Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Solid contact – Membrane type
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-02
2003-04-22
Luebke, Renee (Department: 2833)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Solid contact
Membrane type
C200S181000, C200S600000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06552288
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an input device for a game controller, and more particularly to the input device for the game controller in which both a digital and an analog output can be generated by means of a compact and simple trigger button type switch.
A related input device for a game controller of this type will be explained referring to FIG.
5
. The input device
1
for the game controller consists of a base board
4
on which a pair of electrodes
2
and
3
are fixed, a click rubber
5
rigidly provided on the base board
4
, a button
6
placed on the click rubber
5
, and a casing
7
which covers the click rubber
5
and the button
6
. The casing
7
is substantially an inverted shape of a bottomed cylinder, and is provided with an opening
7
a
at its upper end part. The click rubber
5
is formed of elastic material and composed of a cylindrical body
5
a
in a substantially cylindrical shape, extending portions
5
b
which extend from the cylindrical body
5
a
diagonally downward, and leg portions
5
c
disposed at lower ends of the extending portions
5
b
. A conductive body
5
d
is fixed to a lower end part of the cylindrical body
5
a.
The leg portions
5
c
are fixed to the base board
4
, and at the same time, support a lower end part of the casing
7
. The button
6
consists of an upper small-diameter portion
6
a
in a cylindrical shape which is smaller in diameter than the opening
7
a,
and a lower large-diameter portion
6
b
in a cylindrical shape which is larger in diameter than the opening
7
a.
The upper small-diameter portion
6
a
is arranged so as to pass through the opening
7
a
formed in the casing
7
and project upward from the casing
7
, while the lower large-diameter portion
6
b
is disposed inside the upper end part of the casing
7
, and biased in an upward direction by means of the click rubber
5
.
When the button
6
is pushed down, the extending portions
5
b
of the click rubber
5
are deformed with the push motion of the button
6
to move the cylindrical body
5
a
of the click rubber
5
downward. By further pushing the button
6
downward, the extending portions
5
b
are greatly deformed instantaneously bringing the conductive body
5
d
fixed to the lower end part of the cylindrical body
5
a
into contact with the electrodes
2
and
3
thereby to establish electrical conduction between the electrodes
2
and
3
. Moreover, when the extending portions
5
b
are greatly deformed instantaneously, an operator of the button
6
can feel a touch of a click, and the operator can confirm from the touch of the click that the electrical conduction has been established between the electrodes
2
and
3
.
In the related input device for the game controller, when the button is pushed downward, the click rubber located below the button is deformed by the push motion of the button, and the cylindrical body of the click rubber moves downward, whereby the conductive body fixed to the cylindrical body allows a pair of the electrodes provided on the base board to be electrically conducted. However, this input device for the game controller has been insufficient in function to act as the input device for the game controller, since it has only an “on” and “off” switching function of the electrodes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a button type input device for the game controller in which an analog output can be generated in accordance with the push-down operation of the button, as well as the on/off switching function in order to improve the function of the controller.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, an input device includes a base board with first and second electrodes disposed thereon. A resist covers the first electrode and a capacitance-operated sensor is mounted on the resist and covers the second electrode. A click rubber with deformable extending portions is positioned above the capacitance-operated sensor. A button translatable within an aperture in a casing is mounted on top of the click rubber, where the casing covers the sensor, the click rubber and a portion of the button.
Here, the silicon rubber sensor and the resist generates an analog output signal between the first and second electrodes in proportion to a force pressing the button, when the pressing force is larger than a predetermined pressing force enough to deform the click rubber so as to establish the output signal.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the input device includes a base board with first and second electrodes disposed thereon, and a piezoelectric sensor disposed on the base board so as to cover the electrodes. A click rubber with deformable extending portions is positioned above the piezoelectric sensor. A button translatable within an aperture in a casing is mounted on top of the click rubber, where the casing covers the sensor, the click rubber and a portion of the button.
Here, the piezoelectric sensor generates an analog output signal between the first and second electrodes in proportion to a force pressing the button, when the pressing force is larger than a predetermined pressing force enough to deform the click rubber so as to establish the output signal.
In the above configurations, the “on” and “off” operation can be effected by the button operation, and at the same time, the analog output can be generated in correspondence with the push-down operation of the button.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4493219 (1985-01-01), Sharp et al.
patent: 4659879 (1987-04-01), Hasegawa
patent: 5115106 (1992-05-01), Weiland et al.
patent: 5212473 (1993-05-01), Louis
patent: 5666112 (1997-09-01), Crowley et al.
Luebke Renee
Mitsumi Electric Co. Ltd.
Whitham Curtis & Christofferson, PC
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