GROOTENS, Jaap (Berkenlaar 3, CT Teteringen, NL-4847, NL)
DE WIT, Ruud (Mauritsweg 45, CC Geertruidenberg, NL-4931, NL)
GROOTENS, Jaap (Berkenlaar 3, CT Teteringen, NL-4847, NL)
| Claims
1. Apparatus (112) for performing at least one electrical or electromechanical function, preferably a communication function, wherein the apparatus (112) comprises at least one housing (114) and at least one pushbutton (116), wherein the housing (114) comprises at least one first hinge element (146), wherein the pushbutton (116) comprises at least one second hinge element (160), wherein the first and second hinge elements (146, 160) are adapted to interact as a hinge (164) in an assembled state of the apparatus (112).
2. The apparatus (112) according to the preceding claim, wherein the pushbutton (116) comprises a pushbutton body, wherein the second hinge element (160) at least partially forms a protrusion (130) protruding from the pushbutton body.
3. The apparatus (112) according to the preceding claim, wherein the housing (114) comprises at least one slot (132), wherein the slot (132) and the protrusion (130) are designed to allow for the protrusion (130) to be inserted into the slot (132), allowing for an engagement of the second hinge element (160) with the first hinge element (146).
4. The apparatus (112) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the first hinge element (146) and the second hinge element (160) comprise at least one bearing element (148) and wherein the other of the first hinge element (146) and the second hinge element (160) comprises at least one axle element (154) or at least one coupling element (152), wherein the axle element (154) or the coupling element (152) is adapted to be fitted into the bearing element (148).
5. The apparatus (112) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the apparatus (112) further comprises at least one snap element (138), wherein the snap element (138) is adapted to hold the pushbutton (116) and the housing (114) together when the first and second hinge elements (146, 160) are engaged.
6. The apparatus (112) according to the preceding claim, wherein the snap element (138) comprises at least one flexible latch element (136), wherein the latch element (136) is adapted to be flexed open when the pushbutton (116) is mounted to the housing (114) and wherein the latch element (136) is adapted to lock in a locked position when the first and second hinge elements (146, 160) are engaged.
7. The apparatus (112) according to the preceding claim, wherein the latch element (136) comprises at least one flexible tongue (134).
8. The apparatus (112) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the pushbutton (116) comprises a segment, wherein the pushbutton (116) comprises at least two second hinge elements (160), wherein at least one of the at least two second hinge elements (160) is located at each end of the segment.
9. The apparatus (112) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the apparatus (112) comprises at least one switch element (174), preferably a microswitch element, wherein the switch element (174) is located between the housing (114) and the pushbutton (116), and wherein the switch element (174) is adapted to be activated when the pushbutton (116) is pushed. |
Description
Title
Hinged button with snap-fit engagement
Prior art
The invention is based on apparatuses as known from several applications in technical surroundings and known to persons skilled in the art, which are adapted for performing at least one electrical or electromechanical function. As an example, to which the present invention is not limited, the invention refers to discussion units, which may be used in discussion systems, communication systems or conference systems, as may be found in modern conference rooms and conference centres. Examples of conference systems as well as their assembly are given in WO 2007/028423 Al .
These conference units and conference systems are used to facilitate discussions between participants of conferences or meetings. The conference systems typically are installed permanently or non-permanently in the conference rooms for private or public use. These conference systems typically are adapted to allow for a speaker to give a speech using a micro- phone, and for a chairman of the conference to control the speech, such as by switching on or off the speaker's microphone.
Conference systems typically have to satisfy a large number of requirements. Thus, one requirement is that well-established public conference rooms as well as private conference rooms of enterprises and firms take pride in an "upscale" ambience. Thus, the integration of sophisticated electronic components, such as the conference systems known from prior art, typically are rather challenging with respect to interior design aspects. Thus, the looks of the conference system have to be matched with furnishings and decorating, as well as with the spirit, the owner of the conference rooms wants to create. Thus, conference systems usually are to be delivered by the manufacturer with number of options regarding the design, in order to match the furniture and/or the decoration of the conference rooms.
This again imposes on the manufacturer the pressure to provide a conference system in a large variety of designs, creating a significant amount of extra cost with regard to the manufacturing, stocking and distribution. Therefore, there is a need for conference systems with a reduced number of parts, as well as with a rather simplified assembly operation with regard to housing components. Further, especially in the field of public building projects, a significant increase in cost pressure has occurred. Thus, conference systems have to be simplified with regard to manufacturing as well as assembly costs.
Disclosure of the invention
The invention refers to an apparatus for performing at least one electrical or electromechanical function. Generally, the invention may be applied to a large number of apparatuses of any kind having pushbuttons or buttons. Nevertheless, due to the challenges and re- quirements of this kind of apparatuses, it is preferred to apply the apparatus according to the invention to the use in discussion units as a part of communication systems or conference systems as described above. Nevertheless, other applications are possible.
The apparatus is adapted for performing at least one electrical or electromechanical func- tion. This at least one electrical or electromechanical function may e.g. be a communication function, such as switching on or off a microphone or a speaker, or any other function as known from prior art communication systems.
The apparatus comprises at least one housing, wherein the housing may comprise one or more housing components. Thus, e.g., the housing may be formed of metal and/or plastics components, such as injection-moulded thermoplastic housing components. Further, the apparatus comprises at least one pushbutton. This pushbutton may be used, e.g., to initiate the at least one electrical and/or electromechanical function of the apparatus, such as for switching on or off a speaker phone. Other functions may be possible. The term "pushbut- ton" mainly refers to actions initiated by mechanically pushing, i.e. moving downward, any kind of button, such as by applying force by using a fingertip. Nevertheless, alternatively or additionally, other types of actuations and buttons are possible and to be comprised by the term pushbutton, such as a lever movement, a turning movement or similar movements. The apparatus may comprise one or more of said pushbuttons.
The housing further comprises at least one first hinge element, wherein the pushbutton comprises at least one second hinge element. These first and second hinge elements are adapted to interact as a hinge in an assembled state of the apparatus. Thus, the hinge com-
prising the first and the second hinge elements, connects the pushbutton and the remainder of the housing and allows for the pushbutton to be operated by applying pressure to the pushbutton and, thereby, applying torque to the hinge.
This hinged button design according to the invention provides a large number of advantages over pushbutton designs as known from prior art apparatuses. Thus, as it turned out a hinge design greatly simplifies the assembly procedure of the apparatus, which, as explained above, is essential in systems requiring a cost-effective and fast exchange of components, e.g. for design purposes.
Preferably, the pushbutton comprises a pushbutton body, wherein the second hinge element at least partially forms a protrusion protruding from the pushbutton body. This protrusion allows for a local separation of the second hinge element from the surface to be pushed by the user of the apparatus. In this case, the housing preferably comprises at least one slot, wherein the slot and the protrusion are designed to allow for the protrusion to be inserted into the slot, allowing for an engagement of the second hinge element with the first hinge element. The slot may comprise any suitable opening adapted to allow for an insertion of the protrusion of the second hinge element.
In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one of the first hinge element and the second hinge element comprises one bearing element, wherein the other of these hinge elements comprises a corresponding axle element or coupling element. Therein the axle element or the coupling element are adapted to be fitted into the bearing element, in order to form a hinge.
This "bearing" element may comprise any suitable form of receptacle suited for receiving the axle element or coupling element. Thus, the bearing element may comprise one or more concave elements, such as elements having circular or round openings, pockets or recesses, adapted for receiving the axle element or coupling element, and, allowing for the axle ele- ment or coupling element to be turned or pivoted inside this opening, pocket or recess.
The coupling or axle element on the other hand may preferably comprise one or more round elements, which are adapted for being received in the bearing element and for being turned therein, in order to provide a hinge action. Thus, the axle element or coupling element may comprise a bore-shaped element, a cylindrical axle element, a ball- shaped element or an element having the shape of a segment of a ball, or any other round element connected to the pushbutton.
In a further preferred embodiment, the apparatus further comprises at least one snap element. The snap element is adapted to hold the pushbutton and the housing together when the first and second hinge elements are engaged. The expression "holding together" refers to a mechanical fixation, which allows for a hinge motion, but nevertheless preventing a disassembly of the pushbutton and the housing under forces which usually occur during standard operation of the apparatus.
The snap element preferably is designed to be an element which is physically separate from the first and second hinge elements. The expression "snap" refers to the fact that the snap element allows for an assembly procedure, in order to engage the first hinge element with the second hinge element, but which at least under regular circumstances and operation conditions prevents a disassembly of the pushbutton and the housing.
Thus, the snap element may comprise a flexible latch element. This latch element, allowing for a "snap" fit assembly of the pushbutton and the housing, may be adapted to be flexed open when the pushbutton is mounted to the housing, but may be adapted to lock in a locked position when the first and second hinge elements are engaged, thus preventing a disassembly of these elements under ordinary operation conditions. Still, the flexible latch element allows for pushing the pushbutton.
This flexible latch element may comprise a flexible tongue, such as a tongue formed by one or more layers of a flexible plastics material and/or a flexible metal. This flexible tongue may further comprise latch means such as known to a person skilled in the art, such as hooks or catches, which may engage the housing and/or the pushbutton, ears or eyelets or similar elements. Additionally or alternatively, the latch element may co-operate with other elements on the pushbutton und/or housing, respectively, such as stopper elements, in order to allow for the "snapping" engagement.
Preferably, the flexible latch element is part of the housing. Thus, the flexible latch element and/or the flexible tongue may be located close to the above-mentioned slot which allows for accommodating the protrusion of the pushbutton. The latch element may engage the pushbutton as soon as the protrusion has been inserted into the slot and as soon as the second hinge element has engaged the first hinge element, thus preventing a removal of the protrusion from the slot of the housing.
The housing of the apparatus may be of any suitable shape. Thus, e.g., the housing may be of an essentially round shape, of an oval shape, of a rectangular shape or a polygonal shape. Thus, e.g., the shape may e.g. comprise a round, oval, rectangular or polygonal cross sec-
tion, e.g. a circular footage of the housing. The pushbutton, too, may be of any suitable shape. Thus, the pushbutton may comprise a segment, such as an essentially round, oval, rectangular or polygonal segment, such as e.g. a segment of a circular disc.
The pushbutton preferably further comprises at least two second hinge elements, wherein at least one hinge element is located at each end of the segment. Thus, these two opposedly located second hinge elements may, in engagement with corresponding first hinge elements, form at least two hinges, which are collinear with regard to their rotational axes, thus allowing for a hinge motion of the pushbutton. This common axis of the hinges may form a se- cant or a diameter of the round segment of the pushbutton.
In a further preferred embodiment, the apparatus comprises at least one switch element. This switch element may be used, e.g., to initiate one or more electrical, electromechanical or mechanical actions, such as to switch on or off a microphone. The switch element may, e.g., comprise a microswitch element. This switch element may be located between the housing and the pushbutton and is adapted to be activated when the pushbutton is pushed. Thus, by using the hinge motion as described above, the pushbutton may form a lever which is rotated around an axis of the hinge, thereby activating the switch element. The pushbutton itself may further comprise one or more noses, projections, protrusions or stamps, which might exert a force onto the switch element.
The apparatus according to the invention, in one or more of the embodiments as described above, provides an assembly, in which the number of parts may be greatly reduced over assemblies as known from prior art apparatuses. Further, the assembly operations are greatly simplified with regard to positioning and fixation. The overall cost of the apparatus, both for manufacturing the parts of the apparatus as well as for stock-keeping and assembly, may be greatly reduced over costs of systems known from the prior art. No additional parts are required for fixation and positioning of the pushbutton.
Short description of preferred embodiments
Preferred embodiments of the invention are depicted in the Figures and will be explained in further detail in the following description.
In the Figures
Figure 1 shows a top view of the housing and the pushbutton in a disassembled state;
Figure 2 shows an assembly procedure of the pushbutton and the housing in a perspective view from the top;
Figure 3 shows the assembly procedure of Figure 2 in a perspective view from the reverse side;
Figure 4 shows the assembly according to Figure 3 after engagement and latching of the snap element;
Figure 5 shows a side view of the apparatus according to the invention after assembly of the housing and the pushbutton in a partially sectional view; and
Figure 6 shows the activation of a microswitch by the pushbutton.
In Fig. 1 a casing 110 of an apparatus 112 according to the invention is shown in a disassembled state in a perspective view. The casing comprises a housing 114 and a pushbutton 116. In this exemplary embodiment, the housing 114 may be of an essentially circular shape, but, as outlined above, other shapes are possible. The housing 114 comprises a central opening 118 for accommodating a loudspeaker, as well as a receptacle 120 for accommodating a speaker phone. The loudspeaker as well as the speaker phone are not shown in Fig. 1.
The housing 114 in Fig. 1 is shown in a perspective top view, i.e. a view from a position from where a user of the apparatus 112 would see the housing 114. The housing comprises a recess 122, which is adapted to receive most of the pushbutton 116 and, which therefore essentially has the same shape as the pushbutton 116. With the pushbutton 116 received in the recess 122, the surface of the casing 110 is more or less smooth.
The pushbutton 116 essentially has the shape of a circular ring segment, having an essentially circular outer rim 124 and an essentially circular inner rim 126. At about the centre and on its upper surface, the pushbutton 116 may comprise a depression 128, e.g. for providing an optimum position for a user's finger to activate the pushbutton 116.
At its ends, the pushbutton 116 comprises protrusions 130. These protrusions 130 are situated on the lower side of the pushbutton 116, and, thus, in an assembled state of the casing 110 are not visible. As a counterpart to the protrusions 130, the housing 114 comprises two opposed slots 132 at the ends of the recess 122. Adjacent to these slots 132 and pointing
towards the slots 132 two flexible tongues 134 are formed within the housing 114, which again are parts of flexible latch elements 136 and snap elements 138.
The assembly of the casing 110 will be explained with reference to Fig. 2-4 below. Therein, Fig. 2 shows a perspective top view similar to the perspective view in Fig. 1, demonstrating the insertion of the protrusions 130 into the slots 132. The assembly is characterized by the insertion motion arrows noted by reference 142 in Fig. 2. As can be seen from the curvature of these arrows 142, the pushbutton 116 is tilted during the insertion, in order to first insert the protrusions 130 into the slots 132 and, afterwards, tilting the pushbutton 116 into a po- sition more parallel to the housing 114.
In Fig. 3, a perspective view from the bottom side of the casing 110 is depicted, corresponding to the situation shown in Fig. 2. Therein, further details of the casing 110 and the housing 114 are shown. Thus, as can be seen in Fig. 3, the housing 114 comprises a number of studs 144 comprising threaded holes, in order to allow for a bottom part of the casing 110 (not depicted in figures) and/or an electronic circuit board to be mounted to the housing 114.
Further it can be seen that first hinge elements 146 are located opposedly with regard to the central opening 118 on the lower side of the housing 114. These first hinge elements 146 each comprise two hook-shaped bearing elements 148 with round openings 150 pointing towards the slots 132.
As a counterpart to these first hinge elements 146, the protrusions 130, at their outer end, each comprises coupling elements 152, which in the embodiment shown in the figures, comprise axle elements 154 having an cylindrical axle 156 maintained between two beams 158 of the protrusion 130. These axle elements 154 are dimensioned so that they fit into the opening 150 of the bearing elements 148, thus forming second hinge elements 160. The centres of the openings 150 of the bearing elements 148, together with the axis of the axles 156 after insertion into the bearing elements 148, are collinear, thus forming a common rotational axis 162.
During insertion of the protrusions 130 of the pushbutton 116 into the slots 132, the flexible tongues 134 are flexed outwardly. After insertion and after engagement of the first and sec- ond hinge elements 146, 160, these flexible tongues 134 click into the pushbutton 116 and, thus, prevent the pushbutton 116 from falling out. This will be explained later with regard to Fig. 5.
In Fig. 4, the assembly of Fig. 3 is shown in an assembled stage, after engagement of the first and second hinge elements 146, 160. These first and second hinge elements 146, 160 in this engaged stage cooperate as hinges 164.
The snapping motion of the snap elements 138 is explained in further detail with regard to Figs. 4 and 5. Therein, Fig. 5 shows a side view in a partially cross-sectional view of the casing 110 of the apparatus 112. Similar to Fig. 4, the first and second hinge elements 146, 160 are shown in an engaged position, forming hinges 164.
In between the beams 158 of the protrusion 130, a stopper element 166 is formed, which may be seen in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. This stopper element, which more or less perpendicularly extends from the lower surface of the pushbutton 116, forms a counter-part of the flexible tongue 134. Once the second hinge element 160 is inserted into the first hinge element 146, the flexible tongue 134, which until this point in time had been bent away by the stopper element 166, is freed, and by its own spring tension snaps behind the stopper element 166, which is indicated in Figs. 4 and 5 by arrow 168. Thus, after having engaged the pushbutton 116, the snap elements 138 fixate the pushbutton 116 and prevent them from falling out. With this snapping motion 168, the assembly of the pushbutton 116 and the housing 114 may be completed.
After this completion of the assembly procedure, the apparatus 112 may further be assembled in a traditional way. Thus, e.g., one or more electric circuit boards, such as printed circuit boards, may be attached to the casing 110. As an example, Fig. 6 shows a sectional side view of the casing 110 of the apparatus 112 in an assembled state. Therein, the pushbutton 116 is attached to the housing 114, as explained above. Further, a bottom part 172 may be attached to the housing 114.
Within the casing 110, e.g. by using one or more of the studs 144, one or more electric circuit boards 170 may be accommodated. Thus, as shown in Fig. 6, a switch element 174, such as a microswitch element, may be accommodated on the electric circuit board 170, pointing towards the pushbutton 116. The pushbutton 116, correspondingly, comprises a stamp element 176, which is located above the switch element 174. Pushing of the pushbutton 116 activates the switch element 174.
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