Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Matsushita Electric Industrial

Panasonic Corporaton

Hitokazu Shitanaka

Tsuyoshi Tanaka

Naoaki Matsui

Yoshiyuki Nakade

Hideaki Eto

Sho Sonoda

Shigeyoshi Umezawa

Masaki Kontani

Kouichi Santo

Ryoichi Taniuchi

Masahiro Hirobe

Kenji Otomo

Koichi Santo

Seiichi Nishimura

Takayoshi Kishimoto

Katsuya Saitou

Satoru Fukui

An input apparatus includes a pressing part, a spacer, a rotating cam, and a sensor. The pressing part is capable of reciprocating along a first direction. The spacer is disposed in the first direction with respect to pressing part and is capable of reciprocating along the first direction with reciprocation of the pressing part. The rotating cam is disposed at a side of the spacer opposite to the pressing part and rotates in a plane perpendicular to the first direction with reciprocation of the spacer. The sensor detects rotation of the rotating cam.

Input apparatus

A steering wheel input device includes a first steering switch disposed on a front face of a steering wheel and a second steering switch disposed on a rear face of the steering wheel. When the second steering switch is operated, an icon corresponding to the second steering switch is displayed on the first steering switch. The steering wheel input device allows various operations to be implemented. Furthermore, an operator can intuitively operate the steering wheel input device.

Steering wheel input device

An operating panel device includes an operating ring, and a display device which is disposed to face a back surface of the operating ring. The display device includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. The first portion is located inside the operating ring, and the second portion is located outside the operating ring. The third portion connects the first portion and the second portion. A display of the first portion changes in conjunction with a rotational operation applied to the operating ring.

Operating panel device

A multi-directional switch includes switches, a wiring board having an electrode, a pressure-sensitive body disposed over the electrode, a detection pin disposed on the upper surface of the pressure-sensitive body, and an operating body configured to push the detection pin and the switches by being tilted. The degree of a pushing force exerted by the operating body onto the detection pin changes the contact resistance between the pressure-sensitive body and the electrode. The multi-directional switch enables an electronic apparatus connected thereto to perform diverse functions by reflecting changes in the contact resistance.

Multi-directional switch

An input apparatus includes: a display plate having a plurality of display sections; an electrostatic touch panel provided at a lower face of the display plate; an operation body on which the display plate and the electrostatic touch panel are placed; a plurality of light-emitting elements for illuminating the plurality of display sections of the display plate from a lower side of the display plate through the electrostatic touch panel; and a control section that is electrically connected to the electrostatic touch panel and the plurality of light-emitting elements, and that controls light emission of the plurality of light-emitting elements in accordance with touch operation to the electrostatic touch panel.

A switch device includes a substantially disk-shaped operator; a substantially ring-shaped indicator provided between the operator and the light emitting elements disposed below the operator; and a visible portion formed in the center of an inner periphery of the operator. Since the indicator carrying indications of equipment functions in characters, symbols, figures or the like is formed separately from the operator, the indications will never turn sideways or upside down owing to the rotation of the operator.

Illuminated switch device

A switch device includes a operation body, a membrane switch pushed by the operation body, and plural push switches activated by pushing the operation body via the membrane switch. The membrane switch includes plural contact switches electrically connected upon being pushed by the operation body. The switch device is activated easily without operating errors.

Switch device and input device using the same

A multi-way operation switch of the present invention includes an operation unit that is horizontally movable and rotatable; a plurality of first switch contacts for turning on and off the electrical coupling by horizontally moving the operation unit; and a second switch contact for turning on and off the electrical coupling by rotating the operation unit. This configuration allows the user to hold a single operation unit and operate multiple electronic apparatuses and setting modes by simply horizontally moving and rotating the operation unit. Accordingly, a smaller multi-way operation switch that is less prone to erroneous operation and which is easier to operate is achievable.

Multi-way operation switch, input device and input unit

Disclosed is a multidirectional switch and an operation unit containing the switch, to be used for controlling an automobile air-conditioner, for example. Respective operating areas of an operation body are positioned at a middle area between push button switches. Therefore, a pressing force applied to an operating area causes a swaying motion of a swaying body, and push structure of the swaying body push two switching contacts at substantially the same time, resulting in electrical connection/disconnection. The configuration of the multidirectional switch eliminates such constituent components as a coil spring, supporting pin, and the like, yet it provides an inexpensive multidirectional switch that has a superior operational feeling with a smaller number of constituent components.

Multidirectional switch and operation unit using the same

A multi-directional operating switch has a box-shaped case having an opening in an upper surface, a substrate disposed under the case, a tilting body having a manipulation shaft and disposed tiltably between the case and the substrate, and a plurality of switch units turned on and off by a depressing boss on a bottom fringe of a bowl-shaped section of the tilting body. An inner peripheral wall of the opening is provided with a plurality of recessed grooves elongated in an axial direction in positions corresponding with respective directions where the plurality of switch units are disposed, and an outer periphery of the manipulation shaft is provided with a plurality of protuberances for engagement with a corresponding one of the plurality of recessed grooves when the manipulation shaft is tilted. This structure allows for the multi-directional operating switch to have excellent operability, as any pushbutton switch other than a desired one is not turned into an ON state even if the manipulation shaft is tilted inadvertently in a direction deviated from the desired pushbutton switch.

Multi-directional operating switch and electronic device using the same

A multifunctional switching apparatus, preferably used as a steering switch, comprises a first switching section selecting a specific combination from a plurality of combinations resulting from any possible combination between operating functions of a second switching section and operating functions of a third switching section. The second and third switching sections are operable independent of each other in the specific combination selected by the first switching section. One operating key is provided to control a plurality of switching sections. A display of the operation key is provided to make the judgement of operational function of each switch section easy.

Growing community of inventors

Fukui, Japan

Hitokazu Shitanaka