JP2001324324A - Inclination sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inclination sensor with a simple structure and excellent operating characteristics, reducible in size, especially in thickness, and capable of localizing the direction of inclination. SOLUTION: A magnetism detecting element 3 senses a permanent magnet moving in, and according to the inclination of, a housing 1 made of a non- magnetic material, thereby detecting the inclination of a detected body 10 mounted with this sensor. The internal space of the housing 1 is provided with surfaces 8a, 8b for rolling motion extending from a reference position P in two different directions. The permanent magnet is a substantially cylindrical rolling body 2 freely rolling on the surfaces and magnetized in its axial direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tilt sensor,
The present invention relates to a tilt sensor for detecting a tilt state of an electronic device that can be used by being tilted vertically or horizontally, such as a mobile phone.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional tilt sensor is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 7-113551. In this tilt sensor, a permanent magnet is provided in a case, and a magnetic sensing element is provided in a lower portion of the case. The bottom surface constituting the internal space of the case is a sliding surface formed in a bowl shape. A magnetic fluid is provided around the permanent magnet to suppress the coefficient of friction with the sliding surface.

According to the tilt sensor, when the tilt sensor is tilted, the distance between the permanent magnet and the magnetically sensitive element changes by sliding on the sliding surface. As a result, the magnetism sensed by the magnetic sensing element changes, and the inclination of the detection target on which the inclination sensor is mounted is detected.

[0004]

However, in the above-described tilt sensor, a magnetic fluid must be provided around the permanent magnet, so that not only the number of parts is increased but also the sliding surface needs to be hermetically sealed. In addition, the number of processing steps increases, which leads to an increase in cost.

Further, when the size of the tilt sensor is reduced, the size of the permanent magnet must be reduced, so that frictional resistance due to sliding cannot be ignored, despite the presence of the magnetic fluid. Therefore, there is a limit to downsizing in order to secure desired operating characteristics.

In particular, it is difficult to reduce the thickness of the inclination sensor because the sliding surface is formed in a bowl shape and the permanent magnet is moved in the thickness direction of the sensor.

Further, the tilt sensor can only detect whether or not the object to be detected is tilted, and cannot specify the tilt direction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a tilt sensor which has a simple structure, has excellent operation characteristics, can be reduced in size, particularly thin, and can specify a tilt direction.

[0009]

According to the present invention, as a means for solving the above-mentioned problems, a permanent magnet which moves according to its inclination in a housing made of a non-magnetic material is sensed by a magnetic detecting element. According to the tilt sensor that detects the tilt of the object to be mounted, the internal space of the housing includes rolling surfaces extending in two different directions from a reference position, while the permanent magnet defines the rolling surface. It is a substantially cylindrical rolling element that can roll freely, and is configured to be magnetized in the axial direction.

[0010] With this configuration, when the object to be detected is tilted, the rolling element moves on the rolling surface by rolling with much smaller frictional resistance than when sliding. Therefore, even if the rolling elements are thin and small, they can be moved smoothly. Further, since the rolling element can move in two different directions extending from the reference position depending on the tilt direction of the detected object, the tilt direction can also be specified.

The internal space of the housing is preferably formed so as to extend in two different directions in a plane parallel to the mounting surface on the object to be detected, since only the inclination in the plane can be detected. .

The magnetic detecting element is provided only at a reference position, and the two rolling surfaces are formed so as to extend from the reference position in plane symmetry with respect to the vertical plane. It is preferable that a stop surface that abuts against the rolling element that rolls to prevent further rolling is formed at a different distance from the reference position.

With this configuration, even if a single magnetic detecting element is used, it is possible to detect which rolling surface the rolling element has rolled by detecting a difference in output when the detected object is tilted. Become.

[0014] The magnetic detecting element may be provided on the object to be detected.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 3 show an inclination sensor S according to the present embodiment. This tilt sensor S is generally composed of a housing 1, a rolling element 2, and magnetic detecting elements 3a, 3a.
b.

The housing 1 is formed by assembling a cover 6 on a box-shaped case 5 having a recess 4. Recess 4
Is formed in a substantially V shape having rolling grooves 7a and 7b extending in two directions from the reference position P. The tips of the rolling grooves 7a and 7b are formed in an R shape. In addition, the rolling grooves 7a, 7
The angle formed by one of the side surfaces (rolling surfaces 8a, 8b) constituting b is set in a range from 40 degrees to 140 degrees (here, 90 degrees). The cover 6 is flat and has through holes 6a and 6a.
b, screws are screwed into screw holes 5a, 5b on the upper surface of the case 5 to be integrated. However, they may be integrated by fitting, bonding, welding or the like. In the present embodiment, a cubic shape having a side of 5 mm is used for the housing 1.

The rolling element 2 has a substantially cylindrical shape (including a cylindrical shape, a disk shape, and a cylindrical shape).
(Rolling surfaces 8a and 8b) should just be a structure which can roll freely. ), A permanent magnet magnetized to generate a magnetic flux in the height direction. In this embodiment, the rolling element 2 has a diameter of 2 mm and a height of 1 mm, or a diameter of 1.4 m.
m and a height of 1.4 mm are used. Various magnets such as a sintered magnet, a plus tip magnet, and a rubber magnet can be used for the rolling element 2. The rolling element 2 is not limited to a single permanent magnet. For example, a material having a large specific gravity (copper, iron, or the like) may be formed in a cylindrical shape, and a permanent magnet may be embedded in a center hole of the rolling element. Alternatively, the permanent magnet may have a cylindrical shape, and a material having a large specific gravity may be embedded in the center hole.

The magnetic detecting elements 3a and 3b are provided with respective rolling grooves 7
a and 7b are respectively arranged so as to be located on the tip side. The magnetic detection elements 3a and 3b may be insert-molded in the housing 1, integrated with post-processing, or may be previously mounted on a printed circuit board on which the housing 1 is mounted. The magnetic detecting elements 3a and 3b include rolling elements (permanent magnets) such as Hall elements and Hall ICs, for example.
It is possible to use a device that detects a magnetic change caused by the contact and separation of the object.

The tilt sensor S having the above-described structure is, for example, shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the mobile phone 10 is mounted on a substrate 11 and used. Generally, in the mobile phone 10, the substrate 11
Are arranged in parallel to the front surface having the display panel 12. Therefore, the inclination sensor S is mounted so that the rolling grooves 7a and 7b (rolling surfaces 8a and 8b) extending from the reference position P are symmetrical and face diagonally upward. Thus, only when the mobile phone 10 is tilted in the direction along the substrate 11, that is, the display panel 12, the rolling elements 2 move the rolling grooves 7 a and 7 b
(The rolling surfaces 8a, 8b), and the magnetic detecting elements 3a, 3
b makes detection possible. In the present embodiment, the rolling grooves 7
When the mobile phone 10 is tilted by 45 degrees or more, for example, by setting the angle between the a and 7b (the rolling surfaces 8a and 8b) to 90 degrees, the rolling element 2 rolls and is detected by the magnetic detection elements 3a and 3b. Detected, and the display characters on the display panel 12 are converted into a display rotated by 90 degrees. In a normal use state, the rolling element 2 is used while being tilted (about 45 degrees) in a plane perpendicular to the substrate 11. Since it is maintained at P, the display is not switched.

In the above embodiment, the magnetic sensing element 3
Although a and 3b are provided at positions corresponding to the tips of the rolling grooves 7a and 7b, respectively, they may be provided only at one position corresponding to the reference position P. In this case, the length of the rolling grooves 7a and 7b may be made different to make the detection sensitivity different so that it is possible to detect which rolling groove 7a or 7b the rolling element 2 has rolled.

In the above embodiment, the housing 1
Has a configuration in which a plate-shaped cover 6 is mounted on a case 5 having a concave portion 4, but various modifications such as a configuration in which the cover 5 is divided into two parts on the left and right sides are possible.

[0022]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, since the permanent magnet is formed of a substantially cylindrical rolling element, a desired magnetic flux density can be ensured even if the permanent magnet is small and particularly thin. it can. In addition, it can be moved smoothly with little frictional resistance, and desired operating characteristics can be obtained. Therefore, a magnetic fluid is not required, the configuration is simplified, and production can be performed at low cost.

The interior space of the housing is formed so as to extend in two different directions in a plane parallel to the mounting surface on the object to be detected, so that only the inclination in this plane can be detected. Appropriate processing can be performed accordingly.

Since the position of the stop surface from the reference position is made different, even with a single magnetic detecting element, inclinations in two different directions can be appropriately detected, and it is possible to manufacture the sensor at low cost. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a tilt sensor according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a plan sectional view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front sectional view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the tilt sensor of FIG. 1 is applied to a mobile phone.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Housing 2 ... Rolling element 3a, 3b ... Magnetic detection element 5 ... Case 6 ... Cover 7a, 7b ... Rolling groove 8a, 8b ... Rolling surface 10 ... Mobile phone 11 ... Substrate 12 ... Display panel

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Tomohiro Kataoka Omron Co., Ltd. (10) Hanazono Todocho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto (72) Inventor Masahiro Furuta 1005 Iwashiro, Kurayoshi-shi, Tottori Pref.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A tilt sensor for detecting a tilt of an object to be mounted by sensing a permanent magnet that moves according to the tilt in a housing made of a non-magnetic material with a magnetic detection element, The internal space of the housing has rolling surfaces extending in two different directions from a reference position, while the permanent magnet is a substantially cylindrical rolling element that can roll the rolling surface, and is magnetized in the axial direction. A tilt sensor having a configuration. 2. The tilt sensor according to claim 1, wherein the internal space of the housing is formed so as to extend in two different directions in a plane parallel to a mounting surface on the object to be detected. 3. The magnetic sensing element is disposed only at a reference position, and a stop surface which abuts against a rolling rolling element and prevents further rolling is provided at an end of the rolling surface. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the distance from the position is different.
Or the tilt sensor according to 2. 4. The tilt sensor according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic detection element is provided on a detection target.