Patent Publication Number: US-2006016672-A1

Title: Rocker lever assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a rocker lever assembly, and more particularly to a rocker lever assembly available for controlling the navigation direction or data change of a personal digital product, such as the PDA, video game, cell phone, portable computer or the like.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      A conventional rocker lever comprises a housing, an operation device mounted in the housing, a switch device mounted on an outside of the housing, a restoring device mounted in the housing, and two variable resistors mounted on an outside of the housing. The operation device includes a first pivot seat pivotable in a longitudinal direction, a second pivot seat pivotable in h a transverse direction perpendicular to that of the first pivot seat, and a control lever movable in the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction to pivot the first pivot seat and the second pivot seat in the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction respectively. When in use, the conventional rocker lever is available for controlling the navigation direction or data change of a personal digital product, such as the PDA, video game, cell phone, portable computer or the like.  
      However, the switch device mounted on the outside of the housing, so that the conventional rocker lever has a larger volume, thereby increasing costs in package, storage and transportation.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a rocker lever assembly, comprising:  
      a housing;  
      an operation device mounted in the housing and including a first pivot seat pivotally mounted in the housing, a second pivot seat pivotally mounted in the housing and located under the first pivot seat, and a control lever mounted on the, first pivot seat and the second pivot seat to pivot the first pivot seat and the second pivot seat; and  
      a switch device mounted in the housing and including:  
      a base mounted in the housing and having an inside formed with a circular recess having a bottom formed with an annular protruding flange;  
      a contact terminal embedded in the flange of the base and including two spaced first contact points exposed from the flange of the base and a second contact point located between the first contact points and exposed from the flange of the base;  
      a contact plate flexibly mounted in the flange of the base and having a periphery rested on the first contact points of the contact terminal and a central portion spaced from the second contact point of the contact terminal; and  
      a cover plate mounted on the flange of the base and having a central portion formed with an elastic press piece rested on the central portion of the contact plate to press the central portion of the contact plate to contact the second contact point of the contact terminal.  
      The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a rocker lever assembly, wherein the spring has a first end mounted on the mounting seat of the urging race and a second end mounted on the flange of the base, so that the volume of the rocker lever assembly is reduced largely.  
      Another objective of the present invention is to provide a rocker lever assembly, wherein the contact slide is displaced on the resistance plate of the casing by guidance of the drive member, thereby greatly enhancing the sensitivity of each of the two sensing variable resistors.  
      A further objective of the present invention is to provide a rocker lever assembly, wherein the first pivot seat and the second pivot seat are made of wear-resistant material, thereby enhancing the lifetime of the operation device.  
      A further objective of the present invention is to provide a rocker lever assembly, wherein the switch device is hidden in the housing, thereby reducing the volume of the rocker lever assembly.  
      Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a rocker lever assembly in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the rocker lever assembly as shown in  FIG. 1 ; and  
       FIG. 3  is a plan cross-sectional view of the rocker lever assembly as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a rocker lever assembly in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing  1 , an operation device  2 , a switch device  3 , a restoring device  4 , and two sensing variable resistors  5 .  
      The housing  1  is hollow and includes a top plate  14 , two adjacent first side plates  10 , and two adjacent second side plates  11 .  
      The top plate  14  of the housing  1  is formed with an operation hole  140 .  
      Each of the two first side plates  10  of the housing  1  is bendable and is formed with an opening  101  facing downward.  
      Each of the two second side plates  11  of the housing  1  is bendable and is formed with an opening  111  facing downward. Each of the two second side plates  11  of the housing  1  is formed with two spaced locking holes  112 .  
      The operation device  2  is mounted in the housing  1  and includes a first pivot seat  20 , a second pivot seat  22 , and a control lever  21 .  
      The first pivot seat  20  of the operation device  2  has an arch shape and is pivotally mounted in the housing  1 . The first pivot seat  20  of the operation device  2  has an inside formed with a guide slot  201  and has a first end formed with a first pivot shaft  202  pivotally mounted in the opening  101  of a first one of the two first side plates  10  of the housing  1  and a second end formed with a second pivot shaft  203  pivotally mounted in the opening  111  of a first one of the two second side plates  11  of the housing  1 .  
      The second pivot seat  22  of the operation device  2  is pivotally mounted in the housing  1  and is located under the first pivot seat  20 . The second pivot seat  22  of the operation device  2  is rotatable along a direction perpendicular to that of the first pivot seat  20 . The second pivot seat  22  of the operation device  2  has an inside formed with a receiving chamber  220  and has two side walls formed with two shaft holes  221  each communicating with the receiving chamber  220 . The second pivot seat  22  of the operation device  2  has a first end formed with a first pivot axle  222  pivotally mounted in the opening  101  of a second one of the two first side plates  10  of the housing  1  and a second end formed with a second pivot axle  223  pivotally mounted in the opening  111  of a second one of the two second side plates  11  of the housing  1 .  
      The control lever  21  of the operation device  2  is mounted on the first pivot seat  20  and the second pivot seat  22  to pivot the first pivot seat  20  and the second pivot seat  22 . The control lever  21  of the operation device  2  is slidably mounted in the guide slot  201  of the first pivot seat  20  and has a first end protruding outward from the guide slot  201  of the first pivot seat  20 . The control lever  21  of the operation device  2  has a second end pivotally mounted in the receiving chamber  220  of the second pivot seat  22  and formed with a pivot hole  210 . A pivot pin  23  is extended through the two shaft holes  221  of the second pivot seat  22  and the pivot hole  210  of the control lever  21 , so that the control lever  21  is pivotally mounted on the second pivot seat  22 .  
      In such a manner, the control lever  21  of the operation device  2  is driven to move in two perpendicular directions, so that the first pivot seat  20  and the second pivot seat  22  are driven by the control lever  21  to rotate in two perpendicular directions respectively.  
      The switch device  3  is mounted in the housing  1  and includes a base  30 , a contact terminal  31 , a contact plate  32 , and a cover plate  33 .  
      The base  30  of the switch device  3  is mounted in the housing  1  and has an inside formed with a circular recess  301 . The base  30  of the switch device  3  has a peripheral wall formed with four opposite support studs  302  for supporting the first pivot shaft  202  and second pivot shaft  203  of the first pivot seat  20  and the first pivot axle  222  and second pivot axle  223  of the second pivot seat  22 . The circular recess  301  of the base  30  of the switch device  3  has a bottom formed with an annular protruding flange  303 .  
      The contact terminal  31  of the switch device  3  is embedded in the flange  303  of the base  30  and has a side protruding outward from the base  30  and formed with two spaced SMD solder legs  312 . The contact terminal  31  of the switch device  3  is integrally coated by the flange  303  of the base  30 . The contact terminal  31  of the switch device  3  includes two spaced first contact points  311  exposed from the flange  303  of the base  30  and a second contact point  310  located between the first contact points  311  and exposed from the flange  303  of the base  30 .  
      The contact plate  32  of the switch device  3  is flexibly mounted in the flange  303  of the base  30  and has a periphery rested on the first contact points  311  of the contact terminal  31  and a dome-shaped central portion spaced from the second contact point  310  of the contact terminal  31 .  
      The cover plate  33  of the switch device  3  is mounted on the flange  303  of the base  30  and has a central portion formed with an elastic press piece  330  rested on the central portion of the contact plate  32  to press the central portion of the contact plate  32  to contact the second contact point  310  of the contact terminal  31 .  
      The restoring device  4  is mounted in the housing  1  and includes an urging race  41  rested on a bottom of the first pivot seat  20  of the operation device  2 , and a spring  40  urged between the urging race  41  and the base  30  of the switch device  3 . The urging race  41  of the restoring device  4  has a side formed with a protruding mounting seat  410  (see  FIG. 3 ), and the spring  40  has a first end mounted on the mounting seat  410  of the urging race  41  and a second end mounted on the flange  303  of the base  30 .  
      Each of the two sensing variable resistors  5  is mounted on the housing  1  and includes a casing  50 , a drive member  51 , and a contact slide  52 .  
      The casing  50  of each of the two sensing variable resistors  5  is secured on a respective one of the two second side plates  11  of the housing  1 . The casing  50  of each of the two sensing variable resistors  5  has an inside formed with a mounting recess  501  integrally formed with a printing carbon film type resistance plate  502  having a printing track. The resistance plate  502  of each of the two sensing variable resistors  5  has three terminal legs  503  protruding outward from the casing  50  for mounting the rocker lever assembly to other circuit board (not shown). The casing  50  of each of the two sensing variable resistors  5  is formed with two spaced hook-shaped elastic insertion legs  504  each snapped into and locked in a respective one of the locking holes  112  of the respective second side plate  11  of the housing  1 . The casing  50  of each of the two sensing variable resistors  5  has a side formed with a mounting hole  505 .  
      The drive member  51  of each of the two sensing variable resistors  5  is rotatably mounted in the casing  50  and secured on a respective one of the second pivot shaft  203  of the first pivot seat  20  and the second pivot axle  223  of the second pivot seat  22  to rotate therewith. The drive member  51  of each of the two sensing variable resistors  5  has a first side formed with a counterbore  512  mounted on a respective one of the second pivot shaft  203  of the first pivot seat  20  and the second pivot axle  223  of the second pivot seat  22  and a second side formed with a support shaft  513  rotatably mounted in the mounting hole  505  of the casing  50 . The second side of the drive member  51  of each of the two sensing variable resistors  5  has a periphery formed with a plurality of protruding stubs  511 .  
      The contact slide  52  of each of the two sensing variable resistors  5  is secured on the drive member  51  to rotate therewith and is movably mounted on the resistance plate  502  of the casing  50  along a curved track. The contact slide  52  of each of the two sensing variable resistors  5  has a substantially crescent shape and has a periphery formed with a plurality of through holes  520  mounted on the protruding stubs  511  of the drive member  51 .  
      In operation, when the control lever  21  of the operation device  2  is moved in the operation hole  140  of he top plate  14  of the housing  1 , the first pivot seat  20  is driven by the control lever  21  to pivot about the first pivot shaft  202  and second pivot shaft  203  of the first pivot seat  20 , and the second pivot seat  22  is driven by the control lever  21  to pivot about the first pivot axle  222  and second pivot axle  223  of the second pivot seat  22 , so that when the control lever  21  of the operation device  2  is driven to move in two perpendicular directions, the first pivot seat  20  and the second pivot seat  22  are driven by the control lever  21  to rotate in two perpendicular directions respectively.  
      At this time, the drive member  51  of each of the two sensing variable resistors  5  is rotated by a respective one of the second pivot shaft  203  of the first pivot seat  20  and the second pivot axle  223  of the second pivot seat  22  to rotate the contact slide  52  which is displaced on the resistance plate  502  of the casing  50  along a curved track, so that the impedance of the resistance plate  502  of the casing  50  is changed so as to change the voltage. In such a manner, the terminal legs  503  of the resistance plate  502  of each of the two sensing variable resistors  5  output the changed voltage respectively.  
      When a downward force is applied on the control lever  21  of the operation device  2 , the first pivot seat  20  and the second pivot seat  22  are pressed to move downward, and the lower end of the second pivot seat  22  is moved downward to press the press piece  330  of the cover plate  33  of the switch device  3 , so that the press piece  330  is moved downward to press the contact plate  32  so as to press and move the central portion of the contact plate  32  to contact the second contact point  310  of the contact terminal  31  to operate the switch device  3 .  
      After the downward force applied on the control lever  21  of the operation device  2  is removed, the first pivot seat  20  and the second pivot seat  22  are pushed upward and returned to the original position by the restoring force of the spring  40 , so that the contact plate  32  is returned to the original position by its elasticity, thereby detaching the contact plate  32  from the second contact point  310  of the contact terminal  31 .  
      Accordingly, the spring  40  has a first end mounted on the mounting seat  410  of the urging race  41  and a second end mounted on the flange  303  of the base  30 , so that the volume of the rocker lever assembly is reduced largely. In addition, the contact slide  52  is displaced on the resistance plate  502  of the casing  50  by guidance of the drive member  51 , thereby greatly enhancing the sensitivity of each of the two sensing variable resistors  5 . Further, the first pivot seat  20  and the second pivot seat  22  are made of wear-resistant metallic material, thereby enhancing the lifetime of the operation device  2 . Further, the switch device  3  is hidden in the housing  1 , thereby reducing the volume of the rocker lever assembly.  
      Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.