Dial controller

A dial controller comprising:

• a dial;
• a displacement converter for converting a rotational displacement caused by a rotation operation of the dial to an axial displacement of the dial along a rotation axis of the dial;
• a displacement detector for detecting and outputting information on a rotation angle of the dial based on a detection result of the axial displacement of the dial;
• a position indicator being disposed separately from the dial in an axially movable manner along the rotation axis of the dial;
• and
• a displacement conversion mechanism for converting the rotational displacement caused by the rotation operation of the dial to the axial displacement of the position indicator along the rotation axis in a course of transmission thereof, wherein
• the displacement detector detects a position of the position indicator along the rotation axis of the dial,
• the displacement detector outputs the rotation angle of the dial based on the detection result of the position of the position indicator,
• the displacement conversion mechanism includes a middle section that moves bi-directionally in a forward and a backward direction along the rotation axis of the dial in accordance with the rotation operation of the dial in a normal and a reverse rotation direction,
• the dial has a first face on one axial end that is susceptible to an external operation and a second face on the other axial end that is opposite to the one axial end,
• the position indicator is pressed by a backward biasing member toward the middle section in the backward direction that is defined as a direction from the second face to the first face and an opposite direction of the forward direction,
• the position indicator is driven in the forward direction in accordance with a movement of the middle section against a force from the backward biasing member when the middle section moves in the forward direction,
• the position indicator is driven in the backward direction in accordance with the movement of the middle section when the middle section moves in the backward direction by the force from the backward biasing member,
• the displacement conversion mechanism is disposed on a second face side of the dial,
• the displacement conversion mechanism is structured as a cam mechanism that includes:
• a cam section that has a sliding cam surface in a spiral slope shape along a circumferential direction of the dial as the middle section;
• and
• a cam follower that slides along the sliding cam surface to move bi-directionally along the rotation axis of the dial in accordance with a normal rotation and a reverse rotation of the dial, and further comprising:
• a dial holder for holding the dial at a predetermined angular position,
• wherein a plurality of the predetermined angular positions at respectively different predetermined angles around the rotation axis of the dial are defined for holding the dial,
• the second face of the dial has a supplemental sliding surface that is formed separately from the sliding cam surface,
• the support base has a supplemental sliding member that faces the supplemental sliding surface in a sliding contact therewith at a predetermined angular position of the rotation axis when the dial is rotated,
• an end of the supplemental sliding member follows the supplemental sliding surface in a sliding contact therewith when the dial is rotated,
• the dial holder includes a convex position marker that protrudes from one of the supplemental sliding surface and the supplemental sliding member and a concave position marker that is fitted to the convex position marker on an other of the supplemental sliding surface and the supplemental sliding member,
• the convex position marker engages the concave position marker when the dial is positioned at the predetermined angular position, and
• the convex position marker disengages the concave position marker by resiliently going over an edge in a rotation direction of the dial when the dial is rotated.

A dial controller comprising:

• a dial;
• a displacement converter for converting a rotational displacement caused by a rotation operation of the dial to an axial displacement of the dial along a rotation axis of the dial;
• a displacement detector for detecting and outputting information on a rotation angle of the dial based on a detection result of the axial displacement of the dial;
• a position indicator being disposed separately from the dial in an axially movable manner along the rotation axis of the dial;
• and
• a displacement conversion mechanism for converting the rotational displacement caused by the rotation operation of the dial to the axial displacement of the position indicator along the rotation axis in a course of transmission thereof, wherein
• the displacement detector detects a position of the position indicator along the rotation axis of the dial,
• the displacement detector outputs the rotation angle of the dial based on the detection result of the position of the position indicator,
• the displacement conversion mechanism includes a middle section that moves bi-directionally in a forward and a backward direction along the rotation axis of the dial in accordance with the rotation operation of the dial in a normal and a reverse rotation direction,
• the dial has a first face on one axial end that is susceptible to an external operation and a second face on the other axial end that is opposite to the one axial end,
• the position indicator is pressed by a backward biasing member toward the middle section in the backward direction that is defined as a direction from the second face to the first face and an opposite direction of the forward direction,
• the position indicator is driven in the forward direction in accordance with a movement of the middle section against a force from the backward biasing member when the middle section moves in the forward direction,
• the position indicator is driven in the backward direction in accordance with the movement of the middle section when the middle section moves in the backward direction by the force from the backward biasing member,
• the displacement conversion mechanism is disposed on a second face side of the dial,
• the displacement conversion mechanism is structured as a cam mechanism that includes:
• a cam section that has a sliding cam surface in a spiral slope shape along a circumferential direction of the dial as the middle section;
• and
• a cam follower that slides along the sliding cam surface to move bi-directionally along the rotation axis of the dial in accordance with a normal rotation and a reverse rotation of the dial,
• the second face of the dial has a supplemental sliding surface that is formed separately from the sliding cam surface,
• the support base has a supplemental sliding member that faces the supplemental sliding surface in a sliding contact therewith at a predetermined angular position of the rotation axis when the dial is rotated,
• the supplemental sliding surface is formed as a supplemental sliding cam surface that has the spiral slope shape in an opposite direction relative to the spiral slope shape of the sliding cam surface,
• the supplemental sliding member moves bi-directionally along the rotation axis of the dial in a reversed manner relative to the movement of the cam follower when the dial is rotated, and
• a resilient member in the backward biasing member between the cam follower and the support base is compressed by a displacement that is directly proportional to a stroke of the cam follower in the forward direction, and
• the supplemental sliding member between the supplemental cam follower and the support base is compressed by a displacement that is directly proportional to a stroke of the supplemental cam follower in the forward direction.

A dial controller comprising:

• a dial;
• a displacement converter for converting a rotational displacement caused by a rotation operation of the dial to an axial displacement of the dial along a rotation axis of the dial;
• a displacement detector for detecting and outputting information on a rotation angle of the dial based on a detection result of the axial displacement of the dial;
• a position indicator being disposed separately from the dial in an axially movable manner along the rotation axis of the dial;
• and
• a displacement conversion mechanism for converting the rotational displacement caused by the rotation operation of the dial to the axial displacement of the position indicator along the rotation axis in a course of transmission thereof, wherein
• the displacement detector detects a position of the position indicator along the rotation axis of the dial,
• the displacement detector outputs the rotation angle of the dial based on the detection result of the position of the position indicator,
• the displacement conversion mechanism includes a middle section that moves bi-directionally in a forward and a backward direction along the rotation axis of the dial in accordance with the rotation operation of the dial in a normal and a reverse rotation direction,
• the dial has a first face on one axial end that is susceptible to an external operation and a second face on the other axial end that is opposite to the one axial end,
• the position indicator is pressed by a backward biasing member toward the middle section in the backward direction that is defined as a direction from the second face to the first face and an opposite direction of the forward direction,
• the position indicator is driven in the forward direction in accordance with a movement of the middle section against a force from the backward biasing member when the middle section moves in the forward direction,
• the position indicator is driven in the backward direction in accordance with the movement of the middle section when the middle section moves in the backward direction by the force from the backward biasing member,
• the displacement conversion mechanism is disposed on a second face side of the dial,
• the displacement conversion mechanism is structured as a cam mechanism that includes:
• a cam section that has a sliding cam surface in a spiral slope shape along a circumferential direction of the dial as the middle section;
• and
• a cam follower that slides along the sliding cam surface to move bi-directionally along the rotation axis of the dial in accordance with a normal rotation and a reverse rotation of the dial,
• the dial has a body in a cylinder shape, and
• the sliding cam surface is formed on an end face of the body,
• the body is concentrically and coveringly disposed over a rotation supporting convex portion that is protrudingly disposed on a front side of a case,
• a proximity of a base position of the rotation supporting convex portion on an instrument panel has a circular depression for hiding the cam mechanism on the second face side of the body, and
• the cam follower protrudes from a bottom surface of the circular depression.

A dial controller comprising:

• a dial;
• a displacement converter for converting a rotational displacement caused by a rotation operation of the dial to an axial displacement of the dial along a rotation axis of the dial;
• a displacement detector for detecting and outputting information on a rotation angle of the dial based on a detection result of the axial displacement of the dial;
• a position indicator being disposed separately from the dial in an axially movable manner along the rotation axis of the dial;
• and
• a displacement conversion mechanism for converting the rotational displacement caused by the rotation operation of the dial to the axial displacement of the position indicator along the rotation axis in a course of transmission thereof, wherein
• the displacement detector detects a position of the position indicator along the rotation axis of the dial,
• the displacement detector outputs the rotation angle of the dial based on the detection result of the position of the position indicator,
• the displacement conversion mechanism includes a middle section that moves bi-directionally in a forward and a backward direction along the rotation axis of the dial in accordance with the rotation operation of the dial in a normal and a reverse rotation direction,
• the dial has a first face on one axial end that is susceptible to an external operation and a second face on the other axial end that is opposite to the one axial end,
• the position indicator is pressed by a backward biasing member toward the middle section in the backward direction that is defined as a direction from the second face to the first face and an opposite direction of the forward direction,
• the position indicator is driven in the forward direction in accordance with a movement of the middle section against a force from the backward biasing member when the middle section moves in the forward direction, and
• the position indicator is driven in the backward direction in accordance with the movement of the middle section when the middle section moves in the backward direction by the force from the backward biasing member, and further comprising:
• a first gear that is concentrically disposed on the dial for being integrally rotated with the dial;
• a second gear that engages the first gear in an axially slidable manner bi-directionally along the rotation axis of the dial;
• a male screw member that protrudes from a second face of the second gear in an axial direction of the dial for being integrally rotated with the dial;
• and
• a female screw member that is positioned stationary in terms of the axial direction of the dial for being threaded with the male screw member, wherein the male screw member threads the female screw member from a first side of the female screw member, and wherein a second end of the male screw member protrudes from a second side of the female screw member,
• wherein the first side of the female screw member is identically oriented with the first face of the dial,
• the second face of the second gear, the second end of the male screw member, and the second side of the female screw member are identically oriented with the second face of the dial, and
• the male screw member is formed as the middle section.