OPERATION UNIT

• US 20150279580A1
• Filed: 09/10/2013
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Okazaki, Ryoji
• Granted Patent: US 9,691,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/02 Controlling members for hand actuation by linear movement, e.g. push buttons
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/105 comprising arrangements for illumination
• 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: G05G 9/04796 for rectilinear control along the axis of the controlling member
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/023 Light-emitting indicators for multi-layer switches H01H13/83
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/036 Light emitting elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/04 Operating part movable angularly in more than one plane, e.g. joystick
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/065 using separate operating parts, e.g. a push button surrounded by a rotating knob
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/12 Push-buttons

Abstract

An operation unit includes an operation part that is provided to be movable up and down along a movement axis, functions as a push-button switch at a first position, and functions as a joystick lever at a second position above the first position in the movement axis direction; and an operation part-detecting part that senses pressing of the operation part when the operation part is at the first position, and senses a direction in which the operation part has inclined when the operation part is at the second position.

Claims

1. An operation unit comprising:

an operation part that is movable up and down along a movement axis, functions as a push-button switch at a first position, and functions as a joystick lever at a second position above the first position in the movement axis direction; and

an operation part-detecting part that senses pressing of the operation part when the operation part is at the first position, and senses a direction in which the operation part has inclined when the operation part is at the second position.

2. The operation unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rotary body that comprises a through-hole, and rotates about a rotation axis that passes through the through-hole; and

a rotary body-detecting part that detects rotation of the rotary body, wherein the operation part is, inside the through-hole, movable up and down along the rotation axis direction.

3. The operation unit according to claim 2, further comprising a rotary body light-emitting part that emits light responding to rotation of the rotary body being detected by the rotary body-detecting part.

4. The operation unit according to claim 3, wherein

the rotary body-detecting part detects at least one of the amount of rotation, rotation speed, and direction of rotation of the rotary body, and

the operation unit further comprises a rotary body light-emission control part that controls a light-emission pattern of the rotary body light-emitting part based on the amount of rotation, rotation speed, or direction of rotation of the rotary body detected by the rotary body-detecting part.

5. The operation unit according to claim 3, wherein

the rotary body light-emitting part has comprises at least one rotary body light-emitting element, and

the at least one rotary body light-emitting element is disposed below a peripheral area of the through-hole of the rotary body, and radiates light from at least either one of a periphery of the rotary body and the rotary body.

6. The operation unit according to claim 1, further comprising an operation part light-emitting part that emits light responding to pressing of the operation part being sensed by the operation part-detecting part.

7. The operation unit according to claim 6, wherein

the operation part light-emitting part comprises at least one operation part light-emitting element, and

the at least one operation part light-emitting element is disposed below the operation part, and radiates light that is to penetrate through the operation part.

8. The operation unit according to claim 1,

wherein the operation part-detecting part further comprises:

a first detecting part that outputs a first sensing signal when the operation part has inclined in a first direction, and

a second detecting part that outputs a second sensing signal when the operation part has inclined in an opposite direction to the first direction; and

senses that the operation part has been pressed when the second detecting part outputs the second sensing signal while the first detecting part is outputting the first sensing signal.

9. The operation unit according to claim 8, wherein the operation part-detecting part further comprises:

a third detecting part that outputs a third sensing signal when the operation part has inclined in a second direction that is vertical to the first direction, and

a fourth detecting part that outputs a fourth sensing signal when the operation part has inclined in an opposite direction to the second direction.

10. The operation unit according to claim 2, further comprising an operation part light-emitting part that emits light responding to pressing of the operation part being sensed by the operation part-detecting part.

11. The operation unit according to claim 10, wherein

the operation part light-emitting part comprises at least one operation part light-emitting element, and

the at least one operation part light-emitting element is disposed below the operation part, and radiates light that is to penetrate through the operation part.

12. The operation unit according to claim 3, further comprising an operation part light-emitting part that emits light responding to pressing of the operation part being sensed by the operation part-detecting part.

13. The operation unit according to claim 12, wherein

the operation part light-emitting part comprises at least one operation part light-emitting element, and

the at least one operation part light-emitting element is disposed below the operation part, and radiates light that is to penetrate through the operation part.

14. The operation unit according to claim 2, wherein

the operation part-detecting part further comprises:

a first detecting part that outputs a first sensing signal when the operation part has inclined in a first direction, and

a second detecting part that outputs a second sensing signal when the operation part has inclined in an opposite direction to the first direction; and

senses that the operation part has been pressed when the second detecting part outputs the second sensing signal while the first detecting part is outputting the first sensing signal.

15. The operation unit according to claim 14, wherein the operation part-detecting part further comprises:

a third detecting part that outputs a third sensing signal when the operation part has inclined in a second direction that is vertical to the first direction, and

a fourth detecting part that outputs a fourth sensing signal when the operation part has inclined in an opposite direction to the second direction.

16. The operation unit according to claim 3, wherein

the operation part-detecting part further comprises:

a first detecting part that outputs a first sensing signal when the operation part has inclined in a first direction, and

a second detecting part that outputs a second sensing signal when the operation part has inclined in an opposite direction to the first direction; and

senses that the operation part has been pressed when the second detecting part outputs the second sensing signal while the first detecting part is outputting the first sensing signal.

17. The operation unit according to claim 16, wherein the operation part-detecting part further comprises:

a third detecting part that outputs a third sensing signal when the operation part has inclined in a second direction that is vertical to the first direction, and

a fourth detecting part that outputs a fourth sensing signal when the operation part has inclined in an opposite direction to the second direction.