JP2011154596A - Multidirectional input device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multidirectional input device capable of improving the stability and reproducibility of the detection result of a tilting direction of an operation part with a simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: The multidirectional input device includes a first case having a supporting part, a second case having a concave-curve shaped inside surface, a rotation part which is rotatable in contact with the supporting part of the first case and in contact with the inside surface of the second case, an operation part provided on the rotation part, and an interlocking member which is pushed to the rotation part to return the operation part to the neutral position. A first rotation suppression mechanism is provided between the interlocking member and the interlocking member for suppressing the rotation around an axis of the operation part, and a second rotation suppression mechanism is provided between the first case and the interlocking member for suppressing the rotation around the axis of the operation part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a multidirectional input device.

  10A and 10B are cross-sectional views for explaining the configuration of a conventional joystick 300 disclosed in Patent Document 1. FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 10B-10B of FIG. 10A.

  In the conventional joystick 300 disclosed in Patent Document 1, the operation unit 336 is tilted in the X direction (directions on both sides in FIG. 10A) on the front and rear side walls 337C and 337D (FIG. 10B) of the case 337 and its restriction. An interlocking member 350 for performing the above is supported. Further, the side wall 337A, 337B (FIG. 10A) on both side surfaces of the case 337 supports the interlocking member 350 for tilting and restricting the operation portion 336 in the Y direction (front and back directions in FIG. 10A). Yes. Tilt of the operation unit 336 in the X direction is performed around the rotation axis included in the interlocking member 350, and tilting of the operation unit 336 in the Y direction is performed around the rotation axis included in the interlocking member 345. Further, a spring 362 for returning the operation unit 336 to the neutral position is provided. When the spring 362 is tilted by an external force, the interlocking member 363 moves in a direction in which the spring 362 is contracted. Thereafter, when the external force applied to the operation unit 336 is released, the operation unit 336 is returned to the neutral position by the elastic force of the spring 362.

  FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of a conventional joystick 400 disclosed in Patent Document 2. As shown in FIG.

  In the conventional joystick 400 disclosed in Patent Document 2, a top-shaped universal joint 402 is fixed on the central axis P of a case 401 having a hollow flange shape. The top-shaped universal joint 402 includes a sliding bearing tray 403 having a spherical surface 403 a and a spherical portion 404 that abuts on the spherical surface 403 a of the bearing tray 403. In addition, the bearing tray 403 is comprised from the ring-shaped member which can be divided | segmented into the V direction of FIG. The spherical portion 404 is provided with shafts 405 and 406 extending in both directions of the V direction. A knob 407 is provided at the end of the shaft 405 exposed to the outside of the case 401, and a columnar permanent magnet 408 (a magnet generator) is provided coaxially with the shaft 406 at the end of the shaft 406 extending into the case 401. It has been. In addition, a sensor 412 is provided inside the case 401, thereby detecting the position of the permanent magnet 408.

JP 2001-75665 A JP-A-6-161655

  However, the configuration of Patent Document 1 requires an interlocking member 350 for tilting and restricting the operation unit 336 in the X direction and an interlocking member 350 for tilting and restricting the operation unit 336 in the Y direction. Therefore, the number of parts increases and the configuration becomes complicated.

  On the other hand, in the configuration of Patent Document 2, the shaft 405 (operation unit) including the knob 407 can be tilted in all directions while being a simple configuration. However, the configuration of Patent Document 2 does not include a structure for suppressing the operation unit from rotating about the axis. In such a structure that allows the operation unit to freely rotate around the axis, the stability and reproducibility of the detection result of the tilt direction of the operation unit may be reduced. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 12A, the permanent magnet 408 may be attached in a state of being inclined with respect to the shaft 406 due to a manufacturing error or the like. In such a case, when the operation unit rotates around the axis, the position of the end surface 408a of the permanent magnet 408 with respect to the sensor 412 changes as illustrated in FIGS. 12C-12F, even though the operation unit is not tilted. . This leads to a decrease in stability and reproducibility of the detection result of the tilt direction of the operation unit. The same thing occurs when the magnetization of the permanent magnet 408 is biased as illustrated in FIG. 12B. Further, such a problem is based on the detection error of the tilt direction of the operation unit caused by the above-described rotation around the axis, and occurs regardless of the detection method of the tilt direction of the operation unit.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides a multidirectional input device that can improve the stability and reproducibility of the detection result of the tilt direction of the operation unit while having a simple configuration. The purpose is to do.

  In the present invention, in order to solve the above problems, a first case including a projecting support portion and a through hole that includes a concave curved inner surface and penetrates from the inner surface side to the outer side are provided. A second case having a fixed relative position to the first case, a concave curved contact surface that is slidably contacted with the support portion of the first case, and a convex surface that is slidably contacted with the inner surface of the second case A rotating portion that can be rotated in a state in which the concave sliding contact surface is in contact with the support portion of the first case and the convex sliding contact surface is in contact with the inner surface of the second case. And an operating portion provided on the convex contact surface side of the rotating portion and disposed on the through-hole side, a detecting portion for detecting the tilt of the operating portion, and a first case of the rotating portion by a given elastic force An interlocking member that is pressed against the pressing portion that is the side region and returns the operation portion to the neutral position, and the first of the pressing portion that faces the interlocking member The second position of the interlocking member facing the mounting and the pressing part is provided with a first rotation suppression mechanism for suppressing the rotation part from rotating around the axis of the operation part with respect to the interlocking member, In the third position of the first case or the second case facing the interlocking member and the fourth position of the interlocking member facing the first case or the second case, the interlocking member is located with respect to the first case or the second case. There is provided a multidirectional input device provided with a second rotation suppression mechanism for suppressing rotation around the axis of the operation unit.

  In the present invention, by using a rotating portion that is rotatable in a state where the concave sliding contact surface is in contact with the support portion of the first case and the convex sliding contact surface is in contact with the inner surface of the second case, A multidirectional input device capable of multidirectional input with a simple configuration is realized. Further, the first rotation suppression mechanism suppresses the rotation unit from rotating around the axis of the operation unit with respect to the interlocking member, and the second rotation suppression mechanism rotates the interlocking member relative to the first case or the second case. Is suppressed. As a result, the stability and reproducibility of the detection result of the tilt direction of the operation unit can be improved. As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the stability and reproducibility of the detection result of the tilt direction of the operation unit with a simple configuration.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a multidirectional input device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the multidirectional input device according to the embodiment. FIG. 3A is a plan view of the multidirectional input device of the embodiment, and FIG. 3B is a front view of the multidirectional input device of the embodiment. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3A. FIG. 5A is a front view for explaining a coupling state of the operation member and the interlocking member, and FIG. 5B is an enlarged view of the IVB portion of FIG. 5A. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 6-6 in FIG. 3B. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 7-7 in FIG. 3A for explaining a state in which the operation unit 121 is tilted. 8A and 8B are diagrams for explaining a modification. Here, FIG. 8B is an enlarged view of FIG. 8B portion of FIG. 8A. 9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining a modification. 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views for explaining the configuration of a conventional joystick disclosed in Patent Document 1. FIG. FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of a conventional joystick disclosed in Patent Document 2. As shown in FIG. FIG. 12A is a cross-sectional view for explaining a state where the permanent magnet is attached while being inclined with respect to the axis. FIG. 12B is a conceptual diagram for explaining a state in which the magnetization accuracy of the permanent magnet is biased. FIG. 12C to FIG. 12F are diagrams for explaining how the position of the end face of the permanent magnet varies due to rotation around the axis.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Configuration>
As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the multidirectional input device 100 of this embodiment includes a case 110 (second case), an operation member 120 including an operation unit 121 and a rotation unit 122, and an interlocking member. 130, a spring 140, a case 150 (first case), a reference member 160, and a detection member 170.

[Case 150 (first case)]
As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the case 150 (first case) of this embodiment includes a substantially plate-like base portion 152 provided with a through hole 152 a near the center, and a plate surface of the base portion 152. And a cylindrical support 151 protruding substantially vertically near the center. In this example, a groove 153 surrounding the support portion 151 is provided around the support portion 151 of the base portion 152. In the case of this example, a chamfered shape portion 151 a that is inclined or curved from the central axis side toward the outer peripheral side is provided at the outer peripheral side edge portion of the tip of the support portion 151 formed in a cylindrical shape. The “chamfered shape” is a term for specifying only the shape, and does not limit a manufacturing method or a processing method for obtaining the shape. Moreover, there is no limitation in the material of case 150, For example, a metal, resin, etc. can be used.

[Case 110 (second case)]
As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the case 110 (second case) of the present embodiment includes an inner surface 113 having a concave curved surface shape (in this embodiment, a concave spherical shape), and the inner surface 113 side to the outer side. This is a member provided with a through-hole 111 penetrating into. The case 110 in this example is a cylindrical member having a through hole 111 in which the diameter of the opening 111a at one end is narrowed down. In this example, the inner surface 113 is formed in an annular shape in a region between the cylindrical inner peripheral side surface 114 coaxial with the central axis of the through hole 111 and the opening 111a of the through hole 111 whose inner diameter is narrower than that. ing. Further, the cylindrical inner peripheral surface 114 (third position) is provided with a recess 112 that is one groove formed in a direction along the central axis of the through hole 111. Here, the inner diameter of the region surrounded by the cylindrical inner peripheral surface 114 is substantially the same.

  The case 110 is directly or indirectly fixed to the case 150 with the inner surface 113 facing the outer peripheral side of the support portion 151 of the case 150 and the inner surface 113 facing the chamfered shape portion 151a side of the support portion 151. (That is, the relative position of the case 110 with respect to the case 150 is constant). At this time, the through hole 111 and the support portion 151 are disposed substantially coaxially, and the recess 112 is disposed as a groove along the central axis of the support portion 151. Moreover, there is no limitation in the material of case 110, For example, a metal, resin, etc. can be used.

[Operation member 120]
As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the operation member 120 of this embodiment includes an operation unit 121, a rotation unit 122, and a protrusion 123.

  The rotating portion 122 of the present embodiment includes a concave sliding contact surface 122d (concave spherical shape in this embodiment) that is slidably contacted with a chamfered shape portion 151a of the support portion 151 of the case 150, and a case 110. And a convex contact surface 122c having a convex curved surface (in this embodiment, a convex spherical shape) that is slidably abutted on the inner surface 113 of the first surface. The rotating portion 122 has a concave sliding contact surface 122d in contact with the chamfered shape portion 151a of the support portion 151 of the case 150 and a convex sliding contact surface 122c in contact with the inner surface 113 of the case 110. Rotation along is possible. In addition, the rotation part 122 of this form is a member formed in the dome shape (in other words, the hemisphere with a hollow inside). The virtual sphere including the convex contact surface 122c and the virtual sphere including the concave contact surface 122d are spheres having a common center point, and the radius of the virtual sphere including the convex contact surface 122c is The radius of the virtual sphere including the concave sliding contact surface 122d is larger. The rotating unit 122 of this embodiment is preferably configured to be substantially line symmetrical with respect to a virtual straight line passing through the center of a virtual sphere including the convex sliding contact surface 122c.

  A plurality of convex portions 122 a are provided on the pressing portion 122 b that is an area on the case 150 side of the rotating portion 122. The pressing portion 122b of this embodiment is an annular end portion facing the case 150 side that is located at the end portion of the rotating portion 122 on the case 150 side. In other words, the pressing portion 122b of the present embodiment is a region on the opposite side of the convex sliding contact surface 122c and is a region away from the rotation center of the rotation unit 122. At a predetermined position (first position) of the pressing portion 122b, for example, a plurality of convex portions 122a project in an annular shape. For example, the plurality of convex portions 122a are provided so as to project toward the case 150, and are arranged in an annular shape (around the virtual straight line passing through the operation portion 121) at substantially equal intervals.

  The operation unit 121 is provided on the surface on the convex contact surface 122 c side of the rotation unit 122 and is disposed on the through hole 111 side of the case 110. The operation unit 121 according to the present embodiment is, for example, a columnar portion protruding from the surface on the convex sliding contact surface 122 c side of the rotation unit 122, and at least a part of the operation unit 121 is disposed outside the through hole 111. The operation unit 121 of this embodiment is a member that extends outward from the surface on the convex sliding contact surface 122c side, for example, along a virtual straight line passing through the center of a virtual sphere including the convex sliding contact surface 122c. is there. For example, the operation unit 121 of the present embodiment is arranged on the convex contact surface 122c side in a substantially normal direction of the surface on the convex contact surface 122c along a virtual straight line passing through the rotation center of the rotation unit 122. It is a member protruding outward from the surface.

  The projecting portion 123 is a portion provided on the surface of the rotating portion 122 on the concave sliding contact surface 122 d side. The protrusion 123 of this embodiment is, for example, a columnar part protruding inward from the surface on the concave sliding contact surface 122d side of the rotating portion 122, and is a virtual sphere including the concave sliding contact surface 122d. It extends toward the center of the virtual sphere along a virtual straight line passing through the center. In the case of this embodiment, a part of the tip end side of the protruding portion 123 is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the cylindrical support portion 151. Note that the operation member 120 according to the present embodiment is an integrally formed member, for example, a material such as metal or resin.

[Spring 140]
As illustrated in FIG. 4, the spring 140 of the present embodiment is a coil-shaped compression spring, and the inner diameter thereof is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical support portion 151 protruding from the case 150. A support portion 151 is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the spring 140, and one end of the spring 140 is accommodated in a groove 153 around the support portion 151. Accordingly, the spring 140 can be expanded and contracted along the extending direction of the support portion 151 (that is, the direction along the central axis of the through hole 111) with the bottom portion 153a in the groove 153 of the case 150 as a fulcrum.

[Interlocking member 130]
As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, a substantially ring-shaped interlocking member 130 having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the spring 140 is provided at the other end (the end portion on the case 110 side) of the spring 140 of this embodiment. Is placed. A cylindrical portion 134 having a larger inner diameter than the outer diameter of the support portion 151 and a smaller outer diameter than the inner diameter of the spring 140 protrudes from the surface of the interlocking member 130 facing the spring 140 side. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the cylindrical portion 134 has an inner periphery disposed on the outer peripheral side of the support portion 151, and an outer periphery disposed on the inner peripheral side of the spring 140. Further, the pressing portion 122 b side of the rotating portion 122 is disposed on the concave portion forming surface 133 side facing the inner surface 113 side of the case 110 of the interlocking member 130. A plurality of recesses 131 are provided at a predetermined position (second position) on the recess forming surface 133 side. Here, the plurality of concave portions 131 are provided at positions facing the plurality of convex portions 122 a provided in the pressing portion 122 b of the rotating portion 122, respectively. The plurality of recesses 131 in this example are provided annularly at substantially equal intervals. The recess forming surface 133 side of the interlocking member 130 is pressed against the pressing portion 122 b side of the rotating portion 122 by the elastic force applied from the spring 140. Thereby, each convex part 122a of the press part 122b is arrange | positioned in each recessed part of the recessed part formation surface 133 (FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B). When the concave portion forming surface 133 side of the interlocking member 130 is pressed against the pressing portion 122 b side of the rotating portion 122, the convex portions 122 a of the pressing portion 122 b are smoothly inserted into the concave portions 131 of the concave portion forming surface 133. As described above, it is desirable that the corners of the tip portions of the respective convex portions 122a are chamfered or the entrance portions of the concave portions 131 are tapered. Then, by inserting at least a part of the protrusions 122 a into any of the recesses 131, it is possible to suppress the rotation part 122 from rotating around the axis of the operation part 121 with respect to the interlocking member 130. That is, the combination of the convex part 122 a and the concave part 131 corresponds to a first rotation suppression mechanism for suppressing the rotation part 122 from rotating around the axis of the operation part 121 with respect to the interlocking member 130. It should be noted that it is desirable that at least a part of the convex portion 122a is always disposed in the concave portion 131 no matter which direction the operation unit 121 tilts. For example, when the convex portions 122a and the concave portions 131 are annularly arranged at substantially equal intervals, it is desirable that three or more convex portions 122a and concave portions 131 are provided. In addition, no matter which direction the operation unit 121 tilts, two projections 122a and two recesses 131 are provided as long as at least a part of the projections 122a is necessarily placed in the recess 131. It may be. Further, no matter which direction the operation unit 121 tilts, the convex portions 122a and the concave portions 131 are not arranged at equal intervals unless all the convex portions 122a are arranged outside the concave portion 131. May be.

  On the outer peripheral side surface (fourth position) of the interlocking member 130, a protruding portion 132 that protrudes outwardly (from the center of the interlocking member 130 toward the outer periphery) is projected. The convex part 132 is arrange | positioned in the recessed part 112 provided in the cylindrical inner peripheral side surface 114 of case 110 mentioned above (FIG.4 and FIG.6). Thereby, it can suppress that the interlocking member 130 rotates to the surroundings of the axial center of the operation part 121 with respect to the case 110 (FIG. 6). Therefore, the set of the convex portion 132 and the concave portion 112 corresponds to a second rotation suppression mechanism for suppressing the interlocking member 130 from rotating around the axis of the operation portion 121 with respect to the case 110. As will be described later, the interlocking member 130 slides along the extending direction of the support portion 151 (that is, the direction along the central axis of the through hole 111) in response to the tilting of the operation portion 121. Even in this case, if the length of the recess 112 that is a groove along the central axis of the through hole 111 is sufficient, the tilt of the operation unit 121 is not hindered. The direction of rotation around the axis of the operation unit 121 is substantially perpendicular to the recess 112 that is a groove along the central axis of the through hole 111. Therefore, even if the interlocking member 130 slides according to the tilt of the operation unit 121, the interlocking member 130 can be prevented from rotating around the axis of the operation unit 121 with respect to the case 110.

[Reference member 160]
As illustrated in FIG. 4, a reference member 160 is attached to a reference point defined on the protrusion 123 of the rotation unit 122. In the case of this embodiment, the tip of the projection 123 is a reference point, and the permanent magnet is a reference member 160. For example, the protrusion 123 of the rotating part 122 is provided with a recess, and a permanent magnet as the reference member 160 is fixed in the recess.

[Detection member 170]
As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, a detection member 170 for detecting the tilt of the 121 operation unit is provided inside the support portion 151 of the case 150. The detection member 170 of this embodiment includes a sensor IC 171 that outputs a signal indicating the direction of a magnetic field that passes through, a mounting board 172 on which the sensor IC 171 is mounted, and a signal output terminal 173. An example of the sensor IC 171 is an element that performs arithmetic processing on signals from a plurality of Hall elements or magnetoresistive elements (detection units) in the sensor IC 171 and outputs the directions of magnetic fields passing through the sensor IC 171 as two signals. A specific example of such a sensor IC 171 is MLX90333 manufactured by Melexis. The detection member 170 can detect the tilt of the operation unit 121 by detecting the direction of the magnetic field from the permanent magnet that is the reference member 160 provided on the protrusion 123 of the rotation unit 122.

<Manufacturing method>
The multi-directional input device 100 of this embodiment is manufactured as follows, for example.

  (1) The detection member 170 is fixed to the inner peripheral side of the support portion 151 of the case 150 as described above.

  (2) The spring 140 is attached to the support portion 151 of the case 150 as described above.

  (3) The interlocking member 130 is attached to the support 151 and the spring 140 as described above.

  (4) The pressing portion 122b side of the rotating portion 122 to which the reference member 160 is fixed is arranged on the concave portion forming surface 133 side of the interlocking member 130, and the plural concave portions 131 on the concave portion forming surface 133 side are arranged on the pressing portion 122b side. The plurality of convex portions 122a are respectively fitted.

  (5) The convex portion 132 on the outer peripheral side surface of the interlocking member 130 is disposed in the concave portion 112 on the cylindrical inner peripheral side surface 114 of the case 110, and at least a part of the operation unit 121 is protruded to the outside from the opening 111 a of the case 110. In the state, the case 110 is caulked with heat to the case 150.

<Operation>
Next, the operation of the multidirectional input device 100 of this embodiment will be described.

  As described above, the rotating portion 122 can be rotated in a state where the concave sliding contact surface 122 d is in contact with the support portion 151 of the case 150 and the convex sliding contact surface 122 c is in contact with the inner surface 113 of the case 110. . Further, as described above, the interlocking member 130 to which the elastic force from the spring 140 is applied is pressed against the annular pressing portion 122b of the rotating portion 122. When no external force is applied to the operation unit 121, the rotating unit 122 balances the force applied from the interlocking member 130 with the reaction force from the inner surface 113 of the case 110 and the support unit 151 of the case 150. Placed in position (FIG. 4). This position is the neutral position of the operation unit 121 and the rotation unit 122.

  Even when the operation unit 121 is rotated about the axis in this state, the projection 122a of the rotation unit 122 is inserted into the recess 131 of the interlocking member 130, so that it rotates with respect to the interlocking member 130. The part 122 is prevented from rotating around the axis of the operation part 121. Furthermore, the protrusion 132 of the interlocking member 130 is disposed in the recess 112 of the case 110, so that the interlocking member 130 is prevented from rotating around the axis of the operation unit 121 with respect to the case 110. As a result, the operation member 120 can be prevented from rotating around the axis of the operation unit 121 with respect to the case 110.

  On the other hand, when an external force is applied to the operation unit 121 and the operation unit 121 tilts, the rotation unit 122 rotates accordingly, and the interlocking member 130 shifts to the case 150 side along the support unit 151, and the spring 140 is moved. Compress (FIG. 7). In this state, a part of the convex part 122a (for example, A1 part of FIG. 7) of the rotating part 122 is disposed outside the concave part 131 of the interlocking member 130, but a part of the convex part 122a (for example, FIG. 7). A2) of the interlocking member 130 is disposed in the recess 131. The tilt direction and tilt angle of the operation unit 121 are detected by the detection member 170 as the direction of the magnetic field from the permanent magnet as the reference member 160, and a signal representing the detection result is output.

  Even when the operation unit 121 is rotated about the axis in this state, a part of the projections 122 a is inserted into the recess 131, so that the rotation unit 122 is operated with respect to the interlocking member 130. Rotation around the axis is suppressed. Furthermore, the protrusion 132 of the interlocking member 130 is disposed in the recess 112 of the case 110, so that the interlocking member 130 is prevented from rotating around the axis of the operation unit 121 with respect to the case 110. As a result, the operation member 120 is prevented from rotating around the axis of the operation unit 121 with respect to the case 110. As described above, the plurality of convex portions 122 a are provided in the rotating portion 122 and the plurality of concave portions 112 are provided in the interlocking member 130, so that even when the operation portion 121 is tilted, the operation is performed on the case 110. The member 120 can be prevented from rotating around the axis of the operation unit 121. In particular, when the convex portion 122a or the concave portion 131 is formed so that at least a part of the convex portion 122a is always disposed in the concave portion 131 regardless of the direction in which the operation unit 121 tilts. In any case, the rotation of the operation member 120 around the axis of the operation unit 121 relative to the case 110 can be suppressed regardless of the direction in which the operation unit 121 tilts.

  Further, when the external force applied to the operation unit 121 is released, the operation unit 121 and the rotation unit 122 are applied from the force applied from the interlocking member 130 and the inner surface 113 of the case 110 or the support unit 151 of the case 150. Return to neutral position balanced with reaction force.

  As described above, in the multi-directional input device 100 of the present embodiment, the operation unit 121 can be tilted in an arbitrary direction by an external force with a simple configuration, and the tilt direction and tilt angle can be detected. When the external force applied to the operation unit 121 is released, the operation unit 121 can be returned to the neutral position. Furthermore, in the multidirectional input device 100 according to the present embodiment, the operation member 120 can be prevented from rotating around the axis of the operation unit 121, so there is an error in the attachment position of the reference member 160 or the detection member 170, Even when the magnetization of 160 is biased, it is possible to suppress variation in the detection result of the tilt direction of the operation unit 121 due to the operation member 120 rotating around the axis of the operation unit 121. it can.

<Modification>
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, a plurality of convex portions 122a are provided at a predetermined position (first position) of the pressing portion 122b in the rotating portion 122 of the operation member 120, and a predetermined portion of the concave portion forming surface 133 in the interlocking member 130 is provided. A plurality of recesses 131 are provided at the position (second position), and these constitute the first rotation suppression mechanism. However, instead of the operation member 120 and the interlocking member 130, an operation member 220 and an interlocking member 230 illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B may be used. The operation member 220 has a configuration in which the rotation part 122 of the operation member 120 is replaced with a rotation part 222. 8A and 8B, a plurality of concave portions 222a are provided at predetermined positions (first positions) of the pressing portions 222b of the rotating portion 222 of the operation member 220, and the convex portion forming surface of the interlocking member 230 is provided. A plurality of convex portions 231 are provided at a predetermined position (second position) of 233, and function as a first rotation suppression mechanism by fitting them.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the convex portion 132 is provided on the outer peripheral side surface (fourth position) of the interlocking member 130, and the concave portion 112 is provided on the cylindrical inner peripheral side surface 114 (third position) of the case 110. A two-rotation suppression mechanism was configured. However, the case 210 and the interlocking member 230 illustrated in FIG. 9A may be used instead of the case 110 and the interlocking member 130 described above. In this modification, a concave portion 232 is provided instead of a convex portion on the outer peripheral side surface (fourth position) of the interlocking member 230, and one convex portion 212 is provided instead of a concave portion on the cylindrical inner peripheral side surface (third position) of the case 210. The convex portion 212 is disposed in the concave portion 232 and functions as a second rotation suppression mechanism.

  Further, instead of the case 110, a case 280 illustrated in FIG. 9B may be used. In this modification, a convex portion 132 is provided on the outer peripheral side surface (fourth position) of the interlocking member 130, a concave portion 282 is provided on the cylindrical inner peripheral side surface (third position) of the case 280, and the convex portion 132 is in the concave portion 282. It functions as a 2nd rotation suppression mechanism by being arrange | positioned. However, the inner diameter of the concave portion 282 is somewhat larger than the outer diameter of the convex portion 132. Thereby, the convex part 132 is movable within a predetermined groove width in the concave part 282. As a result, the interlocking member 130 is allowed to rotate around the axis of the operation unit 121 (rotation in the β direction) within a predetermined allowable range α with respect to the case 280. Further, a detection member (contact or non-contact) that detects the position of the convex portion 132 with respect to the case 280 or the case 150, or a switch that operates according to the position of the convex portion 132 with respect to the case 280 or the case 150 (contact or non-contact). An additional member 290 is provided. As a result, a multi-directional input device that can be turned ON / OFF by the rotation input around the axis of the operation unit 121 and the rotation around the axis of the operation unit 121 can be configured. Note that the predetermined allowable range α may be determined within a range in which variation in the detection result of the tilt direction of the operation unit 121 is allowable. An example of the allowable range α is 3 ° to 45 °.

  In addition, for example, the configuration in which the operation unit 121 does not protrude from the convex contact surface 122c of the rotation unit 122 may be employed. For example, the operation unit 121 may be a partial region included in the convex sliding contact surface 122c of the rotating unit 122, or may be a region recessed from the convex sliding contact surface 122c of the rotating unit 122. . Further, the operation member 120 may not be line symmetric with respect to the operation unit 121. In addition, the operation member is not a member in which the operation unit, the rotation unit, and the projection unit are integrated, and the operation unit, the rotation unit, and a part of the projection unit may be separable. In this embodiment, the inner surface of the second case is formed in a concave spherical shape, the concave sliding contact surface of the rotating part is formed in a concave spherical shape, and the convex sliding contact surface is formed in a convex spherical shape. It was. However, the inner surface of the second case is formed into a cylindrical inner surface or other concave curved surface, the concave sliding contact surface of the rotating portion is formed into a cylindrical inner surface or other concave curved surface, and the convex sliding contact surface is a cylindrical outer surface or other. It may be formed in a convex curved shape. Further, the tilt of the operation unit 121 is not detected by using a laser beam, but the tilt of the operation unit 121 is detected based on the direction in which the magnetic field from the permanent magnet that is the reference member 160 provided at the reference point passes through the detection member 170. For example, the tilt of the operation unit 121 may be detected by other means. Moreover, a convex part and a recessed part are provided in the rotation side, a convex part and a recessed part are provided in the interlocking member side, and a 1st rotation suppression mechanism may be comprised by those combination. In addition, the first rotation suppression mechanism may be configured by a set of one convex portion and a concave portion, instead of configuring the first rotation suppression mechanism by a plurality of convex portions and concave portions. In addition, the case 110 may be configured with a concave portion or a convex portion constituting the second rotation suppression mechanism on the case 150 side, instead of being configured with the concave portion or the convex portion constituting the second rotation suppression mechanism. Further, the case 150 and the case 110 may be integrally formed. Further, instead of using a coiled compression spring as the spring 140, a leaf spring or other springs may be used. In addition, instead of the spring 140, rubber or another elastic body may be used.

  Needless to say, other modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  The multidirectional input device of the present invention can be used as, for example, a joystick or other input device.

100 Multi-directional input device 110, 150, 210, 280 Case 111 Through hole 112, 131, 222a, 232, 282 Concave portion 122a, 132, 212, 231 Convex portion 113 Inner surface 120, 220 Operation member 121 Operation portion 122, 222 Rotation Parts 122b, 222b Pressing part 122c Convex sliding contact surface 122d Concave sliding contact surface 130, 230 Interlocking member 151 Supporting part 170 Detection member 290 Additional member

Claims (6)

A first case including a projecting support portion;
A second case including a concave curved inner surface, provided with a through-hole penetrating from the inner surface side to the outer side, and having a constant relative position to the first case;
A concave curved contact surface that is slidably contacted with the support portion of the first case and a convex curved contact surface that is slidably contacted with the inner surface of the second case. A rotating portion that is rotatable in a state where the concave sliding contact surface is in contact with the support portion and the convex sliding contact surface is in contact with the inner surface;
An operating portion provided on the convex sliding contact surface side of the rotating portion and disposed on the through-hole side;
A detection member for detecting tilting of the operation unit;
An interlocking member that is pressed against a pressing portion that is an area on the first case side of the rotating portion by a given elastic force, and returns the operating portion to a neutral position;
In the first position of the pressing portion that faces the interlocking member and the second position of the interlocking member that faces the pressing portion, the rotating portion is about the axis of the operation portion with respect to the interlocking member. A first rotation suppressing mechanism for suppressing rotation is provided;
The third position of the first case or the second case facing the interlocking member and the fourth position of the interlocking member facing the first case or the second case include the first case or the second case. A second rotation suppression mechanism is provided for suppressing the interlocking member from rotating about the axis of the operation portion with respect to the two cases;
A multidirectional input device characterized by that. The multi-directional input device according to claim 1,
The first rotation suppression mechanism includes a set of a convex portion at the first position and a concave portion at the second position, or a set of a concave portion at the first position and a convex portion at the second position.
A multidirectional input device characterized by that. The multi-directional input device according to claim 2,
The first rotation suppression mechanism is a combination of a plurality of convex portions at the first position arranged in a ring and a plurality of concave portions at the second position arranged in a ring, or a plurality arranged in a ring shape. Including a combination of each concave portion at the first position and a plurality of convex portions at the second position arranged in an annular shape,
A multidirectional input device characterized by that. The multidirectional input device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The second rotation suppression mechanism includes a set of a concave portion at the third position and a convex portion at the fourth position, or a set of a convex portion at the third position and a concave portion at the fourth position.
A multidirectional input device characterized by that. The multi-directional input device according to claim 4,
The second rotation suppression mechanism is a set of a concave portion at the third position and a convex portion at the fourth position;
An inner diameter of the concave portion at the third position is larger than an outer diameter of the convex portion at the fourth position, and the interlocking member is within a predetermined allowable range with respect to the first case or the second case. Rotation around the axis of the part is possible,
The multidirectional input device further includes a second detection member that detects a position of the convex portion of the fourth position with respect to the first case or the second case, or the first detection with respect to the first case or the second case. Including a switch that operates according to the position of the convex portion at four positions,
A multidirectional input device characterized by that. The multi-directional input device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The inner surface of the concave curved surface of the second case is formed in a concave spherical shape, the concave sliding contact surface of the rotating portion is formed in a concave spherical shape, and the convex sliding contact surface of the rotating portion is a convex spherical surface. Formed into a shape,
A multidirectional input device characterized by that.

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