Push-button switch, and operation device and teaching pendant comprising the same

A push-button switch controlling an ON or OFF state of the switch according to an increase of depression of a push button, said push-button switch comprising:

• a push button;
• a case for depressibly supporting said push button;
• a first contact disposed in said case;
• a second contact disposed in said case in opposed relation with said first contact, wherein said push-button switch is shifted, in conjunction with a depression of said push button, from a first OFF state in which said first and second contacts are out of contact to an ON state in which said first and second contacts are in contact, and then shifted to a second OFF state in which said first and second contacts are again out of contact;
• a switching mechanism having two opposite end portions, wherein one end portion is inserted in a hollow portion defined in said push button and the other end portion extends in said case;
• a slide block disposed in the one end portion of said switching mechanism slidable in a direction intersectional to a direction of the depression of the push button;
• a push-button slope formed in the hollow portion of said push button;
• a slide-block slope formed on said slide block wherein said slide-block slope is engagable with said push-button slope, wherein said switching mechanism is interlocked with the depression of said push button while said push-button and slide block slopes are in engagement when said push-button is pressed between the first OFF state and the second OFF state, wherein said slide block slides to bring said push-button and slide block slopes out of engagement when said push-button is depressed to said second OFF state, and wherein said switching mechanism is released from the interlocked relation with the depression of said push button so as to become movable in said hollow portion when said push-button is depressed to said second OFF state;
• and
• a reversing mechanism disposed in said case, having an end normally spaced from said first contact but movable toward said first contact by said other end portion of the switching mechanism abutting against and pressing down a midportion of said reversing mechanism when said push-button is moved to the second OFF state, and wherein said second contact is affixed to said end of said reversing mechanism.

A push-button switch controlling an ON or OFF state of the switch according to an increase of depression of a push button, said push-button switch comprising:

• a push button;
• a case for depressibly supporting said push button;
• a first contact disposed in said case;
• a second contact disposed in said case in opposed relation with said first contact, wherein said push-button switch is shifted, in conjunction with a depression of said push button, from a first OFF state in which said first and second contacts are out of contact to an ON state in which said first and second contacts are in contact, and then shifted to a second OFF state in which said first and second contacts are again out of contact;
• and
• a switching mechanism movable interlocked with a depression of said push-button for shifting the switch from said first OFF state to said ON state and rotating in response to the subsequent depression of said push button, wherein said first contact is shifted from said ON state to said second OFF state by the rotation of said switching mechanism.

A push-button switch controlling an ON or OFF state of the switch according to an increase of depression of a push button, said push-button switch comprising:

• a push button;
• a case for depressibly supporting said push button;
• a first contact disposed in said case;
• a second contact disposed in said case in opposed relation with said first contact, wherein said push-button switch is shifted, in conjunction with a depression of said push button, from a first OFF state in which said first and second contacts are out of contact to an ON state in which said first and second contacts are in contact, and then shifted to a second OFF state in which said first and second contacts are again out of contact;
• a first electrically conductive member disposed in said case, wherein a distal end of said first conductive member is urged toward said push button and has said first contact affixed thereto;
• a second electrically conductive member disposed in said case, wherein a distal end of said second conductive member is interposed between said push button and said first contact and has said second contact affixed thereto in opposed relation with said first contact;
• a leaf spring disposed in said case having two ends wherein one end of said leaf spring is fixed to said push button, the other end of said leaf spring is positioned close to said distal end of said second conductive member, and wherein said leaf spring has a bent portion formed by bending a tip portion of the other end of said leaf spring and wherein the bent portion is engageable with said distal end of said second member;
• and
• an operating member fixed to said push button for forcible separation, wherein a distal end of said operating member abuts against said distal end of said first conductive member, wherein said bent portion of the leaf spring is brought into engagement with said distal end of said second conductive member by the depression of said push button thereby pressing down said distal end of said second conductive member against an urging force of said second conductive member for shifting the push-button switch from said first OFF state to said ON state, and wherein said bent portion of the leaf spring is caused to slide on said distal end of said second conductive member by the subsequent depression of said push button and disengages from said second conductive member while said operating member presses down said distal end of said first conductive member against the urging force of said first conductive member whereby the switch is shifted from said ON state to said second OFF state.

A push-button switch controlling an ON or OFF state of the switch according to an increase of depression of a push button said push-button switch comprising:

• a push button;
• a case for depressibly supporting said push button;
• a first contact disposed in said case;
• a second contact disposed in said case in opposed relation with said first contact, wherein said push-button switch is shifted, in conjunction with a depression of said push button, from a first OFF state in which said first and second contacts are out of contact to an ON state in which said first and second contacts are in contact, and then shifted to a second OFF state in which said first and second contacts are again out of contact;
• an electrically conductive stationary member disposed in said case, wherein said first contact is affixed to an end of said stationary member;
• and
• an electrically conductive movable member having a U-shaped section and received in a hollow portion defined in said push buttons wherein resilient opposite ends of said movable member are urged in directions to move away from each other and are retractable into the hollow portion of said push button, wherein said second contact is affixed to at least one of said opposite ends of said movable member, wherein said movable member is shifted from said first OFF state to said ON state interlocked with a depression formed in said push button, and wherein said opposite ends of said movable member are retracted into said hollow portion of said push button by the subsequent depression of said push button while a part of said push button is interposed between said first and second contacts whereby the switch is shifted from said ON state to said second OFF state.

A push-button switch controlling an ON or OFF state of the switch according to an increase of depression of a push button, said push-button switch comprising:

• a push button;
• a case for depressibly supporting said push button;
• a first contact;
• a second contact disposed in opposed relation with said first contact, wherein said push-button switch is shifted, in conjunction with a depression of said push button, from a first OFF state in which said first and second contacts are out of contact to an ON state in which said first and second contacts are in contact, and then shifted to a second OFF state in which said first and second contacts are again out of contact;
• an operation section including said push button;
• and
• a contact section removably attached to said operation section, wherein said first and second contacts are disposed in said contact section to come into contact at the attachment of said contact section to said operation section, wherein at least one of said first and second contacts is separated from the other at the separation of said contact section from said operation section thereby shifting the switch to said first OFF state, and wherein the push-button switch is shifted from said ON state to said second OFF state by depressing said push button through said operation section.