JP2003045288A - Multi-direction input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable to regulate movement of operation members not needed for a corresponding treatment mode. SOLUTION: The multi-direction input device is provided with a signal sending means 3 sending signals according to movement of an operation lever 2 operable in XY directions, a regulating member regulating movement of the operation lever 2, a driving means having the regulating member move according to an external input and making regulation as well as release of regulation of movement of the operation member 2 by the regulating member. The above regulating member consists of a first driving plate 8 and a second driving plate 12 allowing insertion of the operation lever 2 and equipped with slits 6, 10 each having an opening end 5, 9, and the above driving means includes a gear mechanism 17 transmitting rotational power of a motor 13 for moving the driving plates 8, 10, a rotation plate 20 rotating through the gear mechanism 17 and equipped with a first cam groove 18 and a second cam groove 19, and protrusions 7, 11 each fitted to the driving plate 8, 9 and engaging with the cam grooves 18, 19 of the rotation plate 20.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multidirectional input device capable of selectively actuating a signal sending means such as a switch according to an operation of an operating member such as an operating lever.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a multi-directional input device, a plurality of signal transmitting means, for example, switches are arranged so as to surround an operating member, for example, an operating lever, and the operating lever is tilted in the X direction, that is, the left-right direction, so that two devices are provided. There is known a structure in which two switches are respectively operated by respectively operating the switches and tilting the operation lever in the Y direction, that is, the front-back direction. Also,
In addition to the selective operation of the above-mentioned four switches, a signal sending means that operates by rotating the operation lever about its axis or a push switch that operates by pushing the operation lever are provided. There is something.

Further, in the above, the four switches are selectively operated in accordance with the tilting operation of the operation lever in the four directions of XY, but conventionally, the tilting operation in the four directions located in the middle of the XY direction is performed. Along with the above, the operation lever tilts in four directions in the XY directions described above (left and right, front-back direction) and another four directions (diagonally upper right, diagonally lower right, diagonally upper left, diagonally lower left), in total of eight directions. There is also known a multidirectional input device that can be operated and is configured such that a total of eight switches are selectively operated by these tilting operations. Some of such multi-directional input devices are also provided with a push switch that is activated by pushing the operation lever.

When each of the conventional multi-directional input devices as described above is mounted on a vehicle or the like, one multi-directional input device can be utilized for a plurality of different processing modes such as a navigation mode and an audio mode. There is. For example, when the navigation mode is selected, the operation lever is tilted in the XY directions to move the cursor on the map. Also, when the audio mode is selected, tuning is performed by tilting the operation lever in the X direction. in this case,
No processing operation may be performed in the tilting operation of the operation lever in the Y direction.

[0005]

When one multi-directional input device is used for a plurality of different processing modes as described above, in a certain processing mode, the operation lever may be tilted only in the Y direction. Nevertheless, the tilt operation may be accidentally performed in the X direction. Similarly, although the operating lever may be tilted only in the X direction, it may be accidentally tilted in the Y direction. That is, in the related art, when utilizing in a plurality of different processing modes, there is a problem that a useless tilting operation of the operating lever is apt to be mistakenly performed, and the operator is likely to feel anxiety and discomfort. .

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional state of the art, and an object thereof is to provide a multi-directional input device capable of restricting movement of an operating member which is unnecessary for a corresponding processing mode. is there.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises an operating member operable in the XY directions and a signal sending means for sending an electric signal according to the movement of the operating member. At the same time, a regulation member that is movably provided and that regulates the movement of the operation member and the regulation member that moves according to an external input are used to regulate the movement of the operation member by the regulation member and release the regulation. And a driving means for performing the operation.

With this configuration, in the present invention, the driving means is driven according to the external input corresponding to the corresponding processing mode. When the corresponding processing mode basically does not require movement of the operating member,
An operation of moving the restriction member is performed so that the movement of the operation member is restricted by the drive unit. On the contrary, when the corresponding processing mode requires the movement of the operation member, the operation of moving the restriction member is performed so as to release the restriction of the movement of the operation member by the driving unit. In this case, by moving the operating member, an electric signal is output from the predetermined signal transmitting means and the processing operation relating to the corresponding processing mode is executed.

That is, although the movement of the operating member necessary for carrying out the corresponding processing mode is permitted, the movement of the operating member unnecessary for the corresponding processing mode can be restricted,
Therefore, unnecessary movement of the operating member with respect to the corresponding processing mode does not occur.

In the above structure, the regulating member is
The operation member may be composed of a member that can selectively regulate in any of the XY directions.

With such a configuration, when the movement of the operation member in the X direction is unnecessary, the movement of the operation member in the Y direction is unnecessary, or the movement of the operation member in the XY direction is unnecessary. In any case, it can be dealt with by moving the regulating member.

In the above structure, the regulating member is
It may be composed of a member that blocks the movement of the operating member.

With this structure, when restricting the movement of the operating member, the restricting member prevents the operating member from moving, so that the operator who operates the operating member is relatively hard. A regulatory feel is given.

In the above structure, the regulating member is
The operation member may be a member that allows only a predetermined amount of movement.

With this structure, when restricting the movement of the operation member, the restriction member allows only a predetermined amount of movement of the operation member. As a result, the operator who is operating the operating member has a relatively comfortable feeling of regulation.

Further, if the signal sending means is arranged in advance so as to operate when the operating member moves by a predetermined amount, a signal different from the signal sent in accordance with the normal tilting operation of the operating member is sent out. Can be made.

In the above structure, the operating member may be an operating lever.

With such a structure, the signal transmission operation can be performed by gripping the operation lever, which is easy to operate.

In the above structure, the restriction member is
The driving means, which allows insertion of the operation lever, is provided with a slit having an open end, and the driving means is
A motor for moving the drive plate may be included.

With the above-mentioned structure, when the motor is driven in accordance with the processing mode, the drive plate moves and the operating lever relatively moves in the slit of the drive plate. When the drive plate is moved so that the operation lever is located outside the opening end of the slit, the restriction on the operation lever is removed and the operation lever can be tilted. Therefore, it is possible to send a predetermined signal in accordance with the tilting operation of the operation lever.

Further, when the drive plate is moved so that the operating lever is located inward of the opening end of the slit, the operating lever can be tilted in the direction along the longitudinal direction of the slit. Therefore, in this case as well, a predetermined signal can be transmitted as the operation lever is tilted. However, in this case, when the operation lever is tilted in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the slit, the operation lever comes into contact with the edge of the slit. Therefore, the tilting operation of the operation lever in the corresponding direction is restricted.

In the above structure, the drive plate restricts tilting of the operating lever in the Y direction and allows tilting in the X direction, and restricts tilting of the operating lever in the X direction. A second drive plate that allows tilting in the Y direction may be included.

In the above-mentioned structure, the operating lever is located inside the opening end of the slit of the first drive plate, and is located inside the opening end of the slit of the second drive plate. When the first drive plate and the second drive plate are moved, tilting of the operation lever in the X direction is restricted by the operation lever hitting an edge portion of the slit of the second drive plate, and tilting of the operation lever in the Y direction is operated. The lever is regulated by hitting the edge of the slit of the first drive plate. That is, XY
Tilt of the operating lever is restricted in all directions. In this case, it is possible to send a signal by rotating the operation lever or a signal by pressing the operation lever.

The operating lever is located outside the open end of the slit of the first drive plate and is located inside the slit of the second drive plate.
When the drive plate is moved, it is possible to tilt the operation lever in the Y direction along the longitudinal direction of the slit of the second drive plate, but tilt of the operation lever in the X direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the slit of the second drive plate. Is regulated by the operation lever hitting the edge of the slit of the second drive plate. Therefore, in this case, the signal can be transmitted from the signal transmitting means arranged in the Y direction.

Further, the operating lever is located outside the opening end of the slit of the first drive plate, and is located outside the opening end of the slit of the second drive plate. 2 By moving the drive plate, the operation lever can be tilted in the XY directions. That is, a signal can be transmitted from the corresponding signal transmitting means in accordance with these tilting operations in the XY directions.

The operating lever is located outside the opening end of the slit of the second drive plate, and is located inside the slit of the first drive plate.
When the drive plate is moved, the operation lever in the X direction along the longitudinal direction of the slit of the first drive plate can be tilted, but the operation lever in the Y direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the slit of the first drive plate can be tilted. Is regulated by the operation lever hitting the edge of the slit of the first drive plate. Therefore, in this case, the signal can be transmitted from the signal transmitting means arranged in the X direction.

In the above structure, the driving means is
A gear mechanism that transmits the rotational force of the motor, a rotary plate that rotates through the gear mechanism and has a cam groove, and a protrusion that is provided on the drive plate and that engages with the cam groove of the rotary plate are included. Good.

With the above-mentioned structure, when the motor is driven in accordance with the processing mode, the rotary plate rotates by a predetermined angle via the gear mechanism. The rotation of the rotary plate causes the cam groove formed in the rotary plate to rotate integrally, and the rotation of the cam groove causes the projection engaged with the cam groove to move, and the drive plate moves integrally with the projection. Therefore, the operation lever relatively moves within the slit of the drive plate. When the operating lever is located outside the opening end of the slit, the signal can be sent from the signal sending means by tilting the operating lever, and the operating lever is located inside the opening end of the slit. At times, although the operation lever can be tilted in the direction along the longitudinal direction of the slit, the tilt of the operation lever in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the slit is restricted by the operation lever hitting the edge of the slit. .

Further, in the above structure, an angle detecting means for detecting the rotation angle of the rotary plate may be provided.

With this structure, when the rotation angle detected by the angle detection means reaches a predetermined rotation angle, for example, the motor is stopped to bring the drive plate to a position where the operation lever can be tilted. Alternatively, the positioning can be surely controlled to a position where the tilt of the operation lever is restricted.

In the above structure, the angle detecting means may include a gear mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the rotary plate and a rotation angle sensor for detecting the rotation angle via the gear mechanism.

With the above arrangement, the rotation of the rotary plate is transmitted to the rotation angle sensor via the gear mechanism, and the rotation angle of the rotary plate is detected by the rotation angle sensor. Therefore, by comparing the angle signal output from the rotation angle sensor with a preset value related to the moving direction and the moving distance of the drive plate, and stopping the motor according to an appropriate judgment, the accuracy can be improved. The drive plate can be positioned well.

In the above structure, the regulating member is
A driving body that is provided so as to be engageable with the operation lever and that can move integrally in the tilt direction of the operation lever when the operation lever is tilted in the X and Y directions. Alternatively, a driving body control means for selectively restricting movement in the Y direction may be provided.

With the above arrangement, when the driving body control means regulates the movement of the driving body in the XY directions, the tilting of the operating lever in the XY directions is regulated. As a result, for example, the signal transmission due to the tilting operation of the operation lever is prevented. In this case, it is possible to send a signal by rotating the operation lever or a signal by pressing the operation lever.

In addition, the drive unit control means controls the Y of the drive unit.
If the movement in the X direction is restricted and the movement in the X direction is allowed, the movement of the driving body in the Y direction is restricted and the tilting of the operation lever engaged with the driving body in the Y direction is restricted. , X direction inclination can be implemented. That is, a signal can be sent from the corresponding signal sending means in accordance with the tilting operation of the operation lever in the X direction.

Further, the X-axis of the driving body is controlled by the driving body control means.
By restricting the movement in the direction and allowing the movement in the Y direction, the movement of the driving body in the X direction is regulated, and the tilting of the operation lever engaged with the driving body in the X direction is regulated. , Y direction inclination can be implemented. That is, a signal can be sent from the corresponding signal sending means in accordance with the tilting operation of the operation lever in the Y direction.

XY of the driving body by the driving body control means
When the regulation of the directions is released, the driving body becomes movable in the XY directions, and the operation lever engaged with the driving body can be tilted in the XY directions. That is, these X
A signal can be sent from the corresponding signal sending means in accordance with the tilting operation in the Y direction.

In the above structure, the driving body is X
You may make it have a 1st arm part which can move along a direction, and a 2nd arm part which can move along a Y direction, and may form a V shape in the whole shape.

With the above-mentioned structure, when the movement of the first arm portion and the second arm portion is restricted, the first arm portion and the second arm portion are prevented from moving.
The tilt of the operation lever in the XY directions is restricted by the arm portion and the second arm portion.

When the movement of the first arm portion is permitted and the movement of the second arm portion is restricted, the operation lever is
Although tilting in the X direction is possible through movement of the first arm portion, tilting in the Y direction is restricted by the second arm portion.

When the movement of the first arm portion is restricted and the movement of the second arm portion is allowed, the tilting of the operation lever in the X direction is restricted by the first arm portion, and the movement of the second arm portion is restricted. It is possible to tilt in the Y direction via the.

Further, under the control of the driving body control means, the first
When the movement of the arm portion in the X direction and the movement of the second arm portion in the Y direction are permitted, the operation lever is tilted in the XY directions via the movement of the first arm portion and the second arm portion. It is possible to roll.

Since the driving body is formed in the "V" shape having the minimum area required for realizing the desired function,
It is lightweight and can reduce material costs.

Further, in the above structure, a cross-shaped guide groove is formed on the lid portion of the casing forming the outer shell and defining a moving range in the X direction and a moving range of the Y direction of the operating lever. May be.

With this structure, when the operation lever is tilted in the XY directions, the edge portion of the cross-shaped guide groove serves as a stopper for the movement of the operation lever. Can be set well. Along with this, it is possible to improve the operation accuracy of the corresponding signal transmitting means.

[0046]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of a multidirectional input device of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 7 are explanatory views showing a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a sectional view, FIG. 2 is a rear view seen from the direction B in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 to 6 are the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view for explaining the operation of FIG. 7, and FIG. 7 is a plan view for explaining the shapes of the first cam groove and the second cam groove formed in the rotary plate provided in the first embodiment.

The first embodiment is provided with a casing 1 forming an outer shell as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and an operating member operable in the XY directions, for example, an operating lever 2, and the casing 1
The following parts are provided inside.

That is, the movement of the operation lever 2, for example, X
A signal sending means 3 capable of sending an electric signal in response to tilting in the Y direction, rotation about an axis, and pushing operation in the axial direction, and a restriction that restricts the movement of the operation lever 2 that is movably provided. And a member.

This restricting member is, for example, the X of the operating lever 2.
It is composed of two drive plates that can selectively regulate tilting in the Y direction.

That is, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the slit 6 having the opening end 5 is provided, and the projection 7 is provided on the lower side to restrict the tilting of the operating lever 2 in the Y direction. The first drive plate 8 for preventing the tilting of the No. 1 and allowing the tilting in the X direction and the slit 10 having the open end 9 as illustrated in FIGS. The second drive plate 12 is provided for restricting tilting of the operation lever 2 in the X direction, for example, preventing tilting of the operation lever 2 and allowing tilting in the Y direction.

Further, the first drive plate 8 and the second drive plate 12 described above are moved according to an external input, and the tilting of the operating lever 2 by the first drive plate 8 and the second drive plate 12 is restricted.
And driving means for releasing the regulation.

This drive means is, for example, a motor 13, a gear mechanism 17 including gears 14, 15 and 16 for transmitting the rotational force of the motor 13, and rotation via the gear mechanism 17, and is illustrated in FIGS. Therefore, the rotary plate 20 having the first cam groove 18 and the second cam groove 19 is provided.

Motor 13 included in gear mechanism 17 described above
The gear 15 meshes with the gear 14, the gear 16 rotates integrally with the gear 15, and the gear portion 21 provided on the rotary plate 20 meshes with the gear 16. Therefore, by rotating the motor 13, the rotary plate 2
0 rotates.

FIG. 2 shows the back side of the rotary plate 20, and FIGS.
Reference numeral 6 denotes the front side of the rotary plate 20, but the first cam groove 18
Is formed on the inner side portion on the front side of the rotary plate 20, and the projection 7 of the first drive plate 8 is engaged with the first cam groove 18 so as to be relatively movable. A second cam groove 19 is formed on the outer side of the first cam groove 18, and the projection 11 of the second drive plate 12 described above is engaged with the second cam groove 19 so as to be relatively movable.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fixed plate 2 is provided between the first drive plate 8, the second drive plate 12 and the rotary plate 20.
0a is provided. The protrusion 7 of the first drive plate 8 is inserted into the elongated hole 20b formed in the X direction of the fixing plate 20a, and the second drive plate 1 is formed in the elongated hole 20c formed in the Y direction.
Two protrusions 11 are inserted therethrough. Also, for example, the long hole 20
A guide member for guiding the first drive plate 8 is provided at a predetermined position on the extension of b, and a guide member for guiding the second drive plate 12 is provided at a predetermined position on the extension of the elongated hole 20c. With this configuration, the first drive plate 8 can be linearly moved in the X direction, and the second drive plate 12 can be linearly moved in the Y direction.

Further, an angle detecting means for detecting the rotation angle of the rotary plate 20 described above is provided. As shown in FIG. 2, the angle detecting means includes the gears 22 and 23 and includes the rotary plate 2
The gear mechanism 24 for transmitting 0 rotation and a rotation angle sensor for detecting a rotation angle via the gear mechanism 24, for example, a rotary encoder 25 are provided.

The gear 22 is provided so as to rotate integrally with the rotary plate 20, and the gear 23 is arranged so as to mesh with the gear 22. The rotation of the gear 23 is transmitted to the rotary shaft of the rotary encoder 25, and the rotary plate 20
The rotation angle of is detected.

Further, 32 and 33 shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 are switches arranged in the X direction, 34 and 35 are switches arranged in the Y direction, and these switches 32 to 35 are
It is included in the signal transmitting means 3 shown in FIG.

Further, as shown in FIGS.
The lid 30 has a moving range in the X direction of the operating lever 2, Y
A cross-shaped guide groove 31 that defines a moving range in the direction is provided.

Although FIG. 3 corresponds to the view taken along the line A--A of FIG. 1, that is, the rear view of FIG. 2, in the state shown in FIG. With respect to the reference line 27 connecting the one end portion 26 of the second cam groove 19, the second
A line 28 connecting the projection 11 of the drive plate 12 and the operating lever 2
Is displaced by an angle of 10 °, for example,
The rotary plate 20 is positioned so that the projection 7 of the first drive plate 8 is located slightly away from the one end 29 of the cam groove 18.

FIG. 7 is a plan view for explaining the shapes of the first cam groove 18 and the second cam groove 19 formed on the rotary plate 20.

For example, the second cam groove 19 is provided in the operation lever 2
The portion from the above-mentioned reference line 27 to the position 36 when rotated by 70 ° about the position is formed in the small-diameter arc-shaped portion 19a having a predetermined small-diameter dimension.
From the position 37 to the position 37 when further rotated by 70 ° is formed in the linear part 19b that is continuously provided to the small-diameter arc-shaped part 19a and gradually increases the distance from the operation lever 2. A portion up to the other end of the second cam groove 19 which is reached when it is rotated is formed into a large-diameter arc-shaped portion 19c which is continuous with the linear portion 19b and has a predetermined large-diameter dimension.

Further, the first cam groove 18 is a linear portion where the distance from the operation lever 2 gradually increases from the one end 29 to the position 38 when the first cam groove 18 is rotated 70 ° from the state shown in FIG. 18a, and the portion from the position 38 to the position 39 when further rotated by 70 ° is formed in the arc-shaped portion 18b which is continuous with the linear portion 18a and has a predetermined diameter. From 70 to 70 °
The part up to the other end, which is reached when rotating, is the operation lever 2
It is formed in a straight line portion 18c whose distance from the position gradually decreases.

The operation of the first embodiment thus configured will be described below.

[XY Direction Restriction Mode] In the state shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in particular, as shown in FIG. 3, the projection 7 of the first drive plate 8 is connected to one end of the first cam groove 18 of the rotary plate 20. By being held near the portion 29, that is, at a position where the distance from the operation lever 2 is small, the first drive plate 8 is kept at the rightmost position as shown in FIG. Therefore, the operating lever 2
Is a slit 6 inside the opening end 5 of the first drive plate 8
Will be located inside. In addition, the projection 11 of the second drive plate 12 has the one end portion 26 of the second cam groove 19 of the rotary plate 20.
By being held in the vicinity, that is, in the position where the distance from the operating lever 2 is small, the second drive plate 12 is kept in the lowermost position as shown in FIG. Therefore, the operating lever 2 is relatively positioned inside the slit 10 inside the opening end 9 of the second drive plate 12.

In such a state, the operating lever 2
Operation lever 2 moves to the second
It cannot be tilted because it is locked to the edge of the slit 10 of the drive plate 12, and when the operation lever 2 is tried to tilt in the Y direction, the operation lever 2 causes the edge of the slit 6 of the first drive plate 8. It cannot be tilted because it is locked by the section. That is, a tilting operation in both the XY directions is blocked, and a locked state in which the switches 32 to 35 cannot be operated is formed. It should be noted that it is possible to send a signal by rotating the operation lever 2 around the axis and to send a signal by pressing the operation lever 2.

[X-direction restriction / Y-direction allowance mode] When a predetermined signal is given to the motor 13 from the above-described state and the motor 13 rotates by a predetermined amount, the gear 14 shown in FIG. The gear 16 rotates, and the rotary plate 20 rotates, for example, 70 ° via the gear portion 21 that meshes with the gear 16,
The state shown in FIG. 4 is reached. 80 ° from the reference line 27 (10 °
The protrusion 11 of the second drive plate 12 is located at a position of + 70 °.

At this time, the protrusion 7 of the first drive plate 8 is
The straight portion 18a of the cam groove 18 reaches the arc-shaped portion 18b,
Along with this, the first drive plate 8 moves to the leftmost position. In this state, the operation lever 2 relatively comes out from the inside of the slit 6 of the first drive plate 8 and is positioned outside the opening end 5. Further, the protrusion 11 of the second drive plate 12 is located at the boundary between the small-diameter arc-shaped portion 19a and the straight-line portion 19b of the second cam groove 19, and the small-diameter arc-shaped portion 19a has a constant diameter dimension. The second drive plate 12 is still held at the lowermost position as in the state shown in FIG. Therefore, the operating lever 2 is kept relatively positioned inside the slit 10 inside the opening end 9 of the second drive plate 12.

In such a state, when the operation lever 2 is tilted in the X direction, the operation lever 2 is locked by the edge portion of the slit 10 of the second drive plate 12 and cannot be tilted. That is, the tilting operation in the X direction cannot be performed. Further, when the operation lever 2 is tilted in the Y direction, the operation lever 2 is located outside the opening end 5 of the first drive plate 8, so that the operation lever 2 is not locked by the slit 6 thereof. The operation lever 2 can be tilted along the longitudinal direction of the slit 10 of the second drive plate 12, that is, in the Y direction. In this way, by tilting the operating lever 2 in the Y direction, a signal can be sent from the switch 34 or the switch 35.

[XY direction permitting mode] When a predetermined signal is applied to the motor 13 so that the motor 13 rotates further from the state shown in FIG. 4, the gears 14, 15,
16 and the rotary plate 20 through the gear portion 21
Rotate by ° to reach the state shown in FIG. Baseline 27 to 15
The second drive plate 1 is placed at the position of 0 ° (10 ° + 70 ° + 70 °).
The second protrusion 11 comes to be located.

At this time, the protrusion 7 of the first drive plate 8 is
Since it remains located in the arcuate portion 18b of the cam groove 18,
The first drive plate 8 is held at the leftmost position. Therefore, the operating lever 2 is relatively open to the open end 5 of the first drive plate 8.
Located outside of. In addition, the protrusion 11 of the second drive plate 12
Is the large-diameter arc-shaped portion 1 through the straight portion 19b of the second cam groove 19.
9c, the second drive plate 12 moves to the uppermost position accordingly. In this state, the operating lever 2
It is located relatively outside the opening end 9 from the slit 10 portion of the second drive plate 12.

When such a state is reached, the operation lever 2
Is located outside the opening end 5 of the first drive plate 8 and outside the opening end 9 of the second drive plate 12,
When tilting the operation lever 2 in the X direction, it can be tilted along the longitudinal direction of the slit 6 of the first drive plate 8, and when tilting the operation lever 2, the first drive plate 1 can be tilted.
It is possible to incline along the longitudinal direction of the slit 10 of 2, and in the end, the operation lever 2 can be inclined in both XY directions.

Therefore, tilting the operating lever 2 in the X direction actuates the switch 32 or 33, and tilting the operating lever 2 in the Y direction actuates the switch 34 or 35. The signal can be transmitted from the switch.

[X-direction allowance / Y-direction restriction mode] When a predetermined signal is applied to the motor 13 so that the motor 13 is further rotated from the state shown in FIG. 5, the gears 14, 15, 16 and the gears are rotated. The rotary plate 20 further rotates 70 ° via the portion 21, and the state shown in FIG. 6 is reached. Reference line 2
The protrusion 11 of the second drive plate 12 is located at a position of 7 to 220 ° (10 ° + 70 ° + 70 ° + 70 °).

At this time, the protrusion 7 of the first drive plate 8 is
Since the straight portion 18c is reached via the arc-shaped portion 18b of the cam groove 18, the first drive plate 8 moves to the rightmost position. Therefore, the operating lever 2 is relatively open to the open end 5 of the first drive plate 8.
It is located inside the slit 6 inside. In addition, the projection 11 of the second drive plate 12 has a large-diameter arc-shaped portion 19 of the second cam groove 19.
Since it remains held at c, the second drive plate 2 is held at the uppermost position. Therefore, the operation lever 2 is positioned relatively outside the opening end 9 of the second drive plate 12.

When such a state is reached, the operation lever 2
Is located inside the slit 6 of the first drive plate 8 and is located outside the opening end 9 of the second drive plate 12. Therefore, when the operation lever 2 is tilted in the X direction, Although it can be tilted along the longitudinal direction of the slit 6, the tilting of the operating lever 2 in the Y direction is prevented by locking the operating lever 2 at the edge of the slit 6 of the first drive plate 8. It

By tilting the operation lever 2 in the X direction, the switch 32 or 33 can be operated and a signal can be sent from the corresponding switch.

During the above-described operation, the gear 22 rotates integrally with the rotation of the rotary plate 20 as shown in FIG. 2, and the gear 23 rotates with the rotation of the gear 22. As a result, the rotary encoder 25 operates. That is, the rotation angle of the rotary plate 20 is detected by the rotary encoder 25.

During the above operation, the operation lever 2 is moved to the X position.
When tilted in the Y direction or the Y direction, the operation lever 2 is guided and locked by the guide groove 31 formed in the lid 30 of the housing 1.

In the first embodiment having such a configuration, as described above, the motor 13 rotates in response to the external input, the rotary plate 20 rotates by a predetermined angle, and the XY direction regulation mode and the X direction regulation are performed.・ The Y-direction allowance mode, the XY-direction allowance mode, and the X-direction allowance / Y-direction restricting mode can be executed.

Therefore, when the processing mode is, for example, the navigation mode, the XY direction permitting mode is selected, and when the processing mode is, for example, the audio mode, the X direction permitting / Y direction restricting mode is selected. It is possible to permit the tilting of the operation lever 2 or to restrict the tilting, so that there is no wasteful tilting of the operation lever 2 in the corresponding processing mode. As a result, it is possible to realize a highly reliable operation of the operation lever 2 without giving the operator of the operation lever 2 a feeling of anxiety and discomfort associated with useless tilting.

The tilting of the operating lever 2 is prevented by the edge of the slit 6 of the first drive plate 8 or the edge of the slit 10 of the second drive plate 12. In the movement in the direction in which the tilt is restricted, the operator who operates the operation lever 2 gives a relatively hard feeling of restriction.

Further, since the cross-shaped guide groove 31 is provided in the lid portion 30 of the housing 1, the tilt amount of the operating lever 2 can be set with high accuracy, and thereby the operating accuracy of the switches 32 to 35 can be improved. You can

Further, the angle signal output from the rotary encoder 25 is compared with preset values related to the moving directions and moving distances of the first drive plate 8 and the second drive plate 12 to make an appropriate judgment. Accordingly, the first drive plate 8 and the second drive plate 12 can be accurately positioned by performing feedback control so as to stop the motor 13.

In the first embodiment, the first drive plate 8 capable of restricting the operation lever 2 in the Y direction and the second drive plate 12 capable of restricting the operation lever 2 in the X direction. However, only one of the first drive plate 8 and the second drive plate 12 may be provided depending on the required processing mode.

Further, in the first embodiment, the first
The edge of the slit 6 of the drive plate 8 and the edge of the slit 10 of the second drive plate 12 are configured to prevent tilting of the operating lever 2. For example, between the edges of the slits 6 and 10 in the width direction. Is set to be larger than the diameter of the operating lever 2, and the operating lever 2 in the width direction of the slits 6, 10 is set.
The tilting may be allowed only by a predetermined amount, that is, the tilting of the operating lever 2 may be allowed only for a short time before being locked to the edges of the slits 6, 10.

With this structure, the operator who is operating the operating lever 2 can feel a relatively comfortable feeling of regulation, and can operate when the operating lever 2 is tilted by a predetermined amount. If a signal transmission means, for example, a switch is arranged in advance, a signal different from the signal transmitted with the normal tilting operation of the operation lever 2, that is, the signal transmitted from the switches 32 to 35 can be transmitted. it can.

Further, in the first embodiment, the operation lever 2 is provided as the operation member, but a signal sending operation can be performed by gripping the operation lever 2 and the operation is easy. May be provided.

In the first embodiment, the operation lever 2 can be operated in four XY directions (left and right, front and back), but the tilt in the four directions located in the middle of the XY directions is also adjusted. It may be applied to those in which the operation lever 2 can be tilted in any direction. In that case, for example, the first drive plate 8
It is convenient to provide a pair of drive plates having substantially the same combination as the combination of the first drive plate 8 and the second drive plate 12, and to arrange the pair of drive plates at an angle of 45 ° with respect to the first drive plate 8 and the second drive plate 12. Is good.

8 to 10 are explanatory views showing the main part of the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a view for restricting the movement of the operation lever provided in the second embodiment of the present invention in the XY directions. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a driving body portion, and FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the driving body portion when the movement of the operation lever provided in the second embodiment of the invention is restricted in the Y direction and allowed to move in the X direction. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a driving body portion when the movement of the operation lever provided in the second embodiment of the present invention is restricted in the X direction and the movement in the Y direction is allowed.

In the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the operating member, for example, the restricting member for restricting the movement of the operating lever 2 is tilted as the operating lever 2 is tilted in the X and Y directions. In addition to the drive body 40 that is movable in one direction, the drive body control means for selectively restricting the movement of the drive body 40 in the X direction and the Y direction is provided.

The driving body 40 has, for example, a first arm portion 41 that can move along the X direction and a second arm portion 42 that can move along the Y direction, and the overall shape is a V shape. Is formed.

The driving body control means is fixed to the side of the casing (not shown), and is formed at the tip of the first arm portion 41 of the driving body 40 and the guide members 43 and 44 each consisting of a pair of parallel curved plates. A boss portion 41b having a hole 41a and guided by a guide member 43, a first pin 45 that can be inserted into and removed from the hole 41a of the boss portion 41b, and a tip of the second arm portion 42. The guide member 44 has a boss portion 42b guided by the guide member 44, and a second pin 46 that can be inserted into and removed from the hole 42a of the boss portion 42b.

Also in this second embodiment, as shown in FIG.
A lid portion of a casing (not shown) guides the operation lever 2 and is provided with a cross-shaped guide groove 31 which serves as a stopper when tilted.

Although not shown, the first pin 45 and the second pin 46 are moved in a direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIGS. 8 to 10, and the first pin 45 and the second pin 46 are firmly held. A driving means is also provided.

The operation of the second embodiment thus configured will be described below.

[XY Direction Restriction Mode] As shown in FIG. 8, the pin drive means (not shown) is driven to drive the first pin 45.
Is the hole 4 of the boss portion 41b of the first arm portion 41 of the driving body 40.
1a and the second pin 46 is inserted into the hole 42a of the boss portion 42b of the second arm portion 42, when the operation lever 2 is tilted in the X direction, the first arm Since the first pin 45 prevents the movement of the portion 41 in the X direction, the driving body 40 cannot move in the X direction.
You can't lean in the direction. In addition, the operating lever 2
Is tilted in the Y direction, the second pin 46 prevents the second arm portion 42 from moving in the Y direction, so that the driving body 40 cannot move in the Y direction and thus engages with the driving body 40. The operation lever 2 cannot be tilted in the Y direction.

That is, the tilting operation in both the XY directions is blocked, whereby a lock state in which the switch of the signal sending means 3 arranged in the XY directions cannot be operated is formed. It should be noted that it is possible to send a signal by rotating the operation lever 2 around the axis and to send a signal by pushing the operation lever 2 in the axial direction.

[X-direction allowance / Y-direction restriction mode] From the above-described state, when the first pin 45 is pulled out from the hole 41a of the boss portion 41b of the first arm portion 41 by driving the pin driving means (not shown), The regulation of the first arm portion 41 by the pin 45 is released, and the first arm portion 41 becomes movable along with the movement of the operation lever 2. Therefore, when the operation lever 2 is tilted in the X direction, the boss portion 41b of the first arm portion 41 of the driving body 40 is guided by the guide member 43, and the movement of the driving body 40 is allowed. The operation lever 2 engaged with the driving body 40 can be tilted in the X direction. By tilting the operation lever 2 in the X direction in this way, a switch of the signal sending means 3 arranged in the X direction can be operated to send a signal.

The tilting of the operating lever 2 in the Y direction is caused by the hole 42a of the boss portion 42b of the second arm portion 42 of the driving body 40.
This cannot be done because the second pin 46 is inserted therein.

[X-direction restriction / Y-direction allowance mode] From the state shown in FIG. 8 described above, the pin driving means (not shown) is driven to move the second pin 46 to the boss portion 42b of the second arm portion 42.
When the second arm portion 42 is removed from the hole 42a, the regulation of the second arm portion 42 by the second pin 46 is released, and the second arm portion 42 becomes movable along with the movement of the operation lever 2. Therefore, when the operation lever 2 is tilted in the Y direction, the boss portion 42b of the second arm portion 42 of the driving body 40 is guided by the guide member 44, and the movement of the driving body 40 is allowed. The operation lever 2 engaged with the driving body 40 can be tilted in the Y direction. As a result, the operation lever 2 is moved to Y
By tilting in the direction, the switch of the signal transmitting means 3 can be operated and a signal can be transmitted.

The tilting of the operation lever 2 in the X direction is caused by the hole 41a of the boss portion 41b of the first arm portion 41 of the driving body 40.
This cannot be done because the first pin 45 is inserted inside.

Although not shown in particular, the pin driving means (not shown) is driven from the state shown in FIG. 8 to move the first pin 45 into the hole 41 of the boss portion 41b of the first arm portion 41.
a while removing the second pin 46 from the second arm portion 42.
When removed from the hole 42a of the boss portion 42b, the restriction of the first arm portion 41 by the first pin 45 and the restriction of the second arm portion 42 by the second pin 46 are released respectively, and the first arm portion 41, the second arm portion 41 The arm portion 42 is movable along with the movement of the operation lever 2. Therefore, for example, when the operation lever 2 is tilted in the X direction, the boss portion 41b of the first arm portion 41 is guided by the guide member 43,
The drive body 40 is allowed to move, and the operation lever 2 engaged with the drive body 40 can be tilted in the X direction. Further, when the operation lever 2 is tilted in the Y direction, the boss portion 42b of the second arm portion 42 is guided by the guide member 44, so that the drive body 40 is allowed to move and the drive body 40 is engaged. The matching operation lever 2 can be tilted in the Y direction. By tilting the operating lever 2 in the X direction or the Y direction, the signal sending means 3 is moved in the X direction and the Y direction.
A corresponding switch arranged in the direction can be activated to send a signal.

Even in the second embodiment having such a configuration, similarly to the first embodiment, the tilting of the operating lever 2 can be allowed or restricted depending on the processing mode. The operation lever 2 is prevented from being unnecessarily tilted with respect to the corresponding processing mode.
It is possible to realize a highly reliable operation of the operation lever 2 without giving the operator of the anxiety and discomfort associated with useless tilting.

Further, in particular, in the second embodiment, since the driving body 40 is formed in the V shape having the minimum area required to realize the desired function, it is lightweight and the material cost is suppressed. be able to.

[0107]

Although the movement of the operating member necessary for carrying out the corresponding processing mode is allowed, the movement of the operating member unnecessary for the corresponding processing mode can be restricted, and therefore, the movement of the operating member for the corresponding processing mode can be restricted. It is possible to realize a more reliable operation of the operation member as compared with the conventional one, without causing unnecessary movement, and without giving the operator a feeling of anxiety or discomfort associated with useless movement of the operation member.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a first embodiment of a multi-directional input device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view seen from the direction B in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a rotary plate portion when restricting movement of an operation lever provided in the first embodiment in both XY directions in a view corresponding to the arrow AA in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a rotary plate portion when the movement of the operation lever provided in the first embodiment is restricted in the X direction and allowed to move in the Y direction.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a rotary plate portion when allowing the operation lever provided in the first embodiment to move in both XY directions.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a rotary plate portion when the movement of the operation lever provided in the first embodiment is restricted in the Y direction and allowed to move in the X direction.

FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating the shapes of a first cam groove and a second cam groove formed on the rotary plate included in the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a drive body portion when restricting movement of an operation lever provided in the second embodiment of the present invention in both XY directions.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a driving body portion when the movement of an operation lever provided in the second embodiment is restricted in the Y direction and allowed to move in the X direction.

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a drive body portion when the movement of an operation lever provided in the second embodiment is restricted in the X direction and allowed to move in the Y direction.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 case 2 Operation lever (operation member) 3 signal transmission means 5 open end 6 slits 7 Protrusions (driving means) 8 First drive plate (regulating member) 9 Open end 10 slits 11 Protrusions (driving means) 12 Second drive plate (regulating member) 13 Motor (drive means) 14 gears 15 gears 16 gears 17 Gear mechanism (driving means) 18 1st cam groove 18a Straight part 18b arcuate part 18c Straight section 19 Second cam groove 19a Small diameter arcuate part 19b Straight section 19c Large-diameter arc-shaped part 20 Rotating plate (driving means) 20a fixed plate 20b long hole 20c long hole 21 Gear part 22 gears 23 gears 24 Gear mechanism (angle detection means) 25 Rotary encoder (angle detection means) 26 One end 27 Base line 28 lines 29 One end 30 Lid 31 Guide groove 32 switch 33 switch 34 switch 35 switch 36 position 37 position 38 position 39 position 40 driver 41 first arm 41a hole (driving body control means) 41b Boss (driving body control means) 42 Second arm part 42a hole (driving body control means) 42b Boss (driving body control means) 43 Guide member (driving body control means) 44 Guide member (driving body control means) 45 1st pin (driver control means) 46 second pin (driver control means)

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Yasuyuki Goto             1-8 Nishigotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo             Within Lupine Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Koji Shibuya             1-8 Nishigotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo             Within Lupine Co., Ltd.

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. An operating member operable in the XY directions, and a signal sending means for sending an electric signal according to the movement of the operating member. The operating member is movably provided and regulates the movement of the operating member. A multidirectional input device, comprising: a regulating member; and a driving unit that moves the regulating member in response to an external input to regulate movement of the operating member by the regulating member and release the regulation. . 2. The multidirectional input device according to claim 1, wherein the restriction member is a member that can selectively restrict the operation member in any of XY directions. 3. The multi-directional input device according to claim 1, wherein the restriction member is a member that prevents the operation member from moving. 4. The multidirectional input device according to claim 1, wherein the restriction member is a member that allows only a predetermined amount of movement of the operation member. 5. The multidirectional input device according to claim 1, wherein the operation member is an operation lever. 6. The drive mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the restricting member includes a drive plate having a slit having an opening end that allows the operation lever to be inserted therethrough, and the drive means moves the drive plate. A multi-directional input device including a motor for driving. 7. The first drive plate according to claim 6, wherein the drive plate restricts tilting of the operation lever in the Y direction and allows tilting in the X direction, and tilting of the operation lever in the X direction. A multi-directional input device including a second drive plate that restricts the tilting in the Y direction. 8. The gear mechanism according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the drive means transmits a rotational force of the motor, a rotary plate that rotates via the gear mechanism and has a cam groove, and the drive plate. And a protrusion which is provided on the rotary plate and engages with the cam groove of the rotary plate. 9. The multidirectional input device according to claim 8, further comprising angle detection means for detecting a rotation angle of the rotary plate. 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the angle detecting means includes a gear mechanism that transmits the rotation of the rotary plate and a rotation angle sensor that detects a rotation angle via the gear mechanism. Multi-directional input device. 11. The control member according to claim 1, wherein the restricting member is provided so as to be engageable with the operation lever, and the operation lever is tilted in accordance with a tilting operation in X and Y directions. A multi-directional input device comprising a driving body which is movable integrally in a direction, and a driving body control means for selectively restricting the movement of the driving body in the X direction and the movement in the Y direction. 12. The driving body according to claim 11, wherein the driving body has a first arm portion movable along the X direction and a second arm portion movable along the Y direction, and has an overall shape of “ku”. A multi-directional input device, characterized in that it forms a character. 13. The cross-shaped guide groove according to claim 5, which is formed in a lid portion of a casing forming an outer shell and defines a movement range in the X direction and a movement range in the Y direction of the operation lever. A multidirectional input device comprising: