JP6538474B2 - Direction input device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a direction input device used when operating a game machine or the like.

  Conventionally, a joystick (direction input device) used when operating a game machine or the like is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The direction input device described in Patent Document 1 includes a spherical body disposed inside a housing, a holding portion that holds the spherical body in a rollable manner, and an operation shaft fixed to the spherical body so as to penetrate the spherical body. And a semicircular arc-shaped first swing plate and a second swing plate whose center of curvature is the center of the spherical body. The first rocking plate and the second rocking plate are supported by the housing such that rocking can be performed with the directions orthogonal to each other as the axial direction of rocking. The first rocking plate is connected to the rotation shaft of the first variable resistor, and the second rocking plate is connected to the rotation shaft of the second variable resistor.

  In the direction input device described in Patent Document 1, the spherical body, the first rocking operation is performed such that a part of the first rocking plate, a part of the second rocking plate and the spherical body overlap in the axial direction of the operation shaft. A plate and a second swing plate are arranged. Further, grooves are formed along the longitudinal direction of the first rocking plate and the second rocking plate, and a portion of the operation shaft that protrudes from the spherical body is the groove of the first rocking plate and the second rocking plate. It is inserted in the groove of the rocking plate.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-12137

  In recent years, direction input devices have begun to be used in various applications, and in the market, the need to add various functions to direction input devices has started to emerge. For example, there is a need for mounting a liquid crystal display or the like in a direction input device to give a display function to the direction input device. However, in the direction input device described in Patent Document 1, the operation shaft is fixed so as to penetrate the spherical body disposed inside the housing. Further, in this direction input device, a part of the first rocking plate, a part of the second rocking plate, and the spherical body overlap in the axial direction of the operation axis, and a portion of the operation axis that protrudes from the spherical body Is inserted through the groove of the first rocking plate and the groove of the second rocking plate. Therefore, in the direction input device described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to secure a space for installing a device for adding a function to the direction input device.

  Then, the subject of this invention is providing the direction input device which can ensure the installation space of the apparatus for adding a predetermined | prescribed function to a direction input device.

  In order to solve the above problems, the direction input device of the present invention includes an operating body, a support that swingably supports the operating body, and a displacement detection unit that detects the displacement of the operating body relative to the support. The support supports the operating body so that the operating body can swing in the direction in which the axis of the operating body tilts with respect to the axis of the support, and either of the operating body and the support is concave A concave inner circumferential surface is formed as the inner circumferential surface, and a convex curved outer circumferential surface serving as a convex curved outer circumferential surface in contact with the concave inner circumferential surface is formed on either the operation body or the support. The displacement detection unit is attached to one of the operation body and the support and shaken in the first direction, assuming that the first direction and the second direction are orthogonal to each other when viewed from the axial direction of the support. First detection to detect the displacement of the operating body when the operating body swings in the axial direction of movement And a second detection mechanism attached to any one of the operating body and the support and detecting a displacement of the operating body when the operating body swings with the second direction as an axial direction of the swing, and a convex curved outer periphery A first guide shaft attached to one of the operating body and the support body so as to project from the surface to one side in the second direction, and an operating body so as to project from the convex curved outer peripheral surface to one side in the first direction And a second guide shaft attached to the other of the supports, a first transmission member for transmitting the movement of the first guide shaft to the first detection mechanism, and a movement of the second guide shaft for the second detection mechanism A second transmission member is provided, and the other of the operating body and the support is formed in a hollow shape, and the concave inner circumferential surface and the convexly curved outer circumferential surface enable swinging of the operating body relative to the support. It is characterized in that a bearing portion is configured.

  In the direction input device according to the present invention, the concave inner circumferential surface is formed on either the operating body or the support, and the convex curved outer circumferential surface is in contact with the concave inner circumferential surface on either the operating body or the support The bearing portion is formed by the concave inner circumferential surface and the convex curved outer circumferential surface so as to make it possible to swing the operating body relative to the support. Further, in the present invention, the first guide shaft and the second guide shaft are attached to any one of the operation body and the support so as to protrude from the convex curved outer peripheral surface in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the support. There is. Therefore, in the present invention, the first guide shaft, the second guide shaft, and the bearing portion are not disposed on the axis of either the operation body or the support on which the convex curved outer peripheral surface is formed. , The second guide shaft and the bearing can be arranged. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to secure a wide space inside the other of the operation body and the support formed in a hollow shape, and as a result, the inside of either the operation body or the support can be It becomes possible to secure the installation space of the apparatus for adding a predetermined | prescribed function to a direction input device using.

  In the present invention, for example, the concave inner peripheral surface is formed in a concave curved shape. Further, in the present invention, for example, a concave inner peripheral surface is formed on the support and the first detection mechanism and the second detection mechanism are attached, and a convex curved outer peripheral surface is formed on the operation body. In addition, the first guide shaft and the second guide shaft are attached, and the operating body is formed in a hollow shape. In this case, it is possible to secure a wide space inside the operation body formed in a hollow shape, and as a result, in order to add a predetermined function to the direction input device using the inside of the operation body It will be possible to secure the installation space of

  In the present invention, the support includes, for example, a support-side bearing member formed in a substantially cylindrical shape in which both ends in the axial direction of the support are open and a concave inner peripheral surface is formed on the inner peripheral side. The inner peripheral surface is formed in a spherical shape, and the operating body is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape in which both ends in the axial direction of the operating body are open, and an operating body side bearing member in which a convex curved outer peripheral surface is formed on the outer peripheral side The inner peripheral surface and the convex curved outer peripheral surface of a portion where at least the convex curved outer peripheral surface of the operation body side bearing member is formed are formed in a spherical shape. In this case, it is preferable that the outer peripheral surface of a portion where at least the concave inner peripheral surface of the support side bearing member is formed be spherical. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the support side bearing member and the thickness of the operation body side bearing member. Therefore, even if the outer shape of the support side bearing member is small, it is possible to secure a wide space inside the operation body side bearing member that constitutes the operation body.

  In the present invention, the operating body is fixed to the operating body side bearing member so as to close one end side of the operating body side bearing member in the axial direction of the operating body, and operated in a direction in which the axis of the operating body is inclined with respect to the axis of the support. It is preferable to provide an operated member. With this configuration, the area of the portion of the operating body which can be touched by the operator can be increased compared to the case where the operating body side bearing member formed in a substantially cylindrical shape is directly operated by the operator. It will be possible. Therefore, the operation of the operating body becomes easy.

  Further, in order to solve the above-described problems, the direction input device according to the present invention includes an operating body, a support that swingably supports the operating body, and a displacement detection unit that detects a displacement of the operating body relative to the support. The support supports the operating body such that the operating body can swing in a direction in which the axis of the operating body tilts with respect to the axis of the support, and one of the operating body and the support A concave inner peripheral surface is formed which is a concave inner peripheral surface, and a convex curved outer periphery which is a convex curved outer peripheral surface in contact with the concave inner peripheral surface is formed on either the operation body or the support When the faces are formed and the directions orthogonal to each other when viewed from the axial direction of the support are the first direction and the second direction, the displacement detection unit is attached to either the operation body or the support and the first direction Detecting the displacement of the operating body when the operating body swings, with A detection mechanism, a second detection mechanism attached to the other of the operation body and the support, and detecting a displacement of the operation body when the operation body swings with the second direction as an axial direction of oscillation; A first guide shaft attached to one of the operating body and the support body so as to protrude from the circumferential surface to one side in the second direction, and an operation so as to protrude from the concave inner circumferential surface to one side in the first direction The second guide shaft attached to any one of the body and the support, the first transmission member for transmitting the movement of the first guide shaft to the first detection mechanism, and the movement of the second guide shaft are transmitted to the second detection mechanism And the other of the operating body and the support is formed in a hollow shape, and the concave inner circumferential surface and the convexly curved outer circumferential surface allow the operating body to swing relative to the support. And the like.

  In the direction input device according to the present invention, the concave inner circumferential surface is formed on either the operating body or the support, and the convex curved outer circumferential surface is in contact with the concave inner circumferential surface on either the operating body or the support The bearing portion is formed by the concave inner circumferential surface and the convex curved outer circumferential surface so as to make it possible to swing the operating body relative to the support. Further, in the present invention, the first guide shaft and the second guide shaft are attached to any one of the operating body and the support so as to protrude from the concave inner circumferential surface in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the support. There is. Therefore, in the present invention, the first guide shaft, the second guide shaft, and the bearing portion are not disposed on the axis of either the operation body or the support on which the convex curved outer peripheral surface is formed. , The second guide shaft and the bearing can be arranged. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to secure a wide space inside the other of the operation body and the support formed in a hollow shape, and as a result, the inside of either the operation body or the support can be It becomes possible to secure the installation space of the apparatus for adding a predetermined | prescribed function to a direction input device using.

  In the present invention, the first detection mechanism is a rotary variable resistor having a first rotation axis into which the movement of the first guide shaft is input via the first transmission member, and the second detection mechanism is the second detection mechanism. A rotary variable resistor having a second rotation shaft to which movement of the second guide shaft is input via the transmission member, the first transmission member and the second transmission member being formed in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape, One end side of the first transmission member in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the first rotation shaft, and the other end side of the first transmission member in the longitudinal direction is a long hole-like engagement hole engaged with the first guide shaft. One end side of the second transmission member in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the second rotation shaft, and the other end side of the second transmission member in the longitudinal direction is a long hole engagement engaged with the second guide shaft It is preferable that a gap be formed. With this configuration, the movement of the first guide shaft and the second guide shaft is input to the first detection mechanism and the second detection mechanism via the first transmission member and the second transmission member formed in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. Therefore, by adjusting the lengths of the first transmission member and the second transmission member, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the first detection mechanism and the second detection mechanism.

  In the present invention, the direction input device includes, for example, a first biasing mechanism that biases the operating body toward a predetermined reference position in a swinging direction of the operating body whose first direction is the axial direction of swinging; And a second biasing mechanism for biasing the operating body toward a predetermined reference position in the swinging direction of the operating body in which the axial direction of swinging is two directions, and the first biasing mechanism is formed in a flat plate shape A first lever member rotatably supported at one end on the first rotation shaft and having the other end in contact with the first guide shaft from one side in the axial direction of the support; A second lever member rotatably supported on the rotation shaft and having the other end side in contact with the first guide shaft from the other side in the axial direction of the support, and a first lever member to the other side in the axial direction of the support Restricts the range of movement of the other end of the second lever and the second lever to the one axial side of the support Biasing the first lever member and the second lever member in a direction in which the first restricting member restricting the movement range of the other end of the second lever member and the other end of the first lever member and the other end of the second lever member approach each other The second biasing mechanism is formed in a flat plate shape, one end of which is rotatably supported by the second rotation shaft, and the other end of which is a first biasing member from one side in the axial direction of the support. 2 A third lever member in contact with the guide shaft, and formed in a flat plate shape with one end rotatably supported by the second rotary shaft and the other end contacting the second guide shaft from the other side in the axial direction of the support The movement range of the other end side of the third lever member to the other side in the axial direction of the support and the other end side of the fourth lever member to the one side of the support in the axial direction are restricted. Second restricting member for restricting the movement range of the second lever, and the other end side of the third lever member and the fourth lever And a second urging member for urging the other end and a third lever member and the fourth lever member in a direction approaching the member.

  In the present invention, the first transmission member, the first lever member, and the second lever member are arranged to overlap with each other with a gap in the axial direction of the first rotation shaft, and the shaft of the first rotation shaft A gap is formed between the first transmission member and the first restriction member in the direction, and the second transmission member, the third lever member, and the fourth lever member are mutually separated in the axial direction of the second rotation shaft. It is preferable that a gap be formed between the second transmission member and the second restricting member in the axial direction of the second rotation shaft while being arranged to overlap in the state. With this configuration, the first transmission member, the second transmission member, and the first lever member, the second lever member, the third lever member, and the fourth lever member can be operated smoothly.

  In the present invention, the direction input device comprises a holder for holding the support so as to allow movement of the support in the axial direction of the support, and one of the supports in one axial direction of the support relative to the holder. It is preferable that the holder includes a restricting member that restricts the moving range of the support in one of the axial directions of the support. According to this configuration, the direction input device can be provided with the function of the push button by using the support and the operating body that move relative to the holding body in the axial direction of the support. Therefore, it is possible to perform more complicated operations using the direction input device.

  As described above, in the direction input device of the present invention, it is possible to secure an installation space for equipment for adding a predetermined function to the direction input device.

It is a perspective view of a direction input device concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is sectional drawing of the EE cross section of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the direction input device shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which extracts and shows a support body, a displacement detection part, an urging mechanism, and a bearing member from the direction input device shown in FIG. It is a top view of the support body shown in FIG. 4, a displacement detection part, an urging mechanism, and a bearing member. It is a perspective view which extracts and shows an operation body, a bearing member, an upper cover, etc. from the direction input device shown in FIG. It is an enlarged view for demonstrating the structure and operation | movement of a displacement detection part and the urging | biasing mechanism shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the concave-shaped internal peripheral surface concerning other embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Whole configuration of direction input device)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a direction input device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the EE cross section of FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the direction input device 1 shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the support 3, the displacement detection unit 5, the biasing mechanisms 16, 17 and the bearing member 26 extracted from the direction input device 1 shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the support 3, the displacement detection unit 5, the biasing mechanisms 16, 17 and the bearing member 26 shown in FIG. 4. 6 is a perspective view showing the operation body 2, the bearing member 24, the upper cover 21 and the like extracted from the direction input device 1 shown in FIG.

  The direction input device 1 of this embodiment is used for operating a gaming machine such as a pachinko machine, slot machine or gaming machine, for example, and is attached to the gaming machine. The direction input device 1 includes an operation body 2 moved when the operator performs an operation, a support 3 that swingably supports the operation body 2, and a holder 4 that holds the support 3 movably. And a displacement detection unit 5 that detects the displacement of the operating body 2 with respect to the support 3. The support 3 supports the operating body 2 so that the operating body 2 can swing in a direction in which the axis CL2 of the operating body 2 is inclined with respect to the axis CL1 of the support 3. The holder 4 supports the support 3 so that the support 3 can be moved in the direction (axial direction) of the axis line CL1 of the support 3. In addition, the holder 4 is fixed to the gaming machine. The direction input device 1 may be attached to a device other than a game machine such as a portable device.

  In the following description, the axial direction (the Z direction in FIG. 1 and the like) of the support 3 is the vertical direction. Further, the X direction in FIG. 1 etc. orthogonal to the up and down direction is taken as the left and right direction, and the Y direction in FIG. That is, when viewed from the up and down direction, directions orthogonal to each other are taken as the left and right direction and the front and back direction. In the vertical direction, the Z1 direction side is the "upper" side, the Z2 direction side is the "lower" side, the X1 direction side in the horizontal direction is the "right" side, and the X2 direction side is the "left" side. In the front-rear direction, the Y1 direction side is the “front side”, and the Y2 direction side is the “back” side. The left-right direction (X direction) of this embodiment is a first direction, and the front-rear direction (Y direction) is a second direction.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the displacement detection unit 5 has a detection mechanism 8 as a first detection mechanism that detects a displacement of the operating body 2 when the operating body 2 swings with the lateral direction as an axial direction of swinging, A detection mechanism 9 is provided as a second detection mechanism for detecting the displacement of the operating body 2 when the operating body 2 swings with the front-rear direction as the axial direction of swinging. The detection mechanisms 8 and 9 are rotary variable resistors and are attached to the support 3. Further, the displacement detection unit 5 is a guide shaft 11 as a first guide shaft attached to the operation body 2 so as to protrude to the front side, and a second guide shaft attached to the operation body 2 so as to protrude rightward. A guide shaft 12, a transmission member 13 as a first transmission member for transmitting the movement of the guide shaft 11 to the detection mechanism 8, and a transmission member 14 as a second transmission member for transmitting the movement of the guide shaft 12 to the detection mechanism 9 Is equipped. The specific configuration of the displacement detection unit 5 will be described later.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the direction input device 1 includes a tension coil spring 15 as a biasing member that biases the support 3 upward with respect to the holder 4. The direction input device 1 of the present embodiment is provided with three tension coil springs 15. In addition, the direction input device 1 includes a biasing mechanism 16 as a first biasing mechanism that biases the operating body 2 toward the reference position in the swinging direction of the operating body 2 in which the lateral direction is the axial direction of swinging. A biasing mechanism 17 is provided as a second biasing mechanism that biases the operating body 2 toward the reference position in the swinging direction of the operating body 2 in which the longitudinal direction is the axial direction of swinging. In this embodiment, when the operating body 2 is at the reference position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the axis line CL2 of the operating body 2 and the axis line CL1 of the support 3 coincide with each other. The specific configuration of the biasing mechanisms 16 and 17 will be described later.

  The holding body 4 is provided with a cylindrical case body 20 which constitutes the side surface of the direction input device 1. The case body 20 is disposed such that the axial direction of the case body 20 coincides with the vertical direction. The case body 20 is disposed to cover the entire support 3 from the outer peripheral side. Further, the holder 4 includes an upper cover 21 fixed to the upper end surface of the case body 20 and a lower cover 22 fixed to the lower end surface of the case body 20. The lower cover 22 is formed in a flat plate shape and formed in a substantially annular shape, and a circular opening 22 a is formed at the center of the lower cover 22. The lower cover 22 is fixed to the lower end surface of the case body 20 so that the thickness direction of the lower cover 22 coincides with the vertical direction. Further, the lower cover 22 is disposed such that the axis line CL1 of the support 3 passes through the center of the lower cover 22 formed in an annular shape.

  The upper cover 21 includes a cover portion 21a for covering the upper end side of the case body 20, a cover side guide portion 21b for vertically guiding the support 3 vertically moved with respect to the holding body 4, and an upper end of the tension coil spring 15. And a hook-shaped spring mounting portion 21c (see FIG. 6) to which the side is attached. The cover portion 21a is formed in a flat plate shape and in an annular shape, and a circular opening 21f is formed at the center of the cover portion 21a. The cover portion 21a is fixed to the upper end surface of the case body 20 so that the thickness direction of the cover member 21a coincides with the vertical direction. Further, the cover portion 21a is disposed such that the axis line CL1 of the support 3 passes through the center of the cover portion 21a formed in an annular shape.

  The cover side guide portion 21b is formed to project downward from the lower surface of the cover portion 21a. Further, the cover side guide portions 21b are formed at two positions at a pitch of 180 ° in the circumferential direction of the cover portion 21a when viewed from the up and down direction. The cover-side guide portion 21b is formed with two parallel surfaces 21d disposed in parallel with each other with a predetermined gap therebetween. The parallel surface 21 d is formed in a planar shape parallel to the vertical direction. The spring attachment portion 21c is formed to project downward from the lower surface of the cover portion 21a. Further, the spring attachment portions 21c are formed at three locations at a pitch of 120 ° in the circumferential direction of the cover portion 21a when viewed from the vertical direction.

  The support 3 includes a bearing member 24 as a support-side bearing member that supports the operation body 2 and a cover 25 that covers the detection mechanisms 8 and 9. The bearing member 24 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape in which both upper and lower ends are opened as a whole. Specifically, the bearing member 24 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The axis of the bearing member 24 is the axis CL1 of the support 3. That is, the axis line CL is an axis line of the bearing member 24. On the inner peripheral side of the bearing member 24, an inner peripheral surface formed of a concave inner peripheral surface 24a and a concave inner peripheral surface 24b is formed. The inner circumferential surface 24 a is formed in a cylindrical surface shape, and constitutes an upper end side portion of the inner circumferential surface of the bearing member 24. The inner circumferential surface 24 b is formed in a concave curve shape. Specifically, the inner circumferential surface 24 b is formed in a spherical shape. More specifically, the inner peripheral surface 24b is formed in a spherical shape in which the inner diameter gradually decreases toward the lower side, and the upper end of the inner peripheral surface 24b is connected to the lower end of the inner peripheral surface 24a. The inner circumferential surface 24 b of the present embodiment is a concave inner circumferential surface.

  On the outer peripheral side of the bearing member 24, an outer peripheral surface formed of a convex curved outer peripheral surface 24c and a convex curved outer peripheral surface 24d is formed. The outer peripheral surface 24 c is an outer peripheral surface of a portion of the bearing member 24 where the inner peripheral surface 24 a is formed, and is formed in a cylindrical surface shape. The outer peripheral surface 24 d is an outer peripheral surface of a portion of the bearing member 24 where the inner peripheral surface 24 b is formed, and is formed in a spherical shape. Specifically, the outer peripheral surface 24 d is formed in a spherical shape in which the outer diameter gradually decreases toward the lower side. The upper end of the outer peripheral surface 24 d is connected to the lower end of the outer peripheral surface 24 c. Note that the inner circumferential surface of the bearing member 24 may be constituted only by the spherical inner circumferential surface 24b. In this case, for example, the outer peripheral surface of the bearing member 24 is formed of only the spherical outer peripheral surface 24 d.

  A bearing side guide for vertically guiding the support 3 together with a fixing portion 24e to which the detection mechanisms 8, 9 are fixed and a cover side guide portion 21b formed on the upper cover 21 on the outer peripheral side of the bearing member 24 A portion 24f and a hook-shaped spring attachment portion 24g to which the lower end side of the tension coil spring 15 is attached are formed. The fixing portion 24e is formed in a substantially right-angled triangular prism. The fixing portion 24e is formed in two places so as to protrude from the outer peripheral surface 24d, one fixing portion 24e is formed on the right back end side portion of the bearing member 24, and the other fixing portion 24e is It is formed on the left front end side portion of the bearing member 24.

  The bearing side guide portion 24 f is formed to project from the outer peripheral surface of the bearing member 24 toward the outer peripheral side. The bearing-side guide portions 24f are formed in a substantially rectangular shape elongated in the vertical direction, and are formed at two positions at a pitch of 180 ° in the circumferential direction of the bearing member 24 when viewed from the vertical direction. The bearing-side guide portion 24f is disposed between the two flat portions 21d (see FIG. 6), and the holding-side guide portion 24f moves in the vertical direction between the two flat portions 21d to hold the same. The support 3 moving up and down relative to the body 4 is guided in the up and down direction. The spring mounting portion 24 g is formed on the lower end side of the bearing member 24. Further, the spring attachment portions 24g are formed at three locations at a pitch of 120 ° in the circumferential direction of the bearing member 24 when viewed in the vertical direction.

  Further, in the bearing member 24, an arrangement groove 24h in which the guide shaft 11 is arranged and an arrangement groove 24j in which the guide shaft 12 is arranged are formed. The arrangement grooves 24 h and 24 j are formed in a slit shape from the lower end of the bearing member 24 toward the upper end. The arrangement groove 24 h is formed in the front end side portion of the bearing member 24 so as to penetrate the bearing member 24 in the front-rear direction. The arrangement groove 24 j is formed in the right end portion of the bearing member 24 so as to penetrate the bearing member 24 in the left-right direction.

  Further, on the outer peripheral surface of the bearing member 24, a restricting portion 24m for restricting the movement range of lever members 34 and 35 described later constituting the urging mechanism 16 and lever members 37 and 38 described later constituting the urging mechanism 17 And a restricting portion 24 n that restricts the movement range of the lens. The restriction portions 24m and 24n are formed in a rectangular flat plate shape. The restriction portion 24m is formed to be adjacent to the right side of the arrangement groove 24h, and protrudes toward the near side. The restricting portion 24 n is formed adjacent to the front side of the disposition groove 24 j and protrudes toward the right side. Both upper and lower end surfaces of the restriction portions 24m and 24n are formed in a planar shape orthogonal to the vertical direction.

  The operating body 2 includes a bearing member 26 as an operating body side bearing member supported by the bearing member 24 and an operated member 27 which is touched when the operator operates the direction input device 1, and the lower end is opened. It has a hollow shape. That is, a space 28 is formed inside the operation body 2 (see FIG. 2). The bearing member 26 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape in which both axial ends of the bearing member 26 are opened as a whole. Specifically, the bearing member 26 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The axis of the bearing member 26 coincides with the axis CL2 of the operating body 2. The height (width in the vertical direction) of the bearing member 26 is lower than the height (width in the vertical direction) of the bearing member 24, and the entire bearing member 26 is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the bearing member 24. There is.

  The inner circumferential surface 26 a of the bearing member 26 is formed in a concave curve shape. Specifically, the inner circumferential surface 26a is formed in a spherical shape. More specifically, the inner circumferential surface 26a is formed in a spherical shape in which the inner diameter gradually decreases toward the lower side. The outer peripheral surface 26 b of the bearing member 26 is formed in a convex curved shape. Specifically, the outer circumferential surface 26 b is formed in a spherical shape. More specifically, the outer circumferential surface 26 b is formed in a spherical shape in which the outer diameter gradually decreases toward the lower side.

  The radius of curvature of the outer circumferential surface 26 b and the radius of curvature of the inner circumferential surface 24 b of the bearing member 24 are substantially equal, and the outer circumferential surface 26 b is in contact with the inner circumferential surface 24 b. In the present embodiment, the inner peripheral surface 24 b and the outer peripheral surface 26 b constitute a bearing portion 30 which enables the swinging of the operating body 2 with respect to the support 3 (see FIG. 2). The outer peripheral surface 26 b of the present embodiment is a convex curved outer peripheral surface that contacts the inner peripheral surface 24 b which is a concave inner peripheral surface. In addition to the outer peripheral surface 26b, for example, a cylindrical outer peripheral surface may be formed on the outer peripheral side of the bearing member 26.

  The operated member 27 is formed of a transparent material (transparent member). Further, the operated member 27 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with a bottom configured of a bottom portion 27a and a cylindrical portion 27b. The bottom portion 27 a constitutes an upper surface side portion of the operated member 27, and the cylindrical portion 27 b constitutes a side surface portion of the operated member 27. The axis of the operated member 27 coincides with the axis L2 of the operating body 2. Further, the operated member 27 is fixed to the upper end surface of the bearing member 26 and closes the opening on the upper end side of the bearing member 26. The upper end portion of the operated member 27 protrudes above the upper surface of the cover portion 21 a of the upper cover 21, and the operated member 27 supports the support 3 when the operator operates the direction input device 1. The axis line CL2 of the operating body 2 is operated in a direction in which it is inclined with respect to the axis line CL1. The lower end portion of the operated member 27 is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the bearing member 24.

  The bottom portion 27a is formed in a convex curved surface shape that bulges upward. The inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 27b are formed in a spherical shape. Specifically, the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 27b is formed in a spherical shape in which the inner diameter gradually decreases toward the upper side, and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 27b is a spherical surface in which the outer diameter gradually decreases toward the upper side It is formed in the shape of a circle. The upper end of the outer peripheral surface 26b of the bearing member 26 and the lower end of the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 27b are smoothly connected.

  As described above, the upper end side of the tension coil spring 15 is attached to the spring attachment portion 21c of the upper cover 21, and the lower end side of the tension coil spring 15 is attached to the spring attachment portion 24g of the bearing member 24. 3 is biased upward. When no external force is acting on the operation body 2 and the support 3, the upper end surface (specifically, the upper end surface of the bearing member 24) of the support 3 is in contact with the lower surface of the cover portion 21 a of the upper cover 21. The upper cover 21 restricts the movement of the support 3 in the upward direction. The upper cover 21 in this embodiment is a regulating member that regulates the movement range of the support 3 in one of the axial directions of the support 3.

  A thin flat light shield 24k is formed on the lower end side of one of the two bearing side guides 24f formed on the bearing member 24. An optical sensor (not shown) having a light emitting element and a light receiving element disposed opposite to each other is disposed on the upper surface of the lower cover 22. When the operated member 27 of the operating body 2 is pushed downward The support 3 moves downward together with the operation body 2, and the light shield 24k blocks between the light emitting element and the light receiving element of the sensor. That is, when the light shielding portion 24k blocks between the light emitting element and the light receiving element of the sensor, it is detected that the operating body 2 and the support 3 are pushed downward.

(Configuration of displacement detection unit and biasing mechanism)
FIG. 7 is an enlarged view for explaining the configuration and operation of the displacement detection unit 5 and the biasing mechanisms 16 and 17 shown in FIG.

  As described above, the displacement detection unit 5 includes the detection mechanisms 8 and 9, the guide shafts 11 and 12, and the transmission members 13 and 14. As described above, the detection mechanism 8 is a rotary variable resistor, and includes the rotation shaft 8 a as a first rotation shaft to which the movement of the guide shaft 11 is input via the transmission member 13. The detection mechanism 9 is also a rotary variable resistor, and includes a rotation shaft 9 a as a second rotation shaft to which the movement of the guide shaft 12 is input via the transmission member 14.

  The detection mechanism 8 is fixed to the near side surface of the fixed portion 24e formed on the left front end side of the bearing member 24, and the detection mechanism 9 is formed on the right side of the fixed portion 24e formed on the right back end side of the bearing member 24. It is fixed to the face of the The detection mechanisms 8 and 9 are covered by a cover 25. The tip end side of the rotation shaft 8 a of the detection mechanism 8 protrudes to the near side of the cover 25, and the tip end side of the rotation shaft 9 a of the detection mechanism 9 protrudes to the right side than the cover 25.

  The guide shaft 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The guide shaft 11 is disposed such that the axial direction of the guide shaft 11 coincides with the front-rear direction. Further, the guide shaft 11 is fixed to the bearing member 26 so as to protrude from the outer peripheral surface 26 b of the bearing member 26 toward the front side. The guide shaft 11 is fixed substantially at the center of the bearing member 26 in the left-right direction, and the proximal end side of the guide shaft 11 is disposed in the arrangement groove 24 h of the bearing member 24. In addition, the back end of the guide shaft 11 is not protruded to the back side rather than the inner peripheral surface 26a.

  The guide shaft 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape having the same shape as the guide shaft 11. The guide shaft 12 is arranged such that the axial direction of the guide shaft 12 coincides with the left and right direction. Further, the guide shaft 12 is fixed to the bearing member 26 so as to project to the right from the outer peripheral surface 26 b. The guide shaft 12 is fixed substantially at the center of the bearing member 26 in the front-rear direction, and the proximal end side of the guide shaft 12 is disposed in the arrangement groove 24 j of the bearing member 24. The left end of the guide shaft 12 does not protrude leftward from the inner circumferential surface 26a.

  The transmission member 13 is formed in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. The transmission member 13 is disposed such that the thickness direction of the transmission member 13 coincides with the front-rear direction. One end side (specifically, the left end side) of the transmission member 13 in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the rotation shaft 8 a. On the other end side (specifically, the right end side) of the transmission member 13 in the longitudinal direction, an elongated hole-like engagement hole 13a is formed to penetrate the transmission member 13 in the front-rear direction. The guide shaft 11 is inserted into the engagement hole 13a, and the guide shaft 11 is engaged.

  The transmission member 14 is formed in a substantially rectangular flat plate having the same shape as the transmission member 13. The transmission member 14 is disposed such that the thickness direction of the transmission member 14 coincides with the left-right direction. One end side (specifically, the back end side) of the transmission member 14 in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the rotation shaft 9 a. At the other end side (specifically, the front end side) of the transmission member 14 in the longitudinal direction, an elongated hole-like engagement hole 14a penetrating the transmission member 14 in the left-right direction is formed. The guide shaft 12 is inserted into the engagement hole 14a, and the guide shaft 12 is engaged.

  The biasing mechanism 16 is provided with two lever members 34 and 35 formed in a flat plate shape and a tension coil spring 36 for biasing the lever members 34 and 35. The lever members 34, 35 are arranged such that the thickness direction of the lever members 34, 35 matches the front-rear direction. The lever member 34 is composed of a base 34a formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and a substantially linear projection 34b projecting from the base 34a.

  One end side (specifically, the left end side) of the base 34a is rotatably supported by the rotation shaft 8a. The protrusion 34 b is formed to project to the right from the upper end side (specifically, the upper end side of the right end) of the other end of the base 34 a. The width of the protrusion 34 b is narrower than the width of the base 34 a. The protrusion 34 b can be in contact with the guide shaft 11 from the upper side. That is, the other end side (specifically, the right end side) of the lever member 34 can contact the guide shaft 11 from the upper side. A spring attachment portion 34c to which the upper end side of the tension coil spring 36 is attached is formed on the tip end side of the projecting portion 34b.

  The lever member 35 is formed in the same shape as the lever member 34. When the lever member having the same shape as the lever member 34 is vertically inverted and disposed, the lever member 35 becomes the lever member 35. That is, the lever member 35 includes a base 35a and a projection 35b corresponding to the base 34a and the projection 34b, respectively. One end side (specifically, the left end side) of the base 35a is rotatably supported by the rotating shaft 8a, and the protrusion 35b is the lower end side of the other end of the base 35a (specifically, the lower end side of the right end) It is formed to project to the right from. The protrusion 35 b can contact the guide shaft 11 from the lower side. That is, the other end side (specifically, the right end side) of the lever member 35 can contact the guide shaft 11 from the lower side. A spring mounting portion 35c to which the lower end side of the tension coil spring 36 is attached is formed on the tip end side of the projecting portion 35b.

  As described above, one end side of the lever members 34 and 35 is rotatably supported by the rotating shaft 8a, and the upper end side of the tension coil spring 36 is attached to the spring attaching portion 34c formed on the other end side of the lever member 34 The lower end side of the tension coil spring 36 is attached to the spring attaching portion 35 c formed on the other end side of the lever member 35. Therefore, the lever members 34 and 35 are biased by the tension coil spring 36 in the direction in which the other end side of the lever member 34 and the other end side of the lever member 35 approach each other.

  The projecting portion 34b of the lever member 34 can contact the regulating portion 24m of the bearing member 24 from the upper side, and the moving range to the lower side of the lever member 34 is regulated by the upper end surface of the regulating portion 24m. . The projecting portion 35b of the lever member 35 can contact the regulating portion 24m from the lower side, and the moving range of the lever member 35 to the upper side is regulated by the lower end surface of the regulating portion 24m. The lever member 34 of this embodiment is a first lever member, the lever member 35 is a second lever member, the tension coil spring 36 is a first biasing member, and the restricting portion 24m is a first restricting member.

  The lever member 34, the lever member 35, and the transmission member 13 are arranged to overlap in the front-rear direction (that is, in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 8a) with a gap therebetween. Specifically, the lever member 35, the lever member 34 and the transmission member 13 are arranged in this order toward the near side. As shown in FIG. 5, in the front-rear direction, a gap is formed between the regulating portion 24 m and the transmission member 13.

  The biasing mechanism 17 is configured in the same manner as the biasing mechanism 16, and includes lever members 37 and 38 and a tension coil spring 39 corresponding to the lever members 34 and 35 and the tension coil spring 36, respectively. The lever members 37, 38 are arranged such that the thickness direction of the lever members 37, 38 matches the left-right direction. The lever member 37 is formed similarly to the lever member 34, and is configured of a base portion 37a corresponding to the base portion 34a and a projection 37b corresponding to the projection 34b.

  One end side (specifically, the back end side) of the base 37a is rotatably supported by the rotation shaft 9a. The projecting portion 37 b is formed to project from the upper end side (specifically, the upper end side of the near end) of the other end of the base 37 a to the near side. The protrusion 37 b can contact the guide shaft 12 from the upper side. That is, the other end side (specifically, the front end side) of the lever member 37 can contact the guide shaft 12 from the upper side. A spring attachment portion 37c corresponding to the spring attachment portion 34c is formed on the tip end side of the protrusion 37b, and the upper end side of the tension coil spring 39 is attached to the spring attachment portion 37c.

  The lever member 38 is formed in the same shape as the lever member 35, and includes a base 38a and a projection 38b corresponding to the base 35a and the projection 35b. One end side (specifically, the back end side) of the base 38a is rotatably supported by the rotating shaft 9a, and the protrusion 38b is the lower end side of the other end of the base 38a (specifically, the lower end of the near end) It is formed to project from the side to the near side. The protrusion 38 b can contact the guide shaft 12 from the lower side. That is, the other end side (specifically, the front end side) of the lever member 38 can contact the guide shaft 12 from the lower side. A spring attachment portion 38c corresponding to the spring attachment portion 35c is formed on the tip end side of the projecting portion 38b, and the lower end side of the tension coil spring 39 is attached to the spring attachment portion 38c.

  Similar to the biasing mechanism 16, in the biasing mechanism 17, the lever members 37 and 38 are biased by the tension coil spring 39 in such a direction that the other end side of the lever member 37 and the other end side of the lever member 38 approach. There is. The projecting portion 37b of the lever member 37 can contact the regulating portion 24n of the bearing member 24 from the upper side, and the moving range to the lower side of the lever member 37 is regulated by the upper end surface of the regulating portion 24n. . The projecting portion 38b of the lever member 38 can contact the regulating portion 24n from the lower side, and the moving range of the lever member 38 to the upper side is regulated by the lower end surface of the regulating portion 24n. The lever member 37 of this embodiment is a third lever member, the lever member 38 is a fourth lever member, the tension coil spring 39 is a second biasing member, and the restricting portion 24 n is a second restricting member.

  The lever member 37, the lever member 38 and the transmission member 14 are arranged to overlap with each other in the left-right direction (that is, in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 9a) with a gap therebetween. Specifically, the lever member 38, the lever member 37 and the transmission member 14 are disposed in this order toward the right. As shown in FIG. 5, in the left-right direction, a gap is formed between the regulating portion 24 m and the transmission member 14.

  In this embodiment, the two guide members 41 for preventing the guide shaft 11 from coming off from the engagement hole 13a of the transmission member 13 and the guide shaft 12 from the engagement hole 14a of the transmission member 14 are Two guide members 42 for prevention are fixed to the upper surface of the lower cover 22 (see FIG. 3). The guide member 41 is disposed to be adjacent to the transmission member 13 from the front side, and the guide member 42 is disposed to be adjacent to the transmission member 14 from the right side. The two guide members 41 are disposed to sandwich the guide shaft 11 in the left-right direction, and the two guide members 42 are disposed to sandwich the guide shaft 12 in the front-rear direction.

  In the direction input device 1, when no external force is applied to the operating body 2 (for example, when the operator does not move the operating body 2), as shown in FIG. By the force, the operating body 2 is biased toward the reference position in the swinging direction of the operating body 2 in which the lateral direction is the axial direction of swinging. Further, when no external force is acting on the operating body 2, the operating body 2 moves toward the reference position in the swinging direction of the operating body 2 whose back and forth direction is the axial direction of swinging by the biasing force of the tension coil spring 39. It is energized. That is, when no external force is applied to the operating body 2, the operating body 2 is biased toward the reference position by the biasing force of the tension coil springs 36 and 39, and is disposed at the reference position. At this time, the protrusions 34b and 35b of the lever members 34 and 35 abut on the restricting portion 24m, and the protrusions 37b and 38b of the lever members 37 and 38 abut on the restricting portion 24n.

  In this state, for example, when the operation body 2 is moved so that the front end of the operation body 2 moves upward and the back end of the operation body 2 moves downward, as shown in FIG. 7B, The guide shaft 11 moves upward. When the guide shaft 11 moves upward, the transmission member 13 pivots about the rotation shaft 8 a so that the other end side (right end side) of the transmission member 13 moves upward. At this time, the rotation shaft 8 a rotates together, and the displacement of the operation body 2 is detected by the detection mechanism 8. Further, at this time, the projection 34b of the lever member 34 is pushed upward by the guide shaft 11, and the lever member 34 pivots so that the right end side of the lever member 34 moves upward about the rotation shaft 8a. . On the other hand, the lever member 35 is in contact with the lower end surface of the restricting portion 24m. Therefore, when an external force does not act on the operation body 2 in the state shown in FIG. 7B, the lever member 34 is pivoted so that the right end side of the lever member 34 is lowered by the biasing force of the tension coil spring 36. 11 is pushed downward by the projection 34b, and the operating body 2 returns to the reference position.

  In addition, for example, when the operation body 2 is moved so that the front end of the operation body 2 moves downward and the back end of the operation body 2 moves upward, as shown in FIG. 7C, the guide shaft 11 moves downward, and the transmission member 13 pivots about the rotation axis 8 a so that the right end side of the transmission member 13 moves downward. At this time, the rotation shaft 8 a rotates together, and the displacement of the operation body 2 is detected by the detection mechanism 8. At this time, the protrusion 35b of the lever member 35 is pushed downward by the guide shaft 11, and the lever member 35 is rotated so that the right end side of the lever member 35 moves downward about the rotation shaft 8a. Move. On the other hand, the lever member 34 is in contact with the upper end surface of the restricting portion 24m. Therefore, when an external force does not act on the operation body 2 in the state shown in FIG. 7C, the biasing force of the tension coil spring 36 causes the lever member 35 to rotate so that the right end side of the lever member 35 is raised. 11 is pushed upward by the protrusion 35b, and the operating body 2 returns to the reference position.

  Similarly, for example, when the operating body 2 is moved such that the right end of the operating body 2 moves upward and the left end of the operating body 2 moves downward, the guide shaft 12 moves upward, and the transmission member 14 The front end side of the transmission member 14 pivots upward about the rotation shaft 9a. At this time, the rotation shaft 9 a rotates together, and the displacement of the operating body 2 is detected by the detection mechanism 9. Further, at this time, the projection 37b of the lever member 37 is pushed upward by the guide shaft 12, and the lever member 37 rotates so that the front end side of the lever member 37 moves upward about the rotation shaft 9a. Do. On the other hand, the lever member 38 is in contact with the lower end surface of the regulating portion 24 n. Therefore, when an external force does not act on the operation body 2 in this state, the lever member 37 is rotated so that the front end side of the lever member 37 is lowered by the biasing force of the tension coil spring 39, and the guide shaft 12 is the projection 37b. Is pushed downward, and the operating body 2 returns to the reference position.

  Further, for example, when the operating body 2 is moved such that the right end of the operating body 2 moves downward and the left end of the operating body 2 moves upward, the guide shaft 12 moves downward, and the transmission member 14 Is pivoted so that the front end side of the transmission member 14 moves downward about the rotation shaft 9a. At this time, the rotation shaft 9 a rotates together, and the displacement of the operating body 2 is detected by the detection mechanism 9. At this time, the projection 38b of the lever member 38 is pushed downward by the guide shaft 12 so that the front end side of the lever member 38 moves downward about the rotation shaft 9a. Rotate. On the other hand, the lever member 37 is in contact with the upper end surface of the regulating portion 24n. Therefore, when external force does not act on the operation body 2 in this state, the biasing force of the tension coil spring 39 causes the lever member 38 to rotate so that the front end side of the lever member 38 is raised, and the guide shaft 12 is the projection 38b Is pushed upward to return the operating body 2 to the reference position.

(Main effects of this form)
As described above, in the present embodiment, the guide shafts 11 and 12 are fixed to the bearing member 26 so as to project from the outer peripheral surface 26 b of the bearing member 26 constituting the operation body 2 to the front side or the right side. Further, in the present embodiment, the bearing portion 30 that enables the swinging of the operation body 2 with respect to the support 3 is configured by the inner peripheral surface 24b of the bearing member 24 and the outer peripheral surface 26b of the bearing member 26 that constitute the support 3. ing. That is, in the present embodiment, the guide shafts 11 and 12 for detecting the displacement of the operating body 2 and the bearing portion 30 which enables the swinging of the operating body 2 with respect to the support 3 are on the axis line CL2 of the operating body 2 Not placed.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is possible to secure a wide space inside the operation body 2 formed in a hollow shape, and as a result, using the inside of the operation body 2 to perform a predetermined function in the direction input device 1 It is possible to secure an installation space for equipment to be added to the Therefore, in the present embodiment, for example, a liquid crystal display, a Versa writer, a projector, or the like fixed to the support 3 or the holding body 4 can be disposed using the inside of the operation body 2. Further, in the present embodiment, for example, it becomes possible to dispose a gas release unit that releases a gas such as air using the inside of the operation body 2. When the gas release unit is disposed utilizing the inside of the operation body 2, for example, a passage hole through which gas passes is formed in the bottom portion 27a of the operated member 27.

  In the present embodiment, on the inner peripheral side of the bearing member 24, a cylindrical inner peripheral surface 24a and a spherical inner peripheral surface 24b are formed. Further, in the present embodiment, the outer peripheral surface 24c of the portion of the bearing member 24 where the inner peripheral surface 24a is formed is formed in a cylindrical surface, and the outer peripheral surface 24d of the portion where the inner peripheral surface 24b is formed of the bearing member 24. Is formed in a spherical shape. Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the thickness (thickness in the radial direction) of the bearing member 24. Further, in the present embodiment, the inner peripheral surface 26 a and the outer peripheral surface 26 b of the bearing member 26 are formed in a spherical shape. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the thickness (thickness in the radial direction) of the bearing member 26. Thus, in the present embodiment, since the thickness of the bearing members 24 and 26 can be reduced, it is possible to secure a wide space inside the bearing member 26 even if the outer shape of the bearing member 24 is small. .

  In the present embodiment, the operated member 27 that closes the opening on the upper end side of the bearing member 26 is fixed to the upper end surface of the bearing member 26. Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is possible to increase the area of the portion of the operation body 2 which can be touched by the operator, as compared with the case where the bearing member 26 is directly operated by the operator. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the operation of the operating body 2 is facilitated.

  In this embodiment, the motions of the guide shafts 11 and 12 are input to the detection mechanisms 8 and 9 via the transmission members 13 and 14 formed in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. Therefore, in the present embodiment, by adjusting the lengths of the transmission members 13 and 14, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the detection mechanisms 8 and 9. Further, in the present embodiment, the lever member 34, the lever member 35 and the transmission member 13 are disposed in a state where a gap is formed between them in the longitudinal direction, so the lever member 34, the lever member 35 and the transmission member 13 operate smoothly. It will be possible to Similarly, in the present embodiment, the lever member 37, the lever member 38, and the transmission member 14 are disposed in a state where a gap is formed between them in the left and right direction, so the lever member 37, the lever member 38, and the transmission member 14 can be made smooth. It becomes possible to operate.

  In the present embodiment, the support 3 is held by the holder 4 so as to be able to move in the vertical direction. Further, in the present embodiment, the support 3 is urged upward by the tension coil spring 15, and when the operated member 27 of the operation body 2 is pushed downward, the support 3 is lowered together with the operation body 2. Moving to the side, the light shielding portion 24k blocks between the light emitting element and the light receiving element of the optical sensor. Therefore, in this embodiment, the direction input device 1 can be provided with the function of the push button. Therefore, in the present embodiment, more complicated operations can be performed using the direction input device 1.

(Other embodiments)
The embodiment described above is an example of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  In the embodiment described above, the inner circumferential surface 24 b is formed in a spherical shape, but the inner circumferential surface 24 b may be formed in a frusto-conical shape in which the inner diameter gradually decreases toward the lower side. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the inner peripheral surface 24 b has a frusto-conical inner peripheral surface 24 s whose internal diameter gradually increases toward the lower side, and a frusto-conical surface whose internal diameter gradually decreases toward the lower side. And the inner circumferential surface 24t of the In this case, the lower end of the inner circumferential surface 24s and the upper end of the inner circumferential surface 24t are connected. Further, in this case, the outer peripheral surface 26b of the bearing member 26 is formed in a spherical shape in which the outer diameter gradually decreases toward the upper and lower sides.

  In the embodiment described above, the detection mechanisms 8 and 9 are rotary variable resistors, but the detection mechanisms 8 and 9 may be linear motion variable resistors. In this case, for example, an intermediate position in the longitudinal direction of the transmission members 13 and 14 is rotatably held, and one end side portion of the transmission members 13 and 14 in the longitudinal direction is an input portion of the linear motion variable resistor. In contact with The detection mechanisms 8 and 9 may be detection mechanisms other than the variable resistor. For example, the detection mechanisms 8 and 9 may be distance sensors that detect the amount of displacement of the operating body 2 by detecting changes in the relative distance to the guide shafts 11 and 12.

  Although the lever members 34 and 35 are biased by the tension coil spring 36 in the embodiment described above, the lever members 34 and 35 may be biased by a spring member other than the tension coil spring 36. Similarly, although the lever members 37 and 38 are biased by the tension coil spring 39, the lever members 37 and 38 may be biased by a spring member other than the tension coil spring 39. In the embodiment described above, the support 3 is biased by the tension coil spring 15, but the support 3 may be biased by a spring member other than the tension coil spring 15.

  In the embodiment described above, the guide shaft 11 is fixed to the bearing member 26 so as to protrude toward the front side from the outer peripheral surface 26 b of the bearing member 26, and the guide shaft 12 protrudes to the right from the outer peripheral surface 26 b of the bearing member 26. And the detection mechanisms 8 and 9 are attached to the support 3. Besides, for example, the guide shaft 11 is fixed to the bearing member 24 so as to protrude from the inner peripheral surface 24b of the bearing member 24 to the back side, and the guide shaft 12 is leftward from the inner peripheral surface 24b of the bearing member 24 The detection mechanisms 8 and 9 may be attached to the operating body 2 while being fixed to the bearing member 24 so as to protrude. In this case, the detection mechanisms 8 and 9 are disposed inside the operation body 2 formed in a hollow shape.

  Even in this case, the guide shafts 11 and 12 and the bearing unit 30 can be arranged so that the guide shafts 11 and 12 and the bearing unit 30 are not arranged on the axis line CL2 of the operation body 2. It becomes possible to secure a wide space inside the operation body 2 formed in a hollow shape. Therefore, it is possible to secure the installation space of the device for adding a predetermined function to the direction input device 1 by utilizing the inside of the operation body 2.

  In the embodiment described above, the holder 4 is fixed to the gaming machine, and the support 3 is fixed to the game machine through the holder 4. In addition to this, for example, the operation body 2 may be fixed to the gaming machine. In this case, the support 3 is an operating body operated by the operator, and the operating body 2 is a support which supports the support 3 so as to be able to swing. Further, in this case, the upper end side of the operating body 2 may be fixed to the gaming machine, and the lower end side of the operating body 2 may be fixed to the gaming machine. When the lower end side of the operation body 2 is fixed to the gaming machine, the support 3 may be formed to cover the upper end side of the operation body 2. In the embodiment described above, the direction input device 1 is provided with the holding body 4 for holding the support 3 so as to be able to move up and down, and the direction input device 1 has the function of a push button. May not have the function of the push button. In this case, for example, the support 3 is fixed to the holder 4.

Reference Signs List 1 direction input device 2 operation body 3 support 4 support 5 displacement detection unit 8 detection mechanism (first detection mechanism)
8a Rotation axis (1st rotation axis)
9 Detection mechanism (second detection mechanism)
9a Rotation axis (second rotation axis)
11 Guide shaft (first guide shaft)
12 Guide shaft (second guide shaft)
13 Transmission member (first transmission member)
13a engagement hole 14 transmission member (second transmission member)
14a engagement hole 15 tension coil spring (biasing member)
16 Biasing mechanism (1st biasing mechanism)
17 Biasing mechanism (2nd biasing mechanism)
21 Top cover (regulating member)
24 Bearing member (support side bearing member)
24b Inner circumferential surface (concave inner circumferential surface)
24m regulation part (1st regulation member)
24n regulation part (2nd regulation member)
26 Bearing member (operating body side bearing member)
26b Outer peripheral surface (convex curved outer peripheral surface)
27 operated member 30 bearing portion 34 lever member (first lever member)
35 Lever member (second lever member)
36 Tension coil spring (1st biasing member)
37 Lever member (third lever member)
38 Lever member (4th lever member)
39 Tension coil spring (second biasing member)
CL1 axis of the support CL2 axis of the operating body X 1st direction Y 2nd direction Z axis direction of the support

Claims (11)

An operating body, a support that pivotally supports the operating body, and a displacement detection unit that detects displacement of the operating body relative to the support;
The support supports the operating body such that swinging of the operating body in a direction in which the axis of the operating body is inclined with respect to the axis of the support is possible.
A concave inner peripheral surface which is a concave inner peripheral surface is formed on any one of the operation body and the support, and the concave inner periphery is formed on either the operation body or the support. A convex curved outer peripheral surface which is a convex curved outer peripheral surface in contact with the surface is formed,
Assuming that the directions orthogonal to each other when viewed from the axial direction of the support are a first direction and a second direction,
The displacement detection unit is attached to any one of the operating body and the support body, and detects a displacement of the operating body when the operating body swings with the first direction as an axial direction of swinging. A detection mechanism, and a second detection mechanism attached to any one of the operation body and the support body and detecting a displacement of the operation body when the operation body swings with the second direction as an axial direction of oscillation A first guide shaft attached to any one of the operation body and the support body so as to protrude from the convex curved outer peripheral surface to one side in the second direction, and the first guide shaft from the convex curved outer peripheral surface A second guide shaft attached to any one of the operating body and the support body so as to protrude to one side in one direction, and a first transmission member transmitting the movement of the first guide shaft to the first detection mechanism And the second guide Of movement and a second transmission member for transmitting to said second detection mechanism,
Either the operation body or the other of the support is hollow.
A directional input device characterized in that a bearing portion capable of swinging the operating body with respect to the support is constituted by the concave inner peripheral surface and the convex curved outer peripheral surface.   The direction input device according to claim 1, wherein the concave inner circumferential surface is formed in a concave curve shape. The concave-shaped inner circumferential surface is formed on the support, and the first detection mechanism and the second detection mechanism are attached to the support.
The first guide shaft and the second guide shaft are attached to the operation body while the convex curved outer peripheral surface is formed.
The direction input device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the operation body is formed in a hollow shape. The support includes a support-side bearing member which is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape in which both ends in the axial direction of the support are open and in which the concave inner peripheral surface is formed on the inner peripheral side.
The concave inner peripheral surface is formed in a spherical shape,
The operating body includes an operating body side bearing member which is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape in which both ends in the axial direction of the operating body are open, and the convex curved outer peripheral surface is formed on the outer peripheral side.
The direction input according to claim 3, wherein the inner peripheral surface of the portion on which at least the convex curved outer peripheral surface of the operation body side bearing member is formed and the convex curved outer peripheral surface are formed in a spherical shape. apparatus.   The direction input device according to claim 4, wherein an outer peripheral surface of a portion of the support side bearing member at least the concave inner peripheral surface is formed in a spherical shape.   The operating body is fixed to the operating body side bearing member so as to close one end side of the operating body side bearing member in the axial direction of the operating body, and the operating body is operated in a direction in which the axis of the operating body is inclined with respect to the axis of the support body The direction input device according to claim 4 or 5, comprising an operated member to be operated. An operating body, a support that pivotally supports the operating body, and a displacement detection unit that detects displacement of the operating body relative to the support;
The support supports the operating body such that swinging of the operating body in a direction in which the axis of the operating body is inclined with respect to the axis of the support is possible.
A concave inner peripheral surface which is a concave inner peripheral surface is formed on any one of the operation body and the support, and the concave inner periphery is formed on either the operation body or the support. A convex curved outer peripheral surface which is a convex curved outer peripheral surface in contact with the surface is formed,
Assuming that the directions orthogonal to each other when viewed from the axial direction of the support are a first direction and a second direction,
The displacement detection unit is attached to any one of the operation body and the support body, and detects a displacement of the operation body when the operation body swings with the first direction as an axial direction of oscillation. A detection mechanism, and a second detection mechanism attached to any one of the operation body and the support body and detecting a displacement of the operation body when the operation body swings with the second direction as an axial direction of oscillation A first guide shaft attached to one of the operating body and the support body so as to protrude from the concave inner peripheral surface to one side in the second direction; and the first inner peripheral surface from the concave inner peripheral surface A second guide shaft attached to one of the operating body and the support body so as to protrude to one side in one direction, and a first transmission member for transmitting the motion of the first guide shaft to the first detection mechanism And the second guide axis And a second transmission member for transmitting to the second sensing mechanism can,
Either the operation body or the other of the support is hollow.
A directional input device characterized in that a bearing portion capable of swinging the operating body with respect to the support is constituted by the concave inner peripheral surface and the convex curved outer peripheral surface. The first detection mechanism is a rotary variable resistor having a first rotation shaft to which the movement of the first guide shaft is input through the first transmission member.
The second detection mechanism is a rotary variable resistor having a second rotation axis into which the movement of the second guide shaft is input through the second transmission member.
The first transmission member and the second transmission member are formed in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape.
One end side of the first transmission member in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the first rotation shaft, and the other end side of the first transmission member in the longitudinal direction is in the shape of a long hole engaged with the first guide shaft An engagement hole is formed,
One end side of the second transmission member in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the second rotation shaft, and the other end side of the second transmission member in the longitudinal direction is in the shape of a long hole engaged with the second guide shaft The direction input device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein an engagement hole is formed. A first biasing mechanism that biases the operating body toward a predetermined reference position in a swinging direction of the operating body in which the first direction is an axial direction of swinging; a shaft that swings the second direction And a second biasing mechanism that biases the operating body toward a predetermined reference position in the swinging direction of the operating body.
The first biasing mechanism is formed in a flat plate shape and one end thereof is rotatably supported by the first rotation shaft and the other end abuts on the first guide shaft from one side in the axial direction of the support. A first lever member, and a second lever formed so as to have a flat plate shape and having one end rotatably supported by the first rotary shaft and the other end abutting on the first guide shaft from the other side in the axial direction of the support A movement range of the lever member and the other end side of the first lever member to the other side in the axial direction of the support is regulated, and the other end of the second lever member to the one side in the axial direction of the support The first lever member and the second lever member are attached in such a direction that the first restricting member for restricting the side movement range, and the other end side of the first lever member and the other end side of the second lever member approach each other. And a first biasing member for biasing
The second biasing mechanism is formed in a flat plate shape, and one end thereof is rotatably supported by the second rotation shaft and the other end abuts on the second guide shaft from one side in the axial direction of the support. A third lever member, a flat plate, one end of which is rotatably supported by the second rotation shaft and the other end of which is in contact with the second guide shaft from the other side in the axial direction of the support A movement range of the lever member and the other end side of the third lever member to the other side in the axial direction of the support is regulated, and the other end of the fourth lever member to the one side in the axial direction of the support The third lever member and the fourth lever member are attached in such a direction that the second restricting member for restricting the side movement range, and the other end side of the third lever member and the other end side of the fourth lever member approach each other. And a second biasing member for biasing. Directional input device of claim 8, wherein. The first transmission member, the first lever member, and the second lever member are disposed so as to overlap with each other in the axial direction of the first rotation shaft with a gap therebetween, and A gap is formed between the first transmission member and the first restriction member in the axial direction,
The second transmission member, the third lever member, and the fourth lever member are disposed so as to overlap with each other with a gap in the axial direction of the second rotation shaft, and the shaft of the second rotation shaft The direction input device according to claim 9, wherein a gap is formed between the second transmission member and the second regulating member in the direction. A holder for holding the support such that movement of the support in the axial direction of the support is possible, and biasing the support toward one of the support in the axial direction with respect to the holder And an urging member,
The direction input device according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the holding body includes a restricting member that restricts a moving range of the support in one of the axial directions of the support.

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