Control device made of impact resistant material

#This invention relates to a manual controller for manipulating images or symbols on a visual display and, in particular, to such a controller having a housing made of impact resistant material that resists damage resulting from accidental or intentional impact.

#Manual controllers for manipulating images or symbols on a visual display of a computing device include, for example, joysticks, game pads, steering wheels, guns, and mice for video games; remote devices for television, DVD, VCR, stereophonic equipment, projectors, and other such electronic equipment; cellular telephones; and portable video game systems. Conventional housings for such manual controllers are typically made of hard plastic material that fails to maintain the structural integrity of the controller or the operational integrity of its electronics undergoing impact applied by accident or a user experiencing a moment of extreme frustration or unrestrained exuberance. Video game players are especially susceptible to intentionally inflicting damaging impact on a manual controller by throwing, dropping, or delivering other insult to it.

#A damage resistant manual controller for manipulating images or symbols on a display comprises a foam rubber exoskeleton having an interior region configured to confine an internal electronics assembly that is operatively connected to control actuators. The internal electronics assembly includes electrical components that cooperate with the control actuators to produce signals for manipulating images or symbols on the display. The control actuators are positioned for direct or indirect tactile manipulation by a user to cause production of the signals.

#FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 are exploded views of respective first, second, and third preferred embodiments of an impact resistant manual controller.

#FIG. 4A is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a control button suitable for use in any one of the preferred embodiments of the manual controller of FIGS. 1-3.

#FIG. 4B represents a modification of FIG. 4A in that a region of foam rubber exoskeleton covering a control button is removed to expose a button top portion.

#FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a first preferred embodiment of a manual controller 10 that is detachably connected by a cable 12 to a computing device (not shown) for manipulating images or symbols on a display associated with the computing device. Although this embodiment is equipped with cable 12, manual controller 10 may also operate with a computing device through a wireless communication link. Manual controller 10 includes an internal electronics assembly 14 housed within an interior region 16 of an exoskeleton 18 formed of foam rubber. The foam rubber material is preferably medium-to-high density polyurethane exhibiting flexibility properties, such as those of the foam rubber used in NERF toy products. In the first preferred embodiment, manual controller 10 is assembled by placing internal electronics assembly 14 between an upper exoskeleton section 22 and a lower exoskeleton section 24. Upper and lower exoskeleton sections 22 and 24 are bonded together to form a waterproof, unitary foam rubber casing for internal electronics assembly 14.

#As shown in FIG. 1, exoskeleton 18 has a left-hand grip 30 and a right-hand grip 32 for two-handed gripping by a user. A left-side control pad 34 including four pressable control members 36, left-side analog stick control 38, and front left-side control button 60 are positioned for access by digits of the user's left hand; and a right-side control pad 44 including four control buttons 46, right-side analog stick control 48, and front right-side control button 50 are positioned for access by digits of the user's right hand. A mode selection switch 60, mode indicator 62, selection button 64, and start button 66 are positioned between hand grips 30 and 32. Skilled persons will appreciate that the above-described number of control actuators, control actuator layout pattern, and hand grip arrangement represent only one of numerous possible control actuator and hand grip configurations.

#In this embodiment, the total surface area of exoskeleton 18 is covered in foam rubber. The surface areas of these control actuators are perforce covered in foam, thereby rendering them surface control actuators. The control actuator surfaces are preferably made of relatively thin foam rubber, with the button and analog stick control components held in place by a plastic plate 70 (FIGS. 4 and 5) and projecting into recesses in corresponding locations of the control actuator surfaces. Internal electronics assembly 14 includes the actual electronic circuits, controls, and corresponding switch elements, including switch elements 72 and 74 for the respective control pads 34 and 44. Thus, the analog stick controls and buttons are actuated by user manipulation of the foam rubber controls on the surface of exoskeleton 18.