Multidirectional input device

Details Multidirectional input device Multidirectional input device

2000-04-20

2001-08-14

Easthom, Karl D. (Department: 2832)

Electrical resistors

Mechanically variable

Movable contact electrically adjustable over length of...

C338S129000, C338S130000, C200S00600C, C273S14800B

Reexamination Certificate

active

06275139

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multidirectional input device, and more particularly, to a multidirectional input device in which a plurality of electric parts can be simultaneously operated by manipulating a control shaft.
2. Description of the Related Art
The present inventors disclose a multidirectional input device in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/332753 and 09/333276. In the disclosed conventional multidirectional input device (as shown in
FIGS. 14
to
20
), a first interlock member
32
having a slot
32
a
is turnably mounted in a cavity of a box-shaped frame
31
. The first interlock member
32
is turned to change the resistance of a variable resistor
33
mounted on the frame
31
.
A control shaft
34
has a shaft support portion
34
b
formed at the center and a pair of shaft portions
34
a
disposed in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the shaft support portion
34
b.
The control shaft
34
is passed through the slot
32
a
of the first interlock member
32
so as to be movable along the slot
32
a.
The shaft portions
34
a
are turnably supported by a second interlock member
35
, thereby allowing the control shaft
34
to be tilted in the A—A direction.
The second interlock member
35
is made of synthetic resin, and is placed below the first interlock member
32
and is orthogonal thereto.
The second interlock member
35
comprises a rectangular side wall
35
b
having a center opening
35
a
for passing the control shaft
34
therethrough, a pair of circular holes
35
c
formed in the opposing sides of the side wall
35
b
so as to be engaged with the shaft portions
34
a
of the control shaft
34
, and part operating portions
35
d
and
35
e
protruding outward from the side wall
35
b.
The shaft portions
34
a
of the control shaft
34
are snap-fitted in the circular holes
35
c,
and the control shaft
34
is thereby held by the second interlock member
35
.
The second interlock member
35
is turnably supported by the frame
31
to allow the control shaft
34
to be tilted in the B—B direction. A variable resistor
36
mounted on the frame
31
is controlled by the part operating portion
35
d,
and a pushbutton switch
37
mounted on the frame
31
is operated by the part operating portion
35
e.
At the shaft support portion
34
b
in the lower part of the control shaft
34
placed in the frame
31
, an operating member
38
is disposed to move in the axial direction of the control shaft
34
.
The operating member
38
is made of resin, and has a base portion
38
a
having a lower surface curved like a saucer. A cylindrical boss portion
38
b
projects upward from the center of the base portion
38
a,
and a shaft hole
38
c
penetrates through the center of the boss portion
38
b.
The shaft support portion
34
b
of the control shaft
34
is fitted in the boss portion
38
b
of the operating member
38
so that the operating member
38
can move in the axial direction of the shaft support portion
34
b.
An urging member
39
formed of a coil spring is interposed between the control shaft
34
and the operating member
38
.
A bottom plate
40
is placed under the operating member
38
so as to close the bottom of the frame
31
. The bottom of the operating member
38
is elastically contacted with the flat inner bottom face of the bottom plate
40
by the urging member
39
.
The operation of the conventional multidirectional input device will now be described. When operating force is not applied to the control shaft
34
(i.e., when no load is imposed), the operating member
38
is elastically contacted with the inner bottom face of the bottom plate
40
by the elastic force of the urging member
39
, the saucerlike bottom face of the base portion
38
a
is in the horizontal position, and the control shaft
34
is in the neutral upright position (as shown in FIGS.
15
and
17
).
When the control shaft
34
is tilted along the slot
32
a
of the first interlock member
32
in the direction B—B (see FIGS.
15
and
17
), the second interlock member
35
turns on the mounting positions on the frame
31
, and the operating member
38
is brought into the states shown in
FIGS. 19 and 20
and is tilted while the bottom face of the base portion
38
a
moves in sliding contact with the inner bottom face of the bottom plate
40
. This causes the boss portion
38
b
of the operating member
38
is pushed into the control shaft
34
against the elastic force of the urging member
39
.
In the neutral state shown in
FIG. 17
, clearances K
1
and K
2
serve as play on the right and left sides of the control shaft
34
between the control shaft
34
and the second interlock member
35
because of the connecting structure therebetween.
As shown in
FIG. 18
, when the control shaft
34
is initially tilted, the clearance K
1
on the tilting side is lost, and the clearance K
2
on the opposite side increases.
When the tilting operation is continued in this state, the operating member
31
is brought into a state shown in
FIG. 19
, and then, into a state shown in
FIG. 20
in which it is tilted at a predetermined angle.
When the operating member
38
is tilted by a greater angle than a certain angle, the force in the surface direction of the bottom plate
40
by the spring force of the urging member
39
exceeds the friction force between the operating member
38
and the bottom plate
40
between the states shown in
FIGS. 19 and 20
. The operating member
38
consequently slides in the direction of the arrow D, and the clearance shifts from the clearance K
2
to the clearance K
1
. This shift operation is transmitted as a tactile feel to the control shaft
34
, which impairs operability.
When the second interlock member
35
is turned, the resistance of the variable resistor
36
is changed by the part operating portion
35
d.
When the operating force applied to the control shaft
34
is removed after the operation of the variable resistor
36
is completed, the operating member
38
automatically returns to the horizontal position because of the elastic force of the urging member
39
, and the control shaft
34
also automatically returns to the neutral position.
When the control shaft
34
is tilted along the center opening
35
a
of the second interlock member
35
in the direction A—A in
FIG. 16
, the first interlock member
32
is turned to adjust the variable resistor
33
.
Description will now be given of the operation of the pushbutton switch
37
serving as an electric part in addition to the variable resistors
33
and
36
. First, the control shaft
34
is pressed down in the direction of the arrow C, as shown in FIG.
16
.
Then, the second interlock member
35
is moved down because of pressure, and the part operating portion
35
e
presses a stem portion of the pushbutton switch
37
to turn the pushbutton switch
37
on and off.
When the control shaft
34
is released from pressing, it is returned to the initial state by the urging member
38
.
The control shaft
34
may be pressed in the direction of the arrow C not only in the neutral position, but also when it is tilted to control the resistances of the variable resistors
33
and
36
.
When the control shaft
34
is tilted in the conventional multidirectional input device, the bottom of the operating member
38
moves in sliding contact with the inner bottom face of the bottom plate
40
. Therefore, when the operating member
38
is tilted at a greater angle than a certain angle, it slips in the direction of the arrow D, and this slip is transmitted as a tactile feel to the control shaft
34
, which impairs operability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a multidirectional input device with a superior operability in which tactile feel is not produced in a tilting operation of a control shaft.
According to a first arrangement for overcoming the above problems, there is provided a multidirectional input device including: a frame; first and second interlock members turna

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