JP2019133299A - Input device and force sensor device - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve detection accuracy of an input device with a force sensor device.SOLUTION: A pen type input device 1 includes: an enclosure 10 having a tapered slope 11 in one end side; a contact part 20 which is provided in the one end side of the enclosure and is brought into contact with a contact object; and a force sensor device 30 with a detecting element 150 for detecting a force applied to the contact part 20. At least a part of the force sensor device 30 is received in the slope, and the force sensor device 30 has portions (pillars 222 and 223) which face an inner wall of the slope and are inclined in the same direction as the inner wall of the slope.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an input device and a force sensor device.

  Conventionally, an input device equipped with a force sensor device for detecting force and moment is known. For example, a pen-type input device using a pen tip as an input unit is known and is called a stylus pen or the like.

  An example of such a pen-type input device is a pen-type input device in which a force sensor device is disposed between a pen tip serving as an input unit and a pen shaft. In this input device, the strain body of the force sensor device has a structure in which a central portion connected to the pen tip and a peripheral ring connected to the pen shaft are connected by four beams, and is attached to each beam. The force and moment are detected by the strain gauge provided (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2008-46781 A

  However, in the above input device, since the distance between the input unit and the force sensor device is long, it is difficult to accurately detect force and moment. Specifically, since the distance between the input unit and the force sensor device is long, noise sources such as vibration of the input unit increase, and it becomes difficult to detect a minute force. In addition, since the distance between the input unit and the force sensor device is long, the moment increases as input to the force sensor device, making it difficult to detect force.

  Such a problem is not limited to a pen-type input device, but also to an input device other than a pen-type device equipped with a force sensor device that is required to accurately detect a small force input from a small sensing point. apply.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to improve the detection accuracy of an input device equipped with a force sensor device.

  The input device detects a case having a tapered inclined portion on one end side, a contact portion that is provided on one end side of the case and that contacts an object to be contacted, and a force applied to the contact portion. A force sensor device provided with a detecting element, wherein at least a part of the force sensor device is accommodated in the inclined portion, and the force sensor device is opposed to an inner wall of the inclined portion. A portion inclined in the same direction as the inner wall of the inclined portion is provided.

  According to the disclosed technology, it is possible to improve the detection accuracy of an input device equipped with a force sensor device.

It is sectional drawing which illustrates the pen type input device which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a fragmentary sectional view which illustrates the tip side of the pen type input device concerning a 1st embodiment. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a force sensor device according to a first embodiment. 1 is a plan view illustrating a force sensor device according to a first embodiment. It is a fragmentary sectional view which illustrates the tip side of the pen type input device concerning the modification of a 1st embodiment. It is a perspective view which illustrates the force sensor device concerning the modification of a 1st embodiment. It is sectional drawing which illustrates the pen type input device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a fragmentary sectional view which illustrates the tip side of a pen type input device concerning a 3rd embodiment. It is a fragmentary sectional view which illustrates the tip side of the pen type input device concerning the modification of a 3rd embodiment. It is sectional drawing which illustrates the whole input device which concerns on 4th Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted.

<First Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, a pen-type input device will be described as an example of the input device according to the present invention. However, the input device according to the present invention is not limited to a pen-type input device, and can be widely applied to an input device mounted on an arm or a finger of a robot used in a machine tool or the like.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a pen-type input device according to the first embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1, the pen-type input device 1 includes a housing 10, a contact unit 20, a force sensor device 30, a circuit unit 40, a connection unit 50, a battery 60, and a core unit 70. Have.

  The housing 10 is a long hollow member including a tapered (tapered) inclined portion 11 provided on one end side in the longitudinal direction and a main body portion 12 continuous to the inclined portion 11, and has a force inside. The sense sensor device 30, the circuit unit 40, the connection unit 50, the battery 60, the core unit 70, and the like are accommodated.

  The inclined portion 11 has, for example, a hollow truncated cone shape. The main body 12 is, for example, a hollow columnar shape. However, these are only examples, and the inclined portion 11 can have an arbitrary shape in which one end side in the longitudinal direction is tapered (tapered). Moreover, the main-body part 12 can be made into the arbitrary shapes suitable for a holding | grip. For example, the main body 12 may have a different diameter depending on the position in the longitudinal direction. The main body 12 may have a polygonal cross section in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The inclined portion 11 and the main body portion 12 can be integrally formed of, for example, resin or metal.

  The contact portion 20 is a portion corresponding to a pen tip, and is attached to the force sensor device 30 on one end side of the housing 10. The force applied to the contact portion 20 when the contact portion 20 comes into contact with the contacted object is transmitted to the force sensor device 30. The contact portion 20 can be formed of, for example, a flexible resin material. Examples of the resin material having flexibility include a silicone resin and an elastomer.

  The force sensor device 30 includes a detection element 150 that detects a force applied to the contact portion 20, and the detection element 150 is fixed to the strain body 200. At least a part of the force sensor device 30 is accommodated in the inclined portion 11 of the housing 10. The force sensor device 30 includes a portion that faces the inner wall of the inclined portion 11 and is inclined in the same direction as the inner wall of the inclined portion 11. The force sensor device 30 will be described in detail separately.

  The circuit unit 40 is connected to the detection element 150 of the force sensor device 30 via a connection unit 50 such as a flexible cable. For example, a microcomputer and a wireless communication IC are mounted on the circuit unit 40. Electric power is supplied from a battery 60 such as a lithium battery to the microcomputer and the wireless communication IC.

  The microcomputer can obtain information from the force sensor device 30 via, for example, a predetermined input circuit (amplifier, filter, A / D converter, etc.). The wireless communication IC can transmit information obtained from the force sensor device 30 by the microcomputer to an external control device or the like, for example, according to a command from the microcomputer.

  Input / output of information between the pen-type input device 1 and an external control device is not limited to wireless, and may be performed using a wire such as an electric wire or an optical fiber.

  The core part 70 fixes the force sensor device 30 on one end side, and further includes a circuit part 40 and a battery 60, and is fixed in the housing 10. The outer wall of the core part 70 is fitted with a protrusion 121 provided on the inner wall of the main body part 12 and is held in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. For example, a male screw is formed on the other end side of the core portion 70, and is fixed to the main body portion 12 by being screwed with a female screw formed on the other end side of the main body portion 12, and is held in the Z-axis direction. .

  Here, the longitudinal direction of the housing 10 is defined as the Z-axis direction, and arbitrary directions orthogonal to the Z-axis direction are defined as the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The X axis direction, the Y axis direction, and the Z axis direction are orthogonal to each other.

  FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating the tip side of the pen-type input device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the force sensor device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating the force sensor device according to the first embodiment. The force sensor device 30 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  Here, for the sake of convenience, in the force sensor device 30, the side on which the contact portion 20 is attached is referred to as the upper side or one side, and the opposite side is referred to as the lower side or the other side. Further, the surface on which the contact portion 20 of each part is attached is the upper surface or one surface, and the opposite surface is the lower surface or the other surface. However, the force sensor device 30 can be used upside down, or can be arranged at an arbitrary angle. The planar view refers to viewing the object from the normal direction (Z-axis direction) of the upper surface of the pedestal 210, and the planar shape refers to the normal direction of the upper surface of the pedestal 210 (Z-axis direction). ) Refers to the shape viewed from.

  The detection element 150 is bonded to the upper surface side of the strain body 200 so as not to protrude from the strain body 200. The detection element 150 is a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) sensor chip that can detect up to six axes with one chip. The detection element 150 can be formed from, for example, a semiconductor substrate such as an SOI (Silicon On Insulator) substrate. The planar shape of the detection element 150 can be a square of about 3 mm square, for example.

  The six axes are the force in the X-axis direction (Fx), the force in the Y-axis direction (Fy), the force in the Z-axis direction (Fz), the moment to rotate about the X-axis (Mx), and the Y-axis as the axis. And a moment (Mz) to rotate around the Z axis.

  The strain body 200 is a member that is distorted by the force applied to the contact portion 20 and transmits the force applied to the contact portion 20 to the detection element 150. The strain body 200 can be integrally formed, for example, by molding, cutting, wire discharge, or the like. Arbitrary members constituting the strain generating body 200 may be separated and integrated with other members by welding, bonding, screwing, or the like.

  As a material of the strain body 200, for example, a hard metal material such as SUS (stainless steel) can be used. Among them, it is particularly preferable to use SUS630 that is particularly hard and has high mechanical strength. When the strain generating body 200 is produced by molding, for example, metal particles and a resin serving as a binder are placed in a mold and then molded, and then the resin is evaporated by sintering, whereby the strain generating composed of metal is performed. The body 200 can be produced.

  In the strain body 200, four columns 221, 222, 223, and 224 are arranged at four positions on the outer peripheral side of the upper surface of the base 210. And four beams 231, 232, 233, and 234 which connect the opposite side to the base part 210 of the side surface which an adjacent pillar opposes among the pillars 221-224 are provided in frame shape. The cross-sectional shapes in the short direction of the columns 221 to 224 and the beams 231 to 234 may be rectangular, for example, but may be circular, elliptical, polygonal, or the like.

  A column 225 serving as a detection element mounting portion on which the detection element 150 is mounted is disposed substantially at the center of the upper surface of the pedestal portion 210. The pillar 225 is thicker and shorter than the pillars 221 to 224. The detection element 150 is fixed to the upper surface side of the column 225 so as not to protrude from the upper surfaces of the columns 221 to 224. The cross-sectional shape in the short direction of the column 225 can be, for example, a rectangle, but may be a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, or the like.

  The columns 221 to 224 are spaced around the column 225 and are arranged at substantially equal intervals. The pillars 221 to 224 are arranged obliquely so that the center position of each upper surface is closer to the center side of the pedestal part 210 than the center position of each lower surface in plan view. That is, the columns 221 to 224 are arranged obliquely so as to approach the column 225 as the distance from the pedestal portion 210 increases (as the distance from the contact portion 20 increases).

  Further, in the present embodiment, the columns 221 to 224 are shaped so that the cross-sectional area (area of the cross section perpendicular to the Z axis) increases from the contact portion 20 toward the pedestal portion 210 side. By adopting such a shape, an effect of improving the load resistance of the force sensor device 30 in the Z-axis direction can be obtained.

  Each of the columns 221 to 224 may be arranged with a predetermined angle (for example, 90 degrees) rotated with respect to the position of FIG. 4 as an axis (provided that the columns 225 are separated from the pedestal 210). Do not change the point that is placed diagonally to get closer). Further, the columns 221 to 224 may be disposed obliquely so as to approach the column 225 as the distance from the pedestal portion 210 as a whole. For example, even if some surfaces are perpendicular to the upper surface of the pedestal portion 210, etc. Good.

  In this embodiment, four columns (columns 221 to 224) are provided on the pedestal portion 210, but the number of columns provided on the pedestal portion 210 is not limited to four.

  The force receiving portions 241 to 244 projecting upward (from the side opposite to the pedestal portion 210) from the center portion in the longitudinal direction of the beams 231 to 234 are provided at the substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction of the upper surfaces of the beams 231 to 234, respectively. It has been. By providing the four force receiving portions 241 to 244, for example, the load resistance of the beams 231 to 234 can be improved as compared with the structure of one force receiving portion. The shape of the force receiving portions 241 to 244 can be, for example, a quadrangular prism, but may be a cylinder or the like.

  For example, a disk-shaped force receiving plate 260 is provided on the upper surface of each of the force receiving portions 241 to 244 (the side opposite to the pedestal portion 210). Since the columns 221 to 224 are arranged obliquely so as to be closer to the column 225 as they move away from the pedestal portion 210, the force receiving plate 260 can be made smaller than the pedestal portion 210 when viewed from the normal direction of the pedestal portion 210. it can.

  A mounting portion 270 is provided in a cylindrical shape on the outer peripheral portion of the upper surface of the force receiving plate 260. For example, a female screw is formed on the inner wall of the attachment portion 270 and is screwed with a male screw formed on the outer wall of the columnar protrusion 21 provided on the attachment portion 270 side of the contact portion 20. Can be attached in a detachable state. Since at least a part of the attachment portion 270 protrudes from the tip of the inclined portion 11 of the housing 10, the contact portion 20 can be easily attached and detached.

  The force applied to the contact portion 20 is applied to the force receiving portions 241 to 244 via the force receiving plate 260. Since the column 225 is separated from the beams 231 to 234 that are deformed by the applied force and the columns 221 to 224 that are deformed by the applied force, the columns 225 are separated from the force receiving units 241 to 244 via the force receiving plate 260. It does not move even when a force is applied (it does not deform due to the applied force). Since the strain body 200 has a structure including such a column and a beam, different deformations are exhibited in each of the six axes depending on the applied force, and therefore, the deformation having good separability of the six axes is transmitted to the detection element 150. be able to.

  A device attachment portion 290 for attaching the force sensor device 30 to the core portion 70 is provided at substantially the center of the lower surface of the pedestal portion 210 so as to protrude in a direction opposite to the column 225. The device attachment portion 290 can be, for example, cylindrical. The device attachment portion 290 is fixed to the core portion 70. Since the core portion 70 is fixed to the housing 10, the device mounting portion 290 is fixed to the housing 10.

  On the other hand, spaces exist between the columns 221 to 224, the beams 231 to 234, the force receiving portions 241 to 244, the force receiving plate 260, and the mounting portion 270 and the housing 10. Are not touching. That is, the columns 221 to 224, the beams 231 to 234, the force receiving portions 241 to 244, the force receiving plate 260, and the attachment portion 270 are not fixed to the core portion 70 and the housing 10, but the core portion 70 and the housing 10. Can move against.

  In the example of FIG. 2, an insertion groove 75 is provided in the Z-axis direction of the core portion 70 fixed in the housing 10. Screw holes 76 and 77 are provided from both sides of the insertion groove 75 in the X-axis direction so as to communicate with the insertion groove 75, respectively.

  The device mounting portion 290 is inserted into the insertion groove 75, and the side surfaces are sandwiched from both sides in the X-axis direction of the core portion 70 by screws 81 and 82 (for example, potato screws) screwed into the screw holes 76 and 77, It is fixed to the core part 70. However, the attachment of the force sensor device 30 and the core part 70 is not limited to a method using a screw, and any method such as welding or adhesion can be used.

  As described above, in the force sensor device 30, the columns 221 to 224 are disposed obliquely so as to approach the column 225 as the distance from the pedestal unit 210 increases. Accordingly, when the force sensor device 30 is accommodated in the inclined portion 11 of the housing 10, the portions where the columns 221 to 224 are inclined in the same direction as the inner wall of the inclined portion 11 so as to face the inner wall of the inclined portion 11. Therefore, the force sensor device 30 can be efficiently accommodated in the space inside the inclined portion 11. As a result, the distance between the contact portion 20 and the force receiving plate 260 of the force sensor device 30 can be reduced, and a small force input from the contact portion 20 can be accurately detected by the detection element 150 of the force sensor device 30. can do.

  Further, the columns 221 to 224 are disposed obliquely so as to be closer to the column 225 as the distance from the pedestal portion 210 is increased, so that the columns 221 to 224 are compared with the case where the columns 221 to 224 are disposed perpendicular to the upper surface of the pedestal portion 210. Each can be lengthened. Thereby, the sensitivity of the moment (Mz) rotated about the Z axis can be increased.

  Note that the shape of the contact portion 20 is not limited to the shape of the pen tip shown in FIG. 2 and the like, and may be a shape appropriately selected according to the purpose. Examples include a brush and a medical knife.

<Modification of First Embodiment>
In the modification of the first embodiment, an example of a pen-type input device in which the shape of the attachment portion to which the contact portion is attached is different is shown. In the modification of the first embodiment, the description of the same components as those of the already described embodiments may be omitted.

  FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating the distal end side of a pen-type input device according to a modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a force sensor device according to a modification of the first embodiment. 5 and 6, in the pen-type input device 1A, the point that the contact portion 20 is replaced with the contact portion 20A and the attachment portion 270 of the force sensor device 30 is replaced with the attachment portion 270A is the pen-type input. It is different from the apparatus 1 (see FIG. 2).

  The contact portion 20A is provided with a recess 22 that is recessed inward from the force receiving plate 260 side. The attachment portion 270A is erected in a columnar shape on the center side of the upper surface of the force receiving plate 260 so that the outer peripheral portion of the upper surface of the force receiving plate 260 is exposed.

  For example, a male screw is formed on the outer wall of the attachment portion 270A, and the contact portion 20A can be attached in a detachable manner by being screwed with a female screw formed on the inner wall of the concave portion 22 of the contact portion 20A. Similar to the attachment portion 270, at least a part of the attachment portion 270A protrudes from the tip of the inclined portion 11 of the housing 10, so that the contact portion 20A can be easily attached and detached.

  Thus, if the contact portion can be attached to the force sensor device in a detachable state, the shape and structure of the contact portion and the attachment portion are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose.

<Second Embodiment>
In the second embodiment, an example of a pen-type input device having a protective structure for protecting the force sensor device will be described. In the second embodiment, description of the same components as those of the already described embodiments may be omitted.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a pen-type input device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7A shows a state in which no force is applied to the contact portion 20, the left figure is a sectional view in the longitudinal direction, and the right figure is a sectional view in the short direction along the line AA in the left figure. It is. In addition, in FIG. 7, illustration of the circuit part 40, the connection part 50, and the battery 60 is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the pen-type input device 1 </ b> B has a protective structure that protects the force sensor device 30 when a predetermined force or more is applied to the contact portion 20. Specifically, in the pen-type input device 1B, grooves 122 and 123 are provided at positions facing each other on the inner wall on the rear end side of the housing 10B. Further, springs 91 and 92 are provided as biasing members at positions corresponding to the grooves 122 and 123 on the rear end side of the core portion 70B. Then, part of the springs 91 and 92 enter the grooves 122 and 123, thereby positioning the core portion 70B that fixes the force sensor device 30 at one end in the longitudinal direction in the Z-axis direction.

  A knock 93 is fixed to the other end of the core portion 70B in the longitudinal direction, a portion of which protrudes from the other end of the casing 10B in the longitudinal direction. It is preferable that a spring 94 that spirally surrounds the knock 93 is provided at a portion where the rear end side of the outer wall of the core portion 70B and the rear end side of the inner wall of the housing 10B face each other. By providing the spring 94, when a predetermined force or more is applied to the contact portion 20, and the springs 91 and 92 are removed from the grooves 122 and 123, the impact applied to the core portion 70B and the like can be reduced.

  FIG. 7B shows a state in which a predetermined force or more is applied to the contact portion 20, the left figure is a cross-sectional view in the longitudinal direction, and the right figure is in the short direction along the line BB in the left figure. It is sectional drawing. As shown in FIG. 7B, in the pen-type input device 1B, when a predetermined force F is applied to the contact portion 20, the springs 91 and 92 are bent, and the springs 91 and 92 are disengaged from the grooves 122 and 123. Then, the core part 70B moves to the other end side of the housing 10B.

  Here, “the force when the pen-type input device 1B is normally used <the force with which the springs 91 and 92 are released from the grooves 122 and 123 <the force with which the force sensor device 30 breaks” is set. As a result, when a force F greater than a predetermined value is applied to the contact portion 20, the springs 91 and 92 are removed from the grooves 122 and 123 before the force sensor device 30 is broken, and the core portion 70B Since it moves to an end side, destruction of force sensor device 30 can be prevented.

  When the springs 91 and 92 are removed from the grooves 122 and 123 and the core portion 70B moves to the other end side of the housing 10B, the above-described protection is not necessary even if the contact portion 20 is not moved so as to be hidden in the housing 10B. There is an effect.

  FIG. 7 (c) shows that the state of FIG. 7 (b) has returned to the state of FIG. 7 (a). The left figure is a longitudinal sectional view, and the right figure is taken along the line AA in the left figure. It is sectional drawing of the transversal direction which follows. As shown in FIG. 7C, in the state of FIG. 7B, by moving the knock 93 to the housing 10B side, the core portion 70B moves to one end side of the housing 10B, and the spring 91 is moved. And 92 enter the grooves 122 and 123 to return to the state of FIG.

  As described above, in the pen-type input device 1B, the force sensor device 30 can be protected even when a predetermined force or more is applied to the contact portion 20, and can be easily returned to a normal state by a simple operation of the knock 93. Can do. This protective structure is particularly effective when the load bearing performance is reduced by downsizing the force sensor device 30.

  7 shows an example in which the grooves 122 and 123 are provided on the inner wall of the housing 10B and the springs 91 and 92 are provided on the outer wall of the core portion 70B. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The springs 91 and 92 may be provided on the inner wall, and the grooves 122 and 123 may be provided on the outer wall of the core portion 70B. Further, at least one groove and one urging member may be provided, and three or more grooves and urging members may be provided. The biasing member may be any member that can be biased, such as a leaf spring or a coil spring. In either case, the same protective effect as described above can be obtained.

<Third Embodiment>
In the third embodiment, another example of a pen-type input device having a protective structure for protecting the force sensor device is shown. Note that in the third embodiment, description of the same components as those of the already described embodiments may be omitted.

  FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating the tip side of a pen-type input device according to the third embodiment. FIG. 8A shows a cross-section corresponding to FIG. 5, and FIG. The cross section which follows CC line of 8 (a) is shown. Referring to FIG. 8, the pen-type input device 1C is different from the pen-type input device 1A (see FIG. 5) in that the contact portion 20 is replaced with the contact portion 20C.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the pen-type input device 1C has a protective structure that protects the force sensor device 30 when a predetermined force or more is applied to the contact portion 20C. Specifically, in the pen-type input device 1 </ b> C, a beam structure 25 that is bent when a predetermined force or more is applied to the contact portion 20 </ b> C is provided in the contact portion 20 </ b> C. In the example of FIG. 8, the beam structure 25 has five vertical beams that support the tip side of the contact portion 20 </ b> C, but may be a structure having at least one vertical beam. Further, the beam structure 25 can be arranged at an arbitrary position between the tip of the contact portion 20C and the upper surface of the mounting portion 270A.

  The beam structure 25 is designed to be deformed when a force exceeding a predetermined value (a force exceeding that when the pen-type input device 1C is normally used) is applied. Accordingly, in the pen-type input device 1C, when a force greater than a predetermined value is applied to the contact portion 20C, the beam structure 25 is deformed, and the force transmitted to the force sensor device 30 can be reduced. Can be prevented.

  In addition, you may provide the stopper 125 in the front-end | tip part of the inclination part 11 of the housing | casing 10 like pen type input device 1D shown in FIG. In the pen-type input device 1D, the contact portion 20D has an extending portion 28 extending on the stopper 125 on the lower outer peripheral side.

  In the pen-type input device 1D, when a predetermined force is applied to the contact portion 20D and the beam structure 25 is bent and deformed, the extension portion 28 contacts the stopper 125, and the beam structure 25 is prevented from being bent more than necessary. To do. That is, the stopper 125 functions as a bending suppression unit that suppresses the beam structure 25 from bending more than necessary.

  Also in this case, since the force transmitted to the force sensor device 30 can be reduced, the force sensor device 30 can be prevented from being broken.

  In addition, when the force more than the force which the force sensor apparatus 30 destroys is added to the contact part 20C or 20D, you may design so that the part of the beam structure 25 of the contact part 20C or 20D may be destroyed. As a result, the force sensor device 30 can be protected because the portion of the beam structure 25 is broken before the force sensor device 30 is broken.

<Fourth embodiment>
In the fourth embodiment, an example of an input device that is not a pen type will be described. Note that in the fourth embodiment, descriptions of the same components as those of the above-described embodiments may be omitted.

  FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the entire input device according to the fourth embodiment. Referring to FIG. 10, the input device 1 </ b> E is configured by only the tip side of the pen-type input device 1 (see FIGS. 1 and 2), and a core portion 70 </ b> E and the like are provided in a short casing 10 </ b> E.

  The input device 1E can be mounted, for example, on the arm or finger of a robot used in a machine tool or the like. Since the input device 1E is not gripped by humans, a long casing like the pen-type input device 1 is not necessary. In the input device 1E, the other end side (the side opposite to the contact portion 20) of the housing 10E may be expanded as necessary to accommodate a circuit portion or the like.

  As described in the first embodiment, in the force sensor device 30, the pillars 221 to 224 are arranged obliquely so as to approach the pillar 225 as the distance from the pedestal portion 210 increases. Thus, when the force sensor device 30 is housed in the inclined portion 11 of the housing 10E, the portions where the columns 221 to 224 face the inner wall of the inclined portion 11 and are inclined in the same direction as the inner wall of the inclined portion 11 are arranged. Therefore, the force sensor device 30 can be efficiently accommodated in the space inside the inclined portion 11.

  Further, the columns 221 to 224 are disposed obliquely so as to be closer to the column 225 as the distance from the pedestal portion 210 is increased, so that the columns 221 to 224 are compared with the case where the columns 221 to 224 are disposed perpendicular to the upper surface of the pedestal portion 210. Each can be lengthened.

  Also in the input device 1E, the structure of the force sensor device 30 itself and the structure of the inclined portion 11 that accommodates the force sensor device 30 are the same as in the case of the first embodiment. Accordingly, as in the case of the first embodiment, the distance between the contact portion 20 and the force receiving plate 260 of the force sensor device 30 can be reduced, and a small force input from the contact portion 20 can be applied to the force sense. It can be detected with high accuracy by the detection element 150 of the sensor device 30. In addition, the sensitivity of the moment (Mz) that rotates around the Z axis can be increased.

  Thus, the input device according to the present invention is not limited to a pen-type input device. In short, the shape and internal structure of the inclined portion 11 of the input device 1E accurately detect a small force input from a small sensing point, meet the required miniaturization, and satisfy the required mechanical strength. Therefore, it is suitable. Therefore, it can be used for input devices for various purposes that have such requirements.

  The preferred embodiment has been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and replacements are made to the above-described embodiment without departing from the scope described in the claims. Can be added.

  For example, each embodiment and modification can be combined as needed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D Pen type input device 1E Input device 10, 10B, 10E Case 11 Inclination part 12 Main body part 20, 20A, 20C, 20D Contact part 21 Projection part 22 Recess part 25 Beam structure 28 Extension part 30 Force sensor device 40 Circuit part 50 Connection part 60 Battery 70, 70B Core part 75 Insertion groove 76, 77 Screw hole 81, 82 Screw 91, 92, 94 Spring 93 Knock 121 Projection part 122, 123 Groove 125 Stopper 150 Detection element 200 Straining body 210 Pedestal part 221, 222, 223, 224, 225 Column 231, 232, 233, 234 Beam 241, 242, 243, 244 Power receiving part 260 Power receiving plate 270, 270A Mounting part 290 Device mounting part

Claims (14)

A housing having a tapered inclined portion on one end side;
A contact portion provided on one end side of the housing and in contact with an object to be contacted;
A force sensor device comprising a detection element for detecting a force applied to the contact portion,
At least a part of the force sensor device is accommodated in the inclined portion,
The force sensor device is an input device including a portion that faces the inner wall of the inclined portion and is inclined in the same direction as the inner wall of the inclined portion. The force sensor device includes a strain generating body that transmits a force applied to the contact portion to the detection element,
The strain body is
A detection element mounting portion for mounting the detection element;
A plurality of columns that are spaced apart from each other around the detection element mounting portion and at least the contact portion side is accommodated in the inclined portion;
2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the portion inclined in the same direction as the inner wall of the inclined portion is a portion facing the inner wall of the inclined portion in each of the columns. The strain body is
A pedestal,
A force receiving plate provided on the surface on the contact portion side of the pedestal portion via a plurality of the pillars;
The input device according to claim 2, wherein the force receiving plate is smaller than the pedestal portion when viewed from the normal direction of the surface of the pedestal portion on the contact portion side.   The input device according to claim 3, wherein the force receiving plate includes an attachment portion for attaching the contact portion in a detachable state.   The input device according to claim 4, wherein at least a part of the attachment portion protrudes from the housing. Provided in the contact portion, comprising a beam structure that bends when the predetermined force or more is applied to the contact portion,
6. The input according to claim 4, wherein the beam structure is at least one vertical beam that supports a distal end side of the contact portion, and is disposed between a distal end of the contact portion and an upper surface of the attachment portion. apparatus.   The said housing | casing is equipped with the bending suppression part which contacts a part of said contact part when the said beam structure bends, and suppresses that the said beam structure bends more than necessary. Input device. A device mounting portion protruding from the surface of the pedestal portion opposite to the contact portion is provided,
The input device according to claim 3, wherein the device attachment portion is fixed to the housing. A protective structure for protecting the force sensor device when a predetermined force or more is applied to the contact portion;
The protective structure is
A core portion that is housed in the housing and fixes the force sensor device on one end side;
A biasing member provided between a groove provided on one of the outer wall of the core part or the inner wall of the housing and the other of the outer wall of the core part or the inner wall of the housing;
9. The structure according to claim 1, wherein when the force greater than or equal to the predetermined value is applied to the contact portion, the biasing member is detached from the groove and the core portion moves to the other end side of the housing. The input device according to one item. It is fixed to the other end side of the core part, and includes a protruding part that protrudes from the other end of the housing,
In a state where the urging member is removed from the groove and the core portion is moved to the other end side of the housing, the urging member is moved into the groove by moving the protruding portion to the housing side. The input device according to claim 9 which enters.   The input device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the casing is long, and the contact portion is provided at one end in a longitudinal direction of the casing. A detection element for detecting an applied force; and a strain body for transmitting the applied force to the detection element,
The strain body is
A pedestal,
A detection element mounting portion for mounting the detection element provided on one surface of the pedestal;
A plurality of columns provided on the one surface of the pedestal portion and spaced apart around the detection element mounting portion; and
Each of the pillars is a force sensor device that is disposed obliquely so as to be closer to the detection element mounting portion as the distance from the pedestal portion increases. The strain body is
A power receiving plate provided on the one surface side of the pedestal portion via the plurality of pillars;
The force sensor device according to claim 12, wherein the force receiving plate is smaller than the pedestal portion when viewed from a normal direction of the one surface of the pedestal portion. A device mounting portion protruding from the surface of the pedestal portion opposite to the contact portion is provided,
The force sensor device according to claim 13, wherein the device attachment portion is fixed to the housing.