Multi-directional input device

Abstract

A multi-directional input device capable of detecting not only slanting direction at slanting operation, but also the amount of slanting angle is provided. The multi-directional input device 10 is mainly composed of a housing 11, an operation body 15 slanting movement freely supported, an elastic supporting member 17 having pressing protrusions 16 formed at four positions on an almost identical circumference of a bottom face, and a flexible circuit board 18 having a laminated part 18a. On the laminated part 18a, four positions corresponding to respective pressing protrusions 16 function as the detection elements. Each detection element is constructed so that an electrode pattern 21 on an upper sheet 18c side and a resistor pattern 19 on a lower sheet 18d side are freely contacted with and separated from each other. When the operation body 15 is operated in slanting, since the pressing area of the pressing protrusion against the upper sheet is changed in compliance with the amount of slanting, the contact area of both patterns 19, 21 is changed in compliance with the difference of the deflected area of the sheet.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a multidirectional input device suitable for input operations of information terminal equipment, game equipment, and the like. Background technique [0002] Conventionally, as such a multi-directional input device, there is known a device in which an operating body is tilted in a predetermined direction, and different switch elements are pressed and driven according to the tilting direction (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). [0003] FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional multi-directional input device, and FIG. 22 is a bottom view of a push operation body provided in the multi-directional input device. The multi-directional input device 1 shown in FIG. 21 is provided with switch elements 3 such as push-button switches arranged in multiple places on the base plate 2, a push operation body 4 for selectively pressing and driving these switch elements 3, and a load. The foot part 5 of the pressin...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, in the above-mentioned existing multidirectional input device, only the tilting direction of the pressing operation body 4 can be detected by the switch element 3, and the subdivision of the tilting direction becomes the cause of malfunction. Therefore, it is inevitable that too much operation content cannot be added. kind of

[0007] That is, in the existing multi-directional input device, it is only possible to detect the direction in which the pressing operation body 4 is tilted, and if it can be determined whether the pressing operation body 4 is a shallow (weak) tilting operation or a deep (strong) tilting operation, this is the same as Compared with the case where only the tilting direction is detected, the types of detectable operation contents can be doubled

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