JPH0132132Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] "Field of industrial application" This invention is called a mouse, which is used to control the movement of a cursor on a display device by operating it with a lever held in the hand. Regarding an instruction controller.

``Prior Art'' This type of conventional orthogonal coordinate position indicating controller rotates a sphere held in its case by moving it in rotation with another object, and connects two encoder plates provided inside the case to the case, for example. Rotate one encoder plate according to the movement in the X-axis direction set to
The other encoder plate is rotated according to the movement in the Y-axis direction, and a light source and a light receiving element are provided facing each other on both sides of the encoder plate, and the X direction in which the cursor should be moved is determined by the rotation of the encoder plate. The Y direction and the amount of movement were detected and input into the connected display.

Conventionally, a light emitting element and a light receiving element are provided facing each other on each encoder plate, and in order to detect the direction of rotation, two light emitting element and light receiving element pairs are required on one encoder plate. In total, four light emitting elements were used. The use of such a large number of light emitting elements has the drawback of increasing the cost of the orthogonal coordinate position pointing controller.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a rectangular coordinate position pointing controller that uses fewer light emitting elements.

``Means for solving the problem'' According to this invention, a common light source, that is, a light emitting element, is provided at approximately the intersection of the normal extension axes of each side of the two encoder plates, and the two encoder plates are illuminated. The number of light emitting elements is reduced.

``Embodiment'' Hereinafter, an embodiment of the orthogonal coordinate position pointing controller according to this invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example of an embodiment of this invention. As shown in FIG. It is said to be large enough to be held in your hand. A part of the sphere 12 protrudes from the bottom surface of the case 11 and is rotatably held by the case 11. Inside the case 11, as shown in FIG. 2, a sphere 12 is rotatably held on the bottom plate 13 of the case 11.
A sphere cover 14 is placed inside the case 11 of this sphere 12.
is covered on the bottom plate 13. Rollers 15 and 16 are installed in the case 11 against the sphere 12.
is transposed. Both axes of the rollers 15 and 16 are substantially parallel to the bottom plate 13 and at substantially right angles to each other,
In this example, the axis of the roller 15 is parallel to one side edge of the bottom plate 13, and the axis of the roller 16 is parallel to one side edge of the bottom plate 13.
parallel to the side edge perpendicular to the side edge of. Holes 17 and 18 are provided in the sphere cover 14 at the rolling contact portions of the rollers 15 and 16 with the sphere 12.
are formed respectively. In addition, the roller 15,
Each of the 16 rotating shafts 21 and 22 is rotatably held by a pair of bearings 23 and 24 provided on the bottom plate 13. Further, an auxiliary roller 26 is rotatably provided on the bottom plate 13 between these rollers 15 and 16 so as to press the sphere 12 toward the rollers 15 and 16. The rotating shaft 27 of the auxiliary roller 26 extends in a direction approximately 45 degrees with respect to the rotating shafts 21 and 22, and a spring (not shown) moves the ball 12 through the auxiliary roller 26 to the rollers 15, 22.
It is pressed against the 16 side.

Encoder plates 28 and 29 are mounted on one ends of the rotating shafts 21 and 22 on the sides that are separated from each other.
The encoder plates 28 and 29 are connected to the rotating shaft 21, respectively.
Radial slits are formed at equal angular intervals with 22 as the center. A pair of light-receiving elements 31 and 32 are provided on opposite surfaces of the encoder plates 28 and 29 from the rollers 15 and 16, respectively, so as to be close to each other and face each other.
These light receiving elements 31 and 32 are connected to the support plate 3, respectively.
3,34.

In this invention, a common light emitting element 35 irradiates the surfaces of the encoder plates 28 and 29 opposite to the light receiving elements 31 and 32, that is, the surfaces facing the rollers 15 and 16 in this example. In this embodiment, a light emitting element 35 is provided on the opposite side of the sphere 12 at the intersection of the extensions of the rotation axes 21 and 22. Light 36 from the light emitting element 35 is irradiated onto the encoder plates 28 and 29. Note that a wiring board 37 is placed on the bottom plate 13.
A light emitting element 35 is attached to a wiring board 37, and wiring for the light receiving elements 31, 32 and other switches is provided. As the light emitting element 35, a light beam 36 having a wide width is used as one light emitting element so that sufficient light reaches the encoder plates 28 and 29. Also, if necessary, light that goes around to the light receiving elements 31, 32 side, that is, light that goes around the outside of the encoder plate and reaches the light receiving elements 31, 32 without passing through the slits provided in the encoder plates 28, 29, and other light. In order to avoid external light, a light shielding body 38 made of a resin material, for example, containing the encoder plate 28 and the light receiving element 31 is provided, and a light shielding body 39 containing the encoder plate 29 and the light receiving element 32 is provided, and these light shielding bodies 38, It is preferable to form an opening only in the portion where the light beam 36 is incident on the light beam 39 .

According to such a configuration, for example, in FIG. 2, when the sphere 12 of the case 11 comes into contact with another object and moves in the left-right direction, the roller 15 rotates, the encoder plate 28 is rotated, and the amount of movement of the sphere 12 is changed. Accordingly, the light pulse is detected by the light receiving element 31, and by using two light receiving elements 31, the moving direction of the light pulse is also detected. Similarly, if the sphere 12 of the case 11 is moved in the front-rear direction in the figure by rolling it into contact with another object, the roller 16 rotates, and the rotation of the encoder plate 29 causes the light receiving element 32 to pulse light according to the amount of movement of the sphere 12. Detect. Light pulses are similarly detected from the light receiving elements 31 and 32 in accordance with the X and Y components in any other direction, and the direction of movement can also be detected using two light receiving elements each.

As shown in FIG. 3 with the same reference numerals assigned to parts corresponding to those in FIG. The reflection plate 41 is arranged on the opposite side of the light emitting element 35 with respect to the intersection of
The light emitted from the light emitting element 35 may be reflected and irradiated onto the encoder plates 28 and 29.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, encoder plates 28 and 29 are provided on the sides of the rotating shafts 21 and 22 that approach each other, and these encoder plates 28 and 29 that approach each other
A common light emitting element 35 may be disposed between them and facing them.

"Effects of the Invention" As described above, in the prior art, a light emitting element was required to face each light receiving element, and therefore, for example, four light emitting elements were required. However, in this idea, 1
Only one light emitting element is required, and the structure can be constructed at a correspondingly low cost. By using a light emitting element with a relatively wide light beam width, for example, it is possible to obtain light that is 80% as strong as the light from the front even in directions deviated by 60 degrees to the left and right from the front direction. can.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a front view showing the external appearance of an embodiment of this invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view with the upper part of the case shown in Fig. 1 removed from the bottom plate, and Figs. 3 and 4 show other embodiments. FIG. 2 is a plan view similar to FIG. 2; 11: case, 12: sphere, 15, 16: roller, 21, 22: rotating shaft, 28, 29: encoder plate, 31, 32: light receiving element, 35: light emitting element, 36: light from light emitting element, 38, 39: Light shield, 41: Reflector.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] a case; a sphere partially protruding from the bottom of the case and rotatably held in the case; a first roller rotatably held in the case and in rolling contact with the sphere; and the first roller. The roller is rotatably held by a first encoder plate attached to one end of the rotating shaft of the roller, and a second rotating shaft extending within the case in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the rotating shaft of the first roller. a second roller in rolling contact with the sphere; a second encoder plate attached to one end of the second rotating shaft; 1. 2nd
A rectangular coordinate position pointing controller comprising a common light source that irradiates light to an encoder plate, and first and second light receiving elements provided close to the other surfaces of the first and second encoder plates.