Selective multiple position switch with common pivoted operator

• US RE36,738 E
• Filed: 02/03/1997
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD.
• Original Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD.
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Takeki, Matsumiya, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): SCOTT, JAMES R
• Application Number:
  US08/794,603
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 200/5 R, 200/5 A, 200/512-517, 200/553, 200/557, 200/339, 200/6 A, 200/17 R, 200/18, 463/37, 463/38, 345/161, 345/168, 345/169
• US Class Current: 200/6.00A
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/012 Joy stick type
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/041 having a generally flat operating member depressible at different locations to operate different controls

Abstract

A tilting member has a force bearing portion to which operating force is applied, and a supported surface. A supporting member has a supporting projection with which the supported surface of the tilting member may come in contact. When the operating force is applied to the tilting member, the tilting member tilts with respect to the supporting member. The supporting member supports the tilting member at a supporting point where the supporting projection of the supporting member is in contact with the supported surface of the tilting member, about which supporting point the tilting member tilts. The tilting of the tilting member, with respect to the supporting member, establishes a predetermined electrical contact.

Claims

1. A control-key device .Iadd.for use with a game device such as a video game .Iaddend.comprising:

a housing member having an opening;

a substrate with .[.at least a pair.]. .Iadd.two pairs .Iaddend.of electrode portions formed thereon, each of said electrode portions having a pair of separate contacts;

.[.a.]. .Iadd.two pairs of .Iaddend.movable contact .[.which is.]. .Iadd.members .Iaddend.formed .[.with respect to each of the.]. corresponding .Iadd.to said pairs of .Iaddend.electrode portion.Iadd.s.Iaddend., .Iadd.each of said movable contact members including a movable contact and an elastic member, the combination of the electrode portion, the movable contact and the elastic portion at each of said movable contact members being arranged so that .Iaddend.said movable contact .[.being.]. .Iadd.is .Iaddend.positioned spacedly from the corresponding electrode portion and movably supported on said substrate by .[.an.]. .Iadd.the corresponding .Iaddend.elastic member .Iadd.and .Iaddend.so that said movable contact comes in contact with the corresponding electrode portions to cause said pair of separate contacts to short-circuit .Iadd.so as to supply a signal to the game device for controlling the progress of a video game .Iaddend.when a downward movement is applied to said movable contact .Iadd.member.Iaddend.;

a supporting member .[.formed on.]. .Iadd.disposed upon .Iaddend.said substrate at the middle portion .[.between said pair of.]. .Iadd.surrounded by said pairs of .Iaddend.electrode portions; and

a key-top member having a first .[.surface.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.and a second .[.surface.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.and positioned so that said first .[.surface.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.is exposed outside of said housing member through said opening and said second .[.surface is closely spaced from.]. .Iadd.portion is facing .Iaddend.said supporting member, said key-top member further comprising portions contacting said movable .[.contacts.]. .Iadd.contact members.Iaddend., said key-top member .Iadd.and said movable contact members .Iaddend.being arranged so that .Iadd.said key-top member is maintained in a level position with the second portion thereof spaced from said supporting member in the absence of a manipulating force on said key-top member and wherein .Iaddend.said second .[.surface.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.of said key-top member contacts said supporting member when a downward movement is applied to said key-top member.

2. The control-key device according to claim 1, wherein said supporting member .[.is.]. .Iadd.comprises .Iaddend.a .[.metal ball.]. .Iadd.conducting member having a curvilinear surface .Iaddend.and is supported on said substrate through .[.a.]. .Iadd.an .Iaddend.elastic member.

3. The control-key device according to claim 2, wherein said second .[.surface.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.of said key-top member has a concave shape corresponding to the shape of the top surface of said metal ball with which said key-top member comes into contact.

4. The control-key device according to claim 1, wherein said second .[.surface.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.of said key-top member has a flat plane at the portion facing said supporting member.

5. The control-key device according to claim 1, wherein said second .[.surface.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.of said key-top member has a concavity at the portion facing said supporting member.

6. The control-key device according to claim 5, wherein said supporting member has a shape such that said supporting member may fit into said concavity of said key-top member and said key-top member may tilt in at least one predetermined direction while said supporting member is located in said concavity.

7. The control-key device according to claim 1, wherein said second .[.surface.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.of said key-top member and said supporting member respectively have constructions such that, while said key-top member tilts in a predetermined plurality of directions respectively, conditions in which said second surface is in contact with said supporting member are uniform.

8. The control-key device according to claim 1, wherein said supporting member has an at least partially spherical shape.

9. The control-key device according to claim 8, wherein said second .[.surface.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.of said key-top member has a partial spherical concave shape, a diameter of the sphere of which partially spherical concave shape is slightly larger than a diameter of the sphere of said at least partially spherical shape of said supporting member.

10. The control-key device according to claim 1, wherein said supporting member has an at least partially cylindrical shape.

11. The control-key device according to claim 1, wherein said supporting member has an at least partially square pole shape.

12. The control-key device according to claim 1, wherein said supporting member has an at least partially octagonal pole shape.

13. The control-key device according to claim 1, wherein said second .[.surface.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.of said key-top member has a concavity of at least a partially spherical shape and said supporting member has an at least a partially spherical shape;

and

wherein said concavity of at least partial spherical shape of said second .[.surface.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.is a shape such that said at least a partially spherical shape of said supporting member may substantially precisely fit into said concavity of at least a partially spherical shape of said second .[.surface.]. .Iadd.portion.Iaddend..

14. The control-key device according to claim 1, further comprising direction maintaining means for maintaining a direction of said key-top member so as to prevent said key-top member from tilting and so as to prevent the .[.pair.]. .Iadd.different pairs .Iaddend.of separate contacts of said substrate from being short-circuited as a result of the tilting of said key-top member even though no operating force is applied thereto.

15. The control-key device according to claim 14, wherein said direction maintaining means maintains a direction of said key-top member so as further to maintain a space between said second .[.surface.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.of said key-top member and said supporting member while no operating force is applied to said key-top member.

16. The control-key mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said key-top member tilts on said supporting member in response to the downward movement being applied to said key-top member, the tilting direction of said key-top member depending on a direction in which the downward movement is applied to said key-top member, and different directions of the tilting of said key-top member causes corresponding different pairs of separate contacts to be short-circuited respectively.

17. A control-key device .Iadd.for use with a game device such as a video game .Iaddend.comprising:

a housing member having an opening;

a substrate with two pairs of electrode members formed and located at symmetrical positions on an imaginary circle thereon, each of said electrode members having a pair of separate contracts;

an elastic member placed on said substrate .[.and.]..Iadd., said elastic member .Iaddend.having two pairs of .Iadd.resiliently movable portions with .Iaddend.movable .[.contact portions.]. .Iadd.contacts .Iaddend.corresponding to said two pairs of electrode members, which movable .[.contact portions.]. .Iadd.contacts .Iaddend.are positioned spacedly from the corresponding electrode members and arranged so that one of said movable contacts to which a downward movement is applied comes into contact with the corresponding one of said electrode members to cause the relevant pair of separate contacts thereof to short-circuit .Iadd.so as to supply a signal to the game device for controlling the progress of a video game.Iaddend.;

a supporting member .[.formed on.]. .Iadd.disposed upon .Iaddend.said substrate at the center portion of said imaginary circle; and

a key-top member having a first .[.surface.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.and a second .[.surface.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.and positioned so that said first .[.surface.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.is exposed outside of said housing member through said opening and said second .[.surface is closely spaced from.]. .Iadd.portion is facing .Iaddend.said supporting member, said key-top member further comprising portions contacting said .Iadd.resiliently .Iaddend.movable .[.contacts.]. .Iadd.portions.Iaddend., said key-top member .Iadd.and said resiliently movable portions .Iaddend.being arranged so that .Iadd.said key-top member is maintained in a level position with the second portion thereof spaced from said supporting member in the absence of a manipulating force on said key-top member and wherein .Iaddend.said second .[.surface.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.of said key-top member contacts said supporting member when a downward movement is applied to said key-top member.

18. The control-key device according to claim 17, wherein said key-top member has a bottom peripheral disk and said housing member has a ring member encircling said opening and extending to said bottom peripheral disk and arranged so that at a state free of downward movement of said key-top member said bottom peripheral disk contacts said ring member.

19. The control-key device according to claim 17, wherein said elastic member has a depression at a position corresponding to said center portion of the imaginary circle of said substrate and said supporting member is formed on said substrate so that said supporting member is placed partially in said depression, a top portion of said supporting member protruding out of said elastic member toward said key-top member, and a bottom portion of said supporting member being supported by said elastic member on said substrate.

20. The control-key device according to claim 17, wherein:

said supporting member is placed on said elastic member elastically supporting said key-top member so as to maintain a direction of said key-top member; and

wherein the operating force which being applied to said first .[.surface.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.of said key-top member causes, against an elastic force applied by said elastic member, said key-top member to tilt with respect to said supporting member while said supporting member supports said key-top member at a supporting point where said supporting member is in contact with said second .[.surface.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.of said key-top member, about which supporting point said key-top member tilts; and

wherein the tilting of said key-top member, with respect to said supporting member, causes said movable contact portions of said elastic member to come in contact with said electrode members of said substrate so as to cause the pair of separate contacts thereof to short-circuit.

21. A control-key device .Iadd.for use with a game device such as a video game .Iaddend.comprising:

a substrate with at least a pair of electrode members formed on a surface thereof and a center position defined at said surface between said pair of electrode members, said pair of electrode members being located symmetrically with respect to said center position;

an elastic member placed on said substrate, said elastic member comprising a depression on said center position of said substrate and at least a pair of protuberant portions on said electrode member, each of said protuberant portions having an electrical contact facing toward but closely spaced from the corresponding one of said electrode members so as to operate as a movable contact member against the corresponding electrode member;

a metal member placed partially buried in said depression, supported by said substrate at said center position with the portion of said elastic member located between said metal member and said substrate, and protruding from the surface of said elastic member;

a key-top member having a first surface and a second surface, said key-top member comprising at least a pair of first portions contacting the corresponding protuberance portions of said elastic member, a second portion defined at said second surface and facing .[.but closely spaced from.]. the protruding portion of said metal member, and at least a pair of fringe portions positioned substantially symmetrically with respect to the second portion of said key-top member.Iadd., said key-top member and said protuberant portions of said elastic member being arranged so that said key-top member is maintained in a level position by said protuberant portions with the second portion thereof spaced from said metal member when no downward force is applied to the first surface of said key-top member.Iaddend.; and

a housing member having an opening .[.position.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.and at least a pair of stopper portions corresponding to said pair of fringe portions of said key-top member, said housing member being positioned so that said first surface of said key-top member is exposed outside of said housing member and said stopper .[.positions.]. .Iadd.portions .Iaddend.contact the corresponding fringe portions when .[.downward movement is not applied to.]. said key-top member .[.at.]. .Iadd.does not receive a downward force on .Iaddend.its first surface.