Switch device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10629398-B2
Application number	US-201715709510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2017
Priority date	Apr 10, 2015
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

A switch device includes an actuation unit, a movable unit, a first base, and a second spring, which is a torsion coil spring that acts between the actuation unit and the movable unit. The movable unit is movable with respect to the base. The second spring applies a force to the actuation unit when the actuation unit is at a third position in a direction that is not parallel to a direction in which the torsion coil spring applies a force to the actuation unit when the actuation unit is at a fourth position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A switch device that is switchable in accordance with a position of an actuation unit, the switch device comprising:
the actuation unit;
a movable unit;
a base;
a torsion coil spring that acts between the actuation unit and the movable unit;
an operation unit; and
an acceleration spring that acts between the operation unit and the actuation unit,
wherein
the movable unit is movable with respect to the base supporting the movable unit,
the actuation unit is movable between a first actuation position and a second actuation position,
when the actuation unit is at the first actuation position, the torsion coil spring applies a force to the actuation unit in a direction that is not parallel to a direction in which the torsion coil spring applies a force to the actuation unit when the actuation unit is at the second actuation position,
the operation unit moves under an external force from a first operation position to a second operation position,
the actuation unit moves between the first actuation position and the second actuation position in accordance with movement of the operation unit between the first operation position and the second operation position, and
the acceleration spring moves the actuation unit with elastic energy accumulated under an external force applied to the operation unit.

2. The switch device according to claim 1 , wherein
the torsion coil spring has an arm fixed to the movable unit.

3. The switch device according to claim 2 , wherein
the movable unit includes a position regulating ridge, and a support configured to receive a force from the arm of the torsion coil spring, and
the arm of the torsion coil spring is between the support and the position regulating ridge.

4. The switch device according to claim 2 , wherein
the movable unit is rotatable with respect to the base in accordance with movement of the actuation unit.

5. The switch device according to claim 3 , wherein
the movable unit is rotatable with respect to the base in accordance with movement of the actuation unit.

6. The switch device according to claim 1 , wherein
the movable unit is rotatable with respect to the base in accordance with movement of the actuation unit.

7. The switch device according to claim 6 , wherein
the movable unit is fixed to the base in a rotatable manner with a shaft placed through the movable unit and the base.

8. The switch device according to claim 1 , wherein
the torsion coil spring has an axis portion fixed to the movable unit.

9. The switch device according to claim 8 , wherein
the torsion coil spring has the axis portion fixed to the movable unit with a shaft placed through a coil portion of the torsion coil spring.

10. The switch device according to claim 1 , wherein
the torsion coil spring includes
two coil portions that are coaxial,
a connecting arm connecting the two coil portions, and
two arms extending from the respective two coil portions.

11. The switch device according to claim 1 , wherein
the torsion coil spring applies a force including, in a moving direction of the actuation unit, a force component that is smaller when the actuation unit is at the second actuation position than when the actuation unit is at the first actuation position, and the force component has a direction in which the actuation unit returns from the second actuation position to the first actuation position defined as positive.

12. The switch device according to claim 1 ,
wherein
when the actuation unit is at the first actuation position and/or the second actuation position, the actuation unit receives a retaining force for retaining the actuation unit at the first actuation position and/or the second actuation position.

13. The switch device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a magnet; and
a coil configured to induce a current by varying a magnetic flux of the magnet passing through the coil in accordance with movement of the actuation unit.

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Miyasaka Takeshi
• Morita Kazuaki

Classifications

• H01H2221/044

  Elastic part on actuator or casing · CPC title

• H01H36/02 Primary

  actuated by movement of a float carrying a magnet · CPC title

• H01H2235/01

  Spiral spring · CPC title

• H01H5/06

  by compression or extension of coil springs · CPC title

• H01H2239/076

  Key stroke generating power · CPC title