Rocker Magnet Ring Layout for Spring-Free Center Return
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rocker devices suffer from issues such as short life, detection accuracy loss, and inaccurate center return due to complex structures like cardan shafts and springs, which lead to metal fatigue and reduced service life.
Innovation Solution
A rocker device with a simpler structure utilizing a ring magnet, fixed member, and magnetic sensor chip, where the magnet inside ring is symmetrical and supported by the fixed member, allowing for automatic center return and press detection without springs or carbon film contact, using magnetic forces for stable positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If carbon film potentiometer structure is used, then the structure is simple and cost is low, but the service life is short and detection accuracy is lost due to metal sliding on carbon film
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical contact-based carbon film potentiometer structure with a magnetic field-based detection system. The rocker body includes a magnet that interacts with a magnetic sensor (such as Hall sensor or magnetic resistance sensor) to detect rotation angle, eliminating the need for mechanical sliding contact between metal and carbon film. This substitution resolves the contradiction by maintaining structural simplicity while dramatically improving service life and detection accuracy through non-contact measurement.
2Measurement precision
If Hall sensor structure is used, then detection accuracy drift and loss are reduced, but the structure becomes complex with cardan shaft and spring, leading to metal fatigue and reduced service life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex cardan shaft and spring mechanisms from the Hall sensor-based rocker structure. The improved design uses a direct magnetic coupling system where the magnet on the rocker body interacts directly with the magnetic sensor on the circuit board, removing unnecessary mechanical transmission components. This extraction maintains high detection accuracy while significantly reducing structural complexity and eliminating metal fatigue issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical cardan shaft and spring return mechanism with a magnetic field-based detection and positioning system. The magnet-sensor interaction provides both detection and automatic center return functionality without mechanical springs, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity.
3Ease of operation
If cardan shaft and spring structure is used for force feedback, then the rocker can return to center, but the structure is complex and metal spring fatigue leads to inaccurate center return and reduced life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical spring-based force feedback and center return mechanism with a magnetic field-based system. The magnet on the rocker body and the magnetic sensor on the circuit board create a magnetic coupling that provides both detection and automatic center return functionality. When the rocker deviates from center, the magnetic field interaction generates a restoring torque that automatically returns the rocker to center, eliminating metal springs and their associated fatigue problems while maintaining ease of operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device achieves higher detection accuracy and extended service life with reliable automatic center return, simplified structure, and reduced costs, eliminating metal fatigue issues.
Implementation Method 1
the magnetic sensor chip is configured to detect a rotation angle of the rocker, and is located below the magnet inside ring in a direction perpendicular to the circular section of the circular aperture
Implementation Method 2
The rocker based on the Hall sensor (referred to as Hall rocker below) is achieved primarily based on the Hall effect (when a current passes through a conductor in a magnetic field, it will generate a voltage difference in the conductor, and this phenomenon is called as the Hall voltage or Hall effect voltage)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The present invention provides a rocker device with the automatic center returning function. The rocker device adopts the magnetic sensor to acquire and output the angle information of the rocker rotation, and realizes the rocker automatically returning to the center through the magnet fixedly connected to the rocker and the structure design of the outer magnet ring. Additionally, below the rocker, the outer magnet is arranged on the part of the fixed member wrapping the outer side of the magnet ring and supporting the rocker, so that the press detection and the pressing back to the center for the rocker can be realized in conjunction with the additionally arranged magnetic sensor. Additionally, through adjusting the size of the magnets fixedly connected to the rocker and the size of the magnet ring, the feeling of the rocker device can be conveniently adjusted.