Switching device

Abstract

To provide a switch device which can suppress used amount of a conductive material (a metal material, for instance) and reduce weight and costs.SOLUTION: A switch device 1 includes: a fixed terminal member 4; and a movable terminal member 5. The switch device can switch a connection state in which the fixed terminal member 4 is electrically connected to the movable terminal member 5 and a release state in which the connection state is released. The switch device 1 further includes: an operation member 2 which is rotatable to a first position for setting the release state and a second position for setting the connection state, a first support member 31 which rotatably supports the operation member 2, a second support section 32 which rotatably supports the movable terminal member 5, and a biasing member 7 which is engaged with the first support member 31 and the movable terminal member 5 and biases the movable terminal member 5 and the operation member 2 in a direction in which the operation member 2 rotates from the second position to the first position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Some motorcycles have a handlebar switch that is provided with a switch device for operating a horn (alarm) (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The horn switch described in Patent Document 1 includes a push button that is pressed by the rider of the motorcycle, a bracket made of a conductive material and integrally joined to the push button, a pivot that supports the bracket together with the push button so that they can rotate, and a fixed contact made of a conductive material that is electrically connected to the movable contact of the bracket when the push button is pressed.

[0003] Incidentally, the push button of a horn switch installed on a motorcycle may be pressed through, for example, a thick glove worn by the driver. In this case, it is preferable for the driver that the stroke of the push button when it is pressed is long. For example, if the stroke of the push button is short, it is difficult to obtain a sense of operation even when the driver presses the push button while wearing thick gloves. On the other hand, if the stroke of the push button is long, the driver can obtain a sense of having reliably pressed the push button, regardless of whether the driver is wearing thick gloves or not. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-112583 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the horn switch described in Patent Document 1, when the stroke of the push button is to be increased, the distance between the pivot that rotatably supports the push button and the fixed contact must be increased in proportion to the stroke of the push button. The longer this distance is, the longer the bracket must be. As a result, the amount of conductive material (e.g., metal material) used to make the bracket increases, and the weight of the horn switch increases. Depending on the weight, a horn switch with an increased weight may not be suitable for use in a motorcycle. There is also a concern that the manufacturing costs (especially material costs) of the horn switch may increase.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a switch device that can reduce the amount of conductive material (for example, metal material) used, thereby achieving weight reduction and cost reduction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the switch device of the present invention comprises a fixed terminal member made of a conductive material, and a movable terminal member made of a conductive material and rotatable toward and away from the fixed terminal member, the movable terminal member being brought into contact with the fixed terminal member to switch between a connected state in which the fixed terminal member and the movable terminal member are electrically connected, and a released state in which the movable terminal member is separated from the fixed terminal member to release the connected state, the switch device comprising: an operating member that is rotatable from a first position to the released state and a second position to the connected state when pressed from the first position; a first support portion that rotatably supports the operating member; a second support portion that is provided at a position different from the first support portion and rotatably supports the movable terminal member; and a biasing member that engages with the first support portion and the movable terminal member and biases the movable terminal member and the operating member in a direction in which the operating member rotates from the second position to the first position. a case made of a resin material and configured to house the fixed terminal member and the movable terminal member; Equipped with When viewed from a protruding direction of the first support portion and the second support portion, the second support portion is disposed between the first support portion and a contact portion where the fixed terminal member and the movable terminal member contact in the connected state, and when viewed from a direction in which the fixed terminal member and the movable terminal member contact in the connected state, the second support portion is disposed between the first support portion and a contact portion where the fixed terminal member and the movable terminal member contact in the connected state, and the first support portion and the second support portion are each integrally formed to protrude in a columnar shape from the case. . Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, the amount of conductive material (for example, metal material) used can be reduced, thereby achieving weight reduction and cost reduction. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the switch device shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a view seen from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a diagram showing the state in which the operating member is pressed from the state shown in FIG. 3. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the switch device (partially omitted) shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the switch device (partially omitted) shown in FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 7. However, the configurations described in the following embodiments are merely examples, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the embodiments. Note that the upper side in Figures 1 to 5 may be referred to as "upper (or upper side)" and the lower side as "lower (or lower side)".

[0011] The switch device 1 shown in FIG. 1 can be mounted on various vehicle bodies, such as a motorcycle having a handlebar. In this case, for example, the switch device 1 can function as a horn switch for operating a horn (alarm). The switch device 1 can be mounted not only on a motorcycle, but also on saddle-type vehicles including vehicles other than motorcycles. The term "saddle-type vehicle" refers to vehicles in which a rider straddles the vehicle body, including not only motorcycles (including motorized bicycles), but also three-wheeled vehicles and four-wheeled vehicles classified as ATVs (all-terrain vehicles), and other vehicles including snowmobiles. The switch device 1 can also be mounted on ships such as jet skis and automobiles having a passenger compartment. In this embodiment, three axes perpendicular to each other are set (assumed) as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. The X-axis direction is the overall length direction of the switch device 1, the Y-axis direction is the width direction of the switch device 1, and the Z-axis direction is the thickness direction (height direction) of the switch device 1. In addition, the direction in which each arrow points is sometimes called the "positive side" and the opposite direction is sometimes called the "negative side."

[0012] 1, the switch device 1 includes an operating member 2 that is pressed toward the negative side in the Z-axis direction indicated by the arrow α, and a case 3 that supports the operating member 2. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the switch device 1 includes a fixed terminal member 4, a movable terminal member 5, a relay member 6, and a biasing member 7 that are housed and arranged within the case 3.

[0013] 2, the operating member 2 has a main body portion 21, a bearing portion 22 into which a first support portion 31 (shaft portion 312) of the case 3 described later is inserted, and an engaging portion 23 with which the movable terminal member 5 engages. The material constituting the operating member 2 is not particularly limited, and for example, a hard resin material can be used.

[0014] In this embodiment, the main body 21 is, for example, block-shaped, and the portion of its upper surface 211 on the positive side in the X-axis direction is a pressing operation point 212 (see Figure 1) that is mainly pressed by the driver's fingertips when operating the operating member 2.

[0015] On the lower surface side of the main body 21, the bearing portion 22 and the engagement portion 23 are each formed integrally with the main body 21 to protrude. The bearing portion 22 is disposed on the negative side in the X-axis direction, that is, on the opposite side to the pressing operation point 212. The bearing portion 22 has a through hole 221 into which the first support portion 31 of the case 3 is inserted and fitted. This allows the operation member 2 to rotate with respect to the case 3, and can be displaced to a first position (see FIG. 3) where it protrudes most from the case 3, and a second position (see FIG. 4) where it is retracted further into the case 3 than the first position by being pressed in the direction of the arrow α from the first position. Note that the number of bearing portions 22 disposed is two in this embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0016] The engaging portion 23 is disposed on the X-axis direction positive side with respect to the bearing portion 22. The engaging portion 23 is configured with a protruding piece that protrudes in a plate shape.

[0017] 2, the case 3 is composed of two assemblable members, and in this embodiment, is composed of a case body 30A in which the operation member 2 is disposed, and a lid body 30B attached to the case body 30A from the positive side in the Y-axis direction. As a constituent material of the case 3, a hard resin material can be used, similar to the operation member 2.

[0018] 2 to 5, the case 3 has a first support portion 31 that rotatably supports the operating member 2, a second support portion 32 that rotatably supports the movable terminal member 5, and a fixing portion 33 that fixes the fixed terminal member 4. In addition, as shown in Fig. 6, the case 3 has a retaining portion 34 that prevents the second support portion 32 from coming out of the insertion hole 51 of the movable terminal member 5.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 6, the first support portion 31 is divided into an axis portion 311 that is integrally formed to protrude from the case body 30A toward the Y-axis direction positive side in a cylindrical shape, and an axis portion 312 that is integrally formed to protrude from the cover body 30B in a cylindrical shape. The axis portion 311 and the axis portion 312 are arranged on the same axis, and their end faces may be in contact with each other or may be separated from each other. The axis portion 312 is inserted through a through hole 221 of the bearing portion 22 of the operating member 2. This allows the operating member 2 to be supported so as to be rotatable around the axis portion 312 that is parallel to the Y-axis. Meanwhile, the axis portion 311 is inserted into a coil portion 71 of the biasing member 7 described later. This allows the biasing member 7 to be positioned within the case 3.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, the second support portion 32 is provided at a position different from that of the first support portion 31, and in this embodiment, on the positive side of the X-axis direction with respect to the first support portion 31. In addition, in the Z-axis direction, the position of the second support portion 32 is on the negative side of the position of the first support portion 31 in this embodiment, but is not limited to this. The second support portion 32 is configured with a shaft portion 321 that is integrally formed to protrude in a cylindrical shape from the case 3. The shaft portion 321 is inserted through the insertion hole 51 of the movable terminal member 5. This makes it possible to support the movable terminal member 5 rotatably around the shaft portion 321 that is parallel to the Y-axis.

[0021] Of the first support portion 31 and the second support portion 32, when the operating member 2 is operated, a greater force is applied to the first support portion 31. Therefore, the diameter of the second support portion 32 can be made smaller than the diameter of the first support portion 31, and the provision of the second support portion 32 does not tend to lead to an increase in the size of the switch device 1.

[0022] The first support portion 31 and the second support portion 32, which are the rotation support portions as described above, are each formed integrally with the resin case 3. This configuration can reduce the amount of metal material used, compared to a case in which the first support portion 31 and the second support portion 32 are each made of metal and configured as separate bodies from the case 3. This can reduce the weight of the switch device 1. In addition, the manufacturing cost of the switch device 1 can be reduced, and in particular the material cost can be reduced.

[0023] 5, the fixing portion 33 is provided adjacent to the second support portion 32 on the positive side in the X-axis direction. The fixing portion 33 is configured so that the plate-shaped terminal block 41 of the fixed terminal member 4 can be inserted therein. This allows the fixed terminal member 4 to be fixed.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 6, the retaining portion 34 is integrally provided with the cover 30B. The retaining portion 34 is formed to protrude in a cylindrical (tubular) shape toward the second support portion 32, and is disposed coaxially with the second support portion 32. An end portion of the second support portion 32 is inserted into the inside of the retaining portion 34. As a result, even if the shaft portion 321 tries to come out of the insertion hole 51 of the movable terminal member 5, the retaining portion 34 presses the movable terminal member 5, and the positional relationship between the movable terminal member 5 and the shaft portion 321 can be regulated. As a result, the shaft portion 321 can be prevented from coming out of the insertion hole 51 of the movable terminal member 5. Therefore, the movable terminal member 5 is supported stably and rotatably around the shaft portion 321.

[0025] The fixed terminal member 4, the movable terminal member 5, and the relay member 6 are each made of a conductive material. The conductive material is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include metal materials such as brass, copper, tin, aluminum, gold, silver, or alloys and plating materials thereof. The fixed terminal member 4, the movable terminal member 5, and the relay member 6 may each be made of the same conductive material, or may each be made of different conductive materials.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 5, the fixed terminal member 4 is a metal processed product obtained by bending a metal plate material of a predetermined shape. The fixed terminal member 4 has a terminal block 41 and an extension portion 42 extending downward from the terminal block 41. As described above, the terminal block 41 is inserted into the fixed portion 33 of the case 3. In addition, the terminal portion 43 made of a conductive material is fixed to the terminal block 41. The extension portion 42 is electrically connected to a control unit (not shown) of a vehicle body on which the switch device 1 is mounted and to electrical equipment (not shown) that drives the switch device 1.

[0027] The movable terminal member 5 is also a metal processed product formed by bending a metal plate material of a predetermined shape. The movable terminal member 5 is electrically connected to the control unit via the relay member 6. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 7, the movable terminal member 5 has an insertion hole 51 formed therethrough. The second support portion 32 (shaft portion 321) is inserted into the insertion hole 51. As a result, the movable terminal member 5 is supported rotatably around the second support portion 32 as described above, and can move toward and away from the fixed terminal member 4. The movable terminal member 5 also has a plate-shaped terminal portion 52 provided on the opposite side of the insertion hole 51. The terminal portion 52 engages with the engagement portion 23 of the operating member 2 by the biasing force of the biasing member 7. As a result, when the operating member 2 is pressed, the pressing force is transmitted to the terminal portion 52 via the engagement portion 23, and the movable terminal member 5 can be rotated in conjunction with the pressing force. At this time, the terminal portion 52 of the movable terminal member 5 approaches the terminal portion 43 of the fixed terminal member 4 .

[0028] The switch device 1 is switchable between a connected state in which the terminal portion 52 of the movable terminal member 5 contacts the terminal portion 43 of the fixed terminal member 4 to electrically connect the fixed terminal member 4 and the movable terminal member 5, and a released state in which the terminal portion 52 of the movable terminal member 5 is separated from the terminal portion 43 of the fixed terminal member 4 to release the connected state. When the operating member 2 is in the first position, the released state is established (see FIG. 3). When the operating member 2 is in the second position, the connected state is established (see FIG. 4). In the contact state, the horn is activated to emit an alarm, and in the released state, the horn is deactivated.

[0029] The relay member 6 is also a metal processed product formed by bending a metal plate material of a predetermined shape. The relay member 6 is fixed to the case 3 (case body 30A). As shown in Figs. 3 and 7, the relay member 6 has an insertion hole 61 formed therethrough. The second support portion 32 is inserted into the insertion hole 61. As shown in Fig. 6, the movable terminal member 5 is placed on the relay member 6. As a result, the movable terminal member 5 comes into contact with the relay member 6 regardless of whether it rotates. The relay member 6 also has an extension portion 62 extending downward below the insertion hole 61. The extension portion 62 is electrically connected to the control unit.

[0030] The biasing member 7 is a member that biases the movable terminal member 5 and the operating member 2 together in a direction in which the operating member 2 rotates from the second position to the first position (the direction of the arrow β in FIG. 3). As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the biasing member 7 is made of a torsion coil spring, and has a coil portion 71 wound in a coil shape, an arm portion (one arm portion) 72 protruding from one end of the coil portion 71, and an arm portion (the other arm portion) 73 protruding from the other end. Note that, although the biasing member 7 is made of a torsion coil spring in this embodiment, it is not limited thereto, and may be made of, for example, a leaf spring.

[0031] The shaft portion 311 of the first support portion 31 is inserted into the coil portion 71. This causes the coil portion 71 and the shaft portion 311 of the first support portion 31 to engage with each other. The arm portion 72 has a bent portion 721 formed by bending an end portion of the arm portion 72. The bent portion 721 engages with an intermediate portion 53 between the insertion hole 51 of the movable terminal member 5 and the terminal portion 52. The arm portion 73 extends linearly, and an end portion 731 of the arm portion 73 engages with an inner wall portion of the case body 30A of the case 3.

[0032] In the above-described engaged state (hereinafter simply referred to as the "engaged state"), the biasing member 7 can stably bias the movable terminal member 5 and the operating member 2 in the direction of the arrow β. Note that the pressing operation of the operating member 2 in the direction of the arrow α is performed against the biasing force of the biasing member 7.

[0033] 3, when viewed from the protruding direction (Y-axis direction) of the first support portion 31 and the second support portion 32, the second support portion 32 is disposed in the case 3 between the first support portion 31 and the terminal portion 43 (contact portion) where the fixed terminal member 4 contacts the movable terminal member 5 in the connected state. If the viewing direction is changed, for example, when viewed from the direction where the fixed terminal member 4 and the movable terminal member 5 contact each other in the connected state (Z-axis direction), the second support portion 32 is disposed in the case 3 between the first support portion 31 and the terminal portion 43. Hereinafter, such a positional relationship is referred to as the "positional relationship within the case." The biasing member 7 can bias the movable terminal member 5 and the operating member 2 depending on the engaged state without changing the positional relationship within the case.

[0034] Due to the positional relationship within the case, the distance between the first support portion 31 and the terminal portion 43 is longer than the distance between the second support portion 32 and the terminal portion 43. This makes it possible to reduce the overall length of the movable terminal member 5 while ensuring a sufficient movement stroke (push amount) when the operating member 2 moves due to a pressing operation.

[0035] Incidentally, when the switch device 1 is used as a horn switch for operating the horn of a motorcycle, the operating member 2 may be pressed through, for example, a thick glove worn by the rider. In this case, it is preferable for the rider that the movement stroke of the operating member 2 is long. This is because, if the movement stroke of the operating member 2 is short, it is difficult to obtain a sense of operation even when the rider presses the operating member 2 while wearing thick gloves. In contrast, if the movement stroke of the operating member 2 is long, the rider can obtain a sense of having reliably pressed the operating member 2, regardless of whether the rider is wearing thick gloves or not.

[0036] In the switch device 1, the movement stroke of the operating member 2 is sufficiently ensured, so that the user feels as if the operating member 2 has been reliably pressed. Furthermore, the overall length of the movable terminal member 5 can be reduced, so that the amount of conductive material (e.g., metal material) used in the movable terminal member 5 can be reduced (suppressed). This, combined with the fact that the first support portion 31 and the second support portion 32 are each made of a resin material, allows the switch device 1 to be made lighter and less expensive to manufacture.

[0037] Also, assuming a configuration in which the second support portion 32 is inserted into the coil portion 71 of the urging member 7, this configuration will result in a shorter overall length of the arm portion 72 than the configuration of this embodiment in which the first support portion 31 is inserted into the coil portion 71 of the urging member 7 (positional relationship within the case). In this case, there is a risk that the workability of engaging the arm portion 72 with the movable terminal member 5 during assembly of the switch device 1 will be reduced.

[0038] Furthermore, since the first support portion 31 and the second support portion 32 are provided on the case 3, components such as the operating member 2, the movable terminal member 5, the biasing member 7, etc. can be assembled to the case 3. Also, since the assembly of each component is completed simply by engaging the case body 30A with the lid body 30B, productivity can be improved.

[0039] As described above, the movable terminal member 5 has the insertion hole 51. This insertion hole 51 is formed by burring. As a result, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, a ring-shaped raised portion 54 is formed at the edge of the insertion hole 51 by being deformed and raised by the burring.

[0040] The relay member 6 also has an insertion hole 61. This insertion hole 61 is also formed by burring, like the insertion hole 51. As a result, a ring-shaped rising portion (ring portion) 64 is formed at the edge of the insertion hole 61 by deformation caused by the burring. The diameter of the rising portion 64 (insertion hole 61) is smaller than the diameter of the rising portion 54 (insertion hole 51). Furthermore, the rising height of the rising portion 54 is larger than the rising height of the rising portion 54. Such a rising portion 64 is fitted between the second support portion 32 and the rising portion 54.

[0041] For example, when the insertion hole 51 of the movable terminal member 5 is formed using a simple punching press without using burring, a fracture surface is generated on the edge (inner peripheral surface) of the insertion hole 51. For example, a large number of small sharp protrusions may be formed on this fracture surface. In this case, when the movable terminal member 5 rotates, the outer peripheral surface 541 of the rising portion 64 of the relay member 6 is worn away by the protrusions. If the wear becomes excessive, the smooth rotation of the movable terminal member 5 may be hindered.

[0042] In contrast, as described above, the insertion hole 51 is processed by burring, and the rising portion 54 is formed on the edge of the insertion hole 51. The inner peripheral surface 541 of the rising portion 54 is a smooth surface. This prevents excessive wear of the rising portion 64 due to the rotation of the movable terminal member 5. Similarly, excessive wear is prevented for the rising portion 54. This prevention of wear allows the movable terminal member 5 to rotate smoothly for a long period of time. In addition, it is possible to prevent the first support portion 31 from directly contacting the fracture surface of the movable terminal member 5 due to the formation of the insertion hole 51. This makes it possible to suppress wear of the first support portion 31, and it is not necessary to use a metal material as a constituent material of the first support portion 31. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1 Switching device 2 Operation member 3 Cases 31 1st support part 32 Second support part 4 Fixed terminal member 43 Terminal 5 Movable terminal member 52 Terminal section 7. Pressing member

Claims

1. A fixed terminal member made of a conductive material; A movable terminal member is made of a conductive material and is rotatable toward and away from the fixed terminal member, a connected state in which the fixed terminal member and the movable terminal member are electrically connected by bringing the movable terminal member into contact with the fixed terminal member, and a released state in which the connected state is released by separating the movable terminal member from the fixed terminal member, an operating member that is rotatable from a first position to the released state and from a second position to the connected state when pressed by the operating member; A first support portion that rotatably supports the operating member; a second support portion provided at a position different from that of the first support portion and configured to rotatably support the movable terminal member; a biasing member that engages with the first support portion and the movable terminal member and biases the movable terminal member and the operating member in a direction in which the operating member rotates from the second position to the first position; a case made of a resin material and configured to accommodate the fixed terminal member and the movable terminal member; when viewed from a protruding direction of the first support portion and the second support portion, the second support portion is disposed between the first support portion and a contact portion where the fixed terminal member and the movable terminal member come into contact with each other in the connected state, when viewed from a direction in which the fixed terminal member and the movable terminal member contact each other in the connected state, the second support portion is disposed between the first support portion and a contact portion where the fixed terminal member and the movable terminal member contact each other in the connected state, A switch device, wherein the first support portion and the second support portion are each integrally formed in a columnar shape and protrude from the case.

2. the biasing member is a torsion coil spring having a coil portion and arm portions protruding from both ends of the coil portion, 2. The switch device according to claim 1, wherein the coil portion engages with the first support portion, one of the arms engages with the movable terminal member, and the other arm engages with the case.

3. the movable terminal member has an insertion hole formed by burring and into which the second support portion is inserted, 2. The switch device according to claim 1, wherein an edge of the insertion hole is deformed by the burring process to form a raised portion.

4. The switch device according to claim 3 , further comprising a member made of a conductive material, the member having a ring-shaped portion that fits between the second support portion and the rising portion.

5. a case for housing the fixed terminal member and the movable terminal member, The switch device according to claim 3 , wherein the case has a retaining portion that prevents the second support portion from coming out of the insertion hole.

6. The switch device according to claim 5 , wherein the retaining portion is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to protrude toward the second support portion, and an end portion of the second support portion is inserted into the retaining portion.

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