JP2013065067A - Multidirectional input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multidirectional input device capable of thinning the whole of the device.SOLUTION: The multidirectional input device includes an elastic member for returning an operation member to an initial state before tilting operation. The elastic member has coil springs 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d respectively provided at four positions located, in a plan view, between a first interlocking member 5 and a second interlocking member 6. In addition, at least a part of the coil springs 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d overlaps with the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6 in a projection direction of the operation member.

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 multi-directional input device that includes an operation shaft that can be operated in a surrounding arbitrary direction and outputs a signal according to an operation direction and an operation amount with respect to the operation shaft is known. As such a multidirectional input device, for example, two rotating members arranged orthogonally to each other and rotated in accordance with the tilting operation of the operation shaft and a rotating member arranged on the lower side are elastically upward. A coil spring for holding these rotating members in a neutral position by being pressed is proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2007-4399 A

  However, in the conventional multidirectional input device described above, since the coil spring is disposed below the two rotating members, the dimension in the height direction becomes large, which corresponds to the thinning of the entire multidirectional input device. There is a problem that it is difficult.

  The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object of the present invention is to provide a multidirectional input device capable of reducing the thickness of the entire device.

  The multi-directional input device according to the present invention includes a housing having an opening, an operation member that can be tilted and protruding partly from the opening, and rotates according to the tilting operation of the operation member, and the rotation axes are orthogonal to each other. A first interlocking member and a second interlocking member that extend so as to be held in the housing, and a first detecting means and a first detecting member that detect the rotational movements of the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member, respectively. 2 detecting means and an elastic member for returning the operating member to the initial state before the tilting operation, and the operating member intersects with the respective rotation axes of the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member. In the multi-directional input device arranged so as to protrude from the top, the elastic member is composed of coil springs provided at four positions located between the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member in plan view. While being characterized by overlapping at least a portion of the first interlocking member and said second interlocking member of said coil spring along a protruding direction of the operating member.

  According to this multidirectional input device, at least a part of the coil spring, which is an elastic member, overlaps the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member in the vertical direction of the multidirectional input device (the protruding direction of the operation member). Therefore, the dimension in the height direction can be reduced, the housing in which the coil spring is accommodated can be reduced in thickness, and the entire multidirectional input device can be reduced in thickness. In addition, by using a coil spring as the elastic member, it is possible to ensure good return performance over a long period of time.

  In the multidirectional input device, the housing includes an upper case in which the opening is formed, an attachment member that is disposed to face the upper case and receives a lower end portion of the coil spring, and the upper case and the attachment member. An intermediate case disposed in between. The intermediate case is provided with a penetrating portion through which the coil spring can be inserted, and a spring receiving member for receiving an upper end portion of the coil spring is provided in the housing. It is preferable that a part of the coil spring is disposed in the through portion located between the spring receiving member and the mounting member so as to be elastically deformable. In this case, since a part of the coil spring is elastically deformable in the penetrating portion located between the spring receiving member and the attachment member, the movement accompanying the elastic deformation of the coil spring can be made smooth. It is possible to prevent a situation where the operability is impaired. In addition, since the coil case can be inserted into the penetrating portion by inverting the upper case and the intermediate case constituting the housing in an overlapped state, the workability during assembly can be improved.

  Further, in the multidirectional input device, the through portion of the intermediate case is formed with a first accommodating portion that accommodates the end winding portion of the lower end portion of the coil spring and a larger diameter than the first accommodating portion. It is preferable to have the 2nd accommodating part arrange | positioned above the said 1st accommodating part. In this case, even when the coil spring is elastically deformed, the side surface of the coil spring can be prevented from coming into contact with the inner wall surface of the second housing portion, so that smooth elastic deformation in the coil spring can be ensured and operability is improved. It is possible to prevent the situation from being damaged.

  Further, in the multidirectional input device, the spring receiving member is disposed between a base portion disposed below the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member, and the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member. An extension portion that is positioned and extends upward from the base portion, and a receiving portion that extends outward from the extension portion, and receives the upper end portion of the coil spring at the receiving portion, and via the base portion The biasing force of the coil spring may be applied to the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member. In this case, since the receiving portion for receiving the coil spring is arranged between the two interlocking members, the space near the four corners in the housing, which is likely to become a dead space, can be used effectively, and the housing can be downsized. It becomes.

  Furthermore, in the multidirectional input device, the spring receiving member is made of a metal plate, and a cylindrical portion is provided in the receiving portion, and a protrusion provided in the upper case is inserted into the cylindrical portion, In a state where the coil spring is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical portion, the spring receiving member may be guided by the protrusion so as to be vertically movable. In this case, since the spring receiving member is formed of a metal plate, the spring receiving member can be thinned, and the housing can be thinned. In addition, since the protrusion is inserted into the cylindrical portion of the spring receiving member, the spring receiving member can be smoothly moved up and down while being guided by the protrusion, and the coil spring can be elastically deformed satisfactorily.

  Furthermore, in the multidirectional input device, the attachment member may be made of a metal plate, and the spring receiving member and the attachment member may be conducted through the coil spring made of a metal wire. In this case, since the static electricity of the operator who has fallen on the operation member can be discharged through the spring receiving member made of a metal member, the coil spring and the mounting member, the electrical components inside the apparatus caused by the static electricity, etc. It becomes possible to prevent destruction.

  Furthermore, in the multidirectional input device, the attachment member may be provided with an elastic piece protruding downward. In this case, the static electricity of the operator who has fallen on the operation member can be discharged to a ground pattern such as a printed circuit board on which the multidirectional input device is mounted. It becomes possible to prevent the destruction of parts and the like.

  Furthermore, in the multidirectional input device, a flange portion that receives the biasing force of the coil spring via the spring receiving member is provided on the operation member above the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member. It may be. In this case, the flange portion provided on the operation member and the spring receiving member can be brought into direct contact with each other, so that it is possible to give the operator an uncomfortable operation feeling. Further, when the tilting operation with respect to the operation member is released, the operation member can be accurately returned to the upright state.

  Further, in the multidirectional input device, the spring receiving member includes a base portion disposed between the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member and the flange portion, the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member. An extension part located between the members and extending downward from the base part, and a receiving part extending outward from the extension part, and receiving the upper end part of the coil spring at the receiving part, The structure which makes the biasing force of the said coil spring act on the said flange part via a base may be sufficient. In this case, since the receiving portion for receiving the coil spring is arranged between the two interlocking members, the space near the four corners in the housing, which is likely to become a dead space, can be used effectively, and the housing can be downsized. It becomes.

  Furthermore, in the multidirectional input device, the upper case may be provided with a guide portion that guides the spring receiving member so as to be movable up and down. In this case, since the spring receiving member can be guided to move up and down by the guide portion provided in the upper case, the spring receiving member can be smoothly moved up and down even when there is a difference in the respective urging forces of the coil springs. It can be moved and good operation becomes possible.

  Further, in the multidirectional input device, the first interlocking member may be provided with a restricting portion that restricts the upward movement of the operation member that receives the biasing force of the coil spring. In this case, since the upward movement of the operation member can be restricted, sliding contact between the flange portion of the operation member and the housing (upper case) can be prevented, and the occurrence of wear of the operation member and the housing is suppressed. It becomes possible to do.

  Furthermore, the multidirectional input device may be configured such that at least one of the upper case and the receiving portion of the spring receiving member is provided with a protrusion inserted on the inner peripheral side of the coil spring. In this case, since the coil spring can be satisfactorily held, the operation member can be stably returned to the initial position.

  Furthermore, in the multidirectional input device, the first detection means includes a magnet that rotates as the first interlocking member rotates, and a magnetic detection element that is disposed to face the magnet. The detection means may include a magnet that rotates as the second interlocking member rotates, and a magnetic detection element that is disposed to face the magnet. In this case, since the rotation operation of the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member can be detected by the non-contact detection means, it is possible to prevent problems such as wear compared to the contact detection means, and to detect over a long period of time. It is possible to ensure accuracy.

  Furthermore, in the multidirectional input device, the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member are each provided with a shaft portion at both ends, and the shaft portion is between the upper case and the intermediate case. A restricting portion that is rotatably held and restricts movement of each of the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member along the rotational axis direction is provided on at least one of the upper case and the intermediate case. It is preferable to be provided. In this case, since the restricting portion for restricting the movement along the rotation axis direction of each of the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member is provided, the interlocking member is held so as to be capable of rotating with high accuracy. Therefore, even when a non-contact type magnet and a magnetic detection element are used as detection means, the rotation angle can be detected with high accuracy.

  According to the present invention, since at least a part of the coil spring, which is an elastic member, is arranged so as to overlap the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member in the vertical direction, the dimension in the height direction can be reduced. Therefore, the entire apparatus can be made thin.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a multidirectional input device according to a first embodiment. It is the disassembled perspective view which looked at the multi-directional input device which concerns on 1st Embodiment from the rear diagonally downward. It is a top view of the 1st interlocking member in the said multidirectional input device. It is a top view of the 2nd interlocking member in the above-mentioned multidirectional input device. FIG. 5A is a side view of the operating member in the multidirectional input device, and FIG. 5B is a bottom view of the operating member in the multidirectional input device. It is a perspective view in the state where the above-mentioned multidirectional input device was assembled. It is a perspective view at the time of removing the upper case from the said multidirectional input device. It is sectional drawing of the said multidirectional input device, and is AA arrow sectional drawing of FIG. It is sectional drawing at the time of removing an upper case from the said multidirectional input device, and is BB arrow sectional drawing of FIG. It is sectional drawing at the time of removing an upper case from the said multidirectional input device, and is CC sectional view taken on the line of FIG. FIG. 11A is a schematic front view showing the configuration of the first detection means (second detection means) in the multidirectional input device, and FIG. 11B shows the configuration of the first detection means (second detection means) in the multidirectional input device. It is a side surface schematic diagram which shows. It is the disassembled perspective view which looked at the operation member, the 1st interlocking member, and the 2nd interlocking member in the above-mentioned multidirectional input device from the back slanting lower part. It is a bottom view which shows the state which penetrated the axial part of the operation member in the said multidirectional input device through the slit hole of the 2nd interlocking member. It is a bottom view which shows the state which connected the operation member in the said multidirectional input device, the 2nd interlocking member, and the 1st interlocking member. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the operation state at the time of accepting tilting operation with the said multi-directional input device. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the operation state at the time of accepting tilting operation with the said multi-directional input device. It is a disassembled perspective view of the multidirectional input device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is the disassembled perspective view which looked at the multi-directional input device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment from rear diagonally downward. FIG. 19A is a side view of the operating member in the multidirectional input device, and FIG. 19B is a bottom view of the operating member in the multidirectional input device. It is a perspective view at the time of removing the upper case from the said multidirectional input device. It is sectional drawing of the said multidirectional input device, and is DD sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is sectional drawing at the time of removing an upper case from the said multidirectional input device, and is EE arrow sectional drawing of FIG.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a multidirectional input device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the multidirectional input device 1 as viewed from the rear and obliquely below. In the following, for convenience of explanation, the vertical direction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is referred to as “the vertical direction of the multidirectional input device 1”.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the multidirectional input device 1 includes a generally box-shaped housing 2, a coil spring 3 that constitutes an elastic member, and a spring receiving member 4 that receives the upper end of the coil spring 3. The first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6 that are rotatably held in the housing 2 in a state of being orthogonal to each other, and extend in the vertical direction of the multi-directional input device 1, and in accordance with the tilting operation, the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6 An operating member 7 for rotating the interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6; a first detecting means 8 and a second detecting means 9 for detecting the rotational operations of the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6; It is comprised including.

  The housing 2 includes an upper case 21 in which an opening 211 is formed, a lid member 22 disposed to face the upper case 21, and an intermediate case 23 disposed between the upper case 21 and the lid member 22. The A constant space is formed inside the housing 2 (between the upper case 21 and the intermediate case 23), and various components of the multidirectional input device 1 are accommodated in this space.

  The upper case 21 is formed by molding an insulating resin material, for example, and is generally formed in a rectangular box shape that opens downward. A circular opening 211 is provided at the center of the upper case 21. Around the opening 211, a wall portion 212 is provided as an upper wall portion protruding upward in a dome shape. A plurality of (eight in the present embodiment) engaging grooves 213 a that engage with holding leg pieces 222 of the lid member 22 described later are provided on the outer peripheral wall portion of the upper case 21. A claw portion 213b that protrudes outward is provided at a substantially central portion of the engagement groove 213a. The claw portion 213b is snap-engaged with a snap hole 222a of a holding leg piece 222 to be described later. Out of the outer peripheral wall portion of the upper case 21, two adjacent sides are U-shaped (arc-shaped) in a cross section that opens to the lower side for disposing the first detection means 8 and the second detection means 9 described later. A notch 213c is provided (see FIG. 2). A plurality of bosses 213d projecting outward are provided around the notch 213c. These bosses 213d attach the flexible substrate 11 and the reinforcing plates 11a and 11b, which are located on the portion to which the GMR element 8b constituting the first detection means 8 or the GMR element 9b constituting the second detection means 9 is attached, to the upper case 21. And is inserted into a through hole 111 of a flexible substrate 11 and reinforcing plates 11a and 11b, which will be described later, and a tip portion protruding from the through hole 111 is crushed and caulked. In FIG. 2, the boss 213d is shown in a shape after caulking.

  A plurality of (four in the present embodiment) wall portions 214 a to 214 d are provided on the lower surface of the upper case 21 so as to surround the opening 211 and protrude downward. Each of the wall portions 214a to 214d is provided with a bearing portion 215 having a U-shaped cross section (arc shape) that opens downward. Between the wall part 214a and the outer peripheral wall part of the upper case 21, an accommodating part 216a for accommodating a magnet 9a described later is provided. Between the wall part 214b and the outer peripheral wall part of the upper case 21, the accommodating part 216b for accommodating the magnet 8a mentioned later is provided. In addition, on the lower surface (ceiling surface) of the upper case 21, a plurality (four in the present embodiment) of protrusions 217 are provided so as to protrude downward. On the lower surface of the upper case 21, a plurality of (four in the present embodiment) hole portions 218 into which protrusions 233 having crash ribs of the intermediate case 23 described later are press-fitted are provided.

  The lid member 22 constitutes an attachment member, and is made of a magnetic body that functions as a shield, for example, a metal plate such as stainless steel. The lid member 22 includes a bottom surface portion 221 provided in a rectangular shape that receives the lower end portion of the coil spring 3, and a plurality of (a book) extending perpendicularly from the outer peripheral portion of the bottom surface portion 221 toward the upper side. Eight holding leg pieces 222 in the embodiment, and a shielding piece 223 that extends at right angles from two specific adjacent sides of the outer peripheral portion of the bottom surface portion 221 toward the upper side. Yes. The bottom surface portion 221 has an elastic piece 221a with a part protruding downward. Each holding leg piece 222 has a snap hole 222a formed by being cut out in a substantially rectangular shape. These holding leg pieces 222 engage with the engaging grooves 213a of the upper case 21, and the snap holes 222a and the claw portions 213b are snap-coupled, whereby the lid member 22 and the upper case 21 are coupled. The shielding pieces 223 are provided at positions corresponding to the notches 213c of the upper case 21, respectively. A bearing member 10 made of an insulating resin material is caulked and attached to the center of the upper surface of the lid member 22. The bearing member 10 is provided with a pair of wall portions 10a that protrude upward. The upper surface side of the pair of wall portions 10a is formed in a spherical concave shape. The bearing member 10 is provided with a substantially rectangular recess 10b so as to be orthogonal to the pair of wall portions 10a.

  The intermediate case 23 is configured, for example, by molding an insulating resin material, and is generally provided in a rectangular shape. A rectangular opening 231 is provided at the center of the intermediate case 23. Around the opening 231, a plurality of (four in the present embodiment) through-holes 232 into which the coil spring 3 can be inserted are provided. In the present embodiment, the through holes 232 as the penetrating portions are provided corresponding to the four corners of the rectangular opening 231 and communicate with the opening 231. On the upper surface of the intermediate case 23, there are provided projecting portions 233 having a plurality of (four in the present embodiment) crash ribs projecting upward. When the intermediate case 23 and the upper case 21 are joined, the crush rib provided on the outer periphery of the protrusion 233 is pressed into the hole 218 of the upper case 21 and crushed, and the intermediate case 23 is press-fitted and fixed to the upper case 21. Is done. The intermediate case 23 is provided with through portions 234 a and 234 b at positions corresponding to the storage portions 216 a and 216 b of the upper case 21. In addition, a slit-like restricting portion 235 into which a protruding piece 57 provided on a shaft portion 55b of the first interlocking member 5 described later is inserted is provided at a position facing the penetrating portion 234b across the opening portion 231. ing. The restricting portion 235 plays a role of restricting the first interlocking member 5 from moving in the rotation axis direction. The intermediate case 23 is provided with an opening 236 at a position corresponding to the IC 12 described later. On the lower surface of the intermediate case 23, a plurality of bosses 237 projecting downward are provided adjacent to the opening 236 (see FIG. 2). These bosses 237 are used to attach the flexible substrate 11 and the reinforcing plate 11c located at the portion where the IC 12 is attached to the intermediate case 23, and the through holes 111 of the flexible substrate 11 and the reinforcing plate 11c described later. And the tip protruding from the through hole 111 is crushed and caulked.

  The coil spring 3 is made of, for example, a conductive metal wire such as iron (piano wire), and a plurality (four in the present embodiment) of substantially the same coil springs 3 a to 3 d penetrate the intermediate case 23. It is arranged in the hole 232. By using the coil spring 3 as an elastic member in the multidirectional input device 1, it is possible to ensure good return performance over a long period of time.

  The spring receiving member 4 is made of, for example, a non-magnetic metal plate such as phosphor bronze, and has a base portion 41 provided in a generally rectangular shape, and a plurality of (this book) extending from the base portion 41 upward at a substantially right angle. (In the embodiment, four) extending portions 42, a receiving portion 43 extending from the upper end portion of the extending portion 42 toward the outer side at a substantially right angle, and a lower side from the outer end portion of the receiving portion 43. And a side wall portion 44 extending substantially at a right angle. The base 41 is provided in a flat plate shape, and a generally circular opening 41a is provided at the center thereof. The extending portions 42 respectively extend upward from the four corners of the substantially rectangular base portion 41. The receiving part 43 is provided in a flat plate shape, and has a cylindrical part 43a that has a substantially circular shape in plan view and protrudes in a cylindrical shape on the lower side. The protrusions 217 of the upper case 21 are inserted through the respective cylindrical portions 43a. The spring receiving member 4 (receiving portion 43) is guided by the protrusion 217 so as to be vertically movable. Moreover, the coil springs 3a-3d are each arrange | positioned at the outer peripheral side of each cylindrical part 43a. At this time, the coil springs 3 a to 3 d are sandwiched between the extension portion 42 and the side wall portion 44, and the upper ends of the coil springs 3 a to 3 d are in contact with the lower surface of the receiving portion 43. That is, the receiving portion 43 of the spring receiving member 4 is in a state of receiving the upper end portions of the coil springs 3a to 3d. Further, the strength of the spring receiving member 4 can be increased by providing the side wall portion 44 in which the receiving portion 43 is bent in an L shape. Further, the base 41 causes the biasing force of the coil spring 3 received by the receiving portion 43 to act on the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6 described later. That is, the base 41 is in elastic contact with the lower surfaces of the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6. The spring receiving member 4 is disposed between the upper case 21 and the intermediate case 23.

  For example, the first interlocking member 5 is formed by molding an insulating resin material. FIG. 3 is a top view of the first interlocking member 5. The first interlocking member 5 has a pair of long side wall portions 51 arranged to face each other, and a connecting portion 52 that connects both end portions of these side wall portions 51. The side wall 51 is formed so as to have a gently convex shape upward from the both end portions to the center position in the longitudinal direction. Inside the side wall portion 51 and the connecting portion 52, an opening portion 53 having a generally rectangular long hole in a plan view is provided. A generally cylindrical shaft portion 54 is provided at the longitudinal center position of the side wall portion 51 so as to connect the pair of side wall portions 51. The shaft portion 54 is formed such that the diameter of the central portion thereof is smaller than the diameter of both end portions. The shaft portion 54 engages with an operation member 7 to be described later and plays a role of restricting the upward and downward movement of the operation member 7. Since this shaft portion 54 can restrict the movement of the operating member 7 upward and downward, direct contact between the operating member 7 and the housing 2 can be prevented, and the operating member 7 and the housing 2 can be damaged. It becomes possible to prevent. Further, the connecting portion 52 is provided with generally cylindrical shaft portions 55a and 55b provided so as to protrude from the side of the apparatus main body. The shaft portions 55 a and 55 b are inserted into bearing portions 215 provided on the wall portions 214 b and 214 d of the upper case 21, respectively, so that the space between the upper case 21 (wall portions 214 b and 214 d) and the upper surface of the intermediate case 23 is reached. It is supported so that it can rotate. A magnet receiver 56 is provided at the tip of one shaft portion 55a. The magnet receiver 56 is fixed by caulking with a magnet 8a that constitutes first detection means 8 that detects the rotation of the first interlocking member 5. The magnet 8a has a generally cylindrical shape and is dimensioned to be housed in the housing portion 216b of the upper case 21. A protruding piece 57 that protrudes downward is provided at the tip of the other shaft portion 55b. Further, the connecting portion 52 is provided with a restricting portion 58 that protrudes toward the opening 53. The restricting portion 58 is designed to have a shape in which cylindrical shaft portions 55a and 55b protrude toward the opening 53 and the upper half thereof is cut off obliquely. The restricting portion 58 plays a role of restricting the operation member 7 from rotating beyond a certain position. In addition, the lower surface of the 1st interlocking member 5 contact | abutted with the base 41 of the spring receiving member 4, the both ends of the side wall part 51 in this Embodiment, and the lower surface of the connection part 52 are flat surfaces. When the operation member 7 is not operated, the lower surface (flat surface) of the first interlocking member 5 is in surface contact with the base 41 of the spring receiving member 4 that receives the biasing force of the coil spring 3 (see FIG. 9).

  The second interlocking member 6 is disposed above the first interlocking member 5 so that the extending direction (rotation axis direction) is orthogonal to the first interlocking member 5. For example, the second interlocking member 6 is formed by molding an insulating resin material. FIG. 4 is a top view of the second interlocking member 6. The second interlocking member 6 is curved and formed in an arch shape toward the upper side, and a long hole 61 is formed along the longitudinal direction of the arched portion. The arch-shaped part is set to a size that is accommodated in the wall 212 protruding in a dome shape of the upper case 21 (see FIG. 8). As described above, since the arched portion of the second interlocking member 6 can be accommodated in the wall portion 212 formed around the opening 211 of the upper case 21, the portion other than the wall portion 212 of the upper case 21 is thinned. It is possible to secure the degree of freedom in designing the equipment on which the multidirectional input device 1 is mounted. Further, the long hole 61 is set to be approximately the same as the size of a shoulder portion 73 of the operation member 7 described later. A substantially arc-shaped recess 61a is provided along the long side portion of the lower surface of the long hole 61, that is, on the inner surface side of the end portion in the short direction. Side walls 62 are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the second interlocking member 6. These side wall portions 62 are provided with generally cylindrical shaft portions 63a and 63b that protrude from the side of the apparatus main body. The shaft portions 63a and 63b are inserted into bearing portions 215 provided on the wall portions 214a and 214b of the upper case 21, respectively, so that the space between the upper case 21 (wall portions 214a and 214b) and the upper surface of the intermediate case 23 is increased. It is supported so that it can rotate. A magnet receiver 64 is provided at the tip of one shaft portion 63a. The magnet receiver 64 is fixed by caulking to a magnet 9a that constitutes second detection means 9 that detects the rotation of the second interlocking member 6. The magnet 9 a is provided with a size that can be stored in the storage portion 216 a of the upper case 21. In addition, the lower surface of the side wall part 62 which is the lower surface of the 2nd interlocking member 6 contact | abutted with the base 41 of the spring receiving member 4 is a flat surface. When the operation member 7 is not operated, the lower surface of the second interlocking member 6 is in surface contact with the base 41 of the spring receiving member 4 by the biasing force of the coil spring 3 (see FIG. 10).

  The operation member 7 is formed by molding an insulating resin material, for example, and has a generally circular head portion 71 in a plan view provided at the upper end portion, and a columnar shaft portion 72 constituting a base portion, And a shoulder portion 73 provided at an intermediate position in the vertical direction of the shaft portion 72. FIG. 5A is a side view of the operation member 7, and FIG. 5B is a bottom view of the operation member 7. The diameter of the head 71 constituting the operation unit is set to be larger than the diameter of the opening 211 of the upper case 21. Further, the diameter of the shaft portion 72 is set to be smaller than the diameter of the opening portion 211 of the upper case 21. In the assembled state of the multidirectional input device 1, the shaft portion 72 having a smaller diameter than the diameter of the opening 211 is inserted into the opening 211 of the upper case 21. Therefore, foreign matter may enter the housing 2 through a gap generated between the opening 211 and the shaft portion 72. On the other hand, the operating member 7 may be provided with a blindfold covering the opening 211 at least in the non-operating state. The shape of the blindfolded portion can be, for example, a shape along the wall portion 212 protruding like a bowl or the dome shape of the upper case 21. The blindfold may be formed integrally with the operation member 7 or may be formed by molding the operation member 7 with two colors. In addition, a blindfold may be provided by attaching a ring-shaped elastic member made of an elastomer, rubber, or the like, which is a separate member from the operation member 7, to the operation member 7. The lower end portion of the shaft portion 72 is formed in a spherical convex shape corresponding to the spherical concave shape of the wall portion 10 a in the bearing member 10 attached to the lid member 22. In addition, the lower end portion of the shaft portion 72 is provided with a concave groove portion 72a having a U-shaped cross section (arc shape) that opens downward. The recessed groove portion 72a snap-engages with the shaft portion 54 of the first interlocking member 5. The shoulder portion 73 constitutes a longitudinally shaped portion, and generally has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the long side portion is provided so as to protrude from the shaft portion 72 to both sides (the left-right direction in FIG. 5A) of the entire apparatus. (See FIG. 5B). The upper surface of the shoulder portion 73 is formed in a substantially arc shape that protrudes upward along the short side portion. The short side dimension of the shoulder portion 73 is substantially the same as the diameter of the shaft portion 72. A notch 74 that is cut into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape is provided at the lower center of both ends of the shoulder 73 in the long side direction.

  A GMR element (giant magnetoresistive element) 8b as a magnetic detection element constituting the first detection means 8 and a GMR element 9b as a magnetic detection element constituting the second detection means 9 are provided on a flexible substrate 11. Yes. In addition to the GMR elements 8b and 9b, the flexible substrate 11 is provided with an IC 12 that functions as an amplifier and a connector 13. The GMR elements 8b and 9b detect the rotation angles of the magnets 8a and 9a, amplify the detection result by the IC 12, and output the detection result to the outside via the connector 13. Reinforcing plates 11b and 11a are attached to the back surface of the flexible substrate 11 where the GMR elements 8b and 9b are provided by a double-sided adhesive tape or the like. The flexible substrate 11 and the reinforcing plates 11a and 11b are provided with a through hole 111 through which the boss 213d of the upper case 21 is inserted. A reinforcing plate 11c is attached to the back surface of the flexible substrate 11 where the IC 12 is provided. The flexible substrate 11 and the reinforcing plate 11c are provided with a through hole 111 through which the boss 237 of the intermediate case 23 is inserted. The GMR elements 8b and 9b and the IC 12 are sealed with resin.

  Then, the state which assembled the multidirectional input device 1 which concerns on this Embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the assembled multidirectional input device 1. FIG. 7 is a perspective view when the upper case 21 is removed from the multidirectional input device 1 shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 7 when the upper case 21 is attached to the multidirectional input device 1. 9 is a cross-sectional view when the upper case 21 is removed from the multidirectional input device 1 shown in FIG. 6, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view when the upper case 21 is removed from the multidirectional input device 1 shown in FIG. 6, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the multidirectional input device 1 having such a configuration is assembled, the holding leg piece 222 of the lid member 22 is engaged with the engagement groove 213a of the upper case 21, and the claw portion 213b and the snap hole are engaged. The upper case 21 and the lid member 22 are integrated with each other through the intermediate case 23 in a state in which the housing 222 is snap-coupled to the housing 222. The reinforcing plate 11b provided corresponding to the GMR element 8b (not shown in FIG. 6) is attached by caulking with the boss 213d inserted through the through hole 111. The shielding piece 223 of the lid member 22 is positioned so as to cover the reinforcing plate 11b at a portion facing the GMR element 8b. The operation member 7 (shaft portion 72) protrudes upward, and each component is inside the housing 2 with the head 71 as the operation portion of the operation member 7 exposed from the opening 211 of the upper case 21. Of space. The connector 13 is exposed to the outside of the housing 2.

  As shown in FIG. 7, in the upper case 21, the first interlocking member 5 is disposed orthogonally below the second interlocking member 6. The base 41 of the spring receiving member 4 is disposed in contact with the flat surfaces of the lower surfaces of the second interlocking member 6 and the first interlocking member 5. Part of the coil spring 3 (3a to 3d) (lower end portion) is accommodated in the through hole 232 of the intermediate case 23, respectively. The lower end portion of the coil spring 3 is in contact with the bottom surface portion 221 of the lid member 22, and the upper end portion of the coil spring 3 is in contact with the receiving portion 43 of the spring receiving member 4. As described above, a part of the coil spring 3 is provided in the through hole 232 positioned between the lid member 22 and the spring receiving member 4 so as to be elastically deformable (see FIG. 8), so that the upper and lower sides of the multidirectional input device 1 are At least a part of the coil spring 3 is overlapped with the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6 in the direction (projection direction of the operation member 7). With this configuration, since the dimension in the height direction can be reduced, the housing 2 in which the coil spring 3 is accommodated can be reduced in thickness, and as a result, the entire multidirectional input device 1 can be reduced in thickness.

  In addition, the coil springs 3 a to 3 d are disposed in the housing 2 in a direction between the extending directions of the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6 that are disposed orthogonally in plan view. That is, in FIG. 7, when viewed from the protruding direction side (upper side) of the operation member 7, the position of the magnet 8 a is 0 °, the position of the magnet 9 a is 90 °, and the position of the shaft portion 55 b of the first interlocking member 5. Is 180 ° and the position of the shaft portion 63b of the second interlocking member 6 is 270 °, the positions of the coil springs 3a to 3d can be expressed as 45 °, 135 °, 225 °, and 315 °, respectively (however, In FIG. 7, the coil spring 3b (135 °) is not shown). By adopting such a configuration, the space near the four corners in the housing 2 that is likely to become a dead space can be used effectively, so that the housing 2 can be downsized.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, the through-hole 232 of the intermediate case 23 in which the coil spring 3 is accommodated has a two-stage structure, on the lower side (the lid member 22 side) constituting the first accommodating portion. The diameter is configured to be smaller than the diameter of the upper side (spring receiving member 4 side) constituting the second accommodating portion. With this configuration, the end winding portion that is the lower end portion of the coil spring 3 is accommodated in the through hole 232 with almost no gap. On the other hand, an intermediate portion (portion other than the end winding) near the lower end portion of the coil spring 3 is accommodated with a gap with respect to the through hole 232. Thereby, when the coil spring 3 is elastically deformed, the lateral displacement of the lower end portion of the coil spring 3 can be prevented, and the side surface of the intermediate portion of the coil spring 3 can be prevented from hitting the inner wall surface of the through hole 232. Therefore, since the movement accompanying the elastic deformation of the coil spring 3 can be smoothed, it is possible to prevent a situation where the operability is impaired.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the spring receiving member 4 made of a metal material and the lid member 22 are electrically connected via a coil spring 3 made of a metal wire. The lid member 22 is provided with an elastic piece 221a protruding downward (see FIG. 2). Thereby, the static electricity of the operator who has fallen on the operation member 7 is discharged to the ground pattern such as a printed board on which the multidirectional input device 1 is mounted via the spring receiving member 4, the coil spring 3 and the lid member 22. Therefore, it is possible to prevent destruction of electrical components such as an IC inside the apparatus due to static electricity.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a part of the magnet receiver 56 and the magnet 8 a of the first interlocking member 5 are accommodated in the through portion 234 b of the intermediate case 23. In this state, the magnet 8a faces the GMR element 8b on the flexible substrate 11 supported by the reinforcing plate 11b, as shown in FIG. The rotation operation of the first interlocking member 5 is transmitted to the magnet 8 a through the magnet receiver 56.

  Similarly, a part of the magnet receiver 64 and the magnet 9 a of the second interlocking member 6 are accommodated in the through portion 234 a of the intermediate case 23. In this state, as shown in FIG. 10, the magnet 9a faces the GMR element 9b on the flexible substrate 11 supported by the reinforcing plate 11a. The rotation operation of the second interlocking member 6 is transmitted to the magnet 9 a via the magnet receiver 64.

  As described above, in the multidirectional input device 1 according to the present embodiment, the first interlocking member 5 includes the magnet 8a coupled to the first interlocking member 5 and the GMR element 8b disposed to face the magnet 8a. Rotation of the second interlocking member 6 is constituted by a magnet 9a connected to the second interlocking member 6 and a GMR element 9b arranged opposite to the magnet 9a. The second detection means 9 for detecting the operation is configured. In the multi-directional input device 1 according to the present embodiment, the rotation operation of the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6 can be detected by the non-contact detection means, and therefore wear compared to the contact detection means. It is possible to prevent problems such as these, and to ensure detection accuracy over a long period of time.

  FIG. 11A is a schematic front view showing the configuration of the first detection means 8 (second detection means 9), and FIG. 11B is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the first detection means 8 (second detection means 9). is there. As shown in FIG. 11A, the magnet 8a (9a) is configured such that when the magnet 8a (9a) is divided into two by a longitudinal axis passing through the center, the upper half and the lower half have different magnetic poles. . By adopting such a configuration of the magnet 8a (9a), it is possible to reduce the influence of the magnet around the multidirectional input device 1 (for example, the lower side). The GMR element 8b (9b) is disposed opposite to the center position of the magnet 8a (9a).

  In the first detection means 8 (second detection means 9), an external magnetic field (arrow B shown in FIG. 11B) by the magnet 8a (9a) is applied to the GMR element 8b (9b). Since the electrical resistance value of the GMR element 8b (9b) changes according to the direction of the external magnetic field by the magnet 8a (9a), the GMR element 8b (9b) and the magnet 8a (9a) are output from the output signal of the GMR element 8b (9b). ) And the relative rotation amount (rotation angle) can be detected. In the multidirectional input device 1, the rotation of the first interlocking member 5 (second interlocking member 6) is based on the relative rotation amount (rotation angle) detected by the first detecting means 8 (second detecting means 9). An angle can be detected.

  In this case, the protruding piece 57 of the first interlocking member 5 is inserted into a restricting portion 235 formed in the intermediate case 23 as shown in FIG. By inserting the protruding piece 57 into the restricting portion 235 in this way, the movement of the first interlocking member 5 in the rotation axis direction can be restricted. For this reason, the 1st interlocking member 5 can be hold | maintained so that it can rotate accurately, and even if it is a case where the magnet 8a and the GMR element 8b are utilized as the 1st detection means 8, it can detect a rotation angle accurately. Is possible.

  In the present embodiment, the movement of the first interlocking member 5 in the rotational axis direction is also restricted by the wall 214b of the upper case 21. That is, when the shaft portion 55a of the first interlocking member 5 is inserted into the bearing portion 215 provided on the wall portion 214b, the wall portion 214b is disposed between the connecting portion 52 and the magnet receiver 56. The movement of the first interlocking member 5 in the rotation axis direction is restricted. Similarly, the movement of the second interlocking member 6 in the rotation axis direction is restricted by the wall 214 a of the upper case 21. In this case, the wall portion 214a is disposed between the side wall portion 62 and the magnet receiver 64 by inserting the shaft portion 63a of the second interlocking member 6 into the bearing portion 215 provided on the wall portion 214a. This restricts the movement of the second interlocking member 6 in the direction of the rotational axis. As described above, the walls 214b and 214a function as restricting portions that restrict the movement of the corresponding interlocking members (the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6) along the rotation axis direction. Here, the case where the upper case 21 is provided with a restricting portion that restricts the movement of the interlocking members (the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6) in the rotation axis direction has been described. You may make it form in the case 23. FIG. It is also possible to provide both the upper case 21 and the intermediate case 23. By providing the restricting portions for restricting the movement along the respective rotation axis directions in the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6, the interlocking members (the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6) can be accurately used. Even when the non-contact type magnets 8a and 9a and the GMR elements 8b and 9b are used as the detection means (the first detection means 8 and the second detection means 9). It becomes possible to detect the rotation angle with high accuracy.

  The shaft portion 72 of the operation member 7 is inserted through the long hole 61 of the second interlocking member 6 and the opening 53 of the first interlocking member 5 that are arranged orthogonally in the housing 2. The operating member 7 is coupled to the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6 by snap-engaging the shaft portion 54 of the first interlocking member 5 with the groove portion 72 a provided in the shaft portion 72. At the same time, the first interlocking member 5 is rotatably supported. The multidirectional input device 1 is configured to be able to accept a tilting operation from an operator by the operation member 7 connected in this way.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the operating member 7 intersects with the extending directions of the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6 arranged so as to be orthogonal to each other in the initial state where the tilting operation is not performed. Protruding. More specifically, the shaft portion 72 of the operation member 7 is moved upward so that the axial direction (extending direction) of the shaft portion 72 is orthogonal to the rotation axis of each of the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6. It is arranged to protrude. The shaft portion 72 protrudes from the opening 211 of the upper case 21 to the outside. As described above, the operation member 7 is held in the upright state because the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6 that are in surface contact with the spring receiving member 4 that receives the biasing force of the coil spring 3 and the operation member 7. Is due to the engagement. That is, in the present embodiment, the operating member 7 is returned to the initial state via the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6 on which the biasing force of the coil spring 3 acts.

  In the assembled state of the multidirectional input device 1, as shown in FIG. 9, the upper surface of the shoulder 73 of the operation member 7 is disposed opposite to the lower surface of the recess 61 a of the second interlocking member 6 with a clearance. Is done. For this reason, when the operation member 7 is undesirably pulled upward, the operation member 7 moves upward by an amount corresponding to the clearance, and then contacts the lower surface of the second interlocking member 6. Here, the clearance between the upper surface of the shoulder 73 of the operation member 7 and the lower surface of the second interlocking member 6 is set to be smaller than the radius of the shaft portion 54 of the first interlocking member 5. For this reason, even if the shoulder portion 73 moves upward until it comes into contact with the lower surface of the recess 61a, the snap engagement between the shaft portion 54 and the groove portion 72a of the operation member 7 is not released.

  Further, in the assembled state of the multidirectional input device 1, the lower end portion (projection-shaped portion) of the shaft portion 72 of the operation member 7 is a recess-shaped interior formed on the upper surface of the wall portion 10 a of the bearing member 10. Further, they are arranged to face each other with a clearance from the upper surface (the concave portion) of the wall 10a (see FIG. 9). For this reason, when the operating member 7 is pushed in with an undesirably strong force, the lower end portion of the shaft portion 72 comes into contact with the upper surface of the wall portion 10a. By this contact, the pressing load applied to the shaft portion 54 of the first interlocking member 5 from the operating member 7 can be suppressed, and damage and deformation of the first interlocking member 5 including the shaft portion 54 can be prevented. It becomes possible to do. Here, the lower end portion of the shaft portion 72 is formed in a spherical convex shape, and the upper surface of the wall portion 10a has a spherical concave shape corresponding to the convex shape of the lower end portion of the shaft portion 72. Therefore, the pressing load applied to the operation member 7 can be effectively received by the bearing member 10 attached to the lid member 22.

  Then, the assembly method of the multidirectional input device 1 which concerns on this Embodiment is demonstrated. In addition, the assembly order shown below is only an example, and the order can be changed as appropriate.

  First, the flexible substrate 11 is attached to the intermediate case 23. Specifically, the boss 237 provided on the lower surface of the intermediate case 23 is inserted into the through hole 111 of the reinforcing plate 11c in the portion where the IC 12 is attached, and is attached by caulking. Subsequently, the coil springs 3 a to 3 d are accommodated in the through holes 232 of the intermediate case 23, respectively. Thereafter, the spring receiving member 4 is installed on the coil springs 3 a to 3 d so that the upper ends of the coil springs 3 a to 3 d are in contact with the lower surface of the receiving portion 43. At this time, the cylindrical portion 43a is inserted into the inner peripheral side of the upper ends of the coil springs 3a to 3d, and the coil springs 3a to 3d are accommodated between the extension portion 42 and the side wall portion 44 of the spring receiving member 4. State.

  The operating member 7 inserts the shaft portion 72 into the opening 211 of the upper case 21, and then inserts the shaft portion 72 into the long hole 61 of the second interlocking member 6, and then the concave groove portion 72 a provided in the shaft portion 72 and the first groove 72 a. It attaches by snap-engaging with the axial part 54 provided in the interlocking member 5. FIG. Thereby, the upper case 21, the operation member 7, the first interlocking member 5, and the second interlocking member 6 are connected. A method for attaching the operation member 7, that is, a method for connecting the operation member 7, the first interlocking member 5, and the second interlocking member 6 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the operation member 7, the first interlocking member 5, and the second interlocking member 6 as viewed from the rear and obliquely below. FIG. 13 is a bottom view showing a state in which the shaft portion 72 of the operation member 7 is inserted through the long hole 61 of the second interlocking member 6. FIG. 14 is a bottom view showing a state in which the operation member 7, the second interlocking member 6, and the first interlocking member 5 are connected. In addition, in order to make an understanding easy, in FIGS. 12-14, illustration of the upper case 21 arrange | positioned between the head 71 of the operation member 7 and the 2nd interlocking member 6 is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the operation member 7 is provided with a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shoulder portion 73. The second interlocking member 6 is provided with a substantially rectangular long hole 61. The first interlocking member 5 is provided with a substantially rectangular opening 53 having a shaft portion 54 at the center in the longitudinal direction. In the state shown in FIG. 12, the longitudinal direction of the shoulder 73 of the operation member 7 and the opening 53 of the first interlocking member 5 coincide. The longitudinal direction of the long hole 61 of the second interlocking member 6 is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the shoulder 73 and the opening 53. Further, the length in the longitudinal direction of the shoulder 73 of the operation member 7, the length in the longitudinal direction of the long hole 61 of the second interlocking member 6, and the length in the longitudinal direction of the opening 53 of the first interlocking member 5 are approximately Are the same. The lengths in the short direction are also substantially the same. Moreover, the concave direction 72a provided in the operation member 7 and the axial part 54 provided in the 1st interlocking member 5 correspond in the longitudinal direction (extending direction) in the state shown in FIG.

  First, the shaft portion 72 of the operation member 7 inserted through the opening 211 of the upper case 21 is inserted into the long hole 61 of the second interlocking member 6. When the operation member 7 is moved downward from the state shown in FIG. 12 and the shaft portion 72 is to be inserted into the long hole 61 of the second interlocking member 6, the length of the shoulder portion 73 in the longitudinal direction is the length of the long hole 61. Since it is longer than the length in the short direction, the shoulder portion 73 cannot pass through the long hole 61, and the shaft portion 72 cannot be inserted into the long hole 61. Therefore, in order to insert the shaft portion 72 into the long hole 61, first, the operation member 7 needs to be rotated 90 ° from the state shown in FIG. 12 so that the longitudinal direction of the shoulder portion 73 and the longitudinal direction of the long hole 61 coincide with each other. There is. When the operating member 7 is moved downward in a state in which the longitudinal direction of the shoulder portion 73 and the longitudinal direction of the long hole 61 coincide with each other, the shoulder portion 73 passes through the long hole 61 and the shaft portion 72 becomes the long hole 61. It can be inserted (see FIG. 13). As shown in FIG. 13, the substantially rectangular shape of the cross section of the shoulder portion 73 and the substantially rectangular shape of the long hole 61 are configured to have substantially the same shape.

  Subsequently, the groove portion 72 a provided in the shaft portion 72 and the shaft portion 54 provided in the first interlocking member 5 are snap-engaged. Before the snap engagement, the operation member 7 is again rotated by 90 ° in order to make the longitudinal direction of the concave groove portion 72 a coincide with the longitudinal direction of the shaft portion 54. When the operation member 7 is rotated 90 ° from the state shown in FIG. 13, the shoulder 73 does not pass through the slot 61 because the longitudinal direction of the shoulder 73 and the longitudinal direction of the slot 61 are orthogonal to each other. The operation member 7 is restricted from moving upward by a part of the second interlocking member 6. When the operating member 7 is moved downward in a state where the longitudinal direction of the recessed groove portion 72a and the longitudinal direction of the shaft portion 54 coincide with each other, the recessed groove portion 72a and the shaft portion 54 come into contact with each other. By moving 7 downward, the shaft portion 54 is pushed into the recessed groove portion 72a, and both can be snap-engaged (see FIG. 14). In addition, the part by which the shaft part 54 is snap-engaged with the concave groove part 72a is not the center part of the shaft part 54 but the both ends (large diameter part) so that it can understand from FIG. That is, a protruding portion that slightly protrudes from each other across the concave groove portion 72 a is provided at the lower end portion of the shaft portion 72 of the operating member 7. Is engaged. Thereby, the operation member 7 is supported rotatably with respect to the first interlocking member 5. Since the second interlocking member 6 restricts the upward movement of the first interlocking member 5 while being rotatably supported by the first interlocking member 5, the first interlocking member 5 in the assembled multidirectional input device 1. It is possible to prevent the operation member 7 from being disengaged from and to improve the reliability of the apparatus. In particular, since the upward movement of the operating member 7 is restricted by the contact between the shoulder 73 of the operating member 7 rotated by a predetermined angle and the second interlocking member 6, the operation on the first interlocking member 5 is controlled. Disengagement of the member 7 can be reliably prevented with a simple configuration.

  At this time, the upper surface of the shoulder 73 formed in a substantially arcuate shape is disposed so as to face along the substantially arcuate recess 61 a formed in the lower surface along the long side of the long hole 61. Thereby, since the upper surface of the shoulder 73 and the lower surface of the second interlocking member 6 can be brought into contact with each other, the stress when the operation member 7 is pulled upward can be dispersed. Breakage or deformation of the member, the second interlocking member, and the housing) can be suppressed. Particularly, since the shaft portion 54 provided in the first interlocking member 5 and the concave groove portion 72a provided in the operating member 7 are engaged, and the operating member 7 is rotatably supported by the first interlocking member 5, For example, the wear of the member can be reduced as compared with the case where the operation member 7 is rotatably supported by the pair of protrusions and the pair of recesses, and the operation member 7 can be rotated with high accuracy over a long period of time. It becomes possible. Further, since the concave groove portion 72a has an opening on the lower side, positioning when snap-engaging with the shaft portion 54 of the first interlocking member 5 is facilitated, and assemblability can be improved. In the present embodiment, the recessed groove portion 72a of the operation member 7 opens on the lower side along the axial direction (extending direction) of the shaft portion 72, but the recessed groove portion 72a is not limited thereto. The lower side may be opened with an angle with respect to the axial direction.

  Thus, the operating member 7 is connected to the second interlocking member 6 and the first interlocking member 5 after the shaft portion 72 is inserted through the opening 211 of the upper case 21. In this case, the head 71 of the operation member 7 is larger than the opening 211 of the upper case 21. Accordingly, the second interlocking member 6 restricts the upward movement of the operation member 7, while the head 71 restricts the movement of the operation member 7 into the housing 2. Since the multidirectional input device 1 can be assembled without consideration, it is possible to improve workability during assembly.

  Subsequently, in order to assemble the multidirectional input device 1, the first interlocking member 5 coupled to the operation member 7 and the second interlocking member 6 is installed on the base 41 of the spring receiving member 4. At this time, a part of the magnet 8 a coupled to the first interlocking member 5 is accommodated in the through portion 234 b of the intermediate case 23, and the position is adjusted so that the protruding piece 57 is inserted into the restriction portion 235 of the intermediate case 23. To do. Further, the position is adjusted so that a part of the magnet 9 a connected to the second interlocking member 6 is accommodated in the penetrating portion 234 a of the intermediate case 23. After adjusting the position in this manner, the protrusion 233 having the crash rib of the intermediate case 23 is press-fitted into the hole 218 of the upper case 21 to fix the upper case 21 and the intermediate case 23.

  Thereafter, the boss 213d provided on the outer surface of the upper case 21 is inserted into the through hole 111 of the flexible substrate 11 and the reinforcing plate 11b where the GMR element 8b is attached, and is attached by caulking. Similarly, the boss 213d is inserted into the portion of the flexible substrate 11 to which the GMR element 9b is attached and the through hole 111 of the reinforcing plate 11a, and is attached by caulking. Then, the integrated intermediate case 23 and upper case 21 and the lid member 22 are assembled. Specifically, the intermediate case integrated by engaging the engaging groove 213a of the upper case 21 and the holding leg piece 222 of the lid member 22 and further snap-engaging the claw portion 213b and the snap hole 222a. The lid member 22 is attached to the upper case 21 and the upper case 21. Thereby, the housing 2 is completed, and the multidirectional input device 1 as shown in FIG. 6 is assembled.

  Further, as an assembly method of the multidirectional input device 1, the intermediate case 23 and the upper case 21 constituting the housing 2 are integrated and then turned upside down, and the coil springs 3 a are respectively inserted into the through holes 232 of the intermediate case 23. ~ 3d can also be accommodated. Thereby, workability at the time of assembly can be improved.

  Next, in the multidirectional input device 1 according to the present embodiment, an example of an operation when a tilting operation is received with respect to the operation member 7 will be described. 15 and 16 are cross-sectional views for explaining an operation state when a tilting operation is received by the multidirectional input device 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the operation member 7 when a tilting operation is received in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the second interlocking member 6. Here, FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view as seen from a slightly oblique upper side so that the upper surface of the intermediate case 23 can be seen. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the operation member 7 when a tilting operation is received in the short direction (Y direction) of the second interlocking member 6. 15 and 16 show a state where the upper case 21 is removed for convenience of explanation.

  As shown in FIG. 15, when the tilting operation in the X direction is received with respect to the operation member 7, the operation member 7 rotates the shaft portions 55 a and 55 b provided at both end portions of the first interlocking member 5 as pivot fulcrums. As shown in FIG. In this case, the tilting operation with respect to the operating member 7 is converted into a rotating operation in the X direction in the first interlocking member 5. As the first interlocking member 5 rotates in the X direction, the magnet 8a (not shown in FIG. 15) connected to the first interlocking member 5 also rotates in the same direction. A signal corresponding to the rotation of the magnet 8a is detected by the first detection means 8. Specifically, the direction of the external magnetic field by the magnet 8a is changed by the rotation of the magnet 8a, and the electric resistance value of the GMR element 8b is changed. The rotation angle of the magnet 8a is detected based on the relative rotation amount (rotation angle) between the GMR element 8b and the magnet 8a detected from the output signal of the GMR element 8b.

  When the tilting operation is performed on the operation member 7, a part (corner portion) of the lower surface of the connecting portion 52 that is in surface contact with the base portion 41 of the spring receiving member 4 as the first interlocking member 5 rotates. Presses the base 41 of the spring receiving member 4, and a force that pushes the spring receiving member 4 downward acts. By this force, the coil spring 3 is elastically compressed, and the spring receiving member 4 is pushed downward. At this time, the entire spring receiving member 4 does not move uniformly downward, but the spring receiving member 4 located on one side (left side in FIG. 15) that receives the pressing force by the connecting portion 52 of the first interlocking member 5. This is pushed down more downward than the spring receiving member 4 located on the other side (the right side in FIG. 15). In FIG. 15, for the sake of convenience, the spring receiving member 4 is depicted in a state of being pressed down uniformly. Further, when the spring receiving member 4 is pushed down, the shaft portions 63 a and 63 b of the second interlocking member 6 are supported by the upper surface of the intermediate case 23, so that the second interlocking member 6 moves downward together with the spring receiving member 4. Never move. The shaft portions 55 a and 55 b of the first interlocking member 5 are also supported on the upper surface of the intermediate case 23.

  On the other hand, when the tilting operation with respect to the operation member 7 is released, the spring receiving member 4 is pushed up by the biasing force of the coil spring 3, and the first interlocking member 5 returns to the initial state. Thus, the operation member 7 is returned to the initial position. Along with this, the magnet 8a connected to the first interlocking member 5 returns to the initial position before the operation, so that a signal corresponding to the initial position is output to the outside via the connector 13.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 16, when the tilting operation in the Y direction is received with respect to the operation member 7, the operation member 7 rotates the shaft portions 63 a and 63 b provided at both ends of the second interlocking member 6. As a moving fulcrum, it rotates in the Q direction shown in FIG. In this case, the tilting operation with respect to the operation member 7 is converted into a rotation operation in the Y direction in the second interlocking member 6. As the second interlocking member 6 rotates in the Y direction, the magnet 9a (not shown in FIG. 16) connected to the second interlocking member 6 also rotates in the same direction. A signal corresponding to the rotation of the magnet 9a is detected by the second detection means 9. Specifically, the direction of the external magnetic field by the magnet 9a is changed by the rotation of the magnet 9a, and the electric resistance value of the GMR element 9b is changed. The rotation angle of the magnet 9a is detected based on the relative rotation amount (rotation angle) between the GMR element 9b and the magnet 9a detected from the output signal of the GMR element 9b.

  Further, when the tilting operation with respect to the operation member 7 is performed, a part (corner portion) of the lower surface of the side wall portion 62 that is in surface contact with the base portion 41 of the spring receiving member 4 is accompanied with the rotation of the second interlocking member 6. A force that presses the base 41 of the spring receiving member 4 and pushes the spring receiving member 4 downward acts. By this force, the coil spring 3 is elastically compressed, and the spring receiving member 4 is pushed downward. At this time, the entire spring receiving member 4 does not move uniformly downward, but the spring receiving member 4 located on one side (right side in FIG. 16) that receives the pressing force by the side wall portion 62 of the second interlocking member 6. This is pushed downward more largely than the other side (left side in FIG. 16). In FIG. 16, for the sake of convenience, the spring receiving member 4 is depicted in a state of being pressed down uniformly. Further, the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6 are not supported to move downward together with the spring receiving member 4 since the shaft portions 55a, 55b, 63a, 63b are supported by the upper surface of the intermediate case 23, respectively. Absent.

  On the other hand, when the tilting operation with respect to the operation member 7 is released, the spring receiving member 4 is pushed up by the biasing force of the coil spring 3 and the second interlocking member 6 returns to the initial state. Thus, the operation member 7 is returned to the initial position. Along with this, the magnet 9a coupled to the second interlocking member 6 returns to the initial position before the operation, so that a signal corresponding to the initial position is output to the outside via the connector 13.

  Further, when the operation member 7 is tilted in the intermediate direction between the X direction and the Y direction, the operation is a combination of FIGS. 15 and 16, and both the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6 are rotated. Move. When the tilting operation on the operating member 7 is released, the operating member 7 returns to the initial state via the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6.

  As described above, in the multidirectional input device 1 according to the present embodiment, at least one of the coil springs 3 that are elastic members along the vertical direction of the multidirectional input device 1 (the protruding direction of the operation member 7). Since the portion is overlapped with the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6, the dimension in the height direction can be reduced, and the housing 2 in which the coil spring 3 is accommodated can be thinned. As a result, the entire multidirectional input device 1 can be reduced in thickness. Further, by using the coil spring 3 as an elastic member for returning the operation member 7, it is possible to ensure good return performance over a long period of time.

  Further, since the coil spring 3 is disposed between the two interlocking members, the space near the four corners in the housing 2 that tends to be a dead space can be used effectively, and the housing 2 can be downsized.

(Second Embodiment)
The multidirectional input device 30 according to the second embodiment is different from the multidirectional input device 1 according to the first embodiment in that the configuration of the operation member, the configuration of the upper case, and the configuration of the spring receiving member are different. To do. Hereinafter, the configuration of the multidirectional input device 30 according to the second embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the multidirectional input device 1 according to the first embodiment. In the multidirectional input device 30 according to the second embodiment, the same components as those of the multidirectional input device 1 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of the multidirectional input device 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of the multidirectional input device 30 as viewed from the rear and obliquely below. As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the multidirectional input device 30 includes a coil spring 3 that constitutes an elastic member in a generally box-shaped housing 2 constituted by an upper case 32, an intermediate case 23, and a lid member 22. A spring receiving member 33 that receives the upper end of the coil spring 3, the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6 that are rotatably held in the housing 2 in a state of being orthogonal to each other, and the multidirectional input device 30. The operation member 31 that extends in the vertical direction and rotates the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6 according to the tilting operation, and the rotational operation of the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6 respectively. The first detection means 8 and the second detection means 9 for detection are included.

  The operation member 31 has a configuration in which a flange portion 311 is further provided on the operation member 7 in the multidirectional input device 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 19A is a side view of the operation member 31, and FIG. 19B is a bottom view of the operation member 31. As shown in FIG. 19A, the operation member 31 is provided with a flange portion 311 between a head portion 71 and a shoulder portion 73. The flange portion 311 is disposed above the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6. The flange portion 311 has a generally circular shape when viewed from below (see FIG. 19B), and the diameter of the flange portion 311 is set smaller than the diameter of the head 71. A flat planar portion 311 a is provided on the lower surface portion of the flange portion 311.

  The upper case 32 is formed, for example, by molding an insulating resin material, and is generally provided in a box shape opened to the lower side. A circular opening 211 is provided at the center of the upper case 32. Around the opening 211, a wall 212 protruding in a dome shape is provided on the upper side. A plurality of (eight in the present embodiment) engagement grooves 213 a that engage with the holding leg pieces 222 of the lid member 22 are provided on the outer peripheral wall portion of the upper case 32. A claw portion 213b that protrudes outward and snaps into a snap hole 222a provided in the holding leg piece 222 is provided at a substantially central portion of the engagement groove 213a. Of the outer peripheral wall portion of the upper case 32, a cut in a U-shaped (arc-shaped) cross section opened on the lower side for arranging the first detection means 8 and the second detection means 9 on two specific adjacent sides. A notch 213c is provided (see FIG. 18). A plurality of bosses 213d projecting outward are provided around the notch 213c. These bosses 213d attach the flexible substrate 11 and the reinforcing plates 11a and 11b to the upper case 32 where the GMR element 8b constituting the first detection means 8 or the GMR element 9b constituting the second detection means 9 is attached. For this purpose, it is inserted into the through hole 111 of the flexible substrate 11 and the reinforcing plates 11a and 11b, and the tip portion protruding from the through hole 111 is crushed and caulked. In FIG. 18, the boss 213d is shown in a shape after caulking.

  A plurality of (four in the present embodiment) wall portions 214 a to 214 d are provided on the lower surface of the upper case 32 so as to surround the opening 211. Each of the wall portions 214a to 214d is provided with a bearing portion 215 having a U-shaped cross section (arc shape) that opens downward. A storage part 216a for storing the magnet 9a is provided between the wall part 214a and the outer peripheral wall part of the upper case 32. A storage part 216b for storing the magnet 8a is provided between the wall part 214b and the outer peripheral wall part of the upper case 32. Further, a plurality of (four in the present embodiment) groove portions 321 are provided on the lower surface of the upper case 32 so as to surround the opening portion 211 and sandwich the wall portions 214a to 214d therebetween. The groove portion 321 accommodates an extension portion 332 and a receiving portion 333 of a spring receiving member 33 described later. The groove portion 321 is provided with a protrusion 217 that protrudes downward. On the lower surface of the upper case 32, a plurality of (four in the present embodiment) hole portions 218 into which the protrusions 233 having the crash ribs of the intermediate case 23 are press-fitted are provided. In addition, a recess 322 is provided on the lower surface of the upper case 32 at a position facing the IC 12 when the multidirectional input device 30 is assembled.

  The spring receiving member 33 is formed by molding, for example, an insulating resin material, and has a base portion 331 that is generally formed in a cylindrical shape, and a plurality of (this embodiment) extending obliquely outward from the base portion 331 toward the lower side. 4) extending portions 332 and receiving portions 333 extending from the lower end portion of the extending portion 332 toward the radially outer side of the base portion 331. The base 311 is disposed above the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6 and on the lower surface side of the flange portion 311 of the operation member 31. A circular opening 331 a is provided at the center of the base 331. The diameter of the opening 331a is set to be substantially the same as or slightly smaller than the diameter of the opening 211 of the upper case 32. The receiving part 333 is provided in a flat plate shape, and a through hole 333a is provided in the center part thereof. In addition, on the lower surface of the receiving portion 333, a concave portion 333b having a diameter larger than the diameter of the through hole 333a is provided around the through hole 333a. The recesses 333b accommodate the upper ends of the coil springs 3, respectively. That is, the receiving portion 333 of the spring receiving member 33 is in a state of receiving the upper end portion of the coil spring 3. The protrusions 217 of the upper case 32 are inserted through the through holes 333a. Thus, the projection 217 inserted through the through-hole 333a functions as a guide portion that guides the spring receiving member 33 so as to be movable up and down. Thereby, even if the urging forces of the coil springs 3 are different, the spring receiving member 33 can be smoothly moved up and down, and a favorable operation can be performed.

  Subsequently, the assembled state of the multidirectional input device 30 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 20 is a perspective view when the upper case 32 is removed from the assembled state of the multidirectional input device 30. 21 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 20 in a state where the upper case 32 is attached to the multidirectional input device 30. FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view when the upper case 32 is removed from the assembled state of the multidirectional input device 30, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 20, in the upper case 32, the first interlocking member 5 is disposed orthogonally below the second interlocking member 6. A base 331 of the spring receiving member 33 is disposed above the second interlocking member 6 and the first interlocking member 5. The coil springs 3 (3a to 3d) are accommodated in the through holes 232 of the intermediate case 23, respectively. The lower end portion of the coil spring 3 is received by the bottom surface portion 221 of the lid member 22. The upper end of the coil spring 3 is accommodated in a recess 333b (not shown in FIG. 20) provided on the lower surface of the receiving portion 333 of the spring receiving member 33, respectively. In this way, a part of the coil spring 3 is provided in the through hole 232 positioned between the lid member 22 and the spring receiving member 33 so as to be elastically deformable, so that the vertical direction of the multidirectional input device 30 (the operation member 31). In the protruding direction), at least a part of the coil spring 3 can be overlapped with the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6. With this configuration, the dimension in the height direction can be reduced, so that the housing 2 in which the coil spring 3 is accommodated can be reduced in thickness, and as a result, the entire multidirectional input device 30 can be reduced in thickness.

  In addition, the coil springs 3 a to 3 d are arranged in a direction between the extending directions of the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6 that are disposed orthogonally in a plan view in the housing 2. That is, in FIG. 20, when viewed from the protruding direction side (upper side) of the operation member 31, the position of the magnet 8 a is 0 °, the position of the magnet 9 a is 90 °, and the position of the shaft portion 55 b of the first interlocking member 5. Is 180 ° and the position of the shaft portion 63b of the second interlocking member 6 is 270 °, the positions of the coil springs 3a to 3d can be expressed as 45 °, 135 °, 225 °, and 315 °, respectively (however, In FIG. 20, the coil spring 3b (135 °) is not shown). By adopting such a configuration, the space near the four corners in the housing 2 that is likely to become a dead space can be used effectively, so that the housing 2 can be downsized.

  Further, the upper surface of the base portion 331 of the spring receiving member 33 that has received the urging force of the coil spring 3 is in elastic contact with the flat surface portion 311a of the lower surface of the flange portion 311 of the operation member 31 (see FIGS. 21 and 22). With this configuration, since the flange portion 311 and the base portion 331 of the spring receiving member 33 can be brought into direct contact with each other, it is possible to give the operator an uncomfortable operation feeling. Further, when the tilting operation with respect to the operation member 31 is released, the upper surface of the base portion 331 of the spring receiving member 33 that receives the biasing force of the coil spring 3 and the lower surface of the flange portion 311 of the operation member 31 come into surface contact with each other. It becomes possible to return to the upright state with high accuracy.

  Since the flange portion 311 receives the biasing force of the coil spring 3 via the spring receiving member 33, a force directed upward (on the upper case 32 side) acts on the flange portion 311. Here, the operation member 31 provided with the flange portion 311 is snap-engaged with the shaft portion 54 of the first interlocking member 5. Therefore, the shaft portion 54 serves as a restriction portion, and the upward movement of the operation member 31 is restricted, and the flange portion 311 is in contact with the ceiling surface of the upper case 32 (the lower surface of the wall portion 212). Can be avoided. Therefore, even if the operation member 31 is tilted, sliding contact between the flange portion 311 and the upper case 32 can be prevented, and occurrence of wear of the operation member 31 and the upper case 32 can be suppressed.

  As described above, in the multidirectional input device 30 according to the present embodiment, at least one of the coil springs 3 that are elastic members along the vertical direction of the multidirectional input device 30 (the protruding direction of the operation member 31). Since the portion is overlapped with the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6, the dimension in the height direction can be reduced, and the housing 2 in which the coil spring 3 is accommodated can be thinned. As a result, the entire multi-directional input device 30 can be reduced in thickness. In addition, by using the coil spring 3 as the elastic member, it is possible to ensure good return performance over a long period of time.

  Moreover, the flange portion 311 and the base portion 331 of the spring receiving member 33 can be brought into direct contact with each other by the configuration in which the upper surface of the base portion 331 of the spring receiving member 33 and the flat surface portion 311a of the lower surface of the flange portion 311 of the operation member 31 are in contact. Therefore, it is possible to give the operator a feeling of operation that does not feel strange. Further, when the tilting operation with respect to the operation member 31 is released, the operation member 31 can be accurately returned to the upright state.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, It can implement variously. In the above-described embodiment, the size, shape, and the like illustrated in the accompanying drawings are not limited thereto, and can be appropriately changed within a range in which the effect of the present invention is exhibited. In addition, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the object of the present invention.

  For example, in the said embodiment, the structure which provided the coil spring 3 1 each in four places located between the 1st interlocking member 5 and the 2nd interlocking member 6 which are arrange | positioned orthogonally by planar view. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. If it is desired to increase the return force of the operating member 7 (31), a plurality of coil springs 3 may be provided at four locations. Further, the number of coil springs 3 arranged at four positions located between the first interlocking member 5 and the second interlocking member 6 is set to 1, 2, 1, 2, and so on, for example. It may be different at each point. This configuration is effective when it is desired to provide directionality to the return characteristic of the operation member 7 (31).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Multi-directional input device 2 Housing 21 Upper case 211 Opening part 212 Wall part 213a Engaging groove 213b Claw part 213c Notch part 213d Boss 214a-214d Wall part 215 Bearing part 216a, 216b Storage part 217 Protrusion 218 Hole part 22 Lid member 221 Bottom face part 221a Elastic piece 222 Holding leg piece 222a Snap hole 223 Shielding piece 23 Intermediate case 231 Opening part 232 Through hole 233 Projection part 234a, 234b Through part 235 Restriction part 236 Opening part 237 Boss 3 (3a-3d) Coil spring 4 Spring receiving member 41 Base portion 41a Opening portion 42 Extension portion 43 Receiving portion 43a Tubular portion 44 Side wall portion 5 First interlocking member 51 Side wall portion 52 Connecting portion 53 Opening portion 54 Shaft portion 55a, 55b Shaft portion 56 Magnet receiving portion 57 Projecting piece 58 Control part 6 Second interlocking member 6 Long hole 61a Recess 62 Side wall 63a, 63b Shaft 64 Magnet receiver 7 Operation member 71 Head 72 Shaft 72a Concave groove 73 Shoulder 74 Notch 8 First detection means 8a Magnet 8b GMR element 9 Second detection means 9a Magnet 9b GMR element 10 Bearing member 10a Wall portion 10b Recessed portion 11 Flexible substrate 11a, 11b, 11c Reinforcing plate 111 Through hole 12 IC
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 Connector 30 Multidirectional input device 31 Operation member 311 Flange part 311a Plane part 32 Upper case 321 Groove part 322 Concave part 33 Spring receiving member 331 Base part 331a Opening part 332 Extension part 333 Receiving part 333a Through-hole 333b Concave part

Claims (14)

A housing having an opening, an operation member capable of being tilted and partially projecting from the opening, and the housing is rotated according to the tilting operation of the operation member and extends so that the rotation axes are orthogonal to each other A first interlocking member and a second interlocking member held inside, a first detecting means and a second detecting means for detecting rotational movements of the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member, respectively; and the operating member. An elastic member that returns to the initial state before the tilting operation, and the operation member is arranged so as to protrude in a direction intersecting with the respective rotation axes of the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member. In the direction input device,
The elastic member is composed of coil springs provided at four positions located between the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member in plan view, and the coil extends along the protruding direction of the operation member. The multi-directional input device, wherein at least a part of the spring overlaps the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member. The housing includes an upper case in which the opening is formed, an attachment member that is disposed to face the upper case and receives a lower end portion of the coil spring, and an intermediate case that is disposed between the upper case and the attachment member And comprising
The intermediate case is provided with a penetrating portion through which the coil spring can be inserted, and a spring receiving member for receiving an upper end portion of the coil spring is provided in the housing, and a part of the coil spring is The multidirectional input device according to claim 1, wherein the multidirectional input device is arranged to be elastically deformable in the penetrating portion located between the spring receiving member and the mounting member.   The through portion of the intermediate case is formed with a first accommodating portion that accommodates the end winding portion of the lower end portion of the coil spring and an upper side of the first accommodating portion that is formed to have a larger diameter than the first accommodating portion. The multi-directional input device according to claim 2, further comprising: a second accommodating portion disposed in the inner space.   The spring receiving member is positioned between the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member and on the upper side of the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member. An extending portion extending outwardly from the extending portion, and receiving the upper end portion of the coil spring at the receiving portion, and the biasing force of the coil spring via the base portion. 4. The multidirectional input device according to claim 2, wherein the multi-directional input device is applied to the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member.   The spring receiving member is made of a metal plate, and a cylindrical portion is provided in the receiving portion, and a protrusion provided in the upper case is inserted into the cylindrical portion, and the coil spring is connected to the cylindrical portion. 5. The multidirectional input device according to claim 4, wherein the spring receiving member is guided by the protrusion so as to be vertically movable in a state where the spring receiving member is disposed on the outer peripheral side.   6. The multidirectional input device according to claim 5, wherein the attachment member is made of a metal plate, and the spring receiving member and the attachment member are electrically connected via the coil spring made of a metal wire.   The multi-directional input device according to claim 6, wherein the mounting member is provided with an elastic piece protruding downward.   The operation member is provided with a flange portion that receives an urging force of the coil spring via the spring receiving member on an upper side of the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member. The multidirectional input device according to claim 2 or claim 3.   The spring receiving member is located between the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member and the flange portion, and between the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member and the base An extension portion extending downward from the extension portion, and a receiving portion extending outward from the extension portion, and receiving the upper end portion of the coil spring at the receiving portion, and attaching the coil spring via the base portion The multidirectional input device according to claim 8, wherein a force is applied to the flange portion.   The multi-directional input device according to claim 9, wherein the upper case is provided with a guide portion that guides the spring receiving member so as to be vertically movable.   The multi-direction according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the first interlocking member is provided with a restricting portion that restricts the upward movement of the operation member that receives the biasing force of the coil spring. Input device.   The multidirectional input device according to claim 9, wherein a protrusion to be inserted on an inner peripheral side of the coil spring is provided on at least one of the receiving portion of the upper case and the spring receiving member.   The first detection means includes a magnet that rotates as the first interlocking member rotates, and a magnetic detection element that is disposed to face the magnet, and the second detection means includes the second interlocking member. The multidirectional input device according to any one of claims 2 to 12, further comprising a magnet that rotates with the rotation of the magnet and a magnetic detection element that is disposed to face the magnet.   The first interlocking member and the second interlocking member are each provided with a shaft portion at both ends, and the shaft portion is rotatably held between the upper case and the intermediate case. A restriction portion for restricting movement of each of the first interlocking member and the second interlocking member along the direction of the rotation axis is provided in at least one of the upper case and the intermediate case. The multidirectional input device according to any one of claims 2 to 13.

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