Joystick controller
AssigneeWico Corporation
InventorsMarino Cecchi, Guerrino Suffi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A joystick controller is characterized by a control shaft that has toward its lower end a hemispherical-shaped member having a spherical surface. The control shaft extends upwardly through an opening in a top wall of a housing, and a circumference of the opening defines a beating for the spherical surface of the control shaft hemispherical member while a bottom of the control shaft is pivotally supported on a fulcrum within the housing. An upper end of the control shaft is manually movable to pivot the control shaft, with the spherical surface then moving in the bearing. The control shaft is coupled to x-y movement indicators comprising linearly movable variable impedance devices, which generate signals in accordance with the amount and direction of pivotal movement of the control shaft.
Claims19
A joystick controller, comprising a housing;
- a joystick supported by said housing for pivotal movement in any direction to any tilt angle;
- a first variable impedance device supported by said housing and having a first control means that is linearly movable to vary the impedance of said first variable impedance device;
- a second variable impedance device supported by said housing and having a second control means that is linearly movably to vary the impedance of said second variable impedance device;
- and means for mechanically coupling said first and second control means to said joystick for directly linearly moving said first and second control means in response to pivotal movement of said joystick to vary the impedances of said first and second variable impedance devices by respective amounts in accordance with the direction and amount of pivotal movement of said joystick, wherein said joystick comprises a control shaft having a lower end and a hemispherical-shaped member toward said control shaft lower end, said hemispherical-shaped member having a spherical surface, and said housing having at top wall, a circular opening in said too wall, a bearing surface around the circumference of said top wall opening, and a bottom wall, and including fulcrum means on said housing bottom wall, said joystick being supported by said housing with said control shaft extending through said housing top wall opening to the exterior of said housing, with said spherical surface of said hemispherical-shaped member slidingly engaging said bearing surface around said opening for movement therein, and with a bottom end of said control shaft resting on said fulcrum means for pivotal movement of said joystick about said fulcrum means.
A joystick controller, comprising a housing;
- a joystick supported by said housing for pivotal movement in any direction to any tilt angle;
- a first variable impedance device supported by said housing and having a first control means that is linearly movable to vary the impedance of said first variable impedance device;
- a second variable impedance device supported by said housing and having a second control means that is linearly movable to vary the impedance of said second variable impedance device;
- and means for mechanically coupling said first and second control means to said joystick for directly linearly moving said first and second control means in response to pivotal movement of said joystick to vary the impedances of said first and second variable impedance devices by respective amounts in accordance with the direction and amount of pivotal movement of said joystick, said joystick comprising a control shaft having a lower end and a hemispherical-shaped member toward said control shaft lower end, said hemispherical-shaped member having a spherical surface, and said housing having a top wall, a circular opening in said top wall, and a bearing surface around the circumference of said top wall opening, and including fulcrum means for supporting said joystick for pivotal movement with said control shaft extending through said housing too wall opening to the exterior of said housing and with said spherical surface of said hemispherical-shaped member slidingly engaging said bearing surface around said opening for movement therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.