Operating device

• US 6,993,990 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2005
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kojima, Shinichi, Sogabe, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): FENSTERMACHER, DAVID MORGAN
• Application Number:
  US11/112,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20050183537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 292 Days
• Field of Search: 74/10.R, 74/101, 74/102, 74/102.2, 74/102.7, 74/105
• US Class Current: 74/10.27
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/10 Details, e.g. of discs, knobs, wheels or handles G05G1/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 19/14 Operating parts, e.g. turn knob
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2019/143 having at least two concentric turn knobs
• 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 25/06 Operating part movable both angularly and rectilinearly, the rectilinear movement being along the axis of angular movement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2084 Knob or dial

Abstract

An operating device having a rotary knob capable of rotation operations exhibits compatibility between speed and precision in operation and does not require use of a plurality of rotary knobs. In the operating device (1) including the rotary knob (4) and the rotation detecting means (8) for detecting the rotated angle of the rotary knob, the rotary knob includes a small-diameter component (4F) for operating the rotary knob quickly, and a large-diameter component (4S) for operating the rotary knob slowly or for fine adjustment, and the determining means (9) is provided for determining the rotated position of the rotary knob when the rotary knob is operated.

Claims

1. An operating device comprising:

a rotary knob; and

rotation-detecting means for detecting a rotated angle of the rotary knob and providing a rotary position output, wherein

the rotary knob includes a small-diameter component to facilitate a user quickly rotating the rotary knob and a large-diameter component to permit the user to slowly rotate the rotary knob so as to finely adjust a rotary position of the rotary knob,

the rotation-detecting means includes determining means for determining a rotated position of the rotary knob when the rotary knob is rotated by the user,

wherein the small-diameter component and the large-diameter component of the rotary knob are arranged coaxially on a shaft, and the rotation-detection means provides the rotary-position output when the rotary knob is pressed in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the shaft of the rotary knob, and

wherein the shaft passes through central holes of shaft bearings mounted for sliding in holes formed in a support element, whereby movement in the first direction perpendicular to the axis of the shaft of the rotary knob is enable, and further comprising

urging means connected between the bearings and the support element for generating an urging force in a second direction opposite to the first direction.