JP3021428B1 - Operation stick support structure and tilting stick type pointing device using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A support structure for a low-cost type operation stick having improved operation sensation and durability by minimizing contact between metal members when the stick is raised and lowered, and an operation using the same. An inverted stick type pointing device is provided. SOLUTION: A metal shaft rod constituting an operation stick, a metal support plate having a shaft insertion hole through which the metal shaft bar is inserted, and an insertion stopper provided at an intermediate portion of the metal shaft rod Part, and a coil spring that is coaxially contracted to a shaft bar portion protruding downward from the metal support plate and elastically pulls the shaft bar downward, the operation stick supporting structure, The insertion stop step is formed of synthetic resin, and the inner peripheral surface of the shaft insertion hole is covered with a shaft hole forming ring made of synthetic resin.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a support structure of an operation stick suitable for use in a start switch of a so-called bachislo, and an up-down stick type pointing device using the same. The present invention relates to a low-cost type support structure for an operation stick, which has improved operation feeling and durability by minimizing the contact between metals at the same time, and a falling stick type pointing device using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a support structure for an operation stick of this type, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 56-138833 discloses a structure shown in FIG.
5 to FIG. 5 are known. This support structure includes a metal support rod (a switch mounting plate) having a metal shaft rod (circular handle 2) constituting an operation stick and a shaft insertion hole (circle hole 3a) through which the metal shaft rod is inserted. 3), an insertion preventing step (stepped portion 2b) provided at an intermediate portion of the metal shaft bar, and the shaft coaxially compressed and mounted on a shaft bar portion protruding downward from the metal support plate. A coil spring (coil spring 5) for elastically pulling the rod downward. The names and symbols enclosed in parentheses refer to those used in the publication.

In the above configuration, when a tilting operation force is applied to the metal shaft, the metal shaft is supported by a contact point between the lower surface of the outer peripheral edge of the insertion stopper step and the upper surface of the metal support plate.
It rotates and tilts while slightly exiting upward from the shaft insertion hole. When the tilting operation force is released, the metal shaft rod is drawn into the shaft insertion hole by the force of the coil spring with the contact point between the lower surface of the outer peripheral edge of the insertion stopper step and the upper surface of the metal support plate as a fulcrum. It turns in the opposite direction and returns to its original upright state.

According to such a structure, since it can be manufactured by stepping or sheet metal working on a metal bar, compared with a conventional support structure employing a resin spherical bearing or the like that requires an expensive mold, There is an advantage that it can be manufactured at low cost.

[0005]

However, in the above-described conventional structure, the contact point between the lower surface of the outer peripheral edge of the insertion stopper step, which is a pivot point when the stick is tilted, and the upper surface of the metal support plate is increased. , Because metal-to-metal contact occurs,
There are problems such as poor operation sensation, abrasion at the rotation fulcrum resulting in reduced durability, and generation of abnormal noise.

[0006] In addition, the metal shaft rod has a contact point between the lower surface of the outer peripheral edge of the insertion stopper step and the upper surface of the metal support plate as a fulcrum.
Since it rotates and tilts while slightly coming out of the shaft insertion hole and upward, contact or sliding between metals occurs between the inner periphery of the shaft insertion hole and the outer periphery of the shaft rod, and the same problem occurs. Had occurred.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems. An object of the present invention is to reduce the contact between metals during the raising and lowering operation of a stick as much as possible to provide an operational feeling and a sense of operation. An object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost type operation stick support structure with improved durability and a tilting stick type pointing device using the same.

[0008]

The invention described in claim 1 of the present application has an upper portion serving as an operating end and a lower portion serving as an operating end, and the operating end side has a large diameter at an intermediate portion. A metal shaft rod having a step portion having a small diameter at the working end side,
A cylindrical portion of a fixed length having an inner diameter adapted to the large-diameter portion of the step portion, and an annular bottom portion having a flat lower surface having an insertion hole adapted to the small-diameter portion of the step portion, made of synthetic resin. A stepped cap, a metal support plate having a shaft insertion hole having a diameter sufficiently larger than the diameter of the lower portion of the metal shaft, and slightly smaller than the diameter of the lower portion of the metal shaft. A shaft hole forming plate having a large-diameter shaft insertion hole, and an annular protrusion having an outer diameter substantially the same as the shaft insertion hole of the support plate provided around the shaft insertion hole; In a state in which the metal shaft rod is inserted from above to below into a laminate of a metal support plate and the shaft hole forming plate and inserted through the synthetic resin step cap, the shaft hole is removed. The shaft is coaxially contracted to a shaft bar portion protruding downward from the shaft insertion hole of the forming plate, and the shaft bar is elastically pulled downward to coexist. , In the support structure of the operation stick, characterized by comprising a coil spring for pressing the shaft hole forming plate to the support plate.

Here, the "shaft hole forming plate" covers the inner periphery of the shaft insertion hole formed in the metal support plate, and the metal inner peripheral surface of the shaft insertion hole and the metal shaft rod are directly connected to each other. To avoid contact with

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the contact between the insertion stopper step and the metal support plate, and the contact between the metal shaft and the shaft insertion hole through which the metal shaft is inserted, Since the operation is performed through the resin and the metal, the operation feeling is improved, the generation of abnormal noise is reduced, and the durability is improved. In addition, by putting a synthetic resin step cap on the step of the metal rod, a synthetic resin insertion stop step is realized,
Because the shaft hole forming plate made of synthetic resin and the metal support plate are overlapped, and the annular protrusion of the shaft hole forming plate is fitted into the shaft insertion hole of the metal support plate to realize the shaft hole forming ring. In addition, it is possible to easily realize the synthetic resin insertion preventing step portion and the shaft hole forming ring.

According to the invention described in claim 2 of the present application, the outer diameter of the lower portion of the shaft bar is slightly smaller between the synthetic resin step cap and the metal support plate. The support of the operation stick according to claim 1, wherein a metal washer having a large-diameter center hole and an outer diameter larger than a shaft insertion hole of the support plate is interposed. In the structure.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, even when the thickness of the annular projection is designed to be large in order to secure sufficient strength to withstand contact with the metal shaft rod, the insertion stop is prevented. Since the step portion and the washer are in contact, the contact between the metal and the resin can be maintained.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tilt detector for detecting tilt of an operating end of the metal shaft, and outputting a detection output of the tilt detector as an instruction signal. A tilting stick type pointing device having the operation stick supporting structure according to any one of claims 1 to 2.

Here, the "tilt detector" includes not only one that detects the presence or absence of tilt and outputs a binary signal, but also one that outputs an analog or digital value according to the tilt angle. Here, a plurality of azimuths such as two directions, four directions, and eight directions may be set for the tilt azimuth, and in that case, a detection signal corresponding to the tilt azimuth is output. There will be.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an inverting stick type pointing device which has a good operation feeling, generates less noise, is durable, and can be manufactured at low cost. be able to.

The invention described in claim 4 of the present application is characterized in that the tilt detector is a push-button type micro switch that operates in direct or indirect contact with the tilt of the operating end of the shaft. The up-down stick type pointing device according to claim 3.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an upside down stick type switch which has a good operation feeling, generates less noise, is durable, and can be manufactured at low cost. Can be.

The invention described in claim 5 of this application is characterized in that the tilt detector is a photo-interrupter whose optical path is directly or indirectly blocked or transmitted by the tilt of the operating end of the shaft. An up-down stick type pointing device according to claim 3.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a durable stick-type switch having high durability from the viewpoint of the structure of the switch.

[0020]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a first embodiment of a tilt stick type pointing device according to the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the upright stick type pointing device according to the first embodiment in an assembled state, FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a main part of the upright stick type pointing device according to the first embodiment in an assembled state, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the tilting stick type pointing device according to the first embodiment.

As described above, the support structure of the operation stick employed in the tilting stick type support device according to the present invention basically includes a metal shaft rod constituting the operation stick and the metal rod. A metal support plate having a shaft insertion hole through which a shaft rod is inserted, an insertion stop step provided at an intermediate portion of the metal shaft bar, and a shaft bar portion protruding downward from the metal support plate And a coil spring which is coaxially compressed and elastically pulls the shaft rod downward.

The main feature of the present invention is that, in addition to the basic structure described above, the insertion stop step is formed of synthetic resin, and the inner peripheral surface of the shaft insertion hole is formed of synthetic resin. In addition to the contact between the insertion stopper step and the metal support plate, the contact between the metal shaft rod and the shaft insertion hole through which the metal shaft is inserted is made of resin and metal. This is to improve the operational feeling, reduce the occurrence of abnormal noise, and improve the durability.

In FIGS. 1 and 3, reference numeral 1 designates a metal shaft rod constituting the operation stick. The illustrated shaft 1 is made of a metal bar having a circular cross section.
It has an upper portion serving as an operating end and a lower portion serving as an operating end. Here, a screw portion 1a screwed into the spherical handle portion 2 for operation and a large-diameter portion 1b having a predetermined length are formed in the upper portion. The lower part has a small diameter part 1 of a predetermined length.
c and an annular groove 1d into which an E-shaped stopper 12 described later is fitted.
Are formed. Therefore, a step portion 1e having a large diameter on the operation end side and a small diameter on the operation end side exists in an intermediate portion between the upper portion and the lower portion.

A step cap 3 made of synthetic resin is mounted on the outer periphery of the step 1e of the metal shaft 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the step cap 3 is provided with a large-diameter portion 1b of the step 1e.
A short cylindrical portion 3a having an inner diameter adapted to the above, and an annular bottom portion 3b having an insertion hole 3c through which the small diameter portion 1c of the step portion 1e is inserted and having a flat lower surface are integrally formed of resin. The step cap 3 made of synthetic resin attached to the metal shaft 1 in this manner functions as an insertion stop step.

Metal rod 1 with step cap 3 attached
The small diameter portion 1c is inserted into the shaft insertion hole of the metal support plate. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 4 denotes a stick mounting bracket including a portion serving as a metal support plate.
The stick mounting bracket 4 includes a horizontal portion 4a functioning as a support plate, spacers 4b and 4c extending vertically downward from both ends of the horizontal portion 4a, and horizontal portions from lower ends of the spacers 4b and 4c. T-shaped flange portions 4d and 4e extending in the direction. As shown in FIG. 3, a circular shaft insertion hole 4f formed in the center of the horizontal portion 4a.
Has an inner diameter that is sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 1c of the shaft 1. The difference between the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 1c of the shaft 1 and the inner diameter of the shaft insertion hole 4f is substantially equal to the thickness of a shaft hole forming ring described later.

As shown in FIG. 1, a shaft hole forming plate 5 made of a synthetic resin and having a disk-shaped outer shape is arranged on the lower surface of the horizontal portion 4a of the stick mounting member 4. At the center of the shaft hole forming plate 5, there is a shaft insertion hole 5a into which the small diameter portion 1c of the shaft rod 1 is to be inserted. As shown in FIG. 3, the inner diameter of the shaft insertion hole 5a is set to allow the shaft rod 1 to move when tilted.
It is set slightly larger than the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 1b of the shaft 1. Around the shaft insertion hole 5a, an annular protrusion 5b having an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the shaft insertion hole 4f present in the horizontal portion 4f of the stick mounting bracket 4 is formed. The annular protrusion 5b functions as a shaft hole forming ring made of synthetic resin. A curved slope 5c is formed on the inner peripheral edge of the upper opening of the shaft hole insertion hole 5a.
However, a curved inclined surface 5d is provided on the inner peripheral edge of the lower opening, and these also allow the shaft rod 1 to move when tilted.

As is apparent with reference to the assembly drawing of FIG.
When the shaft hole forming plate 5 is overlaid on the lower surface side of the stick mounting member 4 in a state where the axis is aligned, the annular projection 5b of the shaft hole forming plate 5 is inserted from below into the shaft insertion hole 4f of the stick mounting member 4 side. The shaft insertion hole whose inner peripheral surface is covered with the shaft hole forming ring made of synthetic resin is completed.

The protrusion height of the annular protrusion 5b constituting the shaft hole forming ring is set substantially equal to the thickness of the horizontal portion 4a of the stick mounting member 4. The thickness of the annular protrusion 5b is set in consideration of the strength that can withstand repeated contact or sliding with the small diameter portion 1c of the shaft rod 1. On the other hand, the outer diameter of the step cap 3 made of a synthetic resin is set in consideration of a tilt angle required for the shaft rod 1, a rotation locus at the time of tilt, and the like.

If the outer diameter of the synthetic resin stepped cap 3 is sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of the synthetic resin annular projection 5b, the outer peripheral edge of the stepped cap 3 is formed on the metal surface constituting the horizontal portion 4a. Located on top. In this case, contact between the resin (the bottom surface of the step portion cap 3) and the metal (the upper surface of the horizontal portion 4a) is ensured at the pivot point when the shaft 1 tilts. If the outer diameter of the synthetic resin step cap 3 is substantially equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the synthetic resin annular protrusion 5b, the outer peripheral edge of the step cap 3 is formed of the metal surface forming the horizontal portion 4a. It comes off from above and is located on the end face of the annular projection 5b. in this case,
At the rotation fulcrum when the shaft 1 tilts, contact between the resins (the bottom surface of the step cap 3 and the upper end surface of the annular projection 5b) occurs, which is not preferable.

In such a case, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, a metallic metal is provided between the lower surface of the synthetic resin step cap 3 and the upper surface of the horizontal portion 4a of the switch mounting bracket 4. A washer 6 is interposed. This metal washer 6 is
The center hole has an outer diameter that is sufficiently larger than the inner diameter of the shaft insertion hole 4f, and is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the lower portion 1c of the shaft rod 1 at the center thereof. for that reason,
The outer peripheral edge of the step cap 3 is located on the metal washer 6, so that the contact between the resin and the metal is secured at the pivot point when the shaft 1 tilts.

The metal shaft bar 1 is placed on the laminate of the horizontal portion 4 f of the stick mounting member 4 and the shaft hole forming plate 5 via the washer 6.
Is inserted from top to bottom, and a step cap 3 made of synthetic resin is inserted.
In the state where the shaft is not inserted, the rod-shaped portion (small diameter portion 1c) of the shaft hole forming plate 5 protruding downward from the shaft insertion hole 5a is compressed coaxially with the rod-shaped portion and pulls the shaft rod 1 downward. In addition, a coil spring 8 for pressing the shaft hole forming plate 5 against the horizontal portion 4a of the stick mounting bracket 4 is provided.
That is, the rod-shaped portion protruding downward from the shaft insertion hole 5a of the shaft hole forming plate 5 includes, in order from the top, a metal washer 7, a coil spring 8, a spring tray 9, a metal washer 10, a synthetic resin operating cylinder 11 Are fitted coaxially to the shaft rod 1 by fitting the E-shaped fastener 12 into the annular groove 1e in a state where the coil spring 8 is contracted. Therefore, the repulsive force of the compressed coil spring 8 acts between the lower end portion of the shaft 1 and the shaft hole forming plate 5, and the shaft 1 is pulled downward while the shaft hole forming plate 5 is pulled. Is pressed against the horizontal portion 4a of the stick mounting member 4.

Thus, the support structure of the operation stick in which the insertion stopper step is formed of synthetic resin and the inner peripheral surface of the shaft insertion hole is covered with the shaft hole forming ring made of synthetic resin is completed.

In the tilting stick type pointing device adopting the operation stick supporting structure, a rod-shaped portion (small diameter portion 1) projecting downward from the shaft insertion hole 5a of the shaft hole forming plate 5 is provided.
A tilt detector for detecting the tilt of c) and outputting a corresponding electric signal is provided. The detection output of the tilt detector is sent to the outside as a target instruction signal.

The tilt detector outputs a binary signal corresponding to the presence or absence of tilt, outputs analog or digital values corresponding to the tilt angle, outputs a pulse train corresponding to the tilt angle, and the like. Various methods such as those described above can be adopted. The number of tilt detectors can be set to an appropriate number according to the number of tilt azimuths (two directions, four directions, eight directions, etc.).

The examples shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 are for the case where the number of tilting directions (guide directions) is two and the detection method is a binary signal method. That is, the shaft insertion hole 5a of the shaft hole forming plate 5
On one side of the rod-shaped portion (small-diameter portion 1c) protruding downward from the bottom, a push-button type microswitch that operates in direct or indirect contact with the tilt of the rod-shaped portion is arranged.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 14 denotes a component mounting bracket for fixing a guide plate 15 for defining the tilt direction in two directions and a microswitch 13 functioning as a tilt detector. is there. Parts mounting bracket 14
Is a rectangular flat metal body part 14b having a circular opening 14a in the center, and a rectangular flat rectangular mounting area part 14 protruding from both ends of the metal body part 14b.
c, 14d. The component mounting bracket 14 and the stick mounting bracket 4 are connected to the screw holes 14e and 4d and the screw holes 14e.
f and 4h, respectively, and two screws 1
6a and 16b are integrally connected. In the coupled state, the horizontal portion 4a of the stick mounting bracket 4 and the metal fitting main body portion 14b of the component mounting bracket are opposed in parallel with a predetermined gap therebetween.

The guide plate 15 is a plate made of a synthetic resin having a disk-shaped outer shape. The circular region 15a located at the center of the guide plate 15 is entirely depressed one step downward, and the lower surface side is protruded or raised by that amount. This lower surface protruding portion is inserted and fitted into the circular opening 14 a of the component mounting bracket 14. In addition, four projections (not shown) protruding from the lower surface of the guide plate 15 are inserted and fitted into the positioning holes 141 to 140 so that both are positioned. Circular area 15a
Has a two-way guide hole 15b which is a long hole. The guide plate 15 and the component mounting bracket 14 are
In a state where 5c to 15f and the screw holes 14g to 14j are aligned, they are integrally connected by four screws 17a to 17d. In the coupled state, the two-way guide hole 15b
Is directed to the expected tilting direction of the shaft 1.

The micro switch 13 is a hinge switch 1
It is of a type in which a push button 3b is operated via 3a. The micro switch 13 has through holes 13c, 13
In a state where d is aligned with the screw holes 14p and 14q, the screw is fixed to the lower surface of the component mounting bracket 14 by two long screws 18a and 18b. In the fixed state, the hinge lever 13a of the micro switch 13 is arranged to face the small-diameter portion 1c of the shaft 1 forward in the tilting direction.

FIG. 4 shows the operation of the up-down stick type pointing device 100 having the above configuration. FIG. 7A shows a state where no tilt operation force is applied, and FIG. 7B shows a state where a tilt operation force is applied.

As shown in FIG. 4 (a), when no tilting operation force is applied to the spherical grip portion 2, the large diameter portion 1b of the shaft 1 constituting the operation stick is compressed. The resilient force of the coil spring 8 pulls the entire shaft 1 downward, so that the shaft 1 is maintained in an upright state (standing state). In this state, the operating cylinder 11 and the hinge lever 13a placed on the lower portion of the shaft 1 are kept in a non-contact state, and the micro switch 13 is in a non-operating state.

As shown in FIG. 4 (b), when a tilting operation force is acting on the spherical grip 2, the large diameter portion 1b of the shaft 1 constituting the operation stick is made of synthetic resin. Of the stepped cap 3 and the contact point P between the outer peripheral edge of the bottom surface of the stepped cap 3 and the upper surface of the metal washer 6. In this state, the operating cylinder 11 put on the lower portion of the shaft 1 comes into contact with the hinge lever 13a, the push button 13b is pushed in, and the micro switch 13 is in the operating state.

When the shaft 1 rotates about the contact point P, the small-diameter portion 1c of the shaft 1 is pulled slightly upward from the shaft insertion hole. However, in the present invention,
At the contact point P between the outer peripheral edge of the bottom surface of the step cap 3 made of synthetic resin and the upper surface of the washer 6 made of metal, the contact between the resin and the metal is ensured. Also, the contact between the metal and the resin is ensured with regard to the contact or sliding between the shaft and the inner periphery of the shaft insertion hole. For this reason, the rotation about the contact point P as a fulcrum is performed smoothly, the operation feeling at the time of raising and lowering operation is good, there is no generation of abnormal noise as in the case of metal, the wear is small, and the durability is low. It will be good. When the tilting operation force is removed, the entire rod 1 returns to the upright state due to the repulsive force of the coil spring 8 compressed unevenly in the radial direction.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a second embodiment of the tilting stick type pointing device according to the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the up-down stick type pointing device according to the second embodiment in an assembled state, and FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory diagram of the up-down stick type pointing device according to the second embodiment.

In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. The feature of the second embodiment is that, by adopting a photo interrupter as a tilt detector, the tilt of the shaft is detected in a non-contact manner, thereby improving durability. By arranging the tilt detection unit coaxially, space saving in the radial direction around the axis is achieved.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 19 denotes a photointerrupter assembly. The photo-interrupter assembly 19 is provided with a photo-interrupter element on a synthetic resin pedestal 19d in which a downwardly wedge-shaped resin clip portion 19a, 19b having a retaining projection and a connector portion 19c for signal extraction are integrally formed. 19e is adhered and fixed.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a photointerrupter mounting bracket. The photointerrupter mounting bracket 20 includes a horizontal portion 20a, and spacer portions 20b, 20 extending vertically upward from both ends of the horizontal portion 20a.
c and flanges 20d and 20e extending horizontally from the upper ends of the spacers 20a and 20c. The horizontal portion 20a is provided with two rectangular holes 20f and 20g so as to be symmetrical with respect to the center point of the horizontal portion 20a.

The photo interrupter assembly 19 and the photo interrupter mounting bracket 20 are
The a and 19b are inserted into the rectangular holes 20f and 20g to prevent them from coming off, whereby they are integrally connected. The photointerrupter mounting bracket 20 and the component mounting bracket 14 are integrally connected using the screws 21a and 21b in a state where the screw holes 20h and 20i are aligned with the screw holes 14p and 14r. In the coupled state, the photo-interrupter element 19e is located directly below the axial extension of the shaft 1.

At the lower end of the small-diameter portion 1c of the shaft 1, a round bar-shaped light-shielding portion 1f having a smaller diameter is extended. The light shielding portion 1f is set so as to always block the optical path between the light emitting and receiving devices of the photo interrupter element 19e.

FIG. 7 shows the operation of the up-down stick type pointing device 100 having the above configuration. FIG. 7A shows a state where no tilt operation force is applied, and FIG. 7B shows a state where a tilt operation force is applied.

As shown in FIG. 7A, when no tilting operation force is applied to the spherical grip portion 2, the large diameter portion 1b of the shaft 1 constituting the operation stick is compressed. The resilient force of the coil spring 8 pulls the entire shaft 1 downward, so that the shaft 1 is maintained in an upright state (standing state). In this state, the light-shielding portion 1f located at the lower end of the shaft 1 is located in the gap between the light emitting and receiving devices of the photointerrupter element 19e, and interrupts the optical path. Therefore, light does not reach the light receiver of the photo interrupter element 19e.

As shown in FIG. 7 (b), when a tilting operation force is acting on the spherical grip portion 2, the large diameter portion 1b of the shaft 1 constituting the operation stick is made of synthetic resin. Of the stepped cap 3 and the contact point P between the outer peripheral edge of the bottom surface of the stepped cap 3 and the upper surface of the metal washer 6. In this state, the light shielding portion 1f located at the lower end portion of the shaft 1 is located at a position outside the gap between the light emitting and receiving devices of the photo interrupter element 19e, and the optical path is open. Therefore, the light reaches the light receiver of the photo interrupter element 19e.

When the shaft 1 rotates about the contact point P, the small-diameter portion 1c of the shaft 1 is withdrawn slightly upward from the shaft insertion hole. However, in the present invention,
At the contact point P between the outer peripheral edge of the bottom surface of the step cap 3 made of synthetic resin and the upper surface of the washer 6 made of metal, the contact between the resin and the metal is ensured. Also, the contact between the metal and the resin is ensured with regard to the contact or sliding between the shaft and the inner periphery of the shaft insertion hole. For this reason, the rotation about the contact point P as a fulcrum is performed smoothly, the operation feeling at the time of raising and lowering operation is good, there is no generation of abnormal noise as in the case of metal, the wear is small, and the durability is low. It will be good. When the tilting operation force is removed, the entire rod 1 returns to the upright state due to the repulsive force of the coil spring 8 compressed unevenly in the radial direction.

[0054]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the cost of operation can be reduced and the durability and durability can be improved by minimizing the contact between metals when the stick is raised and lowered. It is possible to provide a support structure for a type of operation stick and a pointing stick type pointing device using the same.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a first view of a tilt stick type pointing device according to the present invention.
It is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the up-down stick type pointing device according to the first embodiment in an assembled state.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a main part of the upright stick type pointing device according to the first embodiment in an assembled state.

FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory diagram of the tilting stick type pointing device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a second view of the tilting stick type pointing device according to the present invention.
It is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the up-down stick type pointing device according to the second embodiment in an assembled state.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the tilting stick type pointing device according to the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Metal rod 1a Screw part 1b Large diameter part 1c Small diameter part 1e Step part 1f Light shielding part 2 Spherical grip part 3 Synthetic resin step cap 4 Stick mounting bracket 4a Horizontal part 4b, 4c spacer functioning as a support plate Part 4d, 4e Flange part 4f Shaft insertion hole 4g, 4h Screw hole 5 Shaft hole forming plate 5a Shaft insertion hole 5b Annular protrusion 5c, 5d Curved inclined surface 6 Metal washer 7 Metal washer 8 Coil spring 9 Spring tray Reference Signs List 10 metal washer 11 synthetic resin working cylinder 12 E-shaped stopper 13 micro switch 13a hinge lever 13b push button 13c, 13d through hole 14 component mounting bracket 14a circular opening 14b bracket main body part 14c, 14d mounting area part 14e ~ 14j, 14p, 14q Screw holes 14l-14o Positioning holes 15 Guide plate 1 made of synthetic resin a Circular area 15b Two-way guide hole 15c to 15f Screw hole 16a, 16b Screw 17a to 17d Screw 18a, 18b Screw 19 Photocoupler assembly 19a, 19b Resin clip portion 19c Connector portion 19d Pedestal 19e Photocoupler element 20 Photocoupler mounting bracket 20a Horizontal part 20b, 20c Spacer part 20d, 20e Flange part 20f, 20g Rectangular hole 20h, 20i Screw hole 21a, 21b Screw

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A metal shaft having an upper portion serving as an operating end and a lower portion serving as an operating end, and a middle portion having a step portion having a large diameter at the operating end and a small diameter at the operating end. And a short cylindrical portion having an inner diameter adapted to the larger diameter portion of the step portion,
A step cap made of synthetic resin formed integrally with a flat annular bottom having a through hole that fits the small diameter part of the step; and a diameter larger than the diameter of the lower part of the metal shaft rod A metal support plate having a large-diameter shaft insertion hole, and having a shaft insertion hole slightly larger in diameter than the lower portion of the metal shaft rod, around the shaft insertion hole, A shaft hole forming plate provided with an annular projection having an outer diameter substantially the same as the shaft insertion hole of the support plate; and a laminated body of the metal support plate and the shaft hole forming plate; In a state where the rod is inserted from the top down and the insertion is stopped with the step cap made of the synthetic resin, the rod is coaxially compressed into a shaft rod portion projecting downward from the shaft insertion hole of the shaft hole forming plate, A coil spring that elastically pulls the shaft bar downward and presses the shaft hole forming plate toward a support plate, A support structure for an operation stick, comprising: 2. A central hole having a diameter slightly larger than an outer diameter of a lower portion of the shaft bar is provided between the step cap made of synthetic resin and the metal support plate, and The operation stick support structure according to claim 1, wherein a metal washer having an outer diameter larger than a shaft insertion hole of the support plate is interposed. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a tilt detector for detecting a tilt of the working end of the metal shaft, and outputting a detection output of the tilt detector as an instruction signal. A flip-stick type pointing device having the operation stick support structure according to any one of the first to third aspects. 4. The switch according to claim 3, wherein the tilt detector is a push button type micro switch which is operated in direct or indirect contact with the tilt of the operating end of the shaft.
3. The tilting stick type pointing device according to [1]. 5. The tilt stick according to claim 3, wherein the tilt detector is a photo-interrupter whose optical path is directly or indirectly blocked or transmitted by the tilt of the operating end of the shaft. Expression indicating device.