Joystick device

• US 6,307,486 B1
• Filed: 08/06/1999
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hoshiden Corporation, Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Hoshiden Corporation, Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakamura, Masahiko, Takamoto, Junji, Koshima, Kazuo, Takeda, Genyo, Miyoshi, Toshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): EDWARDS JR, TIMOTHY
• Application Number:
  US09/369,388
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 341/20, 345/161, 744/71.XY, 200/6.R
• US Class Current: 341/20
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04755 Magnetic sensor, e.g. hall generator, pick-up coil
• 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: Y10T 74/20201 Control moves in two planes

Abstract

A joystick device includes a case so that first and second rocking members are respectively supported in a overlapped manner by first and second bearings formed in the case with their first and second elongate holes positioned perpendicular to each other. The operation of the lever inserted through the first and second elongate holes causes tilt movement in at least one of the rocking members so that the movement of the rocking member is supplied as a pulse signal by a detecting device. The lever includes an engaging portion engaged with the rocking member on the upper side, and a spherical portion formed at a position above the same rocking member. The cover has a hole having an inner peripheral edge with which contacted is an outer peripheral surface of the spherical portion so that the lever is supported operable in every direction. A spring is provided with the case, which acts to press down the rocking member thereby returning the lever to a neutral position.

Claims

1. A joystick device, comprising:

an operating member to be tilt-operated by a hand;

an initial-position returning mechanism arranged to be automatically returned to an initial-position thereof when said operating member is released from an external force;

a first interacting member arranged for interacting solely with movement in a first direction of said operating member, and having an elongate hole;

a second interacting member arranged for interacting solely with movement in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction of said operating member, and having a second elongate hole extending in a direction perpendicular to a direction that said first elongate hole extends; and

an engaging projection integrally formed in the vicinity of a lower end of said operating member to project to a length greater than a width of said first elongate hole or said second elongate hole, said operating member being prevented from being upwardly pulled off by one of said first interacting member and said second interacting member by means of said engaging projection.

2. A joystick device according to claim 1, wherein said second interacting member exists below said first interacting member, and said engaging projection has a thickness approximately equal to a length of said second interacting member and is projected to a length greater than a width of said first elongate hole, said engaging projection being slidable inside said second elongate hole and engaged with a bottom surface of said first interacting member to thereby prevent said operating member from being upwardly pulled off.

3. A joystick device according to claim 1, wherein said second interacting member exists below said first interacting member, and said engaging projection has a thickness approximately equal to a length of said second interacting member and is projected to a length greater than a width of said first elongate hole, said engaging projection being engaged with a bottom surface of said first interacting member to thereby prevent said operating member from being upwardly pulled off.