Rubber contact switch

• US 5,403,984 A
• Filed: 06/23/1993
• Issued: 04/04/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Ogawa, Kikuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walczak, David J.
• Application Number:
  US08/080,122
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 200/313, 200/314, 200/315, 200/339, 200/302.3, 200/517, 200/5 R, 200/5 B, 200/16 R, 200/512, 200/513, 200/520, 200/534, 200/553, 200/561, 200/310, 200/311, 200/341 , 200/345, 200/DIG. 47
• US Class Current: 200/517
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/705 characterised by construction, mounting or arrangement of operating parts, e.g. push-buttons or keys
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/036 Light emitting elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/062 Light conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/016 Lever; Rocker
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/07 transparent

Abstract

A rubber contact portion, a drive member and an illuminant are mounted on a housing. The rubber contact portion is made of a transparent material and has electrical contacts which come into contact with or estranged from each other. The drive member is made of a transparent material and is supported on the housing so as to reciprocate to the rubber contact portion. The illuminant is mounted to face a base portion of the drive member.

Claims

1. A rubber contact switch comprising:

a housing;

a base plate;

a rubber contact portion disposed inside said housing, being mainly made of transparent material;

a pair of fixed contact points disposed on said base plate and within said housing;

a movable contact point disposed on said rubber contact portion and within said housing, said movable contact point facing said fixed contact point and adapted for engagement contact with or separation from the fixed contact points;

a drive member of substantially transparent material capable of conducting light and having a shaft portion and a flange portion, said shaft portion being slidably supported by said housing in an axial direction thereof so that said flange portion is capable of reciprocating said rubber contact portion relative to said base plate to electrically connect or disconnect said movable contact point with said fixed contact point;

an illuminant being arranged so as to face said flange portion of said drive member and to radiate light to said flange portion; and

a knob of substantially transparent material and being in contact with said drive member to reciprocate said drive member against said rubber contact portion;

wherein the shaft of said drive member has a head portion of convex shape which is in contact with said knob.

2. The rubber contact switch of claim 1, wherein said drive member reciprocates along a line and said illuminant is disposed near said line.

3. The rubber contact switch of claim 1, wherein said illuminant is a light emitting diode.

4. The rubber contact switch of claim 1, wherein said rubber contact portion further includes a recessed ring top facing away from said fixed contact point, said ring top has a given diameter, and said drive member flange portion has a diameter greater than said ring top diameter.

5. The rubber contact switch of claim 4, wherein said ring top and said flange form an inner space therebetween.

6. The rubber contact switch of claim 1, wherein said housing includes an outer sleeve portion and said shaft portion is at least partially enclosed within said sleeve portion.

7. A rubber contact switch comprising:

a housing;

a base plate;

a rubber contact portion disposed inside said housing, being mainly made of transparent material, said rubber contact portion including a hollow dome disposed on said base plate, said hollow dome further including;

a protrusion projecting from a top of said hollow dome toward said base plate, and

a concave ring top disposed on the top of said hollow dome;

a pair of fixed contact points disposed on said base plate and within said housing;

a movable contact point disposed on said protrusion of said rubber contact portion and within said housing, said movable contact point facing said fixed contact point for engagement contact with or separation from said fixed contact points;

a drive member of substantially transparent material and having a shaft portion and a flange portion, said shaft portion being supported by said housing so that said flange portion is capable of reciprocating said rubber contact portion relative to said base plate to electrically connect or disconnect said movable contact point with said fixed contact points;

a knob of substantially transparent material and being in contact with an end portion of said drive member to reciprocate said flange portion of said drive member to said rubber contact portion; and

an illuminant being disposed to face said flange portion of said drive member to radiate light to said flange portion;

wherein said drive member has a head portion of convex shape which is in contact with said knob.

8. The rubber contact switch of claim 7, wherein said drive member reciprocates along a line and said illuminant is disposed near said line.

9. The rubber contact switch of claim 7, wherein said illuminant is a light emitting diode.

10. The rubber contact switch of claim 7, Wherein said ring top has a given diameter, and said drive member flange portion has a diameter greater than said ring top diameter.

11. The rubber contact switch of claim 7, herein said ring top and said flange form an inner space therebetween.

12. A rubber contact switch, comprising:

a knob including at least one inner protrusion;

at least one contact drive member, each including a transparent shaft portion at a first end adjacent an inner protrusion and a flange portion at a second end thereof;

a base plate facing the inner protrusion and having at least one pair of upward-facing fixed electrical contact posts thereon;

a flexible base member integrally formed on the base plate, the base member including a plurality of upward-extending dome-shaped contact portions, each of which includes a movable electrical contact point therein confronting one of the pairs of electrical contact posts, the contact portions further including an integral and upward-facing concave ring top contacting the flange portion of a shaft member;

illuminant means for lighting said knob internally, disposed behind said knob; and

means for communicating light from the illuminant means to the knob via the contact drive member, comprising a light conducting member extending between the illuminant means towards the knob.

13. The rubber contact switch of claim 12, further comprising a knob of substantially transparent material and being in contact with said drive member to reciprocate said drive member against said rubber contact portion.

14. The rubber contact switch of claim 13, wherein the shaft of said drive member has a head portion of convex shape which is in contact with said knob.

15. The rubber contact switch of claim 12, wherein said drive member reciprocates along a line and said illuminant is disposed near said line.

16. The rubber contact switch of claim 12, wherein said ring top has a given diameter, and said drive member flange portion has a diameter greater than said ring top diameter.

17. The rubber contact switch of claim 12, wherein said ring top and said flange form an inner space therebetween.