Operating device

Abstract

This operating device is provided with: a housing which includes a housing body including a plurality of body side accommodation chambers and a sensor housing section provided on the housing body; an operating member tiltably provided on the housing body; a plurality of push rods slidably inserted into each of the body side accommodation chambers and each stroking according to a tilt direction of the operating member; and a sensor mechanism which is provided to the sensor housing section and detects movements of each of the push rods, wherein the sensor housing section includes a body portion in which the sensor mechanism is provided and a partition wall provided on the body portion; the housing body has communication hole sections for air intake and exhaust between the body side accommodation chambers and the outside of the housing body according to the stroke of the push rods, the communication hole sections have opening portions facing the body portion, and the partition wall extends from the body portion to the housing body and is arranged so as to surround each of the opening portions of the communication hole sections.

Description

Operating device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an operating device that operates by tilting an operating tool.

[0002] As an operating device used in construction machines such as excavators, for example, an operating lever as in Patent Document 1 is known. In the operating lever of Patent Document 1, when the lever part is tilted, the disk presses the rod through the piston to stroke it. A magnet is attached to the rod, and based on the movement of the magnet, the magnetic sensor detects the stroke amount of the rod.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 7112385

[0004] The operating lever of Patent Document 1 further includes a spring member for pressing the piston against the disk. In the operating lever, the spring member, piston, rod, sensor, etc. are housed in one housing and arranged to interact with each other. Therefore, when replacing the piston and sensor, etc., it is necessary to disassemble the entire operating lever. Thus, it is conceivable to configure the operating lever as follows.

[0005] That is, it is conceivable to configure it separately into a housing of the operating lever, a portion (housing main body) where the piston and the spring member are provided, and a portion (sensor housing portion) where the rod and the sensor are provided. Specifically, it is configured separately between a piston housing chamber in which the piston is housed and a substrate housing chamber in which the substrate is housed. In this case, in order to enable the piston housing chamber to intake and exhaust air when the piston strokes, a communication hole portion through which the rod protruding from the sensor housing portion into the piston housing portion is inserted is connected to the outside of the housing main body. On the other hand, when the communication hole portion is connected to the outside of the housing main body, when the piston housing chamber intakes air, contaminants such as dust enter the piston housing chamber together with air through the communication hole portion. And it is considered that the entered contaminants affect the operating device.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an operating device that can suppress the entry of contaminants into the main body side housing chamber corresponding to the piston housing chamber.

[0007] The operating device of the present disclosure comprises a housing body including a plurality of main body side housing chambers, a housing including a sensor housing portion provided on the housing body, an operating tool tiltably provided on the housing body, a plurality of push rods slidably inserted into each of the main body side housing chambers and each stroking in accordance with the tilting direction of the operating tool, and a sensor mechanism provided on the sensor housing portion for detecting the movement of each of the push rods, wherein the sensor housing portion includes a main body portion on which the sensor mechanism is provided and a partition wall provided on the main body portion, the housing body has a plurality of communication holes provided on each of the main body side housing chambers and for intake and exhaust between the main body side housing chamber and the outside of the housing body, each of the communication holes has an opening portion facing the main body portion, and the partition wall extends from the main body portion to the housing body and is arranged to surround each of the opening portions of the communication holes.

[0008] According to this disclosure, the partition wall extends from the main body portion to the housing body and is positioned to surround each of the openings of the communication holes. Therefore, the partition wall forms an internal space that is isolated from the outside of the partition wall and connected to the communication holes. As a result, when the push rod strokes, the main body side housing chamber draws in air from the internal space, thus preventing contaminants on the outside of the partition wall from entering the main body side housing chamber. Consequently, it is possible to prevent contaminants from entering the main body side housing chamber.

[0009] According to this disclosure, it is possible to suppress contamination from entering the main body's containment chamber.

[0010] The above-mentioned purposes, other purposes, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] This is a perspective view showing the operating device of this embodiment. This is a perspective view showing the operating device of Figure 1 divided into a mechanical part and a sensor part. This is a cross-sectional view showing the operating device of Figure 1 cut along the line III-III. This is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the mechanical part of the operating device of Figure 3. This is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the sensor part of the operating device of Figure 3. This is a plan view of the sensor part of the operating device of Figure 2 seen from above. This is a perspective view of the sensor part of the operating device of Figure 2 seen from diagonally above. This is a cross-sectional view showing the operating device of Figure 5 cut along the line VIII-VIII.

[0012] Hereinafter, the operating device 1 of the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the aforementioned drawings. Note that the concept of direction used in the following description is for convenience of explanation and does not limit the orientation of the configuration of the present disclosure to that direction. Furthermore, the operating device 1 described below is merely one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to this embodiment, and additions, deletions, and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0013] [Operating Device] The operating device 1 shown in Figure 1 is installed on construction machinery such as an excavator. More specifically, the operating device 1 is installed on a mounting base 4 in the driver's seat of the construction machinery. However, the operating device 1 is not limited to being installed on construction machinery, but may also be installed on other machinery. The operating device 1 is a so-called electric joystick. That is, the operating device 1 is equipped with an operating lever 12 that can be tilted by an operator such as a driver, as will be described in detail later, and the operating device 1 outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the tilting operation of the operating lever 12. In construction machinery, the direction and flow rate of hydraulic fluid flowing to actuators (e.g., boom cylinder and bucket cylinder) not shown are controlled according to the output electrical signal. The operating device 1 configured in this way includes a mechanical part 2 that is linked to the tilting operation and a sensor part 3 that detects the operation of the mechanical part 2. The operating device 1 is configured so that the mechanical part 2 and the sensor part 3 can be separated, as shown in Figure 2. The configuration of the operating device 1 configured in this way will be described in detail below.

[0014] As shown in Figure 3, the operating device 1 comprises a housing 11, an operating lever 12, a plurality of push rods 13, and a sensor mechanism 14. More specifically, the operating device 1 comprises a disc 15, a main body-side spring member 16, a main body-side spring seat 17, a plurality of guide members 18, a retaining plate 19, and a bellows cover 20 (see also Figure 1).

[0015] [Housing] The housing 11 is provided with the various components 12 to 19 described above. The housing 11 is, for example, a member extending along the axis L1, and includes a housing body 21 and a sensor housing section 22. The housing body 21, together with the operating lever 12 (described in detail later), a plurality of push rods 13, a disc 15, a body-side spring member 16, a body-side spring seat 17, a guide member 18, a retaining plate 19, and a bellows cover 20, constitutes the mechanical section 2. The sensor housing section 22, together with the sensor mechanism 14, constitutes the sensor section 3. The housing body 21 and the sensor housing section 22 are arranged in the housing 11 in one axial direction and the other, respectively, and the housing 11 can be divided into the housing body 21 and the sensor housing section 22. The axial direction is the direction in which the axis L1 extends. The housing 11 also further includes a guide bush 23 and a bottom cover 24. The components of the housing 11 will be described in more detail below.

[0016] [Housing Body] As shown in Figure 4, the housing body 21 is a member that extends in the axial direction and is formed, for example, in the shape of a rectangular prism. More specifically, the housing body 21 has a body portion 25 and a flange 26. The body portion 25 is formed, for example, in the shape of a rectangular prism with a four-lobed cross-section, and each corner of the side surface is a partially cylindrical surface. That is, in the body portion 25, the space between adjacent corner portions on each side of the body portion 25 (i.e., the intermediate portion) is concave in the radial direction. Thus, the body portion 25 is formed, for example, in the shape of a four-lobed cross-section and in the shape of a rounded rectangular prism.

[0017] The flange 26 is formed to protrude radially outward from the outer surface of the main body portion 25. In this embodiment, the flange 26 is formed at one axial end on the outer surface of the main body portion 25. The flange 26 is formed in a rectangular shape (square shape in this embodiment) when viewed from one axial direction in plan view. Bolt holes 26a are formed at each corner of the flange 26. As shown in Figure 3, the flange 26 is placed on the mounting base 4 of the driver's seat, and the operating device 1 is fastened to the mounting base 4 by bolts (not shown) inserted through the bolt holes 26a.

[0018] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the housing body 21 has a plurality of body-side housing chambers 31 and communication holes 32. The plurality of body-side housing chambers 31 are bottomed holes that extend in the axial direction, and each has an insertion opening 31a that opens in one direction in the axial direction. The plurality of body-side housing chambers 31 are arranged at equal intervals around the axis L1. The housing body 21 includes, for example, four body-side housing chambers 31, which are arranged at 90-degree intervals from each other around the axis L1. In this embodiment, each body-side housing chamber 31 is formed to correspond to a partially cylindrical corner portion of the housing body 21 in a plan view. That is, the housing body 21 is formed so that the space between adjacent body-side housing chambers 31 is hollowed out to match their shapes (see also Figure 2).

[0019] Furthermore, the main body side housing chamber 31 gradually decreases in diameter from the insertion opening 31a and has a large diameter section 31b, a medium diameter section 31c, and a small diameter section 31d. The guide member 18, which will be described in detail later, is fitted into the large diameter section 31b, and the main body side spring seat 17, which will be described in detail later, is slidably fitted into the medium diameter section 31c. In addition, the main body side spring member 16, which will be described in detail later, is housed in the small diameter section 31d such that a part of it protrudes into the medium diameter section 31c.

[0020] The communication hole 32 connects the main body side housing chamber 31 to the outside of the housing body 21, and allows for intake and exhaust between the main body side housing chamber 31 and the outside of the housing body 21 in accordance with the stroke of the push rod 13, which will be described in detail later. More specifically, the communication hole 32 is formed at the bottom of the main body side housing chamber 31. The communication hole 32 is a hole that penetrates the bottom of the housing body 21 in the axial direction and has an opening portion 32a that opens at the bottom surface of the housing body 21. As will be described in detail later, the housing body 21 is provided in the sensor housing portion 22 such that its bottom surface faces the main body portion 34 of the sensor housing portion 22, with its top surface 34a facing the main body portion 34. The communication hole 32 is formed at the bottom surface of the housing body 21 such that its opening portion 32a faces the main body portion 34 (more specifically, the top surface 34a). The communication hole 32 is formed, for example, coaxially with the axis of the main body side housing chamber 31. In other words, the opening portion 32a is arranged with spacing around the axis L1, similar to the main body side housing chamber 31.

[0021] [Sensor Housing Section] As shown in Figure 5, the sensor housing section 22 is formed, for example, in the shape of a cylindrical shape with a ceiling. The sensor housing section 22 is detachably attached to the housing body 21 such that its ceiling side faces the housing body 21 and their axes coincide (i.e., each axis coincides with axis L1). More specifically, the sensor housing section 22 has a main body section 34, a plurality of cylinder sections 35, a partition wall 36, a supply and discharge passage 37, and a labyrinth 38. The sensor housing section 22 also has a plurality of walls 40a to 40c to form the supply and discharge passage 37 and the labyrinth 38.

[0022] The main body portion 34 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top and is detachably attached to the other axial side (i.e., the bottom side) of the housing body 21 so that their axes coincide. More specifically, the main body portion 34 is positioned so that its top surface 34a faces the bottom surface of the housing body 21. The main body portion 34 also has a plurality of mounting portions 34b on its top surface 34a, as shown in Figure 2. The mounting portions 34b are arranged, for example, at equal intervals (180 degrees in this embodiment) in the circumferential direction on the top surface 34a, as shown in Figure 6. The mounting portions 34b also protrude from the top surface 34a in one axial direction. The mounting portions 34b are in contact with the bottom surface of the housing body 21, as shown in Figure 1, and are fastened to the housing body 21 by fastening members (not shown), such as bolts.

[0023] As shown in Figure 5, the cylinder portion 35 has an internal bore, which is a sensor-side housing chamber 35a. A sensor rod assembly 41, which will be described in detail later, is inserted through the sensor-side housing chamber 35a so as to be able to reciprocate. In this embodiment, the sensor housing portion 22 contains the same number of cylinder portions 35 as the main body-side housing chambers 31, i.e., four cylinder portions 35 (see Figure 6). The four cylinder portions 35 are each integrally formed on the top surface 34a of the main body portion 34. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the cylinder portions 35 protrude from the top surface 34a in one axial direction and also protrude into the housing space 39, which is the inner space of the main body portion 34. In addition, the top surface 34a of the cylinder portion 35 is formed such that its opening, the sensor-side opening 35b, faces the housing body 21 (i.e., in one axial direction) and its bottom is positioned towards the housing space 39 (i.e., the other axial direction). Furthermore, each of the four cylinder portions 35 is arranged so that its sensor-side housing chamber 35a corresponds to each of the main body-side housing chambers 31. In this embodiment, the four cylinder portions 35 are arranged on the top surface 34a at 90-degree intervals from each other around the axis L1, as shown in Figure 6, and are positioned so that the axes of the corresponding sensor-side housing chambers 35a and main body-side housing chambers 31 coincide. As a result, the sensor-side opening 35b abuts against the opening portion 32a of the communication hole 32.

[0024] The partition wall 36 is provided on the main body portion 34 (more specifically, on the top surface 34a of the main body portion 34). As shown in Figure 6, the partition wall 36 surrounds each of the openings 32a from the radially outside. In other words, the partition wall 36 surrounds the four cylinder portions 35 from the radially outside (see also Figure 7). The partition wall 36 formed in this way has a four-leaf shape when viewed from one axial direction, for example, the same as the external shape of the housing body 21, and forms an internal space 36a within the partition wall 36. More specifically, the external shape of the partition wall 36 is smaller than the external shape of the housing body 21.

[0025] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the partition wall 36 extends from the top surface 34a to the bottom surface of the housing body 21. More specifically, an engagement groove 25b is formed on the bottom surface of the housing body 21 (i.e., the bottom surface of the main body portion 25) corresponding to the outer shape of the partition wall 36. The partition wall 36 engages with the engagement groove 25b at one end along its entire circumference. As a result, the partition wall 36 seals the inner space 36a and isolates it from the outside of the housing 11. This prevents liquids, contaminants, etc. from entering the inner space 36a. Therefore, it prevents liquids, contaminants, etc. from entering the main body side storage chamber 31 through the communication hole 32.

[0026] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the multiple walls 40a to 40c are formed on the top surface 34a of the main body portion 34 in the inner space 36a, and as described above, they form the supply and exhaust passage 37 and the labyrinth 38. More specifically, the inner space 36a has multiple reinforcing walls 40a, multiple inner walls 40b, and a pair of passage walls 40c. These walls 40a to 40c extend in the inner space 36a to the bottom surface of the housing body 21 or its vicinity, and in the inner space 36a they partition multiple regions 36b, 36c and passages 37, 38 as described later.

[0027] The multiple reinforcing walls 40a are so-called ribs and are formed on the top surface 34a of the main body portion 34 to reinforce the sensor housing portion 22. For example, four reinforcing walls 40a are provided on the top surface 34a, and the reinforcing walls 40a extend radially outward from near the axis L1 in four directions. In this embodiment, the reinforcing walls 40a extend from near the axis L1 toward each axis of the cylinder portion 35, and further extend beyond the cylinder portion 35 and the partition wall 36 to the outer edge portion of the top surface 34a. The reinforcing walls 40a arranged in this manner are arranged in an X shape (or cross shape) in the inner space 36a, dividing the inner space 36a into four divided regions.

[0028] Multiple inner walls 40b are arranged at intervals from each other in the inner space 36a, dividing the inner space 36a into an outer region 36b and an inner region 36c. The outer region 36b is the region in the inner space 36a that each of the openings 32a of the communication hole 32 faces, and in this embodiment, it is the region where the cylinder portion 35 is arranged. On the other hand, the inner region 36c is the region inside the outer region 36b. More specifically, the multiple inner walls 40b are provided on the top surface 34a of the main body portion 34 in the inner space 36a, and in this embodiment, three inner walls 40b are arranged in the inner space 36a. The three inner walls 40b are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction so as to surround the axis L1. More specifically, the three inner walls 40b are arranged in three of the four divided regions, for example, which are divided by the reinforcing wall 40a. In other words, the three inner walls 40b are arranged adjacent to each other with some space between them, so as to sandwich the reinforcing wall 40a. The three inner walls 40b arranged in this manner divide the inner space 36a into an inner region 36c formed inside them, i.e., around the axis L1, and an outer region 36b formed outside them.

[0029] The labyrinth 38 is formed in the inner space 36a by reinforcing walls 40a and inner walls 40b arranged as described above. That is, the inner space 36a is divided into multiple regions by the reinforcing walls 40a and inner walls 40b, and these regions are connected by gaps between walls 40a and 40b. The labyrinth 38 is formed in the inner space 36a in this way by dividing the inner space 36a into multiple regions and connecting them with gaps. The labyrinth 38 is connected from the inner region 36c through the outer region 36b and further through the opening 32a to the main body side housing chamber 31. To explain in more detail, the labyrinth 38 is connected to the main body side housing chamber 31 via the drainage groove 23d of the guide bush 23, which will be described in detail later, and the main body side housing chamber 31 is connected to the labyrinth 38 via the drainage groove 23d.

[0030] A pair of passage walls 40c demarcate the supply and discharge passage 37 between them. More specifically, the pair of passage walls 40c are located in the remaining of the four divided regions mentioned above, where the inner wall 40b is not located, and extend inward from the partition wall 36 into the inner space 36a. Further specifically, the pair of passage walls 40c extend parallel to each other with a gap between them, and as mentioned above, demarcate the supply and discharge passage 37 between them. In this embodiment, the pair of passage walls 40c extend to the inner region 36c. That is, the supply and discharge passage 37 extends to the inner region 36c.

[0031] As described above, the supply and discharge passage 37 is formed in the inner space 36a and is partitioned within the inner space 36a by a pair of passage walls 40c. The supply and discharge passage 37 connects the inside and outside of the partition wall 36. That is, the supply and discharge passage 37 connects the inner space 36a with the outside of the sensor housing 22. To explain in more detail, as shown in Figure 8, the supply and discharge passage 37 has a supply and discharge port 37a and a passage section 37b.

[0032] The air intake / exhaust port 37a is formed in the partition wall 36 and is connected to the outside of the sensor housing portion 22. More specifically, the air intake / exhaust port 37a is formed in the partition wall 36 as follows. That is, the partition wall 36 is formed in a four-leaf shape as described above, and the middle part of the side surface of the partition wall 36 is recessed. Each of the mounting portions 34b is positioned in the middle part of the mutually opposing sides of the partition wall 36. The air intake / exhaust port 37a opens in the middle part of the side surface of the partition wall 36, which is rotated 90 degrees with respect to the mounting portions 34b. The air intake / exhaust passage 37 draws in air from the air intake / exhaust port 37a. Note that the air intake / exhaust port 37a may be formed in the main body portion 34 instead of the partition wall 36.

[0033] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the passage portion 37b is the part formed between a pair of passage walls 40c in the supply and discharge passage 37, and extends inward into the inner space 36a. More specifically, the pair of passage walls 40c extend from the middle portion of the side surface of the partition wall 36 in which the supply and discharge port 37a is formed to the inner region 36c. The passage portion 37b extends from the supply and discharge port 37a to the inside of the four openings 32a in a plan view, and in this embodiment to the inner region 36c of the inner space 36a. More specifically, the passage portion 37b has an entrance / exit 37c, which is the opening on the opposite side of the supply and discharge port 37a, and the entrance / exit 37c is located in the inner region 36c. In this embodiment, the entrance / exit 37c is located near the center of the four openings 32a (i.e., near the axis L1). This suppresses the occurrence of an imbalance in the distance from the entrance / exit 37c to each of the openings 32a.

[0034] Furthermore, the passage portion 37b is formed according to the stroke volume of the push rod 13, which will be described in detail later. More specifically, the volume of the passage portion 37b is formed to be larger than the stroke volume of the two push rods 13 when at least two push rods 13 are simultaneously in full stroke. The volume of the passage portion 37b is calculated, for example, based on the length of the passage portion 37b and the flow area of ​​the passage portion 37b.

[0035] The supply and discharge passage 37 configured in this way extends radially inward from the supply and discharge port 37a. In this embodiment, the supply and discharge passage 37 reaches the central part of the inner space 36a, i.e., the inner region 36c, and is connected to the labyrinth 38. That is, the supply and discharge passage 37 is connected to the main body side housing chamber 31 via the labyrinth 38, and the main body side housing chamber 31 is connected to the outside of the sensor housing portion 22 via the labyrinth 38 and the supply and discharge passage 37. The supply and discharge passage 37 and the labyrinth 38 suppress contaminants contained in the air drawn in from the supply and discharge port 37a from reaching the main body side housing chamber 31 from the supply and discharge passage 37.

[0036] Furthermore, the supply and discharge passage 37, by ensuring its length (more precisely, its volume), retains contaminants that enter with air from the supply and discharge port 37a within the supply and discharge passage 37, preventing them from being guided to the inner region 36c (i.e., the labyrinth 38). More precisely, the supply and discharge passage 37 allows contaminants to circulate and be retained within the supply and discharge passage 37 when supply and exhaust are repeatedly performed at the supply and discharge port 37a before being discharged. Therefore, the supply and discharge passage 37 prevents contaminants from being guided to the inner region 36c. In addition, the supply and discharge passage 37 discharges the liquid guided into the inner space 36a to the outside of the housing 11 via the supply and discharge port 37a.

[0037] [Guide Bushing] As shown in Figure 5, the guide bushing 23 is provided in the sensor-side opening 35b of the sensor-side housing chamber 35a. The guide bushing 23 allows the sensor rod 45, which will be described in detail later, to slide through and fits into the sensor-side opening 35b of the sensor-side housing chamber 35a, thereby closing it. More specifically, the guide bushing 23 is press-fitted into the sensor-side opening 35b of the sensor-side housing chamber 35a. The guide bushing 23 has one end portion 23a protruding from the sensor-side opening 35b and is fitted into the communication hole portion 32. The guide bushing 23 also has a plurality of drainage grooves 23d on its outer circumferential surface, and the main body-side housing chamber 31 and the inner space 36a are connected at the communication hole portion 32 via the drainage grooves 23d. In this embodiment, four drainage grooves 23d are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the guide bushing 23, and the four drainage grooves 23d are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential surface. The number of drainage grooves 23d is not limited to four, and they may also be formed within the guide bush 23.

[0038] The bottom cover 24, which is a lid member, closes the other end of the sensor housing portion 22, that is, the opening 39b of the housing space 39. The bottom cover 24 is formed, for example, in a bowl shape and is fitted into the opening on the other end of the sensor housing portion 22 by butting their openings together. The bottom cover 24 is not necessarily limited to a bowl shape and may be in the shape of a plate. Also, the bottom cover 24 may be provided so as to cover the other end of the sensor housing portion 22.

[0039] [Operating Lever] An example of an operating device, the operating lever 12, is provided on the housing 11 as shown in Figure 1 and is configured to be tiltable with respect to the axis L1. In this embodiment, the operating lever 12 is provided on the housing 11 so as to be tiltable in all directions with respect to the axis L1 in a plan view. More specifically, the operating lever 12 is erected axially on the housing body 21. The operating lever 12 is configured to bend around a tilting center point O located on the base end side (in this embodiment, on the housing body 21 side), and can be tilted with respect to the axis L1 by bending. In this embodiment, the operating lever 12 has a joint portion 12a and a lever portion 12b as shown in Figure 1.

[0040] The joint portion 12a is provided on the housing body 21 and extends along the axis L1. The joint portion 12a is, for example, a universal joint. That is, in the joint portion 12a, one yoke 12c is erected on the housing body 21 so as to be aligned with the axis L1, and the other yoke 12d is provided on the one yoke 12c so as to be tiltable in all directions. The lever portion 12b, which is an example of the operating tool body, is provided on the other yoke 12d and is configured to be graspable by the operator. Therefore, the operator can grasp the lever portion 12b and tilt the operating lever 12 in any direction relative to the axis L1.

[0041] [Guide Member] As shown in Figure 4, the guide member 18 is fitted into the large-diameter portion 31b of the main body side housing chamber 31 so as to close the insertion opening 31a. More specifically, the guide member 18 is formed in a cylindrical shape. In addition, one end of the guide member 18 is formed to have a smaller diameter than the rest of the portion, and the one end protrudes from the insertion opening 31a.

[0042] [Pressing Plate] The pressing plate 19 holds the guide member 18 in place so that it does not come out of the main body side housing chamber 31. More specifically, the pressing plate 19 is a disc-shaped member and has a plurality of insertion holes 19a formed in it corresponding to the main body side housing chamber 31. In this embodiment, the pressing plate 19 has four insertion holes 19a, the same number as the main body side housing chamber 31. The pressing plate 19 is placed over one end face of the main body portion 25 by inserting one end portion of the guide member 18 through each insertion hole 19a. In addition, the operating lever 12 (more specifically, the joint portion 12a) is inserted through the pressing plate 19, and the pressing plate 19 is fixed to the housing body 21 by screwing the operating lever 12 into the housing 11. In this way, the pressing plate 19 is fixed to one end face of the housing body 21. On the other hand, the insertion holes 19a are formed to be smaller than the insertion opening 31a of the main body side housing chamber 31. Therefore, the guide member 18 is irremovably fixed to the large-diameter portion 31b of each main body side housing chamber 31.

[0043] [Push Rods] Multiple push rods 13 are provided in the housing 11 and each strokes according to the tilting direction of the operating lever 12. The multiple push rods 13 also stroke by an amount corresponding to the amount of tilt of the operating lever 12. More specifically, each of the push rods 13 is inserted into the main body side housing chamber 31 so as to be able to stroke. That is, in this embodiment, the operating device 1 is equipped with four push rods 13, and each of the push rods 13 is arranged in the housing body 21 at equal intervals (90 degrees in this embodiment) from each other around the axis L1. More specifically, the push rods 13 are slidably inserted into the guide member 18, that is, they are inserted into the large diameter portion 31b of the main body side housing chamber 31 via the guide member 18. The push rods 13 are then slidably guided in the axial direction by the guide member 18.

[0044] [Disk] The disk 15 is provided on the operation lever 12 and strokes each of the push rods 13 according to the tilting direction of the operation lever 12. Also, the disk 15 strokes each push rod 13 with a stroke amount corresponding to the tilting amount of the operation lever 12. More specifically, the disk 15 is, for example, an annular plate member having a cross-sectional shape of Ω, and is externally mounted and fixed to the middle portion of the operation lever 12. Even more specifically, the disk 15 is externally mounted on the tip side (i.e., one side in the axial direction) from the tilting center point O of the operation lever 12 and tilts according to the tilting of the operation lever 12. In the present embodiment, the disk 15 is externally mounted on the other yoke 12d of the operation lever 12. Also, the disk 15 abuts against each of the four push rods 13 and strokes at least one or more push rods 13 according to the tilting direction of the operation lever 12.

[0045] [Body-side spring member] Each of the body-side spring members 16 is associated with a corresponding push rod 13 and biases the corresponding push rod 13 toward the disk 15. In the present embodiment, the operating device 1 is provided with the same number of body-side spring members 16 as the push rods 13, that is, four body-side spring members 16. Each of the body-side spring members 16 is housed in a corresponding body-side housing chamber 31 and biases the push rod 13 toward the disk 15. In the present embodiment, the body-side spring member 16 is a compression coil spring and is housed in the small-diameter portion 31d of the body-side housing chamber 31 so that a part thereof protrudes into the middle-diameter portion 31c. Then, the body-side spring member 16 biases the push rod 13 in one axial direction via the body-side spring seat 17 and presses the push rod 13 against the disk 15.

[0046] [Bellows Cover] The bellows cover 20 covers the push rods 13 and the disc 15. More specifically, the bellows cover 20 includes a mounting portion 20a and a cover body 20b. The mounting portion 20a is a component for attaching the cover body 20b to the housing 11 and is provided on one end face of the housing 11 via a retaining plate 19. More specifically, the mounting portion 20a is formed in a cylindrical shape and is positioned on the retaining plate 19 so as to surround the four push rods 13 from the radially outer side and fastened with bolts or the like.

[0047] The cover body 20b is a tubular member shaped like a truncated cone. The cover body 20b is provided on the housing 11, and the operating lever 12 is inserted through the inner hole of the cover body 20b. More specifically, the operating lever 12 is inserted through the cover body 20b such that the lever portion 12b protrudes from the inner hole. In this embodiment, the cover body 20b is provided on the housing 11 by fitting the inner peripheral edge of one end of the disc 15 to the outside and fitting the other end to the mounting portion 20a. As a result, the cover body 20b is placed over the joint portion 12a, and further over the push rod 13 and the disc 15. The cover body 20b is also bellows-shaped and allows the operating lever 12 to tilt by deforming.

[0048] [Sensor mechanism] The sensor mechanism 14 is provided in the housing 11 as shown in FIG. 5. More specifically, the sensor mechanism 14 is provided in the sensor housing portion 22. And the sensor mechanism 14 can be separated from the housing main body 21 together with the sensor housing portion 22. And the sensor mechanism 14 detects the movement of each of the push rods 13. More specifically, the sensor mechanism 14 detects the stroke amount of each of the push rods 13. Further, the sensor mechanism 14 calculates the tilting operation (in this embodiment, the tilting direction and the tilting amount) of the operation lever 12 based on the stroke amounts (that is, the detection results) of the respective push rods 13. The sensor mechanism 14 configured in this way includes a plurality of sensor rod assemblies 41, a plurality of sensors 42, and a substrate 43. In this embodiment, the sensor mechanism 14 includes four sensor rod assemblies 41 and four sensors 42, the same number as the push rods 13. Each of the sensor rod assemblies 41 and the sensors 42 corresponds to each of the push rods 13.

[0049] [Sensor rod assembly] The sensor rod assembly 41 is respectively associated with each of the push rods 13. And the sensor rod assembly 41 operates according to the stroke of the corresponding push rod 13, and based on its operation, the stroke amount of the push rod 13 is detected by the sensor 42, which will be described in detail later. That is, the sensor rod assembly 41 cooperates with the sensor 42 to detect the stroke amount of the push rod 13. In this embodiment, the sensor rod assembly 41 is housed in the sensor-side housing chamber 35a. More specifically, the sensor rod assembly 41 further has a sensor rod 45, a magnetic body 46, a sensor-side spring member 47, a sensor-side spring seat 48, and a mounting member 49.

[0050] The sensor rod 45 strokes in accordance with the stroke of the push rod 13. More specifically, the sensor rod 45 is, for example, a rod-shaped member. One end of the sensor rod 45 is in contact with the push rod 13 and strokes axially together with the push rod 13. The magnetic body 46 is provided on the sensor rod 45 and moves axially together with the sensor rod 45. The magnetic body 46 is, for example, a ferromagnetic material and is a magnet in this embodiment. The magnetic body 46 is, for example, cylindrical and is attached to the other end of the sensor rod 45 via a mounting member 49.

[0051] The sensor-side spring member 47 biases the sensor rod 45 toward the push rod 13, as will be described in detail later. In this embodiment, a sensor-side spring seat 48 is attached to the other end of the sensor rod 45, and the sensor-side spring member 47 biases the sensor rod 45 via the sensor-side spring seat 48. The sensor-side spring member 47 is, for example, a compression coil spring and is positioned on the other axial side (i.e., the bottom side) of the sensor-side spring seat 48.

[0052] The sensor rod assembly 41, configured in this way, is provided in the sensor housing 22 as follows. Specifically, the sensor rod assembly 41 is slidably inserted through each cylinder portion 35. More specifically, the sensor rod assembly 41 has the magnetic body 46 and the sensor-side spring member 47 placed in the sensor-side housing chamber 35a, and a portion of the sensor rod 45 protruding from the top surface 34a to the housing body 21 (more specifically, from the sensor-side housing chamber 35a to the body-side housing chamber 31). The sensor rod 45 also has its intermediate portion slidably inserted through the guide bush 23, and one end portion protruding from the guide bush 23 to the body-side housing chamber 31. The tip of the sensor rod 45 is in contact with the corresponding push rod 13. In this embodiment, the tip of the sensor rod 45 is in contact with the push rod 13 via the main body-side spring seat 17, and the sensor-side spring member 47 biases the sensor rod 45 to press against the push rod 13. As a result, the sensor rod assembly 41 moves axially in accordance with the stroke of the push rod 13. The magnetic body 46 then moves axially in conjunction with the sensor rod 45.

[0053] [Sensors] Each of the sensors 42 detects the operation of the sensor rod assembly 41. More specifically, the sensors 42 are provided in the sensor housing 22 in close proximity to the magnetic body 46 and detect the movement of the magnetic body 46. In this embodiment, the sensor mechanism 14 includes the same number of sensors 42 as the sensor rod assembly 41, i.e., four sensors 42. The sensors 42 are arranged in correspondence with each magnetic body 46 and detect the stroke amount of the sensor rod 45 to which each magnetic body 46 is attached by detecting the movement of the corresponding magnetic body 46. In this embodiment, the sensor 42 is a Hall IC and outputs a voltage (signal) corresponding to the change in magnetic flux density around the sensor 42. That is, when the magnetic body 46 moves and the magnetic flux density around the sensor 42 changes, the sensor 42 detects the change in magnetic flux density and detects the amount of movement of the magnetic body 46, i.e., the stroke amount of the sensor rod 45.

[0054] More specifically, the sensors 42 are positioned adjacent to each sensor-side housing chamber 35a in order to be close to the magnetic material 46. In this embodiment, the sensors 42 are positioned within the sensor housing 22, outside each cylinder portion 35, i.e., in the housing space 39, adjacent to each cylinder portion 35. In this embodiment, the sensors 42 are mounted on a substrate 43, which will be described in detail later, and are positioned adjacent to each cylinder portion 35 on the substrate 43.

[0055] [Circuit Board] The circuit board 43 calculates the tilting motion of the operating lever 12 (for example, the tilting direction and the amount of tilt) based on the detection results of the sensor 42. More specifically, the circuit board 43 calculates the tilting motion of the operating lever 12 based on the signals from the four sensors 42. Further specifically, the circuit board 43 calculates the stroke amount of each push rod 13. Then, the circuit board 43 calculates the tilting direction and amount of the operating lever 12 based on the stroke amount of each push rod 13.

[0056] [Operation of the Operating Device] In the operating device 1 configured as described above, when the operating lever 12 is tilted, the disk 15 tilts according to the direction of tilt. As a result, at least one push rod 13 strokes in the other axial direction according to the direction of tilt of the operating lever 12. The push rod 13 strokes against the biasing force of the main body spring member 16 and strokes by an amount corresponding to the amount of tilt (i.e., angle) of the operating lever 12. Consequently, the sensor rod 45 moves in the other axial direction together with the magnetic body 46. This changes the magnetic flux density around the sensor 42. As a result, the amount of movement of the magnetic body 46 is detected by the sensor 42, and a signal corresponding to the amount of movement (i.e., the stroke amount of the sensor rod 45) is output. Subsequently, the substrate 43 calculates the tilt direction and amount of tilt of the operating lever 12 based on the signals from each sensor 42.

[0057] Furthermore, when the tilting operation of the operating lever 12 is stopped, the operating device 1 operates as follows. Specifically, in the operating device 1, the operating lever 12 is returned to the neutral position by the main body-side spring member 16. More specifically, when the operating lever 12 tilts, the corresponding main body-side spring member 16 is compressed by the push rod 13. When the tilting operation of the operating lever 12 is stopped from this state, the main body-side spring member 16 pushes the push rod 13 to extend, causing it to stroke in one axial direction. As a result, the push rod 13 raises the operating lever 12 via the disc 15, and eventually the operating lever 12 returns to the neutral position. In this embodiment, the neutral position is the position where the operating lever 12 extends straight along the axis L1. Also, when the operating lever 12 returns to the neutral position, the sensor rod 45 is also pressed against the push rod 13 by the sensor-side spring member 47, and therefore strokes in one axial direction together with the push rod 13. Therefore, the sensor 42 detects the stroke amount of the push rod 13 by detecting the movement of the sensor rod 45.

[0058] Furthermore, in the operating device 1, air is supplied and exhausted in the main body side housing chamber 31 through the communication hole 32 as the push rod 13 strokes. That is, when the push rod 13 is pushed back by the main body side spring member 16, air is drawn in from the inner space 36a to the main body side housing chamber 31 through the communication hole 32. The inner space 36a is a space isolated from the outside of the housing 11 by the partition wall 36, making it difficult for contaminants to enter. Therefore, the entry of contaminants into the main body side housing chamber 31 from the outside of the housing 11 is suppressed. This prevents the push rod 13 and sensor rod 45 from becoming stuck and difficult to stroke due to contaminants. In addition, air is drawn into the main body side housing chamber 31 through the exhaust groove 23d of the guide bush 23 fitted into the communication hole 32. Since the flow path area of ​​the exhaust groove 23d is smaller than that of the communication hole 32, the entry of contaminants into the main body side housing chamber 31 can be further suppressed. Furthermore, a guide bush 23 is press-fitted into the sensor-side opening 35b in the sensor-side housing chamber 35a. Therefore, the entry of contaminants into the sensor-side housing chamber 35a is suppressed. This prevents the sensor rod 45 from becoming stuck and difficult to stroke due to contaminants.

[0059] Furthermore, water or other liquids may enter the main body side storage chamber 31 due to rainwater intrusion or condensation. The liquid may flow out into the inner space 36a along with the exhaust from the main body side storage chamber 31 when the push rod 13 is pressed. The liquid that flows out into the inner space 36a is guided to the supply / discharge port 37a as the operating device 1 tilts due to changes in the posture of the construction machine, and can be discharged from the inner space 36a to the outside of the housing 11 through the supply / discharge port 37a.

[0060] On the other hand, contaminants may enter the inner space 36a from the supply / discharge port 37a. In the operating device 1, the passage portion 37b of the supply / discharge passage 37 connected to the supply / discharge port 37a can keep the contaminants that have entered in the supply / discharge passage 37. That is, in the inner space 36a, as described above, when the operating lever 12 is tilted and the push rod 13 strokes, intake and exhaust occur between it and the main body side housing chamber 31. In addition, along with the intake of air in the main body side housing chamber 31, air is drawn into the inner space 36a from outside the housing 11 via the supply / discharge port 37a. The volume of the passage portion 37b is formed to be larger than the sum of the stroke volumes of the two push rods 13 when at least two push rods 13 are simultaneously in full stroke. More specifically, the volume of the passage portion 37b is set to be larger than the sum of the stroke volumes of each push rod 13 that are in full stroke when the operating lever 12 is tilted. As a result, when the operating lever 12 is tilted, the air supplied and discharged from the air intake / exhaust port 37a is limited to the passage section 37b. Therefore, it is suppressed that contaminants and the like that sucked in from the air intake / exhaust port 37a along with the air will extend beyond the passage section 37b and reach the inner region 36c. In other words, it is possible to further suppress the entry of contaminants and the like into the main body side storage chamber 31.

[0061] Furthermore, a labyrinth 38 is formed in the inner space 36a, and the supply and discharge passage 37 is connected to the communication hole 32 and the main body side containment chamber 31 via the labyrinth 38. Therefore, even if contaminants sucked in from the supply and discharge port 37a pass beyond the passage 37b and reach the inner region 36c, the labyrinth 38 can prevent them from being guided to the communication hole 32 and the main body side containment chamber 31. In other words, it is possible to further prevent contaminants from entering the main body side containment chamber 31.

[0062] In the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the partition wall 36 extends from the main body portion 34 to the housing body 21 and is positioned to surround each of the openings 32a of the communication hole portion 32. Therefore, the partition wall 36 forms an internal space 36a that is isolated from the outside of the partition wall 36 and connected to the communication hole portion 32. As a result, when the push rod 13 strokes, the main body side housing chamber 31 draws in air from the internal space 36a, thus preventing contaminants on the outside of the partition wall 36 from entering the main body side housing chamber 31. Consequently, it is possible to prevent contaminants from entering the main body side housing chamber 31.

[0063] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the sensor housing 22 has a supply and discharge passage 37 that connects the inner space 36a to the outside of the sensor housing 22. Therefore, liquids such as water that are introduced into the inner space 36a can be discharged to the outside of the sensor housing 22 via the supply and discharge passage 37. This prevents liquid from accumulating in the inner space 36a.

[0064] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the supply and discharge passage 37 has a supply and discharge port 37a that opens to the outside of the sensor housing 22, and a passage portion 37b that is formed between a pair of passage walls 40c and extends inward into the inner space 36a. Therefore, when the push rod 13 strokes and air is drawn in from the inner space 36a into the main body side storage chamber 31, contaminants that enter with the air from the supply and discharge port 37a can be retained in the passage portion 37b. Then, when exhausting, the contaminants that were retained in the passage portion 37b can be discharged from the supply and discharge port 37a. Therefore, it is possible to further prevent contaminants from entering the main body side storage chamber 31.

[0065] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the passage portion 37b is formed such that its volume is greater than the stroke volume of the two push rods 13. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress contaminants that enter the passage portion 37b from entering the main body side storage chamber 31 beyond the passage portion 37b.

[0066] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the passage section 37b extends inward beyond the multiple openings 32a (more specifically, the centers of the multiple openings 32a). Therefore, variations in the distance from the entrance / exit 37c of the passage section 37b to each opening 32a can be suppressed. As a result, even if contaminants exceed the passage section 37b, it is possible to prevent the contaminants from being biased into any of the main body side containment chambers 31.

[0067] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the sensor housings 22 are arranged with space between them and have inner walls 40b that divide the inner space 36a into an outer region 36b and an inner region 36c. The passage 37b is connected to the inner region 36c. Therefore, even if contaminants exceed the passage 37b, the inner walls 40b can prevent the contaminants from moving toward the main body side storage chamber 31. This further suppresses the entry of contaminants beyond the passage 37b into the main body side storage chamber 31.

[0068] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the guide bush 23 has a drainage groove 23d in the communication hole 32 that allows intake and exhaust between the inner space 36a surrounded by the partition wall 36 and the main body side housing chamber 31. Therefore, since intake and exhaust are performed in the communication hole 32 via the drainage groove 23d between the inner space 36a and the main body side housing chamber 31, it is possible to further suppress the entry of contaminants into the main body side housing chamber 31.

[0069] [Regarding other embodiments] In the operating device 1 of this embodiment, there are four push rods 13, but there may be two or three, or five or more. Also, the joint portion 12a of the operating lever 12 is not limited to a universal joint, and it is sufficient that at least a part of the operating lever 12 is configured to be tiltable.

[0070] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the housing 11 is not limited to being configured in the shape described above, but may be formed in a cylindrical shape. Also, the housing 11 does not necessarily have to be configured to be separable into a housing body 21 and a sensor housing portion 22. Moreover, although a supply / discharge passage 37 and a labyrinth 38 are formed in the internal space 36a, these are not necessarily required.

[0071] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the sensor 42 is not limited to a Hall IC, but may also be a Hall element that detects the movement of the push rod 13. More specifically, the Hall element detects the presence or absence of movement of the sensor rod 45 based on the magnetic flux density around the Hall element, which changes as a magnetic material 46 moves, for example. In addition, the sensor 42 is not limited to a magnetic sensor, but may also be other non-contact sensors such as a capacitive sensor, or a contact-type sensor. Also, although each of the spring members 16 and 47 is a compression coil spring, they may also be other springs such as disc springs.

[0072] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, a filter member may be provided in the supply and discharge passage 37. The filter member is made of, for example, nonwoven fabric and captures contaminants entering from the supply and discharge port 37a. This further suppresses the entry of contaminants from the internal space 36a into the main body side storage chamber 31.

[0073] <Exemplary Embodiment> The operating device in the first aspect comprises a housing body including a plurality of main body side housing chambers, a housing including a sensor housing portion provided on the housing body, an operating tool tiltably provided on the housing body, a plurality of push rods slidably inserted into each of the main body side housing chambers and each stroking according to the tilting direction of the operating tool, and a sensor mechanism provided on the sensor housing portion for detecting the movement of each of the push rods, wherein the sensor housing portion includes a main body portion on which the sensor mechanism is provided and a partition wall provided on the main body portion, the housing body has a plurality of communication holes provided on each of the main body side housing chambers and for intake and exhaust between the main body side housing chamber and the outside of the housing body, each of the communication holes has an opening portion facing the main body portion, and the partition wall extends from the main body portion to the housing body and is arranged to surround each of the opening portions of the communication holes.

[0074] In the above configuration, the partition wall extends from the main body to the housing body and is positioned to surround each of the openings of the communication holes. Therefore, the partition wall forms an internal space that is isolated from the outside of the partition wall and connected to the communication holes. As a result, when the push rod strokes, the main body side housing chamber draws in air from the internal space, thus preventing contaminants on the outside of the partition wall from entering the main body side housing chamber. Consequently, it is possible to prevent contaminants from entering the main body side housing chamber.

[0075] In the second phase, the operating device is such that, in the operating device of the first phase, the sensor housing has a supply and discharge passage formed in the inner space surrounded by the partition wall, and the supply and discharge passage connects the inner space to the outside of the sensor housing.

[0076] In accordance with the above, the sensor housing has a supply and discharge passage connecting the internal space to the outside of the sensor housing. Therefore, liquids such as water that are introduced into the internal space can be discharged to the outside of the sensor housing through the supply and discharge passage. This prevents liquid from accumulating in the internal space.

[0077] The operating device in the third phase is the operating device in the second phase, wherein the sensor housing portion has a pair of passage walls in the internal space, the pair of passage walls partition the supply and discharge passage between them, and the supply and discharge passage has a supply and discharge port that opens to the outside of the sensor housing portion and a passage portion that is formed between the pair of passage walls and extends inward into the internal space.

[0078] According to the above description, the air supply and exhaust passage has an air supply and exhaust port that opens to the outside of the sensor housing and a passage portion formed between a pair of passage walls and extending inward into the internal space. Therefore, when the push rod strokes and air is drawn in from the internal space into the main body side containment chamber, contaminants that enter with the air through the air supply and exhaust port can be retained in the passage portion. Then, when exhausting, the contaminants that were retained in the passage portion can be discharged through the air supply and exhaust port. Therefore, it is possible to further prevent contaminants from entering the main body side containment chamber.

[0079] In the fourth phase of the operating device, the passage portion is formed such that the volume of the passage portion is greater than the stroke volume of the two push rods.

[0080] In accordance with the above, the passage is formed such that its volume is greater than the stroke volume of the two push rods. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress contaminants that enter the passage from the passage into the main body's containment chamber.

[0081] In the fifth phase, the operating device is such that, in the operating device of the fourth phase, the opening portion is arranged in the housing body at intervals around the axis of the housing body, and the passage portion extends inward from the plurality of opening portions.

[0082] According to the above description, the passageway extends inward beyond the multiple openings. Therefore, variations in the distance from the entrance / exit of the passageway to each opening can be minimized. This prevents contaminants from being concentrated in any of the main body's containment compartments, even if they pass through the passageway.

[0083] The operating device in the sixth phase is the same as the operating device in the fifth phase, wherein the sensor housing portion is spaced apart from each other and has a plurality of inner walls that divide the inner space into an outer region facing the opening portion and an inner region located inside the outer region, and the passage portion is connected to the inner region.

[0084] In accordance with the above, the sensor housing has multiple inner walls that are spaced apart from each other and divide the internal space into an outer region facing the opening and an inner region located inside the outer region. The passage is connected to the inner region. Therefore, even if contaminants pass through the passage, the multiple inner walls can prevent the contaminants from reaching the main body's containment chamber. This further suppresses the entry of contaminants beyond the passage into the main body's containment chamber.

[0085] The operating device in the seventh phase is an operating device in any of the first to sixth phases, wherein the housing further includes a plurality of guide bushes that fit into each of the communication holes, the sensor mechanism includes a plurality of sensor rod assemblies that protrude from the sensor housing portion into the main body side housing chamber and each abut against the corresponding push rod, and a plurality of sensors each associated with the sensor rod assembly, the sensor rod assemblies are slidably inserted through the guide bushes and move in accordance with the stroke of the corresponding push rod, the sensors detect the movement of the push rod by each detecting the movement of the corresponding sensor rod assembly, and the guide bushes have exhaust grooves in the communication holes that allow intake and exhaust between the inner space surrounded by the partition wall and the main body side housing chamber.

[0086] In accordance with the above, the guide bush has an exhaust groove in the communication hole that allows intake and exhaust between the inner space enclosed by the partition wall and the main body side housing chamber. Therefore, since intake and exhaust are performed through the exhaust groove between the inner space and the main body side housing chamber in the communication hole, it is possible to further suppress the entry of contaminants into the main body side housing chamber.

[0087] From the above description, many improvements and other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the above description should be interpreted as illustrative only and is provided for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the disclosure. The details of its structure and / or function can be substantially modified without departing from the spirit of the disclosure.

Claims

A housing including a housing body containing multiple main body side housing chambers, and a housing including a sensor housing portion provided in the housing body, An operating tool is provided on the housing body so as to be tiltable, A plurality of push rods are slidably inserted into each of the housing chambers on the main body side, and each strokes according to the tilting direction of the operating tool, The sensor housing portion is provided with a sensor mechanism that detects the movement of each of the push rods, The sensor housing portion includes a main body portion on which the sensor mechanism is provided, and a partition wall provided in the main body portion. The housing body has a plurality of communication holes provided for each of the body-side housing chambers, which allow for intake and exhaust between the body-side housing chamber and the outside of the housing body. Each of the aforementioned communication holes has an opening facing the main body portion, The partition wall extends from the main body portion to the housing body and is positioned to surround each of the openings of the communication hole portion, in the operating device. 　 The sensor housing portion has a supply and discharge passage formed in the inner space surrounded by the partition wall, The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the supply and discharge passage connects the internal space and the outside of the sensor housing. 　 The sensor housing portion has a pair of passage walls in the internal space, The pair of passage walls partition the supply and discharge passage between them, The operating device according to claim 2, wherein the supply and discharge passage has a supply and discharge port that opens to the outside of the sensor housing and a passage portion formed between the pair of passage walls and extending inward into the internal space. 　 The operating device according to claim 3, wherein the passage is formed such that the volume of the passage is greater than the stroke volume of the two push rods. 　 The aforementioned opening portion is arranged in the housing body at intervals around the axis of the housing body, The operating device according to claim 4, wherein the passage extends inward from the plurality of openings. 　 The sensor housing portion has a plurality of inner walls that are spaced apart from each other and divide the inner space into an outer region that the opening portion faces and an inner region located inside the outer region. The operating device according to claim 5, wherein the passage portion is connected to the inner region. 　 The housing further includes a plurality of guide bushings that fit into each of the communication holes, The sensor mechanism includes a plurality of sensor rod assemblies that protrude from the sensor housing portion into the main body side housing chamber and each abut against the corresponding push rod, and a plurality of sensors that are each associated with the sensor rod assemblies. The sensor rod assembly is slidably inserted into the guide bush and moves in accordance with the stroke of the corresponding push rod. The sensor detects the movement of the push rod by detecting the operation of the corresponding sensor rod assembly. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the guide bush has an exhaust groove in the communication hole portion that allows intake and exhaust between the internal space surrounded by the partition wall and the main body side housing chamber.

Images