JPH0564929U - Coordinate input device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] The present invention allows the rotation detecting roller to be accurately mounted without bending with respect to the rotation axis, and
An object of the present invention is to provide a coordinate information input device in which the operability is improved by making the contact area with the sphere relatively small and reducing the rotational movement of the sphere. [Structure] A sphere 12 rotatably mounted, and a pair of rollers 13, 14 abutting in two directions orthogonal to the sphere.
And the amount of rotation of the sphere through the roller
Two detecting portions 15 and 16 for detecting coordinate information in the Y direction and the Y direction, and the rollers 13 and 14 having a small diameter portion 13 extending relatively long along the rotation shafts 17 and 18.
a and 14a, and a relatively narrow contact portion 13b having a larger diameter than the small diameter portion near the center of the small diameter portion.
The coordinate input device is configured to follow the rotational movement of the sphere by contacting only the contact portion with the sphere.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a coordinate input device such as a sphere or a mouse, which is used as an external input device for inputting coordinate information in a personal computer, a workstation or the like by connecting or incorporating the same.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 Conventionally, such a coordinate input device is configured as shown in FIG. 3, for example. That is, in FIG. 3, the coordinate input device 1 includes a sphere 3 rotatably mounted in a state where a part of the sphere 3 is exposed on the upper surface of the case 2, and the sphere 3 in the case 2 with respect to the sphere 3. A pair of rollers 4a and 4b which are in direct contact with each other in two directions, and two detection units 5a and 5b which detect the amount of rotation of the sphere 3 via the rollers 4a and 4b as coordinate information of X and Y coordinates, respectively. Includes and.

The pair of rollers 4a and 4b are fixed to the rotating shafts 6a and 6b, respectively, and the rotating shafts 6a and 6b are bearings fixedly arranged in the case 2, respectively. The rollers 4a and 4b are rotatably supported by 7a and 7b, whereby the rollers 4a and 4b follow the rotation of the sphere 3 and are rotated, so that the rotational movement of the sphere 3 is changed by, for example, X roller. Direction (X coordinate) and, for example, Y direction displacement (Y coordinate) by the roller 4b, which is transmitted to the detection units 5a and 5b via the rotary shafts 6a and 6b, respectively. There is. A third roller 4c, which is rotatably supported, is provided near the middle in the X and Y directions on the opposite side of the sphere 3 from the pair of rollers 4a and 4b. The sphere 3 is rotatably supported by the pair of rollers 4a and 4b and the third roller 4c.

Here, the detection units 5a and 5b are composed of known rotary encoders having basically the same structure. Therefore, only the detecting section 5a will be described. With respect to the detecting section 5a, a disk-shaped shutter plate 8a having a radially formed slit is attached to the end of the rotary shaft 6a of the roller 4a. A photo interrupter 9a composed of a pair of a light emitting element and a light receiving element is arranged so as to face each other with the shutter plate 8a interposed therebetween. As a result, when the sphere 3 rotates, the shutter plate 8a is caused to rotate in response to the movement of the sphere 3 in the X direction, and the optical path from the light emitting element to the light receiving element of the photo interrupter 9a is changed to the shutter plate 8a. Since it is intermittently blocked by the slit, the light receiving element outputs a number of pulse signals corresponding to the rotation angle of the shutter plate 8a, that is, the movement of the sphere 3 in the X direction. Similarly, regarding the detection unit 5b, the shutter plate 8b intermittently interrupts the optical path from the light emitting element to the light receiving element of the photo interrupter 9b, so that the number of pulses corresponding to the movement of the sphere 3 in the Y direction is increased. The signal will be output.

In this way, the pulse signals output from the detection units 5a and 5b are sent to a printed circuit board (not shown) and are sent to a personal computer (not shown) or the like via an appropriate processing circuit. As a result, the cursor or the like can be moved on the screen of the display device of the personal computer in accordance with the direction and amount of rotation of the sphere.

According to the coordinate information input device 1 configured as described above, the user puts a palm or a finger on the surface of the sphere 3 exposed on the upper surface of the case 2 and rolls the sphere 3. Therefore, the sphere 3 is rotated in a desired direction by a desired rotation amount, and the rotation direction and the rotation amount of the sphere 3 are detected by the detection units 5a and 5b via the rollers 4a and 4b. Then, the detection signals from the detection units 5a and 5b are input to the main body of a personal computer, for example, via a connection cable or the like (not shown). Thus, the cursor or the like can be moved on the screen of the display device of the personal computer according to the rotation direction and the rotation amount of the sphere 3, and at that time, the input button on the case 2 is pressed. Allows the cursor position at that time to be fixed or released.

[0007]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in the coordinate information input device 1 configured as described above, each roller 4a, 4b is made of, for example, silicon rubber or the like so that a predetermined coefficient of friction is obtained between the roller 4a and 4b and the surface of the sphere 3. In order to accurately detect the rotational movement of the sphere 3, the width of the sphere 3 is selected to be relatively wide so that the sphere 3 is not bent and attached accurately. Therefore, the contact area of the rollers 4a and 4b with respect to the surface of the sphere 3 becomes relatively large, and therefore, when the sphere 3 is operated, the rotational movement of the sphere 3 becomes heavy, and the feeling is bad. There was a problem that it deteriorated.

In view of the above points, the present invention allows the rotation detecting roller to be accurately mounted without bending with respect to the rotation axis, and makes the contact area with respect to the sphere relatively small so that the sphere It is an object of the present invention to provide a target information input device with improved operability by reducing the rotational movement of the.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 According to the present invention, the above object is to provide a rotatably mounted sphere, a pair of rollers, each of which is attached to a rotating shaft, and which abuts in two directions orthogonal to the sphere, and the roller. In the coordinate input device, the roller is relatively long along the rotation axis, and the two detection units detect the rotation amount of the sphere as coordinate information in the X direction and the Y direction, respectively. It is formed of an extended small diameter portion and a relatively narrow contact portion having a larger diameter than the small diameter portion in the vicinity of the center of the small diameter portion, and only the contact portion contacts the spherical body. This can be achieved by a coordinate input device characterized in that it follows the rotational movement of the sphere by contact.

[0010]

[Action]

 According to the above configuration, each roller is attached to the rotary shaft by its small diameter portion and is brought into contact with the spherical body by its contact portion. Since the length of the mounting portion with respect to the direction is relatively long, it can be mounted accurately and stably on the rotating shaft without bending, and the contact portion that abuts the sphere is the shaft. Due to the relatively short selection in the direction, the coefficient of friction for the sphere is relatively small, so that when rotating the sphere, the rotational movement of the sphere can be produced relatively lightly, thus Therefore, the operability of the sphere can be improved.

[0011]

【Example】

 Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a coordinate information input device to which the present invention is applied. A trackball coordinate information input device 10 is rotatably mounted on a case 11 with a part thereof exposed. And the pair of rollers 13 and 14 that are in contact with the sphere 12 inside the case 11 in two directions orthogonal to each other, and the rotation amount of the sphere 12 via the rollers 13 and 14. , And two detectors 15 and 16 for detecting coordinate information of the X coordinate and the Y coordinate, respectively.

The pair of rollers 13 and 14 are fixed to the rotating shafts 17 and 18, respectively, and the rotating shafts 17 and 18 are bearings 19 and 20 fixedly arranged in the case 11, respectively. Is rotatably supported by the rollers 13 and 14 so that the rollers 13 and 14 are caused to rotate following the rotation of the sphere 12, whereby the rotational movement of the sphere 12 is moved by the roller 13 in, for example, the X direction. The displacement (X coordinate) and the displacement (Y coordinate) in the Y direction, for example, are decomposed by the roller 14 and transmitted to the detection units 15 and 16 via the rotary shafts 17 and 18, respectively. A rotatably supported third roller 21 is provided near the middle in the X and Y directions on the opposite side of the sphere 12 from the pair of rollers 13 and 14. The sphere 12 is rotatably supported by the pair of rollers 13 and 14 and the third roller 21.

Here, the detection units 15 and 16 are composed of known rotary encoders having basically the same structure. Therefore, only the detecting unit 15 will be described. With respect to the detecting unit 15, a disk-shaped shutter plate 22 having a radially formed slit is attached to the end of the rotary shaft 17 of the roller 13. A photo interrupter 23 including a pair of a light emitting element and a light receiving element is arranged so as to face each other with the shutter plate 22 interposed therebetween. As a result, when the sphere 12 rotates, the shutter plate 22 is rotated in response to the movement of the sphere 12 in the X direction, and the optical path from the light emitting element to the light receiving element of the photo interrupter 23 is changed to the shutter. Since it is intermittently blocked by the slit of the plate 22, the light receiving element outputs a number of pulse signals corresponding to the rotation angle of the shutter plate 22, that is, the movement of the sphere 12 in the X direction. Similarly, regarding the detection unit 16, the shutter plate 25 intermittently interrupts the optical path from the light emitting element to the light receiving element of the photo interrupter 24, so that the number of pulses corresponding to the movement of the sphere 12 in the Y direction is increased. The signal will be output.

In this way, the pulse signals output from the detectors 15 and 16 are sent to a printed circuit board (not shown) and transmitted to a personal computer (not shown) via an appropriate processing circuit. As a result, the cursor or the like can be moved on the screen of the display device of the personal computer in accordance with the direction and amount of rotation of the sphere.

The above-mentioned configuration is similar to that of the conventional coordinate information input device 1 shown in FIG. 3, but in the trackball coordinate information input device 10 according to the present invention, the rollers 13, 14 are As shown in FIG. 2, the small diameter portions 13a and 14a extending relatively long along the rotation shafts 17 and 18 and the diameters larger than the small diameter portions 13a and 14a are formed near the center of the small diameter portions 13a and 14a. It has a relatively narrow contact portion 13b, 14b. The contact portion 13b, 14b only comes into contact with the spherical body 12 to follow the rotational movement of the spherical body 12. ing.

The coordinate information input device 10 according to the present invention is configured as described above, and the user puts the palm or finger on the surface of the sphere 12 exposed on the upper surface of the case 11 to place the sphere 12 thereon. By rolling, the sphere 12 is rotated in a desired direction by a desired rotation amount, and the rotation direction and the rotation amount of the sphere 12 are detected by the detection units 15, 16 via the rollers 13, 14. The detection signals from the detection units 15 and 16 are input to the main body of a personal computer, for example, via a connection cable or the like (not shown). Thus, the cursor or the like can be moved on the screen of the display device of the personal computer according to the rotation direction and the rotation amount of the sphere 12, and at that time, the input button on the case 11 is pressed. By doing so, the cursor position at that time can be fixed or released.

At this time, the rollers 13 and 14 are attached to the rotary shafts 17 and 18 by the small diameter portions 13a and 14a, respectively, and are also contacted to the spherical body 12 by the contact portions 13b and 14b, respectively. Be treated. Therefore, the rollers 13, 14 bend with respect to the rotary shafts 17, 18 because the small-diameter portions 13a, 14a, which are the mounting portions in the axial direction with respect to the rotary shafts 17, 18, are relatively long. It can be mounted accurately and stably. Further, since the contact portions 13b 1 and 14b that come into contact with the spherical body 12 are selected to be relatively short in the axial direction, the friction coefficient with respect to the spherical body 12 becomes relatively small. The sphere 12 is lightly rotated to improve the filling.

In the above-described embodiment, the trackball type coordinate input device is described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to a mouse type coordinate input device. Needless to say.

[0019]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above, according to the present invention, the rotation detection roller can be accurately mounted without bending with respect to the rotation axis, and the contact area with respect to the sphere can be made relatively small. By reducing the rotational movement of the sphere, it is possible to provide a coordinate information input device with improved operability.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an embodiment of a coordinate information input device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a roller in the coordinate information input device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a conventional coordinate information input device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 coordinate information input device 11 case 12 sphere 13,14 roller 13a, 14a small diameter part 13b, 14b contact part 15,16 detection part 17,18 rotating shaft 19,20 bearing 21 roller 22,25 shutter plate 23,24 photo interrupter

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A sphere that is rotatably mounted, a pair of rollers that are in contact with each other in two directions orthogonal to the sphere, and that are mounted on respective rotating shafts, and the rotation of the sphere through the rollers. In a coordinate input device, which includes two detection units for respectively detecting an amount as coordinate information in the X direction and Y direction, the roller has a small diameter portion extending relatively long along the rotation axis, and It is formed from a relatively narrow contact portion having a diameter larger than that of the small diameter portion in the vicinity of the center of the small diameter portion, and only the contact portion comes into contact with the sphere to rotate the sphere. A coordinate input device characterized in that it follows movements.