US 6,201,202 B1Granted

Switch operating rubber member and switch device

AssigneeOlympus Optical Co., Ltd.

InventorMoriya Katagiri

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Abstract

A switch device turns ON and OFF the contact pattrns of a switch substrate by pressing an operating button and turning the turning plate section of an operating rubber member serving as a switch operating rubber member. The turning plate section is turnably supported on a substrate section by a hinge section, and the periphery of the turning plate section other than the hinge section is coupled with the substrate section by a thin film section. The operating button presses the turning plate section at a position near the hinge section. An electrically conductive rubber, which comes into contact with the contact pattern under pressure, is bonded to the turning plate section at a position distanced from the position at which the operating button presses the turning plate. As a result, the operating stroke distance of the switch can be decreased, and also the thickness of a switch mechanical unit can be reduced in the stroke direction.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A switch operating rubber member operatively provided in a housing which is deformed by being pressed when a switch is operated and causes electrical contacts to contact with each other to thereby allow electrical conduction therebetween, comprising:

a housing section having an operating button hole formed therein;
an approximately flat-sheet-shaped substrate section;
a turning section which turns with respect to the substrate section upon being pressed when the switch is operated;
an operating button which extends through the operating button hole, for pressing the turning section to operate the switch when the operating button is pressed;
a first coupling section which elastically deforms with respect to the substrate section when said turning section is turned, for coupling the substrate section with said turning section along a turning axis thereof;
and
a second coupling section which elastically deforms with respect to the substrate section in association with the turning motion of said turning section, for coupling the substrate section with said turning section around the periphery of said turning section other than along said turning axis,
wherein when said turning section is pressed, said turning section is turned because said first coupling section elastically deforms along said turning axis of said turning section, and said second coupling section flexes to a greater extent than said first coupling section to thereby permit the turning motion of said turning section.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.