JOYSTICK TYPE SWITCH DEVICE

• US 20090084214A1
• Filed: 11/28/2006
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TOYO Denso Company Limited
• Original Assignee: TOYO Denso Company Limited
• Inventors: Tsuzuki, Takashi, Noguchi, Yoshitaka, Sakai, Naohiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,186,240 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/471.XY
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 21/42 Heels with replaceable or adjustable parts , e.g. top lift
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/04 attached to the heel
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04755 Magnetic sensor, e.g. hall generator, pick-up coil
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04766 providing feel, e.g. indexing means, means to create counterforce
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04777 with additional push or pull action on the handle
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04781 with additional rotation of the controlling member
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/008 Operating part movable both angularly and rectilinearly, the rectilinear movement being perpendicular to the axis of angular movement
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/04 Operating part movable angularly in more than one plane, e.g. joystick
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 36/006 comprising a plurality of reed switches, e.g. selectors or joystick-operated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20201 Control moves in two planes

Abstract

A joystick type switch device is provided that includes an operating shaft having an operating knob provided at one end, and a case supporting the operating shaft so that the operating shaft can move between a return position and a pushed-in position and tilt from a neutral position around a tilt center, it being possible to detect pushing of the operating shaft into the pushed-in position and tilting of the operating shaft from the neutral position into eight directions, wherein the operating shaft (16) has a magnet mounted at the other end, and a portion, facing the magnet, of a base plate (22) mounted on the case has at least three Hall elements (43A to 43D) fixed thereto at equal intervals around the axis of the operating shaft (16) in the neutral position. This enables excellent durability to be obtained and the number of components to be reduced.

Claims

1. A joystick type switch device comprising:

an operating shaft (16) having an operating knob (15) provided at one end, and a case (18) supporting the operating shaft (16) so that the operating shaft (16) can move along an axis thereof between a return position and a pushed-in position and the operating shaft (16) can tilt from a neutral position around a tilt center (C) set on the axis, it being possible to detect pushing of the operating shaft (16), which is resiliently urged toward the neutral position and the return position, into the pushed-in position and tilting of the operating shaft (16) from the neutral position into eight directions set at equal intervals around the axis, characterized in that the operating shaft (16) has a magnet (41) mounted at the other end, and a portion, facing the magnet (41), of a base plate (22) mounted on the case (18) has at least three magnetic elements (43A to 43D;

43E to 43G) fixed thereto at equal intervals around the axis of the operating shaft (16) in the neutral position.

2. The joystick type switch device according to claim 1, wherein click mechanisms (45) are provided between the operating shaft (16) and the case (18) at four positions equally spaced around the axis of the operating shaft (16), the click mechanisms (45) giving a click feel when the operating shaft (16) is tilted from the neutral position beyond a predetermined angle.