Operation device

Abstract

This operation device comprises: a housing; an operation tool that is provided to the housing so as to be tiltable with respect to an operation axis; and a sensor mechanism that is provided to the housing and detects a tilting operation of the operation tool. The sensor mechanism includes: a plurality of sensor rod assemblies that respectively move in accordance with the tilting operation of the operation tool and change a magnetic field; and a plurality of sensors that are respectively associated with the sensor rod assemblies and detect movements of the corresponding sensor rod assemblies on the basis of changes in the magnetic field. The sensor rod assemblies are respectively disposed at equal intervals around the operation axis, and the sensors are respectively disposed close to the corresponding sensor rod assemblies and at equal intervals around the operation axis.

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, an operating lever as disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. In the operating lever of Patent Document 1, when the lever portion is tilted, a rod strokes according to the tilting direction. A magnet is attached to the rod, and a magnetic sensor detects the stroke amount of the rod based on the movement of the magnet. Further, the operating lever includes a circuit board that amplifies a signal from the magnetic sensor.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 7112385

[0004] In the operating lever of Patent Document 1, the rods are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction around the operating axis, and each sensor is arranged so as to be close to the rod that detects the stroke. More specifically, each sensor is arranged symmetrically with respect to a virtual plane including the operating axis. The sensor detects the stroke amount by the change in the magnetic field generated by the movement of the magnet attached to the rod. On the other hand, when detecting, it is affected by the magnets attached to other rods other than the rod to be detected. Therefore, when calculating the stroke amount from the signal output from the sensor, correction is performed in the calculation process in consideration of the influence of other magnets. However, in the operating lever of Patent Document 1, since each sensor is arranged symmetrically with respect to the virtual plane, the influence of the magnets attached to other rods is different for each sensor. Therefore, it is necessary to perform different corrections for each sensor. Then, in the substrate, it is necessary to store a plurality of correction values, so it is necessary to secure the memory capacity accordingly. Therefore, the cost of the substrate increases, and thus the cost of the operating device increases.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an operating device that can reduce the difference between sensors regarding the influence of the magnetic field received by each sensor from sensor rod assemblies other than the detection target.

[0006] The first disclosure of an operating device comprises a housing, an operating tool provided in the housing so as to be tiltable with respect to an operating axis, and a sensor mechanism provided in the housing for detecting the tilting motion of the operating tool, wherein the sensor mechanism includes a plurality of sensor rod assemblies that move in accordance with the tilting motion of the operating tool and change a magnetic field, and a plurality of sensors that are associated with each of the sensor rod assemblies and detect the movement of the corresponding sensor rod assembly based on the change in the magnetic field, wherein the sensor rod assemblies are arranged at equal intervals around the operating axis, and the sensors are arranged in close proximity to the corresponding sensor rod assemblies and at equal intervals around the operating axis.

[0007] According to this disclosure, the sensor rod assemblies are arranged at equal intervals around the operating axis. The sensors are arranged in close proximity to their respective sensor rod assemblies and at equal intervals around the operating axis. Therefore, for each sensor, the distances from the first, second, and so on nearest sensor rod assemblies to the sensor can be made approximately the same. This reduces the differences between sensors in terms of the influence of magnetic fields received from sensor rod assemblies that are not the target of detection.

[0008] The second disclosure of an operating device comprises a housing, an operating tool provided in the housing so as to be tiltable with respect to an operating axis, and a sensor mechanism provided in the housing for detecting the tilting motion of the operating tool, wherein the sensor mechanism includes a plurality of sensor rod assemblies, a first sensor associated with each sensor rod assembly, and a second sensor associated with each sensor rod assembly, wherein the plurality of sensor rod assemblies are initially positioned in a neutral position where the operating tool extends along the operating axis, and each moves from its initial position in response to the tilting motion of the operating tool, changing the magnetic field, the first sensor detects the amount of movement of the corresponding sensor rod assembly based on the change in the magnetic field, and the second sensor detects whether or not the corresponding sensor rod assembly has moved from its initial position based on the change in the magnetic field.

[0009] According to this disclosure, the first sensor detects the amount of movement of the corresponding sensor rod assembly based on the change in the magnetic field. On the other hand, the second sensor detects whether or not the corresponding sensor rod assembly has moved from its initial position based on the change in the magnetic field. Therefore, the tilt direction and amount of the operating tool can be detected, and the neutral position of the operating tool can be determined using these two types of sensors.

[0010] According to the first disclosure, the influence of the magnetic field that each sensor receives from the sensor rod assembly that is not the target of detection can be reduced, thereby minimizing the differences between sensors.

[0011] 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.

[0012] This is a perspective view showing the operating device of this embodiment. This is a cross-sectional view of the operating device of Figure 1 taken along the line II-II. This is a perspective view showing the operating device of Figure 1 divided into a mechanical part and a sensor part. This is an enlarged bottom view of the operating device of Figure 1 with the bottom cover removed and enlarged. This is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the mechanical part of the operating device of Figure 2. This is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the sensor part of the operating device of Figure 2. This is a perspective view of the operating device of Figure 4 viewed from below. This is an enlarged bottom view of the operating device of Figure 7 showing the arrangement relationship of the first sensor and the second sensor. This is an enlarged bottom view of the operating device of Figure 8, further enlarged to show the distance from the first sensor to each of the sensor assemblies that are not to be detected. This is an enlarged bottom view of the operating device of Figure 8, further enlarged to show the distance from the second sensor to each of the sensor assemblies that are not to be detected.

[0013] 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.

[0014] [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 of the driver's seat of the construction machinery, as shown in Figure 2. 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 3. The configuration of the operating device 1 configured in this way will be described in detail below.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, 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).

[0016] [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. In addition to the housing body 21 and the sensor housing section 22, the housing 11 also includes a guide bush 23 and a bottom cover 24. The components of the housing 11 will be described in more detail below.

[0017] [Housing Body] As shown in Figure 2, 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. In addition, 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 a rounded rectangular prism.

[0018] 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 of the outer surface of the main body portion 25. As shown in Figure 4, the flange 26 is formed in a rectangular shape (square shape in this embodiment) when viewed from the bottom in the other axial direction. Bolt holes 26a are formed at each corner of the flange 26. As shown in Figure 2, the flange 26 is placed on a mounting base 4 of the driver's seat, for example, and the operating device 1 is fastened to the mounting base 4 by bolts (not shown) inserted through the bolt holes 26a.

[0019] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, 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 extending in the axial direction, as also shown in Figure 5, 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. More specifically, the body-side housing chambers 31 are arranged in the housing body 21 such that each axis is located on a virtual circle centered on the axis L1. That is, the body-side housing chambers 31 are arranged so that their axes are located at the vertices of a regular polygon centered on the axis L1. The housing body 21 includes, for example, four body-side housing chambers 31, and each axis is arranged at a 90-degree interval from each other around the axis L1. In this embodiment, each of the body-side housing chambers 31 is formed to correspond to the corner portion of the partially cylindrical housing body 21 in a plan view. In other words, in the housing body 21, the space between adjacent body-side storage chambers 31 is formed to reduce weight according to their shapes.

[0020] Furthermore, the main body side housing chamber 31 gradually decreases in diameter from the insertion opening 31a and has a large diameter portion 31b, a medium diameter portion 31c, and a small diameter portion 31d. A guide member 18, which will be described in detail later, is fitted into the large diameter portion 31b, and a main body side spring seat 17, which will be described in detail later, is slidably fitted into the medium diameter portion 31c. In addition, a main body side spring member 16, which will be described in detail later, is housed in the small diameter portion 31d such that a part of it protrudes into the medium diameter portion 31c. The communication hole portion 32 is formed in the bottom portion of the housing body 21. The communication hole portion 32 connects the main body side housing chamber 31 to the outside of the housing body 21. In this embodiment, the communication hole portion 32 connects the main body side housing chamber 31 to the inner space 36a, which will be described in detail later. The communication hole 32 is, for example, a hole formed coaxially with the axis of the main body side housing chamber 31, and penetrates the bottom of the housing body 21 in the axial direction.

[0021] [Sensor Housing Section] As shown in Figure 6, 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 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, a labyrinth 38, and a housing space 39.

[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 3. The mounting portions 34b are arranged, for example, on the outer peripheral edge of the top surface 34a at equal intervals (180 degrees in this embodiment) in the circumferential direction centered on the axis L1. The mounting portions 34b 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 and are fastened to the housing body 21 by fastening members 34e such as bolts (see also Figure 4). In addition, two insertion grooves 34c are formed on the side surface of the main body portion 34. The insertion groove 34c is recessed radially and extends axially on the side surface of the main body portion 34, and lever wiring (not shown) is inserted through the insertion groove 34c. The two insertion grooves 34c are arranged, for example, at equal intervals (i.e., 180 degrees) from each other in the circumferential direction, and are further offset by 90 degrees in the circumferential direction from the mounting portion 34b.

[0023] Each cylinder portion 35 has an internal bore, which is a sensor-side housing chamber 35a, through which a sensor rod assembly 41, which will be described in detail later, is slidably inserted. Each cylinder portion 35 is formed on the top surface 34a of the main body portion 34. In this embodiment, each cylinder portion 35 is integrally formed on the top surface 34a so as to protrude from one axial side and the other axial side, respectively. Furthermore, each cylinder portion 35 is positioned so that its opening, the sensor-side opening 35b, faces the housing body 21 (i.e., in one axial direction) and its bottom is positioned in the other axial direction. Each cylinder portion 35 is positioned so that its sensor-side housing chamber 35a corresponds to each of the main body-side housing chambers 31. That is, the multiple cylinder portions 35 are also arranged at equal intervals (i.e., angles α) around the axis L1. In other words, the axes of the cylinder portions 35 are positioned at the vertices of a regular polygon centered on the axis L1. Furthermore, the cylinder portions 35 are arranged on the main body portion 34 (more specifically, the top surface 34a) of the sensor housing portion 22 such that each of their axes lies on a virtual circle centered on axis L1. 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, and the four cylinder portions 35 are arranged on the top surface 34a at 90-degree intervals from each other around axis L1. The four cylinder portions 35 are arranged 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 faces the communication hole portion 32.

[0024] The partition wall 36 is provided on the top surface 34a of the main body portion 34. The partition wall 36 surrounds the four cylinder portions 35 from the radially outer side. In this embodiment, the partition wall 36 has a four-leaf shape, the same as the outer shape of the housing body 21, when viewed from one axial direction in plan view. The partition wall 36 extends from the top surface 34a to the bottom surface of the housing body 21, forming an inner space 36a within it. More specifically, the outer shape of the partition wall 36 is smaller than the outer shape of the housing body 21. 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. One end of the partition wall 36 is engaged with the engagement groove 25b around its entire circumference. This seals the inner space 36a. The partition wall 36 then surrounds the four cylinder portions 35 arranged in the inner space 36a. As a result, the partition wall 36 prevents liquids, contaminants, etc. from entering the inside from the outside of the partition wall 36 and further from entering the sensor-side housing chamber 35a. In addition, the partition wall 36 has a supply and discharge port (not shown) which discharges liquids guided into the inner space 36a to the outside of the housing 11 through the supply and discharge port.

[0025] The labyrinth 38 shown in Figure 3 is formed to be intricate within the internal space 36a. That is, the labyrinth 38 is interposed between the main body side storage chamber 31 and the air supply / discharge port in the internal space 36a. The labyrinth 38 prevents contaminants, which are sucked in with air from the air supply / discharge port (not shown), from entering the main body side storage chamber 31. More specifically, the main body portion 34 has multiple inner walls 34d erected on the top surface 34a within the internal space 36a, and the labyrinth 38 is formed in the internal space 36a by the inner walls 34d.

[0026] The housing space 39 shown in Figure 6 is the inner space of the main body portion 34, which is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top. That is, the housing space 39 has a ceiling surface 39a on one axial side and an opening 39b that opens on the other axial side. Four cylinder portions 35 protrude from the ceiling surface 39a in the other axial direction, and the four cylinder portions 35 extend to the vicinity of the opening 39b. In this embodiment, the housing space 39 is formed, for example, in a circular cross-section. More specifically, as shown in Figures 4 and 7, the cross-section of the housing space 39 is circular, and has a four-leaf shape in cross-section, with recessed portions corresponding to the mounting portion 34b and the insertion groove 34c.

[0027] [Guide bush] As shown in Figure 6, the guide bush 23 is provided in the sensor-side opening 35b of the sensor-side housing chamber 35a. The guide bush 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. In addition, one end portion 23a of the guide bush 23 protrudes from the sensor-side opening 35b and fits into the communication hole portion 32. Furthermore, the guide bush 23 has a plurality of drainage grooves 23d on its outer circumferential surface, and the drainage grooves 23d connect the main body-side housing chamber 31 and the inner space 36a at the communication hole portion 32.

[0028] The bottom cover 24 closes the other end of the sensor housing portion 22, i.e., 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. In this way, the bottom cover 24 is provided in the sensor housing portion 22 so as to close the opening 39b of the housing space 39. Note that 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.

[0029] [Operating Lever] An operating lever 12, which is an example of an operating device, is provided on the housing 11 as shown in Figure 1 and is configured to be tiltable with respect to an axis L1, which is an example of an operating shaft. 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 about 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.

[0030] 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 along the axis L1, and the other yoke 12d is provided on the one yoke 12c so as to be able to tilt in all directions relative to the axis L1. The lever portion 12b is provided on the other yoke 12d and is configured so that an operator such as a driver can grasp it. Therefore, the operator can grasp the lever portion 12b and tilt the operating lever 12 in any direction relative to the axis L1.

[0031] [Guide Member] As shown in Figure 5, 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.

[0032] [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 surface of the main body portion 25 by inserting one end portion of the guide member 18 through each insertion hole 19a. An operating lever 12 (more specifically, a 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. 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.

[0033] [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. In this embodiment, the operating device 1 is equipped with four push rods 13. Each push rod 13 is inserted into the main body side housing chamber 31 so as to be strokeable. That is, 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. In other words, the push rods 13 are arranged so as to have their axes at the vertices of a regular polygon centered on the axis L1. To explain in more detail, the push rods 13 are slidably inserted into the guide member 18 and inserted into the large diameter portion 31b of the main body side housing chamber 31 via the guide member 18.

[0034] [Disk] The disk 15 is provided on the operating lever 12 and strokes each of the push rods 13 according to the tilting direction of the operating lever 12. More specifically, the disk 15 strokes each push rod 13 by a stroke amount corresponding to the amount of tilting of the operating lever 12. More specifically, the disk 15 is, for example, an annular plate member with an Ω-shaped cross-section and is mounted and fixed to the middle portion of the operating lever 12. More specifically, the disk 15 is mounted on the tip side (i.e., one side in the axial direction) of the tilting center point O of the operating lever 12 and tilts according to the tilting of the operating lever 12. In this embodiment, the disk 15 is mounted on the other yoke 12d of the operating lever 12. The disk 15 also contacts each of the four push rods 13 and strokes at least one of the push rods 13 according to the tilting direction of the operating lever 12.

[0035] [Main body spring members] Each of the main body spring members 16 is attached to a push rod 13 and biases the corresponding push rod 13 toward the disc 15. In this embodiment, the operating device 1 is equipped with the same number of main body spring members 16 as the number of push rods 13, i.e., four. Each of the main body spring members 16 is housed in a main body housing chamber 31 and biases the push rod 13 toward the disc 15. In this embodiment, the main body spring member 16 is a compression coil spring and is housed in the small diameter portion 31d of the main body housing chamber 31 such that a portion of it protrudes into the medium diameter portion 31c. The main body spring member 16 then biases the push rod 13 in one axial direction via the main body spring seat 17, pressing the push rod 13 against the disc 15.

[0036] [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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] In the mechanical section 2 configured in this way, as described above, the four push rods 13 are pressed against the disc 15 by the main body spring member 16. This positions the operating lever 12 in a neutral position. The neutral position is the position where the operating lever 12 is upright when not being operated. In this embodiment, the neutral position is the position where the operating lever 12 (more specifically, the joint portion 12a) extends along the axis L1. When the operating lever 12 is operated, it is tilted from the neutral position. When the operating lever 12 is tilted, the push rods 13 are pushed down by the disc 15 or pushed up by the main body spring member 16. As a result, the push rods 13 are in an initial position when the operating lever 12 is in the neutral position, and stroke from the initial position in accordance with the tilting motion of the operating lever 12. That is, the push rods 13 stroke in the other axial direction against the biasing force of the main body spring member 16, or stroke in one axial direction due to the biasing force of the main body spring member 16. In this way, in the mechanical section 2, the four push rods 13 each stroke in response to the tilting operation of the operating lever 12.

[0039] [Sensor Mechanism] The sensor mechanism 14 is provided in the housing 11 as shown in Figure 6. More specifically, the sensor mechanism 14 is provided in the sensor housing section 22. The sensor mechanism 14 can be separated from the housing body 21 together with the sensor housing section 22. The sensor mechanism 14 also detects the tilting motion of the operating lever 12 (in this embodiment, the tilting direction and the amount of tilt). More specifically, the sensor mechanism 14 detects the movement of each of the push rods 13 (in this embodiment, the stroke amount) and calculates the tilting motion of the operating lever 12 based on the stroke amount of each push rod 13 (i.e., the detection result). The sensor mechanism 14 configured in this way includes a plurality of sensor rod assemblies 41, a plurality of sensors 42a, 42b, and a substrate 43. In this embodiment, the sensor mechanism 14 includes the same number of sensor rod assemblies 41 as the push rods 13, i.e., four sensor rod assemblies 41. Furthermore, the sensor mechanism 14 includes the same number of sensors as the sensor rod assembly 41, i.e., four first sensors 42a and four second sensors 42b.

[0040] [Sensor Rod Assembly] The sensor rod assembly 41 changes the magnetic field in accordance with the tilting motion of the operating lever 12. More specifically, the sensor rod assembly 41 can move along its axis L11 to L14, and changes the magnetic field by moving in accordance with the tilting motion of the operating lever 12. More specifically, each sensor rod assembly 41 is associated with each push rod 13. The sensor rod assembly 41 moves in conjunction with the corresponding push rod 13, and changes the magnetic field by moving. In this embodiment, the sensor rod assemblies 41 are housed in the sensor-side housing chamber 35a so that their axes coincide. That is, each sensor rod assembly 41 is arranged at equal intervals around axis L1 (shifted by 90 degrees in this embodiment) and is arranged in accordance with each push rod 13. The sensor rod assemblies 41 arranged in this manner are arranged at equal intervals on a virtual circle centered on axis L1. In other words, the sensor rod assembly 41 is arranged such that its axes L11 to L14 are located at the vertices of a regular polygon centered on axis L1. The sensor rod assembly 41 arranged in this manner further includes, for example, 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.

[0041] The sensor rod 45 is movable along its axis and moves in accordance with the tilting motion of the operating lever 12. More specifically, the sensor rod 45 strokes in accordance with the stroke of the push rod 13. The sensor rod 45 is, for example, a rod-shaped member, with one end in contact with the push rod 13. In this embodiment, the sensor rod 45 strokes axially together with the push rod 13 along the axis which is also the axis L11-14 of the sensor rod assembly 41. 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 in this embodiment, a magnet. The magnetic body 46 changes the magnetic field by moving. The magnetic body 46 is, for example, cylindrical and is externally mounted on the other end of the sensor rod 45 via a mounting member 49.

[0042] 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, 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 located on the other axial side of the sensor-side spring seat 48.

[0043] 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 inserted into each cylinder portion 35 so as to be able to reciprocate, with their axes aligned. 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 protrudes 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). In this embodiment, the sensor rod assembly 41 has the intermediate portion of the sensor rod 45 slidably inserted into the guide bush 23, and one end portion of the sensor rod 45 protrudes from the guide bush 23 to the body-side housing chamber 31. The sensor rod assembly 41 (more specifically, the sensor rod 45) is in contact with the corresponding push rod 13. More specifically, 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. The sensor rod assembly 41 is initially positioned when pressed against the push rod 13 with the operating lever 12 in the neutral position. As the operating lever 12 is tilted and the push rod 13 strokes, the sensor rod assembly 41 strokes from its initial position in one axial direction and the other in accordance with the stroke of the push rod 13. The magnetic body 46 also moves axially in conjunction with the sensor rod 45. As a result, each part of the sensor rod assembly 41 moves in accordance with the tilting motion of the operating lever 12, changing the magnetic field.

[0044] [Sensor] A plurality of sensors 42a and 42b are associated with each of the sensor rod assemblies 41 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, and detect the movement of the corresponding sensor rod assembly 41 based on the change in the magnetic field. In the present embodiment, the sensor mechanism 14 includes a plurality of each of the first sensor 42a and the second sensor 42b. Also, the sensors 42a and 42b are provided in the sensor housing portion 22 so as to correspond to each other and to each of the sensor rod assemblies 41. That is, the sensor mechanism 14 includes the same number of the first sensors 42a and the second sensors 42b as the number of the sensor rod assemblies 41, that is, four each. And each of the sensors 42a and 42b detects the movement of the corresponding sensor rod assembly 41 based on the change in the magnetic field.

[0045] The sensors 42a and 42b are so-called magnetic sensors. The first sensor 42a is, for example, a Hall IC, and outputs a voltage (signal) having a magnitude corresponding to the magnitude of the change in the magnetic flux density around the first sensor 42a. That is, the first sensor 42a is a linear sensor that detects the stroke amount of the corresponding sensor rod assembly 41 based on the change in the magnetic field (more specifically, the magnitude of the change in the magnetic field). Also, the second sensor 42b is, for example, a Hall element, and outputs a voltage (signal) when the magnetic flux density around the second sensor 42b changes. That is, the second sensor 42b is a switch sensor that detects the presence or absence of movement of the corresponding sensor rod assembly 41 from the initial position based on the change in the magnetic field (more specifically, the presence or absence of the change in the magnetic field).

[0046] More specifically, sensors 42a and 42b are provided in the sensor housing 22 in close proximity to the corresponding sensor rod assembly 41. More specifically, sensors 42a and 42b are arranged in correspondence with the magnetic body 46 of the sensor rod assembly 41 and are provided in the sensor housing 22 in close proximity to the corresponding magnetic body 46. More specifically, as shown in Figures 4 and 7, sensors 42a and 42b are provided within the sensor housing 22, i.e., in the housing space 39, adjacent to each cylinder portion 35 in order to be close to the magnetic body 46. In this embodiment, the base sensors 42a and 42b are arranged on a substrate 43, which will be described in detail later, and are arranged in the housing space 39 as described above. The first sensor 42a detects the amount of movement of the magnetic body 46 (i.e., the stroke amount of the sensor rod assembly 41) based on the magnitude of the change in the magnetic field caused by the movement of the corresponding magnetic body 46. On the other hand, the second sensor 42b detects whether or not the magnetic material 46 has moved (i.e., whether or not the sensor rod assembly 41 has moved from its initial position) based on whether or not there is a change in the magnetic field caused by the movement of the corresponding magnetic material 46.

[0047] [Circuit Board] The circuit board 43 is a so-called circuit board and can perform various calculations. Specifically, 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 result of the first sensor 42a. More specifically, the circuit board 43 calculates the tilting motion of the operating lever 12 based on the signals from the four first sensors 42a. Further specifically, the circuit board 43 calculates the stroke amount of the sensor rod assembly 41 (or the stroke amount of each push rod 13) based on the signals from the four first sensors 42a. Then, the circuit board 43 calculates the tilting direction and amount of tilt of the operating lever 12 based on the calculation results.

[0048] Further, the substrate 43 determines whether the operation lever 12 is in the neutral position based on the detection result of the second sensor 42b (that is, determines the neutral position of the operation lever 12). More specifically, the substrate 43 determines whether the operation lever 12 is in the neutral position based on the signals from the four second sensors 42b. Even more specifically, the substrate 43 determines whether each sensor rod assembly 41 (or each push rod 13) is in the initial position based on the signals from the four second sensors 42b. Then, when all the sensor rod assemblies 41 are in the initial position, the substrate 43 determines that the operation lever 12 is in the neutral position.

[0049] Further, when calculating the tilting operation of the operation lever 12 as described above, the substrate 43 performs the following correction process. That is, the four first sensors 42a mainly output signals in response to changes in the magnetic field due to the movement of the corresponding sensor rod assembly 41 (that is, the sensor rod assembly 41 to be detected). On the other hand, the signals output from the first sensors 42a are affected by changes in the magnetic field due to the movement of the three sensor rod assemblies 41 other than the detection target. Therefore, the substrate 43 performs a correction process to exclude the influence of the change in the magnetic field due to the movement of the three sensor rod assemblies 41 other than the detection target from the signals of the first sensors 42a. More specifically, in the correction process, correction values pre-stored in the substrate 43 are used. Similarly, in determining the neutral position of the operation lever 12, the substrate 43 performs a correction process to exclude the influence of the change in the magnetic field due to the movement of the three sensor rod assemblies 41 other than the detection target from the signals of the second sensors 42b.

[0050] As shown in Figure 6, the substrate 43 having such functions is arranged inside the sensor housing 22, that is, in the housing space 39, as described above. The substrate 43 is formed, for example, in a disc shape. In this embodiment, the external shape of the substrate 43 matches the shape of the housing space 39 when viewed from the other axial side in a bottom view, as shown in Figure 7. That is, the external shape of the substrate 43 is formed in a roughly circular shape with recesses in the parts corresponding to the mounting part 34b and the insertion groove 34c. In addition, insertion holes 43a are formed in the substrate 43 at positions corresponding to each cylinder part 35, and the substrate 43 is housed in the housing space 39 with each cylinder part 35 inserted through the insertion holes 43a. Then, as shown in Figure 6, the sensors 42a and 42b are attached to one surface 43b of the substrate 43, and the substrate 43 is attached to the ceiling surface 39a of the housing space 39 by resin sealing with the one surface 43b facing the ceiling surface 39a. In this way, the circuit board 43 is housed in the housing space 39 and further connected to external equipment (for example, a control device for construction machinery) by wiring (not shown).

[0051] [Arrangement of each sensor] The arrangement of the first sensor 42a and the second sensor 42b will be described in more detail below. That is, as shown in Figure 8, the first sensors 42a are arranged at equal intervals around the axis L1. The second sensors 42b are also arranged at equal intervals around the axis L1. In this embodiment, each of the first sensors 42a is arranged on a first virtual circle centered on the axis L1 at an angle β (90 degrees in this embodiment) apart from each other, and each of the second sensors 42b is arranged on a second virtual circle centered on the axis L1 at an angle β (90 degrees in this embodiment) apart from each other. That is, each of the first sensors 42a and the second sensors 42b is arranged to be located at the vertices of different regular polygons centered on the axis L1.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first sensor 42a and the second sensor 42b are arranged with respect to each sensor rod assembly 41 as follows: That is, each sensor rod assembly 41 is adjacent to two sensor rod assemblies 41 and faces one sensor assembly across axis L1. The first sensor 42a and the second sensor 42b are arranged adjacent to the cylinder portion 35 on the extension of the line connecting the axes of adjacent sensor rod assemblies 41. More specifically, the first sensor 42a is arranged on the extension of the line connecting one axis of the corresponding sensor rod assembly 41 and two adjacent sensor rod assemblies 41. The second sensor 42b is arranged on the extension of the line connecting the other axes of the corresponding sensor rod assembly 41 and two adjacent sensor rod assemblies 41. Furthermore, the first sensor 42a and the second sensor 42b are arranged so that those associated with the same sensor rod assembly 41 (i.e., those positioned close to the same sensor rod assembly 41) are spaced at a predetermined angle γ around the axis of the corresponding sensor rod assembly 41 (see enlarged view of Figure 8). That is, each of the second sensors 42b is positioned at the same angular distance (angle γ in this embodiment) around the axis L11 to L14 of the corresponding sensor rod assembly 41 relative to the first sensor 42a associated with the corresponding sensor rod assembly 41. In this embodiment, the predetermined angle γ is the same as the angle α of adjacent sensor rod assemblies 41, for example, 90 degrees.

[0053] With sensors 42a and 42b arranged in this manner, the distances from each non-detectable sensor rod assembly 41 are as follows. That is, as shown in Figure 9, the distance from the first sensor 42a to the nearest non-detectable sensor rod assembly 41 is D11, the distance from the first sensor 42a to the second closest non-detectable sensor rod assembly 41 is D12, and the distance from the first sensor 42a to the furthest non-detectable sensor rod assembly 41 is D13. Note that, for the sake of explanation, only the distances D11, D12, and D13 from the two first sensors 42a are shown in Figure 9.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, the distance from the second sensor 42b to the nearest non-detectable sensor rod assembly 41 is D21, the distance from the second sensor 42b to the second nearest non-detectable sensor rod assembly 41 is D22, and the distance from the second sensor 42b to the furthest non-detectable sensor rod assembly 41 is D23. Note that, for the sake of explanation, only the distances D21, D22, and D23 from the two second sensors 42b are shown in Figure 10.

[0055] [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 sensors 42a and 42b. As a result, the amount of movement of the magnetic body 46 is detected by the first sensor 42a, and a signal corresponding to the amount of movement (i.e., the stroke amount of the sensor rod assembly 41) is output from the first sensor 42a. The substrate 43 then calculates the tilt direction and amount of tilt of the operating lever 12 based on the signal from the first sensor 42a. Furthermore, the second sensor 42b detects whether or not the sensor rod assembly 41 has moved from its initial position, and outputs a signal from the second sensor 42b corresponding to whether or not it has moved. Based on the signal from the second sensor 42b, the circuit board 43 determines the neutral position of the operating lever 12. The circuit board 43 then outputs the calculation result and the determination result to an external device (not shown).

[0056] 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 disk 15, and eventually the operating lever 12 is returned to the neutral position. When the operating lever 12 is returned 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. The first sensor 42a detects the movement of the sensor rod assembly 41 and outputs a signal to the circuit board 43 corresponding to the stroke amount of the sensor rod assembly 41. As a result, the circuit board 43 calculates the amount of tilt of the operating lever 12. The second sensor 42b detects whether or not the sensor rod assembly 41 has moved from its initial position and outputs a signal to the circuit board 43 according to whether or not it has moved. The circuit board 43 then determines that the operating lever 12 is in the neutral position when it is returned to the neutral position.

[0057] In the operating device 1 configured in this way, as described above, the sensor rod assemblies 41 are arranged at equal intervals around the axis L1, and the first sensors 42a are also arranged at equal intervals around the axis L1. That is, although the sensor rod assemblies 41 and the first sensors 42a are of different sizes, they are arranged at the vertices of similar regular polygons (squares in this embodiment) centered on the axis L1. Therefore, for each of the first sensors 42a, the aforementioned distances D11, D12, and D13 are the same length. Therefore, the difference in the influence of the magnetic field that each of the first sensors 42a receives from the three sensor rod assemblies 41 that are not the target of detection can be suppressed. As a result, when the circuit board 43 calculates the tilting motion of the operating lever 12, it can perform the same correction processing on the signals output from each of the first sensors 42a. More specifically, a common correction value can be used for the signals output from each of the first sensors 42a. Therefore, the memory capacity required to store the correction values ​​on the circuit board 43 can be reduced, and the cost of the circuit board 43 can be reduced.

[0058] The second sensor 42b is similar to the first sensor 42a, and is arranged at equal intervals around the axis L1. That is, although the sensor rod assemblies 41 and the second sensors 42b are of different sizes, they are arranged at the vertices of similar regular polygons (squares in this embodiment) centered on the axis L1. Therefore, for each of the second sensors 42b, the aforementioned distances D21, D22, and D23 are the same length. Therefore, the difference in the influence of the magnetic field that each of the second sensors 42b receives from the three sensor rod assemblies 41 that are not the target of detection can be suppressed. As a result, when the neutral position determination is made for the operating lever 12, the circuit board 43 can perform the same correction processing on the signals output from each of the second sensors 42b. More specifically, a common correction value can be used for the signals output from each of the second sensors 42b. Therefore, the memory capacity required to store the correction value on the circuit board 43 can be reduced, and the cost of the circuit board 43 can be reduced.

[0059] In the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the sensor rod assemblies 41 are arranged at equal intervals around the axis L1. The first sensors 42a are arranged close to their respective sensor rod assemblies 41 and at equal intervals around the axis L1. Therefore, for each of the first sensors 42a, the lengths of the distances D11, D12, D13 from the sensor rod assemblies 41 other than the corresponding sensor rod assemblies 41 that are not the target of detection can be made the same for the first, second, ... closest distances D11, D12, D13. This makes it possible to reduce the differences between each of the first sensors 42a in terms of the influence of the magnetic field received from the sensor rod assemblies 41 that are not the target of detection. The same applies to the second sensors 42b.

[0060] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the first sensor 42a detects the movement of the sensor rod assembly 41 by the change in the magnetic field caused by the movement of the magnetic material 46 of the corresponding sensor rod assembly 41. Therefore, by using magnetic materials 46 that generate magnetic fields of similar magnitude in each sensor rod assembly, the differences between sensors regarding the influence of magnetic fields received from sensor rod assemblies 41 that are not being detected can be reduced. The same applies to the second sensor 42b.

[0061] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the first sensor 42a detects the stroke amount of the corresponding sensor rod assembly 41 by the change in the magnetic field. Therefore, by arranging the four first sensors 42a at equal intervals around the axis L1, the tilt direction and amount of tilt of the operating lever 12 can be detected.

[0062] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the second sensor 42b detects whether or not the sensor rod assembly 41 has moved from its initial position based on a change in the magnetic field. Therefore, by arranging the four second sensors 42b at equal intervals around the axis L1, it is possible to determine whether the operating lever 12 is in the neutral position.

[0063] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the first sensor 42a is a linear sensor, and the second sensor 42b is a switch sensor. Therefore, the two types of sensors 42a and 42b can be used to detect the tilt direction and amount of the operating lever 12, as well as to determine the neutral position of the operating lever 12.

[0064] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the second sensor 42b is arranged adjacent to the corresponding sensor rod assembly 41 and the first sensor 42a, and is arranged at equal intervals around the axis L1. Therefore, similar to each of the first sensors 42a, the differences between each of the second sensors 42b in terms of the influence of the magnetic field received from the sensor rod assembly 41 that is not the target of detection can be minimized.

[0065] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, each of the second sensors 42b is positioned at the same interval around the axis L11 to L14 of the corresponding sensor rod assembly 41 relative to the corresponding first sensor 42a. Therefore, the differences between each of the first sensors 42a and each of the second sensors 42b in terms of the influence they exert on each other during detection can be minimized.

[0066] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the push rod 13 is provided in the housing body 21, and the sensor mechanism 14 is provided in the sensor housing section 22. Also, the part that moves in conjunction with the tilting motion of the operating lever 12 and the part that detects the tilting motion of the operating lever 12 can be separately arranged in the housing body 21 and the sensor housing section 22. Therefore, when assembling, each part (i.e., the mechanical part 2 and the sensor part 3) can be assembled separately, making the assembly of the operating device 1 easy.

[0067] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the substrate 43 stores a preset correction value and corrects the calculated stroke amount based on the correction value. Since the differences between sensors 42a and 42b regarding the influence of the magnetic field received from the sensor rod assembly 41, which is not the target of detection, are small, the correction values ​​for each of sensors 42a and 42b can be made common. Therefore, the capacity required to store the correction value in the substrate 43 can be reduced. This reduces the cost of the substrate 43.

[0068] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the first sensor 42a detects the amount of movement of the corresponding sensor rod assembly 41 based on the change in the magnetic field. On the other hand, the second sensor 42b detects whether or not the corresponding sensor rod assembly 41 has moved from its initial position based on the change in the magnetic field. Therefore, the tilt direction and amount of the operating tool can be detected and the neutral position of the operating lever 12 can be determined by the two types of sensors 42a and 42b.

[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. That is, the number of sensor rod assemblies 41 and sensors 42a, 42b may also be two or three, or five or more, as long as they are the same as the number of push rods 13. 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. In addition, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, there are two types of sensors 42a, 42b, but it is sufficient that at least one type of sensor 42a, 42b is provided. Also, for example, the second sensor may not be a magnetic sensor, but a switch sensor that mechanically determines the neutral position. In addition, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, each sensor 42a, 42b is arranged at equal intervals around the axis L1, but it is not necessarily required that they be at equal intervals. Also, the first sensor 42a does not necessarily have to be a linear sensor, and may be a switch sensor. The second sensor 42b is also not necessarily limited to a switch sensor, but may be a linear sensor.

[0070] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the sensors 42a and 42b are arranged on the substrate 43, but they may also be attached to the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder portion 35. Also, the housing 11 is not limited to being configured in the shape described above. Moreover, the housing 11 does not necessarily have to be configured to be separable into the housing body 21 and the sensor housing portion 22. Furthermore, although a partition wall 36 and a labyrinth 38 are formed on the top surface 34a of the sensor housing portion 22, they do not necessarily have to be formed on the top surface 34a. That is, the top surface 34a may be formed flat.

[0071] Furthermore, in the operating device 1 of this embodiment, the first sensor 42a is not limited to a Hall IC, but may be any linear Hall sensor that detects the stroke amount of the sensor rod assembly 41. Similarly, the second sensor 42b is not limited to a Hall element, but may be any switch sensor that detects the movement of the sensor rod assembly 41 from its initial position. Also, although each of the spring members 16 and 47 is a compression coil spring, other springs such as disc springs may be used.

[0072] <Exemplary Embodiment> The operating device in the first aspect comprises a housing, an operating tool provided in the housing so as to be tiltable with respect to an operating axis, and a sensor mechanism provided in the housing for detecting the tilting motion of the operating tool, wherein the sensor mechanism includes a plurality of sensor rod assemblies that move in accordance with the tilting motion of the operating tool and change the magnetic field, and a plurality of sensors that are associated with each of the sensor rod assemblies and detect the movement of the corresponding sensor rod assembly based on the change in the magnetic field, wherein the sensor rod assemblies are arranged at equal intervals around the operating axis, and the sensors are arranged in close proximity to the corresponding sensor rod assemblies and at equal intervals around the operating axis.

[0073] According to the above description, the sensor rod assemblies are arranged at equal intervals around the operating axis. The sensors are arranged close to their respective sensor rod assemblies and at equal intervals around the operating axis. Therefore, for each sensor, the distances from the first, second, and so on, nearest sensor rod assemblies to the sensor (excluding the sensor rod assembly not being detected) can be made approximately the same. This reduces the differences between sensors in terms of the influence of magnetic fields received from sensor rod assemblies not being detected.

[0074] The operating device in the second phase is the same as the operating device in the first phase, wherein the sensor rod assembly has a sensor rod that moves in accordance with the tilting motion of the operating tool and a magnetic body provided on the sensor rod and moving together with the sensor rod, and the sensor detects the movement of the sensor rod by the change in the magnetic field caused by the movement of the magnetic body of the corresponding sensor rod assembly.

[0075] In the above scenario, the sensor detects the movement of the sensor rod by detecting the change in the magnetic field caused by the movement of the magnetic material in the corresponding sensor rod assembly. The magnetic material generates a magnetic field of a certain magnitude. Therefore, by using magnetic materials that generate magnetic fields of similar magnitude in each sensor rod assembly, the differences between sensors regarding the influence of magnetic fields received from sensor rod assemblies that are not being detected can be reduced.

[0076] In the third phase, the operating device, as in the operating device of the first or second phase, detects the stroke amount of the corresponding sensor rod assembly by a change in the magnetic field.

[0077] According to the above procedure, the sensor detects the stroke amount of the corresponding sensor rod assembly by the change in the magnetic field. Therefore, by arranging multiple sensors at equal intervals around the operating axis, the tilt direction and amount of tilt of the operating tool can be detected.

[0078] In the fourth phase, the operating device is one of the operating devices in the first to third phases, wherein the sensor rod assembly is initially positioned in a neutral position where the operating tool extends along the operating axis, and strokes from the initial position when the operating tool is tilted, and the sensor detects whether or not the sensor rod assembly has moved from its initial position by a change in the magnetic field.

[0079] According to the above procedure, the sensor detects whether or not the sensor rod assembly has moved from its initial position based on changes in the magnetic field. Therefore, by arranging multiple sensors at equal intervals around the operating axis, it is possible to determine whether the operating tool is in a neutral position.

[0080] The operating device in the fifth phase, unlike the first sensor in the operating device of any of the first to fourth phases, further comprises a sensor rod assembly and a second sensor associated with the first sensor, respectively, wherein the sensor rod assembly is initially positioned in a neutral position where the operating tool extends along the operating axis, and strokes from the initial position when the operating tool is tilted, the first sensor is either a linear sensor that detects the stroke amount of the sensor rod assembly by a change in the magnetic field, or a switch sensor that detects whether or not the sensor rod assembly has moved from its initial position by a change in the magnetic field, and the second sensor is the other of the linear sensor and the switch sensor.

[0081] According to the above description, the first sensor is either a linear sensor or a switch sensor, and the second sensor is either a near sensor or a switch sensor. Therefore, the tilt direction and amount of the operating device can be detected, and the neutral position of the operating device can be determined using these two types of sensors.

[0082] In the sixth phase of the operating device, the second sensor is positioned adjacent to the corresponding sensor rod assembly and the first sensor, and is positioned at equal intervals around the operating axis, as in the operating device of the fifth phase.

[0083] In accordance with the above, the second sensor is positioned adjacent to the corresponding sensor rod assembly and the first sensor, and is also positioned at equal intervals around the operating axis. Therefore, as with each of the first sensors, the differences between the second sensors in terms of the influence of magnetic fields received from sensor rod assemblies that are not being detected can be minimized.

[0084] In the seventh phase, the operating device is such that, in the operating device of the fifth or sixth phase, the sensor rod assembly moves along its axis, and each of the second sensors is positioned at the same distance from the corresponding first sensor around the axis of the corresponding sensor rod assembly.

[0085] According to the above procedure, each of the second sensors is positioned at the same distance from the corresponding first sensor around the axis of the corresponding sensor rod assembly. Therefore, the differences between each of the first and second sensors in terms of the influence they exert on each other during detection can be minimized.

[0086] The operating device in the eighth phase further comprises a plurality of push rods in the operating device of any of the first to seventh phases, the housing includes a housing body and a sensor housing portion, the push rods are provided in the housing body so as to stroke in accordance with the tilting direction of the operating tool, the sensor rod assembly is associated with each of the push rods, and the sensor mechanism is provided in the sensor housing portion so as to move in conjunction with the push rods.

[0087] According to the above configuration, the push rod is provided in the housing body, and the sensor mechanism is provided in the sensor housing. Furthermore, the part that moves in conjunction with the tilting motion of the operating tool and the part that detects the tilting motion of the operating tool can be separately arranged in the housing body and the sensor housing. Therefore, since each part can be assembled separately during assembly, the assembly of the operating device is easy.

[0088] The operating device in the ninth phase further includes a circuit board that calculates the stroke amount of each of the sensor rod assemblies based on the detection result output from each of the sensors, in addition to the operating device in any of the first to eighth phases, the circuit board stores a preset correction value and corrects the calculated stroke amount based on the correction value.

[0089] According to the above procedure, the circuit board stores a preset correction value and corrects the calculated stroke amount based on that value. Since the differences between sensors regarding the influence of magnetic fields received from sensor rod assemblies that are not being detected are small, the correction value for each sensor can be standardized. Therefore, the capacity required to store the correction value on the circuit board can be reduced. This reduces the cost of the circuit board.

[0090] The operating device in the tenth phase comprises a housing, an operating tool provided in the housing so as to be tiltable with respect to an operating axis, and a sensor mechanism provided in the housing for detecting the tilting motion of the operating tool, wherein the sensor mechanism includes a plurality of sensor rod assemblies, a first sensor associated with each sensor rod assembly, and a second sensor associated with each sensor rod assembly, wherein the plurality of sensor rod assemblies are initially positioned in a neutral position where the operating tool extends along the operating axis, and each moves from its initial position in response to the tilting motion of the operating tool, changing the magnetic field, the first sensor detects the amount of movement of the corresponding sensor rod assembly based on the change in the magnetic field, and the second sensor detects whether or not the corresponding sensor rod assembly has moved from its initial position based on the change in the magnetic field.

[0091] According to the above procedure, the first sensor detects the amount of movement of the corresponding sensor rod assembly based on the change in the magnetic field. On the other hand, the second sensor detects whether or not the corresponding sensor rod assembly has moved from its initial position based on the change in the magnetic field. Therefore, the tilt direction and amount of the operating tool can be detected, and the neutral position of the operating tool can be determined using these two types of sensors.

[0092] 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

1. An operating device comprising: a housing; an operating tool provided in the housing so as to be tiltable with respect to an operating shaft; and a sensor mechanism provided in the housing for detecting the tilting motion of the operating tool, wherein the sensor mechanism includes a plurality of sensor rod assemblies that move in accordance with the tilting motion of the operating tool and change a magnetic field, and a plurality of sensors that are associated with each of the sensor rod assemblies and detect the movement of the corresponding sensor rod assembly based on the change in the magnetic field, wherein the sensor rod assemblies are arranged at equal intervals around the operating shaft, and the sensors are arranged in close proximity to the corresponding sensor rod assemblies and at equal intervals around the operating shaft.

2. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor rod assembly comprises a sensor rod that moves in accordance with the tilting motion of the operating tool, and a magnetic body provided on the sensor rod and moving together with the sensor rod, and the sensor detects the movement of the sensor rod by a change in the magnetic field caused by the movement of the magnetic body of the corresponding sensor rod assembly.

3. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor detects the stroke amount of the corresponding sensor rod assembly by means of a change in the magnetic field.

4. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor rod assembly is initially positioned in a neutral position where the operating tool extends along the operating axis, and strokes from the initial position when the operating tool is tilted, and the sensor detects whether or not the sensor rod assembly has moved from its initial position by a change in the magnetic field.

5. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein, unlike the first sensor which is the sensor, the device further comprises a sensor rod assembly and a second sensor which are respectively associated with the first sensor, the sensor rod assembly is initially positioned in a neutral position where the operating tool extends along the operating axis, and strokes from the initial position when the operating tool is tilted, the first sensor is either a linear sensor which detects the amount of stroke of the sensor rod assembly by a change in the magnetic field, or a switch sensor which detects whether or not the sensor rod assembly has moved from its initial position by a change in the magnetic field, and the second sensor is the other of the linear sensor and the switch sensor.

6. The operating device according to claim 5, wherein the second sensor is arranged adjacent to the corresponding sensor rod assembly and the first sensor, and is arranged at equal intervals around the operating axis.

7. The operating device according to claim 5, wherein the sensor rod assembly moves along its axis, and each of the second sensors is positioned at the same distance from the corresponding first sensor around the axis of the corresponding sensor rod assembly.

8. The operating device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of push rods, wherein the housing includes a housing body and a sensor housing portion, the push rods are provided in the housing body so as to stroke in accordance with the tilting direction of the operating tool, the sensor rod assembly is associated with each of the push rods, and the sensor mechanism is provided in the sensor housing portion so as to move in conjunction with the push rods.

9. The operating device according to claim 1, further comprising a circuit board that calculates the stroke amount of each of the sensor rod assemblies based on the detection results output from each of the sensors, wherein the circuit board stores a preset correction value and corrects the calculated stroke amount based on the correction value.

10. An operating device comprising: a housing; an operating tool provided in the housing so as to be tiltable with respect to an operating axis; and a sensor mechanism provided in the housing for detecting the tilting motion of the operating tool, wherein the sensor mechanism includes a plurality of sensor rod assemblies; a first sensor associated with each sensor rod assembly; and a second sensor associated with each sensor rod assembly, wherein the plurality of sensor rod assemblies are initially positioned in a neutral position where the operating tool extends along the operating axis, and each moves from its initial position in response to the tilting motion of the operating tool, thereby changing the magnetic field, the first sensor detects the amount of movement of the corresponding sensor rod assembly based on the change in the magnetic field, and the second sensor detects whether or not the corresponding sensor rod assembly has moved from its initial position based on the change in the magnetic field.

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