Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Mikio Onodera

Hidetaka Numata

Katsuya Mitsuzuka

Kenichi Seino

Ken Mizuta

Hirotoshi Terao

Heishiro Fudo

Eihin Setsu

Tomoko Wauke

Susumu Nakajima

Eiji Okada

Kazuma Kobashi

A heater for fixing devices includes a glass substrate, a heating element, electrode patterns connected to the heating element, a first protective layer, and a second protective layer. The glass substrate is made of an alkali-free glass. The first protective layer is formed by firing a mixture of a first glass powder and a first filler. The first glass powder contains no alkali metal oxide and has a lower softening point than the glass substrate. The first filler has a lower thermal expansion coefficient than the alkali-free glass for the glass substrate. The second protective layer is made of a material that does not contain the first filler contained in the first protective layer.

Heater for fixing device

A haptic feedback input device includes an operating member having an annular circumferential surface, capable of rotating in a circumferential direction and moving radially, a motor that applies a torque to the operating member, a detecting unit that detects radial movement of the operating member, and housings that have an opening through which a part of the circumferential surface of the operating member is exposed. The operating member and the motor are connected via meshing gears that reduces a rotational speed of a rotating shaft of the motor to transmit an increased torque to the operating member. A common bracket supports the operating member and the motor.

Haptic feedback input device

Disclosed is a force feedback input device including a cylindrical operating member having an open bottom. A support member that is rotatable supports a central portion of an inner surface of the operating member, and a motor which is held by the support member. A rotary shaft of the motor is arranged to be perpendicular to a central axis of rotation of the operating member. A great portion of the motor is housed in the operating member. A pinion that is fixed to the rotary shaft of the motor meshes with a ring-shaped gear that is provided at a part shifted from the central axis of rotation of the operating member.

Force feedback input device

A force feedback device comprising an operation unit, an actuator for providing a feel sensation (force) to the operation unit and a control unit for controlling the actuator, wherein the control unit stores a plurality of different unit force patterns, forms composite force patterns by combining the unit force patterns and controls the actuator based on the composite force patterns to provide feel sensations to the operation unit.

Force feedback device

A force-feedback input device includes a rotatable operating member; a motor which is capable of applying torque to the operating member; a rotary encoder for detecting the rotational angle of the operating member; and a controller for controlling the motor based on the detected rotational angle. The operating member is tubular and is housed in a housing such that the periphery of the operating member is partially uncovered and exposed through an opening provided in the operating surface of the housing. An output shaft of the motor is concentrically fixed to operating member, and the main body of the motor is disposed in the tubular operating member.

Force-feedback input device

A changeable operation feeling (tactile sensation) is provided for a user manipulating the knob of manual input device. The manual input device includes a feeling providing device which has plural discs fixed to a control shaft, bearing feeling patterns on their circumferential surfaces and a ball holder which works in conjunction with the discs to provide an operation feeling to the knob. An actuator is driven to move up or down the ball holder to select the feeling pattern to be elastically forced to contact the ball to change an operation feeling as the user rotates the knob. A car-mounted apparatus controller incorporates this type of manual input device for functional control of car-mounted electric apparatuses.

Manual input device which provides its control knob with plural modes of operation feeling, and car-mounted apparatus controller based thereon

A force sense imparting type input apparatus includes an exterior decoration plate having an opening, an operation lever supported by a stick controller positioned inside the exterior decoration plate in such a manner as to be capable of rocking, encoders for detecting a rocking amount and a rocking direction of the operation lever, motors for imparting desired external force to the operation lever, and a control unit for controlling driving of the motors on the basis of an output signal outputted from the encoders, wherein an operation knob is provided to an upper end of the operation lever protruding outward from the opening, and can be pushed or pulled in an axial direction of the operation lever with a neutral position of the operation knob as a reference, and the push-pull operation of the operation knob selectively operates first and second push switches.

Force sense imparting type input apparatus

A manual in put device is provided with a spherical bearing, a joystick type knob held swingably on the spherical bearing, a rotary knob disposed coaxially with the joystick type knob, a first actuator for loading an external force on the joystick type knob, a second actuator for loading an external force on the rotary knob, a control unit for controlling these first and second actuators, a guide member for defining an operation direction of the joystick type knob, first detection means for detecting an operation state of the joystick type knob, and second detection means for detecting an operation state of the rotary knob. In an onboard instrument control device, the built-in manual input device is contained in a box and the joystick type knob and the rotary knob and push button switches used for instrument selection are disposed on an upper surface of the box.

Force feedback functioning manual input device and onboard instrument control system having it

In an input apparatus of the invention, since driving levers are made to perform seesaw operations, it is not necessary to perform a rotating operation by an arc shape like a conventional interlocking member, a space in the vertical direction can be made small, and the input apparatus which can be miniaturized in the vertical direction can be provided.

Input apparatus with rotary type electrical component

A haptic-sense-generation input device is provided with a manipulation knob, a shaft that holds the manipulation knob and is held rotatably by a bearing, a motor having a motor shaft that is parallel with the shaft, a rotation detecting unit for detecting a rotation angle of the manipulation knob, a first gear that is attached to the shaft so as to be rotated by the manipulation knob, and a second gear that is attached to the motor shaft and is rotated by the first gear. A haptic sense that is generated by the motor is transmitted to the manipulation knob via the first gear and the second gear.

Haptic-sense-generation input device that is reduced in size by a gear mechanism

A manual input device which comprises a mechanism, a major function select switch, a confirm switch, a display unit, and a controller. The mechanism is composed of: a laterally movable motor for applying an external force which is mounted on a frame; a knob fitted to a drive shaft of the motor; an encoder for detecting rotation of the knob; a stick controller for detecting lateral movement of the motor; a first guide plate and a second guide plate for limiting a range of movement of the knob; and a first solenoid and a second solenoid for driving the guide plates individually. The guide groove pattern is different between the first and second guide plates. The range in which the knob can be moved when the first guide plate only is engaged with the drive shaft of the motor is different from that when both the first and second guide plates are engaged with the drive shaft of the motor.

Manual input device enabling control of various electric apparatus with single knob

In an input device according to the invention, when a manipulating member slides, a sliding member slides in the same direction as the manipulating member, and respective engaging positions of first and second drive members are made changeable to enable each of the first and second drive members to shift linearly, the linear shifting of the first and second drive members enabling first and second detecting members to be operated. Accordingly, the drive members linearly shift along with the sliding of the sliding member, eliminating a need to rotate arc-shaped interlocked members in a conventional configuration and making it possible to reduce a required space in a longitudinal direction, resulting in an input device made more compact in a longitudinal dimension.

Input device provided with manipulating member that slides

A manual input device has a configuration consisting of a case, a joystick type knob and a rotary knob concentrically arranged over the top face of the case, one force feedback actuator for loading these knobs with external forces, a control unit for controlling the force feedback actuator, first and second power transmission mechanisms for individually transmitting the drive power of the force feedback actuator to the knobs, first and second detecting devices for individually detecting manipulated states of the knobs, and a push-button switch for finalizing signals set in the joystick type knob. A vehicle-mounted device control unit has a configuration consisting of the manual input device built into a case, on the top face of which are arranged the joystick type knob and the rotary knob provided for the manual input device, a clutch change-over switch, and push-button switches for selection of appliances.

Manual input device improved in operatability and multifunctionality, and vehicle-mounted control device using it

A vehicle-mounted input device for controlling by a single manual control section the function of air conditioner, radio, television, CD player, car navigation system, etc. mounted on a motor vehicle. The manual control section has finger detector, for example a photo interrupter, and alerter, for example vibrator, which vibrates in a mode corresponding to the control position of the manual control section. When the manual control section is held by hand, the finger detector detects the driver's finger, and the alerter vibrates in a mode corresponding to a selected control position of the manual control section, thereby enabling the driver to see the control position of the manual control section before and after a changeover by a blind touch, that is, without observing a display device. Thus it helps facilitate driving the motor vehicle and changing the function of the vehicle-mounted electronic apparatus.

Vehicle-mounted input device

The vehicle-mounted device control unit is provided with an electrical appliance selection switch for selecting an electrical appliance whose function is to be regulated, a manual input device for regulating various functions of the electrical appliance selected with the switch, a loudspeaker, a display unit, and a controller. Signals from the electrical appliance selection switch and the manual input device are supplied to the controller, which controls the manual input device, the loudspeaker and the display unit. The manual input device is provided with knobs, actuators for loading external forces on the knobs, and detecting devices for detecting the manipulated states of the knobs. The controller drives the actuators, the loudspeaker and the display unit by supplying drive signals matching manipulated states of the knobs and carries out force feedback to a user.

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Miyagi-ken, Japan

Mikio Onodera