Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.

Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Takashi Uenomachi

Toshio Ogawa

Yoshitsugu Wakita

Yu Igarashi

Wataru Kimura

Ikuyasu Miyako

Shinya Muto

Shigeru Furuki

Shunsuke Nakazawa

Yu Takeda

Fumihiko Kashiwabara

Keisuke Sato

Kiyoaki Kato

Shingo Ebinuma

Hayate Natsusaka

An operation device includes a support for pivotally supporting a shift lever, a first movable member configured to be pivotally operated from home position in a direction in conjunction with the shift lever, a pair of permanent magnets supported, at an operation reference position, by the support so as to be opposite the first magnetic body, and first plate springs for biasing the first movable member in a direction in which the first magnetic body moves toward the permanent magnets.

Operation device and vehicular shifting apparatus using operation device

A first movable member for pivotally shifting to a predetermined position in conjunction with a pivotal operation of a shift lever, and a permanent magnet section disposed so as to face the first movable member are included whereby the shift lever is provided with a click feeling given by an attraction force acting between the first movable member and the permanent magnet section. The permanent magnet section is magnetized such that in a thickness direction, an N pole and an S pole are created by magnetization in a series arrangement, and such that in a width direction, an S pole is created by magnetization alongside the N pole and an N pole is created by magnetization alongside the S pole created by magnetization in the thickness direction.

An input device includes a base member, a motor, a rotation shaft, a worm gear, a first gear, a second gear, an elastic member, a rotor, an angle detection unit, and a controller. The rotation shaft is rotated by the motor. The worm gear is unitarily rotated with the rotation shaft. The first gear is rotatable and engaged with the worm gear. The second gear is coaxial with the first gear. The elastic member generates urging force. The rotor is rotatable relative to the base member, includes a third gear engaged with the second gear, and is rotated by an operator. The angle detection unit detects a first rotation angle of the first gear and a second rotation angle of the second gear. The controller performs drive control for the motor to change a sense of force applied to the operator.

Input device

An input device includes a base member, a motor, a rotation shaft, a worm gear, a first gear, a rotor, a movement member, an elastic member, a change amount detection unit, and a controller. The rotation shaft is rotated by the motor. The worm gear is rotated by the rotation shaft. The first gear is rotatable and engaged with the worm gear. The rotor is rotatable relative to the base member, includes a second gear engaged with the first gear, and is rotated by an operator. The movement member is moved as the worm gear is moved. The elastic member generates urging force. The change amount detection unit detects a change amount of a state that is changed in accordance with the movement of the movement member. The controller performs drive control for the motor to change a sense of force applied to the operator.

An operating device includes: an operation member capable of being tilted from an operation reference position; a support body supporting the operation member such that the operation member can be tilted first and second movable members each supported by the support body so as to rotate in conjunction with the tilting operation of the operation member; a first magnetic member formed of a magnetic material and provided to the first movable member; a second magnetic member fanned from a magnetic, material and provided to the second movable member; and a permanent magnet supported by the support body so as to face the first and second magnetic members in a first direction while the operation member is positioned at the operation reference position. The first magnetic member and the second magnetic member do not overlap each other seen from the first direction.

Operating device

An operating device includes a tiltable operating member, a support supporting the operating member, a first movable member and a second movable member configured to move together with the operating member, a first magnetic body provided on the first movable member, a second magnetic body provided on a second movable member, and a permanent magnet supported by the support. When the operating member is in a reference position, the permanent magnet and the first and second magnetic bodies attract each other. When the operating member is tilted in a first direction from the reference position to be positioned in multiple positions, first, the first magnetic body moves away from the permanent magnet with the tilting of the first movable member, and next, the second magnetic body moves away from the permanent magnet with the tilting of the second movable member.

Operating device and vehicular shift device using operating device

A multi-directional operating device includes an operating member, a support body, movable members, a pair of movable magnetic members, a facing magnetic member, stopper portions, a drive member, and a cam member. One of the drive member and the cam member has a guide surface having a first projection, and another of the drive member and the cam member has a sliding surface having a second projection. When the operating member is inclined in a first direction, one of the movable magnetic members is inclined, and inclination of another movable magnetic member is stopped by one of the stopper portions. When the operating member is inclined in a second direction, the first projection and the second projection are moved beyond projecting portions of each other and slide on each other. This multi-directional operating device is preferably applied to a vehicle shift apparatus.

Multi-directional operating device and vehicle shift apparatus using the multi-directional operating device

A complex-operation input device having an operable knob held in a rotatable and slidable manner includes a rotation sensor that detects rotation of the operable knob on the basis of displacement of a second detected portion, and a slide sensor that detects sliding of the operable knob on the basis of displacement of a first detected portion. The direction in which the second detected portion moves with the sliding of the operable knob is substantially orthogonal to a rotation axis about which the operable knob rotates. The slide sensor is disposed such that, when the operable knob is slid, the slide sensor detects the sliding before the rotation sensor detects the displacement of the second detected portion.

Complex-operation input device

An illuminated switch device includes: a casing with an open upper side that has a partition wall formed on the inner bottom thereof; light sources that are provided on the inner bottom in a plurality of regions partitioned by the partition wall; an operating body that includes an outer housing and a light-shielding wall which divides a space surrounded by the outer housing and covered with an upper plate into a plurality of small spaces; and a switch element that is driven when the operating body is pressed. Guide rails are slidably fitted to concave grooves to guide the movement of the outer housing in the vertical direction. Both ends of the light-shielding wallextending to the outside of the outer housingserve as the guide rails.

Growing community of inventors

Miyagi-ken, Japan

Takashi Uenomachi