JPH0552930U - Coordinate position input device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide a compact and highly reliable coordinate position input device by strengthening the bearing support part of the coordinate position input device that indicates the movement direction and movement amount as a peripheral device such as a computer. The purpose is to [Structure] The bearing 5a includes a bearing support portion 7a and a snap portion 9a.
By holding the reinforcing portion 10a formed integrally with the housing 8 against the snap portion 9a, the deformation and damage of the snap portion 9a can be prevented and the reliability of the coordinate position input device can be improved. is there.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial application]

 The present invention relates to a coordinate position input device for instructing a moving direction and a moving amount as a peripheral device such as a computer.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 Conventionally, a palm-sized mouse and a palm-sized trackball have been generally known as coordinate position input devices. In recent years, however, the number of portable computers has increased due to the miniaturization of computers. Coordinate position input devices for computers are now required to have a very small size that is more convenient to carry than palm size.

A conventional coordinate position input device will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. In the figure, 1 is a ball that can be rotated in any direction, 2a and 2b are position information detectors, 2a is for the X axis of coordinates, and 2b is for the Y axis.

Reference numerals 3 a and 3 b are rotation shafts respectively interlocking with position information detection units 2 a and 2 b that detect the amount of movement by the rotation of the ball 1, and 4 is a support shaft that supports the ball 1 and 5 a and 5 b. , 5c, 5d, 5e and 5f are bearings of the rotary shafts 3a and 3b and the support shaft 4, respectively.

Further, although not shown, in the vicinity of the position information detecting units 2a and 2b, position information converting means for converting the detection value of the position information detecting unit into a signal according to the detection value is provided. ing. The above main components are housed in the housing 8 except for a part of the ball 1 as shown in FIG.

The operation of the coordinate position input device configured as described above will be described below. First, the input operator rotates the ball 1 as necessary in order to input the moving direction and the moving amount. Then, the rotating shafts 3a and 3b in contact with the outer circumference of the ball 1 rotate, and the position information detecting units 2a and 2b integrated with the rotating shafts 3a and 3b also rotate.

There are respective position information conversion means (not shown) for converting the position information detection units 2a and 2b into signals according to the rotation amount thereof, and coordinate positions as necessary are supplied to the computer or the like. Will be input.

The bearing support mechanism will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. In the bearing support portion 7a integrated with the base 6, the bearing 5a fitted to the rotating shaft 3a (not shown) is provided. , And fixed by being supported by the snap portion 9a. At this time, the housing 8 is separated from the bearing support mechanism.

As the snap position 9a becomes smaller as a coordinate position input device, it can be installed only on the outer side of the ball 1 as is apparent from FIG. 6, so the snap position 9a itself is also small, thin and mechanically strong. It has become very weak.

Although the bearing support mechanism has been described in relation to the bearing support portion 7a of the rotary shaft 3a, the other bearing support portions 7b to 7f, the rotary shafts 3a and 3b, and the support shaft 4 have the same relation. ..

[0011]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in the above-mentioned bearing support mechanism, when the ball 1 protruding outside the housing 8 is operated with a strong force, or when another substance is dropped on the ball 1 and an abnormal impact is applied, the bearing support portion is not supported. There is a risk that the snap portion 9a of 7a moves to the outside of the ball 1, that is, in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 8, and an accurate output value cannot be obtained, or the snap portion may be damaged or broken.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a small and highly reliable coordinate position input device.

[0013]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the coordinate position input device of the present invention has a reinforcing part formed inside the housing so as to come into contact with the snap part.

[0014]

[Action]

 As described above, since the reinforcing portion that abuts on the snap portion is formed inside the housing, deformation and damage in the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. 8 are prevented, and a small coordinate position input device that is reliable can be provided. It is possible.

[0015]

【Example】

 An embodiment of the coordinate position input device of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the description, the same parts as those in the prior art will be described by giving the same numbers. According to the figure, 5a is a bearing of the rotary shaft 3a, 6 is a base, 7a is a bearing support integrated with the base, 9a is a snap of the bearing support, 8 is a housing, 10a is integrated with the housing. One of the reinforcing portions is in contact with the snap portion 9a and the other is in contact with the bearing supporting portion 7a.

Next, a method of assembling the bearing support portion 7a and its reinforcing portion will be described. Although not shown, a bearing 5a having a part of the rotating shaft 3a fitted to a bearing support portion 7a integrated with the base 6 is inserted and fixed using a snap portion 9a.

The snap portion 9a has a spring property, and when the bearing 5a is inserted, the snap part 9a is deformed by a small force, and after insertion, the snap part 9a is fixed by the spring property. As the size of the coordinate position input device becomes smaller, the snap portion 9a needs to be made smaller and thinner and the mechanical strength becomes weaker. However, the mechanical strength of the snap portion 9a is increased by the reinforcing portion 10a integrated with the housing 8. The reliability at the time of using the coordinate position input device can be improved.

FIGS. 3 (a) to 3 (b) are other embodiments of the reinforcing portion 10a, and FIG. 3 (a) shows a reinforcing portion 10a provided only in contact with the snap portion 9a. In FIG. 3 (b), a U-shaped reinforcing portion 10a is provided on the housing, and the bearing supporting portion 7a is also reinforced. In FIG. 3 (c), a wall portion is provided between the two reinforcing portions 10a and the two are joined together. In order to improve the strength of each of the reinforcing portions 10a, FIG. 3A shows a bearing holding portion 11a in addition to the embodiment of FIG. 3B.

In each of the above embodiments, the relationship between the bearing 5a, the snap portion 9a, the bearing support portion 7a, and the reinforcing portion 10a with respect to the rotary shaft 3a has been described, but the same applies to the reinforcing portions related to the other bearings 5b to 5f. Since it is configured, the description is omitted.

[0020]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above, according to the present invention, since the reinforcing portion that abuts on the snap portion is provided integrally with the housing, it is possible to improve the support strength of the bearing in the snap portion and to provide a highly reliable small-sized target position input device. It was done.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial side sectional view of a bearing supporting portion which is a main part of a coordinate position input device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view for explaining the assembly method.

FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D are perspective views of another embodiment of the respective reinforcing portions.

FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of a conventional coordinate position input device.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the configuration around the ball, which is the main part of the same.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the same.

FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of a supporting portion of the bearing, which is the main part of the same.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the same.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ball 2a, 2b position information detection part 3a, 3b rotating shaft 4 supporting shaft 5a-5f bearing 6 base 7a bearing supporting part 8 housing 9a snap part 10a reinforcing part 11 bearing pressing part

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. At least a rotatable ball, a rotary shaft provided with a position information detecting section for detecting a moving direction and a moving amount by rotation of the ball, and a detected value of the position information detecting section according to the detected value. Coordinate constituted by position information converting means for converting into a signal, a bearing support portion and a snap portion for supporting the bearing of the rotary shaft, and a reinforcing portion integrally provided in the housing so as to abut the snap portion. Position input device. 2. The coordinate position input device according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing portion and the shaft pressing portion are provided integrally with the housing.