EP0581582A2 - Richtungsabhängiger Steuertastenmechanismus - Google Patents

Richtungsabhängiger Steuertastenmechanismus Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0581582A2
EP0581582A2 EP93305954A EP93305954A EP0581582A2 EP 0581582 A2 EP0581582 A2 EP 0581582A2 EP 93305954 A EP93305954 A EP 93305954A EP 93305954 A EP93305954 A EP 93305954A EP 0581582 A2 EP0581582 A2 EP 0581582A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
key
support member
directional control
plate
circuit board
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP93305954A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0581582B1 (de
EP0581582A3 (de
Inventor
Hiroshi Matsumiya
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sega Corp
Original Assignee
Sega Enterprises Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from JP059474U external-priority patent/JPH0617072U/ja
Priority claimed from JP064032U external-priority patent/JPH0619238U/ja
Application filed by Sega Enterprises Ltd filed Critical Sega Enterprises Ltd
Publication of EP0581582A2 publication Critical patent/EP0581582A2/de
Publication of EP0581582A3 publication Critical patent/EP0581582A3/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0581582B1 publication Critical patent/EP0581582B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H25/00—Switches with compound movement of handle or other operating part
    • H01H25/04—Operating part movable angularly in more than one plane, e.g. joystick
    • H01H25/041—Operating part movable angularly in more than one plane, e.g. joystick having a generally flat operating member depressible at different locations to operate different controls
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H13/00—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch
    • H01H13/70—Switches having rectilinearly-movable operating part or parts adapted for pushing or pulling in one direction only, e.g. push-button switch having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboard
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H2221/00—Actuators
    • H01H2221/008—Actuators other then push button
    • H01H2221/012—Joy stick type

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a directional control-key mechanism, and more particularly to a directional control-key mechanism used for a controller such as an input device used for playing TV games.
  • a directional control-key In a TV game machine and a portable computer game machine, there is often provided a directional control-key.
  • a player of a TV game can move an image on a display of the TV game machine in a desired direction such as up and down or right and left.
  • the size of the directional control-key is relatively larger than that of a key generally used as an input key of computers.
  • a conventional directional control-key comprises a key body 2 having a top surface 2a for being handled by an operator (or player) and a bottom plate 5 fixed on a bottom surface of the key body 2.
  • the bottom plate 5 is provided with a hemispherical member 6 at the center thereof.
  • the key body 2 is positioned above a portion of a circuit board 7 provided in a housing which comprises an upper case 1 and a bottom case 2.
  • the key body 2 is inserted into an opening 1a of the upper case 1 so that the top surface 2a of the key body 2 protrudes from a surface of the upper case 1.
  • Each of the elastic members has a raised portion 8a around the center thereof, and a top surface of the raised portion 8a makes contact with the bottom plate 5.
  • a bottom surface of the raised portion 8a of each of the elastic members 8 is apart from the surface of the circuit board 7 where electrodes are formed. These electrodes are provided so as to generate electric signals when a pair of these electrodes under the raised portion 8a of each of the elastic members 8 are connected by the elastic members 8.
  • the above-mentioned hemispherical member 6 is positioned on the center of the bottom plate 5 between the bottom plate 5 and the circuit board 7 with a small gap formed between a tip of the hemispherical member and the surface of the circuit board 7. It should be noted that the gap between the tip of the hemispherical member and the circuit board is formed because it is difficult to accurately control the height of the elastic members 8 due to the material, namely due to the electrically conductive rubber, of the elastic member 8.
  • the key body 2 When a pressing force is applied to the surface 2a of the key body 2, the key body 2 starts to move downward against an elastic force exerted by the elastic members 8, until the tip of the hemisphere member 6 makes contact with the surface of the circuit board 7. Supposing that the pressing force is applied on the right side, in Fig 1, of the top surface 2a from the center thereof, the key body then starts to pivot aboutthetipofthe hemispherical member 6. Accordingly, after the tip of the hemispherical member 6 is in contact with the circuit board 7, only the elastic member 8 on the right side in Fig.1 is continued to be pressed down.
  • the bottom surface of the raised portion 8a of the elastic member 8 on the right side makes contact with a pair of the electrodes positioned under the raised portion 8a.
  • the pair of electrodes are electrically connected, resulting in a generation of a signal corresponding to a direction of the position of the top surface 2a to which the pressing force is applied, in this case a signal representing "right".
  • the tip of the hemispherical member 6 hits every time the key body 2 is pressed.
  • the impact of these hits results in wear of the tip of the hemispherical member or the surface of the circuit board 7. If a wear amount becomes large after considerable use of the control-key, then, before the tip of the hemispherical member makes contact with the circuit board 7, the elastic members 8 positioned on opposite sides of the center of the key body 2 are simultaneously pressed against the position where the pair of electrodes located in each of the elastic members are connected by the elastic members 8. This results in malfunctioning of the TV game machine, or difficulty in controlling movement of an image on a display of the TV game machine.
  • a more specific object of the present invention is to provide a directional control-key mechanism which has a long service life without malfunctioning due to wear of a part thereof.
  • a directional control-key mechanism comprises a key and pairs of electrodes, a given pair of electrodes being momentarily connected by means of an elastic member pressed by the key in accordance with a portion of the key being pressed, the directional control-key being characterized in that;
  • the key is connected with a support member having a radially extending portion, the support member having a generally round shaped tip portion being in contact with a base;
  • the tip portion of the support member is always in contact with the base and thereby there is no impact force applied to a contacting point. Accordingly, wear of the contact point is less than that of the conventional mechanism. Further, even if the contact point has been worn in the mechanism according to the present invention, there are no undesired influences on the operation of the mechanism because wear of the contact point merely makes a gap between the electrodes and the contact material slightly larger. This gives a completely different effect as compared to the conventional mechanism in which two pairs of electrodes are connected simultaneously when the contact point has been worn. Therefore, no malfunction of the TV game machine occurs due to wear of the contact point.
  • Fig.2 shows a portion of a controller of a TV game machine in which a directional control-key mechanism is incorporated.
  • the controller has a plastic upper case 11, and from a top surface of the upper case 11, a top portion of a directional control-key 14 protrudes.
  • An operator (or a player of the TV game) can control a moving direction of an image on a display of the TV game machine by pressing a portion of the control key 14. For example, if the operator presses a right side portion of the control key 14, an image (the image may be a character) moves to the right on the display.
  • Fig.3 is a cross sectional view of the controller shown in Fig.2 taken along a line III-III.
  • the directional control-key mechanism according to the present invention comprises a key body 20 and a plurality of elastic members 25.
  • the key body 20 comprises the key 14 and support member 15 secured to a stem 14a of the key 14 by a screw 17.
  • the support member has a radially extending portion 15a, and in an opening of the support member 15 in which opening the screw 17 is inserted is provided with a tip portion 16 having a convex shape directing downward.
  • the tip portion 16 is press fitted into the opening of the support member 15.
  • the stem 14a of the key 14 extends through a hole 18a provided on a circuit board 18 in the upper case 11.
  • the tip portion 16 is placed on a protrusion 12a of a bottom case 12 of the controller.
  • a top portion of the key 14 is protrudes from an opening 11a of the upper case 11 so that the operator can press a desired portion of a top surface 14a of the key 14.
  • the circuit board 18 is fixed to the bottom case 12.
  • the stem 14a extends through a hole 18a formed on the circuit board 18.
  • each of the elastic members 25 is attached to a bottom surface of the circuit board 18 so that they are arranged on a circumference.
  • Each of the elastic members 25 has a portion 25a having a relatively large thickness and being in a portion lifted from the surface of the circuit board 18. Accordingly, there is formed a gap between the top surface of the portion 25a and the bottom surface of the circuit board 18.
  • the portion 25a is supported by a relatively thin portion 25b and thereby the top portion 25a is allowed to elastically move up and down.
  • a bottom surface of the portion 25a is in contact with a top surface of the radially extending portion 15a and the support member 15 is thereby always pressed to the protrusion 12a of the bottom case 12.
  • a contact material 16 is attached and a pair of electrodes 27 are provided on the bottom surface of the circuit board 18 at a position directly above the contact material 16.
  • the electrodes 27 are part of an electrical circuit formed on the circuit board and the electrical circuit is so formed to generate a signal used for moving an image on the display when the pair of electrodes is electrically connected.
  • the key body 20 When the pressing force is released, the key body 20 returns to its original position due to an elastic force exerted by the elastic members 25. Similarly to the above-mentioned operation, if a force is applied on the left side of the key 14, the electrodes on the right side are connected.
  • the tip portion 16 is always in contact with the surface of the protrusion 12a and thereby there is no impact force applied to a contacting point. Accordingly, wear of the contact point is less than that of the conventional mechanism. Further, even if the contact point has worn in the mechanism according to the present invention, there is no influences to the operation of the mechanism because wear of the contact point merely makes a gap between the electrodes 27 and the contact material 26 slightly larger. This gives a completely different effect as compared to the conventional mechanism in which two pairs of electrodes are connected simultaneously when the contact point has worn. Therefore, in the mechanism according to the present invention, no malfunction of the TV game machine occurs due to wear of the contact point.
  • the elastic member 25 may be made of electrically conductive rubber instead of providing the contact material on the top surface of the portion 25a of each of the elastic material 25.
  • Fig.4 is a variation of the embodiment according to the present invention shown in Fig.3.
  • parts that are the same as those shown in Fig.3 are given the same reference numerals as previously, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.
  • a key body 30 comprises a key 14 and support member 35 which is press fitted to a hole formed on a stem 14a of the key 14.
  • Atip portion 35c is formed as a part of the support member 35.
  • a radially extending portion 35a corresponds to the radially extending portion 15a shown in Fig.3.
  • the key body 30 comprises fewer parts than the key body 20 shown in Fig.3. Additionally, assembly of the key body 30 is simply performed by press fitting without using tools such as a screw driver. Thus this variation can reduce manufacturing costs while having the same advantages as those in the embodiment shown in Fig.3

Landscapes

  • Switches With Compound Operations (AREA)
  • Selective Calling Equipment (AREA)
EP19930305954 1992-07-31 1993-07-28 Richtungsabhängiger Steuertastenmechanismus Expired - Lifetime EP0581582B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP59474/92U 1992-07-31
JP059474U JPH0617072U (ja) 1992-07-31 1992-07-31 コントロールキー機構
JP064032U JPH0619238U (ja) 1992-08-18 1992-08-18 コントロールキー機構
JP64032/92U 1992-08-18

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0581582A2 true EP0581582A2 (de) 1994-02-02
EP0581582A3 EP0581582A3 (de) 1994-11-30
EP0581582B1 EP0581582B1 (de) 1997-01-15

Family

ID=26400523

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19930305954 Expired - Lifetime EP0581582B1 (de) 1992-07-31 1993-07-28 Richtungsabhängiger Steuertastenmechanismus

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0581582B1 (de)
DE (1) DE69307421T2 (de)
ES (1) ES2096868T3 (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2525437A (en) * 2014-04-25 2015-10-28 Cheng Uei Prec Ind Co Ltd Push-button structure

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4408103A (en) * 1982-01-06 1983-10-04 Smith Engineering Joystick operated multiple position switch
GB2144582B (en) * 1983-08-05 1987-06-10 Nintendo Co Ltd Multi-directional electrical switch
US4992631A (en) * 1989-06-02 1991-02-12 Atari Corporation Multi-directional switch assembly

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2525437A (en) * 2014-04-25 2015-10-28 Cheng Uei Prec Ind Co Ltd Push-button structure
GB2525437B (en) * 2014-04-25 2016-05-25 Cheng Uei Prec Ind Co Ltd Push-button structure

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69307421D1 (de) 1997-02-27
EP0581582B1 (de) 1997-01-15
DE69307421T2 (de) 1997-05-15
ES2096868T3 (es) 1997-03-16
EP0581582A3 (de) 1994-11-30

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