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US 8,139,033 B2Granted
Input device
AssigneePanasonic Corporation
InventorsTamotsu Yamamoto, Shinichi Takasaki, Yoshio Naka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An input device includes a ball having a magnetic body therein. The magnetic body includes projections radially extending from the core toward the outer periphery of the ball. The device also includes a ring magnet and magnet detection elements surrounded by a lower area of the ball so as to be opposite thereto. The structure allows the input device to be protected from dust and dirt during long-term use so as to maintain a good tactile feel in a simple structure. Because, the input device has no components such as rollers that are in contact with the ball.
Claims3
An input device comprising:
- a ball rotatably fitted into a case;
- a magnetic body housed inside the ball;
- a ring magnet, a lower portion of the ball being located inside the ring magnet;
- and
- a plurality of magnet detection elements facing the lower portion of the ball, the plurality of magnet detection elements predeterminedly spaced from the ball, wherein
- the magnetic body includes a plurality of projections and a core, the plurality of projections being radially extending from the core toward an outer periphery of the ball.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.