JPH09160715A - Mouse type track ball - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the number of switched while obtaining equal operability, and decrease the number of components and make the size small by rotating or pressing a ball and outputting two different kinds of signals. SOLUTION: A rotation detecting mechanism 6, which supports each ball 4 rotatably, is elasticity supported for every ball 4 and enabled to move up and down. A switch 10 consisting of a contact, etc., is provided in the moving direction of this rotation detecting mechanism 6 and when the ball 4 is depressed and the rotation detecting mechanism 6 moves, this rotation detecting mechanism 6 presses the switch 10 to be turned on. Consequently, this mouse type track ball can have the switch 10 turned on by further pressing the ball 4 while operating the ball 4 with one finger. An external switch 36 is arranged in the switch arrangement part of an enclosure 2 and used as a reset switch. This external switch 36 is turned on by being depressed similarly to a push-button switch.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a trackball used as an input device for a computer or the like, and more particularly to a mouse type trackball.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a mouse is moved on a flat board to input the moving direction and distance, and a cursor or the like on a display is moved according to the movement. Also, instead of actually moving the entire input device like a mouse, a track that rotates the ball, inputs the rotation direction and speed of the ball, and moves the cursor on the display according to the rotation. The ball was also used.

Usually, the mouse and trackball are provided with a decision switch and a release switch for inputting whether or not to decide the function or operation selected by operating the mouse or ball. These switches were pressed together with movement and rotation of the ball.

[0004]

As described above, since it was necessary to actually move the mouse on the board, the movement of the cursor displayed on the display accompanying the increase in size and resolution of the display screen. As the distance increases, the movement distance of the mouse also increases, and there is a problem that it is necessary to secure a wider movement space.

Further, in the case of a trackball, it is necessary to rotate the ball with a fingertip and press the decision switch or the like. For this reason, there is a problem in that operability is inferior to that of a mouse, because special operations such as replacing the ball with another switch and operating the ball and each switch with three fingers at the same time are inferior to a mouse. .

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and its object is to eliminate the need to secure a moving space, to have excellent operability, and to reduce the number of parts and downsize. To provide a mouse-type trackball.

[0007]

A mouse-type trackball according to the present invention is provided with an exterior, a ball exposed from the exterior and rotatable, a ball rotatably supported and a rotational direction of the ball detected. And a rotation detection mechanism that is elastically supported, and a switch that is turned on and outputs a signal when the rotation detection mechanism moves by pressing the ball,
It consists of

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In the mouse-type trackball of the present invention, a rotation detecting mechanism for rotatably supporting the ball is elastically supported together with the ball and is movable up and down. Further, a switch composed of a contact or the like is provided in the movement direction of the rotation detecting mechanism, and when the ball is pressed to move the rotation detecting mechanism, the switch is pushed by the rotation detecting mechanism to be turned on. Therefore, in the mouse type trackball of the present invention, the switch can be turned on by pressing the ball while operating the ball with one finger.

[0009]

1 is a plan view showing a mouse type trackball according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view thereof, and FIG.
It is -A sectional drawing. Reference numeral 2 is a mouse-shaped exterior that fits in a hand, and its upper surface 2c is a curved surface and its lower surface 2d is a flat surface. On the upper surface 2c of the outer package 2, a ball arranging portion 2a having a shape in which one of its corners is cut off in a stepwise manner, and the ball arranging portion 2
A switch mounting portion 2b formed of a rectangular cutout formed at a position adjacent to a is provided.

Reference numeral 4 is a ball, and 6 is a rotation detecting mechanism for detecting the rotation direction of the ball 4. The ball 4 has a rotation detection mechanism 6
Is rotatably supported by, and about the upper half thereof projects from the case 6a of the rotation detection mechanism 6. The rotation detecting mechanism 6 is fixed on one end portion 8a of a substrate 8 described later, and the ball 4 supported by the rotation detecting mechanism 6 is arranged so as to be exposed from the ball arranging portion 2a of the exterior 2. There is. The rotation detecting mechanism 6 has a structure as shown in FIGS. That is, the contact portions 20 and 22 rotatably supported by the axes 16 and 18 parallel to the X-axis and the Y-axis, respectively, as rotation axes, and the detection plates 24 and 26 attached to the ends of the axes 16 and 18, respectively. And this detection plate 2
Photointerrupter 2 for detecting rotations of 4 and 26, respectively
It is composed of 8 and 30. The contact portions 20 and 22 have a cylindrical shape, and their peripheral surfaces are in contact with the surface of the ball 4 and are rotated by the rotation component of the ball 4 in the X-axis direction and the rotation component of the ball 4 in the Y-axis direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the detection plates 24 and 26 are circular plates having radial holes 24a and 26a formed therein. In the rotation detecting mechanism 6, the contact portions 20 and 22 are rotated by the rotation of the ball 4 and the rotation direction thereof, and the detection plates 24 and 26 are rotated in accordance with the rotation. This detection plate 2
Reference numerals 4 and 26 are inserted between the light emitting elements 28a and 30a and the light receiving elements 28b and 30b of the photo interrupters 28 and 30 shown in FIG. 6, respectively, and the light from the light emitting elements 28a and 30a is inserted into the holes of the detection plates 24 and 26. When the light receiving elements 28b, 30b are reached via 24a, 26a, the light receiving elements 28b, 30
A pulsed signal corresponding to the rotation is output from b. This signal is supplied to a device 34 such as a personal computer via a signal processing circuit 32 provided on the circuit board 8 to move a cursor or the like on the display.

On the other hand, in the substrate 8 to which the rotating mechanism 6 is attached, the other end 8b is the inner bottom surface 2 of the exterior 2.
It is fixed to and supported by a pillar 2f that stands up from e. The substrate 8 is made of a flexible material such as plastic, and necessary conductive patterns are formed on the front and back surfaces.

Reference numeral 10 is a switch composed of a contact 12 and a contact spring 14. The contact 12 is formed on one end 8 of the substrate 8.
It is provided on the lower surface of a. The contact spring 14 is formed of a substantially V-shaped leaf spring, is provided between the substrate 8 and the inner bottom surface 2e of the exterior 2, and has one end 14 thereof.
a is attached to the substrate 8, a bent portion 14b bent is in contact with the inner bottom surface 2e, and the other end portion 14c
Are positioned at a position facing the contact 12 with a constant interval.

Reference numeral 36 denotes an external switch arranged in the switch arranging portion 2b of the exterior 2 and used as a release switch in this embodiment. This external switch 3
Similar to a general push button switch, 6 is composed of two contacts and a spring provided therebetween, and when pressed, the contacts come into contact with each other to be turned on.

Next, the operation and operation of the mouse type trackball having the above structure will be described. As shown in FIG.
In the present embodiment, the left end in the figure of the upper surface 2c of the exterior 2 is the tip, and the right hand is placed on the exterior 2 for operation so that the fingertip faces the direction of the tip. At this time, the index finger naturally rides on the ball 4, and the middle finger is also the external switch 3
The ball 4 and the external switch 36 are positioned so as to ride on the ball 6. Here, when the ball 4 is rotated by the fingertip, the rotation direction is detected by the rotation detection mechanism 6 as described above, and the cursor on the display is moved by the signal output at this time. When the ball 4 is pressed with a fingertip, the substrate 8 is bent and the end 8b thereof moves downward in FIG. 3, and the contact 12 comes into contact with the end 14c of the contact spring 14. By the contact between the contact 12 and the contact spring 14 in this manner, the switch 10 is turned on and outputs a signal. In the present embodiment, since the switch 10 is used as the determination switch, the function or operation indicated by the cursor on the display is determined by the signal output at this time. When the pressing of the ball 4 is stopped, the elasticity of the substrate 8 and the contact spring 14 causes the ball 4 and the end 8a of the substrate 8 to return to their original positions, so that the contact 12 is separated from the end 14c of the contact spring 14 and turned off. Become.

In this embodiment, the elasticity of the substrate 8 and the contact spring 14 supports the ball 4 and the rotation detecting mechanism 6 so that the ball 4 and the rotation detecting mechanism 6 can move up and down, and the contact spring 14 also serves as a fixed-side contact. The ball 4 and the rotation detection mechanism 6
May be supported by an elastic member such as a coil spring so as to be vertically movable, a movable contact may be provided on the lower surface of the rotation detection mechanism 6, and a fixed contact may be provided below the moving direction. Further, not only a switch using a pair of contacts, but also a tact switch completed as a switch may be arranged immediately below the rotation detection mechanism 6, and in this case, a tact switch may be clicked. A clear operational feeling can be obtained by pressing.

[0016]

According to the present invention, two different types of signals are output by rotating or pressing a ball, so that the ball can be used as another switch, and the number of switches can be reduced. Operability equivalent to that of a mouse can be obtained. In this way, it is possible to provide a trackball that has the same operability as a mouse and does not require a movement space.

Further, one of the decision switch and the release switch, which are usually provided adjacent to the ball, can be eliminated, and the number of switches appearing on the surface of the exterior is reduced, so that the number of parts can be reduced. In addition to being able to do so, the outer shape can be made smaller, and the shape can be the same as that of a mouse.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a mouse-type trackball according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the mouse-type trackball shown in FIG.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the mouse-type trackball shown in FIG.

4 is a configuration explanatory view showing an internal structure of a rotation detection mechanism shown in FIG.

5 is a front view of the detection plate shown in FIG.

6 is a circuit diagram showing a circuit configuration of a rotation detection mechanism shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Exterior 4 Ball 6 Rotation detection mechanism 8 Substrate 10 Switch 12 Contact 14 Contact spring

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An exterior, a ball exposed from the exterior and rotatable, and a rotation detection mechanism that rotatably supports the ball and elastically supports the ball by detecting the rotational direction of the ball. A mouse-type trackball comprising: a switch that is turned on when the rotation detection mechanism is moved by pressing the ball and outputs a signal.