Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Multiple circuit control – Pivoted contact
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-24
2001-09-18
Friedhofer, Michael (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Multiple circuit control
Pivoted contact
C200S004000, C200S018000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06291782
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-directional input device suitable for use in portable telephones and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional multi-directional input device will be described with reference to
FIGS. 13
to
15
. This multi-directional input device is provided with a shaft
52
disposed at one end of a box-shaped casing member
51
formed of synthetic resin moldings and a rotary electrical element
53
generating an electrical signal of a pulse signal. (rotational quantity signal) attached to the shaft
52
.
A driving body
54
formed of synthetic resin moldings and accommodated within the casing member
51
is provided with a pair of supporting walls
54
a
having a spacing therebetween. Sleeve-like bearings
56
press-fitted into both ends of a roller-like operating member
55
are rotatably attached to the pair of supporting walls
54
a
so that the operating member
55
is rotatable.
The shaft
52
is inserted into non-circular holes
56
a
formed in the center of one of the bearings
56
, so that the rotary electrical element
53
is operative by the rotation of the shaft
52
via the bearings
56
during the rotation of the operating member
55
while the driving member
54
is movable in the axial direction by using the casing member
51
and the shaft
52
as guides thereof when the operating member
55
is moved in the axial direction.
A sliding type electrical element
58
comprising a variable resistor and having a sliding portion
57
is attached directly beneath the casing member in a pile, so that the sliding portion
57
is inserted into a hole
54
b
of the driving body
54
.
This sliding type electrical element
58
detects positional information in response to the displacement.
First and second driving plates
59
and
60
respectively having rectangular holes
59
a
and
60
a
formed at the centers thereof are arranged to be overlaid on each other while the sliding portion
57
is inserted into the holes
59
a
and
60
a.
Between the first driving plate
59
and the casing member
51
, a spacer
61
is arranged. Springs
62
and
63
are respectively strung between the first driving plate
59
and the casing member
51
and between the second driving plate
60
and the casing member
51
to thereby pull the sliding portion
57
in the neutral state.
Next, operation of such a conventional multi-directional input device will be described. When the operating member
55
is moved in the direction of the arrow “X
1
”, the driving member
54
moves against the spring
62
together with the sliding portion
57
and the first driving plate
59
to thereby operate the sliding type electrical element
58
; when the operation of the operating member
55
is cancelled from this state, the first driving plate
59
, the driving member
54
, and the operating member
55
are returned to the original neutral position by the spring
62
.
Then when the operating member
55
is moved in the direction of the arrow “X
2
”, the driving member
54
moves against the spring
63
together with the sliding portion
57
and the second driving plate
60
to thereby operate the sliding type electrical element
58
; when the operation of the operating member
55
is cancelled from this state, the second driving plate
60
, the driving member
54
, and the operating member
55
are returned to the original neutral position by the spring
63
.
By operating the operating member
55
in the axial direction in such a manner, positional information is detected in response to the displacement so as to determine a frame advancing speed of images or the like.
Next, when the operating member
55
is rotated, the rotary electrical element
53
is operated via the bearings
56
and the shaft
52
so as to generate a rotational quantity signal.
Consequently, frame advance can be performed according to the speed determined by the movement in the axial direction.
In the conventional multi-directional input device, since the sliding type electrical element
58
generating an electrical signal is arranged beneath the casing member
51
, there is a problem in that the thickness is increased so that a thin shape is difficult to be achieved.
There is also another problem in that the number of parts is increased because the driving body
54
, the first and second driving plates
59
and
60
, and two springs
62
and
63
are necessary for operating the sliding type electrical element
58
, resulting in the increased cost and low productivity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-directional input device which is suitable for making it thinner while being inexpensive and having improved efficiency of assembly work.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multi-directional input device comprising: a casing member; a roller-like operating member, which is rotatable and movable in the axial direction and supported by the casing member; a rotary electrical element, which is generating an electrical signal and operated by rotation of the operating member; and a push-switch operated by the movement in the axial direction of the operating member, wherein the rotary electrical element and the push-switch are arranged at ends of the operating member in the axial direction.
Preferably, the operating member comprises an operating portion disposed in the center and a shaft provided at an end of the operating member so that the operating member is rotatably held at the shaft by the casing member while the rotary electrical element and the push-switch are operated via the shaft.
Preferably, the operating portion is arranged nearer to the rotary electrical element than to the push-switch.
Preferably, the casing member is provided with a bottom wall to which the push-switch is attached.
Preferably, an L-shaped movable member having a first and a second arm is rotatably held so that the shaft urges the first arm so as to rotate the movable member and the push-switch is operated with the second arm by the rotation of the movable member.
Preferably, the push-switches are respectively arranged at both ends of the operating member so that the push-switches are respectively operated by the movement in the axial direction of the operating member.
Preferably, a multi-directional input device further comprises a switch for detecting the rotational direction operated by the rotation of the operating member, wherein the switch is arranged at one end of the operating member while the rotary electrical element is arranged at the other end of the operating member.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multi-directional input device comprising: a casing member; a shaft; an operating member rotatably attached to the casing member; a rotary electrical element generating an electrical signal by rotation of the operating member; a rotating member held by the shaft and formed to rotate together with the shaft by frictional force during the rotation of the shaft due to the rotation of the operating member and to be stopped from rotating by a stopper so as to cause the shaft to race after rotating together therewith at a predetermined angle; a switch formed of a movable contact provided in the rotating member and a fixed contact attached to the casing member; and a push-switch, wherein after the movable contact switches the fixed contact by the rotation of said rotating member in the normal or reverse direction when the operating member is rotated in the normal or reverse direction, the rotating member abuts the stopper to thereby operate the switch so that the rotating member stops rotating and the operating member starts to race, wherein the rotary electrical element is operated to generate an electrical signal by rotation of the operating member, and wherein the push-switch is arranged at an end of the operating member in the axial direction so that the push-switch is operated to generate an electrical s
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Friedhofer Michael
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