# US 11,443,878 B2 · Operation unit and electronic apparatus

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- Number: US 11,443,878 B2
- Document ID: US11443878B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/217,964
- Filed: 2021-03-30
- Published: 2021-10-14
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2020-04-08
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Shoma Mizutani; Natsu Mikami
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443878B2

## CPC

- H01F 7/02: Permanent magnets {[PM]}
- H01F 7/0242: {Magnetic drives, magnetic coupling devices}
- F16H 1/227: {comprising two or more gearwheels in mesh with the same internally toothed wheel}
- G03B 17/00: Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor (lens hoods or caps G03B11/04)
- G03B 17/02: Bodies
- G06F 3/03543: {Mice or pucks (G06F3/03541 takes precedence)}
- G06F 3/0362: with detection of one-dimensional [1D] translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
- H04N 23/50: Constructional details
- H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
- F16H: GEARING
- G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

An operation unit includes an operation member, a gear portion provided on the operation member, a plurality of gears engaged with the gear portion and rotatable, and a plurality of magnets, each of which is provided to a corresponding one of the plurality of gears. The plurality of gears rotate so as to change an attractive force between the magnets, when a user operates the operation member.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An operation unit comprising:
an operation member;
a gear portion provided on the operation member;
a plurality of gears engaged with the gear portion and rotatable; and
a plurality of magnets, each of which is provided to a corresponding one of the plurality of gears,
wherein the plurality of gears rotate, so as to change an attractive force between the magnets, when a user operates the operation member, and
wherein the gear portion has an internal gear shape disposed on an inner circumference of the operation member.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The operation unit according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of gears rotate so as to change the attractive force from a first attractive force to a second attractive force smaller than the first attractive force.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The operation unit according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of gears are not engaged with each other.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The operation unit according to claim 1, wherein the operation member is a rotational operation member that is rotatably held by a fixed portion.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The operation unit according to claim 1, wherein among the plurality of gears, the number of gears located at first positions near an operated position of the operation member is more than the number of gears located at a second position or second positions farther from the operated position than the first positions.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The operation unit according to claim 1, wherein rotation axes of the plurality of gears are arranged rotationally symmetrically with respect to a rotation axis of the operation member.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The operation unit according to claim 1, wherein the number of teeth of the gear portion of the operation member is an integral multiple of the number of gears.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The operation unit according to claim 1, wherein the number of gears is three.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The operation unit according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of detection members,
wherein the plurality of detection members are arranged on a plane in which the plurality of gears are plane-symmetrically arranged, and at positions rotationally symmetrical with respect to a rotation axis of the operation member.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

An electronic apparatus comprising the operation unit according to claim 1.

### Claim 11

An operation unit comprising:
an operation member;
a gear portion provided on the operation member;
a plurality of gears engaged with the gear portion and rotatable; and
a plurality of magnets, each of which is provided to a corresponding one of the plurality of gears,
wherein the plurality of gears rotate, so as to change an attractive force between the magnets, when a user operates the operation member, and
wherein the plurality of gears rotate so that directions of magnetic poles of the plurality of magnets are parallel to each other.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

An electronic apparatus comprising the operation unit according to claim 11.