Trigger switch and device with the trigger switch

Abstract

To provide a trigger switch capable of suppressing abrasion of a slide electrode part, and provide a device with the trigger switch.SOLUTION: A trigger switch TS comprises a front sub-brush 84 and a rear sub-brush 85 that are moved from an ON position where it is contacted to a front sub-electrode 82a and a rear sub-electrode 82b to an OFF position where it is not contacted to the front sub-electrode 82a and the rear sub-electrode 82b when a driving part is driven by the movement of a trigger by a depression operation of the trigger. In accordance with the movement from the ON position to the OFF position of the front sub-brush 84 and the rear sub-brush 85, the contact with the front sub-brush 84, the rear sub-brush 85, and the substrate SU is cancelled.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a trigger switch that drives a drive unit of a device by moving a trigger when the trigger is pressed, and to a device equipped with the trigger switch. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, a trigger switch used to control a device such as an electric power tool includes a trigger that receives a pressing operation, an axis member that supports the trigger at one end, a housing in which a through hole is opened through which the other end of the axis member passes, and a switching mechanism (a switching mechanism equipped with a brush that constitutes a sliding contact of a circuit) that is housed in the housing and connected to the other end of the axis member. In the trigger switch configured in this manner, the axis member moves toward the inside of the housing when the trigger is pressed, and the switching mechanism moves inside the housing in accordance with this movement, switching the sliding contact on / off, thereby driving the drive unit. In addition, when the pressing operation on the trigger is released, the axis member moves toward the outside of the housing, and the switching mechanism moves inside the housing in accordance with this movement (moving in the opposite direction to the pressing operation described above), switching the sliding contact on / off (switching in the opposite direction to the pressing operation described above), thereby stopping the drive unit.

[0003] Patent document 1 discloses a trigger switch in which a switching mechanism (referred to as a plunger in the patent document 1) is provided with a brush that constitutes a sliding contact having an on / off switching function for the drive unit, and another brush that constitutes a sliding contact that adjusts the output of the drive unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-30999 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The sliding contact disclosed in Patent Document 1 is composed of an electrode formed on a substrate and a brush which is a sliding electrode part provided in a switching mechanism, and the movement of the switching mechanism described above switches between a state in which the brush contacts the electrode (a state in which the brush moves to a position in which the brush contacts the electrode) and a state in which the brush does not contact the electrode (a state in which the brush moves to a position in which the brush does not contact the electrode). When the brush is not in contact with the electrode, the brush contacts the surface of the substrate (a surface on the substrate on which no electrode is formed, hereinafter referred to as the resin surface).

[0006] For example, if the sliding contact that activates the microcomputer on the board is an NC (Normally Closed) contact, the drive unit will be driven while the brush of this sliding contact is maintained in contact with the resin surface. This raises the concern that vibrations caused by the drive unit being driven will be transmitted to the brush and board, and the brush will be worn down by the sliding between the brush and the resin surface. If the brush is worn down (especially the contact part of the brush that contacts the electrode is worn down), the contact reliability when the contact part of the brush is brought into contact with the electrode will deteriorate. This issue arises not only in a configuration in which an electrode (fixed electrode) is provided on a board, but also in a case in which an electrode is fixed by another fixed structure.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a trigger switch that can suppress wear of the sliding electrode portion, and a device equipped with the trigger switch. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The solution disclosed in the present application for achieving the above-mentioned object is a trigger switch having a sliding electrode portion that moves from an ON position, in which it contacts a fixed electrode, to an OFF position, in which it does not contact the electrode, when a drive unit is driven by moving the trigger through a pressing operation on the trigger, and is characterized in that as the sliding electrode portion moves from the ON position to the OFF position, contact between the sliding electrode portion and a fixed member fixing the electrode is released.

[0009] An example of the sliding electrode portion here is a brush that can contact the electrode on the fixed member, and an example of the fixed member here is a substrate or other member that fixes the electrode.

[0010] The device also includes a switching circuit that transitions from an off state to an on state as the pressing operation on the trigger progresses to drive the drive unit, and is characterized in that the contact between the sliding electrode portion and the fixed member is released before the switching circuit transitions from the off state to the on state as the pressing operation progresses.

[0011] The sliding electrode portion is characterized in that, as it moves from the on position to the off position, it deforms in a direction away from the electrode, thereby releasing contact with the fixed member.

[0012] The present invention is also characterized in that, when the sliding electrode portion is in the on position, it is provided with a posture regulating portion that regulates the sliding electrode portion to a posture in which it is elastically deformed in a direction in which it contacts the electrode, and when the sliding electrode portion reaches the off position, the posture regulation by the posture regulating portion is released and the sliding electrode portion returns to its shape from the elastically deformed posture, thereby releasing contact with the fixed member.

[0013] The device further comprises a movable member that is movable between a pressed position and a released position in response to a pressing operation on the trigger and release of the pressing operation, and an elastic plate portion that is configured to receive an external force from the moving member when the moving member is in the released position and to assume an elastically deformed posture, and to return to its shape from the posture elastically deformed by the external force when the moving member moves from the released position to the pressed position and the external force is released, and the sliding electrode portion is configured to be in an on position in which it contacts the electrode when the elastic plate portion is in the elastically deformed posture, as a result of the posture being regulated by the posture regulating portion, and when the elastic plate portion has returned to its shape, the posture restriction by the posture regulating portion is released and the contact with the fixed member is released.

[0014] An example of the moving member referred to here is a drive switching mechanism including a part of the switching circuit described above.

[0015] The fixing member may have an opening formed in a region facing the sliding electrode portion in the off position.

[0016] The peripheral portion of the electrode on the fixed member is characterized in that it has a recessed shape for releasing the contact between the sliding electrode portion and the fixed member as the sliding electrode portion moves from the on position to the off position.

[0017] In addition, a device equipped with the trigger switch is also within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure. That is, the device is characterized in that the drive unit is driven in a state in which the contact between the sliding electrode unit and the fixed member is released. Effect of the Invention

[0018] In the trigger switch disclosed in the present application, as the sliding electrode part moves from the on position to the off position, the contact between the sliding electrode part and the fixed member that fixes the electrode (fixed electrode) is released. This prevents the drive part from operating in a state in which the sliding electrode part and the fixed member are in contact with each other, and makes it possible to suppress wear of the sliding electrode part. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of an electric device disclosed herein; [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a trigger switch disclosed herein; [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic side view showing an example of the inside of a housing of a trigger switch disclosed in the present application. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic side view showing an example of a released state of a trigger switch disclosed herein; [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a released state of a trigger switch disclosed herein; [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a portion of a control configuration of an electric device disclosed herein. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic side view showing an example of a trigger switch according to the present disclosure when a trigger is pressed. FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a trigger switch disclosed in the present application when a trigger is pressed. FIG. [Figure 10] 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 8. [Figure 11] 10 is a time chart showing an example of changes in the signals of the sub-sliding contact and the switching unit, the state of the microcomputer, and the device rotation speed when a trigger is pressed in the electric device disclosed in the present application. FIG. [Figure 12] 13 is a schematic diagram showing a contact state between a sub-brush and a sub-electrode when a trigger switch in a modified example of the trigger switch disclosed in the present application is in a released state. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] [Example of application] The trigger switch disclosed in the present application is applicable to various electric devices including electric tools (devices) such as electric drills, electric drivers, electric wrenches, and electric grinders that are equipped with a drive unit such as a motor.

[0022] The trigger switch disclosed in the present application is configured to release the contact between a brush (a brush that can move between an ON position in which it contacts an electrode fixed to a fixed member and an OFF position in which it does not contact the electrode) serving as a sliding electrode part constituting a sliding contact of a circuit provided inside an electric device and a fixed member as the brush moves from an ON position to an OFF position. Details will be described later. In the following, a case in which a substrate is used as an example of a fixed member will be described.

[0023] [Configuration example] <Electric device PT> 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of an electric device PT disclosed in the present application. The electric device PT disclosed in the present application includes a main unit 100, which incorporates a trigger switch TS that is pressed by a user. The main unit 100 is provided with an openable and closable door 110, which is provided with a window 120 through which the mounting state of a trigger 1 of the trigger switch TS can be visually observed.

[0024] The electric device PT illustrated in Fig. 1 has a shape in which a hand-held portion is attached to a generally cylindrical portion. In the following explanation, as shown in the figure, the generally cylindrical portion is referred to as the top, and the hand-held portion is referred to as the bottom. Also, the direction in which the trigger 1 of the trigger switch TS is located is referred to as the front, and the direction in which the trigger 1 is pressed is referred to as the rear. That is, in the electric device PT and trigger switch TS, the direction from the front to the rear is the operating direction in which the trigger 1 is pressed by a pressing operation. These directions are provided for the convenience of explanation, and do not limit the directions in which the electric device PT and trigger switch TS are used.

[0025] Fig. 1 illustrates an example of a release state in which the user does not operate the trigger switch TS. When the user places his / her finger on the trigger 1 and presses the trigger 1 toward the main unit 100 (rearward) from the release state illustrated in Fig. 1, a drive unit (not shown) such as an electric motor built into the main unit 100 is driven. The configuration of the sliding contacts and switching unit of the circuit for driving and stopping this drive unit will be described later.

[0026] <Trigger switch TS> Next, the trigger switch TS provided on the electric device PT will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the trigger switch TS disclosed in the present application. FIG. 2 shows the appearance of the trigger switch TS disclosed in the present application from a perspective obliquely from above. FIG. 3 is a side view showing an example of the inside of the housing of the trigger switch TS disclosed in the present application. In the following description, the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 3 is the left-right direction of the switch, the front side of the paper surface is the left side of the switch, and the back side of the paper surface is the right side of the switch. These directions are also for the sake of convenience in the description, and do not limit the directions in which the electric device PT and the trigger switch TS are used.

[0027] The trigger switch TS is a switch operated by a user of the electric device PT, and includes a trigger 1 that is pressed by the user. The trigger switch TS includes a housing 2 that is incorporated into the electric device PT, the trigger 1, a plunger 3, a return spring 4 that biases the trigger 1, and a covering member 5. The trigger switch TS also includes a switching lever 6 that switches the drive direction of a drive unit, for example, the rotation direction of an electric screwdriver, between forward and reverse.

[0028] The trigger 1 is a member that receives a pressing operation by the user. The front surface of the trigger 1 is shaped so that the user places his / her finger on it when operating it. The plunger 3 includes a rod-shaped shaft portion 31 and a drive switching mechanism (moving member) 32 formed continuously with the rear end of the shaft portion 31. The trigger 1 is supported on the front end of the shaft portion 31. The trigger 1 is fitted into the front end of the shaft portion 31, and can be attached to and detached from the front end of the shaft portion 31.

[0029] The housing 2 is a hollow case having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is configured by integrally assembling a first housing 21 located on the left side of the switch and a second housing 22 located on the right side of the switch. A drive switching mechanism 32 is housed in the internal space of the housing 2 constituted by the first housing 21 and the second housing 22. A substrate (fixing member) SU (see FIG. 6) is attached to the inner surface of the first housing 21 (the surface facing the right side of the switch), and a circuit (not shown) for driving the drive unit is disposed on this substrate SU.

[0030] A substantially circular through hole 23 is provided on the front surface of the housing 2, through which the rear end (the other end side) of the shaft 31 penetrates. The periphery of the through hole 23 protrudes forward in a cylindrical shape. A switching lever 6 is attached to the top surface of the housing 2. The inside of the housing 2 is divided into two upper and lower chambers, a lower chamber 24 and an upper chamber 25. The lower chamber 24 in the housing 2 houses a drive switching mechanism 32, and the upper chamber 25 houses an operation direction switching mechanism 61. The drive switching mechanism 32 is a mechanism that opens and closes a circuit formed on a substrate SU and controls the drive unit. The drive switching mechanism 32 moves back and forth with the movement of the shaft 31. In other words, the drive switching mechanism 32 moves between a pressed position and a pressed release position with the pressing operation of the trigger 1 and the release of the pressing operation. As shown in FIG. 8 (a schematic side view showing an example of when trigger 1 of the trigger switch TS disclosed in the present application is pressed), pressing trigger 1 moves drive switching mechanism 32 rearward, thereby operating the drive unit, and as shown in FIG. 3, the drive switching mechanism 32 returns to the forward position, thereby stopping the drive unit.

[0031] The return spring 4 is formed by using a spring such as a compression coil spring. The return spring 4 has the shaft portion 31 wound in the circumferential direction outside the housing 2, and biases the shaft portion 31 forward, which is the opposite direction to the pushing direction, and returns the shaft portion 31, which has been pushed backward together with the trigger 1, to the front release position. The front end of the return spring 4 is engaged with the shaft portion 31, and the rear end is engaged with the periphery of the through hole 23 of the housing 2.

[0032] The covering member 5 is formed in a substantially cylindrical bellows shape, and circumferentially covers the shaft portion 31 and the return spring 4 on the outside of the housing 2. A front end, which is one end of the covering member 5, is attached to the shaft portion 31. A rear end, which is the other end of the covering member 5, is attached so as to cover a protruding portion of the periphery of the through-hole 23 of the housing 2. The covering member 5 is a packing formed using a flexible and airtight material such as rubber, which expands and contracts in the axial direction and seals the inside.

[0033] The operating direction switching mechanism 61 is a mechanism that switches the wiring of the circuit opened and closed by the drive switching mechanism 32. The operating direction switching mechanism 61 is attached to the switching lever 6, and operates in accordance with the swinging of the switching lever 6. The operating direction of the drive unit is switched by the operation of the operating direction switching mechanism 61. The switching lever 6 is a member that swings left and right in response to a switching operation from the user to switch the drive direction of the drive unit, and transmits the swinging operation to the operating direction switching mechanism 61. When the switching lever 6 is operated to be positioned in the middle of its swing range, the switching lever 6 functions as a stopper that prevents the trigger 1 from being pressed.

[0034] The trigger switch TS configured as described above is incorporated in the electric device PT and accepts operation by the user. A user of the electric device PT performs operations such as a pushing operation to push in the trigger 1 and a switching operation to swing the switching lever 6. When the trigger 1 accepts the pushing operation, it moves rearward. As the trigger 1 moves rearward, the shaft 31 attached to the trigger 1 moves rearward. As the shaft 31 moves rearward, the drive switching mechanism 32 connected to the rear end of the shaft 31 also moves rearward, and the drive unit is driven. As the shaft 31 moves rearward, the return spring 4 and the covering member 5 are compressed in the axial direction.

[0035] When the user wants to stop the drive unit, he or she releases the depression of the trigger 1. When the depression is released, the trigger 1, the shaft 31, and the drive switching mechanism 32 move forward by the biasing force of the return spring 4, and return to the release position. In addition, as the shaft 31 moves forward, the return spring 4 and the covering member 5 extend in the axial direction.

[0036] The trigger switch TS has a sensor function that detects the movement (or position) of the trigger 1 when the trigger 1 is pressed, and is provided with a switching unit 7 that switches between driving and stopping of the drive unit in response to this movement. This switching unit 7 has a switching circuit. This switching circuit is configured using a sensor such as an optical sensor, a magnetic sensor, an electrostatic sensor, or an electric resistance sensor that detects the movement (or position) of the trigger 1 in a non-contact manner, and outputs an ON signal or an OFF signal in response to the position of the trigger 1 detected by the sensor. Note that the switching circuit may be one that outputs an ON signal or an OFF signal in response to contact between a movable contact and a fixed contact accompanying the movement (or position) of the trigger 1.

[0037] As a specific configuration of the switching unit 7, a sensor detection member 71 made of conductive metal is provided on the surface to the left of the switch in the drive switching mechanism 32. Also, a detection portion 72 (shown by virtual lines in Figs. 3 and 4) capable of detecting the position of the sensor detection member 71 is formed at a rearward position on a board SU attached to the inner surface (the surface facing the right side of the switch) of the first housing 21. That is, in a released state in which the trigger 1 is not being pressed, the sensor detection member 71 is in an OFF state in which it is out of the detection portion 72, and the switching circuit for driving the drive unit is in an open state, causing the drive unit to stop.

[0038] From this state, when the shaft 31 and the drive switching mechanism 32 move rearward by pressing the trigger 1, the sensor detection member 71 becomes in an on-state (see FIG. 8) where it overlaps (faces) the detection portion 72 when the amount of movement reaches a predetermined amount, and the drive unit is driven. Also, in this embodiment, the rotation speed of the drive unit increases by sensing the position of the sensor detection member 71, which changes as the pressing operation of the trigger 1 progresses.

[0039] The trigger switch TS is provided with a sub-sliding contact 8 for starting a microcomputer (not shown) on a substrate SU. Specifically, a sub-brush 81 made by bending a conductive metal is supported on the second housing 22. Sub-electrodes 82a, 82b (shown by imaginary lines in FIG. 4) that the sub-brush 81 (more specifically, a front sub-brush 84 and a rear sub-brush 85, which will be described later) can contact are formed on the substrate SU attached to the inner surface of the first housing 21. In a release state where the trigger 1 is not being pressed, the sub-brush 81 is in a position overlapping the sub-electrodes 82a, 82b (an ON position where the sub-brush 81 contacts the sub-electrodes 82a, 82b), and in this state, the microcomputer is in a stopped (sleep) state. This attitude of the sub-brush 81 is due to an external force applied from the drive switching mechanism 32, as will be described later.

[0040] When the shaft 31 and the drive switching mechanism 32 move backward from this state by pushing the trigger 1, the sub-brush 81 is in a position where it is disengaged from the sub-electrodes 82a, 82b (the front sub-brush 84 and the rear sub-brush 85 are not in contact with the sub-electrodes 82a, 82b) as shown in FIG. 8 when the amount of movement reaches a predetermined amount, and the microcomputer is in a wake-up state in this state. This attitude of the sub-brush 81 is due to the release of the external force from the drive switching mechanism 32 as described later. In this embodiment, the sub-brush 81 is configured to be in a position where it is disengaged from the sub-electrodes 82a, 82b by moving upward. The configuration for moving the sub-brush 81 upward will be described later. In this way, the sub-sliding contact 8 is configured as an NC contact. In this way, in the release state where the trigger 1 is not pushed, the microcomputer is in a stopped (sleep) state, so that the power consumption in this release state can be reduced to zero, and the power consumption of the electric device PT as a whole can be reduced.

[0041] As a feature of the present disclosure, the sub-sliding contact 8 is configured such that, before the switching unit 7 transitions from the OFF state (a state in which the sensor detection member 71 does not overlap the detection portion 72) to the ON state (a state in which the sensor detection member 71 overlaps the detection portion 72), not only the contact between the sub-brush 81 and the sub-electrodes 82a, 82b is released, but also the contact between the sub-brush 81 and the substrate SU is released (the contact between the sub-brush 81 and the resin surface of the substrate SU is released). Specifically, as the sub-brush 81 moves from the ON position (the position shown in FIG. 4) to the OFF position (the position shown in FIG. 8), it deforms in a direction away from the sub-electrodes 82a, 82b (a direction receding from the substrate SU), thereby releasing the contact with the substrate SU. The configuration of the sub-sliding contact 8 will be specifically described below.

[0042] Fig. 4 is a schematic side view showing an example of the trigger switch TS in a released state. Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the trigger switch TS in a released state. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Fig. 4. Figs. 4 and 5 show a state in which the first housing 21 has been removed, and Fig. 6 shows a state in which the sub-electrodes 82a, 82b on the substrate SU attached to the inner surface of the first housing 21 are in contact with the sub-brush 81.

[0043] As shown in these figures, the sub-electrodes 82a, 82b are formed at two locations, one at the front and one at the back, on the substrate SU. Here, the sub-electrode located at the front side is referred to as the front sub-electrode 82a, and the sub-electrode located at the rear side is referred to as the rear sub-electrode 82b. These sub-electrodes 82a, 82b are rectangular, and are disposed at a position slightly lower than the lower end position of the drive switching mechanism 32, with a predetermined distance between them in the front-rear direction.

[0044] The sub-brush 81 has an elastic plate portion 83 supported by the second housing 22, a front sub-brush (sliding electrode portion) 84 formed integrally with the elastic plate portion 83 and capable of contacting the front sub-electrode 82a, and a rear sub-brush (sliding electrode portion) 85 capable of contacting the rear sub-electrode 82b.

[0045] The elastic plate portion 83 includes a locking plate portion 83a, a main body portion 83b, and a pressing plate portion 83c.

[0046] In addition, a sub-brush support part 26 is integrally formed inside the housing 2. The sub-brush support part 26 is configured by partially increasing the thickness dimension of a vertical wall (a vertical wall extending in a direction perpendicular to the left-right direction of the switch) of the second housing 22, and includes an engagement groove 27 and a posture restriction part 28.

[0047] The locking groove 27 is provided in approximately the center in the front-rear direction of the sub-brush support portion 26, and its width in the front-rear direction is set to be equal to or slightly larger than the plate thickness of the locking plate portion 83a of the elastic plate portion 83. The locking plate portion 83a is inserted into the locking groove 27, whereby the locking plate portion 83a is locked in the locking groove 27.

[0048] The posture regulating portion 28 is for regulating the postures of the front sub-brush 84 and the rear sub-brush 85 of the sub-brush 81 (regulating them to an elastically deformed posture). The posture regulating portion 28 has an inclined portion 28a that inclines downward toward the left side of the switch, and a vertical portion 28b that extends in the vertical direction (a direction perpendicular to the left-right direction of the switch) from the lower end of the inclined portion 28a. The regulation of the postures of the front sub-brush 84 and the rear sub-brush 85 by the posture regulating portion 28 will be described later.

[0049] The main body 83b of the elastic plate 83 is continuous with the upper end of the locking plate 83a, and is inclined upward toward the front.

[0050] The pressing plate portion 83c of the elastic plate portion 83 is continuous with the front end of the main body portion 83b. The pressing plate portion 83c has a curved shape that is convex upward. As shown in FIG. 8, when no external force is acting on the elastic plate portion 83, the upper end position of the pressing plate portion 83c is set to a position slightly higher than the lower end position of the drive switching mechanism 32 (a position slightly higher than the movement trajectory of the lower end position of the drive switching mechanism 32 when the drive switching mechanism 32 moves). In other words, as shown in FIG. 8, when the trigger 1 is in a pressed state, the drive switching mechanism 32 moves backward, so that it does not come into contact with the pressing plate portion 83c, and no external force is acting on the elastic plate portion 83 (pressing plate portion 83c). On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 4, when the trigger 1 is in the released state, the drive switching mechanism 32 moves forward, so that it comes into contact with the upper surface of the pressing plate portion 83c, and a downward external force acts from the upper surface, pushing down the pressing plate portion 83c, causing the main body portion 83b to elastically deform downward so as to pivot around the rear end position of the main body portion 83b (near the boundary with the upper end of the locking plate portion 83a). In this state, an upward reaction force is generated in the main body portion 83b.

[0051] Next, the front sub-brush 84 and the rear sub-brush 85 will be described. The front sub-brush 84 and the rear sub-brush 85 have the same shape. Here, the front sub-brush 84 will be described as a representative. As shown in Fig. 6, the front sub-brush 84 has an inclined portion 84a, an electrode contact portion 84b, and a pressing portion 84c.

[0052] The inclined portion 84a is continuous with the end of the main body 83b of the elastic plate 83 on the left side of the switch, and is inclined downward toward the left side of the switch.

[0053] The electrode contact portion 84b is a portion that comes into contact with the front sub-electrode 82a, is continuous with the lower end of the inclined portion 84a, and has a curved shape that is convex toward the left side of the switch.

[0054] The pressing portion 84c is continuous with the lower end of the electrode contact portion 84b, and has a curved shape that is convex toward the right side of the switch.

[0055] Furthermore, when no external force (external force toward the left side of the switch: external force toward the right side in FIGS. 6 and 10) is acting on the front sub-brush 84, the distance from the position of the end of the left side of the switch in the main body 83b to the position of the end of the left side of the switch in the electrode contact portion 84b (dimension t1 in FIG. 10) is set to be shorter by a predetermined dimension than the distance from the position of the end of the left side of the switch in the main body 83b to the position of the front sub-electrode 82a (approximately equal to the distance from the position of the end of the left side of the switch in the main body 83b to the position of the surface of the substrate SU: dimension t2 in FIG. 10). In other words, when no external force (external force toward the left side of the switch) is acting on the front sub-brush 84, the electrode contact portion 84b is retracted from the substrate SU (away from the substrate SU) and is in a position not in contact with the substrate SU.

[0056] As described above, the attitude regulating portion 28 formed inside the housing 2 has the inclined portion 28a and the vertical portion 28b. The boundary position between the inclined portion 28a and the vertical portion 28b is set to a position slightly above the position of the pressing portion 84c in a state in which the electrode contact portion 84b contacts the front sub-electrode 82a (the state shown in FIG. 6). In addition, the position of the vertical portion 28b (the position in the left-right direction of the switch) is located a predetermined dimension to the left of the switch from the position of the pressing portion 84c of the front sub-brush 84 in a state in which no external force is acting on the front sub-brush 84 (the state shown in FIG. 10). This predetermined dimension is set as a dimension at which the electrode contact portion 84b contacts the front sub-electrode 82a in a state in which the pressing portion 84c of the front sub-brush 84 abuts against the vertical portion 28b. 4 to 6, when the trigger switch TS is in the released state, the drive switching mechanism 32 is in contact with the upper surface of the pressing plate portion 83c, thereby pressing down the pressing plate portion 83c of the elastic plate portion 83. Accordingly, the front sub-brush 84 moves downward, and the pressing portion 84c comes into contact with the vertical portion 28b of the attitude regulating portion 28, and is elastically deformed to the left side of the switch (elastically deformed in the direction toward the front sub-electrode 82a) by receiving a pressing force from this vertical portion 28b, and is in contact with (pressed against) the front sub-electrode 82a.

[0057] 8 to 10, when the trigger switch TS is pressed, the drive switching mechanism 32 is released from contact with the upper surface of the pressing plate portion 83c, and the elastic plate portion 83 returns to its original shape. Accordingly, the front sub-brush 84 moves upward, and the pressing portion 84c moves from a position where it abuts against the vertical portion 28b of the attitude regulating portion 28 to a position where it does not abut against the vertical portion 28b (for example, a position where it abuts against the inclined portion 28a or a position floating above the inclined portion 28a), and the pressing force from the vertical portion 28b is released, causing the switch to deform to the right (return to its original shape) and assume a posture retreated from the board SU (posture separated from the board SU).

[0058] In addition, the rear sub-brush 85 has a configuration similar to that of the front sub-brush 84, and when the trigger switch TS is in the released state, it elastically deforms to the left side of the switch (elastically deforms in the direction toward the rear sub-electrode 82b) and is in contact with (pressed against) the rear sub-electrode 82b, and when the trigger switch TS is in the pressed state, it is in a position retracted from the substrate SU.

[0059] <Control configuration> Next, a control configuration of the electric device PT disclosed in the present application will be described. Fig. 7 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a part of the control configuration of the electric device PT disclosed in the present application. As shown in Fig. 7, the electric device PT is configured so that a main device 100 and a trigger switch TS can transmit and receive signals. The main device 100 is equipped with a drive unit M such as a motor. The trigger switch TS is equipped with a control unit 9 that outputs a drive signal to the main device 100 in response to signals from a switching unit 7 and a sub-sliding contact 8.

[0060] The control unit 9 of the trigger switch TS is a circuit configured using, for example, a microcomputer using integrated circuits such as various LSIs and VLSIs, electronic elements, and various terminals, and is disposed on a substrate SU inside the housing 2. The control unit 9 receives signals from the switching unit 7 and the sub sliding contact 8 as inputs, executes various processes based on the inputs, and outputs a drive signal to the main unit 100 for driving a drive unit M such as a motor provided in the main unit 100 of the electric device PT. The electric device PT drives the drive unit M based on the drive signal input to the main unit 100.

[0061] In this embodiment, as the pressing operation of the trigger 1 progresses, a signal (OFF signal) is transmitted from the sub-sliding contact 8, and then a signal (ON signal) is transmitted from the switching unit 7. In other words, before the switching unit 7 (the switching circuit of the switching unit 7) transitions from the OFF state to the ON state as the pressing operation of the trigger 1 progresses, an OFF signal is output from the sub-sliding contact 8 and contact between the front sub-brush 84 and the rear sub-brush 85 and the substrate SU is released.

[0062] <Trigger press operation> Next, the state of the sub-sliding contact 8 and the switching unit 7, the state of the microcomputer, and changes in the device rotation speed when the trigger is pushed will be described. Fig. 11 is a time chart showing an example of changes in the signals of the sub-sliding contact 8 and the switching unit 7, the state of the microcomputer, and the device rotation speed when the trigger 1 is pushed in the electrically-driven device PT disclosed in the present application.

[0063] As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, when the trigger switch TS is in the released state, the sub-sliding contact 8 is in the ON state (the front sub-brush 84 and the rear sub-brush 85 are in the ON position). That is, the drive switching mechanism 32 moves forward, and thus the sub-sliding contact 8 comes into contact with the upper surface of the pressing plate portion 83c, and a downward external force acts from the upper surface, pushing the pressing plate portion 83c down, and the main body portion 83b is elastically deformed downward so that the rear end position of the main body portion 83b is the swing center. In this state, the pressing portion 84c of each of the sub-brushes 84 and 85 comes into contact with the vertical portion 28b of the attitude regulating portion 28, and is elastically deformed to the left side of the switch (elastically deformed in the direction toward each of the sub-electrodes 82a and 82b) by receiving a pressing force from the vertical portion 28b, and each of the sub-brushes 84 and 85 is in contact with each of the sub-electrodes 82a and 82b. That is, the sub-sliding contact 8 is in the ON state. In this state, the microcomputer is in a stopped (sleep) state, the switching unit 7 is in an OFF state (a state in which the sensor detection member 71 is in the OFF position), and the driving unit M is stopped.

[0064] When the pressing operation of the trigger 1 is started from this state, as shown in Figs. 8 to 10, the plunger 3 moves backward in response to the pressing operation. When the drive switching mechanism 32 is released from the contact state of the upper surface of the pressing plate portion 83c in response to the rearward movement of the plunger 3, the elastic plate portion 83 of the sub-brush 81 returns to its original shape, and the sub-brushes 84, 85 move upward and are released from contact with the sub-electrodes 82a, 82b. Accordingly, the pressing portion 84c of each of the sub-brushes 84, 85 moves above the vertical portion 28b of the attitude regulating portion 28, and the pressing force from the vertical portion 28b is released. As a result, the sub-brushes 84, 85 also return to their original shape and deform so as to retreat from the substrate SU (at the timing of "rearward deformation of the sub-brush" in Fig. 11), and the contact with the substrate SU is released (see Fig. 10).

[0065] Thereafter, as the pressing operation on the trigger 1 continues and the plunger 3 moves further backward, the sensor detection member 71 enters an ON state where it overlaps with the detection portion 72 (see FIG. 8), the circuit for driving the drive unit M enters a closed state, and driving of the drive unit M begins (the timing of "switch unit ON" in FIG. 11). Then, as the pressing operation on the trigger 1 progresses, the signal from the switch unit 7 changes, and the rotation speed of the drive unit M increases accordingly. At the time when driving of the drive unit M begins in this manner, the sub-brushes 84, 85 have deformed so as to retreat from the substrate SU, so that even if vibrations accompanying the driving of the drive unit M are transmitted to the sub-brushes 84, 85 and the substrate SU, the sub-brushes 84, 85 will not slide against the substrate SU.

[0066] <Effects of the embodiment> As described above, in the trigger switch TS of this embodiment, as each of the sub-brushes 84, 85 constituting the sub-sliding contact 8 moves from the on position to the off position, the contact between each of the sub-brushes 84, 85 and the substrate SU is released. This prevents the drive unit M from driving in a state in which each of the sub-brushes 84, 85 and the substrate SU are in contact with each other, suppresses wear of each of the sub-brushes 84, 85, and maintains good contact reliability when each of the sub-brushes 84, 85 is brought into contact with each of the sub-electrodes 82a, 82b. In addition, wear of the resin surface of the substrate SU can be suppressed, so that resin powder caused by this wear is less likely to be generated, and this also makes it possible to maintain good contact reliability when each of the sub-brushes 84, 85 is brought into contact with each of the sub-electrodes 82a, 82b.

[0067] Furthermore, in the trigger switch TS of this embodiment, contact between each of the sub-brushes 84, 85 and the substrate SU is released before the switching unit 7 transitions from the OFF state to the ON state as the trigger 1 is pressed further in. This reliably prevents the drive unit M from driving in a state in which each of the sub-brushes 84, 85 is in contact with the substrate SU, and wear of each of the sub-brushes 84, 85 can be reliably suppressed.

[0068] <Modification> In the embodiment described above, each of the sub-brushes 84, 85 is released from contact with the substrate SU by returning the sub-brushes 84, 85 to their original shape from the elastically deformed posture. In other words, each of the sub-brushes 84, 85 is moved back from the substrate SU to release the contact between each of the sub-brushes 84, 85 and the substrate SU. In this modified example, the substrate SU is improved to release the contact between each of the sub-brushes 84, 85 and the substrate SU.

[0069] FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the positions of the sub-brushes 84, 85 of the sub-sliding contact 8 when the trigger switch TS in a modified example of the trigger switch TS disclosed in the present application is in a released state. As shown in FIG. 12, an opening 29 is formed on the upper side of each of the sub-electrodes 82a, 82b in the substrate SU in this modified example. The opening 29 is designed to have a shape such that the sub-brushes 84, 85 do not contact the substrate SU when the sub-brushes 84, 85 are moved to the OFF position. In other words, when the sub-brushes 84, 85 are moved to the OFF position, the electrode contact portion 84b of each of the sub-brushes 84, 85 faces the opening 29, so that the sub-brushes do not contact the substrate SU. In other words, the peripheral portion of each of the sub-electrodes 82a, 82b on the substrate SU has a recessed shape for releasing the contact between each of the sub-brushes 84, 85 and the substrate SU as the sub-brushes 84, 85 move from the ON position to the OFF position.

[0070] In this modified example, there is no need to elastically deform each of the sub-brushes 84, 85 when the sub-brushes 84, 85 are in the on position as shown in Fig. 12. In other words, there is no need to retract each of the sub-brushes 84, 85 from the substrate SU when the trigger 1 is pressed, and therefore there is no need to elastically deform each of the sub-brushes 84, 85 to the left of the switch (elastically deform in the direction toward the front sub-electrode 82a) when the pressing portion 84c is in contact with the vertical portion 28b of the attitude regulating portion 28. This makes it easy to design each of the sub-brushes 84, 85.

[0071] <Other embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modifications, and can be implemented in various other forms. Therefore, the above-described embodiment and modifications are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted as being restrictive. The technical scope of the present invention is described by the claims, and is not restricted in any way by the text of the specification. Furthermore, all modifications and changes within the equivalent scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

[0072] For example, in the above embodiment and modified examples, the case where the invention is applied to an electrically-powered device PT has been described as an example, but the invention can also be applied to devices such as water guns, paint guns, and model guns.

[0073] In the above embodiment and modified example, the sub-brush 81 is elastically deformed by utilizing the drive switching mechanism 32 provided with the sensor detection member 71, but the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, any movable member that can move between a pressed position and a pressed-down position in response to pressing of the trigger 1 and release of the pressing operation may be used.

[0074] In the above embodiment and modified example, the elastic plate portion 83 and the sub-brushes 84, 85 are integrally formed as the configuration of the sub-brush 81, but this is not limited thereto. In other words, the elastic plate portion 83 and the sub-brushes 84, 85 may be formed separately, so that the sub-brush 81 is composed of a plurality of parts.

[0075] Furthermore, the embodiments and other matters disclosed in this specification can also be understood as the technical ideas described in the following supplementary notes.

[0076] (Appendix 1) A trigger switch having a sliding electrode portion that moves from an ON position, in which it contacts a fixed electrode, to an OFF position, in which it does not contact the electrode, when a drive portion is driven by moving the trigger through a pressing operation of the trigger, wherein as the sliding electrode portion moves from the ON position to the OFF position, contact between the sliding electrode portion and a fixed member that fixes the electrode is released.

[0077] (Appendix 2) 13. The trigger switch according to claim 1, further comprising a switching circuit that transitions from an OFF state to an ON state as the trigger is pressed, thereby driving the drive unit, and wherein contact between the sliding electrode unit and the fixed member is released before the switching circuit transitions from the OFF state to the ON state as the trigger is pressed.

[0078] (Appendix 3) 3. The trigger switch according to claim 1, wherein the sliding electrode portion is deformed in a direction away from the electrode as the sliding electrode portion moves from the on position to the off position, thereby releasing contact with the fixed member.

[0079] (Appendix 4) 4. A trigger switch according to claim 3, further comprising a posture restriction part that restricts the sliding electrode part to a posture in which the sliding electrode part is elastically deformed in a direction in which the sliding electrode part contacts the electrode when the sliding electrode part is in the on position, and when the sliding electrode part reaches the off position, the restriction of the posture by the posture restriction part is released and the sliding electrode part returns to its shape from the elastically deformed posture, thereby releasing contact with the fixed member.

[0080] (Appendix 5) 5. A trigger switch as described in appendix 4, comprising: a movable member that is movable between a pressed position and a released position in response to a pressing operation on the trigger and a release of the pressing operation; and an elastic plate portion that is configured to receive an external force from the movable member when the movable member is in the released position and to assume an elastically deformed posture, and to return to its shape from the posture elastically deformed by the external force when the moving member moves from the released position to the pressed position and the external force is released, wherein when the elastic plate portion is in the elastically deformed posture, the posture of the sliding electrode portion is regulated by the posture regulating portion to be in an on position in which it contacts the electrode, and when the elastic plate portion has returned to its shape, the posture restriction by the posture regulating portion is released and the contact with the fixed member is released.

[0081] (Appendix 6) 3. The trigger switch according to claim 1, wherein the fixed member has an opening formed in a region facing the sliding electrode portion in the off position.

[0082] (Appendix 7) 3. The trigger switch according to claim 1, wherein a peripheral portion of the electrode in the fixed member has a recessed shape for releasing contact between the sliding electrode portion and the fixed member as the sliding electrode portion moves from the on position to the off position.

[0083] (Appendix 8) 8. A device comprising the trigger switch according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the drive unit is driven in a state in which the contact between the sliding electrode portion and the fixed member is released. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1 Trigger 28 Posture Control Unit 32 Drive switching mechanism (moving member) 82a Front sub-electrode (electrode) 82b Rear sub-electrode (electrode) 83 Elastic plate 84 Front sub-brush (sliding electrode part) 85 Rear sub-brush (sliding electrode part) SU board (fixing member) PT Electric device (equipment) TS Trigger Switch M Drive Unit

Claims

1. A trigger switch having a sliding electrode portion that moves from an ON position in which it contacts a fixed electrode to an OFF position in which it does not contact the electrode when a drive portion is driven by a movement of the trigger caused by a pressing operation of the trigger, A trigger switch, characterized in that, as the sliding electrode portion moves from the on position to the off position, contact between the sliding electrode portion and a fixing member that fixes the electrode is released.

2. 2. The trigger switch according to claim 1, a switching circuit that transitions from an OFF state to an ON state as the trigger is pressed to drive the drive unit; a trigger switch, characterized in that the contact between the sliding electrode portion and the fixed member is released before the switching circuit transitions from an OFF state to an ON state as the pressing operation progresses.

3. 3. The trigger switch according to claim 1, A trigger switch characterized in that the sliding electrode portion is deformed in a direction away from the electrode as the sliding electrode portion moves from the on position to the off position, thereby releasing contact with the fixed member.

4. 4. The trigger switch according to claim 3, a position restricting portion that restricts the sliding electrode portion to a position in which the sliding electrode portion is elastically deformed in a direction in which the sliding electrode portion contacts the electrode when the sliding electrode portion is in the on position, A trigger switch characterized in that, when the sliding electrode portion reaches the off position, the position restriction by the position restriction portion is released and the sliding electrode portion returns to its shape from the elastically deformed position, thereby releasing contact with the fixed member.

5. 5. The trigger switch according to claim 4, a movable member that is movable between a pressed position and a released position in response to a pressing operation on the trigger and a release of the pressing operation; an elastic plate portion configured to receive an external force from the moving member when the moving member is in the pushed-in release position and to assume an elastically deformed posture, and to recover from the posture elastically deformed by the external force when the moving member moves from the pushed-in release position toward the pushed-in position, and the external force is released, A trigger switch characterized in that, when the elastic plate portion is in the elastically deformed position, the position of the sliding electrode portion is regulated by the position regulating portion, thereby bringing the sliding electrode portion into an on position in contact with the electrode, and, when the elastic plate portion has returned to its original shape, the position restriction by the position regulating portion is released, thereby releasing the contact with the fixed member.

6. 3. The trigger switch according to claim 1, The trigger switch according to claim 1, wherein the fixed member has an opening formed in a region facing the sliding electrode portion in the off position.

7. 3. The trigger switch according to claim 1, A trigger switch characterized in that the peripheral portion of the electrode on the fixed member has a recessed shape for releasing contact between the sliding electrode portion and the fixed member as the sliding electrode portion moves from the on position to the off position.

8. 3. An apparatus comprising the trigger switch according to claim 1 or 2, The device is characterized in that the drive unit operates in a state in which the contact between the sliding electrode unit and the fixed member is released.

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