JPH11156052A - Operation reaction generator for computer game controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the reality of a game operation by loading an operation reaction generator to a small-sized computer game controller connected to a personal computer or a game machine for a household at a low cost and supplying vibration and operation resistance to a steering handle or a stick or the like. SOLUTION: A boss 54 for screwing is projectingly provided on the inner side face of the housing 21 of the computer game controller and this operation reaction generator 40 is mounted to a base plate 41. A machine screw insertion hole 53 is opened, facing the boss 54 for screwing on the base plate 41, a machine screw 56 inserted to the machine screw insertion hole 53 is screwed to the boss 54 for screwing and the base plate 41 is directly fixed to the inner side face of the housing 21.

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, mounting an operation reaction force generator on this kind of computer game controller that requires miniaturization has a problem in terms of space, and in particular, an eccentric weight type vibration device requires a large rotation space for the eccentric weight. For this reason, it is difficult to store it in a small controller.

In order to apply vibration and operation resistance to a steering handle, a stick, and the like without using an eccentric weight in such a small computer game controller, for example, a configuration shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 can be considered. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a housing of a controller, and a boss 2 for screwing is protruded from an inner surface of the housing 1. Reference numeral 3 denotes a lower base plate. A motor 4 is fixed to the lower surface of the lower base plate 3, a motor shaft 5 penetrates through a hole of the lower base plate 3, and a distal end of the motor shaft 5 projects toward the upper surface of the lower base plate 3. The pinion gear 6 is fitted on the motor shaft 5.

On the upper surface of the lower base plate 3, two-stage intermediate gears 7a and 7b and a large-diameter wheel gear 8 are arranged. The upper intermediate gear 7a meshes with the pinion gear 6 and the lower intermediate gear 7b Meshes with the wheel gears 8, and the respective gears are pivotally mounted on gear shafts 9 and 10. Also,
An output shaft 11 protrudes from a lower surface near the outer periphery of the wheel gear 8,
An arc-shaped long hole 12 formed in the lower base plate 3
, The output shaft 11 is loosely fitted.

Further, a cylindrical sleeve 13 is fixed to a corner of the lower base plate 3, and an upper base plate 14 is covered on an upper part. At this time, the gear shafts 9, 1
The upper and lower ends of the gear 0 are supported by an upper base plate 14 and a lower base plate 3, and the above-mentioned gears are housed in a sandwich structure to constitute an operation reaction force generator 15.

The upper base plate 14
To the inner surface of the housing 1 and the screw boss 2
Is inserted into the sleeve 13 and the screw 16 is inserted through the sleeve 13 from the lower surface side of the lower base plate 3 and screwed to the boss 2 for screwing, whereby the operation reaction force generator 15 is fixed to the housing 1. become.

When the motor 4 is driven in the forward direction to rotate the motor shaft 5 clockwise in FIG. 9, the rotation of the motor shaft 5 is reduced via the intermediate gears 7a and 7b. Since the wheel gear 8 rotates clockwise, the output shaft 11
Collides with one end 12a of the long hole 12. Subsequently, when the motor 4 is driven in the reverse direction to rotate the motor shaft 5 counterclockwise in FIG. 9, the wheel gear 8 rotates counterclockwise and the output shaft 11 It collides with the other end 12b. By continuously operating this operation, the output shaft 11 repeatedly collides with both ends 12a and 12b of the long hole 12 to generate vibration, and the vibration is transmitted to a steering handle, a stick, or the like of the computer game controller.

[0010]

When the operation reaction force generating device is mounted on a small computer game controller, the configuration shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 can be considered as described above, but each gear for reduction is sandwiched. In order to store it in the structure, two upper and lower base plates and a sleeve at the corner are required, which increases the number of parts and complicates the assembly process.

[0011] Therefore, a small computer game controller connected to a personal computer or a home game machine is equipped with an operation reaction force generator at low cost, and a vibration or operation resistance is applied to a steering handle, a stick, or the like to provide a game. A technical problem to be solved arises in order to improve the reality of operation, and an object of the present invention is to solve this problem.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed to achieve the above object, and is an operation reaction force generator connected to operation direction input means of a computer game controller. A screw boss is projected on the inner surface of the housing, an operation reaction force generator is mounted on the base plate, and a screw insertion hole is formed in the base plate facing the screw boss. An operation reaction force generator for a computer game controller in which the inserted screw is screwed to the screw boss and the base plate is directly fixed to the inner surface of the housing, and the operation reaction force generator is a motor and a reduction gear mechanism. The reduction gear mechanism is a pinion gear fitted to the motor shaft and an intermediate gear meshed with the pinion gear. A is composed of a sector gear meshing with the intermediate gear, furthermore, the operation direction input unit computer game controller operating the interlocking member interlocked with the direction and connecting the sector gear of the operation reaction force generating device, and,
A bearing recess is formed on the inner surface of the housing at a position facing the gear shaft of the reduction gear mechanism, and one end of the gear shaft is fitted into and supported by the bearing recess. A force generator is provided.

[0013]

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 slider 35 slidable in the vertical direction in the figure is attached to a spherical expansion portion 34 provided below the joystick 22. And a slider 36 slidable in the horizontal direction are mounted orthogonally. One slider 35 is provided with a horizontally long guide hole 37, and the other slider 36 is provided with a vertically long guide hole 38. The respective guide holes 37, 38 are formed through stepped rings 39. The joystick is engaged with the expansion portion 34.
Therefore, when the joystick 22 is tilted in any direction, the sliders 35 and 3 which are interlocking members are operated.
6 slides in the vertical or horizontal direction in conjunction with the operation direction of the joystick 22. Further, the tip portions of both sliders 35 and 36 are respectively provided with operation reaction force generating devices 40 and 4.
0 is connected.

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 through a hole in 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 near the outer periphery of the sector gear 47, and this output shaft 50 is connected to the base plate 41.
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
By connecting the distal ends of the gears 5 and 36 and the sector gear 47 via the output shaft 50, the operation direction of the joystick 22 is transmitted to the operation reaction force generator 40 and generated by the operation reaction force generator 40. 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, when fixing the operation reaction force generating device 40 to the housing 21, screws are inserted into screw insertion holes 53 formed in the corners of the base plate 41. As shown in FIG. 6, a screwing boss 54 is provided on the inner surface of the housing 21 at a position corresponding to the screw insertion hole 53 of the base plate 41 in advance, and faces the gear shafts 48 and 49. As a result, bearing recesses 55 are formed. Then, each screw insertion hole 53 and a screw boss 54
The base plate 41 is aligned with the center of the housing 2.
The screw 56 is inserted into the screw insertion hole 53 from the lower surface side of the base plate 41 and screwed to the screw boss 54.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 7, the operation reaction force generator 40 is fixed to the inner surface of the housing 21. At this time, the upper ends of the gear shafts 48 and 49 are
1 and is supported by being fitted into the bearing recesses 55, 55. Therefore, the upper base plate described in the related art is not required, and a sleeve for connecting the upper base plate and the lower base plate is not required. The base plate 41 can be screwed directly to 54.

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 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 and the motor shaft 44 is rotated clockwise in the drawing to The rotation of the shaft 44 is reduced through the intermediate gears 46 a and 46 b and transmitted to the sector gear 47. At this time, the sector-shaped gear 47 rotates clockwise with a high torque around the gear shaft 49 by the reduction action of the reduction gear mechanism 43, so that the output shaft 50 moves in the opposite direction to the slide of the slider 35. , The movement of the slider 35 is prevented. That is, resistance is applied to the operation force of the joystick 22.

When the joystick 22 is operated to the front in the vertical direction and the slider 35 is separated from the operation reaction force generator 40, the motor 42 is driven in the reverse direction to rotate the motor shaft 44 counterclockwise in the figure. , The sector gear 4
7 rotates counterclockwise about the gear shaft 49, and the output shaft 5
0 moves in the opposite direction to the slide of the slider 35, and attempts to prevent the movement of the slider 35. That is, resistance is applied to the operation force of the joystick 22 as described above.

On the other hand, if 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 slider 35 vibrates in the vertical direction via the output shaft 50, and this vibration is transmitted to the joystick 22.

Although the detailed description is omitted, even when the joystick 22 is operated in the lateral direction and the slider 36 approaches or separates from the other operation reaction force generator 40, the other motor 42 is driven. As described above, vibration and operation resistance can be applied to the joystick 22.

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.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, the operation reaction force generator is mounted on the base plate, and the base plate is directly screwed onto the screw boss protruding from the inner surface of the housing of the computer game controller. The operation reaction force generator can be mounted in a limited space in a small computer game controller, and the reality of the game operation is improved. In mounting the operation reaction force generator, the number of components can be reduced and the mounting process can be shortened, which can contribute to cost reduction.

[Brief description of the drawings]

 1 to 7 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. 6B shows a process of attaching the operation reaction force generating device,
B sectional drawing.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a state in which a screw is screwed from the state of FIG. 6 and the operation reaction force generating device is fixed to the housing;

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of an operation reaction force generating device, showing a conventional technique.

FIG. 9 is a view showing the prior art, and is a view taken along line CC in FIG. 8;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 20 computer game controller 21 housing 22 joystick 35, 36 slider 40 operation reaction force generator 41 base plate 42 motor 43 reduction gear mechanism 44 motor shaft 45 pinion gear 46a, 46b intermediate gear 47 sector gear 48, 49 gear shaft 50 output shaft 53 screw insertion Hole 54 Screw boss 55 Bearing recess 56 Screw

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An operation reaction force generator connected to an operation direction input means of a computer game controller,
A screw boss is projected from the inner surface of the housing of the computer game controller, an operation reaction force generator is mounted on the base plate, and a screw insertion hole is formed in the base plate so as to face the screw boss. Screw the screw inserted into the insertion hole to the screwing boss,
An operation reaction force generating device for a computer game controller, wherein the base plate is directly fixed to an inner surface of the housing. 2. The operation reaction force generator includes a motor and a reduction gear mechanism. The reduction gear mechanism 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. 2. The operation reaction force generation device for a computer game controller according to claim 1, further comprising a gear, and further comprising an interlocking member interlocked with an operation direction of said operation direction input means and said sector gear. 3. A bearing recess is formed in an inner surface of the housing at a position facing a gear shaft of a reduction gear mechanism, and one end of the gear shaft is fitted and supported in the bearing recess. Item 3. An operation reaction force generator for a computer game controller according to item 1 or 2.