Operation device and heating cooker using operation device

• US 8,669,502 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shigeoka, Takehiko, Kusaka, Takaaki, Kataoka, Akira, Matsui, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): PASCHALL, MARK H
• Application Number:
  US13/386,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20120118714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 219412-414, 219/483, 219/494, 219/497, 219/505, 219/715, 219/716, 219/507, 361/679.02, 361/437
• US Class Current: 219/502
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96076 with spring electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96079 using a single or more light guides

Abstract

The present invention provides an operation device which has a stable operation feeling with a simple configuration and has a high reliability and an excellent operability. An electrode terminal portion which is arranged just below an operation region on a top plate made of a material having an electric insulating property, and serves as an electrostatic capacity type touch switch has a detection portion which comes into close contact with a back surface of the operation region, a spring portion which has an elastic force pressing the detection portion to the back surface of the top plate, and a slide portion which is movably retained in the guide holder.

Claims

1. An operation device comprising:

an operation region on a top plate made of a material having an electric insulating property;

an electrode terminal portion which is arranged just below the operation region, and serves as an electrostatic capacity type touch switch;

a guide holder which slidably holds the electrode terminal portion; and

an operation substrate which is provided with the guide holder,

wherein the electrode terminal portion has;

a detection portion which comes into close contact with a back surface of the operation region,

a spring portion which has an elastic force pressing the detection portion to the back surface of the operation region, and

a slide portion which is movably retained in the guide holder, moves together with the detection portion due to the elastic force of the spring portion, and presses the detection portion to the back surface of the operation region, and

wherein the detection portion, the spring portion and the slide portion are integrally formed, and a change of an electrostatic capacity in the electrode terminal portion is configured to be output as an operation signal.

2. The operation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detection portion of the electrode terminal portion has a flat surface which is in parallel to the back surface of the operation region on the top plate, and forms a top surface of the electrode terminal portion, and

wherein the spring portion and the slide portion are formed in each of both side surfaces of the electrode terminal portion so as to support both sides of the detection portion, and the slide portion is movably retained in the guide holder at a time when the slide portion and the detection portion move due to the elastic force of the spring portion, and the detection portion comes into contact with the back surface of the top plate.

3. The operation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide holder is configured such that a hole having an opening is formed in the top surface which is located at a position opposed to the back surface of the top plate, a light emitting element is arranged in the hole of the guide holder, a light from the light emitting element irradiates the detection portion of the electrode terminal portion, and the light transmits from at least a part of the operation region on the top plate.

4. The operation device as claimed in claim 3, wherein a light shielding portion is provided between the detection portion of the electrode terminal portion and the guide holder, and the light shielding portion is movably retained to the guide holder, and moves together with the detection portion.

5. The operation device as claimed in claim 3, wherein a name plate having an individual simple character shaped light transmission portion indicating an operation content of a touch switch is attached to the top surface opening of the guide holder, the name plate is irradiated by the light from the light emitting element in the hole of the guide holder, and the character shape of the light transmission portion is displayed in the operation region on the top plate through the opening which is formed in the detection portion of the electrode terminal portion.

6. The operation device as claimed in claim 3, wherein a simple character shaped opening indicating the operation content is formed in the detection portion which is formed in the top surface of the electrode terminal portion.

7. The operation device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the light emitting element is configured by arranging a plurality of LED which generate a plurality of colors, or LED which generate different colors, and is configured to change the color generation of the light emitting element in correspondence to an operation state by the operation of the touch switch.

8. The operation device as claimed in claim 3, wherein a diffusion sheet diffusing the light is attached to the top surface of the guide holder.

9. The operation device as claimed in claim 3, wherein an individual character shape indicating the operation content of the touch switch is printed to the back surface of the operation region on the top plate.

10. The operation device as claimed in claim 3, wherein a conductive sheet having an individual character shaped light transmission portion indicating the operation content of the touch switch is attached to the detection portion.

11. The operation device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the light shielding portion and the electrode terminal portion is configured to be connected by an engagement portion so as to integrally move, and the electrode terminal portion is configured to pinch the light shielding portion.

12. The operation device as claimed in claim 4, wherein a simple character shaped opening indicating the operation content of the touch switch is formed on the top plate of the light shielding portion.

13. The operation device as claimed in claim 5, wherein an opening in a complex shape putting together a plurality of simple character shapes indicating the operation contents of the touch switch is formed in the detection portion which is formed in the top surface of the electrode terminal.

14. The operation device as claimed in claim 1 for use in a heating cooker, wherein the heating cooker comprises:

a heating unit which is provided just below the top plate and heats an object to be heated placed on the top plate; and

a control portion which controls the heating unit,

wherein it is configured such that an operation signal in response to a change of an electrostatic capacity in the electrode terminal portion of the operation device is input to the control portion so as to control the heating unit.

15. The operation device as claimed in claim 2 for use in a heating cooker, wherein the heating cooker comprises:

a heating unit which is provided just below the top plate and heats an object to be heated placed on the top plate; and

a control portion which controls the heating unit,

wherein it is configured such that an operation signal in response to a change of an electrostatic capacity in the electrode terminal portion of the operation device is input to the control portion so as to control the heating unit.

16. The operation device as claimed in claim 3 for use in a heating cooker, wherein the heating cooker comprises:

a heating unit which is provided just below the top plate and heats an object to be heated placed on the top plate; and

a control portion which controls the heating unit,

wherein it is configured such that an operation signal in response to a change of an electrostatic capacity in the electrode terminal portion of the operation device is input to the control portion so as to control the heating unit.

17. The operation device as claimed in claim 4 for use in a heating cooker, wherein the heating cooker comprises:

a heating unit which is provided just below the top plate and heats an object to be heated placed on the top plate; and

a control portion which controls the heating unit,

wherein it is configured such that an operation signal in response to a change of an electrostatic capacity in the electrode terminal portion of the operation device is input to the control portion so as to control the heating unit.

18. The operation device as claimed in claim 5 for use in a heating cooker, wherein the heating cooker comprises:

a heating unit which is provided just below the top plate and heats an object to be heated placed on the top plate; and

a control portion which controls the heating unit,

wherein it is configured such that an operation signal in response to a change of an electrostatic capacity in the electrode terminal portion of the operation device is input to the control portion so as to control the heating unit.

19. The operation device as claimed in claim 6 for use in a heating cooker, wherein the heating cooker comprises:

a heating unit which is provided just below the top plate and heats an object to be heated placed on the top plate; and

a control portion which controls the heating unit,

wherein it is configured such that an operation signal in response to a change of an electrostatic capacity in the electrode terminal portion of the operation device is input to the control portion so as to control the heating unit.

20. The operation device as claimed in claim 7 for use in a heating cooker, wherein the heating cooker comprises:

a heating unit which is provided just below the top plate and heats an object to be heated placed on the top plate; and

a control portion which controls the heating unit,

wherein it is configured such that an operation signal in response to a change of an electrostatic capacity in the electrode terminal portion of the operation device is input to the control portion so as to control the heating unit.

21. The operation device as claimed in claim 8 for use in a heating cooker, wherein the heating cooker comprises:

a heating unit which is provided just below the top plate and heats an object to be heated placed on the top plate; and

a control portion which controls the heating unit,

wherein it is configured such that an operation signal in response to a change of an electrostatic capacity in the electrode terminal portion of the operation device is input to the control portion so as to control the heating unit.

22. The operation device as claimed in claim 9 for use in a heating cooker, wherein the heating cooker comprises:

a heating unit which is provided just below the top plate and heats an object to be heated placed on the top plate; and

a control portion which controls the heating unit,

wherein it is configured such that an operation signal in response to a change of an electrostatic capacity in the electrode terminal portion of the operation device is input to the control portion so as to control the heating unit.

23. The operation device as claimed in claim 10 for use in a heating cooker, wherein the heating cooker comprises:

a heating unit which is provided just below the top plate and heats an object to be heated placed on the top plate; and

a control portion which controls the heating unit,

wherein it is configured such that an operation signal in response to a change of an electrostatic capacity in the electrode terminal portion of the operation device is input to the control portion so as to control the heating unit.

24. The operation device as claimed in claim 11 for use in a heating cooker, wherein the heating cooker comprises:

a heating unit which is provided just below the top plate and heats an object to be heated placed on the top plate; and

a control portion which controls the heating unit,

wherein it is configured such that an operation signal in response to a change of an electrostatic capacity in the electrode terminal portion of the operation device is input to the control portion so as to control the heating unit.

25. The operation device as claimed in claim 12 for use in a heating cooker, wherein the heating cooker comprises:

a heating unit which is provided just below the top plate and heats an object to be heated placed on the top plate; and

a control portion which controls the heating unit,

wherein it is configured such that an operation signal in response to a change of an electrostatic capacity in the electrode terminal portion of the operation device is input to the control portion so as to control the heating unit.

26. The operation device as claimed in claim 13 for use in a heating cooker, wherein the heating cooker comprises:

a heating unit which is provided just below the top plate and heats an object to be heated placed on the top plate; and

a control portion which controls the heating unit,

wherein it is configured such that an operation signal in response to a change of an electrostatic capacity in the electrode terminal portion of the operation device is input to the control portion so as to control the heating unit.