Switch gear

Abstract

To reduce the risk of static electricity affecting an electric component on a substrate.SOLUTION: A switch gear 1 includes a case 2 that stores a printed circuit board 5 mounting an electric component 51, and an operation nob 3 supported by the case 2 so as to be rotatable about an axis X along the printed circuit board 5. When viewed from an axial Y direction along a facing direction of the operation nob 3 and the printed circuit board, the case 2 has an installation region for the printed circuit board 5 and an installation region for a bush 27 that is a conductive member on a ground side. The operation nob 3 has a protrusion 38 protruding toward the bush 27 at a facing part where the operation nob and the bush 27 face each other. The protrusion 38 faces the bush 27 with a gap with the bush 27. The operation nob 3 allows the movement of charges from every part of the operation nob 3 to the protrusion 38.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a switch device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a paddle shift switch attached to a steering wheel.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

[0004] Some of this type of paddle switch has a case fixed to the steering wheel, a shaft supported by the case, and an operation knob rotatably supported by the shaft.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The operation knob is a part operated by the user. When the operation knob is formed of a conductive material, when the user operates the operation knob, static electricity may flow through the operation knob due to the potential difference between the user and the operation knob.

[0006] Inside the case, a substrate on which electronic components are mounted is housed. When static electricity flowing through the operation knob acts on the electronic components on the substrate, it may affect the operation of the electronic components. Therefore, it is required to reduce the possibility of static electricity acting on the electronic components on the substrate. Note that, not limited to such requirements, the actions and effects derived from each configuration disclosed in the "Mode for Carrying Out the Invention" described later, and the actions and effects that cannot be obtained by the conventional technology can also be positioned as other objects of this case.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] The present invention relates to a housing for accommodating a substrate on which electronic components are mounted, and an operating member rotatably supported about a rotation axis along the substrate in the housing, and is a switch device having in the housing as viewed from the axial direction along the direction in which the operating member and the substrate face each other, an installation area of the substrate and an installation area of a conductive member on the ground side are set, in the operating member, a protruding portion is provided at a portion facing the conductive member, and the protruding portion is disposed to face the conductive member with a gap therebetween, the operating member is configured as a switch device capable of moving charges up to the protruding portion.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, the possibility of static electricity acting on the electronic components on the substrate can be reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described by taking as an example the case of a switch device 1 (paddle shift switch) that is attached to a steering wheel of a vehicle and used for operating an in-vehicle transmission. FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrams for explaining the switch device 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the installation state of the switch device 1 on the steering wheel SW. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the switch device 1. Note that in FIG. 1, the steering wheel SW is shown by a phantom line.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the case 2 of the switch device 1. In FIG. 3, it is a plan view of the case 2 seen from the assembling side of the operation knob 3, and the case 2 is schematically shown. This FIG. 3 corresponds to a view of the state where the switch device 1 is attached to a steering wheel (not shown) as seen from the front side of the vehicle. Note that in FIG. 3, hatching intersecting the open area is shown. Further, in FIG. 3, in order to make the position of the peripheral wall portion 22 of the case 2 easy to understand, hatching is attached to the end face on the front side of the paper surface of the peripheral wall portion 22 and shown. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the switch device 1. In FIG. 4, a cross-section of the switch device 1 cut along the line A-A in FIG. 3 is shown. In the following description, as necessary, the positional relationship of each component of the switch device 1 will be described based on the vertical direction in FIG. 4. For example, when described as "upper side", it means the upper side in the vertical direction in FIG. 4. Note that depending on the installation state of the switch device 1 on the steering wheel SW, the "upper side" in FIG. 4 may be the "lower side".

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the switch device 1 is attached to the frame 102 of the steering wheel SW. The frame 102 is a part that connects a connecting portion 100 of a steering shaft (not shown) and a ring-shaped gripping portion 101. The switch device 1 is attached to the back side of the frame 102 as seen from the occupant who operates the steering wheel SW.

[0013] When performing upshifting or downshifting, the switch device 1 has an operation knob 3 that is operated by the occupant. The switch device 1 is a so-called paddle shift switch device.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the switch device 1 includes a resin case 2, a shaft 4 supported by the case 2, and an operation knob 3 rotatably supported by the shaft 4. As shown in FIG. 3, inside the case 2, a printed circuit board 5, a rubber member 6 placed on the printed circuit board 5, and the shaft 4 are accommodated.

[0015] The case 2 has a bottom wall portion 21 and a peripheral wall portion 22 that surrounds the outer periphery of the bottom wall portion 21 over the entire circumference. The case 2 has a bottomed cylindrical shape with an opening on the front side of the paper. In a front view, the case 2 has a substantially rectangular shape. The surface on the back side of the paper of the case 2 serves as an attachment surface for the steering wheel SW (not shown).

[0016] The peripheral wall portion 22 is formed in a cylindrical shape from side wall portions 221 and 222 that are parallel to each other and side wall portions 223 and 224 that connect the ends of the side wall portions 221 and 222. On one end side (the side wall portion 223 side) in the longitudinal direction (the left - right direction in the figure) of the side wall portions 221 and 222, support holes 23 and 24 for the shaft 4 are provided. The support holes 23 and 24 penetrate the side wall portions 221 and 222 in the thickness direction (the up - down direction in FIG. 3). As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the support holes 23 and 24 are provided to support one end and the other end in the longitudinal direction of the shaft 4. Therefore, in the side wall portions 221 and 222, the support holes 23 and 24 are provided in a region that intersects the axis X (the central axis of the shaft 4) along the longitudinal direction of the shaft 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the support holes 23 and 24 are provided concentrically with respect to the axis X.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 3, inside the peripheral wall portion 22, a rib 225 is provided inside the side wall portion 223. The rib 225 is provided in a range from one side wall portion 221 to the other side wall portion 222 in the axial direction X along the inner circumference of the side wall portion 223. Inside the peripheral wall portion 22, a rib 226 is also provided on the side wall portion 224 side (left side in the figure) when viewed from the axis X. The rib 226 is provided in a range from one side wall portion 221 to the other side wall portion 222 in the axial direction X along the axis X. The rib 225 and the rib 226 are provided in a symmetric positional relationship with the axis X interposed therebetween. As shown in FIG. 3, in the case 2, the region between the rib 225 and the rib 226 is an opening 227.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 4, the shaft 4 is supported by the case 2 in a state where one end 4a side and the other end 4b side in the longitudinal direction are inserted into the support holes 23 and 24 of the case 2. On one end 4a side and the other end 4b side of the shaft 4, the connecting portions 34, 34 on the operation knob 3 side are externally inserted at positions adjacent to the side wall portions 221, 222.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the operation knob 3 has a base portion 31 including the connecting portions 34, 34 of the shaft 4, an operated portion 32 operated by a user, and a connecting portion 33 connecting the base portion 31 and the operated portion 32. In the base portion 31, the connecting portions 34, 34 are provided on both sides in the axial direction X. The connecting portions 34, 34 are provided with insertion holes 341, 341 penetrating the connecting portions 34, 34 in the thickness direction. The shaft 4 penetrates the insertion holes 341, 341 in the axial direction X. The insertion holes 341, 341 are formed with an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter D4 of the shaft 4 (see FIG. 4). Therefore, the connecting portions 34, 34 are loosely fitted on the shaft 4. The operation knob 3 is supported by the shaft 4 in a state where rotation around the axis X (rotation axis) is allowed. The operation knob 3 is formed of a conductive material such as zinc as an example. The operation knob 3 enables the movement of electric charges from at least the operated portion 32 to the protruding portion 38 described later. When an electrostatic current flows from the user's finger to the operated portion 32, it can flow to the protruding portion 38 (see (A) of FIG. 5).

[0020] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation knob 3. (A) of FIG. 5 is a plan view of the operation knob 3 viewed from the case 2 side. (B) of FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the operation knob 3 viewed from the case 2 side. FIGS. 6 to 8 are cross-sectional views of the switch device 1. FIGS. 6 and 7 schematically show cross-sections of the switch device 1 cut along the line B-B in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 shows the arrangement when the operation knob 3 is disposed at the reference position, that is, when no operating force acts on the operation knob 3. FIG. 7 shows the arrangement when the operation knob 3 is disposed at the operating position, that is, when an operating force acts on the operation knob 3 and the operation knob 3 is displaced toward the printed circuit board 5 side. (A) of FIG. 8 schematically shows a cross-section of the switch device 1 cut along the line C-C in FIG. 3. (B) of FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the region A in (A) of FIG. 8, schematically showing the positional relationship between the protruding portion 38 and the bush 27 when the operation knob 3 is disposed at the reference position. (C) of FIG. 8 schematically shows the positional relationship between the protruding portion 38 and the bush 27 when the operation knob 3 is disposed at the operating position.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 6, in the operation knob 3, the base portion 31 and the operated portion 32 are provided with their positions shifted in the vertical direction. In the portion of the connecting portion 33, the outer surface 31b of the base portion 31 and the inner surface 32a of the operated portion 32 are separated by a height h33 in the vertical direction. On the inner surface 32a on the case 2 side of the operated portion 32, a wall portion 35 is provided by utilizing the step between the base portion 31 and the operated portion 32. As shown in FIG. 5, the wall portion 35 has a pair of first side wall portions 351 and 352 arranged at intervals in the direction of the axis X, and a second side wall portion 353 connecting one end portions 351a and 352a of the first side wall portions 351 and 352. The first side wall portions 351 and 352 are provided in a range extending from the operated portion 32 through the connecting portion 33 to the base portion 31 (the horizontal range in Fig. 5(A)). The other end portions 351b and 352b of the first side wall portions 351 and 352 are located on the base portion 31 side (the right side in the figure) of the boundary Bx between the base portion 31 and the connecting portion 33.

[0022] On the surface of the operation knob 3 on the case 2 side, a space Ra surrounded by the wall portion 35 (the first side wall portions 351 and 352, the second side wall portion 353) and the connecting portion 33 is formed. Among this space Ra, the region overlapping the connecting portion 33 becomes shallower in depth in the front-rear direction in front of the paper surface as it goes toward the base portion 31 side (the right side in the figure). In the switch device 1, when the operation knob 3 is assembled to the case 2, the portion of the wall portion 35 is inserted inside the peripheral wall portion 22 on the case 2 side. In this state, the opening of the peripheral wall portion 22 is covered by the region surrounded by the wall portion 35 in the operated portion 32 and the connecting portion 33 and the base portion 31.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 5(B), the height h36 of the second side wall portion 353 from the operated portion 32 is higher than the height h35 of the first side wall portion 351 from the operated portion 32. The first side wall portion 351 and the first side wall portion 352 have the same height h35. As shown in Fig. 5(A), in the second side wall portion 353, a guide piece 36 is provided on the first side wall portion 351 side (the upper side in the figure) of the center line C3 of the operation knob 3. The center line C3 is a straight line passing through the center in the width direction of the case 2 (the vertical direction in the figure) and orthogonal to the axis X along the rotation axis of the shaft 4. The guide piece 36 extends to the front side of the paper surface more than the first side wall portions 351 and 352 and the second side wall portion 353. As shown in FIG. 6(B), the guide piece 36 is formed to have a length L36 that extends to the side of the printed circuit board 5 beyond the tip 351c of the first side wall portion 351. In a state where the operation knob 3 and the case 2 are assembled, the tip 36c of the guide piece 36 is located on the side of the bottom wall portion 21 (lower side in the figure) of the printed circuit board 5 rather than on the surface 5a on the side of the bottom wall portion 21 (lower side in the figure). Therefore, the tip 36c side of the guide piece 36 crosses the side of the printed circuit board 5 in the vertical direction (the direction of the axis Y in FIG. 8 to be described later, which is the direction facing the operation knob 3 and the printed circuit board 5).

[0024] An engagement hole 361 that penetrates the guide piece 36 in the thickness direction is provided on the tip 36c side of the guide piece 36. An engagement claw 251 of the engagement arm 25 on the case 2 side is engaged with the engagement hole 361. The engagement arm 25 extends from the bottom wall portion 21 toward the operation knob 3 side. The engagement claw 251 protrudes from the inner circumference of the engagement arm 25 to the inside of the case 2. The engagement arm 25 is supported cantileveredly by the bottom wall portion 21 on the case 2 side. The engagement claw 251 side of the engagement arm 25 is elastically displaceable in the radial direction (left - right direction in the figure) with respect to the engagement hole 361. When viewed from the vertical direction in FIG. 6(B), the engagement arm 25 overlaps with the side wall portion 224. The engagement arm 25 is provided by utilizing the thickness of the side wall portion 224.

[0025] The engagement claw 251 of the engagement arm 25 is inserted into the engagement hole 361 of the guide piece 36 described above. The thickness W251 of the engagement claw 251 is shorter than the length L361 of the engagement hole 361 (L361 > W251). The operation knob 3 is relatively displaceable with respect to the case 2 within the range of the length L361 of the engagement hole 361. As described above, the operation knob 3 is rotatably supported by the shaft 4. Therefore, the guide piece 36 is displaceable in the circumferential direction around the axis X. When the engagement claw 251 is locked to the lower side edge of the engagement hole 361, it defines the movement range of the operation knob 3 in the direction away from the case 2 (upward direction in FIG. 6(B)).

[0026] As shown in Fig. 6(A), in the operation knob 3, an operating element 37 is provided at a position offset from the guide piece 36 toward the connection part 33 side (right side in the figure). As shown in Fig. 5(A), the operating element 37 is located on the straight line Cx2. The straight line Cx2 is a straight line parallel to the center line C3 of the operation knob 3.

[0027] The operating element 37 is provided at a position offset from the guide piece 36 toward the connection part 33 side (right side in the figure). The operating element 37 protrudes toward the case 2 side. As shown in Fig. 6(A), the tip 37a of the operating element 37 is a flat surface. The tip 37a is placed on the cylindrical placement part 62 on the rubber member 6 side.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 6(B), the rubber member 6 has a base part 61, a placement part 62, a support wall part 63, and a stopper part 64. The rubber member 6 is an integral part formed of an elastic material having flexibility such as rubber. The base part 61 is a part placed on the printed circuit board 5. The placement part 62 is a part that supports the operating element 37. The support wall part 63 is a part that holds the placement part 62 at a position away from the printed circuit board 5 and supports the placement part 62 so as to be displaceable in the direction orthogonal to the printed circuit board 5 (vertical direction in the figure). The stopper part 64 protrudes from the lower end of the placement part 62 toward the printed circuit board 5 side (lower side in the figure) and is a part that supports the contact point 65. The contact point 65 is provided on the surface of the stopper part 64 facing the printed circuit board 5 (lower surface in the figure). On the printed circuit board 5, a contact point 66 is provided at the part facing the contact point 65. The placement part 62 that supports the operating element 37 on the operation knob 3 side is displaced relative to the printed circuit board 5 in the direction facing the printed circuit board 5 (vertical direction in the figure) when the operation knob 3 is operated. At this time, the contact point 65 provided on the stopper part 64 also moves in conjunction with the operation of the operation knob 3 and comes into contact with and separates from the contact point 66 on the printed circuit board 5 side. The contact point 65 (movable contact) of the stopper part 64 and the contact point 66 (fixed contact) of the printed circuit board 5 constitute a switch that turns on and off according to the operation of the operation knob 3.

[0029] The operation knob 3 is biased in a direction away from the printed circuit board 5 by a biasing force acting from the rubber member 6 side. The operation knob 3 is arranged at a reference position (see (B) of FIG. 6) by a biasing force acting from the rubber member 6 side. At the reference position, the engaging claw 251 on the case 2 side engages with the end face on the tip 36c side of the engaging hole 361 of the guide piece 36, and the displacement of the operation knob 3 in the direction away from the printed circuit board 5 is restricted. When the operation knob 3 is arranged at the reference position, the movable contact 65 is arranged at a position separated from the fixed contact 66.

[0030] When the operating element 37 is displaced in a direction approaching the printed circuit board 5 by the operation of the operation knob 3, the mounting portion 62 of the rubber member 6 is pushed by the operating element 37 and is displaced in a direction approaching the printed circuit board 5 while deforming the support wall portion 63. The operation knob 3 is displaced toward the printed circuit board 5 until the contact 65 of the stopper portion 64 abuts against the contact 66 on the printed circuit board 5 side (operation position: see FIG. 7). At this time, when the contact 65 on the mounting portion 62 side abuts against the contact 66 on the printed circuit board 5 side, the voltage resulting from the operation of the operation knob 3 is output to the outside from a terminal (not shown) connected to the printed circuit board 5. When the operating force acting on the mounting portion 62 is eliminated, the mounting portion 62 is displaced in a direction away from the printed circuit board 5 by the restoring force of the support wall portion 63. The support wall portion 63 always acts on the operation knob 3 (operating element 37 mounted on the mounting portion 62) with a biasing force in a direction to return it to the reference position before displacement.

[0031] As shown in (B) of FIG. 6, the printed circuit board 5 is provided with a gap from the bottom wall portion 21 by a plurality of ribs 29 provided on the bottom wall portion 21. In this state, the printed circuit board 5 is provided substantially parallel to the bottom wall portion 21 in a direction along the axis X (rotation axis) of the shaft 4 described above. On the surface 5b of the operation knob 3, contacts 66 are provided on the printed circuit board 5. On the surface 5a on the bottom wall portion 21 side of the case 2 of the printed circuit board 5, a plurality of electronic components 51 are mounted.

[0032] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the main part of the case of the switch device 1. In FIG. 9(A), the installation area A of the printed circuit board 5 and the installation area B of the bush 27 in the case 2 are schematically shown enlarged. In FIG. 9(B), the state where the rubber member 6 on the printed circuit board 5 is removed and the printed circuit board 5 is exposed is shown. In FIG. 9, for the convenience of explaining the position of the tip 38a of the protrusion 38 when viewed from the direction of the axis Y, the position of the tip 38a is superimposed and displayed in the drawing.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 9(A), the printed circuit board 5 is positioned at a predetermined position in the case 2 by the positioning posts 28, 28, 28 on the case 2 side. In the case 2, in order from the side wall portion 224 side, the installation area A of the printed circuit board 5, the installation area B of the bush 27, and the installation area C of the shaft 4 are arranged side by side in the radial direction of the axis X.

[0034] As viewed from the operation knob 3 side as shown in FIG. 9(A), the rubber member 6 is formed in a size that covers the surface 5b on the side wall portion 224 side (left side in the figure) of the printed circuit board 5. The area on the shaft 4 side (right side in the figure) of the printed circuit board 5 is not covered by the rubber member 6 and is exposed.

[0035] In the installation area B, a boss portion 26 in which the bush 27 is embedded is provided. The bush 27 is a nut into which the mounting bolt B (see FIG. 8) of the switch device 1 is screwed. As shown in FIG. 8(B), the bush 27 has a base portion 271 with a screw hole 270 at the center. A screw thread 272 is formed on the inner circumference of the ring-shaped base portion 271. The bush 27 is embedded in the resin material constituting the case 2. The bush 27 is formed of a conductive material that conducts electricity such as brass. As shown in FIG. 8, the bush 27 is embedded in the case 2 with the penetrating direction of the screw hole 270 along the thickness direction of the bottom wall portion 21 (the vertical direction in FIG. 8(A)). Here, the thickness direction of the bottom wall portion 21 is a direction along the facing direction of the operation knob 3 and the printed circuit board 5, and is also a direction along the axis Y passing through the center of the screw hole 270.

[0036] In Case 2, the region where the bush 27 is embedded forms boss portions 26 that protrude inward and outward from the inner side of the bottom wall portion 21, respectively. As shown in Fig. 8(A), an engaging portion 261, which is a region protruding from the bottom wall portion 21 in the boss portion 26, is inserted into an insertion hole 103 provided in the frame 102 of the steering wheel SW. The insertion hole 103 opens in the mounting surface 102a of the switch device 1 on the metal frame 102. After inserting the engaging portion 261 on the switch device 1 side into the insertion hole 103, the shaft portion BS of a metal bolt B passing through the frame 102 is screwed into the bush 27, thereby fixing the switch device 1 to the frame 102. In this state, the bolt B electrically connects the bush 27 and the frame 102. Therefore, charge can move between the bush 27 and the frame 102 via the bolt B. The frame 102 on the vehicle body side is finally grounded. Therefore, the bush 27 corresponds to a conductive member on the ground side.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 9, the boss portion 26 has a flat portion 260 for avoiding interference with the printed circuit board 5. The flat portion 260 is a flat surface formed by cutting off the side of the boss portion 26 where the bush 27 is not embedded (the left side in the figure) parallel to the above-mentioned axis X. As shown in Fig. 9(A), when viewed from the opening direction of the screw hole 270 of the bush 27 (axis Y direction), a part of the region on the side of the boss portion 26 opposite to the printed circuit board 5 (the right side in the figure) is integrally formed with the rib 226. When viewed in the axis Y direction, the outer peripheral side of the bush 27 embedded in the boss portion 26 extends to a position overlapping the rib 226.

[0038] The surface of the bush 27 on the operation knob 3 side is covered with a resin material except for a part on the rib 226 side. As shown in FIG. 9(B), in the boss portion 26, a concave portion 262 (notch portion) is provided in the region on the rib 226 side. The concave portion 262 is a portion formed by cutting out the region on the front side of the paper surface of the boss portion 26 and the rib 226 along the center line Cx. Both side edges 262a, 262a of the concave portion 262 are in a symmetrical positional relationship with the center line Cx interposed therebetween and are parallel to each other. When viewed from the axial direction of the axis Y, the concave portion 262 is formed in a strip shape extending from the screw hole 270 to the rib 226 along the center line Cx. The concave portion 262 is formed with the same width W262 over the entire length in the center line Cx direction. When viewed from the axial direction of the axis Y, in the concave portion 262, the upper surface 27a of the bush 27 is exposed on the screw hole 270 side (left side in the figure).

[0039] In the present embodiment, a protruding portion 38 for guiding the charge transferred from the user's finger to the operation knob 3 to the bush 27 is provided on the operation knob 3 (see FIG. 8). The protruding portion 38 is formed to protrude toward the bush 27 from a region of the operation knob 3 that faces the installation region B of the bush 27. As shown in FIGS. 5(B) and 8, as an example, the protruding portion 38 has a frustum shape in which the outer diameter D38 decreases as it goes toward the bush 27. The tip 38a of the protruding portion 38 is a flat surface, and the tip 38a is disposed to face the upper surface 27a with a gap Sa opened between the tip 38a and the upper surface 27a of the bush 27. Note that the shape of the protruding portion 38 is not limited to the frustum shape. Preferably, it is a shape that tapers as it goes toward the bush 27, and more preferably, it may be a shape having a flat surface on the opposing surface to the bush 27. As another example, it may be an elliptical frustum shape.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 9(B), when viewed from the axial direction of the axis Y, the tip 38a of the protruding portion 38 is provided in a positional relationship overlapping the upper surface 27a of the bush 27. The center of the tip 38a of the protruding portion 38 is positioned with reference to the intersection of the center line Cx and the outer periphery 271a of the bush 27.

[0041] In the present embodiment, as a more preferable specific aspect, the protruding portion 38 is positioned so as to satisfy the following conditions. (a) When viewed in the axial direction of the axis Y, the distance L1 from the tip 38a of the protruding portion 38 to the screw hole 270 is shorter than the distance L2 from the tip 38a of the protruding portion 38 to the printed circuit board 5 (L2 > L1: see (A) of FIG. 9). (b) When viewed in the axial direction of the axis Y, the distance L1 from the tip 38a of the protruding portion 38 to the screw hole 270 is shorter than the distance L3 from the tip 38a of the protruding portion 38 to the rubber member 6 (L3 > L1: see (A) of FIG. 9). (c) When the operation knob 3 is operated to the operation position, the protruding portion 38 does not interfere with the bush 27 (see (C) of FIG. 8). (d) When the operation knob 3 is operated to the operation position, the protruding portion 38 faces the bush 27 with a gap Sa' therebetween (see (C) of FIG. 8). (e) The gap Sa' is narrower than the gap Sa when the operation knob 3 is disposed at the reference position (Sa > Sa'). (f) When viewed in the axial direction of the axis Y, the protruding portion 38 does not overlap with the screw hole 270 of the bush 27. (g) The gap Sa is narrower than the gap (separation distance) at the portion where the gap between each part on the operation knob 3 side and the substrate 5 is the narrowest when the operation knob 3 is disposed at the reference position.

[0042] As described above, the switch device 1 is fixed to the frame 102 of the steering wheel SW with bolts B. There is vibration during manufacturing in the bolts B and the frame 102. Further, the bolts B and the frame 102 may be manufactured by different entities from the switch device 1, and there is a possibility that the dimensions cannot be controlled during the manufacturing process of the switch device 1. Therefore, the shaft portion BS of the bolt B may penetrate through the bush 27 and protrude into the case 2. Similarly, due to the vibration of the thickness of the frame 102 in the mounting direction of the switch device 1, the shaft portion BS of the bolt B may penetrate through the bush 27 and protrude into the case 2. In such a case, if the protruding portion 38 and the screw hole 270 overlap in the positional relationship when viewed from the axis Y direction, depending on the degree of protrusion of the tip BSa into the case 2, the protruding portion 38 may interfere with the tip BSa of the shaft portion BS. In the present embodiment, in order to avoid interference between the shaft portion BS and the protruding portion 38, the protruding portion 38 is arranged at a position offset from the screw hole 270 in the radial direction of the axis Y.

[0043] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, when viewed from the screw hole 270, the protruding portion 38 is located on the side opposite to the printed circuit board 5 (axis X side) in the center line Cx direction. The operation knob 3 is supported by the shaft 4 in a cantilever manner and is displaced in the circumferential direction around the axis X. Therefore, by positioning the protruding portion 38 on the center line Cx side, the displacement amount of the protruding portion 38 in the axis Y direction (vertical direction in FIG. 8(A)) when the operation knob 3 is operated is made small.

[0044] The closer the protruding portion 38 is located on the printed circuit board 5 side (left side in FIG. 8(A)), the higher the possibility that the charge moved to the protruding portion 38 reaches the printed circuit board 5. Further, as the operation knob 3 is operated away from the axis X direction, the displacement amount of the protruding portion 38 increases. When the displacement amount of the protruding portion 38 increases, it may be necessary to increase the case 2 in the axis Y direction and the center line Cx direction in order to avoid interference with other components in the case 2. In the present embodiment, by arranging the protruding portion 38 closer to the axis X side, the movement of charge to the printed circuit board 5 and the enlargement of the case 2 can be preferably suppressed.

[0045] Also, the bush 27 is embedded in the insulating resin material which is the constituent material of the case 2, and only the upper surface 27a of the bush 27 is exposed. Thereby, the movement destination of the charge that has reached the protruding portion 38 is limited to the limited range of the upper surface 27a of the bush 27, preventing the movement to other parts such as the printed circuit board 5. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, the operation knob 3 has a guide piece 36 that crosses the printed circuit board 5 toward the bottom wall portion 21 side of the case 2, and there is a possibility that charges may move to the tip 36c of this guide piece 36. In the present embodiment, the minimum gap Sb between the guide piece 36 and the printed circuit board 5 is made wider than the gap Sa (see FIG. 8) between the protruding portion 38 and the bush 27 (Sb > Sa). Therefore, the movement of charges from the protruding portion 38 to the bush 27 is more likely to occur than the movement of charges from the guide piece 36 side to the printed circuit board 5. When charges move from the guide piece 36 to the printed circuit board 5, it may affect the electronic components 51 mounted on the printed circuit board 5. By making the gap Sb wider than the gap Sa, such a situation is less likely to occur.

[0046] In the above-described embodiment, the case where the operation knob 3 is formed of a conductive material such as zinc is exemplified. The operation knob 3 may be configured by plating the surface of a resin component with a conductive material. Also, when formed of a resin component, at least the operated portion 32 of the operation knob 3 is plated with a conductive material, and a wiring (wiring layer) that electrically connects the operated portion 32 and the protruding portion 38 is provided inside or on the surface of the operation knob 3 so that charges move only to the protruding portion 38.

[0047] In the above-described embodiment, the case where the bush 27 is embedded in the constituent material of the case 2 except for the upper surface 27a exposed in the recess 262 is exemplified. The bush 27 does not necessarily have to be embedded in the constituent material of the case 2 in a region not facing the operation knob 3.

[0048] As described above, the switch device 1 according to the embodiment has the following configuration. (1) The switch device 1 includes a case 2 (housing) that houses a printed circuit board 5 (substrate) on which electronic components 51 are mounted, and an operation knob 3 (operation member) rotatably supported by the case 2 about an axis X (rotation axis) along the printed circuit board 5. In the case of the case 2 when viewed from the axial direction Y along the facing direction of the operation knob 3 and the printed circuit board 5, an installation area A of the printed circuit board 5 and an installation area B of the bush 27 which is a conductive member on the ground side are set. In the operation knob 3, a protruding portion 38 protruding toward the bush 27 is provided at a portion facing the bush 27. The protruding portion 38 faces the bush 27 with gaps Sa and Sa' therebetween. The operation knob 3 enables the movement of electric charges from each part of the operation knob 3 to the protruding portion 38.

[0049] In the switch device 1, every time a user touches the operation knob 3, the movement of electric charges occurs between the user's finger and the operation knob 3. When the potential on the operation knob 3 side is low, static electricity is generated due to the movement of electric charges from the user's finger to the operation knob 3. With the above configuration, inside the case 2, since the protruding portion 38 on the operation knob 3 side and the bush 27 which is a conductive member on the ground side are arranged to face each other, the electric charges that have moved to the operation knob 3 side can be moved to the bush 27 without moving to the printed circuit board 5 side. Thereby, the possibility that the static electricity generated in the operation knob 3 acts on the electronic component 51 on the printed circuit board 5 can be reduced.

[0050] Note that at least a part of the installation area B is provided so as not to overlap with the grounding area A when viewed from the axial direction Y, and it is sufficient that at least a part of the installation area B faces the operation knob 3 in the axial direction Y.

[0051] In this case, by making the separation distance between the protruding portion 38 and the bush 27 shorter than the separation distance L2 between the protruding portion 38 and the printed circuit board 5, the electric charges that have moved to the operation knob 3 side can be moved to the bush 27 without moving to the printed circuit board 5 side.

[0052] (2) In the above (1), In the case of the case 2 when viewed from the axial direction Y, the installation area A of the printed circuit board 5 and the installation area B of the bush 27 are set with their positions shifted in the radial direction of the axis X (rotation axis). The installation area B of the bush 27 is located between the installation area A of the printed circuit board 5 and the axis X which is the rotation axis of the shaft 4.

[0053] When the operation knob 3 is operated, the relative displacement amount between the operation knob 3 and the printed circuit board 5 becomes smaller as it approaches the axis X. By providing the protrusion 38 on the side where the relative displacement amount is small, it is possible to suppress the variation amount of the gap Sa between the protrusion 38 and the bush 27 in the process of the operation knob 3 being displaced from the reference position to the operation position. When the variation amount of the gap Sa becomes large, it affects the ease of movement of the charge to the bush 27 side. Then, the possibility of generating a charge that moves to the printed circuit board 5 side becomes high. By configuring as described above, the charge that has moved from the operation knob 3 to the protrusion 38 is likely to be induced by the bush 27. Thereby, the possibility of the charge moving to the printed circuit board 5 side can be reduced.

[0054] (3) In the above (1) or (2), The operation knob 3 is relatively displaceable between the reference position when no operating force is acting and the operation position when an operating force is acting, The protrusion 38 has a separation distance (gaps Sa, Sa') from the bush 27 that is shorter than the separation distance L2 from the printed circuit board 5, regardless of whether the operation knob 3 is disposed at the reference position or the operation position.

[0055] With this configuration, the possibility of the charge that has moved to the protrusion 38 moving to the printed circuit board 5 can be reduced. Thereby, the possibility of affecting the electronic component 51 mounted on the printed circuit board 5 can be reduced.

[0056] (I) In the above (3), The protrusion 38 faces the bush 27 with a gap therebetween, regardless of whether the operation knob 3 is disposed at the reference position or the operation position.

[0057] With such a configuration, while preventing the protrusion 38 from interfering with the bush 27 and causing an obstruction to the operation of the operation knob 3, the charge that has moved to the operation knob 3 side can be preferentially moved to the bush 27 without moving to the printed circuit board 5 side. As a result, since the charge that has moved from the user's finger to the operation knob 3 can be moved to the bush 27 side rather than the printed circuit board 5 side, the possibility that the static electricity flowing through the operation knob 3 acts on the electronic components 51 on the printed circuit board 5 can be reduced.

[0058] (4) In any one of the above (1) to (3) and (I), The operation knob 3 has a guide piece 36 that guides the displacement of the operation knob 3 in the axial direction of the axis Y, and an engagement hole 361 that is provided on the guide piece 36 and with which the engagement claw 251 on the case 2 side engages. The guide piece 36 has a length L36 in the axial direction of the axis Y that crosses the side of the printed circuit board 5. The engagement hole 361 has a length L361 in the axial direction of the axis Y that is determined according to the displacement range of the operation knob 3.

[0059] When the guide piece 36 is provided to guide the displacement of the operation knob 3, the guide piece 36 may be arranged near the resin-made printed circuit board 5. In this case, there is a possibility that the charge that has moved to the operation knob 3 moves from the guide piece 36 to the printed circuit board 5 side. As described above, the protrusion 38 is arranged close to the bush 27 that is a conductive member. Therefore, the charge that has moved to the operation knob 3 is more likely to move from the protrusion 38 to the bush 27 than to move from the guide piece 36 to the printed circuit board 5. Thereby, the possibility that the static electricity flowing through the operation knob 3 acts on the electronic components 51 on the printed circuit board 5 can be reduced.

[0060] (II) In the above (4) a rubber member 6 made of an elastic material placed on the surface 5b on the operation knob 3 side of the printed circuit board 5, In the rubber member 6, a movable member (mounting portion 62, stopper portion 64) is disposed so as to be displaceable in the axial direction of the axis Y at a position spaced apart from the printed circuit board 5 toward the operation knob 3 side, and a contact point 65 (first contact point) provided at a portion of the stopper portion 64 facing the printed circuit board 5, and a contact point 66 (second contact point) provided at a portion of the printed circuit board 5 facing the contact point 65, and an operating element 37 extending from a portion of the operation knob 3 facing the mounting portion 62 to the mounting portion 62. When viewed in the axial direction of the axis Y, the guide piece 36 and the operating element 37 are located on the same straight line Cx2 orthogonal to the axis X.

[0061] When the operation knob 3 is operated, the operating element 37 that is displaced in the axial direction of the axis Y together with the operation knob 3 displaces the mounting portion 62 toward the printed circuit board 5 side, and brings the contact point 65 into contact with the contact point 66 on the printed circuit board 5. Since the guide piece 36 and the operating element 37 are located on the same straight line Cx2, the rigidity of the operation knob 3 in the direction along the straight line Cx2 can be increased. Thereby, when the operation knob 3 is operated, the possibility that the operating element 37 presses the mounting portion 62 toward the printed circuit board 5 in an inclined state can be reduced. When the guide piece 36 is not provided, when the operation knob 3 is displaced toward the printed circuit board 5 side, distortion occurs in the operation knob 3, and the operating element 37 may displace the mounting portion 62 toward the printed circuit board 5 in an inclined state. In such a case, the displacement of the mounting portion 62 by the operating element 37 may be hindered. Further, the displacement of the protruding portion 38 toward the bush 27 side may also be hindered. As described above, by providing the guide piece 36, the movement of the operating element 37 rotating around the axis X toward the printed circuit board 5 side can be appropriately guided. Since the distortion of the operation knob 3 can be suppressed, when the operation knob 3 is operated, the contact points 65 and 66 can be appropriately brought into contact with each other. Further, since the protruding portion 38 can be disposed close to the bush 27, the electric charge moved to the operation knob 3 can be appropriately guided to the bush 27 side.

[0062] (5) In any one of the above (1) to (4), (I), and (II), The bush 27 is a cylindrical conductive member having a threaded hole 270. The bush 27 is embedded in the case 2 with the threaded hole 270 oriented along the axial direction Y (the direction in which the operation knob 3 and the printed circuit board 5 face each other).

[0063] For example, when generating the case 2 by injection molding such that at least a part of the bush 27 is embedded therein during the molding of the resinous case 2, the position of the bush 27 in the case 2 can be accurately created. Thereby, the separation distance between the bush 27 and the protruding portion 38 only needs to consider the manufacturing accuracy of the operation knob 3 and the support accuracy of the operation knob 3 in the case 2. If the bush 27 is a separate part assembled to the case 2 later, due to assembly tolerances, the separation distance between the bush 27 and the protruding portion 38 may vary. Depending on the degree of variation in the separation distance, the protruding portion 38 may interfere with the bush 27, causing problems in the operation of the operation knob 3. As described above, when the bush 27 is embedded in the case 2 and integrally formed, there is no possibility of variation caused by assembly, so the possibility that the bush 27 and the protruding portion 38 interfere with each other and cause problems in the operation of the operation knob 3 can be reduced.

[0064] (6) In any one of (1) to (5), (I), and (II) above, When viewed from the axial direction Y, in the installation region B where the bush 27 is embedded in the case 2, a recess 262 (notch) for exposing the bush 27 is provided in the region facing the protruding portion 38. For the bush 27, other parts except the part exposed in the recess 262 are embedded in the case 2.

[0065] With such a configuration, in the region on the case 2 side facing the protruding portion 38, since a part of the upper surface 27a of the bush 27 is exposed by the recess 262, the movement destination of the charge when moving from the protruding portion 38 to the case 2 side can be induced to the bush 27. In particular, in the region facing the operation knob 3, only the upper surface 27a of the bush 27 made of a conductive material is exposed at the portion of the recess 262. Therefore, the movement destination of the charges that have moved to the protrusion 38 can be guided to the bush 27. As a result, the possibility of charges moving to the printed circuit board 5 side can be reduced.

[0066] (III) In the above (6), When viewed in the direction of the axis Y, the recess 262 (notch) is located between the screw hole 270 and the axis X in the radial direction of the axis X.

[0067] With this configuration, when viewed from the screw hole 270, the recess 262 is located on the side opposite to the printed circuit board 5. Therefore, when charges move from the protrusion 38 to the case 2 side, the possibility of charges moving to the printed circuit board 5 side can be reduced.

[0068] (IV) In any one of the above (1) to (6), (I), (II), and (III), On the printed circuit board 5, an electronic component 51 is provided on the surface 5a opposite to the operation knob 3.

[0069] The charges that move from the protrusion 38 to the printed circuit board 5 are likely to reach the surface 5b of the printed circuit board 5 on the operation knob 3 side. With the above configuration, even if charges move from the operation knob 3 side to the printed circuit board 5, the destination of the moving charges is the surface 5b on the side where the electronic component 51 is not mounted. Therefore, the possibility of the moving charges directly reaching the electronic component 51 can be reduced.

[0070] (7) In any one of the above (1) to (6), (I) to (IV), The operation knob is entirely formed of a conductive material or the surface is covered with a conductive material.

[0071] With this configuration, no matter where the user's finger touches the operation knob 3, the movement of charges to the operation knob 3 will occur. By adopting the combination of the protrusion 38 and the bush 27, the possibility of the charges that have moved to the operation knob 3 moving to the printed circuit board 5 side can be reduced.

[0072] (8) In any one of the above (1) to (7) and (I) to (IV), The switch device 1 is a paddle shift switch for operating an in-vehicle transmission.

[0073] With such a configuration, the possibility of charge moving from the operation knob 3 side onto the printed circuit board 5 can be reduced, so that shifting can be appropriately performed by operating the switch device 1.

[0074] As described above, the embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been explained. However, the present invention is not limited to these, and can be appropriately changed within the scope of the technical idea of the invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0075] 1: Switch device 2: Case 21: Bottom wall portion 22: Peripheral wall portion 221, 222, 223, 224: Side wall portions 225, 226: Ribs 25: Engaging arm 251: Engaging claw 26: Boss portion 261: Engaging portion 262: Recess 27: Bush 27a: Upper surface 270: Screw hole 271: Base portion 271a: Outer periphery 272: Thread 3: Operation knob 31: Base portion 32: Operated portion 33: Connection portion 34: Linking portion 35: Wall portion 351, 352: First side wall portions 353: Second side wall portion 36: Guide piece 361: Engaging hole 37: Operator 38: Protrusion 38a: Tip 4: Shaft 5: Printed circuit board (substrate) 51: Electronic component 6: Rubber member 61: Base portion 62: Mounting portion 63: Support wall portion 64: Stopper portion 65, 66: Contact points 102: Frame 102a: Mounting surface 103: Insertion hole B: Bolt BS: Shaft portion BSa: Tip C3: Center line Cx: Center line SW: Steering wheel Sa, Sa’, Sb: Clearance X: Axis (rotation axis) Y: Axis

Claims

1. A switch device having a housing for accommodating a substrate on which electronic components are mounted, and an operating member rotatably supported about a rotation axis along the substrate in the housing, wherein in the housing, as viewed from an axial direction along a direction facing the operating member and the substrate, an installation region of the substrate and an installation region of a conductive member on the ground side are set, wherein in the operating member, a protruding portion is provided at a portion facing the conductive member, and the protruding portion is disposed to face the conductive member with a gap therebetween, and the operating member is a switch device capable of moving charges up to the protruding portion.

2. The switch device according to claim 1, wherein in the housing, as viewed from the axial direction, the installation region of the substrate and the installation region of the conductive member are set with a displacement in a radial direction of the rotation axis, and the installation region of the conductive member is located between the installation region of the substrate and the rotation axis.

3. The switch device according to claim 1, wherein the operating member is relatively displaceable between a reference position when no operating force is applied and an operating position when the operating force is applied, and the protruding portion is such that the separation distance from the conductive member is shorter than the separation distance from the substrate or the electronic component, regardless of whether the operating member is disposed at the reference position or the operating position.

4. The switch device according to claim 3, wherein the operating member has a guide piece for guiding displacement of the operating member in the axial direction, and an engagement hole provided in the guide piece and engaged with a locking claw on the housing side, the guide piece has a length in the axial direction crossing a side of the substrate, and the engagement hole has a length in the axial direction determined according to a displacement range of the operating member.

5. The switch device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the conductive member is a cylindrical bush having a screw hole, and the bush is embedded in the housing with the screw hole along the axial direction.

6. The switch device according to claim 5, wherein in a region of the housing where the bush is embedded, as viewed from the axial direction, a notch for exposing the bush is provided in a region facing the protruding portion, and the bush is embedded in the housing except for a portion exposed at the notch.

7. ​ ​ ​ ​ In claim 6, The operating member is a switch device formed of a conductive material. **Claim 8** In claim 1, The switch device is a paddle shift switch for operating an in-vehicle transmission, the switch device.

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