Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Matsushita Electric Industrial

Naoaki Matsui

Yoshiyuki Nakade

Hitokazu Shitanaka

Takeo Nakamura

Ichiro Tateishi

Ryoichi Taniuchi

Shigeyoshi Umezawa

Hideaki Eto

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

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 rotary connector, which is generally used for the steering device of an automobile, for establishing electrical connections via a flexible flat cable between an electric circuit fixed to the steering column and an electric circuit attached to the steering wheel. The rotary connector of the present invention has guiding means for the flat cable for smooth winding. Guide piece is formed at recess C on inner cylinder B, with one end formed in one piece with the bottom surface of lid A of inner case . A proximity to the inside end of flat cable is inserted into gap between the inner wall of guide piece and the periphery of recess C disposed on inner cylinder B of inner case . Flat cable is then guided out from the edge surface of edge portion A formed so as to tilt the tip of guide piece in the periphery direction. It is thus possible to provide an easy to assemble and economical rotary connector with the number of parts minimized.

Rotary connector

A revolving connector includes an outer case having a housing section for accommodating a lower section of a fixed pin, an inner case having a holder for holding part of the fixed pin and being mounted to the outer case rotatably relative to the outer case, a stopper pin extending through the fixed pin and the housing section, and a flat cable coiled and housed in a space formed between the outer and inner cases, both the ends of the flat cable being fixed to the outer and inner cases, respectively. At its lower section, the fixed pin has an engaging hole through which the stopper pin extends and a slit communicating from the hole to an end face of the fixed pin, so that an elastic tip is formed at the lower section of the fixed pin. This structure allows the flat cable to maintain its neutral position not only at assembling but also at warehousing and transporting. This flexible flat cable is used in the revolving connector employed in a steering device of a car. The connector electrically couples the outer case and the inner case that is rotatable relative to the outer case.

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Fukui, Japan

Naoaki Matsui