Push-button switch operating portion with diverging and converging lens

An operating button includes a light source, a push rod with a diverging lens, and an operating head with a condensing lens. The optical center of the diverging lens, the optical center of the condensing lens and the light source are in the same line such that light rays generated by the light source pass through the diverging lens and the converging lens before exiting the operating head as parallel light.

PRIORITY STATEMENT

This application is the national phase under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCT International Application No. PCT/CN2013/082735 which has an International filing date of Aug. 30, 2013, which designated the United States of America, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present invention generally relates to an operating button, especially to an operating button with a light source.

BACKGROUND

An operating button can output light rays to the outside of the operating button via a light source provided therein, so as to identify the state of the operating button or a device. Because of the limitation of the volume and structure of the operating button, when in operation, the output light rays of the operating button have a long light path such that the brightness of the output light rays is insufficient. In addition, the light rays output by the operating button are not in parallel such that the light rays irradiated thereby are not even and have light spots.

SUMMARY

An embodiment of the present invention provides an operating button for improving the brightness of the light rays output by the operating button.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an operating button, comprising a light source, a push rod and an operating head. The light source can output light rays. The push rod is provided with a diverging lens and the operating head is provided with a condensing lens. The optical center of the diverging lens, the optical center of the condensing lens and the light source are in the same line, so that the light rays generated by the light source can pass through the push rod and the operating head to be irradiated out.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

An embodiment of the present invention provides an operating button, comprising a light source, a push rod and an operating head. The light source can output light rays. The push rod is provided with a diverging lens and the operating head is provided with a condensing lens. The optical center of the diverging lens, the optical center of the condensing lens and the light source are in the same line, so that the light rays generated by the light source can pass through the push rod and the operating head to be irradiated out.

In the operating button, there is only one diverging lens and one condensing lens in the direction of propagation of the light rays generated by the light source, and therefore the distance between the light source and the diverging lens can be conveniently adjusted and the brightness of the light rays irradiated by the operating button is improved.

In another illustrative embodiment of the operating button, the push rod and the diverging lens are integrally formed and the operating head and the condensing lens are integrally formed.

In a further illustrative embodiment of the operating button, the light source is a light-emitting diode (LED).

In a yet further illustrative embodiment of the operating button, the operating button has an installation direction for connecting the push rod with the operating head. The operating head is provided with a connecting end which has a guiding part and a locking part. The push rod is provided with a locking end which has an inserting part and a snapping part, the inserting part is movable along the guiding part in the installation direction, and the snapping part is connectable to the locking part.

In a yet further illustrative embodiment of the operating button, the guiding part is a groove and the inserting part is a protrusion.

In a yet further illustrative embodiment of the operating button, the locking part has a guiding surface and a slot, the snapping part has an inserting surface and a snap-fitting surface, and the inserting surface is movable along the guiding surface in the installation direction such that the snap-fitting surface is snap-fitted with the slot.

For the sake of better understanding of the technical features, objects and effects of the present invention, particular embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numeral refers to the same part.

The term “illustrative” herein means “serving as an example, instance or description”, and any “illustrative” illustration and embodiment described herein should not be interpreted as a more preferred or a more advantageous technical solution.

For the simplicity of the figures, only parts related to the present invention are illustratively shown in each figure, and they do not represent the actual structure thereof as a product. Moreover, in order to make the drawings simple and easy to understand, in some figures, only one of components with the same structure or function is schematically depicted or marked.

FIG. 1is a structural schematic diagram used for illustrating an illustrative embodiment of an operating button.

FIG. 2is a sectional view along the line II-II inFIG. 1and shows the assembled operating button. Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, the operating button comprises a light source10, a push rod20and an operating head30.

The light source10can output light rays. The light rays output by the light source10pass through the push rod20and the operating head30successively and are irradiated from the operating head30. In one illustrative embodiment of the operating button, the light source10is a light-emitting diode (LED) and it is certain that other light sources can also be used according to requirements.

The push rod20is of a hollow structure such that the light rays emitted from the light source10can pass through the push rod20. The push rod20has a diverging lens22, and the light rays emitted from the light source10pass through the diverging lens22when propagating in the push rod. In one illustrative embodiment of the operating button, the diverging lens22is a concave lens.

The operating head30has a condensing lens32, and the light rays passed through the diverging lens22illuminate towards the outside of the operating button after passing through the condensing lens32. In one illustrative embodiment of the operating button, the condensing lens32is a convex lens.

In the direction of propagation of the light rays emitted from the light source10, the optical center of the diverging lens22, the optical center of the condensing lens32and the light source10are in the same line. In this case, the optical center of the diverging lens22, the optical center of the condensing lens32and the light source10are in the same line. The light rays emitted from the light source10(as shown by arrows inFIG. 2) are diverged by the concave lens, and then pass through the convex lens to become parallel light, such that the illumination light rays of the operating button is even and the generation of light spots is avoided. There is only one diverging lens and one condensing lens in the direction of propagation of the light rays emitted from the light source10, and therefore the distance between the light source and the diverging lens can be shortened by using a simple optical structure and the brightness of the light rays irradiated by the operating button is improved.

In the above-mentioned operating button, the size of the outer diameters of the diverging lens and the condensing lens are respectively determined by the diameter of the push rod and the diameter of the operating head. In addition, the operating button can output parallel light beams by adjusting the distance between the LED and the diverging lens, the distance between the diverging lens and the condensing lens, the focal distance of the diverging lens and the focal distance of the condensing lens, thereby eliminating light spots and obtaining a sufficient light brightness. Any method in the art can be used to adjust the parameters such as the distance between the LED light source and the diverging lens, the distance between the diverging lens and the condensing lens, the focal distance of the diverging lens and the focal distance of the condensing lens. With regard to a specific operating button (mainly refers to the length and diameter thereof), a person skilled in the art could adjust the above-mentioned parameters by means of common optical knowledge to obtain desired values of these parameters to enable the operating button to output parallel light beams and obtain a sufficient light ray brightness, and the specific parameter adjusting process and method will not be described unnecessarily herein.

In one illustrative embodiment of the operating button, the condensing lens and the operating head are integrally formed, for example, the two may be plastic components and are integrally formed by means of an injection molding process. The diverging lens and the push rod may also be integrally formed, for example formed by plastic injection-molding.

Using an integral forming process to process the condensing lens and the operating head, and the diverging lens and the push rod20, can simplify the whole assembling procedure of the operating button and prevent the changes in the relative positions of the condensing lens and the operating head, and the diverging lens and the push rod caused by processing errors. In addition, the operating head and the condensing lens may also be separated components rather than being integrally formed, for example, the condensing lens can be arranged between the push rod and the operating head and the push rod, and are clamped directly by the push rod and the operating head30.

FIG. 3is used for illustrating the connecting structure of the push rod and the operating head. As shown in this figure, the operating head30is provided with a connecting end connected to the push rod20, and the push rod20is provided with a locking end24connected to the operating head30. Two guiding parts36and two locking parts38are provided on the connecting end34. Two inserting parts26and two snapping parts28are provided on the locking end24.

Referring toFIGS. 3 and 4, in the process of connecting the push rod20to the operating head30, the inserting parts26can enter the guiding parts36and move along the guiding parts36such that in the installation direction as shown by an arrow in the figure, the locking parts38and the snapping parts28are aligned and the connection between the locking parts38and the snapping parts28is finally completed, and therefore the connection between the push rod20and the operating head30is realized. In one illustrative embodiment of the operating button, the guiding part36is a groove arranged on the connecting end34, and the groove extends in the installation direction as shown by an arrow inFIG. 4. The inserting part26is a protrusion arranged on the locking end24, and the protrusion extends in the installation direction as shown by the arrow inFIG. 4. The protrusion of the inserting part26can be inserted into the groove of the guiding part36such that the relative movement between the push rod20and the operating head30can only be in the installation direction as shown by the arrow in the figure.

Referring toFIGS. 3 and 4, in one illustrative embodiment of the operating button, the locking part38has a guiding surface382and a slot384. The snapping part28has an inserting surface282and a snap-fitting surface284. When the push rod20moves relative to the operating head30in the installation direction as shown by the arrow in the figure, the inserting surface282can move along the guiding surface382such that the snap-fitting surface284can be snap-fitted in the slot384, and therefore the fixed connection of the push rod20and the operating head30is completed.

FIGS. 4-6are used for illustrating the process of connecting a locking part with a snapping part. As shown inFIG. 4, in this case, the push rod20and the operating head30are separated, and the push rod20and the operating head30start to be assembled and connected with each other in the installation direction as shown by the arrow in the figure.

As shown inFIG. 5, in this case, the inserting surface282of the snapping part28starts to make contact with the guiding surface382of the locking part38. The inserting surface282moves along the guiding surface382such that the guiding surface382and the inserting surface282are compressed relative to each other, and in turn the deformation of the locking end24and the connecting end34takes place.

The push rod20and the operating head30continue moving relative to each other in the installation direction as shown by the arrow in the figure, and as shown inFIG. 6, in this case, the snap-fitting surface284is snap-fitted in the slot384such that the operating head30is fixedly connected to the push rod20, and the operating head30and the push rod cannot be separated from each other, which provides operating safety to the operating button.

It should be understood that, although the description is given according to each of the embodiments, but each embodiment does not only comprise an independent technical solution, this narration manner of the description is only for clarity, and for a person skilled in the art, the description shall be regarded as a whole, and the technical solution in each of the embodiments can also be properly combined to form other implementations that can be understood by a person skilled in the art.

The series of detailed descriptions set forth above is merely directed to specific descriptions of feasible embodiments of the present invention. The series of detailed descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention, and any equivalent embodiment or alteration of the present invention, such as a combination of features, a segmentation or duplication, made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention, shall be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS