JP2013145743A - Operation input device and electronic apparatus having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an operation input device capable of suppressing dispersion of a maximum stroke amount of a movable part caused by differences in tilt directions.SOLUTION: An operation input device comprises: a movable part 20 for being tilted by action of operation input; and a board 70 in which pattern coils 71 and 73 are formed around a central axis C1 of the movable part 20. The pattern coils 71 and 73 output signals depending on a tilt amount of the movable part 20 caused by change of inductance based on a tilt of the movable part 20. The movable part 20 has a tilt stopper 22 which restricts the tilt of the movable part 20 in each tiltable direction of the movable part 20. When the tilt stopper 22 contacts with the board 70 at the region where the pattern coils 71 and 73 are formed, a tilt action of the movable part 20 is stopped.

Description

  The present invention relates to an operation input device having a movable part that tilts (tilts) by the action of an operation input, and a coil that outputs a signal corresponding to the tilt amount of the movable part when the inductance changes due to the tilt of the movable part. And an electronic apparatus including the operation input device.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the operation input device 100 disclosed in Patent Document 1. FIG. 1 shows an initial state where no operation input is given. The operation input device 100 includes an upper yoke 260 on the upper side of the coils 271, 272 and 273, and a lower yoke 280 on the lower side of the coils 271, 272 and 273. The upper yoke 260 has a core 261 that faces the coil 271, and has a core 263 that faces the coil 273. The lower yoke 280 is installed on the substrate 290.

  The key 240 is an operation unit that is held in the X direction and the Y direction and is supported so as to be movable in the Z direction by fitting with the opening 231 of the case 230. The key 240 is in contact with the upper inner surface 232 of the case 230 with an initial load applied in the Z direction by the coiled return spring 250. One end of the return spring 250 abuts on the center of the lower surface of the key 240, and the other end abuts on the center of the upper surface of the lower yoke 280. The return spring 250 passes through a hole provided in the central portion of the upper yoke 260 installed on the lower surface of the key 240. The upper yoke 260 is formed of a magnetic material (for example, a steel plate or ferrite) and has the same movement as the key 240.

  FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of the operation input device 100 in a tilted state in which an operation input for tilting the key 240 toward the coil 271 with respect to the XY plane is given. When such an operation input is given, the upper yoke 260 and the core 261 come close to the coil 271 with the upper inner surface 232 of the cover 230 (the upper inner surface 232 on the left side in the figure) as a tilting fulcrum. When the upper yoke 260 and the core 261 are close to the coil 271, the magnetic permeability around the coil 271 increases, and the self-inductance of the coil 271 increases. The same applies when the key 240 is tilted in the other direction. Therefore, by evaluating the inductance of each coil, the tilt direction of the key 240 and the tilt amount (for example, the stroke amount in the Z direction) can be detected.

  Further, when the key 240 tilts with the upper inner surface 232 of the cover 230 as a fulcrum, the tilting operation stops when the protrusion formed at the center of the lower surface of the key 240 contacts the tilt stopper 281.

JP 2011-3536 A

  However, in the above-described prior art, since a plurality of coils are arranged below the movable part to which the operation input acts, the tilt stopper that determines the end point for stopping the tilting operation of the movable part is provided in the area where each coil is disposed. Must be placed except. For this reason, there is a possibility that the maximum stroke amount from when the movable part starts to tilt until it stops with the tilt stop varies depending on the tilt direction of the movable part.

  In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an operation input device and an electronic device provided therefor, which can prevent the maximum stroke amount of the movable portion from varying due to a difference in tilt direction.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides:
A base having a plurality of pattern coils around the central axis of the movable part;
The pattern coil is an operation input device that outputs a signal corresponding to a tilt amount of the movable part by changing an inductance due to the tilt of the movable part,
The movable part has a tilt stopper that limits the tilt of the movable part in each direction in which the movable part can tilt,
Provided is an operation input device and an electronic apparatus including the operation input device in which the tilting operation of the movable portion is stopped when the tilt stopper comes into contact with the base in a region where the pattern coil exists.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress variation in the maximum stroke amount of the movable part due to a difference in tilt direction.

It is a front view sectional view of the conventional operation input device 100 in the state where the key 240 is not tilted. It is front view sectional drawing of the conventional operation input device 100 in the state in which the key 240 inclined. 1 is an overall perspective view of an operation input device 200 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example in which the operation input device 200 is mounted on the mobile terminal 1. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an operation input device 200. FIG. FIG. 4 is a front sectional view of the operation input device 200 in an initial operation state in which an operation input does not act on the movable unit 20. It is front view sectional drawing of the operation input apparatus 200 in the state in which the movable part 20 inclined to the one side by the effect | action of operation input. FIG. 3 is an overall perspective view from above of a movable unit 20. FIG. 3 is an overall perspective view of the movable unit 20 from below. FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view around the tilt stopper 22. It is the figure which showed the wiring area of the pattern coils 71-74. It is the wiring diagram which showed the connection relationship between the pattern coils 71-74 and the contact patterns 76 and 77, and the terminals p1-p7. It is a whole perspective view of the operation input device 300 which is the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the operation input device 300 with the housing 10 removed. The perspective whole view of the base concerning one embodiment The perspective exploded view of the base concerning one embodiment Front view sectional view of the operation input device with the movable part tilted to one side by the operation input The perspective whole view of the base concerning one embodiment Front view sectional view of the operation input device with the movable part tilted to one side by the operation input The perspective whole view of the base concerning one embodiment Front view sectional view of the operation input device with the movable part tilted to one side by the operation input 1 is an overall perspective view of an upper yoke according to an embodiment. The perspective whole view from the downward direction of the movable part which concerns on one Embodiment Illustration of the number of coil substrates Sectional drawing which showed an example of the electrical connection part of the board | substrate for wiring, and a lower yoke Sectional drawing which showed an example of the electrical connection part of the board | substrate for wiring, and a lower yoke

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

  FIG. 3 is an overall perspective view of the operation input device 200 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The operation input device 200 is an operation interface that receives an operation input input from the normal direction side of the XY plane with the direction key 21 in an orthogonal coordinate system determined by the X, Y, and Z axes. The operation input acts on the direction key 21 directly or indirectly by an operator (user) finger or the like. The operation input device 200 outputs an output signal that changes according to the operation input received by the direction key 21 to the external circuit 111 mounted on the external circuit board 110. The external circuit 111 detects an operation input by the operator based on the output signal. By detecting the operation input, the external circuit 111 can cause the microcomputer incorporated in a predetermined host on which the operation input device 200 is mounted or connected to know the operation content corresponding to the detected operation input. The external circuit board 110 is a board having a ground plane 112, for example, and is a host side board built in the host. The shape of the ground plane 112 is not limited to the illustrated form, and may be any form.

  Specific examples of the host include electronic devices such as portable terminals (mobile phones, portable game machines, portable information terminals, portable players for music and video), game machines, personal computers, vehicle computers, operation controllers, mice, and electrical appliances. Equipment. The connection form between the operation input device 200 and the host may be a wired connection or a wireless connection. Further, the operation input device 200 itself may be an electronic device corresponding to an operation controller, a mouse, or the like.

  The operation input device 200 can move, for example, an object displayed on the screen of a display mounted on or connected to such a host according to the operation content intended by the operator. The object displayed on the screen is, for example, an instruction display such as a cursor or a pointer. A display object such as a character may be used. In addition, when an operator gives a predetermined operation input, a desired function of the electronic device corresponding to the operation input can be exhibited.

  The operation input device 200 is provided with a direction key 21 on the upper surface with the Z direction as a normal direction. In addition, the operation input device 200 includes a housing 10 that surrounds the direction key 21.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an example in which the operation input device 200 is mounted on the mobile terminal 1. The portable terminal 1 includes a main body 2 to which an operation input device 200 is attached. The operation input device 200 is configured so that the direction key 21 or the housing 10 shown in FIG. 3 is fitted in a hole formed on the surface of the main body 2 so that the direction key 21 is exposed on the surface of the main body 2. 2 is built in.

  FIG. 4 shows only an example in which the operation input device is mounted on a portable terminal. Therefore, an electronic device such as a portable terminal may have a shape of a type different from the type in FIG. For example, an electronic device of a type that is fixed to the main body without opening and closing the display may be used, or an electronic device of a type in which the display is slidably supported with respect to the main body. In addition, the electronic device may be a device that is integrated with the display, or may be a device that is connected to the display by wire or wirelessly.

  Next, the configuration of the operation input device 200 will be described.

  FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the operation input device 200. FIG. 6 is a front sectional view of the operation input device 200 in an initial operation state where the operation input does not act on the movable portion 20. FIG. 7 is a front cross-sectional view of the operation input device 200 in a state where the movable portion 20 is tilted to one side by the operation input. The arrows shown in FIG. 7 indicate the direction of operation input that acts on the outer edge portion of the direction key 21 constituting the movable portion 20.

  The operation input device 200 includes a movable portion 20 that is tilted by the operation input, and a substrate 70 on which a plurality of pattern coils are formed around the central axis C <b> 1 of the movable portion 20. The substrate 70 is a base portion having a plurality of pattern coils around the central axis C1 of the movable portion 20. The base may include a lower yoke 80 described later. In the case of the operation input device 200, four pattern coils 71 to 74 (see FIG. 5) are provided on the substrate 70. The pattern coils 71 to 74 are planar coils (planar coils) that output a signal corresponding to the tilting amount (for example, the stroke amount in the Z direction) of the movable unit 20 when the inductance changes due to the tilting of the movable unit 20. . In the case of the operation input device 200, the movable unit 20 includes a direction key 21 on which an operation input acts and an upper yoke 25 provided on the direction key 21.

  The movable part 20 has a tilting stop 22 on the direction key 21 for limiting the tilting of the movable part 20 in each direction in which the movable part 20 can tilt (see FIGS. 6 and 7). The tilt stopper 22 is a hard stop portion formed on the lower surface of the direction key 21 on the side facing the substrate 70. The tilt stopper 22 comes into contact with the substrate 70 in an area A0 (see FIG. 5, an annular area surrounded by a one-dot chain line shown on the surface of the substrate 70) in which the pattern coils 71 to 74 are formed. Tilt operation stops.

  The region A0 in which the pattern coils 71 to 74 are arranged is a region including a region located in the direction in which the pattern coils 71 to 74 exist with respect to the central axis C1 of the movable unit 20. The pattern coils 71 to 74 exist in a direction orthogonal to the central axis C <b> 1 in the initial operation state where the operation input does not act on the movable portion 20, and are arranged around the central axis C <b> 1. The tilt stopper 22 contacts the substrate 70 in a region including at least a region where the pattern coils 71 to 74 are located in the region A0. For example, the tilt stopper 22 is formed to face the pattern coils 71 to 74.

  In the case of the operation input device 200, the coil disposed on the planar substrate 70 facing the movable portion 20 is a planar pattern coil. Therefore, even if the pattern coils 71 to 74 are formed on the substrate 70 around the central axis C <b> 1 of the movable part 20, the tilt stopper 22 is arranged around the central axis C <b> 1 of the movable part 20 so as to face the pattern coils 71 to 74. A part can be provided over the entire circumference.

  Therefore, even if the movable part 20 is tilted in any direction in which the movable part 20 can be tilted, the tilting operation of the movable part 20 can be stopped by the tilt stopper 22 in the same contact state in all 360 ° tilt directions. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the variation of the maximum stroke amount from the start of the tilting of the movable unit 20 to the stop of the tilting stop 22 due to the difference in tilting direction within a certain range. Further, for example, it is possible to suppress variation in strength when the tilt stopper 22 contacts the substrate 70 due to a difference in tilt direction within a certain range.

  Next, the configuration of the operation input device 200 will be described in more detail.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the operation input device 200 includes a housing 10, a movable portion 20, a center key 30, a return spring 40, a laminate film 50, a click spring 60, a substrate 70, and a lower yoke 80. And. The movable unit 20 includes a direction key 21 and an upper yoke 25 that tilts together with the direction key 21.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the center key 30 is a confirmation button supported by being sandwiched between the direction key 21 and the click spring 60. The center key 30 is a pressing unit having a surface exposed on the operation surface above the direction key 21 on the Z axis. A flange 31 is formed on the peripheral edge of the center key 30 so as to be positioned in a state of being fitted into an opening 24 formed in the center of the direction key 21. When the center key 30 is pressed from above, the click spring 60 disposed on the substrate 70 is deformed downward from its apex.

  The laminate film 50 is a film-like member that fixes the click spring 60. The laminate film 50 is a sheet-like component that covers and fixes the click spring 60 from above.

  The housing 10 is a frame having an upper surface in which an opening 11 is formed (may be a case or a cover). On the operation surface on the upper side of the direction key 21, as shown in FIG. 6, an operation input is input to the opening 11 so that the center axis C <b> 1 of the direction key 21 coincides with the axis of the opening 11. It is good to arrange on the side (the upper side in the figure). The opening 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape on the upper surface of the housing 10. The shape of the opening 11 may be a cylindrical shape or a rectangular tube shape.

  The direction key 21 is an operation unit that is tilted by the operation input. For example, the direction key 21 is tilted in an arbitrary direction with respect to the XY plane by being pushed by an operation input that directly or indirectly acts on the upper operation surface of the direction key 21. The direction key 21 is tilted with respect to the central axis C <b> 1 passing through the center of the direction key 21. In a state where the operation input does not act on the direction key 21, the central axis C1 is parallel to the Z axis. The operation surface of the direction key 21 may have a disk shape as illustrated, or may have another shape such as an elliptical shape, a cross shape, or a polygonal shape. The direction key 21 has an annular tilt stopper 22 formed in the circumferential direction around the central axis C1. The tilt stopper 22 is provided at the lower peripheral edge of the direction key 21 over the entire circumference around the central axis C1. As shown in FIG. 7, the tilt stopper 22 is formed so as to be in surface contact with the substrate 70.

  FIG. 8 is an overall perspective view from above of the movable portion 20. FIG. 9 is an overall perspective view of the movable unit 20 from below. The movable portion 20 is manufactured, for example, by insert molding in which a resin direction key 21 and a metal upper yoke 25 are integrated. The tilt stopper 22 is a belt-like and annular plane portion formed on the lower surface side of the outer edge portion of the direction key 21. By having such a planar portion, it is possible to make surface contact when contacting the substrate 70.

  FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional view around the tilt stopper 22. Since the tilt stopper 22 protrudes toward the lower substrate 70 side with respect to the lower surface of the upper yoke 25, when the tilt stopper 22 contacts the substrate 70, the upper yoke 25 hits the substrate 70 and tilts the movable portion 20. It is possible to prevent an error from occurring in the detection result. The tilt stopper 22 is an inclined surface 23 formed so that the distance from the surface of the substrate 70 increases as the distance from the center axis C1 increases in an initial state where no operation input is given to the direction key 21 of the movable portion 20. have. Since the inclined surface 23 is formed on the tilt stopper 22, the tilt stopper 22 and the substrate 70 can be reliably brought into surface contact when the movable section 20 is tilted.

  The return spring 40 is a direction in which the direction key 21 protrudes from the opening 11 with respect to the housing 10 so that the direction key 21 can tilt around the opening peripheral portion 12 (see FIG. 10) on the upper yoke 25 side of the opening 11. It is an elastic member that urges to. The opening peripheral portion 12 is an annular portion on the inner upper surface of the housing 10. Further, the direction protruding from the opening 11 with respect to the housing 10 corresponds to the upward Z direction against the operation input in the case of FIG. The return spring 40 is, for example, an annular wave spring that constantly applies an elastic force to the direction key 21 to return the direction key 21 to an initial position when no operation input is applied to the direction key 21. By using a wave spring, the free length required to generate the same elastic force can be shortened compared to a coil spring of the same material, for example. Moreover, if it is a wave spring, it can be assembled | attached easily, without pressing down from the top.

  The upper yoke 25 and the pattern coils 71 to 74 are arranged in the inner space of the housing 10 and are detection units that detect the tilt of the direction key 21. Although only the pattern coil 71 is shown in FIG. 10, the pattern coils 72 to 74 are similarly formed in the substrate 70. The upper yoke 25 is a tilt detection yoke that functions as a first tilt detector that tilts in conjunction with the tilt of the direction key 21. The pattern coils 71 to 74 are second tilt detectors arranged to face the upper yoke 25.

  The upper yoke 25 is a plate-like member attached to the direction key 21 in a flange shape and used for detecting the tilt of the direction key 21. The upper yoke 25 is integrally linked to the movement of the direction key 21 and tilts in the same direction as the direction of the direction key 21. The outer shape of the upper yoke 25 may be a polygon such as a quadrangle or a circle.

  The pattern coils 71 to 74 are conductor patterns formed on the substrate 70 and used for detecting the tilt of the direction key 21. The material of the conductor pattern is, for example, copper. The substrate 70 includes an insulating base material 75 such as a resin, and pattern coils 71 to 74 arranged so as to overlap the base material 75. In the case of FIG. 10, the pattern coils 71 to 74 are arranged in multiple layers on the inner layer of the substrate 70, but may be arranged as a single layer on the inner layer of the substrate 70, or single-sided mounting on the front or back surface of the substrate 70. Alternatively, both sides may be mounted on the front and back surfaces of the substrate 70.

  The lower yoke 80 is a plate-like member that increases the absolute value of the self-inductance of the pattern coils 71 to 74. The lower yoke 80 is disposed on the lower side of the substrate 70.

  The upper yoke 25 and the lower yoke 80 may be made of a material having a relative permeability higher than 1, for example, and the relative permeability is preferably 1.001 or more. Specific examples include soft magnetic materials such as iron and iron alloys (such as steel). The relative permeability of iron is 5000. The yoke may be formed from, for example, a steel plate.

  In addition, the operation input device 200 includes a shielding portion that blocks the tilt stopper 22 from directly contacting the pattern coils 71 to 74 in order to protect the pattern coils 71 to 74 from contact with the tilt stopper 22. The shielding portion may be provided between the tilt stopper 22 and the pattern coils 71 to 74, and may be a resist layer of the substrate 70 or the laminate film 50 that fixes the click spring 60. Either one of the resist layer and the laminate film 50 may be provided as a shielding part, or both may be provided as a shielding part.

  In the operation input device 200, the area of the substrate 70 is set larger than the size of the housing 10 and the lower yoke 80, and the substrate 70 is fixed to the lower yoke 80 or sandwiched between the lower yoke 80 and the housing 10 and fixed. It has a configuration. With such a configuration, since the error of the thickness dimension h4 of the substrate 70 can be eliminated, the error of the distance dimension h5 from the upper surface of the substrate 70 to the lower surface of the tilt stopper 22 formed on the lower surface of the movable portion 20 can be minimized. This is because the error of the height of the direction key 21 depends on the error of the dimension h1, and the error of the movable distance of the movable part 20 depends on the sum of the error of the dimension h1 and the error of the dimension h2. This is because the height error depends on the sum of the error of the dimension h1 and the error of the dimension h3. As a result, the accuracy of the height of the direction key 21 and the upper yoke 25 and the movable amount of the movable portion 20 can be improved.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating wiring areas of the pattern coils 71 to 74. Terminals p1 to p7 are input / output lands.

  The pattern coils 71 to 74 are elements whose measurement target is the pressing amount of the direction key 21 in the Z direction, and an analog signal waveform that changes in accordance with the pressing amount of the direction key 21 in the Z direction is displayed on the terminal p1 of the substrate 70. To a predetermined external circuit 111 (see FIG. 3) connected to p7. The external circuit 111 may be mounted on another substrate connected to the terminals p1 to p7 of the substrate 70, or may be mounted on the substrate 70 on which the pattern coils 71 to 74 are mounted. The substrate 70 may be a flexible printed circuit board (FPC), an FR-4 substrate, a ceramic substrate, or a substrate of another form.

  The pattern coils 71 to 74 are elements that output analog signal waveforms that change in accordance with the positional relationship between the pattern coils 71 to 74 and the upper yoke 25. Thereby, by disposing the pattern coils 71 to 74 such that the distance between the pattern coils 71 to 74 and the upper yoke 25 changes in accordance with the amount of pressing of the direction key 21, the amount of pressing of the direction key 21 can be made in a non-contact manner. It can be measured.

  The pattern coils 71 to 74 are inductor elements whose self-inductance changes according to the pressing amount of the direction key 21 so that the pressing amount of the direction key 21 can be measured without contact. A change in the self-inductance of the pattern coils 71 to 74 is detected as a change in the pressing amount of the direction key 21. For example, by forming the pattern coil at a position facing the upper yoke 25, the magnetic permeability around the pattern coil is changed by pressing the direction key 21, so that the self-inductance of the pattern coil can be easily changed.

  The external circuit 111 detects a physical quantity (for example, a voltage value or a current value) that changes equivalently to a change in the self-inductance of the pattern coils 71 to 74 from the analog signal waveforms output from the pattern coils 71 to 74. Thus, the detection value of the physical quantity is acquired as detection data corresponding to the pressing amount of the direction key 21. For example, by supplying a pulse signal to the pattern coils 71 to 74, the external circuit 111 changes in an analog signal waveform output from the pattern coils 71 to 74 equivalently to a change in the self-inductance of the pattern coils 71 to 74. To generate a physical quantity.

  In the case of the operation input device 200, the four pattern coils 71 to 74 are equally spaced in the circumferential direction of a virtual circle formed by connecting points having the same distance from the origin O on the central axis C1 of the movable unit 20. Are lined up. The origin O is a reference point of a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system. Thus, by measuring the pressing amount of the direction key 21 with a plurality of coils arranged at different positions, the pressing position of the direction key 21 by operation input (in other words, the tilting direction of the direction key 21) and its The pushing amount at the position can be detected.

  In the case of FIG. 11, each coil is arranged at 90 ° in the circumferential direction in four directions of 45 ° obliquely in the XY plane sandwiched between the X axis and the Y axis. The pattern coil 71 is arranged in the first quadrant area A1, the pattern coil 72 is arranged in the second quadrant area A2, the pattern coil 73 is arranged in the third quadrant area A3, and the pattern coil 74 is Arranged in the region A4 of the fourth quadrant. Regions A1, A2, A3, and A4 are regions in the direction in which the pattern coils 71 to 74 exist with respect to the central axis C1 of the movable portion 20. In the case of FIG. 11, areas A1, A2, A3, and A4 are areas where the pattern coils 71 to 74 are located.

  Each coil may be arranged every 90 ° on the X and Y axes. Further, the pattern coils 71 to 74 may have any pattern shape, and in the case of FIG. 11, they are arranged and formed in the regions A1, A2, A3, and A4, respectively. The areas A1, A2, A3, A4 are included in the area A0.

  When the click spring 60 is pressed by the center key 30, the annular contact pattern 76 and the dotted contact pattern 77 are short-circuited by the conductor click spring 60. The external circuit 111 detects that the center key 30 has been pressed by detecting this short-circuit state.

  The input / output wirings of the pattern coils 71 to 74 and the pattern coils 71 to 74 are formed of the same conductor pattern such as copper, and the input / output wirings are connected to terminals p1 to p7 provided on an end surface or a part of the end surface of the substrate 70. Wiring. Thereby, the input / output wirings of the pattern coils 71 to 74 can be concentrated on one end of the substrate 70. Therefore, the terminals p1 to p7 can be easily externally connected to a wiring member such as an FPC or a ribbon line. The same applies to the input / output wirings of the contact patterns 76 and 77 and the contact patterns 76 and 77.

  FIG. 12 is a wiring diagram showing a connection relationship between the pattern coils 71 to 74 and the contact patterns 76 and 77 and the terminals p1 to p7. The external circuit 111 detects the tilt of the direction key 21 by supplying pulses to the pattern coils 71 to 74 via the terminals p1, p2, p4, p6, and p7, and contacts the contact pattern 76 via the terminals p3 and p5. The pressing of the center key 30 is detected by detecting 77 short circuit.

  FIG. 13 is an overall perspective view of the operation input device 300 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a plan view of the operation input device 300 with the housing 10 removed. A description of the same configuration as that of the above-described embodiment is omitted.

  The area of the substrate 78 is set to be approximately the same size as the upper yoke 25 in the internal space of the housing 10. The electrical structure such as the pattern coil and wiring of the substrate 78 may be the same as that of the substrate 70 described above. The housing 10 is fixed to the lower yoke 80 without interfering with the substrate 78, and the substrate 78 is also fixed to the lower yoke 80. The size of the substrate 78 is substantially the same in the projection space when the upper yoke 25 is viewed from the Z direction in the internal space of the housing 10. With such a configuration, the area of the substrate 78 can be minimized while ensuring the maximum coil size that contributes to the tilt detection sensitivity. Further, the material cost for manufacturing the substrate 78 can be minimized.

  FIGS. 15 and 16 are diagrams showing another embodiment of the base having a plurality of pattern coils around the central axis of the movable part that is tilted by the action of the operation input. FIG. 15 is an overall perspective view of the base 120, and FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of the base 120. The base 120 includes a coil substrate 130 on which pattern coils 131 to 134 are disposed, a wiring substrate 140 on which input / output wirings for the pattern coils 131 to 134 are disposed, and a lower yoke 150. Yes.

  The pattern coils 71 to 74 shown in FIG. 11 and the like and the input / output wirings of the pattern coils 71 to 74 are formed on a common substrate 70. On the other hand, in the base 120 shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the pattern coils 131 to 134 and the input / output wirings of the pattern coils 131 to 134 are separately configured as separate parts.

  By separating in this way, the pattern coils 131 to 134 having a relatively high unit price per unit area are formed on the coil substrate 130, and the input / output wiring of each of the pattern coils 131 to 134 has a relatively unit price per unit area. It can be formed on a cheap wiring substrate 140. Thereby, since the area of the coil substrate 130 having a relatively high unit price per unit area can be reduced to the minimum, the cost of the base having a plurality of pattern coils can be reduced. Specific examples of the wiring substrate 140 include a paper phenol substrate, a glass epoxy substrate, and a flexible printed circuit board (FPC).

  FIG. 17 is a front sectional view of the operation input device 400 including the base 120. FIG. 17 shows a state in which the movable portion 420 is tilted to one side due to the operation input. The arrows shown in FIG. 17 indicate the direction of the operation input that acts on the outer edge portion of the direction key 421 constituting the movable portion 420. In the operation input device 400, detailed description of the same components as those of the operation input device described above will be omitted or simplified.

  The operation input device 400 includes a movable part 420 that is tilted by the action of an operation input, and a base part 120 that has a plurality of pattern coils around the central axis C1 of the movable part 420. In the case of the operation input device 400, four pattern coils 131 to 134 (see FIGS. 15 and 16) are provided on the coil substrate 130. The pattern coils 131 to 134 are planar coils (planar coils) that output signals corresponding to the amount of tilt of the movable portion 420 (for example, the amount of stroke in the Z direction) when the inductance changes due to the tilt of the movable portion 420. . In the case of the operation input device 400, the movable part 420 includes a direction key 421 on which an operation input acts, and an upper yoke 425 provided on the direction key 421.

  The movable part 420 has a tilting stop 422 for restricting the tilting of the movable part 420 in each direction in which the movable part 420 can tilt (see FIG. 17). The tilt stopper 422 is a hard stop portion formed on the lower surface of the direction key 421 on the side facing the coil substrate 130. The tilt stopper 422 comes into contact with the coil substrate 130 in the region A10 in which the pattern coils 131 to 134 are formed (see FIGS. 15 and 16; an annular region surrounded by a dashed line on the surface of the coil substrate 130). The tilting operation of the movable part 420 stops.

  The area A10 in which the pattern coils 131 to 134 are disposed is an area that includes an area in the direction in which the pattern coils 131 to 134 exist with respect to the central axis C1 of the movable portion 420. The pattern coils 131 to 134 exist in a direction orthogonal to the central axis C1 in the initial operation state in which the operation input does not act on the movable portion 420, and are arranged around the central axis C1. The tilt stopper 422 contacts the coil substrate 130 in a region including at least a region where the pattern coils 131 to 134 are located in the region A10. For example, the tilt stopper 422 is formed to face the pattern coils 131 to 134.

  In the case of the operation input device 400, the coil disposed on the planar coil substrate 130 so as to face the movable portion 420 is a planar pattern coil. Therefore, even if the pattern coils 131 to 134 are formed on the coil substrate 130 around the central axis C1 of the movable part 420, the tilt stopper 422 is arranged around the central axis C1 of the movable part 420 so as to face the pattern coils 131 to 134. Can be provided over the entire circumference.

  Therefore, even if the movable part 420 is tilted in any direction in which the movable part 420 can tilt, the tilting operation of the movable part 420 can be stopped by the tilt stopper 422 in the same contact state in all 360 ° tilt directions. For this reason, the maximum stroke amount from when the movable portion 420 starts to tilt until it stops at the tilt stopper 422 can be suppressed within a certain range due to the difference in tilt direction. Further, for example, it is possible to suppress variation in strength when the tilt stopper 422 contacts the coil substrate 130 due to a difference in tilt direction within a certain range.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the operation input device 400 includes a housing 410, a movable portion 420, a center key 430, a coiled return spring 440, a laminate film 450, a click spring 460, and a coil substrate 130. The wiring board 140 and the lower yoke 150 are provided. The movable part 420 includes a direction key 421 and an upper yoke 425 that tilts together with the direction key 421. In the operation input device 400, detailed description of the same components as those of the operation input device described above will be omitted or simplified.

  The pattern coils 131 to 134 are arranged every 90 ° in the circumferential direction in four directions of 45 ° obliquely in the XY plane sandwiched between the X axis and the Y axis. The pattern coil 131 is arranged in the first quadrant area A11, the pattern coil 132 is arranged in the second quadrant area A12, the pattern coil 133 is arranged in the third quadrant area A13, and the pattern coil 134 is Arranged in the region A14 in the fourth quadrant. Regions A <b> 11, A <b> 12, A <b> 13 and A <b> 14 are regions in the direction in which the pattern coils 131 to 134 exist with respect to the central axis of the movable portion 420. In the case of FIG. 15, FIG. 16, area | region A11, A12, A13, A14 is an area | region where the pattern coils 131-134 are located.

  Each coil may be arranged every 90 ° on the X and Y axes. Further, the pattern coils 131 to 134 may have an arbitrary pattern shape. In the case of FIGS. 15 and 16, the pattern coils 131 to 134 are arranged and formed within the ranges of the regions A11, A12, A13, and A14, respectively. The areas A11, A12, A13, A14 are included in the area A10.

  The coil substrate 130 is a flat plate member having a circular outer shape, and is an annular member having a central hole 135 formed at the center thereof. The center hole 135 is a hole that holds the outer shape of the click spring 460 and determines the planar position of the click spring 460. By providing the center hole 135, the click spring 460 can be easily assembled. Further, since the click spring 460 is inserted into the center hole 135 and fixed, the operation input device 400 is thinner than the configuration in which the click spring 460 is disposed on the coil substrate 130. Can be realized.

  The wiring substrate 140 has a coil substrate bonding portion 141 to which the coil substrate 130 is bonded, and a lead-out wiring portion 142 extending from the coil substrate bonding portion 141.

  The coil substrate bonding portion 141 is a flat plate-like portion having a substantially circular outer shape having substantially the same diameter as the coil substrate 130. The coil substrate bonding portion 141 includes a plurality of electrodes 145 whose input / output ends of the pattern coils 131 to 134 of the coil substrate 130 are electrically connected by solder or the like on the surface (back surface) of the coil substrate 130 on the coil substrate bonding portion 141 side. have. An annular contact pattern 146 and a dotted contact pattern 147 are formed at the center of the coil substrate joint 141.

  The lead-out wiring part 142 is connected to the input / output wirings 148a of the pattern coils 131 to 134 extending from the electrode 145, the input / output wirings 148b extending from the contact patterns 146 and 147, and terminals connected to the input / output wirings 148a and 148b. A group 149.

  The external circuit 111 (see FIG. 3) detects the tilt of the direction key 421 by supplying pulses to the pattern coils 131 to 134 via the terminal group 149, and short-circuits the contact patterns 146 and 147 via the terminal group 149. By detecting this, the depression of the center key 430 is detected.

  When the click spring 460 is pressed by the center key 430, the annular contact pattern 146 and the dotted contact pattern 147 are short-circuited by the conductor click spring 460. The external circuit 111 detects that the center key 430 has been pressed by detecting this short-circuit state.

  The lower yoke 150 is a flat plate member having a substantially circular outer shape with a larger diameter than the coil substrate 130 and the coil substrate bonding portion 141. The lower yoke 150 is a member that increases the absolute value of the self-inductance of the pattern coils 131 to 134. The lower yoke 150 is disposed below the wiring substrate 140, and the coil substrate bonding portion 141 of the wiring substrate 140 is sandwiched between the coil substrate 130 and the lower yoke 150.

  FIG. 18 is a view showing another embodiment of a base portion having a plurality of pattern coils around the central axis of the movable portion that is tilted by the operation input. FIG. 18 is an overall perspective view of the base 121. The base 121 includes a coil substrate 130 on which pattern coils 131 to 134 are arranged, a wiring board 140 on which input / output wirings of the pattern coils 131 to 134 are arranged, and a lower yoke 151, similarly to the base 120 described above. It is comprised including.

  FIG. 19 is a front sectional view of the operation input device 500 including the base 121. FIG. 19 shows a state in which the movable portion 520 is tilted to one side due to the operation input. The arrows shown in FIG. 19 indicate the direction of the operation input that acts on the outer edge portion of the direction key 521 constituting the movable portion 520. In the operation input device 500, detailed description of the same components as those of the operation input device described above will be omitted or simplified.

  The operation input device 500 includes a movable part 520 that is tilted by the action of an operation input, and a base 121 that has a plurality of pattern coils around the central axis C1 of the movable part 520. In the case of the operation input device 500, the movable portion 520 includes a direction key 521 on which an operation input acts, and an upper yoke 525 provided on the direction key 521.

  The movable part 520 has a tilting stopper 522 in each direction key 521 that restricts the tilting of the movable part 520 in each direction in which the movable part 520 can tilt (see FIG. 19). The tilt stopper 522 is a hard stop portion formed on the lower surface of the direction key 521 facing the lower yoke 151. The tilt stopper 522 is in contact with the lower yoke 151 in an area A20 (see FIG. 18, an annular area surrounded by a dashed line on the surface of the lower yoke 151) outside the area A10 where the pattern coils 131 to 134 are formed. Thus, the tilting operation of the movable part 520 is stopped.

  A20 outside the area A10 where the pattern coils 131 to 134 are arranged is an area including an area in the direction in which the pattern coils 131 to 134 exist with respect to the central axis C1 of the movable portion 520. The pattern coils 131 to 134 exist in a direction orthogonal to the central axis C1 in the initial operation state where no operation input acts on the movable portion 520, and are arranged around the central axis C1. Tilt stopper 522 contacts in area A20. For example, the tilt stopper 522 is formed to face the region A20.

  In the case of the operation input device 500, the coil disposed on the planar coil substrate 130 so as to face the movable portion 520 is a planar pattern coil. Therefore, even if the pattern coils 131 to 134 are formed on the coil substrate 130 around the central axis C1 of the movable part 520, the tilt stopper 522 is disposed at a site around the central axis C1 of the movable part 520 so as to face the region A20. It can be provided over the entire circumference.

  Therefore, even if the movable part 520 is tilted in any direction in which the movable part 520 can tilt, the tilting operation of the movable part 520 can be stopped by the tilt stopper 522 in the same contact state in all 360 ° tilt directions. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the variation in the maximum stroke amount from the start of tilting of the movable portion 520 to the stop of the tilting stop 522 due to the difference in tilting direction within a certain range. Further, for example, it is possible to suppress variation in strength when the tilt stopper 522 contacts the lower yoke 151 due to a difference in tilt direction within a certain range.

  Further, since the tilt stopper 522 contacts the lower yoke 151 in the region A20 outside the region A10 where the pattern coils 131 to 134 are formed, the upper yoke 525 can be easily brought close to the region A10. Thereby, the detection sensitivity of the tilting operation of the movable part 520 can be increased.

  Further, since the tilt stopper 522 does not directly contact the region A10 where the pattern coils 131 to 134 are formed, there is a risk that the pattern coils 131 to 134 having a fine conductor pattern and relatively weak in strength will be deteriorated or damaged. Can be avoided.

  19, the operation input device 500 includes a housing 410, a movable portion 520, a center key 430, a coiled return spring 440, a laminate film 450, a click spring 460, a coil substrate 130, and the like. The wiring board 140 and the lower yoke 151 are provided. The movable portion 520 includes a direction key 521 and an upper yoke 525 that tilts together with the direction key 521. In the operation input device 500, detailed description of the same components as those of the operation input device described above will be omitted or simplified.

  The lower yoke 151 is a flat plate member having a substantially circular outer shape having a diameter larger than that of the coil substrate 130 and the coil substrate bonding portion 141. The lower yoke 151 is a member that increases the absolute value of the self-inductance of the pattern coils 131 to 134. The lower yoke 151 is disposed below the wiring substrate 140, and the coil substrate bonding portion 141 of the wiring substrate 140 is sandwiched between the coil substrate 130 and the lower yoke 150.

  The lower yoke 151 has a through hole 152 through which the lead-out wiring portion 142 of the wiring substrate 140 passes from the surface side where the coil substrate bonding portion 141 is disposed to the back surface side opposite to the surface thereof. By passing the lead-out wiring part 142 through the through hole 152, the lead-out wiring part 142 can be configured not to be sandwiched between the tilt stopper 522 and the region A20 of the lower yoke 151. That is, the maximum stroke amount when the movable portion 520 is tilted in the direction in which the lead-out wiring portion 142 is located by sandwiching the lead-out wiring portion 142 is compared with the maximum stroke amount when the lead-out wiring portion 142 is tilted in another tilting direction. Can be prevented.

  FIG. 20 is a view showing another embodiment of a base portion having a plurality of pattern coils around the central axis of the movable portion that is tilted by the operation input. FIG. 20 is an overall perspective view of the base 122. Similar to the above-described base 120, the base 122 includes a coil substrate 130 on which pattern coils 131 to 134 are arranged, a wiring board 143 on which input / output wirings of the pattern coils 131 to 134 are arranged, and a lower yoke 150. It is comprised including.

  FIG. 21 is a front sectional view of the operation input device 600 including the base 122. FIG. 21 shows a state in which the movable portion 520 is tilted to one side due to the operation input. The arrow shown in FIG. 21 indicates the direction of the operation input that acts on the outer edge portion of the direction key 521 constituting the movable portion 520. In the operation input device 600, detailed description of the same components as those of the operation input device described above will be omitted or simplified.

  The operation input device 600 includes a movable portion 520 that is tilted by the operation input, and a base portion 122 having a plurality of pattern coils around the central axis C1 of the movable portion 520. In the case of the operation input device 600, the movable portion 520 includes a direction key 521 on which an operation input acts, and an upper yoke 525 provided on the direction key 521.

  The movable part 520 has a tilting stopper 522 in each direction key 521 that restricts the tilting of the movable part 520 in each direction in which the movable part 520 can tilt (see FIG. 21). The tilt stopper 522 is a hard stop portion formed on the lower surface of the direction key 521 on the side facing the coil substrate joint portion 144 of the wiring substrate 143. Tilt stopper 522 is bonded to the coil substrate in region A30 (see FIG. 20, an annular region surrounded by a dashed line on the surface of coil substrate bonding portion 144) outside region A10 where pattern coils 131 to 134 are formed. The tilting operation of the movable part 520 stops by contacting the part 144.

  A30 outside the area A10 where the pattern coils 131 to 134 are arranged is an area including an area in the direction in which the pattern coils 131 to 134 exist with respect to the central axis C1 of the movable portion 520. The pattern coils 131 to 134 exist in a direction orthogonal to the central axis C1 in the initial operation state where no operation input acts on the movable portion 520, and are arranged around the central axis C1. Tilt stopper 522 contacts in area A30. For example, the tilt stopper 522 is formed to face the region A30.

  In the case of the operation input device 600, the coil disposed on the planar coil substrate 130 so as to face the movable portion 520 is a pattern coil formed planarly. Therefore, even if the pattern coils 131 to 134 are formed on the coil substrate 130 around the central axis C1 of the movable portion 520, the tilt stopper 522 is disposed at a site around the central axis C1 of the movable portion 520 so as to face the region A30. It can be provided over the entire circumference.

  Therefore, even if the movable part 520 is tilted in any direction in which the movable part 520 can tilt, the tilting operation of the movable part 520 can be stopped by the tilt stopper 522 in the same contact state in all 360 ° tilt directions. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the variation in the maximum stroke amount from the start of tilting of the movable portion 520 to the stop of the tilting stop 522 due to the difference in tilting direction within a certain range. In addition, for example, it is possible to suppress variation in strength when the tilt stopper 522 contacts the coil substrate bonding portion 144 due to a difference in tilt direction within a certain range.

  Further, since the tilt stopper 522 contacts the coil substrate joint 144 in the region A30 outside the region A10 where the pattern coils 131 to 134 are formed, the upper yoke 525 can be easily brought close to the region A10. Thereby, the detection sensitivity of the tilting operation of the movable part 520 can be increased.

  Further, since the tilt stopper 522 does not directly contact the region A10 where the pattern coils 131 to 134 are formed, there is a risk that the pattern coils 131 to 134 having a fine conductor pattern and relatively weak in strength will be deteriorated or damaged. Can be avoided.

  As shown in FIG. 21, the operation input device 600 includes a housing 410, a movable portion 520, a center key 430, a coiled return spring 440, a laminate film 450, a click spring 460, and a coil substrate 130. The wiring board 143 and the lower yoke 150 are provided. The movable portion 520 includes a direction key 521 and an upper yoke 525 that tilts together with the direction key 521. In the operation input device 600, detailed description of the same components as those of the operation input device described above will be omitted or simplified.

  The wiring substrate 143 includes a coil substrate bonding portion 144 to which the coil substrate 130 is bonded and a lead-out wiring portion 142 extending from the coil substrate bonding portion 144.

  The coil substrate bonding portion 144 is a flat plate-like portion having a substantially circular outer shape having a larger diameter than the coil substrate 130. The coil substrate bonding portion 144 includes a plurality of electrodes 145 to which the input / output ends of the pattern coils 131 to 134 of the coil substrate 130 are electrically connected by soldering or the like at the outer edge portion of the coil substrate 130. Since the diameter of the coil substrate bonding portion 144 is larger than the diameter of the coil substrate 130, the electrode 145 is provided on the outer edge portion of the coil substrate bonding portion 144 to bond the coil substrate bonding portion 144 and the coil substrate 130 by soldering or the like. It can be easily performed between the outer edges.

  FIG. 22 is a perspective general view from above showing another embodiment of the lower yoke. The lower yoke 153 has a step 154 corresponding to the thickness of the lead-out wiring part 142 of the wiring substrates 140 and 143. The wiring boards 140 and 143 are positioned with respect to the lower yoke 153 in a state where the lead wiring part 142 is fitted in the step 154. Thereby, it is a certain range that the maximum stroke amount of the movable part varies depending on the difference in the tilting direction even when the tilting prevention of the movable part hits the lower yoke 153 in the annular region A40 or the root part of the lead-out wiring part 142. Can be suppressed within.

  FIG. 23 is an overall perspective view from below showing another embodiment of the movable part. The movable portion 620 includes a direction key 621 on which an operation input is applied, and an upper yoke 425 provided on the direction key 621. The movable portion 620 has an annular tilt stopper 622 in the direction key 621 that restricts the tilt of the movable portion 620 in each direction in which the movable portion 620 can tilt.

  The tilting stop 622 of the direction key 621 has a step 624 corresponding to the thickness of the lead-out wiring part 142 of the wiring boards 140 and 143. The movable part 620 tilts so that the lead-out wiring part 142 is fitted into the step 624. As a result, even when the tilt stopper 622 of the movable part 620 hits the area A20 of the lower yoke 151 or the area A30 of the coil substrate joint 144, the maximum stroke amount of the movable part 620 varies depending on the tilt direction. Can be kept within the range.

  By the way, the outer shape of the coil substrate on which a plurality of pattern coils are formed may be circular or polygonal as shown in the figure, but in order to increase the cost reduction effect of the coil substrate on which a plurality of pattern coils are formed, a hexagonal shape or more is required. It is preferably a polygon or a circle. By adopting such an external shape, it is easy to increase the number of coil substrates that can be taken out from a single large rectangular substrate in the coil substrate manufacturing process, which effectively reduces the coil substrate manufacturing cost. (See FIG. 24).

  Since the rectangular outer shape cannot be arranged in a staggered manner, the number of substrates obtained per unit area is small. With a pentagonal outer shape, the symmetry of the pattern coil is lost, so there is a risk that the disadvantage will be greater. For polygons or circles that are hexagons or more, it is possible to increase the number of copies by arranging them in a staggered pattern.

When the substrate width d1 is 10 mm and the cutting allowance d2 is 1 mm, the area per substrate including the cutting allowance is
Square in FIG. 24A: 121.0 [mm ² ]
Regular hexagon in FIG. 24B: 104.8 [mm ² ]
Regular octagon in FIG. 24 (d): 110.6 [mm ² ]
Circular shape in FIG. 24C: 104.8 [mm ² ]
It becomes. Therefore, compared to the square type, the unit price of the board is
Regular hexagon: -13.4%
Regular octagon:-8.6%
Circular: -13.4%
descend. As long as the outer shape can be staggered, the corners of the polygonal substrate may be rounded or protruded, or a part of the outer shape may be cut out.

  By the way, it is preferable to keep the potential of the lower yoke constant or to keep the potentials of both the lower yoke and the upper yoke constant. Thereby, when detecting the inductance of the pattern coil, it is possible to suppress the influence of electrical and magnetic noise in the external environment, so that the detection accuracy can be improved. In order to keep the potential constant, for example, the yoke may be conducted to a constant potential portion (for example, ground potential, power supply potential, etc.).

  For example, in the case of FIG. 3, the lower yoke 80 may be grounded to the ground plane 112 of the external circuit board 110. For example, the lower yoke 80 can be electrically connected to the ground plane 112 by contacting both via a fastening member such as a conductor screw for fixing the lower yoke 80 and the external circuit board 110. By increasing the contact area between the lower yoke 80 and the ground plane 112 as much as possible, the influence of noise can be effectively suppressed.

  Further, the yoke may be electrically connected to a constant potential portion such as a ground potential via a conductor portion formed on the substrate (substrates 70 and 78, coil substrate 130, wiring substrate 140 and 143, etc.). . For example, in FIG. 20, the lower yoke 150 is connected to the ground plane 112 via the conductor wiring portion of the wiring substrate 143 such as FPC (specifically, the input / output wirings 148a and 148b and the terminal group 149 of the lead-out wiring portion 142). Connect electrically. That is, the lower yoke 150 is electrically connected to the ground plane 112 via the external circuit 111 connected to the terminal group 149.

  The electrical connection between the substrate such as the wiring substrate 143 and the yoke may be performed, for example, by bonding a land formed on the substrate and the surface of the yoke with a conductive adhesive member such as a conductive resin. .

  FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an electrical connection portion between the wiring board 143 and the lower yoke 150. The wiring substrate 143 includes a coil substrate bonding portion 144 (see FIG. 20) having a base layer 162 bonded to the surface of the lower yoke 150 with an adhesive 163. As shown in FIG. 25, lands 161 that are electrically connected to the conductor wiring portion of the wiring board 143 are formed on the outer edge of the coil substrate bonding portion 144 (the edge of the base layer 162). When the land 161 and the lower yoke 150 are joined by the conductive resin 165, the conductor wiring portion of the wiring board 143 and the lower yoke 150 are electrically connected.

  In the electrical connection form between the wiring substrate 143 and the lower yoke 150, the land 161 and the lower yoke 150 may be joined with the conductive resin 165 in a state where the land 161 and the lower yoke 150 face each other. Further, in the electrical connection form between the wiring board 143 and the lower yoke 150, when the surface of the lower yoke 150 is covered, it is necessary to remove the covering to expose the metal portion of the conductor. For example, in the case of FIG. 26, in order to expose the conductor portion of the lower yoke 150 on the surface of the lower yoke 150, the lower yoke 150 is half-punched (either uneven or acceptable) or a through hole is formed. The conductor 165 of the wiring board 143 and the lower yoke 150 are electrically connected to each other by joining the fracture surface 155 where the covering of the lower yoke 150 is removed and the conductor portion is exposed to the land 161 by the conductive resin 165. .

  Next, experimental results confirming the effect of keeping the potential of the lower yoke constant will be shown. When the lower yoke 150 arranged on the lower side of the pattern coil was changed to a constant potential, the temporal change of each inductance (output value of a 10-bit AD converter) was measured. In the measurement, the sampling interval was 4 milliseconds, and 1000 samples were performed. During the measurement, the operation input device was not operated, that is, the movable part was the most distant from the pattern coil.

The standard deviation of the measured inductance when measured at each potential is
Not connected: 3.56
-1.4V: 1.54
0.0V: 1.48
+ 1.4V: 1.54
+ 3.0V: 1.44
And calculated. Here, “not connected” indicates a float state in which the lower yoke 150 is not electrically connected anywhere. “−1.4 V”, “0.0 V”, “+1.4 V”, and “+3.3 V” indicate the potential of the lower yoke 150 with respect to the reference potential of the external circuit 111 (the lower yoke 150 is kept at a constant potential). State).

  According to this measurement result, by fixing the lower yoke 150 at a constant potential, the standard deviation of the measured value of the inductance is reduced by about 42% compared to the case of “not connected”. From this, it can be seen that the resistance to environmental noise is improved and the effect of making the detection of inductance highly accurate can be obtained.

  In addition, when the standard deviation of the measured value of the inductance is large, a dead zone that does not detect the change of the inductance even if the inductance changes is provided in order to prevent erroneous detection of the change of the inductance when the movable part is not operated. There is a need. This dead zone affects the dynamic range and linearity when detecting a change in inductance. By fixing the lower yoke 150 at a constant potential, the dynamic range can be increased and the linearity can be improved. Although it is conceivable to remove noise components with a low-pass filter, the filter processing causes a signal delay, so the effect of increasing the dynamic range is particularly effective for applications that require responsiveness such as games. is there.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications, improvements, and modifications can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Substitutions can be added. You may combine the structure of each part of the above-mentioned Example.

  For example, the support member that elastically supports the movable part on which the operation input acts is not limited to a wave spring, but may be a coil spring, a rubber member, a sponge member, or another elastic body such as a cylinder filled with air or oil. Good.

  Further, for example, the number of pattern coils formed around the central axis of the movable portion is not limited to four, and may be other than four.

  Further, for example, the tilt stopper is not limited to the direction key constituting the movable part, and may be provided on the upper yoke constituting the movable part. Further, the tilt stopper may be a point contact at the time of contact with the substrate. The tilt stopper is all around the central axis of the movable part if it contacts the base in the area where the pattern coil exists so that the maximum stroke amount of the movable part can be prevented from varying due to the difference in tilt direction. It may not be a form provided uniformly over. For example, the tilt stopper formed around the central axis of the movable portion may have a non-contact portion that does not contact the base in the tilt direction in a state where the movable portion is tilted to the maximum stroke amount.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mobile terminal 2 Main body 10,410 Housing 11 Opening part 12 Opening peripheral part 20,420,520,620 Movable part 21,421,521,621 Direction key 22,422,522,622 Inclination prevention 23 Inclined surface 24 Opening part 25 , 425, 525 Upper yoke 30, 430 Center key 31 Flange 40, 440 Return spring 50, 450 Laminate film 60, 460 Click spring 70, 78 Substrate 71-74, 131-134 Pattern coil 75 Base material 76, 77, 146 147 Contact pattern 80, 150, 151, 153 Lower yoke 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 Operation input device 110 External circuit board 111 External circuit 112 Ground plane 120, 121, 122 Base 130 Coil board 135 Center Holes 140 and 143 Wiring boards 141 and 144 Coil board joint parts 142 Lead-out wiring parts 145 Electrodes 148a and 148b Input / output wirings 149 Terminal groups 152 Through holes 154 and 624 Steps 155 Broken surface 161 Land 162 Base layer 163 Adhesive 165 Conductivity resin

Claims (11)

A movable part that tilts due to the action of operation input;
A base having a plurality of pattern coils around the central axis of the movable part;
The pattern coil is an operation input device that outputs a signal corresponding to a tilt amount of the movable part by changing an inductance due to the tilt of the movable part,
The movable part has a tilt stopper that limits the tilt of the movable part in each direction in which the movable part can tilt,
The operation input device in which the tilting operation of the movable portion is stopped when the tilt stopper comes into contact with the base in a region in the direction in which the pattern coil exists.   The operation input device according to claim 1, wherein the movable portion has the tilt stopper over the entire circumference around the central axis.   The operation input device according to claim 1, wherein the tilt stopper contacts in an area where the pattern coil is disposed.   The operation input device according to claim 3, further comprising a shielding unit that blocks the tilt stopper from directly contacting the pattern coil.   The operation input device according to claim 4, wherein the shielding portion is a resist layer of the base portion.   The operation input device according to claim 4, wherein the shielding portion is a film-like member that fixes a click spring that is pressed by a pressing portion that penetrates the movable portion. The movable part is
An operation unit on which the operation input acts;
The operation input device according to claim 1, further comprising a yoke provided in the operation unit.   The operation input device according to claim 7, wherein the operation unit has the tilt stopper.   The operation input device according to claim 8, wherein the tilt stopper protrudes toward the base side with respect to the yoke.   The operation input device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the tilt stopper is in surface contact with the base portion.   An electronic apparatus comprising the operation input device according to claim 1.

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