Multi-directional input device and controller

Abstract

A multi-directional input device and controller having a small volume are provided. [Solution] The multi-directional input device includes a housing, a stick assembly, a circuit board, and a microswitch. The housing has an accommodation space and an opening communicating with the accommodation space. The opening is formed at the upper end of the housing, and a resilient support is provided on the bottom wall of the accommodation space. The stick assembly is at least partially disposed within the accommodation space. The circuit board is disposed in the accommodation space and is movable in the vertical direction. It has a first side facing the opening and a second side facing the bottom wall of the accommodation space. The lower end of the stick assembly abuts against the first side, forming a movable gap between the circuit board and the bottom wall of the accommodation space. The microswitch is disposed on the second side of the circuit board and is located within the movable gap, abutting against the bottom wall of the accommodation space to output an activation signal to the circuit board. The movable gap accommodates the microswitch, thereby reducing the space occupied within the housing.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application relates to the field of remote controls, and more particularly to multi-directional input devices and controllers. [Background technology]

[0002] The multi-directional input device of a conventional game controller (controller) is typically used to output coordinate information for the X, Y, and Z axes. When a finger moves the stick sideways, X and Y axis signals are triggered, and when the stick is pressed down, the Z axis signal is triggered. The Z axis function is typically achieved by a microswitch, the trigger mechanism of which requires the user to press the movable end of the stick to activate an internal rocker arm structure. Such a microswitch is limited by the rocker arm interlocking mechanism and its own physical dimensions, significantly increasing the thickness of the entire module and the amount of horizontal space it occupies, which is detrimental to miniaturizing game controllers. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] The main purpose of this application is to propose a multi-directional input device and a controller that solves the problem of the large volume of the multi-directional input device of the conventional game controller. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In order to achieve the above object, the multi-directional input device proposed by the present application comprises: a housing having an accommodation space and an opening communicating with the accommodation space at its upper end, and an elastic support portion provided on a bottom wall of the accommodation space; a stick assembly at least partially disposed within the receiving space; a circuit board that is provided in the storage space so as to be movable in a height direction, the circuit board having a first side surface facing the opening and a second side surface facing a bottom wall of the storage space, the lower end of the stick assembly abutting against the first side surface, the second side surface abutting against the elastic support portion, and a movable gap being formed between the circuit board and the bottom wall of the storage space; a microswitch provided on a second side surface of the circuit board, located within the movable gap, and electrically connected to the circuit board, the microswitch having a pressing portion provided toward the bottom wall of the accommodating space, the pressing portion being activated when the stick assembly pushes the circuit board downward and causes it to abut against the bottom wall of the accommodating space, thereby outputting an activation signal to the circuit board.

[0005] In one embodiment, the stick assembly includes a movable rod and a rocker arm provided on the movable rod, a first support portion extending in a height direction is provided on a first side of the circuit board, the rocker arm is rotatably connected to an upper end of the first support portion, and the movable rod moves the circuit board via the rocker arm and the first support portion when an external force is applied.

[0006] In one embodiment, a second support portion extending in the height direction at a distance from the elastic support portion is provided on the bottom wall of the accommodation space, the second support portion and the first support portion are provided on both opposing sides of the rocker arm, and an upper end of the second support portion is rotatably connected to the rocker arm.

[0007] In one embodiment, the rocker arm is provided with two first rotation shafts, the two first rotation shafts are provided coaxially and on opposite sides of the rocker arm, respectively, the first support portion and the second support portion are each provided with a first arc-shaped groove that is fitted with the first rotation shaft, and the first rotation shaft is rotatably provided in the first arc-shaped groove.

[0008] In one embodiment, the rocker arm is further provided with two second rotation shafts, the two second rotation shafts are provided coaxially and on opposite sides of the rocker arm, the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft are provided with axial directions perpendicular to each other, a shaft hole is provided in a side wall of the movable rod, and the second rotation shaft is rotatably provided in the shaft hole.

[0009] In one embodiment, when the value of the distance between the first side surface of the circuit board and the first rotation axis is H1 and the value of the distance between the second side surface of the circuit board and the bottom wall of the accommodating space is H2, H1 and H2 satisfy H1>H2.

[0010] In one embodiment, the stick assembly further includes an elastic member and a guide member, the movable rod is connected to a first side of the circuit board via the elastic member, the guide member is arranged in the storage space so as to be movable in a height direction, the movable rod is connected to the guide member via the rocker arm, the rocker arm is arranged so as to be separable from the first support portion and the second support portion, and the guide member is used to change the compression amount of the elastic member by moving in a height direction to adjust the distance between the movable rod and the circuit board.

[0011] In one embodiment, a through hole is formed in the guide member, the rocker arm is movably provided in the through hole, a first guide groove and a second guide groove are provided on an inner wall of the through hole along a height direction, the first support portion is movably provided in the first guide groove, and the second support portion is movably provided in the second guide groove, And / or, a second arc-shaped groove having a groove opening facing downward is provided on the inner wall of the through hole, and the first rotation shaft is rotatably provided in the second arc-shaped groove.

[0012] In one embodiment, the housing includes a knob and a base, the opening is provided at the upper end of the knob, the lower end of the knob is threadedly engaged with the base to surround a predetermined space and form the storage space, the elastic support part and the second support part are provided on the base, and the knob abuts against the guide member and is used to adjust the compression amount of the elastic member by adjusting the distance between the guide member and the base.

[0013] In one embodiment, the base includes a bottom plate and a connecting member provided above the bottom plate, the elastic support portion and the second support portion are provided on the bottom plate, the connecting member is provided between the bottom plate and the movable rod, one of the connecting member and the knob is provided with a female screw, and the other is provided with a male screw, And / or, the circuit board is provided between the bottom plate and the connection member.

[0014] In one embodiment, the stick assembly further includes a stick seat, the stick seat being provided at an upper end of the movable rod and between the knob and the guide member, and slidably abutting the knob and the guide member, respectively; And / or, the stick assembly further includes a stick cap, and the end of the movable rod remote from the circuit board is disposed outside the accommodating space through the opening and is connected to the stick cap.

[0015] In one embodiment, the stick assembly further includes an abutment member, the elastic member includes a spring, the abutment member is provided between the movable rod and the circuit board, the end of the spring away from the circuit board is connected to the abutment member, and an abutment plane is provided on the side of the abutment member away from the spring to abut against the end of the movable rod and return the movable rod to a neutral position.

[0016] In one embodiment, the multi-directional input device further includes a magnetic element, the magnetic element being provided at an end of the stick assembly facing the circuit board, and a Hall sensor being further provided on the first side of the circuit board, the Hall sensor being used to detect the magnetic field strength of the magnetic element.

[0017] In one embodiment, the circuit board includes a bracket and a flexible circuit board, the first side and the second side are located on opposite sides of the bracket, the flexible circuit board is closely attached to the bracket and extends at least partially to the first side and the second side, and the Hall sensor and the microswitch are provided on the flexible circuit board.

[0018] The present application further proposes a controller including the multi-directional input device according to any one of the above embodiments.

[0019] According to the technical solution of the present application, the stick assembly is used to push and move the circuit board to activate the microswitch, thereby reducing the overall volume of the multi-directional input device 100. Specifically, the multi-directional input device includes a housing, a stick assembly, a circuit board, and a microswitch, the housing has an accommodation space and an opening communicating with the accommodation space, the opening is formed at an upper end of the housing, a bottom wall of the accommodation space is provided with an elastic support member, the stick assembly is at least partially disposed within the accommodation space, the circuit board is disposed in the accommodation space so as to be movable in the height direction, and has a first side face facing the opening and a second side face facing the bottom wall of the accommodation space, the lower end of the stick assembly abuts against the first side face, the second side face of the circuit board abuts against the elastic support member so as to form a movable gap between the circuit board and the bottom wall of the accommodation space, the microswitch is disposed on the second side face of the circuit board and is located within the movable gap, the circuit board is electrically connected to the microswitch, and a pressing member is disposed on the side of the microswitch facing the bottom wall of the accommodation space.

[0020] The user can push the stick assembly downward to move the circuit board, causing the pressing portion of the microswitch to abut against the bottom wall of the accommodation space, activating it and outputting an activation signal to the circuit board. A movable gap is formed between the circuit board and the bottom wall of the accommodation space, allowing a surface-mounted microswitch to be accommodated. This reduces the space occupied by the housing while maintaining the pressing function of the multi-directional input device, and further reduces the overall volume of the multi-directional input device.

[0021] In order to more clearly explain the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application and the prior art, the accompanying drawings required for the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly described below. It is clear that the accompanying drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other accompanying drawings based on the structures shown in these accompanying drawings without creative work. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a multi-directional input device provided by the present application; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is an exploded structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of a multi-directional input device provided by the present application; [Figure 4] 1 is a partial structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a multi-directional input device provided by the present application; [Figure 5] 1 is an exploded structural schematic diagram of a stick assembly in one embodiment of a multi-directional input device provided by the present application; [Figure 6] 1 is an exploded structural schematic diagram of a base in one embodiment of a multi-directional input device provided by the present application; [Figure 7] 1 is an exploded structural schematic diagram of a circuit board in one embodiment of a multi-directional input device provided by the present application; [Figure 8] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a guide member in one embodiment of a multi-directional input device provided by the present application; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] The realization of the objects, functional features and advantages of the present application will be further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings in combination with the embodiments.

[0024] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application in combination with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. It is clear that the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, and not all of the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments of the present application, all other embodiments that a person skilled in the art can obtain without creative work fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0025] In addition, when the embodiments of the present application include directional indications (e.g., up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are used only to explain the relative positional relationships and movement status between parts in a specific posture, and when the specific posture changes, the directional indications also change accordingly.

[0026] Furthermore, when the embodiments of the present application refer to terms such as "first" and "second," these terms are used for explanatory purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying the relative importance of the features or as implicitly specifying the number of technical features presented. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. Furthermore, "and / or" or "and / or" used throughout the specification means including three parallel options. For example, "A and / or B" includes options A, B, or both A and B. Furthermore, the technical solutions in each embodiment may be combined with each other as long as they are feasible by a person skilled in the art. If a combination of technical solutions results in a contradiction or is impossible to implement, it should be understood that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of the application.

[0027] Generally speaking, the multi-directional input device of a game controller is usually used to output coordinate information of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. When a finger moves the stick sideways, the X-axis and Y-axis signals are triggered, and when the finger presses down on the stick, the Z-axis signal is triggered. The Z-axis signal is usually triggered using a microswitch, and the Z-axis direction is the height direction.

[0028] The present application proposes a multi-directional input device 100 .

[0029] 1 to 5, in one embodiment of the present application, a multi-directional input device 100 includes a housing 1, a stick assembly 2, a circuit board 3, and a microswitch 4, the housing 1 has an accommodation space 1a and an opening 1b communicating with the accommodation space 1a, the opening 1b being formed at an upper end of the housing 1, an elastic support portion 11 being provided on a bottom wall of the accommodation space 1a, the stick assembly 2 being at least partially provided in the accommodation space 1a in a height direction, the circuit board 3 being provided in the accommodation space 1a so as to be movable in a height direction, and the opening 1b is formed at an upper end of the housing 1, the bottom wall of the accommodation space 1a being at least partially provided in the accommodation space 1a in a height direction, and the circuit board 3 is provided in the accommodation space 1a so as to be movable in a height direction. The circuit board 3 has a first side 31 facing the opening 1b and a second side 32 facing the bottom wall of the storage space 1a, and the lower end of the stick assembly 2 abuts against the first side 31 and the second side of the circuit board 3 abuts against the elastic support part 11 so that a movable gap 1c is formed between the circuit board 3 and the bottom wall of the storage space 1a, the microswitch 4 is provided on the second side 32 of the circuit board 3 and is located within the movable gap 1c, the circuit board 3 is electrically connected to the microswitch 4, and a pressing part is provided on the side of the microswitch 4 facing the bottom wall of the storage space 1a.

[0030] A user can push and move the circuit board 3 by pressing down on the stick assembly 2, and the circuit board 3 presses and elastically deforms the elastic support member 11. The microswitch 4 moves downward and activates when its pressing portion abuts the bottom wall of the accommodation space 1a, outputting an activation signal to the circuit board 3. When the user releases his / her hand, the elastic support member 11 elastically recovers and pushes the circuit board 3 upward to its initial position. A movable gap 1c is formed between the circuit board 3 and the bottom wall of the accommodation space 1a, allowing a surface-mounted microswitch 4 to be accommodated therein. This reduces the space occupied by the housing 1 while maintaining the pressing function of the multidirectional input device 100, and further reduces the overall volume of the multidirectional input device 100.

[0031] In this embodiment, the multi-directional input device 100 may further include conventional components such as a stick cap 26, a stick seat 25, a movable rod 21, a rocker arm 22, and an elastic member 23. The stick seat 21 and the rocker arm 22 are provided on the movable rod 21 to limit the movable range of the movable rod 21, and the elastic member 23 is connected to the movable rod 21 to return the movable rod 21 to a neutral return state when no external force is applied. This specification does not limit the specific structure, and may be set according to actual needs. Furthermore, the elastic support 11 may be an elastic arm, an elastic gasket, or the like provided on the bottom wall of the accommodation space 1a to support the circuit board 3 in an initial position and form the movable gap 1c when no external force is applied to the stick assembly 2. The microswitch 4 may be a relatively thin surface-mount type, a membrane type, a touch type, or the like, and may be selected depending on the height of the movable gap 1c. This specification does not limit the structures of the elastic support 11 and the microswitch 4.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 , in one embodiment of the present application, the stick assembly 2 further includes a movable rod 21 and a rocker arm 22 attached to the movable rod 21. A first support portion 33 having a columnar structure is provided on a first side surface 31 of the circuit board 3 in the height direction. The rocker arm 22 is rotatably connected to the upper end of the first support portion 33. The movable rod 21 can rotate the rocker arm 22 on the first support portion 33. When a user presses down on the circuit board 21, the movable rod 21 applies force to the circuit board 3 via the rocker arm 22 and the first support portion 33, pushing the circuit board 3 in a direction approaching the bottom wall of the accommodation space 1 a and pressing the elastic support portion 11.

[0033] Note that the first support portion 33 is used not only to attach the rocker arm 22 but also to transmit the pushing force, thereby simplifying the internal structure of the multi-directional input device 100 and reducing manufacturing costs. Note that the rocker arm 22 needs to swing following the movable rod 21, but because the rocker arm 22 is rotatably connected to the first support portion 33, a rotation axis may be provided on one of the rocker arm 22 and the first support portion 33, and a fitting hole corresponding to the rotation axis may be provided on the other. In some other embodiments of the present application, a fitting structure such as a rotation axis or an arc-shaped groove may be adopted as long as it can realize relative movement, and this specification does not specifically limit it.

[0034] 2 to 4, in one embodiment of the present application, a second support portion 12 is further provided on the bottom wall of the accommodation space 1a of the housing 1. The second support portion 12 is provided opposite the first support portion 33 and extends in the height direction. The second support portion 12 also has a columnar structure and has the same height as the first support portion 33. Opposite ends of the rocker arm 22 are rotatably connected to the first support portion 33 and the second support portion 12, respectively. Note that the rocker arm 22 can be stably supported by the first support portion 33 and the second support portion 12. By applying a portion of the downward force to the bottom wall of the accommodation space 1a via the second support portion 12, continuous downward movement of the end of the rocker arm 22 connected to the second support portion 12 can be restricted. By pressing down on one side of the rocker arm 22, the operating stroke of the microswitch 4 is shortened and the feedback of the operational feel is clearer.

[0035] Furthermore, the rocker arm 22 and the second support portion 12 may similarly be provided with a fitting structure such as a rotation axis, a fitting hole, or an arc-shaped groove, and are not specifically limited. Also, in some other embodiments of the present application, the second support portion 12 may be provided on the first side surface 31 of the circuit board 3, and the rocker arm 22 can push and move the circuit board 3 via the first support portion 33 and the second support portion 12, but are not specifically limited and may be designed as needed.

[0036] 4 and 5, in one embodiment of the present application, a first rotating shaft 221 is provided on each side of the rocker arm 22, and the axial directions of the two first rotating shafts 221 are aligned. Also referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a semicircular first arc-shaped groove 33a is provided at the upper end of each of the first support portion 33 and the second support portion 12, and the two first rotating shafts 221 are provided in the two first arc-shaped grooves 33a, respectively. When the movable rod 21 swings, the rocker arm 22 can be swung in the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 221. When the movable rod 21 is pushed down, the first rotating shaft 221 applies force to the groove wall of the first arc-shaped groove 33a, thereby moving the circuit board 3.

[0037] 5, in one embodiment of the present application, a through hole is drilled in the rocker arm 22 in the height direction, the movable rod 21 passes through the through hole, two second rotation shafts 222 located on opposite sides of each other and having the same axis are provided on the inner wall of the through hole, the axes of the first rotation shaft 221 and the second rotation shaft 222 are perpendicular to each other, and a shaft hole 21a is provided on the outer wall of the movable rod 21, and the second rotation shaft 222 is rotatably provided within the shaft hole 21a. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the width of the through hole of the rocker arm 22 in the axial direction of the first rotation shaft 221 is greater than the width of the movable rod 21, so that the movable rod 21 can swing around the second rotation shaft 222 within the through hole, and the movable rod 21 can further rotate the rocker arm 22 around the first rotation shaft 221, thereby realizing the swing function of the stick assembly 2.

[0038] In addition, conventional multi-directional input devices 100 are usually provided with two orthogonal rocker arms 22, and further obtain X-axis and Y-axis signals by detecting the rotation angles of the two rocker arms 22. In this embodiment, the multi-directional input device 100 obtains X-axis and Y-axis signals by detecting a magnet with a Hall element, and the swing function of the movable rod 21 can be realized using a single rocker arm 22, reducing the number of parts and further reducing the overall volume of the multi-directional input device 100. Details regarding Hall detection will be described later.

[0039] 2, 4, and 6, in one embodiment of the present application, the distance H1 between the first side surface 31 of the circuit board 3 and the first rotation shaft 221 is to form a mounting space for mounting components such as the elastic member 23 that assists the return of the movable rod 21 between the rocker arm 22, the movable rod 21, and the first side surface 31 of the circuit board 3, and the distance H2 between the second side surface 32 of the circuit board 3 and the bottom wall of the accommodation space 1a is to accommodate the surface-mounted microswitch 4, where H2 is the height of the movable gap 1c. Here, H1 is greater than H2, and the smaller the height H2 of the movable gap 1c, the smaller the space occupied by the stick assembly 2 in the height direction, which allows for a more compact component arrangement in the multi-directional input device 100, improving space utilization and reducing the overall volume.

[0040] 2 to 5, in one embodiment of the present application, the stick assembly 2 further includes an elastic member 23 and a guide member 24. Specifically, the lower end of the movable rod 21 is connected to the first side surface 31 of the circuit board 3 via the elastic member 23. When an external force is applied to the movable rod 21, the elastic member 23 causes elastic deformation of the movable rod 21. When no external force is applied to the movable rod 21, the elastic member 23 applies a force to the movable rod 21 to maintain a neutral state. The guide member 24 is provided in the accommodation space 1a and connected to the rocker arm 22. In order to realize movement of the movable rod 21 and the rocker arm 22 in the height direction, the two first rotation shafts 221 of the rocker arm 22 and the first support portion 33 and the second support portion 12 are provided as separable structures. The elastic member 23 applies an elastic force to the movable rod 21 to bring the rocker arm 22 into contact with the guide member 24. When it is necessary to operate the microswitch 4, the movable rod 21 is pushed down to move the rocker arm 22 downward, and the first rotating shaft 221 moves downward until it abuts within the first arc-shaped groove 33a, thereby pushing and moving the circuit board 3.

[0041] Furthermore, the guide member 24 is provided in the accommodation space 1a so as to be movable in the height direction, and by adjusting the position of the guide member 24 in the height direction, the distance between the movable rod 21 and the rocker arm 22 and the first side surface 31 of the circuit board 3 can be changed, and further, the compression amount of the elastic member 23 can be changed, so that the movable rod 21 has a force adjustment function. Note that the guide member 24 can be moved by providing a structure such as a screw, gear, or slide groove, in combination with a locking structure such as a guide block or pin, so that the guide member 24 can be fixed in the installed position.

[0042] 2 and 8, in one embodiment of the present application, a through hole 24a is drilled in the guide member 24 in the height direction, the rocker arm 22 is provided in the through hole 24a and is rotatably connected to the guide member 24, the lower end of the movable rod 21 passes through the through hole 24a and is connected to the rocker arm 22, a first guide groove 24b and a second guide groove 24c extending in the height direction are provided on the side wall of the through hole 24a, the first support portion 33 is slidably provided in the first guide groove 24b, and the second support portion 12 is slidably provided in the second guide groove 24c, and by changing the height of the guide member 24 with respect to the bottom wall of the accommodation space 1a, the compression amount of the elastic member 23 can be adjusted to adjust the force, while the first guide groove 24b and the second guide groove 24c limit the attachment position of the guide member 24 and limit the up and down movement of the guide member 24 in the height direction, thereby ensuring its structural stability.

[0043] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present application, a second arc-shaped groove 24d whose groove opening faces downward is further provided on the inner wall of the through hole 24a, and the second arc-shaped groove 24d is a semicircular concave groove, and the upper ends of the first guide groove 24b and the second guide groove 24c are each connected to the groove opening of the second arc-shaped groove 24d, and the elastic member 23 applies an elastic force to the movable rod 21 to abut the two first rotating shafts 221 of the rocker arm 22 within the second arc-shaped groove 24d, and when the guide member 24 moves downward to its limit position, the groove openings of the first arc-shaped groove 33a and the second arc-shaped groove 24d come together, and the two first rotating shafts 221 are sandwiched between the guide member 24 and the first support portion 33 and the second support portion 12.

[0044] The structural design of the first arc-shaped groove 33a and the second arc-shaped groove 24d allows the rocker arm 22 to rotate within the through-hole 24a of the guide member 24, and also rotate when connected to the first support part 33 and the second support part 12, and the first rotation shaft 221 can move along the first guide groove 24b or the second guide groove 24c. The guide member 24 is further provided with a guide pillar 241, and the base 14 is provided with a guide hole 141a in the height direction, and the guide pillar 241 passes through the guide hole 141a to limit the movement direction of the guide member 24.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , in one embodiment of the present application, the housing 1 includes a knob 13 and a base 14. The knob 13 has an overall cylindrical structure and an opening 1b at its upper end. The end of the movable rod 21, which is far from the circuit board 3, passes through the opening 1b. The knob 13 is hollow and, together with the base 14, forms an accommodation space 1a. The elastic support 11 and the second support 12 are both mounted on the base 14. A female thread is provided on the inner wall of the lower end of the knob 13, and a corresponding male thread is provided on the base 14, threadedly engaging the knob 13 and the base 14. A guide member 24 is provided in the accommodation space 1a and slidably abuts against the inner wall of the knob 13. When the knob 13 rotates, the guide member 24 moves in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the swing force of the movable rod 21 can be adjusted by adjusting the compression amount of the elastic member 23. The knob 13 and the base 14 are threadedly engaged to make force adjustment of the multi-directional input device 100 easier and more convenient.

[0046] 6, in one embodiment of the present application, the base 14 includes a bottom plate 141 and a connecting member 142, the elastic support member 11 and the second support member 12 are both provided on the bottom plate 141, the bottom plate 141 is further provided with a cylindrical protruding block 1411 that is used to abut against the pressing portion of the microswitch 4, the connecting member 142 is provided between the bottom plate 141 and the movable rod 21, a male thread is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the connecting member 142, and a corresponding female thread is provided on the inner wall of the knob 13. To facilitate production and installation of the components, the base 14 is divided into the bottom plate 141 and the connecting member 142.

[0047] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present application, the circuit board 3 is provided between the bottom plate 141 and the connecting member 142, and the connecting member 142 has a plurality of through holes formed therein, and the end of the elastic member 23 remote from the movable rod 21 passes through the central circular through hole and abuts against the first side surface 31 of the circuit board 3. The first support portion 33 and the second support portion 12 are provided so as to pass through other through holes in the connecting member 142. Note that by providing the circuit board 3 between the bottom plate 141 and the connecting member 142, the movable space of the circuit board 3 can be limited, and stable operation of the microswitch 4 can be ensured.

[0048] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in one embodiment of the present application, the stick assembly 2 further includes a stick seat 25, which has an umbrella-shaped structure and is fitted onto the end of the movable rod 21 remote from the elastic member 23. The stick seat 25 is provided between the guide member 24 and the knob 13 and abuts against both of them in a slidable manner. When the stick swings, the stick seat 25 can be caused to swing within the accommodation space 1a, and the knob 13 applies force to the stick seat 25 to move the movable rod 21, the rocker arm 22 and the guide member 24 in the height direction.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 2, in one embodiment of the present application, the stick assembly 2 further includes a stick cap 26, and the end of the movable rod 21 remote from the elastic member 23 passes through the opening 1b and is disposed outside the accommodation space 1a, and the stick cap 26 is fixed to the stick seat 25 or the end of the movable rod 21 for operation by the user.

[0050] 2 and 5, in one embodiment of the present application, the stick assembly 2 further includes a contact member 27 provided between the movable rod 21 and the circuit board 3, and the elastic member 23 is a cylindrical spring, one end of which contacts the lower side of the contact member 27 and the other end of which contacts the circuit board 3. A contact plane is provided on the side of the contact member 27 away from the spring, and the lower end of the movable rod 21 contacts the contact plane, causing the movable rod 21 to return to a neutral position by the action of the elastic member 23. Furthermore, referring also to FIG. 6, a plurality of insertion portions 271 extending in the height direction are further provided on the circumferential side of the contact member 27, and a plurality of positioning posts 1412 each having a positioning groove opening in the height direction are further provided on the bottom plate 141, the insertion portions 271 of the contact member 27 are movably inserted into the positioning groove, and the area surrounded by the plurality of positioning posts 1412 limits the mounting position of the elastic member 23.

[0051] 2 and 5, in one embodiment of the present application, the multi-directional input device 100 further includes a magnetic element 5, which includes a cylindrical magnet; a mounting groove 21b is provided on the side of the movable rod 21 facing the circuit board 3; the magnetic element 5 is provided in the mounting groove 21b; and a Hall sensor 6 is further provided on the first side surface 31 of the circuit board 3 at a position corresponding to the magnetic element 5; the Hall sensor 6 detects the magnetic field strength of the magnetic element 5 and calculates and obtains coordinate information on the X-axis and Y-axis when the movable rod 21 swings based on changes in the magnetic field strength. As can be seen from the above, the structure including the magnetic element 5 and the Hall sensor 6 can reduce the number of rocker arms 22; and the Hall sensor 6 can also be provided in the elastic member 23 (spring) to further improve space utilization.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 7 , in one embodiment of the present application, the circuit board 3 includes a bracket 34 and a flexible circuit board (FPC) 35. Specifically, a first side 31 and a second side 32 are respectively provided on opposite sides of the bracket 34, facing each other; a first support portion 33 is provided on the first side 31 of the bracket 34; the flexible circuit board 35 is provided in close contact with the bracket 34 and extends at least partially to the first side 31 and the second side 32; a Hall sensor 6 is provided on the side of the flexible circuit board 35 facing the first side 31; and a microswitch 4 is provided on the side of the flexible circuit board 35 facing the second side 32. The bendable structure of the flexible circuit board 35 makes it easy to simultaneously attach the Hall sensor 6 and the microswitch 4, and the flexible circuit board 35 can be connected to the main control board of the game controller through a bottom plate 141. Furthermore, in order to improve the mounting stability of the flexible circuit board 35, support plates 36 may be provided on the first side surface 31 and the second side surface 32 of the bracket 34, thereby allowing the flexible circuit board 35 to be stably attached to the bracket 34.

[0053] The present application further proposes a controller including the multi-directional input device 100. For the specific structure of the multi-directional input device 100, please refer to the above embodiments. Since this controller adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the technical effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, and therefore, further description is omitted here. The controller includes a game controller.

[0054] The above are merely exemplary embodiments of the present application and do not limit the scope of protection of the present application. Any equivalent structural transformation made using the contents of the specification and accompanying drawings of the present application under the technical concept of the present application, or direct or indirect application to other related technical fields, are also within the scope of protection of the present application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 100 Multi-directional input device 1. Housing 1a Containment space 1b aperture 1c Movable gap 11 Elastic support part 12 Second support 13 Knob 14 base 141 Bottom plate 141a Guide hole 1411 Protruding Block 1412 Positioning Pillar 142 connecting member 2 Stick Assembly 21 Movable rod 21a Shaft hole 21b Mounting groove 22 Rocker arm 221 First Rotation Axis 222 Second Rotation Axis 23 Elastic member 24 Guide member 24a through hole 24b First guide groove 24c Second guide groove 24d Second arc groove 241 Guidepost 25 Stick Seat 26 Stick Cap 27 Contact member 271 Insertion part 3 Circuit Board 31 First Aspect 32 The Second Aspect 33 First support 33a First arc-shaped groove 34 Bracket 35 Flexible Circuit Board 36 Support plate 4 microswitches 5 Magnetic elements 6 Hall sensors

Claims

1. a housing having an accommodation space and an opening communicating with the accommodation space at its upper end, and an elastic support portion provided on a bottom wall of the accommodation space; a stick assembly at least partially disposed within the receiving space; a circuit board that is provided in the storage space so as to be movable in a height direction, the circuit board having a first side surface facing the opening and a second side surface facing a bottom wall of the storage space, the lower end of the stick assembly abutting against the first side surface, the second side surface abutting against the elastic support portion, and a movable gap being formed between the circuit board and the bottom wall of the storage space; a microswitch provided on a second side surface of the circuit board, located within the movable gap, and electrically connected to the circuit board, the microswitch having a pressing portion provided toward a bottom wall of the accommodating space, the pressing portion being activated when the stick assembly pushes the circuit board downward to abut against the bottom wall of the accommodating space, and outputting an activation signal to the circuit board; A multi-directional input device comprising:

2. the stick assembly includes a movable rod and a rocker arm provided on the movable rod, a first support portion extending in a height direction is provided on a first side surface of the circuit board, the rocker arm is rotatably connected to an upper end of the first support portion, and the movable rod moves the circuit board via the rocker arm and the first support portion when an external force is applied; The multi-directional input device according to claim 1 .

3. a second support portion extending in a height direction at a distance from the elastic support portion is provided on a bottom wall of the accommodation space, the second support portion and the first support portion are provided on opposite sides of the rocker arm, respectively, and an upper end of the second support portion is rotatably connected to the rocker arm; 3. The multi-directional input device according to claim 2.

4. The rocker arm is provided with two first rotation shafts, the two first rotation shafts being coaxially provided on both sides of the rocker arm that face each other, the first support portion and the second support portion each being provided with a first arc-shaped groove that is fitted with the first rotation shaft, and the first rotation shaft is rotatably provided in the first arc-shaped groove.

4. The multi-directional input device according to claim 3.

5. The rocker arm is further provided with two second rotation shafts, the two second rotation shafts are provided coaxially and on opposite sides of the rocker arm, the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft are provided with axial directions perpendicular to each other, a shaft hole is provided in a side wall of the movable rod, and the second rotation shaft is rotatably provided in the shaft hole.

5. The multi-directional input device according to claim 4.

6. When a value of a distance between a first side surface of the circuit board and the first rotation axis is H1 and a value of a distance between a second side surface of the circuit board and a bottom wall of the accommodation space is H2, H1 and H2 satisfy H1>H2.

5. The multi-directional input device according to claim 4.

7. the stick assembly further includes an elastic member and a guide member, the movable rod is connected to a first side surface of the circuit board via the elastic member, the guide member is provided in the accommodation space so as to be movable in a height direction, the movable rod is connected to the guide member via the rocker arm, the rocker arm is provided so as to be separable from the first support portion and the second support portion, and the guide member is used to change the compression amount of the elastic member by moving in a height direction to adjust the distance between the movable rod and the circuit board.

5. The multi-directional input device according to claim 4.

8. a through hole is formed in the guide member, the rocker arm is movably provided in the through hole, a first guide groove and a second guide groove are provided on an inner wall of the through hole along a height direction, the first support portion is movably provided in the first guide groove, and the second support portion is movably provided in the second guide groove, and / or a second arc-shaped groove having a downwardly facing groove opening is provided on the inner wall of the through hole, and the first rotation shaft is rotatably provided in the second arc-shaped groove.

8. The multi-directional input device according to claim 7.

9. the housing includes a knob and a base, the opening is provided at an upper end of the knob, the lower end of the knob is screwed into the base to surround a predetermined space and form the accommodation space, the elastic support part and the second support part are provided on the base, and the knob abuts against the guide member and is used to adjust the compression amount of the elastic member by adjusting the distance between the guide member and the base.

8. The multi-directional input device according to claim 7.

10. the base includes a bottom plate and a connecting member provided above the bottom plate, the elastic support portion and the second support portion are provided on the bottom plate, the connecting member is provided between the bottom plate and the movable rod, one of the connecting member and the knob is provided with a female screw, and the other is provided with a male screw; and / or the circuit board is provided between the bottom plate and the connection member; The multi-directional input device according to claim 9 .

11. the stick assembly further includes a stick seat, the stick seat being provided at an upper end of the movable rod and between the knob and the guide member, and slidably abutting against the knob and the guide member, respectively; and / or the stick assembly further includes a stick cap, and an end of the movable rod remote from the circuit board is provided outside the accommodating space through the opening and is connected to the stick cap. The multi-directional input device according to claim 9 .

12. The stick assembly further includes an abutment member, the elastic member including a spring, the abutment member being provided between the movable rod and the circuit board, an end of the spring remote from the circuit board being connected to the abutment member, and a contact plane being provided on the side of the abutment member remote from the spring to abut against the end of the movable rod and return the movable rod to a neutral position.

8. The multi-directional input device according to claim 7.

13. the multi-directional input device further includes a magnetic element, the magnetic element being provided at an end of the stick assembly facing the circuit board, and a Hall sensor being further provided on the first side of the circuit board, the Hall sensor being used to detect a magnetic field strength of the magnetic element; The multi-directional input device according to claim 1 .

14. the circuit board includes a bracket and a flexible circuit board, the first side surface and the second side surface are located on opposite sides of the bracket, the flexible circuit board is provided in close contact with the bracket and extends at least partially to the first side surface and the second side surface, and the Hall sensor and the microswitch are provided on the flexible circuit board.

14. The multi-directional input device according to claim 13.

15. A multi-directional input device comprising: a multi-directional input device according to any one of claims 1 to 14; A controller characterized by:

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