JPH0713692A - Position input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a position input error from occurring by smoothing the rotation of a sphere and the transmission of rotation between the roller of a rotary sensor and the sphere by eliminating dust attached on the sphere. CONSTITUTION:This device contains the sphere 2, a part of which is exposed on the outside, the rollers 3, 5 coming into contact with the sphere and rotating corresponding to the rotation of the sphere, and rotary sensors 4, 6 which calculate the relative moving quantity of a position input device by detecting the rotational quantity of the roller rotated when the sphere is moved by coming into contact with the outside plane and outputting the information of the rotation, and furthermore, it is provided with an annular dust eliminating means 8 being brought into contact with the sphere extending over the periphery of the exposed part of the sphere.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a position input device called a mouse for designating or inputting coordinate positions for a computer or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various devices have been put into practical use as devices for inputting coordinate positions to a computer or the like. As one of them, a position input device called a mouse is widely used. A mouse, which is one of the conventional position input devices, will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic configuration diagrams of a conventional mouse, FIG. 2A is a side view of the mouse in which the outer portion of the container is removed so that the inside can be observed, and FIG. It is a bottom view seen from below.

In FIGS. 2A and 2B, 101 is a position input device, 102 is a sphere partially exposed from the bottom surface of the position input device 101, 103 is in contact with the sphere 102, and the sphere 102 rotates. Rotating first roller 104
Is connected to the first roller 103 and the first roller 10
A first rotation sensor 105 that detects the rotation amount of No. 3 and outputs an electric signal indicating the rotation amount, and 105 is the first roller 103.
Is provided at a right angle to and contacts the sphere 102
A second roller that rotates in response to the rotation of 2 and 106 is a second rotation sensor that is connected to the second roller 105 and detects the rotation amount of the second roller 105 and outputs an electric signal indicating the rotation amount. , 107 are cables for outputting an electrical signal indicating the amount of rotation from the first rotation sensor 104 and the second rotation sensor 106 to a computer or the like.

The operation of the position input device constructed as described above will be described below. Position input device 101
Is placed on a plane with its bottom face down during operation, and the exposed portion of the sphere 102, which is partially exposed from the bottom surface, contacts this plane. When the position input device 101 is slid on this plane, the sphere 102 rotates in that direction, and this rotation causes the first and second rollers 103, 103 arranged orthogonally to each other.
Both shafts of 105 are divided in the direction of rotation, and both rollers are rotated by an amount corresponding to the length of movement in each direction. That is, the position input device 10
The movement of 1 is divided through the sphere 102 in the direction perpendicular to the respective axes of the first and second rollers 103 and 105,
It can be seen that both rollers 103 and 105 are rotated according to the length.

Further, electric signals indicating the respective rotation amounts output from the first rotation sensor 104 and the second rotation sensor 106 respectively connected to the rollers 103 and 105 are transmitted to a computer or the like via a cable 107. To be done. The computer or the like can analyze the electric signal, recognize the relative movement amount of the position input device 101 as a rectangular coordinate component, and confirm the position.

[0006]

However, in the conventional configuration as described above, when the position input device 101 moves on a plane, dust or the like on the plane adheres to the sphere 102,
Further, via the sphere 102, the first and second rollers 1
It may adhere to 03 and 105. Therefore, sphere 1
The rotation of No. 02 cannot be smoothly transmitted to the first and second rollers 103 and 105, which makes it impossible to accurately calculate the relative movement amount, resulting in a position input error.

In order to solve this problem, there is also a proposal (actual Kaihei 02-077741) that the first and second rollers 103 and 105 are provided with a dust removing means such as a brush, but the dust removing means according to the present invention is a spherical body. The dust adhering to 102 cannot be removed, and the first and second spheres 102
It was impossible to smoothly transmit the rotation to the rollers 103 and 105.

Therefore, the present invention eliminates dust adhering to the exposed portion of the sphere from above the plane, and prevents the dust from adhering to the roller of the rotation sensor from the sphere, thereby rotating the sphere and moving it to the roller. The object is to prevent the occurrence of position input error by smoothing the transmission of rotation of. A further object of the present invention is to provide a ring-shaped dust removing means on the exposed portion of the sphere to stabilize the position of the sphere and further facilitate the rotation.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a position input device according to the present invention comprises a sphere, a part of which is exposed to the outside, a roller which comes into contact with the sphere and rotates according to its rotation, and a sphere. Includes a rotation sensor that detects the amount of rotation of the roller that rotates when the object moves in contact with an external plane and outputs the information to calculate the relative amount of movement of the position input device. It is characterized in that a dust removing means which is brought into contact with the sphere is provided. In order to solve the above problems, the position input device according to the present invention is further characterized in that the dust removing means provided on the exposed portion of the sphere is annular.

[0010]

The present invention is configured as described above, and is provided with the dust removing means in contact with the sphere around the exposed portion of the sphere, thereby removing the dust attached to the exposed portion of the sphere, Since the dust attached to the exposed portion of the sphere is removed before reaching the roller, it is possible to prevent the dust from attaching to the roller. Therefore, even if dust on the plane adheres to the exposed portion of the sphere when the position input device is moved on the plane, it can be removed around the exposed portion of the sphere. A position input error due to uneven rotation or uneven rotation transmission between the sphere and the roller does not occur, the rotation is smoothly transmitted between the sphere and the roller, and the relative movement amount of the position input device can be accurately calculated.

Further, according to the present invention, by making the dust removing means provided on the exposed portion of the sphere an annular shape, the position of the sphere can be further stabilized and the rotation thereof can be made smooth.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A position input device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a position input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
(A) is a side view of the mouse | mouth which removed the outer side part of a container and made it possible to observe the inside, (b) is the bottom view seen from the downward direction.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a position input device, 2 is a sphere whose part is exposed from the bottom surface of the position input device 1, 3 is a first roller which comes into contact with the sphere 2 and rotates according to the rotation of the sphere 2, 4 is connected to the first roller 3
The first rotation sensor 5 that detects the amount of rotation of the first roller 3 and outputs an electric signal indicating the amount of rotation is provided in the direction perpendicular to the first roller 3 and is in contact with the sphere 2 and rotates according to the rotation of the sphere 2. A second rotation sensor, 6 is connected to the second roller 5, detects a rotation amount of the second roller 5 and outputs an electric signal indicating the rotation amount, and 7 is a first rotation sensor. A cable for outputting an electric signal indicating the amount of rotation from the sensor 4 and the second rotation sensor 6 to a computer or the like, and 8 is an annular dust removing means provided around the exposed portion of the sphere 2 so as to come into contact with the sphere 2. is there.

The operation of the position input device according to this embodiment having the above structure will be described below. When the position input device 1 is placed on a flat surface such as a desk, the exposed portion of the sphere 2 which is partially exposed from the bottom of the position input device 1 contacts this flat surface. When the position input device 1 slides or slides on this plane, the sphere 2 rotates according to the movement. As described above, this rotation is divided into components that are orthogonal to the respective axes of the first and second rollers 3 and 5 whose axes are orthogonal to each other, and the length components corresponding to the respective amounts of rotation or movement. Only rotate the first and second rollers 3, 5.

Further, the first and second rotation sensors 4 and 6 connected to the first and second rollers 3 and 5, respectively, output information or signals corresponding to the rotation amounts of the rollers 3 and 5 connected thereto. Output to a computer or the like via the cable 7. The computer or the like receives the information and the position input device 1
Can be recognized as a rectangular coordinate component.

Here, if dust exists on the flat plate on which the position input device 1 is placed, the dust adheres to the exposed portion of the sphere 2 as the sphere 2 rotates. This dust attached to the sphere 2 comes into contact with the dust removing means 8 as the sphere 2 rotates and is removed from the sphere 2. Moreover, since the dust removing means 8 is annularly mounted around the exposed portion of the sphere 2, the sphere 2
The dust adhering to is not passed through the dust removing means 8 to reach the first and second rollers 3 and 5, and is completely removed before that. Therefore, not only adhesion of dust to the sphere 2 but also adhesion of dust to the rollers 3 and 5 can be prevented.

Further, since the dust removing means 8 is provided in a ring shape around the exposed portion of the sphere 2, the position input device 1 is provided.
The dust adhering to the sphere 2 can be removed with respect to the movement in all directions. As a result, the dust on the plane adheres to the sphere 2, adheres to the first and second rollers 3 and 5, and the rotation of the sphere 2, the first and second rollers 3,
It is possible to solve the above-mentioned problem that the rotation transmission to 5 does not operate smoothly and a position input error occurs.

The dust removing means 8 can be easily realized by a brush, felt or the like, but the material and hardness thereof can be freely selected as desired. The dust removing means 8 is provided in a ring shape around the exposed portion of the sphere 2 so that the dust does not pass through the dust removing means 8. Therefore, the position of the sphere 2 is stabilized and the rotation of the sphere 2 is further smoothed. You can Therefore, the shape of the dust removing means 8 is preferably circular, but it may be other shape such as spiral or elliptical.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The rotation of the sphere and the transmission of the rotation to the roller are prevented by providing the ring-shaped dust removal means in contact with the sphere around the exposed part of the sphere to prevent the dust on the plane from adhering to the sphere and the roller. Operated smoothly and enabled position input without error. Moreover, since the dust removing means can be realized by an inexpensive brush or the like, the introduction of the present invention can be realized at a small cost. Further, since the dust removing means is provided in an annular shape around the exposed portion of the sphere, the position of the sphere is stable and the rotation can be operated more smoothly.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a position input device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a side view of a mouse in which an outer portion of a container is removed so that the inside can be observed (b). Bottom view seen from below

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional position input device, in which (a) is a side view of a mouse in which an outer portion of a container is removed so that the inside can be observed, and (b) is seen from below. Bottom view

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Position Input Device 2 Sphere 3 Roller 4 Rotation Sensor 5 Roller 6 Rotation Sensor 7 Cable 8 Dust Exclusion Means 101 Position Input Device 102 Sphere 103 Roller 104 Rotation Sensor 105 Roller 106 Rotation Sensor 107 Cable

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Yasuo Nagaishi 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma-shi, Osaka Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A sphere, a part of which is exposed to the outside, a roller which is in contact with the sphere and rotates according to a rotation direction and a rotation amount of the sphere, and a rotation sensor which detects a rotation amount of the roller. A position input device that outputs the information corresponding to the detected rotation amount of the roller by bringing the exposed sphere into contact with an external flat surface and moving the same to calculate the relative movement amount of the roller. A position input device comprising dust-removing means that is in contact with the sphere around the exposed portion of the sphere. 2. The position input device according to claim 1, wherein the dust removing means is annular.