Switch device

A switch device includes a switch shifting a pair of input and output terminals in a housing and a manipulation knob for shifting the switch. The manipulation knob includes a rotating member rotatable to a plurality of rotating positions relative to the housing and a sliding member rotating with the rotating member and slidable along both positive and negative directions at each of the plurality of rotating positions, so that the manipulation knob is interconnected with a rotary shaft member which rotates with the rotating member. The switch gives an output corresponding to each direction according to the sliding of the sliding member in both the positive and negative directions even though the manipulation knob is at any one of the plurality of rotating positions. The rotary shaft member has a shifting unit for driving an external shifting mechanism accompanied by the rotating.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application claims benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-002698 filed on Jan. 11, 2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to a switch device which may be manipulated to rotate and slide as a seat switch of a vehicle or the like, and particularly to a switch device which may integrate electric outputs for manipulation in multiple directions and perform mechanical switching at the same time.

2. Description of the Related Art

A seat switch of a vehicle has a consolidated design so that a manipulation of sliding the seat in the forward and rearward direction, a manipulation of changing the reclining angle of the seat, and a manipulation of moving the seat surface in the vertical direction may be performed with a switch in a single location. Since the manipulations for a plurality of operations are performed, a switch device is provided in correspondence with each operation, and each switch device may have a manipulation knob which may be manipulated to slide. In this case, each operation may be performed by sliding any one of the manipulation knobs.

Meanwhile, an operation may be selected by turning the manipulation knob, without installing the manipulation knob for each operation, so that the selected operation may be performed by sliding the manipulation knob. In this case, manipulations for all operations may be consolidated in a single manipulation knob. Such a switch device is, for example, disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-284993.

In a power seat, a motor is installed to operate the seat. A plurality of motors is installed in correspondence with each operation. For this reason, a switch device connects to an output system corresponding to each operation to operate each motor. It is also identical to the case where a plurality of operations is manipulated by a single manipulation knob.

However, in a power seat of the related art, it is required to prepare motors corresponding to every operation, which increases both weight and costs. In addition, more wires are required between the switch device and the motors, and assembly becomes complicated. Integrating the motors so that each operation may be performed by shifting a gear connected to the motor may be considered, but there is the potential for the structure to become rather complex since the switch device of the related art still requires a plurality of output systems and further requires shifting of the gear.

SUMMARY

A switch device includes a switch shifting a pair of terminals of an input terminal and an output terminal in a housing and a manipulation knob for shifting the switch. The manipulation knob includes a rotating member capable of performing rotating manipulation at a plurality of rotating positions with respect to the housing and a sliding member capable of performing slide manipulation in both the positive and negative directions at each of the plurality of rotating positions, so that the manipulation knob is interconnected with a rotary shaft member which rotates accompanied by the rotating manipulation. The switch gives an output corresponding to each direction according to the manipulation in both the positive and negative directions even though the manipulation knob is at any one of the plurality of rotating positions, and the rotary shaft member has a shifting unit for driving an external shifting mechanism accompanied by the rotating. In other features, a rotation driving unit capable of rotating with the rotating member and a horizontal driving unit capable of sliding with respect to the rotating driving unit together with the sliding member are installed at the housing. The switch includes a slide-interlocking switch installed at the rotation driving unit and shifted by the sliding of the horizontal driving unit, and a rotation-interlocking switch shifted by the rotation of the rotation driving unit. The rotation-interlocking switch connects the slide-interlocking switch to the input terminal and the output terminal at each of a plurality of rotating positions of the manipulation knob. The slide-interlocking switch shifts a connecting status between the input terminal and output terminal according to the manipulation in both the positive and negative directions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

An embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.FIG. 1shows a schematic configuration view of a power seat apparatus using a switch device. As shown inFIG. 1, the power seat apparatus includes a vehicle seat1capable of operating in a plurality of directions, a single motor2for operating the seat1, a shifting mechanism3for performing a plurality of operations by using the single motor2, and a switch device4for shifting the shifting mechanism3and instructing turning on/off and rotation direction of the motor2.

The seat1has a seat surface1aand a rear surface1b. The seat surface1amay slide in the forward and rearward direction (sliding operation) and move in the vertical direction (lifting operation). The rear surface1brecline (reclining operation). These operations may be performed in both the positive (+) and negative (−) directions.

Driving shafts for performing the sliding operation, the lifting operation and the reclining operation are included in the seat1, and the shifting mechanism3switches between any one of the driving shafts to connect to the motor2. The shifting mechanism3has a clutch mechanism and shifts the connection of the driving shaft to the motor2by inputting a mechanical rotating operation.

The switch device4has a manipulation knob11exposing in the vehicle, and the manipulation knob11is configured to perform a rotation manipulation and a slide manipulation. The rotation manipulation of the manipulation knob11allows perfect shifting to three rotating positions corresponding to three operations of the seat1. In addition, the switch device4has a rotary shaft portion15rotating in association with the rotation manipulation of the manipulation knob11, and the shifting mechanism3mechanically rotates by the rotation manipulation of the manipulation knob11. The slide manipulation of the manipulation knob11may be performed with respect to both positive (+) and negative (−) directions on a straight line of the manipulation knob11, and the slide manipulation in both the positive (+) and negative (−) directions gives an electric output in the positive (+) or negative (−) direction to the motor2.

FIG. 2is a perspective view showing a switch device4according to a first embodiment. The switch device4includes a housing10serving as a base portion, and a manipulation knob11which may be manipulated to rotate to a plurality of rotating positions with respect to the housing10and may be manipulated to slide respectively at a plurality of rotating positions in both the positive (+) and negative (−) directions. The housing10is generally disposed at the side surface portion in the seat surface1aof the seat1. The plurality of rotating positions in the rotation manipulation are set to be three locations as described above, so that the electric output corresponding to the slide manipulation may be performed at each of the three rotating positions. Since just a single motor is operated, the electric output is performed with a single system.

The manipulation knob11is composed of two members including a rotating member22formed in a flat-cylindrical dial shape to rotate, and a sliding member23supported by the rotating member22and having a chip shape capable of sliding with respect to the rotating member22. A person performing manipulation may rotate the rotating member22to any one rotating position to select any one to be performed from three kinds of operations of the seat1, so that the operation of the seat1is performed by sliding the sliding member23in any one of the positive (+) and negative (−) directions.

A rotary shaft portion15protrudes on a side of the housing10, which is opposite to the side where the manipulation knob11is installed. The rotary shaft portion15has a front end which is a shifting unit15bformed in a gear shape, and the shifting unit15bis interconnected with the above shifting mechanism3. The rotary shaft portion15is interconnected with the manipulation knob11, and rotates together by manipulating the rotating member22to rotate. Accompanied with this rotating operation, the shifting mechanism3is mechanically operated by the shifting unit15b, so that the connection state between the motor2and the driving shaft in the seat1is shifted, thereby shifting the operation of the seat1. Here, the shifting mechanism3performs shifting so that the sliding operation of the seat1is performed when the manipulation knob11is located at a first rotating position and the lifting operation of the seat1is performed when the manipulation knob11is located at a second rotating position, and the reclining operation of the seat1is performed when the manipulation knob11is located at a third rotating position.

The configuration of the switch device4will be described in more detail.FIG. 3is an exploded perspective view showing the switch device4according to the first embodiment. First, the housing10is composed of two members including an upper housing20supporting the manipulation knob11, and a lower housing21configuring the rotary shaft portion15. The upper housing20has an opening20ain order to interconnect the manipulation knob11with the housing10, and a manipulation knob supporting portion20brotatably supporting the rotating member22is formed around the opening20a.

The lower housing21has an insert hole21aformed at the center to insert the rotary shaft portion15, fixed contact points21bof the switch12are formed around the insert hole21ain a contact point pattern along the circumferential direction. An input/output terminal portion21chaving an input terminal from a power source and an output terminal to the motor2is formed at the circumferential portion.

The manipulation knob11includes the rotating member22and the sliding member23as described above, and a guide portion22ais formed at the rotating member22to allow the sliding member23to slide in both the positive (+) and negative (−) directions. In addition, a plurality of concave portions is formed in the side surface portion22bof the rotating member22in the circumferential direction to ensure easy rotation manipulation. In addition, inFIG. 3, in the case where the sliding member23slides in the right direction, the manipulation is performed in the positive (+) direction, while, in the case where the sliding member23slides in the left direction, the manipulation is performed in the negative (−) direction.

A switch12operated to shift by the manipulation knob11, a rotation driving unit13rotating by the rotation manipulation of the manipulation knob11, and a horizontal driving unit14capable of sliding together with the sliding member23with respect to the rotation driving unit13may be received in the housing10. Regarding the manipulation knob11, since the sliding member23is engaged with a protrusion14aformed on the horizontal driving unit14so that the horizontal driving unit14also slides by the slide manipulation of the sliding member23and that the sliding member23also rotates together by the rotation manipulation of the rotating member22, the horizontal driving unit14rotates accordingly, and further the rotation driving unit13associated with the horizontal driving unit14also rotates.

The rotation driving unit13includes a holder member26having a cylindrical step, and a switch support member27which may be put into the holder member26. The holder member26has a hollow at a side opposite to the side shown inFIG. 3so that the switch support member27may be received therein, and has a horizontal guide portion26aon the upper surface thereof so that the horizontal driving unit14may slide in both the positive (+) and negative (−) directions. In addition, an uneven portion26bis formed on the outer circumferential surface along the circumferential direction.

The switch support member27has two slide-interlocking switches24and24at the upper surface thereof. If the horizontal driving unit14is operated by the sliding member23in the positive (+) direction, the right slide-interlocking switch24in the figure is operated at the lower surface side of the horizontal driving unit14to shift a contact point therein. Meanwhile, if the horizontal driving unit14is operated by the sliding member23in the negative (+) direction, the left slide-interlocking switch24in the figure is operated at the lower surface side of the horizontal driving unit14to shift a contact point therein. Since the switch support member27configures the rotation driving unit13and rotates simultaneously with the rotation manipulation of the manipulation knob11, the switch support member27may be operated by the sliding member23even though the rotating member22is at any angle.

Four movable contact points32are installed at the lower surface side of the switch support member27. The movable contact point32configures a rotation-interlocking switch25with a fixed contact point21binstalled at the lower housing21described above. The rotation-interlocking switch25is configured to shift the contact point status in accordance with the three rotation locations of the manipulation knob11.

Biasing members30and attaching/detaching members31are installed at four locations in the circumferential direction between the holder member26and the upper housing20of the rotation driving unit13. The biasing member30biases the attaching/detaching member31in a direction pressing the uneven portion26bof the holder member26between the holder member26and the upper housing20. If the rotation driving unit13rotates by the rotation manipulation of the manipulation knob11, the attaching/detaching member31repeats attachment and detachment to/from the uneven portion26bof the holder member26, which may provide a clicking feeling by rotation manipulation.

The rotary shaft member15has a shaft portion15awith an axial shape, a shifting unit15bformed at one end portion of the shaft portion15a, and a connection portion15cconnecting to the lower surface side of the switch support member27configuring the rotation driving unit13. Since the connection portion15cconnects to the switch support member27, the rotary shaft portion15rotates together with the rotation driving unit13, namely is operated to rotate to accompany the rotation manipulation of the manipulation knob11. As described above, by this rotating operation, the rotary shaft portion15performs a shifting operation to the shifting mechanism3.

The electric configuration of the switch device4will be described.FIG. 4is a circuit diagram showing the switch device4according to the first embodiment. Since there is a single motor2, an input terminal16and an output terminal17for the switch device4make a pair. The input terminal16has a ground terminal GND and a power terminal +B, and the output terminal17has a first terminal M1and a second terminal M2. Here, in the case where electric current flows in the output terminal17from the first terminal M1to the second terminal M2, the motor2rotates in the positive (+) direction, while, in the case where electric current flows in the output terminal17from the second terminal M2to the first terminal M1, the motor2rotates in the negative (+) direction.

In the switch device4, the slide-interlocking switch24and the rotation-interlocking switch25are disposed as described above. The slide-interlocking switches24are disposed at two locations (CELLSW1and CELLSW2) inFIG. 4, and in a status where manipulation is not performed, the first terminal M1and the second terminal M2of the output terminal17respectively connect to the ground terminal GND of the input terminal16.

The rotation-interlocking switch25shifts among a position P1, a position P2, and a position P3corresponding to three rotating positions of the manipulation knob11.FIG. 4illustrates four rotation-interlocking switches25, corresponding to four movable terminals32as shown inFIG. 3. The four rotation-interlocking switches25are shifted to the same position by the rotation manipulation of the manipulation knob11.

The operation when the manipulation knob11performs manipulation is as follows. First, when the rotating position of the manipulation knob11is the first position, the rotation-interlocking switch25is at the position P1, and at this time, if the manipulation knob11performs slide manipulation to one side, the slide-interlocking switch24(CELLSW1) of one side is shifted so that the first terminal M1connects to the power terminal +B. The second terminal M2keeps connecting to the ground terminal GND. Therefore, electric current flows from the first terminal M1through the motor2to the second terminal M2, and the motor2rotates in the positive (+) direction. If the manipulation knob11performs slide manipulation to another side, the slide-interlocking switch24(CELLSW2) of another side is shifted so that the second terminal M2connects to the power terminal +B, and therefore the motor2rotates in the negative (+) direction. As described above, when the rotating position of the manipulation knob11is the first position, since the shifting mechanism3connects the motor2to a driving shaft for sliding operation by the rotary shaft portion15, the seat1is operated to slide by the slide manipulation of the manipulation knob11.

When the rotating position of the manipulation knob11is the second position, the rotation-interlocking switch25is at the position P2and is operated at this time in the same way as when the rotation-interlocking switch25is at the position P1. In addition, when the rotating position of the manipulation knob11is the second position, since the shifting mechanism3connects the motor2to the driving shaft for lifting operation by the rotary shaft portion15, the seat1is operated to lift by the slide manipulation of the manipulation knob11.

When the rotating position of the manipulation knob11is the third position, the rotation-interlocking switch25is at the position P3. Since the position P3connects to the output terminal opposite to the locations P1and P2, if the slide-interlocking switch24(CELLSW1) of one side is shifted, electric current flows from the second terminal M2through the motor2to the first terminal M1, and the motor2rotates in the negative (+) direction. If the slide-interlocking switch24(CELLSW2) of another side is shifted, electric current flows from the first terminal M1through the motor2to the second terminal M2, and the motor2rotates in the positive (+) direction. In addition, when the rotating position of the manipulation knob11is the third position, since the shifting mechanism3connects the motor2to a driving shaft for the reclining operation by means of the rotary shaft portion15, the seat1is operated to recline by the slide manipulation of the manipulation knob11.

As described above, by installing the manipulation knob11capable of being manipulated to rotate and slide and the rotary shaft portion15rotating accompanied by the rotation manipulation to the switch device4, the above output may be provided at a plurality of rotation locations of the manipulation knob11by the positive (+) and negative (−) slide manipulation. In addition, as the shifting mechanism3is mechanically shifted by the rotary shaft portion15, in the case where a plurality of operations is performed using a single motor2, the output to the motor2may be provided using a single system by mechanically shifting the operations, which allows the switch device4to have a simple configuration.

Next, the second embodiment of the switch device4will be described.FIG. 5is a perspective view showing a switch device4according to the second embodiment. The switch device4of the second embodiment also has the same basic configuration as the switch device4of the first embodiment. In other words, a manipulation knob51is installed to a housing50to be manipulated to rotate and slide, and a rotary shaft member57capable of rotating accompanied by the rotation manipulation of the manipulation knob51protrudes from the housing50. A shifting unit57bwith a gear shape is formed at the front end portion of the rotary shaft member57, and may perform the shifting operation of the shifting mechanism3. Meanwhile, the switch device4of the second embodiment is configured so that the manipulation knob51composed of a single member may be manipulated to rotate and slide. For this reason, the inner configuration of the manipulation knob51and the housing50is different from that of the first embodiment.

FIG. 6is an exploded perspective view showing the switch device4according to the second embodiment. The housing50is composed of two members including an upper housing61and a lower housing62. The upper housing61has a cylindrical hollow protrusion61a, and interconnects the inside of the housing50with the manipulation knob51. A contact point pattern62ais installed at the lower housing62, and further four switches52shifting the contact point pattern62aare mounted thereto. In addition, an input/output terminal portion62bhaving an input terminal from the power source and an output terminal to the motor2is formed at the lower housing62.

The manipulation knob51is a single member as described above and includes a rotating and sliding member60. Even inFIG. 6, in the case where the rotating and sliding member60slides in the right direction, the manipulation is performed in the positive (+) direction, while, in the case where the rotating and sliding member60slides in the left direction, the manipulation is performed in the negative (+) direction.

The housing50includes a rotation driving unit53rotating by the rotation manipulation of the manipulation knob51and the above switch52, a horizontal driving unit54capable of sliding together with the manipulation knob51with respect to the rotation driving unit53, and a vertical driving unit55operated in the vertical direction by the horizontal driving unit54. The manipulation knob51is engaged with a protrusion54aformed on the horizontal driving unit54, so that the horizontal driving unit54slides by the slide manipulation of the rotating and sliding member60. Since a guide portion53aguiding the horizontal driving unit54is formed at the horizontal rotation driving unit53, an influence is not given to the operation of the rotation driving unit53even though the horizontal driving unit54is guided to slide. Meanwhile, when the rotating and sliding member60is manipulated to rotate, the rotation driving unit53rotates together with the horizontal driving unit54.

The rotation driving unit53is composed of a single member and has the above horizontal guide portion53aand an uneven portion53bidentical to that of the first embodiment. An attaching/detaching member71biased by a biasing member70between the rotation operating unit53and the upper housing61is attached to or detached from to the uneven portion53b, accompanied by the rotation of the rotation driving unit53, thereby providing a clicking feeling to the rotation manipulation. In addition, the biasing member70and the attaching/detaching member71are installed even in the horizontal guide portion53aof the rotation driving unit53, and the attaching/detaching member71makes attachment and detachment in the horizontal guide portion53aaccompanied by the sliding of the horizontal driving unit54, thereby also providing a clicking feeling to the slide manipulation.

The vertical driving unit55for driving the switch52and the guide member56for guiding the vertical driving unit55are installed to the lower portion of the rotation driving unit53. The vertical driving unit55includes four rocking levers63with a wing shape, and a driving body64moving vertically by the rocking levers63. The rocking levers63have compressing protrusions63arespectively at two locations. The compressing protrusion63ahas a center side installed on a slant surface, and this slant surface portion is compressed by the horizontal driving unit54. Eight compressing protrusions63aare formed in the entire circumferential direction, and at each rotating position of the manipulation knob51, the compressing protrusions63aare arranged so that any one of the compressing protrusions63ais compressed by the horizontal driving unit54in accordance with the slide manipulation.

The rocking lever63is supported by the guide member56to be capable of rocking with a side of the center side as a pivotal center, and, if one of the rocking levers63is compressed by the horizontal driving unit54from the center side toward the outer circumferential side, the rocking lever63vertically rocks based on the side of the center side. By this operation, a corresponding one of the four driving bodies64is operated vertically. By doing so, one of the four switches52is shifted. The guide member56respectively includes four rocking supporting portions56afor supporting the rocking lever63to be capable of rocking as described above, and four vertical guide portions56bsupporting the outer circumferential surface of the driving body64and allowing the driving body64to be vertically movable. By this configuration, the manipulation knob51operates one of the four switches52to be shifted even any one of the positive (+) and negative (−) directions of the rotating position and the slide manipulation.

The rotary shaft member57has a shaft portion57awith an axial shape, and a connection portion57cformed at the other end portion opposite to a shifting unit57bformed at one end portion of the shaft portion57aand connecting to a rotary shaft connection portion53cof the rotation driving unit53. By doing so, the rotary shaft member57may rotate together with the rotation driving unit53.

The electric configuration of the switch device4will also be described.FIG. 7is a circuit diagram showing the switch device4according to the second embodiment. Even in this embodiment, the input terminal58and the output terminal59make a pair. The input terminal58includes a ground terminal GND and a power terminal +B, and the output terminal59includes a first terminal M1and a second terminal M2. The rotating direction of the motor2is defined to be identical to that of the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, since the switch52is manipulated only corresponding to the slide manipulation of the manipulation knob51, four switches52(S1-1, S1-2, S2-1, and S2-2) have the same configuration. These switches52connect the first terminal M1and the second terminal M2of the output terminal59respectively to the ground terminal GND of the input terminal58in a status where manipulation is not performed.

The manipulation knob51is manipulated to slide, to shift the switches52as described above. When either one of the switches S1-1and S2-1is shifted, the first terminal M1is connected to the power terminal +B, and the second terminal M2remains connected to the ground terminal GND. Therefore, electric current flows from the first terminal M1through the motor2to the second terminal M2, and the motor2rotates in the positive (+) direction. When either one of the switches S1-2and S2-2is shifted, the second terminal M2is connected to the power terminal +B, and the first terminal M1remains connected to the ground terminal GND. Therefore, electric current flows from the second terminal M2through the motor2to the first terminal M1, and the motor2rotates in the negative (−) direction.

In addition, since the rotary shaft member57connects the motor2to the driving shaft corresponding to the shifting mechanism3according to the rotating position of the manipulation knob51, the seat1is operated as desired according to the slide manipulation.

As described above, both rotation manipulation and slide manipulation are performed by the manipulation knob51composed of a single member, so that the switch52may be operated by the slide manipulation, not depending on rotating position of the manipulation knob51. Therefore, there is no need of changing the manipulation knob51by the rotation manipulation and the slide manipulation, and a plurality of operations of the seat1may be manipulated in an easier and more reliable way.

In addition, even though three kinds of operations are introduced to the seat1in the second embodiment so that three kinds of operations may be shifted, since four switches52and four corresponding vertical driving units55are installed as shown inFIG. 6, four rotation manipulation positions of the manipulation knob51may be applied. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the shifting manipulation may be performed with the same configuration even in the case where one kind of operation, for example a tilting operation of the seat surface1a, is additionally performed.