Joystick
OwnerJanny Lee, Horace Huang +1inventors
InventorsJanny Lee, Horace Huang, Kart Wang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A joystick that has a low profile or height. The joystick has a housing with an inner cavity and a top surface. An aperture is located in the top surface. A stick assembly extends through the aperture. A gimbal assembly is located in the cavity and has the stick assembly mounted thereon. A pair of variable resistors are mounted to the gimbal assembly. The resistors generate an output signal indicative of a position of the stick assembly. A first set of terminals are electrically connected to the resistors and extend parallel to the stick assembly from the top surface. A second set of terminals are attached to the housing and extend from the top surface parallel to the stick assembly.
Claims9
A joystick comprising:
- a) a housing;
- b) a stick assembly, mounted in the housing, the stick assembly having an end extending from the housing and another end having a cap attached thereto;
- c) a gimbal assembly having the stick assembly mounted thereto and contained within the housing, the gimbal assembly including:
- c1) a first and second yokes coupled to the stick assembly for allowing the stick assembly to move therein, the yokes having a pair of ends extending outside of the housing;
- c2) a pair of sensors, mounted to the ends of the yokes for generating an electrical output signal indicative of a position of the stick assembly, the sensors mounted outside the housing;
- d) a retainer, disposed adjacent the gimbal assembly, the retainer disposed circumferentially around the stick assembly;
- e) a base having a cavity therein, the base mounted to the housing;
- f) a switch, positioned in the cavity below the cap, the switch activated when the stick assembly is sufficiently displaced in a direction parallel to the stick assembly so as to cause the cap to contact the switch and to close the switch;
- a spring located between the retainer and the base for biasing the gimbal assembly away from the switch;
- g) a mounting hole extending through the shaft for pivotally and slidably securing the shaft to the gimbal assembly;
- h) a hinge pin extending through the second yoke and mounting hole to allow the shaft to pivotally move;
- i) a first and second grooves, located in the first and second yokes, respectively for allowing the shaft to pivot therein;
- j) a first set of terminals electrically connected to the sensors and extending in the same direction as the stick assembly;
- k) a second set of terminals attached to the housing and extending in the same direction as the stick assembly;
- and
- l) a third set of terminals electrically connected to the switch and extending in the same direction as the stick assembly.
A joystick comprising:
- a) a housing having an inner cavity, a top surface and a first aperture located in the top surface;
- b) a stick assembly extending through the first aperture;
- c) a gimbal assembly located in the cavity and having the stick assembly mounted thereon;
- d) a pair of variable resistors, mounted to the gimbal assembly, for generating an output signal indicative of a position of the stick assembly;
- e) a first set of terminals electrically connected to the resistors and extending parallel to the stick assembly;
- and
- f) a second set of terminals attached to the housing and extending from the top surface parallel to the stick assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.