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US 5,008,528 AGranted
Invertible trackball
AssigneeLogitech, Inc.
InventorDouglas Duchon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to cursor control devices for computers, and particularly relates to cursor control devices for personal computers which involve the use of a ball rotatable by the fingers for controlling cursor movement.
Claims7
A trackball comprising
- a lower housing member,
- a ball suitable for rotational manipulation by the fingers and generally accessible through the upper surface of the trackball,
- a skeleton member having ball receiving means therein for receiving the ball,
- a plurality of optomechanical encoders having the mechanical components thereof mounted on the skeleton member and urged into mechanical engagement with the ball, the mechanical components supporting the ball,
- an upper housing member having ball retaining means and capable of being fixedly mounted to the lower housing member and thereby fixedly locating at least the skeleton member therebetween.
2 more elements
A trackball comprising
- a ball suitable for rotational manipulation by the fingers and generally accessible through the upper surface of the trackball,
- a lower member having mounted thereon a plurality of photosources and photodetectors,
- a skeleton member having mounted thereon a plurality of shafts, each shaft having mounted thereon an optical encoding wheel and a ball engagement wheel, each optical encoding wheel being disposed to be located between the photosource and the photodetector, the plurality of shafts providing at least partial support for the ball,
- an upper housing adapted to be fixedly mounted to the lower member and for fixedly locating therebetween the skeleton member, the uppoer housing having therein an opening for passing the ball therethrough, and
- ball retaining means capable of being fixedly mounted to the upper housing for maintaining the ball in contact with the ball engagement wheels regardless of elevational angles.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.