Electronic pen

Abstract

To provide an electronic pen which achieves slimming.SOLUTION: An electronic pen is arranged in a manner to allow a tip of a core body made of a conductive material to protrude from one opening side of a hollow part of a housing. The housing is separated in an axial direction, and includes first and second housing parts which are electrically insulated from each other. The first housing part is formed of the conductive material, constitutes a part of an outer peripheral surface of the housing, and has an opening for allowing the tip of the core body to protrude outside in a state to be electrically separated from the core body, so as to operate as a transmission electrode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic pen for use with a position detection device. [Background technology]

[0002] As a capacitance type electronic pen, a so-called active capacitance type electronic pen is used, which transmits and receives signals (interaction) through electric field coupling with the position detection sensor of the position detection device, thereby allowing the position indicated by the electronic pen to be detected by the position detection sensor.

[0003] This type of electronic pen is configured so that a battery (primary or secondary battery) as a power source, a pen pressure detection unit, a circuit board on which a signal transmission circuit is mounted, etc. are stored inside the hollow portion of a cylindrical housing, and are arranged in the axial direction of the housing of the electronic pen.

[0004] In this case, the circuit board is placed on a board holder, and the pen pressure detection unit is configured so that the pressure-sensitive components and pressure transmission members are housed in a pen pressure detection unit housing. In many cases, the pen pressure detection unit and the board holder are unitized (modularized) by being joined in the axial direction of the housing of the electronic pen. In some cases, the board holder is configured to include the housing portion of the pen pressure detection unit.

[0005] The electronic pen is configured by arranging the unitized components of the electronic pen and a battery in the axial direction within the hollow portion of a cylindrical housing. By configuring the components of the electronic pen as a unit in this way, the electronic pen can avoid shocks to the internal circuitry due to a drop impact, and it is possible to strengthen the electronic pen and fine-tune the internal circuitry. Another advantage is that by simply replacing the electronic pen housing, it can be used with electronic pens of various housing shapes.

[0006] Incidentally, in recent years, active capacitance type electronic pens have also emerged that are of a two-way communication type, which receive signals from a position detection sensor that detects the position indicated by the electronic pen and transmit signals in a format based on the request of the received signal (see, for example, Patent Document 1 (JP 2016-134168 A)).

[0007] In this type of two-way communication electronic pen, the position and size of the receiving unit (antenna) for receiving signals from the position detection sensor are important. In the case of a capacitive electronic pen, the signal transmitted from the position detection sensor is an electric field that can be received through capacitive coupling, and its reach is very short. Therefore, the receiving unit (antenna) of a two-way communication electronic pen is located close to the pen tip so that it can receive signals from the position detection sensor with high strength. Furthermore, the receiving unit (antenna) of the electronic pen is required to be configured in a size that provides as wide a reception range as possible.

[0008] Therefore, in the electronic pen of Patent Document 1 mentioned above, the receiving unit (antenna) is composed of a peripheral electrode made of a cylindrical conductor that is arranged to cover the periphery of the core body up to near the tip of the core body, while taking into consideration electrical insulation with the core body made of a conductive material.

[0009] Recently, it has been proposed to use a position detection device to detect the tilt angle of an electronic pen relative to the position detection sensor surface (the angle formed between the axial direction of the electronic pen and the position detection sensor surface), and to reflect the detected tilt angle in the thickness of the indication trajectory (writing trace) of the electronic pen. An example of an electronic pen that supports this type of tilt angle detection is disclosed in Patent Document 2 (JP 2016-126503 A), for example.

[0010] As disclosed in Patent Document 2, this type of electronic pen capable of detecting tilt angles, etc., is also configured with a peripheral electrode made of a cylindrical conductor that covers the periphery of the core body up to near the tip of the core body, just like the two-way communication electronic pen described above.

[0011] 6A and 6B show an example of the pen tip side configuration of this type of conventional capacitive electronic pen, with FIG. 6A showing its external appearance and FIG. 6B showing its longitudinal cross section. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, electronic pen 100 of this example has a tapered cylindrical front cap 102 fitted into the pen tip side opening of cylindrical housing 101. Housing 101 is made of a conductive material, such as metal, so that when a user holds and operates electronic pen 100, it is grounded (earth grounded) through the user's body. Front cap 102 is made of an insulating material, such as resin.

[0012] 6(B), the tapered pen tip side of front cap 102 is provided with opening 102a through which core 103 can be inserted so as to be freely movable in the axial direction. Core 103 is made of a conductive material and is configured to be inserted into the housing of electronic pen 100 through opening 102a of front cap 102 and held by core holder 113 (described later) with tip 103a protruding to the outside. In this case, core 103 made of a conductive material and housing 101 made of a conductive material are electrically separated (insulated) from each other by front cap 102.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 6(B), a board holder 105 is housed within the hollow portion of the housing 101. The board holder 105 has a mounting portion 105a on which a printed circuit board 104, on which circuit components such as a signal transmission circuit are mounted, is mounted. The board holder 105 is made of an insulating resin material that is elongated in the axial direction. In the example of FIG. 6(B), the board holder 105 has a cylindrical portion 105b located closer to the pen tip in the axial direction than the mounting portion 105a. Pressure-sensing components and a pressure transmission member that constitute the writing pressure detection unit 106 are housed within this cylindrical portion 105b. The writing pressure detection unit 106 in this example is comprised of a variable capacitance capacitor whose capacitance changes in response to the writing pressure applied to the core body 103.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 6B, the pressure-sensing component of this example is made up of multiple components: a dielectric 107, a terminal member 108, a holding member 109, a conductive member 110, and an elastic member 111. The terminal member 108 is made of a conductive material, such as stainless steel, and constitutes a first electrode of a variable capacitance capacitor made up of the pressure-sensing component. The conductive member 110 is made of, for example, conductive rubber, and the elastic member 111 is made of a coil spring made of a conductive material, such as stainless steel. The conductive member 110 and the elastic member 111 are electrically connected to constitute a second electrode of the variable capacitance capacitor. The conductive member 110 is held by the holding member 109. The elastic member 111 is disposed between the dielectric 107 and the holding member 109, and is configured so that the conductive member 110 is constantly biased in a direction away from the dielectric 107.

[0015] The core 103 is connected and held by a core holder 113 made of a conductive material, with the end opposite to its tip fitted into the core holder 113 via a conductive elastic member 112. The core holder 113 is fitted into a holding member 109 for the pressure-sensitive component within the cylindrical portion 105b of the substrate holder 105, so that pressure (writing pressure) applied to the core 103 is transmitted to the pressure-sensitive component.

[0016] In this case, the core holder 113 having the conductive elastic member 112 is configured to function as a pressure transmitting member for transmitting the pressure (writing pressure) applied to the core 103 to the pressure-sensitive component. In this case, as shown in Fig. 6, the core holder 113 is configured to be housed in a housing 114 for holding the core holder 113.

[0017] A coil spring 115 is provided inside the housing 114 to constantly bias the core holder 113 toward the core 103. This coil spring 115 is made of a conductive material such as a conductive metal, and one end of the spring is electrically connected to a signal transmission circuit arranged on the printed circuit board 104, although this is not shown in the figure.

[0018] Since the core holder 113 is made of a conductive material, the core 103 made of a conductive material attached to this core holder 113 via the conductive elastic member 112 is electrically connected to the signal transmission circuit arranged on the printed circuit board 104 through this coil spring 114.

[0019] In the electronic pen 100 of this example, when pressure (writing pressure) is applied to the tip side of the core 103, the core 103 is displaced in the axial direction toward the inside of the housing 101 of the electronic pen 100. Then, the core holder 113 to which the core 103 is fitted is displaced in the axial direction together with the core 103, displacing the conductive member 110 toward the dielectric 107 against the elastic force of the elastic member 111 of the pressure-sensing component. Then, the contact area between the conductive member 110 and the dielectric 107 changes in response to the applied pressure, and the capacitance of the variable capacitor comprising the writing pressure detection unit 106 changes in response to the applied pressure. Therefore, the writing pressure can be detected from the capacitance of the variable capacitor comprising the writing pressure detection unit 106.

[0020] 6(B), in electronic pen 100 of this example, peripheral electrode 116 made of a conductive material that surrounds core body 103 is fitted onto the outer periphery of cylindrical portion 105b of substrate holder 105 on the pen tip side. Although not shown in FIG. 6(B), peripheral electrode 116 is electrically connected to circuit components on printed circuit board 104.

[0021] In this case, the peripheral electrode 116 is electrically separated (insulated) from the core body 103 due to the presence of the portion 102c near the opening 102a of the front cap 102. In addition, the front cap 102 is configured to also play a role in electrically separating (insulating) the peripheral electrode 116 from the housing 101 of the electronic pen 100, as shown in Fig. 6(B) . [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0022] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-134168 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-126503 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0023] Recently, portable devices such as notebook computers and tablets have been equipped with capacitive position detection sensors superimposed on their display screens, allowing them to accept instruction inputs from capacitive electronic pens. These types of portable devices have become smaller and thinner to improve portability. Therefore, there is a demand for smaller and thinner capacitive electronic pens, which are associated with the position detection sensors of these portable devices.

[0024] However, in conventional electronic pens, as shown in Fig. 6(B), the writing pressure detection unit 106 is configured by housing a pressure-sensing component and a core holder 113 as a pressure transmission member housed in a housing 114 inside a cylindrical portion 105b of a substrate holder 105. For this reason, the cylindrical portion 105b of the substrate holder 105 that constitutes the housing of the writing pressure detection unit 106 needs to be thick enough to house the core holder 113 as a pressure transmission member housed in the housing 114, and the presence of the housing 114 makes it difficult to make it thinner.

[0025] In the above-mentioned two-way communication electronic pen or electronic pen capable of detecting tilt angles, as shown in Figure 6(B), a cylindrical peripheral electrode 116 must be provided on the pen tip side of the electronic pen 100, in a state where it is electrically separated (insulated) from the housing 101 and the core body 103.

[0026] In a conventional electronic pen 100, in order to achieve electrical isolation (insulation) between the housing 101 and the peripheral electrode 116, a front cap 102 made of an insulating material is provided on the pen tip side of the electronic pen 100, and this front cap 102 achieves electrical isolation (insulation) between the peripheral electrode 116 and the housing 101 and the core body 103. For this reason, the front cap 102 is interposed between the housing 101 and the peripheral electrode 116 and between the peripheral electrode 116 and the core body 103 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the electronic pen 100, making it difficult to make the electronic pen slimmer. In addition, the front cap 102 needs to have a complex shape to enable such insulation.

[0027] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic pen that can be made thinner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0028] To solve the above problems, An electronic pen having a core body made of a conductive material and disposed so that a tip thereof protrudes from one opening side of a hollow portion of a housing, the housing includes a first housing portion and a second housing portion that are separated in an axial direction and electrically insulated from each other; The first housing portion is made of a conductive material, constitutes a part of the outer circumferential surface of the housing, has an opening for allowing the tip of the core body to protrude to the outside while being electrically separated from the core body, and operates as a transmitting electrode. The present invention provides an electronic pen characterized by the above features.

[0029] In the electronic pen of the above configuration, the housing is divided into two parts: a first housing section and a second housing section, and the first housing section, which is on the pen tip side, is made of a conductive material, and the first housing section and the second housing section are electrically insulated from each other.

[0030] In the electronic pen having the above-described configuration, the first housing made of a conductive material is configured as a transmitting electrode. In other words, the transmitting electrode can be configured as part of the housing, which simplifies the configuration and enables the electronic pen to be made thinner. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an embodiment of an electronic pen according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a main part of an embodiment of an electronic pen according to the present invention; [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating components of an electronic pen according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating components of an electronic pen according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a circuit configuration of an embodiment of the electronic pen according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a conventional electronic pen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an embodiment of a capacitance-type electronic pen according to the present invention, Fig. 1(A) is a diagram illustrating the appearance of the capacitance-type electronic pen 1 of this embodiment, Fig. 1(B) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the pen tip side, and Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of a housing 10 of the capacitance-type electronic pen 1 of this embodiment.

[0033] The housing 10 of the capacitance-type electronic pen 1 of this embodiment is configured by connecting a first housing section 11 on the pen tip side and a second housing section 12 on the rear end side via a cylindrical connecting member 13. The housing 10 is configured so that the core body 21 is held in a state in which the tip end 21a of the core body 21 protrudes outward from an opening 10a (see FIG. 1(B)) on the first housing section 11 side. The core body 21 is made of a conductive material, for example, a conductive metal, and is in the form of a rod as shown in FIG. 1(B).

[0034] The first housing part 11 on the pen tip side and the second housing part 12 on the rear end side are each made of a conductive material, such as a conductive metal, and are cylindrical bodies as shown in Figures 1(A) and (B) and Figure 2.

[0035] 1 and 2, the first housing 11 has a cylindrical portion 11a with a constant outer diameter and a tapered portion 11b that tapers gradually toward the pen tip. The second housing 12 has a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter equal to the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 11a of the first housing 11.

[0036] The cylindrical coupling member 13 is made of an insulating material, resin in this example, and is a cylindrical body as shown in Figures 1(B) and 2. A ring-shaped flange 13F is formed at the axial center of its outer peripheral surface, protruding from the outer peripheral side surface in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. This ring-shaped flange 13F has a predetermined width W (see Figures 1 and 2) in the axial direction, and its end faces are flush with the first housing part 11 and the second housing part 12 without creating any steps, as shown in Figures 1(A) and 1(B), so as to form part of the housing 10. In other words, the diameter of the outer peripheral part of the ring-shaped flange 13F is selected to be equal to the outer diameters of the first housing part 11 and the second housing part 12.

[0037] The pen tip side of this cylindrical connecting member 13, which is on one side of the ring-shaped flange 13F in the axial direction, is a first fitting cylindrical portion 13a that fits with the cylindrical portion 11a of the first housing portion 11. The outer diameter of the first fitting cylindrical portion 13a of this cylindrical connecting member 13 is equal to or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 11a of the first housing portion 11, and the cylindrical portion 11a of the first housing portion 11 is configured to be press-fitted into the first fitting cylindrical portion 13a of the cylindrical connecting member 13 up to the ring-shaped flange 13F and connected.

[0038] Further, the axially rearward end side of the cylindrical coupling member 13 from the ring-shaped flange 13F is a second fitting cylindrical portion 13b that fits with the second housing portion 12. The outer diameter of the second fitting cylindrical portion 13b of the cylindrical coupling member 13 is equal to or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the second housing portion 12, and the second housing portion 12 is configured to be press-fitted into the second fitting cylindrical portion 13b of the cylindrical coupling member 13 up to the ring-shaped flange 13F and coupled thereto.

[0039] When the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are inserted into the cylindrical connecting member 13 as shown by the arrows in Fig. 2 and fitted together, a single cylindrical housing 10 is formed as shown in Figs. 1(A) and (B). At this time, as described above, the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 11a of the first housing 11, the outer circumferential surface of the second housing 12, and the end face of the ring-shaped flange 13F are flush with each other. The first housing 11 and the second housing 12, which are made of a conductive material, are electrically isolated (insulated) from each other and do not come into contact with each other due to the presence of the ring-shaped flange 13F of the cylindrical connecting member 13.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a front cap 14 made of an insulating material, for example, resin, is provided in an opening 11c (see FIG. 2) on the pen tip side of the first housing unit 11. An opening 10a having a diameter slightly larger than that of the core body 21 is formed in the front cap 14. The core body 21 is inserted into the housing 10 of the electronic pen 1 through the opening 10a of the front cap 14. The core body 21 made of a conductive material and the first housing unit 11 are electrically separated (insulated) by the front cap 14 made of insulating material, as shown in FIG. 1B. In the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment, the first housing unit 11 is arranged to cover the rear end side of the tip end 21a of the core body 21, as shown in FIG. 1B, and forms a peripheral electrode.

[0041] As shown in Figures 1(A) and 1(B), the hollow portion of the second housing 12 contains a board holder 30 having a printed circuit board 31 mounted on a board mounting base 301, and a battery 32 as a power source. The battery 32 may be a primary battery or a secondary battery (rechargeable battery). The rear end of the second housing 12 is closed by a back cap 15, as shown in Figure 1(A).

[0042] The board holder 30 is made of insulating resin and has a pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 on the opposite side to the board mounting base portion 301 in the longitudinal direction, which is the axial direction of the electronic pen 1. As shown in FIG. 1(B), when the board holder 30 is housed in the hollow portion of the housing 10, the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 and the board mounting base portion 301 are continuous in the longitudinal direction, which is the axial direction of the electronic pen 1. The pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 is cylindrical with a hollow portion therein for housing the pressure-sensing components 5 (multiple components for detecting writing pressure). The board mounting base portion 301 is boat-shaped for placing and holding the printed circuit board 31, and is shaped like a cylinder cut in approximately half in the axial direction.

[0043] The board holder 30 is housed in the housing 10 so that the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 faces the core body 21. A core body holder 23 that holds the core body 21 is connected to this pressure-sensing component holding portion 302, and the pressure (writing pressure) applied to the core body 21 is transmitted to the pressure-sensing component 5 of the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302.

[0044] In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30 is selected to be equal to or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the second fitting cylindrical portion 13b of the cylindrical connecting member 13. As shown in Fig. 2, a portion of the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30 fits into a portion of the second fitting cylindrical portion 13b of the cylindrical connecting member 13, thereby connecting the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30 and the second fitting cylindrical portion 13b of the cylindrical connecting member 13.

[0045] As shown in Figures 1(B) and 2, the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the substrate holder 30 is engaged and connected in the axial direction with the second engaging cylindrical portion 13b of the cylindrical connecting member 13, thereby restricting its position within the housing 10 so that it does not move in the axial direction.

[0046] Although not shown in the drawings, both ends of the battery 32, which is disposed on the opposite side of the board mounting base portion 301 of the board holder 30 from the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302, are electrically connected to the copper foil patterns of the power supply line and earth line of the printed circuit board 31. As a result, the voltage of the battery 32 is supplied to the circuit formed on the printed circuit board 31 as a power supply voltage.

[0047] In this embodiment, the second housing portion 12 made of a conductive material is electrically connected to the copper foil pattern of the earth line of the printed circuit board 31.

[0048] In this embodiment, a peripheral circuit section made up of an IC (Integrate Circuit) 41 (see FIGS. 1A and 5) and its peripheral circuit components that constitute a signal generating circuit that generates a signal to be sent from the core body 21 and a control circuit that controls transmission of the signal from the signal generating circuit to the core body 21 is provided on the printed circuit board 31. The peripheral circuit section includes a push switch (side switch) and a charging circuit for the battery 32, although not shown.

[0049] 1(B), in this embodiment, the core body 21 is coupled to and held by the core body holder 23 made of a conductive material by being fitted into the core body holder 23 via a conductive elastic member 22. The core body holder 23 is then fitted into a holding member 53 (described later) for the pressure-sensitive component 5 in the pressure-sensitive component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30, so that pressure (writing pressure) applied to the core body 21 is transmitted to the pressure-sensitive component 5. In this case, the core body holder 23 is configured to be constantly biased toward the core body 21 relative to the board holder 30 by a coil spring 34 (an example of an elastic member) made of a conductive material such as a conductive metal, which is provided between the core body holder 23 and the board holder 30. The coil spring 24, together with a conductive terminal member 25 (described later), constitutes an electrical connection member for transmitting signals from an IC 41 disposed on the printed circuit board 31 to the core body 21.

[0050] FIG. 3A is an exploded perspective view of the core body 21, the conductive elastic member 22, the core body holder 23, the coil spring 24, and the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30. FIG.

[0051] The conductive elastic member 22 is made of, for example, conductive rubber, and is formed in a cylindrical shape with a through-hole 22a into which the end opposite to the tip end 21a of the core body 21 is fitted. The core body 21 side of the conductive elastic member 22 has an outer diameter smaller than other parts, making it a thin-walled portion, and is formed with a slit 222 to form a gripping portion 221 that makes it easier to grip the core body 21.

[0052] With this configuration, the core body 21 is held by the arc-shaped portions of the gripping portion 221, which are two thin-walled portions in which the slits 222 are formed. Therefore, the core body 21 can be easily inserted and fitted into the gripping portion 221 of the conductive elastic member 22, and can be easily pulled out of the conductive elastic member 22 by pulling with a predetermined force.

[0053] The core holder 23 is made of a conductive material, such as SUS (Steel Special Use Stainless), and is integrally formed with a storage and fitting portion 231 having a recessed hole 231a for storing and fitting the conductive elastic member 22, and a rod-shaped portion 232 that fits into the holding member 53 of the pressure-sensing component 5, which will be described later.

[0054] After the conductive coil spring 24 is attached to the rod-shaped portion 232 of the core holder 23 containing the conductive elastic member 22 as described above, the rod-shaped portion 232 of the core holder 23 is fitted into the holding member 53 of the pressure-sensing component 5 in the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the substrate holder 30.

[0055] In this case, it is necessary to consider that in the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment, a transmission signal generated by a circuit configured on the printed circuit board 31 must be supplied to the core body 21. However, since the board holder 30 and the holding member 53 of the pressure-sensing component 5 housed in the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 are made of resin, which is an insulating material, an electrical connection cannot be made between the core body holder 23 and the holding member 53.

[0056] Therefore, in this embodiment, an electrical connection member is formed by a coil spring 24 made of a conductive material arranged between the core holder 23 and the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30, and a conductor terminal member 25 arranged on the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30, and this electrical connection member realizes an electrical connection for supplying signals from the signal transmission circuit of the printed circuit board 31.

[0057] That is, in this embodiment, a conductive terminal member 25 made of a conductive material, such as SUS, is attached to the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the substrate holder 30 so as to cover the opening 302a side into which the rod-shaped portion 232 of the core holder 23 is inserted, as shown in Figure 3(A).

[0058] As shown in Figures 3(A) and (B), this conductor terminal member 25 comprises an abutment plate portion 251 that covers the opening 302a side of the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the substrate holder 30 and has a through hole 251a through which the rod-shaped portion 232 of the core holder 23 is inserted, and mounting plate portions 252 and 253 that are perpendicular to this abutment plate portion 251 and face each other.

[0059] An extension portion 254 is also provided, which extends across the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30 and reaches the board mounting base portion 301. At the tip of this extension portion 254, in this example, a terminal portion 254a is formed, which is to be soldered to the rear surface of the printed circuit board 31, for example.

[0060] 1(B), when the conductive terminal member 25 is attached to the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30, the terminal portion 254a at the tip of the extension portion 254 extending from the conductive terminal member 25 abuts against, and is soldered to, the conductor on the back side of the printed circuit board 31 placed on the board placement table portion 301 of the board holder 30. This electrically connects the conductive terminal member 25 to the signal generating circuit formed on the surface of the printed circuit board 31.

[0061] As described above, the rod-shaped portion 232 of the core holder 23, into which the conductive elastic member 22 is fitted, is inserted into the hollow portion of the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30 through the through-hole 251a of the abutment plate portion 251 of the conductive terminal member 25, with the coil spring 24 interposed therebetween, and is fitted into the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302. The inner diameter of the coil spring 24 is larger than the outer diameter of the rod-shaped portion 232 of the core holder 23.

[0062] Therefore, the coil spring 24 elastically contacts the core holder 23, and also abuts and elastically contacts the abutment plate portion 251 of the conductor terminal member 25. The coil spring 24 is made of a conductive material, and the conductive elastic member 22 and the core holder 23 are conductive, so that the conductive elastic member 22 fitted into the core holder 23 is electrically connected to the circuit portion of the printed circuit board 31 via the coil spring 24 and the conductor terminal member 25.

[0063] Then, as described above, the core body 21 is inserted and fitted into the through-hole 22a of the conductive elastic member 22 fitted into the core body holder 23 housed in the housing 10, and the core body 21 is held by the core body holder 23 via the conductive elastic member 22. In this state, the core body 21 is electrically connected to the signal transmission circuit of the printed circuit board 31, and a signal from the signal transmission circuit is supplied to the core body 21.

[0064] Next, the configuration of the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30 and the pressure-sensing component 5, and further the fitting of the holding member 53 of the pressure-sensing component 5 with the core holder 23 will be described.

[0065] 4 is an exploded perspective view of the pressure-sensing component 5 housed in the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the substrate holder 30. The pressure-sensing component 5 is housed in the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 as shown in FIG. 4 and configured as shown in FIG. 1(B), thereby forming a pen pressure detection module. The core 21 is then connected to this pen pressure detection module via the core holder 23, and the pen pressure applied to the tip 21a of the core 21 is detected by the pressure-sensing component 5 of the pen pressure detection module. In this case, the pen pressure detection module detects the pen pressure when a part of the pressure-sensing component 5 constituting the module moves axially together with the core 21 and the core holder 23 in response to the pen pressure applied to the tip 21a of the core 21.

[0066] The writing pressure detection unit in this example uses a variable capacitance capacitor whose capacitance changes in response to the writing pressure applied to the core body 21 .

[0067] As shown in Figure 4(A), the pressure-sensing component 5 of this example is made up of multiple components: a dielectric 51, a terminal member 52, a holding member 53, a conductive member 54, and an elastic member 55. The terminal member 52 is made of a conductive material, such as SUS, and constitutes a first electrode of the variable capacitance capacitor made up of the pressure-sensing component 5. The conductive member 54 is made of, for example, conductive rubber, and the elastic member is made of a coil spring made of a conductive material, such as SUS. The conductive member 54 and the elastic member 55 are electrically connected to constitute a second electrode of the variable capacitance capacitor.

[0068] As shown in Figure 4(A), the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the substrate holder 30 is composed of a cylindrical body with a hollow portion, and is configured to store the pressure-sensing components 5 in a line in the axial direction within the hollow portion.

[0069] Of the pressure-sensing component 5 consisting of multiple components as described above, the dielectric 51 and terminal member 52, which are components that do not move in the axial direction within the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 consisting of a cylindrical body, are inserted from a direction perpendicular to the board surface of the printed circuit board 31, perpendicular to the axial direction of the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302, through an opening 303 formed in a part of the side surface of the cylindrical body that constitutes the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 and opening in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, as shown in Figure 4(A), and are stored as shown in Figure 1(B).

[0070] A wall portion 304 is provided at the boundary between the pressure-sensitive component holding portion 302 and the substrate mounting table portion 301 of the substrate holder 30 , and the terminal members 52 are disposed so as to be pressed against this wall portion 304 .

[0071] Dielectric 51 is configured as a plate-like body having a predetermined thickness, and is housed in pressure-sensing component holder 302 in a state of contact with terminal member 52. Therefore, dielectric 51 is prevented from moving axially within pressure-sensing component holder 302 toward terminal member 52.

[0072] The terminal member 52, which serves as the first electrode of the variable capacitor, has a lead portion 52c. When the terminal member 52 is housed in the pressure-sensing component holder 302, the lead portion 52c straddles the wall portion 304 and is soldered to a land portion (not shown) on the surface of the printed circuit board 31 placed on the board mounting table 301.

[0073] In addition, the terminal member 52 has an L-shaped protrusion 52d that presses the side portion of the dielectric 51 on the opening 303 side when the dielectric 51 and the terminal member 52 are stored in the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302.

[0074] The holding member 53 is made of a non-conductive material, in this example, a resin which is an insulating material, and as shown in Figure 4, it has a cylindrical portion 53a on the side facing the core body 21 in the axial direction, with a recessed hole 53b into which the rod-shaped portion 232 of the core body holder 23 is press-fitted, and also has a ring-shaped protrusion 53c on the opposite side of the axial direction from the recessed hole 53b, with a recessed hole 53d into which the conductive member 54 is fitted.

[0075] A slit 53e is formed in the columnar portion 53a of the holding member 53 along the axial direction of the recessed hole 53b to facilitate the ease of press-fitting the rod-shaped portion 232 of the core body holder 23 into the recessed hole 53b. With this slit 53e, the columnar portion 53a of the holding member 53 forms a gripping portion corresponding to the rod-shaped portion 232 of the core body holder 23, and the holding member 53 securely grips and holds the core body holder 23. In other words, the columnar portion 53a of the holding member 53 forms a core body holder holding portion.

[0076] The ring-shaped protrusion 53c of the holding member 53 also has a slit 53f that is in communication with the recessed hole 53d. Due to the presence of this slit 53f, the conductive member 54 is securely gripped by the ring-shaped protrusion 53c and held by the holding member 53.

[0077] Openings 53g and 53h communicating with recessed hole 53b are formed on the side surface of columnar portion 53a of holding member 53 so as to face each other across the central axis of the cylinder. Engaging protrusions 53i and 53j are formed on the circumferential side surface of columnar portion 53a of holding member 53.

[0078] 3(A), steps 232b and 232c that engage with the openings 53g and 53h of the holding member 53 are formed near the tip 232a of the rod-shaped portion 232 of the core body holder 23. When the rod-shaped portion 232 of the core body holder 23 is press-fit into the recessed hole 53b of the holding member 53 as shown in FIG. 1(B), the steps 232b and 232c abut against the walls of the openings 53g and 53h and are engaged with the core body 21 side so as not to fall out.

[0079] The conductive member 54 is made of an elastic material that is conductive and elastically deformable, such as silicone conductive rubber or pressure conductive rubber. The conductive member 54 has a protrusion 54a that fits into the recessed hole 53d of the ring-shaped protrusion 53c of the holding member 53.

[0080] The elastic member 55 is formed of, for example, a conductive coil spring, and has an elastic winding portion 55a, a terminal piece 55b at one end of the winding portion 55a, and a connecting portion 55c at the other end of the winding portion 55a.

[0081] The elastic member 55 is assembled in the axial direction of the holding member 53 so that the ring-shaped protrusion 53c of the holding member 53 is housed within the wound portion 55a of the elastic member 55. The protrusion 54a of the conductive member 54 is fitted into the recessed hole 53d of the ring-shaped protrusion 53c of the holding member 53. At this time, the connecting portion 55c of the elastic member 55 is inserted into the bottom of the recessed hole 53d formed in the ring-shaped protrusion 53c of the holding member 53 through the slit portion of the ring-shaped protrusion 53c of the holding member 53. Therefore, when the small diameter portion 54b of the conductive member 54 is press-fitted into the ring-shaped protrusion 53c of the holding member 53, the end face of the small diameter portion 54b of the conductive member 54 comes into contact with the connecting portion 55c of the conductive elastic member 55, thereby establishing an electrical connection.

[0082] When the terminal piece 55b of the elastic member 55 is inserted into the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302, it is configured to straddle the dielectric 51, the terminal member 52 and the wall portion 304 and be soldered to the conductive pattern on the board surface of the printed circuit board 31 placed on the board mounting base portion 301.

[0083] The holding member 53, to which the conductive member 54 is coupled in the axial direction via the elastic member 55, is inserted into the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 from the opening 302a side. Engagement protrusions 53i and 53j formed on the side peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 53a of the holding member 53 engage with engagement steps (see FIG. 1(B)) formed on the side peripheral surface of the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302, thereby locking the holding member 53 so that it does not fall out of the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 toward the core body 21. However, when writing pressure is applied from the core body 21 side, the holding member 53 can move within the hollow portion of the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 in the axial direction opposite to the core body 21. When the application of writing pressure from the core body 21 side is released, the elastic biasing force of the elastic member 55 causes the engaging protrusions 53i and 53j to return to a state in which they engage with the engaging stepped portions of the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302.

[0084] After the pressure-sensing component 5 has been housed in the cylindrical body constituting the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 as described above, the aforementioned conductive terminal member 25 shown in Fig. 3(B) is elastically attached to the end face of the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 on the opening 302a side, as described above. Thereafter, as described above, the rod-shaped portion 232 of the core holder 23, into which the conductive elastic member 22 is fitted, is inserted into the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 through the through-hole 251a of the abutment plate portion 251 of the conductive terminal member 25, and fitted into the holding member 53. This causes the core holder 23 to be held by the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30.

[0085] Then, with the core body holder 23 fitted into the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30 as described above, the core body 21 is press-fitted into the through-hole 22a of the conductive elastic member 22 fitted into the core body holder 23. As a result, the core body 21 is firmly held to the core body holder 23 by the conductive elastic member 22, as described above.

[0086] At this time, since the core 21, the conductive elastic member 22, and the core holder 23 are all conductive, the core 21 and the signal transmission circuit of the printed circuit board 31 are electrically connected via the conductive coil spring 24 and the conductor terminal member 25 (see the dotted line in FIG. 1(B)). Therefore, a signal from the signal transmission circuit of the printed circuit board 31 is transmitted from the core 21.

[0087] The core body 21 can be pulled out in the direction of the tip portion 21a from the state in which it is fitted and held in the core body holder 23. Therefore, as described above, the core body 21 is replaceable.

[0088] In this electronic pen 1, when pressure is applied to the tip end 21a of the core body 21, the core body 21 is displaced axially toward the rear end in response to the pressure. This displacement of the core body 21 causes the holding member 53 in the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 to displace toward the dielectric 51 against the elastic biasing force of the elastic member 55. As a result, the conductive member 54 fitted into the holding member 53 is displaced toward the dielectric 51, and the distance between the conductive member 54 and the dielectric 51, as well as the contact area between the conductive member 54 and the dielectric 51, change in response to the pressure applied to the core body 21.

[0089] As a result, the capacitance of the variable capacitor formed between the terminal member 52 constituting the first electrode and the conductive member 54 constituting the second electrode changes according to the pressure applied to the core body 21. This change in capacitance of the variable capacitor is detected by the IC 41 provided on the printed circuit board 31, and the writing pressure is detected.

[0090] Next, the electrical connection between the first housing portion 11 constituting the peripheral electrode and the circuit portion of the printed circuit board 31 will be described.

[0091] 2 shows the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the cylindrical connecting member 13 when the substrate holder 30 is viewed from the side opposite the substrate mounting table 301. As shown in Fig. 2, a groove 13c is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical connecting member 13 in a direction along the axial direction of the cylindrical connecting member 13, from the first fitting cylindrical portion 13a, through the lower part of the ring-shaped flange 13F, to the second fitting cylindrical portion 13b. In this case, the groove 13c is formed over the entire axial direction of the second fitting cylindrical portion 13b.

[0092] A groove 3023 is also formed on the peripheral side of the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30, which is connected to the second fitting cylindrical portion 13b of the cylindrical connecting member 13, so as to be continuous with the groove 13c of the second fitting cylindrical portion 13b when connected. The groove 3023 is formed extending all along the axial direction of the peripheral side of the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302, up to the position of the board mounting base portion 301. As shown in Fig. 2, a notch 3011 is formed in the board mounting base portion 301 of the board holder 30, so that the back surface 31b of the printed circuit board 31 to be mounted can be seen from the notch 3011 side.

[0093] 2, a connection terminal conductor 16 made of a conductive material, in this example, a conductive metal, is disposed in the recessed groove 13c and the recessed groove 3023. In this case, as also shown in FIG. 1(B), the end 16a of the connection terminal conductor 16 disposed in the recessed groove 13c on the first fitting cylindrical portion 13a side of the cylindrical coupling member 13 is disposed so that at least a portion of the end 16a bulges slightly from the outer peripheral surface of the first fitting cylindrical portion 13a. However, the depth of the recessed groove 13c in the portion of the end 16a is configured to be deep enough that the end 16a can be elastically pressed downward when pressed down from above.

[0094] This ensures that when the first housing part 11 is fitted into the first fitting tubular part 13a of the tubular connecting member 13, the end part 16a of the connection terminal conductor 16 comes into reliable contact with the inner wall of the first housing part 11, thereby electrically connecting the first housing part 11 and the connection terminal conductor 16.

[0095] On the other hand, the portion of the groove 13c that is provided on the second mating cylindrical portion 13b side of the cylindrical connecting member 13 is made deeper, so that the upper surface of the connection terminal conductor 16 arranged in this groove 13c is positioned lower than the outer peripheral surface position of the second mating cylindrical portion 13b.

[0096] The groove 3023 provided in the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the substrate holder 30 is also made deep so that the upper surface of the connection terminal conductor 16 arranged in this groove 3023 is positioned lower than the outer peripheral surface of the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302.

[0097] As a result, when the second housing part 12 is fitted into the second fitting cylindrical part 13b of the cylindrical joining member 13 with the board holder 30 housed inside, an air layer exists between the upper surface of the connection terminal conductor 16 in the groove 13c and the groove 3023 and the inner wall surface of the second housing part 12, thereby achieving electrical separation (insulation) between the two.

[0098] The end 16b of the connection terminal conductor 16 extending toward the printed circuit board 31 is bent at the notch 3011 of the board holder 30 and electrically connected to the rear surface 31b of the printed circuit board 31. Although not shown in the figure, the end 16b of the connection terminal conductor 16 is electrically connected to the circuit section on the front surface of the printed circuit board 31 via a through hole.

[0099] Instead of adjusting the depth of the recessed grooves 13c and 3023, the thickness of the connection terminal conductors 16 may be changed so that the ends 16a bulge slightly from the outer peripheral surface of the first fitting cylindrical portion 13a, and a space may be created between the connection terminal conductors 16 and the second housing portion 12 in the second fitting cylindrical portion 13b and the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30, thereby achieving insulation between the connection terminal conductors 16 and the second housing portion 12. In the second fitting cylindrical portion 13b and the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30, the upper surfaces of the connection terminal conductors 16 in the recessed grooves 13c may be covered with an insulating layer to more reliably achieve insulation between the connection terminal conductors 16 and the second housing portion 12.

[0100] The assembly of the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment configured as described above will now be described. First, the printed circuit board 31, on which circuit components have been previously mounted, is placed and fixed on the board mounting base 301 of the board holder 30. Next, the pressure-sensitive component 5 that constitutes the writing pressure detection unit is stored in the pressure-sensitive component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30.

[0101] Next, as described above, the conductive terminal member 25 is attached to the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30 so that the abutting plate portion 251 closes the opening 302a side of the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30. Then, the terminal portion 254a at the tip of the extension portion 254 of the conductive terminal member 25 is soldered to the back surface 31b of the printed circuit board 31, and is electrically connected to the circuit portion on the front surface 31a side of the printed circuit board 31 via the through hole.

[0102] Next, the core holder 23 with the coil spring 24 attached to the rod-shaped portion 232 is inserted into the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 through the opening 302a, with the coil spring 24 held between the core holder 23 and the abutment plate portion 251 of the conductor terminal member 25, and is held by the holding member 53.

[0103] Next, the core holder 23 is housed in the hollow portion of the tubular joining member 13, and the second fitting tubular portion 13b of the tubular joining member 13 is joined to the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30. Then, the connection terminal conductors 16 are arranged in the recessed grooves 13c of the tubular joining member 13 and the recessed grooves 3023 of the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 in the state described above, and the ends 16b of the connection terminal conductors 16 on the board mounting base portion 301 side of the board holder 30 are soldered to the back surface 31b of the printed circuit board 31, and are electrically connected to the circuit portion on the front surface 31a of the printed circuit board 31 via the through holes.

[0104] Next, the cylindrical portion 11a of the first housing 11, with the front cap 14 attached to the opening 11c, is fitted into the first fitting cylindrical portion 13a of the cylindrical coupling member 13. In this case, the cylindrical portion 11a of the first housing 11 is pressed into the first fitting cylindrical portion 13a of the cylindrical coupling member 13 up to the ring-shaped flange portion 13F and fitted. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1(B), the first housing 11 is pressed into contact with the end portion 16a of the connection terminal conductor 16 and electrically connected. In other words, by fitting the first housing 11 into the first fitting cylindrical portion 13a of the cylindrical coupling member 13, the first housing 11 is electrically connected to the circuit portion of the printed circuit board 31 through the connection terminal conductor 16.

[0105] Next, the second housing 12 is fitted into the second fitting cylindrical portion 13b of the cylindrical connecting member 13 with the board holder 30 housed in its hollow portion. In this case, the second housing 12 is also pushed into the second fitting cylindrical portion 13b of the cylindrical connecting member 13 up to the ring-shaped flange portion 13F and fitted. Although not shown here, the second housing 12 fitted into the second fitting cylindrical portion 13b of the cylindrical connecting member 13 with the board holder 30 housed therein is configured to be electrically connected to the ground conductor of the printed circuit board 31.

[0106] Thereafter, the battery 32 is inserted and fixed into the hollow portion of the second housing 12, at a position closer to the rear end than the substrate mounting table portion 301 of the substrate holder 30 in the axial direction. Then, the opening on the rear end side of the second housing 12 is closed by the back cap 15.

[0107] Finally, the core 21 is inserted through the opening 10a of the front cap 14 attached to the first housing part 11, and is fitted and held in the conductive elastic member 22 held in the core holder 23. With this, the electronic pen 1 is completed.

[0108] In this case, the axial length of the first housing 11, the axial length of the front cap 14, and the length of the core 21 are selected so that the length L1 (see FIG. 1(A)) from the tip 21a of the core 21 to the connecting side of the ring-shaped flange 13F of the tubular connecting member 13 with the first housing 11 will be a length that will not come into contact with the fingers when the electronic pen 1 is held in the hand of a user during use. The length of the core 21 is selected taking into consideration the length of the tip 21a that protrudes outward from the opening of the front cap 14, as this is the length that mainly affects the length L1. Incidentally, length L1 is set to 10 to 15 mm to ensure that the length will not come into contact with the fingers of the user.

[0109] An example of the electrical configuration of the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment is shown in Figure 5. As shown in Figure 5, a control circuit 41 is formed by an IC 40 mounted on a printed circuit board 31. A signal transmission circuit 42 and a reception circuit 43 are connected to this control circuit 41, and a variable capacitance capacitor 5C formed by the pressure-sensing component 5 of the writing pressure detection unit is also connected to this control circuit 41. A resistor 5R is connected in parallel to the variable capacitance capacitor 5C.

[0110] The signal output end of the signal transmission circuit 42 is connected to the core 21 via the conductive terminal member 25, the core holder 23, and the conductive elastic member 22. The first housing part 11 (peripheral electrode) arranged to cover the periphery of the core 21 is connected to the input end of the receiving circuit 43 via the connection terminal conductor 16.

[0111] The power supply voltage from the battery 32 is supplied to the IC 41, the signal transmitting circuit 42, and the receiving circuit 43, respectively.

[0112] The receiving circuit 43 receives a signal via electrostatic capacitive coupling (electric field coupling) between the peripheral electrode formed in the first housing part 11 and the position detection sensor of the position detection device, performs processing such as demodulation according to the received signal, and sends the processed signal to the control circuit 41.

[0113] The control circuit 41 analyzes the signal from the receiving circuit 43 to determine the specifications of the partner position detection device, and then controls the format of the signal output from the signal transmitting circuit 42 based on the determination result so that it matches the specifications of the partner position detection device.

[0114] The signal transmission circuit 42 basically outputs a signal including a position detection signal (burst signal) for position detection by the position detection device and writing pressure information detected by the pressure-sensing component 5 of the writing pressure detection unit under the control of the control circuit 41. That is, the signal transmission circuit 42 sends out a burst signal for position detection under the control of the control circuit 41. Then, during the period when the burst signal is being sent from the signal transmission circuit 42, the control circuit 41 executes an operation of detecting writing pressure based on the capacitance of the variable capacitor 5C configured in the pressure-sensing component 5 of the writing pressure detection unit.

[0115] In this example, control circuit 41 first charges variable capacitor 5C to a fully charged state, then stops charging, causing variable capacitor 5C to discharge through resistor 5R. Then, the time from when discharge begins until the voltage across variable capacitor 5C reaches a predetermined voltage is measured, and the capacitance of variable capacitor 5C at that time is detected from that time. Since the capacitance of variable capacitor 5C corresponds to the writing pressure applied to core 21 at that time, the writing pressure is detected based on the detected capacitance.

[0116] Then, after the burst signal transmission period ends, the control circuit 41 controls the signal transmission circuit 42 to transmit, from the core body 21, writing pressure information, for example, consisting of an encoded signal, according to the detected writing pressure. The control circuit 41 further controls the generation of signals according to the specifications of the determined partner's position detection device, for example, to transmit identification information of the electronic pen 1 or information on the remaining capacity of the battery 32.

[0117] The circuit configuration of the position detection device and the position detection sensor can be well known, and therefore, an explanation of the configuration example will be omitted here.

[0118] [Effects of the embodiment] As described above, in the electronic pen 1 of this embodiment, the housing 10 is separated into the first housing portion 11 and the second housing portion 12, and is formed by fitting the first housing portion 11 and the second housing portion 12 to one side and the other side in the axial direction of the tubular connecting member 13. In this embodiment, the tubular connecting member 13 is connected to the pressure-sensitive component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30, and of the components that make up the writing pressure detection unit (the pressure-sensitive component 5 and the core holder 23 as a pressure transmission member), the pressure-sensitive component 5 is housed in the pressure-sensitive component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30, and the core holder 23 as a pressure transmission member is housed in the tubular connecting member 13.

[0119] Therefore, compared to the configuration of the pen pressure detection unit in the conventional electronic pen 100 shown in Figure 6, in the electronic pen 1 of the embodiment, the housing that houses the core holder 23 that constitutes the pressure transmission member is configured to be shared by the tubular connecting member 13, and the housing 114 in the electronic pen 100 that is housed in the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the substrate holder 30 is not necessary, so that it is possible to make the pen thinner.

[0120] Furthermore, in the conventional electronic pen 100 shown in Figure 6, the housing 101 and the peripheral electrode 116 are configured such that a front cap 102 made of an insulating material is interposed between them in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the electronic pen 100, whereas in the electronic pen 100 of this embodiment, the electrical separation (insulation) between the first housing part 11 and the second housing part 12 that constitute the peripheral electrode is achieved by interposing the ring-shaped flange part 13F of the tubular connecting member 13 in the axial direction, and since this configuration allows the first housing part 11 and the second housing part 12 to be aligned in the axial direction, it is possible to make the electronic pen 100 slimmer.

[0121] Furthermore, electrical separation (insulation) between the first housing portion 11 as a peripheral electrode and the core body 21 is achieved simply by providing a simple cylindrical front cap 14 on the opening 11c side of the first housing portion 11, which has the advantage of eliminating the need for the specially shaped front cap 102 in the conventional electronic pen 100 shown in Figure 6.

[0122] [Other embodiments or modifications] In the above-described embodiment, the first fitting cylindrical portion 13a of the tubular connecting member 13 and the first housing 11, and the second fitting cylindrical portion 13b of the tubular connecting member 13 and the second housing 12 are coupled together by press-fitting to form the housing 10. However, they may be screwed together instead of press-fitting. Alternatively, a ring-shaped protrusion may be provided on one of the first fitting cylindrical portion 13a of the tubular connecting member 13 and the first housing 11, or on one of the second fitting cylindrical portion 13b of the tubular connecting member 13 and the second housing 12, and a corresponding ring-shaped recess may be provided on the other, so that the ring-shaped protrusion and the ring-shaped recess are fitted together to click into engagement.

[0123] Furthermore, the first fitting tubular portion 13a of the tubular connecting member 13 may be fitted into the first housing 11 by screwing, and the second fitting tubular portion 13b of the tubular connecting member 13 may be fitted into the second housing 12 by press-fitting or by the above-mentioned click-like locking. Conversely, the second fitting tubular portion 13b of the tubular connecting member 13 may be fitted into the second housing 12 by screwing, and the first fitting tubular portion 13a of the tubular connecting member 13 may be fitted into the first housing 11 by press-fitting or by the above-mentioned click-like locking.

[0124] In the above embodiment, the outer diameter of the end face of the ring-shaped flange 13F of the tubular connecting member 13, the outer diameter of the first housing 11, and the outer diameter of the second housing 12 are all the same, and the housing 10 has a shape without any irregularities in the axial direction. However, the outer diameter of the end face of the ring-shaped flange 13F of the tubular connecting member 13, the outer diameter of the first housing 11, and the outer diameter of the second housing 12 do not all need to be the same. For example, the outer diameter of the first housing 11 and the outer diameter of the second housing 12 may be the same, and the outer diameter of the ring-shaped flange 13F may be larger or smaller than that. In this case, the ring-shaped flange 13F has a larger outer diameter, which forms a protrusion on the housing 10. This is convenient because it helps the user avoid touching the first housing 11 side with their fingers when holding the electronic pen during use.

[0125] Furthermore, the outer diameters of the first housing part 11 and the second housing part 12 may be different from each other, and the outer diameter of the ring-shaped flange part 13F may be configured to be equal to one of the first housing part 11 and the second housing part 12. In this case as well, the step on the outer peripheral surface of the housing 10 is useful as a clue for the user to avoid touching the first housing part 11 side with their fingers when holding the electronic pen during use.

[0126] In the above-described embodiment, the tubular connecting member 13 and the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30 are configured to be connected in a partially fitted state, but the axial end of the second fitting tubular portion 13b of the tubular connecting member 13 and the axial end of the pressure-sensing component holding portion 302 of the board holder 30 may simply be configured to abut against each other.

[0127] Furthermore, the holding portion of the pressure-sensing component 5 of the pen pressure detection unit may be provided integrally on the second fitting cylindrical portion 13b side of the cylindrical connecting member 13, rather than being provided integrally with the board holder 30.

[0128] The cylindrical connecting member 13 and the substrate holder 30 may also be configured as an integrated unit. In this case, the outer diameter of the substrate holder 30 can be made smaller than the outer diameter of the second fitting cylindrical portion 13b of the cylindrical connecting member 13, making it easier to store the substrate holder 30 in the second housing portion 12.

[0129] In the above-described embodiment, not only the first housing part 11 but also the second housing part 12 are made of a conductive material, but it is not essential that the second housing part 12 be made of a conductive material, and the second housing part 12 may be made of an insulating material such as resin.

[0130] In the above embodiment, the first housing part 11 constituting the peripheral electrode is described as an electronic pen that is dedicated to receiving signals, but the electronic pen may also be configured to send signals from this first housing part 11.

[0131] For example, when the electronic pen is not in contact with the input surface of the position detection sensor but is in the air above it (so-called hover state), signals can be sent not only from the core body 21, or instead of sending signals from the core body 21, from the first housing part 11 as a peripheral electrode, making it easier for the position detection sensor to detect the approximate position of the electronic pen in the hover state.

[0132] Furthermore, as in the electronic pen of Patent Document 2 mentioned above, it is also possible to configure the position detection device to be able to detect the tilt of the electronic pen by sending a signal from the first housing portion 11 as a peripheral electrode.

[0133] In the electronic pen 1 of the above-described embodiment, the core body 21 is configured to only transmit signals to the position detection sensor, but the electronic pen can also be configured so that the core body 21 can transmit signals to the position detection sensor and receive signals from the position detection sensor in a time-division manner.

[0134] Furthermore, in the electronic pen of the above-described embodiment, it has been described that signals are transmitted and received only between the core body 21 or the first housing part 11 and the position detection sensor of the position detection device, but the electronic pen may also be configured to transmit and receive signals via wireless communication with the position detection device, for example, by using a wireless communication means conforming to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard.

[0135] In the above-described embodiment, the pressure-sensing component of the pen pressure detection unit is configured as a variable capacitance capacitor by sandwiching a dielectric 51 between a terminal member 52 and a conductive member 54. However, it can also be configured as a variable capacitance capacitor made of a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) element using a semiconductor element, which varies the capacitance according to the pen pressure, as disclosed in, for example, JP 2013-161307 A.

[0136] In the above embodiment, the first housing 11 is a single conductive member, but the first housing 11 may be divided into two or three conductive members in the circumferential direction, and a signal may be supplied to each of the conductive members independently and transmitted to the position detection sensor. In this case, the position detection device can also detect the rotation angle of the electronic pen. [Explanation of symbols]

[0137] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1...electronic pen, 10...housing, 11...first housing portion, 12...second housing portion, 13...cylindrical coupling member, 13a...first fitting cylindrical portion, 13b...second fitting cylindrical portion, 13F...ring-shaped flange portion, 14...front cap, 15...back cap, 16...connection terminal conductor, 21...core body, 22...conductive elastic member, 23...core body holder, 24...coil spring, 25...conductor terminal member, 30...board holder, 301...board mounting base portion, 302...pressure-sensing component holding portion, 31...printed circuit board, 32...battery, 41...control circuit, 42...signal transmitting circuit, 43...receiving circuit

Claims

1. An electronic pen having a core body made of a conductive material and disposed so that a tip thereof protrudes from one opening side of a hollow portion of a housing, the housing includes a first housing portion and a second housing portion that are separated in an axial direction and electrically insulated from each other; The first housing portion is made of a conductive material, constitutes a part of the outer circumferential surface of the housing, has an opening for allowing the tip of the core body to protrude to the outside while being electrically separated from the core body, and operates as a transmitting electrode. An electronic pen characterized by:

2. The first housing portion and the second housing portion are electrically insulated by a ring-shaped flange portion.

2. The electronic pen according to claim 1.

3. The side surface of the first housing portion, the side surface of the second housing portion, and the end surface of the ring-shaped flange portion are configured so as to have no steps in the axial direction.

3. The electronic pen according to claim 2.

4. The ring-shaped flange is formed as a protrusion on the outer periphery of a cylindrical connecting member made of an insulating material, The first housing portion has a cylindrical shape on the side coupled to the cylindrical coupling member in the axial direction, and a tapered shape on the side opposite to the side coupled to the cylindrical coupling member, and is provided with an opening at the tip of the tapered shape through which the tip of the core body protrudes.

3. The electronic pen according to claim 2.

5. An insulating material is disposed between the first housing portion and the core body.

2. The electronic pen according to claim 1.

6. The second housing is made of a conductive material and is at a fixed potential.

2. The electronic pen according to claim 1 .

7. a holder having a pressure-sensitive component storage section for storing the pressure-sensitive component of the writing pressure detection section is disposed within the housing; The cylindrical connecting member is connected to the pressure-sensing component housing portion of the holder in the axial direction.

5. The electronic pen according to claim 4.

8. The cylindrical connecting member is integrally formed with the holder.

8. The electronic pen according to claim 7.

9. The core body transmits a signal for detecting the indicated position.

2. The electronic pen according to claim 1 .

10. The core body transmits a signal for detecting an indicated position and receives a signal from a position detection sensor.

2. The electronic pen according to claim 1 .

11. The first housing portion operates as a receiving electrode that receives a signal from a position detection sensor.

2. The electronic pen according to claim 1 .

12. A connecting conductor, one end of which is connected to an electronic circuit housed in the second housing, is arranged in an exposed state on the peripheral side surface of the fitting portion between the cylindrical coupling member and the first housing portion closer to the protruding portion of the cylindrical coupling member, and the other end of the connecting conductor is electrically connected to the first housing portion by fitting the first housing portion into the cylindrical coupling member.

5. The electronic pen according to claim 4.

13. The first housing portion is positioned so that the user's finger will not come into contact with it when the tip of the core body is electrically coupled to a position detection sensor to indicate a position.

2. The electronic pen according to claim 1 .

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