JP3841557B2 - Multi-directional input device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a multidirectional input device capable of operating a switch according to a tilting direction of an operation lever.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-235241, a housing having an upper surface opened, a lid attached to an opening end of the housing, and a switching element disposed inside the housing and the lid And a multidirectional input device that is roughly configured by an operation lever that operates a switch element has been proposed.
[0003]
The switch element includes a central fixed contact provided on the inner bottom surface of the housing, a plurality of peripheral fixed contacts and a common contact, and a movable contact plate placed on the inner bottom surface of the housing. The plate is always in contact with the common contact, but is separated from the center fixed contact and each peripheral fixed contact.
[0004]
The operating lever is tiltably held inside the housing, and its upper part is inserted through the lid and protrudes to the outside. The operating lever is provided with a collar part, and a plurality of fulcrum parts facing the lower surface of the lid and elastic parts located outside the fulcrum parts are formed on the collar part.
[0005]
In the multidirectional input device configured as described above, when the operation lever is in the neutral position, the movable contact plate is separated from the center fixed contact and each peripheral fixed contact, and a switch-off state is obtained.
[0006]
On the other hand, when the operation lever is tilted in an arbitrary direction, the operation lever tilts with the fulcrum portion located on the opposite side of the tilt direction as a rotation fulcrum, so that the elastic portion positioned in the tilt direction presses the peripheral edge of the movable contact plate. The lower end of the operation lever presses the center of the movable contact plate. As a result, the peripheral fixed contact and the central fixed contact located in the tilt direction are conducted through the movable contact plate, so that a switch-on state is obtained.
[0007]
Therefore, when the movable contact plate contacts the peripheral fixed contact by tilting the operating lever in an arbitrary direction, even if the movable contact plate is not in contact with the central fixed contact, the elastic portion further bends and moves. The contact plate can be brought into contact with the central fixed contact.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the conventional multi-directional input device described above is configured such that the movable contact plate is brought into contact with the peripheral fixed contact by the elastic portion formed on the operation lever, the contact pressure of the movable contact plate with respect to the peripheral fixed contact is increased. There is a problem that a conduction failure occurs.
[0009]
In addition, since it is necessary to dispose one central fixed contact and a plurality of peripheral fixed contacts surrounding it on the inner bottom surface of the housing, the width of the housing increases due to the space in which these fixed contacts are disposed, and multidirectional input There was also a problem that miniaturization of the apparatus was hindered.
[0010]
An object of the present invention is to provide a multidirectional input device that eliminates the above-described drawbacks of the prior art, has excellent operational reliability, and can be miniaturized.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  In order to achieve the above object, the first present invention provides:
  An upper member and a lower member integrated through the storage space;
  An operation lever that is tiltably held inside the storage space and protrudes outside through the upper member;
  Lower memberThe center of the inner bottom ofA first fixed contact provided onA common contact provided at the peripheral edge of the inner bottom surface of the lower member;,
  Placed on the lower member and always in contact with the common contact,First fixed contactDome-shaped that is placed opposite toA first movable contact plate;
  The upper memberUnderside ofA second fixed contact group provided at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction;
  A second movable contact plate facing these second fixed contact groups;
  This second movable contact plateAnd the second movable contact plate interposed between the inner bottom surface of the lower member.Press contact with the second fixed contact groupIn addition, a conductive coil spring that is in contact with the common contact and always conducts the common contact and the second movable contact plate.With.
[0012]
  When the operation lever is tilted, the first movable contact plate comes into contact with the first fixed contact, and the second movable contact plate is connected to one or two second fixed contact groups. 2 away from the remaining second fixed contact with the fixed contact as the tilting fulcrumAnd
  A conduction path of the first fixed contact, the first movable contact plate, the common contact, the coil spring, the second movable contact plate, and the second fixed contact is formed.It is characterized by this.
[0013]
In order to achieve the above object, the second present invention provides:
An upper member and a lower member integrated through the storage space, an operation lever that is tiltably held inside the storage space, protrudes outside through the upper member, and a circumferential direction on the upper member A fixed contact group provided at a predetermined interval, a movable contact plate disposed so as to face the second fixed contact group and tilting together with the operation lever, and the movable contact plate being connected to the fixed contact group. And a conductive elastic member made of, for example, a thin metal plate having elasticity interposed between the movable contact plate and the fixed contact group.
[0014]
When the operation lever is not operated, the movable contact plate is connected to all the fixed contact groups via the elastic member by the biasing member, and when the operation lever is tilted by a predetermined angle or more, the fixed contact group The movable contact plate tilts with one or two of the second fixed contacts as tilting fulcrums, and the continuity between the fixed contact that is not the tilting fulcrum of the fixed contact group and the movable contact plate is interrupted. It is comprised so that it may lean.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As described above, in the first aspect of the present invention, the normally open switch including the first movable contact plate and the first fixed contact, the second movable contact plate, and the plurality of second fixed contacts are included. A plurality of normally closed switches are provided, and when the operation lever is tilted, the first movable contact plate is brought into contact with the first fixed contact to turn on the normally open switch, and the second movable contact plate is set to the second movable contact plate. By tilting one or two of the fixed contact groups as a fulcrum, the rest are turned off while one or two of the plurality of normally closed switches are turned on.
[0016]
Then, since the contact / separation operation between the first movable contact plate and the first fixed contact and the contact / separation operation between the second movable contact plate and the second fixed contact group are both ensured, the conduction failure is eliminated. In addition, since the first fixed contact group and the second fixed contact group can be distributed to different members, the multi-directional input device can be reduced in size.
[0017]
As described above, in the second aspect of the present invention, even if the operating lever is slightly tilted or slightly vibrated, the conductive state is maintained by the action of the conductive elastic member. Generation of signals can be prevented.
[0018]
Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a multidirectional input device according to the first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a front view of the multidirectional input device, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a non-operation state of the multidirectional input device, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the push operation of the multidirectional input device, FIG. 6 is a plan view of the housing, and FIG. 7 is a plan view of the driver and the second movable contact plate. 8 is a plan view of the guide member, and FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the lid.
[0019]
In these drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a synthetic resin housing constituting a lower member, and the housing 1 is formed in a substantially octagonal planar shape with an upper surface opened. As shown in FIG. 6, a first fixed contact 2 located at the center and two common contacts 3 located at the periphery are disposed on the inner bottom surface of the housing 1, and the first fixed contact 2 and each common contact 3 are Terminals 2a and 3a are led out of the housing 1, respectively.
[0020]
A plurality of protrusions 1 a are erected on the inner bottom surface of the housing 1, and the protrusions 1 a are provided on the same arc centered on the first fixed contact 2. A guide hole 1b is formed in the outer wall of each side of the housing 1, and four stopper notches 1c are formed at intervals of 90 degrees on the opening end side of the inner wall of the housing 1.
[0021]
A dome-shaped first movable contact plate 4 is placed on the inner bottom surface of the housing 1, and the outer peripheral edge thereof is regulated by the projection 1 a. The first movable contact plate 4 is always in contact with the common contact 3, but is away from the first fixed contact 2, and the normally open switch S 1 is connected by the first fixed contact 2 and the first movable contact plate 4. It is configured.
[0022]
A guide member 5 made of synthetic resin is positioned on the projection 1a, and a pressing piece 5a is integrally formed with the guide member 5 in a cantilever shape (see FIG. 8). A cylindrical rubber elastic body 6 is attached on the pressing piece 5 a, and the lower end of the pressing piece 5 a faces the center of the upper surface of the first movable contact plate 4.
[0023]
The opening end of the housing 1 is covered with a synthetic resin lid body 7 constituting an upper member, and a storage space 8 is formed between the housing 1 and the lid body 7. The second fixed contact 10 is outsert on the lower surface of the lid body 7, and a plate-like metal member having the mounting leg 9 is placed on the upper surface of the lid body 7, and the mounting leg 9 is moved downward along the outer wall of the housing 1. The housing 1 and the lid body 7 are connected by extending and bending the tip inward at a right angle.
[0024]
As shown in FIG. 9, a through-hole 7a is formed at the center of the lid 7, and eight second fixed contacts 10 are arranged around the through-hole 7a at a predetermined interval. Each of the second fixed contacts 10 extends downward as a terminal 10a, and each terminal 10a is inserted through the guide hole 1b of the housing 1 (see FIG. 2).
[0025]
A second movable contact plate 11 is disposed in the storage space 8, and a conductive coil spring 12 is interposed between the second movable contact plate 11 and the inner bottom surface of the housing 1. The lower end of the coil spring 12 is in contact with the common contact 3, and the common contact 3 and the second movable contact plate 11 are always connected via the coil spring 12. The second movable contact plate 11 is brought into pressure contact with each second fixed contact 10 disposed on the lower surface of the lid 7 by the urging force of the coil spring 12, and the second fixed contact 10 group and the second movable contact plate. 11 constitutes eight normally closed switches S2.
[0026]
The second movable contact plate 11 is outsert to the synthetic resin driving body 13, and the upper portion of the driving body 13 is engaged with the through hole 7 a of the lid body 7. Four protrusions 11a are formed on the outer peripheral edge of the second movable contact plate 11 at intervals of 90 degrees (see FIG. 7). The protrusions 11a are notches 1c formed on the inner wall surface of the housing 1. To prevent rotation in the rotational direction.
[0027]
The driver 13 is provided with a center hole 13a having an oval lower portion, and a metal operation lever 14 is inserted into the center hole 13a. The operation lever 14 is movable in the axial direction with respect to the center hole 13a, but movement in the rotational direction is restricted by spline coupling with the oval portion of the center hole 13a. The upper portion of the operation lever 14 protrudes outside the lid body 7, and the lower end of the operation lever 14 is in contact with the rubber elastic body 6.
[0028]
Next, the operation of this multidirectional input device will be described. When the operation lever 14 is in the neutral position shown in FIG. 3, the first movable contact plate 4 is away from the first fixed contact 2, so that the normally open switch S <b> 1 is off and the second movable contact plate 11 is in the second position. The eight normally closed switches S2 are on because they are in contact with all of the fixed contact groups 10.
[0029]
When the operation lever 14 is tilted from this neutral position in an arbitrary direction, for example, the direction shown in FIG. 4, the second movable contact plate 11 rotates with the second fixed contact 10 positioned on the opposite side of the tilt direction as a fulcrum, Since it leaves | separates from the other 2nd fixed contact 10, the ON state of the normally closed switch S2 corresponding to the 2nd fixed contact 10 used as a fulcrum is maintained, and other normally closed switches S2 are turned off.
[0030]
Further, as the operation lever 14 is tilted, the lower end of the operation lever 14 presses the first movable contact plate 4 via the rubber elastic body 6 and the pressing piece 5a, so that the first movable contact plate 4 is the first movable contact plate 4. When the fixed contact 2 is contacted, the normally open switch S1 is switched from OFF to ON. Even after the normally open switch S1 is turned on, the operation lever 14 can be further tilted until the protrusion 11a of the second movable contact plate 11 contacts the bottom of the notch 1c, and the overstroke amount during that time is The rubber elastic body 6 is absorbed by compressive deformation.
[0031]
When the tilting operation force with respect to the operation lever 14 is removed, the second movable contact plate 11 returns to the original state by the urging force of the coil spring 12, so that the operation lever 14 returns to the neutral position in FIG. All of the closed switches S2 are turned on again. Further, since the rubber elastic body 6, the pressing piece 5a and the first movable contact plate 4 are restored by their own elasticity, and the first movable contact plate 4 is separated from the first fixed contact 2, the normally open switch S1 is also Turn off again. The same applies when the operation lever 14 is tilted in a direction different from that in FIG.
[0032]
When the operating lever 14 is pushed in from the neutral position in FIG. 3, the operating lever 14 is guided to the center hole 13a of the driving body 13 and moves directly below as shown in FIG. 5, via the rubber elastic body 6 and the pressing piece 5a. The first movable contact plate 4 is pressed. In this case, since the second movable contact plate 11 and the driving body 13 do not move, all of the eight normally closed switches S2 are kept on, and the first movable contact plate 4 becomes the first fixed contact 2. At the time of contact, the normally open switch S1 switches from off to on.
[0033]
When the pressing operation force on the operation lever 14 is removed, the rubber elastic body 6, the pressing piece 5 a and the first movable contact plate 4 are restored by their own elasticity, and the first movable contact plate 4 is restored to the first fixed contact 2. The normally open switch S1 is turned off again.
[0034]
In the multidirectional input device configured as described above, for example, if the terminal 2a of the first fixed contact 2 and the terminal 10a of the second fixed contact 10 group are connected to the microcomputer, the terminal 2a and the terminals 10a are turned on. The microcomputer can detect the tilt direction of the operation lever 14 and the push operation of the operation lever 14 based on the / off signal.
[0035]
That is, when the operation lever 14 is in the neutral position, the eight normally closed switches S2 are all turned on as described above, but the normally opened switch S1 is turned off, so that the microcomputer is turned off between the terminals 2a and 10a. The signal is captured and it is determined that the operation lever 14 is in a non-operation state.
[0036]
When the operation lever 14 is tilted in an arbitrary direction, the normally open switch S1 and one of the eight normally closed switches S2 are turned on, so that the hatched line in FIG. 4 is formed between the terminal 2a and the terminal 10a in the on state. The first fixed contact 2 -the first movable contact plate 4 -the common contact 3 -the coil spring 12 -the second movable contact plate 11 and the second fixed contact 10 are connected to each other as shown in FIG. Based on this ON signal, it is determined that the operation lever 14 is tilted in the opposite direction of the second fixed contact 10 in the ON state.
[0037]
Further, when the operation lever 14 is pressed at the neutral position, the normally open switch S1 is turned on while all the eight normally closed switches S2 are turned on, so that the microcomputer is turned on from all of the terminals 2a and 10a. A signal is received, and it is determined that the operation lever 14 has been pushed.
[0038]
As another detection method, the terminal 2a of the first fixed contact 2, the terminal 3a of the common contact 3, and the terminal 10a of the second fixed contact 10 group can be connected to a microcomputer. In this case, the microcomputer monitors the on / off state of the normally open switch S1, and determines that the operation lever 14 is in a non-operation state when the terminal 2a and the terminal 3a are off. When the microcomputer captures an ON signal from between the terminal 2a and the terminal 3a, the ON signal is used as a trigger to monitor the ON / OFF state of the normally closed switch S2, and the terminal 3a and the eight terminals 10a are all ON. When it is determined that the operation lever 14 has been pushed and an on signal is output between the terminal 3a and the specific terminal 10a, the tilting direction of the operation lever 14 is determined based on the on signal.
[0039]
Although it hardly occurs in actual use, when the operation lever 14 is tilted in the middle direction between two adjacent second fixed contacts 10, the second movable contact plate 11 is slightly bent and tilted. The two second fixed contacts 10 located on opposite sides of the direction are rotated as fulcrums and separated from the other second fixed contacts 10. Therefore, in this case, two of the eight normally closed switches S2 are turned on and the remaining normally closed switches S2 are turned off. However, if the priority order of the eight normally closed switches S2 is determined by the microcomputer, A dead band where no switching operation is performed can be eliminated.
[0040]
Although the present embodiment is configured to detect the azimuth in eight directions by providing the second fixed contacts 10 at eight places, the number of the second fixed contacts 10 is not limited to eight places, For example, if the four second fixed contacts 10 are provided every 90 degrees, a multidirectional input device that detects azimuths in four directions can be realized.
[0041]
10 to 24 are diagrams showing a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the multi-directional input device in a non-operating state, FIG. 11 is a plan view of the housing of the multi-directional input device, FIG. 12 is a plan view of the upper movable contact plate, and FIG. 14 is a plan view of the conductive elastic member, FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the conductive elastic member, FIGS. 16 to 18 are plan views, cross-sectional views, bottom views, and FIGS. 21 is a plan view, a cross-sectional view, and a bottom view of the rubber elastic body, FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view showing a slight tilting state of the multidirectional input device, and FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing a tilting operation of the multidirectional input device. These are the figures for demonstrating the principle of operation of the multidirectional input device concerning this embodiment.
[0042]
The housing 21 made of synthetic resin has an octagonal plan shape with an open top surface, and is located on the inner bottom surface of the housing 21 on the lower fixed contact 22 located in the center and on the periphery as shown in FIG. The lower fixed contact 22 and each common contact 23 protrude outside the housing 21 as terminals 22a and 23a, respectively. The hatched and broken lines in the figure indicate the connection between the lower fixed contact 22 and the fixed terminal 22a and the common contact 23 and the common terminal 23a.
[0043]
Arc-shaped protrusions 21 a are provided on the inner bottom surface of the housing 21, and are arranged on the same arc centering on the lower fixed contact 22. As shown in FIG. 11, guide holes 21 b are formed in the outer wall of each side of the housing 21, and four notches 21 c are formed at intervals of 90 degrees on the opening end side of the inner wall of the housing 21.
[0044]
A lower dome-shaped movable contact plate 24 is provided on the inner bottom surface of the housing 21, and the position is regulated by the protrusion 21a. The lower movable contact plate 24 is always in contact with the common contact 23 and is separated from the lower fixed contact 22, and the lower fixed contact 22 and the lower movable contact plate 24 constitute a normally open switch S1. The composite body of the pressing member 25 and the rubber elastic body 26 is positioned inside the protrusion 21a and faces the center of the upper surface of the lower movable contact plate 24.
[0045]
The pressing member 25 is formed of a synthetic resin molded body, and has a shallow spherical receiving surface 25a on the upper surface and a protruding portion 25b on the lower portion as shown in FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 19 to 21, the rubber elastic body 26 has an outer peripheral portion 26 a that is fitted and positioned on the protrusion 21 a and a through hole 26 b into which the protruding portion 25 b of the pressing member 25 is inserted.
[0046]
The opening end of the housing 21 is covered with a lid 27 made of synthetic resin (electrical insulator), and a housing space 28 is formed by the housing 21 and the lid 27. The upper fixed contact 30 is outserted on the lower surface of the lid 27, the upper end portion of the connecting member 29 having a plurality of mounting legs is placed on the lid 27, and the mounting legs are lowered along the outer wall of the housing 21. The housing 21 and the lid 27 are connected by bending the extended lower end portion inward.
[0047]
As shown in FIG. 13, a through hole 27 a is formed in the central portion of the lid body 27, and four upper fixed contacts 30 are arranged at intervals of 90 degrees in the circumferential direction. A protrusion 30b that slightly protrudes downward is formed on the part. When the upper fixed contact 30 on the lid 27 is outsert, even if the exposed surface of the fixed contact 30 is partially covered with resin due to variations in molding conditions and the like, a protrusion is provided to protrude the fixed contact 30 from the resin portion. 30b is formed, and this protrusion 30b ensures contact with the upper movable contact plate 31 via a conductive elastic member 35 described later. Each upper fixed contact 30 extends downward as a terminal 30 a, and each terminal 30 a is inserted into a guide hole 21 b (see FIGS. 10 and 11) of the housing 21.
[0048]
An upper movable contact plate 31 is disposed inside the storage space 28, and a conductive coil spring 32 is interposed between the upper movable contact plate 31 and the inner bottom surface of the housing 21, and the coil spring 32 is interposed between the peripheral wall of the housing 21 and the protrusion 21a. It is positioned. The lower end of the coil spring 32 is in contact with the conductive portion 23b (the arc-shaped hatched portion in FIG. 11) connecting the common contact 23 and the common terminal 23a, and the common contact 23 and the upper movable contact plate 31 are connected to the coil spring 32. It is always conducting through. The upper movable contact plate 31 is pressed against each upper fixed contact 30 disposed on the lower surface of the lid 27 by the urging force of the coil spring 32, and the upper fixed contact 30 group and the upper movable contact plate 31 constitute four pieces. A normally closed switch S2 is configured.
[0049]
The upper movable contact plate 31 is outserted by a synthetic resin driving body 33, and the upper portion of the driving body 33 is fitted in the through hole 27 a of the lid body 27. As shown in FIG. 12, the upper movable contact plate 31 has four protrusions 31a and four end edges 31b extending in a straight line connecting the protrusions 31a with an interval of 90 degrees on the outer periphery. It has a rhombus shape, and the hatched portion in the figure is made of metal and serves as a conductive portion. The upper surface of each protrusion 31a has a taper so as to become slightly thinner toward the tip, and is inserted into a notch 21c formed on the inner wall surface of the housing 21 (see FIG. 10) to prevent rotation in the circumferential direction. It is.
[0050]
By providing a taper on the upper surface of each protrusion 31a in this way, when the upper movable contact plate 31 is tilted, the protrusion 31a does not get in the way, and the linear shape of the movable contact plate 31 will be described later. The extended end portion comes into line contact with the lower surface of the lid body 27 through the conductive elastic member 35. Therefore, the taper is formed to escape so that the portion does not come into contact with the conductive elastic member 35, and each protrusion 31a has only a function of preventing rotation.
[0051]
A central hole 33a having a lower oval shape is provided in the driving body 33, and a base end portion of a metal operation lever 34 is inserted therein. The operation lever 34 can move in the axial direction with respect to the center hole 33a, but rotation in the circumferential direction is restricted by spline coupling with the oval portion of the center hole 33a. The upper part of the operation lever 34 protrudes to the outside of the lid 27, and the lower end is in contact with the receiving surface 25 a of the pressing member 25.
[0052]
A conductive elastic member 35 made of, for example, a phosphor bronze thin plate is disposed on the upper side of the movable contact plate 31. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the conductive elastic member 35 is formed with a hole 35a into which the driving body 33 is inserted at the center, and a plurality of locking pieces 35b projecting from the inner periphery of the hole 35a. Four leg portions 35c are provided on the outer peripheral portion.
[0053]
By inserting the upper portion of the drive body 33 holding the movable contact plate 31 into the hole 35a of the conductive elastic member 35 so that the leg portion 35c is positioned on the line connecting the center of the drive body 33 and the protrusion 31a, The locking piece 35 b is elastically locked to the outer peripheral portion of the driving body 33, and a part of the lower surface of the conductive elastic member 35 is in contact with the upper surface of the movable contact plate 31. As shown in FIG. 15, each leg portion 35c is bent slightly upward, so that it is inclined upward from the upper surface of the movable contact plate 31, and faces the fixed contact 30 when assembled. .
[0054]
In the present embodiment, the conductive elastic member 35 is locked to the driving body 33, but the conductive elastic member 35 may be provided on the fixed contact 30 or the movable contact plate 31. In the present embodiment, the conductive elastic member 35 made of a thin metal plate is used. However, it is also possible to use an anisotropic elastomer sheet or the like that can obtain conductivity by partial pressing as the conductive elastic member. .
[0055]
Next, the input operation of this multidirectional input device will be described. When the operation lever 34 is in the neutral position shown in FIG. 10, the normally open switch S1 is turned off because the lower movable contact plate 24 is separated from the lower fixed contact 22, and the upper movable contact plate 31 is conductively elastic. The four normally closed switches S2 are on because they are in contact with all of the upper group of fixed contacts 30 via the member 35.
[0056]
When the operating lever 34 is greatly tilted from the neutral position in an arbitrary direction, for example, the direction shown in FIG. 23, the upper movable contact plate 31 is tilted together with the conductive elastic member 35 with the fixed contact 30 positioned on the opposite side of the tilting direction as a fulcrum. Since the leg portion 35c and the movable contact plate 31 are separated from the other fixed contacts 30, the normally closed switch S2 corresponding to the upper fixed contact 30 serving as a fulcrum is kept on, and the other normally closed switches S2 are turned off. Become.
[0057]
When the operation lever 34 is tilted, the lower end of the operation lever 34 presses the lower movable contact plate 24 via the pressing member 25, and the lower movable contact plate 24 comes into contact with the lower fixed contact 22. The normally open switch S1 is switched from OFF to ON. Even after the normally open switch S1 is turned on, the operation lever 34 can be further tilted until the protrusion 31a of the upper movable contact plate 31 comes into contact with the bottom of the notch 21c (the state shown in FIG. 23). The overstroke is absorbed by the compression deformation of the rubber elastic body 26.
[0058]
When the tilting force with respect to the operation lever 34 is removed, the upper movable contact plate 31 returns to the original state by the biasing force of the coil spring 32, so that the operation lever 34 returns to the neutral position in FIG. All of S2 is turned on again. Also, the rubber elastic body 26 and the lower movable contact plate 24 are restored by elasticity, the lower movable contact plate 24 is separated from the lower fixed contact 22, and the normally open switch S1 is turned off again. The same applies when the operation lever 34 is tilted in a direction different from that in FIG.
[0059]
When the operation lever 34 is pushed in from the neutral position of FIG. 10, the operation lever 34 is guided by the central hole 33a of the drive body 33 and moves downward as shown in FIG. When the movable contact plate 24 comes into contact with the lower fixed contact 22 by pressing 24, the normally open switch S1 is switched from OFF to ON.
[0060]
There is no problem if the operating lever 34 is pushed vertically when it is pushed in, but actually, it may be pushed in a slightly tilted state as shown in FIG. At this time, the upper fixed contact 30 and the movable contact plate 31 exhibit the same behavior as the tilting operation described above, and in the embodiment described above, a part of the normally closed switch S2 may be turned off.
[0061]
In order to eliminate this harmful effect, when the conductive elastic member 35 is interposed between the upper fixed contact 30 and the movable contact plate 31 and the operation lever 34 is slightly tilted, the conductive elastic member 35 is The leg portion 35c is in contact with the fixed contact 30 so as not to generate a tilt direction signal.
[0062]
When the pressing force on the operation lever 34 is removed, the rubber elastic body 26 and the lower movable contact plate 24 are restored by self-confidence, and the lower movable contact plate 24 is separated from the lower fixed contact 22 so that the normally open switch S1 is turned off again.
[0063]
FIG. 24 is a diagram for explaining the operating principle when the rhombic movable contact plate 31 is used. Since the conductive elastic member 35 is flexible and does not hinder the operation, the description is omitted in the following operation principle.
[0064]
As shown in FIG. 23, when the operation lever 34 is tilted via the knob Z with the fingertip in the X direction, the upper movable contact plate 31 tilts with the point A as a fulcrum. At this time, the tilting direction (X direction) and the fulcrum (point A) directions are not aligned on a straight line with the tilting center O of the operation lever 34 as a reference, so that the state becomes unstable. Therefore, it is difficult to incline further in this direction only by pressing with the fingertip (the operation axis is not stable), and the fulcrum is stabilized by further inclining, that is, the end of the upper movable contact plate 31 on the line A-C. In the position where the inclination direction is naturally forced so that the portion (edge) is in line contact with the lid 27 and the normally closed switch S2 is turned on, the fixed contact on the upper side at the two points A point and C point after all. 30 and the upper movable contact plate 31 are in contact with each other almost simultaneously.
[0065]
Specifically, even if the operation lever 34 is tilted in the direction of 60 degrees, for example, the operation axis is not stabilized in that direction, and the end of the upper movable contact plate 31 is forced in the 45-degree direction in line contact with the lid 27, Eventually, the upper fixed contact 30 and the upper movable contact plate 31 come into contact with each other almost simultaneously through the conductive elastic member 35 at two points A and C.
[0066]
In the present embodiment, the operation lever and the drive body are separated, and when the operation lever is pushed from above, only the normally open switch S1 is turned on to detect the push operation. Therefore, even if the push operation is slightly tilted as described above, it is effective because only the switch S1 emits a signal, but it is also effective in the type that does not detect the push operation, that is, the operation is performed with vibration added in the non-operation state. Even if the lever vibrates slightly, no azimuth signal is output.
[0067]
【The invention's effect】
The present invention is implemented in the form as described above, and has the effects described below.
[0068]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, a contact / separation operation between the first (lower) movable contact plate and the first (lower) fixed contact, a second (upper) movable contact plate, and a second ( Since the contact / separation operation between the upper fixed contact groups is ensured, the conduction failure can be eliminated, and the lower fixed contact group and the upper fixed contact group can be distributed to different members. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the multidirectional input device.
[0069]
  When configured as in claim 2,When the operating lever is tilted, the tilting fulcrum becomes stable.
[0070]
According to the third aspect, since the force from the biasing member does not act on the operation lever when the operation lever is pushed, the operation lever can be pushed with a light force.
[0071]
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the excessive pressing force does not act on the first movable contact plate from the operation lever, it is possible to prevent the first movable contact plate from being damaged.
[0072]
According to the fifth aspect, even after the first movable contact plate contacts the first movable contact plate, the elastic body is further compressed by the lower end of the operation lever. Stroke can be applied.
[0073]
According to the sixth aspect, since the conductive state is maintained by the action of the conductive elastic member even if the operation lever is slightly tilted, it is not inadvertently turned off, and the generation of an erroneous signal can be prevented. Further, when vibration is applied and the operation lever slightly vibrates, the conductive state is maintained by the action of the conductive elastic member, and the contact does not move away every time the vibration is generated, thereby preventing the generation of an error signal.
[0074]
If comprised as described in Claim 7, the thickness of a conductive elastic member can be made thin and the bulkiness by intervention of a conductive elastic member can be suppressed.
[0075]
According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the conductive elastic member can be easily attached.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a multidirectional input device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the multidirectional input device.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a non-operation state of the multidirectional input device.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a tilting operation of the multidirectional input device.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a push operation of the multidirectional input device.
FIG. 6 is a plan view of the housing of the multidirectional input device.
FIG. 7 is a plan view of a driving body and a second movable contact plate of the multidirectional input device.
FIG. 8 is a plan view of a guide member of the multidirectional input device.
FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the lid of the multidirectional input device.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the multidirectional input device according to the second embodiment of the present invention in a non-operating state.
FIG. 11 is a plan view of a housing of the multidirectional input device.
FIG. 12 is a plan view of an upper movable contact plate of the multidirectional input device.
FIG. 13 is a bottom view of a lid body to which an upper fixed contact of the multidirectional input device is attached.
FIG. 14 is a plan view of a conductive elastic member of the multidirectional input device.
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the conductive elastic member.
FIG. 16 is a plan view of a pressing member of the multidirectional input device.
FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the pressing member.
FIG. 18 is a bottom view of the pressing member.
FIG. 19 is a plan view of a rubber elastic body of the multidirectional input device.
FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the rubber elastic body.
FIG. 21 is a bottom view of the rubber elastic body.
FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view showing a slight tilt state of the multidirectional input device.
FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing a tilting operation of the multidirectional input device.
FIG. 24 is a diagram for explaining the operation principle of the multidirectional input device according to this embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
1,21 Housing
2,22 Lower fixed contact
3,23 Common contact
4,24 Lower movable contact plate
5 Guide members
6,26 Rubber elastic body
7, 27 lid
8,28 Storage space
10, 30 Upper fixed contact
11, 31 Upper movable contact plate
12, 32 Coil spring
13, 33 Driver
14, 34 Operation lever
35 Conductive elastic member
S1 Normally open switch
S2 Normally closed switch

Claims (8)

An upper member and a lower member integrated through the storage space;
An operation lever that is tiltably held inside the storage space and protrudes outside through the upper member;
A first fixed contact provided at the center of the inner bottom surface of the lower member; a common contact provided at a peripheral edge of the inner bottom surface of the lower member ;
A dome-shaped first movable contact plate placed on the lower member and always in contact with the common contact and disposed so as to be detachable from the first fixed contact;
A second fixed contact group provided at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction on the lower surface of the upper member;
A second movable contact plate facing these second fixed contact groups;
The second movable contact plate is interposed between the second movable contact plate and the inner bottom surface of the lower member , presses the second movable contact plate against the second fixed contact group, contacts the common contact, and A conductive coil spring that always conducts the common contact and the second movable contact plate ;
When the operation lever is tilted, the first movable contact plate comes into contact with the first fixed contact, and the second movable contact plate is connected to one or two second members of the second fixed contact group. and as a fulcrum fixed contact tilting away from the rest of the second fixed contact,
A conduction path of the first fixed contact, the first movable contact plate, the common contact, the coil spring, the second movable contact plate, and the second fixed contact is formed. Direction input device. 2. The multidirectional input device according to claim 1, wherein the second movable contact plate has four protrusions with an interval of 90 degrees on the outer peripheral portion, and is formed in a substantially diamond shape . 3. The first movable contact plate according to claim 1, wherein the first movable contact plate is provided between a lower end of the operation lever and the lower member, and the second movable contact plate is attached to a drive body that is splined to the operation lever. A multi-directional input device characterized by being fixed. 4. The multidirectional input device according to claim 3, wherein a stopper for restricting a tilt amount of the second movable contact plate is provided on one of the upper member and the lower member. The multidirectional input device according to claim 1, wherein an elastic body is interposed between a lower end of the operation lever and the first movable contact plate. An upper member and a lower member integrated through the storage space;
An operation lever that is tiltably held inside the storage space and protrudes outside through the upper member;
A group of fixed contacts provided at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction on the upper member;
A movable contact plate disposed so as to face the fixed contact group and tilting together with the operation lever;
An urging member that presses the movable contact plate against the fixed contact group;
A conductive elastic member interposed between the movable contact plate and the fixed contact group;
When the operation lever is not operated, the movable contact plate is in conduction with all the fixed contact groups via the elastic member by the biasing member,
When the operation lever is tilted by a predetermined angle or more, the movable contact plate is tilted with one or two second fixed contacts of the fixed contact group as tilting fulcrums and becomes the tilting fulcrum of the fixed contact group. A multi-directional input device, wherein the continuity between the non-fixed fixed contact and the movable contact plate is cut off. The multidirectional input device according to claim 6, wherein the elastic member is made of a metal plate and has leg portions extending toward the fixed contacts. 8. The multi-directional input device according to claim 6, wherein a drive body that is spline-coupled to the operation lever is provided, and the movable contact plate and an elastic member are locked to the drive body.

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