JPH11156051A - Operation reaction generator for computer game controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the reality of a game operation by performing weight reduction and miniaturization while improving the rigidity of a reduction gear mechanism part and loading an operation reaction generator to a small-sized computer game controller at a low cost. SOLUTION: This operation reaction generator 40 is composed of a motor 42 and the reduction gear mechanism part 43 and the reduction gear mechanism part 43 is constituted of a pinion gear 45, intermediate gears 46a and 46b and a sectorial gear 47. The operation reaction generator 40 is connected to the expanded part 34 of a joy stick through a stepped ring 39 by a first slider 35 and a second slider 36. The expanded part 34 of the joy stick, the sliders 35 and 36, the stepped ring 39 and the sectorial gear 47 or the like are molded by an PBT material or a POM material containing potassium titanate fibers provided with extremely high rigidity and slidability. Thus, the driving force of the motor 42 is transmitted to the joy stick 22 at high torque without being attenuated, and strong vibration and operation resistance are supplied to the hands of a game operator.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a computer game controller, and more particularly to a computer game controller equipped with an operation reaction force generator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is known an arcade computer game machine provided with an operation reaction force generator which applies vibration or operation resistance to a steering wheel, a stick, or the like of a controller. . For example, in a driving game, when the vehicle enters a rough road, vibration is applied to the operator's hand via a steering handle, or when the vehicle collides with a guardrail or the like during the game, the operation of the steering wheel is performed together with the vibration. By giving resistance to the force, it is possible to simulate the actual operational feeling.

[0003] In an arcade computer game machine, since there is room in the controller, a large eccentric weight is attached to the motor shaft to generate vibration, or the operating direction of a steering handle, a stick, or the like is driven by the motor. The resistance is given in the opposite direction.

Here, even in a small-sized computer game controller connected to a personal computer or a home-use game machine, such an operation reaction force generating device is mounted so that vibration and operation resistance are applied to a steering handle, a stick, and the like. If given, the reality of the game operation will be improved.

However, since the eccentric weight type vibrating device has a large rotation space for the eccentric weight, it is difficult to accommodate the vibration device in a computer game controller of this type which requires a small size.
It is also conceivable that the driving force of the motor is transmitted to the steering handle or the stick with a high torque by the reduction gear mechanism, but if the rigidity of the reduction gear is low, the driving force of the motor is attenuated and transmitted to the steering handle and the like. Operation reaction force becomes small, and the game operation feeling deteriorates.

In order to improve the reality of the game operation by increasing the rigidity of the reduction gear mechanism while reducing the size and weight, and mounting the operation reaction force generator at a low cost on a small computer game controller. A technical problem to be solved arises, and an object of the present invention is to solve this problem.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed to achieve the above object, and is an operation reaction force generator connected to a joystick of a computer game controller via an interlocking member. The operation reaction force generator includes a motor and a reduction gear mechanism, and the reduction gear mechanism further includes a pinion gear fitted to the motor shaft,
An intermediate gear meshing with the pinion gear, and a sector gear meshing with the intermediate gear, the pinion gear is formed of a glass-containing PBT material, the intermediate gear is formed of a POM material, and the sector gear is An operation reaction force generator for a computer game controller formed of a potassium titanate fiber-containing POM material, and a horizontally-long guide hole formed in a horizontally and vertically slidable first slider, and then horizontally and horizontally slid. A vertically long guide hole is formed in a possible second slider, and the first and second sliders are orthogonalized by overlapping both guide holes.
The interlocking member is configured by engaging the guide holes of the two sliders via a stepped ring with a spherical expansion portion provided at a lower portion of the joystick, and the expansion portion of the joystick and the slider The stepped ring is formed of a potassium titanate fiber-containing PBT material, and the stepped ring provides an operation reaction force generating device for a computer game controller formed of a potassium titanate fiber-containing POM material.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a computer game controller 20, in which a joystick 22 as an operation direction input means is provided at a substantially central portion of a housing 21 so as to be swingable in front, rear, left and right or oblique directions. Various operation buttons 2 are provided on the upper front side of the joystick 22.
3, 24, 25, and 26, and the joystick 2
A trigger button 27 is provided on the rear side of the upper part of 2. An operation button 28 is provided on the front side of the upper surface of the housing 21, and a rotation switch 29 is attached near the operation button 28, and base buttons 30, 31, 32, and 33 are provided on the left side of the upper surface of the housing 21. Are located.

In this embodiment, the joystick is shown as an example of the operation direction input means. However, other types of operation direction input means such as a rotary steering handle and a push-type operation lever may be used. Is also good.

FIG. 3 shows an operation reaction force generating device housed in the housing 21. A first slider slidable in a horizontal and vertical direction on a spherical expansion portion 34 provided below the joystick 22. 35 and a second slider 36 slidable in the horizontal and horizontal directions are mounted orthogonally. A horizontally long guide hole 37 is formed in the first slider 35, and a vertically long guide hole 38 is formed in the second slider 36.
The guide holes 37 and 38 are engaged with the expansion portion 34 of the joystick via a stepped ring 39. An expansion portion 34 of the joystick;
An interlocking member is constituted by both sliders 35 and 36, a stepped ring 39 which engages with the guide holes 37 and 38, and the like.

Therefore, when the joystick 22 is tilted in any direction, the sliders 35, 36
Slides in the vertical or horizontal direction in conjunction with the operation direction of the joystick 22. Furthermore, both sliders 3
Operation reaction force generators 40, 40 are provided at the tip portions of 5, 36, respectively.
Is connected.

Here, synthetic resins such as POM and PBT are generally widely used for sliding members such as sliders and transmission members such as gears, and have mechanical strength, wear resistance and sliding characteristics. In order to increase the content, a fibrous additive such as glass fiber or inorganic filler is often added. In the present invention, the expansion portion 34 and the sliders 35 and 36 of the joystick are
Are molded with potassium titanate fibers _{(K 2 O · 6Ti O 2} ) PBT material containing, the stepped ring 39 is molded in POM material containing potassium titanate fibers. Potassium titanate fiber is a fine fiber (1/50 to 1/100 of glass fiber) with much higher tensile strength and elastic modulus than general fibrous additives. The PBT and POM materials are superior in rigidity, wear resistance, microreinforcement, surface smoothness, dimensional stability, and the like, to general synthetic resin materials.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a main part of the operation reaction force generator 40.
1 and a motor 42 fixed to the lower surface of
1 and a reduction gear mechanism 43 disposed on the upper surface of the motor 1.
, And is configured to output with high torque. For this reason, the base plate 41 is formed of a thick metal plate so as to withstand high torque.

A motor shaft 44 of the motor 42 penetrates a hole of the base plate 41 and protrudes toward the upper surface of the base plate 41. A pinion gear 45 is fitted to the motor shaft 44. On the upper surface of the base plate 41, two-stage intermediate gears 46a and 46b and a sector gear 47 are arranged. The upper intermediate gear 46a meshes with the pinion gear 45 and the lower intermediate gear 46b meshes with the sector gear 47. ,
Each gear is pivotally connected to a gear shaft 48,49. The pinion gear 45, the intermediate gears 46a and 46b, and the sector gear 47 constitute the reduction gear mechanism 43.

On the other hand, an output shaft 50 protrudes from the lower surface of the sector gear 47 in the vicinity of the outer periphery.
The base plate 41 is loosely inserted into the arc-shaped long hole 51 and protruded toward the lower surface of the base plate 41. The slider 35
Alternatively, the lower end of the output shaft 50 is loosely fitted into the hole 52 formed in the hole 36. Thus, the slider 3 which is an interlocking member
The operation direction of the joystick 22 is transmitted to the operation reaction force generation device 40 by generating the operation direction of the joystick 22 by connecting the end portions of the gears 5 and 36 and the sector gear 47 via the output shaft 50. The reaction force is transmitted to the joystick 22.

The connection between the sliders 35 and 36 and the operation reaction force generator 40 is performed by connecting the output shaft 50 to the sliders 35 and 3.
6, the upper end of the output shaft 50 may be loosely fitted by making a hole near the outer periphery of the sector gear 47. Alternatively, pins can be loosely fitted between the distal ends of the sliders 35 and 36 and the vicinity of the outer periphery of the sector gear 47 for connection.

Here, the pinion gear 45 of the reduction gear mechanism 43 is formed of a relatively heat-resistant and durable PBT material containing glass fiber, and the intermediate gears 46a, 46
b is formed of a general POM material. On the contrary,
The sector gear 47 is made of POM containing potassium titanate fiber.
It is formed of a material, and has excellent rigidity and slidability.

FIG. 6 shows a state in which the operation reaction force generator 40 is fixed to the inner surface of the housing 21. The base plate 41 is screwed to the screw boss 54 of the housing 21 by screws 56. The upper ends of the gear shafts 48, 49 are fitted and supported in bearing recesses 55, 55 of the housing 21.

Next, the operation of the operation reaction force generator 40 will be described. When the game operator tilts the joystick 22 in any direction, the sliders 35 and 36 slide according to the operation.
When the second gear 2 is not driven, each gear of the reduction gear mechanism 43 idles, and no vibration or operation resistance occurs.

Now, referring to FIG.
When the first slider 35 approaches the operation reaction force generating device 40 by operating the motor toward the rear side in the vertical direction, the motor 42 is driven in the forward direction to rotate the motor shaft 44 clockwise in the figure. The rotation of the motor shaft 44 is reduced through the intermediate gears 46a and 46b and transmitted to the sector gear 47. At this time, the sector gear 47
Rotates clockwise around the gear shaft 49 with a high torque, so that the output shaft 50
Move in the opposite direction and try to prevent the movement of the first slider 35. That is, resistance is applied to the operation force of the joystick 22.

When the joystick 22 is operated to the front side in the vertical direction, the first slider 35 is moved by the operation reaction force generator 4.
0, the motor 42 is driven in the opposite direction to rotate the motor shaft 44 counterclockwise in the figure, and the sector gear 47 rotates counterclockwise about the gear shaft 49, The output shaft 50 moves in the opposite direction to the slide of the first slider 35, and attempts to prevent the movement of the first slider 35. That is, as described above, the joystick 22
Resistance will be added to the operation force of.

On the other hand, when the motor 42 is alternately driven in the forward and reverse directions to reverse the motor shaft 44 in small increments, the sector gear 47 swings about the gear shaft 49 in the horizontal direction.
Therefore, the first slider 35 vibrates in the vertical direction via the output shaft 50, and this vibration is transmitted to the joystick 22.

In the present invention, the sector gear 47 of the reduction gear mechanism 43, the sliders 35 and 36, the stepped ring 39, and the expansion portion 34 of the joystick, which are interlocking members, are each made of a POM material containing potassium titanate fiber. Alternatively, since it is formed of a PBT material, the stiffness and slidability are extremely high, and the driving force of the motor 42 is transmitted to the joystick 22 with a high torque without being attenuated, and strong vibrations and operation resistance are applied to the hands of the game operator. Can be given.

Although not described in detail, the other motor 42 is also driven when the second slider 36 approaches or separates from the other operation reaction force generator 40 by operating the joystick 22 in the lateral direction. By doing so, vibration and operation resistance can be applied to the joystick 22 as described above.

Thus, based on the computer game program, each operation reaction force generator 40 is controlled under the control of the CPU.
By driving the motor 42 in the forward direction or the reverse direction at any time, vibration or operation resistance can be given to the joystick 22, and a computer game controller having a so-called force feedback function can be provided.

The present invention can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the present invention extends to the modified ones.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, the sector gear of the reduction gear mechanism and the slider of the interlocking member are formed of PBT or POM material containing potassium titanate fiber, and the strength is required to be very low. Since the pinion gear and the intermediate gear which are not formed are made of PBT material or POM material, extremely high rigidity and slidability can be obtained while being relatively inexpensive. Therefore, the driving force of the motor is transmitted to the joystick with high torque without being attenuated.

Thus, the reduction gear mechanism can be reduced in weight and size, and the operation reaction force generator can be mounted in a limited space in a small computer game controller. Reality is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

 1 to 6 show an embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a computer game controller.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the computer game controller.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the operation reaction force generator stored in a housing.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a main part of the operation reaction force generator.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 4 showing a reduction gear mechanism of the operation reaction force generator.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the operation reaction force generator fixed to the housing.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 20 computer game controller 22 joystick 34 expansion part 35 (first) slider 36 (second) slider 37, 38 guide hole 40 operation reaction force generator 42 motor 43 reduction gear mechanism 44 motor shaft 45 pinion gear 46a, 46b intermediate Gear 47 sector gear

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An operation reaction force generator connected to a joystick of a computer game controller via an interlocking member, wherein the operation reaction force generator comprises a motor and a reduction gear mechanism, and further includes a reduction gear mechanism. The mechanism unit includes a pinion gear fitted to the motor shaft, an intermediate gear meshing with the pinion gear, and a sector gear meshing with the intermediate gear. The pinion gear is formed of a glass-containing PBT material, and the intermediate gear is The fan gear is made of POM material, and the sector gear is made of POM containing potassium titanate fiber.
An operation reaction force generator for a computer game controller, characterized by being formed of a material. 2. A horizontally elongated guide hole is formed in a first slider slidable in a horizontal and vertical direction, and a vertically elongated guide hole is formed in a second slider slidable in a horizontal and horizontal direction. The first and second sliders are made orthogonal to each other by overlapping the guide holes, and the guide holes of the two sliders are engaged with the spherical expansion portion provided below the joystick via a stepped ring. The interlocking member is formed, the bulging portion of the joystick and the slider are formed of potassium titanate fiber-containing PBT material, and the stepped ring is formed of potassium titanate fiber-containing POM material. An operation reaction force generator for a computer game controller according to claim 1.