Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Multiple circuit control – Operating means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-16
2002-01-22
Luebke, Renee (Department: 2833)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Multiple circuit control
Operating means
C200S0110TC
Reexamination Certificate
active
06340801
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a rotary encoder that generates a signal detecting the amount of change, i.e. rotational angle in rotation and rotating direction during rotational operation, and multi-operational electronic component, such as a mouse for a PC and a cellular phone, using the rotary encoder.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 14
shows a plan view of the contact portion of a conventional rotational type encoder (hereinafter referred to simply as RTE), which generates an electric signal detecting the amount of change (rotational angle) in rotation and rotating direction during rotational operation. rotational contact plate
1
rotatably mounted on base
5
, and three flexible sliding bars
6
,
7
,
8
extended from base
5
.
Rotational contact plate
1
has rotary contact
2
formed typically by insertion molding on the surface of an insulation resin-made circular board. Rotary contact
2
includes common annular contact
3
and teeth-shaped contact
4
for signal generating, with each tooth angled uniformly and extended radially from annular contact
3
.
Flexible sliding bars
6
,
7
, and
8
have elastic contacts
6
A,
7
A, and
8
A on each tip of the bars, respectively.
As shown in
FIG. 14
, elastic contacts
6
A,
7
A, and
8
A are arranged parallel in a radial direction of rotary contact
2
, and contact with rotary contact
2
. Elastic contacts
6
A contacts with annular contact
3
, while elastic contacts
7
A,
8
A contact with teeth-shaped contact
4
. On rotational contact plate
1
, the contact spot of elastic contact
7
A is displaced from that of contact
8
A by “D” (indicated in
FIG. 14
) in a rotating direction of contact plate
1
.
Following the rotating operation of plate
1
, contact
6
A slides resiliently on annular contact
3
, and contacts
7
A and
8
A slide resiliently on teeth-shaped contact
4
. As contact plate
1
rotates, electric signals having a rectangular wave, as shown in
FIG. 15
, are generated between contacts
6
B and
7
B,
6
B and
8
B. In
FIG. 15
, the rotational angle of plate
1
is described on the horizontal axis. Suppose that an electric signal generated between contacts
6
B and
7
B is designated as signal “M”, while an electric signal generated between contacts
6
B and
8
B is designated as signal “N”. In the prior art, the rotational angle and the rotating direction have been detected according to the number of signals “M” and “N”, and the phase difference (i.e., the angle difference) “T” between the two signals.
FIG. 16
shows a general perspective view of a rotary encoder with a push switch (hereinafter referred to simply as REPS), which functions as a multioperational type electronic component employing the RTE described above.
FIG. 17
is a cross-sectional side view of the REPS shown in FIG.
16
. As shown in
FIGS. 16 and 17
, RTE
12
is disposed on one side of mounting substrate
11
serving as a base, on the other side of substrate
11
, self-restoring type push switch (hereinafter referred to simply as PS)
13
is disposed. RTE
12
is held on substrate
11
in a manner that it is movable in a vertical direction (indicated by arrows “V” in
FIGS. 16 and 17
.) On the other hand, PS
13
is fixed to substrate
11
so as not to move.
FIG. 18
shows a general perspective view of mounting substrate
11
.
As shown in
FIG. 18
, resin-made substrate
11
is provided with:
recess
15
having guide rails
14
for RTE
12
to move along;
recess
16
for fixing PS
13
; and
three contact plates
18
(
18
A,
18
B,
18
C) having their respective three terminals
17
(
17
A,
17
B,
17
C) for leading electric signals of RTE
12
to the outside.
As shown in
FIG. 17
, RTE
12
is held by recess
15
in substrate
11
and guide rails
14
in a manner that it is movable in a vertical direction indicated by the arrow “V”.
As described above, RTE
12
comprises:
rotary contact
20
A including an annular contact portion, and a teeth-shaped contact portion arranged outside of the annular contact portion, which is mounted on an inner surface of cylindrical operating knob
19
; and
three flexible sliding bars
22
A,
22
B, and
22
C extended in parallel from resin-made substrate
21
.
Operating knob
19
is retained with substrate
11
in a manner that it is rotatable on cylindrical shaft
23
. Each elastic contact of three sliding bars
22
A,
22
B,
22
C connects resiliently with rotary contact
20
A, having a parallel arrangement in a radial direction of rotary contact
20
A.
Furthermore, three elastic contact legs
24
having electrical continuity with their respective elastic contact bars
22
A,
22
B,
22
C, which protrude in an opposite direction from substrate
21
, connect resiliently with three contact plates
18
(
18
A,
18
B,
18
C).
On the other hand, as shown in
FIG. 17
, PS
13
is fitted in recess
16
in substrate
11
so as not to move. Actuating button
25
of PS
13
is in contact with pushing portion
23
A of cylindrical shaft
23
and pushes it up. Switching terminal
26
, which transmits the electric signal from PS
13
to the outside, projects downwardly from substrate
11
.
FIG. 19
is a partially sectioned side view depicting an example in which the REPS is mounted in an end-use apparatus. As shown in
FIG. 19
, leg
11
A disposed on the bottom of substrate
11
, terminal
17
of RTE
12
, and switching terminal
26
of PS
13
are inserted into mounting holes
28
and
29
in wiring board
27
of the apparatus, and soldered. In this way, the REPS is mounted in an apparatus. Periphery
19
A of operating knob
19
, serving as an operating portion, protrudes from upper enclosure
30
of the apparatus.
The REPS of the prior art constructed as above operates in a manner, which will be described hereinafter.
First, RTE
12
will be described.
An operator rotates cylindrical operating knob
19
by applying a force on periphery
19
A of knob
19
in the tangential direction (indicated by the arrow “H” in FIG.
16
). This rotary motion causes rotary plate
20
to rotate on cylindrical shaft
23
. According to the rotation, each elastic contact of three flexible sliding bars
22
A,
22
B,
22
C slides on contact
20
A including annular contact portion and teeth-shaped contact portion secured to rotary plate
20
, while maintaining resilient contacts therewith. As a result, RTE
12
generates an electric signal corresponding to the rotating direction of operating knob
19
. This electric signal is transferred to contact plate
18
on mounting substrate
11
from three elastic contacts respectively corresponding to three sliding bars
22
A,
22
B,
22
C. The electric signal is further transferred to a circuit on wiring board
27
of the apparatus through terminals
17
for external connections.
Now, the self-restoring PS will be described.
The operator applies a depressing force on periphery
19
A of knob
19
in a direction toward the central axis of rotation (i.e., the direction of the arrow “V
1
” shown in
FIG. 19
) against the biasing force of actuating button
25
which pushes RTE
12
upward. The depressing force shifts entire RTE
12
in the direction of the arrow “V
1
” along guide rails
14
of substrate
11
. This movement causes pushing portion
23
A of cylindrical shaft
23
to depress actuating button
25
. The depressed motion of actuating button
25
actuates PS
13
to thereby generate an electric signal. The electric signal is transmitted through switching terminal
26
to the circuit on wiring board
27
in the apparatus. When the depressing force applied on knob
19
is removed thereafter, RTE
12
is pushed back and returns to its original position by a resilient restoring force of PS
13
. This is how the REPS of the prior art operates.
However, the RTE of the prior art, as shown in
FIGS. 14 and 15
, generates two electric signals “M” and “N” for detecting the amount of change (rotational angle) in rotation and rotating direction during rotational operation. For this detection, the prior art has employed the arrangement: three contacts
6
A,
7
A,
8
A of
Fukuda Tetsuya
Ishihara Yukihiro
Nishimoto Takumi
Nishimura Takahiro
Ono Koji
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