Switch device

Abstract

To provide a switch device capable of achieving both the prevention of rupture of a sensor sheet and the improvement of the detection sensitivity of touch operation.SOLUTION: A switch device 1 comprises: an elastically deformable panel 2 to be depressed; a plurality of movable members 16 movable by the depression of the panel 2; a detection portion 17 for detecting the movement of the movable member 16; and a sensor sheet 33 for detecting at least one of contact of a human body with the panel 2, the approach of a human body to the panel 2, and the depression of the panel 2. The sensor sheet 33 includes: a sheet base material 34 that can be bent and deformed; and a plurality of electrodes 35 provided on the sheet base material 34. The sheet base material 34 has a gap portion 36 formed between the plurality of adjacent electrodes 35. At least two of the plurality of electrodes 35 are connected in the wiring.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a switch device that detects a pressing operation on a panel. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known an operation switch device capable of detecting both touch and pressing operations, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. In the case of Patent Document 1, when a finger touches an operation area of ​​an operation member of an operation switch unit, the touch is detected by a touch detection electrode. When the finger further presses the operation area deeply, the switch state of the destination push switch is switched, and a pressing operation is detected. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-134635 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the case of Patent Document 1, a touch operation of a finger on an operation member is detected by a touch detection electrode arranged on the back surface of the push switch. Therefore, there is a certain distance between the operation member and the touch detection electrode, which poses an issue with the detection sensitivity of the touch operation. In this case, one possible solution would be to arrange individual touch detection electrodes for each operation area on the back surface of the operation member, with the aim of detecting the touch operation on the operation member using nearby touch detection electrodes. However, this solution would result in the size of each touch detection electrode becoming smaller, making it difficult to increase the detection sensitivity.

[0005] To improve the sensitivity of touch detection, it is conceivable to place one large touch detection electrode on the back surface of the operation member, which is shared among multiple operation areas. However, with this configuration, when one operation area of ​​the operation member is pressed, for example, the touch detection electrode is subjected to load only in the pressed area. Therefore, there is a possibility that the touch detection electrode may break in the area where the load is applied, and other measures were necessary. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A switch device that solves the above problem is a device that includes an elastically deformable panel in which operating units to be pressed are assigned to each operating function, a plurality of movable members that are provided for each operating function and move in response to pressing operations on the operating units, a detection unit that detects the movement of the movable members based on pressing operations, and a sensor sheet that is arranged between the panel and the plurality of movable members to detect at least one of contact of a human body with the panel, approach of a human body to the panel, and pressing operations on the panel, wherein the sensor sheet has a sheet base that can be flexibly deformed and a plurality of electrodes that are provided on the sheet base for each of the operating units, the sheet base has gaps formed between adjacent ones of the plurality of electrodes, and at least two of the wiring of each of the plurality of electrodes is connected. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The present invention can prevent breakage of the sensor sheet and improve the detection sensitivity of touch operations at the same time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of the switch device according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] 1A to 1C are explanatory diagrams showing an outline of a pressing operation on a panel. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the switch device. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sensor sheet assembled to the housing. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a development view of the sensor sheet. [Figure 7] 10A is a state diagram before the panel is pressed, and FIG. 10B is a state diagram after the panel is pressed. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an electrical configuration diagram of the switch device. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the sensor sheet. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a sensor sheet according to another example. [Figure 11] 10A is a state diagram before the panel is pressed, and FIG. 10B is a state diagram after the panel is pressed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. (Switch device 1) 1, a switch device 1 includes a panel 2 that is operated by a user when switching the state of a device. The device is, for example, an air conditioner device for use in a vehicle. In the case of an air conditioner device, the state of the device can be switched, for example, by changing the temperature, turning on / off an automatic function, turning on / off an A / C function, or switching the fan mode.

[0010] An operation unit 3 is assigned to each of a plurality of operation functions on the surface of the panel 2. The operation functions include, for example, a temperature switching function, an auto on / off function, an A / C on / off function, etc. The operation unit 3 is, for example, for temperature increase operation, temperature decrease operation, auto on / off switching, A / C on / off switching, etc.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 2(a) to 2(c), the panel 2 is a press-type touch panel in which the user touches the operation unit 3 with a finger or the like and presses it down a predetermined amount to perform an operation. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2(a) to 2(b), the user touches the desired operation unit 3 on the panel 2 and presses it down a predetermined amount. This causes the device corresponding to the pressed operation unit 3 to operate. As shown in FIG. 2(c), when the finger is released from the operation unit 3 after the pressing operation, the panel 2 elastically deforms, causing the operation unit 3 to return to its original state.

[0012] In this example, when the user's body touches or approaches the surface of the panel 2, for example, a mark section 4 (see FIG. 1) provided for each operation section 3 is displayed. That is, when there is no touch operation on the panel 2, the mark section 4 is not displayed, but when the surface is touched, the mark section 4 is displayed by the light of the light source 5 arranged on the back. Note that the touch operation in this example includes not only an operation in which the user's body, such as a finger, directly touches the panel 2, but also a proximity operation, such as placing a hand near the panel 2. The mark sections 4 include a mark 4a for temperature increase operation, a mark 4b for temperature decrease operation, a mark 4c for auto function operation, and a mark 4d for A / C function operation.

[0013] (Panel 2) 3, the panel 2 has an elastically deformable shape in which the operation units 3 to be pressed are assigned to respective operation functions. In this example, the panel 2 includes a panel member 7 that is the main body of the panel 2, an intermediate layer 8 disposed on the upper surface of the panel member 7, and a protective layer 9 disposed on the upper surface of the intermediate layer 8.

[0014] The panel member 7 is made of, for example, a transparent resin material and is formed in a flat plate shape. In this example, the panel member 7 is made of, for example, transparent rubber. The panel member 7 has an elastically deformable shape that, for example, when pressed down by a user's finger or the like, sinks in the pressing direction and returns to its original state when the operation is released. In this way, the panel member 7 has the flexibility to expand and contract in response to an external load.

[0015] The intermediate layer 8 is made of, for example, a light-shielding material having an elastically deformable shape. The intermediate layer 8 has holes 10 formed therein that are shaped like the marks 4. The intermediate layer 8 is formed so as to cover the entire panel member 7.

[0016] The protective layer 9 is a layer that protects the surface of the panel 2. The protective layer 9 is made of a material such as cloth or leather. The protective layer 9 is formed so as to entirely cover the panel member 7 and the intermediate layer 8. The protective layer 9 is preferably made of, for example, a light-transmitting material.

[0017] (Case 12) 3, the switch device 1 has a housing 12 that supports the panel 2. The housing 12 has, for example, a first housing 13 that serves as a seat for the panel 2, and a second housing 14 that closes the first housing 13 from below. Various components of the switch device 1 are housed inside the housing 12. The peripheral edges of the intermediate layer 8 and protective layer 9 that cover the panel member 7 are attached and fixed to the edge of the first housing 13.

[0018] (Mechanism for detecting pressing operations) 3 and 4, the switch device 1 includes a movable member 16 provided for each operation function and movable in response to a pressing operation on the operation unit 3, and a detection unit 17 that detects movement of the movable member 16 based on the pressing operation. A plurality of pairs of movable member 16 and detection unit 17 are provided, corresponding to the number of operation units 3 (i.e., operation functions) of the panel 2. The movable member 16 is slidably housed inside the housing 12. In this example, the movable member 16 is housed inside the housing 12 so as to be able to linearly reciprocate in the height direction of the housing 12 (the Z-axis direction in FIG. 3).

[0019] Movable member 16 has a first part 18 that is moved in the depth direction (the -Z-axis direction in FIG. 3 ) when a user presses operation unit 3, and a second part 19 that is assembled to first part 18. First part 18 has a main body 21 that is housed in a recess 20 that is formed in second part 19, and an expansion area 22 that is formed in main body 21 at a position that faces panel member 7. Expansion area 22 is formed in a shape that has a larger area in a planar direction (the XY-axis planar direction in FIG. 3 , etc.) than main body 21. Expansion area 22 is housed in an opening 23 that is formed in the top wall of housing 12 (first housing 13 in this example).

[0020] Second part 19 has a support wall 25 that supports the lower end of first part 18, and an opening 26 that exposes the back surface of first part 18. Support wall 25 is formed, for example, over the entire circumferential area around the center of second part 19. Opening 26 is formed with an opening centered on the axis of second part 19. A stopper portion 27 is formed on the inner wall surface of housing 12. When panel 2 is pressed down, stopper portion 27 comes into contact with movable member 16, thereby determining the stroke amount in the pressing direction.

[0021] For example, a microswitch is used as the detection unit 17. The detection unit 17 is mounted on a substrate 28 housed inside the housing 12. When the movable member 16 slides in the pressing direction due to a pressing operation on the panel 2, the detection unit 17 is pressed by a pressing portion 29 at the tip of the movable member 16 (second part 19) and is turned on (the state shown in FIG. 4).

[0022] In this example, the switch device 1 is a momentary switch that is turned on only while the user is pressing down the panel 2. That is, the detection unit 17 is turned on only while the user is pressing down the panel 2, causing the movable member 16 to slide in the pressing direction against the biasing force of a biasing member (not shown), thereby pressing down the detection unit 17.

[0023] When the finger is released from panel 2, the biasing force of a biasing member (not shown) causes movable member 16 to slide in the opposite direction to the pressing (the +Z-axis direction in FIG. 3) and move away from detection unit 17, causing detection unit 17 to return to its original off state (the state in FIG. 3). An engagement piece 31 is formed on the side of movable member 16 (second part 19), which engages with a protrusion 30 on the inner surface of housing 12 to position movable member 16 when movable member 16 moves in the opposite direction to the pressing.

[0024] (Sensor sheet 33) 3 and 4, the switch device 1 includes a sensor sheet 33 that detects at least one of a human body touching the panel 2, a human body approaching the panel 2, and a pressing operation on the panel 2 (operation unit 3). The sensor sheet 33 is disposed between the panel member 7 and the plurality of movable members 16. In this example, the sensor sheet 33 is disposed, for example, between the rear surface of the panel member 7 and the expansion area 22 of each movable member 16. The sensor sheet 33 is preferably fixed to the movable member 16 (expansion area 22), for example.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the sensor sheet 33 includes a flexible sheet substrate 34 and a plurality of electrodes 35 provided on the sheet substrate 34 for each operation unit 3. The sheet substrate 34 has gaps 36 formed between adjacent ones of the plurality of electrodes 35. The gaps 36 are, for example, slits. The gap spacings of the plurality of gaps 36 may be different as in this example, or may all be the same. In this example, the sensor sheet 33 is formed in a comb shape by arranging the openings of the plurality of gaps 36 side by side. The sheet substrate 34 is formed from, for example, a transparent resin.

[0026] The sensor sheet 33 has a plurality of electrode arrangement sections 37 provided between adjacent gaps 36 and in which electrodes 35 are arranged, and connecting sections 38 connecting the plurality of electrode arrangement sections 37. The electrode arrangement section 37 includes a base piece 39 in the sheet base material 34 that resembles the electrode arrangement section 37, and an electrode 35 provided on the base piece 39. In this example, the electrode 35 is arranged in a portion of the base piece 39, specifically, at a position on the tip side of the base piece 39.

[0027] 3 and 4, at least some of the multiple electrode arrangement sections 37 (in this example, part of the electrode arrangement sections 37) are arranged on the base end surface 40 of the movable member 16 so as to face the flat panel 2. In this example, the base end surface 40 is the upper end surface of the expansion area section 22 of the first part 18. A plurality of electrode arrangement sections 37 are provided so as to form pairs with each of the multiple operation sections 3 (movable members 16). The electrode arrangement sections 37 are arranged between the back surface of the panel member 7 and the upper end surface of the expansion area section 22 of the first part 18.

[0028] 5, at least a part of the connecting portion 38 is bent in a direction intersecting the base end surface 40 of the movable member 16 (the Z-axis direction in FIGS. 3 and 4, etc.), and is disposed on the side of the movable member 16. In this example, the base end portion of the electrode placement portion 37 and the connecting portion 38 are disposed on the side of the movable member 16.

[0029] (electrode 35) 5 and 6, the electrode 35 is provided in the form of a layer on the sheet substrate 34. The electrode 35 is formed, for example, on the front surface (or the back surface) of the sheet substrate 34. The electrode 35 is, for example, a transparent electrode and has optical transparency. Examples of the electrode 35 include a vapor deposition layer formed by evaporating an electrode material to form a film on the sheet substrate 34, and a printed portion formed by molding the electrode material on the sheet substrate 34 by printing. Thus, the electrode 35 is, for example, an ITO film or transparent ink.

[0030] 6, each of the multiple electrodes 35 has wiring 42 electrically connected to the substrate 28. In this example, at least a portion of the wiring 42 is arranged in the connecting portion 38 (in this example, both the electrode arrangement portion 37 and the connecting portion 38). The wirings 42 of each of the multiple electrodes 35 are connected together at a connection point 42a along the way. It is sufficient that at least two of the wirings 42 of each of the multiple electrodes 35 are connected together.

[0031] (Arrangement of connecting portion 38 of sensor sheet 33) 7(a) and 7(b), at least the connecting portion 38 (in this example, a part of the electrode placement portion 37 and the connecting portion 38) is arranged along the outer surface of the wall portion 43 of the housing 12. In this example, the base end of the electrode placement portion 37 is pulled out from a gap 44 between the rear surface of the panel member 7 and the wall portion 43, and the base end of the electrode placement portion 37 and the connecting portion 38 are arranged along the outer surface of the substrate 28, with the tip of the connecting portion 38 reaching the substrate 28.

[0032] (Flexure 45) 7(a) and 7(b), the sensor sheet 33 has a flexible portion 45 that is flexed and deformed when the movable member 16 moves due to a pressing operation on the panel 2. The flexible portion 45 is disposed at a position in the sensor sheet 33 (sheet base material 34) that is pulled out from the gap portion 44.

[0033] (Lighting of switch device 1) 3 and 4, the switch device 1 includes a light source 5 for illuminating a mark portion 4 corresponding to the operation portion 3 on the panel 2. The light source 5 is, for example, an LED, and is mounted on a substrate 28. The light source 5 is disposed, for example, directly below the movable member 16 (first part 18). When the light source 5 is illuminated, the light from the light source 5 passes through the hole 10 in the intermediate layer 8 and is irradiated to the outside, whereby the shape of the hole 10 is displayed on the panel 2 as the mark portion 4.

[0034] In this example, the movable member 16 is made of, for example, resin. In particular, the movable member 16 (specifically, the first part 18) preferably functions as a light guide that guides light from the light source 5 to the mark portion 4. The light guide is made of a transparent material such as glass, plastic, or acrylic. In this way, the movable member 16 (specifically, the first part 18) is preferably made of a light-transmitting material.

[0035] (Electrical configuration of switch device 1) 8, the switch device 1 includes a control unit 47 that controls the operation of the switch device 1. The control unit 47 is configured with, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), etc. The detection unit 17 and the electrode 35 are connected to the input of the control unit 47. That is, the control unit 47 receives the detection signal Sa of the detection unit 17 and the capacitance of the electrode 35 as input. The light source 5 is connected to the output of the control unit 47.

[0036] The control unit 47 detects a pressing operation on the operation unit 3 of the panel 2 based on the detection signal Sa input from the detection unit 17, and outputs the switch signal Sb to another ECU, etc. The control unit 47 detects contact with or approach of a human body to the panel 2 based on a change in the capacitance of the electrode 35. In this example, when the control unit 47 detects contact with or approach of a human body to the panel 2 from the change in the capacitance of the electrode 35, it turns on the light source 5 to illuminate the mark unit 4 on the panel 2. This makes it possible to immediately see the correspondence between the operation unit 3 of the panel 2 and the operation function.

[0037] (Operation of the embodiment) Next, the operation of the switch device 1 of this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 9, the sensor sheet 33 has gaps 36 formed between adjacent electrodes 35, thereby allowing the electrode arrangement section 37 to bend in units of electrodes 35. Therefore, when a predetermined operation section 3 on the panel 2 is pressed, only the electrode arrangement section 37 located directly below the pressed operation section 3 moves downward in the sensor sheet 33. As a result, when a predetermined operation section 3 on the panel 2 is pressed, the entire sensor sheet 33 does not sink from the pressed portion as a starting point. Therefore, an extension load is less likely to be applied to the sensor sheet 33, making it less likely to break.

[0038] Furthermore, the multiple electrodes 35 are electrically connected together by wiring 42. Therefore, even if multiple electrodes 35 are formed for each movable member 16 and are therefore small in size, they can be treated as one large-area electrode. This makes it possible to improve the detection sensitivity of the electrodes 35. As a result, it is possible to prevent breakage of the sensor sheet 33 and improve the detection sensitivity of touch operations at the same time.

[0039] (Effects of the embodiment) According to the switch device 1 of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The switch device 1 includes an elastically deformable panel 2 having an operation unit 3 that is pressed, a plurality of movable members 16 that move when the panel 2 is pressed, a detection unit 17 that detects the movement of the movable members 16, and a sensor sheet 33 that detects at least one of a human body contacting the panel 2, a human body approaching the panel 2, and a pressing operation on the panel 2 (operation unit 3). The sensor sheet 33 includes a flexible sheet base 34 and a plurality of electrodes 35 provided on the sheet base 34 for each operation unit 3. The sheet base 34 has gaps 36 formed between adjacent ones of the plurality of electrodes 35. At least two of the wirings 42 of each of the plurality of electrodes 35 are connected.

[0040] According to this configuration, the sheet substrate 34 of the sensor sheet 33 has gaps 36 formed therein that divide the sheet substrate 34 into electrode units. Therefore, when any of the operation units 3 on the panel 2 is pressed, only the sheet portion of the electrode 35 corresponding to the pressed operation unit 3 moves independently in the pressing direction. Therefore, when any of the operation units 3 on the panel 2 is pressed, the entire sensor sheet 33 does not sink from the electrode 35 that moves in the pressing direction as a starting point. Therefore, a stretching load is less likely to be applied to parts of the sensor sheet 33, making the sensor sheet 33 less likely to break.

[0041] Furthermore, since the multiple electrodes 35 are electrically connected together by wiring, the connected electrodes 35 can be used as a single electrode 35 having a large area. This allows touch operations on the panel 2 to be detected with high sensitivity. As a result, it is possible to prevent breakage of the sensor sheet 33 and improve the detection sensitivity of touch operations.

[0042] (2) The sensor sheet 33 has a plurality of electrode arrangement sections 37 provided between adjacent gaps 36 and in which electrodes 35 are arranged, and connecting sections 38 connecting the plurality of electrode arrangement sections 37. At least some of the plurality of electrode arrangement sections 37 are arranged on the base end surface 40 of the movable member 16 so as to face the flat panel 2. At least some of the connecting sections 38 are formed by bending in a direction intersecting the base end surface 40 of the movable member 16 and are arranged on the side of the movable member 16. At least some of the wiring 42 are arranged on the connecting sections 38. With this configuration, the sensor sheet 33 is folded to fit the shape of the movable member 16, so that the sensor sheet 33 can be arranged without taking up a large space.

[0043] (3) The switch device 1 includes a housing 12 that supports the panel 2 and slidably houses the movable member 16. At least the connecting portion 38 is disposed along the outer surface of the wall portion 43 of the housing 12. With this configuration, even if there is no space between the housing 12 and the movable member 16 to house the sensor sheet 33, the connecting portion 38 of the sensor sheet 33 can be disposed by utilizing the outside of the wall portion 43 of the housing 12.

[0044] (4) The sensor sheet 33 has a flexible portion 45 that is flexible when the movable member 16 moves due to a pressing operation on the panel 2. With this configuration, when any of the operation portions 3 on the panel 2 is pressed down and the movable member 16 moves, the bending stress generated in the sensor sheet 33 is absorbed by the flexible portion 45 of the sensor sheet 33. This makes it difficult for excessive stress to be applied to specific locations on the sensor sheet 33, further contributing to preventing breakage of the sensor sheet 33.

[0045] (5) The sensor sheet 33 is formed in a comb-like shape by arranging the openings of the multiple voids 36 side by side. This configuration makes it possible to extend the wiring 42 of the multiple electrodes 35 in the same direction when connecting the wiring 42 of these electrodes 35. This contributes to simplifying the structure and shape of the sensor sheet 33.

[0046] (6) The switch device 1 includes a light source 5 for illuminating the markings 4 on the panel 2 in accordance with the operation units 3. This configuration makes the operation functions of the operation units 3 visible through the markings 4, thereby improving the convenience of operation.

[0047] (7) The movable member 16 functions as a light guide that guides light from the light source 5 toward the panel 2. With this configuration, the movable member 16 also functions as a light guide, which reduces the number of parts compared to when these are separate parts.

[0048] (Other embodiments) This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0049] 10, 11(a), and 11(b), if a predetermined gap exists between the wall portion 43 of the housing 12 (see FIG. 11) and the movable member 16, a part of the sensor sheet 33 (specifically, the connecting portion 38) may be disposed in this gap. In this case, the gap between the wall portion 43 of the housing 12 and the movable member 16 can be effectively utilized. In this configuration, the flexible portion 45 may be formed in a portion drawn out from the lower end of the wall portion 43, as shown in FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b).

[0050] The voids 36 do not necessarily have to be arranged side by side so as to open on the same side of the sheet substrate 34, but the openings may be arranged alternately on two opposing sides of the sheet substrate 34. The electrode arrangement portion 37 need not necessarily be arranged only on the movable member 16, but may also be arranged, for example, in the gap portion 36. In this case, it is possible to secure a larger electrode area, which further contributes to improving the detection sensitivity of touch detection.

[0051] When the panel 2 is not pressed down, there may or may not be a gap between the panel 2 (panel member 7) and the sensor sheet 33. The panel 2 is not limited to a shape that covers a plurality of movable members 16, and may be provided individually for each movable member 16, for example.

[0052] The material of the panel 2 may be a PET sheet or silicone. The movable member 16 is not limited to being made up of multiple parts, but may be made up of a single part.

[0053] The multiple wirings 42 may be connected at any position. The entire area of ​​the electrode placement portion 37 may be arranged on the proximal end surface 40 of the movable member 16 . A portion of the connecting portion 38 may be disposed on the proximal end surface 40 of the movable member 16 .

[0054] The connecting portion 38 does not necessarily have to be bent at a right angle to the electrode placement portion 37, but may be bent at an angle other than a right angle, for example, bent diagonally to the electrode placement portion 37.

[0055] The shape of the sheet substrate 34 can be changed as appropriate to a shape other than that shown in the embodiment. The intermediate layer 8 having the shape of the mark portion 4 may be disposed on the rear surface of the panel member 7 . The mark section 4 may be configured to display images or videos on the panel 2 using a liquid crystal display or the like.

[0056] The mark portion 4 is configured to be always visible, and may be illuminated by light from a light source 5, for example, at night. The light guide may be a separate member from the movable member 16 .

[0057] The panel 2 may be provided without the intermediate layer 8 or the protective layer 9. The detector 17 is not limited to a mechanical switch, but may be a sensor. The momentary structure of the switch device 1 is not limited to a structure in which the switch device 1 returns to its original initial position by the biasing force of a spring, but may be a structure that uses the elastic force of rubber or the like.

[0058] The sensor sheet 33 is not limited to a configuration in which the electrodes 35 are arranged in only one row, but may be a configuration in which the electrodes 35 are arranged in multiple rows. The device to be operated by the switch device 1 is not limited to an air conditioner device, but may be, for example, a car navigation device, an audio device, a lighting device, or the like.

[0059] While the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments or structures. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and equivalent modifications. In addition, various combinations and forms, including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1...switch device, 2...panel, 3...operation section, 4...mark section, 5...light source, 7...panel member, 12...housing, 16...movable member, 17...detection section, 33...sensor sheet, 34...sheet base material, 35...electrode, 36...gap section, 37...electrode arrangement section, 38...connecting section, 40...base end surface, 42...wiring, 43...wall section, 45...flexible section.

Claims

1. A switch device comprising: an elastically deformable panel in which operation units to be pressed are assigned to each operation function; a plurality of movable members provided for each of the operation functions and movable in response to pressing operations on the operation units; a detection unit that detects movement of the movable members based on pressing operations; and a sensor sheet disposed between the panel and the plurality of movable members to detect at least one of contact of a human body with the panel, approach of a human body to the panel, and pressing operations on the panel, the sensor sheet has a flexible sheet base material and a plurality of electrodes provided on the sheet base material for each of the operation units; the sheet substrate has gaps formed between adjacent ones of the plurality of electrodes, A switch device, wherein at least two of the wirings for each of the plurality of electrodes are connected.

2. the sensor sheet has a plurality of electrode arrangement sections provided between adjacent gap sections and in which the electrodes are arranged, and a connecting section connecting the plurality of electrode arrangement sections, At least some of the plurality of electrode arrangement portions are arranged on a base end surface of the movable member so as to face the flat panel, At least a portion of the connecting portion is bent in a direction intersecting the base end surface of the movable member and is disposed on a side of the movable member, The switch device according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the wiring is disposed in the connecting portion.

3. a housing that supports the panel and slidably houses the movable member; The switch device according to claim 2 , wherein at least the connecting portion is disposed along an outer surface of the wall portion of the housing.

4. The switch device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor sheet has a flexible portion that is flexed when the movable member is moved by pressing the panel.

5. The switch device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor sheet is formed in a comb-like shape by arranging a plurality of openings of the gap portions along the same side.

6. The switch device according to claim 1 , further comprising a light source for illuminating a mark portion corresponding to the operation portion on the panel.

7. The switch device according to claim 6 , wherein the movable member functions as a light guide that guides light from the light source toward the panel.

Images