Multi-directional operation switch device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11915893-B2
Application number	US-202318156256-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2023
Priority date	Jan 31, 2022
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

A multi-directional operation switch device that can smoothly move a slider that is movable in four directions back to a neutral position is provided. The multi-directional operation switch device includes: a slider movable in the four directions; four push switches provided in the four directions to detect a movement of the slider; and four pressing members provided between the slider and the push switches. The slider includes four side face portions, each intersecting a first axis or a second axis, each axis extending in at least one of the four directions. Each side face portion includes a sloped region sloped toward a center of the slider. The push switches include movable portions, each movable portion self-returning and moving to an original position when pressing is released. Each pressing member is in contact with a corresponding one of the movable portions and a corresponding one of the side face portions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multi-directional operation switch device that is slidable in four directions, the multi-directional operation switch device comprising:
a slider that is movable in the four directions;
four push switches that are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the four directions to detect a movement of the slider; and
four pressing members that are each provided between the slider and a corresponding one of the four push switches,
wherein the slider includes four side face portions, each side face portion intersecting a first axis or a second axis, the first axis and the second axis each extending in at least one of the four directions,
each of the four side face portions includes a sloped region that is sloped toward a center of the slider,
the four push switches include movable portions that are provided in one-to-one correspondence, each movable portion self-returning and moving to an original position of the movable portion when pressing is released, and
each of the four pressing members is in contact with a corresponding one of the movable portions and a corresponding one of the four side face portions.

2. The multi-directional operation switch device according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the four pressing members transmits a force applied by the movement of the slider to the corresponding one of the movable portions, or transmits a force applied by a movement of the corresponding one of the movable portions to the corresponding one of the four side face portions.

3. The multi-directional operation switch device according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the four push switches applies a force to the corresponding one of the four pressing members due to a force of the corresponding one of the movable portions moving to the original position,
each of the four pressing members applies a pressing force to the corresponding one of the four side face portions due to a force applied from the corresponding one of the four push switches, and
the slider moves toward a neutral position of the slider by receiving the pressing force via the corresponding one of the four side face portions.

4. The multi-directional operation switch device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sloped region is sloped at a larger angle toward the center of the slider.

5. The multi-directional operation switch device according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the four pressing members includes:
a switch abutting portion that abuts against the corresponding one of the movable portions;
a slider abutting portion that abuts against the corresponding one of the four side face portions; and
a fulcrum portion that serves as a fulcrum about which the pressing member pivots, and

each of the four pressing members pivots about the fulcrum portion due to a force applied from the corresponding one of the movable portions to the switch abutting portion, and applies a pressing force to the corresponding one of the four side face portions via the slider abutting portion.

6. The multi-directional operation switch device according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a casing at least a portion of which is located outside of the four pressing members when viewed from the slider,
wherein the casing includes guide portions that are each in contact with a corresponding one of the slider abutting portions that are included in the four pressing members in one-to-one correspondence, and
each of the slider abutting portions applies a pressing force to the slider while moving by being guided by a corresponding one of the guide portions.

7. The multi-directional operation switch device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a casing for housing the slider and the four pressing members,
wherein the four pressing members include recess portions that are each recessed in a direction away from a side wall of the casing, the recess portions being provided in the four pressing members in one-to-one correspondence, and
the casing includes protruding portions that are inserted into the recess portions.

8. The multi-directional operation switch device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the four side face portions include:
a first side face portion located in a first direction that is one of the four directions;
a second side face portion located in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction;
a third side face portion located in a third direction that is orthogonal to the first direction; and
a fourth side face portion located in a fourth direction that is opposite to the third direction, and

in a state in which the slider has moved in the first direction, the slider:
receives a force that brings the slider back in a direction opposite to the first direction, from one of the four pressing members that is provided in the first direction via the first side face portion;
receives a force that brings the slider back in the direction opposite to the first direction, from one of the four pressing members that is provided in the third direction via the sloped region of the third side face portion; and
receives a force that brings the slider back in the direction opposite to the first direction, from one of the four pressing members that is provided in the fourth direction via the sloped region of the fourth side face portion.

9. The multi-directional operation switch device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the four push switches include:
a first push switch provided in a first direction that is one of the four directions;
a second push switch provided in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction;
a third push switch provided in a third direction that is orthogonal to the first direction; and
a fourth push switch provided in a fourth direction that is opposite to the third direction,

the four pressing members include:
a first pressing member provided between the first push switch and the slider;
a second pressing member provided between the second push switch and the slider;
a third pressing member provided between the third push switch and the slider; and
a fourth pressing member provided between the fourth push switch and the slider, and

in a state in which the slider has moved in the first direction,
the slider receives a force that brings the slider back in a direction opposite to the first direction, from each of the first pressing member, the third pressing member, and the fourth pressing member.

10. The multi-directional operation switch device according to claim 9 ,
wherein, in a state in which the slider has moved in the first direction, and the first push switch has been switched to ON or OFF,
the third push switch is pressed by the third pressing member to an extent that the third push switch is not switched to ON or OFF, and
the fourth push switch is pressed by the fourth pressing member to an extent that the fourth push switch is not switched to ON or OFF.

11. The multi-directional operation switch device according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a controller that determines whether the four push switches have been pressed,
wherein the controller determines that a switching operation has been performed to move the multi-directional operation switch device in the first direction when the controller determines that the first push switch, the third push switch, and the fourth push switch have been pressed.

12. The multi-directional operation switch device according to claim 11 ,
wherein, when the controller determines that one of the first push switch, the second push switch, the third push switch, or the fourth push switch has been pressed, the controller outputs a signal indicating that the one of the first pu

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sagara Hisashi
• Miyaoka Takeshi
• Murakami Hideyuki

Classifications

• H01H25/002 Primary

  having an operating member rectilinearly slidable in different directions · CPC title

• H01H25/04

  Operating part movable angularly in more than one plane, e.g. joystick · CPC title