Input device, game controller, and information processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a technique for restricting motion of an operation member.SOLUTION: A controller includes a housing having an opening, and an operation member partially exposed from the opening. The operation member includes a key top exposed from the opening and operated by a user, an axial part extended downward from the key top, and a projection part projecting from the axial part. In the housing, a seating is arranged with which the projecting part of the operation member comes in contact when the operation member is inclined. The projecting part in contact with the seating restricts inclination of the operation member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an input device, a game controller, and an information processing device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a game controller having a multi-directional input unit. For example, the controller described in Patent Document 1 includes an analog stick as a multi-directional input unit, and the analog stick is exposed from an opening provided in the housing of the controller and is operated by a user.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above prior art, when the multi-directional input unit is operated, the shaft portion of the multi-directional input unit contacts the housing, so that the movement of the multi-directional input unit is restricted.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a new method for restricting the movement of an operating member.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following configuration.

[0007] An example of the present invention is an input device including a housing having an opening and an operation member partially exposed from the opening and movable in the peripheral direction of the opening. The operation member has a key top exposed from the opening and operated by a user, a shaft portion extending downward from the key top, and a protruding portion protruding from the shaft portion. The input device further includes a contacted portion. The contacted portion is provided inside the housing and is contacted by the protruding portion when the operation member moves in the peripheral direction of the opening.

[0008] According to the above, when the operation member moves in the peripheral direction of the opening, the movement of the operation member is restricted by the contact of the protruding portion of the operation member with the contacted portion inside the housing.

[0009] In another configuration, the protruding portion may protrude in a direction away from the center of the shaft portion and downward.

[0010] In another configuration, when the operation member moves in the peripheral direction of the opening, the tip of the protruding portion may contact the contacted portion.

[0011] In another configuration, the tip of the protruding portion may have a rounded shape.

[0012] In another configuration, the contacted portion may be made of a material having a lower coefficient of friction than at least the peripheral portion of the opening of the housing.

[0013] In another configuration, when the operation member moves in the peripheral direction of the opening, the protruding portion may contact the contacted portion without the shaft portion contacting the housing.

[0014] In another configuration, when the operation member moves in the peripheral direction of the opening, the protruding portion may contact the contacted portion before the shaft portion contacts the housing.

[0015] In another configuration, the contacted portion may include a contact surface with which the protruding portion contacts and a wall portion extending upward from the contact surface.

[0016] In another configuration, the wall portion may be provided at an end portion on the center side of the shaft portion in the contact surface.

[0017] In another configuration, when the operation member moves in an arbitrary circumferential direction of the opening, the protruding portion may contact the contacted portion.

[0018] In another configuration, a portion of the protruding portion that contacts the contacted portion may be circular, and a portion of the contacted portion that contacts the protruding portion may be circular.

[0019] In another configuration, a cushioning material may be provided at a portion where the protruding portion and the contacted portion contact each other.

[0020] In another configuration, the difference between the length of the portion of the protruding portion that contacts the contacted portion and the length of the portion of the contacted portion that contacts the protruding portion may be smaller than the difference between the circumferential length of the shaft portion and the circumferential length of the opening.

[0021] In another configuration, it may be a game controller including the operation member and the contacted portion. In another configuration, it may be an information processing apparatus including the input device.

Advantages of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, the movement of the operation member can be restricted by an unprecedented method.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8A

Figure 8B

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19

Figure 20

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a game controller 1 (an example of an input device) according to an embodiment will be described. The game controller 1 of the present embodiment is connected wirelessly or wired to a game device (not shown) and is used to perform operations of a game performed on the game device. Note that the game device to which the game controller 1 is connected may be a portable game device or a stationary game device. Further, the game controller 1 is not limited to a game device and may be connected to an information processing device such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer and used for operating a game performed using the information processing device.

[0025] FIG. 1 is an example of an external view of the game controller 1. (a) in FIG. 1 is a front view of the game controller 1. (b) in FIG. 1 is a left side view of the game controller 1. (c) in FIG. 1 is a right side view of the game controller 1. (d) in FIG. 1 is a top view of the game controller 1. (e) in FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the game controller 1. (f) in FIG. 1 is a rear view of the game controller 1. The xyz coordinate system in FIG. 1 is a coordinate system based on the game controller 1. The direction perpendicular to the front surface of the game controller 1 (for example, the pressing direction of the button 2) is defined as the z-axis direction, the left-right direction of the game controller 1 (for example, the direction connecting the A button 2 and the Y button 2) is defined as the x-axis direction, and the up-down direction of the game controller 1 (for example, the direction connecting the B button 2 and the X button 2) is defined as the y-axis direction.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the game controller 1 includes a first housing 10 on the front side of the game controller 1 and a second housing 20 on the back side of the game controller 1. When the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are connected, the housing of the game controller 1 is formed. The first housing 10 and the second housing 20 may be formed of, for example, ABS resin, polycarbonate ABS resin, acrylic ABS resin, or the like, or may be formed of a polymer alloy containing at least two of these three materials. Further, the game controller 1 has a left grip portion 8a and a right grip portion 8b.

[0027] Also, as shown in FIG. 1, four buttons (A button, B button, X button, Y button) 2 are provided in the right region on the front surface of the game controller 1. Further, four buttons ("+" button, "-" button, home button, capture button) 3 are provided to the left of the four buttons 2. Also, a right analog stick 4b is provided diagonally downward to the left of the Y button 2 in the right region on the front surface of the game controller 1.

[0028] Also, a left analog stick 4a is arranged to the left of the "-" button 3 in the left region on the front surface of the game controller 1. Further, a cross key 5 is arranged diagonally downward to the right of the left analog stick 4a in the left region on the front surface of the game controller 1.

[0029] Also, as shown in FIG. 1(d), an L button 6a, a ZL button 7a, an R button 6b, and a ZR button 7b are provided on the upper surface of the game controller 1. Specifically, the L button 6a is provided at the left end on the upper surface of the game controller 1. The ZL button 7a is provided on the back side (z-axis positive direction side) of the game controller 1 with respect to the L button 6a. Also, the R button 6b is provided at the right end on the upper surface of the game controller 1. The ZR button 7b is provided on the back side (z-axis positive direction side) of the game controller 1 with respect to the R button 6b.

[0030] The four buttons 2 are buttons that can be pressed in the depth direction (positive z-axis direction) in Fig. 1(a), and are buttons used for game operations. Also, the four buttons 3 are buttons that can be pressed in the positive z-axis direction. Also, the cross key 5 is a device that indicates the up, down, left, and right directions.

[0031] Also, the left analog stick 4a and the right analog stick 4b are devices that indicate directions, and the key tops operated by the user's finger can be tilted in any direction (any angle in the up, down, left, right, and diagonal directions). The left analog stick 4a and the right analog stick 4b may be configured to be pressable in the positive z-axis direction. Hereinafter, the left analog stick 4a and the right analog stick 4b may be collectively referred to as the "analog stick 4". The analog stick 4 outputs a signal including information on the tilted direction and information on the tilt angle, and the game device can execute game processing based on this signal. Details of the analog stick 4 will be described later.

[0032] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing how the user holds the game controller 1 with both hands. As shown in Fig. 2, when the user holds the grip portion 8a with the left hand and the grip portion 8b with the right hand, the left analog stick 4a and the cross key 5 can be operated with the thumb of the left hand. Also, the user can operate the two buttons 3 ("-" button and capture button) with the thumb of the left hand. Also, the user can operate the L button 6a and the ZL button 7a with the index finger (or middle finger) of the left hand. Also, the user can operate the four buttons 2 (A button, B button, X button, Y button), the right analog stick 4b, and the two buttons 3 ("+" button, home button) with the thumb of the right hand. Also, the user can operate the R button 6b and the ZR button 7b with the index finger (or middle finger) of the right hand. Note that Fig. 2 shows a typical way of holding the game controller 1, and it may be held in a different way by the user.

[0033] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the game controller 1. As shown in FIG. 3, various members are housed inside the game controller 1 (inside the housing formed by the first housing 10 and the second housing 20).

[0034] Specifically, inside the game controller 1, a substrate 30, a left analog stick body part 43a, a pedestal 42a, and a left operation member 41a are housed. Also, inside the game controller 1, a right analog stick body part 43b, a pedestal 42b, and a right operation member 41b are housed. In addition to these, various other parts are housed inside the game controller 1, but hereinafter, only the parts related to the analog stick 4 will be described.

[0035] The left analog stick body part 43a, the pedestal 42a, and the left operation member 41a constitute the left analog stick 4a. Also, the right analog stick body part 43b, the pedestal 42b, and the right operation member 41b constitute the right analog stick 4b. Hereinafter, the left analog stick body part 43a and the right analog stick body part 43b may be collectively referred to as the "analog stick body part 43". Also, the pedestal 42a and the pedestal 42b may be collectively referred to as the "pedestal 42" (an example of the contacted part). Similarly, the left operation member 41a and the right operation member 41b may be collectively referred to as the "operation member 41".

[0036] The analog stick body part 43 is fixed on the substrate 30. The analog stick body part 43 has a stick shaft 431 (see FIG. 10). Although details will be described later, by inserting the stick shaft 431 of the analog stick body part 43 into the shaft insertion hole 415 provided in the operation member 41, the operation member 41 is fixed to the analog stick body part 43. Then, the key top of the operation member 41 is exposed from the openings 11 (left opening 11a and right opening 11b) provided in the first housing 10.

[0037] When the operation member 41 is tilted by the user, direction input is performed. Although details will be described later, the angle of tilt of the operation member 41 is restricted by the pedestal 42.

[0038] (Details of the operation member 41 of the analog stick 4) Next, details of the operation member 41 of the analog stick 4 will be described. FIG. 4 is an example of an external view of the operation member 41 of the analog stick 4. (a) in FIG. 4 is a front view of the operation member 41 (a view of only the operation member 41 from the front of the game controller 1 when the operation member 41 is fixed to the game controller 1). (b) in FIG. 4 is a left side view of the operation member 41. (c) in FIG. 4 is a right side view of the operation member 41. (d) in FIG. 4 is a top view of the operation member 41. (e) in FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the operation member 41. (e) in FIG. 4 is a rear view of the operation member 41. Note that the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis in FIG. 4 respectively correspond to the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis in FIG. 1.

[0039] FIG. 5A is a front-side perspective view of the operation member 41. FIG. 5B is a rear-side perspective view of the operation member 41. Also, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in (a) of FIG. 4.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 4, the operation member 41 has a key top 411, a shaft portion 412, and a protruding portion 413. The key top 411 is a portion that is exposed from the opening 11 of the first housing 10 and is operated (touched) by the user. The key top 411 has a circular shape when the game controller 1 is viewed from the front.

[0041] The shaft portion 412 extends downward from the key top 411 (the pressing direction of the button 2 of the game controller 1; the positive z-axis direction). When the operating member 41 is provided on the game controller 1, the shaft portion 412 extends in the direction from the key top 411 toward the inside of the housing of the game controller 1. The shaft portion 412 has, for example, a cylindrical shape, and the radius of the bottom surface is L1. When the operating member 41 is fixed to the analog stick main body component 43 provided on the substrate 30, the shaft portion 412 penetrates the opening 11 of the first housing 10, and exposes the key top 411 outside the housing.

[0042] The protruding portion 413 is configured in an umbrella shape and is configured to widen as it goes downward (the positive z-axis direction) of the shaft portion 412. Specifically, the protruding portion 413 protrudes downward from the shaft portion 412 and in a direction away from the center of the shaft portion 412 (the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction. That is, the direction perpendicular to the pressing direction of the button 2). More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4(e), the protruding portion 413 has a shape like about 1 / 2 to 2 / 3 of a hollow sphere cut off, and its side surface is in an arc shape when viewed from a direction parallel to the xy plane. As shown in FIG. 4(f), the lower end (tip) of the protruding portion 413 is circular when the operating member 41 is viewed from the back. Further, the tip of the protruding portion 413 may have a rounded shape. As shown in FIG. 4(d), the distance from the center of the shaft portion 412 to the tip of the protruding portion 413 (that is, the radius of the circle at the tip of the protruding portion 413) is L3 (>L1).

[0043] Also, as shown in FIGS. 4(f), 5B, and 6, a plurality of ribs 414 are provided inside the protruding portion 413. The ribs 414 are provided along the inside toward the tip of the protruding portion 413 to prevent the protruding portion 413 from deforming when the operating member 41 is operated. Note that the ribs 414 may be provided so as to extend to the tip of the protruding portion 413.

[0044] Also, an axial insertion port 415 is provided inside the protruding portion 413. The stick shaft 431 (see FIG. 10) of the analog stick main body component 43 is inserted into this axial insertion port 415. Thereby, the operation member 41 is fixed to the analog stick main body component 43.

[0045] The key top 411 is made of a material different from that of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20, and is made of a material having a higher coefficient of friction than the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 so that it is difficult to slip when the user operates it. Further, the shaft portion 412 and the protruding portion 413 (including the rib 414 and the axial insertion port 415) may be made of polypropylene. Further, the shaft portion 412 and the protruding portion 413 may be made of the same material as the first housing 10 and the second housing 20. The key top 411, the shaft portion 412, and the protruding portion 413 (including the rib 414 and the axial insertion port 415) may be integrally formed by two-color molding. Note that the key top 411 may be made of the same material as the first housing 10. Further, the shaft portion 412 and the protruding portion 413 may be made of different materials.

[0046] (Details of the pedestal 42 of the analog stick 4) FIG. 7 is an example of an external view of the pedestal 42 of the analog stick 4. (a) of FIG. 7 is a front view of the pedestal 42. (b) of FIG. 7 is a left side view of the pedestal 42. (c) of FIG. 7 is a right side view of the pedestal 42. (d) of FIG. 7 is a top view of the pedestal 42. (e) of FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the pedestal 42. (e) of FIG. 7 is a rear view of the pedestal 42. Note that the z-axis in FIG. 7 coincides with the z-axis in FIG. 1.

[0047] FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the pedestal 42 viewed from the back side. FIG. 8B is a perspective view of the pedestal 42 viewed from the top side. Further, FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of (a) of FIG. 7.

[0048] The pedestal 42 (an example of the contacted part) is a member that contacts the protruding part 413 when the operation member 41 is tilted. As shown in Fig. 7(d), the pedestal 42 is a ring-shaped member. The pedestal 42 has a contact surface 421, an inner wall 422, and an outer wall 423. Further, the pedestal 42 has two screw holes 424. The pedestal 42 is formed by integral molding. By inserting a screw into the screw hole 424 and screwing it, the pedestal 42 is fixed to the first housing 10. The pedestal 42 is fixed in the housing such that the contact surface 421 faces the front side of the game controller 1 (that is, the normal vector of the contact surface 421 faces the negative z-axis direction of the game controller 1). As shown in Fig. 3, the pedestal 42 is disposed on the front side of the game controller 1 with respect to the substrate 30 and the analog stick body component 43, and a ring-shaped pedestal 42 is disposed so as to surround the analog stick body component 43.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 9, the contact surface 421 is a plane parallel to the xy plane. The outer wall 423 extends upward (negative z-axis direction) from the contact surface 421 and is, for example, a plane perpendicular to the contact surface 421. Further, at least the inner surface (the surface in contact with the contact surface 421) of the inner wall 422 extends, for example, upward (negative z-axis direction) from the contact surface 421 and toward the center (inside) of the pedestal 42, and is formed to have an angle greater than 90 degrees with respect to the contact surface 421.

[0050] The pedestal 42 may be made of a material with higher slidability (lower coefficient of friction) than the first housing 10 and the second housing 20. Further, the pedestal 42 may be made of a material with higher slidability than the protruding part 413 of the operation member 41. For example, the pedestal 42 may be made of POM (polyacetal) resin, PA (nylon / polyamide) resin, PBT resin, etc. Note that the pedestal 42 may be made of any material. For example, the pedestal 42 may be made of the same material as the protruding part 413, or may be made of the same material as the first housing 10 and the second housing 20.

[0051] (Limitation of tilting of the operation member 41 by the pedestal 42) FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an end face when the game controller 1 is cut at the center of the analog stick 4 when the operation member 41 is not tilted. In FIG. 10, portions related to the restriction of the tilt of the operation member 41 by the pedestal 42 are conceptually shown, and the display of portions not related to the restriction of the tilt of the operation member 41 is omitted. Also, the downward direction in FIG. 10 is assumed to coincide with the z-axis direction in FIGS. 1, 4, etc.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 10, the stick shaft 431 of the analog stick main body component 43 is inserted into the shaft insertion port 415 of the operation member 41, and the operation member 41 is fixed to the analog stick main body component 43. The key top 411 of the operation member 41 is exposed from the opening 11 of the first housing 10.

[0053] The stick shaft 431 of the analog stick main body component 43 is configured to be tiltable with the point P as a fulcrum. In FIG. 10, the vertical broken line passing through the point P indicates the center of the stick shaft 431 of the analog stick main body component 43. The center of this shaft 431 coincides with the center of the shaft portion 412 of the operation member 41. For example, when a force is applied to the key top 411 of the operation member 41 in the left-right direction in FIG. 10 by the user, the stick shaft 431 of the analog stick main body component 43 tilts in the left-right direction. Also, when a force is applied to the key top 411 of the operation member 41 in a direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 10, the stick shaft 431 of the analog stick main body component 43 tilts in a direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 10.

[0054] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example when the operation member 41 tilts leftward from the state of FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example when the operation member 41 tilts rightward from the state of FIG. 10. In FIGS. 11 and 12, for the sake of explanation, the analog stick main body component 43 is omitted except for the point P and the center of the stick shaft 431.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 11, when a leftward force is applied to the key top 411 of the operation member 41, the operation member 41 tilts to the left and moves in the circumferential direction of the left side of the opening 11. Then, inside the housing 10, the tip of the protruding portion 413 contacts the contact surface 421 of the pedestal 42. For this reason, the operation member 41 does not tilt further to the left. That is, when the tip of the protruding portion 413 contacts the pedestal 42, the tilting of the operation member 41 to the left is restricted. At this time, the shaft portion 412 of the operation member 41 does not contact the first housing 10.

[0056] Also, as shown in FIG. 12, when a rightward force is applied to the key top 411 of the operation member 41, the operation member 41 tilts to the right and moves in the circumferential direction of the right side of the opening 11. Then, inside the housing 10, the tip of the protruding portion 413 contacts the contact surface 421 of the pedestal 42. For this reason, the operation member 41 does not tilt further to the right. That is, when the tip of the protruding portion 413 contacts the pedestal 42, the tilting of the operation member 41 to the right is restricted. At this time, the shaft portion 412 of the operation member 41 does not contact the first housing 10.

[0057] The same applies when a force in any other arbitrary direction is applied to the key top 411. That is, when a force is applied to the key top 411 in an arbitrary direction, the operation member 41 tilts in the direction of that force, and the tip of the protruding portion 413 contacts the contact surface 421 of the pedestal 42. As a result, the tilting (movement in the circumferential direction of the opening 11) of the operation member 41 is restricted. Even when the operation member 41 is tilted in an arbitrary direction, the shaft portion 412 of the operation member 41 does not contact the first housing 10. Therefore, the user can obtain an unprecedented operating feeling. Also, since the protruding portion 413 and the pedestal 42 contact inside the first housing 10, the sound associated with the contact is less likely to leak to the outside.

[0058] When the stick shaft 431 of the analog stick body part 43 itself is not restricted from tilting by other members, it can tilt to an angle greater than the angles shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. When the stick shaft 431 of the analog stick body part 43 is not restricted from tilting by other members, taking the state shown in FIG. 10 as the tilt angle “0 degrees”, it can tilt at an arbitrary angle in any direction with a predetermined angle (for example, it may be 20 degrees, 30 degrees, or 45 degrees) as the upper limit. However, when the analog stick body part 43 is housed in the housing of the game controller 1, as described above, the angle at which the operation member 41 tilts is restricted by the protruding portion 413 and the pedestal 42.

[0059] Even when the tilting of the operation member 41 is restricted by the protruding portion 413 and the pedestal 42, the shaft portion 412 of the operation member 41 and the first housing 10 may come into contact. In this case, when the operation member 41 tilts, the protruding portion 413 and the pedestal 42 may come into contact before the shaft portion 412 and the first housing 10 come into contact. That is, when the operation member 41 is tilted and the protruding portion 413 and the pedestal 42 come into contact, and further force is applied, the protruding portion 413 or the pedestal 42 may elastically deform, so that the shaft portion 412 of the operation member 41 and the first housing 10 may come into contact. Also, when the operation member 41 tilts, the protruding portion 413 and the pedestal 42 may come into contact at the same time as the shaft portion 412 and the first housing 10 come into contact.

[0060] Also, a sheet (for example, a nylon sheet, a fluorine sheet, etc.) with higher slidability than the pedestal 42 and the protruding portion 413 may be provided on the contact surface 421 of the pedestal 42. By providing a sheet with high slidability on the contact surface 421, the resistance generated between the protruding portion 413 and the contact surface 421 can be reduced. Also, the protruding portion 413 may be made of a material with higher slidability than the pedestal 42. That is, a material with high slidability may be used at least at the portion where the protruding portion 413 and the pedestal 42 come into contact.

[0061] Further, a sheet-like cushioning material for absorbing impact may be provided on the contact surface 421 of the pedestal 42. The cushioning material may be a material with higher impact absorbency than the material of the pedestal 42, and may be composed of, for example, foamed resins such as foamed polyurethane and foamed polyethylene. By providing the cushioning material on the contact surface 421, the sound generated when the protrusion 413 contacts the contact surface 421 can be reduced. Also, the cushioning material may be provided at the tip of the protrusion 413, or the entire protrusion 413 may be composed of the cushioning material. That is, the cushioning material may be provided at least at the portion where the protrusion 413 and the pedestal 42 contact each other.

[0062] The material of the protrusion 412 of the operation member 41, the material of the pedestal 42, the presence or absence of a sheet on the contact surface 421 of the pedestal 42, and the material of the sheet may be arbitrarily combined. For example, when a material with higher slidability than the protrusion 413 is selected as the material of the pedestal 42, a sheet may not be provided, or a sheet with high cushioning properties may be provided. Also, when the same material as the protrusion 413 is selected as the material of the pedestal 42, a sheet with higher slidability or higher cushioning properties than the pedestal 42, or a sheet having these characteristics may be provided on the contact surface 421.

[0063] Further, the contact surface 421 of the pedestal 42 and / or the tip of the protrusion 413 may be made of metal. In this case, a metallic sound is produced when the tip of the protrusion 413 contacts the contact surface 421. Thereby, a relatively large operation sound can be produced by operating the analog stick 4, and the operation sound can also be transmitted to the outside of the first housing 10. By doing so, the game controller 1 can be configured to be more preferable for users who prefer operation sounds.

[0064] Here, it is also conceivable to limit the tilting of the operation member 41 by bringing the shaft portion 412 of the operation member 41 into contact with the first housing 10. In the following, the configuration for limiting the tilting of the operation member 41 by the contact between the shaft portion 412 of the operation member 41 and the first housing 10 will be described, as well as the difference from the configuration for limiting the tilting of the operation member 41 by the contact between the protruding portion 413 and the pedestal 42 as in the present embodiment.

[0065] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of how the contact point moves when the tilting of the operation member 41 is limited by the contact between the shaft portion 412 of the operation member 41 and the first housing 10. In FIG. 13, a part of the shaft portion 412 of the operation member 41 and the first housing 10 is shown when viewed from the front of the game controller 1, and the depth direction of the paper surface of FIG. 13 coincides with the z-axis of FIG. 1.

[0066] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of how the shaft portion 412 of the operation member 41 and the first housing 10 come into contact in a configuration where the pedestal 42 is not provided. In FIG. 14, the operation member 41 before tilting is shown by a solid line, and the operation member 41 when the operation member 41 is tilted and the shaft portion 412 is in contact with the first housing 10 is shown by a broken line.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 13, before the operation member 41 is tilted, the center of the shaft portion 412 of the operation member 41 is located at the center of the circular opening 11 of the first housing 10. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the radius of the shaft portion 412 of the operation member 41 is L1, and the radius of the opening 11 of the first housing 10 is L2 (>L1).

[0068] As shown in FIG. 13, for example, when the operation member 41 is tilted upward, the shaft portion 412 of the operation member 41 and the first housing 10 come into contact. At this time, let the contact point on the shaft portion 412 side be point CPa and the contact point on the first housing 10 side be point CPh.

[0069] When the operating member 41 is operated so as to draw a circle (that is, when the input direction of the analog stick 4 is changed while the shaft portion 412 remains in contact with the first housing 10), as shown in FIG. 13, the contact point CPa moves along the circumference of the shaft portion 412 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 13. Further, the contact point CPh moves along the periphery of the opening 11 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 13. Since the shaft portion 412 of the operating member 41 does not rotate around the shaft portion 412, the distance that the contact point CPa moves is shorter than the distance that the contact point CPh moves. Therefore, when the operating member 41 is operated so as to draw an arc (when the input direction of the analog stick 4 is changed from the upward direction to the rightward direction while the shaft portion 412 remains in contact with the first housing 10), the shaft portion 412 moves from the upper diagram to the lower diagram position in FIG. 13 while sliding along the periphery of the opening 11 of the first housing 10.

[0070] That is, there is a difference (hereinafter, this difference is referred to as "DF1") between the length of the portion of the shaft portion 412 that contacts the first housing 10 (the circumferential length of the shaft portion 412) and the length of the portion of the first housing 10 that contacts the shaft portion 412 (the circumferential length of the opening 11). Specifically, this difference DF1 is 2π×(L2 - L1). When the shaft portion 412 draws a circle while in contact with the first housing 10, the shaft portion 412 slides by this amount of the difference DF1.

[0071] Therefore, when operating the operating member 41 so as to draw a circle, resistance in the direction opposite to the operating direction occurs, which may affect the operability.

[0072] In contrast, in the present embodiment, the tilting of the operating member 41 is restricted by the contact between the protruding portion 413 of the operating member 41 and the pedestal 42.

[0073] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the locus of the contact point when the tilting of the operating member 41 is restricted by the contact between the protruding portion 413 of the operating member 41 and the pedestal 42. In FIG. 15, a view of the pedestal 42 of the operating member 41 as seen from the front of the game controller 1 is shown, and the depth direction of the paper surface of FIG. 15 coincides with the z-axis of FIG. 1.

[0074] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the state where the protruding portion 413 of the operation member 41 contacts the pedestal 42. In FIG. 16, the operation member 41 before being tilted is shown by a solid line, and the operation member 41 when the operation member 41 is tilted and the protruding portion 413 contacts the pedestal 42 is shown by a broken line.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 16, when the tip of the protruding portion 413 of the operation member 41 is in contact with the pedestal 42, the contact point on the protruding portion 413 side is defined as point CPa, and the contact point on the pedestal 42 side is defined as point CPb. When the operation member 41 is operated so as to draw a circle (that is, when the input direction of the analog stick 4 is changed while the protruding portion 413 remains in contact with the pedestal 42), the contact point CPb of the pedestal 42 moves so as to draw a circle as shown in FIG. 15. The broken line in FIG. 15 shows the locus of the contact point CPb.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 16, the distance between the contact point CPa (the tip of the protruding portion 413) when the operation member 41 is not tilted and the center of the stick axis 431 (that is, the radius of the circle at the tip of the protruding portion 413) is L3. When the operation member 41 is tilted to the right, the tip of the protruding portion 413 moves and contacts the pedestal 42. At this time, the distance between the center of the stick axis 431 and the contact point CPb of the pedestal 42 becomes L4. Here, the distance L3 and the distance L4 are substantially equal. That is, the circumferential length of the tip of the protruding portion 413 (contact point CPa) is substantially equal to the circumferential length of the locus of the contact point CPb of the pedestal 42 shown in FIG. 15. That is, when the operation member 41 is operated so as to draw a circle (that is, when the input direction of the analog stick 4 is changed while the tip of the protruding portion 413 remains in contact with the pedestal 42), the distance that the contact point CPa at the tip of the protruding portion 413 moves and the distance that the contact point CPb of the pedestal 42 shown in FIG. 15 moves are substantially equal.

[0077] That is, the difference between the length of the portion of the protrusion 413 that contacts the pedestal 42 (the circumference of the tip of the protrusion 413) and the length of the portion of the pedestal 42 that contacts the protrusion 413 (the circumference of the contact surface 421 of the pedestal 42) (hereinafter, this difference is referred to as "DF2") is smaller than the above DF1. When the operating member 41 is operated such that the protrusion 413 draws a circle while contacting the pedestal 42, the tip of the protrusion 413 will slide by the amount of this difference DF2, but this difference DF2 is substantially "0".

[0078] Therefore, when the operating member 41 is operated to draw a circle, the tip of the protrusion 413 will roll on the contact surface 421 of the pedestal 42 without sliding. Thus, when operating the operating member 41 to draw a circle, the resistance during operation can be suppressed.

[0079] Also, the tip of the protrusion 413 is configured in a rounded shape. For this reason, the force is dispersed when the tip of the protrusion 413 contacts the contact surface 421 of the pedestal 42. Note that the tip of the protrusion 413 may be formed in a planar shape, and the tip of the protrusion 413 and the contact surface 421 may be configured to be in surface contact.

[0080] Also, the pedestal 42 is provided with an inner wall 422 and an outer wall 423 that extend above (in the negative z-axis direction) the contact surface 421. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the operating member 41 and the pedestal 42 from being displaced.

[0081] Also, the inner wall 422 of the pedestal 42 is configured to extend upward and toward the center of the shaft portion 412. For this reason, it is possible to secure a path for the protrusion 413 to move when the operating member 41 is tilted, and it is possible to prevent the protrusion 413 from hitting the inner wall 422 even when the operating member 41 is tilted. Also, even when an error occurs in manufacturing or assembly, it is possible to sufficiently secure a path for the protrusion 413 to move.

[0082] Note that the difference DF2 does not necessarily have to be "0". That is, the length of the portion of the protrusion 413 that contacts the pedestal 42 (the perimeter of the tip of the protrusion 413) and the length of the portion of the pedestal 42 that contacts the protrusion 413 (the perimeter of the contact surface 421 of the pedestal 42) may have a certain difference. Even in this case, the difference DF2 is smaller than the difference DF1.

[0083] A ring member may be provided at the periphery of the opening 11 of the first housing 10. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a partial enlarged view when a ring member 12 is provided in the opening 11 of the first housing 10. As shown in FIG. 17, the ring member 12 is provided so as to cover the periphery of the opening 11. The ring member 12 may be made of a material with higher slidability than the first housing 10 (for example, POM resin, PA (nylon / polyamide) resin, PBT resin, etc.). The ring member 12 may be configured as a separate part from the first housing 10 and may be adhered to the first housing 10 or may be formed integrally with the first housing 10. Also, the ring member 12 may be configured in a color different from that of the first housing 10.

[0084] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of an end face when the game controller 1 is cut at the center of the analog stick 4 in a configuration where a ring member 12 is provided at the periphery of the opening 11 of the first housing 10. As shown in FIG. 18, when the operation member 41 is tilted to the right, the tilt of the operation member 41 is restricted by the pedestal 42. In this case, the shaft portion 412 of the operation member 41 does not contact the ring member 12. The same applies when the operation member 41 is tilted in an arbitrary direction.

[0085] In this way, when a highly slidable ring member 12 is provided at the periphery of the opening 11 of the first housing, even if the shaft portion 412 and the ring member 12 come into contact, the resistance generated between the shaft portion 412 and the ring member 12 when operating the operation member 41 in a circular motion can be made relatively small.

[0086] As described above, the game controller 1 of the present embodiment includes a housing having an opening 11 and an operating member 41. The operating member 41 has a key top 411 operated by a user, a shaft portion 412 extending downward from the key top, and a protruding portion 413 protruding from the shaft portion 412. Inside the housing (the first housing 10 and the second housing), a pedestal 42 that contacts the protruding portion 413 when the operating member 41 is tilted is provided, and the tilt of the operating member 41 can be restricted by the pedestal 42 and the protruding portion 413. That is, the movement of the operating member 41 in the peripheral direction of the opening 11 can be restricted by the protruding portion 413 and the pedestal 42. Further, when the pedestal 42 is made of a highly slidable material, the resistance generated between the pedestal 42 and the tip of the protruding portion 413 can be suppressed.

[0087] Further, since the perimeter of the tip of the protruding portion 413 is substantially equal to the perimeter of the portion of the contact surface 421 of the pedestal 42 that contacts the tip of the protruding portion 413, when the operating member 41 is operated in a circular motion, the protruding portion 413 rolls on the contact surface 421 of the pedestal 42 without slipping. Thereby, the operability can be improved.

[0088] Also, when a ring member 12 is provided at the periphery of the opening 11 of the first housing 10, the shaft portion 412 contacts the ring member 12 and the shaft portion 412 and the first housing 10 do not contact directly. Since the ring member 12 is made of a material with higher slidability than the first housing 10, the resistance generated by the contact between the shaft portion 412 and the ring member 12 can be reduced compared to the resistance generated by the contact between the shaft portion 412 and the first housing 10.

[0089] (Modification example) Although the present embodiment has been described above, in other embodiments, various modifications may be made.

[0090] For example, in the above embodiment, the pedestal 42 is a ring-shaped member and the contact surface 421 is a flat surface. In other embodiments, the contact surface 421 may have irregularities. For example, the contact surface 421 may have recesses or protrusions in four directions of up, down, left, and right, or in eight directions including up, down, left, right, and diagonal directions.

[0091] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of the contact surface 421 when a recess is formed in the contact surface 421 of the pedestal 42. In FIG. 19, the contact surface 421 of the pedestal 42 is shown. As shown in FIG. 19, recesses 425 (425a to 425h) may be formed in four directions of up, down, left, and right, and in four diagonal directions of the ring-shaped contact surface 421. The recess 425 is a portion formed in a concave shape in the depth direction of the paper surface of FIG. 19 and may be formed in an arc shape, for example. The contact surface 421 between the recesses 425 may be configured as a flat surface or a convex surface. When such a pedestal 42 is used, input in eight directions can be induced. For example, when the user inputs in the upward direction, the tip of the protruding portion 413 of the operation member 41 fits into the recess 425a, making it easier to input in the upward direction.

[0092] Note that the irregularities shown in FIG. 19 may be provided on the protruding portion 413. That is, by providing irregularities at the tip of the protruding portion 413, it may be configured to induce input in a predetermined direction (four directions of up, down, left, and right, four diagonal directions, or other directions).

[0093] Also, in the above embodiment, the opening 11 of the first housing 10 is circular, but in other embodiments, the opening 11 may be elliptical or polygonal (for example, octagonal). Even in this case, as described above, the tilting of the operation member 41 is restricted by the contact between the protruding portion 413 of the operation member 41 and the pedestal 42, and the shaft portion 412 of the operation member 41 is configured not to contact or hardly contact the peripheral edge of the opening of the first housing 10.

[0094] Also, the shapes of the key top 411, shaft portion 412, protruding portion 413, pedestal 42, etc. of the operation member 41 described above are merely examples, and they may have other shapes. For example, in the above embodiment, the pedestal 42 is formed in a ring shape with a hollow center portion, but in other embodiments, the pedestal 42 may be a disc. Also, the protruding portion 413 of the operation member 41 is not limited to the umbrella shape described above and may have other shapes. For example, the protruding portion 413 may extend in the lateral direction of the shaft portion 412 (the direction away from the center of the shaft portion 412) and bend downward in the middle and then extend. And when the operation member 41 is tilted, the protruding portion 413 may contact the pedestal 42, and the tilting of the operation member 41 may be restricted by this contact.

[0095] Also, in the above embodiment, the pedestal 42 is configured as a separate member from the housing. In other embodiments, the pedestal may be configured as a part of the housing. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of another embodiment.

[0096] In FIG. 20, an example of the end face when the game controller is cut at the center of the analog stick 4 when the pedestal 42 is configured as a part of the first housing 10 is conceptually shown. As shown in FIG. 20, the first housing 10 and the pedestal 42 are integrally formed. That is, the first housing 10 has a contact surface 421 that contacts the protruding portion 413 of the operation member 41 inside when the operation member 41 is tilted. Also, the pedestal 42 as a part of the first housing 10 has an inner wall 422 and an outer wall 423. The tilting of the operation member 41 is restricted by the pedestal 42 as a part of the first housing 10. Also, a ring member 12 shown in FIG. 18 may be provided at the periphery of the opening 11 of the first housing 10.

[0097] In the above-described embodiment, the analog stick 4 is constituted by an operation member 41 provided with an opening 11 in the first housing 10 and having a part thereof exposed from the opening 11, a pedestal 42, and an analog stick body component 43. In other embodiments, a part of the analog stick 4 may be constituted as a part of the housing. That is, the analog stick 4 may be constituted by a housing member exposed to the outside, an operation member 41, a pedestal 42, and an analog stick body component 43. Then, an opening may be provided in the housing of the controller body that forms the outer shape of the controller, and the housing member and the operation member 41 as parts of the analog stick 4 may be exposed from this opening.

[0098] In the above-described embodiment, the tip of the protruding portion 413 of the operation member 41 comes into contact with the pedestal 42 provided below (in the z-axis direction), thereby restricting the tilting of the operation member 41. In other embodiments, the tilting of the operation member may be restricted by another part of the protruding portion 413 coming into contact with the pedestal. For example, when the operation member is tilted, the side surface of the protruding portion of the operation member may come into contact with the pedestal, and the tilting of the operation member may be restricted by this contact.

[0099] In the above-described embodiment, an analog stick body component 43 that can be tilted in an arbitrary direction is used, and the tilting of the analog stick 4 is restricted by the operation member 41 and the pedestal 42. In other embodiments, it may be applied to a slide pad that can slide in the horizontal direction (a direction parallel to the surface of the housing).

[0100] Further, the above-described analog stick 4 may be applied to an information processing apparatus including an input device. That is, in an information processing apparatus integrated with the input device, the input device may have the analog stick 4. For example, a portable game device may be provided with the above-described analog stick 4. Also, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer may be provided with the above-described analog stick 4.

[0101] The present invention has been described above. However, the above description is merely an exemplification of the present invention, and various improvements and modifications may be made.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0102] 1 Game controller 2 A button 2 B button 2 X button 2 Y button 4a Left analog stick 4b Right analog stick 5 Cross key 10 First housing 20 Second housing 30 Substrate 41 Operating member 411 Key top 412 Shaft portion 413 Protrusion 42 Pedestal 421 Contact surface 422 Inner wall 423 Outer wall 43 Analog stick body part 431 Stick shaft

Claims

1. An input device comprising a housing having an opening and an operating member, The operating member is A key top operated by a user; a shaft portion extending from the key top through the opening; a projection extending from the shaft and having an end region distal to the shaft; A first clearance is provided between the shaft portion and a periphery of the opening, a contact portion fixed to an interior of the housing; The shaft is configured to tilt; When the operating member is tilted in a tilt direction, the first clearance is reduced, and when a first portion of the end region of the protrusion in the tilt direction comes into contact with the contact portion, tilt of the shaft portion in the tilt direction is limited, When the operation member is tilted in a tilt direction to reduce the first clearance, a second portion of the end region of the protrusion on an opposite side to the tilt direction is configured not to come into contact with the contact portion, the protrusion is constructed from a first material; the contact portion includes a second material and a third material disposed on the second material; An input device, wherein a coefficient of friction between the first material and the third material is lower than a coefficient of friction between the first material and the second material.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein the third material is configured as a sheet.

3. An input device as described in claim 2, wherein the sheet is a nylon sheet or a fluorine sheet.

4. The input device of claim 1, wherein the third material is a foamed resin.

5. An input device as described in claim 4, wherein the foamed resin is foamed polyurethane or foamed polyethylene.

6. An input device as described in claim 1, wherein the third material is a material having a higher elastic modulus than the second material.

7. An input device as described in claim 6, wherein the third material is a material having a higher elastic modulus than the first material.

8. The input device of claim 1, wherein the second material and the third material are different materials.

9. An input device as described in claim 1, configured such that when the first portion of the end region of the protrusion contacts the third material, the first clearance remains between the periphery of the opening and the shaft portion in the tilt direction.

10. The operating member is configured to tilt around a tilt point within the housing, The input device of claim 9 , wherein a longitudinal axis of the shaft portion passes through the tilt point.

11. An input device as described in claim 1, wherein the contact portion is a part of an inner surface of the housing or a part of a base located within the housing.

12. The contact portion is a part of the base, 12. The input device of claim 11, wherein when the first portion of the end region of the protrusion contacts a portion of the base to limit tilt in the tilt direction, the second portion of the end region of the protrusion does not contact the base and the housing.

13. The input device of claim 12, wherein the contact portion has a ring shape.

14. An input device as described in claim 13, wherein an inner wall extending outwardly of the housing is provided on the inner periphery of the contact portion.

15. An input device as described in claim 14, wherein there is a second clearance between the inner wall and the protrusion when the shaft portion is tilted.

16. The operating member is configured to tilt around a tilt point within the housing, The input device of claim 15 , wherein a longitudinal axis of the shaft portion passes through the tilt point.

17. The shaft portion has a first end and a second end opposite the first end, The key top is located at the first end, The input device of claim 1 , wherein the protrusion protrudes from the stem between the first end and the second end.

18. The input device of claim 1, wherein the protrusion protrudes from the shaft portion in a curved manner.

Images