Input device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10953750-B2
Application number	US-202016994769-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2020
Priority date	Mar 19, 2018
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

An input device includes a base member, a motor, a rotation shaft, a worm gear, a first gear, a second gear, an elastic member, a rotor, an angle detection unit, and a controller. The rotation shaft is rotated by the motor. The worm gear is unitarily rotated with the rotation shaft. The first gear is rotatable and engaged with the worm gear. The second gear is coaxial with the first gear. The elastic member generates urging force. The rotor is rotatable relative to the base member, includes a third gear engaged with the second gear, and is rotated by an operator. The angle detection unit detects a first rotation angle of the first gear and a second rotation angle of the second gear. The controller performs drive control for the motor to change a sense of force applied to the operator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An input device comprising:
a base member;
a motor attached to the base member;
a rotation shaft configured to be rotated by the motor;
a worm gear configured to be unitarily rotated with the rotation shaft;
a first gear that is provided so as to be rotatable relative to the base member and that is engaged with the worm gear;
a second gear that is provided so as to be coaxial with the first gear and that is provided so as to be rotatable relative to the base member;
an elastic member that is provided between the first gear and the second gear and that is configured to generate urging force in a direction in which a relative angle between the first gear and the second gear from a reference angle state in a rotation direction is reduced;
a rotor that is provided so as to be rotatable relative to the base member, that includes a third gear engaged with the second gear, and that is configured to undergo rotation operation performed by an operator;
an angle detection unit configured to detect a first rotation angle of the first gear and a second rotation angle of the second gear; and
a controller configured to perform drive control for the motor in accordance with a relative angle between the first rotation angle and the second rotation angle so as to change a sense of force applied to the operator via the rotor.

2. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein
the angle detection unit includes
a first angle detection unit configured to detect the first rotation angle, and
a second angle detection unit configured to detect the second rotation angle.

3. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein
the rotor is hollow, and the third gear is provided in the rotation direction in an inner circumferential surface of the rotor.

4. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein
the elastic member is a torsion spring engaged with the first gear and the second gear at one end portion and another end portion, respectively, and configured to generate the urging force in the direction in which the relative angle from the reference angle state is reduced.

5. The input device according to claim 1 , wherein
the motor and the rotation shaft are provided so as to be perpendicular to a rotation central axis of the rotor.

Assignees

• Alps Alpine Co Ltd

Inventors

• Uenomachi Takashi
• Ogawa Toshio
• Muto Shinya
• Wakita Yoshitsugu
• Miyako Ikuyasu
• Kimura Wataru

Classifications

• G05G1/08

  Controlling members for hand actuation by rotary movement, e.g. hand wheels · CPC title

• G06F3/01

  Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer (G06F3/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05G1/10

  Details, e.g. of discs, knobs, wheels or handles {(G05G1/085 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60K2370/126

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60K37/06 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic