Input device and movable object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12224138-B2
Application number	US-202217666217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2022
Priority date	Sep 19, 2019
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

An input device includes a permanent magnet, a magnetic sensor, an operating unit, and a conversion mechanism. A movable member is one of the permanent magnet or the magnetic sensor. The conversion mechanism is configured to convert a movement of the operating unit in a first direction into a first action of the movable member and convert a movement of the operating unit in a second direction into a second action of the movable member. The first action is a movement involving a change in a relative angle of rotation of the permanent magnet around a rotation axis relative to the magnetic sensor. The second action is a movement involving a change in the strength of the magnetic field applied to the magnetic sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An input device comprising:
a permanent magnet;
a magnetic sensor configured to detect a magnetic field produced by the permanent magnet;
an operating unit; and
a conversion mechanism configured to convert a movement of the operating unit into a movement of a movable member which is one of the permanent magnet or the magnetic sensor relative to the other of the permanent magnet or the magnetic sensor, wherein
the magnetic sensor is configured to output a signal according to a relative angle of rotation of the permanent magnet around a rotation axis relative to the magnetic sensor and strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetic sensor,
the conversion mechanism is configured to convert a movement of the operating unit in a first direction into a first action of the movable member and convert a movement of the operating unit in a second direction into a second action of the movable member, the second direction intersecting the first direction,
the first action is a movement involving a change in the relative angle of rotation of the permanent magnet around the rotation axis relative to the magnetic sensor,
the second action is a movement involving a change in the strength of the magnetic field applied to the magnetic sensor,
the conversion mechanism includes a holder holding the movable member,
the holder is configured to rotate together with the movable member in accordance with the movement of the operating unit in the first direction to realize the first action of the movable member, and
the conversion mechanism is configured to move, in accordance with a movement of the operating unit in the second direction, the movable member relative to the holder to realize the second action of the movable member.

2. The input device of claim 1 , wherein
the movable member is the permanent magnet.

3. The input device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a substrate on which the magnetic sensor is mounted;
a first body disposed on a same side of the magnetic sensor with respect to a location of the permanent magnet; and
a second body coupled to the first body, the second body being disposed on an opposite side of the magnetic sensor with respect to the location of the permanent magnet, wherein
the substrate is held by the first body.

4. The input device of claim 1 , wherein
the operating unit has a lever.

5. The input device of claim 1 , wherein
the conversion mechanism is configured to perform at the same time conversion of the movement of the operating unit in the first direction into the first action of the movable member and conversion of the movement of the operating unit in the second direction into the second action of the movable member.

6. The input device of claim 1 , wherein
the magnetic sensor includes at least one Hall element.

7. The input device of claim 1 , further comprising
an elastic part configured to apply force to the movable member along a direction in which the movable member moves along with the second action.

8. The input device of claim 1 , wherein
the conversion mechanism includes
an actuator having a tilted surface tilted relative to a flat surface orthogonal to a direction in which the movable member moves along with the second action, and
a restriction part configured to restrict a distance between the movable member and the tilted surface, and

the actuator is configured to move, in accordance with the movement of the operating unit in the second direction, such that a position of the restriction part on the tilted surface is changed to realize the second action of the movable member.

9. The input device of claim 1 , wherein
the conversion mechanism includes
an actuator including a connection section,
a slider holding the movable member, and
a restriction part to which the slider is coupled and which is held by the connection section, and

the actuator is configured to, when the operating unit moves in the second direction, move, together with the restriction part, the slider, and the movable member, along a longitudinal direction of the permanent magnet to realize the second action of the movable member.

10. The input device of claim 1 , wherein
the conversion mechanism includes
an actuator including a connection section,
a slider holding the movable member, and
a restriction part to which the slider is coupled and which is held by the connection section, and

the actuator is configured to, when the operating unit moves in the second direction, move, together with the restriction part, the slider, and the movable member, along a direction of a magnetic moment of the permanent magnet to realize the second action of the movable member.

11. The input device of claim 1 , further comprising
at least one detection block, wherein
one of the at least one detection block includes
the permanent magnet including only one permanent magnet and
the magnetic sensor including only one magnetic sensor and configured to detect the magnetic field of the one permanent magnet.

12. The input device of claim 1 , wherein
the second action is a movement involving a change in a distance between the magnetic sensor and the permanent magnet.

13. A movable object comprising:
an input device including:
a permanent magnet;
a magnetic sensor configured to detect a magnetic field produced by the permanent magnet;
an operating unit; and
a conversion mechanism configured to convert a movement of the operating unit into a movement of a movable member which is one of the permanent magnet or the magnetic sensor relative to the other of the permanent magnet or the magnetic sensor, wherein
the magnetic sensor is configured to output a signal according to a relative angle of rotation of the permanent magnet around a rotation axis relative to the magnetic sensor and strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetic sensor,
the conversion mechanism is configured to convert a movement of the operating unit in a first direction into a first action of the movable member and convert a movement of the operating unit in a second direction into a second action of the movable member, the second direction intersecting the first direction,
the first action is a movement involving a change in the relative angle of rotation of the permanent magnet around the rotation axis relative to the magnetic sensor,
the second action is a movement involving a change in the strength of the magnetic field applied to the magnetic sensor,
the conversion mechanism includes a holder holding the movable member,
the holder is configured to rotate together with the movable member in accordance with the movement of the operating unit in the first direction to realize the first action of the movable member, and
the conversion mechanism is configured to move, in accordance with a movement of the operating unit in the second direction, the movable member relative to the holder to realize the second action of the movable member; and

a movable object body on which the input device is mounted.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd
• Panasonic Automotive Systems Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nishinakama Hideki

Classifications

• H01H36/008 Primary

  Change of magnetic field wherein the magnet and switch are fixed, e.g. by shielding or relative movements of armature (for reed switches H01H36/002) · CPC title

• G01D5/245

  using a variable number of pulses in a train · CPC title

• B60R16/02

  electric {constitutive elements} · CPC title

• H01H19/02 Primary

  Details · CPC title