Radiant energy – Photocells; circuits and apparatus – Optical or pre-photocell system
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-09
2003-04-01
Mai, Huy (Department: 2873)
Radiant energy
Photocells; circuits and apparatus
Optical or pre-photocell system
C250S231180, C341S006000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06541760
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotation detecting apparatus that detects rotation operations by light transmission, and more particularly to a rotation detecting apparatus capable of preventing invalid detection.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 10
is an exploded perspective view showing a conventional optical rotation detecting apparatus
50
.
The rotation detecting apparatus
50
is provided with a rotating body
51
, a base
52
, a handle
53
, a sensor
54
as detecting means, and a motor M and a deceleration gear train G as load means.
The rotating body
51
comprises a disk
51
a
and a shaft projection
51
b,
which is formed at the central portion of rotation of the disk
51
a.
The disk
51
a
has a gear G
5
formed in the circumference thereof and the shaft projection
51
b
has a through hole
51
c
formed at the center thereof. On the disk
51
a
are formed plural light transmission paths (slits)
51
d
penetrating from one side thereof to another side. The light transmission paths
51
d
all have the same shape and are formed at an equal interval. A base
52
has a support plate
52
a
on which a support shaft
52
b
is formed projectingly toward the rotating body
51
. A sensor
54
comprises a light emitting part
54
a
consisting of a light emitting element and a light receiving part
54
b
consisting of a light receiving element.
In the above-described rotation detecting apparatus
50
, the shaft projection
51
b
is inserted in the support shaft
52
b
of the base
52
and the rotating body
51
is supported on the base
52
so that it can rotate freely. The shaft projection
51
b
is provided with a handle
53
which is rotated integrally with the rotating body
51
. The rotating body
51
is provided with the sensor
54
with the light emitting part
54
a
at one side of the light transmission paths
51
d
and the light receiving part
54
b
at another side. One end of the deceleration gear train G is connected to the motor M and the other is connected to the gear G
5
of the rotating body
51
.
The above-described rotation detecting apparatus
50
can be used as, e.g., a fishing game controller, which is designed so that a fishline can be simulatively wound when the handle
53
is rotated unidirectionally (forward rotation). Also, rotation resistance is applied to the handle
53
when a coil of the motor M is short-circuited during rotation of the handle
53
.
However, the above-described conventional rotation detecting apparatus
50
has the problem that, when the handle
53
is rotated in a direction opposite to the forward direction, the rotating body
51
is rotated and a rotation signal is detected by the sensor
54
.
Accordingly, some of conventional rotation detecting apparatuses are provided with a backward rotation prevention clutch (unidirectional rotation clutch) for preventing the rotating body
51
from rotating when the handle
53
rotates backward. However, although the problem can be prevented that a rotation signal is erroneously detected by the sensor
54
when the handle is rotated backward, there is the problem that, when rotation input in the forward rotation direction by the handle
53
is broken, the rotating body
51
continues to rotate by inertial force produced by the weight of a rotor of the motor M, so that a rotation signal is erroneously detected by the sensor
54
although the handle
53
is stopped.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems and provides a rotation detecting apparatus capable of preventing a sensor from making invalid detection due to the inertial force of a rotating body when a handle is stopped.
Also, the present invention provides a rotation detecting apparatus that has a type of handle capable of backward rotation and, even when the handle is rotated backward, can ignore input in the backward rotation direction.
The present invention has: a first rotating body; a second rotating body serving as an input side of rotation force that rotates along with the first rotating body; light transmission paths formed on both the first rotating body and the second rotating body; and detecting means for detecting light passing through both the light transmission paths of the first rotating body and those of the second rotating body, wherein the first rotating body and the second rotating body can rotate relatively within a predetermined allowance angle range, wherein, when rotation force is inputted to the second rotating body, and the second rotating body and the first rotating body are rotating together in the rotation input direction, the light transmission paths of the first rotating body and those of the second rotating body overlap one another and light can be detected by the detecting means, and wherein, when input of the rotation force to the second rotating body is broken and the first rotating body continues to rotate by inertia force in the rotation input direction, the second rotating body rotates relative to the first rotating body in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the first rotating body within the allowance angle range, the light transmission paths of the first rotating body and those of the second rotating body deviate in position from each other, and the light to the detecting means is cut off.
By the above means, even if input to the second rotating body is broken and the first rotating body is rotated by inertia force, since the light transmission paths are immediately closed and light is cut off, invalid detection by the detecting means is prevented. That is, when the first rotating body is rotated by inertia force, the first rotating body and the second rotating body are relatively rotated in the directions that the light transmission paths of the first rotating body and those of the second rotating body do not overlap one another, whereby light issued from a light emitting part is not transmitted to a light receiving part, so that the invalid detection that a rotation signal is outputted despite the break of rotation input is prevented.
In the present invention, preferably, a load to exert the inertia force is connected to the first rotating body.
In the present invention, a motor to apply rotation force to the first rotating body is provided to apply rotation resistance to the first rotating body or rotation force in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of rotation force inputted to the second rotating body. When the motor does not exert the rotation resistance force or the rotation force of the opposite direction, the inertia force is applied to the first rotating body by the weight of a rotor of the motor.
For example, by short-circuiting a coil of the motor, a rotation load can be generated to cause the rotation resistance force to be produced in the motor. Or by energizing the motor in the backward rotation direction, rotation force of opposite direction is applied to the first rotating body. In this case, when the coil of the motor is not short-circuited and is not energized for backward rotation, the rotor of the motor exerts the inertia force.
By the above arrangement, when the rotation detecting apparatus is used as a fishing game controller, loads placed on the hands of an operator who simulatively winds a fishline can be changed so that the game can be expressed more realistically.
The present invention has: a first rotating body; a second rotating body serving as an input side of rotation force that rotates along with the first rotating body; light transmission paths formed on both the first rotating body and the second rotating body; and detecting means for detecting light passing through both the light transmission paths of the first rotating body and those of the second rotating body, wherein the first rotating body and the second rotating body can rotate relatively within a predetermined allowance angle range, wherein, when rotation force is inputted to the second rotating body, and the second rotating body and the first ro
Hagiwara Yasuji
Ohgoshi Kenji
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Mai Huy
LandOfFree
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