Joystick device

Details Joystick device Joystick device

1999-08-06

2001-10-23

Edward, Jr., Timothy (Department: 2635)

Coded data generation or conversion

Bodily actuated code generator

C345S161000, C074S4710XY

Reexamination Certificate

active

06307486

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
PRIOR ART
One example of a joystick device is described for example in Japanese Provisional Utility Model Publication No. H2-68404. This conventional art joystick device has a pair of rocking members, each having an elongate hole arranged such that these elongate holes are placed perpendicular to each other. A lever is inserted through the respective elongate holes of the pair of the rocking members so that the lever is allowed to tilt in every direction about a predetermined point as a fulcrum point. The lever is projected to extend from a predetermined location of a cover attached to a case for accommodating the rocking members therein.
In the above conventional art, the lever has a lower portion inserted through an elongate hole of one rocking member to be attached to the same rocking member through a shaft extending perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the elongate hole, thereby preventing the lever from being removed off and rotating about its own axis. Consequently, the fulcrum point of the lever is located on the shaft at which the lever at its lower portion is attached to the rocking member. To this end, there is a necessity of providing a relatively large opening in the cover in order to obtain a sufficient range of tilt movement of the lever.
However, if a large opening is formed in a cover, there often encounters a case that dust or dirt intrudes into an interior of the case through the opening, impairing operational reliability in rotational or sliding portions of the joystick device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a joystick device which is capable of positively preventing the lever from removed off and rotating about its own axis, and positively preventing against intrusion of dust and dirt into the interior of the case.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a joystick device in which the lever can automatically be returned to a neutral position without fail.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a joystick device in which an electric signal is provided with accuracy responsive to the position and the angle of tilt of the lever.
The present invention lies in a joystick device comprising: a case (
14
,
22
); first and second bearing portions (
30
a
,
30
b
,
32
a
,
32
b
) formed in the case to have respective axes extending perpendicular to each other; a first rocking member (
40
) having first support shafts (
46
a
,
46
b
) supported by the first bearings (
30
a
,
30
b
), and a first elongate hole (
44
) that is long in an axial direction of the first support shaft; a second rocking member (
42
) having second support shafts (
56
a
,
56
b
) supported by the second bearing portions (
32
a
,
32
b
), and a second elongate hole (
54
) that is long in an axial direction of the second support shaft, the first rocking member and the second rocking member being arranged in such an overlapped state that the first elongate hole and the second elongate hole extend perpendicular to each other; a lever (
64
) inserted through the first elongate hole and the second elongate hole, the lever when operated causing rocking movement in at least one of the first rocking member and the second rocking member, the lever including an engaging portion (
66
) in engagement with one of the first rocking member and the second rocking member and a spherical portion (
68
) formed at a position thereof above the second rocking member; a detecting means (
34
,
36
,
74
,
76
) for detecting rocking movement in at least one of the first rocking member and the second rocking member to output an electric signal; a cover (
18
) attached to the case and having a hole (
88
) defined by an inner peripheral edge that contacts with an outer peripheral surface of the spherical portion, the hole holding the spherical portion so that the lever can be operated in every direction; and a spring (
84
,
128
,
130
) provided within the case so as to return the lever to a neutral position.
That is, in the present invention the lever inserted through the elongate holes of the pair of rocking members has the projection that is latched to either one of the rocking members so as to prevent the lever from being removed off. The lever is projected through the hole provided in the cover. The lever is provided with the spherical portion supported in contact with the edge of the hole for tilt movement about the contact point as a fulcrum point in every direction.
Therefore, according to the present invention, there is no necessity of providing a large-sized opening for obtaining a range of tilt movement of the lever. Furthermore, since the spherical portion of the lever is in contact with the edge of the hole on, the cover side, the location at which the lever projects out of the cover is closed. This eliminates the possibility that dust or dirt intrudes therethrough which might impair operational reliability in rotational or sliding portions of the lever.
Also, the lever at the spherical portion thereof is supported by the contact point as a fulcrum point for tilt movement thereabout in every direction. A rotation-preventive means is provided at the contact point between the spherical portion and the inner peripheral edge of the hole, to prevent the lever from rotating about an axis thereof. Moreover, the projection of the lever is structurally latched to the rocking member, preventing against removal off and about-own-axis rotation of the lever.
In one aspect of the present invention, a rotation-preventive mechanism is provided, for preventing the lever from rotating its own axis, at a position of contact between the spherical portion and the edge of the hole in the cover. In this aspect, the projection of the lever is latched to the pair of the rocking members supported through support shafts by the bearing portions, thereby preventing the lever from being removed off. Also, the rotation-preventive mechanism prevents the lever from being rotated about its own axis. This rotation-preventive mechanism is provided at the contact point between the spherical portion of the lever and the hole edge on the case side, so that there is no necessity of providing, at a location of the case the lever extends, such an opening that induces intrusion of dust or dirt therethrough.
The rotation-preventive means may adopt a detailed structure that includes a groove formed in the spherical portion to extend in a parallel direction of the lever, and a hub formed projecting from the inner peripheral edge of the hole to be slideable fitted in the groove in a manner contacted with groove walls and a groove bottom thereof. If such a structure is employed for the rotation-preventive mechanism, the portion at which the lever extends from the cover is completely closed such that the surface of the spherical portion of the lever is in contact with the edge of the hole on the cover side and the groove walls and the groove bottom of the groove are in contact with the hub on the cover side, thereby eliminating a gap of intruding even dust and dirt.
Also, it is possible to adopt such a structure that the case is separated as an inner case provided with two sets of bearings and an outer case for accommodating this inner case so that a cover is mounted on the outer case. In such a case, the inner case and the rocking members can be accommodated within a space enclosed by the outer case and the cover, eliminating intrusion of dust or dirt.
Furthermore, it is possible to adopt such a structure that has a circular hole provided at a central portion of the cover so that the wall surrounding the hole has a gradient descending toward the hole, flat surfaces formed at respective end portions of the one pair of rocking members such that they are involved in a same horizontal plane when the lever is in a neutral state, and the spring is accommodated within a space defined around the taper wall so as to be interposed between the cover and the respective flat surfaces. In such a case, a press-down member is preferably di

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