Multiple circuit switch with improved multiposition for joypad actuator

A multi-directional switch assembly comprising:

• a casing having a generally dome-shaped portion, said dome-shaped portion having a top surface with spherical curvature and a through hole provided at a central part of said dome-shaped portion;
• a substrate provided within said casing and having a plurality of electrical contact portions, each of said electrical contact portions having a pair of electrical contacts;
• a resilient member provided on said substrate and having a plurality of protuberant portions at positions corresponding to said electrical contact portions, each of said protuberant portions having an electrically conductive portion which makes electrical contact with the corresponding one pair of the electrical contacts when the protuberant portion is resiliently deformed;
• a contact pressing member provided on said resilient member and having a plurality of force-conducting portions at positions corresponding to said protuberant portions;
• and
• a key member secured on said contact pressing member via said through hole, said key member having a home position and a tilted position, said contact pressing member being approximately level and said force-conducting portions resting on the corresponding protuberant portions in the home position of said key member when said key member is free of a pressing force, one of said force-conducting portions resiliently deforming the corresponding one of said protuberant portions to achieve an electrical contact between the corresponding pair of electrical contacts in the tilting position when said key member receives a pressing force, said key member including a sliding surface facing, and having a spherical curvature corresponding to said top surface, the tilting of said key member being guided by the movable contact of said sliding surface with said top surface.

A multi-directional switch assembly comprising:

• a substrate having a pair of electrical contact portions formed on a surface of said substrate, each of said electrical contact portions having a pair of separate electrical contacts;
• a pair of movable contact means formed on said surface of said substrate in correspondence with said pair of electrical contact portions, each of said movable contact means having a conductive layer and a resilient means supporting said conductive layer, said movable contact means being placed so that said conducting layers are closely spaced from the corresponding separate electrical contacts;
• a guiding member mechanically fixed to said substrate, said guiding member having an outer surface, an inner space and a through hole, said through hole being in alignment with a center portion located between said pair of electrical contact portions at said surface of the substrate, said outer surface having at least a pair of first sliding surface portions-located so that said through hole is located therebetween and constituting part of a spherical surface;
• and
• a control means having key-top portion and a pair of force-conducting Portions, said key-top portion having a pair of second sliding surface portions facing, and having a surface curvature corresponding to, to said pair of first sliding surface portions;
• said pair of force-conducting portions being positioned within said inner space and respectively contacting the corresponding movable contact means, said pair of force-conducting portions being mechanically connected with said key-top portion through said through hole.

A multi-directional switch assembly comprising:

• a substrate having two pairs of electrical contact portions formed on a surface of said substrate and located symmetrically with respect to a center position, each of said electrical contact portions having a pair of separate electrical contacts;
• a first member having two parts of protuberant portions corresponding to said two pairs of electrical contact portions and placed on said substrate, each of said protuberant portions having a conductive layer and a resilient means supporting said conductive layer, said two pairs of protuberant portions being placed so that said conducting layers are closely spaced from the corresponding pair of separate electrical contacts;
• a second member mechanically fixed to said substrate, said second member having an outer surface, an inner space and a circular through hole, the imaginary center of said circular through hole being in alignment with said center position on said substrate, said outer surface having a first sliding surface portion located around said circular through hole and has a shape constituting part of a spherical surface;
• and
• a third member having a first portion, a second portion, and two pairs of third portions, said first portion having a second sliding surface portion facing, and having a curved surface corresponding to said first sliding surface portion, said two pairs of third portions being positioned within said inner space and placed respectively on the corresponding protuberant portions, said second portion including a cylindrical portion the sectional diameter of which is smaller than the diameter of said circular through hole to allow said third member to tilt, said cylindrical portion of said second portion mechanically connecting said two pairs of said third portions with said first portion through said through hole.

A multi-directional switch assembly comprising:

• a substrate having two pairs of electrical contact portions formed on a surface of said substrate and arranged symmetrically with respect to a center position, each of said electrical contact portions having a pair of separate electrical contacts;
• a first member having two parts of protuberant portions corresponding to said two pairs of electrical contact portions and placed on said substrate, each of said two pairs of protuberant portions having a conductive layer and a resilient means supporting said conductive layer, said two pairs of protuberant portions being formed so that said conducting layers are closely spaced from the corresponding pair of separate electrical contacts;
• a second member mechanically fixed to said substrate, said second member having an outer surface, an inner space and a circular through hole, the imaginary center line of said circular through hole being in alignment with said center position on said substrate, said outer surface having a first sliding surface portion which surrounds said circular through hole and has a shape constituting part of a spherical surface;
• and
• a third member located within said inner space and having two pairs of force-conducting portions being arranged symmetrically with respect to an imaginary center line and placed respectively on the corresponding protuberant portions so that said imaginary center line of said third member is registered to said center position on said substrate and to said imaginary center line of said circular through hole, said third member further having a cylindrical hole the imaginary center line of which is in alignment with said imaginary center line of said third member;
• and
• a fourth member located on said second member, said fourth member having a second sliding surface portion facing, and having a surface curvature corresponding to said first sliding surface portion, said fourth member further having a cylindrical projection extending through said through hole and being fitted in said cylindrical hole whereby said fourth member is mechanically connected to said two pairs of force-conducting portions, said cylindrical projection having a sectional diameter of which is smaller than the diameter of said circular through hole to allow said fourth member to tilt.

A multi-directional switch assembly comprising:

• a casing having a generally dome-shaped portion, said dome-shaped portion having a top surface with spherical curvature and a through hole provided at a central part of said dome-shaped portion;
• a substrate provided within said casing and having a plurality of electrical contact portions, each of said electrical contact portions having a pair of electrical contacts;
• a resilient member provided on said substrate and having a plurality of bulges at positions corresponding to said electrical contact portions, each of said bulges having an electrically conductive portion which makes electrical contact with the corresponding one pair of the electrical contacts when the bulge is resiliently deformed;
• a contact pressing member provided on said resilient member and having a plurality of legs at positions corresponding to said bulges;
• and
• a key member secured on said contact pressing member via said through hole in a dome-shaped portion of said casing, said key member having a home position and a tilted position,
• said contact pressing member being approximately level and said legs resting on the corresponding bulges in the home position of said key member when said key member is free of a pressing force,
• one of said legs resiliently deforming the corresponding bulge to achieve electrical contact between the corresponding one pair of the electrical contacts in the tilted position of said key member when said key member receives a pressing force,
• said key member having a partial spherical curved surface facing and corresponding to said top surface,
• the tilting of said key member being guided by the engagement of said partial spherical curved surface with said top surface.

A multi-directional switch assembly comprising:

• a casing having a generally dome-shaped portion provided at an arbitrary part of the casing, said dome-shaped portion having a spherical curved top surface and a through hole provided at a central part of said dome-shaped portion;
• a substrate provided within said casing and having a plurality of electrical contact portions;
• a resilient member provided on said substrate and having a plurality of bulges at positions corresponding to said electrical contact portions, each of said bulges having an electrically conductive portion which makes electrical contact with the corresponding one of the electrical contact portions when the bulge is resiliently deformed;
• a contact pressing member provided on said resilient member and having a plurality of legs at positions corresponding to said bulges of said resilient member;
• and
• a key member secured on said contact pressing member via said through hole in a dome-shaped portion of said casing, said key member having a home position and a tilted position,
• said contact pressing member being approximately level and the legs resting on the corresponding bulges of said resilient member in the home position of said key member,
• one of said legs of said contact pressing member resiliently deforming a corresponding one of the bulges of said resilient member to achieve electrical contact between the electrically conductive portion of said corresponding one bulge and a corresponding one of the electrical contact portions of said substrate in the tilted position said key member,
• said key member having a sliding surface portion which makes sliding contact with the top surface of the dome-shaped portion of said casing when tilting to the tilted position and being automatically returned from the tilted position to the home position by a resilient restoration force exerted by said resilient member,
• at least the tilting of said key member from the home position to the tilted position being substantially guided by the top surface of the dome-shaped portion as the sliding portion makes sliding contact with said top surface, so that an external force applied on said key member is distributed on said dome-shaped portion and is prevented from being applied directly on said substrate.