Pointing device
First Claim
1. A pointing device, comprising:
- a base section;
an operating section shiftably supported on said base section;
a magnet carried on said operating section;
said operating section including a holding part securely holding said magnet and shiftably supported on said base section, and an elastic part connected to said holding part and exerting an elastic force for returning said holding part to a home position in a shifting range, while accompanying a shifting operation of said holding part on said base section;
a magneto-electro transducer carried on said base section at a location close to said magnet; and
a shifting limiting element in contact with said elastic part and defining said shifting range of said holding pad on said base, a center axis of the shifting limiting element constituting a center axis of the pointing device and defining said home position of the holding part, andwherein said elastic part of said operating section is provided integrally with a major portion surrounding substantially an entire outer circumference of said holding part, and said elastic pad has a first connecting portion connected to said holding part at one end of said major portion and said major portion exerts an even elastic biasing force irrespective of a shifting direction of said holding part on said base section.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pointing device including a base section, an operating section shiftably supported on the base section, a magnet carried on one of the base section and the operating section, and a magneto-electro transducer carried on the other of the base section and the operating section at a location close to the magnet. The operating section includes a first part securely holding one of the magnet and the magneto-electro transducer and supported on the base section shiftably in a desired horizontal direction relative to the base section, and a second part connected to the first part and elastically biasing the first part toward a home position in a horizontal shifting range during a period when the first part is horizontally shifted along the base section. The second part of the operating section is provided integrally with a major portion substantially surrounding an entire circumference of the first part, a first connecting portion connected to the first part at one end of the major portion and a second connecting portion connected to the base section at another end of the major portion; the major portion exerting an even elastic biasing force irrespective of a shifting direction of the first part on the base section.
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Citations
6 Claims
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1. A pointing device, comprising:
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a base section; an operating section shiftably supported on said base section; a magnet carried on said operating section; said operating section including a holding part securely holding said magnet and shiftably supported on said base section, and an elastic part connected to said holding part and exerting an elastic force for returning said holding part to a home position in a shifting range, while accompanying a shifting operation of said holding part on said base section; a magneto-electro transducer carried on said base section at a location close to said magnet; and a shifting limiting element in contact with said elastic part and defining said shifting range of said holding pad on said base, a center axis of the shifting limiting element constituting a center axis of the pointing device and defining said home position of the holding part, and wherein said elastic part of said operating section is provided integrally with a major portion surrounding substantially an entire outer circumference of said holding part, and said elastic pad has a first connecting portion connected to said holding part at one end of said major portion and said major portion exerts an even elastic biasing force irrespective of a shifting direction of said holding part on said base section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A pointing device, comprising:
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an operating section horizontally moveable with respect to a base section, said operating section having a holding part shiftably supported on said base section and a basin-shaped elastic part surrounding an entire outer circumference of the holding part and generating an elastic force; a support member provided to the base section, said support member having a wall defining a range for shifting the holding part and a peripheral portion of the elastic part in contact with and surrounding said wall; and wherein said elastic part exerts an even biasing force regardless of a horizontal shifting direction of the holding part resulting from a shifting operation of a user and a center axis of said wall constitutes a center axis of the pointing device and defines a home position of the holding part.
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6. A pointing device having a base section, comprising:
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an operating section shiftably supported on the base section, said operating section having a holding part securely holding a magnet and an elastic part which is elastically deformed in a direction opposite to a shifting direction and returns a shifting range of said holding part; and a shifting defining element in contact with a lower portion of said elastic part and defining the shifting range of said holding section, where said elastic part surrounds an entire outer circumference of the holding part and a center axis of the shifting defining element constitutes a center axis of the pointing device and defines a home position of the holding part.
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Specification