Signal input device applicable to controllers for game machines

Details Signal input device applicable to controllers for game machines Signal input device applicable to controllers for game machines

2000-07-25

2002-03-05

Martin-Wallace, Valencia (Department: 3713)

Amusement devices: games

Including means for processing electronic data

Player-actuated control structure

C345S161000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06352477

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal input device for inputting a signal to an electronic device upon operation of a control, the signal input device being suitably used as, for example, a controllers for game machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 7
is an exploded perspective view of a controller
100
used as a signal input device for game machines, which has been previously developed by the assignee of the present invention. Referring to
FIG. 7
, numeral
10
denotes an upper case constituting an upper side of a housing of the controller
10
, and
20
denotes a lower case constituting a lower side of the controller housing. Also, numeral
30
denotes a flexible board arranged in an inner space defined by the upper case
10
and the lower case
20
, and
40
denotes a plate used for pressing the flexible board
30
to be fixed to an inner surface of the upper case
10
.
On an upper surface of the upper case
10
, a cross key (digital control)
11
is provided at one end and a key top (digital control)
12
comprising four kinds of keys is provided at the other end. Holes
14
,
14
are formed in the upper case
10
at an end on the rear side (closer to the player) . Control levers
22
,
22
serving as controls, described later, are inserted respectively through the holes
14
,
14
such that their heads project out of the upper surface of the upper case
10
.
The plate
40
is attached to the lower case
20
, and the flexible board
30
is attached onto the plate
40
. Further, the lower case
20
is provided with a connector (not shown) connected to a cable
23
for taking out a signal from the flexible board
30
.
An analog input section of the controller
100
will be described below. Note that two control levers
22
are provided, but the following description is made of one control lever
22
.
First, as shown in
FIG. 8
, the control lever
22
is disposed above the flexible board
30
, and mainly comprises a tubular stick
22
a
and a substantially disk-shaped stick knob
22
b
provided at an upper end of the stick
22
a
in coaxial relation. A larger-diameter pressing portion
22
d
is formed at a lower end of the stick
22
a.
Then, a skirt-shaped movement transmitting member
45
is fixedly attached in surrounding relation to the stick
22
a
, and four fitting recesses
45
a
are provided in a lower surface (surface on the side closer to the lower case
20
) of the movement transmitting member
45
with equal angular intervals. The fitting recesses
45
a
are fitted respectively to projections
51
a
of support members
51
each supporting an electrically conductive rubber
50
which serves as an electrically conductive elastic member.
The support member
51
has an attachment surface
51
b
for the electrically conductive rubber
50
on the side facing the flexible board
30
, and also has the projection
51
a
provided on the same side as the movement transmitting member
45
. The electrically conductive rubber
50
having a pyramid-shaped fore end is attached to the attachment surface
51
b.
The projections
51
a
of the support members
51
are fitted respectively to the corresponding fitting recesses
45
a
provided in the movement transmitting member
45
, whereby the four electrically conductive rubbers
50
are provided on the movement transmitting member
45
. Further, as shown in
FIG. 7
, the four support members
51
including the electrically conductive rubbers
50
attached thereto are arranged to lie in four directions, i.e., in the +X-, −X-, +Y- and −Y-directions, about a neutral axis N of the control lever
22
.
On the other hand, as shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
, resistance elements
60
are formed on an upper surface of the flexible board
30
in one-to-one facing relation to the positions of the electrically conductive rubbers
50
provided on the movement transmitting member
45
which is arranged above the upper surface of the flexible board
30
. Holes
72
are formed in the flexible board
30
in positions facing the pressing portions
22
d
provided at the lower ends of the sticks
22
a
of the control levers
22
such that coil springs
71
placed in the holes
72
are projected from the side of the plate
40
toward the side of the control lever
22
. Further, push switches
32
,
34
are disposed on the flexible board
30
at positions respectively facing individual keys of the cross key
11
and the key top
12
.
The push switches
32
,
34
are each a digital switch comprising, though not shown, an upper contact and a lower contact which are each made of electrically conductive rubber or the like and are arranged within a dome-shaped member made of rubber or the like in mutually facing relation. When the switch is pressed externally of the dome-shaped member, the upper contact and the lower contact are contacted with each other for ON/OFF control. Thus, by operating the individual keys of the cross key (digital control)
11
and the key top (digital control)
12
provided on the upper surface of the upper case
10
, a digital signal from the operated one of the push switches
32
,
34
is inputted to the game machine through the flexible board
30
and the cable
23
.
An assembled state of the analog input section will be described below.
In the assembled state, as shown in
FIG. 8
, the control lever
22
is arranged such that a lower end portion of the stick
22
a
is positioned in the inner space defined between the upper cover
10
and the plate
40
, and the stick knob
22
b
is projected out of the hole
14
formed in the upper cover
10
. Also, an upper end of the coil spring
71
projecting out of the plate
40
is fitted to the pressing portion
22
d
provided at the lower end of the stick
22
a
. With the stick
22
a
biased upward under a biasing force of the coil spring
71
, an upper surface of a skirt portion
45
b
of the movement transmitting member
45
fixedly attached around the stick
22
a
is biased in the above inner space so as to abut with an inner wall surface
10
a
of the upper cover
10
surrounding the hole
14
, whereby the control lever
22
is held in a neutral position.
Further, when the control lever
22
is in the neutral position, i.e., in the inoperative state, a gap is left between the electrically conductive rubber
50
provided on the attachment surface
51
b
of the support member
51
, which is attached to the movement transmitting member
45
, and the resistance element
60
formed on the upper surface of the flexible board
30
, so that a planar analog switch is constructed between them.
The operation of the analog input section will be described below.
The above-mentioned analog switch is constructed to be able to change the amount of resistance with a change in contact area between the electrically conductive rubber
50
and the resistance element
60
depending on the azimuth and the tilt angle in and through which an actuating point P of the control lever
22
, shown in
FIG. 9
, is moved from the neutral axis N. More specifically, the electrically conductive rubber
50
has a smaller resistance value per unit area than the resistance element
60
. Therefore, as the contact area increases, the resistance value of the resistance element
60
(combined with the electrically conductive rubber
50
) is reduced and a current flowing through the resistance element
60
(including the electrically conductive rubber
50
) is increased.
For example, when the control lever
22
is in the inoperative state shown in
FIG. 8
, the actuating point P of the control lever
22
lies on the neutral axis N, and the four electrically conductive rubbers
50
attached to the movement transmitting member
45
are not contacted with the corresponding resistance elements
60
as shown. In this condition, therefore, the resistance value of the resistance element
60
is not changed and a current in the normal state flows.
Then, when the control lever
22
is tilted in the −X-direction as shown in
FIG. 9
, the actuatin

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