Switch device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9721737-B2
Application number	US-201615052610-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2016
Priority date	Feb 25, 2015
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

Provided is a switch device including rotor members mounted so as to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis of a lever main body, knob members mounted so as to be integrally rotatable with the rotor members, the knob members including cam surfaces that face the cam surfaces of the rotor members with a gap therebetween, a movable contact member being movable in the longitudinal axis direction by a rotational operation of the rotor members and the knob members about the longitudinal axis, and a flexible substrate linearly disposed in the longitudinal axis direction in at least a movable range of the movable contact member, the flexible substrate including a contact portion, a contact terminal of the movable contact member being brought into contact with and separated from the contact portion in association with the movement in the longitudinal axis direction of the movable contact member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A switch device comprising:
a rotor member mounted so as to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis of a lever main body, the rotor member comprising a cam surface;
a knob member mounted so as to be integrally rotatable with the rotor member, the knob member comprising a cam surface that faces the cam surface of the rotor member with a gap therebetween;
a movable contact member disposed in the gap between the cam surface of the rotor member and the cam surface of the knob member, the movable contact member being movable in the longitudinal axis direction by a rotational operation of the rotor member and the knob member about the longitudinal axis; and
a flexible substrate linearly disposed in the longitudinal axis direction in at least a movable range of the movable contact member, the flexible substrate comprising a contact portion, a contact terminal of the movable contact member being brought into contact with and separated from the contact portion in association with the movement in the longitudinal axis direction of the movable contact member,
wherein the flexible substrate is fixed to the lever main body with a substantially central portion of the flexible substrate pressed against the lever main body by means of a plurality of projection portions formed on a lever cover in a direction of the longitudinal axis of the lever main body.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the knob member and the rotor member are formed in a cylindrical shape insertable into each other in a direction along the longitudinal axis.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the rotor member, the knob member, and the movable contact member are assemblable in one direction of the longitudinal axis of the lever main body, the flexible substrate being mounted to the lever main body.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate comprises a rigid substrate and a film substrate comprising the signal contact, the rigid substrate lining a back side of the film substrate in the movable range of the movable contact member.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the lever main body comprises a base portion formed with a hollow portion along the longitudinal axis, the flexible substrate being disposed inside the hollow portion.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein with a lower side of the lever main body being an opening and the flexible substrate disposed inside the hollow portion, the opening is covered by a lever cover so as to seal the hollow portion.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate comprises a contact structure that becomes conductive or non-conductive by a signal contact and a ground contact coming to be in contact or separated, the ground contact being disposed on the lower side of the lever main body.

8. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the flexible substrate has substantially no bent portion inside the hollow portion.

9. The device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the flexible substrate further comprises a film substrate and a substantially plate-shaped rigid substrate lining a back side of the film substrate, and
wherein the rigid substrate is lined only inside the hollow portion.

10. The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the lever main body comprises a base portion formed with a hollow portion along the longitudinal axis, the flexible substrate being disposed inside the hollow portion, and
wherein the flexible substrate further comprises a film substrate and a substantially flat plate-shaped rigid substrate lining a back side of the film substrate, and has substantially no bent portion inside the hollow portion.

Assignees

• Tokai Rika Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ishigure Nobuyuki
• Chiba Yoshio
• Nishiyama Akio

Classifications

• H01H19/6355

  using axial cam devices for transforming the angular movement into linear movement along the axis of rotation · CPC title

• B60Q1/1476 Primary

  comprising switch controlling means located near the free end of the lever, e.g. press buttons, rotatable rings · CPC title

• H01H19/00 Primary

  Switches operated by an operating part which is rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof and which is acted upon directly by a solid body external to the switch, e.g. by a hand · CPC title

• H01H19/10

  Movable parts; Contacts mounted thereon · CPC title

• H01H19/14 Primary

  Operating parts, e.g. turn knob · CPC title