Multidirectional input device

Abstract

To provide a multidirectional input device which has a long product life and has desired nonlinear reaction force characteristics to tilt operation on an operation shaft.SOLUTION: A multidirectional input device 1 includes: an upper housing 61; a first rotation member 62a; a second rotation member 62b; an operation shaft 63 for rotating the first rotation member 62a and the second rotation member 62b, in response to tilt operation applied from a user; and a holding mechanism 66 which is held by the upper housing 61, and elastically holds the operation shaft 63 in a neutral state. The holding mechanism 66 includes an upper leaf spring 9a and a lower leaf spring 9b which are fixedly held by the upper housing 61 so that the leaf springs face each other so as to be separated from one another in a height direction. An equation of motion of each of displacement in a lateral direction and displacement in a twisting direction of the operation shaft 63 is represented by a force applied to the operation shaft 63, a weight of the operation shaft 63, a displacement amount of the operation shaft 63, a time and a spring constant of the holding mechanism 66.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 18

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a multi-directional input device, and more specifically, to a multi-directional input device that provides input of directional information according to a tilt operation on an operation axis. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a multi-directional input device capable of tilting an operating axis has been known as a multi-directional input device used in electronic devices such as game machines. In this type of multi-directional input device, called a joystick or stick controller, a user performs a tilt operation to tilt the operating axis from a neutral state in any direction, thereby providing input of directional information corresponding to the tilt operation of the operating axis.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a multi-directional input device 500 shown in Fig. 1. The multi-directional input device 500 includes a housing 520 fixed on a bottom plate 510, a first rotating member 530 held by the housing 520 so as to be rotatable around a first axial direction (Y direction), a second rotating member 540 held by the housing 520 so as to be rotatable around a second axial direction (X direction) perpendicular to the first axial direction, and a second rotating member 540 inserted through a slit hole 531 of the first rotating member 530 and a slit hole 541 of the second rotating member 540, and rotating the first rotating member 530 and the second rotating member 540 in response to a tilting operation applied by a user. and an operating shaft 550 which can be displaced downward in response to a user's pressing operation, an actuating member 560 which is provided at the lower end of the operating shaft 550 so as to be movable along the axial direction of the operating shaft 550, a coil spring 570 provided between the operating shaft 550 and the actuating member 560, a sensor 580 provided on the housing 520 for detecting the rotation angles of the first rotating member 530 and the second rotating member 540, and a push switch 590 provided within a component mounting portion 510a which protrudes outward from one side wall of the bottom plate 510.

[0004] When the user applies a tilt operation to the operating shaft 550 in any direction, the first rotating member 530 and the second rotating member 540 rotate in accordance with the tilt operation of the operating shaft 550. The rotation angles of the first rotating member 530 and the second rotating member 540 are detected by the sensor 580, respectively, and an input of directional information corresponding to the user's tilt operation on the operating shaft 550 is provided. When the user applies a pressing operation to the operating shaft 550, the second rotating member 540 engaged with the operating shaft 550 is displaced downward, and the second rotating member 540 presses the push switch 590. As a result, an input of pressing information corresponding to the user's pressing operation on the operating shaft 550 is provided.

[0005] The actuating member 560 includes a base 561 with a bottom surface curved like a dish, a cylindrical boss portion 562 formed in the center of the base 561 and into which the lower end portion of the operating shaft 550 is inserted, and an arc portion 563 protruding outward from the outer periphery of the base 561. In such a multi-directional input device 500, when a user applies a tilt operation to the operating shaft 550, the actuating member 560 slides on the bottom plate 510 in the initial stage when the tilt angle of the operating shaft 550 is small. After that, when the tilt angle of the operating shaft 550 exceeds a certain value, the actuating member 560 tilts while the lower surface of the arc portion 563 of the actuating member 560 abuts against a protrusion 510b formed on the bottom plate 510, and the actuating member 560 is lifted in the axial direction of the operating shaft 550 against the elastic force of the coil spring 570. Thereafter, when the tilting operation of the operating shaft 550 is released, the operating shaft 550 returns to the neutral state due to 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 actuating member 560 provides the function of elastically holding the operating shaft 550 in the upright neutral state.

[0006] In the initial stage of the tilt operation of the operating axis 550, the operating member 560 slides on the bottom plate 510, and a strong reaction force (reverse torque) against the user's tilt operation on the operating axis 550 is generated due to friction between the operating member 560 and the bottom plate 510. After that, when the tilt angle of the operating axis 550 exceeds a certain value, the reaction force against the user's tilt operation on the operating axis 550 increases according to the lift amount of the operating member 560 and the elastic force of the coil spring 570. FIG. 2 shows the reaction force characteristics against the tilt operation on the operating axis 550 in such a multi-directional input device 500. As shown in FIG. 2, when the user applies a tilt operation to the operating axis 550, in the initial stage where the tilt angle of the operating axis 550 is small, the reaction force against the user's tilt operation increases rapidly according to the increase in the tilt angle of the operating axis 550. After that, when the tilt angle of the operating axis 550 exceeds a certain value, the increase in the reaction force against the increase in the tilt angle of the operating axis 550 becomes suddenly gentler.

[0007] Such nonlinear reaction force characteristics are particularly useful when the multidirectional input device 500 is used as a handheld controller of a game device. When a user operates a handheld controller, the user applies a tilt operation to the multidirectional input device 500 with any finger such as the thumb, but may apply other operations to the controller, such as pressing operations on the buttons of the controller with other fingers, independent of the tilt operation. When applying other operations to the controller, the user may unintentionally apply a slight tilt operation to the multidirectional input device 500 in conjunction with the operation of the other fingers. If the multidirectional input device 500 sensitively responds to such a slight tilt operation, the multidirectional input device 500 will perform a behavior that is not intended by the user. The nonlinear reaction force characteristics as described above can prevent such behavior of the multidirectional input device 500 that is not intended by the user.

[0008] However, in the multi-directional input device 500, when the operating shaft 550 performs a tilting operation, the operating member 560 slides on the bottom plate 510, so friction occurs between the operating member 560 and the bottom plate 510. Furthermore, since the operating member 560 moves along the axial direction of the operating shaft 550, friction occurs between the operating member 560 and the operating shaft 550. Therefore, when the tilting operation of the operating shaft 550 is repeatedly performed, the operating member 560 wears out, and there is a problem that the product life of the multi-directional input device 500 is shortened. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-305650 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems in the conventional art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a multi-directional input device having a long product life and a desired non-linear reaction force characteristic in response to tilting operations on the operating axes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] Such an object can be achieved by the present invention as defined by the following (1). (1) Housing; a first rotating member having a first slit hole and held by the housing so as to be rotatable about a first axial direction; a second rotating member having a second slit hole and held by the housing so as to be rotatable about a second axial direction perpendicular to the first axial direction; 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 in response to a tilt operation applied by a user; a holding mechanism that is held by the housing and that elastically holds the operating shaft in a neutral state; a detection mechanism for detecting a rotation angle of each of the first rotation member and the second rotation member, the holding mechanism includes an upper leaf spring and a lower leaf spring fixedly held in the housing so as to face each other and be spaced apart from each other in a height direction; each of the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring includes an outer frame fixedly held by the housing, an inner frame located inside the outer frame and having an insertion hole, and a plurality of spring portions connecting the outer frame and the inner frame such that the inner frame is displaceable relative to the outer frame; the operating shaft is elastically held by the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring, The equations of motion of the lateral displacement of the operation shaft and the torsional displacement of the operation shaft in the tilting operation of the operation shaft, which is executed in response to the tilting operation applied by the user, are expressed by the following formula (1): TIFF2025049824000002.tif19100In the above formula (1), F is the force applied to the operating shaft, m is the weight of the operating shaft, x is the displacement of the operating shaft, t is time, and k sp is a spring constant of the holding mechanism. Effect of the Invention

[0012] In the multi-directional input device of the present invention, the operating shaft is elastically held in a neutral state by an upper leaf spring and a lower leaf spring fixedly held in the housing so as to face each other at a distance in the height direction. Furthermore, when the operating shaft performs a tilting operation, the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring do not slide on other members in the housing. Therefore, even if a user repeatedly applies a tilting operation to the multi-directional input device of the present invention, the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring do not wear out, and the product life of the multi-directional input device can be significantly extended. Furthermore, the reaction force characteristics against the tilting operation of the operating shaft provided by the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring facing each other at a distance in the height direction are nonlinear, which is preferable for a controller of a game device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional multi-directional input device. [Diagram 2] 4 is a graph showing reaction force characteristics against a tilting operation on an operation axis in the multi-directional input device shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view of a multi-directional input device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the multi-directional input device shown in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 4 is a vertical sectional view of the multi-directional input device shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the multi-directional input device shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the push switch shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 8 is a perspective view of the pressing member shown in FIG. 7, seen from a different angle. [Figure 9] 7 is a perspective view of the lower housing shown in FIG. 6, seen from a different angle. [Figure 10] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the operating shaft assembly shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 11] 7 is a perspective view of the first rotating member shown in FIG. 6, seen from a different angle. [Figure 12] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the operating shaft and the holding mechanism shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the upper leaf spring assembly shown in FIG. 12. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a plan view of the upper leaf spring shown in FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the lower leaf spring assembly shown in FIG. 12. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a plan view of the lower leaf spring shown in FIG. [Figure 17] 13 is a sectional perspective view for explaining a state in which the operating shaft is held by the holding mechanism. FIG. [Figure 18] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining a dynamic model of the displacement of an operating axis held by a holding mechanism. [Figure 19]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the stress distribution of the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring in the initial state of a tilting motion. [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the stress distribution in the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring in a second state of the tilting motion. [Figure 21] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining reaction force characteristics against a tilting operation on an operating axis. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The multi-directional input device of the present invention will be described below based on the preferred embodiment shown in Figs. 3 to 21. The drawings referred to below are schematic diagrams prepared for the purpose of describing the present invention. The dimensions (length, width, thickness, etc.) of each component shown in the drawings do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensions. In addition, the same reference numbers are used for the same or corresponding components in each drawing. In the following description, the positive direction of the Z axis in each drawing may be referred to as "upward" and the negative direction of the Z axis may be referred to as "downward."

[0015] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a multi-directional input device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the multi-directional input device shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the multi-directional input device shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the multi-directional input device shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the push switch shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the pressing member shown in FIG. 7 from a different angle. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the lower housing shown in FIG. 6 from a different angle. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the operating shaft assembly shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the first rotating member shown in FIG. 6 from a different angle. FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the operating shaft and the holding mechanism shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the upper leaf spring assembly shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 14 is a plan view of the upper leaf spring shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of the lower leaf spring assembly shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 16 is a plan view of the lower leaf spring shown in FIG. 15. Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional perspective view for explaining a state in which the operating axis is held by the holding mechanism. Fig. 18 is a diagram for explaining a mechanical model of the displacement of the operating axis held by the holding mechanism. Fig. 19 is a diagram showing the stress distribution of the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring in the initial state of the tilting operation. Fig. 20 is a diagram showing the stress distribution of the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring in the second state of the tilting operation. Fig. 21 is a diagram for explaining the reaction force characteristics against the tilting operation of the operating axis.

[0016] The multi-directional input device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figs. 3 to 6 is mounted on a board of any electronic device. When a user applies a tilt operation and a press operation to the multi-directional input device 1, the multi-directional input device 1 inputs directional information corresponding to the tilt operation and press information corresponding to the press operation to the electronic device. In one example, the multi-directional input device 1 has a size of 18 mm in length, 18 mm in width, and 18 mm in height, and accepts a tilt operation of about 25 degrees in any direction and a press operation from the user. Typically, the multi-directional input device 1 is used as a joystick for a handheld controller of a game device.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 6, the multidirectional input device 1 includes a lower cover 2L placed on a board of an arbitrary electronic device, an upper cover 2U connected to the lower cover 2L, a board 3 on which electronic components of the multidirectional input device 1 are mounted, a push switch 4 provided on the board 3, a lower housing 5 fixed on the board 3, an upper housing 61, a first rotating member 62a held by the upper housing 61 so as to be rotatable about a first axial direction, a second rotating member 62b held by the upper housing 61 so as to be rotatable about a second axial direction perpendicular to the first axial direction, and an operation shaft assembly 6 including an operation shaft 63 held in a neutral state and to which a tilt operation and a press operation are applied by the user, and a detection mechanism 7 for detecting the respective rotation angles of the first rotating member 62a and the second rotating member 62b. The "neutral state" of the operating shaft 63 here refers to a state in which the operating shaft 63 is stationary in a normal position in an upright posture in which the axial direction of the operating shaft 63 is approximately the same as the height direction.

[0018] The lower cover 2L supports the board 3 from below, and has the function of supporting the internal structure of the multi-directional input device 1 from above and below together with the upper cover 2U. The lower cover 2L is made of a hard non-magnetic material such as stainless steel. The lower cover 2L includes a bottom plate 21, a plurality of insertion holes 22 formed on the bottom plate 21, and four lower cover pieces 23 extending upward from the bottom plate 21. The bottom plate 21 is a plate-like portion having a planar shape (in the illustrated embodiment, a substantially octagonal planar shape) corresponding to the planar shape of the board 3, and is located between the board 3 and the board of the electronic device when the multi-directional input device 1 is mounted on the board of the electronic device. The plurality of insertion holes 22 are formed at positions corresponding to the plurality of terminal pins 31 of the board 3 so as to pass through the bottom plate 21 in the height direction. The lower cover 2L is attached to the board 3 from below by any fixing means such as an adhesive so that each of the plurality of terminal pins 31 passes through the corresponding insertion hole 22. The four lower cover pieces 23 are plate-like portions extending linearly upward from two pairs of opposing sides of the bottom plate 21. The four lower cover pieces 23 are respectively connected to the four upper cover pieces 27 of the upper cover 2U by adhesion such as welding, and the lower cover 2L and the upper cover 2U are firmly integrated. In this manner, 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, so that the internal structure of the multi-directional input device 1 can be reliably prevented from shaking (wobbling) in the height direction.

[0019] The upper cover 2U includes an upper plate 24, an opening 25 formed on the upper plate 24, four wall portions 26 extending downward from the upper plate 24, and four upper cover pieces 27 extending downward from the upper plate 24. The upper plate 24 is a plate-like portion having a planar shape corresponding to the planar shape of the bottom plate 21 of the lower cover 2L. The opening 25 is a circular opening formed in the center of the upper plate 24. As shown in FIG. 3, the operating portion 631 of the operating shaft 63 protrudes upward through the opening 25. Returning to FIG. 6, the four wall portions 26 are plate-like portions formed so as to extend downward in a straight line at equal angular intervals of 90 degrees from the outer edge of the upper plate 24. The four upper cover pieces 27 are plate-like portions formed so as to extend downward in a straight line at equal angular intervals of 90 degrees from the outer edge of the upper plate 24. The four wall portions 26 and the four upper cover pieces 27 extend linearly downward while being spaced apart from each other, and the wall portions 26 and the upper cover pieces 27 are alternately provided along the circumferential direction of the upper plate 24.

[0020] The substrate 3 is a flat rigid substrate formed of a material and a configuration known in the field of electronic devices. The substrate 3 includes a circuit pattern (not shown) covered with a protective layer, and a plurality of terminal pins 31 that pass through the substrate 3. Two magnetic sensors (e.g., Hall IC sensors) 71 of the detection mechanism 7 and a push switch 4 are mounted on the substrate 3, and the two magnetic sensors 71 and the push switch 4 are electrically connected to the corresponding terminal pins 31 via the circuit pattern. The terminal pins 31 that correspond to the two magnetic sensors 71 and the push switch 4 are connected to corresponding terminals of the circuit substrate of the electronic device. With this configuration, the electronic device can receive input from the multi-directional input device 1.

[0021] The push switch 4 is a switch that is pressed as the operating shaft 63 is displaced downward when the user applies a pressing operation to the operating shaft 63 and the operating shaft 63 is displaced downward. When the user applies a pressing force to the operating shaft 63 that exceeds the operating force of the push switch 4, the push switch 4 is turned on. Thereafter, when the pressing force applied by the user is released, the push switch 4 is turned off. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in a state in which the multi-directional input device 1 is assembled, the push switch 4 is provided on the substrate 3 so as to be located directly below the operating shaft 63, and is pressed by the operating shaft 63 when the operating shaft 63 is displaced downward in response to a pressing operation applied by the user.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 7, the push switch 4 includes a central contact 41 formed and exposed on the substrate 3, a circular outer contact 42 formed on the substrate 3 and spaced apart from the central contact 41 to surround the central contact 41, a dome-shaped movable contact 43, a hollow elastic member 44 provided on the substrate 3 to surround the movable contact 43, and a pressing member 45 provided on the elastic member 44.

[0023] The central contact 41 and the outer contact 42 are formed on the substrate 3 so as to be insulated from each other. The central contact 41 is formed to have a circular shape in the approximate center of the substrate 3, and is arranged so as to be concentric with the outer contact 42. The push switch 4 is in an OFF state when the central contact 41 and the outer contact 42 are not electrically connected. On the other hand, the push switch 4 is in an ON state when the central contact 41 and the outer contact 42 are electrically connected via the movable contact 43. The movable contact 43 is a dome-shaped member made of a conductive material and convex upward. For example, the movable contact 43 is obtained by performing a punching process and a bending process on a thin metal plate. The movable contact 43 includes a central movable portion 431 and an outer edge portion 432 that surrounds the outer edge of the central movable portion 431.

[0024] The central movable part 431 has a circular dome shape convex upward in a natural state, and is a part that elastically deforms to become convex downward when a pressing force is applied from above. The outer edge part 432 is an annular part that extends linearly from the edge part of the central movable part 431 outward and downward. The outer edge part 432 has an outer diameter that is equal to or larger than the inner diameter and equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the outer contact 42 in a plan view from the height direction. The movable contact 43 is provided on the substrate 3 so as to be concentric with the central contact 41 and the outer contact 42, and so that the outer edge part 432 contacts the outer contact 42. The movable contact 43 may be fixed on the substrate 3 by any fixing means such as an adhesive or a retainer so as not to shift on the substrate 3.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, when the operating shaft 63 is in a neutral state, the outer edge portion 432 is in contact with the outer contact 42. The central movable portion 431 faces the central contact 41 with a gap therebetween and is not in contact with the central contact 41. Therefore, when the operating shaft 63 is in a neutral state, the central contact 41 and the outer contact 42 are not electrically connected, and the push switch 4 is in an OFF state. On the other hand, when the user applies a pressing operation to the operating shaft 63, a downward pressing force is applied to the central movable portion 431 via the operating shaft 63 and the pressing member 45. When the pressing force applied to the central movable portion 431 becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined magnitude, the central movable portion 431 is suddenly elastically deformed so as to be convex downward, and comes into contact with the central contact 41. In this state, the movable contact 43 functions as an electrical path between the central contact 41 and the outer contact 42, and the central contact 41 and the outer contact 42 are electrically connected. This operation causes the push switch 4 to be in an ON state.

[0026] 7, the elastic member 44 has a function of elastically supporting the pressing member 45 from below. In a plan view from the height direction, the elastic member 44 has a cylindrical shape with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the outer contact 42 and a height larger than the height of the movable contact 43. Typically, a coil spring or a wave washer made of a non-magnetic spring material (e.g., stainless steel) can be used as the elastic member 44.

[0027] 4 and 5, the elastic member 44 is provided on the substrate 3 so as to be concentric with the central contact 41 and the outer contact 42. Therefore, the central contact 41, the outer contact 42, and the movable contact 43 are located within the internal space of the elastic member 44. Note that the elastic member 44 may be fixed to the substrate 3 by any fixing means such as an adhesive or a retainer so as to prevent the elastic member 44 from shifting on the substrate 3.

[0028] 7, the pressing member 45 has a function of applying a uniform pressing force to the central movable part 431 of the movable contact 43. The pressing member 45 is made of a hard non-magnetic material such as polyacetal resin. When a user applies a pressing operation to the operation shaft 63, the pressing member 45 is pressed downward by the operation shaft 63, comes into point contact with the central movable part 431, and applies a uniform pressing force to the central movable part 431.

[0029] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the pressing member 45 includes a disk-shaped main body portion 451, a tapered portion 452 formed on the upper surface of the main body portion 451, a flat pressing surface 453 formed on the top of the tapered portion 452, an annular flange portion 454 extending outward from the lower end of the outer edge of the main body portion 451, an annular receiving groove 455 formed on the lower surface of the main body portion 451, a circular recess 456 formed on the lower surface of the main body portion 451, and a pressing protrusion 457 protruding downward from the center of the circular recess 456.

[0030] The main body 451 is a plate-like portion having a circular shape in a plan view from the height direction, with the upper and lower surfaces being flat surfaces perpendicular to the height direction. The tapered portion 452 is a truncated cone portion formed concentrically with the main body 451 in the center of the upper surface of the main body 451 and having a diameter gradually decreasing from the bottom to the top. The pressing surface 453 is a flat surface formed at the top of the tapered portion 452 and perpendicular to the height direction. When the user applies a pressing operation to the operation shaft 63, the operation shaft 63 presses the pressing surface 453 downward, and the tapered 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 outer edge of the main body 451. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the flange portion 454 engages with the lower housing 5 and restricts the upward displacement of the pressing member 45.

[0031] Returning to FIG. 8, the receiving groove 455 is an annular recess formed on the lower surface of the main body 451 in an area adjacent to the flange 454. The receiving groove 455 is formed so that the upper end of the elastic member 44 can be fitted into it. By placing the pressing member 45 on the elastic member 44 so that the upper end of the elastic member 44 is fitted into the receiving groove 455, the pressing member 45 is elastically supported by the elastic member 44 from below. The circular recess 456 is formed in the center of the lower surface of the main body 451 so as to be concentric with the main body 451, and facilitates downward displacement of the tapered portion 452. The pressing protrusion 457 is a cylindrical portion formed so as to protrude downward from the center of the circular recess 456 and concentric with the circular recess 456. In addition, the center of the pressing protrusion 457 and the center of the pressing surface 453 are aligned on the same straight line. The lower surface of the pressing protrusion 457 is a flat surface perpendicular to the height direction. 4 and 5, in a natural state, the pressing protrusion 457 faces the central movable part 431 of the movable contact 43 with a gap therebetween. When the pressing member 45 is pressed downward by the operating shaft 63 and the tapered part 452 is displaced downward, the lower surface of the pressing protrusion 457 comes into point contact with the central movable part 431 of the movable contact 43, and applies a uniform pressing force to the central movable part 431. With this configuration, the deformation characteristics of the movable contact 43 can be stabilized.

[0032] 7, all of the components of the push switch 4, namely, the central contact 41, the outer contact 42, the movable contact 43, the elastic member 44, and the pressing member 45, are configured rotationally symmetrically on the substrate 3 and are all arranged concentrically. Also, as shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, when the operating shaft 63 is in the neutral state, the axial center of the operating shaft 63 and the centers of all the components of the push switch 4 are positioned on the same straight line. Therefore, the push switch 4 is provided directly below the operating shaft 63.

[0033] Returning to FIG. 6, the lower housing 5 has a function of accommodating the push switch 4 on the substrate 3, supporting the operating shaft assembly 6 from below, and fixing it to the substrate 3. The lower housing 5 is made of a hard non-magnetic material such as polybutylene terephthalate. As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 9, the lower housing 5 includes a cylindrical main body 51, a first circular recess 52 formed on the upper surface of the main body 51, a second circular recess 53 formed on the first circular recess 52, a circular insertion hole 54 formed to penetrate the second circular recess 53 in the height direction, an annular locking portion 55 extending inward from the inner surface of the insertion hole 54, two storage portions 56a and 56b formed to penetrate the main body 51 in the height direction, and a relief portion 57 formed on the lower surface of the main body 51.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 6, the main body 51 has a planar outer shape corresponding to the planar shape of the substrate 3, and is a cylindrical part placed on the substrate 3. The upper and lower surfaces of the main body 51 are flat surfaces perpendicular to the height direction. The main body 51 has, on its outer circumferential surface, a tapered surface 511 extending obliquely downward from the upper end of the main body 51, an arc surface 512 located below the tapered surface 511, four flat abutment surfaces 513 formed on both side surfaces in the X direction and both side surfaces in the Y direction of the main body 51, and a notch 514 formed at the lower end of the main body 51 on the +Y direction side. As shown in FIG. 3, the tapered surface 511 is a portion on which the four wall portions 26 of the upper cover 2U are placed. Since the tapered surface 511 is a flat surface extending diagonally downward, when the four wall portions 26 are pressed against the tapered surface 511, the four wall portions 26 open outward and firmly hold the main body portion 51 from the outside. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the lower housing 5 from shaking (wobbling) on ​​the board 3.

[0035] Returning to FIG. 6, the arc surface 512 is an arc-shaped portion extending linearly downward from the lower end of the tapered surface 511. The four abutment surfaces 513 are flat surfaces perpendicular to the X direction or Y direction, formed by linearly cutting out both side surfaces in the X direction and both side surfaces in the Y direction of the main body 51 along the height direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the four abutment surfaces 513 are portions that come into surface contact with the four upper cover pieces 27 of the upper cover 2U. Since the four abutment surfaces 513 and the four upper cover pieces 27 come into surface contact with each other, the lower housing 5 is firmly held by the upper cover 2U. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, two terminal pins 31 located on the +Y direction side of the substrate 3 are located below the cutout portion 514, so that the main body 51 and the two terminal pins 31 located on the +Y direction side of the substrate 3 do not interfere with each other.

[0036] Returning to FIG. 6, the first circular recess 52 is formed in the center of the upper surface of the main body 51 and concentrically with the main body 51. The second circular recess 53 is formed in the center of the first circular recess 52 and concentrically with the first circular recess 52. The insertion hole 54 is a circular opening formed to penetrate the approximate center of the second circular recess 53 in the height direction. The locking portion 55 is an annular portion protruding inward from the upper end of the inner circumferential surface of the insertion hole 54. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the diameter of the insertion hole 54 is approximately equal to the flange portion 454 of the pressing member 45, and further, the inner diameter of the locking portion 55 is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the main body 451 of the pressing member 45. Therefore, in a state in which the multi-directional input device 1 is assembled, the main body 451 fits into the locking portion 55, and the pressing member 45 is prevented from swinging laterally in the lower housing 5. Furthermore, since the locking portion 55 engages with the flange portion 454, the upward displacement of the pressing member 45 is restricted.

[0037] Returning to FIG. 9, the clearance 57 is a recess formed on the lower surface of the main body 451. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, in a state where the multi-directional input device 1 is assembled, the terminal pins 31 of the board 3 are positioned within the clearance 57 so that the main body 51 and the terminal pins 31 of the board 3 do not interfere with each other. Returning to FIG. 6 and FIG. 9, the storage section 56a is an opening formed on the main body 51 at a portion on the +Y direction side of the first circular recess 52 so as to penetrate in the height direction. Similarly, the storage section 56b is an opening formed on the main body 51 at a portion on the +X direction side of the first circular recess 52 so as to penetrate in the height direction. The magnet assembly 72 (see FIG. 6) attached to the first rotating member 62a is stored in the storage section 56a so as to be displaceable in the X direction. Similarly, the magnet assembly 72 attached to the second rotating member 62b is stored in the storage section 56b so as to be displaceable in the Y direction.

[0038] 6, the operating shaft assembly 6 has the function of elastically holding the operating shaft 63 in a neutral state, tilting the operating shaft 63 in response to a tilting operation applied by the user, and further displacing the operating shaft 63 downward in response to a pressing operation applied by the user. The operating shaft assembly 6 is fixed onto the upper surface of the main body 51 of the lower housing 5 by any fixing means such as an adhesive or a retainer. As shown in FIG. 10, the operating shaft assembly 6 includes an upper housing 61 provided on the lower housing 5, a first rotating member 62a held by the upper housing 61 so as to be rotatable around a first axial direction (Y direction), a second rotating member 62b held by the upper housing 61 so as to be rotatable around a second axial direction (X direction) perpendicular to the first axial direction, an operating shaft 63 that performs a tilting action in response to a tilting action applied by the user and further displaces downward in response to a pressing action applied by the user, two shaft members 64a that function as rotation shafts of the first rotating member 62a, two shaft members 64b that function as rotation shafts of the second rotating member 62b, a housing cover 65 attached to the upper housing 61 from above, and a holding mechanism 66 that is held by the upper housing 61 and elastically holds the operating shaft 63 in a neutral state.

[0039] The upper housing 61 is a cylindrical member provided on the lower housing 5 and fixed to the substrate 3. The upper housing 61 is made of a non-magnetic magnetic material, similar to the lower housing 5. The upper housing 61 has a function of holding the first rotating member 62a, the second rotating member 62b, and the holding mechanism 66. The upper housing 61 includes a cylindrical main body 611, a pair of protruding surfaces 612 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the main body 611 so as to face each other, four shaft holes 613 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the main body 611, and six locking pieces 614 provided on the inner circumferential surface of the main body 611.

[0040] The main body 611 defines a cylindrical internal space that extends linearly in the height direction. The upper and lower surfaces of the main body 611 are flat surfaces perpendicular to the height direction. The pair of protruding surfaces 612 are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the main body 611 at an angular interval of 180 degrees so as to face each other. Each of the pair of protruding surfaces 612 protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the main body 611. The outer surface of each of the pair of protruding surfaces 612 is a flat surface perpendicular to the X direction. The upper and lower surfaces of the outer surfaces of each of the pair of protruding surfaces 612 are flat surfaces perpendicular to the height direction, and are located on the same plane as the upper and lower surfaces of the main body 611, respectively, and are continuous with each other.

[0041] The four shaft holes 613 are circular openings formed on the outer circumferential surface of the main body 611 at equal angular intervals of 90 degrees so as to penetrate the main body 611. The two shaft holes 613 located on the +X direction side and the -X direction side are formed so as to penetrate not only the main body 611 but also the protruding surface 612. Two shaft members 64a are inserted and fixed into the two shaft holes 613 located on the +Y direction side and the -Y direction side, respectively, and the two shaft members 64a function as the rotation shafts of the first rotating member 62a. Similarly, two shaft members 64b are inserted and fixed into the two shaft holes 613 located on the +X direction side and the -X direction side, respectively, and the two shaft members 64b function as the rotation shafts of the second rotating member 62b. The six locking pieces 614 are plate-shaped members elongated in the height direction and provided on the inner circumferential surface of the main body 611 at equal angular intervals of 60 degrees. The length of the locking piece 614 in the height direction is longer than the length of the main body 611 in the height direction, and the upper and lower ends of the locking piece 614 protrude in the height direction from the main body 611. In addition, a hook structure is formed on the outer surface of the upper and lower ends of the locking piece 614, and as shown in Fig. 4, the hook structure of the upper and lower ends of the locking piece 614 clamps the main body 611 from above and below.

[0042] Returning to Fig. 10, the first rotating member 62a is a member held by the upper housing 61 to be rotatable around a first rotating axis (Y direction). The second rotating member 62b is a member held by the upper housing 61 to be rotatable around a second rotating axis (X direction) perpendicular to the first rotating axis (Y direction). The first rotating member 62a and the second rotating member 62b have the same configuration except for the difference in the mounting attitude relative to the upper housing 61. Therefore, hereinafter, the structure of the first rotating member 62a will be described in detail as a representative.

[0043] As shown in Figure 11, the first rotating member 62a comprises an upwardly convex arch portion 621, a slit hole 622 formed in the arch portion 621, a pair of horizontal extension portions 623 extending from both ends of the arch portion 621, a pair of downward extension portions 624 extending downwardly from the pair of horizontal extension portions 623, a pair of shaft holes 625 formed in the pair of downward extension portions 624, and a bearing portion 626 formed at the lower end of one of the downward extension portions 624.

[0044] The arch portion 621 is a portion that is long in the Y direction and has a curved shape that is convex upward. The arch portion 621 of the first rotating member 62a contacts a pair of second locking surfaces 635 (see Figs. 12 and 17) of the operating shaft 63 from above, and the arch portion 621 of the second rotating member 62b engages a pair of first locking surfaces 634 (see Fig. 12) of the operating shaft 63 from above. With this configuration, the upward displacement of the operating shaft 63 with respect to the upper housing 61 is restricted. Returning to Fig. 11, the slit hole 622 is a long through hole that extends from one end of the arch portion 621 to the other end along the longitudinal direction of the arch portion 621 and is formed to penetrate in the height direction. The operating shaft 63 is inserted into the slit hole 622, and the tilting movement of the operating shaft 63 along the longitudinal direction of the arch portion 621 is permitted. The longitudinal lengths of the arch portion 621 and the slit hole 622 are set according to the maximum tilt angle of the operating shaft 63, and in the illustrated embodiment, the operating shaft 63 is allowed to tilt by approximately 25 degrees.

[0045] Each of the pair of horizontal extensions 623 is a plate-like portion extending linearly from the end of the arch portion 621 toward the outside. One end of the horizontal extension 623 is connected to the end of the arch portion 621, and the other end of the horizontal extension 623 is connected to the downward extension 624. Each of the pair of downward extensions 624 is a plate-like portion extending linearly downward from the other end of the horizontal extension 623. A pair of shaft holes 625 are formed in each of the pair of downward extensions 624 and face each other. The two shaft members 64a are inserted and fixed in two shaft holes 613 located on the +Y direction side and the -Y direction side of the upper housing 61, respectively, in a state where the two shaft members 64a are inserted through the pair of shaft holes 625 of the first rotating member 62a. As a result, the first rotating member 62a is held in the upper housing 61 so as to be rotatable around the first rotating shaft (Y direction). Similarly, the two shaft members 64b are inserted into and fixed to two shaft holes 613 located on the +X direction side and the -X direction side of the upper housing 61, respectively, with the two shaft members 64b passing through a pair of shaft holes 625 of the second rotating member 62b. This allows the second rotating member 62b to be held in the upper housing 61 so as to be rotatable around the second rotating shaft (X direction). The bearing portion 626 is an oval opening formed at the lower end of one of the pair of downward extending portions 624 so as to open downward. A magnet assembly 72 of the detection mechanism 7, which will be described later, is supported by the bearing portion 626.

[0046] 10, the operating shaft 63 has a function of rotating the first rotating member 62a and the second rotating member 62b in response to a tilting operation applied by the user, and further, displacing downward in response to a pressing operation applied by the user to press the push switch 4. As shown in Fig. 12, the operating shaft 63 is a rod-shaped member extending in the height direction. The operating shaft 63 includes an operating portion 631 that protrudes upward from the opening 25 of the upper cover 2U and is operated by the user, a spring connection portion 632 that extends downward from the lower end of the operating portion 631, a pair of D-cut surfaces 633 formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the operating portion 631 and the spring connection portion 632, a pair of first engagement surfaces 634 that extend outward from the lower end of the operating portion 631, a pair of second engagement surfaces 635 (see Figure 17) formed on the outer peripheral surface of the spring connection portion 632, a circular flange portion 636 that extends outward from the outer peripheral surface of the spring connection portion 632, a press-fit hole 637 (see Figures 4 and 5) formed on the lower surface of the spring connection portion 632, and a pressing portion 638 that is attached to the lower surface of the spring connection portion 632 by being pressed into the press-fit hole 637.

[0047] The operating section 631 is a cylindrical portion extending linearly in the height direction. The spring connection section 632 is connected to the lower end of the operating section 631. The spring connection section 632 is a cylindrical portion extending linearly downward from the lower end of the operating section 631. The spring connection section 632 is formed concentrically with the operating section 631 and has a diameter larger than that of the operating section 631. The pair of D-cut surfaces 633 are flat surfaces that face each other and are perpendicular to the X direction, formed by linearly cutting out the outer circumferential surfaces on the +X direction side and the -X direction side of the operating section 631 and the outer circumferential surfaces on the +X direction side and the -X direction side of the upper part of the spring connection section 632 in the height direction. As shown in FIG. 3, in a state in which the multi-directional input device 1 is assembled, the pair of D-cut surfaces 633 are in surface contact with the slit hole 622 of the first rotating member 62a. With this configuration, even if the user applies a twisting operation to the operating shaft 63 so as to rotate it about its axis, the pair of D-cut surfaces 633 engage with the slit holes 622, so that the operating shaft 63 does not rotate.

[0048] Returning to FIG. 12, the pair of first locking surfaces 634 are upper surfaces of the spring connection portion 632 and are flat surfaces perpendicular to the height direction. The pair of first locking surfaces 634 extend linearly from the lower end of the operation portion 631 toward the Y direction. As described above, the arch portion 621 of the second rotating member 62b contacts the pair of first locking surfaces 634 from above. The pair of second locking surfaces 635 are flat surfaces that extend linearly from the lower end of the pair of D-cut surfaces 633 toward the X direction and are perpendicular to the height direction. As described above, the arch portion 621 of the first rotating member 62a contacts the pair of second locking surfaces 635 from above. In this way, the arch portion 621 of the second rotating member 62b contacts a pair of first engagement surfaces 634 from above, and further, the arch portion 621 of the first rotating member 62a contacts a pair of second engagement surfaces 635 from above, thereby regulating the upward displacement of the operating shaft 63.

[0049] The flange portion 636 is a circular ring portion that extends linearly outward at a position below the pair of second locking surfaces 635 on the outer circumferential surface of the spring connection portion 632. The portion of the spring connection portion 632 below the flange portion 636 functions as an attachment portion for attaching the holding mechanism 66. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the press-in hole 637 is a circular recess formed so as to extend upward from the lower surface of the spring connection portion 632. Returning to FIG. 12, the pressing portion 638 has a function of pressing the pressing surface 453 of the pressing member 45 of the push switch 4. The pressing portion 638 is formed of a hard non-magnetic material. The pressing portion 638 includes a shaft portion 6381 that is press-fitted into the press-in hole 637, and a bottom portion 6382 that is formed so as to extend outward from the lower end of the shaft portion 6381.

[0050] The shaft portion 6381 has a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the press-fit hole 637, and is press-fitted into the press-fit hole 637. By press-fitting the shaft portion 6381 into the press-fit hole 637, the pressing portion 638 is attached onto the lower surface of the spring connection portion 632. The bottom portion 6382 is a disk-shaped portion formed so as to extend outward from the lower end of the shaft portion 6381. The upper surface of the bottom portion 6382 is a flat surface perpendicular to the height direction. On the other hand, the lower surface of the bottom portion 6382 (i.e., the lower surface of the operation shaft 63) is a curved surface that protrudes downward. More specifically, the lower surface of the bottom portion 6382 has a spherical shape in which the amount of downward protrusion gradually decreases from the center to the outside. Therefore, the lower surface of the bottom portion 6382 comes into point contact with the pressing surface 453 of the pressing member 45. In addition, since the lower surface of the bottom part 6382 has a spherical shape, when the operating shaft 63 performs a tilting operation, the lower surface of the bottom part 6382 does not slide on the pressing surface 453 of the pressing member 45, and point contact is maintained between the lower surface of the bottom part 6382 and the pressing surface 453. In addition, even when the operating shaft 63 performs a tilting operation, point contact is maintained between the lower surface of the bottom part 6382 and the pressing surface 453 of the pressing member 45. Therefore, even when the operating shaft 63 is in a tilted state, the operating shaft 63 can be displaced downward and press the push switch 4 in response to the user's pressing operation on the operating shaft 63.

[0051] Moreover, the center of rotation in the tilting operation of the operating shaft 63 is located between the upper leaf spring assembly 8a and the lower leaf spring assembly 8b. Furthermore, in the multi-directional input device 1 of the present invention, the lower surface of the bottom part 6382 is formed so that the center (center of curvature) of the spherical curvature circle (contact circle) of the lower surface of the bottom part 6382 is at approximately the same position as the center of rotation in the tilting operation of the operating shaft 63. Therefore, even if the operating shaft 63 is tilted from the upright neutral state, the position in the height direction of the point contact between the lower surface of the bottom part 6382 and the pressing surface 453 of the pressing member 45 does not change. Therefore, the downward displacement amount of the operating shaft 63 required to turn on the push switch 4 when the operating shaft 63 is in the upright neutral state is approximately equal to the downward displacement amount of the operating shaft 63 required to turn on the push switch 4 when the operating shaft 63 is tilted.

[0052] Returning to Fig. 10, the housing cover 65 is a member attached to the upper housing 61 from above. The housing cover 65 is made of a hard non-magnetic material, similar to the upper housing 61. The housing cover 65 includes an upper plate 651, a circular opening 652 formed on the upper plate 651, four wall portions 653 extending downward from the upper plate 651 while being spaced apart from each other, and four cutout portions 654 separating the four wall portions 653 from each other.

[0053] The upper plate 651 is a plate-like portion having an upper surface and a lower surface perpendicular to the height direction. The upper plate 651 has a planar shape corresponding to the upper surface of the upper housing 61. The upper plate 651 is located on the upper side of the upper housing 61, and an upper leaf spring assembly 8a (see FIG. 12) of the holding mechanism 66 described later is sandwiched between the lower surface of the upper plate 651 and the upper surface of the upper housing 61. The opening 652 is formed so as to penetrate the center of the upper plate 651 in the height direction. The four wall portions 653 are curved portions that extend linearly downward from the edge of the lower surface of the upper plate 651 at equal angular intervals of 90 degrees and are spaced apart from each other. The four wall portions 653 are separated from each other by four notches 654. The four wall portions 653 support the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 611 of the upper housing 61 from the outside. Additionally, the four shaft holes 613 of the upper housing 61 are exposed to the outside through the four cutout portions 654. When the housing cover 65 is attached to the upper housing 61, the pair of protruding surfaces 612 of the upper housing 61 are respectively housed in the two cutout portions 654 that face each other in the X direction. The protruding surfaces 612 engage with the cutout portions 654, thereby preventing the housing cover 65 from rotating on the upper housing 61.

[0054] The holding mechanism 66 has a function of elastically holding the operating shaft 63 in an upright neutral state. As shown in Fig. 12, the holding mechanism 66 includes an upper leaf spring assembly 8a, a lower leaf spring assembly 8b that is held spaced apart from the upper leaf spring assembly 8a in the height direction, a cylindrical bush 67 located between the upper leaf spring assembly 8a and the lower leaf spring assembly 8b, an upper rivet 68a that supports the upper leaf spring assembly 8a from above, and a lower rivet 68b that supports the lower leaf spring assembly 8b from below.

[0055] 13, the upper leaf spring assembly 8a includes a plurality of upper leaf springs 9a (two in the illustrated embodiment) held at a distance from one another in the height direction, and an inner spacer 81 and an outer spacer 82 that connect the plurality of upper leaf springs 9a. The plurality of upper leaf springs 9a are made of a non-magnetic spring material such as stainless steel. The plurality of upper leaf springs 9a are held by the inner spacer 81 and the outer spacer 82 so as to be spaced from one another in the height direction and to face one another in parallel.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 14, the upper leaf spring 9a comprises a circular outer frame 91 fixedly held on the top or bottom surface of the upper housing 61, an inner frame 92 located inside the outer frame 91 and having an insertion hole 93, a plurality of spring portions 94 (three in the illustrated form) connecting the outer frame 91 and the inner frame 92, and a plurality of locking portions 95 (three in the illustrated form) formed on the inner surface of the outer frame 91.

[0057] The outer frame 91 is an annular portion having an upper surface and a lower surface perpendicular to the height direction. The outer frame 91 is fixed to the upper housing 61. The inner frame 92 is a disk portion disposed inside the outer frame 91 and concentrically with the outer frame 91. The inner frame 92 has a circular insertion hole 93 formed concentrically with itself. As shown in FIG. 17, a portion of the spring connection portion 632 of the operating shaft 63 that is lower than the flange portion 636 passes through the insertion hole 93. Returning to FIG. 14, the multiple spring portions 94 are portions that connect the outer frame 91 and the inner frame 92 so that the inner frame 92 can be displaced relative to the outer frame 91. Note that the "displacement" referred to here includes a displacement in the height direction and the lateral direction (X direction or Y direction) of the inner frame 92 relative to the outer frame 91, as well as a displacement in the torsional direction in which the inner frame 92 tilts around the X direction or Y direction and the inner frame 92 tilts relative to the outer frame 91.

[0058] The spring portion 94 includes a first connection portion 941 connected to the inner peripheral surface of the outer frame 91, a second connection portion 942 connected to the outer peripheral surface of the inner frame 92, and an arm portion 943 connecting between the first connection portion 941 and the second connection portion 942. The first connection portion 941 is a plate-shaped portion extending in the radial direction of the outer frame 91 and the inner frame 92. One end of the first connection portion 941 is connected to the inner peripheral surface of the outer frame 91, and the other end of the first connection portion 941 is connected to the outer surface of one end of the arm portion 943. The second connection portion 942 is a plate-shaped portion extending in the radial direction of the outer frame 91 and the inner frame 92. One end of the second connection portion 942 is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the inner frame 92, and the other end of the second connection portion 942 is connected to the outer surface of the other end of the arm portion 943.

[0059] The arm portion 943 is a portion extending in an arc shape so as to connect between the first connection portion 941 and the second connection portion 942. The arm portion 943 extends in one of the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction from the first connection portion 941 toward the second connection portion 942. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the multiple arm portions 943 of the upper leaf spring 9a extends in an arc shape in the clockwise direction from the first connection portion 941 toward the second connection portion 942. The multiple arm portions 943 extend in an arc shape in the space between the outer frame 91 and the inner frame 92 so as not to contact each other.

[0060] The arm portion 943 includes a first narrow portion 9431a connected to the first connecting portion 941, a second narrow portion 9431b connected to the second connecting portion 942, and a wide portion 9432 connecting the first narrow portion 9431a and the second narrow portion 9431b. The first narrow portion 9431a, the second narrow portion 9431b, and the wide portion 9432 are formed continuously and extend with the same radius of curvature. The first narrow portion 9431a and the second narrow portion 9431b have the same width (the radial length of the outer frame 91 and the inner frame 92). The wide portion 9432 has a width wider than the widths of the first narrow portion 9431a and the second narrow portion 9431b. One end of the first narrow portion 9431a is connected to the first connecting portion 941, and the other end of the first narrow portion 9431a is connected to the wide portion 9432. One end of the second narrow portion 9431b is connected to the second connecting portion 942, and the other end of the second narrow portion 9431b is connected to the wide portion 9432. When the inner frame 92 is displaced relative to the outer frame 91, the multiple spring portions 94 are elastically deformed, and a spring force acts to return the inner frame 92 to a normal position. In the illustrated embodiment, the number of spring portions 94 of the upper leaf spring 9a is three, but the present invention is not limited to this. An embodiment in which the upper leaf spring 9a has four or more spring portions 94 is also within the scope of the present invention.

[0061] The locking portion 95 is a portion formed on the inner circumferential surface of the outer frame 91 so as to extend in the radial direction of the outer frame 91 and the inner frame 92 from a portion of the first connecting portion 941 adjacent to the opposite side from the arm portion 943. When the upper leaf spring assembly 8a is placed on the top surface of the upper housing 61, the locking portion 95 engages with an upper end portion of a locking piece 614 protruding upward from the main body portion 611 of the upper housing 61, thereby positioning the upper leaf spring assembly 8a on the top surface of the upper housing 61 and preventing it from rotating.

[0062] The multiple upper leaf springs 9a, which are held spaced apart from each other in the height direction and parallel to each other, are arranged so that the first connection portion 941, the second connection portion 942, the multiple arm portions 943, and the locking portion 95 of each spring portion 94 overlap vertically. As a result, when the operating shaft 63 is tilted, the upper and lower arm portions 943 of the multiple upper leaf springs 9a are subjected to the same stress at the same positions and cause the same twisting motion, preventing the upper and lower arm portions 943 from interfering with each other.

[0063] Returning to FIG. 13, the inner spacer 81 and the outer spacer 82 are members that connect the multiple upper leaf springs 9a to integrate the multiple upper leaf springs 9a. The inner spacer 81 is an annular member having an inner diameter and an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter and the outer diameter of the inner frame 92 of the upper leaf spring 9a. The inner spacer 81 has flat upper and lower surfaces that are perpendicular to the height direction. The upper surface of the inner spacer 81 is fixed to the lower surface of the inner frame 92 of the upper upper leaf spring 9a by any fixing means such as an adhesive, and the lower surface of the inner spacer 81 is fixed to the upper surface of the inner frame 92 of the lower upper leaf spring 9a. The outer spacer 82 is an annular member having an inner diameter and an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter and the outer diameter of the outer frame 91 of the upper leaf spring 9a. The outer spacer 82 has flat upper and lower surfaces that are perpendicular to the height direction. By any fixing means such as an adhesive, the upper surface of the outer spacer 82 is fixed onto the lower surface of the outer frame 91 of the upper upper leaf spring 9a, and the lower surface of the outer spacer 82 is fixed onto the upper surface of the outer frame 91 of the lower upper leaf spring 9a. With this configuration, the multiple upper leaf springs 9a are integrated together and function as a single leaf spring.

[0064] Returning to Fig. 12, the lower leaf spring assembly 8b is located below the upper leaf spring assembly 8a and is spaced apart from the upper leaf spring assembly 8a in the height direction. As shown in Fig. 15, the lower leaf spring assembly 8b includes a plurality of (two in the illustrated embodiment) lower leaf springs 9b that are held spaced apart from each other in the height direction, and an inner spacer 81 and an outer spacer 82 that connect the plurality of lower leaf springs 9b. Note that the inner spacer 81 and the outer spacer 82 of the lower leaf spring assembly 8b have the same configuration as the inner spacer 81 and the outer spacer 82 of the upper leaf spring assembly 8a described above, and therefore a description of the inner spacer 81 and the outer spacer 82 of the lower leaf spring assembly 8b will be omitted.

[0065] 16, the lower leaf spring 9b has the same configuration as the upper leaf spring 9a, except for the extending direction of the arm portion 943 of the spring portion 94. Therefore, the differences between the lower leaf spring 9b and the upper leaf spring 9a will be described in detail, and the commonalities between the lower leaf spring 9b and the upper leaf spring 9a will not be described.

[0066] Each of the arm portions 943 of the multiple spring portions 94 of the lower leaf spring 9b extends in the other of the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction from the first connection portion 941 to the second connection portion 942. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the arm portions 943 of the multiple spring portions 94 of the lower leaf spring 9b extends in an arc shape in the counterclockwise direction from the first connection portion 941 to the second connection portion 942. That is, the extension direction of the arm portion 943 of the upper leaf spring 9a and the extension direction of the arm portion 943 of the lower leaf spring 9b are opposite to each other. Therefore, the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b are configured to be symmetrical with each other vertically (front and back). In other words, the upper leaf spring 9a is upside down and provided below the upper housing 61 to form the lower leaf spring 9b.

[0067] 4 and 5, the upper leaf spring assembly 8a is sandwiched between the upper surface of the upper housing 61 and the lower surface of the upper plate 651 of the housing cover 65. This causes the multiple upper leaf springs 9a of the upper leaf spring assembly 8a to be fixedly held to the upper housing 61. On the other hand, the lower leaf spring assembly 8b is held between the lower surface of the upper housing 61 and the upper surface of the main body portion 51 of the lower housing 5. This causes the multiple lower leaf springs 9b of the lower leaf spring assembly 8b to be fixedly held to the upper housing 61.

[0068] Moreover, the upper leaf spring assembly 8a and the lower leaf spring assembly 8b are provided so that, in a plan view from the height direction, the first connection portions 941 of the multiple upper leaf springs 9a overlap the first connection portions 941 of the multiple lower leaf springs 9b, and further, the second connection portions 942 of the multiple upper leaf springs 9a overlap the second connection portions 942 of the multiple lower leaf springs 9b. Therefore, the upper leaf spring assembly 8a and the lower leaf spring assembly 8b are attached to the operating shaft 63 in orientations that are completely symmetrical to each other vertically (front and back).

[0069] In the illustrated embodiment, the outer frame 91 of each of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b has a circular ring shape, but the present invention is not limited to this, and can be appropriately changed according to the shape of the main body 51 of the lower housing 5 and the main body 611 of the upper housing 61. For example, an embodiment in which the outer frame 91 of each of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b has an elliptical ring shape or a polygonal ring shape is also within the scope of the present invention. In addition, the number of spring parts 94 of each of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b is not particularly limited as long as it is three or more, and it is sufficient that the inner frame 92 is connected to the outer frame 91 so that the inner frame 92 can be displaced relative to the outer frame 91. An embodiment in which each of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b has four, five, or more spring parts 94 is also within the scope of the present invention.

[0070] As is clear from FIG. 14 and FIG. 16, each of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b has a rotationally asymmetric shape in a plan view from the height direction. Therefore, the rigidity of each of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b has anisotropy. For example, the lateral rigidity of the upper leaf spring 9a when the inner frame 92 of the upper leaf spring 9a is displaced in the +X direction is different from the lateral rigidity of the upper leaf spring 9a when the inner frame 92 is displaced in the -X direction. In the multi-directional input device 1 of the present invention, the upper leaf spring assembly 8a and the lower leaf spring assembly 8b are attached to the operating shaft 63 in a position that is completely symmetrical with each other vertically (front and back). Therefore, the anisotropy of the rigidity of the upper leaf spring 9a and the anisotropy of the rigidity of the lower leaf spring 9b are offset. As a result, the rigidity of the holding mechanism 66 obtained by combining the rigidity of the multiple upper leaf springs 9a and the rigidity of the multiple lower leaf springs 9b does not have anisotropy. Therefore, the reaction force against the tilting operation on the operating axis 63 elastically held by the holding mechanism 66 is not anisotropic, making the multi-directional input device 1 preferable as a joystick used in a controller for a game device.

[0071] In addition, when a straight line is drawn from the center of the inner frame 92 toward an arbitrary point on the inner peripheral surface of the outer frame 91 in a plan view from the height direction of each of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b, along the radial direction of the inner frame 92, the straight line necessarily includes at least one arm portion 943 and two spaces located on the outer side and inner side of the at least one arm portion 943, respectively, in which no components (such as the arm portion 943) of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b are present. The two spaces located on the outer side and inner side of the at least one arm portion 943, respectively, enable elastic buckling (elastic curvature) of the at least one arm portion 943 in the height direction. Therefore, the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b can be configured so that the torsional rigidity against the displacement in the torsional direction in which the inner frame 92 is tilted relative to the outer frame 91 and the lateral rigidity against the lateral displacement of the inner frame 92 relative to the outer frame 91 are significantly different. More specifically, each of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b is configured so that the torsional stiffness is significantly smaller than the lateral stiffness.

[0072] Furthermore, the vertical stiffness of each of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b against the displacement of the inner frame 92 in the height direction relative to the outer frame 91 is determined by the shape (length and width) of the arm portion 943. Due to the shapes of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b shown in Figures 14 and 16, the vertical stiffness of each of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b is significantly smaller than the torsional stiffness and lateral stiffness. Therefore, each of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b is configured so that the vertical stiffness is significantly smaller than the torsional stiffness and lateral stiffness.

[0073] In addition, the operating shaft assembly 6 of this embodiment is provided on the upper surface of the main body 51 of the lower housing 5 so that the outer frames 91 of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b are positioned lower than the inner frames 92 when the operating shaft 63 is in a neutral state. With this configuration, a downward pretension is applied to the operating shaft 63 when the operating shaft 63 is in a neutral state. In this way, when the operating shaft 63 is in a neutral state, a downward pretension is applied to the operating shaft 63, so that the rattle of the operating shaft 63 is suppressed. Therefore, when the operating shaft 63 performs a tilting operation, friction between the lower surface of the bottom 6382 and the pressing surface 453 is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the friction between the lower surface of the bottom 6382 and the pressing surface 453 from affecting the tilting operation of the operating shaft 63. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent wear of the operating shaft 63 and the pressing member 45, so that the product life of the multi-directional input device 1 can be extended.

[0074] 4 and 5, when the operating shaft 63 is held in a neutral state, the lower surface of the bottom 6382 is in contact with the pressing surface 453 of the pressing member 45. As described above, the multi-directional input device 1 is configured so that a downward pretension is applied to the operating shaft 63, and therefore the normal position of the operating shaft 63 in the height direction is determined by the balance between the downward pretension on the operating shaft 63 and the sum of the upward repulsive force from the pressing member 45 on the operating shaft 63 and the upward elastic restoring force of the holding mechanism 66.

[0075] Furthermore, when the operating shaft 63 is in a neutral state, the outer frame 91 of the multiple upper leaf springs 9a faces the outer frame 91 of the multiple lower leaf springs 9b in parallel, and the inner frame 92 of the multiple upper leaf springs 9a faces the inner frame 92 of the multiple lower leaf springs 9b in parallel. Therefore, the multiple upper leaf springs 9a and the multiple lower leaf springs 9b face each other in parallel.

[0076] Returning to FIG. 12, the bush 67 is a cylindrical member made of a hard non-magnetic material. The bush 67 has an inner diameter and an outer diameter that are approximately equal to the inner diameter and the outer diameter of the inner frame 92 of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b, respectively. The bush 67 is located between the upper leaf spring assembly 8a and the lower leaf spring assembly 8b. The upper surface of the bush 67 contacts the lower surface of the inner frame 92 of the upper leaf spring 9a below the upper leaf spring assembly 8a, and further, the lower surface of the bush 67 contacts the upper surface of the inner frame 92 of the lower leaf spring 9b above the lower leaf spring assembly 8b. Therefore, the upper leaf spring assembly 8a and the lower leaf spring assembly 8b are connected to the operating shaft 63 in a state where they are separated in the height direction by the height of the bush 67.

[0077] The upper rivet 68a and the lower rivet 68b have the same configuration, except that they are attached to the operating shaft 63 in different positions. Therefore, the configuration of the upper rivet 68a will be described in detail as a representative example. The upper rivet 68a is a member formed of a hard non-magnetic material. The upper rivet 68a has a cylindrical portion 681 extending in the height direction and a flange portion 682 extending linearly outward from the upper end of the cylindrical portion 681 (the lower end in the case of the lower rivet 68b). The cylindrical portion 681 has an inner diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the spring connection portion 632 of the operating shaft 63, and an outer diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the bush 67. The flange portion 682 has an outer diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the flange portion 636 of the operating shaft 63.

[0078] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional perspective view for explaining a state in which the operating shaft 63 is held by the holding mechanism 66 having the above-mentioned configuration. For the sake of simplicity, only the operating shaft 63 and the holding mechanism 66 are shown in FIG. 17. As shown in FIG. 17, the portion of the spring connection part 632 of the operating shaft 63 below the flange part 636 is inserted through the cylindrical parts 681 of the upper rivet 68a and the lower rivet 68b. The flange part 682 of the upper rivet 68a is supported from above by the flange part 636. The flange part 682 of the lower rivet 68b is supported from below by the bottom part 6382 of the pressing part 638 pressed into the press-fit hole 637 of the operating shaft 63. Furthermore, the cylindrical parts 681 of the upper rivet 68a and the lower rivet 68b are inserted into the insertion holes 93 of the upper leaf springs 9a or the lower leaf springs 9b and the opening of the bush 67. The inner frame 92 of the multiple upper leaf springs 9a is sandwiched between the lower surface of the flange portion 682 of the upper rivet 68a and the upper surface of the bush 67. The inner frame 92 of the multiple lower leaf springs 9b is sandwiched between the upper surface of the flange portion 682 of the lower rivet 68b and the lower surface of the bush 67.

[0079] In this manner, the spring connection portion 632 of the operating shaft 63 is connected to the inner frames 92 of the upper leaf springs 9a and the lower leaf springs 9b via the upper rivets 68a and the lower rivets 68b in a state in which the spring connection portion 632 is inserted through the insertion holes 93 of the upper leaf springs 9a and the lower leaf springs 9b. With this configuration, the operating shaft 63 can be elastically held by the upper leaf springs 9a and the lower leaf springs 9b.

[0080] As described above, the outer frame 91 of the multiple upper leaf springs 9a and the multiple lower leaf springs 9b is fixed to the upper housing 61, and the inner frame 92 and the multiple spring parts 94 of the two upper leaf springs 9a and the multiple lower leaf springs 9b are suspended by the upper housing 61. With this configuration, the inner frame 92 of each of the multiple upper leaf springs 9a and the multiple lower leaf springs 9b can perform displacement in the height direction, displacement in the lateral direction (X direction or Y direction), and displacement in the torsional direction in which the inner frame 92 tilts relative to the outer frame 91 by tilting about the X direction or Y direction. Therefore, the holding mechanism 66 has vertical rigidity against displacement of the operating shaft 63 in the height direction, lateral rigidity against displacement of the operating shaft 63 in the lateral direction, and torsional rigidity against displacement of the operating shaft 63 in the torsional direction. In the multi-directional input device 1 of the present invention, the holding mechanism 66 is configured so that the lateral rigidity and the torsional rigidity related to the tilting operation of the operating shaft 63 are significantly different from each other. More specifically, the holding mechanism 66 is configured so that the lateral rigidity is greater than the torsional rigidity.

[0081] The lateral rigidity of the retaining mechanism 66 increases with an increase in either the width of the arm portion 943 of the spring portion 94 of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b or the heightwise separation distance between the upper leaf spring assembly 8a and the lower leaf spring assembly 8b (i.e., the height of the bushing 67). On the other hand, the torsional rigidity of the retaining mechanism 66 increases with an increase in the thickness of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b. Therefore, the balance between the lateral rigidity and the torsional rigidity of the retaining mechanism 66 can be adjusted by adjusting the width of the arm portion 943 of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b, the heightwise separation distance between the upper leaf spring assembly 8a and the lower leaf spring assembly 8b, and the thickness of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b.

[0082] The wide portion 9432 of the arm portion 943 of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b described above is formed to adjust the lateral rigidity of the holding mechanism 66. Therefore, the balance between the lateral rigidity and the torsional rigidity can be adjusted by changing the shape of the wide portion 9432. The balance between the lateral rigidity and the torsional rigidity of the holding mechanism 66 can be adjusted by adjusting the number of the upper leaf springs 9a and the lower leaf springs 9b. When the number of the upper leaf springs 9a and the lower leaf springs 9b increases, the lateral rigidity of the holding mechanism 66 becomes larger relative to the torsional rigidity. Therefore, the number of the upper leaf springs 9a of the upper leaf spring assembly 8a and the number of the lower leaf springs 9b of the lower leaf spring assembly 8b can be appropriately changed as necessary. For example, an embodiment in which the number of the upper leaf spring 9a of the upper leaf spring assembly 8a is one and the number of the lower leaf spring 9b of the lower leaf spring assembly 8b is one is also within the scope of the present invention. In this case, the inner spacer 81 and the outer spacer 82 of the upper leaf spring assembly 8a and the lower leaf spring assembly 8b, respectively, are omitted.

[0083] As another example, the present invention also includes an embodiment in which the number of upper leaf springs 9a in the upper leaf spring assembly 8a is three, and the number of lower leaf springs 9b in the lower leaf spring assembly 8b is three. In this case, the upper leaf spring 9a located between the uppermost upper leaf spring 9a and the lowermost upper leaf spring 9a functions as a balancer that corrects the non-uniformity between the stiffness (vertical stiffness, lateral stiffness, torsional stiffness) of the uppermost upper leaf spring 9a and the stiffness of the lowermost upper leaf spring 9a, and balances between the uppermost upper leaf spring 9a and the lowermost upper leaf spring 9a. Similarly, the lower leaf spring 9b located between the uppermost lower leaf spring 9b and the lowermost lower leaf spring 9b functions as a balancer that corrects the non-uniformity between the stiffness of the uppermost lower leaf spring 9b and the stiffness of the lowermost lower leaf spring 9b, and balances between the uppermost lower leaf spring 9b and the lowermost lower leaf spring 9b.

[0084] When the operating axis 63 executes a tilting operation in response to a tilting operation applied by the user, the operating axis 63 is displaced in the lateral direction and in the torsional direction. Therefore, the reaction force against the tilting operation of the operating axis 63 is the sum of the reaction force against the displacement of the operating axis 63 in the lateral direction and the reaction force against the displacement of the operating axis 63 in the torsional direction. FIG. 18 shows a dynamic model of the displacement of the operating axis 63 in the lateral direction and the dynamic model of the displacement of the operating axis 63 in the torsional direction. The equation of motion for the displacement in the lateral direction and the displacement in the torsional direction shown in FIG. 18 can be expressed by the following formula (1). In the following formula (1), F is the force [N] applied to the operating axis 63, m is the weight [g] of the operating axis 63, x is the amount of displacement [m] of the operating axis 63, t is time [s], k ... t is the force [N] applied to the operating axis 63, t is the force [N] applied to the operating axis 63, t is the force [N] applied to the operating axis 63, t is the force [N] applied to the operating axis 63, t is the force sp is the lateral or torsional spring constant of the retention mechanism 66 [N / m].

[0085]

number

[0086] As described above, the holding mechanism 66 is configured so that its lateral rigidity is greater than its torsional rigidity. Therefore, the spring constant k in the lateral direction in FIG. 18 is smaller than the spring constant k in the torsional direction. T Since the spring constant k in the lateral direction is large, when the operating axis 63 is tilted, in the region where the operating axis 63 is mainly displaced in the lateral direction, the increase in the reaction force according to the increase in the tilt angle of the operating axis 63 becomes large. On the other hand, the spring constant k in the torsional direction T is smaller than the lateral spring constant k, so in a region where the displacement of the operating shaft 63 in the torsional direction is predominant, the increase in reaction force in response to an increase in the tilt angle of the operating shaft 63 becomes small.

[0087] 19 and 20 are diagrams showing stress distributions in the spring parts 94 of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b when the user applies a tilt operation to the operating axis 63. FIG. 19 shows the stress distributions in the spring parts 94 of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b in the initial state of the tilt operation where the tilt angle of the operating axis 63 is small. FIG. 20 shows the stress distributions in the spring parts 94 of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b in the second state of the tilt operation where the tilt angle of the operating axis 63 is greater than a predetermined value. In FIG. 19 and FIG. 20, the stresses are shown by grayscale bars normalized so that the maximum value of the stress generated in the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b is 1.

[0088] In the initial state shown in FIG. 19, where the tilt angle of the operating shaft 63 is small, the inner frame 92 of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b is displaced in the lateral direction. On the other hand, the inner frame 92 of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b is hardly displaced in the torsional direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 19, in the initial state, a strong compressive stress is generated in the inner portion of the spring portion 94, and further, a strong tensile stress is generated in the outer portion of the spring portion 94. Therefore, in the initial state, the operating shaft 63 is mainly displaced in the lateral direction. As a result, in the initial state, the increase in the reaction force according to the increase in the tilt angle of the operating shaft 63 becomes large.

[0089] Thereafter, when the tilt angle of the operating shaft 63 increases, it transitions to the second state shown in FIG. 20. In the second state, the spring parts 94 of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b elastically buckle (elastically curve). Therefore, in the second state, the inner frame 92 of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b hardly further displaces in the lateral direction. Meanwhile, the inner frame 92 is displaced in the torsional direction due to the elastic buckling of the spring parts 94. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 20, in the second state, a buckling (bending) stress is generated in the spring parts 94. Meanwhile, the compressive stress and tensile stress generated in the initial state are hardly generated in the spring parts 94. Therefore, in the second state, the displacement of the operating shaft 63 mainly occurs in the torsional direction. As a result, in the second state, the increase in the reaction force according to the increase in the tilt angle of the operating shaft 63 is relatively small.

[0090] FIG. 21 is a graph showing the reaction force characteristics against the tilt operation of the operation axis 63. In the graph of FIG. 21, the horizontal axis represents the tilt angle of the operation axis 63, and the vertical axis represents the reaction force against the tilt operation of the operation axis 63. As shown in FIG. 21, in the initial state, the reaction force increases rapidly as the tilt angle of the operation axis 63 increases. After that, when the tilt angle of the operation axis 63 exceeds a certain value and transitions from the initial state to the second state, the increase in the reaction force against the increase in the tilt angle of the operation axis 63 suddenly becomes gentler. As described in the prior art section, such nonlinear reaction force characteristics are particularly useful when the multidirectional input device 1 is used in a handheld controller of a game machine.

[0091] 6, the detection mechanism 7 has a function of detecting the respective rotation angles of the first rotation member 62a and the second rotation member 62b. The detection mechanism 7 has two magnetic sensors 71 provided on the substrate 3, and two magnet assemblies 72 provided on the first rotation member 62a and the second rotation member 62b, respectively, so as to face the two magnetic sensors 71 when the operating shaft 63 is held in a neutral state.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, each of the two magnet assemblies 72 has a magnet 721 that faces the corresponding magnetic sensor 71 when the operating shaft 63 is held in a neutral state. One of the magnet assemblies 72 is attached to the bearing portion 626 of the first rotating member 62a. Similarly, the other magnet assembly 72 is attached to the bearing portion 626 of the second rotating member 62b. When the first rotating member 62a rotates, the positional relationship between the magnet 721 of the magnet assembly 72 attached to the first rotating member 62a and the corresponding magnetic sensor 71 changes. This allows the corresponding magnetic sensor 71 to detect the rotation angle of the first rotating member 62a. Similarly, when the second rotating member 62b rotates, the positional relationship between the magnet 721 of the magnet assembly 72 attached to the second rotating member 62b and the corresponding magnetic sensor 71 changes. This allows the corresponding magnetic sensor 71 to detect the rotation angle of the second rotating member 62b.

[0093] As described above, in the multi-directional input device 1 of the present invention, the holding mechanism 66 that elastically holds the operation axis 63 in a neutral state is formed using the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b, thereby providing a nonlinear reaction force characteristic that is useful when the multi-directional input device 1 is used as a handheld controller for a game machine. Also, as described above, the inner frame 92 and the multiple spring parts 94 of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b are suspended by the upper housing 61. Therefore, when the operation axis 63 performs a tilting operation, the inner frame 92 and the multiple spring parts 94 do not slide on other members in the upper housing 61. Therefore, even if the tilting operation is repeatedly applied to the operation axis 63, the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b do not wear out, and the product life of the multi-directional input device 1 can be significantly extended. In addition, since the inner frame 92 and the spring parts 94 do not slide on other members during the return motion of the operating shaft 63, no frictional force is generated that prevents the operating shaft 63 from returning to the neutral state. Therefore, the hysteresis of the multi-directional input device 1 can be reduced.

[0094] In the multi-directional input device 1 of the present invention, the extending direction of the arm portion 943 of the upper leaf spring 9a and the extending direction of the arm portion 943 of the lower leaf spring 9b are opposite to each other. Therefore, the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b are configured and arranged symmetrically from top to bottom (front to back). Therefore, the anisotropy of the rigidity of the upper leaf spring 9a and the anisotropy of the rigidity of the lower leaf spring 9b are offset. As a result, the rigidity of the holding mechanism 66 obtained by combining the rigidity of the multiple upper leaf springs 9a and the rigidity of the multiple lower leaf springs 9b does not have anisotropy. Therefore, the reaction force against the tilting operation on the operating shaft 63 elastically held by the holding mechanism 66 does not have anisotropy, and the multi-directional input device 1 can be preferably used as a joystick used in a controller of a game device.

[0095] In the multi-directional input device 1 of the present invention, the operating shaft 63 is elastically held by the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b so as to be displaceable in the height direction. Therefore, the operating shaft 63 can be displaced downward and the push switch 4 can be pressed in response to a pressing operation applied to the operating shaft 63 by the user. Therefore, the multi-directional input device 1 can receive not only the user's tilting operation on the operating shaft 63 but also the user's pressing operation on the operating shaft 63. As described above, the vertical rigidity of each of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b is configured to be significantly smaller than the torsional rigidity and lateral rigidity. Therefore, the reaction force against the pressing operation on the operating shaft 63 is mainly determined by the rigidity of the movable contact 43 of the push switch 4.

[0096] Furthermore, in the multi-directional input device 1 of the present invention, when a straight line is drawn from the center of the inner frame 92 toward an arbitrary point on the inner peripheral surface of the outer frame 91 in a plan view from the height direction of each of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b, the straight line necessarily contains at least one arm portion 943 and two spaces located respectively on the outside and inside of the at least one arm portion 943 and in which no components (such as the arm portion 943) of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b are present. The two spaces located respectively on the outside and inside of the at least one arm portion 943 enable elastic buckling (elastic bending) of the at least one arm portion 943 in the height direction. Therefore, the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b can be configured so that the torsional rigidity against torsional displacement in which the inner frame 92 tilts relative to the outer frame 91 is significantly smaller than the lateral rigidity against lateral displacement of the inner frame 92 relative to the outer frame 91.

[0097] Furthermore, in the multi-directional input device 1 of the present invention, the inner frames 92 of the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b are connected to the spring connection portion 632 of the operating shaft 63 in a state in which they are spaced apart from each other in the height direction. In this way, by forming the holding mechanism 66 with the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b, which have significantly different torsional rigidity and lateral rigidity and are spaced apart from each other in the height direction, it is possible to make the lateral rigidity of the holding mechanism 66 greater than the torsional rigidity. As a result, it is possible to make the reaction force characteristics against the tilting operation of the operating shaft 63 preferable for a joystick used in a controller for a game device.

[0098] In the multi-directional input device 1 of the present invention, the upper housing 61 is provided between the outer frame 91 of the upper leaf spring 9a and the outer frame 91 of the lower leaf spring 9b, and the bush 67 is provided between the inner frame 92 of the upper leaf spring 9a and the inner frame 92 of the lower leaf spring 9b. Therefore, the outer frame 91 of the upper leaf spring 9a faces the outer frame 91 of the lower leaf spring 9b in parallel, and the inner frame 92 of the upper leaf spring 9a faces the inner frame 92 of the lower leaf spring 9b in parallel. Therefore, the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b face each other in parallel. With this configuration, the separation distance between the upper leaf spring 9a and the lower leaf spring 9b can be kept constant, and the reaction force characteristics against the tilting operation of the operating shaft 63 can be stabilized.

[0099] In the multi-directional input device 1 of the present invention, the center of rotation during the tilting operation of the operating shaft 63 is located between the upper leaf spring assembly 8a and the lower leaf spring assembly 8b. Furthermore, the lower surface of the bottom part 6382 is formed so that the center of curvature radius of the spherical shape of the lower surface of the bottom part 6382 is located at approximately the same position as the center of rotation during the tilting operation of the operating shaft 63. Therefore, even if the operating shaft 63 is tilted from the upright neutral state, the position in the height direction of the point contact between the lower surface of the bottom part 6382 and the pressing surface 453 of the pressing member 45 does not change.

[0100] Although the multi-directional input device of the present invention has been described above based on the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto. Each component of the embodiment of the present invention can be replaced with any component that can exert a similar function, or any component can be added to each component of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0101] A person skilled in the art in the field and technology to which the present invention pertains would be able to modify the configuration of the multi-directional input device of each of the described embodiments of the present invention without significantly departing from the principles, concepts, and scope of the present invention, and a multi-directional input device having a modified configuration is also within the scope of the present invention.

[0102] 3 to 17 are merely examples for the purpose of explanation, and the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. Within the scope of the principles and intent of the present invention, any embodiment in which any component is added or combined, or any component is deleted, is also within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1...Multi-directional input device 2L...Lower cover 21...Bottom plate 22...Through hole 23...Lower cover piece 2U...Upper cover 24...Upper plate 25...Opening 26...Wall portion 27...Upper cover piece 3...Substrate 31...Terminal pin 4...Push switch 41...Central contact 42...Outer contact 43...Moving contact 431...Central movable portion 432...Outer edge portion 44...Elastic member 45...Pressing member 451...Main body portion 452...Tapered portion 453...Pressing surface 454...Flange portion 455...Receiving groove 456...Circular recess 457...Pressing protrusion 5...Lower housing 51...Main body portion 511...Tapered surface 512...Circular arc surface 513...Abutment surface 514...Notch portion 52...First circular recess 53...Second circular recess 54...insertion hole 55...locking portion 56a...storage portion 56b...storage portion 57...relief portion 6...operation shaft assembly 61...upper housing 611...main body portion 612...projecting surface 613...shaft hole 614...locking piece 62a...first rotating member 62b...second rotating member 621...arch portion 622...slit hole 623...horizontal extension portion 624...downward extension portion 625...shaft hole 626...bearing portion 63...operation shaft 631...operation portion 632...spring connection portion 633...D-cut surface 634...first locking surface 635...second locking surface 636...flange portion 637...press-fit hole 638...pressing portion 6381...shaft portion 6382...bottom portion 64a...shaft member 64b...shaft member 65...housing cover 651...upper plate 652...opening 653...wall portion 654...notch portion 66...retaining mechanism 67...bush 68a...upper rivet 68b...lower rivet 681...cylindrical portion 682...flange portion 7...detection mechanism 71...magnetic sensor 72...magnet assembly 721...magnet 8a...upper leaf spring assembly 8b...lower leaf spring assembly 81...inner spacer 82...outer spacer 9a...upper leaf spring 9b...lower leaf spring 91...outer frame 92...inner frame 93...through hole 94...spring portion 941...first connecting portion 942...second connecting portion 943...arm portion 9431a...first narrow portion 9431b...second narrow portion 9432...wide portion 95: locking portion 500: multi-directional input device 510: bottom plate 510a: part mounting portion 510b: protrusion 520: housing 530: first rotating member 531: slit hole 540: second rotating member 541: slit hole 550: operation shaft 560: actuation member561...base portion 562...boss portion 563...arc portion 570...coil spring 580...sensor 590...push switch k...spring constant k T …Spring constant

Claims

1. Housing and a first rotating member having a first slit hole and held by the housing so as to be rotatable about a first axial direction; a second rotating member having a second slit hole and held by the housing so as to be rotatable about a second axial direction perpendicular to the first axial direction; an operation shaft that is inserted through the first slit hole and the second slit hole and rotates the first rotating member and the second rotating member in response to a tilt operation applied by a user; a holding mechanism that is held by the housing and that elastically holds the operating shaft in a neutral state; a detection mechanism for detecting a rotation angle of each of the first rotation member and the second rotation member, the holding mechanism includes an upper leaf spring and a lower leaf spring fixedly held in the housing so as to face each other and be spaced apart from each other in a height direction; each of the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring includes an outer frame fixedly held by the housing, an inner frame located inside the outer frame and having an insertion hole, and a plurality of spring portions connecting the outer frame and the inner frame such that the inner frame is displaceable relative to the outer frame; the operating shaft is elastically held by the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring, The equations of motion of the lateral displacement of the operation axis and the torsional displacement of the operation axis in the tilting operation of the operation axis, which is executed in response to the tilting operation applied by the user, are expressed by the following formula (1): In the formula (1), F is the force applied to the operating shaft, m is the weight of the operating shaft, x is the displacement of the operating shaft, t is time, k ｓｐ is a spring constant of the holding mechanism.

2. Each of the plurality of spring portions of the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring includes: A first connection portion connected to the outer frame; A second connection portion connected to the inner frame; The multi-directional input device according to claim 1 , further comprising an arm portion extending in an arc shape so as to connect between the first connection portion and the second connection portion.

3. the arm portion of each of the plurality of spring portions of the upper leaf spring extends in an arc shape in one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction from the first connection portion to the second connection portion in a plan view from the height direction, 3. The multi-directional input device according to claim 2, wherein the arm portion of each of the plurality of spring portions of the lower leaf spring extends in an arc shape in the other of the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction from the first connection portion to the second connection portion when viewed in the planar view from the height direction.

4. The arm portion is a first narrow portion connected to the first connection portion; a second narrow portion connected to the second connection portion; 3. The multi-directional input device according to claim 2, further comprising a wide portion connecting the first narrow portion and the second narrow portion and having a width greater than that of the first narrow portion and the second narrow portion.

5. 3. The multi-directional input device according to claim 2, wherein each of the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring further includes a locking portion formed on an inner peripheral surface of the outer frame and protruding in a radial direction of the outer frame from a portion adjacent to the first connection portion.

6. The multi-directional input device according to claim 2 , wherein the arm portions of the plurality of spring portions extend within the space between the outer frame and the inner frame so as not to come into contact with each other.

7. 3. The multi-directional input device according to claim 2, wherein the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring are disposed such that, in a planar view from the height direction, the first connection portion of the upper leaf spring overlaps with the first connection portion of the lower leaf spring, and further, the second connection portion of the upper leaf spring overlaps with the second connection portion of the lower leaf spring.

8. The multi-directional input device according to claim 2 , wherein the number of the plurality of spring portions of each of the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring is three or more.

9. 2. The multi-directional input device according to claim 1, wherein the upper leaf spring and the lower leaf spring are configured to be vertically symmetrical with each other.

10. the holding mechanism includes a plurality of the upper leaf springs opposed to each other and spaced apart in the height direction, and a plurality of the lower leaf springs opposed to each other and spaced apart in the height direction, The upper leaf springs are parallel to each other and face each other, The multi-directional input device according to claim 1 , wherein the lower leaf springs are arranged parallel to and facing each other.

11. The holding mechanism includes: a spacer positioned between the upper leaf springs and holding the upper leaf springs spaced apart from each other in the height direction; The multi-directional input device according to claim 10 , further comprising: a spacer positioned between the plurality of lower leaf springs and holding the plurality of lower leaf springs spaced apart from each other in the height direction.

Images