Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Multiple controlled elements
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-09
2004-09-28
Bucci, David A. (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Multiple controlled elements
C273S14800B, C463S038000, C338S128000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06796201
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input device for use in automobile-mounted air conditioners, applicable with particular suitability to what makes the user feel a kinesthetic sense in manipulation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To describe the configuration of an input device with reference to
FIG. 15
, a box-shaped frame
51
has a square top plate
51
a
, a round hole
51
b
provided in this top plate
51
a
, and four side walls
51
c
bent downward from the four sides of the top plate
51
a.
First and second interlocked members
52
and
53
consisting of metal plates respectively have slits
52
a
and
53
a
at the center and are arc-shaped. The two ends of the first interlocked member
52
, in a state of being housed in the frame
51
, are fitted to a pair of mutually opposite side walls
51
c
, and the first interlocked member
52
can pivot on these fitted portions.
The second interlocked member
53
is housed in the frame
51
in a state of being mutually orthogonal to and crossing the first interlocked member
52
, and its two ends are fitted to the other pair of side walls
51
c
, and the second interlocked member
53
can pivot on these fitted portions.
A linear manipulating member
54
is pressed into the crossing slits
52
a
and
53
a
of the first and second interlocked members
52
and
53
and thereby enabled to engage with the first and second interlocked members
52
and
53
. One end of it protrudes outward through the hole
51
b
of the frame
51
and the other is supported by a supporting member
55
arranged underneath the frame
51
to enable the manipulating member
54
to incline.
When the manipulating member
54
protruding from the hole
51
b
is picked and manipulated, the manipulating member
54
inclines pivoting on the portions supported by the supporting member
55
and, along with the inclination of this manipulating member
54
, the first and second interlocked members
52
and
53
engaged with the manipulating member
54
rotate.
In its neutral position, the manipulating member
54
is normal to the supporting member
55
, and when the manipulating member
54
in this neutral position is inclined in the direction of arrow A parallel to the slit
52
a
, the second interlocked member
53
engages with the manipulating member
54
and rotates.
Or when the manipulating member
54
in its neutral position is inclined in the direction of arrow B parallel to the slit
53
a
, the first interlocked member
52
engages with the manipulating member
54
and rotates. When the manipulating member
54
in a position midway between the direction of arrow A and that of arrow B is inclined in the direction of arrow C, both the first and second interlocked members
52
and
53
engage with the manipulating member
54
and rotate.
First and second rotarily manipulated electrical parts
56
and
57
, each consisting of a rotary sensor or the like, respectively have bodies
56
a
and
57
a
and rotation shafts
56
b
and
57
b
rotatably fitted to the bodies
56
a
and
57
a.
The first and second rotarily manipulated electrical parts
56
and
57
are fitted to the supporting member
55
on the same plane, and the rotation shaft
56
b
of the first rotarily manipulated electrical part
56
, coupled to one end of the first interlocked member
52
, rotates along with the rotation of the first interlocked member
52
and the first rotarily manipulated electrical part
56
is thereby manipulated.
The rotation shaft
57
b
of the second rotarily manipulated electrical part
57
, coupled to one end of the second interlocked member
53
, rotates along with the rotation of the second interlocked member
53
and the second rotarily manipulated electrical part
57
is thereby manipulated.
The first and second rotarily manipulated electrical parts
56
and
57
detect the inclined position of the manipulating member
54
.
First and second motors
58
and
59
respectively have bodies
58
a
and
59
a
and rotation shafts
58
b
and
59
b
fitted rotatably to these bodies
58
a
and
59
a.
The first and second motors
58
and
59
are fitted to the supporting member
55
on the same plane. As the rotation shaft
58
b
of the first motor
58
is coupled to the rotation shaft
56
b
of the first rotarily manipulated electrical part
56
, the turning force of the first motor
58
is transmitted to the rotation shaft
56
b
via the rotation shaft
58
b
and, as the rotation shaft
59
b
of the second motor
59
is coupled to the rotation shaft
57
b
of the second rotarily manipulated electrical part
57
, the turning force of the second motor
59
is transmitted to the rotation shaft
57
b
via the rotation shaft
59
b.
Next, the operation of the conventional input device having the above-described configuration will be explained. First, when the manipulating member
54
is inclined, along with the rotations of the first and second interlocked members
52
and
53
, the rotations of the first and second interlocked members
52
and
53
respectively cause the rotation shafts
56
b
and
57
b
to turn and the first and second rotarily manipulated electrical parts
56
and
57
to be operated, and the inclined position of the manipulating member
54
is detected.
When the manipulating member
54
is inclined, a signal is sent to the first and second motors
58
and
59
from a controller (not shown) to drive the first and second motors
58
and
59
, and this driving force is transmitted to the rotation shafts
56
b
and
57
b
of the first and second rotarily manipulated electrical parts
56
and
57
.
Then, the driving force of the first and second motors
58
and
59
acts as a reactionary force (kinesthetic sense or haptic sense) to the inclining motion of the manipulating member
54
.
The input device according to the prior art involves the problem that, because the first and second interlocked members
52
and
53
are arc-shaped and rotate, the first and second interlocked members
52
and
53
occupy a large space in the longitudinal direction and accordingly the device tends to be large in the longitudinal dimension.
There is another problem that, as the axial directions of the rotation shafts
56
b
and
57
b
of the first and second rotarily manipulated electrical parts
56
and
57
and of the rotation shafts
58
b
and
59
b
of the first and second motors
58
and
59
are the same as and moreover are continuous from the extending directions of the first and second interlocked members
52
and
53
, the rotarily manipulated electrical parts
56
and
57
and the motors
58
and
59
occupy a large installation space in the lateral direction and accordingly the device tends to be large in the lateral dimension.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of these problems, the present invention is intended to provide a compact and inexpensive input device reduced in longitudinal and lateral dimensions.
As a first means to solve the problems noted above, there is proposed a configuration provided with a manipulating member slidable in any direction in a full 360-degree range from its initial position, a sliding member slidable together with the manipulating member on a plane normal to an axial direction of the manipulating member, at least a pair of first and second drive members linearly slidable along with motion of the sliding member and arranged at a right angle to each other, and first and second detecting members respectively operated by the first and second drive members, wherein, during sliding of the manipulating member, the sliding member slides in the same direction as the manipulating member, the sliding member can alter their respective engaging positions with the first and second drive members to enable each of the first and second drive members to shift linearly, and the linear shifting of the first and second drive members enables the first and second detecting members to be operated.
Since, in this configuration, the drive members linearly shift along with the sliding of the sliding member, the n
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Bucci David A.
Hansen Colby
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