Switch

Abstract

Switch (1), comprising: a housing (10) having an actuating surface (13) with an actuating hole (14) and an internal chamber (15) connected to the outside through the actuating hole (14); a movable member (20) housed in the chamber (15) and extending outwardly from the chamber (15) of the housing (10) through the actuating hole (14) in a direction of movement orthogonal to the actuating surface (13), the movable member (20) having an actuating part (21) located at one end of the movable member (20) outside the housing (10), the movable member (20) being reciprocable in the direction of movement relative to the housing (10); a guide (30) arranged to guide the movable element (20) in the direction of movement; and a sealing means (50) which seals a gap (52) between the movable element (20) and the housing (10) inside the chamber (15), wherein the actuating part (21) has a plurality of slopes (23, 24, 25) which extend linearly from the actuating surface (13) towards a distal end (26) of the movable element (20) outside the housing (10) and thereby extend inclined towards a central axis (CA) which extends in the direction of movement of the movable element (20) away from the actuating surface (13), wherein the actuating part (21) is a pyramid and / or the movable element (20) is rectangular when viewed in the direction of movement.

Description

AREA

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a switch. GENERAL STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Patent Literature 1 describes a switching device comprising a housing with a chamber and an operating lever, and a coil spring housed in the chamber. The operating lever, which is attached to the housing in the switching device, partially protrudes from the chamber and is urged by the coil spring in the direction in which the operating lever protrudes from the chamber. LIST OF DOCUMENT PATENT LITERATURE

[0003] Patent literature 1: JP 2001 - 229 767 A SUMMARYTECHNICAL TASK

[0004] In the switching device, the operating lever is a substantially triangular flat plate having one vertex exposed from the chamber and two vertices housed in the chamber, and is mounted on the housing in a manner rotatable about one of the two vertices located inside the chamber among the three vertices of the substantially triangular flat plate in two facing directions. The switching device may have a gap spaced differently between the operating lever and the housing according to the position of the operating lever, and therefore difficult to seal with, for example, a sealant, and may lack high sealing performance. Further prior art is provided by DE 42 08 088 C1.DE 42 08 088 C1 discloses an electromechanical push button for vehicle doors (60) with a housing having an annular end wall with a central recess that accommodates a spring-loaded, depressible push button made of a non-flexible material. A seal between the push button and the housing is provided by a diaphragm sealing ring.

[0005] One or more aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a high sealing performance switch that is operable in multiple directions. SOLUTION TO THE TASK

[0006] A switch according to one aspect of the disclosure includes a housing having an operating surface with an operating hole and an internal chamber connected to the outside through the operating hole, a movable member housed in the chamber and extending outward from the housing through the operating hole in a moving direction orthogonal to the operating surface from the chamber, having an operating part located at one end of the movable member outside the housing and reciprocally movable relative to the housing in the moving direction, a guide that guides the movable member in the moving direction, and a sealing means that seals a gap between the movable member and the housing inside the chamber.The actuating part has a plurality of slopes which extend linearly from the actuating surface towards a distal end of the movable element outside the housing and are inclined towards a central axis which extends in the direction of movement of the movable element, away from the actuating surface, wherein the actuating part is a pyramid and / or the movable element is rectangular when viewed in the direction of movement. BENEFICIAL EFFECTS

[0007] The switch according to the above aspect includes the movable member reciprocating in the moving direction relative to the housing, the guide for guiding the movable member in the moving direction, and the sealing means for sealing the gap between the movable member and the housing inside the chamber. The movable member includes the operating part having the plurality of slopes extending linearly from the operating surface toward the distal end of the movable member outside the housing while being inclined toward the central axis of the movable member away from the operating surface. With this structure, the switch has higher sealing performance and is operable in multiple directions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a switch according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a top view of the switch in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Fig. 2 is taken. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the switch in Fig. 1, excluding a cover and a sealant. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a switch according to a first modification of the switch in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the switch in Fig. 5. Fig. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a switch according to a second modification of the switch in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the switch in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in Fig. 7 is taken. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a switch according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 11 is a plan view of the switch in Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII in Fig. 11 is taken. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the switch in Fig. 10, excluding a cover and a sealant. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0008] As in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, a switch 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure includes a housing 10 and a movable member 20 housed in the housing 10.

[0009] The housing 10 has an actuating surface 13 with an actuating hole 14 and further has an internal chamber 15 (in Fig. 3). The movable element 20, which is housed in the chamber 15 in the housing 10, is partially exposed outside the housing 10 through the actuating hole 14. The movable element 20 is reciprocally movable through the actuating hole 14 relative to the housing 10 in a direction of movement that intersects (e.g., is orthogonal to) the actuating surface 13. The reciprocating movement of the movable element 20 activates or deactivates a contact mechanism 40 (in Fig. 3) inside the housing 10 to turn the switch 1 on or off.

[0010] As in Fig. 4, the switch 1 has guides 30 for guiding the movable element 20 in the direction of movement. The guides 30 are located inside the chamber 15. In Fig. 4, a cover 12, the contact mechanism 40 and a sealing means 50 (described later) in the housing 10 are not shown.

[0011] The components of switch 1 are now described.

[0012] As in Fig. 1, the housing 10 comprises a shell 11, which is a substantially rectangular box, and the cover 12. As shown in Fig. 3, the housing 10 has the internal chamber 15 defined by the shell 11 and the cover 12.

[0013] As in Fig. 1, the shell 11 has two through holes 16 extending through a pair of facing side surfaces below the chamber 15. As shown in Fig. 3, the through-holes 16 receive a pair of terminals 41 (described later) to enable connection of, for example, a conductive portion of a wire (not shown) placed in each through-hole 16 to the corresponding terminal 41.

[0014] As in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the cover 12 has an upper surface serving as the actuating surface 13 and the circular actuating hole 14 substantially in the center of the actuating surface 13. The chamber 15 inside the housing 10 is connected to the outside of the housing 10 through the actuating hole 14.

[0015] As in Fig. 3, the cover 12 has a sealing cutout 121 (an example of a second sealing connector) in an end facing the shell 11. The sealing cutout 121 extends along the entire inner peripheral surface, which defines the chamber 15, of the cover 12 around the axis in the direction of travel and receives a flange 51 (described later) on the sealing means 50 along the entire circumference.

[0016] As in Fig. 3, the movable member 20 extends from the interior of the chamber 15 out of the housing 10 through the actuating hole 14 in the direction of movement (particularly in the vertical direction in Fig. 3) outward. The movable element 20 has, at its end outside the housing 10, an actuating part 21 exposed outside the housing 10. The movable element 20 has, at its end adjacent to the chamber 15, a working surface 22 facing the contact mechanism 40 and partially in contact therewith.

[0017] The movable member 20 has, on one end adjacent to the working surface 22, a sealing groove 27 (an example of a first sealing connector) extending along the entire circumference around a central axis CA extending in the direction of movement of the movable member 20 (hereinafter, around the axis in the direction of movement). The sealing groove 27 receives an opening edge 53 (described later) of the sealing means 50 along the entire circumference.

[0018] The contact mechanism 40 is electrically connected to the pair of terminals 41 which are electrically independent of each other and urges the movable member 20 outward from the housing 10 in the moving direction.

[0019] As in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the operating part 21 is a substantially triangular pyramid and has a plurality of (three in the first embodiment) slopes 23, 24, and 25, each serving as a pyramidal surface. The slopes 23, 24, and 25 extend linearly from the operating surface 13 toward a distal end 26 of the movable member 20 outside the housing 10, and are inclined toward a central axis CA extending in the direction of movement of the movable member 20, away from the operating surface 13, and inclined in directions that intersect each other when viewed in the direction of movement around the central axis CA. The inclined directions refer to the direction along the slopes 23, 24, and 25. Examples are shown in Fig. 3 shown. In Fig. 3, arrow D indicates an example inclined direction of the slope 23 and arrow E indicates another example inclined direction of the slope 24.

[0020] In particular, the slopes 23, 24, 25 are areas that each have a central angle of approximately 120 degrees. The three slopes 23, 24, and 25 define the outer surfaces (pyramidal surfaces) of the operating part 21. When the slope 23 is a first slope 23 and the slopes 24 and 25 adjacent to the first slope 23 about the central axis CA are a second slope 24 and a third slope 25, the center lines CL2 and CL3 of the second slope 24 and the third slope 25 are each at an angle of approximately 120 degrees about the central axis CA with respect to a center line CL1 of the first slope 23. Therefore, the second slope 24 and the third slope 25 are adjacent to the first slope 23 about the central axis CA and are within an angle of less than 180 degrees (120 degrees in the first embodiment) about the central axis CA with respect to the first slope 23.

[0021] As in Fig. 4, the guide 30 is located on at least one side of the movable member 20 in an operating direction (specifically, the direction intersecting the central axis CA of the movable member 20) that intersects the moving direction of the movable member 20 (specifically, the direction along the central axis CA).

[0022] Specifically, each guide 30 includes a projection 31 on one of the housing 10 and the movable member 20 and a groove 32 on the other of the housing 10 and the movable member 20. The projection 31 protrudes in the operating direction and is elongated in the moving direction. The groove 32 extends in the moving direction to receive the projection 31 and guide the received projection 31 in the moving direction.

[0023] In the first embodiment, arrows A to C indicate Fig. 4, the operating directions, and the guides 30 are located on both sides of the movable member 20 in the operating directions A to C with respect to the movable member 20. The projections 31 are arranged symmetrically to each other with respect to the central axis CA on the radially outer surface of the movable member 20 with respect to the central axis CA. The grooves 32 are arranged symmetrically to each other with respect to the central axis CA on the inner peripheral surface of the housing 10 in the operating direction, defining the chamber 15.

[0024] As in Fig. 3, the switch 1 further comprises the sealing means 50 which seals a gap 52 between the movable element 20 and the housing 10 inside the chamber 15.

[0025] The seal member 50 is tubular and has openings at its two ends in the moving direction. The seal member 50 is formed of an insulating resin such as rubber. The upper opening edge 53, which is a first opening edge of the seal member 50, extends along the entire circumference of the seal groove 27 on the movable member 20 and covers the entire outer circumference of the movable member 20 between the operating part 21 and the working surface 22 while being press-fitted against the movable member 20. Specifically, the upper opening edge 53 of the seal member 50 is received and sealed in the seal groove 27 along the entire circumference of the movable member 20 around the axis in the moving direction. The upper end of the seal member 50 thus reciprocates in the moving direction as the movable member 20 reciprocates.The sealing means 50 has, at a second opening edge, the flange 51, which projects radially outward with respect to the central axis CA and extends along the entire circumference around the central axis CA. The entire circumference of the flange 51 is received in the sealing cutout 121 on the cover 12 and is held between the shell 11 and the cover 12 of the housing 10. The flange 51 on the sealing means 50 is received and sealed in the sealing cutout 121 along the entire inner circumferential surface of the cover 12, which defines the chamber 15, around the axis in the direction of movement.

[0026] Now the operation of switch 1 is described.

[0027] For example, if an external force is applied to the first slope 23 of the actuating part 21 in the Fig. 4, the external force pushes the movable element 20 in the operating direction A and towards the interior of the chamber 15.

[0028] Therefore, when an external force is applied to the operating part 21 of the movable member 20 in the operating direction, the movable member 20 is pushed toward the chamber 15 against the urging force from the contact mechanism 40 and guided by the guides 30 from outside the housing 10 into the chamber 15 along the central axis CA (in the moving direction). Therefore, the pair of terminals 41 are electrically connected to each other, and the switch 1, which was off, is turned on.

[0029] When the external force applied to the operating part 21 is released, the movable element 20 is urged outward from the chamber 15 in the housing 10 by the contact mechanism 40 and guided outward from the chamber 15 in the housing 10 in the moving direction by the guides 30. The pair of terminals 41 are thereby electrically separated from each other, and the switch 1, which was on, is turned off.

[0030] The switch 1 is actuated in the preceding embodiment when an external force is applied to the first slope 23 of the actuating part 21 in the direction shown in Fig. 4 shown operating direction A. However, the switch 1 is operable in the same way when an external force is applied to the second slope 24 of the actuating part 21 in the operating direction B or to the third slope 25 in the operating direction C, which in Fig. 4. The switch 1 can thus be switched on or off by actuation in several directions.

[0031] In the switch 1 according to the first embodiment, the movable member 20 has the operating part 21 located at the end outside the housing 10 and is reciprocally movable in the moving direction relative to the housing 10. The operating part 21 has a plurality of slopes 23, 24, and 25 that slope away from the central axis CA of the movable member 20 toward the operating surface 13 and slope in the directions that intersect each other when viewed in the moving direction. The plurality of slopes 23, 24, and 25 allow the movable member 20 to be operated in a plurality of directions around the central axis CA. The switch 1 thus has a lower probability of the operating direction being limited.

[0032] The slopes 23, 24, and 25 extend linearly from the actuating surface 13 toward the distal end 26 of the movable member 20 outside the housing 10. This structure allows the inclination angles of the slopes 23, 24, and 25 with respect to the actuating surface 13 to be adjusted more easily than, for example, the inclination angle of a movable member having a peripheral surface that extends outward from the actuating surface 13 of the housing 10 in a direction perpendicular to the actuating surface 13. The external force applied in the operating direction is thus easily transmitted in the moving direction. This improves the operability of the switch 1.

[0033] The slopes 23, 24, and 25 can have an inclination angle of 1 to 60 degrees with respect to the actuating surface 13. If the inclination angle is less than 1 degree, it is difficult to apply an external force to the slopes 23, 24, and 25 in the operating direction. If the inclination angle is more than 60 degrees, it is difficult to transmit an external force applied in the operating direction in the moving direction. For example, if the slopes 23, 24, and 25 extend curvedly outside the housing 10 instead of linearly, they will slope by more than 60 degrees near the actuating surface 13. This can improve the operability of the switch 1.

[0034] The plurality of slopes includes the first slope 23 and the second slope 24. The second slope 24 is adjacent to the first slope 23 around the central axis CA and is located within an angle of less than 180 degrees around the central axis CA with respect to the first slope 23. The movable member 20 can be more reliably actuated in multiple three-dimensional directions. The switch 1 thus has a lower probability of the operating direction being limited.

[0035] Each guide 30 includes the projection 31 located on one of the housing 10 and the movable member 20, protruding in the direction of movement and elongated in the direction of movement, and the groove 32 located on the other of the housing 10 and the movable member 20, extending in the direction of movement, receiving the projection 31, and guiding the received projection 31 in the direction of movement. The guides 30 thus guide the movable member 20 more reliably in the direction of movement. The switch 1 therefore has higher operability.

[0036] The switch 1 further includes the sealing means 50, which seals the gap 52 between the movable element 20 and the housing 10 inside the chamber 15. The sealing means 50 can protect the contact mechanism 40 from fluid, such as water, entering the chamber 15 through the actuating hole 14 in the actuating surface 13.

[0037] The plurality of slopes are not limited to the three slopes 23, 24 and 25 of the operating part 21 in the switch 1 and may simply be inclined toward the central axis CA of the movable member 20 away from the operating surface 13 and inclined in the directions which intersect each other when viewed in the moving direction.

[0038] As in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the actuating part 21 may, for example, have five bevels 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65. In this case, the bevels 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65 are regions each having a central angle of approximately 72 degrees. The five bevels 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65 define the outer surface of the actuating part 21. Bevels (e.g., bevels 62 and 65) adjacent to a bevel (e.g., bevel 61) may be located within an angle of less than 180 degrees around the central axis CA with respect to that bevel.

[0039] As in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, the actuating part 21 may, for example, have more slopes (e.g. slopes 71, 72 and 73 shown in Fig. 7). In this case, the bevels 71, 72, and 73 are regions each having a central angle of approximately 360 / N degrees, where N is the total number of bevels. The N bevels define the outer surface of the actuating part 21. Bevels (e.g., bevels 71 and 73) adjacent to a bevel (e.g., bevel 72) may be within an angle of less than 180 degrees about the central axis CA with respect to that bevel.

[0040] The actuating part 21 can be at least a pyramid. Therefore, the actuating part 21 can be a cone with multiple slopes 23, 24, and 25, as in the switch 1, or it can be a pyramid with multiple pyramidal surfaces exposed outside the housing 10, each serving as a slope. The shape of the actuating part 21 can be changed as needed, for example, according to the design of the switch 1. This increases the design freedom of the switch 1.

[0041] The slopes 23, 24 and 25 of the actuating part 21 could not be areas, but triangles. In particular, the actuating part 21 can be circular when viewed in the direction of movement, or it can be polygonal (e.g. triangular in the switch 1 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 and pentagonal in the switch 1 in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6) according to the number of slopes.

[0042] The guide 30 may be located on at least one side of the movable member 20 in the operating direction relative to the movable member 20, instead of the two guides 30 on the two sides of the movable member 20 in the operating direction as in the first embodiment. Three or more guides 30 may be provided. Fig. 9 shows an example switch 1 having four guides 30.

[0043] The contact mechanism 40 may have any contact structure (e.g., sliding contact and impact contact).

[0044] The sealing means 50, which is tubular and has openings at its two ends in the direction of movement, may not be formed of an insulating resin such as rubber and may be, for example, an O-ring or an X-ring. In particular, the sealing means 50 may be any sealing means that seals the gap 52 between the movable member 20 and the housing 10 inside the chamber 15. Second embodiment

[0045] As in Fig. 10 to 13, a switch 1 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure differs from the switch 1 according to the first embodiment in that a movable member 20 is substantially rectangular when viewed in a moving direction and has an operating part 21 having two slopes 81 and 82 extending in opposite directions in the length direction from a central portion 83 of the movable member 20 in the length direction when viewed in the moving direction.

[0046] The components in the switch 1 according to the second embodiment which are the same as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and will not be described.

[0047] The movable member 20 in the switch 1 according to the second embodiment is, when viewed in the direction of movement, as shown in Fig. 11, rectangular and extends from the interior of a chamber 15 of a housing 10 through an actuating hole 14 in the direction of movement orthogonal to an actuating surface 13 to the outside (in particular the direction of extension of a central axis CA of the movable element 20), as shown in Fig. 12 shown.

[0048] The actuating part 21 is, when viewed in the direction of movement, as shown in Fig. 11, is substantially rectangular and, when viewed in the width direction of the operating part 21, is viewed in the direction of movement, as shown in Fig. 12, is substantially isosceles triangular. The slopes 81 and 82 each define an oblique side of the substantial triangle. In particular, the slopes 81 and 82 extend linearly from the actuating surface 13 toward the central portion 83 (specifically, a distal end of the movable element 20 outside the housing 10), thereby extending at an incline toward the central axis CA away from the actuating surface 13.

[0049] As in Fig.13, guides 30 are provided on both sides of the movable member 20 in an operating direction (specifically, the length direction of the movable member 20 when viewed in the moving direction) orthogonal to the moving direction. The guides 30 enable the movable member 20 to reciprocate linearly in the moving direction orthogonal to the operating surface 13. Similar to the switch 1 according to the first embodiment, the switch 1 according to the second embodiment includes projections 31 on the movable member 20 and grooves 32 on the housing 10.

[0050] The switch 1 according to the second embodiment includes the movable member 20, which is reciprocable in the moving direction relative to the housing 10, the guides 30 for guiding the movable member 20 in the moving direction, and a sealant 50 that seals a gap 52 between the movable member 20 and the housing 10 inside the chamber 15. The movable member 20 includes the operating part 21, which has a plurality of slopes 81 and 82 extending linearly from the operating surface 13 toward the distal end of the movable member 20 outside the housing 10 while being inclined toward the central axis CA of the movable member 20 away from the operating surface 13. The movable member 20 reciprocates linearly in a direction orthogonal to the operating surface 13 along the guides 30.This forms the gap 52, which is substantially evenly spaced between the housing 10 and the movable member 20, which can be easily sealed with the sealant 50. The multiple slopes 81 and 82 of the actuating part 21 enable the movable member 20 to be operable in multiple directions. The switch 1 according to the second embodiment has higher sealing performance and is operable in multiple directions.

[0051] The sealing means 50 is tubular and has openings at its two ends in the moving direction. The movable member 20 has a sealing groove 27, which is an example of a first sealing connector. The housing 10 has a sealing cutout 121, which is an example of a second sealing connector. The sealing groove 27 extends along the entire circumference of the movable member 20 around the axis in the moving direction and receives and seals the entire circumference of the first opening edge 53 of the sealing means 50. The sealing cutout 121 extends along the entire inner peripheral surface, which defines the chamber 15, of the housing 10 around the axis in the moving direction and receives and seals the entire circumference of a second opening edge 51 of the sealing means 50. This structure makes it possible to seal the gap 52 between the housing 10 and the movable member 20 more reliably.

[0052] The movable member 20 is rectangular when viewed in the movement direction, and the guides 30 are located on both sides of the movable member 20 in the width direction when viewed in the movement direction. The guides 30 can occupy a larger proportion on the outer surface of the movable member 20 and can therefore guide the movable member 20 more reliably and stably in the movement direction. The switch 1 therefore has higher operability. The switch 1 can be thinner in the width direction of the movable member 20 when viewed in the movement direction.

[0053] The slopes 81 and 82 may not extend in the opposite directions in the length direction from the central portion 83 of the movable member 20 in the length direction when viewed in the moving direction. The slopes 81 and 82 may extend linearly from the operating surface 13 toward the distal end of the movable member 20 outside the housing 10, while being inclined toward the central axis CA of the movable member 20 away from the operating surface 13. For example, the slopes 81 and 82 may be inclined in directions that intersect each other when viewed in the moving direction, as in the switch 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0054] The slopes may include multiple slopes and are not limited to the two slopes 81 and 82.

[0055] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings. The embodiments can be modified in various forms, which will be described below. Reference numerals are given to the components below by way of example.

[0056] A switch 1 according to a first aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a housing 10 having an actuating surface 13 with an actuating hole 14 and an internal chamber 15 which is connected to the outside through the actuating hole 14, a movable member 20 housed in the chamber 15 and extending outwardly from the chamber 15 of the housing 10 through the actuating hole 14 in a direction of movement orthogonal to the actuating surface 13, having an actuating part 21 located at one end of the movable member 20 outside the housing 10 and reciprocable relative to the housing 10 in the direction of movement, a guide 30 which guides the movable element 20 in the direction of movement, and a sealing means 50 which seals a gap 52 between the movable element 20 and the housing 10 inside the chamber 15.

[0057] The actuating part 21 has a plurality of slopes 81 and 82 which extend linearly from the actuating surface 13 toward a distal end of the movable element 20 outside the housing 10 and are inclined away from a central axis CA, which extends in the direction of movement of the movable element 20, toward the actuating surface 13.

[0058] The switch 1 according to the first aspect includes the movable member 20 reciprocating in the moving direction relative to the housing 10, the guide 30 for guiding the movable member 20 in the moving direction, and the sealing means 50 sealing the gap 52 between the movable member 20 and the housing 10 inside the chamber 15. The movable member 20 includes the operating part 21 having the plurality of slopes 81 and 82 extending linearly from the operating surface 13 toward the distal end of the movable member 20 outside the housing 10 while being inclined toward the central axis CA of the movable member 20 away from the operating surface 13.The movable member 20 reciprocates linearly in a direction orthogonal to the actuating surface 13 along the guide 30, forming the gap 52 that is substantially uniformly spaced between the housing 10 and the movable member 20 regardless of the position of the movable member 20. Therefore, the sealing means 50 easily seals the gap 52 between the housing 10 and the movable member 20. The actuating portion 21, which has the plurality of slopes 81 and 82, enables the movable member 20 to be operable in multiple directions. The switch 1 according to the first aspect thus has higher sealing performance and is operable in multiple directions.

[0059] In a switch 1 according to a second aspect of the present disclosure the sealing means 50 is tubular and has openings at its two ends in the direction of movement, the movable element 20 has a first sealing connector 27 which extends along an entire circumference of the movable element 20 around the axis in the direction of movement and receives and seals an entire circumference of a first opening edge 53 of the sealing means 50, and the housing 10 has a second sealing connector 121 which extends along an entire inner peripheral surface defining the chamber 15 around the axis in the direction of movement and receives and seals an entire circumference of a second opening edge 51 of the sealing means 50.

[0060] The switch 1 according to the second aspect makes it possible to seal the gap 52 between the housing 10 and the movable member 20 more reliably.

[0061] In a switch 1 according to a third aspect of the present disclosure the movable element 20 is rectangular when viewed in the direction of movement, and the guide 30 is located on each of two sides of the movable member 20 in the width direction when viewed in the moving direction.

[0062] In the switch 1 according to the third aspect, the guide 30 can occupy a larger proportion on the outer surface of the movable member 20, and therefore guide the movable member 20 more reliably and stably in the moving direction. Therefore, the switch 1 has higher operability.

Claims

[1] Switch (1), comprising: a housing (10) having an actuating surface (13) with an actuating hole (14) and an internal chamber (15) connected to the outside through the actuating hole (14); a movable member (20) housed in the chamber (15) and extending outwardly from the chamber (15) of the housing (10) through the actuating hole (14) in a direction of movement orthogonal to the actuating surface (13), the movable member (20) having an actuating part (21) located at one end of the movable member (20) outside the housing (10), the movable member (20) being reciprocable in the direction of movement relative to the housing (10); a guide (30) arranged to guide the movable element (20) in the direction of movement; and a sealing means (50) which seals a gap (52) between the movable element (20) and the housing (10) inside the chamber (15), wherein the actuating part (21) has a plurality of slopes (23, 24, 25) which extend linearly from the actuating surface (13) towards a distal end (26) of the movable element (20) outside the housing (10) and thereby extend inclined towards a central axis (CA) which extends in the direction of movement of the movable element (20) away from the actuating surface (13), wherein the actuating part (21) is a pyramid and / or the movable element (20) is rectangular when viewed in the direction of movement. [2] Switch (1) according to claim 1, wherein the sealing means (50) is tubular and has openings at two ends of the sealing means in the direction of movement, the movable element (20) has a first sealing connector (27) which extends along an entire circumference of the movable element (20) around the axis in the direction of movement and receives and seals an entire circumference of a first opening edge (53) of the sealing means (50), and the housing (50) has a second sealing connector (121) extending along an entire inner circumferential surface defining the chamber (15) around the axis in the direction of movement and receiving and sealing an entire circumference of a second opening edge (51) of the sealing means (50). [3] A switch according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein, in the case that the movable member (20) is rectangular when viewed in the moving direction, the guide (30) is located on each of two sides of the movable member (20) in a width direction when viewed in the moving direction.

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