Switch Cover Plate with Light Leak Prevention Protrusion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional switches face challenges in preventing light leakage and foreign matter ingress due to separate manufacturing of light leak prevention structures and protective members, leading to increased production costs and inefficiencies in protecting internal components.

Innovation Solution

A switch design featuring a flexible cover plate made of rubber with a rubber dome, a transparent light emitting member cover, and a light leak prevention protrusion, which forms a sealed space and integrates these components for efficient light containment and protection against external forces and liquids.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If separate light leak prevention structures and protective members are provided in conventional switches, then light leakage is prevented, but device complexity increases and manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight leakage preventionVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the light leak prevention structure and protective member into a single integrated component. The cover includes both the light leak prevention protrusion that blocks light and the protective function, eliminating the need for separate components and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining both light containment and protection capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The cover structure is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it serves as both a light leak prevention mechanism through its protrusion design and a protective member for internal components. This multi-functional design reduces the number of parts needed and simplifies the overall switch structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of manufacture

If separate light leak prevention structures and protective members are manufactured separately and then integrated, then manufacturing flexibility is maintained, but productivity decreases and production cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing flexibilityVSAvoidproduction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The light leak prevention structure and protective member are designed as a single integrated cover that can be manufactured in one piece. This eliminates the need for separate manufacturing and assembly steps, thereby increasing production efficiency and reducing labor costs while maintaining manufacturing flexibility through standard molding processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If separate light leak prevention structure and protective member are provided, then light containment is achieved, but reliability of protection against liquid and foreign matter decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight containmentVSAvoidprotection reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The integrated cover design ensures that the light leak prevention protrusion and protective member form a unified barrier against liquids and foreign matter. This seamless integration eliminates gaps or interfaces between separate components that could serve as entry points for contaminants, thereby improving protection reliability while maintaining light containment effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The integrated design effectively prevents light leakage and foreign matter ingress, enhances durability through flexible response to user inputs, and ensures stable push switch operations while maintaining a waterproof and light-tight structure.

Implementation Method 1

the cover plate is made of a flexible material having a predetermined restoring force

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3576121B1Switch having waterproofing and light leakage preventing structure
Publication Date: 2021.11.24 ALPS ALPINE CO LTD
  • EP3576121B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3576121B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3576121B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A switch including a waterproof and light leak prevention structure is disclosed. The switch according to an embodiment of the present invention is a switch including a light emitting member and a push switch on a mount, and includes a switch including a cover plate provided on the mount and configured to cover the light emitting member and the push switch, and the cover plate comprises includes a rubber dome disposed at a position corresponding to the push switch, a light emitting member cover configured to cover the light emitting member at a predetermined distance from an upper surface of the light emitting member, and a light leak prevention protrusion configured to surround a periphery of the light emitting member and to extend upward up to a predetermined height. According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently prevent light emitted from the light emitting member from leaking out and to efficiently prevent foreign matter from entering the inside from the outside.