Operating device

Abstract

To improve the detection accuracy of electrostatic sensors. [Solution] In the operating device 10, a groove 62 for releasing air between the operating section 60A and the electrostatic sensor 80 is formed on the back surface of the operating knob 60. Specifically, the groove 62 is positioned offset to the left and right relative to the operating section 60A. Therefore, for example, the electrostatic sensor 80 can be attached to the operating knob 60 while releasing the air between the operating section 60A of the operating knob 60 and the double-sided tape (electrostatic sensor 80) into the groove 62. Furthermore, even if air bubbles are trapped between the operating knob 60 and the double-sided tape (electrostatic sensor 80) after the electrostatic sensor 80 has been attached, these air bubbles can be released into the groove 62. This suppresses the trapping of air bubbles between the operating section 60A and the electrostatic sensor 80. Therefore, the electrostatic sensor 80 can reliably detect operations on the operating section 60A while suppressing a decrease in the detection sensitivity of the electrostatic sensor 80.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an operating device.

Background Art

[0002] The operating device described in Patent Document 1 below includes an operation panel, a panel sheet provided on the front surface side of the operation panel, and a touch sensor sheet (electrostatic sensor) provided on the back surface side of the operation panel When an operator touches a predetermined position (operation part) of the panel sheet, the operation on the panel sheet is detected by the touch sensor sheet.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the above operating device has room for improvement in the following points. That is, in the above operating device, a tape is provided on the surface of the touch sensor sheet, and the touch sensor sheet is attached to the back surface of the operation panel by the tape. For this reason, for example, if air bubbles or the like are present between the tape and the operation panel, the detection sensitivity of the touch sensor sheet may decrease. That is, there is a possibility that the touch operation on the operation part by the operator cannot be detected well. [[ID=X]]

[0005] [[ID=X]] In consideration of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to provide an operating device capable of detecting an operation on an operation part well.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One or more embodiments of the present invention are operating devices comprising: an operating knob having an operating part that is touched by an operator; an electrostatic sensor attached to the back surface of the operating knob for detecting capacitance generated between the operator's fingers in contact with the operating part; and a groove formed on the back surface of the operating knob, positioned offset from the operating part when viewed from the front-back direction of the operating knob, for releasing air between the operating part and the electrostatic sensor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The operating device with the above configuration can improve the detection accuracy of the electrostatic sensor. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] These are two views, one from above and one from the left, showing the operating device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the operating device shown, taken from the left front. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a perspective view from the left rear, showing the left portion of the push knob in the operating device. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the operating device shown. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view from the left side showing the inside of the operating device shown in Figure 1 (cross-sectional view along line 5-5 in Figure 1). [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view from the left side showing the inside of the operating device shown in Figure 1 (cross-sectional view along line 6-6 in Figure 1). [Figure 7] This is a front-view cross-sectional view (section 7-7 in Figure 1) showing the inside of the push knob in the operating device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 8] Figure 1 is a plan view of the case of the operating device shown, as seen from above. [Figure 9] Figure 1 is a bottom view of the operating knob in the operating device shown, as seen from below. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The operating device 10 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The arrows UP, FR, and RH shown in the drawings as appropriate indicate the upper, front, and right sides of the operating device 10, respectively. In the following description, when the directions of up / down, front / back, and left / right are used, they refer to the up / down, front / back, and left / right directions of the operating device 10, unless otherwise specified. The left / right direction corresponds to the first orthogonal direction of the present invention, and the front / back direction corresponds to the second orthogonal direction of the present invention.

[0010] As shown in Figures 1 to 7, the operating device 10 is composed of a case 20, a cover 30, a push knob 40 (which is broadly considered a knob), a knob arm 70, an electrostatic sensor 80, and a circuit board 90.

[0011] (Regarding Case 20) As shown in Figure 8, the case 20 is made of a resin material that does not transmit light. The case 20 is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape, open to the bottom and with the left-right direction as its longitudinal direction. The inside of the case 20 is a substrate housing section 20A for housing the substrate 90, which will be described later. Multiple (four in this embodiment) support cylinder sections 21 are provided on the rear of the upper wall of the case 20. The support cylinder sections 21 are formed in a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape with the vertical direction as their axial direction and extend upward from the case 20. The inside of the support cylinder sections 21 is through. The four support cylinder sections 21 are arranged side by side with a predetermined gap between them in the left-right direction, and the lower ends of adjacent support cylinder sections 21 are connected by connecting sections 21A. Claw sections 21B are formed on the front and rear surfaces of the first and fourth support cylinder sections 21 from the right, respectively.

[0012] A switch housing section 22 for housing a switch 92 (described later) is provided approximately in the center of the upper wall of the case 20. The switch housing section 22 is formed in a roughly rectangular box shape that is open to the bottom and protrudes upward from the case 20. The switch housing section 22 is positioned to overlap the front walls of the second and third support cylinder sections 21 from the right. A roughly rectangular first insertion hole 22A (see Figure 8) is formed through the upper wall of the switch housing section 22 approximately in the center. The first insertion hole 22A is located between the second and third support cylinder sections 21 from the right and in front of the support cylinder sections 21. A case-side first cover section 22B is provided on the upper surface of the switch housing section 22. The case-side first cover section 22B extends upward from the left and right edges and the front edge of the first insertion hole 22A, and the rear end of the case-side first cover section 22B is connected to the front surface of the support cylinder section 21.

[0013] A second through-hole 23 (see Figure 8) is formed through the upper wall of the case 20 at the rear of the third support cylinder portion 21 from the right. The second through-hole 23 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape with the left-right direction as its longitudinal direction. A second case-side cover portion 24 is provided on the upper surface of the case 20. The second case-side cover portion 24 extends upward from the left and right edges and the rear edge of the second through-hole 23, and the front end of the second case-side cover portion 24 is connected to the rear surface of the support cylinder portion 21.

[0014] A pair of left and right first engaging portions 25 are provided at the front end of the upper surface of the case 20. The first engaging portions 25 are formed in a substantially rectangular block shape and are located outward in the left-right direction from the four support cylinder portions 21. A first engaging groove 25A (see Figure 4) is formed on the left-right inner surface of the first engaging portion 25, and the rear end of the first engaging groove 25A is open to the rear.

[0015] At the front end of the upper surface of the case 20, a second engaging portion 27 is provided at the center in the left - right direction. The second engaging portion 27 is formed in a substantially U - shaped block shape that is open to the rear side in plan view. That is, a second engaging groove 27A that is open upward and rearward is formed in the middle portion of the second engaging portion 27 in the left - right direction. The front wall of the second engaging portion 27 protrudes upward compared to the left and right side walls.

[0016] On the upper surface of the case 20, fixing bosses 28 for fixing a substrate 90 described later are provided at the four corner portions of the case 20. The fixing bosses 28 are formed in a substantially bottomed cylindrical shape that is open downward and protrude upward from the case 20.

[0017] (Regarding the cover 30) The cover 30 is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape that is open upward and has a longitudinal direction in the left - right direction. The cover 30 is disposed within the substrate accommodating portion 20A of the case 20, and the four corner portions of the cover 30 are fixed to the case 20 together with the substrate 90 described later by fixing screws (not shown) screwed into the fixing bosses 28.

[0018] (Push knob 40) The push knob 40 is connected to four support cylinder portions 21 in the case 20 so as to be movable in the vertical direction and is configured to be pressed downward by an operator. Specifically, the push knob 40 is disposed at a non - operating position (the positions shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIGS. 5 to 7), and by pressing the push knob 40 downward, the push knob 40 moves downward from the non - operating position and presses a switch 92 described later. The push knob 40 includes a knob slider 50 as a knob base and an operation knob 60.

[0019] (Regarding the knob slider 50) The knob slider 50 is made of a resin material that does not transmit light. The knob slider 50 is formed in a roughly rectangular box shape that is open to the bottom and extends in the left-right direction. The knob slider 50 is mounted from above on four support cylinder portions 21 in the case 20 and is supported by the support cylinder portions 21 so as to be movable in the vertical direction.

[0020] A pair of left and right engaging pieces 50A are provided on the lower part of the front and rear walls of the knob slider 50, at positions corresponding to the claw portion 21B of the case 20. Slits 50B extending vertically and opening downward are formed on both the left and right sides of the engaging piece 50A in the front and rear walls of the knob slider 50. This allows the engaging piece 50A to be elastically deformable in the front-rear direction starting from its upper end. A rectangular engaging hole 50C is formed through the engaging piece 50A. The claw portion 21B of the case 20 is fitted into the engaging hole 50C by snap-fit ​​fitting and abuts against the lower inner surface of the engaging hole 50C. This restricts the upward movement of the knob slider 50 (push knob 40) in the non-operating position.

[0021] A knob-side first cover portion 51 is formed on the front wall of the knob slider 50 at a position corresponding to the case-side first cover portion 22B of the case 20. The knob-side first cover portion 51 is formed in a roughly rectangular box shape that is open to the bottom and protrudes forward from the knob slider 50. The knob-side first cover portion 51 is open to the rear so that the inside of the knob-side first cover portion 51 and the inside of the knob slider 50 are in communication. The upper part of the case-side first cover portion 22B of the case 20 is positioned inside the knob-side first cover portion 51.

[0022] A switch pressing portion 51A (see Figures 4 and 5) is provided on the upper wall of the knob-side first cover portion 51. The switch pressing portion 51A is formed in a roughly cross-shaped column extending in the vertical direction and extends downward from the upper wall of the knob-side first cover portion 51. The lower end of the switch pressing portion 51A is inserted through the first insertion hole 22A of the case 20 and is positioned inside the switch housing portion 22. The switch pressing portion 51A is positioned adjacent to the upper side of the switch 92, which will be described later. This restricts the downward movement of the push knob 40 in the non-operation position.

[0023] Four light-transmitting holes 50D are formed through the upper wall of the knob slider 50. The light-transmitting holes 50D are formed in a substantially rectangular shape with the left-right direction as the longitudinal direction in a plan view. The four light-transmitting holes 50D are arranged side by side with a predetermined interval in the left-right direction. Specifically, the light-transmitting holes 50D and the support cylinder portion 21 of the case 20 form a pair, and the position and size of the light-transmitting holes 50D are set so that they are located inside the paired support cylinder portion 21 in a plan view. The portion between adjacent light-transmitting holes 50D in the left-right direction on the upper wall of the knob slider 50 is a light-shielding portion 50E.

[0024] Three light-shielding walls 52 are provided inside the knob slider 50. The light-shielding walls 52 are formed in the shape of rectangular plates with the left-right direction being the plate thickness direction, and are positioned between the support cylinder portions 21 of adjacent cases 20 in the left-right direction. The light-shielding walls 52 extend downward from the middle of the width direction (left-right direction) of the light-shielding portion 50E, with the front end of the light-shielding wall 52 connected to the front wall of the knob slider 50 and the rear end of the light-shielding wall 52 connected to the rear wall of the knob slider 50. As a result, the inside of the knob slider 50 is divided by the light-shielding walls 52. The front end of the second light-shielding wall 52 from the left is connected to the switch pressing portion 51A. The plate thickness dimension of the light-shielding walls 52 is set to be smaller than the width dimension of the light-shielding portion 50E. That is, the light-shielding portion 50E is designed to protrude outward in the left-right direction from the upper end of the light-shielding walls 52.

[0025] On the rear surface of the knob slider 50, a knob-side second cover portion 53 (see Figures 3 and 6) is provided at a position corresponding to the case-side second cover portion 24 of the case 20. The knob-side second cover portion 53 is formed in a substantially U-shape that is open to the front in a plan view, and extends in the vertical direction, with the front end of the knob-side second cover portion 53 connected to the rear wall of the knob slider 50. The upper end of the case-side second cover portion 24 of the case 20 is positioned within the knob-side second cover portion 53.

[0026] (Regarding control knob 60) As shown in Figures 1 to 7 and Figure 9, the operating knob 60 is made of a light-transmitting material (in this embodiment, a transparent resin material). The operating knob 60 is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape that is open to the bottom and extends in the left-right direction. The operating knob 60 is attached to the upper end of the knob slider 50 from above and fixed to the knob slider 50 by a snap-fit ​​fitting. In other words, the operating knob 60 is assembled to the knob slider 50 so that it cannot move relative to it.

[0027] The portion of the operating knob 60 that faces the light-transmitting hole 50D of the knob slider 50 in the vertical direction (the front-back direction of the operating knob 60) is designated as the operating section 60A. In other words, the operating knob 60 has four operating sections 60A, and these four operating sections 60A are arranged side by side with a predetermined interval between them in the left-right direction.

[0028] A recess 61 (see Figures 7 and 9) for arranging the electrostatic sensor 80, which will be described later, is formed on the underside (back) of the operating knob 60. The recess 61 is formed in a roughly rectangular shape, with the left-right direction being the longitudinal direction when viewed from below. The depth of the recess 61 is set to be relatively shallow, corresponding to the thickness of the electrostatic sensor 80. The size of the recess 61 is set so that the four operating parts 60A are arranged within the recess 61 when viewed from above.

[0029] Three grooves 62 (see Figures 5, 7, and 9) are formed on the bottom surface of the recess 61. The grooves 62 extend in the front-rear direction and are formed in a V-shape that opens downwards when viewed from the front-rear direction. The grooves 62 are located between adjacent operating parts 60A in a plan view. That is, in the operating knob 60, the operating parts 60A are partitioned by the grooves 62. In addition, the light-shielding part 50E of the knob slider 50 is located close to the bottom of the grooves 62 (see Figure 7). The width dimension of the grooves 62 is set to be smaller than the left-right dimension of the light-shielding part 50E, and in a plan view, the entire groove 62 overlaps the light-shielding part 50E.

[0030] (Regarding the Knob Arm 70) As shown in Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5, the knob arm 70 is made of resin. The knob arm 70 is composed of a pair of left and right arm sections 72 and a connecting plate section 74 for connecting the pair of arm sections 72. The arm sections 72 constitute both the left and right ends of the knob arm 70. The arm sections 72 are formed in a substantially elongated plate shape with the left-right direction being the thickness direction and extending substantially in the front-rear direction. A rotating shaft 72A is provided at the rear end (base end) of the arm section 72. The rotating shaft 72A is formed in a substantially track-shaped column with the vertical direction being the longitudinal direction and protrudes inward from the arm section 72 in the left-right direction. The arm sections 72 are positioned on the left-right outer side of the knob slider 50, and the rotating shaft 72A is rotatably supported on the left and right sides of the knob slider 50. As a result, the knob arm 70 is connected to the push knob 40 so as to be rotatable in the left-right direction as the axial direction and so as to be able to move integrally in the up-down direction.

[0031] A first engaged portion 72B is provided at the tip of the arm portion 72. The first engaged portion 72B is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with the left-right direction as its axial direction. The arm portion 72 has a pair of upper and lower notches 72C formed on the base end side of the arm portion 72 relative to the first engaged portion 72B, which are open outward in the vertical direction. The left-right inner end of the first engaged portion 72B protrudes inward in the left-right direction compared to the arm portion 72. The first engaged portion 72B is inserted from the rear into the first engagement groove 25A of the first engagement portion 25 in the case 20 and is engaged with the first engagement groove 25A in the vertical direction (hereinafter, this position of the knob arm 70 is referred to as the initial position). As a result, when the push knob 40 moves downward from the non-operated position by a pressing operation, the first engaged portion 72B is lifted by the first engagement portion 25, causing the arm portion 72 to rotate clockwise when viewed from the right side.

[0032] The connecting plate portion 74 is formed in the shape of a substantially rectangular plate with the width direction (vertical direction) of the arm portion 72 as the plate thickness direction and extending in the left-right direction. The connecting plate portion 74 is positioned between the arm portions 72, and both left-right ends of the connecting plate portion 74 are connected to the front ends of the arm portions 72. As a result, both longitudinal ends (left-right ends) of the push knob 40 are connected by the knob arm 70 which engages with the case 20 in the vertical direction. Therefore, the knob arm 70 suppresses the tilt of the push knob 40 in the left-right direction, and the push knob 40 is configured to move smoothly in the vertical direction relative to the support cylinder portion 21 of the case 20.

[0033] At the front end of the connecting plate portion 74, a pair of upper and lower second engaging portions 74A are provided in the center in the left-right direction. The second engaging portions 74A are formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape with the left-right direction as the thickness direction and protrude outward from the connecting plate portion 74 in the thickness direction. The lower second engaging portion 74A is inserted from the rear into the second engaging groove 27A of the second engaging portion 27 and engages with the second engaging groove 27A in the left-right direction. As a result, the left-right displacement of the connecting plate portion 74 with respect to the base ends of the pair of arm portions 72 is suppressed by the second engaging portion 27 and the second engaging portions 74A, so that the knob arm 70 rotates smoothly when the push knob 40 is pressed.

[0034] (Regarding the electrostatic sensor 80) As shown in Figures 4 to 7 and Figure 9, the electrostatic sensor 80 is formed as a transparent sheet that can transmit light, and is rectangular in shape with the vertical direction as the thickness and the horizontal direction as the length. Specifically, the outer shape of the electrostatic sensor 80 is similar to the outer shape of the recess 61 of the operating knob 60, and the outer shape of the electrostatic sensor 80 is set to be smaller than the outer shape of the recess 61 of the operating knob 60. Double-sided tape (not shown) is provided on the upper surface of the electrostatic sensor 80. The electrostatic sensor 80 is placed inside the recess 61 of the operating knob 60 and is attached to the bottom surface of the recess 61 by the double-sided tape.

[0035] The thickness of the electrostatic sensor 80, including the double-sided tape, is set to be smaller than the depth of the recess 61. That is, when the electrostatic sensor 80 is attached to the operating knob 60, the electrostatic sensor 80 does not protrude below the lower surface of the operating knob 60. Also, when the electrostatic sensor 80 is attached to the operating knob 60, a gap G (see Figures 7 and 9) is formed between the outer circumference of the recess 61 and the outer shape of the electrostatic sensor 80, and when viewed from below, the gap G surrounds the outer shape of the electrostatic sensor 80. That is, the front and rear ends of the groove 62 of the operating knob 60 are not blocked by the electrostatic sensor 80, and the groove 62 and the space below the operating knob 60 are in communication through the gap G.

[0036] The rear end of the left side of the electrostatic sensor 80 is provided with a sensor connection portion 80A that extends to the rear. The sensor connection portion 80A is bent downward and is positioned within the knob-side second cover portion 53 of the knob slider 50 and the case-side second cover portion 24 of the case 20 (see Figure 6). The sensor connection portion 80A is inserted through the second insertion hole 23 of the case 20, and the tip of the sensor connection portion 80A is positioned within the substrate housing portion 20A of the case 20 and connected to a connector 91 provided on the substrate 90 (described later), and is electrically connected to a control unit (not shown) provided on the substrate 90. The electrostatic sensor 80 detects the capacitance generated between the operator's fingers and the operating portion 60A of the operating knob 60 when the fingers come into contact with it, and the control unit detects operation on the operating portion 60A based on the detection result of the electrostatic sensor 80.

[0037] (Regarding circuit board 90) As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the substrate 90 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape with the vertical direction being the thickness direction and the horizontal direction being the longitudinal direction. The substrate 90 is housed in the substrate housing section 20A of the case 20 and is fixed to the upper wall of the case 20 together with the cover 30 by fixing screws (not shown) screwed into the fixing bosses 28 of the case 20. A connector 91 is provided on the lower surface of the substrate 90. The tip of the sensor connection section 80A of the electrostatic sensor 80 described above is connected to the connector 91.

[0038] A switch 92 (see Figure 5) is provided on the upper surface of the circuit board 90, and the switch 92 is housed in the switch housing 22 of the case 20. The switch 92 is a push switch and is positioned adjacent to the lower side of the switch pressing portion 51A of the push knob 40. When the push knob 40 is pressed, the switch 92 switches from off to on.

[0039] Multiple (four in this embodiment) light sources 93 (see Figure 7) are provided on the upper surface of the substrate 90, and the light sources 93 are LEDs or the like. The light sources 93 are paired with the operating section 60A of the operating knob 60 and are positioned below the paired operating section 60A. That is, the four light sources 93 are arranged in a line from left to right. The light sources 93 emit light and irradiate upwards (towards the paired operating section 60A) (see arrow BM1 in Figure 7). As a result, the operating section 60A of the operating knob 60 is illuminated by light that passes through the light-transmitting hole 50D of the knob slider 50 and through the electrostatic sensor 80.

[0040] (Effects and Benefits) In the operating device 10 configured as described above, when an operator touches the operating part 60A of the operating knob 60, the electrostatic sensor 80 detects the touch operation to the operating part 60A. Also, when an operator presses the push knob 40, the push knob 40 moves downward, and the switch pressing part 51A of the push knob 40 presses the switch 92, causing the switch 92 to switch from off to on.

[0041] In the operating device 10, the electrostatic sensor 80 is attached to the back (bottom) surface of the operating knob 60 using double-sided tape. Therefore, if air bubbles or the like are trapped between the operating knob 60 and the double-sided tape (electrostatic sensor 80), the detection sensitivity of the electrostatic sensor 80 may decrease. In this case, the electrostatic sensor 80 may not be able to properly detect operations on the operating section 60A.

[0042] Here, a groove 62 is formed on the back surface of the operating knob 60 to release air between the operating section 60A and the electrostatic sensor 80. Specifically, the groove 62 is located between adjacent operating sections 60A in the left-right direction. That is, the groove 62 is positioned offset from the operating section 60A in the left-right direction. Therefore, for example, the electrostatic sensor 80 can be attached to the operating knob 60 while releasing the air between the operating section 60A of the operating knob 60 and the double-sided tape (electrostatic sensor 80) into the groove 62. Furthermore, even if air bubbles are trapped between the operating knob 60 and the double-sided tape (electrostatic sensor 80) after the electrostatic sensor 80 has been attached, these air bubbles can be released into the groove 62. This suppresses the trapping of air bubbles between the operating section 60A and the electrostatic sensor 80. Therefore, the electrostatic sensor 80 can reliably detect operations on the operating section 60A while suppressing a decrease in the detection sensitivity of the electrostatic sensor 80.

[0043] Furthermore, a recess 61 is formed on the back surface of the operating knob 60. An electrostatic sensor 80 is placed inside the recess 61, and the electrostatic sensor 80 is attached to the bottom surface of the recess 61. This allows the electrostatic sensor 80 to be attached to the bottom surface of the recess 61 using the recess 61 as a guide. Thus, the workability when attaching the electrostatic sensor 80 can be improved. Also, when the electrostatic sensor 80 is attached, a gap G is formed between the outer periphery of the recess 61 and the outer periphery of the electrostatic sensor 80, with the outer periphery of the recess 61 surrounding the outer periphery of the electrostatic sensor through the gap G. In addition, a groove 62 is formed on the bottom surface of the recess 61, and the front and rear ends of the groove 62 are in communication with the gap G. That is, the front and rear ends of the groove 62 are not blocked by the electrostatic sensor 80, and the inside of the groove 62 is in communication with the space below the operating knob 60 through the gap G. This allows the air released into the groove 62 to escape into the space below the operating knob 60.

[0044] Furthermore, the operating knob 60 has four operating sections 60A, which are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The groove 62 extends in the front-rear direction and is positioned between adjacent operating sections 60A. This allows the groove 62 to partition the operating sections 60A of the operating knob 60, and to release the air between the operating sections 60A and the electrostatic sensor 80 into the groove 62.

[0045] Furthermore, a light source 93 is provided below the operating section 60A, and the light source 93 directs the emitted light toward the operating section 60A. In addition, the knob slider 50 is provided with a light-shielding wall 52 below the groove 62, facing the groove 62 in the vertical direction, and a light-shielding section 50E extends in the front-rear direction from the upper end of the light-shielding wall 52. As a result, the light-shielding section 50E and the light-shielding wall 52 can suppress light from the light source 93 from entering the groove 62 adjacent to the operating section 60A that is to be illuminated (see arrow BM2 in Figure 7). Consequently, leakage of light from the light source 93 to the adjacent operating section 60A that is to be illuminated can be suppressed.

[0046] Furthermore, the groove 62 is formed in a V-shape that opens downwards when viewed from the front-to-back direction. This means that, for example, even if light from the light source 93 enters the groove 62 adjacent to the operating section 60A to be illuminated, the inclined surface of the groove 62 changes the path of the incoming light, preventing the light from leaking to the adjacent operating section 60A. In other words, the groove 62, which is used to vent the air between the operating section 60A and the electrostatic sensor 80, can be used to suppress light leakage from the light source 93.

[0047] In this embodiment, the groove 62 is formed in a V-shape that opens downwards when viewed from the front-rear direction, but the shape of the groove 62 is not limited to this. For example, the groove 62 may be formed in a substantially semicircular shape that opens downwards. In other words, the shape of the groove 62 can be appropriately changed depending on the state of light leakage suppression by the groove 62.

[0048] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 10 Operating device 50 Knob Slider (Knob Base) 50E Light-shielding part 52 Light-blocking wall 60 Operating knobs 60A Control Panel 61 recess 62 Groove 80 Electrostatic Sensor 93 Light source

Claims

1. An operating knob having an operating part that is touch-operated by the operator, An electrostatic sensor is attached to the back surface of the operating knob and detects the capacitance generated between it and the operator's fingers that come into contact with the operating part. A groove is formed on the back surface of the operating knob, positioned offset from the operating part when viewed from the front-to-back direction of the operating knob, and is for releasing air between the operating part and the electrostatic sensor. An operating device equipped with it.

2. A recess for arranging the electrostatic sensor is formed on the back surface of the operating knob, and the groove is formed on the bottom surface of the recess. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the groove is not blocked by the electrostatic sensor, and the groove and the space on the back side of the operating knob are in communication.

3. The aforementioned operating knob has a plurality of operating parts, and the plurality of operating parts are arranged in a first orthogonal direction perpendicular to the front-back direction, The operating device according to claim 2, wherein the groove extends in a second orthogonal direction perpendicular to the front-back direction and the first orthogonal direction, and is arranged between adjacent operating parts.

4. A knob base is positioned on the back side of the aforementioned operating knob, to which the operating knob is fixed, and is made of a material that does not transmit light. It is paired with the aforementioned operating section, and is provided on the back side of the paired operating section, and comprises multiple light sources that emit light and direct it toward the operating section, A light-shielding wall is provided on the knob base, positioned on the back side in the front-to-back direction relative to the electrostatic sensor, and positioned opposite the groove, Equipped with, The aforementioned operating knob is made of a light-transmitting material, The operating device according to claim 3, wherein the light-shielding wall is provided with a light-shielding portion that blocks light irradiated from the light source to the groove.

5. The operating device according to claim 4, wherein, when viewed from the second orthogonal direction, the groove is formed in a V-shape that opens to the back side of the operating part.

Images