Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Multiple circuit control – Combined pivoted and reciprocating contact
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-20
2001-02-27
Gellner, Michael L. (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Multiple circuit control
Combined pivoted and reciprocating contact
C200S0110TC
Reexamination Certificate
active
06194673
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a rotary encoder for use mainly in peripheral apparatuses such as a mouse for a computer, portable telephones, on-board electronic devices for automobiles, and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A rotary encoder of the prior art has a structure where a movable contact and a stationary contact are disposed on a plane orthogonal to an axis of rotation of the movable contact, and an operating axle is mounted in a position coaxial with the axis of rotation of the movable contact, so that the operating axle is movable only in a direction of the rotation of the axis of rotation, or in the direction of rotation and a direction of the axis.
A rotary encoder equipped with a push switch will be described hereinafter, by referring to
FIG. 13
, which depicts a partial sectional front view and is representative of a conventional rotary encoder of this kind.
In
FIG. 13
, an operating axle
31
is inserted into a circular hole
32
A of a bearing
32
from underneath it, and a center circular portion
31
A is held fitted in the circular hole
32
A in a manner that the operating axle
31
is rotatable as well as vertically movable. A thin non-circular spindle
31
B at a lower end of the operating axle
31
fits into a non-circular hole
33
A in a center of a rotary contact board
33
in such a manner that a rotary movement of the operating axle
31
is transferred to the rotary contact board
33
whereas a vertical movement is not.
The rotary contact board
33
stays in its vertical position by being held between the bearing
32
and a case
34
beneath the rotary contact board
33
. The rotary contact board
33
is provided on its lower surface with a contact plate
35
by an insert molding. The contact plate
35
includes a center ring portion
35
A and a plurality of rectangular web portions
35
B extending radially from the center ring portion
35
A, as shown in FIG.
14
.
Three flexible contacts
36
A,
36
B and
36
C, all serving as stationary contacts, extending from the case
34
stay in resilient contact with the center ring portion
35
A and the rectangular web portions
35
B of the contact plate
35
respectively, and all of the above elements constitute a contact portion of an encoder unit. The flexible contacts
36
B and
36
C corresponding to the rectangular web portions
35
B are so positioned that they are slightly shifted with each other in a direction of the rotation.
Further, a push switch
37
is disposed under the case
34
, and a lower end
31
C of the operating axle
31
locates in contact with an upper end of a push button
37
A of the push switch
37
.
Operation of the rotary encoder equipped with a push switch will now be described hereinafter. When an operating knob
39
attached to an upper end
31
D of the operating axle
31
is rotated, it turns the operating axle
31
and therefore the rotary contact board
33
. Among the three flexible contacts
36
A,
36
B and
36
C placed against the contact plate
35
on the lower surface of the rotary contact board
33
, the flexible contacts
36
A slides resiliently on the center ring portion
35
A and the flexible contacts
36
B and
36
C slide on the rectangular web portions
35
B. As a result, the rotation generates pulse signals between the terminals
38
A and
38
B as well as between the terminals
38
A and
38
C communicating with their respective flexible contacts
36
A,
36
B and
36
C, and thereby they function as an encoder.
In the above operation, a circuit of an apparatus, which employs this device, detects a delay in time between the pulse signals that appear between the terminals
38
A and
38
B, and between the terminals
38
A and
38
C, due to the shift in positions of the flexible contacts
36
B and
36
C, which are in contact with the rectangular web portions
35
B of the contact plate
35
. And the device is able to function according to a direction and an amount of the rotation.
Also, during the above rotating manipulation, the operating axle
31
does not move in the vertical direction, so as not to operate the push switch
37
.
Next, when the operating axle
31
is moved downward by applying a depressing force to the operating knob
39
attached to the upper end
31
D of the operating axle
31
, as shown by an arrow in
FIG. 15
, i.e. a partial sectional front view of the device, the lower end
31
C depresses the push button
37
A to operate the push switch
37
.
The encoder unit does not function by this manipulation, because the rotary contact board
33
of the encoder unit does not move downward, nor does it rotate.
However, the rotary encoder of the prior art is operative only in the direction of rotation and the direction of the axis of the operating axle
31
to which the operating knob
39
is attached. To improve accuracy of the encoder unit by increasing the resolution or to increase the number of output signals, it is necessary to increase the number of rectangular web portions
35
B extended radially from the center ring portion
35
A of the contact plate
35
, or increase the number of flexible contacts
36
B and
36
C, which are so arranged as to make contact with the rectangular web portions
35
B at points shifted with respect to each other. For this improvement, it is necessary to increase the width of each of the rectangular web portions
35
B and insulation spaces between them. This consequently requires an extension in length of the rectangular web portions
35
B toward their radial direction, and therefore an enlargement in diameter of the contact plate
35
, i.e. the movable contact. This causes a substantial restriction in designing the apparatuses that employ these devices, since it increases overall dimensions of the rotary encoder, including the case
34
. Because of the increased radiuses of the contacting points the sliding speed at the contacting points between the flexible contacts
36
B and
36
C and the rectangular web portions
35
B is increased during rotating manipulation, thus giving rise to a problem that disturbances in the signal, such as fluctuations, are liable to occur at boundaries between the rectangular web portions
35
B, i.e. conductive surfaces, and insulating surfaces.
An object of the present invention is to solve the foregoing problem, and to provide a rotary encoder that is capable of operating a linearly-driven type component in addition to a rotary type encoder by rotating and tilting an operating axle provided with an operating knob. The invention also provides a rotary encoder that is more accurate and capable of producing a greater number of output signals without requiring an increase in external dimensions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A rotary encoder of the present invention includes, (1) a stationary body provided with a plurality of flexible contacts having their respective terminals for providing signals, (2) a rotor in a cylindrical form made of insulation material, and supported rotatably by the stationary body, the rotor being provided on its peripheral surface with a ring shaped movable contact and comb-tooth shaped movable contacts extending sideways at a predetermined angle pitch from the ring shaped movable contact, with which the plurality of flexible contacts make resilient contact, and the rotor having a non-circular hole in its rotational center, (3) an operating axle fitted in and pivotally supported by the non-circular hole in the center of the rotor in such a manner that it rotates together with the rotor and is also freely tiltable, (4) an operating knob having either a cylindrical shape or a polygonal shape in a predetermined width, and attached to the operating axle protruding from the rotor, and (5) a linearly-driven type component disposed in a manner to be in contact with an outer periphery of the operating axle either at an end portion or an intermediate portion, and operative with a tilting manipulation of the operating axle. The simple structure as described above realizes the rotary encoder, in which the encoder unit is operable by a rotating manipulation of t
Matsui Hiroshi
Sato Jun
Gellner Michael L.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Nguyen Nhung
Ratner & Prestia
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