JP6289255B2 - Radio control transmitter - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a radio control transmitter that wirelessly transmits a control signal corresponding to a driver's operation to a target object (for example, various model bodies (automobiles, motorcycles, aircraft, ships, etc.), cranes, and other industrial machines). Is.

  Conventionally, a wireless signal (eg, various model bodies (automobiles, motorcycles, aircraft, ships, etc.), industrial machines such as cranes, etc.) is wirelessly communicated by a radio signal (eg, 2.4 GHz band) at a predetermined oscillation frequency. There are various types of radio control transmitters (hereinafter also simply referred to as “transmitters”) that remotely control a device that is remotely operated, depending on the object to be operated.

  The main shape of the transmitter is a so-called “stick type” in which two operation sticks are arranged side by side, a trigger for operating the engine or motor throttle of the steered object, and the steering of the steered object. It is roughly divided into so-called “trigger type” equipped with a wheel.

  Patent Document 1 listed below describes the weaknesses of dipole antennas when using the 2.4 GHz band, which is superior in convenience and safety (noise resistance) compared to the frequency band that has been used as a model application as an oscillation frequency. In view of this, a pole-like antenna is placed inside the handle of the transmitter housing in a state where the antenna axis is orthogonal to the center line along the height direction of the housing or inclined at an arbitrary angle. Disclosed is a stick-type transmitter that ensures the reliability of remote control of a piloted object wirelessly without the antenna axis being directed in the direction of the piloted object, without the pilot being aware of the antenna orientation. Has been.

JP 2008-237527 A

  By the way, in a transmitter as disclosed in Patent Document 1, an antenna is provided so as to be integrated with a casing, thereby improving design characteristics, and a region where electric field strength is weak (so-called “null point”) is controlled. Although the device is not suitable for the body, if the antenna is fixed, the null point is directed to the piloted object depending on the positional relationship between the pilot and the piloted object and the way the pilot operates. In some cases, it may be used, and stable maneuvering may not be possible.

  Therefore, as a result of earnest research, the inventor of the present application has made it possible to flexibly cope with various usage situations while improving the designability by integrating the antenna with the casing exterior part at normal times. A new trigger-type transmitter has been developed in which an antenna is provided so as to be able to rotate 90 ° from a horizontal state that forms a part of the case exterior, and the null point is not directed toward the steered object.

  However, in such a configuration in which a rotatable antenna is provided, when the antenna is placed on the ground or the like in a state rotated 90 degrees from a horizontal state (standing state) as shown in FIG. 8, a load is applied to the lower end of the antenna. It will hang. As a result, stress concentrates on the antenna spindle, causing damage to the antenna spindle. In addition, the impact is transmitted not only to the antenna spindle but also to the head to which the antenna is attached. In this case, there is a possibility that the head portion is damaged and the entire housing must be replaced.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and radio control transmission provided with an antenna that can be swung in a horizontal state and a standing state that can alleviate an impact that occurs when a transmitter is placed. The purpose is to provide a machine.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the radio control transmitter according to claim 1 is a radio control transmitter that transmits a steering signal for remotely operating a steered object from an antenna provided in an exterior portion of a housing.
The antenna is
An antenna body having an antenna element supported by a support member on one surface is locked, and a support shaft that is pivotally supported with respect to the housing is provided in the approximate center of the other surface. A base bracket having a substantially rectangular plate shape that can be turned 90 ° from a horizontal state to a standing state in a longitudinal direction;
A cover that covers the surface of the base bracket to which the antenna body is mounted;
The cover is fixed only in the vicinity of one end in the longitudinal direction of the base bracket.

The radio control transmitter according to claim 2 is the radio control transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the pilot grips when the piloted object is remotely operated;
A head portion provided at one end of the grip portion and having a first operation member and a second operation member for controlling the steered body;
The antenna is pivotally supported by an end portion of the head portion that is opposite to the end portion of the head portion that faces the driver when the grip portion is gripped. .

  According to the radio control transmitter of the present invention, for example, when the radio control transmitter is placed so that the antenna is in contact with the placement surface in a state where the antenna is erected, a load is applied to the lower end portion of the antenna. The base bracket bends in the direction in which stress acts with the support shaft as a fulcrum, and the upper end of the cover moves in the direction opposite to the direction in which the base bracket bends, reducing the impact on the lower end of the antenna and the support shaft. Can do. Therefore, when the transmitter falls to the antenna installation side, even if the antenna is in an upright state, the shock can be absorbed and mitigated to avoid damage to the antenna and the head portion where the antenna is provided.

It is a side view which shows the whole structure of the trigger type radio control transmitter by which the antenna which is the principal part of this invention is employ | adopted. It is a perspective view which shows the whole structure of the transmitter. It is a functional block diagram which shows typically the structure of the head part of the radio | wireless control transmitter which concerns on this invention, and a base part. It is a schematic perspective view of the antenna which is the principal part of the radio control transmitter concerning the present invention. (A) is a schematic side view at the normal time of the antenna in the standing state, and (b) is a schematic side view when a load is applied to the upper part of the antenna in the standing state. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the whole structure of the stick type radio control transmitter by which the antenna which is the principal part of this invention is employ | adopted. (A) is the schematic which shows the other form of an antenna, (b) is a schematic side view when a load is applied to the antenna upper end part when the antenna of the form of Fig.7 (a) is made into an upright state. is there. It is a figure which shows a state when mounted from the antenna side, when a rotation type antenna is made into an upright state.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the present invention is not limited by this embodiment, and all other forms, examples, operation techniques, and the like that can be considered by those skilled in the art based on this form are included in the scope of the present invention. Shall.

  A radio control transmitter according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as a transmitter) includes, for example, various model bodies (automobiles, motorcycles, airplanes, ships, etc.), industrial machines such as cranes, etc., and a predetermined frequency band. (For example, 2.4 GHz band) is used to determine a transmission frequency by a frequency hopping method that automatically selects an empty band from the frequency band, and to operate an operation member such as a trigger or a stick provided in the housing. By transmitting a corresponding control signal (radio radio wave) to the steered body, the steered body is remotely operated.

  In this example, the case where the steered object remotely controlled by the transmitter is a model car will be described as an example. Moreover, although it demonstrates supposing using an engine as a motive power source of a to-be-steered object, a motor can also be used as a motive power source.

[1. Configuration of transmitter]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transmitter 1 is roughly configured to include a grip portion 2, a base portion 3, and a head portion 4, and the casing of each portion has a flexible thermoplastic resin (for example, general-purpose plastic). ).

<1-1. About grip>
One end (lower end) side of the grip portion 2 is integrated with the base portion 3, and the other end (upper end) side is integrated with the head portion 4. The outer shape of the grip portion 2 is from the base portion 3 side toward the head portion 4 side. It is formed in a thin elliptical column shape. The grip part 2 functions as a grip part that the pilot grips when remotely operating the steered body.

<1-2. About the base>
The base portion 3 is provided on one end (lower end) side of the grip portion 2 and is formed in a rectangular shape. The base unit 3 regulates the lower limit position of the hand that grips the grip unit 2 to prevent the hand from falling off the grip unit 2, and when the transmitter 1 is not used, for example, when placed on the ground or the like It also functions as a leg portion having a predetermined installation area on the bottom surface.

  In addition, a switch mechanism 11 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the base portion 3 to be operated when the operator operates the wheel 21 and the trigger 22 using both hands. FIG. 2 shows an example in which the switch mechanism 11 is provided at an end on the driver side when the operator grips the grip portion 2, and the operator who is operating both hands has a part of the body other than the fingers of both hands ( Assigned to the switch mechanism 11 by pulling the transmitter 1 on and off the switch by pulling the transmitter 1 to a nearby object (such as a handrail in a stadium), for example, chest, abdomen, shoulders, crotch, knees, etc. Can work function.

  As the function assigned to the switch mechanism 11, for example, on / off of the turbo function, mixing, gyro operation, lap measurement, sudden braking, camera, etc. are arbitrary. In particular, the function that the operator wants to operate in parallel during the two-hand operation is used. If assigned, the switch mechanism 11 can be operated instantaneously in the event of an emergency with the judgment of a trap, and the function assigned to the switch mechanism 11 can be immediately turned on / off.

<1-3. About the head>
The head portion 4 is provided on the other end (upper end) side of the grip portion 2 and includes a wheel 21 as a first operation member and a trigger 22 as a second operation member.

  The wheel 21 is an operation member as a steering for controlling the traveling direction of the steered body. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wheel 21 extends in the direction of the head portion 4 of the transmitter 1 perpendicularly to the substantially disk-shaped surface, with the center of the substantially disk-shaped surface aligned with the axis. It is supported by the existing rotating shaft. The wheel 21 is operated as a steering wheel that rotates counterclockwise and clockwise from a predetermined reference position to control the traveling direction of the steered body.

  The trigger 22 is an operation member for controlling the power source of the steered object and controlling the moving speed of the steered object. The trigger 22 has a trigger shape and includes a throttle lever 22a as a first lever and a brake lever 22b as a second lever.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the trigger 22 is pivotally supported on the back side of the head portion 4 in the vicinity of the upper end portion of the grip portion 2, and the arrow A and the arrow A in FIG. Attached so as to be rotatable in the direction of arrow B.

  The trigger 22 is generally operated by pulling the index finger of the hand holding the grip portion 2 on the throttle lever 22a in the direction of arrow A, and pushing the brake lever 22b with the back of the finger on the throttle lever 22a in the direction of arrow B. Operated.

  The trigger 22 automatically returns to a preset initial position when the finger applied to the throttle lever 22a is released. This initial position is called a neutral position. In the neutral position, the engine of the steered object is rotating, but the clutch is disengaged and the steered object is not running.

  When the power source of the steered object is a motor, the motor does not rotate at the neutral position.

  By pulling the throttle lever 22a of the trigger 22 in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1, the throttle of the steered body is controlled, and the moving speed of the steered body is controlled. The steered body accelerates as the throttle lever 22a of the trigger 22 is operated in the direction of arrow A.

  Also, the brake can be controlled by operating the brake lever 22b of the trigger 22 in the direction of arrow B in FIG. The brake becomes stronger as the brake lever 22b of the trigger 22 is operated in the direction of arrow B.

  Note that, depending on the setting of the transmitter 1, when the brake lever 22b of the trigger 22 is operated in the direction of arrow B in FIG. Further, even when a motor is used for the power of the steered body, the steered body can be accelerated by operating the throttle lever 22a of the trigger 22 in the direction of arrow A in FIG.

  In addition to the wheel 21 and the trigger 22, the transmitter 1 is provided with a number of operation members such as buttons. A special operation related to the operation of the steered object can be assigned to these operation members.

  The head unit 4 is provided with a display unit 23 and an antenna 24. The display unit 23 is provided to be inclined at a predetermined angle so that the operator can easily see the display screen when the operator grips the grip unit 2. The display unit 23 is a display that displays the settings of the transmitter 1, and the display content can be switched or the transmitter can be operated by operating a setting operation member 25 such as an operation button or a slide switch provided around the display unit 23. The setting of 1 is changed.

  The antenna 24 is connected to one end portion of the head unit 4 positioned on the opposite side of the display unit 23 in a state where the operator grips the grip unit 2 (that is, the operation of the head unit 4 in a state where the operator grips the grip unit 2). And an end located on the side opposite to the end facing the person). When the antenna 24 is remotely operated, the antenna 24 rotates 90 ° from a horizontal state (solid line in FIG. 2) that forms an outer shape integrally with the head unit 4 and stands in a vertical state from the horizontal state (see FIG. 2). 2 dash-dot line). By using the antenna 24 in an upright state, directivity during remote operation of the steered object can be enhanced.

  Since the antenna 24 is a main part of the present invention, its configuration and operation will be described later.

<1-4. Electrical configuration>
Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the head unit 4 incorporates an electronic circuit unit including the display unit 23, the transmission unit 26, the storage unit 27, and the control unit 28 described above.

  The base unit 3 is provided with a replaceable battery 29 for supplying driving power necessary for each unit (display unit 23, transmission unit 26, storage unit 27, control unit 28) of the electronic circuit unit.

  The transmission unit 26 modulates and amplifies the transmission data generated by the control unit 28, and transmits the modulated and amplified control signal to the controlled object via the antenna 24 under the control of the control unit 28.

  The storage unit 27 stores various setting information based on the operation of the setting operation member 25 under the control of the control unit 28. In addition, the storage unit 27 stores a control program for performing drive control of each unit constituting the transmitter 1.

  The control unit 28 controls the display unit 23, the transmission unit 26, and the storage unit 27. The control unit 28 generates transmission data according to the operation and setting of the wheel 21 and the trigger 22, the display control of the display unit 23, and the transmission unit 26. Control of the steering signal from the antenna 24 through the antenna 24, storage of setting information in the storage unit 27, drive control of each unit of the transmitter 1 based on a control program stored in the storage unit 27, and the like.

  In the transmitter 1 configured as described above, the operator holds the grip part 2 with one hand, operates the trigger 22 with the index finger of the hand holding the grip part 2 on the trigger 22, and operates the wheel with the other hand. Grab 21 and operate. And the control signal according to operation of this trigger 22 and the wheel 21 is transmitted to a to-be-controlled body, and a to-be-controlled object is operated remotely.

[2. About antenna]
<2-1. About main components>
Next, the configuration of the antenna 24, which is a main part of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 4, the antenna 24 is roughly configured by an antenna body 24a, a base bracket 24b, and a cover 24c.

  The antenna body 24a has a 1/4 wavelength internal conductor (antenna element 24aa) exposed toward one side with the end of the coaxial cable as a feeding point, and a 1/4 wavelength coaxial circular tube (sleeve 24ab) toward the other side. Is a sleeve antenna having a total wavelength of 1/2 by covering the outside of the outer conductor, and has the same operating characteristics as a dipole antenna. The antenna body 24a can transmit a steering signal to the steered object in either a horizontal state or a standing state, but is rotated to an arbitrary state in order to improve the directivity of radio waves.

  The base bracket 24b has a long, substantially rectangular plate shape made of the same thermoplastic resin as the main body of the transmitter 1, and is substantially at the center of one surface (that is, the surface facing the head portion 4). In the vicinity, a support shaft 24e having a substantially hollow cylindrical shape that is supported at the end of the head portion 4 is provided, and a locking piece is provided on the other surface (that is, the surface opposite to the surface facing the head portion 4). The antenna body 24a is locked by 24d.

  The base bracket 24b is pivotally supported so as to be able to turn 90 ° from the horizontal state around the support shaft 24e. When the radio wave directivity is improved, the cover 24c is mounted and fixed as shown by the broken line in FIG. The antenna 24 can be rotated by 90 ° from the horizontal state. As for the direction of rotation of the base bracket 24b, in order to improve the directivity of the antenna 24, the antenna element 24aa (internal conductor) of the antenna body 24a to be locked when the antenna 24 is raised is upward, and the sleeve 24ab. It is preferable to rotate in the direction in which the (coaxial circular tube) is downward.

  In other words, when the antenna element 24aa is positioned on the right side when the antenna 24 in the horizontal state is viewed from the cover 24c side, when the antenna 24 is raised from the horizontal state, the antenna 24 is rotated 90 ° counterclockwise. The antenna 24 is in a standing state, and the antenna element 24aa is positioned upward. Further, when the antenna 24 is returned from the standing state to the horizontal state, it may be rotated 90 ° clockwise. Note that the rotation direction of the antenna 24 is preferably regulated so as to be reciprocally rotated so that the antenna element 24aa always comes upward when the antenna 24 rotates in an upright state.

  Also, a mounting hole 24f for screwing the cover 24c is provided at the lower end of the base bracket 24b when the antenna 24 is in an upright state, and the base bracket 24b is supported via the mounting hole 24f. The cover 24c is screwed from the shaft 24e side and fixed.

  Further, the support shaft 24e has a purpose of preventing dust from entering from the outside and hindering the rotation operation of the antenna 24, and an operation feeling when the antenna 24 is fully rotated in a predetermined direction. For this purpose, an O-ring 24g made of an elastic member such as a synthetic resin (silicone rubber or synthetic rubber) is provided. Further, a communication hole that communicates with an insertion hole serving as a hollow portion provided along the axial direction of the support shaft 24e is provided at the attachment position of the support shaft 24e of the base bracket 24b, and the coaxial cable of the antenna body 24a is provided. Is connected to the electronic circuit part (transmission part 26) of the head part 4 through the insertion hole of the support shaft 24e.

  The cover 24c is made of the same thermoplastic resin as that of the main body of the transmitter 1 and has a box shape with a concave cross section formed in accordance with the dimensions of the base bracket 24b. The antenna main body 24a in the base bracket 24b is locked. It is a member for covering the side surface. The cover 24c is mounted and fixed to the base bracket 24b by screwing a screw that passes through the mounting hole 24f of the base bracket 24b with a screw receiver (not shown) provided at a predetermined position on the inner bottom of the cover 24c.

<2-2. About action>
As described above, the antenna 24, which is the main part of the present invention, has only one place, that is, the lower end of the base bracket 24b and one end of the cover 24c when the antenna 24 is turned upright by 90 ° from the horizontal state. Since it is fixed, the other end of the cover 24c (that is, the upper end of the base bracket 24b when the antenna 24 is raised) is not fixed and is in a free state.

  Accordingly, when the transmitter 1 is mounted so that the antenna 24 comes into contact with the mounting surface in a state where the antenna 24 is erected in a normal state as shown in FIG. ), A load is applied to the lower end portion of the antenna 24 (that is, the lower end portion of the base bracket 24b). At this time, the base bracket 24b bends in the direction in which the stress acts with the support shaft 24e as a fulcrum, so that the lower end of the antenna 24 moves in the direction of arrow C in the figure, and the upper end of the cover 24c moves along with this movement. Since it moves in the direction of arrow D in the drawing (that is, the direction in which the cover 24c is detached from the base bracket 24b), the impact on the lower end portion of the antenna 24 and the support shaft 24e can be reduced.

  Further, since the base bracket 24b is formed of a thermoplastic resin, for example, when the transmitter 1 is lifted, the base bracket 24b returns to the normal shape from the elastically deformed state as shown in FIG. .

  As described above, when the base bracket 24b of the antenna 24 provided in the transmitter 1 described above is pivotally supported by 90 ° from the horizontal state around the support shaft 24e, and the antenna 24 is in an upright state. One end of the cover 24c is attached and fixed to the lower end of the base bracket 24b at only one place by screwing.

  Therefore, when the transmitter 1 is placed so that the antenna 24 is in contact with the ground with the antenna 24 standing, a load is applied to the lower end of the antenna 24, but the base bracket 24b is stressed with the support shaft 24e as a fulcrum. The upper end portion of the cover 24c can move in the direction opposite to the bending direction of the base bracket 24b, and the impact on the lower end portion of the antenna 24 and the support shaft 24e can be reduced. .

[3. Other Embodiments]
In addition, this invention is not limited to said each embodiment, For example, as shown below, it can also change suitably according to a use environment etc. and can also implement it. Also, the following modifications can be implemented in any combination within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the trigger type transmitter 1 provided with the antenna 24 that is a main part of the present invention has been described. However, as the type of the transmitter 1, a stick type transmitter 1 as shown in FIG. But you can. Even when this type of stick-type transmitter 1 is used, the load applied to the lower end of the antenna 24 that is upright when placed on the ground or the like with the back side of the stick or display screen as the placement surface is reduced. can do.

  In addition, the configuration in which the cover 24c is screwed through the mounting hole 24f has been described, but the cover 24c only needs to be fixed only at the lower end of the base bracket 24b when the antenna 24 is in the upright state. The fixing method of the base bracket 24b and the cover 24c is not limited to this.

  Further, the cover 24c is fixed to the lower end portion of the base bracket 24b when the antenna 24 is in the upright state, but the antenna 24 is in the upright state as shown in FIG. 7B, a substantially U-shaped slit 24h is provided along the periphery of the central support shaft 24e from the upper end along the inner edge of the base bracket 24b. As shown in the drawing, even when a load in the direction of arrow E is applied to the upper end of the antenna 24 when the antenna 24 is in an upright state, the slit 24h is fixed in a state where the inner region of the slit 24h is fixed with the support shaft 24e as a fulcrum. Since the area outside 24h bends in the direction of arrow F in the figure, the impact applied to the upper end of the antenna 24 and the support shaft 24e can be reduced. That is, by adopting this configuration, it is possible to reduce the load applied to either the upper end portion or the lower end portion of the antenna 24 when the antenna 24 is in the standing state.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Radio control transmitter 2 ... Grip part 3 ... Base part 4 ... Head part 24 ... Antenna 24a ... Antenna main body (24aa ... Antenna element, 24ab ... Sleeve)
24b ... Base bracket 24c ... Cover 24d ... Locking piece 24e ... Support shaft 24f ... Mounting hole 24g ... O-ring 24h ... Slit

Claims (2)

In a radio control transmitter that transmits a control signal for remotely operating a controlled object from an antenna provided in an exterior part of the housing,
The antenna is
An antenna body having an antenna element supported by a support member on one surface is locked, and a support shaft that is pivotally supported with respect to the housing is provided in the approximate center of the other surface. A base bracket having a substantially rectangular plate shape that can be turned 90 ° from a horizontal state to a standing state in a longitudinal direction;
A cover that covers the surface of the base bracket to which the antenna body is mounted;
The radio control transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the cover is fixed only in the vicinity of one end in the longitudinal direction of the base bracket. A grip portion that the operator grips when remotely operating the object to be operated;
A head portion provided at one end of the grip portion and having a first operation member and a second operation member for controlling the steered body;
The antenna is pivotally supported by an end portion of the head portion that is located on an opposite side to an end portion of the head portion facing the driver when the grip portion is held. The radio control transmitter according to claim 1.

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