Selector-type push button switch

Abstract

To provide a selector type push button switch which has a simple configuration, is low in cost, and can be miniaturized.SOLUTION: A selector type push button switch 10 includes a selector 18 rotatably provided between a first angular position and a second angular position, a cylindrical body 40 and a push rod unit 24 which are provided so as to be relatively non-rotatable and relatively displaceable in the axial direction with respect to the selector 18, a spring 38 provided between a cylindrical body seat surface 40c and the rear surface 30b and compressed by a pressing operation of a push button 16, and a cam mechanism 46 that is provided between the cylindrical body 40 and a frame 20 and compresses the spring 38 to reciprocate the cylindrical body 40 forward when the selector 18 rotates between the first angular position and the second angular position. The selector 18 has guide wall pairs 45 extending in the axial direction in contact with both circumferential sides of a first guide projection 30a and a second guide projection 40a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a selector-type pushbutton switch including a selector that is rotatable between a first angular position and a second angular position with respect to a housing. [Background technology]

[0002] The selector-type pushbutton switch is provided with a selector that is rotatable between a first angular position and a second angular position relative to a housing. When the selector is in the first angular position or the second angular position, the position of a rod that is integral with the pushbutton is displaced, switching the action on the contact unit. This makes it possible to change the on / off state between multiple terminals in the contact unit. In other words, one selector-type pushbutton switch can be used in the form of two switches, which is preferable (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In a typical momentary pushbutton switch, pressing the pushbutton switches the on / off state between the terminals, and when the pushbutton is released the restoring force of the spring returns it to its original state.

[0004] In addition, in a selector-type pushbutton switch, the selector must be positioned at either the first or second angular position, and a spring is used for this positioning. In other words, when the selector is positioned between the first and second angular positions, the spring is compressed and its restoring force acts to push the selector back to either the first or second angular position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-213170 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] A selector-type pushbutton switch has the typical functions of a first spring for returning the pushbutton to its original position, and a second spring for pushing the selector back to either the first angular position or the second angular position.

[0007] That is, a selector-type push button switch needs to have two springs for its function, but providing two springs makes it more complicated and increases costs.In addition, it is necessary to secure space for the two springs to expand and contract, which increases the product size.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a selector-type push button switch that has a simple configuration, is low cost, and can be made compact. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the selector-type pushbutton switch of the present invention is characterized in having a selector rotatable between a first angular position and a second angular position with respect to a housing, a cylinder not rotatable relative to the selector but displaceable relative to the axial direction, a push rod not rotatable relative to the selector but displaceable relative to the axial direction, a push button for pressing the push rod, a spring provided between a cylinder seating surface of the cylinder and a push rod seating surface of the push rod, which is compressed when the push button is pressed backward, and a cam mechanism provided between the cylinder and the housing, which moves the cylinder back and forth forward while compressing the spring when the selector rotates between the first angular position and the second angular position.

[0010] In such a selector-type pushbutton switch, one spring has the function of returning the pushbutton to its original position and the function of pushing the selector back to either the first or second angular position. Therefore, there is no need to provide a different spring for each of these functions, resulting in a simple configuration and low cost. Furthermore, a selector-type pushbutton switch does not require space for multiple springs to expand and contract; it only needs space for one spring to deform, making it possible to reduce the size.

[0011] The push rod may be provided with a first guide protrusion protruding in a radial direction, the cylindrical body may be provided with a second guide protrusion protruding in a radial direction, the first guide protrusion and the second guide protrusion may be arranged in parallel in the axial direction, and the selector may have a pair of guide walls abutting on both circumferential sides of the first guide protrusion and the second guide protrusion and extending in the axial direction. With this configuration, it is possible to reliably prevent the cylindrical body and the push rod from rotating relative to the selector, but allow them to move relative to the selector in the axial direction.

[0012] The first guide protrusion and the second guide protrusion may be provided in four pairs at 90 degree intervals in the circumferential direction, and the guide wall pairs may be provided in four pairs at 90 degree intervals in the circumferential direction. This makes it possible to support and guide the cylindrical body and the push rod in a well-balanced manner.

[0013] When the push button is pushed backward and displaced a predetermined amount, the first guide protrusion and the second guide protrusion may come into contact with each other to regulate the displacement of the push button. In this way, the first guide protrusion and the second guide protrusion can be used as a means for regulating the displacement of the push button.

[0014] The housing may have a cylindrical protrusion having a smaller diameter than the spring and fitted into an inner peripheral portion of the cylindrical body to support the cylindrical body so as to be displaceable in the axial direction, the cylindrical body having a rear portion that is rearward of the cylindrical body seating surface and fits into the cylindrical protrusion, and a front portion that is forward of the cylindrical body seating surface and has a larger diameter than the spring, the spring being disposed in an annular gap formed between the cylindrical protrusion and the front portion. This makes it easy to install the spring when assembling the selector-type push button switch, and also makes it less likely to become displaced when the push button is pressed backward.

[0015] The switch may further include a contact unit having a rod provided on the rear side of the push bar and rotating together with the selector, a first operating part attached to the rear side of the housing and provided in a position operable by the rod when the selector is in the first angular position, and a second operating part provided in a position operable by the rod when the selector is in the second angular position.

[0016] The push rod may have a plurality of first meshing teeth arranged in a circumferential direction, and the housing may have a plurality of second meshing teeth arranged in the circumferential direction, and the first meshing teeth and the second meshing teeth may abut against each other to disable displacement of the push button when the selector is in a position other than the first angular position or the second angular position when the push button is pressed rearward, and may be allowed to mesh with each other to allow axial displacement only when the selector is in the first angular position or the second angular position. This makes it possible to prevent the push button from being inadvertently pressed down when the selector is in a position other than the first angular position or the second angular position. Effect of the Invention

[0017] In the selector-type pushbutton switch according to the present invention, one spring has the function of returning the pushbutton to its original position and the function of pushing the selector back to either the first angular position or the second angular position. Therefore, there is no need to provide different springs for each of these functions, resulting in a simple configuration, low cost, and compact size. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a selector-type push button switch according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the selector-type push button switch disassembled into a main body and a contact unit. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the main body. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the main body. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the frame. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the push rod unit, the cylinder, the selector, and the push piece, as viewed from below. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged side view of the main body with a part of the rosette and frame cut away. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the main body with the push button pressed rearward. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of the main body with the selector rotated approximately 30 degrees from the first angular position. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged side view of the main body with a rosette and a part of the frame cut away in a state where the selector is rotated about 30 degrees from the first angular position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a selector-type push button switch according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these preferred embodiments.

[0020] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a selector-type pushbutton switch 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the selector-type pushbutton switch 10 disassembled into a main body 12 and a contact unit 14. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the selector-type pushbutton switch 10. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the selector-type pushbutton switch 10.

[0021] The selector-type pushbutton switch 10 consists of a body 12 and a contact unit 14 attached to the rear of the body 12. A part of the body 12 is inserted into a panel hole from the front side of the control panel and fixed to the rear contact unit 14. In this application, the side on which the body 12 is provided is referred to as the front side, and the side on which the contact unit 14 is provided is referred to as the rear side. In each drawing, the front side is indicated by "F" and the rear side is indicated by "B" with appropriate arrows.

[0022] In the selector-type pushbutton switch 10, pressing the pushbutton 16 backward switches between the on and off states of the multiple terminals 14c in the contact unit 14. The selector 18 is provided rotatably between a first angular position (e.g., the solid line position in FIG. 1) and a second angular position (e.g., the dashed line position in FIG. 1) with respect to a frame 20 that constitutes the housing. In this embodiment, the angle between the first angular position and the second angular position is 90 degrees.

[0023] When the selector 18 is in the first angular position or the second angular position, the position of a rod 26a (see FIG. 4) that is integral with the push button 16 is displaced, changing the action on the contact unit 14 and switching the on / off state between multiple terminals 14c in the contact unit 14. The contact units 14 are available in multiple different contact types and are replaceable with respect to the main body 12. Basically, the main body 12 is made of resin material except for the screws 36 and springs 38 described below.

[0024] As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the main body 12 of the selector-type push button switch 10 has a push button 16, a push rod unit (push rod) 24, and a push piece 26. The push button 16, the push rod unit 24, and the push piece 26 are fixed together. The push rod unit 24 is operated by pressing the push button 16. The push rod unit 24 is provided such that a short outer cylinder 30 and a long inner cylinder 32 are concentrically protruding rearward from a front disk 28. The disk 28 is fixed to the rear surface of the push button 16, but the two may be integrally molded products. Four first guide protrusions 30a are arranged at 90 degree intervals on the circumferential surface of the front part of the outer cylinder 30 and protrude in the outward radial direction. The first guide protrusions 30a are in the shape of a circular arc concentric with the outer cylinder 30. The first guide protrusions 30a have an appropriately long width in the circumferential direction and are sufficiently strong. A rear surface (push rod seat) 30b of the outer cylinder 30 also serves as a seat against which one end of a spring 38 (described later) abuts. The push rod unit 24 is supported and guided in a well-balanced manner by four first guide protrusions 30a spaced at 90 degree intervals.

[0025] The inner cylinder 32 has four first meshing teeth 32a arranged at 90 degree intervals in the circumferential direction on its circumferential surface at its front portion, which protrude in the radial direction. The inner cylinder 32 has a seal 34 fitted in an annular groove on its circumferential surface at its middle portion. The push piece 26 is fixed to the rear end of the push rod unit 24 with a screw 36. The push piece 26 has a rod 26a that protrudes rearward. In other words, the rod 26a is provided on the rear side of the push rod unit 24. The push button 16, the push rod unit 24 and the push piece 26 are integrally configured, and rotate together with the selector 18, as described below.

[0026] The contact unit 14 is generally box-shaped and has a first operating part 14a and a second operating part 14b at two positions on the front side, a number of terminals 14c protruding to the rear side, and guide pieces 14d protruding forward from the four corners to guide the frame 20. The first operating part 14a is provided at a position where it can be operated by the rod 26a when the selector 18 is in the first angular position. The second operating part 14b is provided at a position where it can be operated by the rod 26a when the selector 18 is in the second angular position.

[0027] The main body 12 further includes a spring 38, a cylindrical body 40, and a rosette 42, as well as the above-mentioned selector 18 and frame 20. The spring 38 is a coil spring. The frame 20 and the rosette 42 are integrally combined to form the housing of the main body 12. The frame 20 and the rosette 42 do not displace in either the axial or circumferential direction relative to the panel to which they are attached.

[0028] The rosette 42 has an irregular cylindrical shape and is fitted and fixed to the outside of approximately the front half of the frame 20. The rosette 42 and the frame 20 are fixed, for example, by a snap fit. The rear surface 42a of the rosette 42 has an appropriately wide area and is stably abutted against the panel surface.

[0029] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the frame 20. As shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the frame 20 has an irregular cylindrical shape, and approximately its rear half projects from a panel hole to which the contact unit 14 is attached. An engagement groove 20a is formed near the rear end of the frame 20, into which the wire spring 14e (see Fig. 3) of the contact unit 14 engages. A hollow portion 20b is formed in approximately the rear half of the frame 20. The push piece 26 is able to displace in the axial direction while fitting into the hollow portion 20b. The push piece 26 is restricted from displacement by abutting against a top surface 20ba of the hollow portion 20b, and acts to prevent the push rod unit 24 from coming off.

[0030] A hollow hole 20c communicating with the hollow portion 20b is formed in roughly half of the front side of the frame 20. The inner tube 32 of the push rod unit 24 is able to displace in the axial direction while fitting into the hollow hole 20c. A portion of the inner tube 32 protrudes from the hollow hole 20c and enters the hollow portion 20b to be connected to the push piece 26. A seal 34 slides against the circumferential surface of the hollow hole 20c to provide a sealing effect. A male thread 20d is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the frame 20, into which a nut (not shown) fits, and the panel is clamped and fixed between the male thread 20d and the rear surface 42a of the rosette 42.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 5, the front side of the frame 20 is provided with a concentric inner tube (cylindrical protrusion) 20f and an outer tube 20g that protrude forward from a bottom plate 20e. The bottom plate 20e is provided at a substantially midpoint between the front and rear of the frame 20. The inner tube 20f is longer than the outer tube 20g. The outer diameter of the inner tube 20f is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the spring 38. An annular gap 43 (see FIG. 4) for arranging the spring 38 is formed between the outer periphery of the inner tube 20f and the inner periphery of the above-mentioned cylindrical body 40. This makes it easy to install the spring 38 when assembling the main body 12, and is also less likely to shift during operations such as pressing the push button 16.

[0032] Four second meshing teeth 20fa are formed on the inner cylinder 20f, protruding forward and spaced at 90-degree intervals in the circumferential direction. The gap width between adjacent second meshing teeth 20fa is approximately equal to the width of the first meshing teeth 32a. The first meshing teeth 32a, which are part of the push rod unit 24, and the second meshing teeth 20fa, which are part of the housing, constitute a meshing mechanism 44 (see Figs. 4 and 9). When the push button 16 is pressed and the selector 18 is not in the first or second angular position, the first meshing teeth 32a and the second meshing teeth 20fa of the meshing mechanism 44 come into contact with each other to disable displacement of the push button 16 and the push rod unit 24, and only when the selector 18 is in the first or second angular position is axial displacement permitted and meshing possible.

[0033] The bottom plate 20e is provided with a pair of protrusions 20h that protrude forward at 180 degree intervals. The protrusions 20h are mountain-shaped and inclined from the top toward both sides in the circumferential direction. The axial protrusion length of the protrusions 20h is slightly longer than the axial protrusion length of the cam 40b described below. The inclined surface of the protrusions 20h is at a steeper angle than the inclined surface of the cam 40b. The protrusions 20h are connected to the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 20f but are separated from the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 20g. The protrusions 20h are molded integrally with the bottom plate 20e and the inner cylinder 20f, and therefore have sufficient strength. Four protrusions 20h may be provided at 90 degree intervals.

[0034] Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the push rod unit 24, the cylinder 40, the selector 18 and the push piece 26, as viewed from below. As shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the cylinder 40 is cylindrical and has four second guide protrusions 40a provided at 90 degree intervals on its outer circumferential surface and protruding in the outward radial direction, and four cams 40b provided at 90 degree intervals on the rear side. The cylinder 40 is supported and guided in a well-balanced manner by the four second guide protrusions 40a at 90 degree intervals.

[0035] The hollow portion of the cylinder 40 has a stepped shape, and a cylinder seat 40c is formed on the front side into which the spring 38 fits and abuts. That is, the spring 38 is provided between the cylinder seat 40c and the rear surface 30b, and is compressed by pressing the push button 16 backward.

[0036] The outer diameter of the cylindrical portion of the cylindrical body 40 excluding the second guide protrusion 40a is equal to the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion of the outer cylinder 30 excluding the first guide protrusion 30a. The cylindrical body 40 has a rear portion 40d that fits into the inner cylinder 20f behind the cylindrical body seating surface 40c, and a front portion 40e that is in front of the cylindrical body seating surface 40c and has a larger diameter than the spring 38. The cylindrical body 40 is supported so as to be displaceable in the axial direction by the inner cylinder 20f fitting into the rear portion 40d. The spring 38 is disposed in an annular gap 43 formed between the inner cylinder 20f and the front portion 40e. Depending on the design conditions, the cylindrical body 40 does not necessarily have a perfect cylindrical shape, and may have a C-shaped cross section, for example.

[0037] Each cam 40b is a mountain shape having gentle slopes on both sides in the circumferential direction with the apex 40ba as a reference. The valleys 40bb of adjacent cams 40b are aligned with each other. The apex 40ba and the valleys 40bb are obtuse-angled. The second guide protrusion 40a has the same shape in a plan view as the first guide protrusion 30a. That is, the second guide protrusion 40a has an arc shape concentric with the front part 40e of the cylindrical body 40 and has a moderately long width in the circumferential direction. The first guide protrusion 30a and the second guide protrusion 40a are fitted into the guide wall pair 45 and are arranged in parallel in the axial direction. The circumferential center positions of the four second guide protrusions 40a and the apexes 40ba of the four cams 40b are aligned with each other in the circumferential direction.

[0038] 3, 4, and 6, the selector 18 is provided at the frontmost part of the main body 12, and has a cylindrical part 18a forming the outer periphery, four arcuate projections 18c projecting rearward from the cylindrical part 18a via an annular plate 18b, and a knob 18d provided on the side of the cylindrical part 18a. The knob 18d can be easily used to twist the selector 18 by hooking a finger. The selector 18 and the rosette 42 have almost the same outer diameter, and there is almost no gap between the cylindrical parts, which is preferable in appearance.

[0039] The push button 16 is fitted inside the cylindrical portion 18a and is movable rearward along the axial direction. In a reference state in which the push button 16 is not pressed, the front end faces of the push button 16 and the selector 18 are flush with each other.

[0040] An engagement protrusion 18ca is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the arcuate protruding piece 18c. The engagement protrusion 18ca engages with a hook 42b of the rosette 42. This prevents the selector 18 from coming out of the rosette 42 in the axial direction, but allows it to rotate.

[0041] The four arcuate protrusions 18c are provided at 90 degree intervals, and the front portion 40e of the cylindrical body 40 fits into the inner circumferential surface. The thickness of the arcuate protrusions 18c is approximately equal to the thickness of the first guide protrusions 30a and the second guide protrusions 40a. The circumferential end faces 18cb of the individual arcuate protrusions 18c adjacent to each other with a gap therebetween form a guide wall pair 45. The width of the guide wall pair 45 is approximately equal to the width of the first guide protrusions 30a and the second guide protrusions 40a.

[0042] The first guide projection 30a and the second guide projection 40a fit into the guide wall pair 45. That is, a pair of circumferential end faces 18cb forming the guide wall pair 45 extend in the axial direction and perform a guide function by abutting on both circumferential sides of the first guide projection 30a and the second guide projection 40a. Therefore, the push rod unit 24 including the first guide projection 30a and the cylindrical body 40 including the second guide projection 40a cannot rotate relative to the selector 18 but can be displaced relative to the selector 18 in the axial direction.

[0043] 7 is a partially enlarged side view of the main body 12 with the rosette 42 and a part of the frame 20 cut away. The cylinder 40 receives a rearward force from the spring 38 so as to approach the bottom plate 20e of the frame 20, but the bottom plate 20e has a protrusion 20h protruding forward, which regulates the displacement of the cylinder 40. A plurality of cams 40b are arranged in the circumferential direction on the rear side of the cylinder 40, and when the protrusion 20h hits the valley portion 40bb, the cylinder 40 is displaced most downward and stabilized. As described later, when the selector 18 is rotated, the cylinder 40 rotates together with the selector 18, so that the protrusion 20h slides against and presses against the inclined surface of the cam 40b, and the cylinder 40 is pushed forward. That is, the cam 40b provided on the cylindrical body 40 and the projection 20h provided on the frame 20 constitute a cam mechanism 46 that moves the cylindrical body 40 back and forth forward to compress the spring 38 when the selector 18 rotates between the first angular position and the second angular position. The projection 20h may be provided so as to project downward from the rear side of the cylindrical body 40, and the cam 40b may be provided so as to project upward from the bottom plate 20e.

[0044] Next, the operation of the selector-type push button switch 10 thus constructed will be described. As shown in Figures 4 and 6, in the standard state where the push button 16 is not pressed, the spring 38 is moderately compressed and elastically urges the push rod unit 24 upward. As described above, the push piece 26 abuts against the top surface 20ba of the frame 20, preventing the push rod unit 24 from coming out. In addition, since the cylinder 40 is elastically urged downward by the spring 38, it is in the lowest position where the protrusion 20h abuts against the valley portion 40bb of the cam 40b (see Figure 7).

[0045] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the main body 12 with the push button 16 pressed backward. When the push button 16 is pressed, the push rod unit 24 is displaced backward together with the push button 16. The first meshing teeth 32a and the second meshing teeth 20fa mesh without interference, allowing the push rod unit 24 to be displaced downward. This causes the rod 26a to press the first operating part 14a or the second operating part 14b of the contact unit 14, switching the contact state. When the push button 16 is pressed backward and displaced a predetermined amount, the first guide protrusions 30a and the second guide protrusions 40a come into contact with each other to regulate the displacement of the push button 16. The four first guide protrusions 30a and the four second guide protrusions 40a protrude slightly in the outer shape direction and are located at a position somewhat away from the axis center, so that the displacement of the push button 16 and the push rod unit 24 can be regulated in a well-balanced and stable manner.

[0046] Furthermore, when the selector 18 is in the first angular position and when it is in the second angular position, the only difference is the position of the rod 26a and the operation that the rod 26a performs on the contact unit 14; the functions of the push rod unit 24, the cylinder 40 and the spring 38 are the same.

[0047] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of the main body 12 with the selector 18 rotated about 30 degrees from the first angle position to the second angle position. Fig. 10 is a partially enlarged side view of the main body 12 with the rosette 42 and part of the frame 20 cut away with the selector 18 rotated about 30 degrees from the first angle position to the second angle position.

[0048] As described above, the first guide projection 30a of the push rod unit 24 and the second guide projection 40a of the cylinder 40 are fitted into the guide wall pair 45 of the selector 18 and are therefore unable to rotate relative to the selector 18. Therefore, when the selector 18 is rotated, the push rod unit 24 and the cylinder 40 also rotate integrally. In addition, the spring 38 is provided between the cylinder seating surface 40c and the rear surface 30b of the outer cylinder 30 and therefore rotates integrally, with no twisting of the spring 38.

[0049] On the other hand, the frame 20, which is a part of the housing, does not rotate. Then, as shown in Fig. 10, in the cam mechanism 46, the cam 40b of the cylindrical body 40 rotates relative to the projection 20h of the frame 20, and the projection 20h presses while sliding against the inclined surface of the cam 40b, and the cylindrical body 40 displaces forward while compressing the spring 38. This is because the cylindrical body 40 is freely displaceable in the axial direction relative to the selector 18.

[0050] At this point, the cylindrical body 40 is elastically biased backward with a moderately strong force by the compressed spring 38, and receives a rotational force returning to the original first angular position due to the action of the inclined surface of the cam 40b (indicated by reference symbol 40bc in FIG. 10). Therefore, if the operator were to release the selector 18 at this point, the cylindrical body 40 would be displaced backward and pushed back in the original direction, automatically returning to the reference state shown in FIG.

[0051] Although not shown, when the selector 18 is further rotated to a position of 45 degrees or more toward the second angle position with respect to the first angle position, the protrusion 20h passes over the top 40ba of the cam 40b and abuts against the inclined surface on the opposite side (indicated by reference symbol 40bd in FIG. 10). At this point, the cylinder 40 is elastically biased backward with a moderately strong force by the compressed spring 38, and receives a force in the rotation direction that moves to the second angle position due to the action of the inclined surface 40bd of the cam 40b. Therefore, if the operator were to release the selector 18 at this point, the cylinder 40 would be displaced backward and pushed in the forward direction, automatically rotating to the second angle position.

[0052] That is, the cam mechanism 46 provided between the cylindrical body 40 and the frame 20, which is a part of the housing, has the effect of reciprocating the cylindrical body 40 forward while compressing the spring 38 when the selector 18 rotates between the first angular position and the second angular position. When the selector 18 is located at any position between the first angular position and the second angular position, the spring 38 is elastically biased so as to automatically return to the first angular position when it is close to the first angular position with the intermediate position as a reference, and is elastically biased so as to automatically move to the second angular position when it is close to the second angular position. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the selector 18 from stopping at a position other than the first angular position and the second angular position.

[0053] Even if the push button 16 is pressed with the selector 18 at a position other than the first and second angular positions, the push button 16 will not be displaced. When the selector 18 is at a position other than the first and second angular positions, the first and second meshing teeth 32a and 20fa interfere with each other due to the action of the meshing mechanism 44, disabling the displacement of the push button 16. When the selector 18 is rotated from the second rotation position to the first rotation position, the operation is simply reversed compared to when the selector 18 is rotated from the first rotation position to the second rotation position, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0054] As described above, in the selector-type push button switch 10 according to the present embodiment, the cylinder 40 and the push rod unit 24 are inserted into the selector 18 so as to be non-rotatable relative to the selector 18 and displaceable relative to the selector 18 in the axial direction. The spring 38 is provided between the cylinder 40 and the push rod unit 24 and is compressed by the rearward pressing of the push button 16. As a result, the spring 38 has the function of returning the push button 16 to its original position and the function of pushing the selector 18 back to either the first angular position or the second angular position. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide different springs for each of these functions, resulting in a simple configuration and low cost. Furthermore, the selector-type push button switch 10 does not require space for multiple springs to expand and contract, and only a space for one spring 38 to deform is required, which allows for miniaturization.

[0055] Furthermore, since the cylindrical seat surface 40c and the rear surface 30b which support both ends of the spring 38 rotate together with the selector 18, no twisting occurs in the spring 38 regardless of the direction in which the selector 18 rotates, and the same elastic biasing force can be generated both when the spring 38 is twisted from the first angle position to the second angle position and when the spring 38 is twisted from the second angle position to the first angle position.

[0056] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can of course be freely modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10 Selector type push button switch 12 Main unit 14 Contact unit 16 Push Buttons 18 Selectors 18c Circular protruding piece 18cb Circumferential end face (guide wall pair) 20 Frame (chassis) 20f inner cylinder 20fa 2nd occlusal tooth 20g outer tube 20h protrusion 24 Push rod unit 26 Push piece 26a Rod 30 Outer cylinder 30a First guide protrusion 30b Rear surface (push bar seat) 32 Inner cylinder 32a 1st occlusal tooth 38 Spring 40 Cylinder 40a Second guide protrusion 40b Cam 40bc,40bd Slope 40c cylindrical bearing surface 40d rear part 40e front part 42 Rosette (Housing) 43 Annular gap 44 Meshing mechanism 45 Guide Wall Pair 46 Cam mechanism

Claims

1. a selector rotatably disposed between a first angular position and a second angular position relative to a housing; a cylindrical body that is provided so as to be non-rotatable relative to the selector and displaceable relative to the selector in an axial direction; a push rod that is provided so as to be non-rotatable relative to the selector but displaceable relative to the selector in the axial direction; A push button for pressing the push rod; a spring provided between a cylinder seat surface of the cylinder and a push rod seat surface of the push rod, the spring being compressed by a rearward pressing operation of the push button; a cam mechanism provided between the cylindrical body and the housing, the cam mechanism compressing the spring and reciprocating the cylindrical body forward when the selector rotates between the first angular position and the second angular position.

2. The push rod is provided with a first guide protrusion protruding in a radial direction, The cylindrical body is provided with a second guide protrusion protruding in a radial direction, The first guide protrusion and the second guide protrusion are aligned in parallel in the axial direction, 2. The selector-type push button switch according to claim 1, wherein the selector has a pair of guide walls extending in the axial direction and in contact with both circumferential sides of the first guide protrusion and the second guide protrusion.

3. The selector-type push button switch according to claim 2, characterized in that the first guide protrusions and the second guide protrusions are provided in four pairs at 90 degree intervals in the circumferential direction, and the guide wall pairs are provided in four pairs at 90 degree intervals in the circumferential direction.

4. 4. A selector-type push button switch as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that when the push button is pressed backward and displaced a predetermined amount, the first guide protrusion and the second guide protrusion abut against each other to regulate the displacement of the push button.

5. the housing has a cylindrical protrusion having a diameter smaller than that of the spring, fitted into an inner peripheral portion of the cylindrical body, and supporting the cylindrical body so as to be displaceable in the axial direction; the cylindrical body has a rear portion that is rearward of the cylindrical body seating surface and that fits onto the cylindrical protrusion, and a front portion that is forward of the cylindrical body seating surface and has a larger diameter than the spring, 5. The selector-type push button switch according to claim 1, wherein the spring is disposed in an annular gap formed between the cylindrical projection and the front portion.

6. a rod provided on the rear side of the push bar and rotating together with the selector; a contact unit attached to a rear side of the housing, the contact unit including a first operating portion provided at a position operable by the rod when the selector is at the first angular position, and a second operating portion provided at a position operable by the rod when the selector is at the second angular position; 6. The selector-type push button switch according to claim 1, further comprising:

7. The push rod has a plurality of first meshing teeth arranged in a circumferential direction, The housing includes a plurality of second meshing teeth arranged in a circumferential direction, The selector-type push button switch according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that when the push button is pressed backward and the selector is in a position other than the first angular position or the second angular position, the first meshing teeth and the second meshing teeth abut against each other to prevent displacement of the push button, and that axial displacement is permitted and meshing is possible only when the selector is in the first angular position and the second angular position.

Images