Pen-shaped coordinate pointing device

• US 20030122795A1
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Inventors: Fujitsuka, Hiroyuki, Fukushima, Yasuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,937,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

In an input pen having a pen-shaped casing, a ferrite core with a coil wound thereon and a ferrite chip are placed opposed to each other with an O-ring therebetween. The ferrite chip has a projection. When the input pen is operated, the projection and the ferrite core are moved closer together. When the ferrite chip is moved closer to the ferrite core during operation, the projection is placed substantially close to the ferrite core. Therefore, high responsivity is ensured without moving the ferrite chip into the coil, and there is no need to form an opening or a cavity in the ferrite core.

Claims

1. A pen-shaped coordinate pointing device that indicates a position to be measured and an operation by an operator to a position detecting device for measuring the position, said pen-shaped coordinate pointing device comprising:

a coil wound on a core having an end face with no opening; and

a magnetic member placed along the axis of said coil so as to oppose an end face of said core,

wherein said core and said magnetic member are spaced from each other and are moved closer together in response to the operation by the operator.

2. A pen-shaped coordinate pointing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first elastic member disposed between said end face of said core and said magnetic member.

3. A pen-shaped coordinate pointing device according to claim 2, wherein said first elastic member is in contact with only a part of said end face of said core and is in contact with only a part of a face of said magnetic member opposing said end face of said core, and another part of said end face of said core and another part of said opposing face of said magnetic member oppose each other without said first elastic member therebetween.

4. A pen-shaped coordinate pointing device according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said end face of said core and said face of said magnetic member opposing said end face of said core has a projection having a height less than the thickness of said first elastic member.

5. A pen-shaped coordinate pointing device according to claim 4, wherein said first elastic member is an annular member having a through hole communicating with said end face of said core and with said opposing face of said magnetic member, and said projection projects in said through hole of said first elastic member.

6. A pen-shaped coordinate pointing device according to claim 5, wherein said first elastic member is an annular member in line contact with said end face of said core and said opposing face of said magnetic member, said projection has a side face formed along the inner side face of said first elastic member, and both said magnetic member and said core are cylindrical.

7. A pen-shaped coordinate pointing device according to claim 1, wherein said core and said magnetic member are held in a pen-shaped casing, a lead is disposed at the leading end of said casing so as to move into and out of said casing, and said magnetic member is connected to the base end of said lead.

8. A pen-shaped coordinate pointing device according to claim 7, wherein a cavity of said casing for holding said core and said magnetic member therein has, at the leading end of said casing, a first stepped portion at which the inner diameter of said cavity decreases, and said core is placed so that said end face of said core opposing said magnetic member is in contact with said first stepped portion.

9. A pen-shaped coordinate pointing device according to claim 7, further comprising:

a second elastic member disposed between an end face of said core that does not oppose said magnetic member and the base end of said cavity of said casing.

10. A pen-shaped coordinate pointing device according to claim 9, further comprising:

a support member disposed between said end face of said core that does not oppose said magnetic member, and said second elastic member so that said support member is in contact with said end face of said core,

wherein said support member has a core-holding projection projecting toward said end face of said core, and said end face of said core has a recess to be fitted on said core-holding projection.

11. A pen-shaped coordinate pointing device according to claim 10, further comprising:

an adjusting member disposed between said support member and said end face of said core.

12. A pen-shaped coordinate pointing device according to claim 7, wherein a cavity of said casing for holding said core and said magnetic member therein has, at the leading end of said casing, a second stepped portion at which the inner diameter of said cavity decreases, a flat portion in parallel with a transverse section of said casing is formed at the base end of said lead, and said lead is placed so that said flat portion is in contact with said second stepped portion formed in said cavity of said casing.

13. A pen-shaped coordinate pointing device according to claim 12, wherein said flat portion formed at the base end of said lead has a magnetic-member holding projection projecting toward an end face of said magnetic member in contact with said lead, and said end face of said magnetic member in contact with said lead has a recess to be fitted on said magnetic-member holding projection.

14. A pen-shaped coordinate pointing device that indicates a position to be measured and an operation by an operator to a position detecting device for measuring the position, said pen-shaped coordinate pointing device comprising:

a coil wound around a core; and

a magnetic member placed along the axis of said coil so as to oppose an end face of said core, wherein said core and said magnetic member are spaced from each other and are moved closer together in response to the operation by the operator.