JP2006012653A - Guide member - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a guide member capable of smoothly moving a shaft of a switch moving forward and backward in a through-hole of a casing and of improving operability of the switch. <P>SOLUTION: This guide member 1 is used for supporting the shaft 23 of the operation switch 21 penetrating a through-hole 26 formed in a chassis C; and has a nearly ring-like body part 2 for inserting the shaft 23 of the operation switch 21 and a first extension part 5 extending from the body part 2 in a pressing operation direction of the shaft 23 and having a claw part 6 projected outward and formed at one end. In the guide member, the diameter of the body part 2 is set larger than that of the through-hole 26; and the distance between the undersurface of the body part 2 and the upper surface of the claw part 6 formed at one end of the first extension part 5 is set larger than the thickness of the chassis C. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an operation switch guide member provided in a housing of a DVD player or the like, for example.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, an audio device such as a DVD (digital versatile disc) player is provided with a plurality of operation switches for setting its operation. The operation switch is composed of, for example, a switch body portion and a shaft extending from the switch body. When the tip of the shaft is pressed by a user, the displacement of the shaft is transmitted to the switch body portion and is pressed by the switch body portion. It has come to be detected. Some of these operation switches are provided with a guide member with respect to the shaft for the purpose of suppressing rattling in a direction orthogonal to the pressing operation direction during operation pressing (see, for example, Patent Document 1). .

JP 2002-100260 A

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the structure of the switch operating device described in the above publication. According to this figure, the switch 32 is fixed to the attachment member 31, and the operation member 34 configured to be able to press the movable portion 33 provided inside the switch 32 from the front side is provided. And the guide member 35 which suppresses the movement to the circumferential direction of the operation member 34 is provided.

  The guide member 35 in the switch operating device shown in the above publication is fixed to the attachment member 31, but as shown in FIG. 9, the guide member 35 is attached to the hole 36 formed in the chassis C, so that the operation member moves in the circumferential direction. There is also a guide member 38 that suppresses the movement of.

  According to FIG. 9, the guide member 38 includes a main body portion 40 penetrating a hole 36 formed in the chassis C and a flange portion 41 extending from the main body portion 40, and the upper surface 41 a of the flange portion 41 is the chassis. The guide member 40 is fixed to the chassis C by being bonded to C by a double-sided tape or the like. A shaft 42 of the operation switch is attached to the inner peripheral surface side of the main body portion 40 of the guide member 38 so as to be able to pass therethrough, and can be moved forward and backward in FIG.

  However, in the guide member 38 shown in FIG. 9, since the length B in the pressing operation direction of the shaft 42 on the inner peripheral surface side is relatively short, when there is rattling in the direction orthogonal to the pressing operation direction of the shaft 42, It is difficult to maintain the forward / backward movement of the shaft 42 while correcting it. Therefore, in order to correct the shakiness of the shaft 42, it is conceivable to increase the distance B on the inner peripheral surface side of the guide member 38, but the dimension of the guide member 38 becomes longer in the vertical direction in FIG. It is necessary to improve the adhesion between the upper surface 41a of the flange portion 41 and the chassis C. Accordingly, it is necessary to increase the area of the upper surface 41a of the flange portion 41, and this guide member 39 is unsuitable for mounting at a place where there is no space.

  On the other hand, as a method for supporting the shaft 42, there is a method in which a burring hole 44 having a cut-and-raised portion 43 is formed in the chassis C and the shaft 42 is supported by using the cut-and-raised portion 43 as shown in FIG. . However, as shown in FIG. 10, when the burring hole 44 is formed in the chassis C, the edge 45 on the inner peripheral surface is often flashed. Therefore, the shaft 42 is caught by the flash generated at the edge portion 45, and there is a possibility that the advance / retreat operation of the shaft may be hindered. In particular, when there is variation in the linearity of the shaft 42, the tendency appears remarkably.

  The present invention has been conceived under the circumstances described above, and can smoothly move the switch shaft that moves forward and backward in the through hole of the housing, thereby further improving the operability of the switch. It is an object of the present invention to provide a guide member that can be used.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention takes the following technical means.

  A guide member provided by the present invention is a guide member for supporting a shaft of an operation switch that passes through a through hole formed in a housing, and is a substantially ring-shaped main body portion that passes through the shaft of the operation switch. And an extension part formed with a claw part that extends in the pressing operation direction of the shaft from the main body part and protrudes outward at one end, and the diameter of the main body part is larger than the diameter of the through hole. The distance between the lower surface of the main body portion and the upper surface of the claw portion formed at one end of the extension portion is larger than the thickness of the housing (claim). 1).

  According to this invention, the diameter of the main body is larger than the diameter of the through hole, and the claw portion formed in the extending portion protrudes outward, so that the housing is sandwiched between the main body portion and the claw portion. Thus, the guide member is attached to the casing so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the pressing operation direction of the shaft of the operation switch. Further, since the length between the lower surface of the main body portion and the upper surface of the claw portion is made larger than the thickness of the housing, it is movably attached even in the pressing operation direction of the shaft. Therefore, when the shaft is pressed, the guide member also supports the shaft while moving with the shaft, so that the movement of the shaft in the pressing operation direction can be made smooth.

  According to a preferred embodiment, the extending portion may be configured to be elastically deformable (Claim 2).

  According to another preferred embodiment, the inner surface of the extension part may be formed flush with the inner peripheral surface of the main body part (Claim 3).

  Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description given below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an external view showing a guide member of the present invention. 2 is an outline view of the guide member shown in FIG. 1, where (a) is a top view, (b) is a sectional view as seen from the BB direction, and (c) is a sectional view as seen from the CC direction. It is. The guide member 1 is applied to an audio device such as a DVD player. More specifically, the guide member 1 is provided in an audio device or the like and is used for supporting the movement of an operation switch or the like operated by a user.

  The guide member 1 has a substantially ring-shaped main body 2 made of, for example, ABS (acrylonitrile / butadiene / styrene) resin. A substantially circular through hole 3 through which a shaft 23 (see FIG. 3, described later) of the operation switch passes is formed in the center of the main body 2. The diameter of the through hole 3 is formed to be larger than the diameter of the shaft 23, and is formed to such an extent that the shaft 23 moves smoothly through the through hole 3 and has a slight play. In addition, the shape of the main-body part 2 and the through-hole 3 are not restricted to a substantially circular shape.

  A pair of first extending portions 5 extending along the outer peripheral surface 2 a of the main body portion 2 are formed integrally with the main body portion 2 on the lower surface of one end of the main body portion 2. The pair of first extending portions 5 extend so as to face each other, and are formed such that the inner surfaces of the first extending portions 5 are flush with the inner surface of the through hole 3 of the main body portion 2. Yes. A claw portion 6 protruding outward is formed at the tip of each first extension portion 5. As will be described later, the claw portion 6 is for preventing the guide member 1 from being detached from the chassis C after the guide member 1 is attached to the chassis C of an audio device or the like.

  The nail | claw part 6 is formed in substantially trapezoid shape by side view, and has the surface 6a orthogonal to the outer surface of the 1st extension part 5. As shown in FIG. When the guide member 1 is attached to the chassis C, the orthogonal surface 6a contacts or separates from a part of the chassis C.

  In addition, although the 1st extension part 5 which has this nail | claw part 6 is formed in the position which opposes in the main-body part 2, the number of the 1st extension parts 5 and the number of the nail | claw parts 6 are these. The number is not limited.

  The first extension portion 5 is formed integrally with the main body portion 2 and, like the main body portion 2, is formed of ABS resin or the like, so that it can be elastically deformed inward. Thus, when the guide member 1 is attached to the chassis C, if the guide member 1 is pushed into a hole (described later) formed in the chassis C, the first extension portion 5 is elastically deformed and passes through the hole. Thus, the guide member 1 can be easily attached to the chassis C.

  A pair of second extending portions 8 extending in the same direction as the first extending portion 5 are integrally formed on the lower surface of one end of the main body portion 2. Each of the second extending portions 8 is formed in a substantially arc shape in a cross-sectional view, and is a portion other than the portion where the pair of first extending portions 5 is formed on the lower surface of one end of the main body portion 2 and is opposed to each other. It is formed in the position to do. The inner surfaces of the second extending portions 8 are formed so as to be flush with the inner surface of the through hole 3 of the main body portion 2, similarly to the first extending portion 5.

  As described above, since the inner surfaces of the first extension portion 5 and the second extension portion 8 are formed along the inner surface of the main body portion 2, the pressing operation is performed so as to wrap the shaft 23 of the operation switch 21. Can be guided in directions.

  According to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 (a), and FIG. 2 (c), the main body 2 and one of the second extending portions 8 are formed with notches 9, but this is not the case. It is processed due to the shape of the chassis C of the device, and is not an essential characteristic part of the guide member 1. Therefore, the main body 2 may be formed in a substantially perfect circle shape when viewed from above.

  Further, since the second extending portion 8 extends downward from a position slightly inside the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 2, as a result, as shown in FIG. 10 is formed. Actually, the flange portion 10 is formed over the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 2 excluding the first extension portion 5 and the notch 9. The guide member 1 is prevented from being detached from the chassis C after being attached to the chassis C by the flange portion 10 of the main body portion 2.

  Next, a state where the guide member 1 is attached to the chassis C of the audio device will be described with reference to FIGS.

  According to FIGS. 3 and 4, the operation switch 21 to which the guide member 1 of the present invention is applied includes a switch body 22 and a shaft 23. The switch body 22 is soldered and mounted on a printed circuit board 24 fixed to the chassis C of the audio device by screws or the like. The shaft 23 is provided so as to extend from one end of the switch main body portion 22, and a flange 25 is formed around the center portion thereof. In this audio apparatus, the printed circuit board 24 is positioned at an appropriate position inside the audio apparatus so that the tip of the shaft 23 of the operation switch 21 (the user's pressing operation portion) protrudes outside the chassis C by a predetermined distance. In addition, the switch body 22 is positioned at an appropriate position on the printed circuit board 24.

  The guide member 1 is attached by being fitted into a hole 26 formed in the chassis C. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the chassis C is formed with a hole 26 through which the guide member 1 is attached and the tip of the shaft 23 is inserted. The hole 26 is formed in a substantially circular shape, and its diameter is slightly smaller than the diameter of the main body 2 of the guide member 1. Further, two notches 27 corresponding to the claw portions 6 of the first extending portion 5 of the guide member 1 are formed in the hole 26.

  When attaching the guide member 1 to the hole 26, first, when the nail portion 6 of the first extension portion 5 is sandwiched and pushed in from both sides (see the white arrow W in FIG. 5), the first extension portion 5 is elastically deformed. And shift inward. As it is, the guide member 1 is inserted into the hole 26 so that the claw portion 6 of the first extension portion 5 follows the notch portion 27 of the hole 26. When the main body portion 2 of the guide member 1 is pushed in until it comes into contact with the chassis C, the first extension portion 5 is restored to its original state, and the claw portion 6 comes into contact with the back side of the chassis C. 1 is attached to the chassis C without being detached. Thereafter, the shaft 23 is inserted into the through hole 3 of the guide member 1 so that the tip of the shaft 23 protrudes to the outside. At this time, the guide member 1 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface from the central portion of the shaft 23 toward the tip side so as to wrap it.

  6 and 7 are enlarged views showing a state after the guide member 1 is attached to the chassis C. FIG. The guide member 1 is not fixed to the chassis C by adhesion or the like but is loosely fitted. That is, the flange portion 10 of the main body portion 2 and the above-described claw portion 6 are arranged so as to sandwich the chassis C, and the guide member 1 is prevented from being detached from the chassis C. It is movable with respect to the chassis C to such an extent that it has some play in all directions on the left and right.

  6 and 7, when the guide member 1 is attached to the chassis C and in a normal state where no pressing operation is performed by the user, the lower surface of the main body 2 and the upper surface 6a of the claw portion 6 The length H between them is smaller than the plate thickness of the chassis C or the length in the vertical direction in the cut and raised. That is, a slight gap A is generated between the upper surface 6 a of the claw portion 6 and the chassis C. Therefore, the guide member 1 can be moved also in the pressing operation direction of the shaft 23.

  At this time, when the operation switch 21 is pressed by the user, the shaft 23 is advanced and retracted along the pressing operation direction. However, since the guide member 1 is loosely fitted to the chassis C, the guide member 1 It moves slightly in the same direction. Therefore, the movement of the shaft 23 in the pressing operation direction can be made smooth while suppressing the friction between the guide member 1 and the shaft 23.

  In the conventional configuration (see FIG. 9), since the guide member 1 is fixed to the chassis C by bonding or the like, if the main body portion 40 of the guide member 38 is to be extended, it is necessary to increase the bonding area. Since the guide member 1 according to the present embodiment does not need to be fixed to the chassis C, for example, the operation switch 21 must be attached to a location where there is no room in the audio device. Can also respond adequately.

  In the present embodiment, the length of the shaft 23 in the pressing operation direction is increased by extending the main body 2, the first extension 5, and the second extension 8 as necessary. be able to. Therefore, the guide member 1 can guide and support the shaft 23 so as to further wrap around the shaft 23 in the pressing operation direction, and the shaft 23 can be moved more reliably.

  Further, for example, when the switch body 22 of the operation switch 21 is not well mounted on the printed circuit board 24 and the shaft 23 moves forward and backward in a slightly oblique direction with a slight deviation from the axial direction of the shaft 23 to be originally traveled. Even so, the advancing and retreating operation in the oblique direction can be absorbed by the guide member 1 loosely fitted to the chassis C.

  Of course, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. For example, in the above embodiment, an audio device such as a DVD player has been described as a device to which a guide member is attached, but the present invention is not limited to an audio device.

It is an external view which shows the guide member of this invention. 2A and 2B are external views of the guide member shown in FIG. 1, in which FIG. 1A is a top view, FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view viewed from the BB direction, and FIG. It is a figure which shows an example at the time of attaching a guide member to a chassis. It is a figure which shows an example at the time of attaching a guide member to a chassis. It is a figure which shows a state when attaching a guide member to a chassis. It is an enlarged view which shows the state after a guide member was attached to the chassis. It is an enlarged view which shows the state after a guide member was attached to the chassis. It is a figure which shows the structure of the conventional guide member. It is a figure which shows the structure of the other conventional guide member. It is a figure which shows the structure when the conventional switch is attached to a chassis.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Guide member 2 Main-body part 3 Through-hole 5 1st extension part 6 Claw part 8 2nd extension part 10 Flange 21 Operation switch 23 Shaft 24 Printed circuit board C Chassis

Claims (3)

A guide member for supporting a shaft of an operation switch that passes through a through-hole formed in the housing,
A substantially ring-shaped main body that penetrates the shaft of the operation switch;
Extending from the main body part in the pressing operation direction of the shaft, and having an extension part formed with a claw part protruding outward at one end;
The diameter of the main body is larger than the diameter of the through hole,
The guide member, wherein a distance between a lower surface of the main body portion and an upper surface of a claw portion formed at one end of the extension portion is larger than a thickness of the housing.   The guide member according to claim 1, wherein the extending portion is configured to be elastically deformable.   The guide member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an inner surface of the extension portion is formed flush with an inner peripheral surface of the main body portion.

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