Patent Publication Number: US-2019180953-A1

Title: Illuminated pushbuttion switch

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Field of Invention 
     The disclosure relates to a metal button switch. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a metal button switch having contacts and pins with large areas without increasing the volume of the metal button switch, so that the metal button switch can be used to turn on or turn off equipment needs larger current. Therefore, the metal button switch of this invention can be used on ships, factories, or charge machines of general parking lots. 
     Description of Related Art 
     Electronic devices have become necessities of modern life, from the most commonly used household appliances in life to the factory&#39;s production equipment, vehicles, ships or aircraft and other vehicles, or vending machines seen on the roadside. The actions of these devices have not only been driven by mechanical means nowadays, but also by adding a lot of electronic components to provide richer features, such as automatic production, automatic driving and other functions. Therefore, the current development of electronic equipment is quite diverse. No matter what, there is a great opportunity to link with electronic devices. 
     The use of electronic equipment needs to consume electricity. In order to decrease the electricity consumed when the electronic devices are not in use, the electronic devices are usually equipped with a switch, and thus users can turn on and off the power supply by themselves. Switches on the market are classified into many types, according to their operation modes, such as toggle switch, rocker switch, or pushbutton switch. Although the operation modes thereof are different, the factions thereof are all used to control the switch of the electronic devices. In terms of button switch, it usually has only one button. A user presses the button to switch the current status of the device. The original ON state will be turned off, and the original OFF state will be turned on. The operation method of the button switch is simple, but the present button switch can be used on small-current electronic devices. 
     Taiwan Patent No. M453947U1, “waterproof button switch”, discloses a common small button switch. For being applied in various environments, a waterproof washer is used to avoid liquid from flowing into the inside of the button switch to damage the inner structure. However, the conductive sheet can be used in smaller rated current devices only. The bearable current of this button switch is about 3-5 A. If a button switch is applied on large vehicles or large-current electronic devices in factories, additional electronic components have to be installed on the circuit of the button switch for controlling the large current by a small current. However, this way will increase the cost or increase the volume of the circuit, and the overall circuit configuration is further affected. In addition, this kind of small button switch, the inner components are not fixed well. Therefore, a poor contact between the contact element and the conductive sheet may occur caused by the shift of the inner components after use for a period of time. 
     Accordingly, how to improve a general button switch to let a small button switch can be used on high-rated-current electronic devices and the inner components thereof can have a better fixed structure becomes a thinking direction of the inventors. 
     SUMMARY 
     In view of the foregoing drawbacks of the present available metal button switch in the real applications, the inventors improve the present available metal button switch by the abundant professional knowledge and the many-year experience to develop this invention. 
     In one aspect, this invention provides a metal button switch having contacts and pins with large areas. Therefore, the metal button switch not only can be used to control small-current electronic equipment but also can control large-current electronic equipment without additional electronic devices and the problem of volume increase. 
     Accordingly, a metal button switch is provided. The metal button switch comprises a case, a button assembly received in the case, and a switch contact assembly disposed in the case. The button assembly includes a button part, a first spring against a center of the button part, a waterproof jacket assembled in the button part, and a frame fixed on the button part. The switch contact assembly comprises a switch frame against another end of the first spring, a plurality of second springs against a bottom side of the switch frame, a contact sheet against the plurality of second springs, a rivet penetrating the contact sheet and the switch frame, a plurality of contacts disposed at an interval from the contact sheet, a plurality of pins used for fixing the contacts, and a bottom case receiving the pins. 
     In one embodiment of this invention, an external side of the case has threads, a hexagonal nut corresponding to the threads, and an O-ring disposed in a slit between the hexagonal nut and the button part. 
     In another embodiment of this invention, the button part comprises a metal sleeve cover, an upper cover disposed in the metal cover, and a sheet received in the upper cove. 
     In yet another embodiment of this invention, the button part comprises a metal sheet disposed on a ladder edge of the case. 
     In yet another embodiment of this invention, a self-locking hook is optionally disposed on the switch frame. 
     In yet another embodiment of this invention, a LED assembly is optionally disposed between the button assembly and the switch contact assembly. 
     In yet another embodiment of this invention, the LED assembly comprises a LED light, a light frame for disposing the LED light, and light pins disposed on two sides of the light frame. 
     In yet another embodiment of this invention, the light frame is fixed on the switch frame, and the first spring surround a part of the light pins. 
     In yet another embodiment of this invention, a jumper board is further disposed in the switch contact assembly through which the pins and the light pins pass. 
     In yet another embodiment of this invention, the switch frame comprises trenches for correspondingly receiving bumps disposed on inner sides of the frame. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an overall decomposition diagram of an embodiment of this invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a partial decomposition diagram of an embodiment of this invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an appearance diagram of a button switch according to one embodiment of this invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a first operation diagram of an embodiment of this invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a second operation diagram of an embodiment of this invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The purposes and advantages of the structural functions of this invention are illustrated according to the structures shown in the figures and embodiments, so that the Examiner can understand this invention more deeply and specifically. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 1-4 . In this invention, a metal button switch comprises a case  1 , threads  11  is set on the outer surface of the case  1 , and a hexagonal nut  12  is set to correspond to the threads  11 . The case  1  can be fixed in a panel of an electronic device. 
     The metal button switch further comprises a button assembly  2  received in the case  1 . The button assembly  2  comprises a button part  21 , a first spring  22  against the center of the button part  21 , a waterproof jacket  23  assembled in the button part  21 , a metal sheet  24  disposed on a ladder edge  13  of the case  1 , and a frame  25  fixed on the button part  21 . The waterproof jacket  23  and an O-ring  14  are used to prevent the liquid outside from flowing into the slit of the button part  21 . The water is prevented from flowing into the button switch from the slit thereof. In addition, the button part  21  further comprises a metal sleeve cover  211 , an upper cover  212  disposed in the metal sleeve cover  211 , and a sheet  213 . The upper cover  212  is fixed by the frame  25 . 
     The metal button switch further comprises a switch contact assembly  3  disposed in the case  1 . The switch contact assembly  3  comprises a switch frame  31  against another end of the first spring  22 , a contact sheet  33  against multiple second springs  32 , a rivet  34  penetrating the contact sheet  33  and the switch frame  31 , multiple contacts  35  disposed at an interval from the contact sheet  33 , multiple pins  36  used for fixing the contacts  35 , and a bottom case  37  vertically receiving the pins  36 . Trenches  311  of the switch frame  31  is correspondingly disposed to receive bumps  251  disposed on the inner sides of the frame  25 , and a self-locking hook  38  is optionally disposed on a hook trench. The self-locking hook  38  can fix or release the switch frame  31 , so that the button part  21  can be fixed or rebounded. 
     A LED assembly  4  may be further disposed between the button assembly  2  and the switch contact assembly  3 . The LED assembly  4  comprises a LED light  41 , a light frame  42  for disposing the LED light  41 , and light pins  43  disposed on two sides of the light frame  42 . When the LED assembly  4  is actually installed in the button switch, the first spring  22  will surround a part of the LED light  41 . The light frame  42  is disposed against the switch frame  31  and fixed in the bottom case  37 . The light pins  43  extend to the bottom case  37  along the outer shape of the lamp frame  42 , and are received by the bottom case  37 . In addition, a jumper board  39  may be further disposed in the switch contact assembly  3  though which the pins  36  and the light pins  43  pass. 
     Moreover, the actual applicable range of this invention may be illustrated by the embodiments below, but is not limited thereto in any forms. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 1-4 , in the structure of the metal button switch of this invention, the areas of the contacts  35  and the pins  36  of the switch contact assembly  3  are enlarged. Therefore, the carried current thereof is increased to about 20 A. The case  1  can maintain the original size thereof, although the areas of the contacts  35  and the pins  36  are enlarged. Only the width of the through holes of the bottom case  37  for receiving the pins  36  needs to be enlarged. When the metal button switch is used in a circuit, no other electronic components are needed to assist the control of devices with high rated current. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , which show the actual operation of the metal button switch according to an embodiment of this invention. First, the metal sleeve cover  211 , the upper cover  212 , and the sheet  213  of the button part  21  are assembled in the case  1 . A user may press down the sheet  213 . At this time, the sheet  213  and the upper cover  212  will directly extrude the frame  25  and the first spring  22 , and the light frame  42  of the LED assembly  4  will drive the switch frame  31  to move downward after extruded by the frame  25  and the first spring  22 . Since the bumps  251  of the frame  25  is fixed in the trenches  311  of the switch frame  31 , the movement of the switch frame  31  is limited in the vertical direction. When the switch frame  31  is declined, the self-locking hook  38  is just hung on the hook trench of the switch frame  31  to fix the position of the switch frame  31 . Subsequently, the second springs  32  will be extruded by the movement of the switch frame  31 , and the contact sheet  33  will be pushed to move by the applied force of the second springs  32 . After moving a distance, the contact sheet  33  will touch the contacts  35  disposed on the pins  36 , so that the connected electronic device can be operated. Since there are multiple second springs  32 , the structural stability of the button switch can be increased. Moreover, the heat dissipation effect can be increased when the button switch is applied on a large-current device. 
     If the jumper board  39  and the LED assembly  4  are installed in the switch contact assembly  3 , the LED light  41  of the LED assembly  4  will be lighted up when the button part  21  is pressed down. The light of the LED light  41  may shine on the translucent upper cover  212 , so that the periphery of the sheet  213  will reveal a circle of light. Therefore, the user can know that the button switch is on, and the electricity is circulated. If no jumper board  39  in the switch contact assembly  3 , the LED light  41  will always be lighted up. Hence, the jumper board  39  is optionally installed, according to the choice and need of the user. The light frame  42  of the LED assembly  4  and the switch  31  are fixed to each other, such that the light frame  42  also can limit the moving position of the switch frame  31 . Hence, the switch frame  31  will not shift left and right in the path of the pressing down. 
     Furthermore, since the self-licking hook  38  can fix the switch frame  31 , the first spring  22  of the button part  22  will not rebound, and the button assembly  2  is kept in the pressed state, as shown in  FIG. 5 . The pressed state also means that the button switch is turned on. When the user presses again, the self-locking hook  38  will be released from the hook trench of the switch frame  31 , and the first spring  22  will rebound to restore the button assembly  2  back to the original state. 
     According to the illustration of the embodiments, it can be known that this invention has the following advantages, comparing with the prior arts: 
     1. In this invention, contacts and pins with large areas can be installed in the metal button switch without increasing the volume of the metal button switch. Therefore, the button switch can withstand more current and can be applied on electronic devices with high rated current, from automatic ticket pick-up machine in parking lots to motor equipment on board. Comparing with the prior arts, the volumes of the cases of the conventional button switches have to be increased if contacts and pins with large areas are to be used. This invention can avoid the drawbacks of increasing volumes of the conventional button switch or needing additional electronic devices to control the large current resulting in the increased volume of the circuits. 
     2. In this invention, a waterproof jacket and an O-ring are installed in the metal button switch to block the outside liquid from flowing into the inside of the button switch to damage the inside structure of the button switch. Therefore, the button switch can be used outdoors and is not easily affected by rain or wet environment.