Display screen control apparatus

• US 5,510,810 A
• Filed: 12/05/1994
• Issued: 04/23/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Iwama, Naoya, Suganami, Syoji, Suzuki, Katsutoshi, Nishijima, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): Weldon, Ulysses
• Application Number:
  US08/349,698
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/161, 345/160, 345/167, 345/184, 200/6 R, 200/9, 200/16 B, 200/16 C, 200/6 A, 200/5 R
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 2025/043 the operating member being rotatable around wobbling axis for additional switching functions
• 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 25/041 having a generally flat operating member depressible at different locations to operate different controls

Abstract

A display screen control apparatus for producing a plurality of control signals in response to pressing, tilting and rotating a single operation lever, the control signals being transmitted to control circuitry for controlling the position of a cursor on the display screen in response to the control signals. The display screen control apparatus includes a base upon which are formed a plurality of control switches, the operation lever being resiliently positioned over the control switches such that pressing the operation lever actuates a first control switch, tilting the operation lever actuates one of a plurality of second control switches, and rotating the operation lever actuates one of two third control switches.

Claims

1. A display screen control apparatus, comprising:

a housing including a base and a cover defining an opening;

an operation lever movably supported in the housing and having a shaft projecting through the opening formed in the cover, said operation lever being rotatable around an axis and including first, second and third actuating portions positioned in a common plane, the common plane being perpendicular to the axis;

a tilt detection switch mounted on the base and accommodated in said housing adjacent an outer edge of the operation lever, the tilt detection switch being actuated by the first actuating portion of said operation lever when said shaft portion is tilted in a particular direction relative to the housing;

a rotation detection switch mounted on the base and accommodated in said housing adjacent the outer edge of the operation lever, the rotation detection switch being actuated by the second actuating portion of said operation lever when said operation lever is rotated around the axis relative to the housing; and

a press detection switch mounted on the base and accommodated in said housing opposite the opening, the press detection switch being actuated by the third actuating portion of said operation lever when said operation lever is pressed into the housing;

wherein said operation lever includes a curved outer surface held in sliding contact with an inner wall surface of said housing by a resetting force of at least one of said tilt, rotation and press detection switches.

2. A display screen control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said rotation detection switch is a push switch.

3. A display screen control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said apparatus further comprises:

second, third and fourth tilt detection switches disposed at equal intervals of 90°

around said press detection switch; and

a second rotation detection switch, said rotation switch being disposed at a first position where it is actuated by said operation lever when said operation lever is rotated in a forward direction, and said second rotation detection switch being disposed at a second position where it is actuated by said operation lever when said operation lever is rotated in a backward direction.

4. A display screen control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein rotation detection switch is located at a first distance from a center of rotation of said operation lever, and said apparatus further comprises a second rotation detection switch disposed at a second, different distance from the center of rotation of said operation lever so that said first and second rotation detection switches are turned on at different times depending upon an amount of rotation of said operation lever.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said operation lever includes a main body having a curved outer surface upon which are formed said first and second actuating portions, an upper portion from which said shaft extends out of said housing, and a lower surface including a projection forming said third actuating portion.

6. An input control device, comprising:

a housing including a base and an upper case forming an enclosed area, the base including a flat lower surface defining a plane, the upper case defining an opening;

an operation member including an actuating member movably disposed in the enclosed area and a shaft extending through the opening in the upper case, the operation member being rotatable around an axis, the axis being perpendicular to the plane defined by the base, the actuating member having first and second switch actuating portions;

a tilt detection switch mounted on the flat lower surface of the base and disposed opposite to said first switch actuating portion such that the tilt detection switch is actuated by said first switch actuating portion when said operation member is tilted in a predetermined direction relative to the housing;

a force converting member movably mounted in the enclosed area adjacent the second switch actuating portion, the force converting member having a first portion disposed to receive a horizontal force from said second switch actuating portion in response to a rotation of the operation member, and a second portion generating a vertical force in response to the horizontal force; and

a rotation detection switch mounted on the flat lower surface of the base and disposed opposite to said second portion of said force converting member such that the rotation detection switch is actuated by said vertical force generating in response to rotation of said operation member.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said actuating member includes a main body having a curved outer surface and at least two arms projecting laterally from said main body at an equal angular interval around said main body, said first switch actuating portion being provided on a lower side of an outer end of each of said arms, said second switch urging portion being provided on lateral surfaces of two of said arms.

8. A device according to claim 6, wherein said tilt and rotation detection switches have fixed contacts disposed on the upper surface of said base.

9. A device according to claim 7, wherein the outer surface of said main body is held in sliding contact with an inner wall surface of a housing by a resetting force of said tilt detection switch.

10. A system including a multi-input control device for generating output signals from a group of detection switches arranged in a first plane within the device, the group of detection switches including a tilt detection switch urged and actuated by an operation lever when said operation lever is tilted in a preselected direction, a rotation detection switch for detecting the rotation of said operation lever around an axis of rotation, and a press detection switch urged and actuated by said operation lever when said operation lever is pressed, said device comprising:

an actuating member which integrally includes first, second and third switch urging portions for urging and actuating said group of detection switches;

wherein said first plane is perpendicular to said axis of rotation and contains the group of detection switches which are arranged so as to oppose a second plane containing a bottom surface of said actuating member.