Multidirectional input device

Abstract

To provide a multi-directional input device that has an excellent shielding effect against external magnetic fields. [Solution] The multi-directional input device 1 includes a housing 6 provided on a substrate 3, a first rotating member 81, a second rotating member 82, an operating shaft 83 for rotating the first rotating member 81 and the second rotating member 82, a detection mechanism 9 for detecting the rotation angle of the first rotating member 81 and the second rotating member 82, and a lower cover 2L that supports the substrate 3 from below. The detection mechanism 9 includes a pair of magnets 92 provided on the first rotating member 81 and the second rotating member 82, respectively, and a pair of magnetic sensors 91 provided on the substrate 3. The pair of magnetic sensors 91 are each located below the pair of magnets 92. The lower cover 2L includes a bottom plate 21 and a pair of shielding pieces 24 that protrude upward from the bottom plate 21 and face the pair of magnets 92 from the outside.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a multi-directional input device, and more specifically, to a multi-directional input device having an excellent shielding effect against an external magnetic field.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a multi-directional input device used in electronic devices such as game devices, a multi-directional input device capable of performing a tilting operation with respect to an operation axis is known. In this type of multi-directional input device called a joystick or a stick controller, a user provides input of direction information corresponding to a tilting operation with respect to the operation axis by performing a tilting operation of tilting the operation axis from a neutral state in an arbitrary direction.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a multi-directional input device 500 shown in FIG. 1. The multi-directional input device 500 includes a housing 510, a flexible substrate 520 held by the housing 510, a first rotating member 530 held by the housing 510 so as to be rotatable about a first axial direction, a second rotating member 540 held by the housing 510 so as to be rotatable about a second axial direction orthogonal to the first axial direction, an operation shaft 550 inserted through a slit hole 531 of the first rotating member 530 and a slit hole 541 of the second rotating member 540 and rotating the first rotating member 530 and the second rotating member 540 in response to a tilting operation applied from a user, a coil spring 560 that elastically holds the operation shaft 550 in a vertical neutral state, and a detection mechanism 570 including magnets 571 attached to the first rotating member 530 and the second rotating member 540 respectively and a magnetic sensor 572 provided on the flexible substrate 520 so as to face the magnets 571.

[0004] When a user applies a tilting operation to the operating shaft 550 in any direction, the first rotating member 530 and the second rotating member 540 rotate in accordance with the tilting motion of the operating shaft 550. As the first rotating member 530 and the second rotating member 540 rotate, respectively, the relative position between the magnet 571 attached to the first rotating member 530 and the second rotating member 540 and the corresponding magnetic sensor 572 changes. Therefore, the detection mechanism 570 detects the rotation angles of the first rotating member 530 and the second rotating member 540 and provides input of directional information corresponding to the user's tilting operation to the operating shaft 550.

[0005] Such multi-directional input devices 500 are typically used in handheld controllers for gaming devices. Recent handheld controllers for gaming devices often incorporate numerous magnetic components, such as speakers that emit sound from the user's hand, vibration devices that provide tactile feedback to the user holding the controller, and detachable buttons, resulting in a complex magnetic environment within the handheld controller. The magnetism from other components within such a handheld controller acts as an external magnetic field for the magnet 571 of the multi-directional input device 500 and its corresponding magnetic sensor 572, causing the magnet 571 to shift its position from its original zero point under natural conditions. As a result, there was a problem in that the detection accuracy of the rotation angles of the first rotating member 530 and the second rotating member 540 of the detection mechanism 570 was reduced.

[0006] To address these problems, the multi-directional input device 500 has a configuration in which a shielding piece 580, made of magnetic material and used to shield against external magnetic fields, is provided on the outside of the portion of the flexible substrate 520 on which the magnetic sensor 572 is mounted. However, in the configuration of the multi-directional input device 500, the magnetic sensor 572 and the flexible substrate 520 on which the magnetic sensor 572 is mounted must be placed between the magnet 571 and the shielding piece 580, which results in a large separation distance between the magnet 571 and the shielding piece 580. As a result, the shielding effect against external magnetic fields provided by the shielding piece 580 becomes insufficient, leading to a problem in which the detection accuracy of the rotation angles of the first rotating member 530 and the second rotating member 540 of the detection mechanism 570 decreases. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-65398 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] This invention addresses the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its objective is to provide a multi-directional input device that has an excellent shielding effect against external magnetic fields. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] These objectives are achieved by the present invention as defined in (1) below. (1) A circuit board and A housing provided on the aforementioned substrate, A first rotating member having a first slit hole and held in the housing so as to be rotatable around a first axial direction, A second rotating member, having a second slit hole and held in the housing so as to be rotatable around a second axial direction perpendicular to the first axial direction, An operating shaft is inserted through the first slit hole and the second slit hole and rotates the first rotating member and the second rotating member in response to a tilting operation applied by the user, A holding mechanism provided within the housing, which elastically holds the operating shaft in a neutral position, A detection mechanism for detecting the rotation angles of the first rotating member and the second rotating member, It includes a lower cover formed from a magnetic material that supports the substrate from below, The detection mechanism comprises a pair of magnets provided on the first rotating member and the second rotating member, respectively, and a pair of magnetic sensors provided on the substrate so as to face the pair of magnets, respectively. The pair of magnetic sensors are each located below the pair of magnets, The lower cover is characterized by comprising a bottom plate that supports the substrate from below, and a pair of shielding pieces that protrude upward from the bottom plate and face the pair of magnets from the outside. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] In the multi-directional input device of the present invention, a pair of magnetic sensors of the detection mechanism are positioned below a pair of magnets provided on the first and second rotating members, respectively, and a pair of shielding pieces of the lower cover face the pair of magnets from the outside. Therefore, it is not necessary to position other members such as a substrate or magnetic sensors between each of the pair of magnets and the corresponding shielding piece, and the distance between each of the pair of magnets and the corresponding shielding piece can be reduced. As a result, the shielding effect of the multi-directional input device of the present invention against external magnetic fields can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional multi-directional input device. [Figure 2]It is a perspective view of a multi-directional input device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional view of the multi-directional input device shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It is an exploded perspective view of the multi-directional input device shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] It is an exploded perspective view of the push switch shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view of the lower housing shown in FIG. 4 seen from another angle. [Figure 7] It is a perspective view of the upper housing shown in FIG. 4 seen from another angle. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view of the elevating slider shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view of the elevating slider shown in FIG. 8 seen from another angle. [Figure 10] It is an exploded perspective view of the operating shaft assembly shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 11] It is a perspective view of the operating shaft shown in FIG. 10 seen from another angle. [Figure 12] It is a cross-sectional view for explaining the positional relationship and dimensional relationship between the magnets held by the first rotating member and the second rotating member and the corresponding shield pieces of the lower cover. [Figure 13] It is a schematic diagram for explaining the relationship between the magnet and the shield piece when the first rotating member or the second rotating member is rotated to the maximum angle. [Figure 14] It is a top view for showing the positional relationship among the magnet, the magnetic sensor, and the shield piece. [Figure 15] It is a schematic diagram showing a modification example of the magnet holders of the first rotating member and the second rotating member.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] The multi-directional input device of the present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. The figures referenced below are schematic diagrams prepared for the purpose of explaining the present invention. The dimensions (length, width, thickness, etc.) of the components shown in the drawings do not necessarily reflect actual dimensions. Furthermore, the same or corresponding elements are assigned the same reference numeral in each figure. In the following description, the positive direction of the Z-axis in each figure may be referred to as "up," the negative direction of the Z-axis as "down," and the Z-direction as the "height direction."

[0013] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a multi-directional input device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the multi-directional input device shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the multi-directional input device shown in Figure 2. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the push switch shown in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the lower housing shown in Figure 4 from a different angle. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the upper housing shown in Figure 4 from a different angle. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the lifting slider shown in Figure 4. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the lifting slider shown in Figure 8 from a different angle. Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the operating shaft assembly shown in Figure 4. Figure 11 is a perspective view of the operating shaft shown in Figure 10 from a different angle. Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the positional and dimensional relationships between the magnets held in the first and second rotating members and the corresponding shielding pieces of the lower cover. Figure 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the magnets and the shielding pieces when the first or second rotating member is rotated to its maximum angle. Figure 14 is a top view showing the positional relationship between the magnet, magnetic sensor, and shield piece. Figure 15 is a schematic diagram showing modified magnet holders for the first and second rotating members.

[0014] The multidirectional input device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figures 2 to 4 is mounted on the circuit board of any electronic device. When a user applies a tilting operation and a pressing operation to the multidirectional input device 1, the multidirectional input device 1 inputs directional information corresponding to the tilting operation and pressing information corresponding to the pressing operation to the electronic device. Typically, the multidirectional input device 1 is used as a joystick in a handheld controller for a game device.

[0015] As shown in Figure 4, the multi-directional input device 1 includes a lower cover 2L mounted on the substrate of any electronic device, an upper cover 2U connected to the lower cover 2L, a substrate 3 on which the electronic components of the multi-directional input device 1 are mounted, a push switch 4 provided on the substrate 3, an actuator 5 positioned above the push switch 4, a housing 6 fixedly mounted on the substrate 3 including a lower housing 6L and an upper housing 6U, a holding mechanism 7 provided inside the housing 6 positioned above the push switch 4, and a housing rotatable around a first axial direction (Y direction). The device includes an operating shaft assembly 8 which includes a first rotating member 81 held in a ring 6, a second rotating member 82 held in the housing 6 so as to be rotatable around a second axial direction (X direction) perpendicular to the first axial direction, and an operating shaft 83 which is held in a neutral state by a holding mechanism 7 and to which tilting and pressing operations are applied by the user, and a detection mechanism 9 which includes a pair of magnetic sensors 91 provided on a substrate 3 and a pair of magnets 92 provided on the first rotating member 81 and the second rotating member 82 respectively, for detecting the rotation angles of the first rotating member 81 and the second rotating member 82. The "neutral state" of the operating shaft 83 referred to here means the state in which the operating shaft 83 is stationary in a steady position with its axial direction substantially coinciding with the height direction.

[0016] The lower cover 2L supports the substrate 3 from below and, together with the upper cover 2U, has the function of supporting the internal structure of the multi-directional input device 1 from above and below. The lower cover 2L is made of a hard magnetic material such as ferritic stainless steel or SPTE (electroplated tinplate). By forming the lower cover 2L from a hard magnetic material, the lower cover 2L can function as a shielding member to prevent the influence of external magnetic fields on the multi-directional input device 1.

[0017] The lower cover 2L comprises a bottom plate 21, a plurality of through holes 22 formed on the bottom plate 21, four welded pieces 23 extending upward from the bottom plate 21 spaced apart from each other, and a pair of shield pieces 24 extending upward from the bottom plate 21 spaced apart from each other. The bottom plate 21 is a plate-like portion having a substantially octagonal planar shape and supports the substrate 3 from below. When the multi-directional input device 1 is mounted on the substrate of the electronic device, the bottom plate 21 is positioned between the substrate 3 and the substrate of the electronic device. The plurality of through holes 22 are formed to allow insertion through the bottom plate 21 in the height direction. The lower cover 2L is attached to the substrate 3 from below by any fixing means such as adhesive, so that each of the plurality of terminal pins 31 of the substrate 3 passes through the corresponding through hole 22.

[0018] The four weld pieces 23 are plate-like portions that extend linearly upward from two pairs of opposing sides of the base plate 21 at 90-degree angle intervals. The four weld pieces 23 are connected to the four weld pieces 27 of the upper cover 2U by welding and engagement, so that the lower cover 2L and the upper cover 2U are firmly integrated. Each of the four weld pieces 23 has a weld surface 231 that is welded to the weld surface 271 of the corresponding weld piece 27, and a hook 232 that engages with an engagement recess 272 of the weld piece 27. The weld surface 231 is the inner surface of the weld piece 23 and is a flat surface perpendicular to the lateral direction (X direction or Y direction, or the plane direction of the substrate 3). The hook 232 is a protruding piece that projects inward, formed by bending one side of the upper end of the weld piece 23 inward. The amount of inward projection of the hook 232 is approximately equal to the thickness of the weld piece 27. The welding surface 231 of each welding piece 23 is welded to the corresponding welding surface 271 of the welding piece 27, and furthermore, the hooks 232 of each welding piece 23 engage with the engaging recesses 272 of the corresponding welding piece 27, thereby firmly integrating the lower cover 2L and the upper cover 2U. In this way, the internal structure of the multi-directional input device 1 is supported from above and below by the firmly integrated lower cover 2L and upper cover 2U, so that vertical oscillation (rattling) of the internal structure of the multi-directional input device 1 can be reliably prevented.

[0019] The pair of shield pieces 24 are rectangular plate-like portions that extend linearly upward from the -X side and the +Y side of the bottom plate 21. The pair of shield pieces 24 are provided to eliminate the influence of the external magnetic field on the pair of magnets 92 by facing the pair of magnets 92 of the detection mechanism 9 from the outside and absorbing the external magnetic field. The inner and outer surfaces of each of the pair of shield pieces 24 are flat surfaces perpendicular to the lateral direction (X direction or Y direction, or the plane direction of the substrate 3). As shown in Figure 3, when the multi-directional input device 1 is assembled, there are no other members between the magnets 92 and the corresponding shield pieces 24, and the magnets 92 and the corresponding shield pieces 24 face each other directly with an air gap. Also, because there are no other members between the magnets 92 and the corresponding shield pieces 24, the corresponding shield pieces 24 can be placed close to the magnets 92. Therefore, the separation distance d (see Figure 12) between the magnet 92 and the corresponding shield piece 24 can be reduced, and the influence of the external magnetic field on the pair of magnets 92 can be more reliably eliminated. As a result, the shielding effect of the multi-directional input device 1 against the external magnetic field can be improved.

[0020] Returning to Figure 4, the upper cover 2U supports the housing 6 from above and, together with the lower cover 2L, has the function of supporting the internal structure of the multi-directional input device 1 from above and below. The upper cover 2U, like the lower cover 2L, is made of a hard magnetic material such as ferritic stainless steel or SPTE (electroplated tinplate). By forming the upper cover 2U from a hard magnetic material, the upper cover 2U can function as a shielding member to prevent external magnetic field influences on the multi-directional input device 1. By forming the upper cover 2U and the lower cover 2L from hard magnetic materials, external magnetic field influences on the multi-directional input device 1 can be prevented more reliably.

[0021] The upper cover 2U comprises an upper plate 25, an opening 26 formed on the upper plate 25, and four welded pieces 27 extending downward from the upper plate 25. The upper plate 25 is a plate-like portion having a planar shape corresponding to the upper surface of the main body 66 of the upper housing 6U, and supports the housing 6 from above. The opening 26 is a circular opening formed in the center of the upper plate 25. The opening 26 has an outer diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the annular projection 662 formed on the upper surface of the main body 66 of the upper housing 6U. The opening 26 also includes four positioning recesses 261 formed on its inner circumferential surface. As shown in Figure 2, when the upper cover 2U is attached to the upper housing 6U from above, the annular projection 662 protrudes upward from the opening 26, and the four positioning projections 663 are each located within the four positioning recesses 261.

[0022] Returning to Figure 4, the four weld pieces 27 are plate-like portions that extend linearly downward from the outer edge of the upper plate 25 at equal 90-degree intervals. Each of the four weld pieces 27 has a weld surface 271 that is welded to the weld surface 231 of the weld piece 23 of the lower cover 2L, and an engaging recess 272 that engages with the hook 232 of the weld piece 23. The weld surface 271 is the outer surface of the weld piece 27 and is a flat surface perpendicular to the transverse direction. The engaging recess 272 is a recess formed inward on one of a pair of sides that extend linearly downward from the weld piece 27. As described above, the weld surface 271 is welded to the weld surface 231 of the corresponding weld piece 23, and furthermore, the engaging recess 272 engages with the hook 232 of the corresponding weld piece 23.

[0023] The substrate 3 is a flat circuit board formed from materials and configurations known in the field of electronic equipment. Typically, a rigid circuit board can be used as the substrate 3, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a circuit board formed by insert molding to integrate a resin material and a circuit, or a flexible printed circuit board (FPC), may be used as the substrate 3. The substrate 3 comprises a plurality of terminal pins 31 that pass through the substrate 3, a circuit pattern 32 formed on the substrate 3, and a slit 33 formed on the substrate 3. A pair of magnetic sensors (e.g., Hall IC sensors) 91 and a push switch 4 of the detection mechanism 9 are mounted on the substrate 3, and the pair of magnetic sensors 91 and the push switch 4 are electrically connected to the corresponding terminal pins 31 via the circuit pattern 32. In addition, the terminal pins 31 corresponding to the pair of magnetic sensors 91 and the push switch 4 are connected to the corresponding terminals on the circuit board of the electronic device. With this configuration, the electronic device can receive input from the multidirectional input device 1. The slit 33 is a long through-hole provided to allow one of the pair of shield pieces 24 of the lower cover 2L, located on the -X side, to be inserted into the substrate 3 from below and protrude upward.

[0024] The push switch 4 is a switch that is pressed via the actuator 5 as the operating shaft 83 is displaced downward. When a pressing force exceeding the operating force of the push switch 4 is applied to the operating shaft 83 by the user, the push switch 4 turns ON. Subsequently, when the pressing force applied by the user is released, the push switch 4 turns OFF. As shown in Figure 3, in the assembled state of the multi-directional input device 1, the push switch 4 is mounted on the circuit board 3 so as to be located directly below the operating shaft 83, and is pressed when the operating shaft 83 is displaced downward in response to a pressing operation applied by the user.

[0025] As shown in Figure 5, the push switch 4 includes a central contact 41 formed to be exposed on the substrate 3, an annular outer contact 42 formed on the substrate 3 spaced apart from the central contact 41 and surrounding the central contact 41, a dome-shaped movable contact 43, and a cover tape 44 that covers the movable contact 43 from above and fixes the movable contact 43 on the substrate 3.

[0026] The central contact 41 and the outer contact 42 are formed on the substrate 3 to insulate each other. The central contact 41 is formed to have a circular shape in the approximate center of the substrate 3 and is arranged concentrically with the outer contact 42. The state in which the central contact 41 and the outer contact 42 are not electrically connected is the off state of the push switch 4. On the other hand, the state in which the central contact 41 and the outer contact 42 are electrically connected via the movable contact 43 is the on state of the push switch 4. The movable contact 43 is an upwardly convex dome-shaped member formed of a conductive material. For example, the movable contact 43 can be obtained by punching and bending a thin metal plate. The movable contact 43 comprises a central movable part 431 and an outer edge part 432 surrounding the outer edge of the central movable part 431.

[0027] The central movable portion 431 has a circular dome shape that is convex upward in its natural state, and is a portion that elastically deforms to become convex downward when a pressing force is applied from above. The outer edge portion 432 is an annular portion that extends linearly outward and downward from the edge of the central movable portion 431. In a plan view from the height direction, the outer edge portion 432 has an outer diameter that is greater than or equal to the inner diameter and less than or equal to the outer diameter of the outer contact 42. The movable contact 43 is provided on the substrate 3 so as to be concentric with the central contact 41 and the outer contact 42, and so as to be in contact with the outer contact 42.

[0028] The cover tape 44 is a tape with adhesive applied to its lower surface, and it covers the movable contact 43 from above, fixing the movable contact 43 on the substrate 3. The cover tape 44 is made of an elastic material and elastically deforms in accordance with the elastic deformation of the central movable part 431 of the movable contact 43. The cover tape 44 has a central part 441 with a circular dome shape corresponding to the movable contact 43, and a flange part 442 that extends linearly outward from the edge of the central part 441. The lower surface of the central part 441 adheres to the upper surface of the movable contact 43, and the lower surface of the flange part 442 adheres to the substrate 3, thereby fixing the movable contact 43 on the substrate 3. All of the components of the push switch 4, the central contact 41, the outer contacts 42, the movable contact 43, and the cover tape 44, are configured rotationally symmetrically and are all arranged concentrically.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, when the operating shaft 83 is in the neutral position, the outer edge 432 is in contact with the outer contact 42. The central movable part 431 faces the central contact 41 with a gap in between and is not in contact with the central contact 41. Therefore, when the operating shaft 83 is in the neutral position, the central contact 41 and the outer contact 42 are not conductive, and the push switch 4 is in the off position. On the other hand, when the user applies a pressing operation to the operating shaft 83, a downward pressing force is applied to the central movable part 431 via the operating shaft 83 and the actuator 5. When the pressing force applied to the central movable part 431 exceeds a predetermined magnitude, the central movable part 431 rapidly elastically deforms so that it becomes convex downward and comes into contact with the central contact 41. In this state, the movable contact 43 functions as an electrical path between the central contact 41 and the outer contact 42, and the central contact 41 and the outer contact 42 become conductive. This operation turns the push switch 4 into the ON position.

[0030] Returning to Figure 4, the actuator 5 has the function of applying a uniform pressing force to the central movable part 431 of the movable contact 43. The actuator 5 is a cylindrical member formed of a hard, non-magnetic material. As shown in Figure 3, when the multi-directional input device 1 is assembled, the actuator 5 is held upright on the central movable part 431, concentric with the central movable part 431, by the lifting slider 72 of the holding mechanism 7, which will be described later. When the user applies a pressing operation to the operating shaft 83, the actuator 5 is pressed vertically downward by the operating shaft 83. With this configuration, the pressing force from the operating shaft 83 can be uniformly transmitted to the central movable part 431.

[0031] Returning to Figure 4, the housing 6 is fixedly mounted on the substrate 3 and has the function of holding the retaining mechanism 7 and the operating shaft assembly 8. The housing 6 comprises a lower housing 6L fixed on the substrate 3 and an upper housing 6U attached to the lower housing 6L from above. The lower housing 6L and the upper housing 6U are each made of a hard, non-magnetic material such as polybutylene terephthalate. As shown in Figure 6, the lower housing 6L comprises a disc-shaped main body 61, a circular recess 62 formed on the upper surface of the main body 61, an insertion hole 63 formed to penetrate the circular recess 62 in the height direction, four guide pieces 64 extending upward from the upper surface of the main body 61, and four bearing portions 65 protruding upward from the upper surface of the main body 61.

[0032] The main body portion 61 is a disc-shaped part that is placed on the substrate 3. The upper surface of the main body portion 61 is a flat surface perpendicular to the height direction. The lower surface of the main body portion 61 is cut out in the height direction according to the planar shape of the substrate 3, and the substrate 3 fits into the lower surface of the main body portion 61. The main body portion 61 is fixed to the upper surface of the substrate 3 by any fixing means such as adhesive, adhesive sheet, screws, or press-fitting. The main body portion 61 includes four receiving portions 611 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 61, a pair of storage portions 612a and 612b formed on the +Y direction side and the -X direction side of the main body portion 61, respectively, and a pair of receiving portions 613 formed within the pair of storage portions 612a and 612b, respectively, for housing a pair of shield pieces 24 of the lower cover 2L.

[0033] The four receiving portions 611 are recesses that open outward and are formed at equal 90-degree intervals on the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 61. The upper and lower ends of the receiving portions 611 are not closed but open to the outside. The bottom surface (the surface facing outward) of the receiving portion 611 is a flat surface perpendicular to the lateral direction (X direction or Y direction). As shown in Figure 2, when the multi-directional input device 1 is assembled, the welded pieces 27 of the upper cover 2U and the welded pieces 23 of the lower cover 2L are located within the receiving portions 611. The bottom surface of the receiving portion 611 is in surface contact with the inner surface of the welded pieces 27, thereby the upper cover 2U clamps the lower housing 6L from the outside. This configuration prevents lateral swinging (looseness) of the lower housing 6L on the substrate 3. Furthermore, within the receiving portion 611, the welding surface 271 of the welding piece 27 and the welding surface 231 of the welding piece 23 are in surface contact and are welded to each other, thereby firmly integrating the upper cover 2U and the lower cover 2L.

[0034] Returning to Figure 6, the storage section 612a is an opening formed to penetrate the main body 61 and the +Y direction side portion of the circular recess 62 in the height direction. Similarly, the storage section 612b is an opening formed to penetrate the main body 61 and the -X direction side portion of the circular recess 62 in the height direction. The magnet holder 817 (see Figure 10) of the first rotating member 81 is housed in the storage section 612a so as to be rotatable around the Y axis. Similarly, the magnet holder 826 of the second rotating member 82 is housed in the storage section 612b so as to be rotatable around the X axis.

[0035] Returning to Figure 6, each of the pair of receiving portions 613 is a downwardly opening recess formed within the pair of storage portions 612a and 612b, respectively. As shown in Figure 3, each of the pair of receiving portions 613 is formed to house the upper end of the corresponding shield piece 24 of the lower cover 2L. Each of the pair of receiving portions 613 is defined by the inner surface of the main body portion 61, the lower surface of the upper plate 6131 projecting inward from the inner surface of the main body portion 61, and the inner surface of the wall portion 6132 extending downward from the tip of the upper plate 6131. ​​The upper end of the corresponding shield piece 24 is housed within the receiving portion 613, thereby supporting the shield piece 24 from the outside by the lower housing 6L.

[0036] Returning to Figure 6, the circular recess 62 is formed concentrically with the main body 61 at the center of the upper surface of the main body 61. The insertion hole 63 is a circular opening formed to penetrate the approximately central part of the circular recess 62 in the height direction. The four guide pieces 64 are arc-shaped portions provided to protrude upward at equal 90-degree intervals from the upper surface of the main body 61 adjacent to the circular recess 62. The guide pieces 64 have the function of preventing the lifting slider 72 from tilting. Each guide piece 64 comprises an arc-shaped upward extension portion 641 that extends linearly upward from the upper surface of the main body 61, and a guide groove 642 formed on the inner surface of the upward extension portion 641. The upward extension portion 641 has an arc-shaped inner surface that is continuous with the inner surface of the circular recess 62. The guide groove 642 is an arc-shaped groove that extends linearly in the height direction from the upper end of the upward extension portion 641 to the bottom surface of the circular recess 62. When the multi-directional input device 1 is assembled, the guide rail 7242 (see Figure 4) of the lifting slider 72 is positioned within the guide groove 642, thereby preventing the lifting slider 72 from tilting and allowing the lifting slider 72 to move up and down parallel to the height direction.

[0037] Returning to Figure 6, the four bearing portions 65 are parts that protrude upward from the upper surface of the main body 61 at equal 90-degree intervals. Each bearing portion 65 is located between two guide pieces 64. Therefore, the four guide pieces 64 and the four bearing portions 65 are arranged alternately along the circumferential direction of the main body 61. The bearing portions 65 located on the +Y side and the bearing portions 65 located on the -Y side face each other with a gap in between. Similarly, the bearing portions 65 located on the +X side and the bearing portions 65 located on the -X side face each other with a gap in between.

[0038] Each of the three bearing portions 65 located on the -X, +Y, and -Y sides includes an engaging projection 651 projecting upward from the upper surface of the main body 61, and a lower receiving portion 652 formed on the engaging projection 651. The engaging projection 651 is a block-shaped portion extending linearly upward from the upper surface of the main body 61. The upper surface of the engaging projection 651 is a flat surface perpendicular to the height direction. The lower receiving portion 652 is an arc groove extending linearly in the radial direction of the main body 61 on the engaging projection 651. The upper end and inner end of the lower receiving portion 652 are open to the outside. On the other hand, the bearing portion 65 located on the +X side has only an engaging projection 651 and does not have a lower receiving portion 652. The upper surface of the engaging projection 651 of the bearing portion 65 located on the +X side is on the same plane as the lower surface of the lower receiving portion 652 of the bearing portion 65 located on the -X side.

[0039] Returning to Figure 4, the upper housing 6U is a component that is attached to the lower housing 6L from above. As shown in Figures 4 and 7, the upper housing 6U comprises a cylindrical body portion 66, an insertion hole 67 formed on the upper surface of the body portion 66, and four bearing portions 68 formed at the lower end of the body portion 66. The body portion 66 is a cylindrical portion with an upper plate that is open downwards and is placed on the body portion 61 of the lower housing 6L. The upper surface of the body portion 66 is a flat surface perpendicular to the height direction. The body portion 66 comprises four receiving portions 661 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the body portion 66, an annular projection 662 formed on the upper surface of the body portion 66, four positioning projections 663 projecting outward from the annular projection 662, four contact portions 664 projecting inward from the inner circumferential surface of the body portion 66, and a positioning groove 665 formed on the lower surface of the upper plate of the body portion 66.

[0040] The four receiving portions 661 are recesses formed on the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 66 at equal 90-degree intervals. The upper ends of the receiving portions 661 are open upward, and the lower ends of the receiving portions 661 are open downward. As shown in Figure 2, the four receiving portions 661 are formed in positions corresponding to the four receiving portions 611 of the lower housing 6L. When the multi-directional input device 1 is assembled, the four welded pieces 27 of the upper cover 2U are each located within the four receiving portions 661.

[0041] Returning to Figure 4, the annular projection 662 is an annular portion that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the main body 66. The annular projection 662 is formed in the region adjacent to the insertion hole 67, so as to completely surround the insertion hole 67. The four positioning protrusions 663 are portions formed to protrude outward from the outer circumferential surface of the annular projection 662. As shown in Figure 2, the annular projection 662 is fitted into the opening 26 of the upper cover 2U, and the upper cover 2U is attached to the upper housing 6U such that the four positioning protrusions 663 are each located in the four positioning recesses 261 of the upper cover 2U, thereby positioning the upper cover 2U relative to the upper housing 6U and preventing rotation.

[0042] Returning to Figure 7, the four contact portions 664 are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the main body portion 66 at equal 90-degree intervals and protrude inward. The four contact portions 664 are formed in positions corresponding to the four receiving portions 661. The inner surface of the contact portion 664 is an arcuate surface. When the upper housing 6U is attached to the lower housing 6L, the four contact portions 664 contact the four guide pieces 64 of the lower housing 6L from the outside, supporting the four guide pieces 64 from the outside. The positioning groove 665 is a long groove defined by a plate-shaped base portion 6651 that protrudes downward from the lower surface of the upper plate of the main body portion 66, and a pair of wall portions 6652 that extend downward from both ends of the base portion 6651 in the X direction, spaced apart from each other. The positioning projection 823 (see Figure 4) of the second rotating member 82, which will be described later, is housed in the positioning groove 665, thereby positioning the second rotating member 82 relative to the upper housing 6U.

[0043] Returning to Figure 7, the through hole 67 is a circular opening formed in the center of the upper surface of the main body 66. The through hole 67 is formed concentrically with the main body 66. The four bearing portions 68 are recesses formed at equal 90-degree intervals on the lower end of the outer circumferential surface of the main body 66. The three bearing portions 68 located on the -X side, the +Y side, and the -Y side each have a shape corresponding to the engaging projections 651 of the three bearing portions 65 located on the -X side, the +Y side, and the -Y side of the lower housing 6L. When the upper housing 6U is attached to the lower housing 6L, the three engaging projections 651 fit into the three bearing portions 68 located on the -X side, the +Y side, and the -Y side, respectively.

[0044] The bearing portion 68 located on the +X direction side comprises a rectangular engagement recess 681 extending upward from the lower end of the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 66, and an upper receiving portion 682 formed on the engagement recess 681. The engagement recess 681 has a shape corresponding to the engagement projection 651 of the bearing portion 65 located on the +X direction side of the lower housing 6L. When the upper housing 6U is attached to the lower housing 6L, the engagement projection 651 fits into the engagement recess 681. The upper receiving portion 682 is an arc groove formed on the engagement recess 681. The lower end and inner end of the upper receiving portion 682 are open to the outside. As shown in Figure 3, when the upper housing 6U is attached to the lower housing 6L, the bearing portion 68, together with the bearing portion 65 of the lower housing 6L, forms a bearing hole for receiving the pivot shaft 816 of the first rotating member 81 or the pivot shaft 825 of the second rotating member 82.

[0045] Returning to Figure 4, the holding mechanism 7 has the function of elastically holding the operating shaft 83 in a neutral position within the housing 6. The holding mechanism 7 comprises an elastic member 71 placed on the substrate 3 and a lifting slider 72 placed on the elastic member 71. The elastic member 71 has a cylindrical shape and is not particularly limited as long as it can elastically support the lifting slider 72 from below. Typically, a coil spring made of non-magnetic spring material can be used as the elastic member 71. In addition to a coil spring, a wave spring formed by winding a plate-shaped steel wire spirally and adding waves may also be used as the elastic member 71. In this case, the inclination of the elastic member 71 can be eliminated, and the tilting of the elastic member 71 and the directionality of the pressing load can be eliminated. As shown in Figure 3, the elastic member 71 has an outer diameter that is approximately equal to the diameter of the insertion hole 63 of the lower housing 6L and an inner diameter that is longer than the outer diameter of the outer contact 42. When the elastic member 71 is placed on the substrate 3, the push switch 4 and actuator 5 are located inside the elastic member 71.

[0046] Returning to Figure 4, the lifting slider 72 has the function of supporting the operating shaft 83 from below. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the lifting slider 72 comprises a disc-shaped main body 721 on which the operating shaft 83 is placed, a storage recess 722 formed on the upper surface of the main body 721, a guide hole 723 formed to penetrate the storage recess 722 in the height direction, four guide pieces 724 projecting upward from the outer portion of the main body 721, an annular receiving portion 725 formed on the lower surface of the main body 721, and a lubricant 726 applied to the bottom surface of the storage recess 722. As shown in Figure 3, the main body 721 is a disc-shaped portion having an outer diameter larger than the diameter of the insertion hole 63 of the lower housing 6L and smaller than the diameter of the circular recess 62 of the lower housing 6L. The upper and lower surfaces of the main body 721 are flat surfaces perpendicular to the height direction.

[0047] Returning to Figure 8, the storage recess 722 is a circular recess formed on the upper surface of the main body 721. The storage recess 722 is formed concentrically with the main body 721. The bottom surface of the storage recess 722 is a flat surface perpendicular to the height direction. Also, as shown in Figure 3, the diameter of the storage recess 722 gradually decreases from top to bottom, and the connection between the side wall and the bottom surface of the storage recess 722 is arc-shaped. When the multi-directional input device 1 is assembled, the operating shaft 83 is placed on the bottom surface of the storage recess 722. In addition, a lubricant 726 is applied almost uniformly to the bottom surface of the storage recess 722 to reduce friction between the operating shaft 83 and the bottom surface of the storage recess 722. As such a lubricant 726, a viscous substance such as grease or oil can be used.

[0048] Returning to Figures 8 and 9, the guide hole 723 is a circular through-hole formed in the center of the bottom surface of the storage recess 722, penetrating in the height direction. As shown in Figure 3, the guide hole 723 has a diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the actuator 5, and the actuator 5 is inserted into the guide hole 723. Because the actuator 5 is inserted into the guide hole 723 in this way, the engagement between the actuator 5 and the guide hole 723 prevents the actuator 5 from tilting or oscillating on the central movable part 431 of the movable contact 43.

[0049] Returning to Figures 8 and 9, the four guide pieces 724 work in cooperation with the four guide pieces 64 of the lower housing 6L to prevent the lifting slider 72 from tilting. The four guide pieces 724 are formed to extend upward from the outer portion of the main body 721 at equal 90-degree intervals. Each guide piece 724 comprises an upward extension portion 7241 extending upward from the outer portion of the main body 721, and a guide rail 7242 formed on the outer surface of the upward extension portion 7241. The upward extension portion 7241 is an arc-shaped portion that protrudes upward from the upper and outer surfaces of the main body 721. The guide rail 7242 is a vertically elongated projection that extends linearly in the height direction from the upper end to the lower end of the outer surface of the upward extension portion 7241 and protrudes outward.

[0050] In the assembled state of the multi-directional input device 1, the lifting slider 72 is provided within the lower housing 6L such that four guide pieces 724 face each other with a gap between them. More specifically, the upward extension 7241 faces the upward extension 641 of the guide piece 64 with a gap between them, and the guide rail 7242 is positioned within the guide groove 642 of the guide piece 64, spaced apart from the guide groove 642. When the lifting slider 72 tilts, the guide rail 7242 comes into contact with the guide groove 642, correcting the tilt of the lifting slider 72. This configuration prevents the lifting slider 72 from tilting.

[0051] Returning to Figure 4, the operating shaft assembly 8 is configured to rotate the first rotating member 81 and the second rotating member 82 in response to a tilting operation applied to the operating shaft 83 by the user, and to displace the operating shaft 83 downward in response to a pressing operation applied to the operating shaft 83 by the user. As shown in Figure 10, the operating shaft assembly 8 comprises a first rotating member 81 held in the housing 6 so as to be rotatable around a first axial direction (Y direction), a second rotating member 82 held in the housing 6 so as to be rotatable around a second axial direction (X direction) perpendicular to the first axial direction, and an operating shaft 83 to which tilting and pressing operations are applied by the user.

[0052] The first rotating member 81 is made of a hard, non-magnetic material such as polybutylene terephthalate. The first rotating member 81 comprises a plate-shaped main body portion 811 extending linearly in the Y direction, a slit hole 812 formed on the main body portion 811, a pair of through holes 813 formed on both sides of the main body portion 811 in the X direction and communicating with the slit hole 812, a shaft 814 supported by the pair of through holes 813 and traversing the slit hole 812 in the X direction, a pair of downwardly extending portions 815 extending downward from both ends of the main body portion 811 in the Y direction, a pair of rotating shafts 816 projecting outward from the outer surfaces of the pair of downwardly extending portions 815, and a magnet holder 817 provided at the lower end of the downwardly extending portion 815 on the +Y direction side.

[0053] The main body portion 811 is a plate-shaped portion that is elongated in the Y direction. The slit hole 812 is a through hole formed to extend along the elongated direction of the main body portion 811 and to penetrate in the height direction. The operating shaft 83 is inserted into the slit hole 812, allowing the operating shaft 83 to tilt along the elongated direction of the main body portion 811. The pair of insertion holes 813 are formed to penetrate linearly in the X direction through the X-side of the main body portion 811. The cylindrical shaft 814 is inserted through the pair of insertion holes 813 and the elongated hole 833 of the operating shaft 83, thereby supporting the operating shaft 83 with the first rotating member 81. The pair of downward extension portions 815 are plate-shaped portions that extend linearly downward from both ends of the main body portion 811 in the Y direction.

[0054] The pair of pivot shafts 816 are cylindrical portions that extend linearly outward from the outer surfaces of the pair of downward extensions 815. The pair of pivot shafts 816 are formed so that their respective axis centers lie on the same straight line. The pair of pivot shafts 816 are sandwiched between bearing portions 65 located on the +Y and -Y sides of the lower housing 6L and bearing portions 68 located on the +Y and -Y sides of the upper housing 6U, and function as pivot shafts for the first pivot member 81. Furthermore, the sandwiching of the pair of pivot shafts 816 by the bearing portions 65 and 68 allows the first pivot member 81 to be rotatably held by the housing 6.

[0055] The magnet holder 817 extends downward from the lower end of the downward extension portion 815 located on the +Y direction side and is the part that holds the magnet 92. Inside the magnet holder 817, the magnet 92 of the detection mechanism 9 is held. When the multi-directional input device 1 is assembled, the magnet holder 817 is housed in the storage portion 612a of the lower housing 6L so as to be rotatable around the Y axis.

[0056] The magnet holder 817 comprises a main body portion 8171 that supports the inner surface of the magnet 92 from the inside, a bottom portion 8172 that protrudes outward from the main body portion 8171 and supports the magnet 92 from below, and a pair of claw portions 8173 that protrude outward from the main body portion 8171 and clamp the magnet. The main body portion 8171 is a plate-shaped portion having a shape corresponding to the shape of the magnet 92 and supports the inner surface of the magnet 92 from the inside. The bottom portion 8172 is a plate-shaped portion that extends linearly outward from the lower end of the main body portion 8171 and supports the lower surface of the magnet 92 from below. The pair of claw portions 8173 are plate-shaped portions that extend linearly outward from both ends of the main body portion 8171 in the X direction, spaced apart from each other. A hook structure is formed at the tips of the pair of claw portions 8173. By pushing the magnet 92 between the pair of claw portions 8173 from the outside, the magnet 92 is held between the pair of claw portions 8173 by a snap fit, and the magnet 92 is held by the magnet holder 817. The magnet holder 817 holds the magnet 92 by a snap fit, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the magnet holder 817 may hold the magnet 92 by any fixing means such as adhesive, heat crimping, or press-fitting.

[0057] The second rotating member 82, like the first rotating member 81, is made of a hard, non-magnetic material such as polybutylene terephthalate. The second rotating member 82 includes a main body portion 821 extending linearly in the X direction, a slit hole 822 formed in the main body portion 821, a plate-shaped positioning projection 823 extending linearly upward from the upper surface of the portion of the main body portion 821 on the +X direction side, a pair of downwardly extending portions 824 extending downward from both ends of the main body portion 821, a pair of rotating shafts 825 protruding outward from the outer surfaces of the pair of downwardly extending portions 824, and a magnet holder 826 provided at the lower end of the downwardly extending portion 824 on the -X direction side.

[0058] The main body portion 821 is a plate-like portion that is elongated in the X direction. The main body portion 821 comprises an arch portion 821a having a curved shape that is convex upward, and a pair of horizontal extension portions 821b that extend from both ends of the arch portion 821a. The arch portion 821a extends linearly in the X direction and is curved upward with a constant curvature. Each of the pair of horizontal extension portions 821b is a plate-like portion that extends linearly outward from the end of the arch portion 821a.

[0059] The slit hole 822 is a long through-hole formed to extend along the longitudinal direction of the arch portion 821a and penetrate in the height direction. The operating shaft 83 is inserted into the slit hole 822, allowing the operating shaft 83 to tilt along the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 821. The positioning projection 823 is a plate-shaped portion that extends linearly upward from the upper surface of the horizontal extension portion 821b located in the +X direction. When the multi-directional input device 1 is assembled, the positioning projection 823 is housed in the positioning groove 665 of the upper housing 6U, thereby positioning the second rotating member 82 relative to the upper housing 6U.

[0060] The pair of downward extensions 824 are plate-shaped portions that extend linearly downward from the outer ends of the pair of horizontal extensions 821b. The pair of pivot shafts 825 are cylindrical portions that extend linearly outward from the outer surfaces of the pair of downward extensions 824. The pair of pivot shafts 825 are formed so that their respective axis centers lie on the same straight line. The pair of pivot shafts 825 are sandwiched between bearing portions 65 located on the +X and -X sides of the lower housing 6L and bearing portions 68 located on the +X and -X sides of the upper housing 6U, and function as pivot shafts for the second pivot member 82. Furthermore, the second pivot member 82 is held by the housing 6 by the sandwiching of the pair of pivot shafts 825 between the bearing portions 65 and 68.

[0061] The magnet holder 826 extends downward from the lower end of the downward extension portion 824 located on the -X direction side and is the portion that holds the magnet 92. Inside the magnet holder 826, the magnet 92 of the detection mechanism 9 is held. When the multi-directional input device 1 is assembled, the magnet holder 826 is housed in the storage portion 612b of the lower housing 6L so as to be rotatable around the X axis.

[0062] Similar to the magnet holder 817 of the first rotating member 81, the magnet holder 826 comprises a main body portion 8261 that supports the inner surface of the magnet 92 from the inside, a bottom portion 8262 that protrudes outward from the main body portion 8261 and supports the magnet 92 from below, and a pair of claw portions 8263 that protrude outward from the main body portion 8261 and grip the magnet. The main body portion 8261 is a plate-like portion having a shape corresponding to the shape of the magnet 92 and supports the inner surface of the magnet 92 from the inside. The bottom portion 8262 is a plate-like portion that extends linearly outward from the lower end of the main body portion 8261 and supports the lower surface of the magnet 92 from below. The pair of claw portions 8263 are plate-like portions that extend linearly outward from both ends in the Y direction of the main body portion 8171, spaced apart from each other. A hook structure is formed at the tips of the pair of claw portions 8263. By pushing the magnet 92 between the pair of claw portions 8263 from the outside, the magnet 92 is held between the pair of claw portions 8263 by a snap fit, and the magnet 92 is held by the magnet holder 826. Although the magnet holder 826 holds the magnet 92 by a snap fit, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the magnet holder 826 may hold the magnet 92 by any fixing means such as adhesive, heat crimping, or press-fitting.

[0063] The operating shaft 83 has the function of rotating the first rotating member 81 and the second rotating member 82 in response to a tilting operation applied by the user, and further displacing downward in response to a pressing operation applied by the user. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the operating shaft 83 is a rod-shaped member that extends in the height direction. The operating shaft 83 includes an operating part 831 that protrudes upward from the insertion hole 67 of the upper housing 6U and to which tilting and pressing operations are applied by the user, an octagonal prism-shaped connecting part 832 that extends downward from the lower end of the operating part 831, an elongated hole 833 formed to penetrate both sides of the connecting part 832 in the X direction, a spherical lower surface 834, a skirt part 835 that extends outward from the lower part of the connecting part 832, and a plurality (four in the illustrated form) of through holes 836 that penetrate the skirt part 835.

[0064] The operating section 831 is a cylindrical portion that extends linearly in the height direction. A connecting section 832 is connected to the lower end of the operating section 831. The connecting section 832 is an octagonal prism-shaped portion that extends linearly downward from the lower end of the operating section 831. The elongated hole 833 is a through-hole formed to penetrate both sides of the connecting section 832 on the X-direction side in the X-direction, and is elongated in the extension direction (height direction) of the connecting section 832. The shaft 814 of the first rotating member 81 is inserted into the elongated hole 833, and the operating shaft 83 is supported by the first rotating member 81. Also, as shown in Figure 3, the width of the elongated hole 833 in the height direction is greater than the diameter of the shaft 814. Therefore, the operating shaft 83 is supported by the first rotating member 81 so as to be displaceable along the elongated direction of the elongated hole 833.

[0065] Returning to Figure 11, the lower surface 834 is the lower surface of the connection portion 832 and is a curved surface that protrudes downward. More specifically, the lower surface 834 has a spherical shape in which the amount of downward protrusion gradually decreases from the center outward. Therefore, even if the operating shaft 83 is tilted in any direction, the height of the lowest point of the lower surface 834 of the operating shaft 83, that is, the point that is closest to the upper surface of the actuator 5, remains constant. Thus, the amount of downward displacement of the operating shaft 83 required to turn on the push switch 4 when the operating shaft 83 is in an upright neutral position is approximately equal to the amount of downward displacement of the operating shaft 83 required to turn on the push switch 4 when the operating shaft 83 is tilted.

[0066] The skirt portion 835 is an annular portion that extends outward from the lower part of the connecting portion 832. The portions of the upper surface of the skirt portion 835 that are on the +Y and -Y sides of the connecting portion 832 are inclined surfaces that slope downward outward. The rest of the upper surface of the skirt portion 835 is a flat surface perpendicular to the height direction. Furthermore, a pair of grooves 8351 are formed in the approximate center of the upper surface of the skirt portion 835 in the Y direction, extending linearly in the X direction so as to sandwich the connecting portion 832 from both sides in the X direction. Each of the pair of grooves 8351 is formed on the upper surface of the skirt portion 835 so as to extend linearly outward from the connecting portion 832. One end of each of the pair of grooves 8351 is in contact with the connecting portion 832, and the other end is open to the outside.

[0067] The lower surface of the skirt portion 835 is located below the lower surface 834, with the lower surface 834 located inside the inner circumferential surface of the skirt portion 835. The lower surface of the skirt portion 835 has a spherical shape in which the outer diameter gradually decreases from top to bottom. The inner diameter of the skirt portion 835 gradually increases from top to bottom. The inner circumferential surface of the skirt portion 835, the lower surface 834, and the bottom surface of the storage recess 722 of the lifting slider 72 (the upper surface of the lifting slider 72) define the tapered internal space of the skirt portion 835 that extends outward and downward. Furthermore, the skirt portion 835 is configured so that the inner circumferential surface of the skirt portion 835 does not come into contact with the actuator 5 even when the operating shaft 83 is tilted to its maximum tilt angle.

[0068] As shown in Figure 3, when the operating shaft 83 is in the neutral position, the lower surface of the skirt portion 835 contacts the bottom surface of the storage recess 722 of the lifting slider 72. When the user applies a pushing operation to the operating shaft 83, the skirt portion 835 pushes the lifting slider 72 downward and displaces it. Also, when the user applies a tilting operation to the operating shaft 83, the skirt portion 835 slides on the bottom surface of the storage recess 722, causing the operating shaft 83 to tilt. At this time, the skirt portion 835 pushes the lifting slider 72 downward and displaces it.

[0069] When the tilting operation applied to the operating shaft 83 by the user is released, the storage recess 722 pushes up the lower surface of the skirt portion 835 from below. At this time, due to the spherical shape of the lower surface of the skirt portion 835, a torque is generated that returns the operating shaft 83 from the tilted state to the upright state, causing it to slide on the bottom surface of the storage recess 722 and return the operating shaft 83 to the upright state. If the storage recess 722 of the lifting slider 72 is omitted, when the operating shaft 83 is in the neutral state, the lower surface of the skirt portion 835 comes into contact with the upper surface of the main body portion 721 of the lifting slider 72.

[0070] A lubricant 726 is applied to the bottom surface of the storage recess 722, reducing friction between the skirt portion 835 of the operating shaft 83 and the bottom surface of the storage recess 722. This facilitates the sliding of the skirt portion 835 on the bottom surface of the storage recess 722 when the user applies a tilting operation to the operating shaft 83. Thus, the lubricant 726 is present between the lower surface of the skirt portion 835 and the bottom surface of the storage recess 722, and the space between the lower surface of the skirt portion 835 and the bottom surface of the storage recess 722 is airtightly sealed by the lubricant 726. In this state, when the user applies a tilting operation to the operating shaft 83 and the operating shaft 83 tilts, the volume of the internal space of the skirt portion 835 increases, the air pressure inside the internal space of the skirt portion 835 decreases, and a pressure difference is created between the internal space of the skirt portion 835 and the outside. If the viscosity of the lubricant 726 is overcome by this pressure difference, the lubricant 726 bursts, and air rapidly flows into the internal space of the skirt portion 835. The rupture of the lubricant 726 and the rapid influx of air into the internal space of the skirt portion 835, caused by the pressure difference between the internal space of the skirt portion 835 and the outside, can produce an abnormal noise (popping sound) when the user performs a tilting operation with respect to the operating shaft 83.

[0071] To prevent a pressure difference from occurring between the internal space of the skirt portion 835 and the outside, a plurality of through holes 836 are formed in the skirt portion 835, as shown in Figures 10 and 11. Each of the plurality of through holes 836 is formed to penetrate linearly from the upper surface to the inner circumferential surface of the skirt portion 835, spaced apart from each other. Thus, the plurality of through holes 836 communicate the internal space of the skirt portion 835 with the outside. In the illustrated embodiment, four through holes 836 are formed in the skirt portion 835 at equal angular intervals of 90 degrees. The through holes 836 located on the +Y direction side and the -Y direction side are formed on the inclined surfaces located on the +Y direction side and the -Y direction side of the upper surface of the skirt portion 835, in areas adjacent to the connecting portion 832, respectively. The through holes 836 located on the +X direction side and the -X direction side are formed within a pair of recessed grooves 8351 located on the upper surface of the skirt portion 835, in areas adjacent to the connecting portion 832, respectively.

[0072] Each of the multiple through holes 836 functions as a path that allows air to flow from the outside of the skirt portion 835 into the internal space of the skirt portion 835. Therefore, when the operating shaft 83 is tilted by a tilting operation applied by the user to the operating shaft 83, and the volume of the internal space of the skirt portion 835 increases, air flows into the internal space of the skirt portion 835 from the outside through the multiple through holes 836. This prevents a pressure difference from occurring between the internal space and the outside of the skirt portion 835 when the operating shaft 83 is tilted. As a result, it is possible to prevent the lubricant 726 from bursting and the rapid influx of air into the internal space of the skirt portion 835 caused by the pressure difference between the internal space and the outside of the skirt portion 835, and to prevent the generation of abnormal noises (popping sounds) when the user performs a tilting operation on the operating shaft 83.

[0073] Returning to Figure 4, the detection mechanism 9 has the function of detecting the rotation angles of the first rotating member 81 and the second rotating member 82, respectively. The detection mechanism 9 includes a pair of magnetic sensors 91 provided on the substrate 3, and a pair of magnets 92 held in the magnet holder 817 of the first rotating member 81 and the magnet holder 826 of the second rotating member 82, respectively, so as to face the pair of magnetic sensors 91 when the operating shaft 83 is held in a neutral position. Note that although the external shape of the magnetic sensor 91 is shown in each figure, the magnetic detection element of the magnetic sensor 91 is built into the magnetic sensor 91. Therefore, it should be noted that the size of the magnetic detection element is smaller than the size of the magnetic sensor 91 shown. Also, as shown in Figure 13, each magnetic sensor 91 is provided on the substrate 3 such that the center line in the width direction of the magnetic sensor 91 coincides with the center line c in the width direction of the shield piece 24 on which the corresponding magnet 92 faces.

[0074] As shown in Figure 10, each of the pair of magnets 92 is a plate-shaped member having flat outer and inner surfaces perpendicular to the lateral direction (either the X or Y direction, or the plane direction of the substrate 3), a flat top surface perpendicular to the height direction, a bottom surface that curves with a constant curvature and protrudes downward, and flat sides perpendicular to the top, outer, and inner surfaces. When the first rotating member 81 rotates, the magnet 92 held in the magnet holder 817 of the first rotating member 81 moves along an arc trajectory, and the positional relationship between the magnet 92 and the corresponding magnetic sensor 91 changes. As a result, the corresponding magnetic sensor 91 can detect the rotation angle of the first rotating member 81. Similarly, when the second rotating member 82 rotates, the magnet 92 held in the magnet holder 826 of the second rotating member 82 moves along an arc trajectory, and the positional relationship between the magnet 92 and the corresponding magnetic sensor 91 changes. This allows the corresponding magnetic sensor 91 to detect the rotation angle of the second rotating member 82.

[0075] Furthermore, since the magnet 92 is curved with a constant curvature and has a lower surface that protrudes downward, the lower surface of the magnet 92 does not come into contact with the corresponding magnetic sensor 91 or substrate 3 when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 rotates. As a result, the magnet 92 can be positioned close to the corresponding magnetic sensor 91, and the amount of change in magnetic flux emitted from the magnet 92 to the corresponding magnetic sensor 91 due to the rotational movement of the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 can be increased.

[0076] Furthermore, the center of the radius of curvature of the lower surface of the magnet 92 substantially coincides with the center of rotational motion of the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82. Therefore, when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated, the distance from the lowest point of the lower surface of the magnet 92 to the corresponding magnetic sensor 91 remains constant. This improves the linearity of the output of the magnetic sensor 91 with respect to the rotation angle of the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82, allowing for more accurate detection of the rotation angle of the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82. Here, "constant" means that the maximum change in the distance from the lowest point of the lower surface of the magnet 92 to the corresponding magnetic sensor 91 when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated is 8% or less of the distance from the lowest point of the lower surface of the magnet 92 to the corresponding magnetic sensor 91 in the neutral state.

[0077] In the assembled state of the multi-directional input device 1, the pair of magnets 92 face each other, with a pair of shielding pieces 24 on the lower cover 2L with each other. The pair of shielding pieces 24 function as shields that eliminate the influence of external magnetic fields on the pair of magnets 92 by absorbing the external magnetic field.

[0078] Furthermore, the magnet 92 is held by the magnet holder 817 of the first rotating member 81 or the magnet holder 826 of the second rotating member 82 such that the outer surface of the magnet 92 is exposed to the outside. In addition, as shown in Figure 3, there are no other members between the outer surface of the magnet 92 and the corresponding shield piece 24 of the lower cover 2L, and the outer surface of the magnet 92 directly faces the inner surface of the corresponding shield piece 24 of the lower cover 2L with a gap in between. This configuration makes it possible to position the shield piece 24 so that it is close to the outer surface of the magnet 92. As a result, the separation distance d (see Figure 12) between the outer surface of the magnet 92 and the inner surface of the corresponding shield piece 24 can be reduced, and the shielding effect of the multi-directional input device 1 can be improved. As a result, the phenomenon in which the pair of magnets 92 shift from the zero point due to an external magnetic field in the neutral state can be suppressed, and the detection accuracy of the rotation angles of the first rotating member 81 and the second rotating member 82 can be improved.

[0079] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating the positional and dimensional relationships between the magnet 92 and the corresponding shield piece 24 of the lower cover 2L. Figure 14 is a top view showing the positional relationships between the magnet 92, the corresponding magnetic sensor 91, and the corresponding shield piece 24 of the lower cover 2L. For the sake of simplification, in Figure 12, components other than the pair of magnets 92 and the lower cover 2L are omitted. Furthermore, in Figure 14, components other than the pair of magnetic sensors 91, the pair of magnets 92, the lower cover 2L, the substrate 3, the central contact 41, and the outer contact 42 are omitted. The positional and dimensional relationships between one of the pair of magnets 92 and the corresponding shield piece 24 will be described in detail below, but the positional and dimensional relationships between the other of the pair of magnets 92 and the corresponding shield piece 24 are the same as those described below.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 12, in the natural state where the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is not rotated, the center line in the width direction of the magnet 92 (the Y direction if the magnet 92 is located on the -X direction side in FIG. 14, and the X direction if the magnet 92 is located on the +Y direction side in FIG. 14) is arranged to coincide with the center line c in the width direction of the corresponding shield piece 24. Further, as described above, since the lower surface of the magnet 92 is curved with a certain curvature, in the natural state, the center point cp in the width direction of the lower surface of the magnet 92 is located at the lowest position.

[0081] The separation distance d between the outer surface of the magnet 92 and the inner surface of the corresponding shield piece 24 is smaller than the height h1 from the upper surface of the bottom plate 21 of the lower cover 2L to the lowest point (in the illustrated form, the center point cp) of the lower surface of the magnet 92 in the natural state (d < h1). With such a configuration, the influence of the external magnetic field on the magnet 92 can be surely removed. Further, the separation distance d between the outer surface of the magnet 92 and the inner surface of the corresponding shield piece 24 is preferably less than 2.0 times the thickness W between the inner surface and the outer surface of the magnet 92 (d < W×2.0), and more preferably less than 1.0 times (d < W×1.0). By satisfying such a relationship, the influence of the external magnetic field on the magnet 92 can be more surely removed.

[0082] Furthermore, the length (width) L1 between both side surfaces of the magnet 92 is preferably smaller than the lateral length (width) L2 of the shield piece 24 (L1 < L2), and the height H1 from the upper surface to the lowest point in the natural state of the lower surface of the magnet 92 is preferably smaller than the height H2 from the upper surface of the bottom plate 21 of the shield piece 24 (H1 < H2). In this case, as shown in FIG. 12, in the neutral state, the entire outer surface of the magnet 92 directly faces the inner surface of the corresponding shield piece 24. As shown in FIG. 13, an aspect where the length L1 between both side surfaces of the magnet 92 is larger than the lateral length L2 of the shield piece 24 (L1 > L2) is also within the scope of the present invention.

[0083] Returning to Figure 12, the length L2 and height H2 of the shield piece 24 are set so that when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated to its maximum angle, at least a portion of the outer surface of the magnet 92 directly faces the inner surface of the corresponding shield piece 24. Figure 13 shows the positional relationship between the magnet 92 and the shield piece 24 when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated to its maximum angle. In Figure 13, the magnet 92 shown by the dotted line indicates the position of the magnet 92 when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated to its maximum angle in either rotational direction. As shown in Figure 13, when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated to its maximum angle, at least a portion of the outer surface of the magnet 92 directly faces the inner surface of the shield piece 24. Therefore, even when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotating, the influence of the external magnetic field on the magnet 92 can be eliminated, and the detection accuracy of the rotation angles of the first rotating member 81 and the second rotating member 82 can be improved.

[0084] Also, when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated to the maximum angle, on the side opposite to the rotation direction of the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82, the end portion in the width direction of the lower surface of the magnet 92 (in FIG. 13, when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated to the right, the left end portion of the lower surface of the magnet 92) is preferably located farther from the central axis c of the shield piece 24 than the end portion in the width direction of the corresponding magnetic sensor 91 on the side opposite to the rotation direction of the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82. That is, when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated to the maximum angle, the distance a from the central axis c of the shield piece 24 to the end portion in the width direction of the corresponding magnetic sensor 91 on the side opposite to the rotation direction of the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is preferably smaller than the distance b from the central axis c of the shield piece 24 to the end portion in the width direction of the lower surface of the magnet 92 on the side opposite to the rotation direction of the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 (a < b). With such a configuration, even when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated to the maximum angle, the lower surface of the magnet 92 always faces so as to cover the corresponding magnetic sensor 91 from above. Therefore, even when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated to the maximum angle, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the detection accuracy of the rotation angles of the first rotating member 81 and the second rotating member 82. Thereby, the linearity of the output of the magnetic sensor 91 with respect to the rotation angle of the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 can be improved, and the rotation angle of the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 can be detected more accurately.

[0085] Also, when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated to the maximum angle, it is preferable that the center point cp on the lower surface of the magnet 92 directly faces the inner surface of the shield piece 24. That is, when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated to the maximum angle, the center point cp on the lower surface of the magnet 92 is preferably located closer to the center line c of the shield piece 24 than the end in the width direction of the shield piece 24 on the rotation direction side of the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82. In this case, when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated to the maximum angle, the distance e from the center axis c of the shield piece 24 to the center point cp on the lower surface of the magnet 92 is smaller than half of the length L2 of the shield piece 24 (e < L2 / 2). Thereby, even when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated to the maximum angle, the influence of the external magnetic field on the magnet 92 can be removed, and the detection accuracy of the rotation angle of the first rotating member 81 and the second rotating member 82 can be improved.

[0086] In addition, when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated to the maximum angle, the positional relationship and dimensional relationship between the magnet 92 and the shield piece 24 may be adjusted so that the entire area of the outer surface of the magnet 92 directly faces the inner surface of the shield piece 24. In this case, when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotating, the influence of the external magnetic field on the magnet 92 can be more reliably removed.

[0087] Returning to FIG. 12, the length L2 of the shield piece 24 is preferably longer than 1.1 times the length L1 between both side surfaces of the magnet 92 (L2 > L1×1.1), and more preferably longer than 1.5 times the length L1 (L2 > L1×1.5). Further, the height H2 of the shield piece 24 is preferably higher than 1.5 times the height H1 of the magnet 92 (H2 > H1×1.5), and more preferably higher than 2.5 times the height H1 (H2 > H1×2.5). By satisfying such a relationship, the influence of the external magnetic field on the magnet 92 can be more reliably removed.

[0088] In the above description, the first rotating member 81 and the second rotating member 82 were each formed from a hard, non-magnetic material such as polybutylene terephthalate, but the present invention is not limited to this. Embodiments in which the first rotating member 81 and the second rotating member 82 are each formed from permanent magnets are also within the scope of the present invention. In this case, since the first rotating member 81 and the second rotating member 82 each function as a pair of magnets 92, a pair of magnets 92 can be omitted. This reduces the number of parts in the multi-directional input device 1. Furthermore, since the assembly work of holding the pair of magnets 92 by the magnet holder 817 of the first rotating member 81 and the magnet holder 826 of the second rotating member 82 is unnecessary, the management man-hours for manufacturing the multi-directional input device 1 can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost of the multi-directional input device 1 can be reduced.

[0089] Next, the operation of the multi-directional input device 1 having the above-described configuration when a user applies a pressing operation to the operating shaft 83 will be described in detail. In the neutral state shown in Figure 3, when a user applies a pressing operation to the operating shaft 83, the skirt portion 835 of the operating shaft 83 presses against the bottom surface of the storage recess 722 of the lifting slider 72, causing the lifting slider 72 to be displaced downward. Subsequently, the lower surface 834 of the operating shaft 83 comes into contact with the upper surface of the actuator 5, displacing the actuator 5 downward. As a result, the lower end of the actuator 5 presses the cover tape 44 of the push switch 4 downward. When the pressing force applied from the actuator 5 to the movable contact 43 of the push switch 4 via the cover tape 44 exceeds the operating force of the push switch 4, the movable contact 43 rapidly elastically deforms so that it becomes convex downward. As a result, the central contact 41 and the outer contact 42 of the push switch 4 become electrically connected via the movable contact 43, and the push switch 4 turns on. When the user releases the pressing operation applied to the operating shaft 83, the operating shaft 83 returns to a neutral position due to the restoring force of the elastic member 71 and the action of the shape of the lower surface of the skirt portion 835.

[0090] Furthermore, in the neutral state shown in Figure 3, when a tilting operation is applied to the operating shaft 83 by the user, the operating shaft 83 tilts, and the skirt portion 835 of the operating shaft 83 slides on the bottom surface of the storage recess 722 of the lifting slider 72 and presses against the bottom surface of the storage recess 722. At this time, due to the action of the guide piece 724 of the lifting slider 72 and the guide piece 64 of the lower housing 6L, the lifting slider 72 is displaced downward parallel to the actuator 5.

[0091] When the operating shaft 83 is tilted, if the user applies a pressing operation to the operating shaft 83, the operating shaft 83 is displaced along the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole 833 (the axial direction of the operating shaft 83), and the lower surface 834 of the operating shaft 83 presses against the upper surface of the actuator 5. As a result, a diagonal pressing force is applied from the operating shaft 83 to the actuator 5, but because the actuator 5 is inserted into the guide hole 723 of the lifting slider 72, tilting of the actuator 5 is prevented, and the actuator 5 is displaced parallel downward. Subsequently, when the pressing force applied from the lower end of the actuator 5 to the movable contact 43 of the push switch 4 exceeds the operating force of the push switch 4, the push switch 4 turns ON. When the tilting and pressing operations applied to the operating shaft 83 by the user are released, the operating shaft 83 returns to the neutral state due to the restoring force of the elastic member 71 and the action of the shape of the lower surface of the skirt portion 835.

[0092] In the multi-directional input device 1 of the present invention, a pair of magnetic sensors 91 of the detection mechanism 9 are positioned below a pair of magnets 92 provided on the first rotating member 81 and the second rotating member 82, respectively, and a pair of shielding pieces 24 of the lower cover 2L face the pair of magnets 92 from the outside. Therefore, it is not necessary to position other members such as the substrate 3 or magnetic sensors 91 between each of the pair of magnets 92 and the corresponding shielding piece 24, and the separation distance d between each of the pair of magnets 92 and the corresponding shielding piece 24 can be reduced, thereby improving the shielding effect of the multi-directional input device 1. As a result, the phenomenon in which the pair of magnets 92 shift from the zero point due to an external magnetic field in the neutral state can be suppressed, and the detection accuracy of the rotation angle of the first rotating member 81 and the second rotating member 82 can be improved.

[0093] In the above description, the magnet 92 moves along an arc trajectory when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention also includes configurations in which the magnet holder 817 of the first rotating member 81 or the magnet holder 826 of the second rotating member 82 is configured such that the magnet 92 moves along a straight trajectory when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated.

[0094] Figure 15 shows an example of a magnet holder 817 or magnet holder 826 configured such that the magnet 92 moves in a straight line when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated. The magnet holder 817 or magnet holder 826 includes a pair of engaging protrusions 84 formed at the lower end of the downward extension portion 815 of the first rotating member 81 or the downward extension portion 824 of the second rotating member 82, and a slider 85 that slides on the substrate 3 by the pair of engaging protrusions 84.

[0095] The slider 85 comprises a box-shaped elastic member 851 mounted on a substrate 3 and opening downwards, a support plate 852 extending upwards from the upper surface of the upper plate of the elastic member 851, an operating shaft 853 extending outward from the support plate 852, a holder 854 provided on the lower surface of the upper plate of the elastic member 851 for holding the magnet 92, and a sliding member 855 provided on the lower end of the elastic member 851 for reducing friction between the elastic member 851 and the substrate 3. The operating shaft 853 is held by a pair of engaging protrusions 84. When the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 rotates, the pair of engaging protrusions 84 press the operating shaft 853 laterally in Figure 15, causing the slider 85 to slide on the substrate 3. With this configuration, when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 rotates, the magnet 92 can be moved along a linear trajectory. In this case, it is preferable that the lower surface of the magnet 92 be a flat surface perpendicular to the height direction, rather than a curved surface as described above. By making the lower surface of the magnet 92 a flat surface perpendicular to the height direction, the distance from the lower surface of the magnet 92 to the corresponding magnetic sensor 91 becomes approximately constant when the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82 is rotated. This improves the linearity of the output of the magnetic sensor 91 with respect to the rotation angle of the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82, and allows for more accurate detection of the rotation angle of the first rotating member 81 or the second rotating member 82.

[0096] Although the multidirectional input device of the present invention has been described above based on the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto. Each component of the present invention can be replaced with any other component that can perform a similar function, or any other component can be added to each component of the present invention.

[0097] Those skilled in the art and the field to which the present invention pertains will be able to modify the configuration of the multidirectional input device of the present invention as described without significantly departing from the principles, concepts, and scope of the present invention, and a multidirectional input device having a modified configuration will also be within the scope of the present invention.

[0098] Furthermore, the number and types of components of the multidirectional input device shown in Figures 2 to 15 are merely illustrative examples, and the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. Embodiments in which any components are added or combined, or any components are removed, are also within the scope of the present invention, without departing from the principles and intent of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0099] 1…Multidirectional input device 2L…Lower cover 21…Bottom plate 22…Through hole 23…Welding piece 231…Welding surface 232…Hook 24…Shielding piece 2U…Upper cover 25…Top plate 26…Opening 261…Positioning recess 27…Welding piece 271…Welding surface 272…Engaging recess 3…Substrate 31…Terminal pin 32…Circuit pattern 33…Slit 4…Push switch 41…Center contact 42…Outer contact 43…Movable contact 431…Central movable part 432…Outer edge part 44…Cover tape 441…Center part 442…Flange part 5…Actuator 6…Housing 6L…Lower housing 61…Main body part 611…Receiving part 612a, 612b…Storage part 613…Receiving part 6131…Top plate 6132…Wall part 62...Circular recess 63...Through hole 64...Guide piece 641...Upper extension 642...Guide groove 65...Bearing part 651...Engaging projection 652...Lower receiving part 6U...Upper housing 66...Main body part 661...Receiving part 662...Ring-shaped projection 663...Positioning projection 664...Contact part 665...Positioning groove 6651...Base part 6652...Wall part 67...Through hole 68...Bearing part 681...Engaging recess 682...Upper receiving part 7...Holding mechanism 71...Elastic member 72...Lifting slider 721...Main body part 722...Storage recess 723...Guide hole 724...Guide piece 7241...Upper extension part 7242...Guide rail 725...Receiving part 726...Lubricant 8...Operating shaft assembly 81...First rotating member 811...Main body 812...Slit hole 813...Through hole 814...Shaft 815...Downward extension 816...Rotating shaft 817...Magnet holder 8171...Main body 8172...Bottom 8173...Claw part 82...Second rotating member 821...Main body 821a...Arch part 821b...Horizontal extension 822...Slit hole 823...Positioning projection 824...Downward extension 825...Rotating shaft 826...Magnet holder 8261...Main body 8262...Bottom 8263...Claw part 83...Operating shaft 831...Operating part 832...Connecting part 833...Slotted hole 834...Bottom surface 835...Skirt part 8351...Recessed groove 836...Through hole 84...Engaging projection 85...Slider 851...Elastic member 852...Support plate 853...Operating shaft 854...Holder 855...Sliding member 9...Detection mechanism 91...Magnetic sensor 92...Magnet 500...Multidirectional input device 510...Housing520...Flexible substrate 530...First rotating member 531...Slit hole 540...Second rotating member 541...Slit hole 550...Operating shaft 560...Coil spring 570...Detection mechanism 571...Magnet 572...Magnetic sensor 580...Shield piece h1, H1, H2...Height L1, L2...Length W...Thickness a, b...Distance c...Center line cp...Center point d...Separation distance e...Distance

Claims

1. circuit board and A housing provided on the aforementioned substrate, A first rotating member having a first slit hole and held in the housing so as to be rotatable around a first axial direction, A second rotating member, having a second slit hole and held in the housing so as to be rotatable around a second axial direction perpendicular to the first axial direction, An operating shaft is inserted through the first slit hole and the second slit hole and rotates the first rotating member and the second rotating member in response to a tilting operation applied by the user, A holding mechanism provided within the housing, which elastically holds the operating shaft in a neutral position, A detection mechanism for detecting the rotation angles of the first rotating member and the second rotating member, It includes a lower cover formed from a magnetic material that supports the substrate from below, The detection mechanism comprises a pair of magnets provided on the first rotating member and the second rotating member, respectively, and a pair of magnetic sensors provided on the substrate so as to face the pair of magnets, respectively. The pair of magnetic sensors are each located below the pair of magnets, The lower cover is characterized by comprising a bottom plate that supports the substrate from below, and a pair of shielding pieces that protrude upward from the bottom plate and face the pair of magnets from the outside.

2. Each of the pair of magnets has a flat outer surface perpendicular to the surface direction of the bottom plate of the lower cover and facing the corresponding shield piece. The multidirectional input device according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the magnet is directly opposite the corresponding shield piece.

3. When the first rotating member is rotated to its maximum angle, at least a portion of the outer surface of the magnet attached to the first rotating member directly faces the corresponding shield piece. The multidirectional input device according to claim 2, wherein when the second rotating member is rotated to its maximum angle, at least a portion of the outer surface of the magnet attached to the second rotating member directly faces the corresponding shield piece.

4. When the first rotating member is rotated to the maximum angle, on the side opposite to the rotation direction of the first rotating member, the end of the lower surface of the magnet attached to the first rotating member in the width direction is located further from the center line in the width direction of the corresponding shield piece than the end of the corresponding magnetic sensor in the width direction. The multidirectional input device according to claim 3, wherein when the second rotating member is rotated to the maximum angle, on the side opposite to the rotation direction of the second rotating member, the end of the lower surface of the magnet attached to the second rotating member in the width direction is located further from the center line in the width direction of the corresponding shield piece than the end of the corresponding magnetic sensor in the width direction.

5. When the first rotating member is rotated to the maximum angle, the center point in the width direction of the lower surface of the magnet attached to the first rotating member directly faces the corresponding shield piece. The multidirectional input device according to claim 3, wherein when the second rotating member is rotated to the maximum angle, the center point in the width direction of the lower surface of the magnet attached to the second rotating member is directly opposite the corresponding shield piece.

6. Each of the first and second rotating members comprises a main body that extends linearly and has a first or second slit hole formed therein, a pair of downwardly extending portions that extend downward from both ends of the main body, and a magnet holder provided at the lower end of one of the pair of downwardly extending portions. The multidirectional input device according to claim 2, wherein the magnet holder holds the magnet such that the outer surface of the magnet is exposed and directly faces the corresponding shield piece.

7. The multidirectional input device according to claim 6, wherein the magnet holder comprises a main body that supports the inner surface of the magnet facing the outer surface from the inside, a bottom that protrudes outward from the main body and supports the magnet from below, and a pair of claws that protrude outward from the main body and grip the magnet.

8. Each of the pair of magnets further has a lower surface that is curved with a certain curvature and protrudes downward, The multi-directional input device according to claim 2, wherein the distance from the lowest point of the lower surface of the magnet to the upper surface of the bottom plate of the lower cover is greater than the distance from the outer surface of the magnet to the corresponding shield piece.

9. The multidirectional input device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first rotating member and the second rotating member is formed of a non-magnetic material.

10. It further includes an upper cover formed from a magnetic material and attached to the housing from above, The upper cover comprises an upper plate that covers the housing from above, and a plurality of welded pieces that extend downward from the upper plate. The lower cover further comprises a plurality of welded pieces extending upward from the bottom plate, The multidirectional input device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of welded pieces of the lower cover are joined to the plurality of welded pieces of the upper cover, respectively.

11. When the first rotating member is rotated, the distance from the lower surface of the magnet provided on the first rotating member to the corresponding magnetic sensor remains constant. The multidirectional input device according to claim 1, wherein when the second rotating member is rotated, the distance from the lower surface of the magnet provided on the second rotating member to the corresponding magnetic sensor remains constant.

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