US 6,377,239 B1 · Multidirectional input device · patentgrep

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Abstract

A multidirectional input device includes a control lever held to tilt; a flange member to be tilted by tilting of the control lever, and not to turn (upper movable contact plate); a support member (cover member) opposed to the flange member so as not to tilt and turn; a first switch having a first fixed contact to be turned on/off in response to contact and separation between the first fixed contact and the flange member according to tilting of the control lever in a first tilting direction; and a second switch having a second fixed contact to be turned on/off in response to contact and separation between the second fixed contact and the flange member according to tilting of the control lever in a second tilting direction. The control lever brings an end portion of the flange member into contact with the support member, and tilts on the end portion. When the first switch and the second switch are simultaneously turned on/off by tilting of the control lever, the inclined flange member and the support member are brought into line contact or two-point contact with each other.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A multidirectional input device, comprising:

a control lever held to tilt and rise and not to turn on an axis thereof;
a flange-shaped movable contact member formed in said control lever so as to tilt and rise in combination with tilting and rising of said control lever, and so as not to turn on said axis of said control lever, said flange-shaped movable contact member being shaped like a quadrangle in plan view;
a fixed contact support member having a flat surface and fixed opposed to said flange-shaped movable contact member;
a first switch having a first fixed contact disposed on a surface of said fixed contact support member, said first switch being turned on/off in response to contact and separation between said first fixed contact and said flange-shaped movable contact member according to a first tilting and rising movement of said control lever with respect to said first fixed contact;
and
a second switch having a second fixed contact disposed adjacent to and at a predetermined distance from said first fixed contact on said surface of said fixed contact support member, said second switch being turned on/off in response to contact and separation between said second fixed contact and said flange-shaped movable contact member according to a second tilting and rising movement of said control lever with respect to said second fixed contact,
wherein said first fixed contact of said first switch and said second fixed contact of said second switch are disposed at positions corresponding to vertexes of said quadrangle of said flange-shaped movable contact member, and
wherein said first fixed contact and said second fixed contact are placed so that a side of said flange-shaped movable contact member is brought into linear contact with said surface of said fixed contact support member when said control lever tilts and rises in a predetermined direction between a direction of said first tilting and rising movement and a direction of said second tilting and rising movement, and is simultaneously contacted with and separated from said corresponding vertexes of said flange-shaped movable contact member.

5 more elements

A multidirectional input device, comprising:

a control lever held to tilt and rise and not to turn on an axis thereof;
a flange-shaped movable contact member formed in said control lever so as to tilt and rise in combination with tilting and rising of said control lever, and so as not to turn on said axis of said control lever, said flange-shaped movable contact member being shaped like a circle in plan view;
a fixed contact support member having a flat surface and fixed opposed to said flange-shaped movable contact member;
a first switch having a first fixed contact disposed on a surface of said fixed contact support member, said first switch being turned on/off in response to contact and separation between said first fixed contact and said flange-shaped movable contact member by a first tilting and rising movement of said control lever with respect to said first fixed contact;
and
a second switch having a second fixed contact disposed adjacent to and at a predetermined distance from said first fixed contact on said surface of said fixed contact support member, said second switch being turned on/off in response to contact and separation between said second fixed contact and said flange-shaped movable contact member by a second tilting and rising movement of said control lever with respect to said second fixed contact,
wherein each of said first fixed contact and said second fixed contact has at least one projection so as to simultaneously contact and separate said flange-shaped movable contact member with and from said first fixed contact and said second fixed contact when said control lever tilts and rises in a predetermined direction between a direction of said first tilting and rising movement and a direction of said second tilting and rising movement.

4 more elements

A multidirectional input device, comprising:

a control lever held to tilt and rise and not to turn on an axis thereof;
a flange-shaped movable contact member formed in said control lever so as to tilt and rise in combination with tilting and rising of said control lever, and so as not to turn on said axis of said control lever, said flange-shaped movable contact member being shaped like a circle in plan view;
a fixed contact support member fixed opposed to said flange-shaped movable contact member;
a first switch having a first fixed contact disposed on a surface of said fixed contact support member, said first switch being turned on/off in response to contact and separation between said first fixed contact and said flange-shaped movable contact member by a first tilting and rising movement of said control lever with respect to said first fixed contact;
and
a second switch having a second fixed contact disposed adjacent to and at a predetermined distance from said first fixed contact on said surface of said fixed contact support member, said second switch being turned on/off in response to contact and separation between said second fixed contact and said flange-shaped movable contact member by a second tilting and rising movement of said control lever with respect to said second fixed contact,
wherein portions of said flange-shaped movable contact member opposing said first fixed contact and said second fixed contact respectively have at least one projection which simultaneously contacts with and separates from said first fixed contact and said second fixed contact when said control lever tilts and rises in a predetermined direction between a direction of said first tilting and rising movement and a direction of said second tilting and rising movement.

4 more elements

A multidirectional input device, comprising:

a control lever held to tilt and rise and not to turn on an axis thereof;
a flange-shaped movable contact member formed in said control lever so as to tilt and rise in combination with tilting and rising of said control lever, and so as not to turn on said axis of said control lever, said flange-shaped movable contact member being shaped like a polygon in plan view;
a fixed contact support member having a flat surface and fixed opposed to said flange-shaped movable contact member;
a first switch having a first fixed contact disposed on a surface of said fixed contact support member, said first switch being turned on/off in response to contact and separation between said first fixed contact and said flange-shaped movable contact member by a first tilting and rising movement of said control lever with respect to said first fixed contact;
and
a second switch having a second fixed contact disposed adjacent to and at a predetermined distance from said first fixed contact on said surface of said fixed contact support member, said second switch being turned on/off in response to contact and separation between said second fixed contact and said flange-shaped movable contact member by a second tilting and rising movement of said control lever with respect to said second fixed contact,
wherein predetermined edges of said polygon of said flange-shaped movable contact member are respectively placed opposed to said first fixed contact of said first switch and said second fixed contact of said second switch so that they are brought into linear contact with and are separated from first and second fixed contacts in response to tilting and rising of said control lever in a direction of said first tilting and rising movement and in a direction of said second tilting and rising movement, and
wherein an edge of said flange-shaped movable contact member between said edge opposing said first fixed contact and said edge opposing said second fixed contact is placed so as to be brought into linear contact with said surface of said fixed contact support member and to be simultaneously contacted with and separated from said first fixed contact and said second fixed contact when said control lever tilts and rises in a predetermined direction between the direction of said first tilting and rising movement and the direction of said second tilting and rising movement.

5 more elements

A multidirectional input device, comprising:

a control lever held to tilt and rise and not to turn on an axis thereof;
a flange-shaped movable contact member formed in said control lever so as to tilt and rise in combination with tilting and rising of said control lever, and so as not to turn on said axis of said control lever, said flange-shaped movable contact member being shaped like a square in plan view;
a fixed contact support member having a flat surface, fixed opposed to said flange-shaped movable contact member, shaped like a square equivalent to the outer shape of said flange-shaped movable contact member, and overlapping with said flange-shaped movable contact member while being shifted by 45°;
a first switch having a first fixed contact disposed on a surface of said fixed contact support member, said first switch being turned on/off in response to contact and separation between said first fixed contact and said flange-shaped movable contact member by a first tilting and rising movement of said control lever with respect to said first fixed contact;
and
a second switch having a second fixed contact disposed adjacent to and at a predetermined distance from said first fixed contact on said surface of said fixed contact support member, said second switch being turned on/off in response to contact and separation between said second fixed contact and said flange-shaped movable contact member by a second tilting and rising movement of said control lever with respect to said second fixed contact,
wherein said first fixed contact of said first switch and said second fixed contact of said second switch are disposed at positions corresponding to sides of said square of said flange-shaped movable contact member, and
wherein said first fixed contact and said second fixed contact are placed so as to simultaneously contact with and separate from said flange-shaped movable contact member and so that said flange-shaped movable contact member is brought into linear contact and is separated from edges of said square of said fixed contact support member when said control lever tilts and rises in a predetermined direction between a direction of said first tilting and rising movement and a direction of said second tilting and rising movement.

5 more elements

A multidirectional input device, comprising:

a control lever held to tilt and rise and not to turn on an axis thereof;
a flange-shaped movable contact member formed in said control lever so as to tilt and rise in combination with tilting and rising of said control lever, and so as not to turn on said axis of said control lever, said flange-shaped movable contact member being shaped nearly like a quadrangle with edges curved inwardly in plan view;
a fixed contact support member fixed opposed to said flange-shaped movable contact member;
a first switch having a first fixed contact disposed on a surface of said fixed contact support member, said first switch being turned on/off in response to contact and separation between said first fixed contact and said flange-shaped movable contact member by a first tilting and rising movement of said control lever with respect to said first fixed contact;
and
a second switch having a second fixed contact disposed adjacent to and at a predetermined distance from said first fixed contact on said surface of said fixed contact support member, said second switch being turned on/off in response to contact and separation between said second fixed contact and said flange-shaped movable contact member by a second tilting and rising movement of said control lever with respect to said second fixed contact,
wherein said first fixed contact of said first switch and said second fixed contact of said second switch are disposed at positions corresponding to vertexes of said quadrangle of said flange-shaped movable contact member, and
wherein said first fixed contact and said second fixed contact are placed so that flange-shaped movable contact member simultaneously contacts with and separates from said first fixed contact and said second fixed contact when said control lever tilts and rises in a predetermined direction between a direction of said first tilting and rising movement and a direction of said second tilting and rising movement.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.