Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.

Olympus Corporation

Olympus Medical Systems Corporation

Kurimoto, Ltd.

Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno

Alps Alpineco., Ltd.

Atsushi Goto

Kazunari Takahashi

Ryuichiro Yasuhara

Hiroaki Kinoshita

Asuka Koike

Hiroshi Wakuda

Misuzu Takahashi

Makoto Tanabe

Yoshihiro Kuge

Takao Yamaguchi

Tetsuhide Takeyama

Takeshi Suga

Hirofumi Yamamoto

Masahiro Hagihara

Daisuke Akiyama

Michio Shirai

Takeaki Maehata

Naohito Shiga

Yuko Katahira

Kiyoshi Tsuji

Anne Jans Faber

Akihito Miyata

Kunihisa Obi

Takuya Takechi

Masafumi Takahashi

Mathi Rongen

Masao Akai

Shinji Egami

Jans Anne Faber

In an operating device, a brake setting unit sets a target braking torque based on a braking torque pattern, and a rotational torque setting unit sets a target rotational torque based on a rotational torque pattern in accordance with information detected by a rotation detecting portion at reference time intervals. A control unit includes a time change adjustment unit. For at least one of the braking torque and the rotational torque, the time change adjustment unit changes the braking torque so that a current braking torque reaches the target braking torque and/or changes the rotational torque so that a current rotational torque reaches the target rotational torque in a predetermined time period greater than the reference time interval.

Operating device

An input device includes a fixed unit, a rotary member rotatably supported by the fixed unit, a rotation-detecting unit that detects a rotation angle of the rotary member, a brake-applying unit that applies a braking force to the rotary member, a torque-applying unit that applies a driving torque to the rotary member, and a control unit that controls the brake-applying unit and the torque-applying unit. The brake-applying unit includes magnetorheological fluid, a brake-applying coil that applies a magnetic field to the magnetorheological fluid, a shaft to which braking torque that changes with viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid is applied, and a transmission gear provided on the shaft and that is in mesh with a gear provided on the rotary member. The shaft is positioned on an outer side with respect to the rotary member in a radial direction of the rotary member.

Input device

An input device includes a first part and a second part configured to move relative to each other according to an input operation, a magnetic viscous fluid whose viscosity changes according to a magnetic field, and a magnetic-field generator that generates the magnetic field applied to the magnetic viscous fluid. The second part includes a first surface and a second surface that are arranged in a direction orthogonal to a direction of relative movement between the first part and the second part. Gaps are formed between the first surface and the first part and between the second surface and the first part, and the magnetic viscous fluid is present in at least a part of the gaps.

Input device and method for controlling input device

A torque generating device includes a magnetic disk configured to rotate around a rotation axis, first and second yokes located on opposite sides across the magnetic disk, a coil disposed to overlap the magnetic disk along a direction of the rotation axis, a third yoke of which at least a region proximity to the magnetic disk is located outside the magnetic disk and the coil and that makes up a magnetic path of a magnetic field generated by the coil with the first and second yokes, and a magnetic viscous fluid filled between the magnetic disk and the first and second yokes. The third yoke has a magnetic gap between the third and first yokes. The magnetic gap is formed at a position outside an outer peripheral edge of the magnetic disk or overlapping the outer peripheral edge of the magnetic disk along the direction of the rotation axis.

Torque generating device

An operating device according to the present invention includes magnetic field generation means. The magnetic field generation means includes a coil generating a magnetic field when energized, and a yoke forming a magnetic path for the magnetic field passing through a rotor. A control unit includes magnetization means and rotational torque control means. The magnetization means supplies a current to energize the coil such that a residual magnetic field in the yoke is held at a predetermined magnitude. The rotational torque control means adjusts a current value applied to the coil in accordance with the magnitude of the residual magnetic field in the yoke. An absolute value of a maximum value of the current value applied to the coil by the rotational torque control means is smaller than an absolute value of a current value applied by the magnetization means.

Operating device and control method for operating device

An operating device includes a magnetic disk capable of rotational motion around a rotation axis, a first yoke located on one side and a second yoke located on an other side across the magnetic disk, a coil disposed to overlap the magnetic disk when viewed in a direction along a direction in which the rotation axis extends, a magnetic viscous fluid filled between the magnetic disk and each of the first yoke and the second yoke, a magnetic measurement portion for measuring magnetism caused by a magnetic field using the magnetic viscous fluid, the magnetic disk, the first yoke, and the second yoke as a magnetic path, and a control unit configured to acquire a measured value from the magnetic measurement portion and control a magnetic field that is generated by the coil based on the measured value to change a viscosity of the magnetic viscous fluid.

An endoscope includes an image pickup device inserted into a through hole in a housing, in which the image pickup device includes an optical unit including a distal end lens and optical members, and an image pickup unit, the distal end lens is fixed to a distal end portion of the through hole, the optical members are held by a lens frame, the lens frame being inserted into the through hole, and a part of the lens frame being bonded to the through hole, and the image pickup unit includes a unit frame fixed to the lens frame, a front portion of the unit frame being inserted into the through hole and being bonded to the through hole, and an outer surface of a rear portion of the unit frame including stoppers to which a jig is to be fixed, the rear portion not being inserted into the through hole.

Endoscope, image pickup unit, and method of replacing image pickup device in endoscope

A manipulation device has a manipulation body rotationally operated by the manipulator, a support body rotatably supporting the manipulation body, and a rotational load imparting mechanism. The rotational load imparting mechanism has a movable member engaged with the rotational axis of the manipulation body, a magnetism generating mechanism facing the movable member with a gap intervening, and a magnetic viscous fluid, its viscosity changing according to the strength of a magnetic field. The magnetism generating mechanism has a coil generating a magnetic field and a first yoke provided so as to enclose the coil. The first yoke has a first opposing part and second opposing part, which are separated by slits, on a side facing the movable member. The magnetic viscous fluid is filled in the gap, which is between the first opposing part and the movable member and between the second opposing part and the movable member.

Manipulation device

An operation feel imparting type input device includes a fixed part, a rotating body rotatably supported by the fixed part, a rotatable operation knob fixed to the rotating body, a rotation angle detection unit configured to detect a rotation angle of the rotating body, a brake application unit configured to apply a braking force to the rotating body, a torque application unit configured to apply a torque to the rotating body, a control unit configured to control the brake application unit and the torque application unit, and an operation torque detection unit configured to detect the magnitude of an operation torque applied to the rotating body. When the rotating body is rotated from an endstop, brake release is performed according to the magnitude of the operation torque.

Operation feel imparting type input device

An operation device includes an operation unit including an operation body worked by an operator's manipulation; a position detecting part detecting a position of the operation body; and a display unit displaying a position of the operation body. The display unit includes an operation member, a supporting body, and a movable load applying mechanism including a movable member, a magnetic generating mechanism, a magnetorheological fluid, and an operation controlling part. The display unit includes a display part displaying the operation position. A display controlling part PS controls a display. A controller is included to control the operation controlling part and the display controlling part. In a control method of the operation device, the controller controls to display a state of the operation position of the operation body on the display part.

Operation device and control method thereof

A manipulation device has a manipulation body operated by the manipulator in a manipulation direction, a support body freely supporting the operation of the manipulation body, and a movable load imparting mechanism imparting a load to the manipulation body. The movable load imparting mechanism has a movable member engaged with the movable axis of the manipulation body, a magnetism generating mechanism having a coil that generates a magnetic field and a first yoke provided so as to enclose the coil, and a magnetic viscous fluid, its viscosity changing according to the strength of a magnetic field. The magnetic viscous fluid is filled in a first gap between the first yoke and the movable member. In the gap, a first buffering layer not harder than the movable member is provided on at least one of the opposing plane of the first yoke and the opposing plane of the movable member.

An operation device includes an operation body, a support body, and an operational feeling variable unit; wherein the operational feeling variable unit includes a movable load applying mechanism and a magnetic click mechanism; the movable load applying mechanism includes a movable member, a magnetic generating mechanism including a first coil and a first yoke, and a magnetic viscous fluid configured to change in viscosity according to a strength of a magnetic field; wherein the magnetic viscous fluid is filled in a first gap between the first yoke and the movable member; the magnetic click mechanism includes a first magnetic body configured to move in an interlocked manner with the motion of the operation body, and a second magnetic body facing the first magnetic body. The first magnetic body and/or the second magnetic body are magnetized such that different magnetic poles alternate along a movement direction of the operation body.

Operation device

A rotating body is rotatably supported on a holding section. The holding section includes a rotation detection unit, a torque-applying unit, and a brake-applying unit. The torque-applying unit includes an A-phase torque-applying coil and a B-phase torque-applying coil, and a resistance torque and a pull-in torque applied to a rotor (magnet) are caused to vary as a result of controlling supply of current to each of the coils. In addition, a braking force can be controlled by supplying current to a brake-applying coil included in the brake-applying unit.

Growing community of inventors

Miyagi-ken, Japan

Atsushi Goto