JP2010135149A - Multi-directional input device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multi-directional input device suppressing the enlargement of outer dimensions of a housing, and increasing an amount of slide movement of an operation body. <P>SOLUTION: The multi-directional input device includes: a housing having a cavity portion therein and provided with an opening portion 22; an operation body 5 having an operation portion 51 exposed from the opening portion 22, a flange part 52 arranged in the cavity portion, and a holding member 9 having a smaller diameter than that of the flange part 52, and capable of slide movement; a detection means detecting a slide action of the operation body 5; and a coil spring 10 circularly arranged at the outer periphery side of the holding member 9, and restoring the operation body 5 to an initial position. The coil spring 10 houses a protrusion portion 32 formed by protruding from the housing to a position corresponding to the holding member 9 arranged at the initial position in an inner periphery side together with the holding member 9. When the operation body 5 is moved by sliding, the inner periphery portion in the opposite side to a slide direction is engaged by the protrusion portion 32, and, on the other hand, the inner periphery portion in the slide direction is expanded by the holding member 9 while a top portion of a side of the flange part 52 regulated by the flange part 52. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a multidirectional input device, and more particularly, to a multidirectional input device suitable for a direction input operation in a mobile phone device, a game machine controller, or the like.

Conventionally, an operating body that is slidably housed in a housing and has a large diameter portion, and an annular coil spring that is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion of the operating body and automatically returns the large diameter portion to an initial position. When the operating body is slid, the large-diameter portion extends the annular coil spring in the sliding direction. On the other hand, when the sliding operation is released, the operating body is returned to the initial position by the urging force of the annular coil spring. A multidirectional input device has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2008-47389 A

  However, in the conventional multi-directional input device as described above, since the annular coil spring is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter portion provided in the operating body, the amount of sliding movement of the operating body is increased. There is a problem that the outer dimension of the housing is also increased.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and provides a multidirectional input device that can increase the amount of sliding movement of the operating body while suppressing an increase in the outer dimension of the housing. Objective.

  The multi-directional input device of the present invention includes a housing having a hollow portion therein and an opening formed therein, an operation portion exposed from the opening, and a hook-like portion disposed in the hollow portion and the hook-like shape An operating body having a small diameter part smaller than that of the movable part and capable of sliding, a detecting means for detecting a sliding movement of the operating body, and an annularly arranged on the outer peripheral side of the small diameter part, returning the operating body to the initial position. An elastic member to be accommodated, and the elastic member accommodates a protruding portion provided protruding from the housing at a position corresponding to the small diameter portion arranged at an initial position on the inner peripheral side together with the small diameter portion, When the operating body is slid and moved, in the state where the top of the elastic member on the hook-like part side is regulated by the hook-like part, one side of the elastic member located on the opposite side to the sliding direction is the protruding part. Locked With the other side positioned on the sliding-direction side is characterized in that it is spread in the small-diameter portion.

  According to the multidirectional input device, since the elastic member is arranged on the outer peripheral side of the small diameter portion and is expanded by the small diameter portion according to the slide movement of the operating body, the elastic member is arranged around the large diameter portion. Compared to the case where the slide movement amount is increased, the required space can be reduced, so that it is possible to increase the slide movement amount of the operating body while suppressing an increase in the outer dimension of the housing. It becomes.

  For example, in the multidirectional input device, the small-diameter portion is provided on the bottom surface side of the housing of the bowl-shaped portion, while the protruding portion protrudes from the bottom surface portion. In this case, for example, when an operation unit that receives a slide operation from the operator is protruded from the housing, the hollow portion in the housing is effectively made by arranging a part of the detection means on the back side of the protrusion. The multi-directional input device can be thinned.

  In the multi-directional input device, when the operating body is slid to the end, the end portion on the opposite side to the sliding direction in the bowl-shaped portion is arranged at a position on the outer peripheral side with respect to the end portion of the protruding portion. Is preferred. In this case, even when the operating body is slid to the end, the top of the elastic member can be regulated by the hook-shaped portion, so that the elastic member moves to the hook-shaped portion side and the operability is impaired. Can be prevented.

  In the multidirectional input device, the elastic member is formed of an annular coil spring, and a spacer member is disposed between the coil spring and the hook-shaped portion, and the hook-shaped portion includes the spacer member. It is preferable to regulate the top of the coil spring. In this case, the spacer member is disposed between the coil spring and the hook-shaped portion, and the top portion of the coil spring is regulated via the spacer member, so that the hook-shaped portion is worn by contact with the coil spring. It becomes possible to prevent the situation.

  In the multidirectional input device, it is preferable that the detection means is configured by a permanent magnet that moves together with the operation body and a magnetic sensor that detects a magnetic field by the permanent magnet, and the permanent magnet is held in the small diameter portion. . In this case, since the detecting means for detecting the sliding motion of the operating body can be configured in a non-contact manner, it is possible to achieve a long life by avoiding problems due to contact wear and the like.

  In particular, in the multidirectional input device, it is preferable that the elastic member is formed of a nonmagnetic material. In this case, since the elastic member is formed of a nonmagnetic material, it is possible to prevent the elastic member from affecting the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet, so that it is possible to detect the sliding motion of the operating body with high accuracy. .

  Moreover, in the said multi-directional input device, it is preferable to arrange | position the said magnetic sensor in the recessed part by the side of the back surface which forms the said protrusion part in the said housing. In this case, since the magnetic sensor can be arranged using the space provided when forming the protruding portion, the apparatus main body can be thinned. In addition, since the magnetic sensor is disposed in a space different from the space where the driving member such as the operating body is disposed, it is possible to prevent a foreign matter such as wear powder from entering the magnetic sensor.

  Further, in the multi-directional input device, the small diameter portion is formed of a member separate from the bowl-shaped portion, and the small diameter portion is formed of a holding member having a storage portion for storing the permanent magnet, It is preferable that the surface on the projecting portion side is in surface contact with the projecting portion. In this case, since the small-diameter portion is formed of a member separate from the bowl-shaped portion and the permanent magnet is housed therein, the work of attaching the permanent magnet can be facilitated. Further, since the surface on the protruding portion side of the holding member is in surface contact with the protruding portion, the operating body can be stably supported, so that the permanent magnet can be stably slid during operation, It becomes possible to detect the sliding motion of the operating body with high accuracy.

  Furthermore, in the said multi-directional input device, it is preferable to form a recessed part or an opening part in the surface of the said holding member which surface-contacts the said protrusion part. In this case, it is possible to accumulate wear powder that can be generated by the contact between the holding member and the protruding portion, and to effectively prevent the unstable movement of the operating body due to the wear powder. Is possible.

  Furthermore, in the multidirectional input device, the operation portion of the operation body is provided integrally with the hook-shaped portion, and the hook-shaped portion has a size larger than the opening formed in the housing. On the other hand, it is preferable that the operation unit has a size smaller than that of the opening, and the operation unit protrudes from the opening to the outside of the apparatus. In this case, since the operation portion is provided integrally with the bowl-shaped portion having a size larger than the opening of the housing, it is possible to reliably prevent the operation portion from being detached.

  According to the present invention, since the elastic member is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the small diameter portion and is expanded by the small diameter portion according to the sliding movement of the operating body, the elastic member is disposed around the large diameter portion. In comparison, since the required space can be reduced as the slide movement amount increases, the slide movement amount of the operating body can be increased while suppressing the increase in the outer dimension of the housing.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The multidirectional input device according to the present embodiment is used for a direction input operation in, for example, a mobile phone device or a game machine controller. The use of the multidirectional input device according to the present embodiment is not limited to these, and can be changed as appropriate.

(Embodiment 1)
1 and 2 are exploded perspective views of the multidirectional input device 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the multidirectional input device 1 according to the first embodiment. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along one-dot chain line A shown in FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along one-dot chain line B shown in FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of the multidirectional input device 1 viewed from the lower side shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the multidirectional input device 1 seen from the upper side shown in FIG. The figure is shown. In the following, for convenience of explanation, the right side in FIGS. 1 and 2 is referred to as the upper side of the multidirectional input device 1, and the left side in FIG. 1 is referred to as the lower side of the multidirectional input device 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the multidirectional input device 1 according to the present embodiment includes an upper case 2 and a lower case 3 that constitute a housing, and various combinations of these are provided in a hollow portion formed inside. The component members are accommodated. The upper case 2 and the lower case 3 are integrated by snap-joining the mounting member 4 and the upper case 2 arranged on the lower side of the multidirectional input device 1 in a state where they are overlapped.

  The upper case 2 and the lower case 3 are formed by molding an insulating resin material, for example. The upper case 2 has a box shape opened to the lower side, and an opening 22 having a circular shape is formed at the center of the upper surface portion 21. Further, the upper case 2 has side wall portions 23 extending downward from the four sides of the upper surface portion 21 formed of a flat plate-like wall portion. Among these side wall parts 23, the inner walls of a pair of opposing side wall parts 23a constitute a flat surface part and are arranged in parallel to each other. The lower case 3 has a box shape opened upward, and a circular protrusion 32 is provided at the center of the bottom surface portion 31. The projecting portion 32 is formed by raising a bottom surface portion 31 formed of a flat plate-like wall portion of the lower case 3, and a generally oval concave portion 33 is provided on the back side of the bottom surface portion 31. Yes. On the upper surface of the protruding portion 32, a flat portion 32a on which a holding member 9 described later is placed is formed. The upper case 2 and the lower case 3 are combined to form a generally flat rectangular housing.

  An operating body 5, a regulating member 6, a spacer member 7, a permanent magnet (hereinafter simply referred to as “magnet”) 8, a holding member 9 and a coil spring 10 are housed in a cavity formed in the housing. The operating body 5 is housed in a state in which a part thereof protrudes upward from the opening 22 of the upper case 2. The restricting member 6 is disposed in a concave portion 54 and a concave portion 55 of the operation body 5 described later. The holding member 9 is attached to the lower surface of the operating body 5 with the magnet 8 held inside. The coil spring 10 is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the holding member 9 attached to the operating body 5 and the protruding portion 32 of the lower case 3. The spacer member 7 is disposed between the operation body 5 and the regulating member 6 and the coil spring 10. Hereinafter, the configuration of each component will be described.

  The operation body 5 is formed, for example, by molding an insulating resin material, and is disposed in an operation portion 51 exposed in a state of protruding upward from the opening 22 of the upper case 2 and a hollow portion in the housing. It has a hook-shaped portion 52 and a constricted portion 53 that connects them. Both the operation part 51 and the bowl-shaped part 52 have a disk shape, and the constricted part 53 is provided with a smaller diameter than these. Note that the operation part 51, the hook-like part 52, and the constricted part 53 are formed to be concentric when the operation body 5 is viewed in plan. The operation part 51 is provided with a dimension that allows insertion to the outside through the opening 22 of the upper case 2, that is, a diameter smaller than that of the opening 22, and allows the operator to perform a sliding operation at a part exposed from the opening 22. It has been accepted. The bowl-shaped part 52 moves together with the operation part 51. A pair of concave portions 54 are formed in a band shape along the left-right direction in FIG. 3 of the multidirectional input device 1, that is, the longitudinal direction of the regulating member 6, at the center of the lower surface of the bowl-shaped portion 52. In the center of the recess 54, a circular recess 55 concentric with the bowl-shaped portion 52 is formed. The restricting member 6 is disposed in the concave portion 54 and the concave portion 55. Further, the holding member 9 holding the magnet 8 is disposed in the recess 55.

  A shielding member 11 that shields the inside of the multidirectional input device 1 is attached to a part of the constricted portion 53 protruding upward from the opening 22 of the upper case 2. The shielding member 11 is made of, for example, a polycarbonate resin and is configured as a sheet material having a ring shape in which a circular opening is formed at the center. The shielding member 11 is provided so that the diameter of the central opening is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the constricted portion 53, while the outer diameter is larger than the opening 22 of the upper case 2. A slit 111 is formed in a part of the shielding member 11, and the shielding member 11 is attached to the constricted portion 53 through the slit 111.

  The regulating member 6 is formed of a nonmagnetic metal material such as stainless steel, for example, and generally has a long shape extending in the left-right direction in FIG. 3 of the multidirectional input device 1. The restricting member 6 includes a plate-like portion 61 having substantially the same width as the concave portion 54 formed in the flange-like portion 52 of the operating body 5, and a lower side from both left and right end portions that are the longitudinal direction of the plate-like portion 61. And a pair of restricting pieces 62 that are bent. These restricting pieces 62 are arranged in parallel so as to face the inner wall surface of the side wall portion 23 a of the upper case 2. The length between the outer surfaces of these restricting pieces 62 is provided substantially the same as the length between the inner wall surfaces of the side wall portion 23 a of the upper case 2. The restriction member 6 does not necessarily need to be made of a metal material as long as it is made of a non-magnetic material, and may be made of, for example, an insulating resin material.

  The spacer member 7 is made of a non-magnetic metal material such as stainless steel, and is formed of a thin plate member having an annular shape. An opening 71 having a circular shape is formed at the center of the spacer member 7, and the inner diameter of the opening 71 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the recess 55 formed in the bowl-shaped portion 52 of the operating body 5. Large dimensions are provided. The spacer member 7 does not necessarily need to be made of a metal material as long as it is made of a nonmagnetic material. For example, the spacer member 7 can be made of an insulating resin material.

  The holding member 9 is formed, for example, by molding an insulating resin material, and generally has a circular shape opened upward. The holding member 9 constitutes a small-diameter portion that is concentrically integrated with the flange-like portion 52 at the central portion on the lower side of the flange-like portion 52. The holding member 9 has a circular storage portion 91 for storing the magnet 8 having a disk shape, and a rectangular opening 92 a is formed on the inner bottom surface 92 thereof. The opening 92 a is formed to collect wear powder generated by sliding contact between the holding member 9 and the flat surface portion 32 a of the projecting portion 32 accompanying the sliding movement of the operating body 5. By forming the opening 92a in this way, it is possible to effectively prevent the unstable movement of the operating body 5 caused by the wear powder. Although the opening 92a is formed in the holding member 9 here, a recess may be formed. In addition, a pair of cutout portions that are inserted in a state in which a part of the plate-like portion 61 of the regulating member 6 is accommodated in the side wall portion 93 formed of an arcuate (annular) wall portion provided around the accommodation portion 91. 93a is formed. The width dimension of the cutout portion 93 a is set wider than the plate-like portion 61 so that the plate-like portion 61 is inserted. Further, the depth dimension of the cutout portion 93 a is slightly larger than the plate thickness of the plate-like portion 61.

  The coil spring 10 functions as an elastic member, and is formed of, for example, a nonmagnetic metal material such as stainless steel. The coil spring 10 is formed in an annular shape by providing hook portions (not shown) at both ends of a columnar coil spring having a predetermined length and connecting the both ends (hook portions). In a state where the coil spring 10 is not extended (no load state), the inner diameter is set to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the protruding portion 32 of the lower case 3 and the holding member 9. As will be described in detail later, the coil spring 10 applies an elastic force to the holding member 9 fixed to the operating body 5 to return the operating body 5 to the initial position when the operating body 5 slides. It is.

  A circuit board 12 on which a magnetic sensor 123 (to be described later) constituting a part of detection means for detecting the slide movement of the operating body 5 is mounted is fixed to the upper surface of the mounting member 4 formed of a nonmagnetic metal material such as stainless steel. Is done. The circuit board 12 is fixed to the mounting member 4 so that the magnetic sensor 123 is disposed at a position corresponding to the concave portion 33 of the lower case 3. In the circuit board 12, the magnetic sensor 123 is sealed with a sealing portion 121 made of, for example, an insulating resin material in order to prevent corrosion of its constituent members and deterioration of detection accuracy. The concave portion 33 of the lower case 3 accommodates the sealing portion 121. On the circuit board 12, a plurality of lead wires 122 each having a conductive pattern connected to an output terminal for outputting a signal from a magnetic detection element constituting the magnetic sensor 123 to the outside is provided. The magnetic sensor 123 mounted on the circuit board 12 will be described later.

  When the multidirectional input device 1 having such a configuration is assembled, as shown in FIG. 3, the operation portion 51 of the operation body 5 protrudes above the upper case 2 and is attached to a part of the constricted portion 53. The shield member 11 is placed on the upper case 2. Thus, since the shielding member 11 having an outer diameter larger than the opening 22 of the upper case 2 is placed on the upper case 2, the inside of the multidirectional input device 1 is exposed through the opening 22. There is nothing.

  Inside the multidirectional input device 1, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a holding member 9 holding the magnet 8 is placed above the flat portion 32 a of the protruding portion 32 of the lower case 3. Yes. That is, in the initial state in which the operating body 5 is not slid, the protruding portion 32 and the holding member 9 that is the small diameter portion are disposed so as to face each other so as to overlap each other in the vertical direction in FIG. It has become. The coil spring 10 is disposed on the bottom surface portion 31 of the lower case 3 so as to surround the protrusion 32 and the holding member 9 in a slightly extended state from the unloaded state. The operating body 5 is arranged so that the operating portion 51 protrudes outside the apparatus, and the hook-shaped portion 52 restricts the movement of the coil spring 10 to the upper side (the operating body 5 side). In other words, the hook-shaped part 52 is opposed to the substantially parallel surface in a state of being separated from the bottom surface part 31 of the lower case 3, and the upper part of the coil spring 10 is connected to the hook-shaped part 52 via the spacer member 7. The bottom surface 31 is regulated. As the operating body 5 slides, the coil spring 10 extends and deforms in the space formed between the bottom surface portion 31 of the lower case 3 and the bowl-shaped portion 52 (spacer member 7). It has become. The restricting member 6 is disposed in a state where it is accommodated in a part of the lower surface of the bowl-shaped portion 52, and the restricting piece 62 is disposed to face the inner wall surface of the side wall portion 23a of the upper case 2 with a slight clearance. (See FIG. 4). At this time, the tip of the restricting piece 62 is in a separated state so as not to contact the bottom surface portion 31 of the lower case 3.

  The spacer member 7 is disposed between the hook-like portion 52 of the operating body 5 and the plate-like portion 61 of the regulating member 6 and the coil spring 10. Thus, by arranging the spacer member 7 between the hook-like portion 52 and the plate-like portion 61 and the coil spring 10, a gap is formed between the concave portion 54 of the hook-like portion 52 and the regulating member 6. Even when the coil spring 10 is caught or caught in the gap by the spacer member 7, the operability of the apparatus is impaired even when the relatively inexpensive coil spring 10 is provided as an elastic member. There is nothing.

  Here, the relationship among the operation body 5 arranged in the hollow portion in the housing, the regulating member 6, the spacer member 7, and the holding member 9 will be described. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the operating body 5 and the regulating member 6 included in the multidirectional input device 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a relationship among the operating body 5, the regulating member 6, the spacer member 7, and the holding member 9 included in the multidirectional input device 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a side view of the operating body 5 and its peripheral members shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the regulating member 6 is disposed so as to straddle the recessed portion 55 on the recessed portion 54 formed on the lower surface of the bowl-shaped portion 52 of the operating body 5. As described above, the width of the plate-like portion 61 of the restricting member 6 in the short direction (Y direction) is substantially the same as the width of the recess 54 (strictly, slightly narrower than the recess 54). For this reason, the plate-like portion 61 is in a state of entering the recess 54. On the other hand, the restricting piece 62 of the restricting member 6 is disposed so as to be restricted by the inner wall surface of the side wall portion 23 a of the upper case 2. For this reason, when a rotational force is applied to the operating body 5, the side wall portion of the concave portion 54 and the end surface of the plate-like portion 61 are engaged, and the regulating piece 62 is in contact with the inner wall surface of the side wall portion 23a. The rotation of the operating body 5 is restricted.

  Further, the regulating member 6 has the plate-like portion 61 accommodated in the concave portion 54 and the regulating piece 62 is disposed opposite to the inner wall surface of the side wall portion 23a of the upper case 2, so that the side wall portion 23a causes the FIG. The slide movement in the X direction (first direction) shown in FIG. 5 is restricted, while the movement in the Y direction (second direction) shown in the figure is allowed. When the operating body 5 slides in the X direction shown in FIG. 6, the end surface of the plate-like portion 61 facing the Y direction and along the X direction constitutes a guide portion 61 a that guides the operating body 5. In this case, the opposing side wall part of the recessed part 54 comprises the to-be-guided part 54a guided by this guide part 61a. The side wall portion constituting the guided portion 54a is formed in a state extending in the X direction at a position facing the X direction shown in FIG. When the operating body 5 slides in the Y direction shown in FIG. 6, the guided portion 54 a of the recessed portion 54 engages with the guide portion 61 a of the plate-like portion 61, and the operating body 5 and the regulating member 6 are engaged. And slide together.

  As described above, in the multidirectional input device 1, the plate-like portion 61 constituting the regulating member 6 is accommodated in the concave portion 54 formed in the flange-like portion 52, and the end surface of the plate-like portion 61 is used as the guide portion 61 a. On the other hand, since the side wall portion of the concave portion 54 serves as the guided portion 54a, it is possible to regulate the rotational operation of the operating body 5 without increasing the size of the multidirectional input device 1 in the thickness direction. Yes. Further, in the multidirectional input device 1, the regulating pieces 62 bent at both ends of the plate-like portion 61 are brought into contact with the inner wall surface of the housing to regulate the sliding movement in the X direction shown in FIG. Therefore, the sliding movement of the restricting member 6 in the X direction can be restricted with a simple configuration.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the insertion pin 93 b (see FIG. 2) provided on the side wall portion 93 of the holding member 9 is inserted into the concave portion 55 of the bowl-shaped portion 52 as shown in FIG. 6. An insertion hole 55a is formed. The holding member 9 is fixed to the recess 55 by press-fitting the insertion pin 93b into the insertion hole 55a in a state where the magnet 8 is stored in the storage portion 91 (see FIG. 7). In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, the holding member 9 is fixed to the concave portion 55 so as to sandwich the regulating member 6 with the flange-like portion 52 of the operating body 5. At this time, the regulating member 6 is disposed so as to be inserted between the hook-shaped portion 52 and the holding member 9. The spacer member 7 is disposed so as to face the flange-like portion 52 of the operating body 5 and the plate-like portion 61 of the regulating member 6 in a state where the holding member 9 protrudes downward from the opening 71.

  In such a fixed state, the holding member 9 is integrated with the operation body 5 and functions as a small diameter portion provided on the lower surface of the operation body 5 as shown in FIG. The coil spring 10 is thus arranged on the outer peripheral side of the holding member 9 that functions as a small diameter portion and the protruding portion 32 of the lower case 3. A magnet 8 is housed inside the holding member 9, and the magnet 8 slides in the same manner as the operating body 5 slides. The magnetic sensor 123 mounted on the circuit board 12 described above slides the operating body 5 by detecting a change in the magnetic field generated from the sliding magnet 8 in this way, specifically, a change in the direction of the magnetic flux. The previous position (slide position) is detected.

  As described above, in the multidirectional input device 1, since the holding member 9 is fixed in a state where the regulating member 6 is inserted between the hook-shaped portion 52 and the holding member 9 that functions as a small diameter portion, These members can be unitized, and the assemblability can be improved. Further, since the coil spring 10 is arranged on the outer peripheral side of the holding member 9, it is not necessary to provide a space for arranging the coil spring 10, and the apparatus main body can be downsized.

  Here, a schematic configuration of the magnetic sensor 123 mounted on the circuit board 12 included in the multidirectional input device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the magnetic sensor 123 mounted on the circuit board 12 included in the multidirectional input device 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship between the magnetic sensor 123 and the magnet 8 mounted on the circuit board 12 included in the multidirectional input device 1 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the lead wires 121 and output terminals provided on the circuit board 12 are omitted. 10 shows the circuit board 12 and the magnet 8 from the left side shown in FIG.

  In the multidirectional input device 1 according to the present embodiment, the magnet 8 held by the holding member 9 and the magnetic sensor 123 mounted on the circuit board 12 constitute detection means. In this case, the magnetic sensor 123 has a basic configuration in which an antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned layer, an intermediate layer, and a free layer are stacked on the circuit board 12, and a plurality of (this book) using the giant magnetoresistive effect is used. In the embodiment, four GMR (Giant Magneto Resistance) elements 123a and output signals from these GMR elements 123a are amplified, and the slide position of the magnet 8 (operation body 5) is based on the amplified output signals. And a control circuit 123b for calculating.

  In the magnetic sensor 123, the magnetic flux from the magnet 8 held by the holding member 9 is applied to the GMR element 123a, and the change in the electric resistance value is caused by the direction of the magnetic flux. For example, when the magnet 8 is magnetized with an N pole on the magnetic sensor 123 side and an S pole on the operating body 5 side, the magnetic flux from the magnet 8 is generally generated as shown by the arrows in FIG. This also occurs on the front side and the back side of the paper shown in FIG. In the magnetic sensor 123, a bridge circuit is configured by four GMR elements 123a, and an output signal corresponding to a change in electrical resistance value in a pair of GMR elements 123a and a change in electrical resistance value in another pair of GMR elements 123a. Based on the difference from the corresponding output signal, the slide position of the magnet 8 (operation body 5) is calculated.

In order for the GMR element 123a included in the magnetic sensor 123 to exhibit a giant magnetoresistance effect, for example, the antiferromagnetic layer is an α-Fe ₂ O ₃ layer, the pinned layer is a NiFe layer, the intermediate layer is a Cu layer, The free layer is preferably formed of a NiFe layer, but is not limited to these, and any layer may be used as long as it exhibits a magnetoresistive effect. Further, the GMR element 123a provided in the magnetic sensor 123 is not limited to the above-described laminated structure as long as it exhibits a magnetoresistive effect.

  Next, an operation when the operating tool 5 slides in the multidirectional input device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the multidirectional input device 1 according to the first embodiment in an initial state. 12 is a plan view when the operating body 5 is slid in the X direction shown in FIG. 11 from the state shown in FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along one-dot chain line A shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a plan view when the operating body 5 is slid in the Y direction shown in FIG. 11 from the state shown in FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along one-dot chain line B shown in FIG. 11 to 15, the upper case 2 and the shielding member 11 are removed for convenience of explanation. 12 and 14 show the case where the operating body 5 is slid to the end position.

  In the initial state, as shown in FIG. 11, the regulating member 6 is disposed at the approximate center of the housing (lower case 3). In the inside of the multidirectional input device 1, each structural member is in the state shown in FIGS. That is, the holding member 9 holding the magnet 8 is placed in a state of facing the protruding portions 32 of the lower case 3, and the coil spring 10 is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the protruding portions 32 and the holding member 9. Yes. In this case, the holding member 9 is arranged at the center position (initial position) of the protruding portion 32 by the elastic force of the coil spring 10.

  When the operating body 5 is slid in the X direction shown in FIG. 11 from the state shown in FIG. A guided portion 54a constituted by the side wall portion of the concave portion 54 of the bowl-shaped portion 52 of the operating body 5 is guided along 61a. In this case, the restricting member 6 does not move and is maintained at a substantially central position of the housing. Inside the multidirectional input device 1, the inner peripheral portion of the left side end portion of the coil spring 10 shown in FIG. 13 is locked to the left side end portion of the protruding portion 32, and its upper portion (top portion) is In a state of being restricted by the hook-shaped portion 52 via the spacer member 7, the inner peripheral portion of the right side end portion of the coil spring 10 is pushed and expanded in the X direction at the right side end portion of the holding member 9. In this case, the left side end portions of the hook-shaped portion 52 and the spacer member 7 hold down the upper part of the coil spring 10 at a position outside (left side) the left side end portion of the protruding portion 32. The situation in which the coil spring 10 is detached from the end portion of the spacer member 7 and enters the concave portion 54 of the bowl-shaped portion 52 is reliably prevented. Then, when the slide operation on the operation unit 51 is released from the state shown in FIG. 13, the holding member 9 is pushed back by the elastic force of the coil spring 10. Thereby, the holding member 9 returns to the initial position shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, when the operating body 5 is slid in the Y direction shown in FIG. 11 from the state shown in FIG. 11, the operating body 5 is a side wall portion of the recess 54 of the bowl-shaped portion 52 of the operating body 5 as shown in FIG. The guided portion 54 a constituted by the engaging portion engages with the guide portion 61 a constituted by the end face of the plate-like portion 61 of the restricting member 6 and moves together with the restricting member 6. In this case, the restricting member 6 slides along the inner wall surface of the side wall 23 a of the upper case 2 by the restricting piece 62. In the multidirectional input device 1, the inner peripheral portion of the left side end portion of the coil spring 10 shown in FIG. 15 is locked to the left side end portion of the protruding portion 32, and its upper portion (top portion) is In a state of being restricted by the hook-shaped portion 52 via the spacer member 7, the inner peripheral portion of the right side end portion of the coil spring 10 is pushed and expanded in the Y direction at the right side end portion of the holding member 9. In this case, the upper ends of the coil springs 10 are restricted at positions on the outer side (left side) of the left side end portions of the protrusions 32 with respect to the flange-shaped portion 52 and the spacer member 7. Therefore, the situation in which the coil spring 10 is detached from the end portion of the spacer member 7 and enters the outer peripheral side of the flange-shaped portion 52 or the like is surely prevented. When the sliding operation on the operation unit 51 is released from the state shown in FIG. 15, the holding member 9 is pushed back by the elastic force of the coil spring 10. Thereby, the holding member 9 returns to the initial position shown in FIG.

  When the operating body 5 is slid from the state shown in FIG. 11 to the intermediate direction between the X direction and Y direction shown in FIG. 11 (for example, the direction of 45 ° on the lower right side shown in FIG. 11), 5 is a combination of the operations described in FIGS. 13 and 15. That is, the sliding movement in the X direction shown in FIG. 11 is guided by the guide portion 61a of the regulating member 6 and the guided portion 54a of the operating body 5, and the sliding movement in the Y direction shown in FIG. 6 and the inner wall surface of the side wall 23a of the upper case 2 are guided. Inside the multidirectional input device 1, one end (inner peripheral portion) of the coil spring 10 disposed on the opposite side to the sliding direction of the operating body 5 is locked by the protruding portion 32 of the lower case 3. At the same time, the other end (inner peripheral portion) of the coil spring 10 located on the slide direction side is in the sliding direction of the holding member 9 in a state where it is regulated by the flange-like portion 52 via the spacer member 7 from above. The side ends are spread in the intermediate direction between the X direction and the Y direction. Similarly, when returning to the initial position, when the sliding operation on the operation unit 51 is released, the holding member 9 is pushed back by the elastic force of the coil spring 10. Thereby, the holding member 9 returns to the initial position shown in FIGS.

  In the sliding movement of the operating body 5 in any direction, the operating body 5 comes into contact with the inner side (inner peripheral portion) of the opening 22 formed in the upper case 2 so that the sliding movement in that direction is performed. Limited. That is, the inner peripheral portion of the opening 22 serves as a stopper for sliding movement, and when the operating body 5 is slid to the end, the outer periphery of the constricted portion 53 having a circular shape (cylindrical shape). The portion is in contact with the inner peripheral portion of the opening 22. However, the stopper of the operating body 5 is not limited to this, and for example, the hook-like portion 52 of the operating body 5 may be configured to come into contact with the inner wall of the upper case 2.

  As described above, in the multidirectional input device 1, the upper portion (the top portion on the operation body 5 side) of the coil spring 10 that is pushed and spread by the holding member 9 as the operation body 5 slides is interposed via the spacer member 7. Since the restriction is made by the hook-shaped portion 52 of the operating body 5, the movement of the coil spring 10 to the operating body 5 side can be restricted to prevent the coil spring 10 from dropping from a desired position. Thus, it is possible to reliably return the operating body 5 to the initial position. In particular, as shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 15, when the operating body 5 is slid to the end, the end portion on the opposite side to the sliding direction in the bowl-shaped portion 52 is positioned on the outer peripheral side with respect to the end portion of the protruding portion 32. It is arranged. Accordingly, even when the operating body 5 is slid to the end, the top of the coil spring 10 can be regulated by the hook-shaped portion 52, so that the coil spring 10 moves to the operating body 5 side such as the hook-shaped portion 52. Thus, it is possible to prevent the operability from being impaired. In addition, since the top portion of the coil spring 10 is regulated by the hook-shaped portion 52 of the operating body 5 via the spacer member 7, it is possible to prevent the hook-shaped portion 52 from being worn by contact with the coil spring 10. Become.

  In the multidirectional input device 1 according to the present embodiment, when sliding in the direction in which the slide operation is performed on the operating body 5 as described above, and when returning from the slide movement destination position to the initial position. The magnetic sensor 123 mounted on the circuit board 12 detects the direction of the magnetic flux from the magnet 8 held by the holding member 9, and detects the slide position of the operating body 5 (magnet 8). Thereby, according to the slide operation performed with respect to the operation part 51, it becomes possible to detect the slide operation | movement of the operation body 5 appropriately.

  As described above, in the multidirectional input device 1, detection means for detecting the slide position of the operating body 5 is configured in a non-contact manner, so that detection is performed while avoiding problems due to wear of contacts as detection means. It is possible to extend the life of the means. In the multidirectional input device 1, the restricting member 6, the coil spring 10, and the spacer member 7 are formed of a nonmagnetic material to prevent these members from affecting the magnetic field from the magnet 8. Therefore, it is possible to detect the slide position of the operating tool 5 with high accuracy.

  As described above, in the multidirectional input device 1 according to the present embodiment, the coil spring 10 is arranged on the outer peripheral side of the holding member 9 as the small-diameter portion, and this holding member according to the slide movement of the operating body 5. Since the space required by the increase in the amount of slide movement can be reduced as compared with the case where the coil spring 10 is disposed around the large diameter portion, the outer dimensions of the housing. It is possible to increase the slide movement amount of the operating body 5 while suppressing the increase in size.

  In particular, in the multidirectional input device 1 according to the present embodiment, the holding member 9 is provided on the bottom surface portion 31 side of the lower case 3 of the bowl-shaped portion 52, while the projecting portion 32 is formed to project from the bottom surface portion 31. Yes. And the magnetic sensor 123 is arrange | positioned in the recessed part 33 of the back surface side of this protrusion part 32. FIG. Thereby, since the magnetic sensor 123 can be arrange | positioned using the space provided when forming the protrusion part 32, it becomes possible to make an apparatus main body thin. In addition, since the magnetic sensor 123 can be disposed in a space different from the space in which the driving member such as the operating body 5 is disposed, it is possible to prevent a foreign matter such as wear powder from entering the magnetic sensor 123. .

  Here, a case where the holding member 9 is provided on the bottom surface portion 31 side of the lower case 3 of the bowl-shaped portion 52 and the magnetic sensor 123 is disposed on the back surface of the protruding portion 32 formed on the bottom surface portion 31 is shown. However, the arrangement of these components can be changed as appropriate. For example, the holding member 9 may be provided on the upper surface portion 21 side of the upper case 2 of the bowl-shaped portion 52, while the magnetic sensor 123 may be disposed in the vicinity of the upper surface portion 21.

  Further, in the multidirectional input device 1 according to the present embodiment, the holding member 9 is configured as a separate member from the hook-shaped portion 52, and the storage member 91 that stores the magnet 8 is provided in the holding member 9. The operation of attaching the magnet 8 can be facilitated. Further, since the surface of the holding member 9 on the protruding portion 32 side is brought into surface contact with the protruding portion 32, the operating body 5 can be stably supported, so that the magnet 8 is stably slid and moved during operation. Therefore, it is possible to detect the slide position of the operating body 5 with high accuracy.

  Furthermore, in the operation body 5 of the multidirectional input device 1 according to the present embodiment, the operation unit 51 and the hook-shaped portion 52 are provided integrally, and the hook-shaped portion 52 is larger than the opening 22 of the upper case 2. On the other hand, the size of the operation unit 51 is smaller than that of the opening 22, and the operation unit 51 is projected from the opening 22 to the outside of the apparatus. Thus, by providing the operation part 51 integrally with the bowl-shaped part 52 having a size larger than the opening part 22 of the upper case 2, it is possible to reliably prevent the operation part 51 from coming off.

(Embodiment 2)
In the multidirectional input device 100 according to the second embodiment, generally, an operation knob corresponding to the operation unit 51 of the multidirectional input device 1 according to the first embodiment is fixed to the operating body 5, and the operating body 5 is a magnet. 8 is different from the multidirectional input device 1 according to the first embodiment in that the restriction member 6 is disposed between the operating body 5 and the upper case 2. Other configurations are the same as those of the multidirectional input device 1 according to the first embodiment. For this reason, the following description will focus on differences from the multidirectional input device 1 according to the first embodiment.

  16 and 17 are exploded perspective views of the multidirectional input device 100 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a plan view of the multidirectional input device 100 according to the second embodiment. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along one-dot chain line A shown in FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along one-dot chain line B shown in FIG. 16 shows an exploded perspective view of the multidirectional input device 100 viewed from the lower side shown in FIG. 19, and FIG. 17 shows an exploded perspective view of the multidirectional input device 100 seen from the upper side shown in FIG. The figure is shown. In the following, for convenience of explanation, the right side of FIGS. 16 and 17 is referred to as the upper side of the multidirectional input device 100, and the left side of FIG. 16 is referred to as the lower side of the multidirectional input device 100. 16 to 20, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those of the multidirectional input device 1 according to Embodiment 1, and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, in the multidirectional input device 100 according to the second embodiment, unlike the multidirectional input device 1 according to the first embodiment, the hollow portion formed in the housing has an operation portion. The body 15, the regulating member 16, the screw 17, the magnet 8, and the coil spring 10 are accommodated. The operating body 15 is a housing constituted by the upper case 2 and the lower case 3 in a state in which the operation knob 14 fixed on the upper side by the screw 17 protrudes upward from the opening 22 of the upper case 2. It is stored inside. The restricting member 16 is disposed in a concave portion 155 of the operation body 15 described later. The magnet 8 is held inside a small diameter portion 153 of the operation body 15 described later. The coil spring 10 is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the small diameter portion 153 of the operating body 15 and the protruding portion 32 of the lower case 3. A plurality of jig insertion holes 24 into which a jig 13 described later is inserted are formed on the outer peripheral side of the opening 22 in the upper case 2. Hereinafter, the configuration of each component will be described.

  The operation body 15 is formed, for example, by molding an insulating resin material, and generally has a disk shape. The operating body 15 is a non-circular outer shape of a hook-shaped portion 151 having a disk shape and an engagement piece 142 which is erected in the center of the upper surface of the hook-shaped portion 151 and which is an engaging portion of an operation knob 14 described later. And a small-diameter portion 153 that is provided in the center of the lower surface of the flange-shaped portion 151 with a smaller diameter than the outer peripheral portion and opened downward. A disk-shaped space is provided inside the small-diameter portion 153, and the magnet 8 is disposed as will be described later. A through hole 154 is formed in the center of the hook-shaped portion 151 in the vertical direction of the multidirectional input device 100, and the through-hole 154 is located at a position corresponding to the cylindrical portion 152 and the small diameter portion 153. It penetrates. Further, a concave portion 155 in which the regulating member 16 is disposed is formed in a band shape along the left-right direction of the multidirectional input device 100 in FIG. Further, a plurality of jig insertion holes 156 into which a jig 13 described later is inserted are formed in the vertical direction of the multidirectional input device 100 in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the bowl-shaped portion 151. The shielding member 11 is attached to a part of the cylindrical portion 152 protruding upward from the opening 22 of the upper case 2.

  The regulating member 16 is formed of, for example, a nonmagnetic metal material such as stainless steel, and generally has a long shape extending in the left-right direction of the multidirectional input device 100. The restricting member 16 includes a plate-like portion 161 having substantially the same width (exactly slightly narrow width) as the concave portion 155 formed in the flange-like portion 151 of the operating body 15, and the longitudinal direction of the plate-like portion 161. And a pair of restricting pieces 162 that are bent downward from both left and right ends. These restricting pieces 162 are arranged in parallel so as to face the inner wall surface of the side wall portion 23 a of the upper case 2. The length between the outer surfaces of these restricting pieces 162 is provided substantially the same as the length between the inner wall surfaces of the side wall portion 23a of the upper case 2 (exactly slightly shorter). A long hole 163 that is long in the left-right direction is formed in the center of the plate-like portion 161. The long hole 163 is provided with a dimension that allows the cylindrical portion 152 of the operating body 15 to pass therethrough, and a cutout portion 164 as a through hole into which a jig 13 described later is inserted is provided at a side end portion thereof. Is formed.

  The operation knob 14 is formed, for example, by molding an insulating resin material, and generally has a disk shape. A protrusion 141 having a rectangular shape is formed on the lower surface of the operation knob 14, and an engagement piece 142 having a non-circular shape such as an octagonal prism shape is provided at the center of the protrusion 141. The engagement piece 142 is inserted into the hole 152 a of the cylindrical portion 152, and transmits a slide operation or the like applied to the operation knob 14 to the operation body 15. In the center of the engagement piece 142, a hole 142a into which a shaft 172 of a screw 17 described later is inserted is formed. A screw groove corresponding to a screw thread provided on the outer periphery of the shaft portion 172 is formed in the hole portion 142a.

  The screw 17 is made of, for example, a magnetic metal material such as ferrite, and includes a head portion 171 and a shaft portion 172. In the multidirectional input device 100, the head portion 171 is disposed on the lower side, while the shaft portion 172 is inserted into the through hole 154 of the operation body 15 from the inside of the device, and the operation knob inserted into the cylindrical portion 152. 14 engagement pieces 142 are fixed. Thereby, the operation body 15 and the operation knob 14 are integrated. That is, the operation knob 14 constitutes an operation unit provided in the operation body 15.

  The magnet 8 has a disk shape and is provided with a size that can be accommodated in the small diameter portion 153 of the operation body 15. The magnet 8 is held on the operating body 15 by a magnetic force acting between the screws 17 fixed to the operating body 15. In this case, the magnet 8 is held by a holding surface 151 a provided on the lower surface of the bowl-shaped portion 151, and is disposed opposite to the screw 17 with a slight gap therebetween. The holding state of the magnet 8 in the operating body 15 will be described later.

  The coil spring 10 is made of, for example, a nonmagnetic metal material such as stainless steel. The coil spring 10 has an annular shape by connecting both hook-shaped ends (not shown), and the inner diameter in the unloaded state is the outer diameter of the protruding portion 32 of the lower case 3 and the small diameter portion 153 of the operating body 15. Slightly smaller dimensions are provided. The coil spring 10 gives an elastic force to the small diameter portion 153 of the operating body 15 to return the operating body 15 to the initial position when the operating body 15 slides.

  When the multi-directional input device 100 having such a configuration is assembled, as shown in FIG. 18, the operation knob 14 as an operation portion fixed to the operation body 15 protrudes above the upper case 2, and the operation body The shielding member 11 attached to a part of the 15 cylindrical portions 152 is placed on the upper case 2. As described above, since the shielding member 11 having an outer diameter larger than the opening 22 of the upper case 2 is placed on the upper case 2, dust or the like is generated inside the multidirectional input device 100 through the opening 22. It can prevent intrusion.

  Inside the multidirectional input device 100, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, a small diameter portion 153 of the operating body 15 in a state in which the magnet 8 is accommodated is disposed above the flat portion 32 a of the protruding portion 32 of the lower case 3. It is placed. That is, in the initial state in which the operating body 15 is not slid, the projecting portion 32 and the small diameter portion 153 are arranged to face each other so as to overlap each other in the vertical direction in FIG. The coil spring 10 is disposed on the bottom surface portion 31 of the lower case 3 in a slightly extended state so as to surround the outer periphery of the protruding portion 32 and the small diameter portion 153. Since the coil spring 10 is arranged on the outer peripheral side of the small-diameter portion 153 that holds the magnet 8 in this way, the portion where the coil spring 10 is arranged can be overlapped with the small-diameter portion 153. The size in the thickness direction of the apparatus 100 can be reduced.

  The operating body 15 is configured such that the hook-shaped portion 151 is accommodated in the housing, and the hook-shaped portion 151 is arranged in a state of being opposed to the bottom surface portion 31 of the lower case 3. 10 tops are regulated. Further, the operating body 15 has a cylindrical portion 152 protruding outside the apparatus through the opening 22 of the upper case 2. Then, in a state where the engagement piece 142 of the operation knob 14 is inserted into the hole 152a of the cylindrical portion 152, the operation knob 14 and the operation body 15 are integrated by being screwed with the screw 17 from the inside of the apparatus. Has been. In this case, since the engagement piece 142 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 152, the operation force applied to the operation knob 14 is transmitted to the operation body 15 as it is. The restricting member 16 is disposed in a state of being accommodated in the recess 155 of the bowl-shaped portion 151, and the restricting piece 162 is disposed to face the inner wall surface of the side wall portion 23 a of the upper case 2 with a slight clearance.

  The head portion 171 of the screw 17 fixed to the operating body 15 faces the magnet 8 accommodated in the small diameter portion 153. The magnet 8 is attracted to the upper side of the apparatus by the magnetic force generated between the magnet 17 and is held by the operating body 15. Thus, by holding the magnet 8 on the operating body 15 by the magnetic force acting between the screws 17, it is not necessary to use an adhesive or the like to fix the magnet 8, thereby improving the assembly workability. Is possible. Further, since the screw 17 is made of a magnetic metal material, the screw 17 can serve as a yoke (so-called a back yoke), and the detection accuracy of the magnetic sensor 123 can be improved. It has become.

  Positioning of the magnet 8 held in this way is performed by a holding surface 151 a disposed on the upper surface inside the small diameter portion 153 of the bowl-shaped portion 151, and the magnet 8 has a slight gap from the head portion 171 of the screw 17. Oppositely arranged across. Since the magnet 8 is held by the holding surface 151a with a certain gap from the screw 17, the level of the magnet 8 is ensured more accurately than when the magnet 8 is brought into contact with the screw 17 and the level of the magnet 8 is ensured. It is possible to secure the degree.

  Here, in the multidirectional input device 100 according to the present embodiment, an operation when the operation knob 14 is assembled to the operation body 15 will be described. FIGS. 21 and 22 are perspective views for explaining work when the operation knob 14 is assembled to the operation body 15 in the multidirectional input device 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, in the multidirectional input device 100 according to the present embodiment, when the operation knob 14 is assembled to the operation body 15, for example, a rod-shaped body made of a nonmagnetic metal material such as stainless steel is used. A plurality of jigs 13 are used. These jigs 13 are inserted into the jig insertion holes 156 of the operation body 15 and the jig insertion holes 24 of the upper case 2 so as to fix the operation body 15 to the upper case 2 in a non-rotatable manner. Yes.

  In the multidirectional input device 100 according to the present embodiment, the engagement piece 142 of the operation knob 14 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 152 in a state where the operation body 15 is fixed to the upper case 2 as described above. Then, the shaft portion 172 of the screw 17 is inserted into the through hole 154 from the lower surface side of the operation body 15, and the operation knob 14 is screwed to the operation body 15 (see FIG. 22). Since the operation knob 14 is screwed in a state where the rotation of the operation body 15 is restricted in this way, it is possible to prevent the operation body 15 from being rotated according to the screwing work, and to improve the assembly workability. It is possible to improve.

  In addition, when the operation knob 14 is assembled to the operating body 15 in this way, in the multidirectional input device 100 according to the present embodiment, the regulating member 16 is also positioned. That is, in the multidirectional input device 100 according to the present embodiment, the restriction member 16 is disposed between the upper case 2 and the operation body 15 and the operation is performed with the jig 13 inserted in the notch 164. The operation knob 14 is assembled to the body 15 (see FIG. 22). As described above, since the regulating member 16 is also positioned using the jig 13 used when assembling the operation knob 14 to the operation body 15, it is possible to further improve the assembly workability.

  When positioning using the jig 13, the plate-like portion 161 is accommodated in the recess 155 of the operating body 15 in the regulating member 16 as shown in FIG. 23. As described above, since the width of the plate-like portion 161 of the restricting member 16 is substantially the same as the width of the concave portion 155, the plate-like portion 161 enters the concave portion 155. On the other hand, the restricting piece 162 of the restricting member 16 is disposed opposite to the inner wall surface of the side wall portion 23a of the upper case 2 as shown in FIG. For this reason, when a rotational force is given to the operating body 15, the side wall part 155a of the recessed part 155 and the end surface of the plate-shaped part 161 engage, and the regulation piece 162 contacts the inner wall surface of the side wall part 23a. The rotation of the operating body 15 is restricted. Further, since the non-circular engaging piece 142 of the operation knob 14 is engaged with the hole 152a formed in the cylindrical portion 152 of the operation body 15, the rotational force applied to the operation knob 14 is Then, it is transmitted to the operating body 15 as it is and is regulated by the regulating member 16. That is, it is possible to restrict the rotation of the operation knob 14 via the operation body 15 and provide the multidirectional input device 100 having excellent operability.

  Further, the regulating member 16 has the plate-like portion 161 accommodated in the recessed portion 155, and the regulating piece 162 is disposed opposite to the inner wall surface of the side wall portion 23 a of the upper case 2. While the slide movement in the X direction shown in FIG. 6 is restricted, the movement in the Y direction shown in FIG. When the operating body 15 is slid in the X direction shown in FIG. 23, the side wall portion 155 a of the recess 155 formed at a position facing the central portion of the flange-shaped portion 151 is an end surface 161 a of the plate-shaped portion 161. It is guided by. When the operating body 15 is slid in the Y direction shown in FIG. 23, the side wall portion 155a of the recess 155 is engaged with the end surface 161a of the plate-like portion 161, and the operating body 15 including the operating knob 14 The regulating member 16 slides integrally.

  The operation of the multidirectional input device 100 having such a configuration is generally the same as that of the multidirectional input device 1 according to the first embodiment. That is, when the operating body 15 is slid from the state shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, one side of the coil spring 10 disposed on the side opposite to the sliding direction of the operating body 15 is inside the multidirectional input device 100. The end portion (inner peripheral portion) is locked by the projecting portion 32 of the lower case 3 and is positioned on the slide direction side which is the other side of the coil spring 10 in a state where the end portion (inner peripheral portion) is regulated by the hook-shaped portion 151 from the upper side. The end portion (inner peripheral portion) to be pushed is pushed and widened at the end portion on the slide direction side of the small diameter portion 153. Similarly, when returning to the initial position, when the sliding operation on the operation knob 14 is released, the small diameter portion 153 is pushed back by the elastic force of the coil spring 10. Thereby, the small diameter part 153 returns to the initial position shown in FIGS. 19 and 20.

  Further, when the operating body 15 is slid to the end, the end of the hook-shaped portion 151 opposite to the sliding direction is located on the outer peripheral side with respect to the end of the projecting portion 32 to restrict the apex of the coil spring 10 It has become. Also in the present embodiment, the opening 22 of the upper case 2 constitutes a stopper for sliding the operating body 15. That is, when the operation knob 14 is slid, the operation body 15 (in this embodiment, the cylindrical portion 152) including the operation knob 14 comes into contact with the inner peripheral portion of the opening 22, and further sliding movement is restricted. Is done.

  As described above, in the multidirectional input device 100 according to the present embodiment, the coil spring 10 is arranged on the outer peripheral side of the small diameter portion 153 and is extended by the small diameter portion 153 according to the sliding movement of the operating body 15. Compared with the case where the coil spring 10 is arranged around the large diameter portion, the space required as the slide movement amount increases can be reduced, so that the increase in the outer dimension of the housing is suppressed. Thus, it is possible to increase the amount of slide movement of the operating body 15.

  The present invention is not limited to both the above embodiments, and can be implemented with various modifications. In the above-described embodiment, the size and shape illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the arrangement and number of members, and the like are not limited to this, and can be changed as appropriate within the scope of the effects of the present invention. . In addition, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the object of the present invention.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a multidirectional input device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a multidirectional input device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a multidirectional input device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is sectional drawing in the dashed-dotted line A shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing in the dashed-dotted line B shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a relationship between an operation body and a regulating member included in the multidirectional input device according to the first embodiment. 3 is a perspective view showing a relationship among an operating body, a regulating member, a spacer member, and a holding member included in the multidirectional input device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 8 is a side view of the operating body and its peripheral members shown in FIG. 7. 4 is a plan view of a magnetic sensor mounted on a circuit board included in the multidirectional input device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship between a magnetic sensor and a magnet mounted on a circuit board included in the multidirectional input device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the multidirectional input device according to the first embodiment in an initial state. FIG. 12 is a plan view when the operating body is slid in the X direction from the state shown in FIG. 11. It is sectional drawing in the dashed-dotted line A shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is a plan view when the operating body is slid in the Y direction from the state shown in FIG. 11. It is sectional drawing in the dashed-dotted line B shown in FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the multidirectional input device which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a multidirectional input device according to Embodiment 2. FIG. 6 is a plan view of a multidirectional input device according to Embodiment 2. FIG. It is sectional drawing in the dashed-dotted line A shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing in the dashed-dotted line B shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view for explaining a work when an operation knob is assembled to an operation body in the multidirectional input device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a perspective view for explaining a work when an operation knob is assembled to an operation body in the multidirectional input device according to the second embodiment. 10 is a perspective view for explaining a positional relationship between an operating body and a regulating member in the multidirectional input device according to Embodiment 2. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,100 Multidirectional input device 2 Upper case 21 Upper surface part 22 Opening part 23, 23a Side wall part 24 Jig insertion hole 3 Lower case 31 Bottom surface part 32 Protrusion part 32a Flat surface part 33 Concave part 4 Attachment member 5 Operation body 51 Operation part 52 Gutter-shaped part 53 Constricted part 54 Recessed part 54a Guided part 55 Recessed part 6 Restriction member 61 Plate-like part 61a Guide part 62 Restriction piece 7 Spacer member 71 Opening part 8 Magnet (permanent magnet)
9 Holding member (small diameter part)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 91 Storage part 92 Inner bottom face 93 Side wall part 93a Notch part 10 Coil spring 11 Shielding member 111 Slit 12 Circuit board 121 Sealing part 122 Lead wire 123 Magnetic sensor 123a GMR element 123b Control circuit 13 Jig 14 Operation knob (operation part)
141 Projection part 142 Engagement piece 142a Hole part 15 Operating body 151 Hail part 151a Holding surface 152 Cylindrical part 152a Hole 153 Small diameter part 154 Through hole 155 Recessed part 155a Side wall part 156 Jig insertion hole 16 Restriction member 161 Plate-like part 161a End face 162 Restriction piece 163 Long hole 164 Notch part 17 Screw 171 Head part 172 Shaft part

Claims (10)

A housing having a hollow portion formed therein and an opening formed therein, an operating portion exposed from the opening portion, a hook-shaped portion disposed in the hollow portion, and a small-diameter portion having a smaller diameter than the hook-shaped portion. An operating body that is slidable, a detecting means that detects a sliding motion of the operating body, and an elastic member that is annularly arranged on the outer peripheral side of the small diameter portion and returns the operating body to an initial position,
The elastic member accommodates, on the inner peripheral side together with the small diameter portion, a protruding portion provided to protrude from the housing at a position corresponding to the small diameter portion arranged at the initial position, and when the operating body is slid and moved. In a state where the top of the elastic member on the hook-like part side is regulated by the hook-like part, one side of the elastic member located on the opposite side to the sliding direction is locked by the protruding part, and the sliding direction The multi-directional input device, wherein the other side located on the side is expanded by the small diameter portion.   The multidirectional input device according to claim 1, wherein the small-diameter portion is provided on a bottom surface portion side of the housing in the bowl-shaped portion, and the projecting portion protrudes from the bottom surface portion.   The end of the hook-shaped part opposite to the sliding direction when the operating body is slid to the end is arranged at a position on the outer peripheral side with respect to the end of the projecting part. The multidirectional input device according to claim 2.   The elastic member is configured by an annular coil spring, and a spacer member is disposed between the coil spring and the flange-shaped portion, and the flange-shaped portion is located on the top of the coil spring via the spacer member. The multidirectional input device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the multi-directional input device is regulated.   The permanent magnet that moves together with the operating body and a magnetic sensor that detects a magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet constitute the detection means, and the permanent magnet is held in the small diameter portion. The multidirectional input device according to any one of 4.   The multidirectional input device according to claim 5, wherein the elastic member is formed of a nonmagnetic material.   The multi-directional input device according to claim 5, wherein the magnetic sensor is arranged in a concave portion on a back surface side that forms the protruding portion in the housing.   The small-diameter portion is formed of a member separate from the bowl-shaped portion, and the small-diameter portion is formed of a holding member having a storage portion that stores the permanent magnet, and the surface of the holding member on the protruding portion side is the protruding portion. The multi-directional input device according to claim 5, wherein the multi-directional input device is in surface contact.   The multidirectional input device according to claim 8, wherein a recess or an opening is formed on a surface of the holding member in surface contact with the protruding portion.   The operation portion of the operation body is provided integrally with the hook-shaped portion, and the size of the hook-shaped portion is larger than that of the opening formed in the housing. The multidirectional input device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the multi-directional input device has a small size and the operation portion protrudes from the opening to the outside of the device.

Images