JPS6146513A - Pen for input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate a feeling of the troublesome upward/downward movement of a pen and improve writing performance and operativity by operating a 1st-stage switch when pen pressure is weak and a 2nd-stage switch when strong, and detecting the pen force in two stages. CONSTITUTION:The flexion part 3a of a rubber switch 3 flexes under the push pressure from a pen shaft 2, and the contact 3c of the switch 3 is pressed against to opposite electrode parts 4b of an electrode plate 4 to cause electric conduction between the opposite electrodes, so that the 1st switch turns on. Further, when the push pressure from the pen shaft 2 increases until it exceeds the force of the spring 7 for the 2nd switch, a slide occurs between the united body of a pen shaft holder 13 and a switch housing 14 and the united body of a substrate housing 15 and a case 16 to press an electrode 6 against a contact 5, and consequently electric conduction is caused between the counter electrodes of the electrode plate 6 to turn on the 2nd-stage switch. Thus, the pen pressure is detected in two stages.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an input device pen used in computer input devices such as coordinate input devices and digitizers.

2. Description of the Related Art Structures of Conventional Examples and Their Problems Coordinate input devices are often used as input terminal devices for computers, in which characters, figures, etc. are drawn with a pen, and the pen position is read as coordinates on an input panel surface. In such coordinate input devices, electromagnetic coupling between a pen and an input panel surface is often used as a coordinate detection method. By spatially coupling the pen and the input panel surface in this way, the shape of the pen tip, dirt on the input panel surface, etc. have less influence on coordinate detection, and a highly reliable device can be obtained. However, on the other hand, even if the pen is separated from the input panel surface, a connection exists between them, so coordinates can be input even if the pen does not touch the input panel surface. Therefore, conventionally, a microswitch that is linked to the pen tip is attached to the pen, and the microswitch is activated by the pressure of the pen tip to detect contact between the pen and the input panel surface.

In such a configuration, there is a problem in that the vertical movement of the pen and the opening/closing of the switch cause a clicking sensation, and when inputting delicate characters, figures, etc., the input traces are cut off, making it difficult to write.

On the other hand, as the uses of such input devices expand, pens for input devices should not only detect the presence or absence of contact with the input panel surface, but also have the ability to distinguish between two levels of contact pressure, that is, pen pressure. It's often convenient. For example, inputting handwritten characters or figures or moving the cursor is done by activating the first stage switch with light pen pressure, and in order to fix the cursor and activating the second stage switch with strong pen pressure, the cursor is fixed. If the stroke of the vertical movement of the pen due to the operation of the first stage switch is large, it is difficult to feel the vertical movement of the pen and write characters or figures, and there is still a problem in that the input traces are cut off and erroneous input is made. Furthermore, even when the operating load of the second-stage switch is light, such as when the second-stage switch is operated with normal pen pressure enough to draw the above-mentioned characters and figures, difficulty in writing due to up-and-down movement of the pen and input errors occur in the same way as above. To move and fix the cursor,
Move the cursor while lightly touching and tracing the pen on the input panel surface (turn on the first switch),
When the pen reaches a predetermined position on the input panel surface, the cursor is fixed by strongly pressing the pen against the input panel surface and turning on the second stage switch. If the operating load of the second-stage switch is light during this cursor movement and fixing operation, a malfunction in which the second-stage switch is turned on during cursor movement and the cursor is fixed is likely to occur. Additionally, when the cursor is fixed by forcefully pressing the pen against the input panel surface, the manual operator can feel the up and down stroke of the pen due to the activation of the second stage switch, giving the operator a sense of security that the input operation has been performed correctly. It is desirable to give this to people.

There is no conventional pen for an input device that can detect the contact pressure of the pen on the input panel surface in multiple stages while satisfying the above-mentioned writing performance and operability.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The objects of the present invention are to eliminate the difficulty of writing when drawing and inputting characters and figures due to the troublesome pen up and down movement, eliminate erroneous input during cursor operation, and furthermore provide a fixed cursor input operation. The contact pressure between the pen and the input panel surface can be detected in two stages, offering excellent writing and operability, such as sometimes allowing the operator to sense the vertical movement of the pen, giving the operator a sense of security that the cursor has been fixed securely. An object of the present invention is to provide a pen for an input device.

Structure of the Invention The pen for an input device of the present invention includes a pen shaft that comes into contact with the input panel surface during an input operation, and two switches interlocked with the pen shaft that have different switch actuation loads. By applying a pressing force to the two switches, the contact pressure of the pen barrel to the input panel surface is detected in two stages, and one of the two switches applies pressure to the input panel surface of the pen barrel. The first stage switch has a pressing force necessary for detecting contact within the range of 20t to 10ot, and this first stage switch has an electrode part having a counter electrode, a bent part made of an insulating rubber elastic body, and a bending part made of an insulating rubber elastic body. a rubber switch in which a contact made of an electrically conductive material is installed on the inner surface of a space defined by a leg, and the distance between the contact of the rubber switch and the electrode plate is set to 0. 1
The configuration is such that the pressure from the pen shaft is within the range of 0.4 + mn, and the pressing force from the pen shaft required for the other one of the two switches mentioned above to come into contact with the manual panel surface of the pen shaft is 30
The second stage switch is within the range of 09 to 60o1, and the vertical stroke of the pen due to the operation of this second stage switch is 0.4 degrees or more, and is used to input handwritten characters and figures. When the cursor is fixed, the user does not feel the vertical stroke of the pen, and when the cursor is fixed, the user feels the vertical stroke of the pen. It has excellent writing and operability, such as preventing the cursor from being erroneously fixed during movement operations, and can reliably perform two-step detection of pen pressure.

In the present invention, the reason why the pressing force required to operate the first stage switch is limited to within the range of 20.9 to 10og is that if the pressure is 20.9 or less, the switch will operate simply by applying vibration to the pen. This is because setting the switch to 1009 or higher will cause the switch to operate unstable if you are writing with the pressure you would use with a normal writing instrument.
This is because writing marks are likely to break off, making malfunctions more likely. In addition, the reason why the distance between the contact point of the rubber switch and the electrode plate in the first stage switch section is limited to within the range of 0.1W1 to 0.4m is that if it is less than 0.1tran, it will cause variations in manufacturing dimensions and repeat use. This is because the switch operation becomes unstable due to the dimensional change caused by the change in size, and also because if it is set to 0, 4 or more, the vertical movement of the pen will be felt when the pen is used. Next, the reason why the pressing force required to operate the second stage switch is limited to 300.9~e oog is 3.
This is because if the pen is below oo7, the second stage switch is activated when writing with normal pen pressure to draw characters or figures, and the vertical movement of the pen by the second stage switch makes it difficult to write. Moreover, if the value exceeds eoog, a problem arises in that strong pen pressure is required for input operations, resulting in a heavy physical burden and fatigue. The reason why the stroke of the vertical movement of the pen accompanying the operation of the second stage switch is set to 0.4 ran or more is that if the stroke becomes 0.4 trrm or less, the click feeling of the vertical movement of the pen due to this stroke disappears.

It should be noted that it is preferable that the upper limit of the stroke of the vertical movement of the pen accompanying the operation of the above-mentioned second stage switch is set to three strokes or less for reasons of operability.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a pen for an input device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 1, 1 has a pickup coil for detecting the magnetic field generated from the input panel surface, 2 a pen shaft, 3 a rubber switch for the first stage switch, and 4 a counter electrode for the first stage switch. An electrode plate, 6 is a contact made of conductive rubber for the second stage switch, 6 is an electrode plate having a counter electrode for the second stage switch, 7 is a spring for determining the operating load of the second stage switch, 8 is a Lead wires attached to the electrode plate 4 for the first stage switch, 9 lead wires attached to the electrode plates for the second stage switch, 10 lightly connect the pen barrel 2 and rubber switch 3 to the electrode plate 4. A pressurized spring for pressure contact, 12 a cable for taking out signals from the pickup coil 1 and the two switches to the outside of the pen,
11 is a printed circuit board for relaying and connecting the pick-up coil 1 and the lead wires 8 and 9 of the two switches and the cable 12; 13 is a pen shaft holder for storing the pen shaft 2 and the pressurizing spring 1°; , 14 is a switch housing 16 for holding and housing the rubber switch 3 and electrode plate 4 for the first stage switch and the contacts 6 for the second stage switch.
are the electrode plate 6 and printed circuit board 1 for the second stage switch.
1, and 16 is a case for the entire pen.

In the above configuration, the pressurized spring 10 is designed to apply a light pressure contact force that is sufficient to hold the pen barrel 2 and the rubber switch 3, so that the operation of the first stage switch is not substantially affected. There is. The moat pen shaft holder 13 and the switching tool holder 14 are connected with screws and are integrated. The board housing 16 and the case 16 are bonded and integrated with an adhesive. Furthermore, the pen barrel 2 can be slid within the pen barrel holder 13, and the pen barrel holder 13 and switch housing 14 are integrated, and the board housing 16 and the case 16 are integrated. It is configured to be able to slide on its contact surface.

FIG. 2 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing the assembled configuration and respective structures of the first stage switch section consisting of the pen barrel 2, rubber switch 3, and electrode plate 4 in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, the rubber switch 3 has 30 contacts made of conductive rubber at the top of a space defined by a bent part 3a made of insulating silicone rubber and a leg part 3b made of insulating silicone rubber. It consists of The operating load of this first stage switch is determined by the rubber hardness and thickness of the bent portion 3a, and further by the inner diameter of the ring-shaped leg portion 3b. The electrode plate 4 includes a laminated substrate 4a made of an epoxy resin and a glass core material, a counter electrode part 4b having a pair of opposing electrodes provided on one side of the laminated substrate 4a, and other parts of the laminated substrate 4a 4C and 4d. It consists of a terminal section provided on one side, and through-hole plated through-hole sections 4e and 4f, one of the opposing electrode sections 4b is electrically connected to the terminal section 4C through the through-hole section 4e, and the other of the opposing electrode section 4b is electrically connected to the terminal section 4C through the through-hole section 4e. One side is electrically connected to the terminal portion 4f through the through hole portion 4f. An IJ + wire 8 is attached to the terminal portions 4C and 4d by soldering.

In the pen configured as described above, the bent portion 3a of the rubber switch 3 is bent by the pressing force from the pen shaft 2, and the contact point 3C of the rubber switch 3 is pressed against the opposing electrode portion 4b of the electrode plate 3. Electrical continuity occurs and i) the first stage switch is turned on. Furthermore, the pressing force from the pen shaft 2 increases, and when this pressing force comes to overcome the force of the spring for the second stage switch, the pen shaft holder 13 and the switch housing 1
4 and the integral part of the substrate housing 16 and case 16, the electrode plate 6 is pressed against the contact 6, and as a result, electrical continuity is established between the opposing electrodes of the electrode plate 6. occurs, and the second stage switch turns on. Note that the electrode plate 6 for the second stage switch is the same as the electrode plate 4 for the first stage switch.
It is configured in the same way. Furthermore, the stroke of vertical movement of the pen due to the operation of the first stage switch is determined by the distance between the contact 3c of the rubber switch 3 and the opposing electrode part 4b of the electrode plate 4, and the stroke of vertical movement of the pen due to the operation of the second stage switch. is determined by the distance between the contact point 6 and the electrode plate 6. From the above, in the input device pen of the present invention, the first stage switch is activated by weak writing pressure, and the second stage switch is activated by strong writing pressure, so that the contact pressure of the pen on the input panel surface,
That is, the writing pressure is detected in two stages.

In the pen configured as described above, the input according to the embodiment of the present invention is such that the operating loads of the first stage switch and the second stage switch and the vertical stroke of the pen are set within the scope of the present invention by the method described above. Create a pen for the device,
Examples 1 to 3 shown in Table 1 are the results of examining the writability, operability, etc. From the embodiments shown in Table 1, an input device pen constructed within the scope of the present invention has the advantage that when inputting characters or figures by hand, the vertical movement of the pen is not substantially felt, and the cursor cannot be fixed. In some cases, a click feeling caused by the vertical movement of the pen can be sensed, thereby informing the input operator that the input operation has been completed. Other methods of notifying the user that the cursor has been fixed include audible or visual means such as sounding a buzzer or lighting up an indicator light, but these methods do not affect the working environment such as noise or the operator. This is not sufficient as it requires a lot of attention. On the other hand, as described above, the present invention is sensitive to the skin sensation of the hand, so it can reliably notify the operator that the cursor has been fixed, giving the operator a sense of security. 'It is something that can be done.

Next, a pen with the same structure as that shown in FIG. 1 was manufactured, except that the load for operating the switch and the vertical movement of the pen due to the weight of the switch were outside the scope of the present invention. Comparative Examples 1 to 6 shown in Table 1 were tested for writability and operability. It can be seen that the writing performance and operability of this comparative example are clearly inferior to those of the examples within the scope of the present invention.

In the above embodiment of the present invention, the leg portion 3b of the rubber switch 3 is provided in a ring shape as shown in FIG. 2, but the purpose of this leg portion 3b is to create a gap between the contact 3c and the electrode plate 4 Therefore, the effects of the present invention can be obtained even if the leg portions 3b are replaced with protrusions each made of an independent insulating portion on the surface of the bent portion 3a facing the electrode plate 4.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above description, the present invention has two switches with different operating loads linked to the pen shaft, and a pressing force due to writing pressure is applied to these two switches through the pen shaft. One of the two switches mentioned above is a first stage switch whose pressing force necessary to detect the contact of the pen shaft with the input panel surface is within the range of 209 to 100 g. The first stage switch is composed of an electrode plate and a rubber switch, and the distance between the contact point of the rubber switch and the electrode is within the range of 0.1m to 0.4Nn, and the distance between the two switches is The other one is a second-stage switch whose pressing force required for detecting contact of the pen shaft with the input panel surface is within the range of 30og to eoog. By configuring the structure so that the vertical stroke is 0.49n or more, when inputting handwritten characters or figures, you can use the pen just like using a regular writing instrument, without feeling the bothersome vertical movement of the pen. In addition, when the cursor is moved, the second stage switch is activated and the cursor can be moved without malfunction, and when the cursor is fixed, the operator is asked to move the pen up and down. The operation of fixing one cursor can be notified by the movement. As described above, the present invention provides a pen for a multifunctional input device that is excellent in practical writing performance and operability, and can reliably detect changes in contact pressure on the input panel surface in two stages. be.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a pen for an input device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded sectional view showing the assembled structure of the first stage switch section of FIG. 1. 1...Pickup coil, 2...Pen barrel, 3...Rubber switch, 4.6...
... Electrode plate, 5 ... Contact, 13 ... Pen shaft holder, 14 ... Switch housing,
15... Board housing, 16... Case. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person
1 figure

Claims (1)

[Claims] It is equipped with a pen shaft that comes into contact with the input panel surface during an input operation, and two switches that have different switch operating loads in conjunction with this, and the pressing force applied to the pen shaft during an input operation is applied to the two switches. The contact pressure of the pen shaft against the input panel surface is detected in two stages by applying The pressing force is 20g
The first stage switch has a weight within the range of ~100g, and this first stage switch is located at the inner top of a space defined by an electrode part having a counter electrode, a bent part made of an insulating rubber elastic body, and a leg part. a rubber switch having a contact made of an electrical conductor, and the distance between the contact of the rubber switch and the electrode plate is within a range of 0.1 mm to 0.4 mm, and , the other one of the two switches is a second stage switch in which the pressing force from the pen shaft necessary for detecting contact of the pen shaft with the input panel surface is within the range of 300 g to 600 g, and this second stage switch A pen for an input device, characterized in that the pen is configured such that the vertical stroke of the pen due to the operation of a switch is 0.4 mm or more.