WO2021205748A1

WO2021205748A1 - Input device

Info

Publication number: WO2021205748A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/005614
Authority: WO
Inventors: 佐藤　崇; 義尚谷口; 泰彦平舘; 邦明鈴木; 渡部　弘也; 蛇口　広行; 努清
Original assignee: アルプスアルパイン株式会社
Priority date: 2020-04-09
Filing date: 2021-02-16
Publication date: 2021-10-14
Also published as: JP2023072103A

Abstract

An input device according to the present invention is provided with: a base; an operating section supported so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction relative to the base; a displacement detection unit for detecting a vertical displacement of the operating section after being pressed by an operator; a vibrating section that is attached to the operating section and that generates vibrations in the operating section; and a control unit that drives and vibrates the vibrating section when the displacement detection unit detects the vertical displacement of the operating section. After driving the vibrating section, the control unit determines that the input device is normal in the case where an output from the displacement detection unit changes and determines that the input device is abnormal in the case where an output from the displacement detection unit does not change.

Description

Input device

The present invention relates to an input device.

As an input device for electronic devices, there is an input device equipped with a vibration mechanism (force feedback (FFB)) that gives the operator a feeling of operation by causing vibration when the operator touches the operation surface of the operation panel.

As an input device equipped with such force feedback, for example, a piezoelectric element that notifies the operator of the switch operation on the surface of the panel substrate by vibration, and a piezoelectric element that vibrates the piezoelectric element by the operator's switch operation and at a predetermined time. A touch panel including a control unit for vibrating and a vibration detection unit for detecting the vibration of one piezoelectric element by the control unit with the other piezoelectric element and determining the output of the other piezoelectric element is disclosed (for example, a patent). Reference 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-217237

However, in the touch panel of Patent Document 1, when confirming (self-diagnosis) whether the force feedback is operating normally during use, in addition to one piezoelectric element that notifies the operator of the switch operation by vibration, one piezoelectric element is used. There is a problem that the other piezoelectric element that detects vibration must be provided as a sensor for diagnosis.

One aspect of the present invention is to provide an input device capable of performing self-diagnosis without providing a diagnostic sensor.

One aspect of the input device according to the present invention detects a base, an operation unit that is supported so as to be vertically displaceable with respect to the base, and a vertical displacement of the operation unit due to pressing by an operator. A displacement detection unit, a vibration unit attached to the operation unit to generate vibration in the operation unit, and a vibration unit that drives the vibration unit when the displacement detection unit detects a vertical displacement of the operation unit to vibrate. A control unit is provided, and the control unit determines that it is normal when the output from the displacement detection unit changes after driving the vibration unit, and the output from the displacement detection unit does not change. If it is, it is judged to be abnormal.

One aspect of the input device according to the present invention can perform self-diagnosis without providing a diagnostic sensor.

It is sectional drawing which shows simply the structure of the input device which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the structure of an electrode. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the pressure-sensitive conductive member. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the state in which a pressure-sensitive conductive member is pressed. It is a block diagram which shows the function of a control device. It is a figure which shows an example of the change of resistance when a displacement detection part is pressed. It is a flowchart of a self-diagnosis method for determining whether a vibrating part is operating normally. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the state which vibrates in the horizontal direction in a vibrating part. It is a figure which shows an example of the change of the resistance of a pressure-sensitive conductive member when vibration occurs in a horizontal direction in a vibrating part when a vibrating part is normal. It is a figure which shows an example of the change of the resistance of a pressure-sensitive conductive member when vibration occurs in a horizontal direction in a vibrating part when a vibrating part is abnormal. It is sectional drawing which shows simply the structure of the input device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows simply the structure of the input device which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. In addition, in order to facilitate understanding of the description, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals in each drawing, and duplicate description will be omitted. In addition, the scale of each member in the drawing may differ from the actual scale. Further, in the present specification, the tilde "-" indicating a numerical range means that the numerical values described before and after the tilde are included as the lower limit value and the upper limit value unless otherwise specified.

[First Embodiment]
The input device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view briefly showing the configuration of the input device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the input device 1A is an input device (force feedback type input device) equipped with force feedback, and is a base 10, a vibration absorbing member 20, a displacement detecting unit 30, an operating unit 40, and a vibration unit 50. And a control device 60. The base 10, the vibration absorbing member 20, the displacement detecting unit 30, and the operating unit 40 are laminated in this order.

In the present embodiment, the stacking direction of the base 10, the vibration absorbing member 20, the displacement detecting unit 30, and the operating unit 40 is set to the height direction (vertical direction) of the input device 1A, and the direction orthogonal to the height direction is horizontal. It is called the direction (horizontal direction). The height direction of the input device 1A is the Z-axis direction, and the lateral direction is the X-axis direction. The operation unit 40 side in the Z-axis direction is the + Z-axis direction, and the base 10 side is the −Z-axis direction. In the following description, the + Z-axis direction may be referred to as up or up, and the-Z-axis direction may be referred to as down or down, but it does not represent a universal hierarchical relationship.

As shown in FIG. 1, the base 10 is a flexible substrate, which includes a base substrate 11, an adhesive layer 12, and an electrode 13, and an adhesive layer 12 and an electrode 13 are placed on the upper surface 111 of the base substrate 11 in this order. It is laminated. The base 10 holds the displacement detection unit 30 on the upper surface 111 of the base substrate 11 via the adhesive layer 12 and the electrodes 13.

The base substrate 11 is a member formed in a substantially rectangular shape. The base substrate 11 can be formed by using a material known as a material for forming the flexible substrate. Examples of the material for forming the base substrate 11 include polyamide (PA), polyimide (PI), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyetherimide (PEI), polyethersulfon (PES), and polystyrene. Known synthetic resins such as (PS), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyethylenenitrile, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), phenol, epoxy (with glass filler) and polycarbonate (PC) are used. be able to.

The thickness of the base substrate 11 can be appropriately designed and depends on the type of material, but is 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm from the viewpoint of ensuring the rigidity of the base substrate 11 and having sufficient strength of the base substrate 11. Is preferable.

The adhesive layer 12 is provided between the base substrate 11 and the electrode 13. The adhesive layer 12 has a function of increasing the adhesive force between the base substrate 11 and the electrode 13, and the electrode 13 can be fixed to the base substrate 11.

The adhesive layer 12 can be formed by using a general adhesive. The adhesive layer 12 preferably contains a triazine-based compound, and can be formed by using a molecular adhesive containing a triazine-based compound.

As the triazine compound, a triazine thiol compound can be used. As the triazine thiol compound, for example, a triazine ring to which a thiol group (-SH group) or a thiol group has an alkali metal salt bonded can be used. Any one of the functional groups may have another structure such as a dibutylamino group or an anirino group. Specific examples of the triazine thiol compound include 2,4,6-trimercapto-1,3,5-triazine monosodium salt (n-TES) and the like.

When the adhesive layer 12 is formed using a general adhesive, the thickness of the adhesive layer 12 is preferably 1 μm to 20 μm. When the adhesive layer 12 is formed by using a molecular adhesive containing a triazine compound, the thickness of the adhesive layer 12 is preferably 1 nm to 100 nm.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electrode 13 is formed on the base substrate 11 via an adhesive layer 12. The electrode 13 is electrically connected to the control device 60. The displacement detection unit 30 is electrically connected to the control device 60 via the electrode 13. An example of the configuration of the electrode 13 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the electrode 13 can be composed of a pair of

electrodes

13A and 13B. As the electrode 13, a comb tooth electrode in which a pair of

electrodes

13A and 13B are provided so as to face each other in a state of being insulated from each other and the

tip portions

131A and 131B are formed in a comb tooth shape can be used.

Materials for forming the electrode 13 include metals such as Au, Ag, Cu, Ni, Fe, Al, Sn, Pb, Cr, and Co and alloys thereof; carbon black, graphite (graphite), carbon nanotubes, and carbon fibers ( Carbon fiber), carbon-based materials such as fullerene, and the like can be mentioned. As the materials forming the

electrodes

13A and 13B, these may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these, Ag and Cu are preferably used as the materials for forming the

electrodes

13A and 13B from the viewpoints of connection stability, reduction of manufacturing cost, ease of manufacturing, and the like. The

electrodes

13A and 13B may be formed of one metal layer, or may be formed by laminating a plurality of metal layers.

The thickness of the electrode 13 is preferably 1 μm to 50 μm from the viewpoint of ensuring sufficient conductivity.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vibration absorbing member 20 is a rubber-like member provided so as to cover the base 10 and the displacement detecting portion 30. As the vibration absorbing member 20, ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM), chloroprene rubber (CR), butyl rubber (IIR), silicone rubber, or the like can be used. Among these, silicone rubber is preferable.

As shown in FIG. 1, the displacement detection unit 30 is sandwiched between the base 10 and the vibration absorbing member 20 on the region including the electrode 13 installed on the base 10, and the lower surface 311 is the electrode 13. It is arranged so that the upper surface 312 is in contact with the vibration absorbing member 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the displacement detection unit 30 is formed in a columnar shape, and the lower surface 311 is arranged so as to be laminated on the region including the

tip portions

131A and 131B of the pair of

electrodes

13A and 13B, and the pair. It is electrically connected to the

tips

131A and 131B of the

electrodes

13A and 13B of the above. The pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 may be formed in an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape, or the like in the axial direction.

The displacement detection unit 30 is a member that detects the vertical displacement of the operation unit 40 due to the pressure of the operator. The displacement detection unit 30 can be formed of a pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 that can be elastically deformed. The pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 is elastically deformed by a change in pressing force, and the resistance value can be lowered by the vertical displacement and the horizontal displacement of the operating portion 40. Then, the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 is elastically deformed so that the

electrodes

13A and 13B in contact with the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 are energized, and the electric resistance value between the

electrodes

13A and 13B is a pressing force. It will change according to. That is, the resistance value of the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 changes according to the change in the pressing force, and the resistance between the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 and the

electrodes

13A and 13B also changes. Can be seen as a change in.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31. As shown in FIG. 3, the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 can be formed by using a conductive elastomer containing a particulate conductive material 32 in the elastomer 33. By forming the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 with a conductive elastomer containing the conductive material 32, it is possible to easily deform and restore the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 in addition to the conduction by the conductive material 32.

The pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 preferably contains the conductive material 32 dispersed substantially uniformly in the elastomer 33. As a result, the continuity of the conductive material 32 can be ensured more stably.

As the conductive material 32, a material having conductivity such as metal particles or a carbon-based material can be used. As the metal particles and the carbon-based material, the same materials as those of the

electrodes

13A and 13B described above can be used.

The average particle size of the conductive material 32 is preferably 0.05 μm to 200 μm, more preferably 0.5 μm to 60 μm, and even more preferably 1.0 μm to 30 μm. When the average particle size of the conductive material 32 is in the range of 0.05 μm to 200 μm, the aggregation of the conductive material 32 can be suppressed and the dispersibility in the elastomer 33 can be improved. Further, when the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 is elastically deformed, the movement of the conductive material 32 in the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 is suppressed to be relatively small, so that the change in resistance due to the elastic deformation is slow. Can be reduced. The average particle size means a volume average particle size based on an effective diameter, and the average particle size is measured by, for example, a laser diffraction / scattering method or a dynamic light scattering method.

Examples of the elastomer 33 include natural rubber, silicone rubber, chloroprene rubber, isoprene rubber, butyl rubber, acrylic rubber, nitrile rubber, urethane rubber, polyisobutylene rubber, butadiene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber, and chlorosulfonated. Polyethylene rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, polyester rubber, fluororubber, modified products thereof and the like can be used. These may be used individually by 1 type, and may be used in combination of 2 or more type. Of these, silicone rubber is preferable. By using silicone rubber, the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 has high elasticity and can have good adhesion to the adhesive layer 12. Further, since the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 is deformed at the point of action of the pressing force and can receive the pressing force without moving the point of action, the pressing force is applied from the upper surface 312 to the electrode 13A. And 13B and the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 are accurately transmitted.

The pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 preferably has a rubber hardness in the range of 30 to 70. When the rubber hardness is in the range of 40 to 70, the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 can have sufficient strength and can exhibit a high restoring force. The rubber hardness is a value defined by Japanese Industrial Standard JIS K6301.

The thickness of the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 can be set as appropriate, and is preferably 0.1 mm to 10 mm, for example. When the thickness of the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 is within the range of 0.1 mm to 10 mm, the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 can have sufficient strength and elasticity.

As shown in FIG. 4, the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 has a small number of conductive materials 32 in contact with each other in a state where the pressing force by the operating portion 40 is not applied, and almost no conductive path is formed. (Refer to the white circle in FIG. 4), the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 has a predetermined resistance value. Then, when a pressing force acts on the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31, the conductive materials 32 approach each other and the number of the conductive materials 32 in contact with each other increases, so that the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 is in the plane direction and the vertical direction. A conductive path (see black circles in FIG. 4) is formed in the like, and the resistance value of the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 becomes small. In this way, the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 is deformed by the pressing force, and the conductive materials 32 come into contact with each other or are separated from each other, so that the resistance value of the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 changes.

Further, the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 may be formed in a truncated cone shape. In this case, it is preferable that the upper surface 312 is made larger and the lower surface 311 is made smaller so that the upper surface 312 having a large area is in contact with the vibration absorbing member 20 and the lower surface 311 having a small area is in contact with the

electrodes

13A and 13B. As a result, the area to which the pressing force is applied can be widened, and the load per unit area of the

tips

131A and 131B of the

electrodes

13A and 13B can be increased.

Further, it is preferable that the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 is formed so that the upper surface 312 thereof covers the

tips

131A and 131B of the

electrodes

13A and 13B in a plan view. By forming the upper surface 312 of the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 so as to cover the entire surfaces of the

tip portions

131A and 131B, the pressing force applied to the operating portion 40 can be reliably transmitted by the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31. ..

As shown in FIG. 1, the operation unit 40 is supported on the base 10 via a vibration absorbing member 20 and a displacement detecting unit 30 so as to be displaceable in the direction perpendicular to the base 10. The operation unit 40 includes an exterior unit 41, an operation panel 42, a touch sensor 43, a spacer 44, a conductive plate 45, and a holding member 46.

The exterior portion 41 has a frame portion 41a formed in a substantially rectangular frame shape, and a wall portion 41b extending downward from the outer peripheral edge portion of the frame portion 41a.

The operation panel 42 is for operating an in-vehicle device, and is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape. The operation panel 42 is arranged on the back surface of the opening peripheral edge of the frame portion 41a in the exterior portion 41. The operation panel 42 is arranged so that a gap is formed in the vertical direction between the operation panel 42 and the touch sensor 43 at normal times.

The touch sensor 43 detects the position of the operator's finger in contact with the touch sensor 43 and the contact area thereof via the operation panel 42. As the touch sensor 43, a capacitance type touch sensor 43 can be used. The touch sensor 43 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape. A touch controller 47 is arranged on the back surface of the central portion of the touch sensor 43. A touch sensor 43 is electrically connected to the touch controller 47, and the input information from the touch sensor 43 is output as a signal.

The spacer 44 is a member formed in a substantially rectangular frame plate shape for holding the touch sensor 43 and the conductive plate 45 at regular intervals. The spacer 44 can be formed by using a known synthetic resin or the like.

The conductive plate 45 is a metal member formed in a substantially rectangular shape. A recess 24a recessed on the back side is formed in the central portion of the conductive plate 45. The conductive plate 45 can reduce the electric field noise from the vibrating portion 50 to the touch sensor 43.

The holding member 46 is a member that holds the touch sensor 43, the spacer 44, the conductive plate 45, and the vibrating portion 50. The holding member 46 has a substantially rectangular plate-shaped plate portion 46a on which the touch sensor 43, the spacer 44, and the conductive plate 45 are installed, an accommodating portion 46b in which the vibrating portion 50 is housed, and a predetermined distance from the central portion of the bottom surface 461. It has a pair of pressing portions 46c protruding downward (in the −Z axis direction) at the position of. The pressing portion 46c can press the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 via the vibration absorbing member 20. The pressing portion 46c can be formed in a columnar shape, a cubic shape, or the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vibrating unit 50 is provided in the operating unit 40 and has a function of vibrating the operating unit 40 in the horizontal direction. The vibrating unit 50 can vibrate the operating unit 40 horizontally by vibrating the operating unit 40 in the horizontal direction. The vibrating unit 50 may be attached to the outside of the operating unit 40.

The vibrating unit 50 may use a known vibrating member as long as it can generate vibration. As the vibrating unit 50, for example, an actuator, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or the like can be used. The vibrating unit 50 gives a tactile sensation to a contact object in contact with the operation panel 42 by generating vibration according to a predetermined vibration pattern. The vibrating unit 50 generates vibration based on an electric signal transmitted from the control device 60. The vibrating unit 50 may vibrate so as to give a tactile sensation to the position (coordinates) where the contact object is in contact with the operation panel 42.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 60 is electrically connected to the displacement detection unit 30 and the vibration unit 50. In the present embodiment, the control device 60 is electrically connected to the electrode 13, and is electrically connected to the displacement detection unit 30 via the electrode 13. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the functions of the control device 60. As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 60 includes a resistance measuring unit 61, a control unit 62, and an operation control unit 63.

The resistance measuring unit 61 is electrically connected to the displacement detecting unit 30, acquires an electric signal indicating the resistance value sent from the displacement detecting unit 30, and calculates the resistance value of the displacement detecting unit 30. The resistance measuring unit 61 is electrically connected to the control unit 62, and the calculated resistance value is input to the control unit 62 as input information.

The control unit 62 determines whether or not the resistance value has fluctuated based on the resistance value calculated by the resistance measuring unit 61, and determines whether or not the vibrating unit 50 is functioning normally. When the resistance value drops from the resistance value in the state before the displacement detection unit 30 is deformed, the control unit 62 determines that the vibrating unit 50 is functioning normally.

The control unit 62 drives the vibration unit 50 to vibrate the operation unit 40 when the displacement detection unit 30 detects the vertical displacement of the operation unit 40. Then, the control unit 62 determines that it is normal when the output from the displacement detection unit 30 changes after driving the vibration unit 50 to generate vibration, and when the output from the displacement detection unit 30 does not change. Is judged to be abnormal. When the resistance of the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 increases when the vibrating unit 50 is driven, the control unit 62 can determine that it is normal.

The control unit 62 has a storage means for storing a control program and various storage information, and a calculation means for operating based on the control program. The storage means includes a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a storage, which are main storage devices. The calculation means includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit: processor) and the like. The control unit 62 is realized by the arithmetic means reading and executing a control program or the like stored in the storage means.

The storage means included in the control unit 62 may store information indicating the relationship between the type of the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 and the signal and the resistance value for each type of the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31.

The operation control unit 63 is electrically connected to the vibration unit 50, and outputs a signal for generating vibration to the vibration unit 50. The operation control unit 63 may generate a signal for generating vibration in the vibration unit 50 so as to give a tactile sensation to the position (coordinates) where the contact object is in contact with the operation panel 42.

Further, the operation control unit 63 is electrically connected to the display unit 70, and outputs a signal to the display unit 70 that the vibrating unit 50 is normal or that the vibrating unit 50 is abnormal due to a failure or the like. The display unit 70 is an arbitrary display device used in a vehicle, such as a meter panel, a car navigation system, and a head-up display.

In the input device 1A, when the driver presses an arbitrary position of the operation panel 42 of the operation unit 40 while the vehicle is operating, the operation unit 40 is displaced downward (in the −Z axis direction) due to the pressing pressure, resulting in displacement. The pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 constituting the detection unit 30 is deformed in the downward direction (-Z-axis direction). Further, as the operation unit 40 is displaced downward (-Z-axis direction), the vibrating unit 50 vibrates in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) with respect to the displacement detection unit 30, so that the displacement detection unit 30 is displaced. The pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 to be formed is vibrated in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction). Due to this horizontal vibration, the plurality of conductive materials 32 contained in the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 are temporarily separated from each other, and it becomes difficult to establish conduction between the conductive materials 32. Therefore, the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 The conductivity of the is temporarily reduced. Therefore, the resistance of the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 temporarily increases (increases). FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a change in resistance when the displacement detection unit 30 is pressed. As shown in FIG. 6, in the displacement detecting unit 30, the resistance of the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 temporarily increases due to the vibration of the vibrating unit 50 in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) when the operating unit 40 is pressed. Therefore, by detecting the change in the resistance of the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31, the driver is given a tactile sensation by the vibration of the vibrating unit 50 that the arbitrary place of the operation panel 42 is pressed, and the operation panel 42 can be arbitrarily used. It is possible to recognize that the place of is pressed.

Next, a self-diagnosis method for determining whether the vibrating unit 50 is operating normally will be described using the input device 1A. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a self-diagnosis method for determining whether the vibrating unit 50 is operating normally. As shown in FIG. 7, when the driver turns on the power switch of the vehicle, the input device 1A is activated (step S11), the control device 60 outputs a signal for generating vibration to the vibrating unit 50, and the vibrating unit 60. 50 is vibrated in the horizontal direction (step S12).

Then, the control device 60 detects the horizontal vibration caused by the vibration of the vibrating unit 50 and determines whether the vibrating unit 50 has vibrated (step S13). FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing an example of a state in which the vibrating unit 50 is vibrating in the horizontal direction, and FIG. 9 is a change in the resistance of the displacement detecting unit 30 when the vibrating unit 50 vibrates in the horizontal direction. It is a figure which shows an example. As shown in FIG. 8, when the vibrating unit 50 vibrates in the horizontal direction, the displacement detecting unit 30 vibrates in the horizontal direction due to the vibration in the horizontal direction, and the resistance temporarily increases as shown in FIG. .. When the control device 60 receives a signal regarding the resistance of the displacement detection unit 30 and determines that the resistance is increasing (step S14: Yes), the control device 60 has the vibrating unit 50 operating normally. (Step S15), and the process ends.

On the other hand, when the vibrating unit 50 does not vibrate in the horizontal direction, as shown in FIG. 10, when the control device 60 determines that the resistance of the displacement detecting unit 30 has not decreased and has not changed ( Step S14: No), the control device 60 determines that the vibrating unit 50 is in an abnormal state due to a failure or the like (step S16), and displays a warning on the instrument panel or the like (step S17).

As described above, the input device 1A according to the present embodiment includes the base 10, the displacement detection unit 30, the operation unit 40, the vibration unit 50, and the control device 60, and the control device 60 drives the vibration unit 50. If there is a change in the output from the displacement detection unit 30, it is determined to be normal, and if there is no change in the output from the displacement detection unit 30, it is determined to be abnormal. Since the input device 1A can detect that the vibrating unit 50 vibrates in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) when the vibrating unit 50 vibrates in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) by the displacement detecting unit 30, the vibrating unit 50 is normal. It is possible to output a signal that it is operating. Therefore, the control device 60 can diagnose whether or not the vibrating unit 50 is operating normally based on the signal output from the displacement detecting unit 30. Therefore, the input device 1A can perform self-diagnosis without providing a diagnostic sensor for inspecting that the vibrating unit 50 is operating normally.

Further, since the input device 1A can detect the displacement in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) when the operation unit 40 is pressed by the displacement detection unit 30, it outputs a signal that the operation unit 40 is pressed. can do. Therefore, the input device 1A can tactilely notify the operator that the operation unit 40 has been pressed.

As described above, the input device 1A can make the operator recognize that the operation unit 40 is pressed as a tactile sensation by vibration, and can perform self-diagnosis whether the vibration unit 50 is operating normally. , FFB can be effectively used for a touch panel or the like.

Further, in the input device 1A, the vibration unit 50 can be installed in the operation unit 40, and the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 can be used as the displacement detection unit 30. Since the resistance of the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 can be changed by the vertical (Z-axis direction) displacement and the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) displacement of the operation unit 40, the vibration direction of the operation unit 40 is in the horizontal direction. By detecting the resistance of the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 even in the (X-axis direction), the self-diagnosis of the vibrating portion 5 can be performed more reliably.

Further, in the input device 1A, as the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31, a conductive elastomer containing the conductive material 32 in the elastomer 33 can be used. As a result, when the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 is deformed, the conductive materials 32 can be easily conducted with each other. Therefore, the control device 60 controls the resistance of the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31 when the vibrating portion 50 is driven. If the number increases, it can be easily determined that the vibrating unit 50 is in a normal operating state. Further, when the vibrating portion 50 vibrates in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction), the conductive materials 32 can be separated from each other to temporarily make it difficult to conduct electricity between the conductive materials 32. Therefore, when the vibrating unit 50 is driven, the control device 60 can easily determine whether or not the vibrating unit 50 is operating normally by increasing the resistance of the pressure-sensitive conductive member 31. .. Therefore, the input device 1A can perform the self-diagnosis of the vibrating unit 50 with higher accuracy.

[Second Embodiment]
The input device according to the second embodiment will be described. The input device according to the present embodiment is obtained by changing the vibration absorbing member 20 of the input device 1A according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 to a film 80, and for other configurations, the first embodiment. It has the same configuration as.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view briefly showing the configuration of the input device according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the input device 1B includes a base 10, a film 80, a displacement detection unit 30, an operation unit 40, a vibration unit 50, and a control device 60. The base 10, the displacement detection unit 30, the film 80, and the operation unit 40 are laminated in this order. In the present embodiment, the configurations other than the film 80 are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

The film 80 is a rubber-like member provided on the base 10 in a dome shape so as to cover the displacement detection unit 30. As the film 80, ethylene propylene rubber, chloroprene rubber, butyl rubber, silicone rubber and the like can be used. Among these, silicone rubber is preferable.

Similar to the input device 1A according to the first embodiment, the input device 1B can diagnose whether the vibrating unit 50 is operating normally by the signal output from the displacement detection unit 30 in the control device 60. Self-diagnosis can be performed without providing a diagnostic sensor for inspecting that the vibrating unit 50 is operating normally.

[Third Embodiment]
The input device according to the third embodiment will be described. In the input device according to the present embodiment, the vibration absorbing member 20 of the input device 1A according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is changed to the elastic deformation member 90, and the elastic deformation member 90 is placed around the displacement detection unit 30. Only the configuration is provided, and other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view briefly showing the configuration of the input device according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, the input device 1C includes a base 10, a displacement detection unit 30, an elastic deformation member 90, an operation unit 40, a vibration unit 50, and a control device 60. The base 10, the displacement detection unit 30, the elastic deformation member 90, and the operation unit 40 are laminated in this order. In the present embodiment, the configurations other than the elastically deforming member 90 are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

The elastic deformation member 90 is provided on the base 10 in a dome shape so as to cover the displacement detection unit 30.

The elastic deforming member 90 is provided with a second elastic body having a higher elastic modulus than the first elastic body inside the first elastic body.

The first elastic body can be formed of, for example, an elastic material such as natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or synthetic resin. The second elastic body may be an elastic body having a higher elastic modulus than the first elastic body, and can be formed of, for example, a spring member such as a metal coil spring. As the elastic deforming member 90, specifically, a rubber spring or the like can be used.

Similar to the input device 1A according to the first embodiment, the input device 1C can diagnose whether the vibrating unit 50 is operating normally by the signal output from the displacement detection unit 30 in the control device 60. Self-diagnosis can be performed without providing a diagnostic sensor for inspecting that the vibrating unit 50 is operating normally.

As described above, the embodiments have been described, but the above embodiments are presented as examples, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The above-described embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various combinations, omissions, replacements, changes, and the like can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-070229 filed with the Japan Patent Office on April 9, 2020, and the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-070292 are incorporated in this application. ..

1A, 1B, 1C Input device 10 Base 11 Base board 12

Adhesive layer

13, 13A, 13B Electrode 20 Vibration absorbing member 30 Displacement detection unit 40 Operation unit 50 Vibration unit 60 Control device 62 Control unit 80 Film 90 Elastic deformation member

Claims

Base and
An operation unit that is supported so as to be displaceable in the direction perpendicular to the base,
A displacement detection unit that detects the vertical displacement of the operation unit due to the pressure of the operator, and
A vibrating unit that is attached to the operating unit and generates vibration in the operating unit,
A control unit that drives and vibrates the vibrating unit when the displacement detecting unit detects a vertical displacement of the operating unit.
With
After driving the vibrating unit, the control unit determines that the input is normal when the output from the displacement detection unit changes, and determines that the input is abnormal when the output from the displacement detection unit does not change. Device.
The vibrating unit is provided on the operating unit so as to vibrate the operating unit in the horizontal direction with respect to the base.
The first aspect of the present invention, wherein the displacement detection unit is installed between the base and the operation unit, and includes a pressure-sensitive conductive member whose resistance changes depending on the vertical displacement and the horizontal displacement of the operation unit. Input device.
The pressure-sensitive conductive member includes a conductive elastomer containing a conductive material in the elastomer.
The input device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit determines that it is normal when the resistance of the pressure-sensitive conductive member increases when the vibrating unit is driven.