JP2001276428A - Input mechanism and game device provided with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the occurrence of a failure and improve durability by reducing damage due to external force such as a kick, an attack, or a punch. SOLUTION: This input mechanism is provided with a shaft 11 having an input part applied with external force from a player at the end part and a slide mechanism 12 supporting the shaft 11 slidably in the axial direction. A slider 22 slidably inserted with the shaft 11 is provided in a housing 21 forming the slide mechanism 12. A buffer member 23 made of a resin such as urethane rubber absorbing the external force in the direction crossing the axial direction of the shaft 11 is arranged around the slider 22.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an input mechanism provided in, for example, a game simulating sports such as soccer, volleyball, boxing, etc., for detecting an external force from a player, and a game apparatus having the input mechanism. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, games simulating sports such as soccer, volleyball, and boxing have been developed. In this type of game, a player moves a character to be operated on a screen by operating a lever or a button by hand. However, simply operating the levers and buttons by hand has made it difficult to realistically experience the feeling of actual sports.

[0003] For this reason, the present inventors have developed a game device that allows the user to experience the feeling of actual sports.
This game device is provided with an input mechanism for detecting an external force such as a kick, an attack or a punch, and the external force is detected by actually kicking or hitting the input portion of the input mechanism. The detection result is reflected on the screen.

[0004]

By the way, in such a game device, since an extremely large force is applied to the input mechanism, a great damage is applied to the input mechanism itself or a housing to which the input mechanism is attached. There was a fear that it would. For example, in the case of soccer, an external force that is displaced in the axial direction may be applied due to kicking up, side kicking, or the like, and there is a problem that the load on the input mechanism is particularly large and causes a major cause of failure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an input mechanism capable of minimizing damage due to an external force such as a kick, an attack or a punch and preventing a failure from occurring, and a game using the input mechanism. It is intended to provide a device.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an input mechanism, comprising: a shaft having an input portion to which an external force is applied from a player at an end portion; An input mechanism having a slide mechanism movably supported, the slide mechanism having a slider in which the shaft is slidably inserted, and the slider having a resilient cushion provided therearound. It is characterized by being supported by a member so as to be displaceable in a direction intersecting with the axial direction of the shaft.

As described above, since the buffer member is provided around the slider in which the shaft is slidably inserted,
When the player inputs an external force by kicking or hitting the input unit, the shock can be absorbed by the buffer member, and breakage or damage due to the shock can be reliably prevented. In particular, when used in a game device that simulates sports such as soccer, a large external force acts on the shaft in a direction intersecting the axial direction due to a side kick or kicking up. Since the external force is reliably absorbed by the buffer member around the slider, damage due to the external force in a direction intersecting with the axial direction can be significantly reduced, and failure can be prevented.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the input mechanism according to the first aspect, the buffer member is formed of an elastic resin such as rubber.

In other words, the external force transmitted from the shaft via the slider in the direction intersecting the axial direction can be reliably absorbed by the cushioning member formed of an elastic resin such as rubber.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the input mechanism according to the first aspect, the buffer member is a spring.

That is, the external force transmitted from the shaft via the slider in the direction intersecting the axial direction can be reliably absorbed by the cushioning member made of a spring.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game device.
3. An input mechanism according to claim 3, further comprising a display unit for displaying an operation target controlled based on an external force input by the input mechanism.

As described above, the input mechanism, which is particularly easily broken or damaged by being kicked or hit by the player, has a structure that absorbs an impact or an external force in a direction intersecting with the axial direction, and thus has excellent durability. Game device.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the game apparatus of the fourth aspect, a plurality of the input mechanisms are provided.

That is, since the input mechanism is configured to absorb impact and external force in a direction intersecting with the axial direction of the shaft, a game device having excellent durability can be provided, and a plurality of input mechanisms are provided. Therefore, a plurality of players can input an external force from the input mechanism and play the game at the same time. That is, for example, it is suitable for use as a simulation game for sports such as soccer and volleyball played by a plurality of players.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of an input mechanism according to the present invention and a game apparatus provided with the input mechanism will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, a soccer game device that simulates soccer will be described as an example of the game device.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a game device. In the game device 1, a plurality of input mechanisms 3 are arranged at intervals below the game device body 2.
Further, the game apparatus main body 2 is provided with a table unit 4, and the table unit 4 is provided with an operation unit 7 including a lever 5 and a button switch 6 at a position corresponding to the input mechanism 3. .

A display 8 composed of a large display is provided at the back of the table 4, and various images such as virtual images of a soccer game are displayed on the display 8. ing. The player kicks the input mechanism 3 while operating the character displayed on the display unit 8 by the operation unit 7, so that the character kicks the ball and shoots or passes according to the kicking force. , Or sliding tackle.

Next, the structure of the input mechanism 3 provided on the game device main body 2 of the game device 1 will be described.
In FIG. 2, reference numeral 11 denotes a shaft, and the shaft 11 is supported by a slide mechanism 12 so as to be slidable in the axial direction. One end of the shaft 11 has a hemispherical input portion 1 made of a flexible synthetic resin.
3 is attached, and the player operates the input unit 1
By kicking 3, an external force is input.

A pressing portion 14 is provided at the other end of the shaft 11, and the pressing portion 14 is in contact with a lower end of a crank 15 provided at the other end of the shaft 11. ing. The upper end of the crank 15 is rotatably supported by a pin 16 about an axis perpendicular to the sliding direction of the shaft 11. In addition, a contact portion 17 with which the pressing portion 14 of the shaft 11 contacts is provided at a lower end portion of the crank 15.

A tension spring 18 for urging the crank 15 to rotate toward the shaft 11 is provided between the crank 15 and a housing 2a constituting the game apparatus main body 2. ing. A stopper 19 made of a synthetic resin fixed to the housing 2a is provided on the rear side of the crank 15, and the crank 15 rotated by the shaft 11 against the urging force of the tension spring 18 is provided. The rotation of the crank 15 and the sliding of the shaft 11 are restricted by the contact.

Next, the structure of the slide mechanism 12 for slidably supporting the shaft 11 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. The slide mechanism 12 has a structure in which a slider 22 is provided in a housing 21.

The slider 22 includes a slide member 23 provided around the shaft 11 and these slide members 23.
And a slide cover 24 provided so as to surround. The slide member 23 is formed of a synthetic resin. The upper and lower slide members 23 are formed with oil grooves 23a along the axial direction of the shaft 11, and lubricating oil is stored in these oil grooves 23a. ing. The slide cover 24 is formed of a plate body having a recess 24 a formed therein. The slide member 23 is provided in each recess 24 a so as to surround the periphery of the shaft 11.
Are fitted and held.

The slide cover 24 is provided with bolt insertion holes 24b vertically communicating on both sides thereof. The bolts 25 are inserted into these bolt insertion holes 24b, and the nuts 26 are fastened. Are fixed to each other. Pressing pieces 24c are formed on both side ends of the slide cover 24.

At the top, bottom, left and right of the slider 22, between the housing 21 and the slide cover 24, cushioning members 27 are provided. The cushioning member 27 is formed of, for example, an elastic synthetic resin such as urethane rubber.

Next, a case where an external force is applied to the input mechanism 3 having the slide mechanism 12 having the above configuration will be described.
When the player of the game kicks the input unit 13 of the input mechanism 3 in order to input a pass or a shot, the force is transmitted from the input unit 13 to the shaft 11, and as a result, as shown in FIG.
As shown in (1), the shaft 11 slides rearward in the axial direction while rotating the crank 15 against the urging force of the tension spring 18. Then, the movement of the shaft 11 in the axial direction is detected by two sensors (not shown), the movement speed between the two points of the sensor of the shaft 11 is calculated, output to the control unit, and displayed on the display unit 8. Will be reflected.
In the above example, the moving speed of the shaft 11 is calculated. However, the sliding amount or the sliding position of the shaft 11 in the axial direction is detected, and the rotation speed and the rotation amount of the crank 15 are detected. May be.

Here, when an external force is applied to the shaft 11 in a direction different from its axial direction, that is, in a direction intersecting with the axial direction, by the player kicking up or laterally kicking the input unit 13, the shaft 11 is transmitted to the shaft 11. Slider 2 of the slide mechanism 12 by an external force in a direction intersecting the axial direction
2 is displaced to elastically deform the buffer member 27 provided around. Thereby, the external force applied to the shaft 11 in the direction intersecting with the axial direction is absorbed by the deformation of the cushioning member 27, whereby the external force in the direction intersecting with the axial direction causes the housing 2a, the shaft 11 and the like to move. Failure to be damaged is prevented.

As described above, according to the input mechanism 3 and the game apparatus 1 having the same, the buffer member 23 made of resin such as urethane rubber is provided around the slider 22 through which the shaft 11 is slidably inserted. Since the shock absorber 23 is provided, when the player inputs an external force by kicking or hitting the input unit 13, the shock can be absorbed by the cushioning member 23, and breakage and damage due to the shock can be reliably prevented. it can.

In particular, as described above, when used in the game device 1 simulating a sport such as soccer, a large external force acts on the shaft 11 in a direction intersecting the axial direction due to a side kick or a kick. However, since the external force in the direction intersecting with the axial direction is reliably absorbed by the cushioning member 23 around the slider 22, the damage due to the external force in the direction intersecting with the axial direction can be greatly reduced. Failure can be prevented. Also,
Since the input mechanism 3 that is particularly easily damaged or damaged by being kicked or hit by a player is configured to absorb an impact or an external force in a direction intersecting the axial direction, the game apparatus 1 has excellent durability. be able to. Moreover,
Since a plurality of input mechanisms 3 are provided, a plurality of players can input an external force from the input mechanism 3 and simultaneously play a game. That is, for example, it is suitable for use as a simulation game for sports such as soccer and volleyball played by a plurality of players.

The cushioning member 27 provided around the slider 22 of the slide mechanism 12 may be an anti-vibration rubber as shown in FIG. 5 or a spring such as a coil spring as shown in FIG. Even when this spring is used, the external force transmitted from the shaft 11 via the slider 22 and intersecting with the axial direction can be reliably absorbed by the cushioning member 23 made of a spring. Further, in the above example, the buffer members 27 are provided on the upper, lower, left and right sides of the slider 22, but may be provided on each corner of the slider 22, as shown in FIG. Is also good.

In the above example, the axial movement speed of the shaft 11 is calculated using the sensor.
Needless to say, a sensor may be provided around the shaft 11 to detect a displacement in a direction intersecting with the axial direction of the shaft 11, and the detection result may be reflected in the game together. In the above example, a game device for simulating soccer has been described as an example, but the sport to be simulated may be not only soccer but also volleyball, boxing, and the like. By hitting with a hammer, it is possible to adapt to a game in which a doll, a stuffed animal, or the like attached to the crank 15 is moved.

[0032]

As described above, according to the input mechanism of the present invention and the game apparatus 1 having the same, the following effects can be obtained. According to the input mechanism of the first aspect, since the buffer member is provided around the slider in which the shaft is slidably inserted, when the player inputs an external force by kicking or hitting the input unit. ,
The shock can be absorbed by the cushioning member, and breakage or damage due to the shock can be reliably prevented. In particular, when used in a game device that simulates sports such as soccer, a large external force acts on the shaft in a direction intersecting the axial direction due to a side kick or kicking up. Since the external force is reliably absorbed by the buffer member around the slider, damage due to the external force in a direction intersecting with the axial direction can be significantly reduced, and failure can be prevented.

According to the input mechanism of the second aspect, the external force transmitted from the shaft via the slider in the direction intersecting the axial direction is reliably absorbed by the cushioning member formed of an elastic resin such as rubber. can do.

According to the input mechanism of the third aspect, the external force transmitted from the shaft via the slider in the direction intersecting with the axial direction can be reliably absorbed by the buffer member made of a spring.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the input mechanism, which is particularly liable to be broken or damaged by being kicked or hit by the player, has a structure for absorbing an impact or an external force in a direction intersecting the axial direction. Therefore, a game device having excellent durability can be provided.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the input mechanism is configured to absorb an impact and an external force in a direction intersecting with the axial direction of the shaft, a game apparatus having excellent durability can be provided. Since a plurality of input mechanisms are provided, a plurality of players can input an external force from the input mechanism and play the game at the same time. That is, for example, it is suitable for use as a simulation game for sports such as soccer and volleyball played by a plurality of players.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a game device illustrating an input mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention and a game device provided with the input mechanism.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the input mechanism for explaining the configuration and structure of the input mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a slide mechanism of the input mechanism for explaining a configuration and a structure of the input mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the input mechanism for explaining the movement of the input mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of a slide mechanism of the input mechanism for explaining another structure of the input mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view of a slide mechanism of the input mechanism for explaining another structure of the input mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of a slide mechanism of the input mechanism for explaining another structure of the input mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Game device 3 Input mechanism 8 Display part 11 Shaft 12 Slide mechanism 13 Input part 22 Slider 23 Buffer member

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2C001 AA00 AA03 AA04 BA00 BA02 BA05 BC00 BC01 BC03 CA00 CA01 CA03 CA05 CA06 CA09 CB01 CC02 CC08 3J066 AA01 AA22 BA01 BB01 BB04 BC01 BD05 3J070 AA07 AA32 BA66 CC07 DA61 9A001H06 JJ76 KK29 KK44 KK45

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An input mechanism comprising: a shaft provided at an end with an input portion to which an external force is applied from a player; and a slide mechanism for supporting the shaft so as to be slidable in an axial direction. A slider slidably inserted through the shaft, and the slider is supported by an elastic cushioning member provided around the slider so as to be displaceable in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the shaft. An input mechanism characterized by the following. 2. The input mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the buffer member is formed of an elastic resin such as rubber. 3. The input mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the buffer member is a spring. 4. An input mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit for displaying an operation target controlled based on an external force input by the input mechanism. Game device. 5. The game device according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of said input mechanisms are provided.