vehicle. That is, the pressure switch 31 is pressed in one direction along the vertical axis of the vehicle (from the underside of the vehicle towards the top).

[0026] The switch actuation section 23 of arm 2 has a switch actuation surface 23a that is parallel to the horizontal plane. When arm 2 is in its initial position, the switch actuation surface 23a is in contact with an end section (a lower surface) of the pressure switch 31 on the underside of the vehicle or is located slightly below the lower surface. When the operator presses the actuation surface 23a of the actuation section 21 with finger 100 (an arrow c in Fig. 2), the arm 2 rotates around the axis of rotation 2a to the switching position (an arrow d in Fig. 2), the switch actuation section 23 moves in conjunction with the rotational movement towards the top of the vehicle, and the switch actuation surface 23a pushes the end section of the pressure switch 31 on the underside of the vehicle towards the top of the vehicle (an arrow e in Fig. 2) As a result, a signal indicating that the internal contacts of the pressure switch 31 are electrically connected is output to an external unlocking or locking device, and the rear door 10 is then opened or locked.

[0027] By rotating about the axis of rotation 2a, as described above, the arm 2 serves to convert the push action on the push surface 21a by the finger 100 (i.e. the push action in a direction inclined towards the rear of the vehicle relative to the vertical direction of the vehicle) into the push action on the push switch 31 by the switch actuation surface 23a (the push action in the direction towards the top of the vehicle).

[0028] In general, the orientation of the substrate 7 that optimizes the emission direction of the light source 6 differs from that that optimizes the actuation direction of the push button 31. Therefore, it is difficult to mount both the light source 6 and the push button 31 on the same substrate 7. However, in the rear door open / close switch 1, the actuation direction is changed using the arm 2. Thus, even if the light source 6 and the push button 31 are mounted on the same substrate 7 to reduce size, both the emission direction of the light source 6 and the actuation direction for opening / closing the rear door 10 can be optimized.

[0029] The housing 5 accommodates and protects the arm 2, the pressure switch 31 as the switching section 3, the spring component 4, the light source 6, and the substrate 7. The housing 5 has a box-shaped main body 51 with an opening on the underside of the vehicle and a cover 52 that covers the opening of the main body 51.

[0030] The main housing body 51 integrally comprises an upper wall 511, which in a plan view has a substantially rectangular shape and is located on the upper surface of the vehicle; a front wall 512 extending downwards from an end section of the upper wall 511 on the front of the vehicle; a rear wall 513 extending downwards from an end section of the upper wall 511 on the rear of the vehicle; and a pair of side walls (not shown) extending downwards from both edges of the upper wall 511 in the width direction of the vehicle, coupling the front wall 512 to the rear wall 513. A projection 511a for positioning the arm 2 is integrally formed on the upper wall 511 of the main housing body 51. The projection 511a projects towards the underside of the vehicle (towards the opening) and is inserted into the through-hole 24 of the arm 2.In addition, a mounting base section 511b is provided for attaching the substrate 7 to the upper wall 511, which is located closer to the rear of the vehicle than the projection 511a.

[0031] The main housing body 51 also integrally includes a flange 514 extending upwards from the end section of the upper wall 511 on the front of the vehicle. The flange 514 and the front wall 512 form a continuous plate and are arranged along an inner wall of the mounting hole 13a on the front of the vehicle (along a metal sheet section of the rear door 10). The flange 514 and the front wall 512 serve to hold the rear door opening / closing switch 1 in a desired position and orientation.

[0032] Since the rear door opening / closing switch 1 is designed such that the light source 6 is housed in the casing 5, at least one section of the casing 5 is formed from a transparent component that transmits / passes through light from the light source 6. In this example, a section of the cover 52 is formed from a transparent component that transmits / passes through light from the light source 6. The transparent component that can be used to form the cover 52 is, for example, a transparent resin, such as acrylic resin.

[0033] The cover 52 comprises a cover body 521, which is formed from a transparent component and has an opening 52a in its center in plan view, and an actuating section cover 522, which is designed to cover the opening 52a of the cover body 521 and allows the actuating section 21 of the arm 2 to be pressed from the outside. A section of the cover body 521 facing the light source 6 serves as a plate-shaped / disc-shaped outer lens section 521a. On the other hand, a section of the cover body 521 located closer to the front of the vehicle than the opening 52a extends along the inner wall of the front wall 512 towards the top of the vehicle, is curved at one upper end towards the rear of the vehicle, and serves as an arm support section 521b for supporting the axle section 22 of the arm 2 from below.The actuating section cover 522 is made of a flexible component, such as rubber, and the actuating section 21 can be pressed by pressing the actuating section cover 522 with the finger 100. The cover main body 521 is welded to the housing main body 51 by ultrasonic welding.

[0034] The light source 6 serves to illuminate the license plate 12, which is attached to the license plate mounting section 11, and constitutes the license plate lamp 60. The license plate lamp 60 consists of the light source 6, the outer lens section 521a of the cover body 521, and an inner lens 8 located between the light source 6 and the outer lens section 521a. The inner lens 8 is a lens block for adjusting the path of light from the light source 6 and emitting the light towards the license plate 12 and is housed in the casing 5. The light emitted by the light source 6 undergoes optical path adjustment in the inner lens 8, passes through the outer lens section 521a, and propagates towards the license plate 12, as indicated by arrow a in the figure. Fig. 1 is specified. Alternatively, a lens can be integrally provided on the outer lens section 521a without providing the inner lens 8.

[0035] In the rear door opener / closer switch 1, the light source 6 is located in a section that an operator must touch when opening / closing the rear door 10 (located on / at the door handle 13). Therefore, the light source 6 should ideally generate a small amount of heat and should ideally be a semiconductor light-emitting element. In this example, a light-emitting diode (LED) is used as the light source 6.

[0036] The light source 6 is mounted on the substrate 7 closer to the rear of the vehicle (or the rear end of the vehicle) than the switching section 3 (or the push button 31). Since the light source 6 is located at a distance from the license plate 12 to be illuminated in this configuration, it can illuminate a wide area of ​​the license plate 12, thus reducing unevenness in illumination and ensuring uniform brightness. Furthermore, when an operator places their finger or hand under the door handle 13 to push the arm 2, the finger or hand is illuminated by the light source 6, allowing the operator to easily see the position of the rear door opening / closing switch 1.Furthermore, since the light source 6 is located closer to the rear of the vehicle than the switching section 3, the door handle 13 has a suitable thickness at a section closer to the rear of the vehicle than the actuating section 21, and this facilitates gripping when the rear door 10 is opened / closed, resulting in the rear door 10 being easy to open / close. Although only one light source 6 is located in the... Fig. 1 and Fig. As shown in Figure 2, several light sources 6 can be mounted on the substrate 7. When using multiple light sources 6, it is desirable to arrange them in the vehicle's width direction so that the size of the rear door opening / closing switch 1 is not increased in the vehicle's longitudinal direction.

[0037] A cable fitted with a connector extends from the substrate 7, although it is not shown in the drawings, and the pressure switch 31 and the light source 6 are connected to external devices (a power supply, a release device, and a locking device, etc.) via the cable fitted with a connector. In this case, a connector can be provided for each connection destination.

[0038] The spring component 4 serves to push the arm 2 in a rotational direction (indicated by a dashed arrow b in Fig. 2) from the switching position towards the initial position. The spring component 4 is formed from a rod-shaped or plate-shaped elastic component (a plate shape in this example) and is arranged such that one end section thereof is locked / engaged / fastened to the housing 5. The rear door opening / closing switch 1 is designed such that, when the arm 2 is rotated from the initial position to the switching position, the spring component 4 receives a force from a section of the arm 2 closer to the front of the vehicle than the axis of rotation 2a, is elastically deformed by the force (and a reaction force at the locked / engaged / fastened section) and presses against the arm 2.The “section of arm 2 closer to the front of the vehicle than the axis of rotation 2a” here is a section of arm 2 closer to the front of the vehicle than the axis of rotation 2a when it is in the initial position, and corresponds in this example to a section of the axis section 22.

[0039] In the rear door opening / closing switch 1, a section of the arm 2 is sandwiched between the main housing body 51 (the upper wall 511) and the cover 52 (the arm support section 521b of the cover main body 521) and supported in the vicinity of the axis of rotation 2a. Therefore, if, for example, the spring component 4 is designed to receive a force from (or affect / act upon) a section of the arm 2 closer to the rear of the vehicle than the axis of rotation 2a, a downward force is generated on the arm section 22 towards the underside of the vehicle when a pressing force is generated by pressing the actuating section 21, and a downward force is exerted on the cover main body 521.In this case, a connected section (welded section) between the main body of the case 51 and the cover 52 or the main body of the cover 521 (the arm support section 521b) is damaged during repeated use, resulting in water resistance properties being compromised due to breakage or the cover 52 being able to detach from the main body of the case 51.

[0040] By positioning the spring component 4 so that it absorbs (or affects / acts upon / engages in) a force from a section of the arm 2 closer to the front of the vehicle than the axis of rotation 2a, as is the case in the rear door opening / closing switch 1, a lifting force is exerted on the axis section 22 of the arm 2 when a pushing force is generated by pressing the actuating section 21, and a load exerted on the connected section (welded section) or the arm support section 521b is reduced. As a result, it is possible to prevent water ingress into the housing 5 due to a break in the cover 52 or the connected section, and to prevent the cover 52 from detaching from the main housing body 51, thus preventing damage to the housing 5 for a long time.

[0041] The spring component 4 is integrally formed with the arm 2, such that the other end section of the spring component 4 is coupled to a section of the arm 2 closer to the front of the vehicle than the axis of rotation 2a (in this example, a section of the axle section 22 closer to the front of the vehicle than the axis of rotation 2a). This reduces the number of components and improves assembly compared to when the arm 2 and the spring component 4 are separate components. However, it is not essential to form the arm 2 and the spring component 4 integrally. For example, the arm 2 and the spring component 4 can be designed such that a projection extending from the axle section 22 of the arm 2 towards the front of the vehicle comes into contact with the other end section of the spring component 4, such as a leaf spring provided separately from the arm 2, when the arm 2 is rotated.

[0042] The one end section of the spring component 4 is preferably locked / engaged / fastened to the housing 5 (the main housing body 51) closer to the front of the vehicle than the pivot axis 2a. This is important because if the one end section of the spring component 4 is locked / engaged / fastened to the housing 5 closer to the rear of the vehicle than the pivot axis 2a, the spring component 4 may need to be curved or bent, which can be time-consuming and costly to process.

[0043] In the rear door opening / closing switch 1, the spring component 4 is designed to have a linear shape (plate shape) that extends along the vehicle's longitudinal direction when the arm 2 is in its initial position. A slotted (recess-shaped, slot-shaped) locking / engaging / fastening section 512a for locking / engaging / fastening one end section of the spring component 4 is formed on the front wall 512 of the main housing body 51 and supports the spring component 4 by sandwiching around one end section of the spring component 4 from above and below. When the arm 2 is rotated from its initial position to the switching position, the spring component 4 is elastically deformed downwards in a convex shape, generating a compressive force that acts on the arm 2.The compressive force exerted by the spring component 4 can be suitably adjusted by changing its length (along the vehicle's longitudinal direction), thickness, material, etc. In other words, it is possible to achieve a desired actuating load by appropriately adjusting the length, etc., of the spring component 4. The locking / engaging / fastening section 512a of the main housing body 51 only needs to be capable of resisting the rotational movement of the spring component 4 (counterclockwise rotational movement in the direction of rotation). Fig. 2) to restrict the movement of the spring component 4 by engaging with one end section when the arm 2 is rotated from the initial position to the switching position, and, for example, the locking / latching / fastening section 512a may be a projection or height difference extending from the front wall 512 towards the rear of the vehicle. In other words, the locking / latching / fastening section 512a may be a section that restricts the rotation of the spring component 4 in a clockwise direction. Fig. 2 does not restrict.

[0044] As described above, in the first embodiment, the rear door opening / closing switch 1 is provided with the arm 2, which has the actuating section 21 that is to be pressed when the door is opened / closed, and which rotates about the axis of rotation 2a from the initial position to the switching position when the actuating section 21 is pressed, and with the spring element 4 for pressing the arm 2 in the direction of rotation from the switching position to the initial position, wherein the arm 2 is arranged such that the axis of rotation 2a is located closer to the front of the vehicle than the actuating section 21, the spring element 4 is formed from a rod-shaped or plate-shaped elastic component and is arranged such that an end section thereof is locked / engaged / fastened to the housing 5, and when the arm 2 is rotated from the initial position to the switching position,the other end section of the spring component 4 receives a force from a section of the arm 2 closer to the front of the vehicle (or the front end of the vehicle) than the axis of rotation 2a, and the spring component 4 is elastically deformed by the force and presses on the arm 2.

[0045] By using the spring component 4, it is possible to obtain a suitable actuation load and click / snap sensation, even when a smaller pressure switch 31 is used than the switching section 3, thus making it possible to achieve both a reduction in size and a suitable actuation load. Furthermore, by positioning the spring component 4 so that it absorbs a force from a section of the arm 2 closer to the front of the vehicle (or the front end of the vehicle) than the axis of rotation 2a, it is possible to prevent a force acting on the axis section 22 in a direction that would push down the cover 52. Consequently, even if the license plate lamp 60 is integrated and a section of the housing 5 is formed from a transparent component, a load acting on the connected section (welded section), etc., is prevented.to reduce the force exerted and to prevent damage to the housing 5 for a long time, thus realizing the durable rear door opening / closing switch 1.

[0046] The second embodiment is described next. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the structure of switching section 3. The explanation for features identical to those in the first embodiment is omitted.

[0047] Fig. 4A and Fig. Figure 4B are diagrams depicting a rear door opening / closing switch 1a in the second embodiment of the disclosure, in which Fig. 4A is a cross-sectional view and Fig. 4B another cross-sectional view along line AA in Fig. 4A is shown. Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B are diagrams showing the rear door opening / closing switch 1a of Fig. 4 represent when arm 2 is moved rotating to the switching position, of which Fig. 5A is a cross-sectional view and Fig. 5B a different cross-section along line BB in Fig. 5A is shown.

[0048] In the rear door opening / closing switch 1a, the switching section 3 has two contacts 32 which do not rotate with the rotational movement of the arm 2, and a short-circuit terminal 33 which comes into contact with the two contacts 32 to cause a short circuit between them when the arm 2 is moved to the switching position, and the short-circuit terminal 33 is constructed from a spring terminal which elastically comes into contact with the two contacts 32.

[0049] In the second embodiment, the contacts 32 are formed from a metal pattern on the substrate 7. In other words, in the second embodiment, only one section of the switching section 3 is mounted on the substrate 7, and the short-circuit terminal 33, which is the other section of the switching section 3, is provided on the arm 2. The short-circuit terminal 33 is configured such that a central section 33a is attached to the switch actuation surface 23a of the arm 2, and end sections 33b and 33c are curved towards the top of the vehicle and thus have a small distance from the switch actuation surface 23a.

[0050] When the operator presses the pressure surface 21a of the actuation section 21 with finger 100 (an arrow f in Fig. 5A), the arm 2 rotates around the axis of rotation 2a to the switching position (an arrow g in Fig. 5A), the switch actuation section 23 moves in conjunction with the rotational movement towards the top of the vehicle, and the short-circuit terminal 33, which is attached to the switch actuation surface 23a, moves towards the top of the vehicle and comes into contact with the two contacts 32 (an arrow h in Fig. 5A and an arrow i in Fig. 5B). At this time, the two end sections 33b and 33c of the short-circuit terminal 33 come into contact with the two contacts 32 respectively, while they deform elastically, and the two contacts 32 are short-circuited (electrically connected) via the short-circuit terminal 33. In the rear door open / close switch 1a, a contact signal indicating the occurrence of a short circuit between the two contacts 32 is output to an external unlocking or locking device, and the rear door 10 is opened or locked.

[0051] In the rear door opening / closing switch 1a of the second embodiment, a spring terminal is used as the short-circuit terminal 33. Therefore, even if the short-circuit terminal 33 is tilted relative to the two contacts 32 due to rotational movement of the arm 2, the short-circuit terminal 33 can elastically come into contact with the two contacts 32 and reliably cause a short circuit between them. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to use a standard push-button switch 31, costs can be reduced.

[0052] Although the contacts 32 in this example are a metal pattern formed on the substrate 7, they are not limited to this. The contacts 32 can be metal components, such as metal plates, formed separately from the substrate 7. In this case, the short-circuit terminal 33 can be formed from a non-elastically deformable metal plate or metal pattern (metal foil), while the contacts 32 are designed as spring contacts that elastically come into contact with the short-circuit terminal 33.

[0053] Although the embodiments and examples of the invention have been described, the invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments and examples, and the various types of modifications can be applied without deviating from the essence of the invention.

[0054] It is explicitly stated that all features disclosed in the description and / or the claims are intended to be disclosed separately and independently of one another, both for the purpose of the original disclosure and for the purpose of limiting the claimed invention, irrespective of the combination of features in the embodiments and / or the claims. It is explicitly stated that all ranges of values ​​or specifications of groups of objects disclose every possible intermediate value or every possible object in between, both for the purpose of the original disclosure and for the purpose of limiting the claimed invention, in particular for determining the limits of value ranges.

Claims

[1] Rear door opening / closing switch (1;1a) for installation in a rear door (10) of a vehicle for opening or closing the rear door (10), comprising an arm (2) having an actuating section (21) to be pressed when the door (10) is opened or closed, and configured to rotate about an axis of rotation (2a) from an initial position to a switching position when the actuating section (21) is pressed, a switching section (3) configured to issue a signal to open or lock the rear door (10) when the arm (2) is rotated to the switching position, a spring element (4) for pressing the arm (2) in a rotational direction from the switching position towards the initial position, and a housing (5) that accommodates the arm (2), the switching section (3), and the spring element (4), and has an actuating section cover (522) that allows the actuating section (21) to be pressed from the outside, at which; the arm (2) is arranged such that its axis of rotation (2a) is located closer to the front of the vehicle than the actuating section (21), the spring component (4) has a rod-shaped or plate-shaped elastic component and is arranged such that an end section thereof is locked to the housing (5), when the arm (2) is moved rotatingly from the initial position to the switching position, another end section of the spring component (4) receives a force from a section of the arm (2) that is closer to the front of the vehicle than the axis of rotation (2a), and the spring component (4) is elastically deformed by the force and thereby pushes the arm (2), the switch (1; 1a) is designed to be attached to a door handle (13) which is provided above a license plate mounting section (11) of the rear door (10), the switch (1; 1a) further comprises: a light source (6) for illuminating a license plate (12) attached to the license plate mounting section (11); and a substrate (7) which is housed in the housing (5) and which mounts the light source (6) and at least one section of the switching section (3), and at least one section of the housing (5) has a transparent component which allows light from the light source (6) to pass through. [2] Rear door opening / closing switch (1; 1a) according to claim 1, wherein the spring component (4) is integrally formed with the arm (2) in such a way that the other end of the spring component (4) is coupled to the section of the arm (2) closer to the front of the vehicle than the axis of rotation (2a). [3] Rear door opening / closing switch (1; 1a) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the spring component (4) extends along a vehicle longitudinal direction in a state such that the arm (2) is in the initial position. [4] Rear door opening / closing switch (1; 1a) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the light source (6) is mounted on the substrate (7) closer to the rear of the vehicle than the switching section (3). [5] Rear door opening / closing switch (1a) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the switching section (3) has two contacts (32) which do not rotate with the rotational movement of the arm (2), and a short-circuit terminal (33) which is provided on the arm (2) and which comes into contact with the two contacts (32) to cause a short circuit between them when the arm (2) is moved to the switching position, and wherein the short-circuit terminal (33) has a spring connection which comes into elastic contact with the two contacts (32).

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