Input device for game controller

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an input device for a game controller, and more particularly to the input device for the game controller in which both a digital and an analog output can be generated by means of a compact and simple trigger button type switch.

A related input device for a game controller of this type will be explained referring to FIG.

5

. The input device

1

for the game controller consists of a base board

4

on which a pair of electrodes

2

and

3

are fixed, a click rubber

5

rigidly provided on the base board

4

, a button

6

placed on the click rubber

5

, and a casing

7

which covers the click rubber

5

and the button

6

. The casing

7

is substantially an inverted shape of a bottomed cylinder, and is provided with an opening

7

a

at its upper end part. The click rubber

5

is formed of elastic material and composed of a cylindrical body

5

a

in a substantially cylindrical shape, extending portions

5

b

which extend from the cylindrical body

5

a

diagonally downward, and leg portions

5

c

disposed at lower ends of the extending portions

5

b

. A conductive body

5

d

is fixed to a lower end part of the cylindrical body

5

a.

The leg portions

5

c

are fixed to the base board

4

, and at the same time, support a lower end part of the casing

7

. The button

6

consists of an upper small-diameter portion

6

a

in a cylindrical shape which is smaller in diameter than the opening

7

a,

and a lower large-diameter portion

6

b

in a cylindrical shape which is larger in diameter than the opening

7

a.

The upper small-diameter portion

6

a

is arranged so as to pass through the opening

7

a

formed in the casing

7

and project upward from the casing

7

, while the lower large-diameter portion

6

b

is disposed inside the upper end part of the casing

7

, and biased in an upward direction by means of the click rubber

5

.

When the button

6

is pushed down, the extending portions

5

b

of the click rubber

5

are deformed with the push motion of the button

6

to move the cylindrical body

5

a

of the click rubber

5

downward. By further pushing the button

6

downward, the extending portions

5

b

are greatly deformed instantaneously bringing the conductive body

5

d

fixed to the lower end part of the cylindrical body

5

a

into contact with the electrodes

2

and

3

thereby to establish electrical conduction between the electrodes

2

and

3

. Moreover, when the extending portions

5

b

are greatly deformed instantaneously, an operator of the button

6

can feel a touch of a click, and the operator can confirm from the touch of the click that the electrical conduction has been established between the electrodes

2

and

3

.

In the related input device for the game controller, when the button is pushed downward, the click rubber located below the button is deformed by the push motion of the button, and the cylindrical body of the click rubber moves downward, whereby the conductive body fixed to the cylindrical body allows a pair of the electrodes provided on the base board to be electrically conducted. However, this input device for the game controller has been insufficient in function to act as the input device for the game controller, since it has only an “on” and “off” switching function of the electrodes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a button type input device for the game controller in which an analog output can be generated in accordance with the push-down operation of the button, as well as the on/off switching function in order to improve the function of the controller.

According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, an input device includes a base board with first and second electrodes disposed thereon. A resist covers the first electrode and a capacitance-operated sensor is mounted on the resist and covers the second electrode. A click rubber with deformable extending portions is positioned above the capacitance-operated sensor. A button translatable within an aperture in a casing is mounted on top of the click rubber, where the casing covers the sensor, the click rubber and a portion of the button.

Here, the silicon rubber sensor and the resist generates an analog output signal between the first and second electrodes in proportion to a force pressing the button, when the pressing force is larger than a predetermined pressing force enough to deform the click rubber so as to establish the output signal.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the input device includes a base board with first and second electrodes disposed thereon, and a piezoelectric sensor disposed on the base board so as to cover the electrodes. A click rubber with deformable extending portions is positioned above the piezoelectric sensor. A button translatable within an aperture in a casing is mounted on top of the click rubber, where the casing covers the sensor, the click rubber and a portion of the button.

Here, the piezoelectric sensor generates an analog output signal between the first and second electrodes in proportion to a force pressing the button, when the pressing force is larger than a predetermined pressing force enough to deform the click rubber so as to establish the output signal.

In the above configurations, the “on” and “off” operation can be effected by the button operation, and at the same time, the analog output can be generated in correspondence with the push-down operation of the button.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1

is a sectional side view of an input device for a game controller according to a first embodiment of the invention, showing a state before a button is pushed;

FIG. 2

is a sectional side view of the input device of

FIG. 1

, showing a state where the button is pushed down and the click rubber is greatly deformed;

FIG. 3

is a graph showing the relation among a displaced amount of the button, a load of a touch which an operator of the button feels, and an output of the electrodes;

FIG. 4

is a sectional side view of an input device for the game controller according to a second embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 5

is a sectional side view of a related input device for a game controller.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

There will be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1

to

3

show an input device for a game controller

11

according to a first embodiment of the invention. The input device

11

includes: a base board

13

on which electrodes

12

and

15

are fixed; a resist

14

fixed on the base board

13

which covers the electrode

12

; a capacitance-operated silicone rubber sensor

16

made of carbon containing silicone rubber which is mounted on the resist

14

and covers the electrode

15

; a click rubber

17

positioned apart from and above the silicone rubber sensor

16

, and made of elastic material; a button

18

placed on the click rubber

17

; and a casing

19

which covers the silicone rubber sensor

16

, the click rubber

17

, and the button

18

.

The silicone rubber sensor

16

is formed in an inverted shape of a bottomed cylinder and has a flange portion

16

a

at its lower end, and the electrode

15

is provided in the flange portion

16

a.

The click rubber

17

is composed of a cylindrical body

17

a

in a substantially cylindrical shape, extending portions

17

b

which extend from the cylindrical body

17

a

diagonally downward, and leg portions

17

c

disposed at lower ends of the extending portions

17

b.

The leg portions

17

c

are rigidly provided on the base board

13

and support an lower end part

19

a

of the casing

19

. The button

18

consists of an upper small-diameter portion

18

a

in a cylindrical shape and a lower large-diameter portion

18

b

in a cylindrical shape. The casing

19

is in a substantially inverted shape of a bottomed cylinder and provided with an opening

19

b

in its upper end part. The opening

19

b

is larger in diameter than the upper small-diameter portion

18

a

of the button

18

and smaller in diameter than the lower large-diameter portion

18

b.

The upper small-diameter portion

18

a

is passed through the opening

19

b

so as to project upward from the upper end of the casing

19

, while the lower large-diameter portion

18

b

is positioned inside the upper end part of the casing

19

, and biased upward by means of the click rubber

17

.

When the button

18

is pushed downward, the extending portions

17

b

of the click rubber

17

are deformed with the push motion of the button

18

and the cylindrical body

17

a

of the click rubber

17

is displaced downward. By further pushing the button

18

downward, the extending portions

17

b

are greatly deformed instantaneously as shown in

FIG. 2

bringing a lower end portion

17

d

of the cylindrical body

17

a

into contact with the silicone rubber sensor

16

to press the silicone rubber sensor

16

and the resist

14

downward. From this point in time, the silicone rubber sensor

16

and the resist

14

act in the same manner as a capacitor, and generate an output between the electrode

12

and the electrode

15

. As the silicone rubber sensor

16

is further pressed, the output is increased substantially in proportion to the pressing force.

FIG. 3

is a graph showing relations among a displaced amount S of the button

18

, a load P of the touch which the operator of the button

18

feels, and an output V generated between the electrodes

12

and

15

. When the button

18

is pushed downward and as the displaced amount S varies from

0

to S

1

, the load of the touch P varies from

0

to P

1

substantially in proportion to the displaced amount S. However, when the displaced amount S varies from S

1

to S

2

, the load of the touch P is abruptly decreased from P

1

to P

2

. This is because the extending portions

17

b

of the click rubber

17

have been greatly deformed to establish a touch of a click. The more the displaced amount S is increased from S

2

, the more the load of the touch P is again increased from P

2

substantially in proportion to the increase of the displaced amount S.

At a point in time that the displaced amount is S

2

, the output V in an amount of V

1

is generated between the electrodes

12

and

15

. The output V is further increased from the output V

1

substantially in proportion to the increase of the displaced amount S. The output V actuates the electrodes

12

and

15

to generate an “on” output which is a digital output and an analog output corresponding to the push-down operation of the button

18

.

FIG. 4

shows an input device

20

for a game controller according to a second embodiment of the invention. In the input device

20

, there is provided a piezoelectric sensor

21

below the click rubber

17

in place of the resist

14

and the silicone rubber sensor

16

of the first embodiment. A pair of the electrodes

12

and

15

are fixed with the piezoelectric sensor

21

. In this structure, when the button

18

is pushed down to deform the click rubber

17

, the click rubber

17

presses the piezoelectric sensor

21

to generate an output between the electrodes

12

and

15

in the piezoelectric sensor

21

. As the piezoelectric sensor

21

is further pressed, the output from the electrodes

12

and

15

is increased. Thus, in case where the piezoelectric sensor

21

is employed, the “on” output as the digital output and the analog output corresponding to the push-down operation of the button

18

can be also generated.

It is to be noted that various modifications can be added to the invention unless they deviate from the spirit of the invention, and it is apparent that the invention covers also the modifications.