Pressing input device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10153108-B2
Application number	US-201715696380-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2017
Priority date	Sep 6, 2016
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

A spring piece is formed integrally as part of a drive arm that presses an operational body. The spring piece is disposed between a pressing part at which the drive arm presses the operational body and a linkage part that acts a swinging fulcrum. A contact part between the spring piece and a case is positioned closer to the linkage part than the bend bottom end is. When the drive arm swings from an initial orientation to a completely swung orientation, the spring piece can generate an elastic return force. The elastic return force does not largely increase even when the drive arm swings.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pressing input device comprising:
a fixed part;
an operational body supported by the fixed part so as to be capable of advancing and retreating;
an electrically variable part, a state of the electrically variable part being changed by an operation of the operational body;
a linkage part linked to the fixed part;
a driving arm that swings around the linkage part in a direction in which the drive arm presses the operational body, the linkage part acting as a fulcrum;
a spring piece attached to the drive arm;
a pressing part at which the drive arm presses the operational body; and
a contact part between the spring piece and the fixed part; wherein:
a connecting end of the spring piece is positioned between the pressing part and the linkage part,
the contact part is positioned closer to the linkage part than the connecting end of the spring piece,
the spring piece is in contact with the fixing part,
when the drive arm swings in the direction in which the drive arm presses the operational body, the spring piece is deformed so as to warp,
a warp angle of the spring piece is smaller than a swing angle of the drive arm, the swing angle being formed when the drive arm swings in the direction in which the drive arm presses the operational body,
a relative position between the linkage part and the contact part does not change when the drive arm swings in the direction in which the drive arm presses the operational body,
the contact part is positioned between the linkage part and the drive arm,
the spring piece slides on the fixed part at the contact part, and
a distance between the connecting end of the spring piece and the contact part gradually increases as the drive arm swings in the direction in which the drive arm presses the operational body.

2. The pressing input device according to claim 1 , wherein an angle is increased as the drive arm swings in the direction in which the drive arm presses the operational body, the angle being formed between an orientation of an elastic reaction force perpendicularly exerted on a plate surface of the spring piece at the contact part and a tangent of a virtual circle that passes the contact part, the center of the virtual circle being a center around which the drive arm swings, the tangent passing the contact part.

3. The pressing input device according to claim 1 , wherein the spring piece is formed integrally from a metallic plate material, the drive arm being formed from the metallic plate material.

4. A pressing input device comprising:
a fixed part;
an operational body supported by the fixed part so as to be capable of advancing and retreating;
an electrically variable part, a state of the electrically variable part being changed by an operation of the operational body;
a linkage part linked to the fixed part;
a driving arm that swings around the linkage part in a direction in which the drive arm presses the operational body, the linkage part acting as a fulcrum;
a spring piece attached to the drive arm;
a pressing part at which the drive arm presses the operational body; and
a contact part between the spring piece and the fixed part, wherein:
the contact part is positioned closer to the linkage part than the connecting end of the spring piece,
a connecting end of the spring piece is positioned between the pressing part and the linkage part,
the spring piece is in contact with the fixing part,
when the drive arm swings in the direction in which the drive arm presses the operational body, the spring piece is deformed so as to warp, and
a distance between the connecting end of the spring piece and the contact part gradually increases as the drive arm swings in the direction in which the drive arm presses the operational body.

Assignees

• Alps Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tanaka Takaki
• Sugawara Tatsuo

Classifications

• H01H21/24 Primary

  biased to return to normal position upon removal of operating force · CPC title

• H01H2205/002

  fixed to operating part · CPC title

• H01H2235/01

  Spiral spring · CPC title

• H01H13/186

  wherein the pushbutton is rectilinearly actuated by a lever pivoting on the housing of the switch · CPC title

• H01H21/285

  having an operating arm actuated by the movement of the body and mounted on an axis converting its rotating movement into a rectilinear switch activating movement · CPC title