Push button device

Abstract

To make smooth operation to depress an operating button.SOLUTION: A scientific electronic calculator 100 comprises an operating button 212, and an apparatus case 1 that is formed with an opening 1C into which the body part 212a of the operating button 212 is inserted. The apparatus case 1 is provided with at least one guide rib 1A2 that guides reception of a flange 212b to a certain region R. The guide rib 1A2 is provided with first regions 1A21a1, 1A22a1 configured such that when the operation to depress the operating button 212 is performed, the interval between the flange 212b and the guide rib 1A2 increases as the operating button 212 approaches a depression direction, and second regions 1A21a2, 1A22a2 configured such that when the operation to depress the operating button 212 is performed, the interval between the flange 212b and the guide rib 1A2 becomes constant. The first regions 1A21a1, 1A22a1 are provided closer to the opening 1C side than the second regions 1A21a2, 1A22a2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a push button device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, electronic desk calculators (electronic calculators) have been widely used for performing simple calculations. In particular, electronic desk calculators have a fixed key layout and a devised key touch to enable quick and accurate input operations for office use, such as performing multiple calculations (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 61-190630 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the key structure disclosed in the above Patent Document 1, for example, when the side surface 1B of the key top portion 1 is pressed to create a so-called diagonal pressing state, the stem portion 2 may interfere with the panel 3, which may cause a malfunction such that the key top portion 1 cannot be pressed all the way.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to make it easier to press an operation button. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the push button device according to the present invention comprises: an operation button having a pillar portion and a flange portion; an apparatus case having an opening into which the column portion of the operation button is inserted; The device case is provided with at least one rib that guides the flange portion into a certain region, the rib is provided with a first region configured such that, when the operation button is pressed, a distance between the flange portion and the rib increases as the operation button moves in a pressing direction, and a second region configured such that, when the operation button is pressed, a distance between the flange portion and the rib becomes constant; The first region is provided closer to the opening than the second region. It is characterized by: Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the operation of pressing the operation button can be made smooth. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overview of a scientific calculator as an example of a push button device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a scientific calculator. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a key. [Figure 4] 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the operation button is inserted into the opening of the upper case (device case). FIG. [Diagram 5] (a) is a diagram showing the state when the operation button is inserted in the correct orientation into the opening of the upper case, (b) is a diagram showing the state when an attempt is made to insert the operation button in the incorrect orientation into the opening of the upper case, and (c) is a diagram showing the state when the operation button inserted into the opening of the upper case is rotated clockwise on the page. [Figure 6] 5(a) is an enlarged view of the upper left corner of FIG. 5(a), and (b) is an enlarged view of the lower left corner of FIG. 5(a). [Figure 7] 13(a) to 13(e) are diagrams showing a state in which an operation button is about to be inserted into the opening of the upper case in an incorrect orientation. [Figure 8] 13(a) to 13(e) are diagrams showing a state in which an operation button is about to be inserted into the opening of the upper case in an incorrect orientation. [Figure 9]FIG. 1A is a diagram for explaining a conventional guide rib, FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the state of an operation button when an end of the operation button is pressed when a conventional guide rib is provided, and FIG. 1C is a diagram showing the state of the operation button when an end of the operation button is pressed when a guide rib of this embodiment is provided. [Figure 10] 1A is a diagram showing the measurement points for various dimensions of the flange and guide rib, and FIG. 1B is a table showing the correspondence between the various dimensions of the Type I key group and the Type II key group. [Figure 11] 13 is a side view showing a state in which the upper case and the operation buttons are placed with the top surface of the upper case and the top surfaces of the operation buttons facing the placement surface. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the push button device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, although the following description will be given of a push button device that is a scientific calculator, the present invention is not limited to a push button device that is a scientific calculator, and can be applied to any push button device that has an operation button that is inserted into an opening of a device case so as to be capable of being pressed.

[0010] 1 is a perspective view of a scientific calculator as an example of a push button device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a scientific calculator 100 includes an input key group 2 having various types of keys, and a display 10.

[0011] The input key group 2 is a group of keys for receiving input operations of numerical values, calculation symbols, and other components of mathematical formulas from the user, and for receiving instructions for various processes, and is equipped with multiple keys (numeric keypad, cursor keys, AC key, CODE key, SHIFT key, etc.) each of which is assigned a specific function.

[0012] The display 10 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display, and is a display unit that displays various data such as letters, codes, symbols, mathematical expressions, calculation results, tables, etc. (referred to as mathematical expressions, tables, etc.) in response to operations of the input key group 2, etc., using multiple dots.

[0013] [Function configuration] Next, the functional configuration of the scientific calculator 100 will be described. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the scientific calculator 100. As shown in Fig. 2, the scientific calculator 100 comprises a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a display drive unit 12, a key input unit 13, and a storage unit 14. Although not shown in the figure, the scientific calculator 100 also comprises a RAM (Random Access Memory) and the like that temporarily stores data such as mathematical expressions and tables to be displayed on the display 10.

[0014] The display drive unit 12 drives and controls the display 10 to display various information in accordance with the control from the CPU 11. The display drive unit 12 also adjusts the contrast ratio when displaying on the display 10.

[0015] The key input unit 13 includes the input key group 2 described above, and outputs a key input signal corresponding to a key input by a user operation to the CPU 11. Then, the CPU 11 receives the key input signal corresponding to the key input by a user operation and displays the corresponding mathematical formula, table, etc. on the display 10, executes calculations, or performs various other processes.

[0016] The storage unit 14 is a memory that stores programs, etc. In this embodiment, the storage unit 14 has various storage areas, and has a storage area that stores programs for the CPU 11 to execute various functions of the scientific calculator 100 and data necessary for executing the programs.

[0017] The CPU 11 centrally controls each section of the scientific calculator 100. Specifically, the CPU 11 reads out a specified program from among the system programs and various application programs stored in the storage area of ​​the storage unit 14, loads it in the work area of ​​the storage unit 14, and executes various processes in cooperation with the programs loaded in the storage unit 14. The CPU 11 also controls the display drive unit 12 to cause the display 10 to display the necessary information.

[0018] [Key structure] Next, the structure of each key constituting the input key group 2 will be described by taking a certain key 21 shown in Fig. 1 as a representative. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the key 21. Note that Fig. 3 (also Figs. 9 and 10) shows a cross section of a pair of second protruding pieces 1A22 (described later) in order to show the relationship between the flange 212b (described later) and the pair of second protruding pieces 1A22 (described later). This cross section is taken along the line AA in Fig. 1.

[0019] 3, the key 21 includes an operation button 212 and a key contact member 211. The key contact member 211 is disposed in a device case 1 that is composed of an upper case 1A and a lower case 1B. The operation button 212 is provided on the key contact member 211, and an upper portion of the operation button 212 is configured to protrude upward and be exposed from an opening (opening) 1C of the device case 1.

[0020] The key contact member 211 includes a dome-shaped bulge 215 and a movable contact 216 provided inside the bulge 215. The bulge 215 is connected to a rubber sheet 214 arranged on a circuit board 213 provided below the upper case 1A. In this embodiment, the bulge 215 and the rubber sheet 214 are formed integrally. The key contact member 211 is configured to be formed in correspondence with a plurality of openings 1C (only one is shown in FIG. 3) provided in the device case 1. The bulge 215 is connected to the lower part of the operation button 212 by, for example, press-fitting. The movable contact 216 is made of, for example, carbon.

[0021] A fixed contact 217 is provided on the upper surface of the circuit board 213 so as to face the movable contact 216 in a contacting / separating manner. Thus, when the bulging portion 215 is pressed down by the operation button 212, the key contact member 211 is configured such that the bulging portion 215 elastically deforms and the movable contact 216 comes into contact (makes) with the fixed contact 217 (see FIG. 9(c)), thereby outputting a key input signal.

[0022] 3 and 4, the operation button 212 is a synthetic resin member including a main body (pillar) 212a and a flange (flange) 212b extending radially outward from the lower end of the main body 212a. The operation button 212 is configured so that the sum L20 of the amount of protrusion L21 of the main body 212a from the flange 212b and the thickness L22 of the flange 212b is equal to or less than the sum L10 of the depth L11 of the opening 1C (thickness of the upper case 1A) and the length L12 of the guide rib 1A2 in the pressing direction of the operation button 212. In this embodiment, the main body 212a has a cylindrical shape, but the shape of the main body 212a is not limited to this. Moreover, the operation button 212 may be configured so that its upper portion protrudes upward and is exposed from the opening 1C. For example, the sum L20 of the above-mentioned protrusion amount L21 and the thickness L22 of the flange 212b may be configured so as to be smaller than the above-mentioned sum L10. The length L12 of the guide rib 1A2 is configured so as to be larger than or equal to the distance between the movable contact 216 and the fixed contact 217 in the pressing direction of the operation button 212. This configuration makes it possible to prevent the operation button 212 from rotating in a rotation direction around the pressing direction when the operation button 212 is pressed. Here, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the operation button 212 is inserted into the opening 1C of the upper case 1A (device case 1). As shown in FIG. 4, the direction in which the main body 212a of the operation button 212 is inserted into the opening 1C (the direction of the arrow in the figure) is opposite to the pressing direction of the operation button 212. That is, the main body 212a of the operation button 212 is inserted into the opening 1C from one end side of the main body 212a, and a flange 212b is provided on the other end side. The operation button 212 is configured to be pressed from the one end side of the main body 212a.

[0023] 4 and 5, flange 212b has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view and is formed to be larger than the area of ​​opening 1C. As a result, as shown in Fig. 3, the upper surface of flange 212b (the surface on the main body part 212a side) abuts against the lower surface (the surface facing rubber sheet 214) of the edge part of opening 1C of upper case 1A, so that flange 212b does not slip out of opening 1C.

[0024] Next, the shape of the flange 212b will be described in detail with reference to FIG. Fig. 5(a) is a diagram showing a state where the operation button 212 is inserted into the opening 1C of the upper case 1A in the correct orientation (a certain orientation). Fig. 5(b) is a diagram showing a state where an attempt is made to insert the operation button 212 into the opening 1C of the upper case 1A in an incorrect orientation (an orientation other than the certain orientation described above). Fig. 5(c) is a diagram showing a state where the operation button 212 inserted into the opening 1C of the upper case 1A is rotated clockwise on the page.

[0025] 5(a), the flange 212b of the operation button 212 is generally rectangular in plan view as described above, with the lower left and lower right corners cut out. In other words, the flange 212b has cutouts 212b3 at positions corresponding to a pair of second protruding pieces 1A22 described later. Therefore, the width W1 in the left-right direction of the extension portion (first extension portion) 212b1 of the flange 212b extending upward on the paper surface is larger than the width W2 in the left-right direction of the extension portion (second extension portion) 212b2 extending downward on the paper surface.

[0026] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 5(a), a frame portion 1A1 is provided on the lower surface of the upper case 1A to define an area (a certain area) R for receiving the flange 212b. Here, the frame portion 1A1 serves as a spacer for providing the key contact member 211 (see Fig. 3) at a predetermined distance from the flange 212b. Also, a guide rib 1A2 is provided on the lower surface of the upper case 1A to guide the flange 212b to be received in the above-mentioned area R. The guide rib 1A2 is connected to the frame portion 1A1. In this embodiment, the guide rib 1A2 and the frame portion 1A1 are integrally formed.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 5(a), the guide rib 1A2 is composed of a pair of first protrusions 1A21 provided at the upper left and upper right corners of the region R, and a pair of second protrusions 1A22 provided at the lower left and lower right corners of the region R. In other words, the guide rib 1A2 is composed of two pairs of a pair of first protrusions 1A21 and a pair of second protrusions 1A22 facing each other around the opening 1C. The pair of first protrusions 1A21 are spaced apart from each other with a larger gap than the width W1 of the first extension portion 212b1, and when the flange 212b is received in the region R, the pair of first protrusions 1A21 sandwich the first extension portion 212b1 from the sides. Further, the pair of second protruding pieces 1A22 are provided at an interval wider than the width W2 of the second extending portion 212b2 and narrower than the width W1 of the first extending portion 212b1, and are in a state of sandwiching the second extending portion 212b2 from the sides when the flange 212b is received in the region R. In other words, the interval G1 between a pair of opposing outer side surfaces 1A21a (see FIG. 6(a)) of the pair of first protruding pieces 1A21 is larger than the width W1, and the interval G2 between a pair of opposing outer side surfaces 1A22a (see FIG. 6(b)) of the pair of second protruding pieces 1A22 is larger than the width W2 and smaller than the width W1. In FIG. 5(a), the gaps G1 and G2 are shown at the base ends of the outer surfaces 1A21a and 1A22a, but at any point on the pair of outer surfaces 1A21a and 1A22a, the gap G1 is larger than the width W1, and the gap G2 is larger than the width W2 and smaller than the width W1.

[0028] Furthermore, the length L3 in the extending direction of the flange 212b (the direction perpendicular to the widths W1 and W2) is longer than the distance D3 between the first projecting piece 1A21 and the second projecting piece 1A22, and is longer than the interval G2. In addition, the length L4 of the diagonal line of the flange 212b (a straight line passing through a corner of the first extension portion 212b1 and a corner of the second extension portion 212b2 facing the corner of the first extension portion 212b1) is longer than the width D4 in the vertical direction (the direction in which the flange 212b extends) of the region R, and is designed to be of a length that allows the first extension portion 212b1 of the flange 212b to engage (overlap) with the frame portion 1A1 when an attempt is made to insert the operation button 212 into the opening 1C of the upper case 1A in an incorrect orientation (a specified orientation other than the correct orientation. For example, an angle of 10 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees, an angle of more than 90 degrees and less than 170 degrees, an angle of 190 degrees or more and less than 270 degrees, or an angle of more than 270 degrees and less than 350 degrees, based on the correct orientation).

[0029] More specifically, the opening 1C is formed such that at least a part of the extension 212b1 overlaps with the second protruding piece 1A22 when the operation button 212 is inserted into the opening 1C upside down on the paper surface of Fig. 5 (i.e., when viewed from the insertion direction, the main body 212a is located inside the opening 1C and the operation button 212 faces the opposite side to the above-mentioned correct orientation). In this embodiment, the opening 1C is located in the center of the region R.

[0030] As a result, when the operation button 212 is inserted into the opening 1C of the upper case 1A in the wrong orientation (for example, upside down), as shown in FIG. 5(b), the first extension 212b1 of the flange 212b engages with the pair of second protrusions 1A22 (the first extension 212b1 of the flange 212b overlaps with the second protrusions 1A22), thereby preventing the operation button 212 from being inserted (completely inserted) into the opening 1C. In this specification, "completely inserted" refers to the operation button 212 being inserted to an extent that it can be used as a product, and does not include a state in which only the tip of the main body 212a is positioned inside the opening 1C during the insertion process. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5(a), when the operation button 212 is inserted into the opening 1C of the upper case 1A in the correct orientation, the flange 212b does not engage with (does not overlap) the guide rib 1A2.

[0031] In this embodiment, the first protruding piece 1A21 is disposed adjacent to the first extending portion 212b1, and the second protruding piece 1A22 is disposed adjacent to the second extending portion 212b2. When the operation button 212 properly inserted into the opening 1C of the upper case 1A rotates to a certain angle (predetermined angle), as shown in Fig. 5(c), the flange 212b engages with an outer surface 1A21a (first region 1A21a1 and second region 1A21a2) of the first protruding piece 1A21 constituting the guide rib 1A2 and an outer surface 1A22a (first region 1A22a1 and second region 1A22a2) of the second protruding piece 1A22, which will be described later (engages in a rotation direction (a rotation direction with the pressing direction as an axis)). This prevents the flange 212b from rotating beyond the certain angle. In this embodiment, the second extension portion 212b2 (notch portion 212b3) of the flange 212b engages (engages in the rotation direction) with the pair of second protruding pieces 1A22, thereby preventing the flange 212b from rotating beyond the certain angle. Also, depending on the clearance between the main body portion 212a and the opening 1C and manufacturing errors, the first extension portion 212b1 of the flange 212b may engage with the first protruding piece 1A21. This also prevents the flange 212b from rotating beyond the certain angle.

[0032] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6(a), when the operation button 212 is inserted in the correct orientation, the length L1 in the extension direction from the outer surface (surface facing the frame portion 1A1) 1A21b of the first protrusion piece 1A21 to the side surface (surface facing the frame portion 1A1) 212b1b of the first extension portion 212b1 is longer than the distance D1 between the side surface (surface facing the first protrusion piece 1A21) 212b1a of the first extension portion 212b1 and the outer surface 1A21a. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 6(b), when the operation button 212 is inserted in the correct orientation, the length L2 in the extension direction from the outer surface (surface facing the frame portion 1A1) 1A22b of the second protruding piece 1A22 to the side surface (surface facing the frame portion 1A1) 212b2b of the second extending portion 212b2 is longer than the distance D2 between the side surface (surface facing the second protruding piece 1A22) 212b2a of the second extending portion 212b2 and the outer surface 1A22a. With this structure, it is possible to prevent the flange 212b from rotating beyond the above-mentioned certain angle. In FIG. 6, only one of the pair of first protruding pieces 1A21 (as well as the pair of second protruding pieces 1A22) is shown, but the distance between the other first protruding piece 1A21, the second protruding piece 1A22, and the extending portions 212b1, 212b2 is the same as in FIG. 6. Here, Fig. 6(a) is an enlarged view of the upper left corner of Fig. 5(a), and Fig. 6(b) is an enlarged view of the lower left corner of Fig. 5(a). The upper right corner of Fig. 5(a) and the lower right corner of Fig. 5(a) have the same configuration.

[0033] More specifically, when the operation button is biased to the left or right on the paper surface of FIG. 5, the distance between one of the extensions 212b1, 212b2 and the guide rib 1A2 becomes shorter than the distance between the other of the extensions 212b1, 212b2 and the guide rib 1A2. When the operation button is biased to the up or down direction, one of the lengths L1, L2 becomes longer than the other. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the flange 212b from rotating beyond the certain angle. In one embodiment, the length L1 and / or the length L2 may be longer than the distances D1, D2 by the amount of the clearance with the opening 1C.

[0034] In this embodiment, a frame portion 1A1 and guide ribs 1A2 (a pair of first protrusions 1A21 and a pair of second protrusions 1A22) are provided on the underside of the upper case 1A, so that it is possible to prevent the operation button 212 from being erroneously inserted into the opening 1C in cases other than the case where the operation button 212 is inserted upside down as shown in Figure 5 (b).

[0035] Specifically, as shown in Figures 7(a), 7(b), 7(d), 7(e), 8(a), 8(b), 8(d), and 8(e), for example, when operation button 212 is rotated (rotated clockwise on the page) by any one of angles of 30 degrees, 60 degrees, 120 degrees, 150 degrees, 210 degrees, 240 degrees, 300 degrees, and 330 degrees from the correct orientation (see Figure 5(a)) and then inserted into opening 1C, since diagonal length L4 of flange 212b is designed to be a predetermined length longer than width D4 in the up-down direction (direction in which flange 212b extends) of region R as described above, first extension portion 212b1 of flange 212b engages (overlaps) with frame portion 1A1, thereby preventing operation button 212 from being inserted (completely inserted) into opening 1C. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 7(c) and 8(c), when an attempt is made to insert the operation button 212 into the opening 1C while rotating it by either 90 degrees or 270 degrees (rotated clockwise on the page) from the correct orientation (see Figure 5(a)), the length L3 in the extending direction of the flange 212b (direction perpendicular to the widths W1 and W2) is longer than the gap G2, and the width W1 is longer than the distance D3, so that the first extending portion 212b1 of the flange 212b engages (overlaps) with the pair of second protrusions 1A22, thereby preventing the operation button 212 from being inserted (completely inserted) into the opening 1C. More specifically, the opening 1C is formed so that when the operation button 212 is rotated either 90 degrees or 270 degrees from the correct orientation and is to be inserted into the opening 1C (i.e., when viewed from the insertion direction, the main body 212a is positioned inside the opening 1C and the operation button 212 is rotated either 90 degrees or 270 degrees from the correct orientation), at least a portion of the second extension portion 212b1 overlaps the second protrusion 1A22.

[0036] In addition, in this embodiment, as described with reference to FIG. 5(c), the second extension portion 212b2 of the flange 212b engages with the pair of second protruding pieces 1A22, thereby preventing the flange 212b from rotating beyond the certain angle. The first extension portion 212b1 of the flange 212b engages with the pair of first protruding pieces 1A21, thereby preventing the flange 212b from rotating beyond the certain angle. Therefore, by making the widths W1 and W2 of the first extension portion 212b1 and the second extension portion 212b2 as large as possible, that is, by making the clearance (gap) between the first extension portion 212b1 and the pair of first protruding pieces 1A21 and the clearance (gap) between the second extension portion 212b2 and the pair of second protruding pieces 1A22 as small as possible, the rattling of the operation button 212 can be further suppressed.

[0037] However, as shown in FIG. 9(a), in the conventional guide rib, the outer surface that can come into contact with the flange 212b (the outer surface facing the flange 212b with a gap therebetween) was shaped to be perpendicular to the underside of the upper case 1A. Therefore, when the end of the operation button 212 is pressed to put it in a so-called diagonal pressing state, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the first extension portion 212b1 and / or the second extension portion 212b2 (flange 212b) interferes with the guide rib, causing a malfunction such as the movable contact 216 not making contact with the fixed contact 217 or the operation button 212 not returning to its original position.

[0038] 3 and 4, in this embodiment, the pair of first protrusions 1A21 and the pair of second protrusions 1A22 are provided with first regions 1A21a1 and 1A22a1 configured so that the distance from the flange 212b increases as the operation button 212 is pressed down, and second regions 1A21a2 and 1A22a2 configured so that the distance from the flange 212b is constant when the operation button 212 is pressed down. The first regions 1A21a1 and 1A22a1 are provided closer to the opening 1C of the upper case 1A than the second regions 1A21a2 and 1A22a2. Specifically, each outer surface that can come into contact with the flange 212b of a pair of first protrusions 1A21 (i.e., the outer surface facing the flange 212b, specifically, the outer surface 1A21a facing the flange 212b in close proximity (with a gap)) and each outer surface that can come into contact with the flange 212b of a pair of second protrusions 1A22 (i.e., the outer surface facing the flange 212b, specifically, the outer surface 1A22a facing the flange 212b in close proximity (with a gap)) in a region (i.e., the above-mentioned first region 1A21a1, 1A22a1) at a predetermined height (for example, 1 / 2 the length L12 of the guide rib 1A2 in the pressing direction (see Figure 3)) from the upper end (the base end of the lower surface of the upper case 1A). On the other hand, of each outer surface that can abut against the flanges 212b of a pair of first protrusions 1A21 (i.e., the outer surface facing the flange 212b, specifically, the outer surface 1A21a that faces the flange 212b in close proximity (with a gap)), and each outer surface that can abut against the flanges 212b of a pair of second protrusions 1A22 (i.e., the outer surface facing the flange 212b, specifically, the outer surface 1A22a that faces the flange 212b in close proximity (with a gap)), the areas other than the above areas (i.e., the above-mentioned second areas 1A21a2, 1A22a2) are formed by surfaces perpendicular to the plane of the upper case 1A. As a result, even if the end of the operation button 212 is pressed to be in a so-called obliquely pressed state, as shown in FIG. 9(c), it is possible to prevent the flange 212b (the second extending portion 212b2) from interfering with the guide rib 1A2 (the pair of second protruding pieces 1A22). As a result, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a malfunction such as the movable contact 216 not making contact with the fixed contact 217 or the operation button 212 not being restored. In addition, since the second regions 1A21a2 and 1A22a2 are provided on the side farther from the opening 1C than the first regions 1A21a1 and 1A22a1, it is possible to prevent the opening of the insertion opening through which the flange 212b (operation button 212) is received into the certain region R from being excessively widened. As a result, it is possible to prevent the flange 212b (operation button 212) once received into the certain region R from being removed due to an impact or the like.In this embodiment, the inner side surface of the opening 1C is tapered (for example, taper angle: 8 to 10°) so as to widen in the pressing direction of the operation button 212. This makes it possible to make the operation button 212 less likely to interfere with the inner side surface of the opening 1C even when the end of the operation button 212 is pressed to cause a so-called oblique pressing state, so that it is possible to more effectively prevent the occurrence of problems such as the operation button 212 not being fully pressed or the operation button 212 not being able to be restored to its original position.

[0039] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the size of the flange 212b of the operation button 212 is made different between the upper half of the keys (Type I; smaller keys) and the lower half of the keys (Type II; larger keys) of the input key group 2, and the above-mentioned gradient of the guide rib 1A2 is also made different. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 10(a) and Fig. 10(b), for the type I keys (first operation button), the length (A) of the flange 212b is 8.95±0.05 (mm), the notch length (B) of the flange 212b is 1.47±0.05 (mm), the clearance (C) between the flange 212b and the guide rib 1A2 is 0.20±0.20 (mm), and the above-mentioned gradient (D) of the guide rib 1A2 is 20°±1°. On the other hand, for the type II keys (second operation button), the length (A) of the flange 212b is 11.00±0.05 (mm), the notch length (B) of the flange 212b is 2.05±0.05 (mm), the clearance (C) between the flange 212b and the guide rib 1A2 is 0.20±0.20 (mm), and the gradient (D) of the guide rib 1A2 is 10°±1°. In other words, the type II keys (second operation button) in which the length (A) of the flange 212b is longer than that of type I are designed to have a smaller gradient (D) of the guide rib 1A2. This is because the inclination of the operation button 212 when the end of the operation button 212 is pressed is smaller for a key with a longer length (A) of the flange 212b.

[0040] As described above, the scientific calculator 100 of this embodiment includes the operation button 212 having the main body (pillar portion) 212a and the flange (flange portion) 212b, and the device case 1 having the opening (opening) 1C into which the main body 212a of the operation button 212 is inserted. The device case 1 is provided with at least one guide rib 1A2 that guides the flange 212b to be received in a certain region R. The guide rib 1A2 is provided with first regions 1A21a1, 1A22a1 configured so that when the operation button 212 is pressed, the distance between the flange 212b and the guide rib 1A2 increases as the operation button 212 moves in the pressing direction, and second regions 1A21a2, 1A22a2 configured so that when the operation button 212 is pressed, the distance between the flange 212b and the guide rib 1A2 remains constant, and the first regions 1A21a1, 1A22a1 are provided on the opening 1C side compared to the second regions 1A21a2, 1A22a2.

[0041] Therefore, according to the scientific calculator 100, even when the end of the operation button 212 is pressed to be in a so-called obliquely pressed state, the flange 212b of the operation button 212 is unlikely to interfere with the guide rib 1A2 (see FIG. 9(c)), and it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a malfunction such as the operation button 212 not being fully pressed or the operation button 212 being unable to be restored. As a result, it is possible to make the operation of pressing the operation button 212 smooth. Also, according to the scientific calculator 100, the first regions 1A21a1 and 1A22a1 are provided on the opening 1C side compared to the second regions 1A21a2 and 1A22a2. In other words, since the second regions 1A21a2 and 1A22a2 are provided on the side farther from the opening 1C compared to the first regions 1A21a1 and 1A22a1, it is possible to prevent the opening of the insertion opening through which the flange 212b (operation button 212) is received from being excessively widened toward a certain region R. As a result, it is possible to prevent the flange 212b (operation button 212) once received in the certain region R from coming off due to an impact or the like.

[0042] Furthermore, in the scientific calculator 100 of this embodiment, the operation button 212 is configured, as shown in FIG. 3, so that the sum L20 of the amount of protrusion L21 from the flange 212b of the main body 212a and the thickness L22 of the flange 212b is less than the sum L10 of the depth L11 of the opening 1C (the thickness of the upper case 1A) and the length L12 of the guide rib 1A2 in the direction in which the operation button 212 is pressed. Therefore, according to the scientific calculator 100, as shown in FIG. 11, when the upper case 1A and the operation button 212 are placed with the top surface TS1 (see FIG. 3) of the upper case 1A and the top surface TS2 (see FIG. 3) of the operation button 212 facing the placement surface PS, the flange 212b can be prevented from protruding above the upper case 1A. As a result, it is possible to prevent the operation button 212 from rotating beyond a predetermined angle in a rotation direction about the axis of the pressing direction of the operation button 212, and for example, it is possible to prevent the operation button 212 from rotating beyond a predetermined angle in a rotation direction about the axis of the pressing direction of the operation button 212 due to vibration during the manufacturing process. Furthermore, according to the scientific calculator 100, it is possible to ensure the stroke of the operation button 212 while preventing the protrusion amount of the operation button 212 from becoming excessively large from the opening 1C. As a result, it is possible to provide a scientific calculator 100 in which the operation button 212 and the device case 1 can be integrated.

[0043] Furthermore, in the scientific calculator 100 of this embodiment, the first regions 1A21a1, 1A22a1 and the second regions 1A21a2, 1A22a2 of the guide rib 1A2 are arranged to engage with the flange 212b when the operation button 212 is rotated to a predetermined angle, thereby preventing the operation button 212 from rotating beyond the predetermined angle in a rotational direction around the pressing direction as an axis. Therefore, according to the scientific calculator 100, the first regions 1A21a1, 1A22a1 and the second regions 1A21a2, 1A22a2 of the guide rib 1A2 prevent the operation button 212 from rotating beyond a predetermined angle, thereby suppressing rattling of the operation button 212.

[0044] Furthermore, in the scientific calculator 100 of this embodiment, the direction in which the main body 212a of the operation button 212 is inserted into the opening 1C is opposite to the direction in which the operation button is pressed down. Therefore, according to the scientific calculator 100, even the operation button 212 having the flange 212b can be easily attached to the device case 1 (upper case 1A).

[0045] Furthermore, in the scientific calculator 100 of this embodiment, the main body 212a of the operation button 212 is inserted into the opening 1C from one end side of the main body 212a, and a flange 212b is provided on the other end side, and the operation button 212 is pressed from the one end side of the main body 212a. Therefore, according to the scientific calculator 100, the main body 212a of the operation button 212 is inserted into the opening 1C from one end side of the main body 212a, and a flange 212b is provided on the other end side, thereby preventing the operation button 212 from falling off the device case 1.

[0046] Furthermore, in the scientific calculator 100 of this embodiment, the device case 1 (upper case 1A) is provided with a plurality of guide ribs 1A2, and the guide ribs 1A2 are arranged around the opening 1C in two sets of two pairs facing each other. Therefore, according to the scientific calculator 100, since two pairs of guide ribs 1A2 are formed around the opening 1C, the operation buttons 212 can be smoothly attached.

[0047] Furthermore, in the scientific calculator 100 of this embodiment, the flange 212b has a notch 212b3 at a position corresponding to a pair of second protrusions 1A22 (guide ribs 1A2), and the notch 212b3 is arranged to engage with the pair of second protrusions 1A22 and prevent the operation button 212 from rotating beyond a predetermined angle in a rotational direction around the pressing direction as an axis. Therefore, according to the scientific calculator 100, the engagement between the notched portions 212b3 and the pair of second protruding pieces 1A22 prevents the operation button 212 from rotating beyond a predetermined angle, thereby suppressing rattling of the operation button 212.

[0048] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0049] In the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5(a), the flange 212b of the operation button 212 has a width W1 in the left-right direction of the extension portion (first extension portion) 212b1 extending upward on the paper surface, which is larger than a width W2 in the left-right direction of the extension portion (second extension portion) 212b2 extending downward on the paper surface, but for example, the width W1 of the extension portion (first extension portion) 212b1 extending upward on the paper surface may be smaller than the width W2 of the extension portion (second extension portion) 212b2 extending downward on the paper surface. In such a case, the arrangement of the pair of first protruding pieces 1A21 and the pair of second protruding pieces 1A22 in the above embodiment is switched.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the flange 212b is provided with the notched portions 212b3 at positions corresponding to the pair of second projecting pieces 1A22, but notched portions may also be provided at positions corresponding to the pair of first projecting pieces 1A21. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 100 Scientific Calculator 1 Equipment case 1A Upper case 1A1 Frame 1A2 Guide rib 1A21 Pair of first protrusions 1A21a1 1st area 1A21a2 2nd area 1A22 Pair of second protrusions 1A22a1 1st area 1A22a2 2nd area 1B Lower case 1C opening (opening) 2 Input keys 21 Key 212 Operation button 212a Main body (column) 212b Tsuba (tsuba part) 212b1 First extension 212b2 Second extension 212b3 Notch 213 Circuit Board 214 Rubber sheet 215 Bulge 216 Movable contact 217 Fixed contacts 10. Display 11 CPU 12 Display driver 13. Key input section 14 Storage section

Claims

1. an operation button having a pillar portion and a flange portion; an apparatus case having an opening into which the column portion of the operation button is inserted; The device case is provided with at least one rib that guides the flange portion into a certain region, the rib is provided with a first region configured such that, when the operation button is pressed, a distance between the flange portion and the rib increases as the operation button moves in a pressing direction, and a second region configured such that, when the operation button is pressed, a distance between the flange portion and the rib becomes constant; The first region is provided closer to the opening than the second region. A push button device characterized by the above.

2. The sum of the protrusion amount of the column portion from the flange portion and the length of the flange portion in the pressing direction is equal to or smaller than the sum of the depth of the opening portion and the length of the rib in the pressing direction.

2. The push button device according to claim 1,

3. the first region and the second region of the rib are provided so as to engage with the flange portion when the operation button is rotated to a predetermined angle, thereby preventing the operation button from rotating beyond the predetermined angle in a rotation direction about an axis of the pressing direction.

2. The push button device according to claim 1,

4. a direction in which the column portion of the operation button is inserted into the opening and a pressing direction are opposite to each other.

2. The push button device according to claim 1,

5. The column portion is inserted into the opening from one end side of the column portion, and the flange portion is provided on the other end side of the column portion, The operation button is pressed from the one end side of the column portion.

2. The push button device according to claim 1,

6. The device case is provided with a plurality of the ribs, The ribs are arranged around the opening in two pairs of two opposing ribs.

2. The push button device according to claim 1,

7. The flange portion has a notch portion provided at a position corresponding to at least one pair of the ribs among the two pairs of the ribs, the notch portion is provided to engage with the pair of ribs and prevent the operation button from rotating beyond a predetermined angle in a rotation direction around an axis of the pressing direction.

7. The push button device according to claim 6,

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