The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 14, 2010
Filed:
Oct. 25, 2005
Toshiaki Uotani, Mitsuke, JP;
Shuji Koga, Sashima-gun, JP;
Toshiaki Uotani, Mitsuke, JP;
Shuji Koga, Sashima-gun, JP;
Sunarrow Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An object of the present invention is to provide a direction detecting switch which can detect a key operation in every directions of 360 degree, can obtain an accurate click feeling, and can also detect a strength or a speed of the key operation. A direction detecting switch is comprised of a determining key arranged in a center portion; a ring key arranged so as to surround said determining key; a movable electrode arranged so as to be operative in accordance with an operation of the ring key; a fixed electrode arranged so as to face to said movable electrode; and a click operation body arranged in correspondence to said determining key, wherein a key top of said determining key and a ring key top of the ring key are arranged so as to be fixed onto a sheet-like rubber elastic member, wherein said click operation body is pressed in accordance with an operation of the determining key so as to open and close the contact point and is formed as a structure generating a click feeling, and wherein said click operation body is formed as a structure which detects a change of an electrostatic capacity generated between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode and converts the change into an electric signal so as to output, at a time of the pressing operation of the ring key in an optional direction of 360 degree, and a click feeling is always obtainable by pressing said click operation body.