JP2559505Y2 - Coordinate position input device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coordinate position input device for indicating a moving direction and a moving amount as a peripheral device such as a computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, palm-sized mice and palm-sized trackballs are generally known as coordinate position input devices. In recent years, computers have been reduced in size and portable computers have been increasing. The coordinate position input device for the portable computer is required to have a very small size which is more convenient to carry than a palm size.

FIG. 4 shows a conventional coordinate position input device.
This will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a ball which can be rotated in any direction, reference numerals 2a and 2b denote position information detectors, and reference numeral 2a denotes an X-axis for coordinates and reference numeral 2b denotes a Y-axis.

[0004] Reference numerals 3a and 3b denote rotating shafts interlocked with position information detecting units 2a and 2b for detecting the amount of movement by rotation of the ball 1, respectively, and 4 denotes a supporting shaft for supporting the ball 1, and 5a, 5b and 5c. , 5d, 5e, 5f are rotating shafts 3
a, 3b and bearings of the support shaft 4, respectively.

Although not shown, the position information detecting unit 2
In the vicinity of a and 2b, the detection value of the position information detection unit is
Position information converting means for converting into a signal corresponding to the detected value is provided. The above main components are housed in a housing 8 except for a part of the ball 1 as shown in FIG.

[0006] The operation of the coordinate position input device configured as described above will be described below. First, the input operator rotates the ball 1 as necessary to input a moving direction and a moving amount. Then, the rotating shafts 3a and 3b in contact with the outer periphery of the ball 1 rotate, and the position information detectors 2a and 2b integrated with the rotating shafts 3a and 3b also rotate.

When the position information detectors 2a and 2b rotate, there are provided position information converters (not shown) for converting the signals into signals corresponding to the amount of rotation, and input coordinate positions as needed to a computer or the like. become.

The bearing support mechanism will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. A bearing 5a fitted to the rotating shaft 3a (not shown) is mounted on a bearing support 7a integrated with the base 6. , Supported and fixed by the snap portion 9a. At this time, the housing 8 is separated from the bearing support mechanism.

As the size of the snap portion 9a becomes smaller as a coordinate position input device, as shown in FIG.
The snap portion 9a itself is also small and thin, and its mechanical strength is very weak because it can be installed only outside the.

The bearing support mechanism has been described in relation to the bearing support 7a of the rotary shaft 3a.
b to 7f, the rotation shafts 3a and 3b, and the support shaft 4 have the same relationship.

[0011]

However, in the above-described bearing support mechanism, when the ball 1 protruding out of the housing 8 is operated with a strong force, or when another substance falls on the ball 1, an abnormal impact occurs. Is added, the bearing support 7a
Is located outside the ball 1, that is, the arrow B in FIG.
Direction, and there is a risk that an accurate output value may not be obtained or that the snap portion may be damaged or broken.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a small and highly reliable coordinate position input device.

[0013]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a coordinate position input device according to the present invention is provided with a reinforcing portion which abuts on a snap portion inside a housing.

[0014]

As described above, by forming the reinforcing portion in contact with the snap portion inside the housing, the arrow B shown in FIG.
It is possible to provide a small and reliable coordinate position input device in which deformation and damage in the direction are prevented.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of a coordinate position input device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the description, the same parts as those in the related art will be denoted by the same reference numerals. According to the drawing, 5a is a bearing of the rotating shaft 3a, 6 is a base, 7a is a bearing support part integrated with the base, 9a is a snap part of the bearing support part, 8 is a housing, and 10a is integrated with the housing. Reinforcing part, one part is snap part 9
a and the other are in contact with the bearing support 7a.

Next, a method of assembling the bearing support portion 7a and its reinforcing portion will be described. A bearing 5a (not shown) fitted with a part of the rotating shaft 3a is inserted into and fixed to a bearing support portion 7a integrated with the base 6 using a snap portion 9a.

The snap portion 9a has a spring property and is deformed by a small force when the bearing 5a is inserted, and is fixed by the spring property after the insertion. As the coordinate position input device becomes smaller, the snap portion 9a needs to be smaller and thinner, and the mechanical strength becomes weaker. However, the mechanical strength of the snap portion 9a is increased by the reinforcing portion 10a integrated with the housing 8. And the reliability when the coordinate position input device is used can be improved.

[0018] FIGS. 3 (a) ~ FIG. 3 (d) is another example of each of the reinforcing portions 10a, FIG. 3 (a) snap part 9
a provided with a reinforcing portion 10a that comes into contact with only the
In (b) , two reinforcing portions 10a are provided in a U- shape on the housing, and the snap portions 9a and the bearing support portions 7a are also reinforced.
1 and FIG. 2 and FIG . 3 (c) shows a structure in which a wall is provided between two reinforcing portions 10a and the two are connected to each other.
FIG. 3 shows the strength of each of the reinforcing portions 10a of FIG.
( D ) shows the bearing 5a floating in addition to the embodiment of FIG. 3 (b).
A bearing holding portion 11 is provided for holding the bearing so as not to come off .

In each of the above embodiments, the rotating shaft 3a
5a, snap part 9a, bearing support part 7a,
Although the relationship between the reinforcing portions 10a has been described, the other bearings 5b-5
Since the reinforcing portion related to f has the same configuration, the description is omitted.

[0020]

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the reinforcing portion which comes into contact with the snap portion is provided integrally with the housing, so that the support strength of the bearing in the snap portion is improved, and a small and reliable coordinate position input device is provided. It was made possible to provide.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional side view of a bearing support portion which is a main part of a coordinate position input device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view for explaining the assembling method.

FIGS. 3 (a) to 3 (d) are perspective views of another embodiment of the reinforcing portion.

FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of a conventional coordinate position input device.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a configuration around a ball which is a main part of the same.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the same.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of a supporting portion of the bearing, which is the main part.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the same.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ball 2a, 2b Position information detection part 3a, 3b Rotation shaft 4 Support shaft 5a-5f Bearing 6 Base 7a Bearing support part 8 Housing 9a Snap part 10a Reinforcement part 11 Bearing holding part

Claims (2)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A rotatable ball, the position information detection unit for detecting the moving direction and the moving amount by the rotation of the ball
Abutment surface and the rotary shaft having a position information converting means for converting the detected value of the position information detection unit to the signal corresponding to the detected value, which abuts the mated bearing the <br/> rotary shaft Bearing support with bearings and holding the bearing in pairs with this bearing support
A base integrally formed with a snap portion having a spring property provided so as to face each other, and a snubber with the bearing support portion.
Column-shaped reinforcements where the inner wall contacts the outer wall of the
On the inner surface and part of the ball protrudes to the outside
Holes from the housing connected to the base
It becomes the coordinate position input device. 2. A bearing having a tip portion connected to a base.
The coordinate position input device according to claim 1, wherein a bearing holding portion that abuts on the inner surface of the housing is provided.