JPS5811120Y2 - 4 channel balance controller - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a balance controller for four-channel audio equipment.

As a conventional 4-channel balance controller for in-vehicle audio equipment, two balance volume control axes are installed at right angles, and one control axis (joystick) with a movable range of left, right, front, and rear is used to control the above. Although it is known that each rotation axis of a balance volume is rotated individually, this type of mechanical volume control is not suitable for the soft touch type operation that has become popular in recent years.

For soft touch operation, it is preferable to use a microswitch or a non-contact type such as a capacitive type.

On the other hand, when performing 4-channel balance by changing the volumes of the left, right, front, and rear speakers individually, it is surprisingly difficult to return them to their initial, even state, that is, to return to the center point using just hearing. , it takes time.

With a joystick, this return to the center point can be achieved by simply returning the lever to the neutral position, but with electronic switches, unless a special return means is provided, each electronic switch must be operated by hearing to return to the initial state. This is a very troublesome and time-consuming task.

This invention uses microswitches for balance control to make it soft-touch, and enables single-action and linked pressing of each switch.Furthermore, it is equipped with a center point return switch and a light-emitting element to display the balance status, making it easy to operate. The present invention provides a 4-channel balance controller with improved characteristics.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view of the mechanical part of the 4-channel balance controller of the present invention.

This controller is roughly divided into a board section 1, a movable operation section 2, and a main body frame section 3.

The board portion 1 includes a push switch S provided at the center of the board 11.

, four push switches S1 are arranged in a cross shape around it.
~S4 and four indicator lamps (light emitting elements) L1 to L4 provided at the four corners.

Switch S.

is a micro switch for returning to the center point, left and right. Front and rear control switches Sl, S2. S3゜S4
also consists of a similar microswitch.

Rumph. Ll, L2. La and L4 are the front left, front right, rear left, and rear right speakers, respectively (FL, FR, and BL in Fig. 2).

BR) lights up with a brightness that corresponds to the volume level.

The movable operation section 2 includes a control button 21. It consists of a return button 22 and a spacer 23 made of urethane foam.

As shown in the figure, the control button 21 is a dish-shaped member consisting of an upper end surface made of an annular plate member, a surrounding side wall (body), and a lower collar.
2 penetrates and comes into contact with the actuators of the push switches S1 to S4 on the back surface of the upper end surface.

At the center of each side of the lower brim portion 26 are claw portions 2 that protrude in all directions.
7 a to 27 d are provided, and marks 28 a to 28 d indicating speaker positions are provided at the four corners of the upper end surface of the body portion 25 .

The marks 28a to 28d are holes, carved recesses, or the like.

The spacer 23 is placed on the collar portion 26.

The control button 21 has a switch S1 on its body 25.
~ Box-shaped return button 2 that covers S4 and opens the bottom end surface
2 is switch S.

and comes into contact with the actuator 12 on the back side.

The main body frame portion 3 includes an annular frame 31 and a display panel 3.
The upper end surface and part of the body of the control button 21 and the same part of the return button 22 are exposed through the hole 33.

The inside of the annular frame 31 is a lamp house 34, and cutouts 35a to 35d are provided at the center of the inner peripheral wall, and the claws 27a to 27 of the control button 21 are inserted into the cutouts 35a to 35d. d are engaged respectively.

The display panel 32 is provided with marks indicating front (FRONT), rear (REAR), left (L), and right (R) on its surface, as well as discontinuous transparent or semi-transparent parts 36, and lamps. Lamp L1~ housed in the house 34
It has a structure in which the light L4 passes through the hole of the frame 31 and irradiates the transparent or semi-transparent part.

Four through holes 13 are formed in the substrate 11, and four screw holes 37 are provided at opposing positions on the lower end of the frame 31.

Stack each member in the order shown in FIG.
The control button 2 is interposed between the canopy part 38 and the control button 2.
Prevents wobbling in step 1.

After assembly, the control button 21 is switch S.
The protrusions 27 a to 27 are arranged so that the actuators 12 (always elastically moving upward) of 1 to S4 can tilt and move according to the direction in which they are pressed by the vertical movable stroke.
d gently engages with the notches 35 a to 35 d of the main body frame 31 .

Further, the return button 22 is a switch S independent of the control button 21.

The movable stroke of the actuator 12 can be raised and lowered.

In a 4-channel balance controller having the operation section configured as described above, for example, the mark 28 of the control button 21
When the middle point between b and 28d is pressed, the button 21 is switched to switch S3. Rotate the line connecting S4 as a pivot and switch S
Press 2 to turn this on.

At this time, the marks 28 a and 28 C rotate upward to compress the elastic spacer 23 .

In this way, between marks 28a and 28C, 28b and 2
8d (7) middle, middle between 28a and 28b, 28C and 2
8 When pressing the middle of d, switch Si, S2.
S3. One of S4 is selectively turned on.

On the other hand, marks 28 a, 28 b, 28 C
Or press the 28 d part to turn on the two switches at the same time.

For example, if you press mark 28 b, control button 2
1 is a switch Sl that passes through the switch St.

It rotates as a supporting shaft parallel to the line connecting S4, and the switch S2
．． Turn on S3 at the same time.

In the same way, press the mark 28a part.
2 presses mark 28C again, switch S,,S
4 presses the mark 28 d part again and the switch S2.
S4 are turned on at the same time.

Switches S1-S4 and S.

The on/off information is processed in the electronic circuit section, but the -
An example is shown in FIG.

The figure shows the left channel signal SL and the right channel signal S.
The four speakers FL and FR are the same as R mentioned above.

This is a schematic diagram of the portion distributed to BL and BR, and shows the balance section 40.
The left (L) and right (R) volume ratios are determined by the fader section 41, and the front (F) and rear (B) volume ratios are determined by the fader section 41.

The output of the fader section 41 is divided into four channels, and each output is supplied to speakers FL, FR, BL, and BR through power amplifiers 42a to 42d.

The balance control circuit 43 and the fader control circuit control the division ratios of the balance section 40 and the fader section 41, respectively, and their outputs X and Y are also led to the lamp drive circuit 45.

The balance control circuit 43 includes a switch S.

, Sl, S2 are supplied with on/off information, and the fader control circuit 44 is supplied with switches So, S3 . S4 on,
Off information is provided.

The control circuits 43 and 44 are of a type that changes the values of the outputs X and Y depending on the number of times the switch is turned on (number of operations), or changes the values of the outputs X and Y depending on the length of the on time (operation time) of the switch. Any format is acceptable.

In either method, the control circuits 43 and 44 are equipped with up/down counters and D/A converters that convert the counted values into analog outputs X and Y, and the counted values of the counters are increased or decreased by turning on switches in opposite directions. do.

According to the former method, by repeatedly pressing the same part of the control switch 21 multiple times intermittently, the storage capacity of the speaker in that direction can be increased (and the other one can be decreased by that amount) in accordance with the number of switch operations. .

In the latter method, the count value of the up/down counter changes in one direction in proportion to the time the same part of the control switch 21 is pressed intermittently.

Therefore, a pulse generator or the like is required to drive the up/down counter, but in this case as well, the outputs X and Y change as in the former method.

Now, if switch S2 is pressed once (or for the shortest time), the output X of the balance control circuit 43 increases the volume of the right speakers FR and BR, and the left speaker FL increases by that amount.
, changes the volume of BL to a value that decreases it.

At this time, the lamp drive circuit 45 operates the lamp L2. The brightness of lamp L4 is increased, and the brightness of lamps L1 and L3 is decreased accordingly.

When the brightness increases or decreases, the rectangular frame array of the transparent or semi-transparent portion 36 of the display panel 32 is illuminated for a longer or shorter time to display the volume.

If switch S3 is pressed once more in this state, output Change to a decreasing value.

As a result, the volume of the speaker FR is the highest, the BL is the lowest, and FL and BR are adjusted to an unchanging front-rear and left-right balance state.

Call switch S2. The independent operation of S3 is equivalent to the operation of pressing mark 28b twice.

Therefore, if you want to increase or decrease the volume of the speakers in the diagonal direction, press marks 28a to 28b selectively, and if you want to change the volume of the front, rear, left and right speakers at the same time, press marks 288 to 28b. Press the middle position.

The push position of the control switch 21 is on the display panel 32.
The operation is extremely easy because it can be grasped intuitively from the display (FRONT, PEAR, etc.).

The brightness of the lamps L0 to L4 changes depending on the volume balance, and when viewed through the portion 36 of the display panel 32, the higher the volume, the wider the area the light is emitted.
Balance can be checked visually as well as auditory.

In addition, as mentioned above, it is troublesome to adjust the volume of the four speakers to keep them at the same level (midpoint), but in the present invention, an intermediate position return switch So is provided, so if you press the return button 22, it will return to the previous position. The state is automatically released (returns the up/down counter to the intermediate value) and can be reliably recovered with one action.
At the same time, the lamps L1 to L4 also have the same brightness.

Furthermore, if the center of the control button 21 is pressed, all switches 80 to S4 may be turned on, but since the center is open and the return button 22 is provided, it is unlikely that the center of the control button 21 is pressed. Therefore, the operator can reliably turn on the aforementioned switches S1 to S4 alone or in conjunction with each other.

Incidentally, the operation section shown in FIG. 1 can also be used for output control, lighting control, audio control, etc.

Further, the lamps L0 to L4 may be other light emitting elements such as light emitting diodes.

Since the 4-channel balance controller of the present invention described above has a soft-touch operation section, when this is applied to car audio, etc., the aesthetic appearance and operability can be improved by coaching with a soft-touch sensation and light display. In addition, it has the advantage that the center point can be easily set using the center return button.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are an assembled perspective view of an operating section and a block diagram of an electronic circuit section, showing an embodiment of the present invention. 1... Board part, 2... Movable operation part, 3
...Main body, 11... Board, 21...
... Control button, 22 ... Return button, 23 ... Spacer, 31 ... Body frame, 32 ... Display panel, So ...
...Middle point return switch, S1-S4...Control switch, L1-L4...Lamp (light emitting element), FL, FR, BL, BR...Speaker.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] It has a center point return switch in the center, four control switches in a cross shape around the switch in the middle, and a substrate with four light emitting elements attached to the periphery, and an annular plate part. A control button that contacts the four control switches on the plate portion, a return button that passes through a hole in the center of the button and contacts the midpoint return switch, and a lamp house that is located inside the house. A four-channel balance controller comprising: an annular frame attached to the substrate so that the light emitting element is inserted into the substrate, and the control button and the return button are exposed from a central opening.