Joystick device and a method of manufacturing thereof

A joystick device comprising:

• a hollow housing which comprises an endless boundary structure and a ceiling structure to define an internal space, and which is provided with an opening through the ceiling structure;
• a control-stick having a head portion and a stem portion extending through the opening of the ceiling structure, the hollow housing surrounding the stem portion of the control-stick with the head portion of the control-stick outside the hollow housing, wherein the control-stick is made of electrical conductive material;
• a ring made of electrical insulating material fixedly coupled around the stem portion of the control-stick;
• and
• a plurality of biasing curved arm members extending from the ring to form a radial arrangement around the stem portion of the control-stick in a manner so as to be movable with the control-stick as a whole relative to the hollow housing along a plane at least substantially perpendicular to the stem portion, wherein each of the plurality of biasing curved arm members extends from the ring along the plane and has a curved segment with a convex side of the curved segment directed towards a respective corresponding portion of the endless boundary structure of the hollow housing so as to bias the stem portion of the control-stick away from the respective corresponding portion of the endless boundary structure of the hollow housing when the control-stick is being moved towards the respective corresponding portion of the endless boundary structure,
• wherein the plurality of biasing curved arm members are distributed along a circumference of the stem portion of the control-stick in a manner so as to cooperate with each other to centre the control-stick with respect to the opening of the ceiling of the hollow housing.

A method of manufacturing a joystick device, the method comprising:

• insert moulding a ring made of electrical insulating material around a stem portion of a control-stick made of electrical conductive material, wherein four biasing curved arm members extends from the ring to form a quatrefoil-like shape around the stem portion of the control-stick;
• and
• providing the control-stick to a hollow housing which comprises an endless boundary structure and a ceiling structure to define an internal space and which is provided with an opening through the ceiling structure of the hollow structure such that the hollow housing surrounds the stem portion of the control-stick and the control-stick extends through the opening in the ceiling structure of the hollow housing with the head portion of the control-stick outside the hollow housing,
• wherein the four biasing curved arm members and the control-stick are movable as a whole relative to the hollow housing along a plane at least substantially perpendicular to the stem portion of the control-stick, wherein each of the four biasing curved arm members extends from the ring along the plane and has a curved segment with a convex side of the curved segment directed towards a respective corresponding portion of the endless boundary structure of the hollow housing so as to bias the stem portion of the control-stick away from the respective corresponding portion of the endless boundary structure of the hollow housing when the control-stick is being moved towards the respective corresponding portion of the endless boundary structure,
• wherein the four biasing curved arm members are distributed along a circumference of the stem portion of the control-stick in a manner so as to cooperate with each other to centre the control-stick with respect to the opening of the ceiling of the hollow housing.