JPH0323269Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a foot-operated control device for a video game machine, which was developed especially for rehabilitation of physically handicapped people.

In recent years, video game consoles have become popular, and various games have been developed that have improved game content by changing the characters displayed on their screens. However, the means of operation are almost the same for each machine, consisting of a switch button for selecting the number of players, a control lever for direction control, and a shot button, and these switch buttons and control levers are all located on the top or front of the video game machine itself. It is designed so that it can be operated only by hand. As a result, there was a problem that people with physical disabilities who were unable to use their hands could not operate it.

In view of these circumstances, the present invention is designed to be particularly easy for physically disabled people to operate with their feet, and is also effective for rehabilitation purposes for physically disabled people who are unable to use their feet. The present invention provides an operating device for a video game machine which also has excellent control performance.

In other words, in the present invention, an operating member is installed vertically in a control panel installed on the floor so that it can freely move horizontally in front and back, left and right, diagonally, etc., and the upper part of the operating member is attached to the top plate of the control panel. A horizontal operation plate is attached to the upper end of the plate, which protrudes outward from the hole, and moves the operation member horizontally. The actuating pieces of adjacent switches are arranged so as to face each other in the front and rear, left and right directions, and are arranged such that the operating pieces of the switches adjacent to each other intersect at a certain angle so that they can be operated singly or simultaneously by the operating member, and each of the switches A cord formed by converging lead wires connected to the video game machine is led out from the control panel, and a connector is provided at the tip of the cord to be connected to a control circuit built into the video game machine. It is something to do.

With this configuration, by simply moving the operation plate horizontally in forward and backward, left and right, and diagonal directions while keeping your feet on the operation plate, you can select one of the multiple switches that face each other in the front and back, left and right directions via the operation member. You can enjoy video games by selectively operating the two switches, and even people with physical disabilities who are unable to use their hands can easily operate the device with their feet. In addition, not only can each switch be operated individually, but also two adjacent switches can be operated simultaneously, making it possible to control twice the number of switches, thereby improving control performance.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 is a video game machine; by inserting a coin into the coin slot 2, a video game image is displayed on a built-in cathode ray tube screen 3, and a button 4 is used to select the number of players in the game for one or two players. , 5 selects the number of gamers and starts the game. The moving direction of the character displayed on the screen 3 is controlled by tilting the direction control lever 6, and the shot buttons 7, 8 are pressed. By pressing , the firing of bullets or missiles from the character, the jump of the character, etc. are controlled. This video game machine 1 has a built-in board in which a control circuit for video and the like using IC etc. is incorporated, and switches etc. operated by the above-mentioned buttons and levers are connected to this board. By replacing them, the video, or game content, can be changed freely. Furthermore, this video game machine itself is well known, and its control circuit is also well known.
Moreover, since the game contents have no direct relation to the gist of the present invention, a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

In contrast to the above video game machine 1, the present invention has developed a foot-operated operation device.Next, a specific example of this operation device will be explained.

This operating device has operating tools 40, 5 for selecting the number of players in a game for one player and for two players on the top surface of the control panel 10.
0, a direction control operation plate 60, and first and second shot operation tools 70, 80,
The control panel 10 is shaped like a flat box and placed on the floor, and the operating tools 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 are all operated by foot.

The operation tools 40 and 50 for selecting the number of people in the game are push button type, and one of the operation buttons 40 is a second button.
As shown in FIG. 3, the top plate 1 of the control panel 10
1 via a guide member 41 so that it can be raised and lowered,
The upper end of the operation button 40 is biased by a spring 42 so as to protrude upward from the upper surface plate 11, while the bracket 4 fixed to the back surface of the upper surface plate 11
A micro switch 45 for selecting the number of players in the game is attached to 3 via a bracket 44, and the micro switch 45 can be operated by stepping on the operation button 40 against a spring 42. Note that the other operation button 50 is also provided with the same structure as the operation button 40.

The direction control operating tool 60 is formed into a disk shape,
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it is designed to be able to move freely back and forth, left and right, diagonally, etc. in a horizontal position. That is, in the control panel 10, a base plate 61 is provided in a horizontal position so as to be freely movable on the bottom plate 13 of the control panel 10 in front and rear, left and right directions, diagonal directions, etc. via a plurality of casters 62 provided on the lower surface of the base plate 61. A column-shaped operating member 63 is erected at the center of the upper surface of the base plate 61, and the upper part of the operating member 63 protrudes upward from the hole 14 provided in the upper plate 11. A control operation tool, that is, an operation plate 60 is provided. The operation panel 60
Reinforcing members 64 and 65 are provided on the lower surface and the upper surface of the base plate 61, respectively, and a cushioning material 66 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the operating member 63. On the other hand, directional control micro switches 67a, 67b, 6 are provided on the lower surface of the top plate 11 at four locations around the hole 14, front and rear, left and right.
7c, 67d are attached, and the actuating pieces 68a, 68b, 68c, 68d of each switch are disposed inside the hole 14 at the lower side facing each other in a quadrangular shape in the front and back, left and right directions, and when the operation plate 60 is moved, the operation member 6
3 is the operating piece 68a~ of each switch 67a~67d
Direction control can be performed by pressing one or two of 68d. Note that the movement direction of the operation member 63, that is, the operation plate 6 is formed on the circumferential surface of the hole 14.
In order to restrict the direction of movement of 0, eight arcuate notches 15 are provided at 45° intervals.

The shot operating tool 70 is a pedal type and is formed into a box shape that opens downward as shown in FIGS.
A horizontal shaft 72 is attached to a bracket 71 whose rear lower end is fixed to the bottom plate 13 while protruding upward from the
The cushion member 73 is rotatably supported via the front end portion and is biased upward by a cushion material 73 such as polyurethane foam provided between the lower front end portion and the bottom plate 13 . 74, 74 are stoppers. Further, the shot micro switch 75 is connected to the operating pedal 7.
The switch 7 is attached to a bracket 76 provided on the bottom plate 13 so that the switch
The operating piece 77 of No. 5 is pressed and operated by the inner surface of the operating pedal 70. The other shot operating tool 80 is also a pedal type, has the same structure as the shot switch operating pedal 70, and is attached to the control panel 1.
It is set to 0.

Each of the above operation buttons 40, 50 and the operation panel 60
and each micro switch 44, 67a to 67d, 7 operated by the operation pedal 70, 80.
The lead wires (not shown) connected to the terminals 5, etc. are bundled into an integrated cord 90 and led out from the back of the control panel 10 as shown in FIG. 1, and a connector 91 is provided at the tip of the cord 90. .

When using the above operating device, a connection part 9 for the control circuit inside the machine is provided in advance on the front or bottom surface of the TV game machine 1, and the control panel 10 of the above operating device is placed at the front foot of the TV game machine 1 to control the control circuit. Each micro switch provided in the control panel 10 is connected to the control circuit in the video game machine 1 by connecting the end connector 91 of the cord 90 led out from the back side of the board 10 to the connecting portion 9. After that, insert a coin from the coin slot 2 and press the operation button 40 (for one player) or button 5 for selecting the number of people in the game.
0 (for two players) with a foot to turn on the micro switch 44 (the other not shown) therein, select the number of players, and start the game. Next, one foot, for example, the left foot, is placed on the direction control operation plate 60, and the operation plate 60 is slid horizontally and freely in eight directions such as front and back, left and right, and diagonally with that foot. Micro switches 67a to 67 in the control panel 10 via
Turn on or off 1 or 2 of d to control the movement direction of the game character displayed on the screen 3, and press the shot operation pedal 70 or 80 with the other foot, such as the right foot, to shoot bullets, missiles, etc. or make the character jump. In this way, you can play video games by operating your feet. In this case, while one foot, for example, the left foot, is placed on the operation panel 60, the moving directions of the character, such as back and forth, left and right, and diagonally, can be freely controlled. Moreover, each micro switch 67a to 67d
By operating two adjacent switches simultaneously, you can control the direction in eight ways with four switches, improving control performance and enjoying advanced games.

In the above embodiment, the control panel 10 is operated by foot by connecting the end connector 91 of the cord 90 of the control panel 10 to the connection part 9 of the game machine 1.
Each micro switch within the game machine 1 and each micro switch operated by a hand equipped on the game machine 1 are connected in parallel to the control circuit within the game machine 1, so that both the hands and feet can The same operations are possible, but buttons 4 and 5, lever 6, and buttons 7 and 8 equipped on game machine 1
The operation contents, the operation buttons 40 and 50 provided on the control panel 10, the operation panel 60, and the operation pedal 7
By configuring the control circuit so that the contents of the operations by 0 and 80 are different, it is possible to play a complex and advanced game with combined operations using hands and feet. Note that the buttons 4 and 5, the lever 6, and the buttons 7 and 8 provided on the game machine 1 may be omitted, and the game machine 1 may be used as a type exclusively for operation using the feet. In addition, a service switch (not shown) is provided in the game machine 1 in parallel with the game start switch circuit operated by the coin inserted from the coin slot 2, and the switch circuit is replaced with the switch circuit for starting the game, which is activated by the coin inserted from the coin slot 2. The game may be started by pressing a switch without having to insert a coin.
Further, the operation buttons 40, 5 for selecting the number of people in the game
0 may be a pedal type, and the shot operation pedals 70, 80 may be push button types.

As explained above, according to the operating device of the present invention, the operating panel can be moved forward and backward while the foot is placed on the operating panel.
By simply horizontally moving the switch in the left and right and diagonal directions, one or two of the plurality of switches facing each other in the front and rear and left and right directions can be selectively operated via the operating member. Therefore, there is no need to change the position of the foot, that is, to change the position of the foot, and the video game machine can be easily operated with the foot. Moreover, not only can each switch be operated individually, but also two adjacent switches can be operated simultaneously, making it possible to control twice the number of switches and improving control performance. It is particularly useful for physically disabled people who have limited use of their hands, and can also be used very effectively for rehabilitation purposes for people with limited use of their feet. Furthermore, even a healthy person can enjoy a game that is different from the conventional operation using only the hands by operating the device with the feet, and by improving the control performance described above, the player can enjoy a high-level game.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the use of the operating device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional side view showing a specific example of the operating tool for selecting the number of gamers of the operating device, and FIG. 3 is the same as shown in FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional front view showing a specific example of the operating tool for direction control, FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line -- of FIG. 4, and FIG. Fig. 7 is the − of Fig. 6.
FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...TV game machine, 9...Connection part, 10...Control panel, 40, 50...Operation tool for selecting the number of players, 45
...Micro switch for selecting the number of players in the game, 60...Operation tool for direction control, 67a-67d...Micro switch for direction control, 70, 80...Operation tool for shot, 75...Micro switch for shot, 90...
Code, 91...connector.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] The control panel is installed on the floor, and the control panel is installed in a vertical position so that it can move freely horizontally, front and back, left and right, and diagonally. A horizontal operation plate is attached to the upper end of the plate, which is protruded from the outside, and which moves the operation member horizontally, and a plurality of video game switches, which are operated by the horizontal movement of the operation member, are arranged around the hole, back and forth, The actuating pieces of the adjacent switches are arranged to face each other on the left and right, and the actuating pieces of the adjacent switches intersect with each other at a certain angle so that they can be operated singly or simultaneously by the operating member, and are connected to each of the switches. A television game machine characterized in that a cord made of bundled lead wires is led out from a control panel, and a connector is provided at the tip of the cord to be connected to a control circuit built into the television game machine. operating device.