Electricity: circuit makers and breakers – Multiple circuit control – Pivoted contact
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-24
2001-03-06
Gellner, Michael L. (Department: 2832)
Electricity: circuit makers and breakers
Multiple circuit control
Pivoted contact
C200S004000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06198057
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a rotary operating-type electronic device used mainly in peripheral apparatuses such as a mouse as a computer peripheral, portable telephones, electronic devices mounted on automobiles, and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Some examples of an ordinary rotary operating-type electronic device include a variable resistor for providing a desired resistance, an encoder for providing an output of electric signal, and so on by way of turning an operating axle. These rotary operating-type electronic devices are provided with an operating axle in a position coaxial with a center of rotation, and fixed along the rotary axis, so that the operating axle is movable only in a direction of the rotation, or the direction of rotation and a direction of the axis.
A rotary encoder equipped with a push switch will be described hereinafter, as a representative of the rotary operating-type electronic device of the prior art, by referring to
FIG. 11
depicting a cross-sectional view thereof.
In
FIG. 11
, an operating axle
31
is inserted into a circular hole
32
A of a bearing
32
from underneath of 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
, which functions as movable contacts, 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. 12
, i.e. a plan view depicting an underside surface thereof.
The case
34
is provided with flexible contacts
36
A,
36
B and
36
C, all serving as stationary contact points. The flexible contact
36
A resiliently stays in contact with the center ring portion
35
A, and the flexible contacts
36
B and
36
C resiliently stay in contact with the rectangular web portions
35
B of the contact plate
35
respectively. And, all of the above elements constitute a rotary encoder unit. The flexible contacts
36
B and
36
C 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 touch with an upper end of a push button
37
A of the push switch
37
.
An operation of the rotary encoder equipped with a push switch is described hereinafter. When an operating knob
39
attached on an upper end
31
D of the operating axle
31
is rotated, it turns the rotary contact board
33
together with the rotation of the operating axle
31
. The three flexible contacts
36
A,
36
B and
36
C facing against the contact plate
35
on the lower surface of the rotary contact board
33
slide on a surface of the center ring portion
35
A and the rectangular web portions
35
B, and generate pulse signals between the terminals
38
A and
38
B, as well as the terminals
38
A and
38
C among the three terminals
38
A,
38
B and
38
C connected to their respective flexible contacts, thereby functioning as an encoder.
In the above operation, there is a time delay between the pulse signals generated 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
. This allows a circuit of an apparatus, which employs this device, to detect a direction of the rotation, and thereby it is able to function according to the direction and an amount of the rotation.
Also, the operating axle
31
is so constructed that it is not movable in the vertical direction during this rotating manipulation, so that the push switch
37
does not function.
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
100
in
FIG. 13
, i.e. a cross sectional view of the device, the lower end
31
C depresses the push button
37
A to operate the push switch
37
.
The rotary encoder unit does not function during this manipulation, because the rotary contact board
33
does not move downward, nor does it rotate.
However, since the rotary operating-type electronic device of the prior art operates only in the direction of rotation and the direction of axis of the operating axle
31
attached to the operating knob
39
, it substantially restricts freedom in designing the apparatuses that employ these devices.
An object of the present invention is to solve the foregoing problem, and to provide a rotary operating-type electronic device that is capable of operating a linearly-driven type component in addition to a rotary type component by rotating and tilting an operating axle provided with an operating knob.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A rotary operating-type electronic device of the present invention includes, (1) a rotary type component including a stationary body and a rotor having a non-circular hole in a rotational center thereof, and supported rotatably by the stationary body, (2) an operating axle fitted and supported at one end thereof by the non-circular hole of the rotor in such a manner that it rotates together with the rotor and is freely tiltable, (3) an operating knob of either a discal shape or a polygonal shape having a predetermined width, and attached to either of an intermediate portion and another end portion of the operating axle protruding from the rotor, and (4) a linearly-driven type component disposed in a manner to be in touch with an outer periphery of the operating axle protruding from the rotor at either of end portion and an intermediate portion, and operated by a tilting manipulation of the operating axle.
The structure as described above realizes the rotary operating-type electronic device, in which the rotary type component is operable by a rotating manipulation of the operating knob having either a discal or polygonal shape with the predetermined width attached to the operating axle, and the linearly-driven type component is operable by a tilting manipulation of the same operating axle by depressing an upper peripheral surface of the same operating knob.
Also, a rotary operating-type electronic device of the present invention includes, (1) a rotor having a non-circular hole in a rotational center thereof, and supported rotatably by a stationary body of a rotary type component including a stationary contact board and the like, (2) an operating axle fitted and supported at one end thereof by the non-circular hole of the rotor in such a manner that it rotates together with the rotor and is freely tiltable, (3) an operating knob of either a discal shape or a polygonal shape having a predetermined width, and attached to one of (a) an intermediate portion and (b) another end portion of the operating axle protruding from the rotor of the rotary type component, and (4) a linearly-driven type component disposed in a manner to be in touch with an outer periphery of the operating axle protruding from the rotor of the rotary type component at one of (c) an end portion and (d) an intermediate portion, and operated by a tilting manipulation of the operating axle.
The simple structure as described above realizes the rotary operating-type electronic device, in which the rotary type component is operable by a rotating manipulation of the operating knob having either a discal or polygonal shape wit
Kataoka Kenji
Matsui Hiroshi
Ono Koji
Sato Jun
Gellner Michael L.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Nguyen Nhung
Ratner & Prestia
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