IP Library Granted Patent US 12683101
Granted Patent B2
US 12683101 · App. 18/241,407 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Switch apparatus and electronic equipment

Inventor: Hirokatsu Katoh (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
H01H13/14H01H13/20G10H1/0008
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12683101
App. No.
18/241,407
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A switch apparatus includes a case, a button provided on the case and can be operated by pushing from a first direction, and a shaft provided in a space within the case and configured to move together with the button along an axial direction in response to an operation on the button, wherein, within the space, at least one magnet is fixed to either the case or the shaft, and at least one magnetic body is fixed to a remaining one, and wherein the at least one magnet and the at least one magnetic body are attracted to each other by a magnetic force along the axial direction in a first state in which the button protrudes from the case in the first direction more than in a second state.

Claims (26)

1 . A switch apparatus comprising:

a case;

a button provided on the case and being operable by pushing from a first direction; and

a shaft provided in a space within the case and configured to move together with the button along an axial direction in response to an operation on the button,

wherein:

within the space, at least one magnet is fixed to one of the case or the shaft, and at least one magnetic body is fixed to a remaining one of the case or the shaft,

the at least one magnet and the at least one magnetic body are attracted to each other by a magnetic force along the axial direction in a first state in which the button protrudes from the case in the first direction more than in a second state,

the button is configured to rotate around the axis of the shaft, and

a rotation torque of the button is adjusted in accordance with a magnetic strength of the at least one magnet.

2 . The switch apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a holding mechanism that, in response to the operation on the button being performed repeatedly, is configured to switch alternately between the first state and the second state, the second state being a state in which the button is pushed in from the first state to thereby cause the at least one magnet and the at least one magnetic body to move away from each other.

3 . The switch apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein one of the at least one magnet or the at least one magnetic body is provided in a ring-like fashion in such a way as to surround an axis of the shaft.

4 . The switch apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein one of the at least one magnet or the at least one magnetic body is provided in an eccentric position around an axis of the shaft.

5 . The switch apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein one of the at least one magnet or the at least one magnetic body comprises a plurality of magnets or a plurality of magnetic bodies provided around an axis of the shaft in a plurality of locations respectively.

6 . The switch apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein one of the at least one magnet or the at least one magnetic body is provided at a location apart from an axis of the shaft.

7 . The switch apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one magnet and the at least one magnetic body are disposed in positions which overlap the button when viewed from above.

8 . The switch apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a cushion provided between the at least one magnet and the at least one magnetic body,

wherein the at least one magnet and the at least one magnetic body are attracted to each other via the cushion in the first state.

9 . Electronic equipment comprising:

the switch apparatus according to claim 1 ; and

an electric circuit configured to be controlled electrically in response to operation of the switch apparatus.

10 . The switch apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

one of the at least one magnet or the at least one magnetic body is provided in an eccentric position around an axis of the shaft,

the other of the at least one magnet or the at least one magnetic body is provided in a ring-like fashion so as to surround the axis of the shaft, and

while the one of the at least one magnet or the at least one magnetic body rotates about the axis of the shaft together with the button, the at least one magnet and the at least one magnetic body remain positioned so as to at least partially overlap each other when viewed from above.