JP2011238464A - Multi-directional input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multi-directional input device which avoids an annular resilient member being clamped between a plate face of a movable unit and a housing, caused by the deformation of the housing.SOLUTION: The multi-directional input device includes: a housing having a cavity connected to the outside via an opening 16, and having a protrusion 22 protruding inside the cavity; an operation body 7 having an operation unit 41 exposed from the aperture 16 and a movable unit 34 slide-moving in a plane direction inside the cavity so as to face opposite to protrusion 22; detection means for detecting the slide movement of the operation body 7; coil spring to restore the movable unit 34 to an initial position relative to the protrusion 22, in such a manner as to surround the protrusion 22 and the outer circumference side of the movable unit 34; and a plurality of retention bodies 8 having a retention plane 53 capable of housing at least the inner circumference side of the coil spring 9. In the state of retaining the resilient member, the plurality of retention bodies 8 are configured to be slidably movable accompanied by the slide movement of the movable unit 34.

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.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a multidirectional input device capable of inputting multidirectional directions by a slide operation of an operating body is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This multidirectional input device has a housing having an opening formed on the upper surface, and the operation body of the operation body protrudes from the opening to the outside of the housing, and the hook-like movable portion of the operation body is placed in the housing. Arranged and configured. Around the opening of the housing, there is formed an annular convex portion projecting into the housing toward the bowl-shaped movable part, and an annular elastic member is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the annular convex part and the bowl-shaped movable part. It is installed.

  In addition, a detection unit that detects a sliding direction and a sliding amount of the movable part of the operating body is provided at the bottom of the housing. When the operation portion is operated, the movable portion is slid in the housing against the contraction force of the elastic member, and the elastic member is pushed out from the inside by the annular convex portion and the movable portion. When the operation of the operation unit is released from this state, the operating body is returned to the original position by the restoring force of the elastic member. As described above, the multi-directional input device is configured to enable azimuth input by sliding movement of the operating body and to automatically return the operating body by the restoring force of the elastic member.

JP 2006-146773 A

  However, in the multidirectional input device described in Patent Document 1 described above, when the housing is deformed due to an impact caused by dropping of the multidirectional input device, pulling of the operation portion, or the like, the annular elastic member is moved between the annular convex portion and the movable portion. There was a possibility that the outer peripheral surface may be deviated and sandwiched between the plate surface of the movable part and the housing.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a multidirectional input device in which an annular elastic member is not sandwiched between a plate surface of a movable portion and a housing due to deformation of the housing. Objective.

  The multi-directional input device of the present invention includes a housing having a cavity continuous to the outside through an opening, a housing provided with a projecting part projecting into the cavity, an operation part exposed from the opening, and the projecting part An operating body provided with a movable portion that slides in a plane in the cavity so as to face the detector, a detecting means that detects sliding movement of the operating body, and an outer peripheral side of the protruding portion and the movable portion. An annular elastic member that returns the movable portion to an initial position with respect to the protrusion, and is disposed between the protrusion and the movable portion and the elastic member. A plurality of holding bodies having recesses capable of accommodating at least the inner peripheral side, and the plurality of holding bodies are slidable as the movable part slides while holding the elastic member in the recesses Features To.

  According to this configuration, since the inner peripheral side of the annular elastic member is held in the recesses of the plurality of holding bodies, the elastic member is detached from the plurality of holding bodies even if the housing is deformed due to dropping of the multidirectional input device. Thus, it is possible to prevent such a problem that it is sandwiched between the movable part and the housing. Further, as the operating body slides, the plurality of holding bodies can be slid in a state of holding the elastic member, so that the elastic member can be prevented from being detached from the holding body during operation of the operating body.

  In the multi-directional input device according to the present invention, the operating body extends outward from the outer peripheral surface of the movable portion, and restricts the vertical movement of the plurality of holding bodies perpendicular to the planar direction. It has the shape part.

  According to this configuration, since the vertical movement of the plurality of holding bodies is restricted, the elastic member can be more reliably held by the holding bodies.

  In the multi-directional input device according to the present invention, the hook-shaped portion extends so as to overlap at least a part of each of the plurality of holding bodies in the vertical direction within the slide movement range of the operating body. It is characterized by doing.

  According to this configuration, since the hook-shaped portion and each of the plurality of holding bodies only have to overlap at least partially, the hook-shaped portion can be formed small. Therefore, the operation amount of the operating body can be increased without increasing the housing.

  In the multi-directional input device according to the present invention, the protruding portion protrudes from the bottom surface portion of the housing into the housing, and the movable portion protrudes closer to the bottom surface portion than the hook-shaped portion. It is characterized by.

  According to this configuration, when the operating body is not operated, at least a part of the opening formed in the upper surface portion of the housing can be covered with the hook-shaped portion.

  In the multi-directional input device according to the present invention, a plurality of restricting portions for restricting the sliding movement of the plurality of holding bodies within a predetermined region are provided integrally with the housing.

  According to this configuration, since the sliding movement of the plurality of holding bodies is restricted to a predetermined area, it is possible to prevent the bias due to the approaching of the plurality of holding bodies being slid and to hold the elastic member satisfactorily. it can.

  In the multi-directional input device according to the present invention, the restricting portion is a hole formed in a bottom surface portion of the housing, and the holding body has a protrusion inserted into the hole portion. And

  According to this configuration, the sliding movement of the holding body can be restricted with a simple configuration of the protrusion and the hole.

  In the multidirectional input device according to the present invention, the concave portions of the plurality of holding bodies extend in an arc shape along the elastic member.

  According to this configuration, the elastic member can be stably held, and the holding body and the elastic member can be moved smoothly.

  In the multi-directional input device according to the present invention, the concave portions of the plurality of holding bodies have a groove shape that contacts the innermost peripheral portion of the elastic member.

  According to this configuration, since the innermost peripheral portion of the elastic member is brought into contact with the concave portion of the holding body, the elastic member can be held more stably. In addition, the elastic member increases the positioning accuracy in the radial direction of the innermost periphery when not in operation, so it is necessary to reduce the variation in pretension acting on the movable part of the operating body and start moving the operating body Stable operating force can be stabilized.

  In the multidirectional input device according to the present invention, the plurality of holding bodies are three or more.

  According to this configuration, good operability can be maintained regardless of the slide movement direction of the operating body.

  According to the present invention, in the multi-directional input device, the detection unit is configured by a magnetic member that moves together with the operation body and a magnetic sensor that detects a magnetic field by the magnetic member, and the magnetic member is held in the movable portion. It is characterized by that.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to configure the detection means for detecting the sliding movement of the operating body in a non-contact manner, so that it is possible to achieve a long life by avoiding problems due to contact wear and the like.

  In the multi-directional input device according to the present invention, the elastic member is formed of a nonmagnetic material, and the magnetic sensor is disposed in a recess on the back surface side of the housing that forms the protruding portion.

  According to this configuration, since the elastic member is formed of a non-magnetic material, it is possible to prevent the elastic member from affecting the magnetic field of the magnetic member, and thus it is possible to detect the sliding motion of the operating body with high accuracy. Become. In addition, since the magnetic sensor is arranged using the space provided by the formation of the protruding portion, the entire apparatus can be thinned. Moreover, since the inside of the cavity part in which the operation body etc. are arrange | positioned and the recessed part are partitioned off by the protrusion part, it can prevent foreign materials, such as abrasion powder, entering the magnetic sensor side in a recessed part.

  In the multi-directional input device according to the present invention, the movable portion is formed as a member separate from the bowl-shaped portion, and has a storage portion that stores the magnetic member. It is characterized by being in sliding contact with the protruding end surface of the protruding portion.

  According to this configuration, the movable portion and the hook-shaped portion are formed as separate members, and the magnetic member is accommodated in the accommodating portion of the movable portion, so that the work of attaching the magnetic member can be facilitated. Further, since the movable portion is in sliding contact with the protruding end surface of the protruding portion, the distance between the magnetic member and the magnetic sensor can be determined with high accuracy, and the sliding motion of the operating body can be detected with high accuracy.

  According to the present invention, since the inner peripheral side of the annular elastic member is held in the recesses of the plurality of holding bodies, even if the housing is deformed due to the fall of the multidirectional input device, the elastic members are detached from the plurality of holding bodies. Thus, it is possible to prevent such a problem that it is sandwiched between the movable part and the housing.

It is a figure which shows embodiment of the multidirectional input device which concerns on this invention, and is a perspective view of a multidirectional input device. It is a figure which shows embodiment of the multidirectional input device which concerns on this invention, and is the disassembled perspective view seen from the upper surface side of the multidirectional input device. It is a figure which shows embodiment of the multidirectional input device which concerns on this invention, and is the exploded perspective view seen from the lower surface side of the multidirectional input device. It is a figure which shows embodiment of the multidirectional input device which concerns on this invention, and is sectional drawing of a multidirectional input device. It is a figure which shows embodiment of the multidirectional input device which concerns on this invention, and is operation | movement explanatory drawing at the time of seeing a multidirectional input device from the side. It is a figure which shows embodiment of the multidirectional input device which concerns on this invention, and is operation | movement explanatory drawing at the time of seeing a multidirectional input device from upper direction. It is a figure which shows embodiment of the multidirectional input device which concerns on this invention, and is explanatory drawing of the holding structure of a holding body and a coil spring. It is a figure which shows the modification of the holding surface of the holding body of the multidirectional input device which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the modification of the holding body of the multidirectional input device which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the modification of the movable part of the multidirectional input device which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the modification of the control part of the multidirectional input device which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the modification of the operation body of the multidirectional input device which concerns on this invention.

  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.

  The overall configuration of the multidirectional input device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multidirectional input device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view seen from the upper surface side of the multidirectional input device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the multidirectional input device according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the lower surface side.

  As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the multidirectional input device 1 according to the present embodiment enables multidirectional input by operating a knob 41 or a knob 41 that is not shown. In addition, various components are housed in a hollow portion of a housing composed of an upper case 2 and a lower case 3. The upper case 2 and the lower case 3 are integrated by snap-attaching the attachment member 4 to the upper case 2 from below the lower case 3 in a superposed state.

  The upper case 2 is formed in a flat box shape having an open lower surface made of an insulating resin material or the like. In the center of the upper surface portion 15 of the upper case 2, a circular opening 16 is formed for projecting the operation portion 41 to the outside. The lower case 3 is formed in a flat box shape having an upper surface opened with an insulating resin material or the like. At the center of the bottom surface portion 21 of the lower case 3 disposed to face the upper surface portion 15 of the upper case 2 via the cavity portion, a columnar protrusion portion 22 that projects into the cavity portion is provided. Further, a recess 23 is formed on the back side of the protrusion 22 to accommodate a magnetic sensor 11 described later.

  The hollow portion in the housing configured in this manner accommodates the blindfold member 6, the operation body 7, a plurality of (four in this embodiment) holding bodies 8, and a coil spring 9 as an elastic member. The blindfold member 6 is an annular sheet having an opening 29 in the center, and is disposed between the upper case 2 and the operation body 7. The operating body 7 is accommodated in a state where the operating portion 41 protrudes out of the housing through the opening 29 of the blindfold member 6 and the opening 16 of the upper case 2. The operation body 7 is configured by attaching a regulating member 32 that regulates rotation of the operation main body 31 and a movable portion 34 holding a magnet 33 to the lower side of the operation main body 31 having the operation unit 41. Yes.

  The plurality of holding bodies 8 are arranged around the movable portion 34 of the operating body 7 and the protruding portion 22 of the lower case 3. In this case, the movable part 34 and the projecting part 22 are projected in a columnar shape (cylindrical shape) in a circular shape in plan view with substantially the same system, and the outer peripheral surface is continuous in a non-operating state. It is the same. The plurality of holding bodies 8 are arranged so as to surround this outer peripheral surface from four directions. An annular coil spring 9 formed by connecting both ends of a coil spring 9 having a predetermined length has a plurality of holding bodies 8 so as to press the plurality of holding bodies 8 against the outer peripheral surfaces of the movable portion 34 and the protruding portion 22. It is attached to. A flexible substrate 12 having a magnetic sensor 11 is attached to the lower surface of the lower case 3 via an attachment member 4. Hereinafter, the structure of each structural member arrange | positioned at a cavity part is demonstrated.

  The operation main body 31 is formed of an insulating resin material or the like, and includes a disk-shaped operation portion 41, a bowl-shaped portion 42 having a substantially rectangular plate shape when viewed from above, and an operation portion 41. The constriction part 43 which connects the center part of this and the center part of the bowl-shaped part 42 is provided. The operation portion 41 is formed to have a size that can be inserted to the outside through the openings 16 and 29 of the upper case 2 and the blindfold member 6, that is, smaller in diameter than the openings 16 and 29. A substantially circular recess 44 is formed at the center of the lower surface of the bowl-shaped portion 42, and a strip-shaped recess 45 is formed so as to cross the substantially circular recess 44 in one direction along one side of the bowl-shaped portion 42. ing. The movable portion 34 and the regulating member 32 are attached to the substantially circular recess 44 and the belt-like recess 45. More specifically, the circumferential wall portion having the arc shape of the movable portion 34 is press-fitted into the substantially circular concave portion 44 in a state where the long portion 48 of the regulating member 32 described later is disposed in the belt-shaped concave portion 45. Thus, the movable portion 34 is fitted and attached to the operation main body 31.

  A blindfold member 6 that shields the inside of the housing is attached to the constricted portion 43 of the operation main body portion 31. The blindfold member 6 is an annular sheet made of, for example, polycarbonate resin. The opening 29 of the blindfold member 6 is formed with a larger diameter than the operation unit 41. Further, the outer shape of the blindfold member 6 is formed larger than the bowl-shaped portion 42 so that the gap between the upper surface portion 15 of the upper case 2 and the bowl-shaped portion 42 is filled when the operating body 7 is slid. Is formed. The blindfold member 6 and the hook-like portion 42 prevent foreign matter from entering the housing through the opening 16. Note that, when the operating body 7 is not operated, the opening 16 is covered with the hook-shaped portion 42.

  The regulating member 32 regulates the rotation of the operating body 7 with respect to the housing, and is made of a nonmagnetic metal material such as stainless steel, for example. The restricting member 32 has a long portion 48 and a pair of restricting pieces 49 formed by bending downward from both longitudinal ends of the long portion 48. The long portion 48 is formed to be slightly narrower than the band-shaped concave portion 45 formed in the bowl-shaped portion 42 and is slidably disposed with respect to the concave portion 45. The restricting member 32 is attached to the operation main body 31 by being sandwiched between the hook-shaped portion 42 and the movable portion 34. In this case, both end portions of the long portion 48 in the longitudinal direction are protruded laterally from the hook-shaped portion 42, and the pair of regulating pieces 49 are positioned outside the hook-shaped portion 42. The restricting member 32 only needs to be formed of a nonmagnetic material, and may be formed of, for example, an insulating resin material.

  The movable part 34 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape containing a magnet 33 as a magnetic member inside by an insulating resin material or the like. A pair of cutout portions 51 that are cut downward from the upper end surface are formed in the peripheral wall portion of the movable portion 34. The width dimension of the notch 51 is formed to be slightly larger than the width dimension of the long part 48 of the restricting member 32 so that the long part 48 of the restricting member 32 can be inserted. The depth dimension of the notch 51 is slightly larger than the plate thickness of the long portion 48.

  The magnet 33 is formed in a disk shape and is fitted inside the movable portion 34. As described above, the magnet 33 is housed in the movable portion 34 formed separately from the operation main body portion 31 and is attached to the operation main body portion 31 via the movable portion 34. Therefore, the attachment work of the magnet 33 to the operating body 7 can be facilitated. The magnet 33 may be any magnetic member as long as it is a magnetic member.

  The operation body 7 configured as described above is disposed in the housing so that the pair of side walls 17 of the upper case 2 face each other along the pair of regulating pieces 49. In this case, the interval between the outer surfaces of the pair of restricting pieces 49 is substantially the same as the interval between the inner wall surfaces of the pair of side wall portions 17. Therefore, when the rotational force is applied to the operating body 7, the pair of restricting pieces 49 are brought into contact with the inner wall surface of the side wall portion 17 of the upper case 2 to restrict the rotation.

  Further, the operating body 7 is guided in one direction (X-axis direction) and the other direction (Y-axis direction) orthogonal thereto by the regulating member 32 (see FIG. 6). That is, the operating body 7 is guided in one direction by a long portion 48 extending in one direction and a strip-shaped recess 45 formed in the lower surface of the bowl-shaped portion 42, and the outer surface of the pair of regulating pieces 49 and the upper case It is guided in the other direction by the inner wall surface of the two side wall portions 17. As described above, the regulating member 32 allows the operating body 7 to slide in the plane direction while restricting the rotation of the operating body 7.

  The coil spring 9 functions as an elastic member that returns the operating body 7 to the initial position, and is formed of, for example, a nonmagnetic metal material such as stainless steel. The coil spring 9 is mounted in a state in which the coil spring 9 is slightly pushed and spread on the plurality of holding bodies 8 when the operation body 7 is not operated. Therefore, the coil spring 9 biases the movable part 34 toward the initial position by the contraction force inward when the operating body 7 is operated. The initial position of the operating body 7 is a position where the outer peripheral surfaces of the movable portion 34 and the protruding portion 22 are flush with each other.

  The plurality of holding bodies 8 hold the coil spring 9 and are formed of, for example, an insulating resin material. Each holding body 8 extends in an arc shape and is arranged around the protrusion 22. The inner peripheral surface of each holding body 8 is formed so as to be in surface contact with the outer peripheral surfaces of the protruding portion 22 and the movable portion 34 with the same curvature as the outer peripheral surfaces of the protruding portion 22 and the movable portion 34. The outer peripheral surface of each holding body 8 is formed with a U-shaped groove-shaped holding surface 53 that forms a recess, and the holding surface 53 holds the inner peripheral side of the annular coil spring 9. Here, the holding surface 53 of each holding body 8 has an arc shape along the inner peripheral portion of the annular coil spring 9 in the non-operating state (initial state) of the operating body 7 shown in FIG. It extends.

  In addition, a protrusion 54 is formed on the lower surface of each holding body 8 and is inserted into the guide hole 24 formed in the lower case 3. The guide holes 24 are arranged on a diagonal line connecting the protruding portion 22 and the four corners of the lower case 3, and slide each holding body 8 linearly. Since the plurality of holding bodies 8 move linearly on the diagonal line of the lower case 3 in this way, the coil spring 9 is smoothly pushed and spread between the plurality of holding bodies 8 that slide and move, and the coil spring 9 holds each holding. Good holding by the body 8. The guide hole 24 constitutes a restricting portion that is a hole formed in the bottom surface portion 21 of the lower case 3. In the present embodiment, the guide hole 24 may be a bottomed hole as long as it is formed as a through hole.

  The plurality of holding bodies 8 configured as described above are arranged around the protruding portion 22 and the movable portion 34 while holding the inner peripheral side of the coil spring 9. In other words, the plurality of holding bodies 8 are disposed between the protruding portion 22 and the movable portion 34 and the coil spring 9. At this time, the holding surface 53 of each holding body 8 covers the inner peripheral side of the coil spring 9 and restricts the vertical displacement of the coil spring 9. On the other hand, the coil spring 9 presses each holding body 8 against the outer peripheral surface side of the protruding portion 22 and the movable portion 34 by its contraction force. With this configuration, the vertical displacement of the coil spring 9 is restricted, the holding surface 53 of each holding body 8 and the coil spring 9 are in strong contact, and the coil spring 9 is not detached from each holding body 8. It is suppressed.

  Further, each holding body 8 functions as a positioning member that positions the movable portion 34 at the initial position with respect to the protruding portion 22. For example, when the operating body 7 is operated in one direction, one direction side of the coil spring 9 is expanded by a part of the holding bodies 8, and the other direction side of the coil spring 9 is locked by the remaining holding bodies 8. Then, when the operation of the operating body 7 is released, the movable portion 34 is returned to the initial position with respect to the protruding portion 22 via a part of the holding body 8 by the contraction force (returning force) of the coil spring 9. At this time, the inner peripheral surface of each holding body 8 functions as a positioning surface for positioning the movable portion 34 at the initial position, and positions the movable portion 34 so as to face each other on the protruding portion 22.

  A flexible substrate 12 having a magnetic sensor 11 is disposed on the lower surface of the housing via the attachment member 4. The flexible substrate 12 has a substrate body 56 provided with the magnetic sensor 11 and a detection circuit (not shown), and an output wiring portion 57 provided with a plurality of lead wires extending from the substrate body 56 to the side. Yes. The substrate body 56 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and is disposed in a positioning state on a rectangular positioning portion 25 formed on the back surface of the lower case 3. At this time, the magnetic sensor 11 provided on the substrate body 56 is disposed in the recess 23 of the lower case 3, and the output wiring portion 57 protrudes to the side of the housing.

  The magnetic sensor 11 is, for example, a GMR sensor in which a bridge circuit is formed by a plurality of GMR (Giant Magneto Resistive effect) elements, and constitutes detection means together with the magnet 33 provided in the movable portion 34 of the operating body 7. is there. Here, as a basic configuration, the GMR element is formed by laminating an antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned layer, an intermediate layer, and a free layer on the flexible substrate 12.

The magnetic sensor 11 causes the magnetic flux from the magnet 33 in the movable portion 34 to act on the GMR element, and changes the electric resistance value depending on the direction of the magnetic flux. And the slide position of the operation body 7 is detected based on the output signal according to the change of an electrical resistance value. In order for the GMR element included in the magnetic sensor 11 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, and free The layer is preferably formed of a NiFe layer, but is not limited thereto, and any layer may be used as long as it exhibits a magnetoresistive effect. Further, the GMR element included in the magnetic sensor 11 is not limited to the one having the above laminated structure as long as it exhibits a magnetoresistive effect.

  The attachment member 4 is formed, for example, by bending a metal plate made of a nonmagnetic metal material such as stainless steel, and has a rectangular flat plate portion 61 and engagement pieces 62 provided at four corners of the flat plate portion 61. . Each engagement piece 62 is engaged with the engaged portions 18 formed at the four corners of the upper case 2 and fixed so that the lower case 3 and the flexible substrate 12 are sandwiched between the upper case 2 and the flat plate portion 61. . A pair of pressing pieces 63 for pressing the flexible substrate 12 toward the lower case 3 is formed in the central portion of the flat plate portion 61. The pair of pressing pieces 63 are cantilever springs cut and raised slightly upward from the flat plate portion 61 and urge the flexible substrate 12 upward from the back side. With this configuration, positional deviation in the vertical direction of the flexible substrate 12 (magnetic sensor 11) is suppressed.

  Next, the assembled state of the multidirectional input device will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the multidirectional input device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the protruding portion 22 of the lower case 3 and the movable portion 34 of the operating body 7 are aligned via the plurality of holding bodies 8 by the contraction force of the coil spring 9. In this case, the plurality of holding bodies 8 and the coil springs 9 are disposed between the bowl-shaped portion 42 and the bottom surface portion 21, and movement in the vertical direction is restricted. With this configuration, the coil spring 9 can be held more reliably. The operating body 7 is configured to be movable in the plane direction by bringing the lower surface 34a of the movable portion 34 and the upper surface 22a (projecting end surface) of the protruding portion 22 into surface contact. On each of the lower surface 34a of the movable portion 34 and the upper surface 22a of the protruding portion 22, concave portions 26 and 46 that are slightly recessed from the mating surface are formed. The concave portions 26 and 46 accumulate the abrasion powder generated by the sliding contact between the movable portion 34 and the protruding portion 22, thereby preventing the unstable slide movement of the operating body 7 due to the abrasion powder.

  In addition, a lubricant such as grease for improving the slidability is applied to the mating surface of the movable portion 34 and the protruding portion 22. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of the abrasion powder by the sliding contact of the movable part 34 and the protrusion part 22 is suppressed. The magnetic sensor 11 that detects the magnetic field of the magnet 33 in the movable portion 34 is disposed in the concave portion 23 on the back surface side of the protruding portion 22. As described above, since the concave portion 23 in which the magnetic sensor 11 is accommodated is formed on the lower surface side of the lower case 3, intrusion of wear powder and lubricant is prevented, and wear powder and lubricant are attached to the magnetic sensor 11. The detection accuracy of the magnetic sensor 11 does not deteriorate.

  The magnet 33 and the magnetic sensor 11 are arranged to face each other with a certain distance by contact between the lower surface 34 a of the movable portion 34 and the upper surface 22 a of the protruding portion 22. Further, as described above, the flexible substrate 12 is pressed against the lower surface of the lower case 3 by the pair of pressing pieces 63 of the mounting member 4, and the vertical displacement of the magnetic sensor 11 is suppressed. With these configurations, the facing distance between the magnet 33 in the movable portion 34 and the magnetic sensor 11 in the recess 23 is kept constant, and the detection accuracy of the slide movement of the operating body 7 by the magnetic sensor 11 is improved.

  Since each component of the multidirectional input device 1 assembled in this way is made of a nonmagnetic material except for the magnet 33, each component is prevented from affecting the magnetic field of the magnet 33. Thereby, the detection accuracy of the slide movement of the operating body 7 by the magnetic sensor 11 is further improved.

  Next, the operation of the multidirectional input device will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory diagram when the multidirectional input device according to the embodiment of the present invention is viewed from the side. FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory diagram when the multidirectional input device according to the embodiment of the present invention is viewed from above. FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory view shown in a cross-sectional view when cut in a direction orthogonal to FIG. In FIG. 6, for convenience of explanation, the upper case and the blindfold member are omitted, and the operation body including the movable part is indicated by a broken line. Moreover, in FIG. 6, it is set as explanatory drawing simplified as a whole by showing a coil spring with an outline.

  The operation of the multidirectional input device 1 viewed from the side will be described. As shown in FIG. 5A, when the operating body 7 is not operated, the operating body 7 is positioned at an initial position substantially at the center of the housing. In this case, the protruding portion 22 of the lower case 3 and the movable portion 34 of the operating body 7 are aligned via the plurality of holding bodies 8 by the contraction force of the coil spring 9. When the operating body 7 is operated in one direction side (left direction in the figure) from this non-operating state, the movable portion 34 is slid in one direction (planar movement) against the contraction force of the coil spring 9. By the sliding movement of the movable portion 34, the coil spring 9 is locked by the holding body 8 positioned on the other direction side (right direction in the drawing) and is pushed and widened by the sliding movement of the holding body 8 positioned on the one direction side.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, when the operating body 7 is further operated in one direction, the constricted portion 43 of the operating body 7 comes into contact with the opening edge of the opening 16 of the upper case 2. During the maximum operation of the operating body 7, the gap between the opening 16 of the upper case 2 and the bowl-shaped portion 42 is shielded by the blindfold member 6, thereby preventing foreign matter from entering the housing. For this reason, it is possible to increase the amount of operation of the operating body 7 by forming the hook-shaped portion 42 smaller than the configuration in which only the hook-shaped portion 42 is blinded. Thereby, even if the multi-directional input device 1 is reduced in size, it is possible to ensure a sufficient amount of operation of the operating body 7.

  When the operation of the operating body 7 is released, the movable portion 34 is pushed back to the other direction side by the holding body 8 on one side by the contraction force of the coil spring 9. Then, the movable portion 34 is positioned so as to face each other in the vertical direction with respect to the protruding portion 22 by the inner peripheral surface of the holding body 8 on the one direction side and the inner peripheral surface of the holding body 8 on the other direction side. The body 7 is returned to the initial position.

  Next, the operation of the multidirectional input device 1 as viewed from above will be described. As shown in FIG. 6A, when the operating body 7 is not operated, the operating body 7 (movable portion 34) is positioned at an initial position substantially at the center of the lower case 3. In this case, due to the contraction force of the coil spring 9, the inner peripheral surfaces of the plurality of holding bodies 8a-8d positioned in the four directions are pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the projecting portion 22 of the lower case 3 and the movable portion 34 of the operating body 7. The part 22 and the movable part 34 are aligned. Further, the plurality of holding bodies 8a-8d are covered with the hook-shaped portion 42 of the operating body 7, and the movement in the vertical direction is restricted.

  As shown in FIG. 6 (b), when the operating body 7 is operated in the X-axis direction from the initial position, the operating body 7 has a recess 45 formed in the elongated portion 48 and the hook-shaped portion 42 of the regulating member 32. Are used as a guide and moved in the X-axis direction. When the operating body 7 is operated, the movable portion 34 is slid in the X-axis direction against the contraction force of the coil spring 9, and the holding bodies 8a and 8b are directed toward the corners of the lower case 3 by the movable portion 34. Pushed in. The coil spring 9 is substantially half locked by the holding bodies 8c and 8d, and the remaining substantially half is pushed and expanded in the X-axis direction by the sliding movement of the holding bodies 8a and 8b. Therefore, the coil spring 9 is deformed from a circular shape in a top view to a substantially oval shape (oval shape) in a top view in which the long axis is in the X-axis direction. Here, since the coil spring 9 is formed by connecting both ends of the coil spring 9 having a predetermined length to form an annular shape, the entire coil spring 9 extends even when the coil spring 9 is expanded in the X-axis direction. Is. Therefore, the portion of the coil spring 9 locked by the holding bodies 8c and 8d also extends. This is the same regardless of which direction the operating tool 7 is operated.

  In this case, the hook-shaped portion 42 overlaps at least partly with each of the holding bodies 8a-8d, restricts the vertical movement of the holding bodies 8a-8d, and more reliably holds the coil spring 9 by the holding body 8. It is supposed to be. When the operation of the operating body 7 is released, the movable portion 34 is pushed back through the holding bodies 8a and 8b by the contraction force of the coil spring 9. Thereby, the operating body 7 is automatically returned to the initial position shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6C, when the operating body 7 is operated in the Y-axis direction from the initial position, the operating body 7 connects the pair of restricting pieces 49 of the restricting member 32 and the side wall portion 17 of the upper case 2. It is moved in the Y-axis direction integrally with the regulating member 32 as a guide. When the operating body 7 is operated, the movable portion 34 is slid in the Y-axis direction against the contraction force of the coil spring 9, and the holding bodies 8a and 8d are directed toward the corners of the lower case 3 by the movable portion 34. Pushed in. As for the coil spring 9, substantially half parts are latched by the holding bodies 8b and 8c, and the remaining substantially half parts are pushed and expanded in the Y-axis direction by sliding movement of the holding bodies 8a and 8d. Therefore, the coil spring 9 is deformed from a circular shape in a top view to a substantially elliptical shape (oval shape) in a top view with the long axis in the Y-axis direction.

  In this case, the hook-shaped portion 42 overlaps at least partly with each of the holding bodies 8a-8d, restricts the vertical movement of the holding bodies 8a-8d, and more reliably holds the coil spring 9 by the holding body 8. It is supposed to be. When the operation of the operating body 7 is released, the movable portion 34 is pushed back through the holding bodies 8a and 8d by the contraction force of the coil spring 9. Thereby, the operating body 7 is automatically returned to the initial position shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6D, when the operating body 7 is operated in an oblique direction from the initial position toward the corner portion of the lower case 3, the operating body 7 has the long portion 48 and the recess 45 of the bowl-shaped portion 42. Are used as guides in the X-axis direction, and the pair of restricting pieces 49 and the side wall portions 17 of the upper case 2 are moved obliquely as guides in the Y-axis direction. When the operating body 7 is operated, the movable portion 34 is slid in an oblique direction against the contraction force of the coil spring 9, and the holding portions 8 b and 8 d are slightly moved toward the corners of the lower case 3 by the movable portion 34. The holding body 8 a is pushed toward the corner of the lower case 3.

  The coil spring 9 is locked by the holding body 8c and is spread by the holding bodies 8a, 8b, and 8d. At this time, the sliding amount of the holding bodies 8b and 8d is small, and the sliding amount of the holding body 8a is larger than the sliding amount of the holding bodies 8b and 8d. Therefore, the coil spring 9 is deformed from a circular shape in the top view to a substantially elliptical shape in the top view with the major axis in the oblique direction.

  In this case, the hook-shaped portion 42 overlaps at least partly with each of the holding bodies 8a-8d, restricts the vertical movement of the holding bodies 8a-8d, and more reliably holds the coil spring 9 by the holding body 8. It is supposed to be. When the operation of the operating body 7 is released, the movable portion 34 is pushed back via the holding bodies 8a, 8b, and 8d by the contraction force of the coil spring 9. Thereby, the operating body 7 is automatically returned to the initial position shown in FIG.

  As described above, when the operating body 7 is operated, the plurality of holding bodies 8a-8d are guided by the guide holes 24 and slid toward the four corners of the lower case 3. Therefore, the holding bodies 8 that slide are not close to each other and are not biased, and the coil springs 9 are favorably held by the holding bodies 8. Further, since the hook-like portion 42 overlaps at least partly with each of the holding bodies 8a-8d, the vertical movement of the holding bodies 8a-8d can be restricted. Thus, the amount of operation of the operating body 7 can be increased. Thereby, even if the multi-directional input device 1 is reduced in size, it is possible to ensure a sufficient amount of operation of the operating body 7.

  Next, the holding structure of the holding body and the coil spring will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a holding configuration of the holding body and the coil spring according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the coil spring 9 is held by the holding surface 53 of the holding body 8 so as to cover a substantially half portion on the inner peripheral side in a cross-sectional view. At this time, the contraction force of the coil spring 9 acts on the holding surface 53 of the holding body 8, while the reaction force acts on the coil spring 9 from the holding surface 53 toward the inside in the radial direction as indicated by an arrow. Yes. That is, a vertical component of the reaction force of the contraction force acts on the coil spring 9 in a direction in which the coil spring 9 is fastened to the holding surface 53. Therefore, since the coil spring 9 is satisfactorily held by the plurality of holding bodies 8, even if the housing is deformed due to dropping of the multidirectional input device or the like, the coil spring 9 is detached from the plurality of holding bodies 8 and the movable portion 34. It is not sandwiched between the lower case 3.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the coil spring 9 is pushed and spread, the contraction force of the coil spring 9 is increased, so that the reaction force acting on the coil spring 9 is also increased. Therefore, the component force in the vertical direction of the reaction force acts strongly on the coil spring 9 in the direction in which it is retained on the holding surface 53. As described above, since the plurality of holding bodies 8 can slide while holding the coil spring 9, it is possible to prevent the coil spring 9 from being detached from the holding surface 53 during the operation of the operating body 7.

  Further, since the holding surface 53 of the holding body 8 is brought into contact with the innermost peripheral portion of the coil spring 9, the coil spring 9 can be held more stably. Further, the coil spring 9 is less likely to be displaced in the radial direction (for example, the left-right direction in FIG. 7A) with respect to the holding surface 53 of the holding body 8, and the innermost peripheral portion when not operated. Is accurately determined, the variation in pretension due to the coil spring 9 acting on the movable portion 34 of the operating body 7 can be reduced, and the necessary operating force can be stabilized only by starting to move the operating body 7. The innermost peripheral portion refers to a portion located on the innermost side of the annular coil spring 9 on a horizontal plane parallel to the bottom surface portion 21 of the lower case 3.

  In addition, the holding surface 53 which forms the recessed part of the holding body 8 is not limited to the above-mentioned U-shaped groove shape. The holding surface 53 of the holding body 8 should just be formed so that the inner peripheral side of the coil spring 9 can be accommodated, and may be formed in the shape of a square groove as shown to Fig.8 (a). Even when the concave portion of the holding body 8 is formed in a square groove shape, the holding surface constituted by the inner surface of the concave portion and the innermost peripheral portion of the coil spring 9 are in contact with each other as in the case of forming the concave portion of the U-shaped groove. Therefore, it is possible to reduce variations in pre-tension of the coil spring 9. Moreover, the recessed part of the holding body 8 may be formed in V-shaped groove shape as shown in FIG.8 (b).

  Moreover, the holding body 8 is not limited to what holds the inner peripheral side of the coil spring 9 as described above. The holding body 8 only needs to be formed so as to be capable of accommodating at least the inner peripheral side of the coil spring 9, and can accommodate a part of the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side of the coil spring 9, or can be disposed over the entire circumference. It may be formed so that it can be accommodated.

  As described above, according to the multidirectional input device 1 according to the present embodiment, since the inner peripheral side of the coil spring 9 is held by the holding surfaces 53 of the plurality of holding bodies 8, the multidirectional input device 1 is dropped or the like. Thus, even if the housing is deformed, it is possible to prevent a problem that the coil spring 9 is detached from the holding body 8 and is sandwiched between the movable portion 34 and the housing. Further, as the operating body 7 is operated, the plurality of holding bodies 8 are slidable in a state where the coil spring 9 is held, so that the coil spring 9 is prevented from being detached from the holding body 8 during the operation of the operating body 7. It becomes possible to do.

  In the above-described embodiment, the four holding bodies hold the coil spring. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The coil spring may be configured to be held by at least two or more holding bodies. For example, as shown in FIG. 9A, the coil spring 9 may be held by two holding bodies 8. In this case, at the time of operation in the X-axis direction, one holding body 8 slides and the coil spring 9 is pushed and expanded, and at the time of operation in the Y-axis direction, as shown in FIG. Is pushed away and the coil spring 9 is spread. Moreover, as shown in FIG.9 (c), you may hold | maintain by the three holding bodies 8. As shown in FIG. Even with such a configuration, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, the number of holding bodies may be five or more.

  In the above-described embodiment, the movable portion has a circular outer peripheral surface in plan view. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The outer peripheral surface of a movable part should just be able to extrude a some holding body. For example, as shown in FIG. 10 (a), the outer peripheral surface of the movable portion 34 may be formed in a rectangular shape in plan view, or in a triangular shape in plan view as shown in FIG. 10 (b). Also good. Note that the outer shape of the movable portion 34 is not necessarily the same as the outer shape of the protruding portion 22 of the lower case, and the plurality of holding bodies 8 can be positioned in a non-operating state (initial state), and predetermined during operation. As long as the holder 8 can be slid, the shape is not limited. Furthermore, the movable part 34 can be formed by a plurality of convex parts.

  In the above-described embodiment, the guide hole as the restricting portion is configured to guide the protruding portion of the holding body in one direction, but is not limited to this configuration. The restricting unit may have any configuration as long as it is configured to restrict the sliding movement of the holding body within a predetermined region. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the restricting portion may be configured by a hole portion 67 in which the protrusion 54 of the holding body 8 is loosely fitted, and the holding body 8 may be freely movable within a predetermined region. Even with such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the bias due to the close proximity of the holding bodies 8 that slide, and to smoothly spread the coil spring 9. Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the hole part (guide hole) as a control part is formed in the lower case 3 which comprises a housing, a control part is provided in a member different from a housing, This separate member May be integrated with the housing.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the operating body is configured with the operation main body portion (the hook-shaped portion) and the movable portion containing the magnets as separate members, but is not limited to this configuration. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 12, the operation body 7 may integrally form the operation main body portion 31 and the movable portion 34. In this case, the movable portion 34 protrudes in an annular shape from below the bowl-shaped portion 42, and the magnet 33 is disposed inside the movable portion 34. Further, the bowl-shaped portion 42 and the operation portion 41 are formed separately, and are fixed from the inside of the movable portion 34 by a screw portion 47 formed of a metal magnetic material. And the magnet 33 arrange | positioned inside the movable part 34 attracts | sucks the screw part 47, and the magnet 33 is hold | maintained by the movable part 34. FIG. Even with the operation body configured as described above, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the present embodiment.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the hook-shaped portion is in direct contact with the plurality of holding bodies to restrict the vertical movement of the holding body. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in order to make it difficult for the holding body to be caught in the gap between the recesses of the bowl-shaped part where the long part of the restricting member is disposed, the annular sheet-like spacer is attached to the bowl-shaped part and the long part. It may be provided on the lower side, and the vertical movement of the holding body may be regulated by the hook-shaped portion via the spacer.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the operation body is provided with the hook-shaped portion, but is not limited to this configuration. That is, when an operation body having no hook-shaped portion is employed, the vertical movement of the plurality of holding bodies is caused by the upper surface portion of the upper case and the bottom surface portion of the lower case that are arranged to face each other via the cavity portion. Is configured to regulate. In this case, the restriction member provided on the lower side of the bowl-shaped portion is also omitted.

  In the above-described embodiment, the protruding portion of the lower case is formed so as to partition the concave portion in which the magnetic sensor is disposed from the hollow portion of the housing, but is not limited to this configuration. The projecting portion may be formed with a communication hole that communicates the concave portion in which the magnetic sensor is disposed and the hollow portion of the housing. Further, the protruding portion of the lower case is not limited to one configured by a single protruding portion, and may be a plurality of columnar protruding portions standing on the lower case so as to surround the magnetic sensor in plan view.

  In the above-described embodiment, the detection means is a non-contact type using a magnet and a magnetic sensor, but is not limited to this configuration. The detection means may be configured to be able to detect the slide movement of the operating body, and may be a contact type such as a variable resistor, for example.

  In the above embodiment, the lower surface of the movable portion and the upper surface of the protruding portion are in surface contact with each other. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The lower surface of the movable part may be in any contact configuration as long as the distance between the magnet in the movable part and the magnetic sensor on the back side of the projecting part is constant in contact with the upper surface of the projecting part.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the detection means is configured by the magnetic sensor and the magnet, but is not limited to this configuration. The detection means may be any configuration that can detect the slide movement of the operating body, and may be detected optically, for example.

  The embodiment disclosed this time is illustrative in all respects and is not limited to this embodiment. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description of the embodiments but by the scope of the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

  As described above, the present invention has an effect of preventing the annular elastic member from being sandwiched between the plate surface of the movable part and the housing due to deformation of the housing, and in particular, a mobile phone device or a game machine. This is useful for a multidirectional input device suitable for azimuth input operation in a controller or the like.

1 Multidirectional input device 2 Upper case (housing)
3 Lower case (housing)
4 Mounting member 6 Blindfold member 7 Operating body 8 Holding body 9 Coil spring (elastic member)
11 Magnetic sensor (detection means)
16 Opening part 21 Bottom face part 22 Projection part 23 Concave part 24 Guide hole (hole part, regulation part)
31 Operation body 32 Restriction member 33 Magnet (detection means, magnetic member)
34 Movable part 41 Operation part 42 Gutter-like part 53 Holding surface 54 Projection part 67 Hole part (regulation part)

Claims (12)

A housing having a cavity continuous to the outside through an opening, and provided with a projecting portion projecting into the cavity;
An operating body provided with a movable portion that slides in a plane direction in the hollow portion so as to face the operating portion exposed from the opening and the protruding portion;
Detecting means for detecting slide movement of the operating body;
An annular elastic member disposed so as to surround an outer peripheral side of the protruding portion and the movable portion, and returning the movable portion to an initial position with respect to the protruding portion;
A plurality of holding bodies that are disposed between the projecting portion and the movable portion and the elastic member and have a recess that can accommodate at least the inner peripheral side of the elastic member;
The multi-directional input device, wherein the plurality of holding bodies are slidable in accordance with a sliding movement of the movable portion in a state where the elastic member is held in the concave portion.   The operation body includes a hook-shaped portion that extends outward from an outer peripheral surface of the movable portion and restricts the vertical movement of the plurality of holding bodies perpendicular to the planar direction. The multidirectional input device described in 1.   The said hook-shaped part is extended within the slide movement range of the said operation body so that it may overlap with at least one part of each of these holding bodies in the said up-down direction. Multi-directional input device. The protruding portion protrudes from the bottom surface of the housing into the housing,
4. The multidirectional input device according to claim 2, wherein the movable portion protrudes closer to the bottom surface than the hook-shaped portion. 5.   5. The multi-direction according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of restriction portions are provided integrally with the housing to restrict the sliding movement of the plurality of holding bodies within a predetermined area. Input device. The restricting portion is a hole formed in the bottom portion of the housing,
The multidirectional input device according to claim 5, wherein the holding body has a protrusion inserted into the hole.   The multidirectional input device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the concave portions of the plurality of holding bodies extend in an arc shape along the elastic member.   The multidirectional input device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the concave portions of the plurality of holding bodies have a groove shape that comes into contact with an innermost peripheral portion of the elastic member.   The multi-directional input device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of holding bodies are three or more.   The magnetic member that moves together with the operation body and a magnetic sensor that detects a magnetic field generated by the magnetic member constitute the detection means, and the magnetic member is held in the movable portion. The multidirectional input device according to any one of 4.   The multidirectional input device according to claim 10, wherein the elastic member is formed of a nonmagnetic material, and the magnetic sensor is disposed in a concave portion on a back surface side of the housing that forms the protruding portion.   The movable portion is formed of a member separate from the bowl-shaped portion, has a storage portion for storing the magnetic member, and slides on the protruding end surface of the protruding portion as the operating body slides. The multidirectional input device according to claim 10 or 11.

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