A joystick structure and operation input device

Abstract

This invention discloses a rocker structure and an operation input device. The rocker structure includes a bottom cover, a flexible circuit board, two spring-loaded assemblies, and an operating lever. The bottom cover has a connecting portion on its first side. The flexible circuit board is disposed on the first side of the bottom cover, and has a cutout area and two carbon films. The cutout area exposes the first connecting portion. The two carbon films are located on the side of the flexible circuit board away from the bottom cover and are spaced apart. The two spring-loaded assemblies are respectively disposed opposite to the two carbon films. Each spring-loaded assembly includes a spring-loaded bracket and a spring-loaded piece mounted on the side of the spring-loaded bracket facing the carbon film. The spring-loaded piece has two contact points for contacting the carbon films. The first end of the operating lever is rotatably connected to the connecting portion. The operating lever is connected to the two spring-loaded brackets, and when the operating lever rotates, it can drive the contact points of the two spring-loaded pieces to move on the corresponding carbon films. This rocker structure can reduce the amount of material used, increase the service life of the carbon films, reduce the frequency of carbon film replacement by the user, and save costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of operation input device technology, and in particular to a joystick structure and operation input device. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, with the intelligent development of consumer electronics, joysticks have become an indispensable part of VR controllers and other game consoles on the market. Whether using carbon film or Hall effect design, the joystick structure in current VR controllers achieves universal joint movement by combining two universal joint structures to control the X / Y directions, resulting in a relatively large number of internal joystick components. Furthermore, current carbon film joysticks suffer from a relatively short lifespan due to the carbon film's linear trajectory (i.e., the carbon film contact point moves in a straight line). This leads to joystick distortion after a period of use. Therefore, increasing the carbon film's lifespan and reducing the number of components in the design are current challenges. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides a rocker mechanism and an operation input device. The rocker structure can reduce the amount of material used, increase the service life of the carbon film, reduce the number of times the user needs to replace the carbon film, and save costs.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0005] A rocker arm structure includes a bottom cover, a flexible circuit board, two spring assemblies, and an operating lever;

[0006] The bottom cover has a connecting portion on its first side;

[0007] The flexible circuit board is disposed on the first side of the bottom cover. The flexible circuit board has a hollow area and two carbon films. The hollow area is used to expose the connection part. The two carbon films are located on the side of the flexible circuit board away from the bottom cover and are spaced apart. The resistance of one carbon film is different in different areas along the first direction, and the resistance of the other carbon film is different in different areas along the second direction. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0008] Two spring sheet assemblies are respectively disposed opposite to two carbon films. Each spring sheet assembly includes a spring sheet support and a spring sheet. The spring sheet is mounted on the side of the spring sheet support facing the carbon film. The spring sheet has two contact points for contacting the carbon film. The two contact points are arranged along the extension direction of the spring sheet, and the extension directions of the two spring sheets are the same.

[0009] The operating lever is located on the side of the flexible circuit board away from the bottom cover. The first end of the operating lever is rotatably connected to the connecting part. The operating lever is connected to the two spring clip brackets. When the operating lever rotates, it can drive the contact points of the two spring clips to move on the corresponding carbon film.

[0010] Optionally, the connecting part is an arc-shaped protrusion, and the first end of the operating rod has an arc-shaped surface that can be rotatably engaged with the arc-shaped protrusion.

[0011] The rocker structure also includes a base, which, together with the bottom cover, forms an inner cavity. The hollow area, the two carbon films, and the spring assembly are located within the inner cavity. The base has a first opening, and the second end of the operating rod extends out of the inner cavity from the first opening.

[0012] There is a gap between the edge of the first opening and the operating rod, and the operating rod is slidably engaged with the inner wall of the base so that the operating rod can rotate in all directions.

[0013] Optionally, the operating lever includes a central shaft, a rocker arm, and a rotating shaft. The first end of the central shaft has an arcuate surface that mates with the arcuate convex bulge. The rocker arm is sleeved on the outside of the central shaft body, with its first end adjacent to the arcuate surface. The rotating shaft is sleeved on the outside of the first end of the rocker arm, and has a second opening. The second end of the rocker arm extends out of the rotating shaft through the second opening and out of the base through the first opening. The outside of the rotating shaft is slidably engaged with the inner wall of the base, and the rotating shaft is connected to two elastic supports.

[0014] Optionally, the outer wall of the rotating shaft has two spherical heads located on both sides of the rotating shaft, and the inner wall of the base has an arc-shaped groove corresponding to the spherical heads, with the spherical heads slidingly engaging with the arc-shaped groove.

[0015] Optionally, the rotating shaft has two drive slots;

[0016] The spring support has a sliding shaft on the side facing the rotating shaft. The sliding shafts of the two spring supports are respectively connected to two drive grooves on the rotating shaft, and the sliding shaft can slide with the drive grooves so that the contact point of the spring is always in contact with the carbon film when the operating lever is rotated.

[0017] Optionally, the drive groove penetrates the outer and inner walls of the rotating shaft, the sliding shaft penetrates the drive groove to slide with the rotating shaft, and the two ends of the sliding shaft have limiting portions that cooperate with the rotating shaft.

[0018] Optionally, the spring support has a mounting groove on the side facing the carbon film, a positioning post in the mounting groove, a positioning hole in the middle area of ​​the spring that mates with the positioning post, the positioning post being inserted into the positioning hole to connect the spring to the spring support, the two ends of the spring extending out of the mounting groove, and the ends of the spring having the contact point.

[0019] Optionally, the rocker arm has a sleeve hole that mates with the central shaft, and the rocker arm can slide along the extension direction of the central shaft and engage with the central shaft inside the sleeve. The operating lever has an initial position and a turning position during rotation.

[0020] When the operating lever is in the initial position, the second end of the rocker arm has a first preset distance from the first end of the central axis;

[0021] When the operating lever is in the turning position, the second end of the rocker arm has a second preset distance from the first end of the central shaft, and the second preset distance is less than the first preset distance;

[0022] The first end of the rocker arm has an annular groove surrounding the sleeve hole. The operating lever also includes a return spring, which is sleeved in the annular groove and abuts against the side of the arc-shaped surface facing away from the arc-shaped protrusion. The return spring is used to restore the operating lever from the turning position to the initial position.

[0023] Optionally, when the operating lever is in the initial position, the center line of the operating lever is perpendicular to the extension surface of the flexible circuit board, the two carbon films are located on both sides of the hollow area, and the two spring sheet assemblies are located on both sides of the operating lever.

[0024] Optionally, the flexible circuit board has a dome switch on the side opposite to the bottom cover;

[0025] The rocker arm structure also includes a button linkage located on the side of the dome switch away from the bottom cover. When the operating lever is in the initial position, the rocker arm can press the dome switch through the button linkage.

[0026] Optionally, the dome switch is located on one side of the rotating shaft along a third direction, and the third direction is perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the two spring contacts;

[0027] The rotating shaft has engagement slots on both sides along the third direction, and the rocker arm has locking blocks on both sides along the third direction that are opposite to the engagement slots. The locking blocks engage with the engagement slots.

[0028] The button linkage includes a pressing arm and a linkage arm connected together. The pressing arm contacts the dome switch, and the linkage arm is inserted into the locking slot and located on the side of the locking block facing the flexible circuit board. The linkage arm has pressing gaps on both sides along a fourth direction with the edge of the locking block and the locking slot, respectively. The fourth direction is perpendicular to the extension surface of the flexible circuit board.

[0029] The present invention also provides an operation input device, including any of the joystick structures provided in the above technical solutions.

[0030] This invention provides a joystick structure and an operation input device. In this joystick structure, the operating lever can rotate in any direction on the connecting part. When the operating lever rotates on the connecting part, the operating lever drives the spring support to move, and then the spring support drives the spring to move. As a result, the contact point of the spring moves on the carbon film, causing the flexible circuit board to output an electrical signal. When the operating lever rotates in different directions, the movement trajectory of the contact point of the spring on the carbon film is also different. Since the resistance of different areas of the carbon film is different, the electrical signals generated by the different movement trajectories of the contact point of the spring are also different. One carbon film has different resistances in different areas along the first direction. By contacting the carbon film with the contact point of the spring, the position of the operating lever after rotation in the first direction can be marked. The other carbon film has different resistances in different areas along the second direction. By contacting the carbon film with the contact point of the spring, the position of the operating lever after rotation in the second direction can be marked. Thus, the specific rotation direction and position of the operating lever can be marked, and different operation commands can be realized by the operating lever. In the above-mentioned rocker structure, the first end of the operating rod is rotatably connected to the connecting part, requiring only one universal joint, which reduces the amount of material used, simplifies the structure, and makes it easy to manufacture. Furthermore, the operating rod drives the contact point of the spring to move on the carbon film, which increases the area of ​​the movement trajectory, extends the service life of the carbon film, reduces the number of times the user needs to replace the carbon film, and saves costs. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 An exploded view of a rocker arm structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a rocker structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a partial structural diagram of a rocker structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another rocker structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a planar schematic diagram of a rocker structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Cross-sectional view along line AA;

[0037] Figure 7 for Figure 5 Cross-sectional view along line BB;

[0038] Figure 8 This is a partial structural diagram of a rocker structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the coordinate position of a joystick provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the coordinate position of a contact point provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] icon:

[0042] 1-Bottom cover; 11-Arc-shaped protrusion; 2-Flexible circuit board; 21-Kuve area; 22-Carbon film; 23-Dot dome switch; 3-Spring assembly; 31-Spring bracket; 311-Sliding shaft; 3111-Limiting part; 312-Mounting groove; 313-Positioning post; 32-Spring; 321-Positioning hole; 4-Operating lever; 401-Drive groove; 41-Central shaft; 411-Arc-shaped part; 412-Guide block; 42-Rock arm; 421-Sleeve hole; 422-Annular groove; 423-Clamping block; 43-Rotating shaft; 431-Second opening; 432-Spherical head; 433-Clamping opening; 44-Reset spring; 5-Base; 51-First opening; 52-Arc-shaped slide groove; 6-Button linkage component; 61-Pressing arm; 62-Linkage arm. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0044] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 The present invention provides a rocker structure, including a bottom cover 1, a flexible circuit board 2, two spring sheet assemblies 3 and an operating lever 4;

[0045] The bottom cover 1 has a connecting part on its first side;

[0046] The flexible circuit board 2 is disposed on the first side of the bottom cover 1. The flexible circuit board 2 has a hollow area 21 and two carbon films 22. The hollow area 21 is used to expose the connection part. The two carbon films 22 are located on the side of the flexible circuit board 2 away from the bottom cover 1 and are spaced apart. The resistance of one carbon film 22 is different in different areas along the first direction, and the resistance of the other carbon film 22 is different in different areas along the second direction. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0047] Two spring sheet assemblies 3 are respectively disposed opposite to two carbon films 22. The spring sheet assembly 3 includes a spring sheet support 31 and a spring sheet 32. The spring sheet 32 ​​is installed on the side of the spring sheet support 31 facing the carbon film 22. The spring sheet 32 ​​has two contact points for contacting the carbon film. The two contact points are arranged along the extension direction of the spring sheet 32, and the extension directions of the two spring sheets 32 are the same.

[0048] The operating lever 4 is located on the side of the flexible circuit board 2 away from the bottom cover 1. The first end of the operating lever 4 is rotatably connected to the connecting part. The operating lever 4 is connected to two spring clip brackets 31. When the operating lever 4 rotates, it can drive the contact points of the two spring clips 32 to move on the corresponding carbon film 22 respectively.

[0049] In the rocker structure provided in this embodiment of the invention, the operating lever 4 can rotate in any direction on the connecting part. When the operating lever 4 rotates on the connecting part, the operating lever 4 drives the spring support 31 to move, and then the spring support 31 drives the spring 32 to move. As a result, the contact point of the spring 32 moves on the carbon film 22, so that the flexible circuit board 2 outputs an electrical signal. When the operating lever 4 rotates in different directions, the movement trajectory of the contact point of the spring 32 on the carbon film 22 is also different. Since the resistance of different areas of the carbon film 22 is different, the electrical signals generated under the different movement trajectories of the contact point of the spring 32 are also different. One of the two carbon films 22 has different resistances in different areas along the first direction. By contacting the carbon film 22 with the contact point of the spring, the position of the operating lever 4 after rotation in the first direction can be marked. The other carbon film 22 has different resistances in different areas along the second direction. By contacting the carbon film 22 with the contact point of the spring, the position of the operating lever 4 after rotation in the second direction can be marked. Thus, the specific rotation direction and position of the operating lever 4 can be marked, and different operation commands can be realized by the operating lever 4. Compared with the prior art, in the above-mentioned rocker structure, the first end of the operating lever 4 is omnidirectionally connected to the connecting part, requiring only one universal joint, which can reduce the amount of material used, simplify the structure, and make it easy to manufacture. Furthermore, the operating lever 4 drives the contact point of the spring 32 to perform surface movement on the carbon film 22, which can increase the movement trajectory area, increase the service life of the carbon film 22, reduce the number of times the user replaces the carbon film 22, and save costs.

[0050] Specifically, the two carbon films 22 can be located on both sides of the hollow area 21, and the two spring sheet assemblies 3 can be located on both sides of the operating lever 4; or, the two carbon films 22 can also be located on the same side of the hollow area 21, and the two spring sheet assemblies 3 can be located on the same side of the operating lever; the specific position of the carbon films 22 is not limited here, and depends on the actual situation.

[0051] Specifically, the first direction can be the arrangement direction of the two carbon films 22, and the second direction is the direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the two carbon films 22. There are no restrictions here, and it depends on the actual situation.

[0052] In embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the connecting part can be an arc-shaped protrusion 11, and the first end of the operating lever 4 has an arc-shaped surface 411 that can be rotatably engaged with the arc-shaped protrusion 11; as Figure 4 As shown, the rocker structure also includes a base 5, which, together with the bottom cover 1, forms an inner cavity. The hollow area 21, two carbon films 22, and the spring assembly 3 are located within the inner cavity. The base 5 has a first opening 51, through which the second end of the operating rod 4 extends into the inner cavity. A gap exists between the edge of the first opening 51 and the operating rod 4, allowing the operating rod 4 to slide against the inner wall of the base 5, enabling omnidirectional rotation. In the aforementioned rocker structure, the arc-shaped portion 411 of the first end of the operating rod 4 engages with the arc-shaped protrusion 11 on the bottom cover 1 to achieve rotation. The base 5 can be fixedly connected to the bottom cover 1, and the inner wall of the base 5 can slide against the operating rod 4. The base 5 can limit the movement of the operating rod 4, preventing it from detaching from the arc-shaped protrusion 11.

[0053] Specifically, such as Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the aforementioned operating lever 4 may include a central shaft 41, a rocker arm 42, and a rotating shaft 43. The first end of the central shaft 41 has an arc-shaped surface 411 that mates with the arc-shaped protrusion 11. The rocker arm 42 is sleeved on the outside of the central shaft 41, with the first end of the rocker arm 42 adjacent to the arc-shaped surface 411. The rotating shaft 43 is sleeved on the outside of the first end of the rocker arm 42. The rotating shaft 43 has a second opening 431. The second end of the rocker arm 42 extends out of the rotating shaft 43 through the second opening 431 and extends out of the base 5 through the first opening 51. The outer side of the rotating shaft 43 is slidably engaged with the inner wall of the base 5. The rotating shaft 43 is connected to two elastic supports 31. In the above-mentioned rocker structure, the rocker 42 can be rotated by operating it outside the base 5. The rocker 42 drives the central shaft 41 to rotate in conjunction with the arc-shaped protrusion 11 on the bottom cover 1. The rocker 42 also drives the rotating shaft 43 to rotate. The outer side of the rotating shaft 43 can slide in conjunction with the inner wall of the base 5. The rotating shaft 43 is connected to two elastic brackets 31, which in turn drives the two spring plate assemblies 3 to move, so that the two contact points of the spring plate 32 slide on the carbon film 22.

[0054] Specifically, such as Figure 6 As shown, the outer wall of the aforementioned rotating shaft 43 may have two spherical heads 432 located on both sides of the rotating shaft 43, and the inner wall of the base 5 has an arc-shaped groove 52 corresponding to the spherical heads 432. The spherical heads 432 and the arc-shaped groove 52 slide in fit, thereby realizing the sliding fit between the rotating shaft 43 and the inner wall of the base 5.

[0055] In embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 3 and Figure 8 As shown, the rotating shaft 43 has two drive grooves 401, and the spring support 31 has a sliding shaft 311 on the side facing the rotating shaft 43. The sliding shafts 311 of the two spring supports 31 are respectively connected to the two drive grooves 401 on the rotating shaft 43, and the sliding shaft 311 can slide with the drive groove 401 so that the contact point of the spring 32 is always in contact with the carbon film 22 when the operating lever 4 is rotated. The structure is simple and easy to implement.

[0056] Specifically, the aforementioned drive groove 401 is provided through the outer wall and inner wall of the rotating shaft 43, and the sliding shaft 311 is provided through the drive groove 401 to slide with the rotating shaft 43. The two ends of the sliding shaft 311 have limiting parts 3111 that cooperate with the rotating shaft 43, which can ensure the stability of the movement of the spring bracket 31 when the rocker arm 42 is operated, and prevent the sliding shaft 311 from disengaging from the drive groove 401.

[0057] In embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 3 As shown, the side of the spring clip bracket 31 facing the carbon film 22 may have a mounting groove 312, and a positioning post 313 is provided in the mounting groove 312. The middle area of ​​the spring clip 32 has a positioning hole 431 that mates with the positioning post 313. The positioning post 313 is inserted into the positioning hole 431 to connect the spring clip 32 with the spring clip bracket 31. The two ends of the spring clip 32 extend out of the mounting groove 312, and the ends of the spring clip 32 have contact points. The spring clip 32 can be positioned and assembled onto the spring clip bracket 31 through the positioning hole 431 and the positioning post 313, which can improve the assembly efficiency. The spring clip 32 and the spring clip bracket 31 can be fixedly connected by glue. The fixing method can be dispensing or hot melting, etc., which is not limited here.

[0058] In embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, the rocker arm 42 may have a sleeve hole 421 that mates with the central shaft 41. The rocker arm 42 can slide along the extension direction of the central shaft 41 and engage with the central shaft 41 inside the sleeve. During the rotation of the operating lever 4, it has an initial position and a turning position. When the operating lever 4 is in the initial position, the second end of the rocker arm 42 has a first preset distance from the first end of the central shaft 41. When the operating lever 4 is in the turning position, the second end of the rocker arm 42 has a second preset distance from the first end of the central shaft 41, and the second preset distance is less than the first preset distance. The first end of the rocker arm 42 may have an annular groove 422 surrounding the sleeve hole 421. The operating lever 4 also includes a return spring 44, which is fitted inside the annular groove 422 and abuts against the side of the arc-shaped surface 411 that is away from the arc-shaped protrusion 11. The return spring 44 is used to restore the operating lever 4 from the turning position to the initial position.

[0059] In the aforementioned rocker arm structure, the operating lever 4 is in its initial position when no external force is applied. The second end of the rocker arm 42 has a first preset distance from the first end of the central shaft 41. The return spring 44 can be in an energy-storing state within the annular groove 422 of the rocker arm 42. The inner wall of the base 5 cooperates with the rotating shaft 43, and the rocker arm 42 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 43. When an external force causes the operating lever 4 to rotate at a certain angle and the operating lever 4 is in the turning position, the inner wall of the base 5 can slide with the rotating shaft 43, and the limiting function of the base 5 can... This causes the joystick 42 to slide relative to the arc-shaped surface 411 on the central shaft 41, thereby compressing the return spring 44 and increasing its force. When no external force is applied to the operating lever 4, the force of the return spring 44 drives the joystick 42 to slide away from the arc-shaped surface 411, which in turn causes the rotating shaft 43 to slide against the base 5. Guided by the arc-shaped surface 411 of the central shaft 41 and the arc-shaped protrusion 11, the operating lever 4 automatically returns from the turning position to its initial position. It should be noted that the return force of the return spring 44 needs to be sufficient to prevent the operating lever 4 from being locked during the reset process.

[0060] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the sleeve hole 421 of the rocker arm 42 may have multiple guide grooves arranged around the central shaft 41. The side wall of the central shaft 41 has multiple guide blocks 412 that correspond one-to-one with the multiple guide grooves. The guide blocks 412 can be inserted into the guide grooves to facilitate the sliding engagement between the rocker arm 42 and the central shaft 41.

[0061] In this embodiment of the invention, when the operating lever 4 is in the initial position, the centerline of the operating lever 4 is perpendicular to the extension surface of the flexible circuit board 2. The two carbon films 22 can be located on both sides of the hollow area 21, and the two spring sheet assemblies 3 are located on both sides of the operating lever 4, such as... Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 7As shown, the flexible circuit board 2 may have a dome switch 23 on the side opposite to the bottom cover 1; the rocker arm structure may also include a button linkage 6 located on the side of the dome switch 23 opposite to the bottom cover. When the operating lever 4 is in the initial position, the rocker arm can press the dome switch 23 through the button linkage 6. That is, when the operating lever 4 is in the initial position, the user can press the button linkage 6 by pressing the rocker arm 42, thereby pressing the dome switch 23 on the flexible circuit board 2, and realizing the button function through the rocker arm structure.

[0062] Specifically, such as Figure 2 and Figure 7 As shown, the aforementioned dome switch 23 can be located on one side of the rotating shaft 43 along a third direction, and this third direction is perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the two spring contacts 32; the rotating shaft 43 can have engaging slots 433 on both sides along the third direction, and the rocker arm can have locking blocks 423 on both sides along the third direction opposite to the engaging slots 433. The locking blocks 423 engage with the engaging slots 433, enabling the rotating shaft 43 to connect with the rocker arm 42; the aforementioned button linkage 6 can include a connected pressing arm 61 and a linkage arm 62, pressing... The pressure arm 61 contacts the dome switch 23, and the linkage arm 62 is inserted into the locking slot 433 and located on the side of the locking block 423 facing the flexible circuit board 2. The linkage arm 62 has pressing gaps on both sides of the fourth direction with the edge of the locking block 423 and the locking slot 433 respectively. The fourth direction is perpendicular to the extension surface of the flexible circuit board. By pressing the rocker arm 42, the locking block 423 on the rocker arm 42 can press the linkage arm 62, thereby driving the pressing arm 61 to press the dome switch 23, realizing the button function of the rocker arm structure.

[0063] Specifically, when an external force is applied to the rocker arm 42 to press the dome switch 23, the force of the return spring 44 increases. After the pressing is completed, the return spring can make the rocker arm 42 automatically return to the initial position, which is convenient for operation.

[0064] In this embodiment of the invention, the parts in the rocker structure can be as follows: Figure 1As shown, the assembly steps of the rocker arm structure are as follows: First, attach the dome switch 23 to the flexible circuit board 2; then, assemble the spring 32 onto the spring bracket 31; then, assemble the rocker arm 42 and the rotating shaft 43 through the engagement slot 433 and the locking block 423, and then assemble the rocker arm 42 and the rotating shaft 43 together onto the base 5. The rotating shaft 43 is slidably connected to the base 5 through the ball head 432. It is necessary to ensure that the contact surface between the rotating shaft 43 and the base 5 is smooth. The material of the rotating shaft 43 can be lubricated, and a lubricant can also be applied to the contact part between the rotating shaft 43 and the base 5; then, assemble the return spring 44 into the annular groove 422 of the rocker arm, then assemble the central shaft 41 into the sleeve hole 421 of the rocker arm, and then install the spring assembly 3 and the button linkage 6 onto the rotating shaft 43; finally, install the flexible circuit board 2 and fasten the bottom cover 1 onto the base 5. The bottom cover 1 and the base 5 can be connected by screws or hot melt adhesive.

[0065] Specifically, the working principle diagram of the rocker structure in this embodiment of the invention can be as follows: Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, Figure 9 In the diagram, L represents the rotation range curve of the joystick, and P represents the position of the joystick at any point. Figure 10 S represents the range of motion of the contact point between the two spring pieces, and Q is... Figure 9 The position of the joystick corresponds to the contact point of the two spring contacts; during the rotation of the joystick, Figure 9 The position of point Q varies, thus creating the movement trajectory of the contact point. Furthermore, different directions of joystick rotation result in different movement trajectories and electrical signals, which in turn allow for different operational commands to be executed via the joystick.

[0066] The present invention also provides an operation input device, including any of the joystick structures provided in the above technical solutions.

[0067] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention and their equivalents, the present invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A rocker arm structure, characterized in that, Includes a bottom cover, a flexible circuit board, two spring clip assemblies, and an operating lever; The bottom cover has a connecting portion on its first side; The flexible circuit board is disposed on the first side of the bottom cover. The flexible circuit board has a hollow area and two carbon films. The hollow area is used to expose the connection part. The two carbon films are located on the side of the flexible circuit board away from the bottom cover and are spaced apart. The resistance of one carbon film is different in different areas along the first direction, and the resistance of the other carbon film is different in different areas along the second direction. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. Two spring sheet assemblies are respectively disposed opposite to two carbon films. Each spring sheet assembly includes a spring sheet support and a spring sheet. The spring sheet is mounted on the side of the spring sheet support facing the carbon film. The spring sheet has two contact points for contacting the carbon film. The two contact points are arranged along the extension direction of the spring sheet, and the extension directions of the two spring sheets are the same. The operating lever is located on the side of the flexible circuit board away from the bottom cover. The first end of the operating lever is rotatably connected to the connecting part. The operating lever is connected to the two spring clip brackets. When the operating lever rotates, it can drive the contact points of the two spring clips to move on the corresponding carbon film.

2. The rocker structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting part is an arc-shaped protrusion, and the first end of the operating rod has an arc-shaped surface that can be rotatably engaged with the arc-shaped protrusion. The rocker structure also includes a base, which, together with the bottom cover, forms an inner cavity. The hollow area, the two carbon films, and the spring assembly are located within the inner cavity. The base has a first opening, and the second end of the operating rod extends out of the inner cavity from the first opening. There is a gap between the edge of the first opening and the operating rod, and the operating rod is slidably engaged with the inner wall of the base so that the operating rod can rotate in all directions.

3. The rocker structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The operating lever includes a central shaft, a rocker arm, and a rotating shaft. The first end of the central shaft has an arc-shaped surface that mates with the arc-shaped protrusion. The rocker arm is sleeved on the outside of the central shaft body, with its first end adjacent to the arc-shaped surface. The rotating shaft is sleeved on the outside of the first end of the rocker arm and has a second opening. The second end of the rocker arm extends out of the rotating shaft through the second opening and out of the base through the first opening. The outside of the rotating shaft is slidably engaged with the inner wall of the base. The rotating shaft is connected to two spring clip supports.

4. The rocker structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The outer wall of the rotating shaft has two spherical heads located on both sides of the rotating shaft, and the inner wall of the base has an arc-shaped groove corresponding to the spherical heads, and the spherical heads slide in conjunction with the arc-shaped groove.

5. The rocker structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The rotating shaft has two drive slots; The spring support has a sliding shaft on the side facing the rotating shaft. The sliding shafts of the two spring supports are respectively connected to two drive grooves on the rotating shaft, and the sliding shaft can slide with the drive grooves so that the contact point of the spring is always in contact with the carbon film when the operating lever is rotated.

6. The rocker arm structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, The drive groove penetrates the outer and inner walls of the rotating shaft, and the sliding shaft penetrates the drive groove to slide with the rotating shaft. The two ends of the sliding shaft have limiting portions that cooperate with the rotating shaft.

7. The rocker structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, The spring clip bracket has a mounting groove on the side facing the carbon film, and a positioning post is provided in the mounting groove. The middle area of ​​the spring clip has a positioning hole that mates with the positioning post. The positioning post is inserted into the positioning hole to connect the spring clip to the spring clip bracket. The two ends of the spring clip extend out of the mounting groove, and the ends of the spring clip have the contact point.

8. The rocker structure according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that, The rocker arm has a sleeve hole that mates with the central shaft. The rocker arm can slide along the extension direction of the central shaft and engage with the central shaft inside the sleeve. The operating lever has an initial position and a turning position during rotation. When the operating lever is in the initial position, the second end of the rocker arm has a first preset distance from the first end of the central axis; When the operating lever is in the turning position, the second end of the rocker arm has a second preset distance from the first end of the central shaft, and the second preset distance is less than the first preset distance; The first end of the rocker arm has an annular groove surrounding the sleeve hole. The operating lever also includes a return spring, which is sleeved in the annular groove and abuts against the side of the arc-shaped surface facing away from the arc-shaped protrusion. The return spring is used to restore the operating lever from the turning position to the initial position.

9. The rocker structure according to claim 8, characterized in that, When the operating lever is in the initial position, the center line of the operating lever is perpendicular to the extension surface of the flexible circuit board, the two carbon films are located on both sides of the hollow area, and the two spring sheet assemblies are located on both sides of the operating lever.

10. The rocker arm structure according to claim 9, characterized in that, The flexible circuit board has a dome switch on the side opposite to the bottom cover; The rocker arm structure also includes a button linkage located on the side of the dome switch away from the bottom cover. When the operating lever is in the initial position, the rocker arm can press the dome switch through the button linkage.

11. The rocker structure according to claim 10, characterized in that, The dome switch is located on one side of the rotating shaft along a third direction, and the third direction is perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the two spring contacts; The rotating shaft has engagement slots on both sides along the third direction, and the rocker arm has locking blocks on both sides along the third direction that are opposite to the engagement slots. The locking blocks engage with the engagement slots. The button linkage includes a pressing arm and a linkage arm connected together. The pressing arm contacts the dome switch, and the linkage arm is inserted into the locking slot and located on the side of the locking block facing the flexible circuit board. The linkage arm has pressing gaps on both sides along a fourth direction with the edge of the locking block and the locking slot, respectively. The fourth direction is perpendicular to the extension surface of the flexible circuit board.

12. An operation input device, characterized in that, Includes the rocker structure as described in any one of claims 1-11.

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