Door switch for vehicles

Abstract: A door switch for vehicle is provided which is small in depth, and capable of being connected by a coupler and easy to assembling operation. A male-connector recessed portion (3) for being fitted with a female connector is provided at a location adjacent laterally to a cylindrically-formed switch slide chamber (2) constituted in a switch case (1). A switch slider (10) having a push-rod (12) projecting oppositely to the switch slide chamber (2) is slidably inserted with elastic urging by a coiled spring. A switch is constituted wherein a movable electrode (22) constituted by a slide plate (22) provided on the switch slider (10) displaces in a direction of sliding to be connected to and disconnected from a fixed electrode (21) provided along an inner wall of the switch slide chamber (2), thereby constitute terminals (20).

Description: Detailed Description of the Invention Technical Field of the Invention This invention relates to a size-reducible switch which is fixed or accommodated around a door of a vehicle, and particularly to a vehicular door switch which is to be reduced of size in depth direction. Conventional Art Conventionally, there have been employed various door switches which performs ON/OFF operations interlocking with opening and closing a vehicular door. That is, the vehicular door switch of this kind has a structure as shown in Fig. 7, wherein a push-rod 52 slidably inserted is elastically urged by a coiled spring 53 in a direction projecting normally from a surface of a base 51 of a case 50, and a movable electrode 56 fixed on the push-rod 52 is connected to and disconnected from a fixed electrode 55 disposed on a pole panel 54. The panel 54 has a bottom face continuous with a connector 57 integrally formed therewith to provide a wiring-connecting coupler 59 which is fitted with a harness-side connector after assembling of the vehicle. 60 is a bracket constituting a mounting hole which serves also as one of fixed contacts. However, in order to improve the accuracy in ON/OFF change-over positions of a switch, it is desired that the door switch of this kind be installed in the vicinity of a striker at which the relative displacement is reflected significantly. In such cases, there are limitations as to depth space of an attached portion. Problems to be solved by the Invention In the case of the conventional structure, it is impossible to install nearby the striker because of increase in depth (the length L from the attaching surface of the attachment base 51 to the harness-side connector 58), and provision is generally on a hinge side. To this end, although a depth-reduced structure of a harness type (e.g., Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. H1-172231 and Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. H1-130237) is used which has a coupler independently provided for connection through a harness, the harness-type switch can be reduced in size due to feasibility of installation of the coupler at another site, but it involves a problem of mounting-up of cost because of increase of the number of assembling processes such as main body-to-coupler connection through the harness. DE-A-40 21 405 discloses a switch case comprising a push-rod having a sliding contact inside a slide chamber. Adjacent laterally to the slide chamber, there is provided a male-connector recessed portion which is mounted at a lower part of the slide chamber and oriented perpendicular to the orientation of the slide chamber. On an inner wall of the slide chamber there are provided electrodes which extend along the wall. Further, a connection part is provided at the lower part of the electrode which extends into the male-connector recessed portion perpendicular to the electrode and the slide chamber, respectively. It is a drawback of the known door switch, that it has a low stability and is therefore liable to be damaged due to incorrect use. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a door switch for vehicles which has a high stability so that it is easy to handle and which is to be reduced of size in depth direction. Means for Solving the problem In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention has a connector arranged beside a switch assembly section to thereby reducing the depth of a switch. Also, on this occasion, an electrically-conductive structure of the switch assembly section and an electrically-conductive structure of the switch assembly section and an electrically-conductive structure of the connector section are integrated by insert-forming one electrically-conductive member, reducing the number of components and the number of assembling processes. The invention of claim 1 provides, in a door switch for vehicles wherein a switch slider having a push-rod projecting forward therefrom is slidably inserted in a switch case constituting a cylindrical switch slide chamber by being elastically urged in a direction projecting outward, and a movable electrode provided on the switch slider displaces in a direction of sliding to be connected to and disconnected from fixed electrodes fixed on an inner wall of the switch slide chamber, the door switch for vehicles comprising: integrally forming a male-connector recessed portion provided at a location adjacent laterally to the switch slide chamber of the switch case for being fitted with a female connector, and insert-forming ends of the fixed electrodes fixed on an inner wall of the switch slide chamber so as to project into the male-connector recessed portion to constitute terminals, the terminals of fixed electrodes projecting into the male-connector recessed portion extending from the upper part of switch case substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical switch slide chamber. The invention of claim 2 comprises insert-forming a press-worked metal plate bracket in a flanged portion of the switch case, providing part of the bracket to extend along an inner wall surface of the switch slide chamber of the switch case to provide one of fixed electrodes. The invention of claim 3 comprises the terminal comprises an electrically-conductive plate generally in a -form having one end constituting a fixed electrodes exposed to the inner wall of the switch slide chamber and the other end projected into a male connector provided adjacent to the switch slide chamber. The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a door switch for vehicles according to the present invention, showing one embodiment. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line X-X in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line Y-Y in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the door switch of the same. Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a bracket and terminal of the same. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an operating state of the door switch of the same. Fig. 7 a longitudinal sectional view showing a conventional door switch for vehicles. In the drawings the following reference numbers designate the following parts: 1 Switch case; 2 switch slide chamber; 3 male-connector recessed portion; 5 bracket; 7 mounting hole; 8 ground-side electrode plate; 10 switch slider; 12 push-rod; 13 bottom lid member; 14 coiled spring; 20 terminals; 21 terminal-side electrode plate (fixed electrodes); 22 sliding-side leaf spring (movable electrode); 23 rubber cover; and 24 seal lip. Modes of Carrying Out the Invention That is, in the present invention, a switch slider 10 having a push-rod 12 projected ahead therefrom is slidably inserted in a cylindrically-shaped switch slide chamber 2 constituted in a synthetic-resin switch case 1 so that the push-rod is urged in a direction of projecting outward. In a switch that a movable electrode 22 on the switch slider 10 displaces in a sliding direction to be connected to and disconnected from a fixed electrode 21 fixed along an inner wall of the switch slide chamber 2, a male-connector recessed portion 3 for being fitted to a female connector 29 is integrally formed at a location laterally adjacent the switch slide chamber 2 of the switch case 1. For forming the switch case 1 and the female-connector recessed portion 3, the fixed electrode 21 fixed along the inner wall of the switch slide chamber 2 is insert-formed so that the other end thereof projects into the male-connector recessed portion 3 to thereby constitute a terminal, and since a connector section and a switch assembly section are provided in one body, if abnormal load is applied connector section there is no possibility of falling out or detachment of the connector section, and besides since the connector section is arranged beside the switch assembly section the switch can be reduced in depth dimension and hence be downsized. Also, since the fixed electrode 21 constituting the terminal 20 within the male-connector recessed portion 3 is constitutable by one component and the same component is insert-formed during formation of the switch case 1, the fixed electrode 21 is set with high accuracy in position relative to the amount of sliding displacement of a slide electrode of the movable electrode 22, improving the accuracy in position of ON-OFF change-over. Also, a press-worked metal plate bracket 5 may be insert-formed into the flanged portion 4 of the switch case 1 so that part of the bracket 5 is arranged along the inner wall of the switch slide chamber 2 of the switch case 1 to provide one of fixed electrodes as a ground-side electrode 8, further reducing the number of assembling processes. EMBODIMENT One embodiment detailed of the vehicular door switch according to the present invention will be explained hereinbelow with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 5. Reference character 1 is a switch case formed of an electrically non-conductive synthetic resin, wherein the switch case 1 is formed from the bottom side to have a switch slide chamber 2 of a rectangular cylinder form and a male-connector recessed portion 3 arranged adjacent laterally to the switch slide chamber 2. In a flanged portion 4 of the switch case 1, a bracket 5 press-worked from an electrically conductive metal plate is insert-formed and integrated simultaneously with formation of the switch case 1 to form a rubber-cover enfold edge 6 in a circumferential edge and a mounting hole 7 with a collar-shaped rise portion opened at one end, also constituting a ground-side electrode plate 8 by exposedly extending part of inner end along an inner wall of the switch slide chamber 2 of the switch case 1. In the switch slide chamber 2 of the switch case 1, a switch slider 10 having a push-rod 12 projecting ahead is slidably inserted in the direction of arrow A by engaging a shoulder 11 thereof with a step portion 9 formed on the side of the flanged portion 4, and elastically urged in a direction of normally projecting forward of the switch slider 10 by the coiled spring 14 loaded between it and the bottom lid member 13 fitted on the bottom side of the slide chamber 2. The bottom lid member 13 is assembled into one body by snap-engaging a pair of snap engaging projections 16, 16 formed projecting on opposite outer surfaces of the lateral wall 15 thereof with hole edges of aperture windows 17, 17, and the coiled spring 14 is loaded in a state that its respective ends are held by an extended portion 18 projected centrally of an inner surface of the bottom lid member 13 and a projecting axis 19 projected centrally of a inner face of the switch slider 10, being prevented against distortion during compression by the projecting axis 19. Also, reference character 20, 20 is a pair of good electrically-conductive terminals provided to project into an inside of the male-connector recessed portion 3 of the switch case 1, which are insert-formed so as to constitute terminal-side electrode plates 21, 21 by exposedly extending respectively at the other ends thereof along the opposite inner wall of the switch slide chamber 2 to the ground-side electrode plate 8, being integrated with the switch case simultaneously with the formation thereof. Between the terminal-side electrode plates 21, 21 and the ground-side electrode plate 8 are constituted a switch mechanism which is placed in short-circuiting or opening by a slidable leaf spring 22 formed by an electrically-conductive resilient plate member attached in one body by pressing through the coiled spring 14 in a state that an aperture hole 22d opened in a base portion thereof relative to the switch slider 10 is inserted over the projecting axis 19. The slidable leaf spring 22 has a structure that tongue-piece sliding ends 22a, 22b, 22c extending from the base portion thereof are placed in slidable press-contact at a non-operative position, and at an operative position the tongue-piece sliding end 22c remains in contact with the ground-side electrode plate 8 while the remaining tongue piece sliding ends 22a, 22b are brought out of contact with the terminal-side electrode plates 21a, 21b and moved to an inner wall surface of the switch slide chamber 2. Also, reference character 23 is a rubber cover for covering water-tight the front face of the switch, which has a peripheral end provided with a seal lip 24 for engagement over the rubber-cover enfold edge 6, and is constituted by a diaphragm-formed press-deformale cover portion 25 provided at a position corresponding to the push-rod 12 of the switch slider 10, a seal-type mount-screw hole 26 constituted at a position corresponding to the mounting hole 7 of the bracket 5, and seal step portion 26a provided higher than the level of the collar of the mounting hole 7. Incidentally, in Fig. 6, reference character 27 is a mounting screw for fixing the abovestated door switch onto an surface of an attachment member plate 28 provided in a door retainer (striker) section, which at a neck portion 27a crushes down the seal step portion 26a by being tightened and simultaneously causes the bracket 5 to press-contact the seal lip 24 on the surface of the attachment plate 28 by depressing the collar in the mounting hole 7, becoming a water-seal structure simultaneously with attaching the door switch. The female connector 29 for being fitted with the male-connector recessed portion 3 is of a structure with a connection structure corresponding to the pair of terminals 20, 20 projecting into the connector recessed portion 3, which in a fitting position snap-engages at a snap-engaging projection 30 configured on lateral wall thereof with a female connector engaging hole 31 opened in a lateral wall of the female-connector recessed portion 3, being of a structure preventing against falling out. In the vehicular door switch constructed as above, the switch slider 10 is usually moved in the direction pushing the push-rod 12 outward by the elastic force of the coiled spring 14, wherein the slidable leaf spring 22 assembled on the switch slider 10 connects at the tongue-piece slide ends 22a, 22b with the terminal-side electrode plates 21, 21 and at the other tongue-piece slide end 22c with the ground-side electrode plate 8 so that the switch is placed in an "ON" state by electrically short-circuiting between the both terminals 20, 20 as well as between the terminal 20 and the bracket 5 in electrical conduction with the attachment plate 28 on the vehicle body side. When the door is closed, the press-deformable cover portion 25 of the rubber cover 23 is deformed by the door to press the push-rod 12 of the switch slider 10 is pressed in against the elastic force of the coiled spring 14 so that the slidable leaf spring 22 assembled on the switch slider 10 is displaced in excess of a predetermined stroke. Consequently, while the tongue-piece sliding end 22c of the slidable leaf spring 22 remains in contact with the ground-side electrode plate 8, the remaining tongue-piece sliding ends 22a, 22b are moved out of contact with the terminal-side electrode plates 21a, 21b to the inner wall surface of the switch slide chamber 2, so that the switch is brought in an "OFF"-operation state by electrically opening between the both terminals 20, 20 as well as between each of the terminals 20 or 20 and the bracket (vehicle body). Effects of the Invention As stated above, the door switch for vehicles according to the present invention is characterized by constituting a connector section integral with a switch case to be placed laterally beside the switch case so that the entirety of the switch is reduced small in depth with thinned thickness, and since the entirety of the switch is thinned the door switch is easily attached to a vehicle body. Also, according to the above structure, the terminal-side electrode plates in sliding contact with the slidable leaf spring on the movable side and the terminals projecting in the male-connector recessed portion are provided in one body to be insert-formed during formation of the switch case, so that the number of components and the number of assembling processes can be reduced, providing features such as improvement in productivity, etc. The effect after practicing the present invention is very large.

Claims: Door switch for vehicles wherein a switch slider having a push-rod (12) projecting forward therefrom is slidably inserted in a switch case (1) constituting a cylindrical switch slide chamber (2) by being elastically urged in a direction projecting outward, and a movable electrode (22) provided on said switch slider (10) displaces in a direction of sliding to be connected to and disconnected from fixed electrodes (21) fixed on an inner wall of said switch slide chamber (2), said door switch for vehicles comprising: integrally forming a male-connector recessed portion (3) provided at a location adjacent laterally to the switch slide chamber (2) of said switch case (1) for being fitted with a female connector, and insert-forming ends of the fixed electrodes (21) fixed on an inner wall of said switch slide chamber (2) so as to project into said male-connector recessed portion (3) to constitute terminals (20), characterized in that the terminals (20) of the fixed electrodes (21) projecting into the male connector recessed portion (3) extend from the upper part of switch case (1) substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical switch slide chamber (2). A door switch for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein insert-forming a press-worked metal plate bracket (5) in a flanged portion of said switch case (1), providing part of said bracket (5) to extend along an inner wall surface of the switch slide chamber (2) of said switch case (1) to provide one of fixed electrodes (8). A door switch for vehicles according to claim 2, wherein said terminal comprises an electrically-conductive plate generally in a-form having one end constituting a fixed electrodes (21) exposed to the inner wall of said switch slide chamber (2) and the other end projected into a male connector provided adjacent to said switch slide chamber (2).

Inventors: HIRANO MINEO, HIRANO, MINEO
Applicants: NILES PARTS CO LTD, NILES PARTS CO., LTD.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: H01H13
IPC codes: H01H1, B60R16, H01H13, H01H9