Illuminated switch construction and pushbutton unit for illuminated switches

A pushbutton unit for an illuminated switch fixed on a substrate having at least one guide hole formed therein, said pushbutton unit being operated for driving a switch unit having a driven part that is driven for reciprocating motion, comprising:

• an opposed part disposed in opposed relation to a light-emitting device provided on the substrate at a location adjacent to the switch unit;
• a depressing part disposed in association with said opposed part, for depressing operation, said depressing part allowing light from the light-emitting device to pass therethrough;
• a coupling part coupled to the driven part of the switch unit to interlock the driven part and the pushbutton unit for reciprocating motion;
• and
• at least one guide pin fitted through a corresponding one of the at least one guide hole of the substrate to cooperate with the corresponding guide hole to perform a guiding function of guiding the reciprocating motion of the pushbutton unit.

An illuminated switch construction comprising:

• a substrate having at least one guide part;
• a switch unit provided on said substrate, said switch unit having a driven part that is driven for reciprocating motion;
• a light-emitting device provided on said substrate at a location adjacent to said switch unit;
• and
• a pushbutton unit that drives said switch unit, said pushbutton unit having an opposed part disposed in opposed relation to said light-emitting device, a depressing part disposed in association with said opposed part, for depressing operation, said depressing part allowing light from said light-emitting device to pass therethrough, a coupling part coupled to said driven part of said switch unit to interlock said driven part and said pushbutton unit for reciprocating motion, and at least one guide-engaging part engaged with a corresponding one of said at least one guide part of said substrate to cooperate with said corresponding guide part to perform a guiding function of guiding the reciprocating motion of said pushbutton unit.

An illuminated switch construction comprising:

• a substrate having at least one guide part;
• a switch unit provided on said substrate, said switch unit having a driven part that is driven for reciprocating motion;
• a light-emitting device provided on said substrate at a location adjacent to said switch unit;
• and
• a pushbutton unit that drives said switch unit, said pushbutton unit having a pushbutton unit main body and a push-down member with indicator;
• and
• said pushbutton unit main body being formed as a one-piece member incorporating an opposed part disposed in opposed relation to said light-emitting device, a coupling part coupled to said driven part of said switch unit to interlock said driven part and said pushbutton unit for reciprocating motion, and at least one guide-engaging part engaged with a corresponding one of said at least one guide part of said substrate to cooperate with said corresponding guide part to perform a guiding function of guiding the reciprocating motion of said pushbutton unit,
• said push-down member with indicator being disposed on a side of said pushbutton unit main body remote from said substrate and in association with said opposed part of said pushbutton unit main body, said push-down member with indicator having a depressing part for depressing operation, said depressing part allowing light from said light-emitting device to pass therethrough.

An illuminated switch construction comprising:

• a substrate having at least one guide part;
• a switch unit provided on said substrate, said switch unit having a driven part that is driven for reciprocating motion;
• a light-emitting device provided on said substrate at a location adjacent to said switch unit;
• and
• a pushbutton unit that drives said switch unit, said pushbutton unit being formed by a combination of a pushbutton unit main body and a push-down member with indicator;
• said pushbutton unit main body being formed as a one-piece member incorporating an opposed part disposed in opposed relation to said light-emitting device, a coupling part coupled to said driven part of said switch unit to interlock said driven part and said pushbutton unit for reciprocating motion, at least one guide-engaging part engaged with a corresponding one of said at least one guide part of said substrate to cooperate with said corresponding guide part to perform a guiding function of guiding the reciprocating motion of said pushbutton unit, and a push-down member-mounting part on which one of a plurality of types of push-down member with indicator can be selectively mounted on a side of said pushbutton unit main body remote from said substrate,
• said push-down member with indicator being disposed on the side of said pushbutton unit main body remote from said substrate and in association with said opposed part of said pushbutton unit main body, said push-down member with indicator having a depressing part for depressing operation, said depressing part allowing light from said light-emitting device to pass therethrough,
• wherein a desired one of the plurality of types of push-down member with indicator is mounted on said push-down member-mounting part of said pushbutton unit main body, thereby forming one of different types of illuminated switch assemblies.

An illuminated switch construction comprising:

• a substrate having a plurality of electric components arranged thereon;
• at least one guide part fixed on said substrate;
• a switch unit provided on said substrate, said switch unit having a driven part that is driven for reciprocating motion;
• a light-emitting device provided on said substrate at a location adjacent to said switch unit;
• and
• a pushbutton unit that drives said switch unit, said pushbutton unit having a light transmissive part allowing light from said light-emitting device to pass therethrough, a depressing part for depressing operation, a coupling part coupled to said driven part of said switch unit to interlock said driven part and said pushbutton unit for reciprocating motion, at least one guide-engaging part engaged with a corresponding one of said at least one guide part of said substrate to cooperate with said corresponding guide part to perform a guiding function of guiding the reciprocating motion of said pushbutton unit,
• wherein reciprocating motion of said driven part is guided by the guiding function performed by said guide part and said guide-engaging part.

A switch construction comprising:

• a substrate having at least one guide part;
• a switch unit provided on said substrate, said switch unit having a driven part that is driven for reciprocating motion;
• and
• a pushbutton unit that drives said switch unit, said pushbutton unit having a depressing part for depressing operation, a coupling part coupled to said driven part of said switch unit to interlock said driven part and said pushbutton unit for reciprocating motion, and at least one guide-engaging part engaged with a corresponding one of said at least one guide part of said substrate to cooperate with said corresponding guide part to perform a guiding function of guiding the reciprocating motion of said pushbutton unit;
• said substrate comprising a general-purpose substrate used as a base member for a plurality of electric component parts other than said switch unit, said general-purpose substrate being capable of having said electric component parts and said pushbutton unit arranged thereon;
• wherein reciprocating motion of said driven part is guided by the guiding function performed by said guide part and said guide-engaging part.

An illuminated switch construction comprising:

• a substrate having at least one guide pin fixed thereon;
• a switch unit provided on said substrate, said switch unit having a driven part driven for reciprocating motion;
• a light-emitting device provided on said substrate at a location adjacent to said switch unit;
• and
• a pushbutton unit that drives said switch unit, said pushbutton unit having an opposed part disposed in opposed relation to said light-emitting device, a depressing part disposed in association with said opposed part, for depressing operation, said depressing part allowing light from said light-emitting device to pass therethrough, a coupling part coupled to said driven part of said switch unit to interlock said driven part and said pushbutton unit for reciprocating motion, and at least one guide hole having a corresponding one of said at least one guide pin fitted therethrough, for cooperating with said corresponding guide hole to perform a guiding function of guiding the reciprocating motion of said pushbutton unit.