Composite operating device

• US 9,342,090 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2013
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Masatomo
• Primary Examiner(s): Luong, Vinh
• Application Number:
  US14/045,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20140102245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 745/53, 200/337
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0228 Hand-activated mechanical switches B60N2/0229 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/025 actuated by sliding movement
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/10 Details, e.g. of discs, knobs, wheels or handles G05G1/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/002 having an operating member rectilinearly slidable in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2084 Knob or dial

Abstract

A composite operating device is provided which enables an operating member to be reliably guided in a sliding direction and achieves a simple structure for preventing disengagement of a slider. The composite device includes a base, a slider, and an operating member. The base includes a base main body, a guiding portion, and a restricting portion. The slider includes a guided portion and a restricted surface. The slider can slide in the sliding direction with the guided portion being restricted by first and second guiding surfaces. The restricting portion includes a sliding contact portion that restricts the slider and allows sliding of the slider by coming into sliding contact with the restricted surface. Also, the restricting portion has a shape that allows movement of the slider in a fitting direction by being deformed to bend in a direction in which the restricting portion is retracted from the slider.

Claims

1. A composite operating device that is configured to rotate about a specific axis of rotation and configured to slide in a specific sliding direction that is transverse to the axis of rotation, the composite operating device comprising:

a base;

a slider that is supported by the base so as to be slidable in the sliding direction relative to the base; and

an operating member that is retained by the slider, the operating member being configured to rotate about the axis of rotation and being configured to slide in the sliding direction together with the slider, wherein

the base comprises;

a base main body having an opposing surface that faces the slider in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation,

a guiding portion protruding from the opposing surface toward the slider and configured to guide the slider in the sliding direction, and

at least one restricting portion protruding from the opposing surface toward the slider at a position spaced apart from the guiding portion in a slide restriction direction that is orthogonal to the sliding direction and restricting displacement of the slider in a direction away from the base main body,

the slider comprises;

a guided portion that is shaped such that the guided portion is removably fitted into a fitted state in contact with the guiding portion in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation and is configured to be guided by the guiding portion in the sliding direction in the fitted state, and

at least one restricted surface, the restricted surface being a surface that faces a side that is opposite to the opposing surface and extends parallel to the sliding direction and that is restricted in movement by the restricting portion,

the guiding portion extends in a direction parallel to the sliding direction and comprises;

a first guiding surface restricting movement of the guided portion in the fitted state from a first side with respect to the slide restriction direction, and

a second guiding surface restricting movement of the guided portion in the fitted state from a side that is opposite to the first side with respect to the slide restriction direction,

the slider is configured to slide in the sliding direction with the guided portion of the slider being restricted by the first and second guiding surfaces, and

the restricting portion comprises a sliding contact portion that, in the fitted state, comes into contact with the restricted surface from the side that is opposite to the opposing surface, thereby restricting movement of the slider, and comes into sliding contact with the restricted surface in the sliding direction, thereby allowing the slider to slide, and the restricting portion is shaped such that, as the slider approaches the opposing surface in a fitting direction in a process until the guided portion is fitted into the guiding portion, the restricting portion comes into contact with the slider, thereby being deformed so as to bend in a direction in which the restricting portion is deformed away from the slider and allowing the slider to move in the fitting direction.

2. The composite operating device according to claim 1, wherein

the base comprises, as the restricting portion, a first restricting portion and a second restricting portion that is located on a side of the guiding portion that is opposite to the first restricting portion with respect to the slide restriction direction and protrudes from the opposing surface toward the slider, and

the slider comprises, as the restricted surface, a first restricted surface and a second restricted surface that are provided corresponding to the first restricting portion and the second restricting portion, respectively,

the first restricting portion comprises, as the sliding contact portion, a first sliding contact portion that, in the fitted state, comes into contact with the first restricted surface from the side that is opposite to the opposing surface, thereby restricting movement of the slider in a direction away from the base main body, and comes into sliding contact with the first restricted surface in the sliding direction, thereby allowing the slider to slide, and being shaped such that, as the slider approaches the opposing surface in the fitting direction in the process until the guided portion is fitted into the guiding portion, the first restricting portion comes into contact with the slider, thereby being deformed so as to bend in a first bending deformation direction in which the first restricting portion is deformed away from the slider and allowing the slider to move in the fitting direction, and

the second restricting portion comprises, as the sliding contact portion, a second sliding contact portion that, in the fitted state, comes into contact with the second restricted surface from the side that is opposite to the opposing surface, thereby restricting movement of the slider in a direction away from the base main body, and comes into sliding contact with the second restricted surface in the sliding direction, thereby allowing the slider to slide, and being shaped such that, as the slider approaches the opposing surface in the fitting direction in the process until the guided portion is fitted into the guiding portion, the second restricting portion comes into contact with the slider, thereby being deformed so as to bend in a direction opposite to the first bending deformation direction and allowing the slider to move in the fitting direction.

3. The composite operating device according to claim 2, wherein

the base further comprises, as the restricting portion, a third restricting portion that is located on a side of transverse plane that is opposite to the first restricting portion with respect to the sliding direction, the transverse plane containing the axis of rotation and being transverse to the sliding direction, and that protrudes from the opposing surface toward the slider and a fourth restricting portion that is located on a side of the transverse plane that is opposite to the second restricting portion with respect to the sliding direction and that protrudes from the opposing surface toward the slider, and

the slider further comprises, as the restricted surface, a third restricted surface and a fourth restricted surface that are provided corresponding to the third restricting portion and the fourth restricting portion, respectively,

the third restricting portion comprises, as the sliding contact portion, a third sliding contact portion that, in the fitted state, comes into contact with the third restricted surface from the side that is opposite to the opposing surface, thereby restricting movement of the slider in a direction away from the base main body, and comes into sliding contact with the third restricted surface in the sliding direction, thereby allowing the slider to slide, and being shaped such that, as the slider approaches the opposing surface in the fitting direction in the process until the guided portion is fitted into the guiding portion, the third restricting portion comes into contact with the slider, thereby being deformed so as to bend in a third bending deformation direction in which the third restricting portion is retracted from the slider and allowing the slider to move in the fitting direction, and

the fourth restricting portion comprises, as the sliding contact portion, a fourth sliding contact portion that, in the fitted state, comes into contact with the fourth restricted surface from the side that is opposite to the opposing surface, thereby restricting movement of the slider in a direction away from the base main body, and comes into sliding contact with the fourth restricted surface in the sliding direction, thereby allowing the slider to slide, and being shaped such that, as the slider approaches the opposing surface in the fitting direction in the process until the guided portion is fitted into the guiding portion, the fourth restricting portion comes into contact with the slider, thereby being deformed so as to bend in a direction opposite to the third bending deformation direction and allowing the slider to move in the fitting direction.

4. The composite operating device according to claim 2, wherein

the slider comprises a cylindrical retaining portion that rotatably retains the operating member, a first restricted wall that includes the first restricted surface, and a second restricted wall that includes the second restricted surface,

the first restricted wall having a shape extending in the sliding direction so as to contain a first tangent to the retaining portion that extends in a direction parallel to the sliding direction, and

the second restricted wall having a shape extending in the sliding direction so as to contain a second tangent to the retaining portion that extend in the direction parallel to the sliding direction.

5. The composite operating device according to claim 1, wherein the guiding portion comprises a first guiding portion that is spaced apart from the axis of rotation in the slide restriction direction and comprises the first guiding surface, and a second guiding portion that is positioned on a side of the axis of rotation that is opposite to the first guiding portion and comprises the second guiding surface.

6. The composite operating device according to claim 1, wherein the sliding contact portion has a shape that comes into point or line contact with the restricted surface.

7. The composite operating device according to claim 1, wherein the slide direction is orthogonal to the axis of rotation.

8. The composite operating device according to claim 7, wherein the transverse plane containing the axis of rotation is orthogonal the sliding direction.