Multi-directional input device

Abstract

To provide an invention that relates to a technical field of a controller and to disclose, in particular, a multidirectional input device.SOLUTION: A multidirectional input device includes: a housing; an operation bar; a magnetic member; a circuit board; a support seat; a return assembly; an elastic piece; a pressing member; and a magnetic detection chip. The operation bar includes an operation part and a swing part coupled to each other, the return assembly includes a plate and a coil spring, and the magnetic detection chip includes a chip main body and a detection part. Each of centers of the swing part, the magnetic member, the pressing member, the elastic piece, and the detection part is all on the same vertical line. When the operation bar is swung or pressed to move the magnetic member in an arbitrary direction with respect to the detection part, the detection part detects a change in magnetic force of the magnetic member and outputs a magnetic field change signal. As a result, the multidirectional input device can accurately and timely feed back a direction and an amount of movement of the operation bar, thereby improving a use experience of a user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of controllers, and more particularly to multi-directional input devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Multi-directional input devices are widely used in the field of game control and generally include a stick, a magnetic member, and a magnetic sensing chip. The stick is swung to move the magnetic member, and the magnetic sensing chip detects the change in the magnetic field, and then determines the direction and amount of movement of the stick, thereby realizing the orientation control function in the game.

[0003] Conventional multi-directional input devices are further provided with a swing and press-down reset device, and the centers of the swing and press-down reset device, the stick, the magnetic member, and the magnetic sensing chip are not aligned on the same vertical line. As a result, when the stick moves the magnetic member, the magnetic sensing chip detects changes in the magnetic field of the magnetic member in a relatively inaccurate and untimely manner, which affects the user's experience. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A primary object of the present invention is to provide a multi-directional input device that overcomes the problem of slow and untimely determination of direction and amount of movement in conventional multi-directional input devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the multi-directional input device proposed by the present invention comprises: a housing having a space with openings at both top and bottom ends; an operation bar having an operation part and a swinging part connected to each other, the center of the operation part and the center of the swinging part being on the same vertical line, the operation part being provided on the outside of the housing by passing through an opening at the upper end of the housing, the outer surface of the swinging part being in contact with a side wall below the opening of the housing, and the swinging part being provided swingably within the space; a magnetic member provided on a side of the swinging portion away from the operating portion; a circuit board disposed in an opening at the lower end of the housing; a support seat provided on the side of the space of the circuit board; a return assembly including a plate and a coil spring disposed in the space, the plate being below the swinging part, one end of the coil spring abutting against the support seat and the other end abutting against the plate, and when the operating part is swung or pressed down, the swinging part presses the coil spring via the plate, causing the coil spring to elastically deform and return the operating bar toward a neutral position; an umbrella-shaped elastic piece provided on the support seat and having a hole in the center; a pressing member provided on the elastic piece and positioned between the elastic piece and the swinging part, the end of which abuts against the edge of the opening of the elastic piece, and when the operation bar is pressed down, the swinging part presses the elastic piece through the pressing member, causing the elastic piece to elastically deform, feeding back force to the hand when the operation bar is pressed down; a magnetic detection chip including a chip body and a detection unit provided in the chip body, the magnetic detection chip being provided on a surface of the circuit board and below the pressing member; The centers of the swinging part, the magnetic member, the pressing member, the elastic piece and the detection part are all on the same vertical line, and when the operation bar is swung or pressed vertically and the magnetic member moves in any of the X, Y or Z directions relative to the detection part, the detection part detects the change in magnetic force of the magnetic member and outputs a magnetic field change signal.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, a relief hole is formed in the center of the support seat, and the magnetic sensing chip is located in the relief hole.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, wiring is provided on the circuit board, leads are provided on the magnetic detection chip, the magnetic detection chip is mounted on the surface of the circuit board, and the wiring and the leads are electrically connected.

[0008] The multi-directional input device proposed by the technical solution of the present invention includes a housing, an operating bar, a magnetic member, a circuit board, a support seat, a reset assembly, an elastic member, a pressing member, and a magnetic sensing chip, wherein the housing defines a space with openings at both top and bottom ends, the circuit board covers the opening at the bottom, the operating part of the operating bar is disposed outside the housing through the opening at the other end, the outer surface of the swinging part contacts the side wall below the opening of the housing, the magnetic member is disposed on the circuit board side of the swinging part, and the reset assembly, elastic member, pressing member, and magnetic sensing chip are all disposed within the space, when the operating part is swung to swing the swinging part, the swinging part presses against the reset assembly to deform it, and when the operating part is released, the biasing force of the reset assembly causes the operating bar to return to its neutral position. When the operating part is pressed down to move the swinging part into the space, the swinging part presses the return assembly and, via the pressing member, presses the elastic piece, elastically deforming the elastic piece, which then feeds back force to the hand when pressing the operating bar. The magnetic sensing chip installed in the space includes a chip body and a detecting unit, and the centers of the swinging part, magnetic member, pressing member, elastic piece, and detecting unit are all on the same vertical line. When the operating bar is swung or pressed down to move the magnetic member in any direction relative to the detecting unit, the detecting unit detects the change in magnetic force of the magnetic member and outputs a magnetic field change signal. This allows the multi-directional input device to provide accurate and timely feedback on the direction and amount of movement of the operating bar, improving the user experience.

[0009] In order to more clearly describe the embodiments of the present invention and the technical solutions of the prior art, the following will briefly describe the accompanying drawings required for the description of the embodiments or the prior art. It is clear that the accompanying drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention, 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]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a multi-directional input device according to the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the multi-directional input device of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The realization of the objects, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings in combination with the embodiments.

[0012] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in combination with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. It is clear that the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments that a person skilled in the art can obtain without creative work fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0013] It should be noted that all directional indications (e.g., up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are used only to explain the relative positional relationships, movement conditions, etc. between each part in a specific position (as shown in the attached drawings), and when the specific position changes, the directional indications also change accordingly.

[0014] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified or limited, the terms "connected," "fixed," etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "fixed" may mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection, a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a direct connection, an indirect connection via an intermediate medium, internal communication between two elements, or an interactive relationship between two elements. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0015] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention, the terms "first," "second," etc. are used for explanatory purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance of certain 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. "And / or" and "and / or" have the same meaning throughout the text and each of them indicates the inclusion of three parallel alternatives. For example, "A and / or B" includes alternative A, alternative A, or alternative A and B simultaneously. 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 is inconsistent or impractical, it should be understood that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of the invention.

[0016] The present invention proposes a multi-directional input device 1.

[0017] 1 to 3, in one embodiment of the present invention, a multi-directional input device 1 includes a housing 10, an operation bar 20, a magnetic member 30, a circuit board 50, a support seat 60, a reset assembly 40, an elastic piece 70, a push-down member 80, and a magnetic detection chip 90. The housing 10 is formed with a space 12 having openings 11 at both upper and lower ends. The operation bar 20 has an operation unit 21 and a swing unit 22 connected to each other. The centers of the operation unit 21 and the swing unit 22 are on the same vertical line. The operation unit 21 passes through the opening 11 at the top end of the housing 10. The swinging portion 22 is provided outside the housing 10, and the outer surface of the swinging portion 22 contacts the side wall below the opening 11 of the housing 10. The swinging portion 22 is provided swingably within the space 12. The magnetic member 30 is provided on the side of the swinging portion 22 away from the operating portion 21. The circuit board 50 is covered by the opening 11 at the lower end of the housing 10. The support seat 60 is provided on the space 12 side of the circuit board 50. The return assembly 40 includes a plate 41 and a coil spring 42 arranged within the space 12. The plate 41 is below the swinging portion 22. One end of the coil spring 42 abuts against the support seat 60 and the other end of the plate 41 is in contact with the support seat 60. 1, and when the operation unit 21 is swung or pressed down, the swinging unit 22 presses the coil spring 42 via the plate 41, and the coil spring 42 elastically deforms to return the operation bar 20 towards the neutral position. The elastic piece 70 is provided on the support seat 60 and is umbrella-shaped with a hole in the center. The pressing member 80 is provided on the elastic piece 70 and is between the elastic piece 70 and the swinging unit 22, and the end of the pressing member 80 abuts on the edge of the opening 11 of the elastic piece 70. When the operation bar 20 is pressed down, the swinging unit 22 presses the elastic piece 70 via the pressing member 80, and the elastic piece 70 elastically deforms to return the operation bar 20 towards the neutral position. is pressed down, the magnetic detection chip 90 includes a chip body 91 and a detection unit 92 provided within the chip body 91, the magnetic detection chip 90 is provided on the surface of the circuit board 50 and is located below the pressing member 80, the centers of the swinging unit 22, the magnetic member 30, the pressing member 80, the elastic piece 70 and the detection unit 92 are all on the same vertical line, and when the operation bar 20 is swung or pressed down vertically and the magnetic member 30 moves in any of the X, Y and Z directions relative to the detection unit 92, the detection unit 92 detects the change in magnetic force of the magnetic member 30 and outputs a magnetic field change signal.

[0018] In this embodiment, an upper engagement plate 13 and a lower engagement plate 14 are further provided at both ends of the housing 10 where the opening 11 is provided, and a hole corresponding to the opening 11 is also formed in the center of the upper engagement plate 13 to function as a release hole for rocking of the operating unit 21. Both sides of the upper engagement plate 13 are bent to form engagement grooves, and engagement members are provided near the upper ends of both sides of the housing 10, and by engaging the engagement members into the engagement grooves, the upper engagement plate 13 is engaged with the upper end of the housing 10. Both sides of the lower engagement plate 14 are bent to form engagement grooves, and engagement members are also provided near the lower ends of both sides of the housing 10, and by engaging the engagement members into the engagement grooves, the lower engagement plate 14 is engaged with the upper end of the housing 10 and abuts against the circuit board 50. By providing the upper and lower attachment plates 13 and 14, the structural stability of the entire multi-directional input device 1 is improved, and the components inside the housing 10 can be easily assembled and disassembled.

[0019] The outer surface of the swinging part 22 contacts the side wall below the opening 11 of the housing 10, and the swinging part 22 is rotatable relative to the housing 10. A mounting groove is formed as a recess on the side of the swinging part 22 facing the inside of the space 12, and the shape and size of the mounting groove match those of the magnetic member 30, so that the magnetic member 30 is mounted within the mounting groove, and the push-down member 80 side of the magnetic member 30 is flush with the groove opening of the mounting groove.

[0020] The pusher 80 is disposed below the swinging part 22 with a gap therebetween, and recessed relief grooves are formed on both the upper and lower ends of the pusher 80, with the position of the relief groove at the upper end corresponding to the position of the magnetic member 30 and the position of the relief groove at the lower end corresponding to the position of the magnetic detection chip 90, with a portion of one end of the swinging part 22 facing the pusher 80 being disposed in the upper relief groove, and a portion of the magnetic detection chip 90 being disposed in the lower relief groove, so that the relief grooves at both the upper and lower ends of the pusher 80 reduce the vertical structural size of the multi-directional input device 1. The groove wall of the upper relief groove is arc-shaped, and its lateral size gradually increases from the groove bottom toward the groove opening, and the edge of the end of the swinging part 22 facing the pusher 80 is also rounded to fit into the relief groove. When the operation bar 20 is not pressed down, a part of the swinging part 22 can be arranged at a distance within the relief groove at the upper end of the pressing member 80, thereby further reducing the structural size of the multi-directional input device 1 in the vertical direction.

[0021] To facilitate returning the operation bar 20 to its original position after swinging, a return assembly 40 composed of a coil spring 42 and a plate 41 is provided in the space 12, and a hole is drilled in the center of the plate 41 to allow for the portion of the swinging part 22 that protrudes toward the space 12. Both ends of the coil spring 42 abut against the plate 41 and the support seat 60, respectively, and the plate 41 abuts against the inner wall at the upper end of the housing 10 due to the elastic force of the coil spring 42, and the swinging part 22 also abuts against the upper surface of the plate 41. Therefore, when swinging or pressing down the operation part 21, the swinging part 22 abuts against the surface of the plate 41 to deform the coil spring 42, and when the swinging or pressing down of the operation part 21 is stopped, the elastic force of the coil spring 42 returns the operation bar 20 to its initial position.

[0022] In order to provide a tactile feedback when the operation bar 20 is pressed down, the present application provides an umbrella-shaped elastic piece 70 with a certain elasticity and a hole in the center below the press member 80. When the press member 80 contacts the edge of the hole in the elastic piece 70, the elastic piece 70 supports the press member 80 and provides a tactile feedback, further improving the user's operation experience. The operation bar 20 elastically returns to its original state by cooperation between the elastic piece 70 and the return assembly 40. In the first stage of elastic restoration, the elastic piece 70 and the coil spring 42 in the return assembly 40 provide an elastic force during elastic restoration. When the elastic piece 70 returns to its initial state, the swinging part 22 begins to separate from the press member 80, at which point the second stage of elastic restoration begins. In this stage, the coil spring 42 in the return assembly 40 provides an elastic force during elastic restoration until the return assembly 40 and the operation bar 20 elastically return to their initial states.

[0023] In order to improve the accuracy and speed of determining the direction and amount of movement of the multi-directional input device 1, the present application arranges the centers of the swinging part 22, magnetic member 30, pressing member 80, elastic piece 70 and detection part 92 on the same vertical line, thereby enabling the magnetic field generated by the magnetic member 30 to be transmitted vertically to the detection part 92 of the magnetic detection chip 90, and reducing the propagation distance of the magnetic flux lines, thereby improving the accuracy and sensitivity of detection by the detection part 92 when the magnetic field of the magnetic member 30 changes.

[0024] As shown in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3, in one embodiment of the present invention, a relief hole is drilled in the center of the support seat 60, and the magnetic sensing chip 90 is located within the relief hole.

[0025] In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the support seat 60 is circular to accommodate the elastic piece 70 and the pressing member 80, and the relief hole is also circular. A step is provided around the support seat 60 on the elastic piece 70 side, and the elastic piece 70 is positioned within the step, improving the stability of the elastic piece 70 during deformation. The circuit board 50 is provided with a magnetic detection chip 90 and elements such as capacitors and electrical resistors, and the relief hole functions to allow these elements to escape. Furthermore, by placing the magnetic detection chip 90 within the relief hole, the distance between the magnetic member 30 and the magnetic detection chip 90 can be shortened, further improving the accuracy and sensitivity of the multi-directional input device 1 in determining the direction and amount of movement.

[0026] As shown in relation to FIG. 3, in one embodiment of the present invention, wiring 51 is provided on circuit board 50, leads are provided on magnetic detection chip 90, magnetic detection chip 90 is mounted on the surface of circuit board 50, and wiring 51 and leads are electrically connected.

[0027] In this embodiment, the circuit board 50 may be a rigid circuit board 50 or a flexible circuit board 50. The circuit board 50 has a plurality of insertion holes for inserting signal output terminals and signal input terminals. The inner walls of the insertion holes are copper-plated, and the copper on the inner walls is electrically connected to the circuit. The leads of the magnetic sensing chip 90 may be leads that protrude from the chip or metal contact surfaces deposited on the chip surface. The magnetic sensing chip 90 is connected to the signal output terminals and signal input terminals via leads, wiring 51, and copper plating, realizing input and output of magnetic detection signals, allowing the multidirectional input device 1 to determine the direction and amount of movement when the user operates the operation bar 20.

[0028] The above is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the scope of the patent of the present invention. Based on the inventive concept of the present invention, any equivalent structural transformation made by using the contents of the specification and accompanying drawings of the present invention, or direct or indirect application to other related technical fields, are all within the scope of patent protection of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0029] 1. Multi-directional input device 10. Housing 11 Aperture 12 Space 13 Upper attachment plate 14 Lower attachment plate 20 Operation Bar 21 Control section 22 Swinging part 30 Magnetic components 40 Return Assembly 41 Plate 42 Coil spring 50 Circuit Board 51 Wiring 60 Support seat 70 Elastic piece 80 Push-down member 90 Magnetic detection chip 91 Chip body 92 Detection unit

Claims

1. A multi-directional input device, a housing having a space with openings at both top and bottom ends; An operation bar having an operation part and a swinging part connected to each other, wherein the center of the operation part and the center of the swinging part are on the same vertical line, the operating portion is provided on the outside of the housing, passing through an opening at the upper end of the housing; The swinging portion has an outer surface that contacts a side wall below the opening of the housing, and is provided swingably within the space. The operation bar and a magnetic member provided on a side of the swinging portion away from the operating portion; a circuit board disposed in an opening at the lower end of the housing; a support seat provided on the side of the space of the circuit board; a return assembly including a plate and a coil spring disposed within the space, The plate is located below the rocker, one end of the coil spring abuts against the support seat and the other end abuts against the plate; a return assembly in which, when the operation unit is swung or pressed down, the swinging unit presses the coil spring via the plate, causing the coil spring to elastically deform and return the operation bar toward a neutral position; an umbrella-shaped elastic piece provided on the support seat and having a hole in the center; a pressing member provided on the elastic piece and positioned between the elastic piece and the swinging part, the pressing member having an end abutting the edge of the opening of the elastic piece, and when the operation bar is pushed down, the swinging part presses the elastic piece via the pressing member, and the elastic piece is elastically deformed to feed back force to the hand when the operation bar is pushed down; a magnetic detection chip including a chip body and a detection unit provided in the chip body, the magnetic detection chip being provided on a surface of the circuit board and below the pressing member; The centers of the swinging part, the magnetic member, the pressing member, the elastic piece, and the detecting part are all on the same vertical line, and when the operation bar is swung or pressed vertically and the magnetic member moves in any of the X, Y, and Z directions relative to the detecting part, the detecting part detects a change in the magnetic force of the magnetic member and outputs a magnetic field change signal. A multi-directional input device characterized by:

2. A relief hole is formed in the center of the support seat, and the magnetic detection chip is positioned within the relief hole. The multi-directional input device according to claim 1 .

3. Wiring is provided on the circuit board, leads are provided on the magnetic detection chip, the magnetic detection chip is mounted on a surface of the circuit board, and the wiring and the leads are electrically connected. The multi-directional input device according to claim 1 .

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