JP7171861B2 - electronic pen - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic pen that is used with a position detection device and has a writing pressure detection function.

In recent years, as input devices for portable tablets, personal computers, etc., an electronic pen (stylus pen) that constitutes a position indicator, and a position detection device that has an input surface for accepting pointing operations and character and graphic input with this electronic pen. Those composed of are prized.

There are various types of electronic pens, such as an electromagnetic induction type and an electrostatic coupling type, and they are generally configured to have a writing pressure detection function. In this type of electronic pen, an opening is provided in one of the axial directions of the housing of the electronic pen, and the tip of the rod-shaped core protrudes from this opening. A structure having a space that allows the core to move in the axial direction so that the writing pressure applied to the core can be transmitted to the provided writing pressure detection unit. is designed to have

By the way, in recent years, the use of tablets and the like outdoors has been increasing. However, as described above, the electronic pen has an opening in the housing for allowing the tip of the core to protrude outside, and if it has a pen pressure detection function, the core can move in the axial direction. In order to be able to move to the above, it has a configuration having a space that communicates with the opening. As a result, water, dust, etc. may enter the housing through these openings and spaces, affecting the electrical components and connections housed in the housing of the electronic pen, and possibly causing the electronic pen to malfunction. was there.

For this reason, there has recently been a demand for waterproof and dustproof electronic pens, and various proposals have been made in the past. For example, in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-198193), for example, a conical rubber cap having a through hole formed at the top so as to fit closely with the core body is attached to the opening of the housing of the electronic pen. An overlying configuration is disclosed. In this configuration, the core body is attached through the through-hole of the rubber cap with the tip protruding.

According to this configuration, the opening of the housing is covered with the rubber cap and is not exposed to the outside, and the gap between the core and the rubber cap is formed by the close contact between the through hole and the side peripheral surface of the core. Therefore, waterproofness and dustproofness can be ensured.

JP 2010-198193 A

However, in the case of Patent Document 1, a rubber cap is placed over the opening of the electronic pen so as not to expose the opening of the housing of the electronic pen to the outside, so the rubber cap itself is not exposed to the outside. may come off. In addition, since the rubber cap of Patent Document 1 has a through hole at the top, if the adhesion between the through hole portion and the core is reduced, the waterproof and dustproof effects may be reduced. . In particular, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, the contact portion between the through-hole of the top portion and the core body is elastically displaced according to the movement of the core body in the axial direction according to the application of writing pressure. The through-holes of the core are likely to be deformed, and the adhesion to the core tends to be weak, which may reduce the waterproof and dustproof effects.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems and to provide an electronic pen capable of ensuring waterproofness and dustproofness.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention
a housing having a hollow space;
an opening formed on one side of the housing in the axial direction;
a core body provided outside the housing so as to protrude from the opening;
a core insertion portion having a space into which the core is inserted;
with
The space communicates with a first space outside the housing through the opening, and is separated from a second space in which pen module parts exist in the hollow space. offer.

1 is a diagram for explaining an example of an electronic device in which an embodiment of an electronic pen according to the invention is used; FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view for explaining an internal configuration example of an embodiment of an electronic pen according to the present invention; FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view for explaining a configuration example of a writing pressure detection module in an embodiment of an electronic pen according to the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a component group of a pressure sensing unit used in a writing pressure detection module in an embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention; 1 is a diagram for explaining a main part in an internal configuration example of an embodiment of an electronic pen according to the present invention; FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a main part in an internal configuration example of an embodiment of an electronic pen according to the present invention; FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a main part in an internal configuration example of an embodiment of an electronic pen according to the present invention; FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a main part in an internal configuration example of an embodiment of an electronic pen according to the present invention; FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a main part in an internal configuration example of an embodiment of an electronic pen according to the present invention; FIG. It is a figure which shows the circuit structural example of the position detection apparatus used with embodiment of the electronic pen by this invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of another embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration example of a position detection device used with another embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention;

Embodiments of an electronic pen according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The electronic pens of the embodiments described below are of the type that transmit an indicated position to a position detection device by an electromagnetic induction method.

FIG. 1 shows an example of an electronic device 200 using the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment. In this example, the electronic device 200 is, for example, a high-performance mobile phone terminal having a display screen 200D of a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). A device 202 is provided.

The housing of the electronic device 200 in this example has a housing recess 201 for housing the electronic pen 1 . The user takes out the electronic pen 1 stored in the recessed storage hole 201 from the electronic device 200 as necessary, and performs a position indication operation using the display screen 200D as an input surface.

In the electronic device 200, when a position indication operation is performed with the electronic pen 1 on the display screen 200D, the position detection device 202 provided on the back side of the display screen 200D detects the position and pen pressure operated with the electronic pen 1. is detected, and the microcomputer included in the position detection device 202 of the electronic device 200 performs display processing according to the operation position and pen pressure on the display screen 200D.

In the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment, a plurality of parts of the electronic pen 1 are arranged and accommodated in the axial direction in a hollow portion of a cylindrical case (housing) 2 made of resin, for example. One end of the cylindrical case is tapered, and an opening (not shown in FIG. 1) is provided at the end. It is designed to be exposed as a tip. A case cap 21 is fitted to the opposite side of the case 2 to the pen tip side to close the case 2 in a state in which sealing is ensured in consideration of waterproofness and dustproofness.

In this example, the electronic pen 1 is configured to have a side switch. That is, a printed circuit board is provided in the hollow part inside the case 2 as will be described later, and the side switch is mounted on this printed circuit board. A through hole (not shown in FIG. 2) is drilled in the side peripheral surface of the case 2 of the electronic pen 1 at a position corresponding to the side switch. The element 22 is exposed through the through hole so that the side switch mounted on the printed circuit board can be pressed. In this case, a predetermined function is assigned and set on the side of the electronic device 200 including the position detection device 202 for the pressing operation of the side switch by the pressing operator 22 . For example, in the electronic device 200 of this example, the pressing operation of the side switch by the pressing operator 22 can be assigned and set as an operation similar to the clicking operation of a pointing device such as a mouse.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view in which a group of parts housed in the case 2 of the electronic pen 1 is arranged for each part. In this embodiment, the outer shape of the case 2 in the direction orthogonal to the central axis (equivalent to the contour shape of the cross section of the case 2) is flat. The hollow portion inside the case 2 also has a flat cross-sectional shape corresponding to the outer shape of the case 2, and the parts accommodated in the case 2 also have a shape corresponding to the flat shape of the hollow portion. It is said that

As shown in FIG. 2, in the hollow portion of the case 2, a cap member 4 constituting a first sealing member, a coil member 5, and a coil member holder are arranged in order from the pen tip side in the axial direction of the case 2. 6, a pressing member 7, a writing pressure detection module 8, and a substrate holder 9 are arranged. The printed circuit board 10 is accommodated and locked in the circuit board accommodation portion 91 of the circuit board holder 9 . The printed board 10 is an example of a circuit board.

The core 3 is composed of a core body 31 and a tip 32 that serves as a pen tip. The core main body portion 31 is inserted through the core body portion 31 and attached by engaging with the pressing member 7 provided in the writing pressure detection module 8 as described later. The core body 3 is made of resin, which is an example of a hard non-conductive material, so that the pressure (writing pressure) applied to the tip 32 can be transmitted to the pressure sensing part 83 of the writing pressure detection part 81. For example, it is made of polycarbonate, synthetic resin, ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) resin, or the like. The core body 3 can be inserted into and removed from the electronic pen 1 .

The coil member 5 is composed of a coil 51 and a magnetic core around which the coil 51 is wound, which is a ferrite core 52 in this example. In this example, the ferrite core 52 of the coil member 5 has a penetrating hole having a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the core body portion 31 in order to insert the core body portion 31 of the rod-shaped core body 3 at the center axis position. It has a columnar shape with holes 52a. In this embodiment, the ferrite core 52 has a flat cross-sectional shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the hollow portion of the case 2, and has a tapered portion 52b on the pen tip side. In this example, the tip portion 32 of the core 3 is configured to have a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the core main body portion 31 .

The cap member 4 is provided on the tapered portion 52b side of the ferrite core 52, which is the pen tip side of the electronic pen. The cap member 4 is made of an elastic material such as elastic rubber, and has a cap shape to cover the pen point side of the ferrite core 52. has an opening (through hole) 4a. The diameter of the opening 4a is formed larger than the diameter of the through hole 52a of the ferrite core 52 in this example. In this example, the appearance of the cap member 4 is made into a wide skirt shape as shown in the drawing.

The coil member holder 6 is provided on the end portion side of the ferrite core 52 opposite to the tapered portion 52b which is the pen tip side of the electronic pen. The coil member holder 6 is made of an elastic material such as elastic rubber. An end portion of the ferrite core 52 on the side opposite to the tapered portion 52b, which is the pen tip side of the electronic pen, is a non-coil-wound portion 52c where the coil 51 is not wound. The coil member holder 6 has a fitting portion 61 for fitting and housing the coil non-wound portion 52c of the ferrite core 52, and is press-fitted into a hollow portion 821a of a writing pressure transmission member 82 of the writing pressure detection module 8, which will be described later. It has projections 62 that are mated.

A fitting portion 61 of the coil member holder 6 is provided with a concave hole 61a corresponding to the outer shape of the coil non-winding portion 52c. A through hole 62a (see later-described FIGS. 5A and 5B) through which the core body 31 of the core 3 is inserted is formed in the projection 62 . A through hole 62 a of the projection 62 communicates with a recess 61 a of the fitting portion 61 . Therefore, the coil member holder 6 is formed with a hollow space through which the core body portion 31 of the core body 3 is inserted through the fitting portion 61 and the projecting portion 62 .

When the non-coil-wound portion 52c of the ferrite core 52 of the coil member 5 is fitted in the fitting portion 61 of the coil member holder 6, the ferrite core 52 has the core body portion 31 of the core 3. Since the through-hole 52a is formed, a hollow space is formed through which the core body portion 31 of the core body 3 is inserted, communicating with the coil member 5 and the coil member holder 6 .

The pressing member 7 provided on the protruding portion 62 side of the coil member holder 6 has a fitting concave hole 7a (see FIG. 5A described later) into which the end portion 31a of the core body portion 31 of the core 3 is press-fitted. ). The outer diameter of the pressing member 7 is selected to be larger than the through hole 62 a of the protrusion 62 of the coil member holder 6 . Therefore, the core body portion 31 of the core body 3 is inserted through the through hole 52a of the ferrite core 52 of the coil member 5, the concave hole 61a of the fitting portion 61 of the coil member holder 6, and the through hole 62a of the protrusion 62. When the end portion 31a is fitted to the pressing member 7 in a state in which the end portion 31a protrudes toward the pressing member 7, the core body 3 is prevented from falling off due to the presence of the pressing member 7. becomes. However, if the core 3 is strongly pulled toward the tip 32, the end 31a of the core main body 31 is disengaged from the fitting concave hole 7a of the pressing member 7, and the core 3 is pulled out. be able to. That is, the core 3 is replaceable.

In this embodiment, the writing pressure detection module 8 is configured by engaging and coupling a writing pressure detection unit 81 and a writing pressure transmission member 82 .

In this embodiment, the writing pressure detection section 81 is composed of a pressure sensing section 83 made up of a plurality of pressure sensing parts, and a holder 84 having a function of holding the pressure sensing section 83 and performing electrical connection. . The holder 84 is made of an insulating material such as resin. A connection portion 842 for electrically connecting to the printed circuit board 10 which is connected to the substrate is integrally provided.

The writing pressure transmission member 82 engages with the holding portion 841 of the holder 84 of the writing pressure detecting portion 81 so that the plurality of pressure sensing components of the pressure sensing portion 83 are held by the holding portion 841 of the holder 84. do. The pen pressure transmitting member 82 also includes the hollow portion 821a into which the protrusion 62 of the coil member holder 6 is press-fitted, as described above. The protrusion 62 of the coil member holder 6 is press-fitted into the hollow portion 821a of the writing pressure transmission member 82 engaged and coupled with the writing pressure detection portion 81, whereby the writing pressure detection module 8 and the coil member 5 are connected. and are combined.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view for explaining a configuration example of the writing pressure detection module 8 in more detail. 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining a pressure-sensing component group that constitutes the pressure-sensing section 83. As shown in FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the writing pressure detection module 8 in a state accommodated in the case 2. FIG. 5B is an external perspective view of the coil member holder 6 when viewed from the projection 62 side thereof, and FIG. Fig. 10 is an external perspective view when viewed from the connecting portion side of the .

In this embodiment, the pressure sensing portion 83 of the writing pressure detection portion 81 is composed of a dielectric 831, a spacer 832, and a conductive elastic body 833, as shown in FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the dielectric 831 has, for example, a substantially disk shape, and has circular one surface 831a and the other circular surface 831b facing each other. A circular conductor layer 834 is formed on 831a. This conductor layer 834 constitutes the first electrode of the variable capacitor as the pressure sensitive portion 83 of this example.

The spacer 832 is made of an insulating material, and is a ring-shaped thin plate having the same outer diameter as the dielectric 831, as shown in FIG. 4B.

The conductive elastic body 833 is made of conductive elastic rubber in this example. As shown in FIG. 4(C), the conductive elastic body 833 of this example is composed of disc-shaped thin plate-like bodies 833a having the same outer diameter as the dielectric body 831 and spaced apart from each other by 180 angles. It has a shape in which two projecting portions 833b and 833c are formed from the peripheral edge. The spacer 832 is adhered, for example, to the disk-like plate-like body 833a of the conductive elastic body 833. As shown in FIG.

By stacking a conductive elastic body 833 on the side of the other surface 831b of the dielectric 831 with a spacer 832 interposed therebetween, a variable capacitance capacitor as the pressure sensing section 83 of this example is configured. The variable capacitor as the pressure sensing part 83 of this example has a first electrode composed of a conductor layer 834 formed on one surface 831a of a dielectric 831 and a second electrode composed of a conductive elastic body 833. and an electrode.

The holder 84 of the writing pressure detection unit 81 is configured to integrally include a holding portion 841 and a connection portion 842 as, for example, an injection molded product using resin. The connection part 842 of the holder 84 of the pen pressure detection part 81 is a plate-shaped projection that protrudes in the axial direction (the same direction as the direction of application of pen pressure) parallel to the substrate surface 10a of the printed circuit board 10. A portion 8421 is provided. The projecting portion 8421 has a plane parallel to the substrate surface 10 a of the printed circuit board 10 . The plane of the protruding portion 8421 is provided so as to be in direct contact with the substrate surface 10a when the writing pressure detection module 8 is fitted with the substrate holder 9 and engaged with the printed substrate 10 .

In this embodiment, the holder 84 has two terminal members 843 and 844 (for ease of understanding, FIG. 2) extending from the holding portion 841 to the connecting portion 842 as a conductive three-dimensional fine pattern. and hatched in FIG. 3) are formed along the direction in which writing pressure is applied, that is, in the axial direction of the electronic pen 1 . As a result, the terminal members 843 and 844 are formed integrally with the holder 84 .

Here, as a method of forming the two terminal members 843 and 844 as a three-dimensional fine pattern on the surface of the holder 84, for example, MIPTEC (Microscopic Integrated Processing Technology) developed by Panasonic Corporation can be used. A nickel plating layer is formed on the surfaces of the terminal members 843 and 844 formed as a three-dimensional fine pattern to facilitate electrical connection by contact, and a gold plating layer is further formed thereon.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the two terminal members 843 and 844 are provided at both ends of the projecting portion 8421 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the writing pressure is applied. They are formed so as to be spaced apart from each other along the sides. The two terminal members 843 and 844 are formed to be exposed at least at both edges of the projecting portion 8421 .

A holding portion 841 of the holder 84 of the writing pressure detection portion 81 includes a recess 841a for accommodating the pressure sensing portion 83 in which the dielectric 831, the spacer 832, and the conductive elastic body 833 are combined. Engagement protrusions 841b, 841c, 841d, and 841e protrude toward the pen pressure transmitting member 82 side (core body 3 side) in the center direction. One end 844a of the terminal member 844 is exposed at the bottom of the recess 841a (see hatched area in FIG. 3). The dielectric 831 is accommodated so that the conductor layer 834 formed on one surface 831a abuts one end 844a of the terminal member 844 at the bottom of the recess 841a. Therefore, when the dielectric 831 is housed and held in the recess 841a, the conductive layer 834 as the first electrode of the pressure sensing portion 83 and one end portion 844a of the terminal member 844 are in contact with each other and electrically connected. It will be connected.

Between the engaging projections 841b and 841c of the holding portion 841 of the holder 84 of the pen pressure detecting portion 81 and between the engaging projections 841d and 841e, the projections 833b and 833b of the conductive elastic body 833 and An end face is formed against which 833c abuts. In this embodiment, one end portion 843a of the terminal member 843 is formed to be exposed on the end face between the engaging projections 841b and 841c (see hatched portion in FIG. 3). Therefore, when the conductive elastic body 833 is housed and held in the recess 841 a of the holder 84 together with the dielectric 831 and the spacer 832 , the projecting part 833 b of the conductive elastic body 833 is positioned at one end of the terminal member 843 . By abutting against 843a, the conductive elastic body 833 and the terminal member 843 are brought into contact and electrically connected.

Thus, in this embodiment, by housing and holding the pressure sensing portion 83 in the holding portion 841 of the holder 84 of the pen pressure detecting portion 81, the first electrode and the second electrode of the pressure sensing portion 83 are connected to the connection portion 842. are automatically electrically connected to the two terminal members 843 and 844 of the .

In this embodiment, the two terminal members 843 and 844 of the connecting portion 842 of the holder 84 of the pen pressure detecting portion 81 are connected to the conductive pattern formed on the printed board 10 accommodated in the board holder 9, configured to be electrically connected;

The substrate holder 9 is made of an insulating material such as resin, and includes a substrate storage portion 91 and a fitting portion 92 for fitting the holder 84 of the writing pressure detection portion 81 of the writing pressure detection module 8 .

The substrate storage portion 91 of the substrate holder 9 is formed in a box-like shape without a lid. be stored in the direction of the axis of the In this example, the depth of the recessed portion 91 a of the substrate housing portion 91 is approximately equal to the thickness of the printed circuit board 10 .

Also, in this embodiment, the fitting portion 92 of the substrate holder 9 has a tubular shape having a hollow portion into which the connecting portion 842 of the holder 84 of the writing pressure detection portion 81 of the writing pressure detection module 8 is inserted. The printed circuit board 10 is electrically connected to the two terminal members 843 and 844 connected to the two electrodes of the pressure sensing portion 83 of the connection portion 842 of the holder 84 of the writing pressure detection portion 81 . Conductor patterns 101 and 102 are formed in alignment with each other (see FIG. 2).

When the connection portion 842 of the holder 84 of the writing pressure detection module 8 is inserted into the fitting portion 92 of the substrate holder 9, it is stored in the substrate storage portion 91 of the substrate holder 9 as shown in FIG. 5A. The upper surface (board surface) 10a of the printed circuit board 10 is engaged so as to be in contact therewith. As a result, the two electrodes of the pressure sensing portion 83 held by the pen pressure detecting portion 81 and the conductor patterns 101 and 102 formed on the substrate surface 10a of the printed circuit board 10 are connected to the two electrodes of the connection portion 842. are electrically connected through the terminal members 843 and 844 of . The two terminal members 843 and 844 of the connecting portion 842 of the holder 84 of the writing pressure detection portion 81 of the writing pressure detection module 8 and the conductor patterns 101 and 102 of the printed circuit board 10 are used for the writing pressure detection of the writing pressure detection module 8. When the portion 81, the substrate holder 9, and the printed circuit board 10 are fitted and connected, they are brought into contact and electrically connected. .

The substrate holder 9 is prevented from moving in the direction in which the pen pressure is applied to the core 3 by the case cap 21 . Therefore, when the pen pressure detection module 8 is fitted to the substrate holder 9 , the pen pressure detection module 8 is prevented from moving in the axial direction inside the case 2 of the electronic pen 1 . Therefore, the writing pressure detection unit 81 can reliably detect the writing pressure applied to the core.

Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. A closing sealing member 93 is provided. That is, FIG. 6 shows the appearance of this sealing member 93, which is composed of an elastic member such as a rubber ring-shaped member. As shown in FIG. 5A, the fitting portion 92 of the substrate holder 9 is formed with a ring-shaped groove 92a on its peripheral side portion, and a sealing member 93 is provided in the ring-shaped groove 92a. is stored fixedly. In this embodiment, the sealing member 93 is provided with a protrusion 93a and a ring-shaped concave portion of the fitting portion 92 so that the sealing member 93 does not rotate in the circumferential direction of the fitting portion 92. A part of the groove is formed with a notch 92b (see FIG. 5A) for accommodating the projection 93a of the sealing member 93. As shown in FIG.

The sealing member 93 separates the hollow space in the case 2 where the printed circuit board 10 is arranged from the space on the side of the opening 2a where the writing pressure detection module 8 is present and from which the core 3 protrudes. Therefore, the sealing member 93 corresponds to the second sealing member.

The electronic pen 1 of this embodiment uses a resonance circuit consisting of a capacitor and a coil 51 wound around a ferrite core 52 of the coil member 5 in order to transmit the indicated position to the position detection device. A capacitor 103 forming a circuit is formed on the board surface 10a of the printed board 10, as shown in FIG. A side switch 104 is provided on the substrate surface 10a of the printed circuit board 10. The side switch 104 is a push switch that is turned on and off when pushed. Furthermore, the board surface 10a of the printed board 10 is provided with a capacitor 105 connected in series with the side switch 104 and other electronic components.

The series circuit of the side switch and the capacitor 105 is connected in parallel to the resonance circuit composed of the coil 51 and the capacitor 103, and the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit is changed according to whether the side switch 104 is turned on or off. , the side switch 104 is turned on or remains off to the position detection device 202 .

As described above, the writing pressure detection unit 81 of the writing pressure detection module 8 of this embodiment uses, as the pressure sensing unit 83, a variable capacitor that exhibits a capacitance corresponding to the writing pressure. In the electronic pen 1, by connecting the variable capacitor of the pressure sensing section 83 of the writing pressure detection section 81 of the writing pressure detection module 8 to the resonance circuit, the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit corresponds to the writing pressure. make sure to

The position detection device 202 corresponding to the electronic pen 1 has a function of detecting the pen pressure applied to the pen tip of the electronic pen 1 by detecting changes in the resonance frequency of the electromagnetic coupling signal from the electronic pen 1. . The conductive patterns 101 and 102 described above serve as terminals for connecting the variable capacitor formed by the pressure sensing section 83 of the writing pressure detection section 81 of the writing pressure detection module 8 to the resonance circuit.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5C, the writing pressure transmission member 82 of the writing pressure detection module 8 includes a tubular body portion 821 having a hollow portion 821a therein, and a hollow portion 821a of the tubular body portion 821. A barrier 822 that closes the hollow space of is integrally formed.

In this example, the barrier 822 is composed of a thin plate-like body, but as shown in FIGS. By making the recesses 822a and 822b thin portions, the recesses 822a and 822b are configured to be elastically displaceable in the plate thickness direction. In this embodiment, the barrier 822 is made of an elastic member such as an elastomer, and together with the thin portions of the concave portions 822a and 822b, the barrier 822 can be elastically displaced in the plate thickness direction. It is configured.

The cylindrical body portion 821 may be made of a non-elastic material such as resin, or may be made of an elastomer like the barrier 822 . When the cylindrical body portion 821 is made of a non-elastic material and the barrier 822 is made of an elastic elastomer, the writing pressure transmission member 82 may be manufactured by two-color molding.

The side of the hollow portion 821a of the cylindrical body portion 821 on which the barrier 822 is not provided is an opening, and the protrusion 62 of the coil member holder 6 is press-fitted into the hollow portion 821a from the opening side. be. In this example, two ring-shaped protrusions 621 and 622 are provided on the side peripheral surface of the protrusion 62 of the coil member holder 6 as shown in FIGS. The coil member holder 6 is fitted to the writing pressure transmission member 82 without creating a gap with the inner wall of the writing pressure transmission member 82 due to the ring-shaped protrusions 621 and 622 . In this example, two ring-shaped projections 621 and 622 are formed on the projection 62, but the number of ring-shaped projections may be one.

Prior to the press-fitting of the coil member holder 6, the pressing member 7 is inserted into the hollow portion 821a of the writing pressure transmission member 82 so that the fitting recessed hole 7a faces the opening side of the cylindrical body portion 821 and the pressing member 7 is fitted. The writing pressure transmitting member 82 is housed so that the side opposite to the fitting recessed hole 7a abuts against the barrier 822 of the writing pressure transmitting member 82. As shown in FIG. Since the outer diameter of the pressing member 7 is larger than the through hole 62a of the protrusion 62 of the coil member holder 6, when the coil member holder 6 is press-fitted into the hollow portion 821a of the writing pressure transmitting member 82, the pressing member 7 is , is accommodated in the hollow portion 821a of the pen pressure transmitting member 82 without falling out of the hollow portion 821a.

Then, the core body portion 31 of the core body 3 is inserted through the through hole 52a of the ferrite core 52 of the coil member 5, the concave hole 61a of the fitting portion 61 of the coil member holder 6, and the through hole 62a of the protrusion 62. When pushed, the end portion 31a of the core body portion 31 of the core body 3 is press-fitted into the fitting concave hole 7a of the pressing member 7 of the hollow portion 821a of the writing pressure transmission member 82, as shown in FIG. 5(A). mated.

Therefore, when writing pressure is applied to the core 3, the writing pressure is transmitted to the pressing member 7, and the pressing member 7 presses the barrier 822 of the writing pressure transmission member 82, and the barrier 822 is It elastically displaces in the axial direction according to the writing pressure applied.

As described above, when the coil member 5 is fitted to the writing pressure transmission member 82 via the coil member holder 6, the through hole 52a of the ferrite core 52 of the coil member 5 and the coil member holder 6 are fitted. The concave hole 61a of the joining portion 61 and the through hole 62a of the projecting portion 62 communicate with each other to form a hollow space through which the core main body portion 31 of the core 3 is inserted. This hollow space is closed by the barrier 822 of the writing pressure transmission member 82 . That is, in this example, the coil member 5, the coil member holder 6, and the writing pressure transmission member 82 are fitted together to form a core insertion member.

The cylindrical body portion 821 of the writing pressure transmitting member 82 also has an engaging protrusion 823a that engages with the engaging protrusion 841b and the engaging protrusion 841c of the holding portion 841 of the holder 84 of the writing pressure detecting portion 81, An engaging protrusion 823b that engages with the engaging protrusion 841d and the engaging protrusion 841e is formed. An engaging claw portion 841bt and an engaging claw portion 841ct that engage with the engaging projection 823a are formed at the tips of the engaging projection portion 841b and the engaging claw portion 841c of the holding portion 841 of the holder 84. An engaging claw portion 841dt and an engaging claw portion 841et that engage with the engaging protrusion 823b are formed at the tips of the mating projection portion 841d and the engaging claw portion 841e.

When the pen pressure transmitting member 82 is coupled to the holder 84 in the axial direction while the pressure sensing portion 83 is housed in the holding portion 841 of the holder 84, as shown in FIG. As a result, the pressure sensing portion 83 is held by the holding portion 841 of the holder 84 . At this time, the engaging protrusion 841b and the engaging protrusion 841c of the holding portion 841 of the holder 84 engage with the engaging protrusion 823a of the pen pressure transmitting member 82. At the same time, the engaging projection 841d and the engaging claw 841dt at the tip of the engaging projection 841e and the engaging projection 841et are engaged with the engaging projection 823b, and the writing pressure transmitting member is attached to the holding portion 841 of the holder 84. 82 are engaged. As a result, the writing pressure transmission member 82 is locked to the holder 84, and the two are coupled.

In the state where the writing pressure transmission member 82 is engaged with the holder 84 in this way, as shown in FIG. A conductor layer 834 (first electrode) on one end face of the dielectric 831 of the pressure portion 83 is electrically connected to one end 844a of the terminal member 844, and a conductive elastic body 833 (second electrode) is electrically connected to one end 843a of the terminal member 843 .

In the state where the writing pressure transmitting member 82 is engaged with the holder 84 and coupled, as shown in FIG. It becomes possible to press 833 . In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5C, a tip 823at of the engaging projection 823a of the writing pressure transmission member 82 on the side of the barrier 822 and a tip 823bt of the engaging projection 823b on the side of the barrier 822 are axially centered. It is obliquely formed so as to protrude slightly from the surface of the barrier 822 in the direction. Therefore, due to the presence of the tip 823at of the engaging projection 823a of the writing pressure transmission member 82 on the barrier 822 side and the tip 823bt of the engaging projection 823b on the barrier 822 side, when the writing pressure is not applied, the tip 823b of FIG. ), the barrier 822 faces the conductive elastic body 833 of the pressure sensing portion 83 with a small space therebetween.

As described above, when writing pressure is applied to the core 3, the pressure member 7 presses the barrier 822 of the writing pressure transmission member 82 according to the applied writing pressure. The barrier 822 is elastically displaced in the axial direction according to the writing pressure applied, and the elastic displacement of the barrier 822 presses the conductive elastic body 833 of the pressure sensing portion 83 . Therefore, the conductive elastic body 833 and the dielectric body 831 which are spaced apart via the spacer 832 come into contact with each other, and the contact area changes according to the writing pressure. A capacitance corresponding to the contact area between the conductive elastic body 833 and the dielectric body 831 is obtained between the first electrode and the second electrode of the pressure sensing portion 83 . That is, the writing pressure can be detected from the electrostatic capacitance of the variable capacitor as the pressure sensing section 83 .

As described above, the coil member 5 is fitted and coupled to the writing pressure transmission member 82 of the writing pressure detection module 8 via the coil member holder 6, and the writing pressure detection unit 81 of the writing pressure detection module 8 is connected. The connecting portion 842 of the holder 84 is connected to the printed circuit board 10 through the fitting portion 92 of the board holder 9 . As a result, the coil member 5 made of the ferrite core 52 around which the coil 51 is wound, the pen pressure detection module 8, and the board holder 9 holding the printed board 10 are coupled to each other to form one module ( pen module parts).

After the writing pressure detection module 8 and the substrate holder 9 housing the printed circuit board 10 are fitted and coupled together, one end and the other end of the coil 51 of the coil member 5 are connected as shown in FIG. The portions 51a and 51b are connected by soldering, for example, to the terminal members 843 and 844 at the portions of the connection portion 842 of the holder 84 of the writing pressure detection portion 81 that are fitted with the fitting portion 92 of the board holder 9. It is A blackened portion in FIG. 7 indicates the soldered portion.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the fitting portion 92 of the substrate holder 9 includes the one end portion 51a and the other end portion 51b of the coil 51 and the terminal member 843 and terminal member 844. A notch 92a and a notch 92b are formed so that the connecting portion (soldered portion) of the pen pressure detecting module 8 does not interfere with fitting.

Further, in this embodiment, the writing pressure transmission member 82 of the writing pressure detection module 8 is formed with grooves 824a and 824b extending in the axial direction, and the holder 84 of the writing pressure detection unit 81 has a circumferential surface. Also, grooves 845a and 845b are formed in the axial direction so as to be continuous with the grooves 824a and 824b of the writing pressure transmission member 82, respectively. As shown in FIG. 7, one and the other end portions 51a and 51b of the coil 51 of the coil member 5 pass through the recessed grooves 824a, 824b and the recessed grooves 845a, 845b to the pen pressure detecting portion. It is soldered and connected to the terminal member 843 and the terminal member 844 of the connecting portion 842 of the holder 84 of 81 .

As a result, the one end 51a and the other end 51b of the coil 51 of the coil member 5 are prevented from protruding in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction in the pen module component. Furthermore, in this example, as shown in FIG. 5(B), one and the other end portions 51a and 51b of the coil are engaged with the pen module part on the outer peripheral portion of the fitting portion 61 of the coil member holder 6. A stepped portion 61b and a stepped portion 61c are formed to prevent it from coming out.

In addition, in the terminal member 843 and the terminal member 844, instead of simply soldering the one end and the other end 51a and 51b of the coil 51, a V-shaped metal terminal is provided at the position of the terminal member 843 and the terminal member 844. etc. are formed, and the one and other ends 51a and 51b of the coil 51 may be engaged with the V-shaped metal terminals. Even in that case, soldering may be used for more reliable electrical connection.

By electrically connecting one and the other end portions 51 a and 51 b of the coil 51 to the terminal members 843 and 844 in this way, the terminal members 843 and 844 are connected to the capacitor 103 on the printed circuit board 10 . Therefore, a resonance circuit is formed, and the variable capacitor formed by the pressure sensing section 83 is connected in parallel to the resonance circuit. This eliminates the need to extend the one and the other ends 51a and 51b of the coil 51 to the printed circuit board 10 and solder them on the board surface 10a of the printed circuit board 10 .

After the writing pressure detection module 8 and the substrate holder 9 holding the printed circuit board 10 are coupled to each other as described above, the terminal members 843 and 844 of the connection portion 842 of the writing pressure detection portion 81 are connected to each other. , the connection portion between the conductor pattern 101 and the conductor pattern 102 on the substrate surface 10a of the printed circuit board 10 is soldered as necessary. Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 9A, the side switch 104 is allowed to press on the board surface 10a of the printed board 10 housed in the board housing portion 91 of the board holder 9. Therefore, the side switch 104 is covered with the resin molded member 110 except for the side switch 104 .

A case of the electronic pen 1 is a pen module component in which the coil member 5, the writing pressure detection module 8, and the substrate holder 9 for holding the printed circuit board 10 are combined to form a single module. 2 is housed in the hollow portion. A depressing operator 22 for depressing the side switch 104 is attached when the pen module parts are housed in the hollow portion of the case 2 .

FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view of the portion where the substrate holder 9 is accommodated in the case 2. FIG. 9B is a view of the mounting member 23 of the side switch 104 as viewed from the side facing the printed circuit board 10. As shown in FIG. FIG. 9C is a view of the push-down operator 22 for the side switch 104 as viewed from the side facing the printed circuit board 10. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the case 2 is formed with a through hole 2b for disposing the push-down operator 22. As shown in FIG. The push-down operator 22 is made of resin, for example, and is formed into a shape that fits exactly into the through hole 2b of the case 2, as shown in FIG. 9(C). As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9C, cylindrical projections 221 and 222 that engage with the mounting member 23 are formed on the surface of the push-down operator 22 facing the printed circuit board 10 . .

The mounting member 23 is made of a material having elasticity, such as resin in this example. A protrusion 233 is formed for pressing the side switch 104 . The through holes 231 and 232 of the mounting member 23 are circular portions 231a and 232a having the same diameter as the projections 221 and 222 of the push-down operator 22, and linear holes having a width shorter than the diameter of the projections 221 and 222. 231b and 232b.

At the root position of the columnar projections 221 and 222 of the push-down operator 22, the push-down operator 22 is engaged with the linear holes 231b and 232b of the through holes 231 and 232 of the mounting member 23, so that the push-down operator 22 is attached to the mounting member. Cut portions 221a and 222a (see the dotted line in FIG. 9(C)) are formed so as not to come off from 23 . In addition, the linear holes 231b and 232b of the through holes 231 and 232 of the mounting member 23 correspond to the notches 221a and 222b at the root positions of the cylindrical projections 221 and 222 of the pressing operator 22, and the mounting member 23 is formed slightly thinner than other portions.

As shown in FIGS. 9A and 2, a concave hole 91b for engaging the mounting member 23 is provided at the end of the substrate holder 9 on the case cap 21 side. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, bent projections 234 are formed at the ends of the mounting member 23 in the longitudinal direction so as to fit into the concave holes 91b.

Prior to housing the pen module parts in the case 2, as shown in FIG. The bent protrusion 234 of the mounting member 23 is fitted into the recessed hole 91 b , and the mounting member 23 is mounted on the printed circuit board 10 covered with the resin mold member 110 of the board holder 9 .

Next, the pen module part to which the mounting member 23 is attached is housed in the case 2 from the side opposite to the opening 2a on the pen tip side. Then, when the through holes 231 and 232 of the mounting member 23 attached to the pen module part can be seen from the through hole 2 b of the case 2 , the pressing operator 22 is inserted into the through hole 2 b of the case 2 . The projections 221 and 222 of the push-down operator 22 are inserted into the circular portions 231a and 232a of the through holes 231 and 232 of the mounting member 23 so as to engage.

Then, the pen module part is further pushed into the case 2 . Then, the projections 221 and 222 of the push-down operator 22 inserted into the circular portions 231a and 232a of the through holes 231 and 232 of the mounting member 23 are pushed into the linear holes 231b of the through holes 231 and 232 of the mounting member 23. , and 232b, and the depressing operation element 22 engages with the mounting member 23 so as not to come off. As described above, the pressing operator 22 is attached by being engaged with the attachment member 23 when the pen module parts are housed in the case 2 .

In this case, the cap member 4 is disposed near the opening of the pen tip side of the hollow portion of the case 2 of the pen module component so as to cover the tapered portion 52b of the ferrite core 52, as described above. As described above, the cap member 4 is made of elastic rubber, and seals to eliminate the gap between the tip side of the ferrite core 52 of the coil member 5 and the inner wall surface of the hollow portion of the case 2. It becomes the first sealing member.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic pen 1 on the side of the opening 2a of the case 2 when the pen module parts are housed in the hollow part of the case 2. FIG. In this case, when the case cap 21 is fitted to the case 2 , the pen module parts are pressed toward the opening 2 a of the case 2 by the case cap 21 . Therefore, the taper portion 52b of the ferrite core 52 of the coil member 5 presses the cap member 4 against the inner wall of the case 2, thereby eliminating the gap with the inner wall of the case 2 for sealing. In this example, the cap member 4 has a flared skirt shape as described above, so as shown in FIG. Dust-proof effect and waterproof effect are improved by sealing.

By sealing the opening 2a side of the case 2 with the cap member 4, the space of the through hole 52a of the ferrite core 52 is separated from the space of the hollow portion in which the pen module parts are accommodated inside the case 2. be.

That is, as described above, in this example, the coil member 5, the coil member holder 6, and the writing pressure transmission member 82 are fitted together to form the core insertion member. The hollow space of the core insertion member is composed of the through hole 52a of the ferrite core 52 of the coil member 5, the concave hole 61a and the through hole 62a of the coil member holder 6, and the hollow portion 821a of the writing pressure transmitting member 82. It is blocked by the barrier 822 of the pressure transmission member 82 .

In this case, at the fitting portion between the protrusion 62 of the coil member holder 6 and the writing pressure transmission member 82 , the ring-shaped protrusions 621 and 622 of the coil member holder 6 are positioned between the coil member holder 6 and the writing pressure transmission member 82 . Sealing is ensured by close contact with the inner wall of the hollow portion 821a. As a result, the hollow space of the core insertion member is an independent space isolated from the rest except for the opening side of the through hole 52 a of the ferrite core 52 . In the hollow space of the core body inserting member, there are no electric parts and no electrical connection parts. is not required.

On the tapered portion 52b side of the ferrite core 52, which is the end portion of the core body insertion member on the core body 3 side, as described with reference to FIG. The sealing separates the hollow space of the core insertion member from the hollow space in which the pen module parts inside the case 2 are accommodated.

Therefore, even if dust or moisture enters the hollow space of the core insertion member, the dust or moisture does not enter the hollow space inside the case 2 in which the pen module parts are accommodated. Therefore, it is not necessary to seal the space between the core body 3 and the hollow space of the core body inserting member. can be ensured.

When the pen module parts are housed in the case 2, as shown in FIGS. The sealing member 93 is in close contact with the inner wall surface of the case 2 and seals the hollow portion of the case 2 so as to separate the pen tip side and the case cap 21 side from the fitting portion 92 .

As described above, on the pen point side, the hollow space of the case 2 is sealed by the cap member 4 with respect to the external space. Therefore, the space on the pen point side of the fitting portion 92 in the hollow portion of the case 2 is waterproofed by the first sealing by the cap member 4 and the second sealing by the sealing member 93 of the fitting portion 92 . And it becomes a sealed space where dust resistance is ensured.

Therefore, the space on the pen tip side of the fitting portion 92 in the hollow portion of the case 2 is prevented from entering moisture and dust from the external space on the pen tip side opening 2a side of the electronic pen 1. At the same time, entry of moisture and entry of dust through the through hole 2b of the portion where the push-down operation element 22 of the side switch 104 is provided is prevented. As described above, the pressure sensing portion 83 is arranged in the space on the pen tip side of the fitting portion 92 in the hollow portion of the case 2, and the connecting portion between the coil 51 and the pressure sensing portion 53 and the Connections with the capacitor 103, the side switch 104, and the capacitor 105 of the printed circuit board 10 are arranged, and waterproofness and dustproofness can be ensured for these.

Since the board surface 10a of the printed circuit board 10 is covered with the resin mold member 110 on the side of the case cap 21 from the fitting part 92 of the hollow part in the case 2, the pressing operation element 22 of the side switch 104 is Even if moisture and dust enter through the through holes 2b provided, the electronic components on the board surface 10a of the printed circuit board 10 are kept waterproof and dustproof.

In this embodiment, the writing pressure transmission member 82 of the writing pressure detection module 8 is fitted with the coil member 5 via the coil member holder 6, so that the centerline of the writing pressure detection module 8 in the axial direction The position coincides with the axial centerline position of the ferrite core 52 of the coil member 5 . The pen pressure detection module 8 is fitted to the fitting portion 92 of the substrate holder 9 and coupled to the printed circuit board 10 . And it is connected to the printed circuit board 10 at a predetermined position. Further, when the pen module parts are accommodated in the hollow portion of the case 2 , the axial centerline position of the writing pressure detection module 8 and the axial centerline position of the ferrite core 52 are aligned with the hollow portion of the case 2 . The substrate holder 9 is coupled to the case cap 21 so as to coincide with the centerline position in the axial direction of the part.

The core main body 31 of the core 3 is inserted through the opening 2a (see FIG. 8) of the case 2, the opening 4a of the cap member 4, and the through hole 52a of the ferrite core 52 to form a writing pressure detection module. 8 is fitted to the pressing member 7 in the writing pressure transmission member 82 .

As described above, according to this embodiment, the first sealing and the second sealing for the waterproofness and dustproofness of the electronic pen 1 can be performed only by housing the pen module parts in the case 2 . According to this embodiment, the hollow space of the core inserting member composed of the coil member 5, the coil member holder 6, and the writing pressure transmitting member 82 of the writing pressure detection module 8 is sealed from the outside. Therefore, the core body 3 can move freely in the axial direction.

According to the above-described embodiment, the two terminal members 843 of the pen pressure detection module 8 and the pen pressure detection module 8 are connected by simply fitting the pen pressure detection module 8 to the substrate holder 9 to which the printed circuit board 10 is locked. 844 contacts the conductor patterns 101 and 102 formed on the substrate surface 10a of the printed circuit board 10 to establish an electrical connection. That is, the positioning of the electrical connection between the two terminal members 843 and 844 of the writing pressure detection module 8 and the conductor patterns 101 and 102 of the printed circuit board 10 requires the insertion of the writing pressure detection module 8 into the substrate holder 9. This is done automatically by simply fitting into the mating portion 92 .

[Circuit Configuration for Position Detection and Pen Pressure Detection of Electronic Pen 1 in Position Detection Device 202]
Next, a circuit configuration example of the position detection device 202 that detects the pointed position and the writing pressure using the electronic pen 1 of the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 10 . FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration example of the position detection device 202 of this example.

The electronic pen 1 includes a coil 51, a capacitor 103, a variable capacitance capacitor 83C composed of a pressure sensing unit 83 of the writing pressure detection unit 81 of the writing pressure detection module 8, and a series circuit of a side switch 104 and a capacitor 105. A resonance circuit 1R composed of a parallel circuit is provided. In this case, since the capacitance of the variable capacitor 83C formed by the pressure sensing portion 83 of the pen pressure detection portion 81 changes according to the pen pressure applied, the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit 1R changes according to the pen pressure. change by Whether or not the capacitor 105 is connected to the resonance circuit 1R is controlled depending on whether the side switch 104 is on or off, and the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit 1R changes.

The position detection device 202 detects the position on the sensor indicated by the electronic pen 1 from the position on the sensor where the signal received from the resonance circuit 1R of the electronic pen 1 by electromagnetic coupling is detected, and detects the position on the sensor indicated by the electronic pen 1. The writing pressure applied to the core 3 of the electronic pen 1 is detected by detecting the change in the resonance frequency by detecting the phase change in the signal received by electromagnetic coupling from the resonance circuit 1R.

In the position detection device 202, a position detection coil 240 is formed by laminating an X-axis direction loop coil group 241 and a Y-axis direction loop coil group 242. As shown in FIG. Further, the position detection device 202 is provided with a selection circuit 243 to which the X-axis direction loop coil group 241 and the Y-axis direction loop coil group 242 are connected. This selection circuit 243 sequentially selects one loop coil from the two loop coil groups 241 and 242 .

Further, the position detection device 202 includes an oscillator 251, a current driver 252, a switching connection circuit 253, a reception amplifier 254, a detector 255, a low-pass filter 256, a sample hold circuit 257, and an A/D conversion circuit. 258, a synchronous detector 259, a low-pass filter 260, a sample hold circuit 261, an A/D conversion circuit 262, and a processing control section 263 are provided. The processing control unit 263 is composed of a microcomputer.

Oscillator 251 generates an AC signal of frequency f0. The oscillator 251 then supplies the generated AC signal to the current driver 252 and the synchronous detector 259 . The current driver 252 converts the AC signal supplied from the oscillator 251 into a current and sends it to the switching connection circuit 253 . The switching connection circuit 253 switches the connection destination (transmitting terminal T, receiving terminal R) to which the loop coil selected by the selection circuit 213 is connected under the control of the processing control unit 243 . Among these connection destinations, a current driver 252 is connected to the terminal T on the transmission side, and a reception amplifier 254 is connected to the terminal R on the reception side.

An induced voltage generated in the loop coil selected by the selection circuit 243 is sent to the reception amplifier 254 via the selection circuit 243 and the switching connection circuit 253 . The receiving amplifier 254 amplifies the induced voltage supplied from the loop coil and sends it to the detector 255 and the synchronous detector 259 .

The wave detector 255 detects the induced voltage generated in the loop coil, that is, the received signal, and sends it to the low-pass filter 256 . The low-pass filter 256 has a cut-off frequency sufficiently lower than the aforementioned frequency f 0 , converts the output signal of the wave detector 255 into a DC signal, and sends the DC signal to the sample-and-hold circuit 257 . A sample hold circuit 257 holds the voltage value of the output signal of the low-pass filter 256 at a predetermined timing, specifically a predetermined timing during the reception period, and sends it to an A/D (Analog to Digital) conversion circuit 258 . The A/D conversion circuit 258 converts the analog output of the sample hold circuit 257 into a digital signal and outputs it to the processing control section 263 .

On the other hand, a synchronous detector 259 synchronously detects the output signal of the receiving amplifier 254 with the AC signal from the oscillator 251 and sends a signal having a level corresponding to the phase difference between them to the low-pass filter 260 . The low-pass filter 260 has a cut-off frequency sufficiently lower than the frequency f0, converts the output signal of the synchronous detector 259 into a DC signal, and sends the DC signal to the sample hold circuit 241. FIG. The sample hold circuit 261 holds the voltage value of the output signal of the low-pass filter 260 at a predetermined timing and sends it to an A/D (Analog to Digital) conversion circuit 262 . The A/D conversion circuit 262 converts the analog output of the sample hold circuit 261 into a digital signal and outputs the digital signal to the processing control section 263 .

The processing control section 263 controls each section of the position detection device 202 . That is, the processing control unit 263 controls the selection of loop coils in the selection circuit 243 , the switching of the switching connection circuit 253 , and the timing of the sample hold circuits 257 and 261 . Based on the input signals from the A/D conversion circuits 258 and 262, the processing control unit 263 causes the X-axis direction loop coil group 241 and the Y-axis direction loop coil group 242 to transmit radio waves with a constant transmission duration.

In each of the loop coils of the X-axis direction loop coil group 241 and the Y-axis direction loop coil group 242 , an induced voltage is generated by the radio wave transmitted from the electronic pen 1 . The processing control unit 263 calculates coordinate values of the indicated position of the electronic pen 1 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction based on the voltage value level of the induced voltage generated in each loop coil. Further, the processing control unit 263 detects the writing pressure based on the signal level corresponding to the phase difference (frequency shift) between the transmitted radio wave and the received radio wave. Furthermore, the processing control unit 263 detects whether the side switch 104 is on or off based on the signal level corresponding to the phase difference (frequency difference) between the transmitted radio wave and the received radio wave. .

[Other embodiments]
The above is a case where the present invention is applied to an electromagnetic induction type electronic pen. However, the present invention is also applicable to active capacitive pens, which are examples of capacitive electronic pens. In the electronic pen as an example of the active electrostatic pen described below, the coil wound around the ferrite core is part of a charging circuit that charges the power source of the signal transmission circuit provided in the active electrostatic pen.

FIG. 11 shows a circuit configuration example of the electronic pen 1B having the configuration of the active electrostatic pen of this example. In the electronic pen 1B having the configuration of this active electrostatic pen, the core 3B is configured as an electrode core made of a conductor such as a hard resin mixed with conductive metal or conductive powder. In the following description, core 3B is called electrode core 3B.

Although not shown, in the electronic pen 1B, the barrier 822 of the pen pressure transmitting member 82 is made of a conductive member, and the pressing member 7 is also made of a conductive member. An insulating film for insulation from the writing pressure transmitting member 82 is formed on the surface of the conductive elastic body 833 of the pressure sensing portion 83 corresponding to the barrier 822 . A terminal member configured as a three-dimensional fine pattern is formed on the holder 84 of the writing pressure detection unit 81 in the same manner as the terminal members 843 and 844 so as to be electrically connected to the barrier 822 . The barrier 822 is configured to be electrically connected to this terminal member when the writing pressure transmission member 82 and the writing pressure detection section 81 are engaged.

A signal transmission circuit (IC) for supplying to the electrode core 3B is provided on the substrate surface 10a of the printed circuit board 10, and a terminal member electrically connected to the barrier 822 is connected to the signal transmission circuit. A connecting portion 842 of the holder 84 of the pen pressure detecting portion 81 is formed so as to be electrically connected.

In this example, the electronic circuit formed on the printed circuit board 10, as shown in FIG. It has a circuit configuration including an electric double layer capacitor 302 as an example of a storage element, a rectifying diode 303 and a voltage conversion circuit 304 . The signal transmission circuit 301 is composed of an oscillation circuit in this example.

The electrode core 3B is inserted through the through-hole 52a of the ferrite core 52 of the coil member 5 in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, and the conductive pressing force inside the writing pressure transmitting member 82 of the writing pressure detection module 8 is inserted. It is fitted to the member 7 and presses the conductive barrier 822 through the conductive pressing member 7 . The electrode core 3B is electrically connected to the signal transmission circuit 301 on the printed circuit board as described above.

The two terminal members 843 and 844 of the writing pressure detection module 8 are electrically connected to the signal transmission circuit 301 formed on the printed circuit board, as shown in FIG. The oscillation circuit that constitutes the signal transmission circuit 301 generates a signal whose frequency changes according to the capacitance of the variable capacitor 83BC of the pressure sensing portion 83 of the writing pressure detection portion 81, and supplies the generated signal to the electrode core 3B. do. Further, the signal transmission circuit 301 generates a signal whose frequency changes depending on whether the side switch 104 is turned on or off, and supplies the generated signal to the electrode core 3B.

When the electronic pen 1B of this example is attached to a charger (not shown), an alternating magnetic field generated by the charger generates an induced electromotive force in the coil 51, charging the electric double layer capacitor 302 through the diode 303. do. The voltage conversion circuit 304 converts the voltage stored in the electric double layer capacitor 302 into a constant voltage and supplies it as power to the signal transmission circuit 301 .

When the electronic pen 1B as the electrostatic stylus pen of this example normally operates (when not charging), the coil 51 is at a fixed potential (ground potential (GND) in this example), so the electrode core 3B It acts as a shield electrode provided around the . Note that the fixed potential of the coil 51 when the electrostatic stylus pen normally operates is not limited to the ground potential, and may be the positive potential of the power supply, or an intermediate potential between the positive potential of the power supply and the ground potential. It may be an electric potential.

A signal transmission circuit (oscillation circuit) 301 generates a signal whose frequency varies depending on the capacitance of the variable capacitor 83BC formed by the pressure sensing portion 83 of the writing pressure detection portion 81, or the frequency depending on whether the side switch 104 is turned on or off. generates a varying signal and supplies the generated signal to the electrode core 3B. A signal from the signal transmission circuit 301 is radiated from the electrode core 3B as an electric field based on the signal. An oscillation circuit that constitutes the signal transmission circuit 301 is composed of, for example, an LC oscillation circuit that utilizes resonance of a coil and a capacitor. The position detection device for detecting the coordinate position of the electrostatic stylus pen, which is an example of the electronic pen 1B of this embodiment, can obtain the writing pressure applied to the electrode core 3B from the frequency of this signal.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram for explaining a position detection device 400 that receives a signal from the electronic pen 1B, which is a structure of an electrostatic stylus pen, detects the position on the sensor, and detects the pen pressure. is.

A position detection device 400 of this embodiment comprises a sensor 410 and a pen detection circuit 420 connected to the sensor 410, as shown in FIG. Although the cross-sectional view is omitted in this example, the sensor 410 is formed by laminating a first conductor group 411, an insulating layer (not shown), and a second conductor group 412 in order from the lower layer side. be. The first conductor group 411 separates, for example, a plurality of first conductors 411Y ₁ , _{411Y 2} , . are arranged in parallel in the Y-axis direction.

The second conductor group 412 extends in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the first conductors _{411Y 1} , 411Y ₂ , . A plurality of second conductors 412X ₁ , _{412X 2} , .

In this way, the sensor 410 of the position detection device 400 uses a sensor pattern formed by intersecting the first conductor group 411 and the second conductor group 412 to detect the position indicated by the electronic pen 1B. I have it.

In the following description, the first conductors _{411Y 1} , 411Y ₂ , . Similarly, second conductors 412X ₁ , _{412X 2} , .

The pen detection circuit 420 includes a selection circuit 421 serving as an input/output interface with the sensor 410, an amplifier circuit 422, a bandpass filter 423, a detection circuit 424, a sample hold circuit 425, and AD (Analog to Digital) conversion. It consists of a circuit 426 and a control circuit 427 .

Selection circuit 421 selects one conductor 411 Y or 412 X from first conductor group 411 and second conductor group 412 based on a control signal from control circuit 427 . A conductor selected by the selection circuit 421 is connected to an amplifier circuit 422 , and a signal from the electronic pen 1B is detected by the selected conductor and amplified by the amplifier circuit 422 . The output of this amplifier circuit 422 is supplied to a bandpass filter 423 to extract only the frequency component of the signal transmitted from the electronic pen 1B.

The output signal of the bandpass filter 423 is detected by the detection circuit 424 . The output signal of the detection circuit 424 is supplied to the sample hold circuit 425, sampled and held at a predetermined timing by the sampling signal from the control circuit 427, and then converted into a digital value by the AD conversion circuit 426. Digital data from the AD conversion circuit 426 is read and processed by the control circuit 427 .

The control circuit 427 operates to send control signals to the sample-and-hold circuit 425, the AD conversion circuit 426, and the selection circuit 421 according to a program stored in an internal ROM. Then, the control circuit 427 calculates the position coordinates on the sensor 410 indicated by the electronic pen 1B from the digital data from the AD conversion circuit 426, and calculates the writing pressure detected by the writing pressure detection module of the electronic pen 1B. detect it.

As for the operation flow, the control circuit 427 supplies a selection signal to the selection circuit 421, selects each of the second conductors 412X, and reads the data output from the AD conversion circuit 426 as a signal level.

When a signal with a level equal to or higher than a predetermined value is detected from any of the second conductors 412X, the control circuit 427 selects the number of the second conductor 412X where the highest signal level is detected and a plurality of surrounding conductors 412X. store the second conductor 412X of . Similarly, the control circuit 427 controls the selection circuit 421 to select the first conductor 411Y from which the highest signal level is detected and the plurality of surrounding first conductors 411Y. memorize the number of

Then, the control circuit 427 detects the position on the sensor 410 indicated by the electronic pen 1B from the numbers of the second conductors 412X and the numbers of the first conductors 411Y stored as described above.

The control circuit 427 also detects the frequency of the signal from the AD conversion circuit 426, and detects the pen pressure value detected by the pen pressure detector 81 of the electronic pen 1B from the detected frequency. That is, as described above, the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit that constitutes the signal transmission circuit 301 of the electronic pen 1B corresponds to the capacitance of the variable capacitor 83BC that constitutes the pressure sensing section 83 of the writing pressure detection section 81. frequency. The control circuit 427 has, for example, information on a correspondence table between the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit constituting the signal transmission circuit 301 of the electronic pen 1B and the pen pressure value, and detects the pen pressure value from the information in this correspondence table. do.

In the above example, the electronic pen 1B converts the writing pressure detected by the pressure sensing section 83 of the writing pressure detection section 81 into a frequency and supplies it to the electrode core 3B. The attribute is not limited to the frequency, and the writing pressure may correspond to the phase of the signal, the number of intermittent times of the signal, or the like.

Further, in the electronic pen 1B having the configuration of the active electrostatic pen of the above example, the coil 51 wound around the ferrite core is used as a charging coil, but a battery is used as a power supply source of the power supply voltage of the signal transmission circuit 301. (battery) may be incorporated. In that case, the ferrite core around which the coil is wound becomes unnecessary. In that case, instead of the coil member, a hollow cylindrical body constituting a shield electrode for the electrode core 3B is provided, and this cylindrical body transmits writing pressure via a holding member for the cylindrical body. It can be configured to be fitted with the member 82 .

Further, in the electronic pen 1B having the configuration of the active electrostatic pen of the example described above, the signal transmission circuit 301 is composed only of an oscillation circuit, and the pen pressure is transmitted to the position detection device as a change in its oscillation frequency. However, the signal transmission circuit may be composed of an oscillation circuit and a circuit for performing predetermined modulation on the oscillation signal, and writing pressure information may be transmitted to the position detection device as the above-mentioned ASK signal, for example. good.

[Other embodiments or modifications]
In the above-described embodiment, the case 2 is the external housing of the electronic pen, but the above-described case 2 is used as a case (housing) of the electronic pen cartridge that is housed in the external housing of the electronic pen. good too. In that case, the electronic pen cartridge is guaranteed to be waterproof and dustproof, and a waterproof and dustproof sealing structure for the external housing of the electronic pen is not required. In the case of configuring an electronic pen cartridge, the electronic pen cartridge can be configured as a knock-type replacement lead. In that case, the pen tip side of the electronic pen cartridge case (housing) and The end on the opposite side is configured as a fitting portion that fits into the knock mechanism.

In the above-described embodiments, the variable capacitor configured as the pressure sensing section of the writing pressure detection section is not limited to having a mechanical configuration combining a plurality of parts as in the above example. It is also possible to adopt a one-component configuration using a semiconductor element that varies the capacitance according to the pen pressure as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-161307.

In the above-described embodiment, the pressure sensing section of the writing pressure detection section uses a variable capacitor that varies the capacitance according to the writing pressure. Needless to say, the inductance value and resistance value of can be varied.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Electronic pen, 2... Case (housing), 21... Case cap, 3... Core body, 4... Cap member, 5... Coil member, 51... Coil 51... Ferrite core, 6... Coil member holder, 7... Pressing Members 8... Pen pressure detection module 9... Board holder 10... Printed circuit board 81... Pen pressure detection unit 82... Pen pressure transmission member 83... Pressure sensing unit 84... Holder 822... Barrier 93... Sealing member, 110... resin mold member

Claims (14)

a housing having a hollow space;
an opening formed on one side of the housing in the axial direction;
a core body provided outside the housing so as to protrude from the opening;
a core insertion portion having a space into which the core is inserted;
with
The electronic pen, wherein the space communicates with a first space outside the housing through the opening, and is separated from a second space in which pen module components exist in the hollow space. The electronic pen according to claim 1, further comprising a first sealing member that separates the space of the core insertion portion and the second space. The electronic pen according to claim 1, further comprising a first sealing member separating said first space and said second space. a magnetic core that accommodates the core;
a first sealing member provided on the magnetic core positioned on the opening side of the housing;
The electronic pen of claim 1, further comprising: The magnetic core has a second opening for inserting the core,
5. The electronic pen according to claim 4, wherein the first sealing member comprises a cap-shaped elastic member that covers the second opening of the magnetic core without closing it. further comprising a writing pressure detection unit that detects writing pressure applied to the core,
The core body insertion portion has a barrier,
2. The electronic pen according to claim 1, wherein the barrier separates the space of the core insertion portion from the space in which the writing pressure detection portion exists. The writing pressure is transmitted to the writing pressure detection unit by elastic displacement of the barrier caused by movement of the writing pressure applied to the core body. 7. The electronic pen according to 6. The electronic pen according to claim 6, wherein the barrier is an elastic member. The electronic pen according to claim 6, wherein the writing pressure detection section is coupled with the core insertion section. further comprising a pressing member fitted to the core on the side opposite to the side protruding to the outside of the core;
7. The electronic pen according to claim 6, wherein the core body presses the barrier via the pressing member according to the pen pressure applied. further comprising a writing pressure detection unit that detects writing pressure applied to the core,
A circuit board is disposed on the opposite side of the writing pressure detection section from the core insertion section, and the connection section between the circuit board and the writing pressure detection section is connected to the housing. 2. The electronic pen according to claim 1, further comprising a second sealing member for closing the gap with the inner wall of the body. The circuit board is provided on a board holder, and the board holder is provided with a fitting portion that is fitted with the writing pressure detecting portion, and the second sealing member is provided on the board holder. The electronic pen according to claim 11, wherein the electronic pen is formed in a fitting portion with the pen pressure detecting portion. further comprising a writing pressure detection unit that detects writing pressure applied to the core,
A switch member is disposed on the opposite side of the writing pressure detection section from the core insertion section and is pressed by a pressing member provided so as to be exposed to the outside through an opening provided in the housing. A circuit board with
2. A connecting portion between the circuit board and the pen pressure detecting portion is provided with a second sealing member for closing a gap between the connecting portion and the inner wall of the housing. The electronic pen described in . further comprising a writing pressure detection unit that detects writing pressure applied to the core,
A circuit board is provided on the opposite side of the writing pressure detection section from the core insertion section, and a surface of the circuit board on which electronic components are placed is covered with a molding member. The electronic pen according to claim 1.

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