# US 11,079,294 B2 · Operation lever > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,079,294 B2 - Document ID: US11079294B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/329,347 - Filed: 2018-02-16 - Published: 2019-08-15 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-28 - Assignees: Komatsu Ltd. - Applicants: Komatsu Ltd. - Inventors: Masato Kageyama; Hiroki Shinozaki; Daigoh Fujii - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079294B2 ## CPC - G01L 5/223: {to joystick controls} - E02F 9/20: Drives; Control devices (gearings in general F16H; controlling in general G05; electric multi-motor drives H02K, H02P) - E02F 9/2004: {Control mechanisms, e.g. control levers (control levers per se G05G)} - F16H 59/02: Selector apparatus - G01B 7/00: Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of electric or magnetic techniques - G05G 9/047: the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks {(for switches H01H25/04)} - G05G 25/00: Other details or appurtenances of control mechanisms, e.g. supporting intermediate members elastically - H01H 25/04: Operating part movable angularly in more than one plane, e.g. joystick - H10W 90/00: Package configurations - F16H 2059/0295: {with mechanisms to return lever to neutral or datum position, e.g. by return springs} - G05G 2009/04718: {with cardan or gimbal type joint} - G05G 2009/04755: {Magnetic sensor, e.g. hall generator, pick-up coil} - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) - E02F: DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING (winning peat E21C49/00) - F16H: GEARING - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - G05G: CONTROL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS INSOFAR AS CHARACTERISED BY MECHANICAL FEATURES ONLY ("Bowden" or like mechanisms F16C1/10; gearings or mechanisms not peculiar to this purpose F16H; speed changing or reversing mechanisms for gearings conveying rotary motion F16H59/00 - F16H63/00) - H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00) - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract An operation lever includes: a pair of rods disposed at point-symmetrical positions with respect to an operation axis; magnets disposed on the respective rods; and a pair of magnetic sensors disposed at line-symmetrical positions with respect to a second straight line perpendicular to a first straight line connecting centers of one of the rods and the other rod, on a plane perpendicular to the operation axis. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An operation lever comprising: four rods including a pair of rods, disposed at point-symmetrical positions in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to an operation axis, and a pair of rods disposed point-symmetrically in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction and a fourth direction opposite to the third direction with respect to the operation axis; magnets disposed, respectively, on the rods; magnetic guides formed of a magnetic material and disposed, respectively, around a portion where each of the magnets moves; and magnetic sensors disposed inside the magnetic guides and disposed at line-symmetrical positions with respect to a second straight line perpendicular to a first straight line connecting centers of one of the rods and the other rod, which oppose each other with the operation axis as a center among the four rods, on a plane perpendicular to the operation axis, wherein each of the magnetic guides guides a magnetic field of the magnet disposed therein to suppress the magnetic field from leaking to an outside of each magnetic guide. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The operation lever according to claim 1, comprising a processing unit which outputs a detection signal regarding a change in a relative position of each of the magnets based on output signals of the magnetic sensors. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The operation lever according to claim 2, wherein the processing unit outputs the detection signal based on a calculation result obtained by subtracting, from an output signal of the magnetic sensor detecting one of the magnets, an output signal of the magnetic sensor detecting the other magnet. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The operation lever according to claim 2, wherein the processing unit outputs the detection signal based on a calculation result obtained by adding an output signal of the magnetic sensor detecting one of the magnets and an output signal of the magnetic sensor detecting the other magnet. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The operation lever according to claim 1, wherein two sets of the pair of rods are disposed on an identical circumference about the operation axis such that the rods are equidistant from each other, each of the rods is movable along an axial direction of the operation axis, and each of the magnets moves integrally with each of the rods. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The operation lever according to claim 1, wherein each of the magnetic sensors is disposed to be aligned with respect to the magnet to be detected in a direction parallel to the second straight line. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The operation lever according to claim 1, wherein two magnetic sensors are provided for each magnet. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The operation lever according to claim 7, wherein the two magnetic sensors are disposed on both sides in a direction parallel to the second straight line with respect to the one magnet to be detected. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The operation lever according to claim 8, wherein the two magnetic sensors are disposed equidistant from each magnet to be detected.