Snap action switch for generating feedbacks

The snap action switch of the present disclosure may include a housing with a plurality of protruding blocks extending inwardly, a plunger disposed on the housing, a first elastic component coupled to the plunger for providing a force against the plunger, a cam located within the housing and being movable by the plunger, a rotor located within the housing and associated with the cam, and a second elastic component coupled to the rotor for providing a force against the rotor. When the cam moves to a first position, the rotor may rotate such that a lower surface of the cam engages with an upper surface of the rotor, and when the cam moves to a second position, the rotor may continue to rotate such that the upper surface of the rotor engages with a lower surface of at least one of the plurality of protruding blocks of the housing.

FIELD

The present disclosure is related to snap action switch for generating feedbacks.

BACKGROUND

Snap Action Switches are switch devices that can be turned on and off at a rapid speed. Only a little pressure or force is required for operating such devices. “Snap Action” occurs by the rapid movement of the spring-assisted moving contacts from one position to another, independent from the actuator speed. Usually, the conventional snap action switches are reed-based. Because the reed-based snap action switches are operated by very little pressure or force, the reed in such snap action switches can only provide very small feedbacks. Therefore, there is a need for improving the structures of the snap action switches.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a snap action switch for generating a feedback when being pressed, and method for generating a feedback by a snap action switch. In some embodiments, the snap action switch may include a housing with a plurality of protruding blocks extending inwardly, a plunger disposed on the housing, a first elastic component coupled to the plunger for providing a force against the plunger, a cam located within the housing and being movable by the plunger, a rotor located within the housing and associated with the cam, and a second elastic component coupled to the rotor for providing a force against the rotor. When the cam moves to a first position, the rotor may rotate such that a lower surface of the cam engages with an upper surface of the rotor, and when the cam moves to a second position, the rotor may continue to rotate such that the upper surface of the rotor engages with a lower surface of at least one of the plurality of protruding blocks of the housing.

In another aspect, the snap action switch for generating a feedback when being pressed, may include a housing with a plurality of protruding blocks extending inwardly, a plunger disposed on the housing, a gasket coupled to the housing and the plunger, a cam located within the housing and being movable by the plunger, a rotor located within the housing and associated with the cam, a first elastic component coupled to the rotor for providing a force against the rotor, and a second elastic component coupled to the cam for providing a force against the cam. When the cam moves to a first position, the rotor may rotate such that a lower surface of the cam engages with an upper surface of the rotor, and when the cam moves to a second position, the rotor may continue to rotate such that the upper surface of the rotor engages with a lower surface of at least one of the plurality of protruding blocks of the housing.

Yet in another aspect, the method for generating a feedback by a snap action switch, may include moving a cam from a first position to a second position to rotate a rotor, such that an upper surface of the rotor engages with a lower surface of at least one of a plurality of protruding blocks of a housing, and restoring the cam back from the second position to the first position to rotate the rotor, such that a lower surface of the cam engages with the upper surface of the rotor. In one aspect, when the cam moves to the second position, a first electrical contact component coupled to the cam electrically contacts with the second electrical contact component coupled to the housing. In another aspect, when the cam moves to a third position between the first position and the second position, the first electrical contact component coupled to the cam electrically contacts with the second electrical contact component coupled to the housing. In yet another aspect, when the cam moves to a fourth position, the first electrical contact component coupled to the cam electrically contacts with the second electrical contact component coupled to the housing, and wherein the second position is between the first position and the fourth position.

The above and other aspects of the present disclosure are described in more details in the following contexts.

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common in the figures. For the sake of clarity, the various embodiments shown in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale and are illustrative representations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Now the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in details with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1illustrates a schematic view of a snap action switch100according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown inFIG. 1, the snap action switch100may include a housing106, a plunger102, and a first elastic component104. Further with reference toFIG. 2, the schematic perspective view of the snap action switch100may further include a cam108, a rotor110, a second elastic component112, and a spring114.

In the embodiment as shown, the housing106may be a hollowed cylinder with surrounding inner wall forming an inner region. The inner wall of the housing may have a plurality of protruding blocks107extending inwardly, and each of the plurality of protruding blocks107has a sloped lower surface. The number of the protruding blocks107disposed on the inner wall of the housing106can be varied. Further, a hole is formed at the top of the housing and being communicated with the inner region, such that the lower end of the plunger102may pass through the hole and accommodate within the inner region. In some embodiments, the hole is designed to have a smaller diameter than the inner wall of the housing, such that at least a portion of the top wall remains surrounding the inner region of the housing.

The plunger102can be disposed on the housing106and is configured to be coupled with the cam108by extending the lower end through the hole at the top of the housing106, and entering the inner region of the housing106. The plunger102can be moved between a first position as an relaxed state and a second position as a compressed state. In some embodiments, the plunger102can be functioned as a button of the switch.

The cam108is located within the housing106, and is movable by the plunger102. The cam108is configured to have a plurality of protrusions122corresponding to the plurality of protruding blocks107of the housing106. For example, the plurality of protrusions122of the cam108may interleave with the plurality of protruding blocks107of the housing106. Therefore, the movement of the cam108will be defined by the protruding blocks107on the inner wall of the housing106, and will move linearly along the center axis of the housing106. Each of the plurality of protrusions122has a sloped lower surface, so as to engage with the rotor110(described in more details as below).

The diameter of the cam108may exceed the diameter of the hole at the top of the housing106, such that the cam108can be secured within the inner region of the housing106, and will not easily fall apart. It should be understood that although this embodiment shows eight protrusions122being disposed on the cam108, other numbers or shapes of protrusions are also considered.

The rotor110is located within the housing106and associated with the cam108. In the embodiment as shown, the rotor110is ring-shaped and has a plurality of teeth124extending upward from the peripheral of the rotor110. The plurality of teeth124are disposed around the peripheral of the rotor110. Each of the plurality of teeth124has a sloped upper surface, and the sloped upper surface of each of the plurality of teeth124may engage with the sloped lower surface of each of the plurality of protrusions122of the cam108when the plunger102is in the first position. It should be understood that although this embodiment shows eight teeth124being disposed on the rotor110, other numbers or shapes of teeth are also considered.

In the embodiment as shown, the first elastic component104may be a dome. As shown inFIG. 2, one end of the first elastic component104is coupled to the plunger102and the other end of the first elastic component104is coupled to the top surface of the housing106. The first elastic component104is elastic for providing a force against the plunger102to push the plunger102from the second position to the first position.

In the embodiment as shown, one end of the second elastic component112is coupled to the lower surface of the rotor110and the other end of the second elastic component112is coupled to the bottom126of the housing106within the inner region. In some embodiments, the rotor110may include a shim128coupled with the bottom surface of the rotor110. The second elastic component112may provide a force against the rotor110. In one embodiment, the second elastic component112is formed by a spring disposed between the rotor110and the housing106.

With reference toFIG. 3, one end of the spring114is coupled to the lower end122of the cam108and the other end of the spring114is coupled to the bottom126of the housing106. The spring114may provide a force against the cam108.

When the plunger102is being pressed, the cam108moves downwardly away from the first position to the second position. Since the lower surface of each of the plurality of protrusions122of the cam108may engage with the upper surface of each of the plurality of teeth124of the rotor110, the rotor110is also moved downward by the cam108to the second position. In some embodiments, when the sloped lower surface of each of the plurality of protrusions122of the cam108is aligned with the sloped lower surface of each of the plurality of protruding blocks107of the housing106, the sloped upper surface of each of the plurality of the teeth124of the rotor110engaging with the sloped lower surface of each of the plurality of protrusions122of the cam108may slide to engage with the sloped lower surface of each of the plurality of protruding blocks107of the housing106by the second elastic component112to rotate the rotor110with an angle. At this time, a sound occurs and provides a feedback to the user. Simultaneously, as the rotor110is rotated, the user will no longer feel the restoration force provided by the second elastic component112.

When the plunger102is relaxed from the second position, the cam108will move upwardly by the spring114, and then the plunger102is moved upward by the cam108and the first elastic component104. At this time, the sloped lower surface of each of the plurality of protrusions122of the cam108and the sloped lower surface of each of the plurality of protruding blocks107of the housing106will no longer aligned with each other. In some embodiments, when the sloped lower surface of each of the plurality of protrusions122of the cam108is aligned with the sloped lower surface of each of the plurality of protruding blocks107of the housing106again, the sloped upper surface of each of the plurality of the teeth124of the rotor110engaging with the sloped lower surface of each of the plurality of protruding blocks107of the housing106may slide to engage with the sloped lower surface of each of the plurality of protrusions122of the cam108, to rotate the rotor with an angle. At that time, another sound will occur, and the plunger102returns back to the first position.

With reference toFIG. 3, the snap action switch100may further include a contact bar116as a first electrical contact component and two terminals118,120as a second electrical contact component. The contact bar116and two terminals118,120are conductors of electricity. In the embodiment as shown, the lower end122of the cam108passes through the ring-shaped rotor110, and the contact bar116is disposed on the lower end122of the cam108laterally below the rotor110. The two terminals118,120may penetrate through the bottom126of the housing106. Thus, the two terminals118,120are partly inside the inner region of the housing106, and partly outside the housing106. When the plunger102is pressed from the first position toward the second position, the cam108is moved by the plunger102, and then the contact bar116may electrically contact with the two terminals118,120to form electrical connection when the rotor110is rotated.

In some embodiments, the lower end122of the cam108may be a hollowed cylinder surrounding an inner region. The lower end122of the cam108may be configured to have two elongated slots at two sides opposing to each other. The contact bar116may pass through the two elongated slots and move along the two elongated slots relative to the lower end122of the cam108. The snap action switch100may further include an internal spring (not shown). The internal spring is disposed within the inner region of the lower122end of the cam108, and coupled to the lower end122of the cam108and the contact bar116to provide a force against the contact bar116to push the contact bar116to one end of the two elongated slots. In some embodiments, the lengths of the two elongated slots are variable.

In some embodiments, the contact bar116may electrically contact with the two terminals118,120to form electrical connection after the plunger102is moved and before the rotor110is rotated. That is, when the cam108moves to a third position between the first position and the second position, the contact bar116may electrically contact with the two terminals118,120to form electrical connection.

In another embodiment, the contact bar116may electrically contact with the two terminals118,120to form electrical connection after the rotor110is rotated. That is, when the cam108moves to a fourth position, the contact bar116may electrically contact with the two terminals118,120to form electrical connection. In addition, in this embodiment, the second position can be located between the first position and the fourth position.

FIG. 4illustrates a schematic perspective view of a snap action400switch according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In the embodiment as shown, the structure of the snap action switch400ofFIG. 4is similar to the structure of the snap action switch100ofFIG. 2. The snap action switch400ofFIG. 4may include a housing, a plunger402, a dome404, a cam408, a rotor410, and an elastic component412. In this embodiment, when the plunger402is relaxed in the first position, the dome404is able to provide a force against the plunger402.

FIG. 5illustrates a schematic perspective view of a snap action500switch according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, andFIG. 6illustrates a schematic perspective view of the snap action switch500ofFIG. 5. In the embodiment as shown, the structure of the snap action switch500ofFIG. 5is similar to the structure of the snap action switch100ofFIG. 2. The snap action switch500ofFIGS. 5 and 6may include a housing, a plunger502, a cam508, a rotor510, an elastic component512, and a spring514. In this embodiment, the spring514is disposed under the rotor510and connects between the cam508and the bottom of the housing. As such, when the plunger502is relaxed in the first position, the spring514provides a force against the cam508, which in turn pushes the plunger502upwardly to hold the plunger502in the first position. In some embodiments, the snap action switch500may further include a gasket503. In one embodiment, one end of the gasket503is coupled to the plunger502and the other end of the gasket503is coupled to the top surface506of the housing. The use of the gasket503is able to prevent water from flowing into the inner region of the housing.

FIG. 7is a flow chart of a method700for generating a feedback by a snap action switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In step710, a cam is moved from a first position to a second position to rotate a rotor, such that an upper surface of the rotor engages with a lower surface of at least one of a plurality of protruding blocks107of a housing106. In this step, the rotor is able to provide a feedback to the user when being rotated by the cam at the second position. In step720, the cam is restored back from the second position to the first position to rotate the rotor, such that a lower surface of the cam engages with the upper surface of the rotor.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the drawings. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and alterations can be made to the present disclosure without departing from the scope and spirit as defined by the appended claims.