JP2012234278A - Joystick and position input controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problems in conventional joysticks in which it is hard to perform fine adjustment to control action based on operation with an operation lever because an input unit is an operation button, and an operator is required to have skill for the fine adjustment to control.SOLUTION: A joystick includes: an operation lever 2 that has a holding part 16, is supported in an oscillating manner, and outputs first relative position information in accordance with an oscillating attitude; and a touch panel 20 that is provided on the holding part of the operation lever and outputs second relative position information by a touch with a finger.

Description

  The present application relates to a joystick device provided with an input unit having a touch panel for input by touching an operation lever that is an operation unit to be gripped and operated, and a position input control device including the joystick device.

  In general, a joystick device has an operation lever and a potentiometer, and is configured to mechanically link them to obtain an electrical output corresponding to the operation angle of the operation lever. In addition, there is a configuration in which various switches are added to the joystick device, and the output of the joystick device is controlled by an output from the switches, or a separate and independent function is exhibited. For example, by tilting the operation lever in the front / rear / right / left directions, two-dimensional movements in the X-axis and Y-axis are performed, and in addition to the operation of the operation lever, the operation button is pressed at a desired position, thereby The operation in the Z-axis direction is added.

  As a conventional joystick device of this type, for example, there is a device described in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 describes a joystick device for operating a construction machine such as a hydraulic excavator or a crane. The joystick device described in Patent Document 1 includes an operation lever, operation means, voltage output means, and an amplifier circuit. The operation lever is formed of a hollow body that is supported so as to be swingable and that can be gripped by an operator, and the operation means is provided at the tip of the operation lever and supported so as to be movable in a predetermined direction. . The voltage output means outputs a voltage proportional to the amount of movement of the operation means, and the amplifier circuit amplifies the voltage output from the voltage output means. The invention according to Patent Document 1 is characterized in that an amplifier circuit is provided inside the operation lever.

  According to the joystick device described in Patent Document 1, there is an effect that the operability can be improved as compared with the prior art by changing the arrangement of the operation means according to the direction in which the operation target is displaced. Is done.

JP 2008-1375078 A

  However, according to the joystick device described in Patent Document 1, an operation panel is attached to the upper part of the operation lever, and two operation buttons and one slide switch are provided on the operation panel. Two operation buttons and one slide switch are fixed to the operation panel, and all the operation buttons and the like are fixed to the operation lever via the operation panel. Since the operation buttons and slide switches need to expose the respective operation parts on the surface of the operation panel and have a certain volume, the number of switches that can be attached to one operation lever is limited. there were. In addition, since the controlled object is controlled according to the amount of change in the swinging posture of the operating lever, it is difficult to finely adjust the posture change, and skill of the operator is required for fine adjustment of the swinging posture. There was a problem.

  The problem to be solved is that, in the conventional joystick device, there is an apparatus provided with an input part that can contribute to the operation of the operation lever, but the input part is an operation button or a slide switch. It is difficult to make fine adjustments to the control operation based on the operation of the lever, and the skill of the operator is required to make the fine adjustment of the control.

  The joystick device of the present application includes an operating lever that has a gripping portion and is supported so as to be swingable and outputs first relative position information in accordance with a swinging posture, and is provided on the gripping portion of the operating lever and includes a finger. And a contact position input unit that outputs the second relative position information by contacting with each other.

  In addition, the position input control device of the present application includes an operating lever that has a gripping portion and is supported so as to be swingable and outputs first relative position information according to a swinging posture, and a gripping portion of the operating lever. A contact position input unit that is provided and outputs second relative position information when a finger comes in contact; a control unit that controls a control target based on the first relative position information and the second relative position information; It is characterized by having.

  According to the joystick device and the position input control device of the present application, the contact position input unit that outputs the second relative position information is provided in the grip portion of the operation lever that outputs the first relative position information. In addition, by making the operation lever and the contact position input unit cooperate with each other so that they can be operated with one hand, the control target can be reliably controlled with one hand, and fine adjustment of the control is easy. And accurate control can be executed.

It is an external appearance perspective view which shows the 1st Example of the joystick apparatus of this application. It is a front view of the joystick apparatus shown in FIG. It is a left view of the joystick apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view in which the joystick device shown in FIG. It is an external appearance perspective view of the state which isolate | separated the operation lever of the joystick apparatus shown in FIG. 1 from the biaxial rotation axial part. It is the perspective view which looked at the joystick apparatus shown in FIG. 1 from diagonally downward. It is the perspective view which decomposed | disassembled the operation lever of the joystick apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and was seen from diagonally forward. It is the perspective view which decomposed | disassembled the operation lever of the joystick apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and was seen from diagonally back. It is the perspective view showing the inner surface of the rear case of the operation lever of the joystick apparatus shown in FIG. It is the perspective view which removed the rubber cover for dust prevention of the joystick apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and showed the principal part. It is the left view which removed the rubber cover for dust prevention of the joystick apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and showed the principal part. It is explanatory drawing which expanded the holding part of the operation lever of the joystick apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and showed the 1st example of the display form by a touch panel. It is explanatory drawing which expanded the holding part of the operation lever of the joystick apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and showed the 2nd example of the display form by a touch panel. It is a block diagram showing the schematic structure of the suitable position input control apparatus using the joystick apparatus shown in FIG.

  When the operating lever is swung by holding the grip portion to change the posture of the operating lever, the first relative position information is output according to the swinging posture of the operating lever. Since the swinging operation of the operation lever is generally rough, the control target can be quickly controlled to a state close to the target state. Simultaneously with or before and after this, the second relative position information is obtained by bringing the finger into contact with the contact position input unit with the hand holding the gripping portion and moving the finger in a contact state to a portion corresponding to the target state. Is output. Thereby, since the finger of a hand can generally move delicately and finely, the control object can be reliably moved to a target state and controlled with high accuracy.

  1 to 6 show an example of the first embodiment of the joystick device of the present invention. The joystick device 1 is a combination of an operation lever having a grip portion and a panel (hereinafter referred to as “touch panel”) in which a position input portion is assembled on a display device such as a liquid crystal display as a position input device. With this configuration, the first relative position information is output by the operation lever that is operated by gripping the grip portion by hand, and the second relative position is touched by the finger of the hand gripping the grip portion. By outputting information, various functions can be exhibited.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the joystick device 1 includes an operation lever 2 that allows an operator to grip a gripping part and swing it in the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, or the oblique direction, and a two-dimensional swing of the operation lever 2. A two-axis rotation shaft portion 3 that enables dynamic motion, a posture detection portion 4 that detects the posture (displacement in the two-dimensional direction) of the operation lever 2 and outputs first relative position information corresponding to the posture; The contact position input unit 5 is provided in the grip portion of the operation lever 2 and outputs second relative position information when a finger comes into contact therewith.

  The operation lever 2 has a configuration as shown in FIGS. That is, the operation lever 2 is provided at the front case 12 facing the operator side, the rear case 13 superimposed on the back side of the front case 12, and the superimposed front case 12 and lower part of the rear case 13. The lever attachment 15 closes the opening 14 opened at the lower end. The front case 12 and the rear case 13 are made of a bowl-shaped member having a substantially semicircular and half-square cross section, and a case main body 11 made of a sheath-like hollow body is formed by overlapping both cases. The front case 12 and the rear case 13 are detachably screwed by a plurality of fixing screws 18, 18.

  The base part of the case body 11 close to the attachment part to be controlled to which the joystick device 1 is attached is formed as a cylindrical part whose cross-sectional shape forms a ring shape, and the part from the upper part to the distal end of this cylindrical part is the grip part 16. It is configured as. The gripping part 16 is formed in a substantially U-shape so as to be bent forward from the middle part to the tip part of the cylindrical part. The grip portion 16 is formed in a square shape with a slightly wider width than the base portion, and is a square tube portion having a size and shape that is easy for an operator to grip. A panel opening hole 21 having a rectangular shape with which the touch panel 20 is fitted is provided at a substantially central portion of the flat surface portion 12a of the front case 12 of the grip portion 16. At the front end side of the opening hole 21 of the front case 12, two rectangular button opening holes 24 and 25 are provided side by side to which the two control buttons 22 and 23 are individually fitted.

  The touch panel 20 represents an embodiment of the contact position input unit 5 and is an electronic component that combines a display device such as a liquid crystal display and a position input device such as a touch pad, and has two functions of display and input. It has. The touch panel 20 displays image information received from the outside of a computer or the like on a liquid crystal display or the like, and information on the touched screen position by an operator touching a picture or character displayed on the screen with a hand. The information signal is output to the outside as the second relative position information. Furthermore, the touch panel 20 also has a function of switching a display screen, and a preset display screen can be selected and displayed by touching an icon or the like displayed at a predetermined position with a hand.

  There are various types of touch panel 20 depending on the operation principle. In this embodiment, any touch panel 20 may be used as long as it can be operated by an operator. For example, a resistive film type, a capacitance type, a surface acoustic wave type ( (Ultrasonic method) can be applied. The output based on the information input to the touch panel 20 may be either a digital output or an analog output, and does not limit the output format. The contact position input unit of the present invention is not limited to a touch panel having a display function, and a position input device such as a touch pad having no display function can also be used.

  The display screen of the touch panel 20 shown in FIG. 12 adjusts the control amount in two axis directions orthogonal to the Y axis (for example, the front-rear direction) and the X axis (for example, the left-right direction) (“large”, “strong”, “slow speed”, etc. ) It is configured to correspond to possible mechanisms. A reference point CP provided at the center of the screen of the touch panel 20 is a reference position, and the vertical direction in which the operation lever 2 extends from the reference position CP is a first direction, and is a direction orthogonal to the first direction. The left-right direction, which is the width direction of the operation lever 2, is the second direction. In the first direction Y-axis, the upper side from the reference point CP is the + side (“large”, “strong”, “fast”, etc.), and the lower side that is the opposite side is the − side (“small”, “weak”, "Slow"). Therefore, for example, if a finger touching the reference point CP is slid to the Y axis + side, the speed in the Y axis direction increases according to the amount of movement, and the finger touching the reference point CP is moved to the Y axis − side. If it slides to, the speed of the Y-axis direction will become slow according to the movement amount.

  In the second direction X-axis of the touch panel 20, the right side from the reference point CP is the + side (“large”, “strong”, “fast”, etc.), and the opposite left side is the − side (“small”, “ Weak ”,“ slow ”, etc.). Therefore, for example, if a finger touching the reference point CP is slid to the X axis + side, the speed in the X axis direction increases according to the amount of movement, and the finger touching the reference point CP is moved to the X axis − side. If it slides to, the speed of an X-axis direction will become slow according to the movement amount. For example, if the finger touching the reference point CP is slid in an oblique direction that is intermediate between the X axis and the Y axis, the speed in the angular direction increases according to the inclination angle and the amount of movement, or The speed is slow.

  The display screen of the touch panel 20 shown in FIG. 13 is configured such that four different operation switches 26, 27, 28, and 29 are arranged on the same plane, and arbitrary operation switches 26 to 29 can be selected and operated. is there. For example, the first operation switch 26 selects an operation of moving the control target forward, and the control target can be moved forward only while the finger is in contact with the switch range. The second operation switch 27 selects an operation of moving the control target backward, and the control target can be moved backward only while the finger is in contact with the switch range. The third operation switch 28 selects an operation for moving the control object to the left, and the fourth operation switch 29 selects an operation for moving the control object to the right. It is possible to move the control object to the left or right only while touching.

  As shown in FIG. 12, when the touch panel 20 of this embodiment is used as an X-axis and Y-axis two-dimensional position input device, the fingertip (for example, thumb, index finger, etc.) is held with the operation lever 2 held. ), The output based on the positional information input to the touch panel 20 can be used as the output of an independent input device different from the output from the operation lever 2. As a result, the output information from the operation lever 2 and the output information from the touch panel 20 can be arbitrarily combined, and the operation amount (speed, angle, etc.) difficult to be achieved by the conventional joystick device is largely adjusted at the initial stage and the final stage. Then, fine adjustments can be made. Note that the position input by the touch panel 20 is not limited to the two-dimensional planar coordinate structure of the X axis and the Y axis as in the present embodiment, but can be configured as one-dimensional coordinates only of the X axis or only of the Y axis. is there.

  In addition, in a conventional joystick device with a switch function in which only a mechanical switch such as a push button is mounted on the operation lever, the number of switches that can be mounted is limited due to the mounting space of the switch. In this case, as shown in FIG. 13, an area on the display screen of the touch panel 20 can be divided and an arbitrary number of switches can be set. Therefore, it is easy to increase the number of switches, and the switch function of the entire joystick device can be increased, so that the multifunction of the joystick device can be achieved. Note that the touch panel 20 may display the display form shown in FIG. 12 and the display form shown in FIG. 13 on the same screen, or may be configured as a switching screen by providing a display screen switching function. .

  The two control buttons 22 and 23 attached to the opening holes 24 and 25 of the front case 12 output control information for the controlled object, and both control buttons 22 and 23 are constituted by push button switches. The first control button 22 can be applied as, for example, an X-axis direction lock unit that outputs first control information to a control target and restricts the control target from moving in the X-axis direction. The second control button 23 can be applied as, for example, a Y-axis direction lock unit that outputs second control information to the control target and restricts the control target from moving in the Y-axis direction.

  The holding part 16 of the rear case 13 of the case body 11 is provided with a first opening hole 32 in which the third control part 31 is attached and a second opening hole 34 in which the fourth control part 33 is attached. Yes. The first opening hole 32 is disposed on the side far from the base portion of the rear case 13, and the second opening hole 34 is disposed on the extension line on the side close to the base portion. The third control unit 31 outputs, for example, third control information to the control target, and moves in the Z-axis direction (for example, the vertical direction) that is the third direction orthogonal to both the X-axis and the Y-axis. The present invention can be applied as a Z-axis direction control unit that controls movement of a controlled object. Moreover, the 4th control part 33 can be applied as a power control part which outputs 4th control information with respect to a control object, and controls the magnitude | size of the output which operates a control object, for example.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7 to 9, in this embodiment, a seesaw type potentiometer is used as the third control unit 31. The 3rd control part 31 outputs the 3rd control information, and outputs the control information which makes a controlled object operate in the up-and-down direction. In this embodiment, a seesaw type potentiometer 45 is applied as the third control unit 31. The seesaw type potentiometer 45 has a seesaw button 47 that can swing in the front-rear direction. When the front side portion of the seesaw button 47 is pressed, control information for moving the control object upward is output. When the rear portion is pressed, control information for moving the control object downward is output.

  In the present embodiment, a trigger switch is used as the fourth control unit 33. The fourth control unit 33 outputs the fourth control information to the control target, and controls to operate based on the output from which the control target is selected. The trigger switch is used as the fourth control unit 33, and the output of the control target motor is controlled by adjusting the output magnitude by the on / off operation, and the power that the control target can output is increased or decreased. It is configured so that it can be made.

  The fourth control unit 33 supports a trigger switch 36, a switch plate 37 on which the trigger switch 36 is mounted, an operation button 38 for turning the trigger switch 36 on and off, and the operation button 38 so as to be swingable. And a button mounting plate 39 to be configured. The button mounting plate 39 is rotatably supported on one side of the operation button 38, and the button mounting plate 39 is screwed to the switch plate 37 with a plurality of fixing screws 41. The switch plate 37 is disposed inside the rear case 13, and the switch plate 37 is fastened and fixed to the rear case 13 with a plurality of fixing screws 42. The operation button 38 is disposed so as to face the switch plate 37 with the rear case 13 interposed therebetween, and the operation portion of the operation button 38 is exposed below the rear case 13.

  The third control unit 31 includes a seesaw type potentiometer 45 and a potentiometer mounting plate 46 on which the seesaw type potentiometer 45 is mounted. The seesaw-type potentiometer 45 has a seesaw button 47 that is swingably supported. The seesaw button 47 passes through the first opening hole 32 and is exposed below the rear case 13. The seesaw type potentiometer 45 is attached to a potentiometer mounting plate 46 by a plurality of mounting screws 43. The potentiometer mounting plate 46 is fastened and fixed inside the rear case 13 by a plurality of fixing screws 44.

  In this way, the upper end side of the case main body 11 to which the touch panel 20 or the like is attached is closed to constitute the grip portion 16. A lever attachment 15 is fitted into an opening 14 formed at the lower end of the case body 11. On the opening 14 side of the case body 11, flange portions 12 b and 13 a formed so as to expand radially outward from the outer peripheral edges of the front case 12 and the rear case 13 are provided. Each flange portion 12b, 13a has a plurality of insertion holes 48a, 48a for screwing between the flange portions 12b, 13a, and a plurality of insertion holes 48b, 48b for screwing the lever fitting 15. Is provided. The flange portion 12b of the front case 12 and the flange portion 13a of the rear case 13 are screwed together by tightening a fixing screw 49 that passes through the opposing insertion holes 48a and 48a and a nut 49a that is screwed to the fixing screw 49. .

  The lever fixture 15 is formed of a cylindrical member having a small diameter portion 15a and a large diameter portion 15b formed by providing a step on the outer peripheral surface. A through hole 51 penetrating in the axial direction is provided in the axial center portion of the lever attachment 15, and the tip end portion of the center shaft 60 of the biaxial rotation shaft portion 3 is fitted into the through hole 51. The small-diameter portion 15a of the lever fixture 15 has a plurality of screw holes 52 that are opened in the outer peripheral surface and extend in the radial direction and communicated with the through-hole 51, and are opened in the end surface and extend to a midway portion in the axial direction. An axial groove 53 is provided. A set screw 54 is screwed into the plurality of screw holes 52, and the lever attachment 15 is fastened and fixed to the tip end portion of the center shaft 60 by tightening the set screw 54.

  A key-shaped positioning projection 55 provided on the front case 12 is engaged with the axial groove 53 of the small diameter portion 15 a of the lever fixture 15. By engaging the positioning protrusion 55 with the axial groove 53, the rotation change of the case body 11 with respect to the lever attachment 15 is prevented. The large-diameter portion 15b of the lever attachment 15 is provided with an annular groove continuous in the circumferential direction, and the opening 14 is sealed by a seal member 56 made of an O-ring attached to the annular groove. . Further, the large-diameter portion 15b is provided with a plurality of screw holes 15c extending radially inward in the radial direction. The plurality of screw holes 15 c are opposed to the plurality of insertion holes 48 b provided in the flange portions 12 b and 13 a of the front case 12 and the rear case 13. The case body 11 is screwed to the lever attachment 15 by a plurality of fixing screws 57, 57 that pass through the insertion hole 48b and are screwed into the screw hole 15c.

  As a material of the front case 12 and the rear case 13 of the case body 11, for example, a modified polyamide is suitable. However, these materials are not limited to modified polyamide, and various engineering plastics having the same degree of rigidity and strength can be used as well as metals such as aluminum alloys. . As a material of the lever fixture 15, for example, an aluminum alloy is suitable, but stainless steel, steel steel and other metals can be used, and various engineering plastics having appropriate rigidity and strength can be used. it can.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the biaxial rotating shaft portion 3 includes a center shaft 60, a first rotating shaft 61, a second rotating shaft 62, a biaxial holder 63, and a sliding sleeve 64. And a spring receiving cup 65, a coil spring 66, a low friction plate 67, a stopper plate 68, and the like. The center shaft 60 is made of a pipe-shaped member having a central hole 70 penetrating the shaft center portion in the axial direction, and is arranged with the shaft center line directed in the vertical direction. The lead wires connected to the touch panel 20, the trigger switch 36, and the seesaw type potentiometer 45 installed in the gripping portion 16 are inserted into the central hole 70 of the center shaft 60, and are inserted through the central hole 70. Pulled out.

  The lower portion of the center shaft 60 passes through an axial slot 71 provided in the first rotary shaft 61 and an axial slot 72 provided in the second rotary shaft 62. These axial slot 71 and the axial direction The long grooves 72 are slidably engaged with each other. The rotation center of the first rotation shaft 61 and the rotation center of the second rotation shaft 62 are arranged in a state in which the axis lines are orthogonal to each other on the same plane. The first rotation shaft 61 is made of a rod-like member having an axially elongated hole 71 in the axially intermediate portion, and the axially elongated hole 71 penetrates in the diameter direction and extends linearly in the axial direction. Has been. The second rotating shaft 62 includes an intermediate shaft portion 62a formed in a U-shape, and shaft end portions 62b and 62b integrally provided at both ends of the intermediate shaft portion 62a, and two shaft end portions 62b. , 62b are set on the same axis. The first rotation shaft 61 and the second rotation shaft 62 are rotatably supported by a biaxial holder 63 that is a basic member in assembly or the like.

  The biaxial holder 63 has a base member 73 made of a rectangular plate for attaching the joystick device 1 to an external device, and a support frame portion 74 made of a rectangular frame integrally provided on one surface of the base member 73. doing. Both sides in the axial direction of the first rotation shaft 61 are rotatable at substantially central portions of the two sides facing one side of the support frame portion 74 via bearing members (not shown) such as bearings. It is supported. Then, shaft end portions 62b and 62b provided on both sides in the axial direction of the second rotating shaft 62 are respectively provided at substantially central portions of the two sides facing the other side of the support frame portion 74 via a bearing member 75 such as a bearing. It is supported rotatably.

  The bearing member that supports both sides of the first rotation shaft 61 and the bearing member 75 that supports both sides of the second rotation shaft 62 are disposed on the same plane, and the shaft end of the second rotation shaft 62 is arranged. A first rotation shaft 61 is interposed in a space set between 62b and 62b with a predetermined gap. An axially elongated groove 72 extending in the axial direction is provided in the intermediate shaft part 62 a of the second rotating shaft 62, and the center shaft 60 passing through the axially elongated hole 71 of the first rotating shaft 61 is provided. The front end portion also passes through the axial long groove 72 as it is and projects below the second rotation shaft 62.

  As shown in FIG. 6, relative to the first direction (Y-axis direction) based on the attitude change (swing) of the center shaft 60 on the negative side of the first rotation shaft 61, that is, the so-called X-axis direction. The rotary shaft of the first potentiometer 76 that outputs accurate position information is connected via a shaft coupling 77. The first potentiometer 76 is fixed to a first bracket 78, and the first bracket 78 is attached to the support frame portion 74 by a plurality of fixing screws 79. Further, the second direction (X-axis direction) perpendicular to the first direction based on the attitude change (oscillation) of the center shaft 60 on the positive side of the so-called Y-axis direction in the axial direction of the second rotation shaft 62. The rotary shaft of the second potentiometer 81 that outputs relative position information is connected via a shaft coupling 82. The second potentiometer 81 is fixed to the second bracket 83, and the second bracket 83 is attached to the support frame portion 74 by a plurality of fixing screws 79. The first potentiometer 76 and the second potentiometer 81 constitute the posture detection unit 4.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a through hole 84 through which the center shaft 60 is inserted is provided at the center of the base member 73 of the biaxial holder 63 so as to penetrate between the front and back surfaces. A circular concave portion is provided on the surface of the base member 73 opposite to the surface on which the support frame portion 74 is provided, and a low friction plate 67 and a stopper plate 68 are accommodated in the concave portion. Through holes 67 a and 68 a through which the center shaft 60 is inserted are provided at the center of the low friction plate 67 and the stopper plate 68, respectively. The low friction plate 67 is superimposed on the stopper plate 68, and one surface of the low friction plate 67 is exposed on the upper surface of the base member 73. A sliding sleeve 64 is placed on the low friction plate 67.

  The sliding sleeve 64 includes a cylindrical shaft portion 64a through which the center shaft 60 is slidably penetrated, and a flange portion 64b provided continuously at one end of the cylindrical shaft portion 64a. The flange portion 64 b of the sliding sleeve 64 is developed outward in the radial direction of the cylindrical shaft portion 64 a, and the flange portion 64 b is pressed against the low friction plate 67 by the coil spring 66. The diameter of the flange portion 64b is formed larger than the diameter of the through hole 67a of the low friction plate 67, and no matter what the outer peripheral edge of the flange portion 64b is, no matter how the center shaft 60 is inclined. The low friction plate 67 is configured to be pressed against the upper surface.

  The low friction plate 67 is provided to reduce the frictional resistance of the surface in contact with the sliding sleeve 64 and smoothly slide the sliding sleeve 64 against the spring force of the coil spring 66 (change in posture). Is. As a material for the low friction plate 67, for example, polyamide (PA) is suitable, but the material is not limited to this, and various plastics, ceramics, and the like having a small surface frictional resistance can be used. The stopper plate 68 restricts the swing angle (posture change) of the center shaft 60. The stopper shaft 68 stops the center shaft 60 at the periphery of the through hole 68a and operates the operation angle of the operation lever 2 (front / rear, left / right and diagonal directions). The angle at which the operation lever 2 can be tilted is limited.

  As a material of the center shaft 60, the sliding sleeve 64, and the stopper plate 68, for example, stainless steel (SUS304) is suitable. However, these materials are not limited to this embodiment, and other metals can of course be used.

  As shown in FIGS. 4, 10, and 11, a coil spring 66 made of a compression spring is attached to the cylindrical shaft portion 64 a of the sliding sleeve 64. One end of the coil spring 66 is seated on the flange portion 64 b and the other end is seated on the spring receiving cup 65. The spring receiving cup 65 includes a cylindrical cup portion 65a having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the coil spring 66, and a small-diameter shaft portion 65b continuous on one side in the axial direction of the cup portion 65a. The other end of the coil spring 66 is seated on the end face in the hole of the portion 65a. A lever locking nut 85 is screwed onto the tip end side of the center shaft 60 from the spring receiving cup 65. The spring receiving cup 65 is urged against the lever retaining nut 85 by the spring force of the coil spring 66. The lever locking nut 85 also has a function of supporting the lever mounting tool 15, and the lower surface of the lever mounting tool 15 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the lever locking nut 85, and a plurality of lever mounting tools 15 are provided in the contacted state. Are fixed to the center shaft 60 with a set screw 54.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a protective rubber cover 86 is covered around the coil spring 66. The rubber cover 86 is formed of a bellows-like member formed in a conical shape, and a small diameter portion 86a is provided on the small diameter side of the upper end, and a large diameter portion 86b is provided on the large diameter side of the lower end. The small-diameter portion 86a of the rubber cover 86 is fitted to the small-diameter shaft portion 65b of the spring receiving cup 65, and is fixed by a tightening force due to the elasticity of the small-diameter portion 86a. The large-diameter portion 86b of the rubber cover 86 is provided with a ring-shaped flange portion 86c protruding inward in the radial direction, and an inner mounting plate 87 formed in a ring shape is provided inside the flange portion 86c. Has been placed.

  A rectangular outer mounting plate 88 is disposed outside the large-diameter portion 86b of the rubber cover 86 so as to correspond to the inner mounting plate 87. The outer mounting plate 88 and the inner mounting plate 87 are attached to each other. It is fixed to the base member 73 via a screw 89. A gap is formed between the outer mounting plate 88 and the inner mounting plate 87 when the outer mounting plate 88 and the inner mounting plate 87 are fixed to the base member 73. The rubber cover 86 is attached to the base member 73 by hooking the flange portion 86 c into the gap between the outer attachment plate 88 and the inner attachment plate 87.

  The joystick device 1 having such a configuration can be assembled as follows, for example. First, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the seesaw type potentiometer 45 as the third control unit 31 is attached to the potentiometer mounting plate 46 with a plurality of fixing screws 43. Then, the seesaw button 47 is fitted into the first opening hole 32 from the inside of the rear case 13, and the potentiometer mounting plate 46 is screwed to the rear case 13 with the operation portion exposed from the lower surface of the rear case 13. To do.

  Next, the trigger switch 36 as the fourth control unit 33 is attached to the rear case 13. In this case, the operation button 38 for the trigger switch 36 to which the button mounting plate 39 is attached is caused to face the second opening hole 34 from the lower side of the rear case 13, and the switch plate 37 having the trigger switch 36 is placed on the rear case 13. From the inside to the second opening hole 34. Then, the button attachment plate 39 is attached to the switch plate 37 with a plurality of fixing screws 41. Thereafter, the switch plate 37 is screwed to the rear case 13 with a plurality of fixing screws 42. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, the trigger switch 36 and the seesaw type potentiometer 45 are attached to the rear case 13.

  Next, the first control button 22 is fitted into the first button opening hole 24 of the front case 12, the second control button 23 is fitted into the second button opening hole 25 of the front case 12, and the touch panel 20 is The front case 12 is fitted into the panel opening hole 21. Next, the concave side of the front case 12 faces the concave side of the rear case 13, the lead wire connected to the touch panel 20, the lead wire connected to the two control buttons 22 and 23, and the trigger switch 36. The lead wire and the lead wire connected to the seesaw type potentiometer 45 are brought together and pulled out of the case body 11 from the opening 14. Then, the front case 12 and the rear case 13 are overlapped, and the cases 12 and 13 are screwed together by a plurality of fixing screws 18 to 18 and two sets of fixing screws 49 and nuts 49a. Thereby, the front case 12 and the rear case 13 are assembled, and the case main body 11 is integrally formed.

  Next, the biaxial rotation shaft portion 3 is assembled, and the posture detection unit 4 and the rubber cover 86 are assembled to the biaxial rotation shaft portion assembly. As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 10 and 11, first, the first rotation shaft 61 and the second rotation shaft 62 are assembled to the support frame portion 74 of the biaxial holder 63. The first bracket 78 is attached to the outer surface of one side of the support frame portion 74, and the first potentiometer 76 is fixed to the first bracket 78. The rotating shaft of the first potentiometer 76 and one end in the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 61 are connected by a shaft coupling 77. Next, the second bracket 83 is attached to the outer surface of the side adjacent to the side to which the first potentiometer 76 is attached, and the second potentiometer 81 is fixed to the second bracket 83. Then, the rotary shaft of the second potentiometer 81 and one axial end 62 b in the axial direction of the second rotary shaft 62 are connected by a shaft coupling 82.

  Next, the stopper plate 68 and the low friction plate 67 are housed in the recess of the base member 73 of the biaxial holder 63. One end of the center shaft 60 is passed through the through hole 67 a of the low friction plate 67, the through hole 68 a of the stopper plate 68, and the through hole 84 of the base member 73, and the tip of the center shaft 60 is axially directed to the first rotation shaft 61. The elongated hole 71 and the second elongated shaft 62 are inserted into the axially elongated groove 72. Next, the sliding sleeve 64 is inserted into the center shaft 60 from the flange portion 64 b side, the coil spring 66 is attached to the cylindrical shaft portion 64 a, and the spring receiving cup 65 is further inserted into the center shaft 60. Then, a lever retaining nut 85 is screwed onto the center shaft 60, and the coil spring 66 is compressed by a predetermined amount by the spring receiving cup 65.

  At this time, a rubber cover 86 for dust prevention is attached to the biaxial holder 63 side. First, the outer mounting plate 88 is placed at a predetermined position of the base member 73, and the inner mounting plate 87 is placed on the outer mounting plate 88. Then, the inner mounting plate 87 and the outer mounting plate 88 are fixed to the base member 93 by closing the plurality of mounting screws 89. At this time, a gap is formed between the outer mounting plate 88 and the inner mounting plate 87 at the periphery. Then, the flange portion 86c of the rubber cover 86 is hooked in this gap. Next, the small diameter portion 86 a of the rubber cover 86 is engaged with the small diameter shaft portion 65 b of the spring receiving cup 65. Thereby, the assembly work of the rubber cover 86 is completed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the lever attachment 15 is attached to the tip of the center shaft 60. That is, the tip end portion of the center shaft 60 is inserted into the through hole 51 of the lever attachment 15, the set screw 54 is screwed into the screw hole 52 provided in the small diameter portion 15 a, and the tip end portion of the center shaft 60 is secured by the set screw 54. Press from the side. Thereby, the assembly process of the biaxial rotating shaft part assembly is completed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the opening 14 of the operation lever 2 is made to face the lever attachment 15 of the biaxial rotating shaft assembly. Then, the positioning protrusion 55 provided on the front case 12 is engaged with the axial groove 53 of the lever fixture 15 and positioned, and inserted to a predetermined depth, and the lower end surface of the lever fixture 15 is attached to the lever retaining nut 85. Make contact. As a result, the operation lever 2 is positioned at a predetermined position with respect to the biaxial rotating shaft assembly. Thereafter, the flange portions 12 b and 13 a of the front case 12 and the rear case 13 are fastened and fixed to the large-diameter portion 15 b of the lever attachment 15 by a plurality of fixing screws 57 to 57. Thereby, the assembly operation of the joystick device 1 is completed.

  The joystick device 1 of this embodiment assembled in this way can be used as follows, for example. The joystick device 1 is suitable for use in, for example, hydraulic excavators of construction machines, bulldozers, tire loaders, other construction machines and industrial vehicles, robot operation controllers, medical equipment, and agricultural machines such as large-scale combines. is there. However, the present invention is not limited to these construction machines and agricultural machines, and can be applied to, for example, game machines, copiers, and other various machines and devices. In this embodiment, an example applied to a hydraulic excavator for a construction machine will be described.

  FIG. 14 shows an application of a packet operated by a boom of a hydraulic excavator as a control target for the position input control device 100 of the present embodiment. FIG. 14 shows a schematic configuration of an embodiment of the position input control device 100, which includes the joystick device 1, the touch panel 20, the control unit 101, and the like. The control unit 101 includes a central processing unit 110 and a storage device 111 including a RAM, a ROM, and the like. The central processing unit 110 executes predetermined arithmetic processing based on information stored in the storage device 111. Based on the processing result, a control signal is output from the control unit 101 to the hydraulic excavator 200 that is a control target.

  The central processing unit 110 of the control unit 101 is connected to an input / output device (I / O: interface) 102, and the input / output device 102 includes the joystick device 1, the touch panel 20, and the first and second control buttons 22 and 23. And the display unit 120 are electrically connected. From the joystick device 1 to the control unit 101, X1-axis information in the X-axis direction representing the first relative position information output according to the swinging posture of the operation lever 2, and Y1-axis information in the same Y-axis direction. Similarly, Z-axis information in the Z-axis direction is supplied. And from the touch panel 20 with respect to the control part 101, the X2-axis information of the X-axis direction showing the 2nd relative position information output according to the contact state of the finger with respect to the input surface of the touch panel 20, and a Y-axis direction similarly. Y2-axis information is supplied.

  Further, for example, the first control button 22 outputs the first control information to the control target from the first control button 22, and the X-axis direction lock information for restricting the control target from moving in the X-axis direction. Is supplied. Further, from the second control button 23, for example, second control information is output to the control target, and Y-axis direction lock information for restricting the control target from moving in the Y-axis direction is supplied. Then, on the display unit 120 configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display, control information to be controlled is displayed based on the output from the control unit 101.

  The control unit 101 determines the movement amount X (= X1 + X2) in the X-axis direction based on the X1-axis information from the joystick device 1 and the X2-axis information from the touch panel 20, and outputs a control signal corresponding to the determination. To do. Similarly, the control unit 101 determines a movement amount Y (= Y1 + Y2) in the Y-axis direction based on the Y1-axis information from the joystick device 1 and the Y2-axis information from the touch panel 20, and controls corresponding to the determination Output a signal. The control unit 101 outputs a control signal corresponding to the Z-axis information from the joystick device 1, and depending on the control information from the first and second control buttons 22 and 23, Output the corresponding control signal.

  The specific operation of the position input control device 100 of this embodiment is as follows, for example. First, when the operation lever 2 is moved forward or backward (Y-axis direction), which is the first direction, with the hand having the gripping portion 16, Y of the first relative position information corresponding to the change in the attitude of the operation lever 2 is displayed. Position information regarding the axial direction (Y1 position information) is output from the first potentiometer 76 to the control unit 101. Since the swinging operation of the operation lever 2 is generally rough and has a large change amount, the control target can be quickly controlled to a state close to the target state.

  Following this, the finger of the hand holding the grip 16 is brought into contact with the operation surface of the touch panel 20 as the contact position input unit, and the finger is moved in a contact state to a portion corresponding to the target state in the Y-axis direction. Let Accordingly, position information (Y2 position information) regarding the Y-axis direction among the second relative position information corresponding to the movement amount of the finger is output from the touch panel 20 to the control unit 101. This movement operation with a finger is generally fine, and since the amount of change is small, the control object can be reliably moved to a target state and a control operation can be performed with high accuracy.

  On the other hand, when the operation lever 2 is moved to the right or left (X-axis direction), which is the second direction, with the hand having the gripping portion 16, the first relative position information corresponding to the change in the attitude of the operation lever 2 is obtained. Among these, position information (X1 information) in the X-axis direction is output from the second potentiometer 81 to the control unit 101. Since the swinging operation of the operation lever 2 is generally rough and has a large change amount, the control target can be quickly controlled to a state close to the target state.

  Subsequently, the finger of the hand holding the grip 16 is brought into contact with the operation surface of the touch panel 20 that is a contact position input unit, and the finger is moved in a contact state to a portion corresponding to a target state in the X-axis direction. Let Thereby, position information (X2 position information) regarding the X-axis direction among the second relative position information corresponding to the movement amount of the finger is output from the touch panel 20 to the control unit 101. This movement operation with a finger is generally fine, and since the amount of change is small, the control object can be reliably moved to a target state and a control operation can be performed with high accuracy.

  Further, when the front part or the rear part of the seesaw button 47 of the seesaw type potentiometer 45 which is the third control unit 31 provided on the operation lever 2 is pressed with the finger of the hand having the gripping part 16, the seesaw button 47 by the pressing is pressed. Position information (Z position information) in the Z-axis direction according to the amount of displacement is output from the seesaw potentiometer 45 to the control unit 101. As a result, a control signal corresponding to the operation of the seesaw type potentiometer 45 is output from the control unit 101 to the controlled object. As a result, when the front side portion of the seesaw button 47 is being pressed, control for raising the control target to the target upper position is executed, and when the rear side portion of the seesaw button 47 is being pressed, the control target is set to the target lower position. Control is performed to lower it to.

  Further, when the operation button 38 of the trigger switch 36 which is the fourth control unit 33 provided on the operation lever 2 is pressed with the finger of the hand having the gripping unit 16, the pressing operation of the drive motor which is a power source to be controlled is performed. The power is switched, and control information indicating the state is output from the trigger switch 36 to the control unit 101. Accordingly, a control signal based on the operation of the trigger switch 36 is output from the control unit 101 to the control target. As a result, when the power of the drive motor increases, the operation of the control target becomes faster or stronger, and when the power of the drive motor decreases, the control of the operation of the control target becomes slower or weaker.

  On the other hand, when the first control button 22 provided on the operation lever 2 is turned on with a finger of the hand having the grip 16, the control information is supplied to the control unit 101 and a control signal based on the operation of the first control button 22. Is output from the control unit 101 to the control target. Thereby, the control of the X-axis direction lock that restricts the controlled object from moving in the X-axis direction is executed. Then, by turning off the first control button 22, the control of the X-axis direction lock is released. When the second control button 23 is turned on, the control information is supplied to the control unit 101, and a control signal based on the operation of the second control button 23 is output from the control unit 101 to the control target. Thereby, the control of the Y-axis direction lock that restricts the controlled object from moving in the Y-axis direction is executed. Then, by turning off the second control button 23, the control of the Y-axis direction lock is released.

  The operation of the biaxial rotating shaft portion 3 of the joystick device 1 capable of executing such control will be briefly described as follows. A sliding sleeve 64 is slidably fitted to the center shaft 60 to which the operation lever 2 is attached. The sliding sleeve 64 is urged against the low friction plate 67 by the spring force of the coil spring 66. Since one end of the coil spring 66 is seated on a spring receiving cup 65 fixed to the center shaft 60, if the center shaft 60 is tilted by swinging the operation lever 2, the coil spring 66 slides against the spring force of the coil spring 66. The moving sleeve 64 is pushed up. By such an operation of the sliding sleeve 64, the operation lever 2 can be freely swung in any one of the four directions of the front and rear direction, the left and right direction, and the oblique direction. The swinging motion of the operation lever 2 can be performed within the range of the through hole 68 a provided in the stopper plate 68.

  In the present embodiment, the X-axis and Y-axis (two-dimensional) positions on the touch panel 20 are input with a fingertip, so that the output by the operation of the operation lever 2 of the joystick device 1 (the X1-axis, Y1-axis, Z-axis) 2 independent outputs (X2 axis, Y2 axis) are obtained. As a result, the following usage becomes possible.

Since the operation lever is operated so as to be pushed down by hand, the output by the X1 axis and the Y1 axis by the operation lever 2 according to the operation angle also reflects the manual feeling as it is in the output, but depending on the application using the joystick device In this case, it may be difficult to finely adjust the output only by manual operation angle instruction.
On the other hand, in the present invention, the X-axis and Y-axis outputs designated on the touch panel 20 are configured as fine-tuning outputs for the X-axis and Y-axis outputs by the operation of the operation lever 2 of the joystick device 1, respectively. Thus, it is possible to easily configure the coarse adjustment function by the operation lever 2 for instructing the operation angle and the fine adjustment function by the touch panel 20, and the operation angle system can be enhanced.

  In this case, the output of the joystick device 1 is used for coarse adjustment, and the output of the touch panel 20 is used for fine adjustment. However, these are reversed, and the output of the joystick device 1 is used for fine adjustment. The output may be for coarse adjustment. Since the operation lever 2 is operated by hand, it is difficult to keep the operation lever 2 at a fixed position. Therefore, when the touch panel 20 is operated while the operation lever 2 is moved, the output (rough adjustment) by the operation lever 2 is performed. ) And the fine adjustment effect by the operation of the touch panel 20 cannot be expected. However, by using the first and second control buttons 22, 23 provided on the operation lever 2 as functions for locking and unlocking the output by the operation lever 2, the touch panel is not affected by the fluctuation of the operation lever 2. A fine adjustment function by 20 operations can be ensured.

In addition, when operating the joystick device 1 at hand, it is not common to move the operation lever 2 while looking at the joystick device 1, so when operating the switch, the switch is identified as a fingertip and turned on / off. However, the first and second control buttons 22 and 23 and the switches on the touch panel 20 can be linked as follows to prevent problems.
For example, a switch input area on the touch panel 20 that can specify the position even when the operation lever 2 is grasped is arranged on the panel (for example, two places divided into left and right and four places divided into four corners) The connection of the push button switch is switched by pressing the switch in the input area, the number of times of pressing, or the like. As a result, the push button switches can be used in a hierarchy.

  At this time, it is possible to easily determine the current state of the push button switch by feeding back the information input by the touch panel switch using the illuminated push button switch to the illumination amount or the emission color of the push button switch. It becomes possible. It is also possible to switch the operation lever 2 and the touch panel 20 to on / off with a push button switch, and to select whether the interlock is valid or invalid. In this case, since the joystick device 1 can be used as a normal input device when interlocking is disabled, it can be used for data input, information display, etc. to a system incorporating the joystick device 1.

  As described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which a total of three mechanical switches including two push button switches and one trigger switch has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. Furthermore, although the potentiometer in the embodiment is a contact type, it is a matter of course that a non-contact type potentiometer using a Hall element or an inductance may be used. The touch panel can also have a function of switching the screen display based on a command signal from a device or the like capable of transmitting and receiving signals to and from the controlled object.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Joystick apparatus, 2 ... Operation lever, 3 ... Biaxial rotating shaft part, 4 ... Attitude detection part, 5 ... Contact position input part, 11 ... Case main body, 12 ... Front case, 13 ... Rear case, 14 ... Opening 15, lever mounting tool, 16, gripping part, 20 touch panel (contact position input part), 22, 23, control button, 31, third control part, 33, fourth control part, 36, trigger switch 45 ... Seesaw type potentiometer, 55 ... Positioning protrusion, 60 ... Center shaft, 61 ... First rotating shaft, 62 ... Second rotating shaft, 63 ... Biaxial holder, 64 ... Sliding sleeve, 65 ... Spring receiving cup 66 ... Coil spring, 67 ... Low friction plate, 68 ... Stopper plate, 76 ... First potentiometer, 81 ... Second potentiometer, 85 ... Lever lock nut, 86 ... Rubber cover, 1 00 ... Position input control device 101 ... Control unit 200 ... Control target

Claims (5)

An operation lever having a gripping portion and supported in a swingable manner to output first relative position information in accordance with the swinging posture;
A contact position input unit that is provided in a grip part of the operation lever and outputs second relative position information when a finger comes in contact;
Joystick device with The joystick device according to claim 1, wherein the contact position input unit is a touch panel having a display function. The joystick device according to claim 2, wherein the touch panel can be switched to a plurality of screens having different forms. 2. The joystick device according to claim 1, wherein one or more operation buttons for outputting control information for controlling a control target are provided in the gripping unit separately from the contact position input unit. An operation lever having a gripping portion and supported in a swingable manner to output first relative position information in accordance with the swinging posture;
A contact position input unit that is provided in a grip part of the operation lever and outputs second relative position information when a finger comes in contact;
A control unit that controls a control object based on the first relative position information and the second relative position information;
A position input control device.

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