Push Switch System

Abstract

Provided are a push switch capable of a stable long press, and a push switch system.　The push switch includes a movable contact member which is deformable and has spring characteristics, a first stationary contact member having a first stationary contact part capable of contact with / separation from the movable contact member, and a second stationary contact member having a second stationary contact part capable of contact with / separation from the movable contact member, wherein when the movable contact member is pressed by a pressing operation, the push switch enters a first contact state at a first contact position where the movable contact member and the first stationary contact part make contact, and when a pressing operation is performed again, the push switch enters a second contact state at a second contact position where the movable contact member and the second stationary contact part make contact. The push switch does not enter an ON state even when entering the first contact state from an OFF state, but rather enters the ON state when entering the second contact state, and does not enter the OFF state even when the second contact state is released from the ON state, but rather enters the OFF state when the first contact state is released.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a push switch and a push switch system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a movable contact that includes a first leaf spring and a second leaf spring having a greater elastic force than the first leaf spring, and has a total movement stroke that is made up of a first movement stroke in which the second leaf spring tilts as the first leaf spring bends, and a second movement stroke in which the second leaf spring moves as the second leaf spring bends (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-216329 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional movable contacts cannot be stably pressed down (long press) while maintaining the ON state.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a push switch and a push switch system that allow stable long presses. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A push switch according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a movable contact member having a deformable spring property, a first fixed contact member having a first fixed contact portion that can be brought into contact with and separated from the movable contact member, and a second fixed contact member having a second fixed contact portion that can be brought into contact with and separated from the movable contact member, wherein the movable contact member is pressed by a pressing operation, resulting in a first contact state at a first contact position where the movable contact member and the first fixed contact portion come into contact, and a further pressing operation resulting in a second contact state at a second contact position where the movable contact member and the second fixed contact portion come into contact, in which the push switch does not become an on state when it changes from an off state to the first contact state, but becomes an on state when it changes to the second contact state, and does not become an off state when the second contact state is released from the on state, but becomes an off state when the first contact state is released. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] It is possible to provide a push switch and a push switch system that can be stably pressed and held down. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a push switch 100 of a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a push switch 100. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the push switch 100. [Figure 4] 1 is a transparent view showing metal plates 120A, 120B, and 120C embedded in a housing 110 by insert molding. [Figure 5] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating the cross-sectional structure and operation of a push switch 100. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the cross-sectional structure and operation of a push switch 100. [Figure 7] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating the cross-sectional structure and operation of a push switch 100. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the FS characteristic of the push switch 100. [Figure 9]1 is a diagram showing a push switch system 10. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a push switch 200 of a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a push switch 200. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the push switch 200. [Figure 13] 10 is a transparent view showing metal plates 120A and 120C embedded in a housing 210 by insert molding. [Figure 14] 2A to 2C are diagrams illustrating the cross-sectional structure and operation of a push switch 200. [Figure 15] 2A to 2C are diagrams illustrating the cross-sectional structure and operation of a push switch 200. [Figure 16] 2A to 2C are diagrams illustrating the cross-sectional structure and operation of a push switch 200. [Figure 17] 10 is a diagram showing the FS characteristic of the push switch 200. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment to which the push switch and the push switch system of the present invention are applied will be described.

[0010] <Embodiment 1> 1 and 2 are perspective views showing the push switch 100 of the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the push switch 100. In the following, an XYZ coordinate system is defined and explained. For convenience of explanation, the -Z direction will be referred to as the lower side or bottom, and the +Z direction will be referred to as the upper side or top, but this does not represent a universal vertical relationship.

[0011] The push switch 100 includes a housing 110 , metal plates 120 A, 120 B, and 120 C, a metal contact 130 A, a leaf spring 130 B, a pressing member 140 , and an insulator 150 .

[0012] Below, the metal plates 120A, 120B, and 120C will be described using FIG. 4 in addition to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a see-through view of the metal plates 120A, 120B, and 120C embedded in the housing 110 by insert molding. The cross-sectional structure and operation will be described using FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, which show cross sections taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. The cross section taken along the line AA is a cross section obtained by cutting the push switch 100 along the XZ plane at the center of the width in the Y direction. The push switch 100 has, as an example, a shape whose length in the X direction is longer than its length in the Y direction. Therefore, the housing 110, the pressing member 140, and the insulator 150 also have, as an example, shapes whose length in the X direction is longer than their length in the Y direction.

[0013] In the following, the X direction is the longitudinal direction and the Y direction is the lateral direction for the push switch 100, the housing 110, the pressing member 140, and the insulator 150. The X direction is an example of a first axis direction, and the Y direction is an example of a second axis direction. Furthermore, the end of the housing 110 in the -X direction is an example of a first end in the first axis direction, and the end of the housing 110 in the +X direction is an example of a second end in the first axis direction.

[0014] When the push switch 100 is in the off (non-conductive state), the metal contact 130A is in contact with the metal plate 120C (peripheral fixed contact 121C) but is not in contact with the metal plate 120A (peripheral fixed contact 121A) or the metal plate 120B (central fixed contact 121B). In other words, the metal plates 120A, 120B, and the metal plate 120C are not electrically connected. When the insulator 150 of the push switch 100 is pressed downward, the metal contact 130A is pressed via the pressing member 140 and the leaf spring 130B, causing the metal contact 130A and the leaf spring 130B to perform a reversing movement. The reversing movement of the metal contact 130A and the leaf spring 130B electrically connects the metal plates 120A, 120B, and the metal plate 120C in stages via the metal contact 130A. At this time, push switch 100 is a switch that does not turn on when metal plate 120A and metal plate 120C are connected, but turns on (conductive) when metal plate 120B and metal plate 120C are connected. Such a determination is made by an external control unit.

[0015] The stroke required to press insulator 150 to bring metal contact 130A into contact with metal plate 120B is very short, at 0.05 mm. The operating load required to reverse metal contact 130A is, for example, 3.3 N. This operating load is such that accidentally touching insulator 150 makes it difficult to turn on push switch 100. In other words, it is a load that can prevent erroneous operation.

[0016] The housing 110 is made of resin and holds the metal plates 120A, 120B, and 120C. The housing 110 and the metal plates 120A, 120B, and 120C are integrally manufactured by insert molding. In other words, the metal plates 120A, 120B, and 120C are embedded in the housing 110 by insert molding. The housing 110 has an opening 111 and a storage section 112 that communicates with the opening 111. The opening 111 is formed on the surface on the +Z direction side. The housing 110 also has a bottom wall 113 and side walls 114. The bottom wall 113 is a plate-shaped portion at the bottom of the housing 110, and the side walls 114 are side walls that extend upward on all four sides of the bottom wall 113. The space surrounded by the bottom wall 113 and the side walls 114 is the storage section 112.

[0017] Furthermore, housing 110 has recesses 115A and 115B at both ends in the X direction. Recess 115A is an example of a first recess and is recessed in the +X direction. Recess 115B is an example of a second recess and is recessed in the -X direction. The recesses 115A and 115B are recessed by the same length in the X direction and also by the same length in the Y direction. Furthermore, recesses 115A and 115B are positioned at the same position in the Y direction.

[0018] In the following description, the portions of bottom wall 113 and side wall 114 of housing 110 that are located at the four corners in a plan view will be referred to as corners 116A and 116B. Corner 116A is located on both sides in the Y direction on the -X direction side of housing 110. Corner 116A protrudes further in the -X direction than recess 115A. Corner 116B is located on both sides in the Y direction on the +X direction side of housing 110. Corner 116B protrudes further in the +X direction than recess 115B.

[0019] Storage section 112 is formed downward from opening 111. Peripheral fixed contacts 121A of metal plate 120A, central fixed contacts 121B of metal plate 120B, and peripheral fixed contacts 121C of metal plate 120C are arranged at the bottom of storage section 112 and exposed to storage section 112. Within storage section 112, metal contacts 130A and leaf springs 130B are arranged above peripheral fixed contacts 121A, central fixed contacts 121B, and peripheral fixed contacts 121C, stacked in this order (see FIGS. 3 and 5), and pressing member 140 is stored above them.

[0020] Bottom wall 113 is the bottom portion of housing 110 and is a plate-like portion that is rectangular in plan view. Bottom wall 113 holds metal plates 120A, 120B, and 120C, and exposes the upper surfaces of peripheral fixed contact 121A of metal plate 120A, central fixed contact 121B of metal plate 120B, and peripheral fixed contact 121C of metal plate 120C.

[0021] Side walls 114 are provided along the four sides of bottom wall 113, and extend upward from a portion of bottom wall 113 that is outer than storage section 112. Extensions 125A and 125C of metal plates 120A and 120C are embedded in the boundary portions between side walls 114 and bottom wall 113 at the four corners.

[0022] Metal plate 120A is an example of a first fixed contact member and includes peripheral fixed contacts 121A, terminals 122A, and extensions 125A. Metal plate 120A is made of copper, for example. Peripheral fixed contacts 121A are an example of first fixed contact portions and are not in contact with metal contacts 130A when insulator 150 is not pressed downward (see FIG. 5), but are in contact with metal contacts 130A when insulator 150 is pressed downward to a first stage (see FIG. 6). Terminals 122A protrude in the −X direction within recess 115A of housing 110.

[0023] The extending portion 125A is an example of a pair of first extending portions, and is a portion in which both Y-direction sides of the terminal 122A extending in the Y direction are bent upward and extend obliquely upward. The extending portion 125A is embedded in the lower side in the thickness direction of the corner portion 116A of the housing 110. The extending portion 125A is provided across the bottom wall 113 and the side wall 114 at the corner portion 116A.

[0024] Metal plate 120B is an example of a second fixed contact member and has central fixed contact 121B and two terminals 122B. Metal plate 120B is made of copper, for example. Central fixed contact 121B is an example of a second fixed contact portion and is not in contact with metal contact 130A when insulator 150 is not pressed downward (see FIG. 5), but is in contact with metal contact 130A when insulator 150 is pressed downward to a second stage (see FIG. 7). Two terminals 122B are provided on ±Y direction sides of central fixed contact 121B and protrude in the ±Y direction from below the side of housing 110.

[0025] Metal plate 120C is an example of a third fixed contact member and includes peripheral fixed contacts 121C, terminals 122C, and extensions 125C. Metal plate 120C is made of copper, for example. Peripheral fixed contacts 121C are an example of a third fixed contact portion and are in contact with the end of metal contact 130A on the +X direction side when insulator 150 is not pressed downward (see FIG. 5). Peripheral fixed contacts 121C are also in contact with the end of metal contact 130A on the +X direction side when insulator 150 is pressed downward to a first stage (see FIG. 6) and when insulator 150 is pressed downward to a second stage (see FIG. 7). That is, peripheral fixed contacts 121C are always in contact with the end of metal contact 130A on the +X direction side. Terminals 122C protrude toward the +X direction side of housing 110 within recess 115A.

[0026] The extending portion 125C is an example of a pair of second extending portions, and is formed by bending both Y-direction ends of the terminal 122C extending in the Y direction upward and extending obliquely upward. The extending portion 125C is embedded in the lower side in the thickness direction of the corner portion 116B of the housing 110. The extending portion 125C is provided across the bottom wall 113 and the side wall 114 at the corner portion 116B.

[0027] The extensions 125A and 125C are provided to reinforce corners 116A and 116B of the housing 110, thereby improving the rigidity of the entire push switch 100. The extensions 125A and terminal 122A are provided over substantially the entire Y direction of the housing 110, and have a shape in which both ends of the Y direction of the terminal 122A extending in the Y direction are bent upward. Similarly, the extensions 125C and terminal 122C are provided over substantially the entire Y direction of the housing 110, and have a shape in which both ends of the Y direction of the terminal 122C extending in the Y direction are bent upward. Therefore, the extensions 125A and 125C are located at the four corners of the housing 110 in a plan view, and are located below the corners 116A and 116B in the thickness direction.

[0028] In this way, by embedding extensions 125A and 125C, each having a shape obtained by bending both Y-direction ends of terminals 122A and 122C extending in the Y direction upward, into corners 116A and 116B of housing 110, the rigidity of housing 110 can be dramatically improved due to the presence of metal extensions 125A and 125C, even if housing 110 is subjected to stress from above. In particular, the rigidity of corners 116A and 116B of housing 110 can be dramatically improved. This also dramatically improves the bending rigidity of push switch 100 when twisted in the longitudinal direction.

[0029] Such reinforcement cannot be achieved with a configuration like that of a conventional switch, which has extension portions extending in the +X direction from both ends in the Y direction of terminal 122A extending in the Y direction, and extension portions extending in the −X direction from both ends in the Y direction of terminal 122C extending in the Y direction, because there are no extension portions at corners 116A, 116B of housing 110. Conventional switches are suitable for applications that do not require much strength, but when applications in environments requiring higher strength are anticipated, a configuration in which extension portions 125A, 125C are embedded in corners 116A, 116B of housing 110 is effective.

[0030] Furthermore, in a configuration like a conventional switch having an extension portion extending from both ends in the Y direction of terminal 122A extending in the Y direction toward the +X direction, and an extension portion extending from both ends in the Y direction of terminal 122C extending in the Y direction toward the -X direction, the extension portion is bent toward storage section 112, which may reduce the volume of storage section 112.

[0031] In contrast, in the push switch 100 of the embodiment, the extending portions 125A and 125C are embedded in the corners 116A and 116B of the housing 110, and therefore the extending portions 125A and 125C are present inside the bottom wall 113 and the side wall 114 of the corners 116A and 116B. In other words, the provision of the extending portions 125A and 125C does not affect the size of the storage portion 112.

[0032] In particular, when including pressing member 140 utilizing the principle of leverage, if the length in the X direction of storage section 112 is long, the ratio of the length between the fulcrum and the point of action in the principle of leverage to the length between the fulcrum and the point of force can be increased. From this perspective as well, it is useful to provide extension sections 125A and 125C, each having a shape obtained by bending both ends in the Y direction of terminals 122A and 122C extending in the Y direction upward, at corners 116A and 116B of housing 110.

[0033] Furthermore, since terminals 122A and 122C are accommodated inside the recessed spaces of recesses 115A and 115B of housing 110, the length of push switch 100 in the X direction can be shortened.

[0034] Note that, here, a configuration will be described in which extending portions 125A and 125C are provided across bottom wall 113 and side wall 114 at corners 116A and 116B of housing 110. However, extending portions 125A and 125C may be provided on either bottom wall 113 or side wall 114 at corners 116A and 116B, respectively. For example, if bottom wall 113 is relatively thick, extending portions 125A and 125C may be provided only on bottom wall 113. Furthermore, for example, if bottom wall 113 is relatively thin, extending portions 125A and 125C may be provided only on side wall 114 at corners 116A and 116B. That is, it is sufficient that extending portions 125A and 125C are provided on bottom wall 113 and / or side wall 114 at corners 116A and 116B.

[0035] The metal contact 130A is an example of a movable contact member and is a metal spring made of a metal material. The metal contact 130A has a dome portion 131A in the center that protrudes upward in a dome shape and is reversible, and a leg portion 132A that extends in the -X direction from the -X direction end of the dome portion 131A (see FIG. 3). The dome portion 131A is an example of a dome-shaped spring portion. The leg portion 132A has a connection portion 132A1 and an end portion 132A2. The connection portion 132A1 is the portion where the dome portion 131A and the leg portion 132A are connected. The connection portion 132A1 does not strictly correspond to the boundary between the dome portion 131A and the leg portion 132A, but includes the outer periphery of the dome portion 131A and the end portion of the leg portion 132A on the +X direction side. The end portion 132A2 is the end portion of the leg portion 132A on the -X direction side. The metal contact 130A is, for example, made of stainless steel. End 132A2 is an example of a fixed portion that is sandwiched and fixed between bottom wall 113 of housing 110 and fulcrum portion 142 of pressing member 140 in a state where end 132A2 overlaps end 132B2 of leaf spring 130B. Note that end 132A2 may be embedded and fixed in side wall 114 of housing 110 by insert molding.

[0036] When insulator 150 is pressed downward to a first stage (see FIG. 6), connecting portion 132A1 is pressed downward and comes into contact with peripheral fixed contact 121A of metal plate 120A. In this state, metal contact 130A brings peripheral fixed contact 121A and peripheral fixed contact 121C into electrical continuity. The position of metal contact 130A at this time is an example of a first contact position, and the state in which metal contact 130A brings peripheral fixed contact 121A and peripheral fixed contact 121C into electrical continuity is an example of a first contact state.

[0037] When insulator 150 is pressed downward to the second stage (see FIG. 7), dome portion 131A reverses and becomes convex downward (see FIG. 7). In this state, dome portion 131A of metal contact 130A contacts central fixed contact 121B, establishing electrical continuity between central fixed contact 121B and peripheral fixed contact 121C. The position of metal contact 130A at this time is an example of a second contact position, and the state in which metal contact 130A establishes electrical continuity between central fixed contact 121B and peripheral fixed contact 121C is an example of a second contact state. In this state, metal contact 130A maintains electrical continuity between peripheral fixed contact 121A and peripheral fixed contact 121C.

[0038] The underside of metal contact 130A is silver-plated because the underside comes into contact with central fixed contact 121B and peripheral fixed contact 121C, through which current flows. Furthermore, the reversible movement of dome portion 131A provides the operator with a tactile sensation.

[0039] Metal contact 130A is fabricated by forming dome portion 131A from a circular portion of a metal plate having a circular portion in plan view and an elongated plate-like portion corresponding to leg portion 132A by punching.

[0040] Leaf spring 130B has a configuration in which the silver plating has been removed from metal contact 130A. Therefore, leaf spring 130B has a dome portion 131B and leg portion 132B. Leg portion 132B has connection portion 132B1 and end portion 132B2 that correspond to connection portion 132A1 and end portion 132A2, respectively, of leg portion 132A of metal contact 130A.

[0041] The pressing member 140 is housed inside the housing 112, and the insulator 150 is adhered to the top surface of the housing 110, so that the pressing member 140 is positioned inside the housing 112 so as not to shift position (see FIG. 5). The pressing member 140 is a flat metal member (see FIG. 3), and has a main body portion 141, a fulcrum portion 142 (an example of a first fulcrum portion), an application point portion 143 (an example of a first application point portion), and a force point portion 144 (an example of a first application point portion). The pressing member 140 is a member that can operate like a lever, and the fulcrum portion 142, the application point portion 143, and the force point portion 144 function as the fulcrum, application point, and force point of the lever, respectively. The pressing member 140 is produced, for example, by sheet metal processing. The pressing member 140 is made, for example, of stainless steel.

[0042] Since the pressing member 140 utilizes the principle of leverage, it is necessary for it to have little deflection and a certain degree of high rigidity. For this reason, the pressing member 140 is made of metal, has a certain degree of width in the Y-axis direction, and is also made certain degree of thickness in the Z-axis direction.

[0043] The main body 141 has a warped shape such that the fulcrum 142 and the action point 143 are curved downward relative to the force point 144, in order to facilitate the downward displacement of the action point 143.

[0044] The fulcrum portion 142 is provided on the -X direction side and is disposed between the bottom surface of the storage portion 112 and the end portion 132A2 of the leg portion 132A of the metal contact 130A and the end portion 132B2 of the leg portion 132B of the leaf spring 130B. The fulcrum portion 142 has a sufficient width in the Y-axis direction. This is to make it difficult for the fulcrum portion 142 to tilt in the Y-axis direction when the pressing member 140 moves, thereby enabling efficient transmission of force to the leaf spring 130B and the metal contact 130A. Note that, although the fulcrum portion 142 is provided across the entire width of the pressing member 140 in the Y-axis direction here, it may be divided into several portions.

[0045] Furthermore, the fulcrum portion 142 protrudes in the -Z direction. By making the fulcrum portion 142 protrude in the -Z direction in this manner, the pressing member 140 can be moved away from the bottom surface of the storage portion 112 in the +Z direction, making it easier to move the pressing member 140.

[0046] The load point portion 143 is provided on the +X direction side and has a protrusion 143A (an example of a first protrusion) that presses the metal contact 130A. As shown in Fig. 3, the protrusion 143A is circular in plan view, has a flat lower surface, and has a truncated cone shape.

[0047] Convex portion 143A is disposed so as to contact the upper surface of leaf spring 130B, and when pressing member 140 operates on the principle of a lever and pressing load point 143 downward, it presses leaf spring 130B and metal contact 130A downward. When insulator 150 is pressed downward to the first stage (see FIG. 6), connection portion 132A1 of metal contact 130A comes into contact with peripheral fixed contact 121A. In this state, leaf spring 130B and dome portions 131B and 131A of metal contact 130A do not reverse, and metal contact 130A does not contact central fixed contact 121B.

[0048] When the insulator 150 is further pressed downward to a second stage (see FIG. 7), the leaf spring 130B and the dome portions 131B and 131A of the metal contact 130A reverse their positions, and the metal contact 130A comes into contact with the central fixed contact 121B. When the insulator 150 is pressed downward from the first stage (see FIG. 6) to the second stage (see FIG. 7), the connecting portion 132A1 of the metal contact 130A is maintained in contact with the peripheral fixed contact 121A.

[0049] The force point portion 144 is provided between the fulcrum portion 142 and the action point portion 143, and has a protrusion 144A. The protrusion 144A protrudes in a semispherical shape. When the insulator 150 is not pressed, the protrusion 144A and the insulator 150 are not in contact with each other, and there is a gap between them. However, when the insulator 150 is pressed downward, the protrusion 144A comes into contact with the protrusion 144A, and the protrusion 144A is pressed downward. This is the state in which force is applied to the force point of the pressing member 140 using the principle of leverage.

[0050] Insulator 150 is made of a resin sheet and is adhered to the upper surface of housing 110 to cover opening 111. Insulator 150 has protrusion 151 that is offset in the −X direction from the center in a plan view (see FIGS. 1, 2, and 4). Protrusion 151 is formed by heat processing the resin sheet.

[0051] Metal plates 120A, 120B, 120C, metal contact 130A, leaf spring 130B, and pressing member 140 are stored in storage section 112 of housing 110, and insulator 150 is bonded to housing 110. By bonding insulator 150 to housing 110, metal plates 120A, 120B, 120C, metal contact 130A, leaf spring 130B, and pressing member 140 are held in storage section 112 without rattle.

[0052] The protrusion 151 is arranged at a position overlapping the force point 144 in a plan view, and is capable of flexibly deforming so as to come into contact with the force point 144 (see FIG. 7), and is spaced apart from the force point 144 when not flexibly deformed as shown in FIG. 5.

[0053] 8 is a diagram showing the FS (Force-Stroke) characteristics of the push switch 100. The horizontal axis represents the stroke (S) of pushing the insulator 150 downward, and the vertical axis represents the force (F) required to push the insulator 150 downward. The force (F) is the operating load.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 8, when the insulator 150 is pressed from the zero stroke position, the operating load gradually increases and becomes a very small value up to S1. The stage where the insulator 150 is pressed to S1 is the first stage (see FIG. 6). From the zero stroke position to S1, the insulator 150 presses the convex portion 144A of the force point portion 144, and the dome portions 131A and 131B of the metal contact 130A and the leaf spring 130B are pressed by the application point portion 143. This is the operating region where the legs 132A and 132B bend from the state shown in FIG. 5 to the state shown in FIG. 6, and the connecting portion 132A1 comes into contact with the peripheral fixed contact 121A. This indicates that the operating load required to bend the legs 132A and 132B is very small.

[0055] For example, S1 is 0.03 mm. Push switch 100 is designed to have a button or the like attached on top of insulator 150. A button is a component that is actually pressed and operated, such as a push-button switch in a vehicle interior or a push-button switch on an electronic device such as a mobile device.

[0056] For example, in a product that is prone to vibration, such as a mobile device, if there is a gap between the insulator 150 and the button, vibrations may be transmitted to the button when the product is subjected to vibration, causing abnormal noise. Therefore, the button may be pressed against another component when not in use to prevent abnormal noise. When used in such a product, the insulator 150 may be attached in a state where it is slightly pressed by the button in advance (pretensioned) to prevent a gap from forming between the button and the other component. In such a case, the insulator 150 is pressed by a stroke less than S1. Therefore, when the push button switch is operated, the stroke may start from a position smaller than S1 (for example, 1 / 2 of S1).

[0057] When the stroke exceeds S1, the application point portion 143 of the pressing member 140 further presses the metal contact 130A and the dome portions 131A and 131B of the leaf spring 130B, and when the stroke reaches S2, the operating load becomes F2, and the metal contact 130A and the leaf spring 130B reverse. The stage where the insulator 150 is pressed up to S2 is the second stage (see FIG. 7). In this state, the dome portions 131A and 131B reverse and contact the central fixed contact 121B. Note that in the second stage (see FIG. 7), the connecting portion 132A1 of the metal contact 130A is maintained in contact with the peripheral fixed contact 121A.

[0058] If the insulator 150 continues to be pressed after the stroke reaches S2, the stroke increases slightly beyond S2 due to factors such as the contraction of the insulator 150. At this time, the inverted dome portions 131A and 131B are pressed against the central fixed contact 121B, so the operating load becomes even greater than F2.

[0059] Because the push switch 100 utilizes the principle of leverage, the stroke required to press the insulator 150 to turn on the push switch 100 is smaller than the stroke required to press and reverse the metal contact 130A and the leaf spring 130B alone. "Alone" means that the metal contact 130A and the leaf spring 130B are pressed directly, without using the pressing member 140.

[0060] Furthermore, the operating load required to press insulator 150 to turn on push switch 100 is greater than the operating load required to press and reverse metal contact 130A and leaf spring 130B alone. Therefore, push switch 100 can achieve both a short stroke and a good operating feel with a relatively large operating load.

[0061] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a push switch system 10. The push switch system 10 includes a control unit 50 and a push switch 100. A device 60 to be operated by the push switch 100 is connected to the control unit 50. FIG. 9 shows a simplified view of the push switch 100, illustrating terminals 122A, 122B, and 122C. The control unit 50 is realized by a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), an input / output interface, an internal bus, and the like, and is a computer included in, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) of a vehicle or an electronic device such as a mobile device. The control unit 50 is connected to the terminals 122A, 122B, and 122C. The device 60 can be operated by the push switch 100 via the control unit 50.

[0062] Based on the resistance values ​​of terminals 122A, 122B, and 122C, the control unit 50 can determine a state in which terminals 122A and 122B are not connected to terminal 122C, a state in which terminals 122A and 122C are connected and terminals 122B and 122C are not connected, and a state in which terminals 122A and 122C are connected and terminals 122B and 122C are connected.

[0063] A state in which terminals 122A and 122B are not connected to terminal 122C is a non-conductive state in which terminals 122A and 122B are not electrically connected to terminal 122C. A state in which terminals 122A and 122C are connected and terminals 122B and 122C are not connected is an example of a first contact state. Furthermore, a state in which terminals 122A and 122C are connected and terminals 122B and 122C are connected is an example of a second contact state.

[0064] The control unit 50 determines that the push switch 100 is off (off state) when it is in the non-conductive state. The control unit 50 also determines that the push switch 100 is off (off state) when it switches from the non-conductive state to the first contact state, and determines that the push switch 100 is on (on state) when it switches from the non-conductive state to the second contact state via the first contact state.

[0065] Furthermore, when the push switch 100 is on (on state) in the second contact state, the control unit 50 determines that the push switch 100 is on (on state) even if it switches to the first contact state. When the push switch 100 is on (on state) in the first contact state and switches to the non-conductive state, the control unit 50 determines that the push switch 100 is off (off state).

[0066] Therefore, when the user presses the insulator 150 to enter the second contact state, the control unit 50 determines that the push switch 100 is on, and the device 60 that is the target of operation by the push switch 100 is turned on. Even if the force pressing the insulator 150 weakens and the stroke becomes less than S2, as long as the stroke is equal to or greater than S1 and the first contact state is maintained, the control unit 50 determines that the push switch 100 is on, and the device 60 is maintained on. Then, when the stroke becomes less than S1, the control unit 50 determines that the push switch 100 is off, and the device 60 is turned off.

[0067] In this way, to use the push switch 100 to turn on the device 60 to be operated, the insulator 150 must be pressed to the stroke S2, and once the device 60 is turned on, the on state of the device 60 can be maintained even if the stroke returns to S1. Also, when the stroke becomes less than S1, the device 60 turns off.

[0068] That is, when the device 60 is on, the on state of the device 60 can be maintained even if the stroke returns to S1. Therefore, the user can stably maintain the state in which the push switch 100 is pressed (the state in which the insulator 150 is pressed) for a long period of time.

[0069] Therefore, it is possible to provide the push switch 100 and the push switch system 10 that allow stable long presses.

[0070] Furthermore, extending portions 125A, 125C, which have shapes obtained by bending both Y-direction ends of terminals 122A, 122C extending in the Y direction upward, are provided at corners 116A, 116B of housing 110, thereby ensuring the length in the X direction of storage portion 112. This makes it possible to increase the ratio between the length of fulcrum portion 142 and application point portion 143 in pressing member 140 and the length of fulcrum portion 142 and force point portion 144.

[0071] Furthermore, since terminals 122A and 122C are housed inside the recessed spaces of recesses 115A and 115B of housing 110, the length of push switch 100 in the X direction can be shortened, thereby enabling the longitudinal size of push switch 100 to be reduced. Therefore, compact push switch 100 can effectively utilize pressing member 140, which utilizes the principle of leverage.

[0072] Furthermore, by utilizing the principle of leverage, even if metal contacts 130A and leaf springs 130B with a small operating load are used, they can easily handle the operating load required for a push switch. In general, metal contacts 130A with a heavy operating load tend to have a longer operating life than metal contacts 130A with a light operating load. In other words, the operating life of the push switch 100 can be extended.

[0073] In addition, in this embodiment, in order to ensure a predetermined operating load, leaf spring 130B is stacked on metal contact 130A, but if a lighter operating load is acceptable, it is possible to reduce the number of sheets (omit leaf spring 130B).

[0074] Furthermore, since the pressing member 140 can be produced by pressing a metal sheet, the fulcrum portion 142, the application point portion 143, the force point portion 144, and the like can be easily formed.

[0075] Although the above description has been given of a configuration in which push switch 100 includes pressing member 140 that utilizes the principle of leverage, pressing member 140 may have a configuration that does not utilize the principle of leverage. That is, instead of pressing member 140, a pressing member that does not utilize the principle of leverage and that directly transmits the pressing load of insulator 150 to leaf spring 130B may be used. Also, metal contact 130A and leaf spring 130B may be of a type that does not perform reversible operation, and metal contact 130A may come into contact with metal plates 120A and 120B in two stages when pressed.

[0076] Furthermore, in the above description, the push switch 100 includes the metal contact 130A and the leaf spring 130B, but it may also include only the metal contact 130A.

[0077] Furthermore, in the above description, the pressing member 140 includes the convex portion 143A and the convex portion 144A, but the pressing member 140 does not have to include the convex portion 143A and / or the convex portion 144A.

[0078] <Embodiment 2> 10 and 11 are perspective views showing a push switch 200 according to a second embodiment. Fig. 12 is an exploded view of the push switch 200. In the following description, an XYZ coordinate system is defined. For ease of explanation, the -Z direction will be referred to as the lower side or bottom, and the +Z direction will be referred to as the upper side or top, but this does not represent a universal vertical relationship.

[0079] The push switch 200 includes a housing 210, metal plates 120A and 120C, a metal contact 130A, a leaf spring 130B, a pressing member 140, and an insulator 150. The push switch 200 has a configuration in which the metal plate 120B is removed from the push switch 100 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the push switch 200 includes a housing 210 instead of the housing 110 of the push switch 100 of the first embodiment. Because the push switch 200 of the second embodiment does not include the metal plate 120B, the shape of the bottom wall 213 of the housing 210 differs from the bottom wall 113 of the housing 110 of the first embodiment. Other configurations are similar to those of the push switch 100 of the first embodiment, and therefore, similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. In the second embodiment, the metal plate 120C is an example of a second fixed contact member, and the peripheral fixed contact 121C is an example of a second fixed contact portion.

[0080] Below, metal plates 120A and 120C will be described using FIG. 13 in addition to FIG. 10, FIG. 11, and FIG. 12. FIG. 13 is a transparent view of metal plates 120A and 120C embedded in housing 210 by insert molding. The cross-sectional structure and operation will be described using FIG. 14 to FIG. 16, which show cross sections taken along the arrow BB in FIG. 10. The cross section taken along the arrow BB is a cross section obtained by cutting push switch 200 along the XZ plane at the center of its width in the Y direction.

[0081] When the push switch 200 is in the OFF (non-conductive state), the metal contact 130A is in contact with the metal plate 120C (peripheral fixed contact 121C) but not with the metal plate 120A (peripheral fixed contact 121A). That is, the metal plates 120A and 120C are not electrically connected. The push switch 200 presses the insulator 150 downward, thereby pressing the metal contact 130A via the pressing member 140 and the leaf spring 130B. Then, the metal contact 130A comes into contact with the metal plate 120A, and the metal plates 120A and 120C are electrically connected via the metal contact 130A, turning the push switch 200 ON. In this state, the metal contact 130A and the dome portions 131A and 131B of the leaf spring 130B are not performing reversal motion. Push switch 200 is a switch in which dome portions 131A and 131B perform a reversing operation when further pressed from an on state in which metal plate 120A and metal plate 120C are connected. Even when dome portions 131A and 131B perform a reversing operation, there is no change in the electrical state of push switch 200. The reversing operation of dome portions 131A and 131B is performed to increase the stroke.

[0082] Housing 210 is made of resin and holds metal plates 120A and 120C. Housing 210 and metal plates 120A and 120C are integrally manufactured by insert molding. Because housing 210 does not hold metal plate 120B, the shape of bottom wall 213 differs from bottom wall 113 of housing 110 of the first embodiment.

[0083] In push switch 200, when insulator 150 is pressed downward to a first position (see FIG. 15), connecting portion 132A1 is pressed downward and contacts peripheral fixed contact 121A of metal plate 120A, turning push switch 200 on. In this state, metal contact 130A conducts peripheral fixed contact 121A and peripheral fixed contact 121C. The position of metal contact 130A at this time is an example of a first position, and the state in which metal contact 130A conducts peripheral fixed contact 121A and peripheral fixed contact 121C is an example of a contact state. In the first position, metal contact 130A and dome portions 131A and 131B of leaf spring 130B do not perform reversing motion.

[0084] When insulator 150 is pressed downward to the second stage (see FIG. 16), dome portions 131A and 131B reverse and become convex downward (see FIG. 16). In this state, dome portion 131A of metal contact 130A abuts against bottom wall 213 of housing 210. The position of metal contact 130A at this time is an example of the second position. In this state, metal contact 130A maintains electrical continuity between peripheral fixed contact 121A and peripheral fixed contact 121C. In other words, push switch 200 maintains the ON state.

[0085] 17 is a diagram showing the FS (Force-Stroke) characteristics of the push switch 200. The horizontal axis represents the stroke (S) of pushing the insulator 150 downward, and the vertical axis represents the force (F) required to push the insulator 150 downward. The force (F) is the operating load.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 17, when the insulator 150 is pressed from the zero stroke position, the operating load gradually increases and becomes a very small value up to S1. The stage where the insulator 150 is pressed to S1 is the first stage (see FIG. 15). From the zero stroke position to S1, the insulator 150 presses the convex portion 144A of the force point portion 144, and the dome portions 131A and 131B of the metal contact 130A and the leaf spring 130B are pressed by the application point portion 143. This is the operating region where the legs 132A and 132B bend from the state shown in FIG. 14 to the state shown in FIG. 15, and the connecting portion 132A1 comes into contact with the peripheral fixed contact 121A. This indicates that the operating load required to bend the legs 132A and 132B is very small.

[0087] When the stroke exceeds S1, the application point portion 143 of the pressing member 140 further presses the metal contact 130A and the dome portions 131A and 131B of the leaf spring 130B, and when the stroke reaches S2, the operating load becomes F2, and the metal contact 130A and the leaf spring 130B reverse. The stage where the insulator 150 is pressed down to S2 is the second stage (see FIG. 16). In this state, the dome portions 131A and 131B reverse and abut against the bottom wall 213 of the housing 210. Even in the second stage (see FIG. 16), the connecting portion 132A1 of the metal contact 130A remains in contact with the peripheral fixed contact 121A.

[0088] If the insulator 150 continues to be pressed after the stroke reaches S2, the stroke increases slightly beyond S2 due to, for example, the contraction of the insulator 150. At this time, the inverted dome portions 131A and 131B are pressed against the bottom wall 213, so the operating load becomes even greater than F2.

[0089] When the user presses insulator 150 to the first stage (stroke S1) and it comes into contact, push switch 200 turns on. Then, when the user presses insulator 150 further to the second stage (stroke S2), dome sections 131A and 131B are inverted and pressed against bottom wall 213, and the user perceives that insulator 150 has been pushed all the way.

[0090] When the user reduces the force with which he presses the insulator 150 and the stroke becomes less than S1, the metal contact 130A is no longer in contact with the peripheral fixed contact 121A, and the push switch 200 turns off.

[0091] In this way, after the push switch 200 has been turned on by pressing the insulator 150 to stroke S1, it can be pressed further to stroke S2. Even when the stroke reaches S1 and the push switch 200 is turned on, the user can still press the insulator 150, so the user continues to press the insulator 150 until it can no longer be pressed (until the stroke reaches S2). Then, when the stroke reaches S2, the user gets the feeling that the insulator 150 cannot be pressed any further, and stops pressing it any further.

[0092] That is, to turn on the push switch 200, the user continues to press the switch until the stroke reaches S2. Even if the user weakens the force slightly after the stroke reaches S2, the push switch 200 remains in the on state as long as the stroke remains equal to or greater than S1. This allows the user to stably maintain the on state of the push switch 200 for a long period of time.

[0093] Therefore, it is possible to provide a push switch 200 that can be stably pressed and held.

[0094] The above describes a push switch and a push switch system according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0095] This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-097730, filed on June 4, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 10 Push Switch System 50 control section 100, 200 push switch 110, 210 enclosure 120A, 120B, 120C Metal Plate 121A, 121C Peripheral fixed contacts 121B Central fixed contact 122A, 122B, 122C terminals 130A Metal Contact 131A Dome section 132A Legs 132A1 Connection 132A2 End 140 Pressing member 150 insulator

Claims

1. A push switch, a control unit that determines whether the push switch is in an on state or an off state; A push switch system comprising: The push switch is a movable contact member having a deformable spring property; a first fixed contact member having a first fixed contact portion that can be brought into contact with and separated from the movable contact member; a second fixed contact member having a second fixed contact portion that can be brought into contact with and separated from the movable contact member; and The movable contact member is pressed by a pressing operation, and a first contact state is established at a first contact position where the movable contact member and the first fixed contact portion come into contact with each other, and a further pressing operation is performed, and a second contact state is established at a second contact position where the movable contact member and the second fixed contact portion come into contact with each other, The control unit does not determine the state as being on when the movable contact member changes from an unpressed state to the first contact state, but determines the state as being on when the movable contact member changes to the second contact state, and does not determine the state as being off when the second contact state is released from the on state, but determines the state as being off when the first contact state is released.

2. 2. The push switch system according to claim 1, wherein the movable contact member contacts the second fixed contact portion at the second contact position.

3. The movable contact member is a dome-shaped spring portion that can come into contact with and separate from the first fixed contact portion and the second fixed contact portion; a leg extending from an end of the spring portion; 3. The push switch system according to claim 1, further comprising:

4. a case that houses the movable contact member, the first fixed contact portion, and the second fixed contact portion; a pressing member that presses the movable contact member; further comprising The push switch system according to claim 3 , wherein the leg portion has a fixing portion that is fixed between the case and the pressing member or that is fixed to the case.

5. a third fixed contact member having a third fixed contact portion; the first fixed contact portion is located at a position overlapping a connection portion between the dome-shaped spring portion and the leg portion in a plan view, the second fixed contact portion is located at a position overlapping a center portion of the dome-shaped spring portion in a plan view, the third fixed contact portion is in contact with an outer end portion of the dome-shaped spring portion, When the movable contact member is not pressed, the connection portion is separated from the first fixed contact portion and the central portion is separated from the second fixed contact portion, At the first contact position, the connection portion is in contact with the first fixed contact portion, and the dome-shaped spring portion does not perform an inverted movement, and the central portion is separated from the second fixed contact portion; 5. The push switch system according to claim 3, wherein, at the second contact position, the connecting portion contacts the first fixed contact portion, and the central portion contacts the second fixed contact portion due to the reversal movement of the dome-shaped spring portion.

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