Frame assembly and button

Abstract

To provide a frame assembly to reduce the number of components required to configure a button.SOLUTION: A frame assembly 3 suitable for mounting on a substrate 2 with a contact switch 21 is provided. The frame assembly 3 includes a frame 31 and at least one elastic arm 32. The frame 31 is configured to move along the operating direction and contact the contact switch 21. The elastic arm 32 is connected to the frame 31. when the frame 31 is not pressed by an external force, the elastic arm 32 extends diagonally from the frame 31 to the substrate 2 so that a spacing exists between the frame 31 and the contact switch 21. By connecting the elastic arm 32 to the frame 31 in this way, the number of button components can be reduced. The invention also provides a button 1 using the frame assembly 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a frame assembly and a button, and particularly to a frame assembly applicable to a light-emitting button and a button using the same.

Background Art

[0002] Buttons are currently very common input devices, and users can input signals by pressing buttons to control large machines such as elevators. Among them, in order for users to easily identify the position and type of buttons, currently, in some buttons, in order to facilitate user observation, a light-emitting element is attached inside the button, for example, on the bottom substrate, and a light-transmissive window is provided on the button.

[0003] Conventional buttons include a frame and an electrical signal generation element (for example, a pressure sensor, a pressure switch, etc.). In order not to trigger the electrical signal generation element when the user is not pressing the frame, to give the frame a rebound function after the pressing is completed, or to give the user pressure feedback during the pressing process, etc., the button can create a gap between the frame and the aforementioned electrical signal generation element when not being pressed, and a reset member that can bounce back after the pressing is completed, for example, a spring, needs to be provided. In order to prevent the displacement or loss of the reset member during assembly or maintenance, it is necessary to additionally design fixing parts, resulting in a more complex structure of the button and increased manufacturing and maintenance efforts.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides a frame assembly for reducing the number of parts required to form a button.

[0005] The present invention also provides a button for reducing the number of parts.

[0006] To achieve the above advantages, an embodiment of the present invention provides a frame assembly suitable for attachment to a substrate having a contact switch. The frame assembly includes a frame and at least one elastic arm. The frame is configured to move along an operating direction to contact the contact switch. The at least one elastic arm is connected to the frame and extends obliquely from the frame to the substrate such that there is a gap between the frame and the contact switch when the frame is not being pushed by an external force.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the frame has an annular wall forming an opening, and the at least one elastic arm is connected to an annular side wall surface of the annular wall.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the frame has an annular wall forming an opening, and the at least one elastic arm is located inside or outside the opening.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the at least one elastic arm includes a first extension portion and a second extension portion. The first extension portion is connected between the second extension portion and the frame, and the extending directions of the first extension portion and the second extension portion are different.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the frame assembly further includes an outer frame suitable for attachment to the substrate and surrounding the frame. The outer frame has a slide groove, and the extending direction of the slide groove is parallel to the operating direction. A protrusion is provided on the frame, and this protrusion is slidably attached to the slide groove.

[0011] The aforementioned button provided by the present invention includes a substrate and a frame assembly. The substrate has a contact switch. The frame assembly is connected to the substrate. The frame assembly includes a frame and at least one elastic arm. The frame is configured to move along an operating direction to contact the contact switch. The elastic arm is connected to the frame and extends obliquely from the frame to the substrate such that there is a gap between the frame and the contact switch when the frame is not being pushed by an external force.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the frame has an annular wall forming an opening, and at least one elastic arm is connected to the annular side wall surface of the annular wall.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the frame has an annular wall forming an opening, and at least one elastic arm is located inside or outside the opening.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the at least one elastic arm includes a first extension portion and a second extension portion. The first extension portion is connected between the second extension portion and the frame, and the extending directions of the first extension portion and the second extension portion are different.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the button is suitable for being attached to a substrate and further includes an outer frame surrounding the frame. The outer frame has a slide groove, and the extending direction of the slide groove is parallel to the operation direction. A protrusion is provided on the frame, and this protrusion is slidably attached to the slide groove.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate further includes at least one light-emitting element, and the position of the elastic arm projected on the substrate along the operation direction avoids the position of the at least one light-emitting element.

[0017] From the above description, the frame assembly of the present invention and the button using the frame assembly support the frame through the elastic arm connected to the frame. As a result, when no external force is applied, there is a gap between the frame and the contact switch on the substrate. When the frame moves toward the contact switch along the operation direction by an external force, the elastic arm deforms to activate the contact switch. When the external force disappears, the elastic arm returns to its original shape, causing the above gap to occur again, thereby reducing the number of components required for the button.

[0018] To more clearly understand the above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention, embodiments will be shown below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019]

Figure 1

Figure 2A

Figure 2B

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] In the following description, the description of the orientation and positional relationship indicated by terms such as "upper", "lower", etc. used in the description of the embodiments of the present invention is based on the orientation and positional relationship shown in the drawings used. The above terms are used only to facilitate the description of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. That is, it does not indicate or suggest that the elements mentioned need to have a specific orientation or must be constructed in a specific orientation. Furthermore, terms such as "first" and "second" mentioned in this specification or the claims are used only for naming elements or for distinguishing different embodiments or ranges, and are not used to limit the upper or lower limits of the number of elements.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded view of a button according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A is a schematic side view of the frame of FIG. 1. FIG. 2B is a schematic top view of the frame of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the button of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the button of FIG. 1 during operation. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the button 1 of the present embodiment includes a substrate 2 and a frame assembly 3. The substrate 2 has a contact switch 21. The frame assembly 3 is connected to the substrate 2 and includes a frame 31 and an elastic arm 32. The frame 31 is configured to move along the operation direction D and contact the contact switch 21. The elastic arm 32 is connected to the frame 31 and extends obliquely from the frame 31 to the substrate 2 so that there is a gap S between the frame 31 and the contact switch 21 when the frame 31 is not pushed by an external force.

[0022] When the frame 31 is pushed by an external force along the operation direction D toward the contact switch 21, the elastic arm 32 deforms during this process. At the same time, the frame 31 moves toward the substrate 2, reducing the gap S between the frame 31 and the contact switch 21, and finally pressing the contact switch 21 (as shown in FIG. 4). When the external force disappears, the elastic arm 32 returns to its original shape, and by pressing the substrate 2, a gap S is generated again between the frame 31 and the contact switch 21 (as shown in FIG. 3).

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, a plurality of light-emitting elements 22, for example, are dispersed on the substrate 2. The light-emitting elements 22 are, for example, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), but are not limited thereto. The contact switch 21 is, for example, a push switch provided on the substrate 2, and the number thereof may be, for example, two, but is not limited thereto. In the present embodiment, the button 1 is, for example, an elevator button. When the user indirectly presses the frame 31 through a transparent frame (not shown) along the operation direction D to bring the frame 31 into contact with the contact switch 21, the circuit in which the contact switch 21 is arranged can be turned on to generate an electrical signal, and the operation of the elevator can be controlled.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the frame assembly 3 further includes, for example, an outer frame 33 and a front cover 34. The front cover 34 is attached onto the outer frame 33, and the outer frame 33 is attached onto the substrate 2 and surrounds the frame 31 and the elastic arm 32. The outer frame 33 and the front cover 34 together form a first opening 331 that opens along the operation direction D. This first opening 331 has an inner wall surface 332, and, for example, has a slide groove 333 on the inner wall surface 332 of the outer frame 33. The extending direction of the slide groove 333 is parallel to the operation direction D.

[0025] The frame 31 has, for example, an annular wall 311. The annular wall 311 surrounds to form a second opening 312 that opens along the operation direction D. On the annular wall 311, at positions corresponding to the two contact switches 21, pressing portions 313 suitable for pressing the two contact switches 21 along the operation direction D are provided. Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the shape of the frame 31 is not particularly limited and may be a square as shown in FIG. 2B, or may be triangular or circular, and can be determined, for example, based on the shape of the button 1 or the position of the light-emitting element 22 on the substrate 2.

[0026] Also, referring to FIGS. 1 to 2B, on the side wall surface 311a of the frame 31 on the side away from the second opening 312, a protrusion 314 is provided, for example, corresponding to the position of the slide groove 333 provided on the outer frame 33. When the frame 31 and the outer frame 33 are combined, the protrusion 314 enters the slide groove 333, and the frame 31 is restricted by the outer frame 33 and can only slide along the operation direction D.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the elastic arm 32 is connected to the side wall surface 311a of the annular wall 311, for example, outside the second opening 312, and its position is, for example, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, connected to the side wall surface 311a and near the bottom of the side wall surface 311a. Also, for example, it extends from the four corners of the frame 31 toward the substrate 2, but is not limited thereto. In other words, in other embodiments, the elastic arm 32 may extend toward the substrate 2 at the upper part of the side wall surface 311a, or may extend toward the substrate 2 at a position between the upper and lower parts of the side wall surface 311a. Further, taking the bottom surface 315 (see FIG. 2A) of the frame 31 facing the substrate 2 as the connection point between the elastic arm 32 and the frame 31, it may extend obliquely toward the substrate 2. With the above configuration, when the frame 31 and the substrate 2 are combined, as shown in FIG. 3, a gap S can be formed between the frame 31 and the contact switch 21.

[0028] On the other hand, the position of the elastic arm 32 can be determined, for example, based on the distribution of the light-emitting elements 22 on the substrate 2. That is, the position of the elastic arm 32 projected onto the substrate 2 along the operation direction D will avoid the position of at least one light-emitting element 22. Therefore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 where a plurality of light-emitting elements 22 on the substrate 2 are visible along the second opening 312, the elastic arm 32 is located outside the second opening 312, and a plurality of light-emitting elements 22 are visible between the outer frame 33 and the frame 31. However, in an embodiment where the number of light-emitting elements 22 in the second opening 312 of the frame 31 is small, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the elastic arm 32 can be provided on the side wall surface 311b within the second opening 312. Similarly, the elastic arm 32 is not limited to being arranged at the corner positions of the frame 31 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, and may be arranged on the side portions of the frame 31. The number of the elastic arms 32 is not particularly limited.

[0029] When an external force acts on the frame 31 along the operation direction D, the elastic arm 32 deforms, and when the external force does not act on the frame 31, it returns to its original shape. Therefore, the elastic arm 32 can be made of, for example, an elastic material. In an embodiment where the frame 31 is formed of an elastic material, the elastic arm 32 and the frame 31 may be integrally formed.

[0030] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a frame according to still another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the elastic arm 32a is different from the elastic arm 32 of FIGS. 1, 2A, and 3. Specifically, the elastic arm 32 of FIGS. 1, 2A, and 3 extends linearly and obliquely directly from the side wall surface 311a of the frame 31 toward the substrate 2. The elastic arm 32a of FIG. 6 includes, for example, a first extension portion 321 and a second extension portion 322. The first extension portion 321 is connected between the second extension portion 322 and the frame 31 and extends, for example, along a direction parallel to the substrate 2. The second extension portion 322 extends obliquely, for example, toward the substrate 2. In other words, the first extension portion 321 and the second extension portion 322 can extend in different directions, but the positional relationship between the contact point where the elastic arm 32a composed of both the first extension portion 321 and the second extension portion 322 is connected to the frame 31 and the contact point where the elastic arm 32a contacts the substrate 2 still remains oblique with respect to the operation direction D.

[0031] From the above description, the frame assembly of the present invention and the button using the frame assembly support the frame via the elastic arm connected to the frame. As a result, when no external force is applied, there is a gap between the frame and the contact switch on the substrate. When the frame moves toward the contact switch along the operation direction by an external force, the elastic arm deforms to operate the contact switch. When the external force disappears, the above gap is generated again due to the action of the elastic arm returning to its original shape. By combining the frame for pressing the contact switch and the elastic arm for bouncing back the frame, the number of components required for the button is reduced, and the elastic arm can flexibly change according to the position of the light-emitting element on the substrate.

[0032] Although the present invention has been disclosed through the above embodiments, these do not limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make some changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0033] 1: Button 2: Substrate 21: Contact Switch 22: Light-Emitting Element 3: Frame Assembly 31: Frame 311: Annular Wall 311a: Side Wall Surface 312: Second Opening 311b: Side Wall Surface 313: Pressing Portion 314: Protrusion 315: Bottom Surface 32, 32a: Elastic Arm 321: First Extension 322: Second Extension 33: Outer Frame 331: First Opening 332: Inner Wall Surface 333: Slide Groove 34: Front Cover S: Spacing D: Operation Direction

Claims

A frame assembly suitable for attachment to a substrate having at least one light-emitting element and a contact switch, a frame configured to move along an operating direction and contact the contact switch, at least one elastic arm integrally provided on the frame, the at least one elastic arm extending obliquely from the frame to the substrate such that there is a gap between the frame and the contact switch when the frame is not being pushed by an external force, the frame including an annular wall and an opening formed by the annular wall and penetrating the frame along the operating direction, the opening being configured to emit light emitted from the at least one light-emitting element to the outside of the frame, and a pressing portion provided at a position corresponding to the contact switch on the annular wall, the frame assembly.

2. The frame assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one elastic arm is connected to an annular side wall surface of the annular wall.

3. The frame assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one elastic arm is located inside or outside the opening.

4. The frame assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one elastic arms includes a first extension portion and a second extension portion, the first extension portion being connected between the second extension portion and the frame, and the extending directions of the first extension portion and the second extension portion being different.

5. The frame assembly according to claim 1, further including an outer frame suitable for attachment to the substrate and surrounding the frame, the outer frame having a slide groove, the extending direction of the slide groove being parallel to the operating direction, and the frame being provided with a protrusion, the protrusion being slidably attached to the slide groove.

6. A substrate having at least one light-emitting element and a contact switch, and a frame assembly connected to the substrate, the frame assembly including a frame configured to move along an operating direction and contact the contact switch, At least one elastic arm integrally provided on the frame, wherein when the frame is not pushed by an external force, the at least one elastic arm obliquely extends from the frame to the substrate so that there is a gap between the frame and the contact switch. The frame includes an annular wall and an opening formed by the annular wall and penetrating the frame along the operation direction, the opening for emitting the light emitted from the at least one light-emitting element to the outside of the frame, and a pressing portion provided at a position corresponding to the contact switch on the annular wall.

7. The button according to claim 6, wherein the at least one elastic arm is connected to an annular side wall surface of the annular wall.

8. The button according to claim 6, wherein the at least one elastic arm is located inside or outside the opening.

9. Each of the at least one elastic arms includes a first extension portion and a second extension portion, the first extension portion is connected between the second extension portion and the frame, and the extending directions of the first extension portion and the second extension portion are different. The button according to claim 6.

10. Further including an outer frame suitable for attaching to the substrate and surrounding the frame, the outer frame has a slide groove, the extending direction of the slide groove is parallel to the operation direction, and the frame is provided with a protrusion, and the protrusion is slidably attached to the slide groove. The button according to claim 6.

11. The position of the elastic arm projected onto the substrate along the operation direction avoids the position of the at least one light-emitting element. The button according to claim 6.

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