JP3686009B2 - Two-way input device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a two-way input device used for inputting a two-way analog electric signal to an electronic device, for example.
[0002]
[Prior art]
This type of two-way input device, also called a seesaw type variable resistor, is described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-118206, for example. The structure of a conventional two-way input device will be described using the seesaw type variable resistor described in this publication as an example.
[0003]
This type of two-way input device basically includes a body, a seesaw lever type rotating body supported rotatably on the body, a substrate having a resistance circuit formed on the surface, and a resistance circuit on the substrate surface. An slidable contact piece is used, and by operating the rotating body in the forward direction and the reverse direction, an analog signal corresponding to the operation amount is output in each direction and input to the electronic device.
[0004]
Here, the substrate is fixed to the body side, and the contact piece is attached to the rotating body side (operation side) and rotates together with the rotating body. More specifically, a planar substrate is used as the substrate, and this is disposed on the side of the rotating body. The contact piece is attached to the side surface of the rotating body so as to come into contact with the surface of the substrate, and performs a circular movement following the movement of the rotating body.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the two-way input device having such a configuration, since the substrate and the contact piece are disposed between the outer surface of the rotating body and the inner surface of the body, an increase in the lateral width of the device, that is, the axial dimension of the rotating body is avoided. This causes an increase in the size of the apparatus.
[0006]
When the contact piece moves circularly, a large space is required to allow the movement, which also causes an increase in the size of the apparatus.
[0007]
It is possible to move the contact piece in a straight line, but in that case, a conversion mechanism that changes the circular movement into a linear movement is required. By adding a conversion mechanism or mechanical backlash in the conversion mechanism Further enlargement becomes a problem.
[0008]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a two-way input device that is small in size and simple in structure.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a two-way input device according to the present invention includes a semi-drum-shaped rotating body that is supported rotatably about a horizontal axis, and whose bottom surface is an arc surface, and an arc surface of the rotating body. And an arc-shaped movable substrate having a circuit pattern printed on the surface thereof, and a fixed contact piece fixed around the rotating body and elastically contacting the circuit pattern on the surface of the movable substrate.
[0010]
In the two-way input device according to the present invention, the substrate is an arc-shaped movable substrate attached along the arc surface of the semi-drum-shaped rotating body, and the contact piece is fixed around the rotating body. It is said that. According to this, first, since the substrate and the contact piece are excluded from the side of the rotating body, the lateral width of the apparatus (the axial dimension of the rotating body) is reduced. Secondly, the contact piece does not move circularly and the substrate moves circularly. However, since the circular movement is movement along the arc of the substrate, a space for allowing the movement becomes substantially unnecessary. For this reason, an increase in the radial dimension of the rotating body is avoided. Third, since the contact piece makes an apparent linear relative movement along the surface of the substrate, the circuit pattern formed on the surface of the substrate becomes linear, and the substrate is downsized. Is done.
[0011]
Thus, a two-way input device that is small in size and simple in structure is provided.
[0012]
A flexible substrate is preferable as the movable substrate. This simplifies the formation of the substrate on the surface of the rotating body.
[0013]
The operability is improved by attaching the key top to the upper part of the rotating body.
[0014]
By attaching the rotating body to the body and attaching the fixed terminal to the body, the apparatus can be further miniaturized.
[0015]
By incorporating a spring that automatically returns the rotating body to the neutral position, the apparatus can be further miniaturized.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a side view of a two-way input device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the two-way input device, and FIG. 3 is a longitudinal side view of the two-way input device. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal front view of the two-way input device, and FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the rotating body used in the two-way input device. It is the perspective view seen from the side.
[0017]
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the two-way input device according to the present embodiment includes a body 10 fixed on an external substrate, a rotating body 20 rotatably provided in the body 10, and a rotating body. A spring 30 that automatically returns 20 to the neutral position, a key top 40 attached to the upper portion of the rotating body 20, a movable substrate 50 attached to the lower portion of the rotating body 20, and the body 10 so as to come into contact with the movable substrate 50. A plurality of fixed contact pieces 60A, 60B, 60C attached to the.
[0018]
The body 10 has a rectangular frame shape in which the side wall portions 11 and 11 on both sides and the front and rear side wall portions 12 and 12 are combined. A pair of openings 13 and 13 for supporting the rotating body 20 are provided in the side wall portions 11 and 11 on both sides.
[0019]
The rotating body 20 has a semi-drum shape in which the lower surface is a downwardly convex circular arc surface 21, and a portion excluding the lower portion is a square frame portion 22, and a spring accommodating portion 23 is formed on the inside thereof. Cylindrical support portions 24 and 24 are integrally formed on both side surfaces of the rotating body 20. When the support portions 24 and 24 are fitted into the openings 13 and 13 of the body 10, the rotating body 20 is supported in the body 10 so as to be rotatable about the horizontal axis.
[0020]
A pair of protrusions 25 and 25 are provided on the inner surface of the corner frame portion of the rotating body 20 so as to be located on the back side of the support portions 24 and 24. On the circular arc surface 21 of the rotating body 20, a pair of openings 26, 26 from which both ends of the spring 30 protrude are provided.
[0021]
The spring 30 is a coil spring and is held in the spring accommodating portion 23 of the rotating body 20 by the support portions 24, 24, and both end portions 31, 31 project downward from the rotating body 20 through the openings 26, 26. By doing so, the rotating body 20 is fixed. Then, when both projecting portions are locked to the body 10, the rotating body 20 is elastically supported at the neutral position and automatically returns to the neutral position.
[0022]
The key top 40 includes a main body portion 41 that covers the body 10 and a square frame-shaped support portion 42 provided on the lower surface of the center portion thereof, and the support portion 42 is fitted to the square frame portion 22 of the rotating body 20. Thus, a seesaw lever type operation portion is formed together with the rotating body 20. Opening portions 43, 43 into which protrusions 27, 27 provided on the front and rear surfaces of the corner frame portion 22 of the rotating body 20 are fitted are provided on the front and rear side walls of the support portion 42.
[0023]
The movable substrate 50 is a flexible substrate, and is fixed to the arc surface 21 of the rotating body 20 by being curved in an arc shape along the arc surface 21. As shown in FIG. 5, the movable substrate 50 is provided with rectangular openings 51, 51 corresponding to the openings 26, 26 of the rotating body 20. A circuit pattern 52 is formed on the surface (exposed lower surface) of the movable substrate 50. The circuit pattern 52 includes a pair of lead portions 52a and 52c provided on both sides, and a resistance portion 52b provided between the lead portions 52a and 52c. These are formed in an arc shape in the circumferential direction by printing, and the lead portions 52a and 52c extend in opposite directions. The resistance portion 52b is formed by carbon printing.
[0024]
The plurality of fixed contact pieces 60 </ b> A, 60 </ b> B, 60 </ b> C are arranged around the circular arc surface 21 of the rotating body 20 and are fixed by insert molding to the body 10.
[0025]
More specifically, the fixed contact pieces 60 </ b> A and 60 </ b> C are molded at the middle portion thereof vertically on the front and rear side wall portions 12 and 12 of the body 10. The distal end portions of the fixed contact pieces 60A and 60C protrude from the upper end portions of the side wall portions 12 and 12 to the inside, particularly obliquely downward, and elastically contact the lead portions 52a and 52c of the circuit pattern 52, respectively. The base end portions of the fixed contact pieces 60A and 60C are projected horizontally from the lower end portions of the side wall portions 12 and 12 to form terminal portions.
[0026]
The fixed contact piece 60 </ b> B is disposed substantially horizontally below the rotating body 20, and an intermediate part is molded at the lower part of the body 10. The distal end portion of the fixed contact piece 60B protrudes almost horizontally into the body 10 and elastically protrudes into the lead portion 52b of the circuit pattern 52. The base end portion of the fixed contact piece 60B projects from the lower end portion of the side wall portion 12 in the same direction as the base end portion of the fixed contact piece 60C to form a terminal portion.
[0027]
Next, functions of the two-way input device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
[0028]
The input device is mounted on a main board of an electronic device that uses the input device, and each terminal portion of the fixed contact pieces 60A, 60B, 60C is electrically and mechanically connected to a circuit pattern on the main board. .
[0029]
The rotating body 20 is elastically held at the neutral position together with the key top 40 by the biasing force of the spring 30. The distal ends of the fixed contact pieces 60A, 60B, and 60C are in elastic contact with the lead portion 52a, the resistance portion 52b, and the lead portion 52c of the circuit pattern 52 formed on the surface of the movable substrate 50. When the key top 40 is pressed in the direction in which the rotating body 20 rotates forward against the urging force of the spring 30, the arcuate curved movable substrate 50 moves in the circumferential direction, and the distal end of the fixed contact piece 60B is resisted. It slides on the part 52b in the circumferential direction. As a result, the resistance value between the terminal portions of the fixed contact pieces 60A and 60B or between the terminal portions of the fixed contact pieces 60B and 60C changes to the + side.
[0030]
When the key top 40 is pressed in the direction in which the rotating body 20 reverses, the movable substrate 50 moves in the reverse direction, and the tip of the fixed contact piece 60B slides on the resistance portion 52b in the reverse direction. Accordingly, the resistance value between the terminal portions of the fixed contact pieces 60A and 60B or between the terminal portions of the fixed contact pieces 60B and 60C changes to the negative side.
[0031]
Thus, by using the input device, it is possible to output an analog signal corresponding to the operation amount of the rotating body 20 in two forward and reverse directions and input it to the electronic device.
[0032]
In addition, in the input device, the substrate is an arcuate movable substrate 50 attached along the arcuate surface 21 of the semi-drum-like rotating body 20, and the contact piece is fixed around the rotating body 20. The contact pieces are 60A, 60B, and 60C. For this reason, since a board | substrate and a contact piece are excluded from the side of the rotary body 20, the horizontal width (the axial direction dimension of the rotary body 20) of an apparatus becomes small. Further, the fixed contact pieces 60A, 60B, and 60C do not make a circular motion, and the movable substrate 50 makes a circular motion. However, since the circular motion of the movable substrate 50 is a motion along the arc of the substrate, the motion is allowed. The space for this is substantially unnecessary. For this reason, an increase in the radial dimension of the rotating body 20 is avoided.
[0033]
Furthermore, the fixed contact pieces 60A, 60B, and 60C apparently linearly move along the surface of the movable substrate 50, so that the circuit pattern 52 formed on the surface of the movable substrate 50 is As a result, the pattern becomes a linear pattern in the circumferential direction and the rotation axis direction, and the movable substrate 50 is reduced in size. That is, a substantially linear motion is realized between the movable substrate 50 and the fixed contact pieces 60A, 60B, and 60C without using a mechanism that converts the circular motion into a linear motion.
[0034]
For these reasons, the input device has a simple structure and a small size.
[0035]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the two-way input device according to the present invention, the substrate on which the circuit pattern is formed is an arc-shaped movable substrate attached along the arc surface of the semi-drum-shaped rotating body, and the contact piece By using a fixed contact piece fixed around the rotating body, the size of the apparatus can be reduced, and a mechanism for converting a circular motion into a linear motion is not required, thereby avoiding complication of the device structure.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view of a two-way input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the two-way input device.
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal side view of the two-way input device, and is a view taken along line AA in FIG. 2;
4 is a longitudinal front view of the two-way input device, and is a view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 2; FIG.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a rotating body used in the two-way input device as viewed from the lower surface side.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Body 11, 12 Side wall part 13 Opening part 20 Rotating body 21 Arc surface 22 Square frame part 23 Spring accommodating part 24 Support part 25 Protrusion 26 Opening part 30 Spring 40 Keytop 41 Main body part 42 Support part 43 Opening part 50 Movable substrate 51 Opening 52 Circuit pattern 52a, 52c Lead 52b Resistor 60A, 60B, 60C Fixed contact piece

Claims (5)

A semi-drum-shaped rotating body that is supported so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis and whose bottom surface is an arc surface, and an arc-shaped movable substrate that is attached along the arc surface of the rotating body and has a circuit pattern printed on the surface. And a fixed contact piece fixed around the rotating body and elastically contacting the circuit pattern on the surface of the movable substrate. The bidirectional input device according to claim 1, wherein the movable substrate is a flexible substrate. The two-way input device according to claim 1, wherein a key top is attached to an upper portion of the rotating body. The two-way input device according to claim 1, wherein the rotating body is attached to a body, and the fixed terminal is attached to the body. 4. The two-way input device according to claim 1, wherein a spring that automatically returns the rotating body to a neutral position is incorporated in the rotating body.

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