Manufacturing method of multi-directional input device and multi-directional input device

Abstract

A method (S100) for manufacturing a multidirectional input device (1) includes a step (S130) for elastically holding an operation shaft (63) by means of a holding mechanism (7). The step (S130) comprises: a step for inserting an operation shaft (63) into an insertion hole (913) of an upper plate spring (91U); an operation shaft (63) is inserted into the shaft sleeve (72); and an operation shaft (63) is inserted into an insertion hole (913) of the lower plate spring (91L).

Description

[0001] CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-146209 (Invention Name: “Multi-direction input device”) filed on September 8, 2023, Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-146210 (Invention Name: “Multi-direction input device”) filed on September 8, 2023, Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-146211 (Invention Name: “Multi-direction input device”) filed on September 8, 2023, Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-146212 (Invention Name: “Multi-direction input device”) filed on September 8, 2023, Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-146213 (Invention Name: “Multi-direction input device”) filed on September 8, 2023, Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-158273 (Invention Name: “Multi-direction input device”) filed on September 22, 2023, Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-158274 (Invention Name: “Multi-direction input device”) filed on September 22, 2023, Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-158275 (Invention Name: “Multi-direction input device”) filed on September 22, 2023, Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-158276 (Invention Name: “Multi-direction input device”) filed on September 22, 2023, Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-158277 (Invention Name: “Multi-direction input device”) filed on September 22, 2023, Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-49405 (Invention Name: “Manufacturing method of multi-direction input device and multi-direction input device”) filed on March 26, 2024, Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-49406 (Invention Name: “Multi-direction input device”) filed on March 26, 2024, Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-49407 (Invention Name: “Multi-direction input device”) filed on March 26, 2024, Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-49408 (Invention Name: “Multi-direction input device”) filed on March 26, 2024, Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-49409 (Invention Name: “Multi-direction input device”) filed on March 26, 2024, Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-77911 (Invention Name: “Multi-direction input device”) filed on May 13, 2024, Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-77912 (Invention Name: “Multi-direction input device”) filed on May 13, 2024, Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-77913 (Invention Name: “Multi-direction input device”) filed on May 13, 2024, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-129686 (Invention Name: “Multi-direction input device”) filed on August 6, 2024, and the contents of these Japanese Patent Applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety into the present specification. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention generally relates to a method for manufacturing a multi-directional input device and a multi-directional input device, and more specifically, to a method for manufacturing a multi-directional input device that provides input of directional information corresponding to a tilting operation of an operating axis, and a multi-directional input device manufactured using the manufacturing method. Background Technology

[0004] Conventionally, as a multi-directional input device for electronic devices such as gaming devices, a multi-directional input device capable of tilting relative to an operating axis is known. In such a multi-directional input device, also known as a joystick or joystick controller, the user provides input of directional information corresponding to the tilting operation of the operating axis by performing a tilting operation that tilts the operating axis from a neutral state in any direction.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses Figure 1 The multi-directional input device 500 shown is a housing 520 fixed to a base plate 510; a first rotating member 530 rotatably held in the housing 520 about a first axis (Y direction); and a second rotating member 540 rotatably held in the housing 520 about a second axis (X direction) orthogonal to the first axis; and an operating shaft 550 inserted into a slit hole 531 of the first rotating member 530 and a slit hole 540a of the second rotating member 540, which, according to a tilting operation applied by the user, causes the first rotating member 530 and the second rotating member 540 to... The device has 0 rotation and is capable of downward displacement according to a user's pressing operation; a working part 560 is disposed at the lower end of the operating shaft 550 in such a way that it can move along the axial direction of the operating shaft 550; a helical spring 570 is disposed between the operating shaft 550 and the working part 560; a sensor 580 is disposed on the housing 520 for detecting the rotation angle of the first rotating part 530 and the second rotating part 540; and a push switch 590 is disposed in a component mounting portion 510a that protrudes outward from one side wall of the base plate 510.

[0006] When a user tilts the operating shaft 550 in any direction, the first rotating component 530 and the second rotating component 540 rotate accordingly. The rotation angles of the first rotating component 530 and the second rotating component 540 are detected by the sensor 580, providing input of directional information corresponding to the user's tilting operation on the operating shaft 550. Furthermore, if a user presses down on the operating shaft 550, the second rotating component 540, which is engaged with the operating shaft 550, displaces downward, pressing the push switch 590. This provides input of press information corresponding to the user's pressing operation on the operating shaft 550.

[0007] The working member 560 has a base portion 561 whose bottom surface is curved in a disc shape, a boss portion 562 formed in a central portion of the base portion 561 and into which the lower end portion of the operation shaft 550 is inserted, and a circular arc portion 563 protruding outward from the outer peripheral portion of the base portion 561. In such a multidirectional input device 500, in a case where the user applies a tilting operation to the operation shaft 550, at an initial stage where the tilting angle of the operation shaft 550 is small, the working member 560 slides on the bottom plate 510. Thereafter, if the tilting angle of the operation shaft 550 exceeds a certain value, the lower surface of the circular arc portion 563 of the working member 560 comes into abutment with the protrusion 510b formed on the bottom plate 510, and the working member 560 is tilted, overcoming the elastic force of the coil spring 570, and the working member 560 is lifted in the axial direction of the operation shaft 550. Thereafter, when the tilting operation to the operation shaft 550 is released, the operation shaft 550 returns to the upright neutral state by the elastic restoring force of the coil spring 570 and the shape of the bottom surface of the base portion 561. In this way, the working member 560 provides a function of elastically holding the operation shaft 550 in the upright neutral state.

[0008] However, in the multidirectional input device 500, when the operation shaft 550 performs a tilting operation, the working member 560 slides on the bottom plate 510, and thus friction occurs between the working member 560 and the bottom plate 510. Furthermore, since the working member 560 moves in the axial direction of the operation shaft 550, friction occurs between the working member 560 and the operation shaft 550. Therefore, if the tilting operation to the operation shaft 550 is repeatedly performed, the working member 560 is worn, and there is a problem that the product life of the multidirectional input device 500 becomes short.

[0009] Prior Art Documents

[0010] Patent Documents

[0011] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-305650 SUMMARY

[0012] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0013] The present application has been achieved in view of the above-described conventional problems, and has an object to provide a multidirectional input device capable of providing input of direction information corresponding to a tilting operation to an operation shaft and having a long product life.

[0014] MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0015] This object is achieved by the first to eleventh aspects of the present application defined by (1) to (11) below, respectively.

[0016] (1) A manufacturing method of a multidirectional input device, characterized by comprising:

[0017] a housing;

[0018] a first rotation member having a first slit hole and held to the housing so as to be able to rotate about a first axis direction;

[0019] a second rotation member having a second slit hole and held to the housing so as to be able to rotate about a second axis direction orthogonal to the first axis direction;

[0020] an operation shaft inserted through the first slit hole and the second slit hole, and configured to rotate the first rotation member and the second rotation member in accordance with a pouring operation applied from a user;

[0021] a holding mechanism configured to elastically hold the operation shaft in a neutral state; and

[0022] a detection mechanism configured to detect a rotation angle of each of the first rotation member and the second rotation member,

[0023] a method of manufacturing the multi-direction input device includes a process of elastically holding the operation shaft by the holding mechanism,

[0024] the holding mechanism includes:

[0025] an upper leaf spring;

[0026] a lower leaf spring opposed to the upper leaf spring in a height direction;

[0027] a cylindrical shaft sleeve located between the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring,

[0028] the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring each include:

[0029] an outer frame;

[0030] an inner frame located inside the outer frame and having a through hole through which the operation shaft is inserted; and

[0031] a plurality of spring portions connecting between the outer frame and the inner frame so that the inner frame is able to displace with respect to the outer frame,

[0032] the process of elastically holding the operation shaft by the holding mechanism includes:

[0033] a process of inserting the operation shaft through the through hole of the upper leaf spring;

[0034] a process of inserting the operation shaft through the shaft sleeve; and

[0035] a process of inserting the operation shaft through the through hole of the lower leaf spring.

[0036] (2) A multi-directional input device manufactured by the manufacturing method according to (1).

[0037] (3) A multi-directional input device characterized by comprising:

[0038] a housing;

[0039] a first rotation member having a first slit hole and held to the housing so as to be able to rotate around a first axis direction;

[0040] a second rotation member having a second slit hole and held to the housing so as to be able to rotate around a second axis direction orthogonal to the first axis direction;

[0041] an operation shaft inserted through the first slit hole and the second slit hole, and causing the first rotation member and the second rotation member to rotate in accordance with a tilting operation applied from a user;

[0042] a holding mechanism that elastically holds the operation shaft in a neutral state; and

[0043] a detection mechanism for detecting a rotation angle of each of the first rotation member and the second rotation member,

[0044] the holding mechanism includes:

[0045] an upper leaf spring; and

[0046] a lower leaf spring that is opposed to the upper leaf spring separately in a height direction,

[0047] the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring each include:

[0048] an outer frame;

[0049] an inner frame located inside the outer frame and having an insertion hole through which the operation shaft is inserted; and

[0050] a plurality of spring portions that connect between the outer frame and the inner frame so that the inner frame is able to displace with respect to the outer frame,

[0051] a separation distance between the outer frame of the upper leaf spring and the outer frame of the lower leaf spring is different from a separation distance between the inner frame of the upper leaf spring and the inner frame of the lower leaf spring.

[0052] (4) A multi-directional input device characterized by comprising:

[0053] a housing;

[0054] a first rotation member having a first slit hole and held to the housing so as to be able to rotate around a first axis direction;

[0055] a second rotating member having a second slit hole and held to the housing so as to be able to rotate about a second axis orthogonal to the first axis;

[0056] an operation shaft inserted through the first slit hole and the second slit hole and causing the first rotating member and the second rotating member to rotate in accordance with a pouring operation applied from a user;

[0057] a holding mechanism that elastically holds the operation shaft in a neutral state; and

[0058] a detection mechanism for detecting a rotation angle of each of the first rotating member and the second rotating member,

[0059] the holding mechanism includes:

[0060] an upper leaf spring; and

[0061] a lower leaf spring opposed to the upper leaf spring in a height direction,

[0062] the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring each include:

[0063] an outer frame;

[0064] an inner frame located inside the outer frame and having a through hole through which the operation shaft is inserted; and

[0065] a plurality of spring portions connecting between the outer frame and the inner frame so that the inner frame is able to displace with respect to the outer frame,

[0066] a rotation axis of the first rotating member and a rotation axis of the second rotating member are located between the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring in the height direction.

[0067] (5) A multi-direction input device characterized by comprising:

[0068] a substrate;

[0069] a housing placed on the substrate;

[0070] a first rotating member having a first slit hole and held to the housing so as to be able to rotate about a first axis;

[0071] a second rotating member having a second slit hole and held to the housing so as to be able to rotate about a second axis orthogonal to the first axis;

[0072] an operation shaft which is inserted through the first slit hole and the second slit hole and which rotates the first rotation member and the second rotation member according to a pouring operation applied from a user;

[0073] a holding mechanism which elastically holds the operation shaft in a neutral state;

[0074] a detection mechanism for detecting a rotation angle of each of the first rotation member and the second rotation member;

[0075] a lower side cover which supports the base plate from below; and

[0076] an upper side cover which is mounted to the housing from above,

[0077] the holding mechanism includes:

[0078] an upper side leaf spring; and

[0079] a lower side leaf spring which is opposed to the upper side leaf spring in a height direction,

[0080] the lower side cover includes:

[0081] a bottom plate which supports the base plate from below; and

[0082] a plurality of engaging pieces which extend upward from the bottom plate,

[0083] the upper side cover includes:

[0084] an upper plate which covers the housing from above; and

[0085] a plurality of engaging pieces which extend downward from the upper plate,

[0086] the plurality of engaging pieces of the lower side cover and the plurality of engaging pieces of the upper side cover are engaged with each other, respectively.

[0087] (6) A multi-direction input device characterized by comprising:

[0088] a housing;

[0089] a first rotation member which has a first slit hole and is held to the housing so as to be rotatable about a first axis;

[0090] a second rotation member which has a second slit hole and is held to the housing so as to be rotatable about a second axis which is orthogonal to the first axis;

[0091] an operation shaft which is inserted through the first slit hole and the second slit hole and which rotates the first rotation member and the second rotation member according to a pouring operation applied from a user;

[0092] A holding mechanism that elastically holds the operation shaft in a neutral state, is placed on the housing;

[0093] A detection mechanism that detects the rotation angle of each of the first rotation member and the second rotation member; and

[0094] An upper side cover that is attached to the housing from above,

[0095] The holding mechanism includes:

[0096] An upper side leaf spring; and

[0097] A lower side leaf spring that is opposed to the upper side leaf spring in a direction of height,

[0098] The upper side cover includes:

[0099] An upper plate that covers the housing from above;

[0100] A plurality of engaging pieces that extend downward from the upper plate; and

[0101] A plurality of holding portions that respectively extend toward the inside from the plurality of engaging pieces,

[0102] The plurality of holding portions of the upper side cover press the holding mechanism from above, and support the holding mechanism on the housing from above.

[0103] (7) A multi-direction input device characterized by comprising:

[0104] A housing;

[0105] A first rotation member that has a first slit hole and is held to the housing so as to be able to rotate around a first axis;

[0106] A second rotation member that has a second slit hole and is held to the housing so as to be able to rotate around a second axis that is orthogonal to the first axis;

[0107] An operation shaft that is inserted through the first slit hole and the second slit hole, and rotates the first rotation member and the second rotation member according to a tilting operation applied from a user;

[0108] A holding mechanism that elastically holds the operation shaft in a neutral state; and

[0109] A detection mechanism that detects the rotation angle of each of the first rotation member and the second rotation member,

[0110] The holding mechanism includes:

[0111] An upper side leaf spring; and

[0112] a lower side plate spring which is opposed to the upper side plate spring in a direction of height separately from the upper side plate spring,

[0113] at least one of the first rotation member and the second rotation member is formed of a metal material.

[0114] (8) A multi-direction input device characterized by comprising:

[0115] a housing;

[0116] a first rotation member having a first slit hole and held to the housing so as to be able to rotate around a first axis direction;

[0117] a second rotation member having a second slit hole and held to the housing so as to be able to rotate around a second axis direction orthogonal to the first axis direction;

[0118] an operation shaft which is inserted through the first slit hole and the second slit hole and rotates the first rotation member and the second rotation member according to a tilting operation applied from a user;

[0119] a holding mechanism which elastically holds the operation shaft in a neutral state; and

[0120] a detection mechanism for detecting a rotation angle of each of the first rotation member and the second rotation member,

[0121] the holding mechanism includes:

[0122] an upper side plate spring; and

[0123] a lower side plate spring which is opposed to the upper side plate spring in a direction of height separately from the upper side plate spring; and

[0124] a cylindrical portion which is located between the upper side plate spring and the lower side plate spring,

[0125] the upper side plate spring and the lower side plate spring each include:

[0126] a circular ring-shaped outer frame;

[0127] a circular plate-shaped inner frame which is located inside the outer frame in a concentric manner with the outer frame and has an insertion hole through which the operation shaft is inserted; and

[0128] a plurality of spring portions which connect between the outer frame and the inner frame in a manner that the inner frame is able to displace with respect to the outer frame,

[0129] the outer frame of the upper side plate spring is fixed to an upper surface of the cylindrical portion,

[0130] the outer frame of the lower side plate spring is fixed to a lower surface of the cylindrical portion,

[0131] The inner frame of each of the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring is supported in a floating state by the plurality of spring portions.

[0132] (9) A multi-directional input device characterized by comprising:

[0133] a housing;

[0134] a first rotation member having a first slit hole and held to the housing so as to be able to rotate about a first axis direction;

[0135] a second rotation member having a second slit hole and held to the housing so as to be able to rotate about a second axis direction orthogonal to the first axis direction;

[0136] an operation shaft inserted through the first slit hole and the second slit hole, and causing the first rotation member and the second rotation member to rotate in accordance with a tilting operation applied by a user;

[0137] a holding mechanism that elastically holds the operation shaft in a neutral state; and

[0138] a detection mechanism for detecting a rotation angle of each of the first rotation member and the second rotation member,

[0139] the holding mechanism includes:

[0140] an upper leaf spring; and

[0141] a lower leaf spring opposed to the upper leaf spring in a height direction,

[0142] the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring each include:

[0143] an outer frame;

[0144] an inner frame located inside the outer frame and having a through hole through which the operation shaft is inserted; and

[0145] a plurality of spring portions connecting between the outer frame and the inner frame so that the inner frame is able to displace with respect to the outer frame,

[0146] the operation shaft is tilted from the neutral state in accordance with the tilting operation applied by the user.

[0147] (10) A multi-directional input device characterized by comprising:

[0148] a housing;

[0149] a first rotation member having a first slit hole and held to the housing so as to be able to rotate about a first axis direction;

[0150] a second rotating member having a second slit hole and held to the housing so as to be able to rotate about a second axis orthogonal to the first axis;

[0151] an operation shaft inserted through the first slit hole and the second slit hole and causing the first rotating member and the second rotating member to rotate in accordance with a pouring operation applied by a user;

[0152] a holding mechanism that elastically holds the operation shaft in a neutral state; and

[0153] a detection mechanism for detecting a rotation angle of each of the first rotating member and the second rotating member,

[0154] the holding mechanism includes:

[0155] an upper leaf spring; and

[0156] a lower leaf spring opposed to the upper leaf spring in a height direction,

[0157] the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring each include:

[0158] an outer frame;

[0159] an inner frame positioned inside the outer frame and having a through hole through which the operation shaft is inserted; and

[0160] a plurality of spring portions connecting between the outer frame and the inner frame so that the inner frame is able to displace with respect to the outer frame,

[0161] when the pouring operation applied by the user is released, the operation shaft is restored from a poured state to the neutral state.

[0162] (11) A multi-direction input device characterized by comprising:

[0163] a housing;

[0164] a first rotating member having a first slit hole and held to the housing so as to be able to rotate about a first axis;

[0165] a second rotating member having a second slit hole and held to the housing so as to be able to rotate about a second axis orthogonal to the first axis;

[0166] an operation shaft inserted through the first slit hole and the second slit hole and causing the first rotating member and the second rotating member to rotate in accordance with a pouring operation applied by a user;

[0167] a holding mechanism that elastically holds the operation shaft in a neutral state; and

[0168] a detection mechanism for detecting the rotation angle of each of the first rotating member and the second rotating member,

[0169] the holding mechanism includes:

[0170] an upper leaf spring; and

[0171] a lower leaf spring that is disposed in opposition to the upper leaf spring in a height direction,

[0172] the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring each include:

[0173] an outer frame;

[0174] an inner frame disposed inside the outer frame and having a through-hole through which the operation shaft is inserted; and

[0175] a plurality of spring portions that connect the outer frame and the inner frame in a manner that the inner frame is displaceable relative to the outer frame,

[0176] when the operation shaft is subjected to the pouring operation and the operation shaft performs the pouring operation, the portion of the inner frame that is located on the first direction side of the operation shaft is moved to a position above an initial plane in which the inner frame is located in the neutral state in which the operation shaft is not subjected to the pouring operation, and the portion of the inner frame that is located on the second direction side opposite to the first direction of the operation shaft is moved to a position below the initial plane.

[0177] Effects of the Invention

[0178] In the multi-direction input device according to the aspects of the present application, the operation shafts are elastically held in a neutral state by the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring that are disposed in opposition to each other in a height direction. In addition, when the operation shafts perform the pouring operation, the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring do not slide on other components inside the housing. Therefore, even if a user repeatedly applies the pouring operation to the multi-direction input device of the present application, the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring do not wear out, and the product life of the multi-direction input device can be significantly extended.

[0179] In addition, in the manufacturing method of the multi-direction input device according to the first aspect of the present application, in the process of elastically holding the operation shafts by the holding mechanism, the operation shafts are inserted through the through-holes of the upper leaf springs, the sleeves, and the through-holes of the lower leaf springs. Thereby, the coaxiality between the operation shafts, the upper leaf springs, the sleeves, and the lower leaf springs can be ensured, and the assembly accuracy of the multi-direction input device can be improved. As a result, the operation of the multi-direction input device can be stabilized.

[0180] Further, the multi-directional input device of the third aspect of the present application is configured such that a separation distance between the outer frame of the upper leaf spring and the outer frame of the lower leaf spring is different from a separation distance between the inner frame of the upper leaf spring and the inner frame of the lower leaf spring. In one example, the multi-directional input device of the present application is configured such that the separation distance between the outer frame of the upper leaf spring and the outer frame of the lower leaf spring is longer than the separation distance between the inner frame of the upper leaf spring and the inner frame of the lower leaf spring. With this configuration, it is possible to increase the initial reaction force of the holding mechanism against the tilting operation of the operation shaft, and to prevent the operation shaft from performing the tilting operation unintentionally when a vibration or an impact is applied to the multi-directional input device. Further, in another example, the multi-directional input device of the present application is configured such that the separation distance between the outer frame of the upper leaf spring and the outer frame of the lower leaf spring is shorter than the separation distance between the inner frame of the upper leaf spring and the inner frame of the lower leaf spring. In this case, it is easy to cause the displacement of the plurality of spring portions of the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring upward or downward when the user applies the tilting operation to the operation shaft, and it is possible to reduce the load generated in the plurality of spring portions of the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring when the tilting operation is performed on the operation shaft. Thus, it is possible to prolong the product life of the multi-directional input device.

[0181] Further, the multi-directional input device of the fourth aspect of the present application is configured such that the rotation axis of the first rotation member and the rotation axis of the second rotation member, which are held by the housing, are located between the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring in the height direction. On the other hand, the center of rotation of the tilting operation of the operation shaft, which is held by the holding mechanism, is located between the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring in the height direction. Therefore, by locating the rotation axis of the first rotation member and the rotation axis of the second rotation member between the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring in the height direction, and by making the height direction positions of the rotation axis of the first rotation member and the rotation axis of the second rotation member substantially coincide with the height direction position of the center of rotation of the tilting operation of the operation shaft, it is possible to make the tilting angle of the operation shaft coincide with the rotation angle of the first rotation member or the second rotation member. With this configuration, it is possible to accurately detect the tilting angle of the operation shaft in accordance with the rotation angle of the first rotation member or the second rotation member.

[0182] Further, in the multi-directional input device of the fifth aspect of the present application, the engaging piece of the lower cover engages with the engaging piece of the upper cover, and thereby the lower cover and the upper cover are firmly integrated. With this configuration, the internal structure of the multi-directional input device is supported from above and below by the lower cover and the upper cover which are firmly integrated, and thereby it is possible to reliably prevent the internal structure of the multi-directional input device from swinging (rocking) in the height direction.

[0183] Furthermore, in the multi-directional input device of the sixth embodiment of the present invention, when the multi-directional input device is assembled, the claw portion of the retaining portion extending inward from the connecting piece of the upper cover presses the retaining mechanism from above, supporting the retaining mechanism on the housing from above. With this structure, the retaining mechanism can be firmly fixed to the housing, preventing the retaining mechanism on the housing from swinging in the height direction.

[0184] Furthermore, in the multi-directional input device of the seventh embodiment of the present invention, one of the first rotating member and the second rotating member is formed of a metallic material. Since both the first and second rotating members are in contact with the operating shaft inserted through the slit hole, a torsional load is applied to the first and second rotating members from the operating shaft when the user applies a torsional operation such as rotation about the operating shaft. By forming one of the first and second rotating members with a metallic material that has a higher strength than resin material, deformation of the first and second rotating members due to torsional load can be prevented. With this structure, deformation caused by the torsional load on the first and second rotating members when the user applies a torsional operation to the operating shaft can be prevented.

[0185] Furthermore, the operating shaft is connected to the upper and lower leaf springs of the retaining mechanism. Therefore, when the user applies a torsional operation to the operating shaft, causing it to rotate around the shaft, and the operating shaft performs a torsional action, a load around the operating shaft is applied to the upper and lower leaf springs, potentially causing them to deform. In the multi-directional input device of the present invention, by forming one of the first and second rotating parts from a metal material, and by engaging one of the first and second rotating parts from a metal material with the operating shaft, torsional action of the operating shaft can be prevented. With this structure, when a torsional operation is applied to the operating shaft, a load on the upper and lower leaf springs can be prevented, thus preventing deformation of the upper and lower leaf springs. As a result, changes in the spring characteristics of the upper and lower leaf springs can be prevented, stabilizing the reaction force characteristics relative to a tilting operation towards the operating shaft.

[0186] Furthermore, by forming one of the first and second rotating components from a metallic material, when the multi-directional input device is assembled, either the first or second rotating component can function as a stop to limit excessive upward displacement of the operating shaft. This structure ensures the strength of the operating shaft relative to tensile rise.

[0187] Further, the holding mechanism of the multi-direction input device of the eighth aspect of the present application is configured such that the inner frame of each of the plurality of upper side leaf springs and the plurality of lower side leaf springs is supported in a suspended state by the plurality of spring portions. According to such a configuration, the inner frame can be stably supported in a stable position by the plurality of spring portions, and thus the zero point position (stable position) of the displacement of the inner frame with respect to the outer frame when the operation shaft is in the neutral state can be stabilized, and the position of the operation shaft in the neutral state can be stabilized.

[0188] Further, the holding mechanism of the multi-direction input device of the ninth and tenth aspects of the present application can provide an initial reaction force (first reaction force) that increases in a large amount in correspondence with an increase in the tilt angle of the operation shaft in an initial state (first state) in which the tilt angle of the operation shaft is smaller than a prescribed value, and can provide a reaction force that increases in a small amount in correspondence with an increase in the tilt angle of the operation shaft in a second state in which the tilt angle of the operation shaft is equal to or greater than the prescribed value.

[0189] Further, in the multi-direction input device of the eleventh aspect of the present application, when the operation shaft is tilted by a tilt operation, the portion of the inner frame that is located on the first direction side (direction side opposite to the tilt direction of the operation shaft) with respect to the operation shaft moves upward with respect to the initial plane, and the portion of the inner frame that is located on the second direction side (tilt direction side of the operation shaft) with respect to the operation shaft moves downward with respect to the initial plane. Thus, when the operation shaft performs a tilt operation, the magnitude of the tensile force applied to the inner frame from the at least one spring portion located on the first direction side with respect to the operation shaft is approximately equal to the magnitude of the tensile force applied to the inner frame from the at least one spring portion located on the second direction side with respect to the operation shaft, and thus the origin of the operation shaft can be stably reset. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0190] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional multi-direction input device.

[0191] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a multi-direction input device of an embodiment of the present application.

[0192] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the multi-direction input device shown in Figure 2

[0193] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the multi-direction input device shown in Figure 2

[0194] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the upper frame shown in Figure 4

[0195] Figure 6 ​​​This is a cross-sectional perspective view illustrating the retaining mechanism of the upper frame supporting the housing from above.

[0196] Figure 7 yes Figure 4 The exploded perspective view of the push-button switch is shown.

[0197] Figure 8 It is a different perspective. Figure 7 A perspective view of the pressing component shown.

[0198] Figure 9 It is a different perspective. Figure 4 The diagram shows a three-dimensional view of the shell.

[0199] Figure 10 yes Figure 4 The exploded perspective view of the operating axis assembly is shown.

[0200] Figure 11 It is a different perspective. Figure 10 A perspective view of the first rotating component shown.

[0201] Figure 12 It is a different perspective. Figure 10 A perspective view of the second rotating component.

[0202] Figure 13 yes Figure 10 An exploded perspective view of the operating shaft and holding mechanism shown.

[0203] Figure 14 yes Figure 13 The exploded perspective view of the upper leaf spring assembly is shown.

[0204] Figure 15 yes Figure 14 The top view of the upper leaf spring is shown.

[0205] Figure 16 yes Figure 13 The exploded perspective view of the lower leaf spring assembly is shown.

[0206] Figure 17 yes Figure 16 The top view of the lower leaf spring shown.

[0207] Figure 18 It is a cross-sectional view used to illustrate the difference between the separation distance between the inner frames of the upper and lower leaf springs of the retaining mechanism and the separation distance between the outer frames of the upper and lower leaf springs of the retaining mechanism.

[0208] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram used to represent another example of a retaining mechanism.

[0209] Figure 20is a schematic diagram for illustrating another example of a holding mechanism.

[0210] Figure 21 is a graph for explaining a reaction force characteristic with respect to a pouring operation to the operation shaft.

[0211] Figure 22 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the upper side leaf spring and the lower side leaf spring each of the inner frame and the plurality of spring portions when the operation shaft performs a pouring operation.

[0212] Figure 23 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing method of the multidirectional input device of the present application.

[0213] Figure 24 is a flowchart showing a procedure of elastically holding the operation shaft by the holding mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0214] Hereinafter, the multidirectional input device and the manufacturing method of the multidirectional input device of the present application will be described based on preferred embodiments shown in the drawings. In addition, each drawing referred to below is a schematic diagram prepared for explaining the present application. The dimensions (length, width, thickness, etc.) of each constituent element shown in the drawings do not necessarily reflect actual dimensions. In addition, in each drawing, the same reference numerals are attached to the same or corresponding elements. In the following description, the positive direction of the Z axis of each drawing will be sometimes referred to as "upper side" and the negative direction of the Z axis will be sometimes referred to as "lower side".

[0215] MULTIDIRECTIONAL INPUT DEVICE

[0216] First, with reference to Figures 2-22 , the multidirectional input device of the present application will be described in detail. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the multidirectional input device of the embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the multidirectional input device shown in Figure 2 . Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the multidirectional input device shown in Figure 2 . Figure 5 is another angle perspective view of the upper side frame shown in Figure 4 . Figure 6 is a cross-sectional perspective view for explaining that the holding portion of the upper side frame supports the holding mechanism on the housing from above. Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the push switch shown in Figure 4 . Figure 8 is a perspective view of the push member shown in Figure 7 , viewed from another angle. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the housing shown in Figure 4 , viewed from another angle. Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the operation shaft assembly shown in Figure 4 .Figure 11 is a perspective view of the first rotating member shown in FIG. 1, viewed from another angle. Figure 10 is a perspective view of the first rotating member shown in FIG. 1, viewed from another angle. Figure 12 is a perspective view of the second rotating member shown in FIG. 1, viewed from another angle. Figure 10 is a perspective view of the second rotating member shown in FIG. 1, viewed from another angle. Figure 13 is an exploded perspective view of the operation shaft and the holding mechanism shown in FIG. 1. Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the operation shaft and the holding mechanism shown in FIG. 1. Figure 14 is an exploded perspective view of the upper side leaf spring assembly shown in FIG. 1. Figure 13 is an exploded perspective view of the upper side leaf spring assembly shown in FIG. 1. Figure 15 is a plan view of the upper side leaf spring shown in FIG. 1. Figure 14 is a plan view of the upper side leaf spring shown in FIG. 1. Figure 16 is an exploded perspective view of the lower side leaf spring assembly shown in FIG. 1. Figure 13 is an exploded perspective view of the lower side leaf spring assembly shown in FIG. 1. Figure 17 is a plan view of the lower side leaf spring shown in FIG. 1. Figure 16 is a plan view of the lower side leaf spring shown in FIG. 1. Figure 18 is a sectional view for explaining a difference between a separation distance between the inner frames of the upper and lower side leaf springs and a separation distance between the outer frames of the upper and lower side leaf springs of the holding mechanism. Figure 19 is a schematic view for showing another example of the holding mechanism. Figure 20 is a schematic view for showing still another example of the holding mechanism. Figure 21 is a graph for explaining a reaction force characteristic with respect to a tilting operation of the operation shaft. Figure 22 is a schematic view for explaining actions of the inner frames and the plurality of spring portions of the upper and lower side leaf springs when the operation shaft performs a tilting operation.

[0217] Figures 2-4 The multi-direction input device 1 of the embodiment of the present application shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on a substrate of an arbitrary electronic device. If a tilting operation and a push-down operation are applied to the multi-direction input device 1 from a user, the multi-direction input device 1 inputs direction information corresponding to the tilting operation and push-down information corresponding to the push-down operation to the electronic device. In one example, the multi-direction input device 1 has dimensions of 18 mm in length, 18 mm in width, and 18 mm in height, and accepts a tilting operation in an arbitrary direction of about 25 degrees and a push-down operation from a user. Typically, the multi-direction input device 1 is used as a joystick of a hand-held controller of a game device.

[0218] As Figure 4As shown in the figure, the multi-direction input device 1 is provided with: a lower cover 2L which is placed on a substrate of an arbitrary electronic device; an upper cover 2U which is connected to the lower cover 2L; a substrate 3 which mounts electronic components of the multi-direction input device 1; a push switch 4 which is mounted on the substrate 3; a housing 5 which is fixed to the substrate 3; an operation shaft assembly 6 which includes a first rotation member 61 which is held to the housing 5 so as to be rotatable around a first axial direction (X direction), a second rotation member 62 which is held to the housing 5 so as to be rotatable around a second axial direction (Y direction) which is orthogonal to the first axial direction, and an operation shaft 63 which is subjected to a tilting operation and a pressing operation by a user; a holding mechanism 7 which elastically holds the operation shaft 63 in a neutral state; and a detection mechanism 8 which detects a rotation angle of each of the first rotation member 61 and the second rotation member 62. Note that the "neutral state" of the operation shaft 63 herein refers to a state in which the operation shaft 63 is not subjected to the tilting operation and the pressing operation, and the operation shaft 63 is stationary in an upright posture in which an axial direction of the operation shaft 63 is substantially coincident with a height direction, at a stable position.

[0219] The lower cover 2L supports the substrate 3 from below, and has a function of supporting an internal configuration of the multi-direction input device 1 from above and below together with the upper cover 2U. The lower cover 2L is formed of a hard material such as stainless steel. It is preferable that the lower cover 2L be formed of a hard magnetic material such as ferrite system stainless steel. By forming the lower cover 2L of a hard magnetic material, the lower cover 2L can function as a shielding member for preventing a magnetic field from the outside from affecting the multi-direction input device 1. The lower cover 2L is provided with a bottom plate 21 which supports the substrate 3 from below, a plurality of insertion holes 22 which are formed on the bottom plate 21, and four engaging pieces 23 which extend upward from the bottom plate 21. The bottom plate 21 is a plate-shaped portion which supports the substrate 3 from below. When the multi-direction input device 1 is mounted on a substrate of an electronic device, the bottom plate 21 is positioned between the substrate 3 and the substrate of the electronic device. The plurality of insertion holes 22 are formed so as to pass through the bottom plate 21 in the height direction. The lower cover 2L is mounted on the substrate 3 from below by an arbitrary fixing means such as an adhesive, in a manner in which a plurality of terminal pins 31 of the substrate 3 respectively pass through corresponding insertion holes 22.

[0220] Four connecting pieces 23 are plate-shaped portions extending upwards in a straight line from opposite sides of the base plate 21. The four connecting pieces 23 are connected to the four connecting pieces 26 of the upper cover 2U by engaging and locking, thus firmly integrating the lower cover 2L with the upper cover 2U. Each of the four connecting pieces 23 has an engaging surface 231 that engages with the engaging surface 261 of the connecting piece 26 of the upper cover 2U, and a hook 232 that engages with the locking recess 262 of the connecting piece 26. The engaging surface 231 is the inner surface of the connecting piece 23, and is a flat surface orthogonal to the transverse direction (X or Y). The hook 232 is a protruding piece formed by bending one transverse end of the upper end of the connecting piece 23 inwards. The inward protrusion of the hook 232 is approximately equal to the thickness of the connecting piece 26. The mating surfaces 231 of each mating piece 23 are joined to the mating surfaces 261 of the corresponding mating piece 26 by any adhesive means such as adhesive or adhesive tape, or by welding based on laser welding, etc., and the hooks 232 of each mating piece 23 engage with the engaging recesses 262 of the corresponding mating piece 26, thereby firmly integrating the lower cover 2L and the upper cover 2U. In this way, the internal structure of the multi-directional input device 1 is supported from above and below by the firmly integrated lower cover 2L and upper cover 2U, thus reliably preventing the internal structure of the multi-directional input device 1 from swinging (wobbling) in the height direction.

[0221] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the upper cover 2U is mounted on the housing 5 from above and functions to support the internal structure of the multi-directional input device 1 from above and below, together with the lower cover 2L. The upper cover 2U is formed of a hard material such as stainless steel, the same as the lower cover 2L. Preferably, the upper cover 2U is also formed of a hard magnetic material such as ferritic stainless steel, just like the lower cover 2L. By forming the upper cover 2U with a hard magnetic material, it can function as a shielding component to prevent the influence of magnetic fields from the outside on the multi-directional input device 1. By forming both the upper cover 2U and the lower cover 2L with hard magnetic materials, the influence of magnetic fields from the outside on the multi-directional input device 1 can be prevented more reliably.

[0222] The upper cover 2U includes an upper plate 24 that covers the housing 5 from above, an opening 25 formed on the upper plate 24, four connecting pieces 26 extending downward from the upper plate 24, and four cover pieces 27 extending downward from the upper plate 24. The upper plate 24 is a plate-shaped portion with a generally octagonal planar shape that covers the housing 5 from above. The upper plate 24 has a flat plate portion 241 and a circular dome 242 that protrudes upward from approximately the center of the flat plate portion 241. The opening 25 is a circular opening formed at the center of the dome 242. When the multi-directional input device 1 is assembled, the upper end of the operating shaft 63 protrudes upward through the opening 25.

[0223] The four engaging pieces 26 are plate-shaped portions extending linearly downward from the outer edge of the upper plate 24 at equal angles of 90 degrees. The four engaging pieces 26 each have an engaging surface 261 to be bonded to the engaging surface 231 of the engaging piece 23 of the lower side cover 2L, a hook engaging recess 262 to be engaged with the hook 232 of the engaging piece 23, a holding portion 263 extending inward from the engaging piece 26, and an opening 264 formed at the upper end portion of the engaging piece 26. The engaging surface 261 is the outer side surface of the engaging piece 26 and is a flat surface orthogonal to the lateral direction (X direction or Y direction). The hook engaging recess 262 is a recess formed to extend inward at one of a pair of side surfaces extending linearly downward from the engaging piece 26. As described above, the engaging surface 261 of each engaging piece 26 engages with the engaging surface 231 of the corresponding engaging piece 23, and the hook engaging recess 262 of each engaging piece 26 engages with the hook 232 of the corresponding engaging piece 23.

[0224] The holding portion 263 is a beam-shaped portion formed by cutting a pair of notches extending in the height direction at a portion of the upper end portion of the engaging piece 26, more specifically, at substantially the center portion in the width direction of the upper end portion of the engaging piece 26, and bending inward. The holding portion 263 has, within the opening 264, an upward extending portion 2631 extending linearly upward from the engaging piece 26, and a claw portion 2632 extending linearly inward from the upper end portion of the upward extending portion 2631. The upward extending portion 2631 is a plate-shaped portion extending upward at a certain width on the same plane as the engaging piece 26 within the opening 264. The lower end portion of the upward extending portion 2631 is integrated with the engaging piece 26. In addition, a slit is formed at both side surfaces of the upward extending portion 2631, and the both side surfaces of the upward extending portion 2631 are separated from the engaging piece 26. The claw portion 2632 is a plate-shaped portion extending linearly inward from the upper end portion of the upward extending portion 2631. The claw portion 2632 has a tapered shape in which the width gradually decreases from the base end portion toward the front end portion. In addition, the upper surface and the lower surface of the claw portion 2632 are flat surfaces.

[0225] The lower end portion of the upward extending portion 2631 is integrated with the engaging piece 26, and thus functions as a fixed end. On the other hand, the front end portion of the claw portion 2632 functions as a free end. In this way, the holding portion 263 has a cantilever beam structure, and thus has a spring characteristic. Therefore, the holding portion 263 serves to press the holding mechanism 7 placed on the housing 5, and firmly fix the holding mechanism 7 on the housing 5. As shown in FIG. 6, in a state where the multidirectional input device 1 is assembled, the front end portions of the claw portions 2632 of the four holding portions 263 press the upper side plate spring assembly 9U of the holding mechanism 7 placed on the housing 5 from above, thereby supporting the holding mechanism 7 from above and preventing the holding mechanism 7 on the housing 5 from swinging in the height direction. Figure 6

[0226] RETURN​Figure 4 and Figure 5 A holding portion 263 is formed by bending a part of the upper end portion of the joint piece 26 toward the inside, and thus an opening 264 is formed in the upper end portion of the joint piece 26. The opening 264 is a substantially rectangular opening formed in the upper end portion of the joint piece 26, which is the connecting portion of the upper plate 24, in a manner extending along the height direction. The four cover pieces 27 are plate-shaped portions formed in a manner extending linearly downward from the outer edge of the upper plate 24 at equal angles of 90 degrees. The four joint pieces 26 and the four cover pieces 27 extend linearly downward in a state of being separated from each other, and the joint pieces 26 and the cover pieces 27 are alternately arranged along the circumference of the upper plate 24. As shown in Figure 6 In a state where the multi-direction input device 1 is assembled, the lower end portions of the four cover pieces 27 are placed on the upper surface of the wall portion 551 of the bearing portion 55 of the housing 5. With this structure, it is possible to prevent the first and second rotary members 61 and 62, which are held by the housing 5 so as to be rotatable, from being detached from the receiving portion 552 of the bearing portion 55.

[0227] Returning Figure 4 The substrate 3 is a flat plate-shaped circuit substrate formed of a material and a structure known in the field of electronic devices. Typically, a rigid circuit substrate can be used as the substrate 3, but the present application is not limited thereto. For example, a circuit substrate formed by insert molding in a manner of integrating a resin material with a circuit, a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) can be used as the substrate 3. The substrate 3 has a plurality of terminal pins 31 inserted through the substrate 3, a circuit pattern 32 formed on the substrate 3, and four positioning holes 33 for positioning the housing 5 with respect to the substrate 3.

[0228] The two magnetic sensors (e.g., Hall IC sensors) 81 of the detection mechanism 8 and the push switch 4 are mounted on the substrate 3, and the two magnetic sensors 81 and the push switch 4 are electrically connected to the corresponding terminal pins 31 via the circuit pattern 32. In addition, the terminal pins 31 corresponding to the two magnetic sensors 81 and the push switch 4 are connected to the corresponding terminals of the circuit substrate of the electronic device. With this structure, the electronic device can receive inputs from the multi-direction input device 1. The four positioning holes 33 are through-holes inserted through the substrate 3 in the height direction. The housing 5 is placed on the substrate 3 in a manner that the four positioning protrusions 58 of the housing 5 are respectively inserted into the four positioning holes 33, and thus the positioning of the housing 5 with respect to the substrate 3 is performed.

[0229] The push switch 4 is a switch pressed in conjunction with the downward displacement of the operation shaft 63. If a pressing force exceeding the operation force of the push switch 4 is applied to the operation shaft 63 from the user, the push switch 4 becomes an on state. Thereafter, if the pressing force applied from the user is released, the push switch 4 becomes an off state. As Figure 3As shown, with the multi-directional input device 1 assembled, the push switch 4 is positioned on the base plate 3 directly below the operating shaft 63 and is pressed when the operating shaft 63 is displaced downwards according to a pressing operation applied by the user.

[0230] like Figure 7 As shown, the push switch 4 includes: a central contact point 41, which is formed to be exposed on the substrate 3; an annular outer contact point 42, which is formed on the substrate 3 to surround the central contact point 41 in a state separate from the central contact point 41; a dome-shaped movable contact point 43; a hollow elastic member 44, which is disposed on the substrate 3 to surround the movable contact point 43; and a pressing member 45, which is disposed on the elastic member 44.

[0231] The central contact point 41 and the outer contact point 42 are formed on the substrate 3 in a mutually insulated manner. The central contact point 41 is formed into a circular shape in the approximately central portion of the substrate 3 and is arranged concentrically with the outer contact point 42. The state in which the central contact point 41 and the outer contact point 42 are not electrically connected is the open state of the push switch 4. On the other hand, the state in which the central contact point 41 and the outer contact point 42 are electrically connected via the movable contact point 43 is the closed state of the push switch 4. The movable contact point 43 is a dome-shaped member that protrudes upward from a conductive material. For example, the movable contact point 43 is obtained by punching and bending a thin metal sheet. The movable contact point 43 has a central movable portion 431 and an outer edge portion 432 surrounding the outer edge of the central movable portion 431.

[0232] The central movable portion 431 has an upwardly protruding circular dome shape in its natural state, and is a portion that elastically deforms downwardly when pressure is applied from above. The outer edge portion 432 is a ring-shaped portion that extends linearly downward and outward from the edge of the central movable portion 431. When viewed from above, the outer edge portion 432 has an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter and less than the outer diameter of the outer contact point 42. The movable contact point 43 is provided on the substrate 3 in a manner concentric with the central contact point 41 and the outer contact point 42, and the outer edge portion 432 contacts the outer contact point 42. It should be noted that the movable contact point 43 can also be fixed to the substrate 3 by any fixing mechanism such as adhesive, retainer, or strip to prevent displacement on the substrate 3.

[0233] like Figure 3As shown, in a case where the operation shaft 63 is in the neutral state, the outer edge portion 432 is in contact with the outer side contact point 42. The central movable portion 431 is opposite to the central contact point 41 with a gap therebetween and is not in contact with the central contact point 41. Therefore, in a case where the operation shaft 63 is in the neutral state, the central contact point 41 and the outer side contact point 42 are not in conduction, and the press switch 4 is in an off state. On the other hand, if the user applies a press-down operation to the operation shaft 63, a press-down force is applied to the central movable portion 431 via the operation shaft 63 and the press member 45. If the press-down force applied to the central movable portion 431 is equal to or greater than a prescribed magnitude, the central movable portion 431 is sharply elastically deformed in a manner of protruding downward and comes in contact with the central contact point 41. In this state, the movable contact point 43 functions as an electrical path between the central contact point 41 and the outer side contact point 42, and the central contact point 41 and the outer side contact point 42 are in conduction. By such an operation, the press switch 4 is in an on state.

[0234] Returning to Figure 7 , the elastic member 44 has a function of elastically supporting the press member 45 from below. The elastic member 44 has a cylindrical shape when viewed from above in the height direction, and has an inner diameter greater than an outer diameter of the outer side contact point 42 and a height higher than a height of the movable contact point 43. Typically, a coil spring or a wave washer formed of a non-magnetic spring material such as stainless steel can be used as the elastic member 44.

[0235] As shown in Figure 3 , the elastic member 44 is disposed on the substrate 3 in a manner concentric with the central contact point 41 and the outer side contact point 42. Therefore, the central contact point 41, the outer side contact point 42, and the movable contact point 43 are located within an inner space of the elastic member 44. In addition, the elastic member 44 can be fixed to the substrate 3 by an arbitrary fixing unit such as an adhesive or a retainer so as not to move on the substrate 3.

[0236] Returning to Figure 7 , the press member 45 has a function of applying a uniform press-down force to the central movable portion 431 of the movable contact point 43. The press member 45 is formed of a hard non-magnetic material such as a polyoxymethylene resin. When the user applies a press-down operation to the operation shaft 63, the press member 45 is pressed downward by the operation shaft 63 and comes in point contact with the central movable portion 431, thereby applying a uniform press-down force to the central movable portion 431.

[0237] As shown in Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, the pressing member 45 includes: a circular plate-shaped main body portion 451; a conical portion 452 formed on the upper surface of the main body portion 451; a flat pressing surface 453 formed on the top of the conical portion 452; an annular flange portion 454 extending outward from the lower end of the outer edge of the main body portion 451; a pair of engaging recesses 455 formed on the flange portion 454; a receiving groove 456 formed on the lower surface of the main body portion 451 in an annular shape; a circular recess 457 formed on the lower surface of the main body portion 451; and a pressing protrusion 458 protruding downward from the center of the circular recess 457.

[0238] The upper and lower surfaces of the main body 451 are flat surfaces orthogonal to the height direction, and are plate-like portions with a circular shape when viewed from above. The conical portion 452 is a truncated cone portion formed concentrically with the main body 451 at the center of the upper surface of the main body 451, and its diameter gradually decreases from bottom to top. The pressing surface 453 is formed at the top of the conical portion 452 and is a flat surface orthogonal to the height direction. When the user applies a pressing operation to the operating shaft 63, the operating shaft 63 presses the pressing surface 453 downward, and the conical portion 452 is displaced downward. The flange portion 454 is an annular portion that protrudes outward from the lower end of the outer edge of the main body 451 and surrounds the main body 451 from the outside. The flange portion 454 engages with the engaging recess 59 formed on the lower surface of the housing 5 (see reference). Figure 9 The locking mechanism restricts the upward displacement of the pressing member 45. A pair of locking recesses 455 are a pair of cutouts formed at 180-degree intervals on the flange portion 454. The pair of locking recesses 455 and a pair of protrusions 591 formed on the lower surface of the housing 5 (see reference) Figure 9 The locking mechanism restricts the rotation of the pressing component 45.

[0239] The receiving groove 456 is an annular recess formed on the lower surface of the main body 451 in a region adjacent to the flange 454. The receiving groove 456 is formed to fit the upper end of the elastic member 44. By placing the pressing member 45 on the elastic member 44 such that the upper end of the elastic member 44 is embedded in the receiving groove 456, the pressing member 45 is elastically supported from below by the elastic member 44. The circular recess 457 is formed concentrically with the main body 451 at the center of the lower surface of the main body 451, making it easy for the tapered portion 452 to move downward. The pressing protrusion 458 is a cylindrical portion formed protruding downward from the center of the circular recess 457 concentrically with the circular recess 457. In addition, the center of the pressing protrusion 458 is aligned with the center of the pressing surface 453. The lower surface of the pressing protrusion 458 is a flat surface orthogonal to the height direction. Figure 3As shown, in its natural state, the pressing protrusion 458 makes point contact with the central movable portion 431 of the movable contact point 43. If the pressing member 45 is pressed downward by the operating shaft 63, the tapered portion 452 displaces downward, and the pressing protrusion 458 applies a uniform pressing force to the central movable portion 431. With this structure, the deformation characteristics of the movable contact point 43 can be stabilized.

[0240] On the substrate 3, the central contact point 41, outer contact point 42, movable contact point 43, elastic member 44, and pressing member 45, which are components of the push-button switch 4, are all configured with rotational symmetry and arranged concentrically. Furthermore, when the operating shaft 63 is in a neutral state, the axis center of the operating shaft 63 is aligned with the center of all components of the push-button switch 4. Therefore, the push-button switch 4 is positioned directly below the operating shaft 63.

[0241] return Figure 4 The housing 5 houses the push-button switch 4 within the base plate 3 and supports the operating shaft assembly 6 and the holding mechanism 7 from below, thus providing a fixed function relative to the base plate 3. The housing 5 is formed of a rigid, non-magnetic material such as polybutylene terephthalate (PET). Figure 4 and Figure 9 As shown, the housing 5 includes: a cylindrical main body 51; a circular recess 52 formed on the upper surface of the main body 51; an insertion hole 53 formed to pass through the circular recess 52 in the height direction; four guide pieces 54 extending upward from the upper surface of the main body 51; four bearing portions 55 protruding upward from the upper surface of the main body 51; a receiving recess 56 formed on the lower surface of the main body 51 to house the substrate 3; a plurality of receiving holes 57 formed on the receiving recess 56 for receiving a plurality of terminal pins 31 of the substrate 3 respectively; four positioning protrusions 58 formed in a cylindrical shape to protrude downward from the receiving recess 56 of the main body 51; an annular engaging recess 59 formed on the lower surface of the main body 51 and in the region adjacent to the insertion hole 53 of the receiving recess 56; and a pair of protrusions 591 formed to protrude downward from the engaging recess 59.

[0242] The main body 51 is a cylindrical portion mounted on the substrate 3. The upper and lower surfaces of the main body 51 are flat surfaces orthogonal to the height direction. The main body 51 has: a conical surface 511 extending obliquely downward from the upper end of the main body 51; an arcuate surface 512 extending downward from the conical surface 511 with a constant diameter; four bearing portions 513 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the main body 51; two receiving portions 514a and 514b formed on the +Y direction side and the -X direction side of the main body 51, respectively; an annular bearing recess 515 formed on the upper surface of the main body 51 in a manner surrounding the circular recess 52; and three clearance portions 516 formed in a manner spanning the upper surface of the main body 51 and the bearing recess 515.

[0243] Four bearing portions 513 are recesses formed at equal 90-degree angles on the outer peripheral surface of the main body 51, opening outwards. The upper and lower ends of the bearing portions 513 are not closed, but open to the outside. The bottom surface of the bearing portion 513 (the surface opposite to the outside) is a flat surface orthogonal to the transverse direction (X or Y direction). Figure 2 As shown, with the multi-directional input device 1 assembled, the coupling piece 26 of the upper cover 2U and the coupling piece 23 of the lower cover 2L are located within the receiving portion 513. The bottom surface of the receiving portion 513 contacts the inner surface of the coupling piece 26, thereby clamping the housing 5 from the outside by the upper cover 2U. This structure prevents the housing 5 on the substrate 3 from swaying (wobbling). Furthermore, within the receiving portion 513, the mating surface 261 of the coupling piece 26 and the mating surface 231 of the coupling piece 23 are in surface contact and thus engage with each other, thereby firmly integrating the upper cover 2U and the lower cover 2L.

[0244] return Figure 4 and Figure 9 The storage portion 514a is an opening that extends through the +Y direction side of the main body portion 51 in the height direction. Similarly, the storage portion 514b is an opening that extends through the -X direction side of the main body portion 51 in the height direction. The magnet holding portion 617 of the first rotating member 61 (see reference...) Figure 11The magnet holding part 626 of the second rotating member 62 is rotatably housed in the housing portion 514b. Similarly, the magnet holding part 626 of the second rotating member 62 is rotatably housed in the housing portion 514a. The receiving recess 515 is an annular recess formed on the upper surface of the main body portion 51 in a manner that completely surrounds the circular recess 52. The three clearance portions 516 are circular recesses formed at equal angular intervals (120-degree intervals) along the circumference of the receiving recess 515, spanning the upper surface of the main body portion 51 and the receiving recess 515. When the retaining mechanism 7 is mounted on the main body portion 51 of the housing 5, the lower leaf spring assembly 9L of the retaining mechanism 7 is housed in the receiving recess 515, and the lower ends of the three rivets 74 of the retaining mechanism 7 are housed in the three clearance portions 516 respectively.

[0245] A circular recess 52 is formed concentrically with the main body 51 at the center of the upper surface of the main body 51. A through hole 53 is a circular opening formed such that it penetrates approximately the center of the circular recess 52 in the height direction. Four guide pieces 54 are arc-shaped portions that protrude upwards from the upper surface of the main body 51 and from the area adjacent to the circular recess 52 at equal 90-degree intervals. The diameter of the cylindrical internal space defined by the inner surfaces of the four guide pieces 54 is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 71 of the retaining mechanism 7 (described later). The cylindrical portion 71 is placed within the internal space defined by the inner surfaces of the four guide pieces 54, and thus the cylindrical portion 71 is supported from the outside by the four guide pieces 54, preventing the retaining mechanism 7 on the main body 51 from tipping over. Additionally, located in... Figure 4 The guide piece 54 on the -X direction side has a positioning groove 541 formed on its inner surface. The positioning groove 541 is a rectangular recess extending linearly from the upper end to the lower end of the inner surface of the guide piece 54. The retaining mechanism 7 is mounted on the housing 5 such that the positioning protrusion 943 of the vertical spacer 94 (described later) is located in the positioning groove 541. The engagement of the positioning protrusion 943 with the positioning groove 541 prevents rotation of the retaining mechanism 7 on the housing 5.

[0246] Four bearing portions 55 are portions that protrude upwards from the area adjacent to the conical surface 511 on the upper surface of the main body 51 at equal 90-degree intervals. Each bearing portion 55 is located between two guide plates 54. Therefore, four guide plates 54 and four bearing portions 55 are alternately arranged along the circumference of the upper surface of the main body 51. The bearing portions 55 located on the +Y direction side and the bearing portions 55 located on the -Y direction side face each other with a gap. Similarly, the bearing portions 55 located on the +X direction side and the bearing portions 55 located on the -X direction side face each other with a gap.

[0247] The bearing portion 55 includes a wall portion 551 protruding upward from the upper surface of the main body portion 51 and a bearing portion 552 formed on the wall portion 551. The wall portion 551 is a block-shaped portion extending linearly upward from the upper surface of the main body portion 51. The upper surface of the wall portion 551 is a flat surface orthogonal to the height direction. The bearing portion 552 is an arcuate groove extending linearly in the wall portion 551 along the radial direction of the main body portion 51. The outer and inner ends of the bearing portion 552 are open to the outside. Figure 2 As shown, the rotation shaft 616 of the first rotating component 61 and the rotation shaft 625 of the second rotating component 62 of the operating shaft assembly 6 are respectively housed within the bearing portions 552 of the four bearing portions 55, and the first rotating component 61 and the second rotating component 62 are rotatably held in the housing 5. Furthermore, as described above, the lower ends of the four cover plates 27 of the upper cover 2U are respectively mounted on the upper surfaces of the wall portions 551 of the four bearing portions 55. Therefore, the four bearing portions 552 are closed from above by the four cover plates 27, preventing the rotation shaft 616 of the first rotating component 61 and the rotation shaft 625 of the second rotating component 62 from disengaging from the bearing portions 55. Additionally, as... Figure 3 As shown, the four bearing portions 55 are configured such that, when the multi-directional input device 1 is assembled, the rotation shaft 616 of the first rotating member 61 and the rotation shaft 625 of the second rotating member 62, which are supported by the bearing portions 55, are located between the upper and lower surfaces of the cylindrical portion 71 of the holding mechanism 7.

[0248] return Figure 9 The bearing recess 56 is a recess formed on the lower surface of the main body portion 51. For example... Figure 3 As shown, with the multi-directional input device 1 assembled, the substrate 3 is located within the receiving recess 56. (Return) Figure 9 The plurality of receiving holes 57 are recesses that extend linearly upward from the receiving recesses 56. When the housing 5 is placed on the substrate 3, the portions of the plurality of terminal pins 31 protruding upward from the substrate 3 are respectively housed within the plurality of receiving holes 57. The four positioning protrusions 58 are cylindrical portions that protrude downward from the receiving recesses 56. The housing 5 is placed on the substrate 3 with the four positioning protrusions 58 respectively inserted into the four positioning holes 33 of the substrate 3, thereby positioning the housing 5 relative to the substrate 3 and preventing the housing 5 from swinging on the substrate 3.

[0249] The engagement recess 59 is a circular ring-shaped recess formed in a manner to surround the insertion hole 53 on a region of the lower surface of the main body portion 51 adjacent to the insertion hole 53 of the receiving recess 56. A pair of protruding portions 591 are portions protrudingly formed from the engagement recess 59 toward the lower side at 180-degree intervals. The flange portion 454 of the pressing member 45 of the press switch 4 is received in the engagement recess 59, and the pair of protruding portions 591 engage with the pair of engagement recesses 455 of the pressing member 45, respectively, thereby preventing the pressing member 45 from swinging and rotating on the substrate 3.

[0250] RETURN Figure 4 The operation shaft assembly 6 has a function of acting in accordance with a tilting operation and a pressing operation applied by the user to the operation shaft 63. As shown in Figure 10 , the operation shaft assembly 6 includes a first rotation member 61 held to the housing 5 so as to be rotatable about a first axial direction (X direction), a second rotation member 62 held to the housing 5 so as to be rotatable about a second axial direction (Y direction) orthogonal to the first axial direction, and an operation shaft 63 that performs a tilting operation in accordance with a tilting operation applied by the user and is displaced downward in accordance with a pressing operation applied by the user. The operation shaft 63 is elastically held by a holding mechanism 7 placed on an upper surface of a main body portion 51 of the housing 5. Further, the first rotation member 61 and the second rotation member 62 are rotatably held by the housing 5.

[0251] The first rotation member 61 is a member held to the housing 5 so as to be rotatable about the first axial direction (X direction). As shown in Figure 10 and Figure 11 , the first rotation member 61 includes a plate-shaped main body portion 611 extending in the X direction, a slit hole 612 formed on the main body portion 611, a pair of through holes 613 formed on the main body portion 611 in a manner to sandwich the slit hole 612 from the X direction, a cap 614 installed to the slit hole 612, a pair of downward extending portions 615 extending downward from both ends of the main body portion 611 in the X direction, respectively, a pair of rotation shafts 616 installed to the pair of downward extending portions 615 in a manner to extend outward from the pair of downward extending portions 615, respectively, and a magnet holding portion 617 extending downward from a lower end portion of the downward extending portion 615 on the -X direction side.

[0252] The main body portion 611 is a plate-shaped portion long in the X direction and is formed of a metal material. The main body portion 611 has an arch portion 6111 protruding upward and a pair of horizontal extension portions 6112 extending from both ends of the arch portion 6111, respectively. The arch portion 6111 is a portion long in the X direction having a curved shape protruding upward. The pair of horizontal extension portions 6112 are plate-shaped portions extending linearly from the ends of the arch portion 6111 toward the outside, respectively. The main body portion 611 contacts, via the cap 614, a pair of D-shaped cut surfaces 633 (see FIG. 6) of the operation shaft 63 inserted into the slit hole 612, and thus a torsional load is applied to the main body portion 611 from the operation shaft 63 when the user applies a torsional operation that rotates the operation shaft 63 about the axis. In order to prevent the main body portion 611 from being deformed by the torsional load, the main body portion 611 is formed of a metal material having a higher strength than a resin material. Figure 10

[0253] In addition, if a torsional operation is applied to the operation shaft 63 in a state where the multi-directional input device 1 is assembled, the main body portion 611 engages, via the cap 614, with the pair of D-shaped cut surfaces 633 of the operation shaft 63. By this engagement of the main body portion 611 with the pair of D-shaped cut surfaces 633 of the operation shaft 63, it is possible to prevent a torsional movement (a rotational movement about the axis of the operation shaft 63) of the operation shaft 63.

[0254] The main body portion 611 is formed of a metal material having a high strength, and thus the main body portion 611 functions as a stopper for limiting the upward displacement of the operation shaft 63. In a state where the multi-directional input device 1 shown in FIG. 6 is assembled, when the user pulls up the operation shaft 63 upward, the flange portion 634 of the operation shaft 63 described later contacts the main body portion 611 from below. The main body portion 611 is formed of a metal material having a high strength, and thus the main body portion 611 does not elastically deform due to the flange portion 634 and limits the excessive displacement of the operation shaft 63 upward. By this structure, it is possible to ensure the strength of the operation shaft 63 against the tensile upward movement. Figure 3

[0255] Returning to Figure 10 and Figure 11 , the slit hole 612 is a through hole formed in such a manner that it extends along the length direction of the main body portion 611 and penetrates the arch portion 6111 and the pair of horizontal extension portions 6112 in the height direction. The operation shaft 63 is inserted into the slit hole 612, and the tilt operation of the operation shaft 63 along the length direction of the main body portion 611 is allowed. The pair of through holes 613 are circular through holes formed on the upper surface of the main body portion 611 in such a manner that they sandwich the slit hole 612 from the X direction.

[0256] ​​The cap 614 is a member formed of a resin material or the like that has low friction. The cap 614 is attached to the slit hole 612 from above. The cap 614 has a main body portion 6141 having a shape corresponding to the upper surface of the main body portion 611, a slit hole 6142 formed so as to extend along the length direction of the main body portion 611 and pass through in the height direction, a pair of flaps 6143 each extending linearly downward from the inner side surface of the Y direction side of the slit hole 6142, and a pair of protrusions 6144 protruding downward from the lower surface of the main body portion 6141. The cap 614 is attached to the slit hole 612 from above in a posture in which the pair of protrusions 6144 are inserted into the through hole 613, and is fixed to the main body portion 611 by an arbitrary fixing means such as an adhesive. At this time, the pair of flaps 6143 cover at least a portion of the inner side surface of the slit hole 612, and more specifically, the inner side surface in the Y direction. In this way, by covering the inner side surface of the slit hole 612 in the Y direction side with the pair of flaps 6143, the frictional resistance between the slit hole 612 and the operation shaft 63 can be reduced.

[0257] The pair of lower extending portions 615 are plate-shaped portions that extend linearly downward from both end portions of the main body portion 611 in the X direction, and are formed of a metal material. In addition, the pair of lower extending portions 615 are formed integrally with the main body portion 611. The pair of rotation shafts 616 are cylindrical members that are attached to the pair of lower extending portions 615 so as to extend outward from the outer side surfaces of the pair of lower extending portions 615, and are formed of a hard resin material. The pair of rotation shafts 616 are attached to the pair of lower extending portions 615 so that the shaft centers thereof are located on the same straight line. The pair of rotation shafts 616 are supported to the bearing portion 55 by being placed in the receiving portions 552 of the bearing portion 55 located on the +X direction side and the -X direction side of the case 5, and function as rotation shafts of the first rotation member 61. In addition, by placing the pair of rotation shafts 616 in the receiving portions 552 of the case 5, the first rotation member 61 is held by the case 5 so as to be rotatable about the first axial direction (X direction). In addition, as described above, as shown in FIG. 6, the bearing portion 55 of the case 5 is configured so that, in a state in which the multidirectional input device 1 is assembled, the pair of rotation shafts 616 are located between the upper surface and the lower surface of the cylindrical portion 71 of the holding mechanism 7 in the height direction. Therefore, in a state in which the multidirectional input device 1 is assembled, the pair of rotation shafts 616 are located on the same straight line, and are opposed across the cylindrical portion 71. Figure 3

[0258] Returning to FIG. 6, Figure 11 The magnet holding portion 617 is formed of a resin material, and is a member attached to the lower end portion of the lower extending portion 615 located on the -X direction side. The magnet holding portion 617 holds the magnet 82 of the detection mechanism 8 in the inside thereof. The magnet holding portion 617 is housed in the housing portion 514b of the case 5 in a state in which the multidirectional input device 1 is assembled, in a manner so as to be rotatable about the X axis.​

[0259] As shown in FIG. 6, the second rotating member 62 includes an arch portion 621, a slit hole 622, a pair of horizontally extending portions 623, a pair of downward extending portions 624, a pair of rotating shafts 625, and a magnet holding portion 626. The arch portion 621 is a portion that protrudes upward. The slit hole 622 is a long hole formed in the arch portion 621. The pair of horizontally extending portions 623 are portions that extend horizontally from both ends of the arch portion 621. The pair of downward extending portions 624 are portions that extend downward from the pair of horizontally extending portions 623. The pair of rotating shafts 625 are portions that extend outward from the pair of downward extending portions 624. The magnet holding portion 626 is a portion that holds a magnet 626a. Figure 10 Figure 12 As shown in FIG. 6, the second rotating member 62 includes an arch portion 621, a slit hole 622, a pair of horizontally extending portions 623, a pair of downward extending portions 624, a pair of rotating shafts 625, and a magnet holding portion 626. The arch portion 621 is a portion that protrudes upward. The slit hole 622 is a long hole formed in the arch portion 621. The pair of horizontally extending portions 623 are portions that extend horizontally from both ends of the arch portion 621. The pair of downward extending portions 624 are portions that extend downward from the pair of horizontally extending portions 623. The pair of rotating shafts 625 are portions that extend outward from the pair of downward extending portions 624. The magnet holding portion 626 is a portion that holds a magnet 626a.

[0260] The arch portion 621 is a portion that protrudes upward. The slit hole 622 is a long hole formed in the arch portion 621. The pair of horizontally extending portions 623 are portions that extend horizontally from both ends of the arch portion 621. The pair of downward extending portions 624 are portions that extend downward from the pair of horizontally extending portions 623. The pair of rotating shafts 625 are portions that extend outward from the pair of downward extending portions 624. The magnet holding portion 626 is a portion that holds a magnet 626a.

[0261] Thus, when the user applies a twisting operation to the operation shaft 63, a twisting load is applied to the main body portion 611 of the first rotating member 61 and the arch portion 621 of the second rotating member 62 from the operation shaft 63. As described above, the main body portion 611 is formed of a metal material having high strength. On the other hand, in the case where the main body portion 611 is formed of a metal material, even when the user applies a twisting operation to the operation shaft 63, a strong twisting load is not applied to the second rotating member 62 from the operation shaft 63, and thus the second rotating member 62 is formed of a resin material that is lightweight and inexpensive, as compared with a metal material. With this structure, deformation of the first rotating member 61 and the second rotating member 62 caused by a twisting load when the user applies a twisting operation to the operation shaft 63 can be prevented, and the weight and cost of the multi-directional input device 1 can be reduced.

[0262] ​Further, in the illustrated manner, the main body portion 611 of the first rotating member 61 is formed of a metal material, and the arched portion 621 of the second rotating member 62 is formed of a resin material, but the present application is not limited thereto. A manner in which the main body portion 611 is formed of a resin material and the arched portion 621 is formed of a metal material is also within the scope of the present application. In the case where the arched portion 621 is formed of a metal material, even when the user applies a twisting operation to the operation shaft 63, a strong twisting load is not applied from the operation shaft 63 to the main body portion 611, and thus each portion of the first rotating member 61 can be integrally formed of a resin material. According to such a structure, deformation of the first rotating member 61 and the second rotating member 62 caused by a twisting load when the user applies a twisting operation to the operation shaft 63 can be prevented, and the weight and cost of the multidirectional input device 1 can be reduced. Further, when a twisting operation is applied to the operation shaft 63 in a state in which the multidirectional input device 1 is assembled, the arched portion 621 formed of a metal material engages with the operation shaft 63. By such engagement of the arched portion 621 with the operation shaft 63, a twisting motion of the operation shaft 63 can be prevented.

[0263] Further, in the case where the main body portion 611 of the first rotating member 61 is formed of a resin material and the arched portion 621 of the second rotating member 62 is formed of a metal material, the arched portion 621 functions as a stopper for limiting upward displacement of the operation shaft 63. In a state in which the multidirectional input device 1 is assembled, when the user pulls up the operation shaft 63 in the upward direction, the flange portion 634 of the operation shaft 63 first comes into contact with the main body portion 611 from below. At this time, since the main body portion 611 is formed of a resin material, the main body portion 611 is elastically deformed upward by the flange portion 634. Then, the flange portion 634 comes into contact with the arched portion 621 from below via the main body portion 611. The arched portion 621 is formed of a metal material, and thus the arched portion 621 is not elastically deformed by the flange portion 634, and excessive displacement of the operation shaft 63 in the upward direction is limited. According to such a structure, the strength of the operation shaft 63 against tensile lifting can be ensured.

[0264] In this case, the main body portion 611 of the first rotating member 61 and the pair of lower extending portions 615 are formed of a resin material, and as a result, all of the elements of the first rotating member 61 are integrally formed of the resin material. On the other hand, the pair of horizontal extending portions 623 and the pair of lower extending portions 624 of the second rotating member 62 are integrally formed of a metal material, and the pair of rotating shafts 625 and the magnet holding portion 626 are formed of a resin material. In addition, the pair of rotating shafts 625 are respectively attached to the pair of lower extending portions 624, and the magnet holding portion 626 is attached to the lower end portion of the lower extending portion 624 on the +Y direction side. Also, a configuration in which both the main body portion 611 and the arch portion 621 are formed of a metal material is within the scope of the present application. In this case, deformation of the first rotating member 61 and the second rotating member 62 and a twisting operation of the operation shaft 63 caused by a twisting load of the first rotating member 61 and the second rotating member 62 when the user applies a twisting operation to the operation shaft 63 can be more reliably prevented.

[0265] The pair of rotating shafts 625 are cylindrical portions that extend linearly from the outer side surfaces of the pair of lower extending portions 624 toward the outside. The pair of rotating shafts 625 are formed so that the centers of the shafts thereof are located on the same straight line. The pair of rotating shafts 625 are supported to the bearing portion 55 by being housed in the receiving portions 552 of the bearing portion 55 on the +Y direction side and the -Y direction side of the housing 5, and function as the rotating shafts of the second rotating member 62. In addition, by being housed in the receiving portions 552 of the housing 5, the second rotating member 62 is held by the housing 5 so as to be able to rotate about the second axial direction (Y direction). In addition, as described above, the bearing portion 55 of the housing 5 is configured so that, in a state in which the multidirectional input device 1 is assembled, the pair of rotating shafts 625 are located between the upper surface and the lower surface of the cylindrical portion 71 of the holding mechanism 7 in the height direction. Therefore, in a state in which the multidirectional input device 1 is assembled, the pair of rotating shafts 625 are located on the same straight line and oppose each other with the cylindrical portion 71 interposed therebetween.

[0266] The magnet holding portion 626 is provided at the lower end portion of the lower extending portion 624 on the +Y direction side, and is a portion for holding the magnet 82 inside. In a state in which the multidirectional input device 1 is assembled, the magnet holding portion 626 is housed in the housing 5 in a manner so as to be able to rotate about the Y axis.

[0267] Returning to Figure 10 , the operation shaft 63 has a function of rotating the first rotating member 61 and the second rotating member 62 in accordance with a tilting operation applied by the user, and displacing downward in accordance with a pressing operation applied by the user. As Figure 13As shown, the operation shaft 63 has a small diameter portion 631, a large diameter portion 632 extending outward from a lower end portion of the small diameter portion 631, a pair of D-shaped cutaway surfaces 633 formed on outer peripheral surfaces of the small diameter portion 631 and the large diameter portion 632, a flange portion 634 extending linearly downward from the lower end portion of the small diameter portion 631, a spring connecting portion 635 extending downward from a lower end portion of the flange portion 634, a protrusion 636 protruding downward from a lower surface of the spring connecting portion 635, a support cap 637 mounted to the protrusion 636, a cap 638 mounted to an upper side portion of the small diameter portion 631, and a shaft 639 for fixing the cap 638 to the upper side portion of the small diameter portion 631.

[0268] The small diameter portion 631 is a cylindrical portion extending linearly in the height direction. Further, a through-hole 6311 extending through the small diameter portion 631 in the Y direction is formed in an upper side portion of the small diameter portion 631. As shown in FIG. 6, the through-hole 6311 is formed in the upper side portion of the small diameter portion 631 so as to be aligned with the through-hole 6111 of the first rotation member 61. Figure 2 As shown, in a state where the multi-direction input device 1 is assembled, the small diameter portion 631 protrudes upward from the opening 25 of the upper side cover 2U and is operated by the user. Returning to FIG. 5, Figure 13 The large diameter portion 632 is a cylindrical portion concentrically extending outward from a side surface of the lower end portion of the small diameter portion 631. Further, the large diameter portion 632 has a diameter larger than that of the small diameter portion 631.

[0269] The pair of D-shaped cutaway surfaces 633 are flat surfaces opposing each other and perpendicular to the Y direction, which are formed by linearly cutting the outer peripheral surfaces of the +Y direction side and the -Y direction side of the small diameter portion 631 and the large diameter portion 632 in the height direction. The pair of D-shaped cutaway surfaces 633 are formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the +Y direction side and the -Y direction side of the small diameter portion 631 and the large diameter portion 632 in such a manner that the widths of the Y direction of the small diameter portion 631 and the large diameter portion 632 are substantially equal to the width of the Y direction of the slit hole 612 of the first rotation member 61. With such a structure, the small diameter portion 631 and the large diameter portion 632 can be inserted into the slit hole 612. In a state where the multi-direction input device 1 is assembled, the pair of D-shaped cutaway surfaces 633 formed on the large diameter portion 632 are in surface contact with the inner side surface of the slit hole 612 via the flap 6143 of the cap 614. With such a structure, even if the user applies a twisting operation of rotating the operation shaft 63 about the axis, the operation shaft 63 does not rotate about the axis by engagement of the pair of D-shaped cutaway surfaces 633 formed on the large diameter portion 632 with the slit hole 612.

[0270] The flange portion 634 is a cylindrical portion formed so as to extend linearly downward from the lower end portion of the small-diameter portion 631. The flange portion 634 has the same diameter as the large-diameter portion 632 concentrically with the large-diameter portion 632. However, since a pair of D-shaped cutaway surfaces 633 are not formed on the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 634, the flange portion 634 projects outwardly in the Y direction more than the large-diameter portion 632. In addition, the diameter of the flange portion 634 is larger than the diameter of the small-diameter portion 631. The upper surface of the flange portion 634 has a curved shape projecting upwardly corresponding to the lower surface of the arch-shaped portion 6111 of the main body portion 611 of the first rotary member 61. Therefore, even if the operation shaft 63 is tilted about the Y axis, the flange portion 634 does not come into contact with the main body portion 611. In addition, the lower surface of the flange portion 634 becomes a flat surface orthogonal to the height direction.

[0271] The spring connecting portion 635 is a cylindrical portion extending linearly downward from the lower surface of the flange portion 634. The spring connecting portion 635 is formed concentrically with the flange portion 634 and has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the flange portion 634. The protrusion 636 is a cylindrical portion protruding downward from the lower surface of the spring connecting portion 635. The protrusion 636 is formed concentrically with the spring connecting portion 635 and has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the spring connecting portion 635. In addition, a thread groove, not shown, is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 636. The small-diameter portion 631, the large-diameter portion 632, the flange portion 634, the spring connecting portion 635, and the protrusion 636 are integrally formed of a hard non-magnetic material such as stainless steel.

[0272] The support cap 637 supports the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L of the holding mechanism 7 from below and has a function of pressing the pressing surface 453 of the pressing member 45 of the press switch 4. The support cap 637 is a cylindrical member formed of a hard non-magnetic material such as stainless steel. The support cap 637 has a cylindrical main body portion 6371, a receiving recess 6372 formed on the upper surface of the main body portion 6371, a threaded hole 6373 formed on the receiving recess 6372, and a curved surface 6374 protruding downward from the lower surface of the main body portion 6371.

[0273] The main body portion 6371 is a cylindrical portion concentric with the flange portion 634 and has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the flange portion 634. The upper surface of the main body portion 6371 becomes a flat surface orthogonal to the height direction. The receiving recess 6372 is a circular recess formed on the upper surface of the main body portion 6371. The receiving recess 6372 is formed concentrically with the main body portion 6371 and has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the spring connecting portion 635. The threaded hole 6373 is a circular recess having a thread groove formed on the receiving recess 6372. The threaded hole 6373 is formed concentrically with the receiving recess 6372 and has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the protrusion 636. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the curved surface 6374 is formed so as to be curved in the Y direction. Figure 3As shown, the bottom surface of the threaded hole 6373 has a conical shape in which the diameter gradually decreases from above toward below. The support cap 637 is installed to the protrusion 636 by screwing the protrusion 636 with the threaded hole 6373 and receiving the lower end of the spring connecting portion 635 in the receiving recess 6372. In addition, by installing the support cap 637 to the protrusion 636, the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L of the holding mechanism 7 installed to the operation shaft 63 is supported from below by the support cap 637.

[0274] Returning to Figure 13 , the curved surface 6374 is a curved surface protruding from the lower surface of the main body portion 6371 toward below. More specifically, the lower surface of the curved surface 6374 has a spherical surface shape in which the amount of protrusion toward below gradually decreases from the center toward the outside. Therefore, the curved surface 6374 is in point contact with the pressing surface 453 of the pressing member 45. In addition, since the curved surface 6374 has a spherical surface shape, when the operation shaft 63 performs the pouring operation, the curved surface 6374 does not slide on the pressing surface 453, maintaining the point contact between the curved surface 6374 and the pressing surface 453. Therefore, even in a state in which the operation shaft 63 is tilted, the operation shaft 63 is displaced toward below according to the pressing operation of the user to the operation shaft 63, and it is possible to press the pressing switch 4.

[0275] The cap 638 is a cylindrical member installed to the upper end of the thin diameter portion 631 in order to make the pouring operation and the pressing operation of the user to the thin diameter portion 631 easy. The cap 638 has a through hole 6381 passing through itself in the Y direction. In a state in which the cap 638 is installed to the upper end of the thin diameter portion 631, by inserting the shaft 639 through the through hole 6311 of the thin diameter portion 631 and the through hole 6381 of the cap 638, it is possible to fix the cap 638 to the upper end of the thin diameter portion 631. The width of the cap 638 in the Y direction is larger than the width of the slit hole 612 of the first rotation member 61 in the Y direction, and the width of the cap 638 in the X direction is larger than the width of the slit hole 622 of the second rotation member 62 in the X direction. Therefore, by installing the cap 638 to the upper end of the thin diameter portion 631, it is possible to prevent the first rotation member 61 and the second rotation member 62 from being detached upward from the operation shaft 63 when the multi-direction input device 1 is assembled.

[0276] Returning to Figure 10 , the holding mechanism 7 has a function of elastically holding the operation shaft 63 in a standing neutral state on the housing 5. As shown in FIG. 6, the holding mechanism 7 includes a lower side leaf spring assembly 9L, an upper side leaf spring assembly 9U, and a spring connecting portion 635. Figure 13As shown, the holding mechanism 7 is provided with: an upper side leaf spring assembly 9U; a lower side leaf spring assembly 9L; a cylindrical portion 71 that is located between the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L, and holds the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L in a state of being separated in the height direction; a cylindrical shaft sleeve 72 that is located between the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L, and is located inside the cylindrical portion 71; a circular ring-shaped spacer 73 that is located between the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L and the support cap 637 of the operation shaft 63; and three rivets 74 for fixing the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L to the cylindrical portion 71.

[0277] As shown, Figure 14 the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U is provided with: a plurality of (two in the illustrated manner) upper side leaf springs 91U that are held separately from each other in the height direction; an inner spacer 92 and an outer spacer 93 that connect between the plurality of upper side leaf springs 91U; and a vertical spacer 94 that is provided on the upper surface of the uppermost upper side leaf spring 91U. The plurality of upper side leaf springs 91U are formed of a non-magnetic spring material such as stainless steel. The plurality of upper side leaf springs 91U are held by the inner spacer 92 and the outer spacer 93 so as to be separated from each other in the height direction and to face each other in parallel.

[0278] As shown, Figure 15 the upper side leaf spring 91U is provided with: a circular ring-shaped outer frame 911 that is fixedly held on the upper surface of the cylindrical portion 71; an inner frame 912 that is located inside the outer frame 911 and has a through-hole 913 through which the spring connecting portion 635 of the operation shaft 63 is inserted; a plurality of (three in the illustrated manner) spring portions 914 that connect between the outer frame 911 and the inner frame 912; and a plurality of (three in the illustrated manner) locking holes 915 formed on the outer frame 911.

[0279] The outer frame 911 is a circular ring plate-shaped portion that has an upper surface and a lower surface orthogonal to the height direction. The outer frame 911 is fixed with respect to the cylindrical portion 71. The inner frame 912 is a circular plate portion that is disposed concentrically with the outer frame 911 inside the outer frame 911. The inner frame 912 has a circular through-hole 913 formed concentrically with itself. As shown, Figure 18 the spring connecting portion 635 of the operation shaft 63 is inserted through the through-hole 913. Returning Figure 15 to the plurality of spring portions 914 are portions that connect between the outer frame 911 and the inner frame 912 in such a manner that the inner frame 912 is displaceable with respect to the outer frame 911. Furthermore, the "displacement" referred to here includes, in addition to displacement of the inner frame 912 with respect to the outer frame 911 in the height direction and displacement in the lateral direction (X direction or Y direction), displacement of the inner frame 912 about the X direction or the Y direction, and displacement of the inner frame 912 with respect to the outer frame 911 in the twisting direction in which the inner frame 912 tilts.

[0280] The spring portion 914 has a first connecting portion 9141 connected to the inner peripheral surface of the outer frame 911, a second connecting portion 9142 connected to the outer peripheral surface of the inner frame 912, and an arm portion 9143 connecting between the first connecting portion 9141 and the second connecting portion 9142. The first connecting portion 9141 is a plate-shaped portion extending in the radial direction of the outer frame 911 and the inner frame 912. One end portion of the first connecting portion 9141 is connected to the inner peripheral surface of the outer frame 911, and the other end portion of the first connecting portion 9141 is connected to the outer side surface of one end portion of the arm portion 9143. The second connecting portion 9142 is a plate-shaped portion extending in the radial direction of the outer frame 911 and the inner frame 912. One end portion of the second connecting portion 9142 is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the inner frame 912, and the other end portion of the second connecting portion 9142 is connected to the inner side surface of the other end portion of the arm portion 9143.

[0281] The arm portion 9143 is a portion extending in a circular arc shape so as to connect between the first connecting portion 9141 and the second connecting portion 9142. The arm portion 9143 extends toward one of the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction from the first connecting portion 9141 toward the second connecting portion 9142. In the illustrated manner, the plurality of arm portions 9143 of the upper flat spring 91U each extend in a circular arc shape in the clockwise direction from the first connecting portion 9141 toward the second connecting portion 9142. The plurality of arm portions 9143 extend in a circular arc shape in the space between the outer frame 911 and the inner frame 912 without contacting each other. When the inner frame 912 is displaced with respect to the outer frame 911, the plurality of spring portions 914 elastically deform, and a spring force that returns the inner frame 912 to the stable position acts. In addition, in the illustrated manner, the number of spring portions 914 of the upper flat spring 91U is three, but the present application is not limited thereto. A manner in which the upper flat spring 91U has four or more spring portions 914 is also within the scope of the present application.

[0282] The locking hole 915 is a through hole formed in a region of the outer frame 911 adjacent to the end portion of one of the first connecting portions 9141 of the three spring portions 914. The locking hole 915 penetrates the outer frame 911 in the height direction. In addition, in order to define the locking hole 915, a circular arc-shaped portion 9151 protrudes toward the outside from the outer peripheral surface of the outer frame 911. Therefore, the inner side portion of the locking hole 915 is formed on the outer frame 911, and the outer side portion of the locking hole 915 is formed on the outside of the outer frame 911.

[0283] Furthermore, a plurality of upper flat springs 91U held so as to face each other in the height direction and in parallel to each other are arranged so that the first connecting portions 9141, the second connecting portions 9142, the plurality of arm portions 9143, and the locking holes 915 of the respective spring portions 914 overlap each other in the vertical direction. Thus, when the operation shaft 63 is tilted, the arm portions 9143 of the plurality of upper flat springs 91U are subjected to the same stress at the same position, and the same twisting action occurs, so it is possible to prevent the arm portions 9143 from interfering with each other.

[0284] Returning Figure 14 The inner spacers 92 and the outer spacers 93 are members that connect the plurality of upper flat springs 91U in order to integrate the plurality of upper flat springs 91U. The inner spacers 92 are annular members having inner and outer diameters equal to the inner and outer diameters of the inner frames 912 of the upper flat springs 91U. The inner spacers 92 have flat upper and lower surfaces orthogonal to the height direction. The upper surfaces of the inner spacers 92 are fixed to the lower surfaces of the inner frames 912 of the upper flat springs 91U on the upper side by an arbitrary fixing means such as an adhesive, and the lower surfaces of the inner spacers 92 are fixed to the upper surfaces of the inner frames 912 of the upper flat springs 91U on the lower side.

[0285] The outer spacers 93 have annular frames 931 and a plurality of locking holes 932 formed in the frames 931. The frames 931 are annular portions having inner and outer diameters equal to the inner and outer diameters of the outer frames 911 of the upper flat springs 91U. In addition, the frames 931 have flat upper and lower surfaces orthogonal to the height direction. The upper surfaces of the frames 931 are fixed to the lower surfaces of the outer frames 911 of the upper flat springs 91U on the upper side by an arbitrary fixing means such as an adhesive, and the lower surfaces of the frames 931 are fixed to the upper surfaces of the outer frames 911 of the upper flat springs 91U on the lower side. The locking holes 932 are through holes formed in the frames 931 in correspondence with the plurality of locking holes 915 of the upper flat springs 91U. The locking holes 932 pass through the frames 931 in the height direction. Also, in order to define the locking holes 932, arcuate portions 9321 protrude outward from the outer circumferential surfaces of the frames 931. Thus, the inner portions of the locking holes 932 are formed in the frames 931, and the outer portions of the locking holes 932 are formed outside the frames 931. In a posture in which the plurality of locking holes 932 overlap the plurality of locking holes 915 of the upper flat springs 91U, the outer spacers 93 are sandwiched between the upper flat springs 91U on the upper side and the upper flat springs 91U on the lower side. By the inner spacers 92 and the outer spacers 93, the plurality of upper flat springs 91U are integrated, and the plurality of upper flat springs 91U function as one flat spring.

[0286] The vertical spacer 94 is an annular component used to support multiple upper leaf springs 91U that are held apart from each other in the height direction from above. By providing the vertical spacer 94 on the uppermost upper leaf spring 91U, the upper leaf spring assembly 9U based on the rivet 74 can be stably fixed to the cylindrical portion 71. The vertical spacer 94 includes an annular frame 941, multiple locking holes 942 formed on the frame 941, and positioning protrusions 943 protruding outward from the frame 941. The frame 941 is an annular portion having an inner diameter and an outer diameter equal to the inner and outer diameters of the outer frame 911 of the upper leaf spring 91U. In addition, the frame 941 has a flat upper surface and a lower surface orthogonal to the height direction. The frame 941 is mounted on the upper surface of the outer frame 911 of the uppermost upper leaf spring 91U by any fixing means such as adhesive.

[0287] The locking hole 942 is formed in the through hole of the frame 941 in a manner corresponding to the plurality of locking holes 915 of the upper leaf spring 91U. The locking hole 942 penetrates the frame 941 in the height direction. In addition, in order to define the locking hole 942, the arc-shaped portion 9421 protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of the frame 941. Therefore, the inner portion of the locking hole 942 is formed on the frame 941, and the outer portion of the locking hole 942 is formed on the outer side of the frame 941. With the plurality of locking holes 942 overlapping with the plurality of locking holes 915 of the upper leaf spring 91U, the vertical spacer 94 is provided on the upper surface of the uppermost upper leaf spring 91U.

[0288] The positioning protrusion 943 is a rectangular portion extending outward in a straight line from the outer peripheral surface of the frame 941. For example... Figure 6 As shown, with the multi-directional input device 1 assembled, the retaining mechanism 7 is mounted on the main body 51 of the housing 5 with the positioning protrusion 943 located in the positioning groove 541 of the housing 5. The engagement of the positioning protrusion 943 with the positioning groove 541 prevents the retaining mechanism 7 from rotating on the housing 5. Furthermore, with the multi-directional input device 1 assembled, the claws 2632 of the four retaining portions 263 extending inward from the four connecting pieces 26 of the upper cover 2U press against the upper surface of the vertical spacer 94, thereby supporting the retaining mechanism 7 from above on the housing 5 and preventing the retaining mechanism 7 on the housing 5 from swinging in the height direction.

[0289] Multiple upper leaf springs 91U, inner spacers 92, outer spacers 93, and vertical spacers 94 are overlapped in the height direction by overlapping multiple locking holes 942 of the upper leaf springs 91U, multiple locking holes 932 of the outer spacers 93, and multiple locking holes 942 of the vertical spacers 94, and are integrated by using any fixing component such as adhesive to form an upper leaf spring assembly 9U.

[0290] returnFigure 13 The lower side plate spring assembly 9L is positioned below the upper side plate spring assembly 9U and is provided via the cylindrical portion 71 in a manner separated from the upper side plate spring assembly 9U in the height direction. As shown in Figure 16 Fig. 6, the lower side plate spring assembly 9L includes a plurality of (two in the illustrated example) lower side plate springs 91L held separately from each other in the height direction, inner and outer spacers 92 and 93 connecting the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L to each other, and a vertical spacer 94 provided on the lower surface of the lowermost lower side plate spring 91L to support the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L from below. The inner and outer spacers 92 and 93 and the vertical spacer 94 of the lower side plate spring assembly 9L have the same structures as the inner and outer spacers 92 and 93 and the vertical spacer 94 of the upper side plate spring assembly 9U described above, and thus the description of the inner and outer spacers 92 and 93 and the vertical spacer 94 of the lower side plate spring assembly 9L is omitted.

[0291] As shown in Figure 17 Fig. 7, the lower side plate spring 91L has the same structure as the upper side plate spring 91U except that the extension direction of the arm portion 9143 of the spring portion 914 is different. Thus, the differences between the lower side plate spring 91L and the upper side plate spring 91U are described in detail, and the commonalities between the lower side plate spring 91L and the upper side plate spring 91U are omitted.

[0292] The arm portions 9143 of the plurality of spring portions 914 of the lower side plate spring 91L extend toward the second connecting portion 9142 from the first connecting portion 9141 in the other one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions, respectively. In the illustrated example, the arm portions 9143 of the plurality of spring portions 914 of the lower side plate spring 91L extend in the counterclockwise direction in a circular arc shape toward the second connecting portion 9142 from the first connecting portion 9141, respectively. That is, the extension direction of the arm portion 9143 of the upper side plate spring 91U and the extension direction of the arm portion 9143 of the lower side plate spring 91L are opposite directions. Thus, the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L are configured to be symmetrical to each other in the up-down (front-rear) direction. In other words, in a state in which the upper side plate spring 91U is flipped upside down, the lower side plate spring 91L is positioned below the cylindrical portion 71.

[0293] Returning to Figure 13The cylindrical portion 71 is a member for holding the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L in a state where they are apart from each other in the height direction. The cylindrical portion 71 is positioned between the outer frame 911 of the lowermost upper side leaf spring 91U and the outer frame 911 of the uppermost lower side leaf spring 91L. The cylindrical portion 71 has a cylindrical main body portion 711 and a plurality of bosses 712 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 711. The upper surface and the lower surface of the main body portion 711 have a circular ring shape corresponding to the outer frames 911 of the upper side leaf springs 91U and the lower side leaf springs 91L, and become flat surfaces orthogonal to the height direction. In a state where the assembled upper side leaf spring assembly 9U is disposed on the upper surface of the cylindrical portion 71 and the assembled lower side leaf spring assembly 9L is disposed on the lower surface of the cylindrical portion 71, the rivet 74 is inserted through the locking holes 915, 932, 942 of the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L and the bosses 712 of the cylindrical portion 71, and the end portion of the rivet 74 is riveted, whereby the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L are fixedly held by the cylindrical portion 71 in a state where they are apart from each other in the height direction. Thus, the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L are held in a state where the outer frame 911 of the lowermost upper side leaf spring 91U and the outer frame 911 of the uppermost lower side leaf spring 91L are separated in the height direction by the height of the cylindrical portion 71. In the above description, the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L are fixed to the cylindrical portion 71 by the rivet 74, but the present application is not limited to this. Any fixing member such as a screw or an adhesive can be used to fix the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L to the cylindrical portion 71.

[0294] In addition, the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L are disposed so that, when viewed from the height direction, the first connecting portions 9141 of the plurality of upper side leaf springs 91U overlap the first connecting portions 9141 of the plurality of lower side leaf springs 91L, the second connecting portions 9142 of the plurality of upper side leaf springs 91U overlap the second connecting portions 9142 of the plurality of lower side leaf springs 91L, and the positioning protrusions 943 of the vertical spacers 94 of the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L overlap each other. Thus, the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L are fixedly held by the cylindrical portion 71 in a posture where they are completely upside down (front-back) symmetric to each other.

[0295] In a state where the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L are fixed to the cylindrical portion 71, the inner frame 912 of each of the plurality of upper side leaf springs 91U and the plurality of lower side leaf springs 91L is supported in a suspended state inside the cylindrical portion 71 by the plurality of spring portions 914 connected to the outer peripheral surface of the inner frame 912. With this structure, the inner frame 912 can be stably supported at a stable position by the plurality of spring portions 914, and thus the position of the inner frame 912 at the time of the neutral state of the operation shaft 63 with respect to the outer frame 911 can be stabilized, and the position of the operation shaft 63 in the neutral state can be stabilized.

[0296] In addition, as described above, the bearing portion 55 of the housing 5 is configured such that the rotation shaft 616 of the first rotation member 61 and the rotation shaft 625 of the second rotation member 62 supported by the bearing portion 55 are located between the upper surface and the lower surface of the cylindrical portion 71 in a state where the multi-direction input device 1 is assembled. The upper side leaf spring assembly 9U is provided on the upper surface of the cylindrical portion 71, and the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L is provided on the lower surface of the cylindrical portion 71, and thus the rotation shaft 616 of the first rotation member 61 and the rotation shaft 625 of the second rotation member 62 are located between the upper side leaf spring 91U and the lower side leaf spring 91L in the height direction. On the other hand, the center of rotation of the tilt operation of the operation shaft 63 held by the holding mechanism 7 is located between the upper side leaf spring 91U and the lower side leaf spring 91L in the height direction. Therefore, by locating the rotation shaft 616 of the first rotation member 61 and the rotation shaft 625 of the second rotation member 62 between the upper side leaf spring 91U and the lower side leaf spring 91L in the height direction, the height direction positions of the rotation shaft 616 of the first rotation member 61 and the rotation shaft 625 of the second rotation member 62 are made to substantially coincide with the height direction position of the center of rotation of the tilt operation of the operation shaft 63, and thus the tilt angle of the operation shaft 63 can be made to coincide with the rotation angle of the first rotation member 61 or the second rotation member 62. With this structure, the tilt angle of the operation shaft 63 can be made to coincide with the rotation angle of the first rotation member 61 or the second rotation member 62, and the tilt angle of the operation shaft 63 can be accurately detected.

[0297] Further, in the illustrated manner, the outer frames 911 of the upper side plate springs 91U and the lower side plate springs 91L each have a circular ring shape, but the present application is not limited thereto, and can be appropriately changed according to the shape of the cylindrical portion 71. For example, a manner in which the outer frames 911 of the upper side plate springs 91U and the lower side plate springs 91L each have an elliptical ring shape or a polygonal ring shape is also within the scope of the present application. Further, the number of the spring portions 914 of the upper side plate springs 91U and the lower side plate springs 91L each is not particularly limited as long as it is three or more, and as long as the inner frame 912 can be connected to the outer frame 911 in a manner in which the inner frame 912 can be displaced with respect to the outer frame 911, a manner in which the upper side plate springs 91U and the lower side plate springs 91L each have four, five, or five or more spring portions 914 is also within the scope of the present application.

[0298] Further, from Figure 15 and Figure 17 it is known that the upper side plate springs 91U and the lower side plate springs 91L each have a rotationally asymmetric shape when viewed from the height direction. Therefore, the rigidity of each of the upper side plate springs 91U and the lower side plate springs 91L has anisotropy. For example, the lateral rigidity of the upper side plate spring 91U when the inner frame 912 of the upper side plate spring 91U is displaced in the +X direction is different from the lateral rigidity of the upper side plate spring 91U when the inner frame 912 is displaced in the -X direction. In the multidirectional input device 1 of the present application, the upper side plate springs 91U and the lower side plate springs 91L are held in the cylindrical portion 71 in a posture in which they are completely upside down (front and back) symmetric to each other. Therefore, the anisotropy of the rigidity of the upper side plate springs 91U and the anisotropy of the rigidity of the lower side plate springs 91L cancel each other out. As a result, the rigidity of the holding mechanism 7 obtained by combining the rigidity of the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U and the rigidity of the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L does not have anisotropy. Therefore, the multidirectional input device 1 does not have anisotropy with respect to the reaction force to the tilting operation of the operation shaft 63 that is elastically held by the holding mechanism 7, and can be preferably used as a joystick in a controller of a game device.

[0299] In addition, when viewed from the height direction of each of the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L, in a case where a straight line is drawn outward in the radial direction of the inner frame 912 from an arbitrary point on the inner peripheral surface of the outer frame 911 toward the center of the inner frame 912, there are necessarily two spaces on the straight line, one of which is located outward of at least one arm portion 9143 and the other of which is located inward of the at least one arm portion 9143, and in which the constituent elements (the arm portion 9143 and the like) of the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L are not present. The two spaces located outward and inward of the at least one arm portion 9143 enable the at least one arm portion 9143 to be elastically bent (elastically flexed) in the height direction. Thus, the plurality of spring portions 914 of the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L are respectively configured so that the torsional rigidity with respect to displacement in a direction in which the inner frame 912 tilts with respect to the outer frame 911 is greatly different from the lateral rigidity with respect to displacement in a lateral direction of the inner frame 912 with respect to the outer frame 911. More specifically, the plurality of spring portions 914 of the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L are respectively configured so that the lateral rigidity is much greater than the torsional rigidity.

[0300] RETURN Figure 13 The shaft sleeve 72 is a cylindrical member formed of a hard non-magnetic material, and is positioned between the inner frame 912 of the upper side plate spring 91U located at the lowermost position and the inner frame 912 of the lower side plate spring 91L located at the uppermost position. The shaft sleeve 72 has an inner diameter and an outer diameter that are substantially equal to the inner diameter and the outer diameter of the inner frame 912 of the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L, respectively. In addition, the outer diameter of the shaft sleeve 72 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the flange portion 634 of the operation shaft 63 and the outer diameter of the support cap 637, and the inner diameter of the shaft sleeve 72 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the spring connecting portion 635 of the operation shaft 63. The upper surface and the lower surface of the shaft sleeve 72 are flat surfaces orthogonal to the height direction.

[0301] The upper surface of the shaft sleeve 72 is in contact with the lower surface of the inner frame 912 of the upper side plate spring 91U located at the lowermost position, and the upper surface of the inner frame 912 of the lower side plate spring 91L located at the uppermost position. Thus, the upper side plate spring assembly 9U and the lower side plate spring assembly 9L are held by the cylindrical portion 71 in a state in which the inner frame 912 of the upper side plate spring 91U located at the lowermost position and the inner frame 912 of the lower side plate spring 91L located at the uppermost position are separated in the height direction by an amount of the height of the shaft sleeve 72.

[0302] In addition, the height of the shaft sleeve 72 is lower than the height of the cylindrical portion 71. Thus, as shown in FIG. 6, the upper side plate spring assembly 9U and the lower side plate spring assembly 9L are held by the cylindrical portion 71 in a state in which the inner frame 912 of the upper side plate spring 91U located at the lowermost position and the inner frame 912 of the lower side plate spring 91L located at the uppermost position are separated in the height direction by an amount of the height of the shaft sleeve 72. Figure 18As shown, in a state where the multidirectional input device 1 is assembled, a separation distance Dl between the outer frame 911 of the lowermost upper side plate spring 91U and the outer frame 911 of the uppermost lower side plate spring 91L, and a separation distance D2 between the inner frame 912 of the lowermost upper side plate spring 91U and the inner frame 912 of the uppermost lower side plate spring 91L are different. More specifically, the separation distance Dl is longer than the separation distance D2. With such a configuration, it is possible to increase the initial reaction force of the holding mechanism 7 against the tilting operation of the operation shaft 63, and to prevent the operation shaft 63 from accidentally performing the tilting operation when a vibration or an impact is applied to the multidirectional input device 1.

[0303] The larger initial reaction force of the holding mechanism 7 can suppress the tilting of the operation shaft 63 when the operation shaft 63 is held in the neutral state due to an external force other than the tilting operation applied to the operation shaft 63 by the user, such as a vibration or an impact. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the first rotary member 61 and the second rotary member 62 from accidentally rotating due to an external force such as a vibration or an impact when the operation shaft 63 is held in the neutral state, and to stabilize the output of the magnetic sensor 81 of the detection mechanism 8 when the operation shaft 63 is held in the neutral state. As a result, it is possible to reduce the drift of the magnetic sensor 81 when the operation shaft 63 is held in the neutral state, and to improve the detection accuracy of the detection mechanism 8 for the respective rotation angles of the first rotary member 61 and the second rotary member 62.

[0304] In addition, in the illustrated manner, in a state where the multidirectional input device 1 is assembled, the inner frame 912 of the lowermost upper side plate spring 91U is positioned lower than the outer frame 911, and the inner frame 912 of the uppermost lower side plate spring 91L is positioned higher than the outer frame 911, whereby the holding mechanism 7 is configured such that the separation distance Dl is longer than the separation distance D2, but the present application is not limited to this. For example, as shown in the schematic view of Figure 19 As shown in the schematic view, the structure of the shaft sleeve 72 is changed so that the height of the shaft sleeve 72 becomes higher, and as a result, the inner frame 912 of the uppermost lower side plate spring 91L and the outer frame 911 are positioned on the same plane, or the inner frame 912 of the lowermost upper side plate spring 91U and the outer frame 911 are positioned on the same plane, which is within the scope of the present application.

[0305] Furthermore, in the illustrated configuration, the retaining mechanism 7 is configured with a separation distance D1 longer than a separation distance D2, but the present invention is not limited to this. Changing the heights of the bushing 72 and the cylindrical portion 71 to make the separation distance D1 shorter than the separation distance D2 is also within the scope of the present invention. In this case, upward or downward displacement of the multiple spring portions 914 of the upper leaf spring 91U and lower leaf spring 91L is easily generated when the user applies a tilting operation to the operating shaft 63, which can reduce the load generated on the multiple spring portions 914 of the upper leaf spring 91U and lower leaf spring 91L during the tilting operation of the operating shaft 63. This extends the product lifespan of the multi-directional input device 1.

[0306] In addition, such as Figure 20 As shown, the method of changing the height of the bushing 72 and the cylindrical portion 71 by having the separation distances D1 and D2 equal, with the inner frame 912 of the upper leaf spring 91U positioned above the outer frame 911, and the inner frame 912 of the lower leaf spring 91L positioned above the outer frame 911, is also within the scope of the present invention. In this case, a downward pretension is generated relative to the operating shaft 63, which is held in a neutral state by the holding mechanism 7. Therefore, the support cap 637 of the operating shaft 63 is pressed by the pressing surface 453 of the pressing member 45 of the press switch 4, which can prevent the formation of a gap between the support cap 637 and the pressing surface 453. As a result, the stroke length and operation of the press switch 4 can be stabilized.

[0307] return Figure 13 The spacer 73 is an annular component located between the lower surface of the inner frame 912 of the lowermost leaf spring 91L and the upper surface of the support cap 637 of the operating shaft 63. For example... Figure 18 As shown, with the spring connection 635 of the operating shaft 63 inserted into the insertion holes 913, inner spacer 92, and spacer 73 of the upper leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower leaf spring assembly 9L, the support cap 637 is installed on the protrusion 636 of the operating shaft 63, thereby mounting the operating shaft 63 to the holding mechanism 7. As a result, the operating shaft 63 is held in an upright neutral state by the holding mechanism 7. In addition, in this state, the rivet 74 is inserted into the locking holes 915, 932, and 942 of the upper leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower leaf spring assembly 9L, and the boss 712 of the cylindrical portion 71 is riveted, thereby fixing the upper leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower leaf spring assembly 9L to the cylindrical portion 71 in a state of separation from each other in the height direction.

[0308] like Figure 18As shown, the outer frames 911 of the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U are sandwiched between the vertical spacer 94 and the upper surface of the cylindrical portion 71. Likewise, the outer frames 911 of the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L are fixedly sandwiched between the vertical spacer 94 and the lower surface of the cylindrical portion 71. Also, the inner frames 912 of the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U are sandwiched between the lower surface of the flange portion 634 of the operation shaft 63 and the upper surface of the shaft sleeve 72. Likewise, the inner frames 912 of the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L are sandwiched between the lower surface of the shaft sleeve 72 and the upper surface of the support cap 637 of the operation shaft 63.

[0309] In this way, the spring connection portion 635 of the operation shaft 63 is connected to the inner frames 912 of the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U and the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L via the shaft sleeve 72 in a state in which the spring connection portion 635 is inserted through the insertion holes 913 of the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U and the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L. With this structure, the operation shaft 63 can be elastically held by the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U and the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L.

[0310] In addition, if the support cap 637 is attached to the protrusion 636 of the operation shaft 63, a surface pressure in the vertical direction is applied to the inner frames 912 of the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U from the lower surface of the flange portion 634 of the operation shaft 63 and the upper surface of the shaft sleeve 72. Likewise, a surface pressure in the vertical direction is applied to the inner frames 912 of the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L from the lower surface of the shaft sleeve 72 and the upper surface of the support cap 637 of the operation shaft 63. With this surface pressure in the vertical direction, the inner frames 912 of the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U and the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L are integrated with the spring connection portion 635 of the operation shaft 63. In this state, if the user applies a twisting operation to the operation shaft 63, the operation shaft 63 performs a twisting action, and the inner frames 912 of the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U and the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L follow the twisting action of the operation shaft 63 and rotate with respect to the outer frames 911 about the shaft (circumferential direction of the inner frames 912) of the operation shaft 63. As a result, a load about the shaft of the operation shaft 63 is applied to the plurality of spring portions 914 of the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U and the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L, and the plurality of spring portions 914 are likely to deform.

[0311] As described above, in the multi-direction input device 1 of the present application, at least one of the main body portion 611 of the first rotating member 61 and the arch portion 621 of the second rotating member 62 is formed of a metal material. When a twisting operation is applied to the operation shaft 63 in a state where the multi-direction input device 1 is assembled, the operation shaft 63 is engaged with the main body portion 611 or the arch portion 621 composed of a metal material. By the engagement of the main body portion 611 or the arch portion 621 composed of a metal material with the operation shaft 63, the twisting motion of the operation shaft 63 when a user applies a twisting operation to the operation shaft 63 is prevented. By such a structure, it is possible to prevent the load around the shaft of the operation shaft 63 from being applied to the plurality of spring portions 914 of the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U and the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L, and it is possible to prevent the plurality of spring portions 914 from being deformed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the change in the spring characteristics of the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U and the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L, and to stabilize the reaction force characteristics with respect to the tilting operation of the operation shaft 63.

[0312] In addition, the outer frame 911 of the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U and the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L is fixed with respect to the cylindrical portion 71, and the inner frame 912 and the plurality of spring portions 914 of the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U and the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L are suspended by the cylindrical portion 71. By such a structure, the inner frame 912 of each of the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U and the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L can perform displacement in the height direction, displacement in the lateral direction (X direction or Y direction), and displacement in the twisting direction in which the inner frame 912 tilts with respect to the outer frame 911. Therefore, the holding mechanism 7 has longitudinal rigidity with respect to displacement in the height direction of the operation shaft 63, lateral rigidity with respect to displacement in the lateral direction of the operation shaft 63, and twisting rigidity with respect to displacement in the twisting direction of the operation shaft 63. In the multi-direction input device 1 of the present application, the holding mechanism 7 is configured such that the lateral rigidity and the twisting rigidity associated with the tilting operation of the operation shaft 63 are largely different from each other. More specifically, the holding mechanism 7 is configured such that the lateral rigidity is largely greater than the twisting rigidity. The lateral rigidity of the holding mechanism 7 is provided as a combined value of the lateral rigidity of the plurality of spring portions 914 of the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U and the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L. Likewise, the twisting rigidity of the holding mechanism 7 is provided as a combined value of the twisting rigidity of the plurality of spring portions 914 of the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U and the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L. As described above, the plurality of spring portions 914 of the upper side plate springs 91U and the lower side plate springs 91L are each configured such that the twisting rigidity is largely reduced compared to the lateral rigidity, and therefore the lateral rigidity of the holding mechanism 7 is largely increased compared to the twisting rigidity.

[0313] The lateral rigidity of the holding mechanism 7 increases with an increase in either of the width of the arm portion 9143 of the spring portion 914 of the upper side leaf spring 91U and the lower side leaf spring 91L and the separation distance in the height direction of the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L, that is, the height of the boss 72. On the other hand, the torsional rigidity of the holding mechanism 7 increases with an increase in the thickness of the upper side leaf spring 91U and the lower side leaf spring 91L. Therefore, by adjusting the width of the arm portion 9143 of the upper side leaf spring 91U and the lower side leaf spring 91L, the separation distance in the height direction of the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L, and the thickness of the upper side leaf spring 91U and the lower side leaf spring 91L, it is possible to adjust the balance between the lateral rigidity and the torsional rigidity of the holding mechanism 7.

[0314] In addition, by adjusting the number of the upper side leaf spring 91U and the lower side leaf spring 91L, it is possible to adjust the balance between the lateral rigidity and the torsional rigidity of the holding mechanism 7. If the number of the upper side leaf spring 91U and the lower side leaf spring 91L increases, the lateral rigidity of the holding mechanism 7 becomes greater relative to the torsional rigidity. Therefore, the number of the upper side leaf spring 91U of the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U and the number of the lower side leaf spring 91L of the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L can be appropriately changed as needed. For example, a way in which the number of the upper side leaf spring 91U of the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U is 1 and the number of the lower side leaf spring 91L of the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L is 1 is also within the scope of the present application. In this case, the inner side spacer 92 and the outer side spacer 93 of each of the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U and the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L are omitted.

[0315] In addition, as another example, a way in which the number of the upper side leaf spring 91U of the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U is 3 and the number of the lower side leaf spring 91L of the lower side leaf spring assembly 9L is 3 is also within the scope of the present application. In this case, the upper side leaf spring 91U that is positioned between the uppermost upper side leaf spring 91U and the lowermost upper side leaf spring 91U functions as a balancer that corrects unevenness between the rigidity (longitudinal rigidity, lateral rigidity, torsional rigidity) of the uppermost upper side leaf spring 91U and the rigidity of the lowermost upper side leaf spring 91U and achieves balance between the uppermost upper side leaf spring 91U and the lowermost upper side leaf spring 91U. Similarly, the lower side leaf spring 91L that is positioned between the uppermost lower side leaf spring 91L and the lowermost lower side leaf spring 91L corrects unevenness between the rigidity of the uppermost lower side leaf spring 91L and the rigidity of the lowermost lower side leaf spring 91L and functions as a balancer that achieves balance between the uppermost lower side leaf spring 91L and the lowermost lower side leaf spring 91L.

[0316] If the operating shaft 63 is elastically held by the retaining mechanism 7 with such a structure, when the user applies a tilting operation to the operating shaft 63, and the operating shaft 63 is tilted from its neutral state by the tilting operation, at least one of the plurality of spring portions 914 of the upper leaf spring 91U and the lower leaf spring 91L located on the tilting direction side of the operating shaft 63 displaces downward, while the remaining portions of the plurality of spring portions 914 displace upward. As a result, a force is generated that restores the operating shaft 63 from the tilted state to an upright neutral state. Therefore, when the user releases the tilting operation on the operating shaft 63, the operating shaft 63 returns to its upright neutral state by the restoring force of the plurality of spring portions 914 of the upper leaf spring 91U and the lower leaf spring 91L.

[0317] Furthermore, the hysteresis of the elastic deformation of the multiple spring portions 914 of both the upper leaf spring 91U and the lower leaf spring 91L is very small. Therefore, when the user releases the tilting operation on the operating shaft 63, the operating shaft 63 accurately returns to the neutral state (stable position). By using the upper leaf spring 91U and the lower leaf spring 91L with such small hysteresis to elastically hold the operating shaft 63, the accuracy of the origin reset of the operating shaft 63 can be improved. As a result, even if the user repeatedly applies tilting and pressing operations to the operating shaft 63, the operating shaft 63 can accurately return to the neutral state, thus ensuring that the operating feel and reaction force characteristics of the multi-directional input device 1 remain constant.

[0318] With the operating shaft 63 elastically held in place, the retaining mechanism 7 is mounted on the main body 51 of the housing 5. In this state, the lower leaf spring assembly 9L of the retaining mechanism 7 is housed within the receiving recess 515 of the main body 51, and the three rivets 74 of the retaining mechanism 7 are housed within the three clearance portions 516 of the main body 51. Furthermore, the cylindrical portion 71 of the retaining mechanism 7 is supported from the outside by the four guide plates 54 of the housing 5. With this structure, the operating shaft assembly 6 is held by the housing 5 and the retaining mechanism 7.

[0319] Figure 21represents a reaction force characteristic with respect to the pouring operation to the operation shaft 63 elastically held by the holding mechanism 7. In an initial state (first state) in which the pouring angle of the operation shaft 63 is small and less than a prescribed value (for example, about 5 degrees), the inner frame 912 of the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L is displaced to the lateral direction with respect to the outer frame 911, and an initial reaction force (first reaction force) against the pouring operation to the operation shaft 63 is provided. On the other hand, the displacement of the inner frame 912 of the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L to the twisting direction with respect to the outer frame 911 is hardly generated. Therefore, in the initial state, the lateral rigidity of the plurality of spring portions 914 of the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L provides the initial reaction force with respect to the pouring operation to the operation shaft 63. On the other hand, in the initial state, the twisting rigidity of the plurality of spring portions 914 of the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L does not contribute to the reaction force against the pouring operation to the operation shaft 63. As described above, since the lateral rigidity of each of the plurality of spring portions 914 of the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L is significantly larger than the twisting rigidity, in the initial state, the increase amount (increase rate, that is, the increase amount of the reaction force with respect to the unit amount (for example, 1 degree) of the pouring angle of the operation shaft 63) of the reaction force corresponding to the increase of the pouring angle of the operation shaft 63 becomes large. Therefore, the holding mechanism 7 in the initial state can provide the initial reaction force (first reaction force) with a large increase amount corresponding to the increase of the pouring angle of the operation shaft 63, that is, a large initial reaction force, by the lateral rigidity of the plurality of spring portions 914 of the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L.

[0320] After that, if the pouring angle of the operation shaft 63 increases to be equal to or more than the prescribed value (for example, about 5 degrees), the state moves to Figure 21The second state is shown. In the second state, the arms 9143 of the plurality of spring portions 914 of each of the upper leaf spring 91U and the lower leaf spring 91L are elastically compressed (elastically bent). As a result, the inner frame 912 of each of the upper leaf spring 91U and the lower leaf spring 91L is displaced in the torsional direction relative to the outer frame 911, providing a second reaction force relative to the tilting operation towards the operating shaft 63. On the other hand, in the second state, the further lateral displacement of the inner frame 912 of the upper leaf spring 91U and the lower leaf spring 91L is almost non-existent. Therefore, in the second state, the torsional stiffness of the plurality of spring portions 914 of the upper leaf spring 91U and the lower leaf spring 91L provides a second reaction force relative to the tilting operation towards the operating shaft 63. On the other hand, in the second state, the lateral stiffness of the plurality of spring portions 914 of the upper leaf spring 91U and the lower leaf spring 91L does not contribute to the second reaction force for the tilting operation towards the operating shaft 63. As described above, the torsional stiffness of each of the multiple spring portions 914 of the upper leaf spring 91U and the lower leaf spring 91L is significantly reduced compared to their lateral stiffness. Therefore, in the second state, the increase in the second reaction force corresponding to the increase in the tilting angle of the operating shaft 63 is relatively small. Thus, in the second state, the holding mechanism 7, through the torsional stiffness of the multiple spring portions 914 of the upper leaf spring 91U and the lower leaf spring 91L, can provide a second reaction force with a relatively small increase in the tilting angle of the operating shaft 63.

[0321] Thus, in the initial state, the reaction force increases sharply with the increase of the tilt angle of the operating shaft 63. Subsequently, when the tilt angle of the operating shaft 63 reaches a predetermined value or higher, at least one of the multiple spring portions 914 of the upper leaf spring 91U and the lower leaf spring 91L elastically buckles in the height direction. If the system moves from the initial state to the second state, the increase in reaction force relative to the increase of the tilt angle of the operating shaft 63 becomes drastically slower. This non-linear reaction force characteristic is particularly useful when the multi-directional input device 1 is used in a handheld controller for a game device.

[0322] Figure 22 The movement of the inner frame 912 and multiple spring portions 914 of the upper leaf spring 91U and lower leaf spring 91L is briefly illustrated when the operating shaft 63 performs the tilting operation. Furthermore, since the movement of the inner frame 912 and multiple spring portions 914 of the upper leaf spring 91U and lower leaf spring 91L is the same when the operating shaft 63 performs the tilting operation, the movement of the inner frame 912 and multiple spring portions 914 of the upper leaf spring 91U will be described in detail below as an example.

[0323] like Figure 22 As shown in the upper part, in a neutral state where no tilting or pressing operation is applied to the operating shaft 63, from a side located closer to the first direction than the operating shaft 63 (the side opposite to the tilting direction of the operating shaft 63, for example...) Figure 22At least one spring portion 914 at a position on the left side of the operating shaft 63 applies a tensile force to the inner frame 912, and from a second direction side (the tilting direction side of the operating shaft 63, for example) located opposite to the first direction to the operating shaft 63. Figure 22 The tensile forces exerted by at least one spring portion 914 at the right side of the inner frame 912 on each other are equal and cancel each other out. Therefore, the operating shaft 63 is held in an upright state, and the inner frame 912 is located on the initial plane. Subsequently, if a tilting operation is applied to the operating shaft 63, the operating shaft 63 performs the tilting operation, as shown... Figure 22 As shown in the lower part, the portion of the inner frame 912 located on the first direction side relative to the operating axis 63 moves upward relative to the initial plane. On the other hand, the portion of the inner frame 912 located on the second direction side relative to the operating axis 63 moves to a position lower than the initial plane. Furthermore, the "initial plane" refers to the plane in which the inner frame 912 is located in the neutral state.

[0324] As described above, in the initial state of the tilting operation of the operating shaft 63, the inner frame 912 is displaced laterally relative to the outer frame 911. At this time, a tensile load is applied to at least one of the plurality of spring portions 914 located on the side closer to the operating shaft 63 in a first direction. On the other hand, a compressive load is applied to at least one of the plurality of spring portions 914 located on the side closer to the operating shaft 63 in a second direction. Furthermore, in the second state of the tilting operation of the operating shaft 63, the inner frame 912 is displaced in a torsional direction relative to the outer frame 911. At this time, an upward load is applied to at least one of the plurality of spring portions 914 located on the side closer to the operating shaft 63 in the first direction. On the other hand, a downward load is applied to at least one of the plurality of spring portions 914 located on the side closer to the operating shaft 63 in the second direction.

[0325] Thus, when a tilting operation is applied to the operating shaft 63, the direction of the load applied to at least one spring portion 914 located on the side further in the first direction than the operating shaft 63 is opposite to the direction of the load applied to at least one spring portion 914 located on the side further in the second direction than the operating shaft 63. The magnitude of the tensile force applied to the inner frame 912 from at least one spring portion 914 located on the side further in the first direction than the operating shaft 63 is approximately equal to the magnitude of the tensile force applied to the inner frame 912 from at least one spring portion 914 located on the side further in the second direction than the operating shaft 63. As a result, the origin of the operating shaft 63 can be stably reset when the tilting operation on the operating shaft 63 is released.

[0326] return Figure 4The detection mechanism 8 has a function of detecting the rotation angle of each of the first rotation member 61 and the second rotation member 62. The detection mechanism 8 includes two magnetic sensors 81 provided on the substrate 3 and two magnets 82 held to the magnet holding portion 617 of the first rotation member 61 and the magnet holding portion 626 of the second rotation member 62, respectively, in opposition to the two magnetic sensors 81 when the operation shaft 63 is held in the neutral state.

[0327] If the first rotation member 61 rotates, the position relationship between the magnet 82 held to the magnet holding portion 617 of the first rotation member 61 and the corresponding magnetic sensor 81 changes. Thus, the corresponding magnetic sensor 81 can detect the rotation angle of the first rotation member 61. Similarly, if the second rotation member 62 rotates, the position relationship between the magnet 82 held to the magnet holding portion 626 of the second rotation member 62 and the corresponding magnetic sensor 81 changes. Thus, the corresponding magnetic sensor 81 can detect the rotation angle of the second rotation member 62.

[0328] Thus, the multi-direction input device 1 of the present application is configured to elastically hold the operation shaft 63 in the neutral state by the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L held in a state of being separated from each other in the height direction. In addition, as described above, the inner frame 912 and the plurality of spring portions 914 of the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L are suspended by the cylindrical portion 71. Therefore, when the operation shaft 63 performs the tilting operation, the inner frame 912 and the plurality of spring portions 914 do not slide on other members in the housing 5. Therefore, even if the tilting operation on the operation shaft 63 is repeatedly applied, the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L do not wear, and the product life of the multi-direction input device 1 can be significantly extended. In addition, when the operation shaft 63 performs the return operation, the inner frame 912 and the plurality of spring portions 914 do not slide on other members, and thus friction that hinders the return of the operation shaft 63 to the neutral state is not generated. Therefore, the hysteresis of the multi-direction input device 1 can be reduced.

[0329] Further, the holding mechanism 7 of the multi-direction input device 1 of the present application is configured such that the inner frame 912 of each of the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U and the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L is supported by the plurality of spring portions 914 in a suspended state. With this configuration, the inner frame 912 can be stably supported by the plurality of spring portions 914 in a stable position, and thus the zero point position (stable position) of the displacement of the inner frame 912 with respect to the outer frame 911 when the operation shaft 63 is in the neutral state can be stabilized, and the position of the operation shaft 63 in the neutral state can be stabilized.

[0330] In addition, the hysteresis of elastic deformation of the plurality of spring portions 914 of the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L of the multidirectional input device 1 of the present application is very small. Therefore, when the user releases the tilting operation of the operation shaft 63, the operation shaft 63 accurately returns to the neutral state (stable position). By elastically holding the operation shaft 63 using the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L having such small hysteresis, the accuracy of the origin return of the operation shaft 63 can be improved. As a result, even if the user repeatedly applies the tilting operation and the pressing operation to the operation shaft 63, the operation shaft 63 can accurately return to the neutral state, and thus the operation feeling and the reaction force characteristics of the multidirectional input device 1 can be made constant. Since the operation shaft 63 can accurately return to the neutral state, the detection mechanism 8 can accurately detect that the operation shaft 63 returns to the neutral state and transmit a signal indicating that the operation shaft 63 returns to the neutral state to the electronic device. In addition, since the accuracy of the origin return of the operation shaft 63 is improved, the detection mechanism 8 can accurately calculate the change in the tilting angle of the operation shaft 63 from the neutral state, that is, the change in the rotation angle of each of the first rotation member 61 and the second rotation member 62. Therefore, the detection accuracy of the rotation angle of each of the first rotation member 61 and the second rotation member 62 of the detection mechanism 8 can be improved.

[0331] In addition, the multidirectional input device 1 of the present application is configured such that the separation distance D1 between the outer frame 911 of the upper side plate spring 91U and the outer frame 911 of the lower side plate spring 91L and the separation distance D2 between the inner frame 912 of the upper side plate spring 91U and the inner frame 912 of the lower side plate spring 91L are different. In one example, the multidirectional input device 1 of the present application is configured such that the separation distance D1 is longer than the separation distance D2. With such a configuration, the initial reaction force of the holding mechanism 7 with respect to the tilting operation of the operation shaft 63 can be increased, and when a vibration or an impact is applied to the multidirectional input device 1, the operation shaft 63 can be prevented from accidentally performing the tilting operation. In another example, the multidirectional input device 1 of the present application is configured such that the separation distance D1 is shorter than the separation distance D2. In this case, displacement of the plurality of spring portions 914 of the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L upward or downward when the user applies the tilting operation to the operation shaft 63 is easily generated, and the load generated in the plurality of spring portions 914 of the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L when the tilting operation is performed on the operation shaft 63 can be reduced. Thus, the product life of the multidirectional input device 1 can be extended.

[0332] Further, the holding mechanism 7 of the multidirectional input device 1 of the present application provides a larger initial reaction force (first reaction force) corresponding to an increase in the tilt angle of the operation shaft 63 in the initial state where the tilt angle of the operation shaft 63 is small, by the lateral rigidity of the plurality of spring portions 914 of the upper side leaf spring 91U and the lower side leaf spring 91L, and can provide a second reaction force corresponding to an increase in the tilt angle of the operation shaft 63 with a smaller increase amount in the second state where the tilt angle of the operation shaft 63 is equal to or larger than a predetermined value and at least one of the plurality of spring portions 914 of the upper side leaf spring 91U and the lower side leaf spring 91L is elastically bent in the height direction, by the torsional rigidity of the plurality of spring portions 914 of the upper side leaf spring 91U and the lower side leaf spring 91L. Such a nonlinear reaction force characteristic is particularly useful in the case where the multidirectional input device 1 is used for a handheld controller of a game device.

[0333] Further, the larger initial reaction force of such a holding mechanism 7 can suppress tilting of the operation shaft 63 when the operation shaft 63 is held in the neutral state due to an external force other than the tilting operation applied to the operation shaft 63 by the user, such as vibration or impact. Therefore, when the operation shaft 63 is held in the neutral state, the first rotation member 61 and the second rotation member 62 can be suppressed from being unexpectedly rotated by an external force such as vibration or impact, and the output of the magnetic sensor 81 of the detection mechanism 8 when the operation shaft 63 is held in the neutral state is stabilized. As a result, the drift of the magnetic sensor 81 when the operation shaft 63 is held in the neutral state can be reduced, and the detection accuracy of the detection mechanism 8 for the rotation angles of the first rotation member 61 and the second rotation member 62 can be improved.

[0334] Further, the multidirectional input device 1 of the present application is configured such that the rotation shaft 616 of the first rotation member 61 and the rotation shaft 625 of the second rotation member 62 held rotatable by the bearing portion 55 of the housing 5 are located between the upper side leaf spring 91U and the lower side leaf spring 91L in the height direction. On the other hand, the center of rotation of the tilting operation of the operation shaft 63 held by the holding mechanism 7 is located between the upper side leaf spring 91U and the lower side leaf spring 91L in the height direction. Therefore, by locating the rotation shaft 616 of the first rotation member 61 and the rotation shaft 625 of the second rotation member 62 between the upper side leaf spring 91U and the lower side leaf spring 91L in the height direction, and by making the height direction positions of the rotation shaft 616 of the first rotation member 61 and the rotation shaft 625 of the second rotation member 62 substantially coincide with the height direction position of the center of rotation of the tilting operation of the operation shaft 63, it is possible to make the tilt angle of the operation shaft 63 coincide with the rotation angle of the first rotation member 61 or the second rotation member 62. With such a configuration, it is possible to accurately detect the tilt angle of the operation shaft 63 from the rotation angle of the first rotation member 61 or the second rotation member 62.

[0335] Further, in the multi-direction input device 1 of the present application, the engaging piece 23 of the lower side cover 2L engages with the engaging piece 26 of the upper side cover 2U, whereby the lower side cover 2L and the upper side cover 2U are firmly integrated. With this structure, the inner structure of the multi-direction input device 1 is supported from above and below by the lower side cover 2L and the upper side cover 2U which are firmly integrated, so that the inner structure of the multi-direction input device 1 can be reliably prevented from swinging (wobbling) in the height direction.

[0336] Further, in the multi-direction input device 1 of the present application, in a state where the multi-direction input device 1 is assembled, the claw portion 2632 of the holding portion 263 which extends toward the inner side from the engaging piece 26 of the upper side cover 2U presses the upper surface of the vertical spacer 94 of the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U of the holding mechanism 7, and supports the holding mechanism 7 from above. With this structure, the holding mechanism 7 can be firmly fixed on the housing 5, and the holding mechanism 7 on the housing 5 can be prevented from swinging in the height direction.

[0337] Further, in the multi-direction input device 1 of the present application, at least one of the first rotation member 61 and the second rotation member 62 is formed of a metal material. More specifically, at least one of the main body portion 611 of the first rotation member 61 and the arch portion 621 of the second rotation member 62 is formed of a metal material. The main body portion 611 or the arch portion 621 contacts via the operation shaft 63 which is inserted through the slit hole 612, 622, so that when the user applies a twisting operation which rotates the operation shaft 63 about the shaft, a twisting load is applied from the operation shaft 63 to the main body portion 611 and the arch portion 621. By forming the main body portion 611 or the arch portion 621 of a metal material which has a higher strength than a resin material, the first rotation member 61 and the second rotation member 62 can be prevented from deforming due to the twisting load. Further, in the case where one of the main body portion 611 and the arch portion 621 is formed of a metal material, even when the user applies a twisting operation to the operation shaft 63, a strong twisting load is not applied from the operation shaft 63 to the other of the main body portion 611 and the arch portion 621, so the other of the main body portion 611 and the arch portion 621 can be formed of a resin material which is lightweight and inexpensive, as compared with a metal material. With this structure, the weight and the cost of the multi-direction input device 1 can be reduced.

[0338] Further, in the multi-direction input device 1 of the present application, when a twisting operation is applied to the operation shaft 63, the operation shaft 63 is engaged with the main body portion 611 or the arch portion 621 made of a metal material. By the engagement of the main body portion 611 or the arch portion 621 made of a metal material with the operation shaft 63, the twisting movement of the operation shaft 63 when a twisting operation is applied to the operation shaft 63 by the user is prevented. With this structure, the load around the shaft of the operation shaft 63 can be prevented from being applied to the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U and the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L, and the plurality of spring portions 914 can be prevented from being deformed. As a result, the change in the spring characteristics of the plurality of upper side plate springs 91U and the plurality of lower side plate springs 91L can be prevented, and the reaction force characteristics with respect to the tilting operation of the operation shaft 63 can be stabilized.

[0339] Further, by forming one of the main body portion 611 and the arch portion 621 from a metal material, in a state where the multi-direction input device 1 is assembled, the one of the main body portion 611 and the arch portion 621 can function as a stopper that restricts the excessive displacement of the operation shaft 63 upward. With this structure, the strength of the operation shaft 63 against the tensile rise can be ensured. Also, both the first rotary member 61 and the second rotary member 62, and more specifically, both the main body portion 611 and the arch portion 621 can be formed from a metal material. In this case, the deformation of the first rotary member 61 and the second rotary member 62 and the twisting movement of the operation shaft 63 caused by the twisting load of the operation shaft 63 when a twisting operation is applied to the operation shaft 63 by the user can be more reliably prevented.

[0340] Further, in the multi-direction input device 1 of the present application, if a tilting operation is applied to the operation shaft 63, the operation shaft 63 performs the tilting operation, and the portion of the inner frame 912 of each of the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L that is located on the first direction side (the direction side opposite to the tilting direction of the operation shaft 63) from the operation shaft 63 moves upward from the initial plane. On the other hand, the portion of the inner frame 912 of each of the upper side plate spring 91U and the lower side plate spring 91L that is located on the second direction side (the tilting direction side of the operation shaft 63) from the operation shaft 63 moves downward from the initial plane. With this structure, the magnitude of the tensile force applied to the inner frame 912 from at least one spring portion 914 located on the first direction side from the operation shaft 63 is approximately equal to the magnitude of the tensile force applied to the inner frame 912 from at least one spring portion 914 located on the second direction side from the operation shaft 63. As a result, the origin return of the operation shaft 63 when the tilting operation of the operation shaft 63 is released can be stabilized.

[0341] <Method for manufacturing multi-direction input device>

[0342] Next, referring to Figure 23 and Figure 24A manufacturing method S100 of the multidirectional input device 1 of the present application will be described in detail. Figure 23 is a flowchart showing the manufacturing method of the multidirectional input device of the present application. Figure 24 is a flowchart showing the step of elastically holding the operation shaft by the holding mechanism.

[0343] The manufacturing method S100 of the multidirectional input device 1 of the present application is executed by a manufacturing machine that automatically manufactures the multidirectional input device 1 or an operator who manufactures by hand. First, in step S110, the push switch 4 is mounted on the substrate 3. Specifically, the movable contact point 43 is placed on the upper surface of the outer contact point 42 exposed on the substrate 3 in a manner that the movable contact point 43 is concentric with the central contact point 41 and the outer contact point 42. At this time, the movable contact point 43 is fixed on the upper surface of the outer contact point 42 by an arbitrary fixing unit such as an adhesive tape. Next, the elastic member 44 is fixed on the substrate 3 by an arbitrary fixing means such as an adhesive. At this time, the elastic member 44 is fixed on the substrate 3 in a manner that the elastic member 44 is concentric with the movable contact point 43, the central contact point 41, and the outer contact point 42. Next, the pressing member 45 is placed on the elastic member 44 in a posture that the upper end portion of the elastic member 44 is inserted into the receiving groove 456 of the pressing member 45.

[0344] Next, in step S120, the housing 5 is installed to the substrate 3. Specifically, the four positioning protrusions 58 of the housing 5 are inserted into the four positioning holes 33 of the substrate 3 in a posture that the receiving portions 514a, 514b of the housing 5 face the corresponding magnetic sensors 81 of the detection mechanism 8. Thereby, the housing 5 is fixed to the substrate 3. At this time, the portions of the plurality of terminal pins 31 that protrude upward from the substrate 3 are respectively inserted into the plurality of corresponding receiving holes 57 of the housing 5.

[0345] Next, in step S130, the operation shaft 63 is elastically held by the holding mechanism 7. Figure 24 The step of installing the holding mechanism 7 to the operation shaft 63 in step S130 will be described in detail. In step S131, the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U is installed to the operation shaft 63. Specifically, the spring connecting portion 635 of the operation shaft 63 is inserted through the insertion hole 913 of the upper side leaf spring 91U and the inner side spacer 92 of the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U from above. Next, in step S132, the cylindrical portion 71 and the shaft sleeve 72 are installed to the operation shaft 63. Specifically, the spring connecting portion 635 of the operation shaft 63 is inserted through the shaft sleeve 72 from above in a state that the shaft sleeve 72 is positioned inside the main body portion 711 of the cylindrical portion 71. At this time, the cylindrical portion 71 contacts the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U from below in a posture that the three bosses 712 of the cylindrical portion 71 respectively overlap the three latching holes 915 of the lowermost upper side leaf spring 91U.

[0346] Next, in step S133, the lower flat spring assembly 9L is installed to the operation shaft 63. Specifically, the spring connecting portion 635 of the operation shaft 63 is inserted through the insertion hole 913 of the lower flat spring 91L and the inner side spacer 92 of the lower flat spring assembly 9L from above. At this time, the lower flat spring assembly 9L is in contact with the cylindrical portion 71 from below in a posture in which the three locking holes 915 of the uppermost lower flat spring 91L overlap the three bosses 712 of the cylindrical portion 71, respectively. At this time, the sleeve 72 is positioned between the inner frame 912 of the lowermost upper flat spring 91U and the inner frame 912 of the uppermost lower flat spring 91L.

[0347] Next, in step S134, the support cap 637 is installed to the protrusion 636. Specifically, the spring connecting portion 635 of the operation shaft 63 is inserted through the spacer 73 from above, and the support cap 637 is screwed to the lower end portion of the operation shaft 63, that is, the protrusion 636, whereby the support cap 637 is installed to the protrusion 636. When the support cap 637 is screwed to the protrusion 636, the support cap 637 pushes up the inner frame 912 of the lower flat spring 91L and the inner side spacer 92 of the lower flat spring assembly 9L via the spacer 73, and supports the lower flat spring 91L from below. As a result, the sleeve 72 is firmly sandwiched between the lower surface of the inner frame 912 of the lowermost upper flat spring 91U and the upper surface of the inner frame 912 of the uppermost lower flat spring 91L. Therefore, the separation distance D2 between the lower surface of the inner frame 912 of the lowermost upper flat spring 91U and the upper surface of the inner frame 912 of the uppermost lower flat spring 91L is equal to the height of the sleeve 72. In this state, the inner frames 912, the inner side spacers 92 of the upper flat springs 91U and the lower flat springs 91L, and the sleeve 72 are held between the lower surface of the flange portion 634 of the operation shaft 63 and the upper surface of the support cap 637. In addition, in this state, the face pressure in the vertical direction is applied to the inner frames 912 of the upper flat springs 91U from the lower surface of the flange portion 634 of the operation shaft 63 and the upper surface of the sleeve 72. Similarly, the face pressure in the vertical direction is applied to the inner frames 912 of the lower flat springs 91L from the lower surface of the sleeve 72 and the upper surface of the support cap 637 of the operation shaft 63. By this face pressure in the vertical direction, the inner frames 912 of the upper flat springs 91U and the lower flat springs 91L are integrated with the spring connecting portion 635 of the operation shaft 63.

[0348] Next, in the process S135, the upper side plate spring assembly 9U and the lower side plate spring assembly 9L are fixed to the cylindrical portion 71. Specifically, the shaft portions of the three rivets 74 are inserted through the locking holes 915 of the upper side plate spring 91U of the upper side plate spring assembly 9U, the locking holes 932 of the outer side spacer 93, the locking holes 942 of the vertical spacer 94, the boss 712 of the cylindrical portion 71, and the locking holes 915 of the lower side plate spring 91L of the lower side plate spring assembly 9L, and the locking holes 932 of the outer side spacer 93, the locking holes 942 of the vertical spacer 94, and further, the end portions of the three rivets 74 are riveted. Thereby, the upper side plate spring assembly 9U is fixed to the upper surface of the cylindrical portion 71, and further, the lower side plate spring assembly 9L is fixed to the lower surface of the cylindrical portion 71. As a result, the separation distance Dl between the lower surface of the outer frame 911 of the lowermost upper side plate spring 91U and the upper surface of the outer frame 911 of the uppermost lower side plate spring 91L is equal to the height of the cylindrical portion 71. When the upper side plate spring assembly 9U and the lower side plate spring assembly 9L are fixed to the cylindrical portion 71, the process S130 is ended, and the operation shaft 63 is elastically held by the holding mechanism 7.

[0349] Further, in the above description, the upper side plate spring assembly 9U is fixed to the upper surface of the cylindrical portion 71 and further, the lower side plate spring assembly 9L is fixed to the lower surface of the cylindrical portion 71 by the three rivets 74, but the present application is not limited to this. Any fixing member other than the rivet 74, such as a screw, can be used to fix the upper side plate spring assembly 9U to the upper surface of the cylindrical portion 71 and further, to fix the lower side plate spring assembly 9L to the lower surface of the cylindrical portion 71.

[0350] Thus, in the process of elastically holding the operation shaft 63 by the holding mechanism 7, the spring connecting portion 635 of the operation shaft 63 is inserted through the insertion hole 913 of the upper side plate spring 91U, the shaft sleeve 72, and the insertion hole 913 of the lower side plate spring 91L. Thereby, the coaxiality between the operation shaft 63, the upper side plate spring 91U, the shaft sleeve 72, and the lower side plate spring 91L can be ensured, and the assembly accuracy of the multidirectional input device 1 can be improved. As a result, the operation of the multidirectional input device 1 can be stabilized.

[0351] Returning to Figure 23 In the process S140, the holding mechanism 7 holding the operation shaft 63 is placed on the housing 5. Specifically, the holding mechanism 7 is placed on the receiving recess 515 of the housing 5 in a posture in which the positioning protrusion 943 of the vertical spacer 94 of the upper side plate spring assembly 9U and the lower side plate spring assembly 9L is inserted into the positioning groove 541 of the housing 5. At this time, the lower end portions of the three rivets 74 are respectively accommodated in the three avoiding portions 516 of the housing 5, and the lower side plate spring assembly 9L is accommodated in the receiving recess 515. Further, the cylindrical portion 71 is supported from the outside by the three guide pieces 54 of the housing 5, and the cylindrical portion 71 is fixed to the housing 5.

[0352] Next, in step S150, the first rotating member 61 is held so as to be rotatable about the first axis direction (X direction) by the case 5. Specifically, the first rotating member 61 is mounted to the operation shaft 63 from above in a manner that the thin diameter portion 631 of the operation shaft 63 is inserted through the slit hole 6142 of the cap 614 of the first rotating member 61, and the pair of rotating shafts 616 of the first rotating member 61 are respectively received and supported in the receiving portions 552 of the bearing portions 55 on the +X direction side and the -X direction side of the case 5. At this time, the magnet holding portion 617 of the first rotating member 61 is received in the receiving portion 514b of the case 5. As a result, the magnet 82 held to the magnet holding portion 617 opposes the corresponding magnetic sensor 81 on the substrate 3.

[0353] Next, in step S160, the second rotating member 62 is held so as to be rotatable about the second axis direction (Y direction) by the case 5. Specifically, the second rotating member 62 is mounted to the operation shaft 63 from above in a manner that the thin diameter portion 631 of the operation shaft 63 is inserted through the slit hole 622 of the second rotating member 62, and the pair of rotating shafts 625 of the second rotating member 62 are respectively received and supported in the receiving portions 552 of the bearing portions 55 on the +Y direction side and the -Y direction side of the case 5. At this time, the magnet holding portion 626 of the second rotating member 62 is received in the receiving portion 514a of the case 5. As a result, the magnet 82 held to the magnet holding portion 626 opposes the corresponding magnetic sensor 81 on the substrate 3. After the first rotating member 61 and the second rotating member 62 are mounted to the operation shaft 63, the cap 638 is mounted to the upper end portion of the thin diameter portion 631 of the operation shaft 63, and the shaft 639 is inserted through the through hole 6311 of the operation shaft 63 and the through hole 6381 of the cap 638. In addition, the first rotating member 61 and the second rotating member 62 are prevented from being detached upward from the operation shaft 63 by the cap 638. In addition, the torsional movement (rotational movement about the axis of the operation shaft 63) of the operation shaft 63 is prevented by the engagement between one of the main body portion 611 of the first rotating member 61 and the arch portion 621 of the second rotating member 62 and the operation shaft 63 which is formed of a metal material.

[0354] Next, in step S170, the upper side cover 2U is mounted to the case 5. Specifically, the thin diameter portion 631 of the operation shaft 63 and the cap 638 are inserted through the opening 25 of the upper side cover 2U, and the upper side cover 2U is mounted to the case 5 in a posture in which the four engaging pieces 26 of the upper side cover 2U are respectively received in the four receiving portions 513 of the case 5 and the four cover pieces 27 of the upper side cover 2U are respectively placed on the upper surfaces of the wall portions 551 of the four bearing portions 55 of the case 5. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the magnet 82 of the first rotating member 61 and the magnet 82 of the second rotating member 62 are respectively received in the receiving portions 514b and 514a of the case 5, and the operation shaft 63 is received in the receiving portion 513 of the case 5. Figure 6As shown, the claw portions 2632 of the four holding portions 263 of the upper side cover 2U press the upper surfaces of the vertical spacers 94 of the upper side leaf spring assembly 9U, supporting the holding mechanism 7 on the housing 5 from above, and preventing the holding mechanism 7 on the housing 5 from swinging in the height direction.

[0355] Returning to Figure 23 In the process S180, the lower side cover 2L is attached to the substrate 3. Specifically, the portions of the plurality of terminal pins 31 that protrude downward from the substrate 3 are respectively inserted into the plurality of corresponding insertion holes 22 of the lower side cover 2L, and the bottom plate 21 of the lower side cover 2L is received in the receiving recess 56 of the housing 5, as a result of which the bottom plate 21 supports the substrate 3 from below. At this time, the four engaging pieces 23 of the lower side cover 2L are respectively accommodated in the four receiving portions 513 of the housing 5. In each of the receiving portions 513, the engaging piece 23 of the lower side cover 2L contacts the engaging piece 26 of the upper side cover 2U from the outside. As a result, in each of the receiving portions 513, the engaging surface 231 of the engaging piece 23 contacts the engaging surface 261 of the engaging piece 26. Also, in each of the receiving portions 513, the hook 232 of the engaging piece 23 engages with the engagement recess 262 of the engaging piece 26, and the upper side cover 2U and the lower side cover 2L are integrated. Thereafter, the engaging surface 231 of the engaging piece 23 and the engaging surface 261 of the engaging piece 26 are joined by an arbitrary joining means such as an adhesive, an adhesive tape, or welding based on laser welding. Thus, the lower side cover 2L and the upper side cover 2U are firmly integrated. When the joining of the engaging surface 231 of the engaging piece 23 and the engaging surface 261 of the engaging piece 26 is completed, the manufacturing method S100 of the multidirectional input device 1 ends.

[0356] The above describes the multidirectional input device and the manufacturing method of the multidirectional input device of the present application based on the illustrated embodiments, but the present application is not limited thereto. Each structure of the present application can be replaced with an arbitrary structure that can achieve the same function, or an arbitrary structure can be added to each structure of the present application.

[0357] As long as a person skilled in the art and technology to which the present application pertains can perform the described modification of the structure of the multidirectional input device of the present application without departing significantly from the principles, ideas, and scope of the present application, the multidirectional input device having the modified structure is also within the scope of the present application.

[0358] In addition, Figures 2-22 The number and kind of the constituent elements of the multidirectional input device described above are merely examples for explanation, and the present application is not necessarily limited thereto. In a manner that adds or combines arbitrary constituent elements or deletes arbitrary constituent elements within the scope of the principles and intent of the present application, the present application is within the scope of the present application. In addition, Figure 23 and Figure 24The number and kind of steps of the manufacturing method of the multidirectional input device shown are merely examples for illustration, and the present application is not necessarily limited thereto. Any step can be added or combined, or any step can be deleted, in any purpose, within the scope of the principles and intent of the present application.

[0359] Industrial applicability

[0360] In the multidirectional input device of the present application, the operation shafts are elastically held in a neutral state by the upper side leaf spring and the lower side leaf spring that are opposed to each other in the height direction. In addition, the upper side leaf spring and the lower side leaf spring do not slide on other components within the housing when the operation shafts perform a tilting operation. Therefore, even if a user repeatedly applies a tilting operation to the multidirectional input device of the present application, the upper side leaf spring and the lower side leaf spring do not wear out, and the product life of the multidirectional input device can be greatly extended. Therefore, the present application has industrial applicability.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a multi-directional input device, characterized in that, The multi-directional input device includes: case; A first rotating component has a first slit orifice and is held in the housing in a manner that allows it to rotate about a first axial direction; The second rotating component has a second slit hole and is held in the housing in a manner that allows it to rotate about a second axis orthogonal to the first axis. An operating shaft, which is inserted into the first slit hole and the second slit hole, rotates the first rotating component and the second rotating component according to the tilting operation applied by the user; A retaining mechanism that elastically holds the operating shaft in a neutral state; and The detection mechanism is used to detect the rotation angles of the first rotating component and the second rotating component, respectively. The manufacturing method of the multi-directional input device includes the step of elastically holding the operating shaft by the holding mechanism. The retaining mechanism has: Upper leaf spring; The lower leaf spring, which is opposed to the upper leaf spring separately in the height direction; and A cylindrical bushing is located between the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring. The upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring each have: Outer frame; An inner frame, located inside the outer frame, has a through hole for the operation shaft to be inserted; and Multiple spring sections connect the outer frame and the inner frame in a manner that allows the inner frame to displace relative to the outer frame. The process of elastically holding the operating shaft by the holding mechanism includes the following steps: The process of inserting the operating shaft into the insertion hole of the upper leaf spring; The process of inserting the operating shaft into the bushing; and The process of inserting the operating shaft into the insertion hole of the lower leaf spring.

2. The manufacturing method of the multi-directional input device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner frame of the upper leaf spring contacts the upper surface of the bushing. The inner frame of the lower leaf spring contacts the lower surface of the bushing. The inner frame of the upper leaf spring and the inner frame of the lower leaf spring are separated by the height of the bushing in the height direction.

3. The manufacturing method of the multi-directional input device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The operating shaft has a cylindrical narrow diameter portion, a flange portion extending downward from the narrow diameter portion, and a cylindrical spring connecting portion extending downward in a straight line from the flange portion. The outer diameter of the flange portion is larger than the outer diameters of both the narrower portion and the spring connecting portion. The spring connecting part is inserted through the insertion hole of the upper leaf spring, the bushing, and the insertion hole of the lower leaf spring.

4. The manufacturing method of the multi-directional input device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of elastically holding the operating shaft by the retaining mechanism further includes the process of installing a support cap at the lower end of the operating shaft and supporting the lower leaf spring from below.

5. The method for manufacturing the multi-directional input device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The retaining mechanism further includes a cylindrical portion located between the outer frame of the upper leaf spring and the outer frame of the lower leaf spring. The outer frame of the upper leaf spring is fixed to the upper surface of the cylindrical part. The outer frame of the lower leaf spring is fixed to the lower surface of the cylindrical portion. The outer frame of the upper leaf spring and the outer frame of the lower leaf spring are separated by the height of the cylindrical portion in the height direction.

6. The method for manufacturing the multi-directional input device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The process of elastically holding the operating shaft by the holding mechanism further includes the process of fixing the outer frame of the upper leaf spring to the upper surface of the cylindrical portion, and fixing the outer frame of the lower leaf spring to the lower surface of the cylindrical portion.

7. The method for manufacturing the multi-directional input device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes the following processes: The process of placing the retaining mechanism that elastically holds the operating shaft onto the housing; The process of holding the first rotating component in a position to rotate about the first axis via the housing; and The process of holding the second rotating component in a position to rotate about the second axis by means of the housing.

8. The method for manufacturing the multi-directional input device according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes the following processes: The process of installing a cap on the upper end of the operating shaft after holding the first rotating component and the second rotating component by the housing.

9. A multi-directional input device, characterized in that, It is manufactured by the manufacturing method described in claim 1.

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