Switch device

Abstract

[Problem] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a switch device that is capable of stably changing between a contact state between a fixed contact part and a movable contact part and a release state in which the contact state is released. [Solution] This switch device 1 comprises an electroconductive fixed contact part 2, an electroconductive conductive movable contact part 4 that can assume a contact state in which the movable contact part 4 is in electrical contact with the fixed contact part 2 and a release state in which the contact state is released, a movable holding part 5 that holds the movable contact part 4, a first coil spring 6A that serves as a first mitigating part for mitigating vibration from an X-axis direction among vibrations when vibrations are transmitted to the movable holding part 5, and a second coil spring 6B that serves as a second mitigating part for mitigating vibration from a Z-axis direction intersecting the X-axis direction among the vibrations.

Description

Switch device

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

[0002] On the bar handle of a motorcycle, a switch device is provided to switch the operating state of a direction indicator (flasher), that is, to switch the blinking of the lamp on the left side and the blinking of the lamp on the right side of the direction indicator. As this switch device, for example, the device (turn signal switch means) described in Patent Document 1 is known. The device described in Patent Document 1 includes a fixed contact, a movable contact that can contact and separate from the fixed contact, a movable contact holder that holds the movable contact, a biasing spring that is disposed between the movable contact and the movable contact holder and biases the movable contact toward the fixed contact side, and a click spring (click mechanism) that holds the position of the movable contact holder. In the device described in Patent Document 1, the direction of the biasing force of the biasing spring acting on the movable contact holder and the direction of the biasing force of the click spring acting on the movable contact holder are opposite to each other. Thereby, the position of the movable contact holder on the axis parallel to the biasing direction of each biasing force is stably maintained.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 4657198

[0004] However, in the device described in Patent Document 1, when a force acts on the movable contact holder from a direction different from the biasing direction of each biasing force due to the vibration during the running of the motorcycle, a positional deviation occurs in the movable contact holder. As a result, for example, there is a possibility of poor contact between the fixed contact and the movable contact, breakage or deformation of the movable contact holder, etc.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a switch device that can stably change between the contact state of a fixed contact portion and a movable contact portion and a release state in which the contact state is released.

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the switch device of the present invention comprises: a conductive fixed contact portion; a conductive movable contact portion capable of being in a contact state in which it is electrically in contact with the fixed contact portion and a released state in which the contact state is released; a holding portion for holding the movable contact portion; a first mitigation portion for mitigating vibrations from a first direction when vibrations are transmitted to the holding portion; and a second mitigation portion for mitigating vibrations from a second direction intersecting the first direction.

[0007] According to the present invention, the contact state between the fixed contact portion and the movable contact portion can be stably changed to a released state in which the contact state is released.

[0008] This is a perspective view showing the switch operator of the switch device in the neutral position. This is a perspective view showing the switch operator of the switch device in the pressed position. This is a perspective view showing the switch operator of the switch device in the right turn indicator position. This is a perspective view showing the switch operator of the switch device in the left turn indicator position. This is an exploded perspective view showing the positional relationship between the fixed contact unit and the movable contact unit of the switch device. This is an exploded perspective view showing the positional relationship between the fixed contact unit fixed to the case of the switch device and the movable contact unit. This is a perspective view (cross-sectional view along line A-A in Figure 6) showing the positional relationship between the fixed contact unit fixed to the case of the switch device and the movable contact unit.

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the configurations described in the following embodiments are merely illustrative, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the embodiments. For example, each part constituting the present invention can be replaced with any configuration that can perform a similar function. In addition, any configuration may be added.

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the switch operator of the switch device in the neutral position (return position). Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the switch operator of the switch device in the pressed position. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the switch operator of the switch device in the right turn indicator position. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the switch operator of the switch device in the left turn indicator position. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the positional relationship between the fixed contact unit and the movable contact unit of the switch device. Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the positional relationship between the fixed contact unit fixed to the case of the switch device and the movable contact unit. Figure 7 is a perspective view (cross-sectional view along line A-A in Figure 6) showing the positional relationship between the fixed contact unit fixed to the case of the switch device and the movable contact unit. Note that the fixed contact unit and the movable contact unit are omitted in Figures 2 to 4. Also, for the sake of explanation, in the following, the longitudinal direction of the switch device in Figures 1 to 7 will be referred to as the "X-axis direction (first direction)", the width direction of the switch device as the "Y-axis direction", and the height direction (thickness direction) of the switch device as the "Z-axis direction (second direction)". The X, Y, and Z axes are perpendicular to each other (they intersect). The direction in which the arrows on each axis point is considered the "positive side," and the opposite side is considered the "negative side." In Figures 1 to 7, the upper side is sometimes called "up" (or "above"), and the lower side is sometimes called "down" (or "above"). In Figures 1 to 7, the left side is sometimes called the "base," and the right side is sometimes called the "tip."

[0011] The switch device 1 shown in Figures 1 to 4 is, in this embodiment, a turn signal switching device for switching the turn signals of a saddle-type vehicle such as a motorcycle. In this case, the switch device 1 is, for example, located to the left of the handlebars of the saddle-type vehicle and is operated by the left thumb of the driver operating the vehicle. As shown in Figure 1, the switch device 1 comprises a fixed contact unit 10, a movable contact unit 20, a case 8, and a switch operator (operating part) 9.

[0012] As shown in Figure 5, the fixed contact unit 10 has a plurality of (two in this embodiment) conductive fixed contact portions 2 and a fixing holder portion 3 that holds these fixed contact portions 2. In this embodiment, the plurality of fixed contact portions 2 are arranged in two parts: at least one first fixed contact portion 21 on the negative side of the Y-axis direction and at least one second fixed contact portion 22 on the positive side of the Y-axis direction. Each fixed contact portion 2 is electrically connected to a control device (not shown) mounted on the vehicle. The constituent material of each fixed contact portion 2 is not particularly limited, and conductive materials such as copper can be used, for example.

[0013] The fixing and holding portion 3 is block-shaped (plate-shaped) and holds and fixes each of the fixing contact portions 2 together. Furthermore, each fixing contact portion 2 is exposed from the fixing and holding portion 3 facing the positive side in the X-axis direction. The material of the fixing and holding portion 3 is not particularly limited; for example, insulating materials such as various resin materials can be used.

[0014] As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the movable contact unit 20 has a conductive movable contact portion 4 and a movable holding portion (holding portion) 5 that holds the movable contact portion 4. As shown in Figure 6, the movable contact portion 4 is made of a plate-shaped member and has at least one contact 41 that is formed to protrude toward the negative side in the X-axis direction. The contact 41 has a rounded shape. As with the fixed contact portion 2, a conductive material such as copper can be used as the constituent material of the movable contact portion 4.

[0015] The movable holding part 5 holds and fixes the movable contact part 4 with the contact 41 facing the negative side in the X-axis direction. As shown in Figure 5, the movable holding part 5 has a pressure receiving part 51 that receives the pressing force (operating force) from the switch operator 9. The pressure receiving part 51 has a first inclined part (first inclined surface) 511 inclined with respect to the X-axis and Y-axis, and a second inclined part (second inclined surface) 512 inclined with respect to the X-axis and Y-axis. The first inclined part 511 faces the positive side in the X-axis direction and also faces the positive side in the Y-axis direction. On the other hand, the second inclined part 512 faces the positive side in the X-axis direction and also faces the negative side in the Y-axis direction. The inclination angles of the first inclined part 511 and the second inclined part 512 are preferably, for example, 45 degrees, but are not limited thereto. The first inclined part 511 and the second inclined part 512 are spaced apart from each other. As a result, a gap 513 is created between the first inclined portion 511 and the second inclined portion 512. The constituent material of the movable holding portion 5 can be the same as that of the fixed holding portion 3, for example, an insulating material such as various resin materials.

[0016] The movable contact unit 20 can be moved in the Y-axis direction relative to the fixed contact unit 3, along with the movable contact unit 4, by operating the switch operator 9. As this movement occurs, the movable contact unit 4 can take on the following three states relative to the fixed contact unit 10. The first state is the first contact state (contact state), in which the contact 41 of the movable contact unit 4 and the first fixed contact unit 21 of the fixed contact unit 10 are in electrical contact. The second state is the second contact state (contact state), in which the contact 41 of the movable contact unit 4 and the second fixed contact unit 22 of the fixed contact unit 10 are in electrical contact. The third state is the release state, in which the contact 41 of the movable contact unit 4 and the fixed contact unit 10 are in contact, and both the first and second contact states are released. In the switch device 1, the first contact state occurs when the switch operator 9 is in the right-turn indicator position (see Figure 3). This allows the right-side turn signal to be illuminated when turning right. Furthermore, when the switch operator 9 is in the left-turn indicator position (see Figure 4), it enters a second contact state. This allows the left turn signal to be illuminated when turning left. Also, when the switch operator 9 is in the neutral position (see Figure 1) or the pressed position (see Figure 2), it enters a release state. This allows both the left and right turn signals to be turned off.

[0017] As shown in Figure 6, the movable contact unit 20 is housed in the case 8. The case 8 has a cylindrical portion 81 and a plate-shaped portion 82. The central axis O81 of the cylindrical portion 81 is parallel to the Y-axis direction. The movable holding portion 5, together with the movable contact portion 4, that is, the movable holding portion 5 and the movable contact portion 4 in their assembled state, can be inserted into the cylindrical portion 81 along the direction of the central axis O81. This allows the movable contact unit 20 to be housed in the cylindrical portion 81 (case 8). The movable contact unit 20 in this housed state can then be moved along the direction of the central axis O81 using the switch operator 9. Furthermore, the insertion work of the unitized parts (movable contact unit 20) in this manner contributes to improving the ease of assembly of the switch device 1.

[0018] A fixed contact unit 10 is fixed to the negative side of the cylindrical portion 81 in the X-axis direction. A plate-shaped portion 82 is formed to protrude toward the positive side of the X-axis direction on the positive side of the cylindrical portion 81 in the X-axis direction. A switch operator 9 is placed on this plate-shaped portion 82. The case 8 is preferably composed of a single material, but it may also be composed of multiple materials joined together. When the case 8 is composed of a single material, the number of parts in the switch device 1 can be reduced. Furthermore, by reducing the number of parts, it is possible to reduce the assembly man-hours, assembly cost, and assembly error of the switch device 1. The material used to make up the case 8 is not particularly limited, and various resin materials can be used, for example.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the switch operator 9 has an elongated arm portion 91 and a knob (operating head) 92 located at the tip of the arm portion 91, i.e., on the positive side in the X-axis direction. The knob 92 has a generally rounded shape. The driver of a small saddle-type vehicle can rest their left thumb on this knob 92.

[0020] The arm portion 91 has an elongated hole 911 formed along its longitudinal direction. The plate portion 82 of the cylindrical portion 81 has a columnar portion 83 that protrudes cylindrically toward the positive Z-axis direction. The outer diameter of the columnar portion 83 is slightly smaller than the width of the elongated hole 911. This columnar portion 83 is inserted into the elongated hole 911. The switch operator 9 may be composed of a single component or of multiple components joined together. The material used for the switch operator 9 is not particularly limited; for example, various metal materials and various resin materials can be used.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, when the switch operator 9 is in the neutral position, the base end 912 of the arm portion 91 is separated from the pressure receiving portion 51 of the movable holding portion 5. Also, at this time, the base end 912 of the arm portion 91 faces the missing portion 513 of the pressure receiving portion 51.

[0022] From the state shown in Figure 1, when the driver of the small saddle-type vehicle presses the knob 92 with their left thumb toward the positive side in the Y-axis direction, the switch operator 9 rotates counterclockwise around the columnar portion 83 as the pivot point, resulting in the state shown in Figure 3, that is, the switch operator 9 is displaced to the right-turn indicator position. As a result, the movable holding portion 5 moves toward the negative side in the Y-axis direction when the first inclined portion 511 of the pressure receiving portion 51 receives the pressing force from the base end portion 912 of the arm portion 91. This movement results in the first contact state, allowing the right-side turn signal to be illuminated. Subsequently, by releasing the thumb from the knob 92, the pressing force of the thumb is released. As a result, the switch operator 9 returns to the neutral position, for example, by a return mechanism (not shown).

[0023] From the state shown in Figure 1, when the driver of the small saddle-type vehicle presses the knob 92 toward the negative side in the Y-axis direction with the thumb of their left hand, the switch operator 9 rotates clockwise around the columnar part 83 as the pivot point, resulting in the state shown in Figure 4, that is, the switch operator 9 is displaced to the left-turn indicator position. As a result, the movable holding part 5 moves toward the positive side in the Y-axis direction as the second inclined part 512 of the pressure receiving part 51 receives the pressing force from the base end part 912 of the arm part 91. This movement results in the second contact state, and the left turn signal can be illuminated. Subsequently, by releasing the thumb from the knob 92, the pressing force of the thumb is released. As a result, the switch operator 9 returns to the neutral position by force from, for example, a predetermined member (not shown).

[0024] Furthermore, to turn off the illuminated right or left turn signal, the driver of the small saddle-type vehicle presses the knob 92 with their left thumb toward the negative X-axis direction from the neutral position of the switch operator 9 (as shown in Figure 1). This causes the columnar portion 83 to move relative to the elongated hole 911, resulting in the state shown in Figure 2, that is, the switch operator 9 is displaced to the pressed position. As a result, the base end 912 of the arm portion 91 of the movable holding portion 5 fits into the missing portion 513 of the pressure receiving portion 51, acting on the control device to turn off the illuminated right or left turn signal. In addition, in the switch device 1, the elongated hole 911 functions as a cam, and the columnar portion 83 functions as a follower that moves relative to the cam.

[0025] As mentioned above, the switch device 1 is mounted on the handlebars of a small saddle-type vehicle. In this case, when the movable contact unit 20 vibrates while the vehicle is running, depending on the direction of the vibration, there is a risk that the movable contact unit 20 may become misaligned. As a result, for example, poor contact between the fixed contact portion 2 and the movable contact portion 4 may occur, or other damage or deformation of the movable contact unit 20 may occur. However, the switch device 1 is configured to suppress the occurrence of such phenomena. The configuration and operation of this device will be explained below.

[0026] As shown in Figure 7, the movable contact unit 20 includes a first coil spring (coil spring) 6A, which is a first elastic body, a second coil spring (coil spring) 6B, which is a second elastic body, and a ball 7. The constituent materials of the first coil spring 6A and the second coil spring 6B are not particularly limited, and various metal materials such as elastic stainless steel can be used. The constituent material of the ball 7 is not particularly limited, and various metal materials or resin materials with wear resistance can be used. In this embodiment, the first and second elastic bodies are coil springs, but are not limited to this, and may be members made of elastic rubber or porous material (e.g., sponge material).

[0027] Furthermore, the movable holding part 5 has a first storage part 52 for housing the first coil spring 6A and a second storage part 53 for housing the second coil spring 6B and the ball 7 together.

[0028] Within the first storage section 52, the first coil spring 6A is positioned along the X-axis direction in a compressed state between the movable contact section 4, which abuts against the fixed contact unit 10 (fixing holding section 3) fixed to the case 8, and the movable holding section 5. As a result, the first coil spring 6A can continuously bias the movable holding section 5 toward the positive X-axis direction. Furthermore, when vibration is transmitted to the movable holding section 5, the first coil spring 6A can mitigate, or absorb, the vibration from the X-axis direction. Thus, the first coil spring 6A functions as a first mitigation section that mitigates vibration from the X-axis direction.

[0029] Within the second storage section 53, the second coil spring 6B and the ball 7 are adjacent to each other, with the second coil spring 6B positioned on the positive side of the Z-axis direction and the ball 7 positioned on the negative side of the Z-axis direction. Furthermore, within the second storage section 53, the second coil spring 6B is positioned along the Z-axis direction in a compressed state between the ball 7, which is in contact with the case 8, and the movable holding part 5. As a result, the second coil spring 6B can continuously bias the movable holding part 5 toward the positive side of the Z-axis direction. When vibration is transmitted to the movable holding part 5, the second coil spring 6B can mitigate vibrations from the Z-axis direction. Thus, the second coil spring 6B functions as a second mitigation part that mitigates vibrations from the Z-axis direction.

[0030] With the above configuration, even if the movable contact unit 20 vibrates while the small saddle-type vehicle is in motion, the first coil spring 6A and the second coil spring 6B, which function as vibration dampers, suppress displacement of the movable holding part 5, that is, the movable holding part 5 can be stably maintained in the correct position. This prevents poor contact between the fixed contact part 2 and the movable contact part 4, and allows for stable changes between the contact state between these contact parts and the released state when the contact state is released. Furthermore, damage or deformation of the movable holding part 5 can also be prevented.

[0031] As shown in Figure 6, recesses 87 and protrusions 88 are alternately arranged along the Y-axis inside the cylindrical portion 81 of the case 8. When the movable contact unit 20 moves along the Y-axis (central axis O81), the ball 7 overcomes the biasing force of the second coil spring 6B and moves over the protrusions 88. After overcoming the protrusions 88, the ball 7 is pressed against the recess 87 adjacent to the protrusion 88 by the biasing force of the second coil spring 6B. This pressing maintains the position of the movable contact unit 20 at the recess 87. This holding also suppresses displacement of the holding portion 5 in the Y-axis direction, and ultimately, the holding portion 5 can mitigate vibrations in all three axes: the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. Furthermore, one of the following states—first contact state, second contact state, or release state—is maintained depending on the position of the recess 87.

[0032] As shown in Figure 7, the switch device 1 has a first restricting part 30 that restricts the movement of the movable contact unit 20 in the X-axis direction, and a second restricting part 40 that restricts the movement of the movable contact unit 20 in the Z-axis direction. As previously mentioned, the first coil spring 6A is housed in the first storage part 52 of the movable holding part 5, and the second coil spring 6B is housed in the second storage part 53. The tip (end) 62 of the first coil spring 6A is in contact with the tip surface (surface) 521 of the first storage part 52. The upper end (end) 61 of the second coil spring 6B is in contact with the upper end surface (surface) 531 of the second storage part 53.

[0033] In this embodiment, the first restricting portion 30 is positioned on the opposite side of the direction (negative Z-axis direction) from the direction the upper end surface 531 of the second storage portion 53 faces, that is, on the positive Z-axis side of the movable holding portion 5. The first restricting portion 30 consists of a first convex portion 55 integrally formed on one of the movable holding portion 5 and the case 8, projecting toward the positive Z-axis direction, and a first recess 85 integrally formed on the other of the case 8. The first convex portion 55 fits into (comes into) the first recess 85. With such a simple concave and concave configuration, the movement of the movable contact unit 20 in the X-axis direction can be reliably restricted.

[0034] The second restricting portion 40 is positioned on the opposite side of the direction (negative X-axis direction) from the direction the tip surface 521 of the first storage portion 52 faces, that is, on the positive X-axis side of the movable holding portion 5. This second restricting portion 40 consists of a second convex portion 56 integrally formed on one of the movable holding portion 5 and the case 8, projecting toward the positive X-axis direction, and a second recess 86 integrally formed on the other of the case 8. The second convex portion 56 fits into (comes into) the second recess 86. With this simple concave and concave configuration of the second restricting portion 40, the movement of the movable contact unit 20 in the Z-axis direction can be reliably restricted.

[0035] Furthermore, due to the synergistic effect of the restriction by the second restricting section 40 and the restriction by the first restricting section 30 described above, the movable contact unit 20 can move stably and quickly along the Y-axis direction. Therefore, it can be said that the first restricting section 30 and the second restricting section 40 also function as guides that guide the movable contact unit 20 when it moves along the Y-axis direction. In addition, the first restricting section 30 and the second restricting section 40 make it possible to more reliably and stably change the contact state and release state between the fixed contact section 2 and the movable contact section 4 as the movable contact unit 20 moves.

[0036] In this embodiment, of the first convex portion 55 and first recess 85 constituting the first restricting portion 30, the first convex portion 55 is formed on the movable holding portion 5 and the first recess 85 is formed on the case 8, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the first convex portion 55 may be formed on the case 8 and the first recess 85 may be formed on the movable holding portion 5. Also, in this embodiment, of the second convex portion 56 and second recess 86 constituting the second restricting portion 40, the second convex portion 56 is formed on the movable holding portion 5 and the second recess 86 is formed on the case 8, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the second convex portion 56 may be formed on the case 8 and the second recess 86 may be formed on the movable holding portion 5.

[0037] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of its gist. In this embodiment, the switch device 1 is used as a turn signal switching device, but it is not limited to this, and examples include a volume control device for adjusting the volume of a speaker mounted on a vehicle. In this embodiment, the movable contact unit 20 can take on two contact states (first contact state and second contact state) with respect to the fixed contact unit 10, but it is not limited to this, and depending on the device to which the switch device 1 is applied, it may be configured to take on one contact state.

[0038] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-006709, filed on 17 January 2025, and all of its contents are incorporated herein by reference.

[0039] 1 Switch device 2 Fixed contact part 4 Movable contact part 5 Movable holding part 6A First coil spring 6B Second coil spring 8 Case 9 Switch operator 30 First restricting part 40 Second restricting part

Claims

1. A switch device comprising: a conductive fixed contact portion; a conductive movable contact portion capable of being in a contact state in which it is electrically in contact with the fixed contact portion and a released state in which the contact state is released; a holding portion for holding the movable contact portion; a first mitigation portion for mitigating vibrations from a first direction when vibrations are transmitted to the holding portion; and a second mitigation portion for mitigating vibrations from a second direction intersecting the first direction.

2. The switch device according to claim 1, comprising a case for housing the retaining portion, wherein the first relaxation portion is disposed between the retaining portion and the case and has an elastic body that biases the retaining portion along the first direction.

3. The switch device according to claim 2, wherein the elastic body is composed of a coil spring arranged along the first direction in a compressed state between the holding portion and the case.

4. The switch device according to claim 1, comprising a case for housing the retaining portion, wherein the second relaxation portion is disposed between the retaining portion and the case and has an elastic body that biases the retaining portion along the second direction.

5. The switch device according to claim 4, wherein the elastic body is composed of a coil spring arranged along the second direction in a compressed state between the holding portion and the case.

6. The switch device according to claim 1, comprising a case for housing the retaining portion, wherein the first direction and the second direction are orthogonal, the case is cylindrical and has a cylindrical portion whose central axis is orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, and when the retaining portion is housed in the case, it is inserted into the cylindrical portion along the central axis direction.

7. The switch device according to claim 6, comprising: a first restricting portion that restricts the movement of the retaining portion in the first direction while the retaining portion is housed in the case; and a second restricting portion that restricts the movement of the retaining portion in the second direction.

8. The switch device according to claim 7, wherein the first relaxation portion and the second relaxation portion are each composed of a coil spring arranged in a compressed state between the holding portion and the case, the first restricting portion is positioned on the opposite side of the direction from which the end of the coil spring constituting the second relaxation portion faces the surface that contacts the holding portion, and the second restricting portion is positioned on the opposite side of the direction from which the end of the coil spring constituting the first relaxation portion faces the surface that contacts the holding portion.

9. The switch device according to claim 7, wherein the first restricting portion comprises a first protrusion provided protruding from one of the holding portion and the case, and a first recess provided on the other, with which the first protrusion abuts, and the second restricting portion comprises a second protrusion provided protruding from one of the holding portion and the case, and a second recess provided on the other, with which the second protrusion abuts.

10. The switch device according to claim 7, comprising an operating unit for moving the holding unit together with the movable contact unit along the central axis direction, wherein the movable contact unit can take between a contact state and a release state as the holding unit is moved by the operating unit, and the first restricting unit and the second restricting unit function as guide units for guiding the holding unit when it moves.

11. The switch device according to claim 9, comprising a case for housing the retaining portion, wherein the case is composed of a single material, and the first recess and the second recess are integrally formed in the case.

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