Rocker assembly and game controller

Abstract

The utility model discloses a rocker assembly and a game controller, the rocker assembly is applied to a street machine controller, and the rocker assembly comprises a base; the main shaft is rotationally mounted in the base, and the top of the main shaft is arranged outside the base; the switch assembly is arranged on the periphery of the base; when the main shaft rotates, the main shaft can trigger the switch assembly to output a switch signal. The flexible circuit board is arranged on the periphery of the switch assembly, and the flexible circuit board and the switch assembly are located at the same horizontal height; the switching signal is transmitted to the street machine controller through the flexible circuit board; the thickness of the rocker assembly can be reduced so as to meet the requirement for the small and exquisite structure of the game controller.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of game controller technology, specifically relating to a joystick assembly and a game controller. Background Technology

[0002] Joysticks enable game controls such as directional movement. They are widely used in game controllers, and as game controllers evolve, the demand for compact designs increases. This requires game controllers to maintain their superior performance while achieving greater compactness; traditional joysticks are no longer sufficient to meet the design requirements of increasingly smaller game controllers. Utility Model Content

[0003] To overcome the aforementioned technical deficiencies, this application provides a joystick assembly and a game controller, aiming to solve the technical problem that existing joystick assemblies cannot meet the structural design requirements of increasingly compact game controllers.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a joystick assembly is provided for use in an arcade controller. The joystick assembly includes: a base; a main shaft rotatably mounted inside the base, with the top of the main shaft disposed outside the base; a switch assembly disposed around the base; when the main shaft rotates, the main shaft can trigger the switch assembly to output a switch signal; a flexible circuit board disposed around the switch assembly, with the flexible circuit board and the switch assembly at the same horizontal height; the switch signal is transmitted to the arcade controller through the flexible circuit board.

[0006] In some embodiments of this application, a substrate is also included; the substrate is used for fixed connection with the arcade controller; the substrate is disposed above the base.

[0007] In some embodiments of this application, the substrate is either a circular substrate or a square substrate.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, a signal connector is also included; the signal connector includes a board body and terminals disposed on the board body; the board body is fixedly connected to a flexible circuit board; the terminals are electrically connected to the flexible circuit board, and the terminals are used to plug into an arcade controller to transmit switch signals to the arcade controller.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, the switch assembly is one of a button shaft or a micro switch.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, the switch assembly is a button shaft; the base is provided with a positioning slot, and the button shaft is provided with a protrusion; the protrusion cooperates with the positioning slot to connect the button shaft to the base.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, the flexible circuit board is provided with a hot-swappable hinge; the hot-swappable hinge cooperates with the key hinge.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, a support plate is also included; one end of the support plate is connected to the flexible circuit board, and the end of the support plate away from the flexible circuit board is engaged with the key shaft.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, the bottom of the spindle is provided with a driven part; when the spindle rotates, the driven part on the spindle can trigger the switching assembly to output a switching signal.

[0014] In some embodiments of this application, the spindle includes a base rod and a connecting rod; the bottom of the base rod is connected to the base; and the top of the base rod is detachably connected to the connecting rod.

[0015] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a game controller is provided, including the joystick assembly as described above.

[0016] As can be seen from the above technical solution, this application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0017] In the technical solution provided in this application embodiment, when the spindle rotates, the spindle can trigger the switch assembly to output a switch signal. The switch signal is transmitted to the arcade controller through the flexible circuit board, that is, the joystick assembly can realize the game operation function. The flexible circuit board is disposed around the switch assembly, and the flexible circuit board and the switch assembly are at the same horizontal height. Therefore, the structure of the joystick assembly is more compact, and the thickness of the joystick assembly can be reduced without affecting the operation function of the joystick assembly, so as to meet the requirements of the compact structure of the game controller. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 A three-dimensional representation of the joystick assembly provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 1 ;

[0020] Figure 2 A three-dimensional representation of the joystick assembly provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 2;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the square substrate provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0022] Figure 4 An exploded view of the spindle provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 5 An exploded view of the joystick assembly provided in an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0024] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing the connection between the switch assembly and the flexible circuit board provided in an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0025] Figure label:

[0026] 1. Base; 11. Positioning slot; 2. Spindle; 21. Base rod; 22. Connecting rod; 23. Rocker cap; 24. Driven part; 3. Switch assembly; 31. Protrusion; 4. Flexible circuit board; 41. Hot-swappable shaft seat; 42. Support plate; 5. Base plate; 51. Through hole; 6. Signal connector; 61. Board body; 62. Terminal block. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of this application is presented in conjunction with preferred embodiments, this does not mean that the features of this application are limited to this embodiment. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the application in conjunction with embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that may be derived based on the claims of this application. To provide a thorough understanding of this application, many specific details will be included in the following description. This application may also be implemented without using these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion or obscuring the focus of this application, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0028] In the following description, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. Directional terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are defined relative to the indicated orientation of the components in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these directional terms are relative concepts used for relative description and clarification, and they may change accordingly depending on the orientation of the components in the accompanying drawings.

[0029] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the term "connection" shall be interpreted broadly, for example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0030] The joystick assembly enables game control functions, such as directional control. When the user manipulates the joystick assembly, it generates corresponding electrical signals, which are then transmitted to the main control circuit board of the game controller. The main control circuit board then transmits these signals to the terminal device, which can be, but is not limited to, a computer or a game console.

[0031] As game controllers are constantly being upgraded, there is an increasing demand for compact design. A game controller consists of a housing, with a joystick assembly mounted on the housing. User interaction with the joystick assembly generates corresponding electrical signals. Given the overall requirement for compactness in the game controller's structure—meaning both the housing and the internal joystick assembly need to be compact—this design must accommodate the evolving needs of game controllers.

[0032] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] Figure 1 A three-dimensional representation of the joystick assembly provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 1 ; Figure 2 A three-dimensional representation of the joystick assembly provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 2 ; Figure 5 An exploded view of the joystick assembly provided in an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0034] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown in Figure 5, the joystick assembly includes: a base 1, a main shaft 2, a switch assembly 3, and a flexible circuit board 4.

[0035] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 1 , 3 As shown, the joystick assembly also includes a base plate 5; the base plate 5 is used for fixed connection with the arcade controller; the base plate 5 is disposed above the base 1. The base plate 5 is either a circular base plate or a square base plate.

[0036] Specifically, multiple through holes 51 are made on the substrate 5, and the substrate 5 is fixedly connected to the housing of the game controller by fasteners, that is, the joystick assembly is installed on the game controller.

[0037] In one embodiment, the length and width of the substrate 5 are greater than the length and width of the base 1, respectively.

[0038] The spindle 2 is rotatably mounted inside the base 1, and the top of the spindle 2 is located outside the base 1.

[0039] Understandably, spindle 2 is a joystick for user operation. In actual application, the user operates spindle 2 according to different game scenarios to complete the corresponding swing operation, and the corresponding electrical signal is input to the game controller.

[0040] For example, the joystick assembly has four control signals, namely "up", "down", "left" and "right". When the user triggers the main axis 2 of the joystick assembly to generate the corresponding control signal, the control signal is transmitted to the game controller, and the game controller then transmits the control signal to the terminal device.

[0041] The main shaft 2 can be a rod-shaped structure, a plate-shaped structure, a strip-shaped structure, or other shapes.

[0042] Figure 4 An exploded view of the spindle provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. In some embodiments of this application, the spindle 2 includes a base rod 21 and a connecting rod 22; the bottom of the base rod 21 is connected to the base 1; the top of the base rod 21 is detachably connected to the connecting rod 22.

[0043] Understandably, the spindle 2 is designed to be detachable, making it easier for users to carry the game controller; and users can replace the connecting rod 22 separately, making it easy to replace if the connecting rod 22 is damaged, thus reducing the maintenance cost of the joystick assembly.

[0044] In one embodiment, the top of the connecting rod 22 is provided with a rocker cap 23, which facilitates the user's grip on the rocker assembly. The rocker cap 23 can be spherical, as a spherical rocker cap 23 provides a good feel and is easy to operate. Of course, the rocker cap 23 can also be made into other shapes as needed.

[0045] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 5 As shown, the bottom of the spindle 2 is provided with a driven part 24; when the spindle 2 rotates, the driven part 24 on the spindle 2 can trigger the switch assembly 3 to output a switch signal.

[0046] Specifically, the driven part 24 is circular in shape. When the user triggers the spindle 2, the spindle 2 will drive the driven part 24 to trigger the switch assembly 3.

[0047] like Figure 2 , 5As shown, the switch assembly 3 is arranged around the base 1; when the spindle 2 rotates, the spindle 2 can trigger the switch assembly 3 to output a switch signal; the flexible circuit board 4 is arranged around the switch assembly 3, and the flexible circuit board 4 and the switch assembly 3 are at the same horizontal height; the switch signal is transmitted to the arcade controller through the flexible circuit board 4.

[0048] Specifically, the flexible circuit board 4 is disposed around the switch assembly 3, and the flexible circuit board 4 and the switch assembly 3 are at the same horizontal height, saving structural space; each switch assembly 3 is electrically connected to the flexible circuit board 4, that is, the switching signals of the switch assembly 3 can be transmitted to the flexible circuit board 4. In this embodiment, the connection method between the switch assembly 3 and the flexible circuit board 4 reduces the thickness of the joystick assembly, saves structural space, makes the joystick assembly structure more compact, and does not affect the transmission of switching signals to the game controller, so as to meet the requirements of the compact structure of the game controller.

[0049] In some embodiments of this application, the switch assembly 3 is one of a button shaft or a micro switch.

[0050] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 5 As shown, the switch assembly 3 is a button shaft; the base 1 is provided with a positioning slot 11, and the button shaft is provided with a protrusion 31; the protrusion 31 cooperates with the positioning slot 11 to connect the button shaft to the base 1.

[0051] By engaging the protrusion 31 with the positioning slot 11, users can easily place the key switch on the base 1, and also easily disassemble and replace the key switch when it is damaged, which is convenient and quick.

[0052] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 6 As shown, the flexible circuit board 4 is provided with a hot-swappable hinge 41; the hot-swappable hinge 41 mates with the key switch body. The key switch body can be directly inserted into the hot-swappable hinge 41 of the flexible circuit board 4 for fixation, and the key switch body can be easily plugged and unplugged without tools such as soldering irons, which greatly reduces the difficulty of changing the switch body.

[0053] In some embodiments of this application, a support plate 42 is also included; one end of the support plate 42 is connected to the flexible circuit board 4, and the end of the support plate 42 away from the flexible circuit board 4 is engaged with the key shaft.

[0054] Understandably, the key switch is fixed by inserting it into the hot-swappable switch seat 41 of the flexible circuit board 4. Due to the characteristics of the flexible circuit board 4, a support plate 42 is installed on the flexible circuit board 4 to facilitate the fixation of the key switch on the hot-swappable switch seat 41, making it convenient for users to install and remove the key switch.

[0055] In some embodiments of this application, a signal connector 6 is also included; the signal connector 6 includes a board 61 and a terminal block 62 disposed on the board 61; the board 61 is fixedly connected to the flexible circuit board 4; the terminal block 62 is electrically connected to the flexible circuit board 4, and the terminal block 62 is used to plug into the arcade controller to transmit the switch signal to the arcade controller.

[0056] The flexible circuit board 4 is connected to the game controller via terminal block 62, and the switching signal of the switch assembly 3 can be transmitted to the game controller; the connection between terminal block 62 and board body 61 is more secure and neat, and less likely to fall off. It should be noted that the number of signal connectors 6 in this embodiment can be one or more, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0057] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a game controller is provided, including a joystick assembly as described above.

[0058] To facilitate understanding of this implementation method, the following explanation will further elaborate on its working principle:

[0059] In the technical solution provided in this application embodiment, when installing the joystick assembly, the button shaft is inserted into the hot-swappable shaft seat 41 of the flexible circuit board 4; then the protrusion 31 of the button shaft is inserted into the positioning slot 11 in the base 1. At this time, the flexible circuit board 4 is placed around the button shaft, and the flexible circuit board 4 and the switch assembly 3 are at the same horizontal height; then the main shaft 2 is installed on the base 1, thus completing the installation of the joystick assembly.

[0060] When the spindle 2 rotates, it triggers the switch assembly 3 to output a switch signal. This switch signal is transmitted to the arcade controller via the flexible circuit board 4, enabling the joystick assembly to perform game operation functions. The flexible circuit board 4 is located around the switch assembly 3 and is at the same horizontal height as the switch assembly 3. Therefore, the joystick assembly has a more compact structure, and its thickness can be reduced without affecting its operation, thus meeting the requirements of a compact game controller structure.

[0061] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A rocker assembly for use in an arcade controller, the rocker assembly comprising: The rocker assembly comprises: a base; a main shaft rotatably installed in the base, and a top of the main shaft being arranged outside the base; a switch assembly arranged around the base, and the main shaft being capable of triggering the switch assembly to output a switch signal when the main shaft rotates; a flexible circuit board arranged around the switch assembly, and the flexible circuit board being at the same horizontal level as the switch assembly; the switch signal being transmitted to an arcade controller through the flexible circuit board.

2. The rocker assembly of claim 1, wherein, a base plate further comprising; the base plate being fixedly connected with the arcade controller; the base plate being arranged above the base.

3. The rocker assembly of claim 2, wherein, The base plate is one of a circular base plate and a square base plate.

4. The rocker assembly of claim 1, wherein, a signal connector further comprising; a plate body and a terminal arranged on the plate body; the plate body being fixedly connected with the flexible circuit board; the terminal being electrically connected with the flexible circuit board, and the terminal being used for plugging with the arcade controller to transmit the switch signal to the arcade controller.

5. The rocker assembly of claim 1, wherein, The switch assembly is one of a key shaft body and a micro switch.

6. The rocker assembly of claim 5, wherein, The switch assembly is the key shaft body. The base is provided with a positioning slot, and the key shaft body is provided with a protruding part; the protruding part is matched with the positioning slot to connect the key shaft body with the base.

7. The rocker assembly of claim 6, wherein, The flexible circuit board is provided with a hot plug shaft seat; the hot plug shaft seat is matched with the key shaft body.

8. The rocker assembly of claim 7, wherein, A support plate further comprising; one end of the support plate being connected with the flexible circuit board, and the other end of the support plate being matched with the key shaft body.

9. The rocker assembly of claim 1, wherein, The bottom of the main shaft is provided with a driven part; the driven part on the main shaft is capable of triggering the switch assembly to output the switch signal when the main shaft rotates.

10. The rocker assembly of claim 1, wherein, The main shaft comprises a base rod and a connecting rod; the bottom of the base rod is connected with the base; and the top of the base rod is detachably connected with the connecting rod.

11. A game controller, characterized by The rocker assembly comprises any one of claims 1-10.

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