JP3862481B2 - 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 a highly reliable multidirectional input device that can reliably operate the switch in accordance with the tilting direction of the operation lever, a device as shown in FIG. 7 is conventionally known.
[0003]
In the multidirectional input device shown in the figure, a first fixed contact 2 and a first common contact 3 are disposed on the inner bottom surface of a synthetic resin case 1 having a storage space 1a. The dome-shaped first movable contact member 4 placed on the top is always in contact with the first common contact 3. And the normally open switch S1 is comprised by making this 1st movable contact member 4 oppose the 1st fixed contact 2 so that contact / separation is possible. On the first movable contact member 4, a pressing piece 5a of the guide member 5 is mounted, and a cylindrical rubber elastic body 6 is attached on the pressing piece 5a supported in a cantilever manner. . A cover 7 made of synthetic resin is installed on the storage space 1a of the case 1, and a plurality of peripheral fixed contacts 10 are integrated on the bottom surface of the cover 7, and each peripheral fixed contact 10 is spaced at a predetermined interval. And is arranged in the circumferential direction. The lid body 7 is fixed to the case 1 by a metal mounting plate 13. The operation lever includes an operation shaft 8 that protrudes upward from the storage space 1 a and a hook-shaped drive body 9 that is inserted through the operation shaft 8, and is an annular second movable body integrated with the drive body 9. The contact member 11 is disposed in the upper part in the storage space 1a. In the storage space 1a, a conductive coil spring 12 is interposed between the second movable contact member 11 and the inner bottom surface of the case 1, and the lower end of the coil spring 12 is a first common contact. 3 is always in contact with each other, the common contact 3 and the second movable contact member 11 are always conducted through the coil spring 12. Since the second movable contact member 11 is elastically biased by the coil spring 12, it is pressed against the plurality of peripheral fixed contacts 10, and each peripheral fixed contact 10 and the second movable contact member 11 respectively. A normally closed switch S2 is configured.
[0004]
In the conventional multidirectional input device schematically configured as described above, the first movable contact member 4 is separated from the first fixed contact 2 because the operation shaft 8 is in the neutral position shown in FIG. The normally open switch S1 is kept off, and since the second movable contact member 11 is in contact with all the peripheral fixed contacts 10, the plurality of normally closed switches S2 are all turned on.
[0005]
Then, when the operation shaft 8 in the neutral position is tilted in an arbitrary direction, the second movable contact member 11 rotates around the peripheral fixed contact 10 positioned on the opposite side to the tilt direction, and other peripheral fixed contacts Therefore, only the normally closed switch S2 corresponding to the peripheral fixed contact 10 serving as a fulcrum is kept on, and the other normally closed switches S2 are turned off. Further, since the lower end surface of the operation shaft 8 pushes the central portion of the first movable contact member 4 through the rubber elastic body 6 and the pressing piece 5a in accordance with the tilting operation, the central portion is reversed to be the first fixed contact. At the time of contact with 2, the normally open switch S1 is switched from OFF to ON. Since a click feeling is generated during the reversing operation of the first movable contact member 4, the operator can feel that the normally open switch S1 has been turned on by clicking. In this multidirectional input device, the operation shaft 8 is tilted in any direction based on an on / off signal between the terminal 2a of the first fixed contact 2 and each terminal 10a of the plurality of peripheral fixed contacts 10. Can be detected.
[0006]
When the operation shaft 8 in the neutral position is pushed downward, the second movable contact member 11 does not move and only the operation shaft 8 is lowered, so that the plurality of normally closed switches S2 are all kept on. The normally open switch S1 is switched from off to on. Therefore, it is possible to detect that the operation shaft 8 has been pushed by a signal indicating that the terminal 2a and the terminals 10a are all electrically connected.
[0007]
When the tilting operation force with respect to the operating shaft 8 is removed, the restoring force of the coil spring 12 that has been greatly compressed in the tilting direction acts to return the operating shaft 8 to the neutral position, so that all normally closed switches S2 are turned on. Since the rubber elastic body 6, the pressing piece 5a, and the first movable contact member 4 which are returned to the state and are elastically deformed by being pushed into the operation shaft 8 are restored to their original shapes, the normally open switch S1 is in the OFF state. Return to. Similarly, when the push operating force with respect to the operating shaft 8 is removed, the elastically deformed rubber elastic body 6, the pressing piece 5a, and the first movable contact member 4 are restored to their original shapes. S1 returns to the off state.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the conventional multidirectional input device described above, since the operation of pushing in the first movable contact member 4 is started as soon as the operation shaft 8 is tilted, a configuration in which the tilt angle of the operation shaft 8 is set to be large is not adopted. In particular, there is a problem that good operability is difficult to obtain particularly when the thickness is reduced. That is, in this prior art, an overstroke can be obtained after the normally open switch S1 is turned on by compressive deformation of the rubber elastic body 6. Therefore, if the rubber elastic body 6 having a large amount of compression is incorporated, the operation shaft 8 can be moved. Although it can be tilted to some extent, in that case, the height of the rubber elastic body 6 becomes considerably large, and thus the thinning of the apparatus is hindered. Further, in the prior art, if the operating shaft 8 is tilted to a certain extent, the coil spring 12 needs to be greatly compressed. Therefore, the coil spring 12 having a considerably large height must be incorporated in the storage space 1a. This also goes against the thinning of the device.
[0009]
The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a multidirectional input device that can set the tilt angle of the operation shaft to be large and is suitable for thinning. It is in.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-described object, in the multi-directional input device of the present invention, a casing having a storage space therein, a first fixed contact disposed at an inner bottom portion of the casing, and the first fixed contact disposed in the storage space. A first movable contact member that is slidably opposed to one fixed contact; a shaft portion that is mounted on the first movable contact member and protrudes upward from the casing; and is provided around the shaft portion. An operation lever having a flange, a second movable contact member disposed in the storage space and having an inner peripheral portion laminated on the flange, and the second movable contact member on the flange. A second fixed contact facing each other with a predetermined gap, and an elastic biasing of the second movable contact member disposed in the storage space in a direction away from the second fixed contact and the second fixed contact An elastic biasing member that is more easily elastically deformed than the movable contact member And the second movable portion on the opposite side to the tilting direction by tilting the shaft portion in an arbitrary direction while maintaining the first movable contact member in a non-contact state with respect to the first fixed contact. The flange portion pushes up the inner peripheral portion of the movable contact member to bring the inner peripheral portion into contact with the second fixed contact facing the inner peripheral portion, and by further tilting the shaft portion, the lower end surface of the shaft portion is The first movable contact member is pushed in so that the movable contact member comes into contact with the first fixed contact.
[0011]
The multi-directional input device having such a configuration is in a neutral position because a predetermined gap is provided between the second movable contact member on the collar portion of the operation lever and the second fixed contact when not operated. When starting the tilting operation of the shaft part of the operating lever and rotating the collar part, the rotation of the collar part is restricted until the second movable contact member contacts the second fixed contact on the opposite side of the tilting direction. Therefore, even if the elastic biasing member is pushed and bent, the shaft portion can be tilted on the movable contact member with almost no deformation of the first movable contact member. Then, after the second movable contact member contacts the second fixed contact on the opposite side of the tilt direction and the fixed contact restricts the rotation of the collar portion, when the shaft portion is further tilted, the elastic biasing member is The first movable contact member is strongly pressed into the lower end surface of the shaft portion, but is elastically deformed and comes into contact with the first fixed contact. That is, the shaft portion of the operation lever of this multidirectional input device performs a first-stage tilting operation until the second movable contact member contacts the second fixed contact on the opposite side of the tilting direction, A second stage of tilting operation is performed until the first movable contact member is elastically deformed and contacts the first fixed contact, and the shaft portion is neutralized by a combination of these two types of tilting operations. It can be tilted greatly from the position. In addition, in addition to the elastic biasing member and the first movable contact member in the process of tilting the shaft portion, there is no need for a member to be elastically deformed, and it is only necessary to compress and deform only during the first stage tilting operation. Since the elastic biasing member does not require a large height dimension, the entire apparatus can be greatly reduced in thickness.
[0012]
In this configuration, if a coil spring is used as the elastic urging member, the coil spring elastically urges the flanged outer peripheral portion of the second movable contact member toward the inner bottom portion of the casing. The height dimension when the coil spring and the second movable contact member are combined can be reduced, and the coil spring and the second movable contact member can be reliably operated, so that the overall thickness of the apparatus can be further reduced. At that time, for example, a plurality of peripheral fixed contacts that contact the outer peripheral portion of the second movable contact member at least when not operated are disposed on the inner bottom portion of the casing, and when the shaft portion of the operation lever is tilted, the casing is positioned in the tilt direction. If the second movable contact member is configured to be separated from other peripheral fixed contacts excluding the peripheral fixed contact to be performed, the second movable contact member is stably held by the casing during non-operation, When the second movable contact member comes into contact with the second fixed contact on the opposite side (when the first stage of tilting operation is completed), only the peripheral fixed contact located in the tilt direction is the second movable contact member. The second fixed contact is conducted through the terminal, and there is no fear that other peripheral fixed contacts are accidentally conducted to the second fixed contact, so that the tilt direction of the shaft portion can be detected easily and accurately. be able to.
[0013]
Further, in this configuration, the casing includes a cover that has an opening for projecting the shaft portion of the operation lever and is installed in the storage space. When the shaft portion is tilted, the outer wall surface of the collar portion of the operation lever is If it is made to slide with respect to an opening edge part, since this opening edge part functions as a bearing surface, a collar part can be smoothly rotated at the time of inclination of a shaft part. At that time, a spherical surface portion is provided on the outer wall surface of the flange portion, and the spherical surface portion is formed into a spherical shape having a substantially central point of action on the first movable contact member to which the lower end surface of the shaft portion applies a pressing force, During the first-stage tilting operation in which the shaft portion is tilted while keeping the first movable contact member in a non-contact state with respect to the first fixed contact, the spherical surface portion is against the opening edge of the cover. The first tilting operation can be smoothly performed with a light operating force. Further, if the cover is made of a metal plate that also serves as the second fixed contact, the number of parts and the number of assembly steps can be reduced.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a non-operation state of a multidirectional input device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an operation shown in FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the lever is tilted halfway, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the operation lever shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is greatly tilted, and FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the case in FIGS. 5 is a plan view showing a second movable contact member in FIGS. 1 to 3, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a non-operating state of a multidirectional input device according to another embodiment of the present invention. is there.
[0015]
The multidirectional input device shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 includes a casing made up of a synthetic resin case 20 having a storage space 20a and a metal plate cover 21 having an opening 21a and installed on the storage space 20a. The normally-open switch S3 and the normally-open switch S4, which will be described later, are operated by a tilting operation or a push operation of the synthetic resin operation lever 22 assembled to the casing.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 4, on the inner bottom surface of the case 20, a central fixed contact 23 exposed in the central portion, a first common contact 24 exposed in a C shape so as to surround the central fixed contact 23, Peripheral fixed contacts 25 exposed at four equally spaced locations around the common contact 24 are disposed. All of these contact groups are integrated into the case 20, and the terminal 23 a of the central fixed contact 23, the terminal 24 a of the first common contact 24, and the terminals 25 a of the plurality of peripheral fixed contacts 25 are respectively outside the case 20. Pulled out. A dome-shaped first movable contact member 26 called a tact spring is placed on the inner bottom surface of the case 20 in a state in which the first common contact 24 is always in contact with the first common contact 24. The normally open switch S3 is configured by facing the center fixed contact 23 so as to be able to contact and separate. An insulating film 27 made of polytetrafluoroethylene is attached to the upper surface side of the first movable contact member 26, and the peripheral portion of the insulating film 27 is attached to the inner bottom portion of the case 20. Therefore, there is no fear that the movable contact member 26 is displaced or dropped out. Further, an air vent recess 20b is provided on the inner bottom portion of the case 20 in order to avoid a malfunction that is feared when the first movable contact member 26 seals the air. Further, in the storage space 20 a of the case 20, an overturned second movable contact member 28 having an opening 28 a surrounds the first movable contact member 26 and comes into contact with all the peripheral fixed contacts 25. It is arranged in. The movable contact member 28 is drawn into an octagonal shape as shown in FIG. 5 and has a flange-like flat portion 28b on the outermost peripheral portion, and the flat portion 28b can be contacted and separated on each peripheral fixed contact 25. It is mounted on.
[0017]
The operation lever 22 is an integrally formed product including a shaft portion 30 mounted on the first movable contact member 26 and protruding upward from the opening 21 a and a flange portion 31 provided around the shaft portion 30. . The lower end surface 30 a of the shaft portion 30 is formed in a spherical shape, and the lower end surface 30 a is always in contact with the insulating film 27 on the central portion of the first movable contact member 26. The flange portion 31 is formed in a substantially octagonal outer shape, and the outermost peripheral portion thereof is a flat drive surface 31a. On the drive surface 31a, the flat inner peripheral portion of the second movable contact member 28 is formed. Is installed. However, as shown in FIG. 1, between the inner periphery of the second movable contact member 28 mounted on the drive surface 31a and the upper surface portion 21b of the cover 21 of the casing, the entire periphery is not operated. It is designed to ensure a predetermined gap G. In addition, the outer wall surface above the drive surface 31 a of the flange portion 31 is formed in a spherical shape with the action point P1 on the first movable contact member 26 pressed by the lower end surface 30 a of the shaft portion 30 as a substantially center. A spherical surface portion 31b is formed, and a spindle-shaped curved portion 31c is formed continuously above the first spherical surface portion 31b. As shown in FIG. 2, the radius of curvature of the latter curved portion 31 c in the generatrix direction is a contact point where the drive surface 31 a is in contact with the inner peripheral portion of the second movable contact member 28 at a position 180 degrees apart in the circumferential direction. Since it is set so as to form a spherical surface that is substantially centered on P2, its value is larger than the radius of curvature of the spherical surface portion 31b.
[0018]
A coil spring 32 that is more elastically deformed than the first movable contact member 26 is interposed between the flat portion 28b of the second movable contact member 28 and the upper surface portion 21b of the cover 21 in the storage space 20a. It is. The coil spring 32 always elastically biases the flat portion 28b of the second movable contact member 28 in a direction away from the upper surface portion 21b of the cover 21, and therefore the inner peripheral portion of the second movable contact member 28. A gap G is formed between the upper surface portion 21b and the upper surface portion 21b when not operated. In addition, since the insulating film 29 is interposed between the upper end of the coil spring 32 and the cover 21, the cover 21 and the second movable contact member 28 do not become conductive when not operated.
[0019]
The cover 21 that constitutes the casing together with the case 20 is made of a highly conductive metal plate, and the upper surface portion 21b of the cover 21 is opposed to the second movable contact member 28 via the gap G so as to be able to contact and separate. The common contact terminal 21 c extends to the side of the case 20. The upper surface portion 21b of the cover 21, the second movable contact member 28, and the plurality of peripheral fixed contacts 25 constitute a plurality of normally open switches S4. Further, the inner edge portion of the cover 21, that is, the peripheral edge portion of the opening 21a is a burring bearing portion 21d, and the spherical surface portion of the flange portion 31 of the operation lever 22 with respect to the inner peripheral surface of the bearing portion 21d. 31b and the curved part 31c are slidable. However, when not operated, as shown in FIG. 1, the spherical surface portion 31b of the flange portion 31 is in sliding contact with the bearing portion 21d.
[0020]
In the multi-directional input device configured as described above, since the operation lever 22 is in the neutral position shown in FIG. 1 when not operated, the first movable contact member 26 is separated from the center fixed contact 23 and the normally open switch S3. Is kept off, and between the inner peripheral portion of the second movable contact member 28 that is in contact with all the peripheral fixed contacts 25 and the upper surface portion 21b (second common contact) of the cover 21. Since the gap G exists, each normally open switch S4 is also kept off.
[0021]
However, when the shaft portion 30 of the operation lever 22 in the neutral position is tilted in an arbitrary direction, as shown in FIG. 2, the shaft portion 30 rotates integrally with the shaft portion 30 on the side opposite to the tilting direction of the shaft portion 30. Since the drive surface 31a of the flange 31 pushes up the second movable contact member 28, the coil spring 32 that is more flexible than the first movable contact member 26 is caused by the flat portion 28b of the second movable contact member 28. It will be compressed. Therefore, the shaft portion 30 rotates with the action point P1 on the first movable contact member 26 as a fulcrum. During the rotation operation of the operation lever 22 with the action point P1 as a fulcrum, the collar portion 31 rotates while sliding the spherical surface portion 31b on the bearing portion 21d of the cover 21, so that the shaft portion 30 can be smoothly moved with a light operation force. Can be tilted. When the shaft portion 30 is tilted by a predetermined amount, the inner peripheral portion of the second movable contact member 28 is in contact with the upper surface portion 21b of the cover 21 on the side opposite to the tilt direction, so that the peripheral fixed contact located in the tilt direction The normally open switch S4 including 25 is switched from OFF to ON.
[0022]
When one normally open switch S4 is turned on in this way, the second movable contact member 28 cannot be pushed up while compressing the coil spring 32 on the opposite side of the tilt direction, but the operation lever 22 is stronger than before. By applying the operating force, the shaft portion 30 can be further tilted while the first movable contact member 26 is pushed in. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the contact point P2 where the inner peripheral portion of the second movable contact member 28 whose rise is restricted on the side opposite to the tilting direction is in contact with the drive surface 31a of the flange portion 31 is used as a fulcrum. When the operation lever 22 is further rotated in the same direction, the lower end surface 30a of the shaft portion 30 pushes the central portion of the first movable contact member 26 and reverses it, so that the movable contact member 26 contacts the central fixed contact 23. Then, the normally open switch S3 is switched from OFF to ON. During the rotation operation of the operation lever 22 with the contact point P2 as a fulcrum, the collar portion 31 slides the curved portion 31c with respect to the bearing portion 21d of the cover 21 on the tilt direction side, so that a slightly strong operation force is applied. Even if it adds, there is no fear that the control lever 22 will generate | occur | produce. Further, since a click feeling is generated during the reversing operation of the first movable contact member 26, the operator can feel that the normally open switch S3 has been turned on by the click feeling.
[0023]
Therefore, this multidirectional input device includes an ON / OFF signal between the terminal 23a of the central fixed contact 23 and the terminal 24a of the first common contact 24, the terminals 25a of the four peripheral fixed contacts 25, and the cover 21. It is possible to detect in which direction the shaft portion 30 of the operation lever 22 has been tilted based on an on / off signal with the second common contact terminal 21c provided on the second common contact.
[0024]
As described above, in the present embodiment, when the shaft portion 30 of the operation lever 22 is tilted in an arbitrary direction from the neutral position, the inner peripheral portion of the second movable contact member 28 is opposite to the tilt direction. Until the upper lever 21 comes into contact with the upper surface portion 21b of the cover 21, the operation lever 22 performs a first-stage tilting operation with the action point P1 as a fulcrum, and then the first movable contact member 26 is elastically deformed and the central fixed contact The operation lever 22 performs a second-stage tilting operation with the contact point P2 as a fulcrum until it touches 23. Therefore, the shaft portion 30 can be largely tilted from the neutral position by a combination of these two types of tilting operations. In addition, since the spherical surface portion 31b of the collar portion 31 slides with respect to the peripheral edge portion (bearing portion 21d) of the opening 21a during the first-stage tilting operation, the shaft portion 30 can be smoothly tilted with a light operating force. In addition, part of the curved portion 31c of the collar portion 31 slides relative to the bearing portion 21d even during the tilting operation in the second stage, so that there is no concern that the operation lever 22 will be loose. The coil spring 32 only needs to be compressed and deformed only during the tilting operation of the first stage, so that the spring length may be small, and in addition to the coil spring 32 and the first movable contact member 26, there is a member that is elastically deformed. Since the multi-directional input device does not need to be deepened, the multi-directional input device does not need to be deepened, and the entire device is greatly reduced in thickness.
[0025]
Further, in the present embodiment example, when a plurality of peripheral fixed contacts 25 are disposed on the inner bottom portion of the case 20 and the shaft portion 30 of the operation lever 22 is tilted in an arbitrary direction, the peripheral fixed contacts positioned in the tilt direction. The second movable contact member 28 is separated from the other peripheral fixed contacts 25 except 25. As a result, when the second movable contact member 28 comes into contact with the upper surface portion 21b (second common contact) of the cover 21 on the opposite side to the tilt direction, only the peripheral fixed contact 25 positioned in the tilt direction is the second. Since the second common contact is conducted through the movable contact member 28, there is no fear that the other peripheral fixed contact 25 and the second common contact are accidentally conducted. The direction can be detected easily and accurately. Further, the second movable contact member 28 is stably held by the casing.
[0026]
In the present embodiment, the second upper surface 21 b of the cover 21 that is installed on the storage space 20 a and constitutes the casing is connected to and separated from the inner peripheral portion of the second movable contact member 28. Since it is used as a common contact, the number of parts and assembly man-hours are small, making it easy to reduce costs.
[0027]
In the above-described embodiment, when the operator pushes the shaft portion 30 of the operation lever 22 in the neutral position shown in FIG. 1 downward, the driving surface 31a of the collar portion 31 is lowered, so that the second No driving force acts on the movable contact member 28, but the central portion of the first movable contact member 26 is pushed in by the lower end surface 30a of the shaft portion 30, so that all the normally open switches S4 are kept in the OFF state. The normally open switch S3 is switched from OFF to ON. Therefore, it is possible to detect that the operating lever 22 has been pushed by a signal indicating that the terminals 23a and 24a are conducted when all the terminals 25a and 21c are in the OFF state. .
[0028]
Further, when the operation force applied to the operation lever 22 is removed during the tilting operation, the first movable contact member 26 that has been reversed and the coil spring 32 that has been compressed on the opposite side of the tilting direction are restored to their original shape by their own elasticity. Therefore, the restoring force acts to return the operation lever 22 to the neutral position, and the multidirectional input device returns to the state shown in FIG. Similarly, when the pressing operation force on the operation lever 22 is removed during the push operation, the operation lever 22 is pushed up to the height position shown in FIG. 1 by the restoring force of the first movable contact member 26 that has been reversed.
[0029]
The multi-directional input device shown in FIG. 6 as another embodiment is different from the above-described embodiment in that the operation lever 22 is configured by combining the shaft portion 30 and the flange portion 31 which are separate members. That is, in FIG. 6, the collar portion 31 is provided with a central hole 31d having a partially enlarged oval shape, and the shaft portion 30 is inserted through the central hole 31d, and the oval space The ceiling surface is a receiving surface 31e that restricts the upward movement of the shaft portion 30. Therefore, this multidirectional input device operates in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment when the operation lever 22 is tilted. However, when the operation lever 22 is pushed, the pressing operation force acts only on the shaft portion 30. As a result, the collar 31 descends by its own weight. Therefore, the lowering operation of the shaft portion 30 is guided by the flange portion 31 during the push operation, and when the pressing operation force is removed and the shaft portion 30 is lifted by the restoring force of the first movable contact member 26, The receiving surface 31e of the flange portion 31 defines the height position of the shaft portion 30.
[0030]
In this way, when configuring a multi-directional input device that can greatly tilt the operation lever and promote thinning, the vertical relationship between the second common contact and the peripheral fixed contact can be set in reverse, The first and second common contacts may be shared. Further, instead of the conductive coil spring, a leaf spring or an insulating elastomer may be used. In particular, when an insulator such as an elastomer is used as the elastic biasing member, the insulating film 29 is omitted. Can do.
[0031]
【The invention's effect】
The present invention is implemented in the form as described above, and has the following effects.
[0032]
Until the second movable contact member contacts the second fixed contact on the opposite side of the tilt direction, the shaft portion of the operating lever performs a first-stage tilt operation, and then the first movable contact member is elastically deformed. The multi-directional input device is configured such that the shaft portion performs the second-stage tilting operation until it comes into contact with the first fixed contact. Therefore, the shaft portion is moved from the neutral position by combining these two types of tilting operations. It can be tilted greatly. In addition, in addition to the elastic biasing member and the first movable contact member in the process of tilting the shaft portion, there is no need for a member to be elastically deformed, and it is only necessary to compress and deform only during the first stage tilting operation. Since the elastic biasing member does not require a large height dimension, the entire apparatus can be greatly reduced in thickness.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a non-operating state of a multidirectional input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state where the operation lever illustrated in FIG. 1 is tilted halfway.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the operation lever shown in FIGS.
4 is a plan view showing the case in FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG.
5 is a plan view showing a second movable contact member in FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a non-operating state of a multidirectional input device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional technique.
[Explanation of symbols]
20 cases
20a storage space
21 Cover
21a opening
21b Upper surface part (second fixed contact)
22 Control lever
23 Center fixed contact (first fixed contact)
24 First common contact
25 Peripheral fixed contacts
26 first movable contact member
28 Second movable contact member
30 Shaft
30a Lower end surface
31 Buttocks
31a Driving surface
31b Spherical surface
31d center hole
31e Reception surface
32 Coil spring (elastic biasing member)
G gap

Claims (8)

A casing having a storage space inside, a first fixed contact disposed at the inner bottom of the casing, and a first movable contact member facing the first fixed contact in the storage space so as to be able to contact and separate. And an operation lever having a shaft portion mounted on the first movable contact member and projecting upward from the casing, and a flange provided around the shaft portion, and disposed in the storage space. A second movable contact member having an inner peripheral portion laminated on the flange portion, a second fixed contact facing the second movable contact member on the flange portion with a predetermined gap, and An elastic biasing member that is disposed in the storage space and elastically biases the second movable contact member in a direction away from the second fixed contact and is more easily elastically deformed than the first movable contact member. Prepared,
By tilting the shaft portion in an arbitrary direction while keeping the first movable contact member in a non-contact state with respect to the first fixed contact, the second movable contact on the side opposite to the tilting direction is performed. The flange portion pushes up the inner peripheral portion of the contact member to bring the inner peripheral portion into contact with the second fixed contact facing the inner peripheral portion, and further tilting the shaft portion, whereby the lower end surface of the shaft portion is A multi-directional input device configured to push one movable contact member into contact with the first fixed contact. The coil spring according to claim 1, wherein a coil spring is used as the elastic biasing member, and the coil spring elastically biases the flange-shaped outer peripheral portion of the second movable contact member toward the inner bottom portion of the casing. A featured multi-directional input device. 3. The inner bottom portion of the casing according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of peripheral fixed contacts that contact the outer peripheral portion of the second movable contact member are disposed at least when not operated, and the shaft portion is tilted in an arbitrary direction. Thus, the second movable contact member is separated from the other peripheral fixed contacts excluding the peripheral fixed contact located in the tilting direction. In any one of Claims 1-3, The said casing is provided with the cover installed in said storage space with the opening which protrudes the said axial part, By tilting the said axial part in arbitrary directions, The multi-directional input device characterized in that an outer wall surface of the flange portion slides with respect to the opening edge portion of the cover. 5. The spherical surface portion is provided on the outer wall surface of the flange portion according to claim 4, and the point of action on the first movable contact member to which the lower end surface of the shaft portion applies a pressing force to the spherical surface portion is approximately centered. The spherical surface portion is formed into a spherical shape that tilts the shaft portion in an arbitrary direction while keeping the first movable contact member in a non-contact state with respect to the first fixed contact. A multi-directional input device, wherein the multi-directional input device is configured to slide relative to the opening edge. 6. The multidirectional input device according to claim 4, wherein the cover is made of a metal plate also serving as the second fixed contact. The multidirectional input device according to claim 1, wherein the flange portion and the shaft portion of the operation lever are an integral part. In any one of Claims 1-6, the said collar part and the said shaft part of the said operation lever are separate members, The center hole which allows the said shaft part to be inserted in this collar part, Above the said shaft part And a receiving surface for restricting movement of the multi-directional input device.

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