Push-button switch

Abstract

To make it possible to replace easily, without any tools, a button unit which is prone to long-term deterioration.SOLUTION: A push-button switch comprises: a switch body connected to an electric circuit; a case having a first opening for externally exposing the switch body which is internally housed; a button unit which has a button for pressing the switch body exposed from the first opening, a frame body surrounding a peripheral surface of the button, and a button movement restriction mechanism interposed between the button and the frame body so as to restrict the movement of the button in its pressing direction and the opposite direction with respect to the frame body, and in which the frame body is disposed to face an edge of the first opening; and a bezel, having a second opening at its central part, which is fitted over the case in such a manner that an edge of the second opening faces the frame body. When the frame body is fitted at least to one of the first opening or the second opening, the button unit is held on the edge of the one of the opening.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a push button switch used to open and close train doors, which is attached to a mounting plate and includes a case that houses the switch body and a button unit that includes a button and a button movement restriction mechanism that restricts movement of the button in the direction in which it is pressed or in the opposite direction, and the button unit itself, which is installed on the front side of the mounting plate, is screwed to the case installed on the back side.

[0003] This type of push button switch is used frequently, and therefore the button unit in particular is susceptible to deterioration over time.

[0004] However, in the push button switch of Patent Document 1, when replacing the button unit, a tool must be used to remove the screws, making the replacement work cumbersome. Furthermore, the case must be installed on the back side of the mounting plate, making the installation work cumbersome. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2003-519886 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENTS Accordingly, a main object of the present invention is to provide a button unit that can be easily replaced without tools and can be easily attached to an attachment surface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The push button switch of the present invention comprises a button unit including a switch body connected to an electrical circuit, a case having a first opening exposing the switch body housed inside to the outside, a button for pressing the switch body exposed from the first opening, a frame surrounding the side surface of the button, and a button movement restriction mechanism interposed between the button and the frame and restricting movement of the button in the pressing direction and the opposite direction relative to the frame, a bezel having a through hole and placed on the case so that a second opening, which is one of the through holes, faces the first opening, and a positioning mechanism interposed between the frame and an edge of either the first opening or the second opening and positions the button relative to the one of the openings, wherein the positioning mechanism includes an engaging portion provided on the frame and an engaged portion provided on the edge of the one of the openings and engaging with the engaging portion.

[0008] According to the present invention, the button unit is structured so that the frame engages with the edge of the opening of the case or bezel and the buttons are positioned relative to the opening, so the button unit can be easily removed from the case or bezel and replaced without using tools. Also, no tools are required to assemble the button unit to the case, making assembly easy.

[0009] A specific embodiment of the positioning mechanism is one in which the one opening is the first opening, the engaged portion is an engagement groove formed on the edge of the first opening, the engagement groove has a bottom surface facing in the opposite direction to the pressing direction, and the frame body is supported on the bottom surface by engaging the engagement portion with the engagement groove.

[0010] If the positioning mechanism becomes disengaged during use, the button will shift out of position and will no longer be able to press the switch body.

[0011] Therefore, when the bezel is placed over the case, the edge of the second opening faces the frame body, and the depth to the bottom surface of the engagement groove is set to a depth that prevents the engagement portion from coming out of the engagement groove when the frame body abuts the edge of the second opening.

[0012] With this configuration, when the bezel is placed over the case, the button unit will not come out of the engagement groove, and as a result, the buttons will not slip out of the opening.

[0013] A specific example of the actual button movement restricting mechanism is one in which the button movement restricting mechanism is provided on one of the unit component members, either the button or the frame, and comprises a pair of restricting pieces that protrude toward the other unit component member and are spaced apart in the thickness direction, and a mating edge portion that is provided on the other unit component member and fits between the pair of restricting pieces.

[0014] Incidentally, if any of the unit components is damaged, repair costs can be reduced by replacing only the damaged unit component rather than replacing the entire unit.

[0015] Therefore, the one unit component member may be configured to be separable in the thickness direction between the pair of restricting pieces.

[0016] With this configuration, the button unit can be disassembled, so that only damaged unit components can be easily replaced.

[0017] In addition, the other unit component may be the frame body, and the frame body may be configured to be divisible in the circumferential direction, and further, the frame body may include a pair of split frame bodies that can be divided in the thickness direction, the other unit component may be one of the split frame bodies, and the one split frame body may be configured to be divisible in the circumferential direction.

[0018] Even with this configuration, the button unit can be disassembled, so that only damaged unit components can be easily replaced.

[0019] If dust accumulates between the button and the frame, the button unit will malfunction.

[0020] Therefore, the button unit may further include a first seal interposed between the button and the frame.

[0021] With this configuration, dust is less likely to get in between the button and the frame, which can prevent malfunction of the button unit. Furthermore, water can also be prevented from getting inside.

[0022] If water gets inside the case, the switch itself will break down.

[0023] Therefore, the switch may further include a second seal interposed between the switch body and the push button to cover the opening, and is configured so that the switch body can be pressed through the second seal by pressing the button.

[0024] This configuration makes it possible to prevent water from entering the case. Also, since the second seal, button unit, and bezel can be assembled to the case by stacking them in that order, it becomes easy to replace not only the button unit but also the second seal.

[0025] Furthermore, the push button switch of the present invention may comprise a button unit including a switch body connected to an electric circuit, a case having a first opening exposing the switch body housed inside to the outside, a button for pressing the switch body exposed from the first opening, a frame surrounding a side surface of the button, and a button movement restriction mechanism interposed between the button and the frame for restricting movement of the button relative to the frame in the pressing direction and in the opposite direction, and a positioning mechanism interposed between the frame and an edge of the first opening for positioning the button relative to the first opening, wherein the positioning mechanism includes an engaging portion provided on the frame, and an engaged portion provided on the edge of the first opening and engaging with the engaging portion.

[0026] Even with this configuration, the button unit can be easily removed from the case and replaced without using tools. Also, no tools are required when assembling the button unit to the case, making assembly easy. Effect of the Invention

[0027] According to the push button switch of the present invention, the button unit can be easily replaced without tools, and the switch can be easily attached to a mounting surface. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic diagram of a push button switch according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 1 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of a push button switch according to an embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic diagram of a button unit of the push button switch according to the embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of a button unit of the push button switch according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5C are cross-sectional views each showing a schematic operation of the push button switch according to the embodiment. [Figure 6]FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a button unit movement restricting mechanism according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] A push button switch according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG.

[0030] 1 and 2, a push button switch 100 of the present embodiment includes a switch body 10 (see FIG. 2), a case 20, a button unit 30, and a bezel 40. As shown in FIG. 5, the push button switch 100 is attached to a mounting surface S. For example, it is attached to a wall surface of a vehicle such as a train.

[0031] The switch body 10 is connected to an electric circuit and is a pressing type. For example, the switch body 10 is connected to an electric circuit that operates the doors of a train, and switches the current flowing through the electric circuit on and off to open and close the doors. The function of the switch body 10 varies depending on the electric circuit to which it is connected, and it goes without saying that it is not limited to this function. The switch body 10 has a switch portion 11 that is biased in an upward direction by an elastic body such as a built-in spring. The switch portion 11 is pressed down by applying a pressing force, and returns to the pressed up state by removing the pressing force.

[0032] The case 20 is adapted to house the switch body 10 and be fixed to an attachment surface S. The case 20 of this embodiment includes a bottomed cylindrical housing 21 that houses the switch body 10 therein, and a flange 22 that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the housing 21. Screws are inserted into screw holes formed in the flange 22 to screw the case to the attachment surface S. A first opening 23 is formed in the housing 21 so as to face the bottom surface, and the switch body 10 housed therein is exposed from the first opening 23.

[0033] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the button unit 30 includes a button 31 exposed from the first opening 23 of the case 20 and pressing the switch main body 10, a frame body 32 surrounding the side surface of the button 31, and a button movement restriction mechanism 33 interposed between the button 31 and the frame body 32 and restricting movement of the button 31 relative to the frame body 32 in the pressing direction and the opposite direction.

[0034] The button 31 has a circular shape, and a pressing surface 31s thereof is provided with an indicator that indicates the function of the push button switch 100. The button 31 of this embodiment has a diameter smaller than that of the first opening .

[0035] The frame body 32 is a ring-shaped body surrounding the side peripheral surface of the button 31, and faces the edge portion 24 that forms the first opening 23 of the case 20. The frame body 32 of this embodiment includes a first divided frame body 32a and a second divided frame body 32b that can be divided in the thickness direction, and the first divided frame body 32a faces the edge portion 24. The first divided frame body 32a can be divided into two in the circumferential direction. The number of divisions of the first divided frame body 32a is not limited to two, and may be three or more. In other words, the first divided frame body 32a may be divided into a plurality of parts in the circumferential direction. The thickness direction is the same as the opening direction of the first opening 23.

[0036] The first divided frame body 32a is provided with a connecting portion 32c at a divided portion, and the divided members can be divided and connected by the connecting portion 32c. The portion of the first divided frame body 32a where the connecting portion 32c is provided has a wider radial width than other portions. Therefore, the outer peripheral surface of the first divided frame body 32a has outwardly protruding convex portions 32d intermittently formed along the circumferential direction. Since the first divided frame body 32a of this embodiment is divided at two portions with a phase difference of 180 degrees, the convex portions 32d protrude in opposite directions. The convex portions 32d have a surface facing the circumferential direction of the frame body 32. The convex portions 32d do not necessarily have to be provided at the connecting portion 32c.

[0037] The button movement restricting mechanism 33 is interposed between the button 31 and the first divided frame body 32a, and restricts the movement of the button 31 in the pressing direction against the first divided frame body 32a or in the opposite direction. Specifically, the button movement restricting mechanism 33 is provided on the button 31 and includes a pair of restricting pieces 33a that protrude from the side peripheral surface of the button 31 toward the first divided frame body 32a, and a fitting edge portion 33b that is provided on the first divided frame body 32a and fits between the pair of restricting pieces 33a. The pair of restricting pieces 33a are provided at a distance in the thickness direction of the button 31, and the distance between them is longer than the thickness of the fitting edge portion 33b. The mating edge portion 33b moves between the pair of regulating pieces 33a and catches on one of the regulating pieces 33a, thereby restricting movement of the button 31 in the pressing direction relative to the first split frame body 32a, and catches on the other regulating piece 33a, thereby restricting movement of the button 31 in the opposite direction to the pressing direction relative to the first split frame body 32a.

[0038] The button unit 30 of this embodiment further includes a first seal 34 for preventing dust from entering between the button 31 and the frame body 32. This first seal 34 includes a seal portion 34a that is interposed between the button 31 and the second divided frame body 32b and fills the gap therebetween, and a flange portion 34b that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of this seal portion 34a, and is held by sandwiching this flange portion 34b between the first divided frame body 32a and the second divided frame body 32b.

[0039] The bezel 40 is a so-called cover, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is ring-shaped with a through hole 41 in the center, and is placed over the case 20 with an edge 43 forming a second opening 42, which is one opening of the through hole 41, facing the frame body 30. Therefore, when the bezel 40 is attached to the case 20, the button 31 is exposed from the second opening 42. A locking mechanism (not shown) is interposed between the bezel 40 and the flange 22 of the case 20, and the bezel 40 is locked to each other by placing the bezel 40 over the case 20 and rotating it in a predetermined direction. Once the bezel 40 is attached to the case 20, it cannot be unlocked unless a dedicated tool is inserted into an insertion hole 44 formed on the outer surface of the bezel 40 and rotated in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction, and the bezel 40 cannot be easily removed from the case 20.

[0040] The push button switch 100 of this embodiment further includes a second seal 50 for preventing water from entering the case 20. This second seal 50 is interposed between the switch body 10 and the button unit 30 exposed from the first opening 23, and is attached to the case 20 so as to close the first opening 32. For example, the second seal 50 is made of an elastic material such as rubber or silicone.

[0041] The second seal 50 of this embodiment has a convex cross section, and an elastically deformable elastic convex portion 51 is placed over the switch body 10. Therefore, when a pressing force is applied to the button 31, the elastic convex portion 51 is elastically deformed, and the switch portion 11 can be pressed down through the second seal 50. On the other hand, when the pressing force is removed from the button 31, the switch portion 11 is pushed up, and the elastic convex portion 51 is restored to its original shape. The second seal 50 is attached to the case 20 with its peripheral portion in close contact with the edge portion 24. The second seal 50 of this embodiment is attached with its peripheral portion sandwiched between the frame body 32 and the edge portion 24.

[0042] Thus, the push button switch 100 according to this embodiment further includes a positioning mechanism 60 that is interposed between the frame 32 and the edge 24 of the first opening 23 and positions the button 31 with respect to the first opening 23 .

[0043] Specifically, the positioning mechanism 60 includes an engaging portion 61 provided on the frame 32 and an engaged portion 62 that is provided on the edge 24 of the first opening 23 and engages with the engaging portion 61.

[0044] The engaging portion 61 in this embodiment is a corner portion 61 formed by two surfaces, an outer peripheral surface 61a of the frame body 32 and a bottom surface 61b facing the pressing direction. The engaged portion 62 in this embodiment is an engaging groove 62 formed by cutting out the edge portion 24 of the first opening 23. More specifically, the engaging groove 62 is formed by cutting out two surfaces constituting the corner portion of the edge portion 24 of the first opening 23. This engaging groove 62 is composed of an inner peripheral surface 62a facing the inside of the first opening 23 and a support surface 62b facing the opposite direction to the pressing direction, and in this embodiment, it is formed around the entire circumference of the edge portion 24 of the first opening 23 and has an annular shape when viewed from the pressing direction. Then, by engaging the corner portion 61 of the frame body 23 with the engaging groove 62, the outer peripheral surface 61a constituting the corner portion 61 is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface 62a constituting the engaging groove 62, and the button unit 30 is positioned with respect to the first opening 23. Furthermore, the bottom surface 61b constituting the corner portion 61 abuts against the support surface 62b constituting the engagement groove 62, whereby the button unit 30 is supported by the case 20.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 2, the engagement groove 62 of this embodiment further has radial grooves 62c extending outward from the inner peripheral surface 62a. The radial grooves 62c of this embodiment are formed to be out of phase with each other by 180 degrees and extend in opposite directions. The protrusions 32d of the frame body 32 fit into the radial grooves 62c. As a result, the surfaces of the radial grooves 62c and the protrusions 32d facing the circumferential direction come into contact with each other, and the frame body 32 does not rotate relative to the engagement groove 62. In other words, the radial grooves 62c and the protrusions 32d can be said to be a button unit rotation restriction mechanism that restricts the rotation of the frame body 32 engaged with the engagement groove 62 in the circumferential direction.

[0046] The depth of the engagement groove 62 is set to a depth that prevents the frame body 32 from coming out of the engagement groove 62 when the frame body 32 abuts against the edge portion 43 of the second opening 42. Furthermore, the depth is set to a depth that prevents the frame body 32 from fitting completely, but rather causes a portion of the frame body 32 to protrude. In other words, the engagement portion 61 and the engaged portion 62 are configured so that the engagement will not come out of the state when the bezel 40 is attached to the case 20.

[0047] Next, a method of mounting the push button switch 100 according to this embodiment on the mounting surface S will be described.

[0048] When the push button switch 100 is attached to the mounting surface S, as shown in FIG. 5(a), first, the case 20 is screwed to the mounting surface S. Specifically, the housing 21 is fitted into the mounting hole H formed in the mounting surface S, and the flange 22 is screwed to the mounting surface S. Next, the second seal 50 is placed over the switch body 10 housed inside the housing 21. Next, the corner 61 of the frame 32 is engaged with the engagement groove 62, and the button unit 30 is engaged with the case 20. When the corner 61 is engaged with the engagement groove 62, the peripheral portion of the second seal 50 that is fitted into the step formed below the engagement groove 62 is pressed by the frame 32 and crushed, sealing the inside of the case 20. Finally, the bezel 40 is placed over the case 20 and locked with a locking mechanism.

[0049] When the button 31 exposed from the second opening 41 of the bezel 40 is pressed, the second seal 50 is depressed and the switch portion 11 is pressed, as shown in Fig. 5(b). When the pressure on the button 31 is stopped, the restoring force of the switch portion 11 pushes the button 31 up and returns it to a predetermined height. In this case, the movement of the button 31 relative to the frame body 32 is restricted by the button movement restricting mechanism 33 so that the button 32 does not move more than necessary.

[0050] According to this embodiment, button unit 30 is structured so that frame body 32 engages with edge 24 of first opening 23 of case 20 and buttons 31 are positioned relative to the opening, so button unit 30 can be easily removed from case 20 and replaced without using tools. Additionally, no tools are required to assemble button unit 30 to case 20, making assembly easy.

[0051] In addition, since the second seal 50 is attached to the case 20 so as to be interposed between the switch body 10 and the button unit 30, it can be accessed simply by removing the button unit 30 from the engagement groove 62. As a result, the second seal 50 can be easily replaced.

[0052] In addition, since the frame body 32 has a separable structure, it is possible to replace only either the button 31 or the frame body 32 by disassembling the frame body 32. As a result, repair costs can be reduced when only one of them is damaged.

[0053] <Other embodiments> The embodiments according to the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the frame body is configured to be divided in the thickness direction and one of the divided parts is configured to be divided in the circumferential direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the button or the frame body is a unit component and one of the unit components is provided with a pair of restricting pieces, the one of the unit components may be configured to be separable in the thickness direction between the pair of restricting pieces. Furthermore, the other unit component may be a frame body, and the frame body may be configured to be separable in the circumferential direction.

[0054] In addition, in the above embodiment, the second seal and the first seal are provided, but one or both of them may be omitted.

[0055] In addition, while the button unit in the above embodiment is configured so that the frame body is fitted into the first opening and held at the edge of the first opening, this is not limited thereto, and the button unit may be configured so that the frame body is fitted into the second opening and held at the edge of the second opening.

[0056] In addition, in the positioning mechanism 60 of the embodiment, the engaging portion 61 is a corner of the frame body 32, and the engaged portion 62 is an engaging groove formed on the edge portion 24 of the first opening 23, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Fig. 6, the engaging portion 61 may be an engaging groove formed on the outer edge portion of the frame body 32, and the engaged portion 62 may be a corner that constitutes the edge portion 24 of the first opening 23. In this case, of the two surfaces that constitute the corner, the surface facing the opposite direction to the pressing direction becomes the support surface 62b.

[0057] In addition, parts of the various embodiments may be combined or modified as long as it does not go against the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 100: Push button switch S: Mounting surface 10: Switch body 20: Case 23: First opening 24: Edge 30: Button unit 31: Button 32:Frame body 33: Button movement restriction mechanism 34: First Seal 40: Bezel 41: Second opening 42: Edge 50: Second seal 60: Positioning mechanism 61: Engagement part 62: Engaged part 62b: Support surface

Claims

1. A switch body connected to an electric circuit; a case having a first opening for exposing the switch body housed therein to the outside; a button unit including a button for pressing the switch body exposed from the first opening, a frame surrounding a side peripheral surface of the button, and a button movement restriction mechanism interposed between the button and the frame for restricting movement of the button in a pressing direction and an opposite direction relative to the frame; a bezel having a through hole, the bezel being placed on the case such that a second opening, which is one of the through holes, faces the first opening; a positioning mechanism that is interposed between the frame and an edge of either the first opening or the second opening and that positions the button with respect to the one of the openings, A push button switch, characterized in that the positioning mechanism comprises an engaging portion provided on the frame body, and an engaged portion provided on an edge of the one opening and engaging with the engaging portion.

2. the one opening is the first opening, the engaged portion is an engagement groove formed on an edge portion of the first opening, The engagement groove has a support surface facing in a direction opposite to the pressing direction, 2. The push button switch according to claim 1, wherein the frame is supported on the support surface by engaging the engaging portion with the engaging groove.

3. When the bezel is placed on the case, an edge of the second opening faces the frame body, 3. The push button switch according to claim 2, wherein the depth of the engagement groove to the support surface is set to a depth that prevents the engagement portion from coming out of the engagement groove when the frame body abuts against the edge of the second opening.

4. The button movement restriction mechanism is a pair of restricting pieces provided on one of the unit constituent members, which are the button or the frame, protruding toward the other unit constituent member and spaced apart in a thickness direction; 2. The push button switch according to claim 1, further comprising an engagement edge portion provided on the other unit component and fitted between the pair of restriction pieces.

5. 5. The push button switch according to claim 4, wherein the one unit component is configured so as to be separable in a thickness direction between the pair of restricting pieces.

6. the other unit component is the frame, 5. The push button switch according to claim 4, wherein the frame is configured to be separable in the circumferential direction.

7. The frame body includes a pair of split frame bodies that can be split in a thickness direction, the other unit component member is one of the divided frames, 5. The push button switch according to claim 4, wherein said one of the split frames is configured to be splittable in the circumferential direction.

8. 2. The push button switch according to claim 1, wherein the button unit further comprises a first seal interposed between the button and the frame.

9. a second seal interposed between the switch body and the push button and closing the opening; 2. The push button switch according to claim 1, wherein the switch body is configured to be pressed through the second seal by pressing the button.

10. A switch body connected to an electric circuit; a case having a first opening for exposing the switch body housed therein to the outside; a button unit including a button for pressing a switch body exposed from the first opening, a frame surrounding a side peripheral surface of the button, and a button movement restriction mechanism interposed between the button and the frame for restricting movement of the button in a pressing direction and an opposite direction relative to the frame; a positioning mechanism that is interposed between the frame and an edge of the first opening and that positions the button with respect to the first opening, A push button switch, characterized in that the positioning mechanism includes an engaging portion provided on the frame body, and an engaged portion provided on the edge of the first opening and engaging with the engaging portion.

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