Push switch of outside handle of door

Abstract

A push switch of an outside handle of a door having a button installed inside a grip cover, wherein the button is attached to the inner surface of the grip cover through a support extending from a side of the button, and a tact switch pressed when the button is pushed.

Claims

1. A push switch of an outside handle of a door, comprising: a button disposed inside a grip cover, wherein the button is attached to an inner surface of the grip cover through a support which extends from a side of the button; a tact switch pressed when the button is pushed; a hinge formed at an end of the support; and a coupling unit formed on the inner surface of the grip cover and covering upper and lower sides of the hinge at both ends thereof so as to guide the hinge.

2. The push switch of claim 1, further comprising a bending concave portion of the support that is bent when the button is pushed.

3. The push switch of claim 1, wherein the hinge extends perpendicularly from the end of the support and is coupled to the coupling unit.

4. The push switch of claim 3, wherein the hinge has a circular cross-section.

5. The push switch of claim 1, wherein the coupling unit protrudes from the inner surface of the grip cover in a ‘U’-shape.

6. The push switch of claim 1, wherein the coupling unit guides the hinge toward the central portion of the button when the button is pushed.

7. The push switch of claim 1, wherein two supports extend from two sides of the button.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The above and other features of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings which are given hereinbelow by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present inventive concept, and wherein:

(2) FIGS. 1 to 3 are views showing an existing push switch;

(3) FIG. 4 is a view illustrating problems of the existing push switch;

(4) FIG. 5 is a view showing a push switch according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept;

(5) FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a button of the push switch according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept;

(6) FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an assembly of the button and a tact switch of the push switch according to the embodiment of the present inventive concept;

(7) FIGS. 8A and 8B are perspective views showing the button coupled through a hinge to a coupling unit in the push switch according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept; and

(8) FIGS. 9A and 9B are cross-section views showing states before and after the button is operated in the push switch according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept.

(9) It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrative of the basic principles of the present disclosure. The specific design features of the present inventive concept as disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment.

(10) In the figures, the same reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present disclosure throughout the several figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) Hereinafter, the present inventive concept will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can easily carry out the present inventive concept.

(12) FIG. 5 is a view showing a push switch 30 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in which a grip cover 20, a button 31, and a tact switch 36 are separated.

(13) FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a button 31 of the push switch 30 according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an assembly of the button 31 and the tact switch 36.

(14) As shown in FIG. 5, the push switch 30 according to the present disclosure includes the button 31 installed inside the grip cover 20. The button 31 is exposed to the outside through a hole 21 of the grip cover 20 and the tact switch 36 is pressed and operated by a push protrusion 32 of the button 31 when the button 31 is pushed.

(15) The push switch 30 of the present disclosure is configured such that the upper side of the button is exposed through a hole 21 of the grip cover 20 and the tact switch 36 is positioned below the button 31 in the grip cover 20.

(16) The tact switch 36 and the push protrusion 32 of the button 31 are not different from those of existing push switches and their descriptions will be omitted.

(17) The push switch 30 according to the present disclosure is configured such that the button 31 is coupled to an inner surface of the grip cover 20 by a hinge-coupling structure 23. Both sides of the button 31 of the grip cover 20 are supported by the hinge-coupling structure 23 to prevent the button 31 from being inclined or rotating, so that sloping and jamming are generally avoided.

(18) With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, supports 33 extend from both sides of the button 31 and connect to hinges 34, which may have circular cross-sections. The hinges 34 are integrally formed and extend perpendicularly from the ends of the supports 33.

(19) The supports 33 may also include concave bending portions 35 that bend when the button 31 is pushed.

(20) On the inner surface of the grip cover 20, coupling units 23 may be formed such that the both ends of the hinges 34 may be inserted thereinto to limit the movement of the hinges 34 when the button 31 is operated.

(21) The hinges 34 extend from the ends of the supports 33 and are inserted into the coupling units 23 to support and secure the button 31.

(22) In the above configuration, the hinges 34 are to hinge the button 31 to the grip cover 20. The bending portions 35 of the plastic button 31 are elastically deformed when the button 31 is pushed and operated such that the bending portions 35 are bent when the button 31 is pushed and the bent shape of the bending portions 35 provides a resilient force for returning the button 31 to its original state when the push is released.

(23) FIG. 6 shows an example of the button 31 according to the present disclosure. The size and position of the bending portions 35 may be modified to control the operating force as necessary.

(24) As shown in FIG. 7, the coupling units 23 guide the hinges 34 to move toward the central portion of the button 31 when the button 31 is pushed and the bending portions 35 are elastically deformed. FIGS. 8A and 8B are perspective views showing the support 33 of button 31 attached to the hinge 34 coupled to the coupling unit 23 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

(25) As shown, the coupling units 23 protrude from the inner surface of the grip cover 20 in a bent or ‘L’-shape to restrict the position of the hinges 34 with respect to the operating direction of the button 31. In this way, the coupling units prevent the button 31 from rotating.

(26) FIGS. 9A and 9B are cross-section perspective views showing an embodiment of the present disclosure before and after operation of the button 31. The position of the button 31 is limited by the hinge-fixing structure supporting the button 31 in the grip cover 20 and the operating force of the button 31 is limited by the resilient force of the supports 33, more specifically the resilient force at the bending portions 35 provided on the supports 33.

(27) In more detail, when the button 31 is pushed in the state as shown in FIG. 9A, the bending portions 35 are bent and elastically deformed, as shown in FIG. 9B, and simultaneously the push protrusion 32 operates the tact switch 36. At this time, since the hinges 34 are guided within the coupling units 23, neither rotation nor jamming of the button 31 occurs.

(28) Since the button 31 is supported at both sides by the hinge-coupling structure 23, the button 31 is neither inclined nor rotated during the operation so that sloping and jamming are diminished.

(29) When the button 31 is released from the pushed state as shown in FIG. 9B, the bent bending portions 35 are restored and the button 31 returns to the state as shown in FIG. 9A due to the resilient force of the bending portions 35.

(30) The operating force is realized not by the widely distributed rubber (of the rubber seal of the tact switch) but rather by the plastic (of the supports of the button) in the push switch according to the present disclosure. It is therefore advantageous to tune and manage this operating force. Using the hinge-coupling structure, the positional distribution of this force is easily managed.

(31) Moreover, as the contact portion between the button and the grip cover is significantly reduced relative to a conventional push switch having guide ribs in contact with the button, problems associated with frozen conditions are reduced.

(32) The present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof. However, it will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.