IP Library Granted Patent US 7,688,969
Granted Patent B2
US 7,688,969 · App. 11/355,938 · Granted Mar 30, 2010

Operation dial with rotary encoder

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,688,969
App. No.
11/355,938
Granted
Mar 30, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes an operation dial, a board disposed at an inner position from the operation dial, a rotary encoder disposed on a surface of the board on the side opposite to the operation dial side, and a connection member which engages with an encoder shaft of the rotary encoder and is connected with the operation dial. The electronic apparatus is capable of reducing a projection of the operation dial from a surface of an operation panel and thus improving design of the electronic apparatus.

Claims (14)

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

an operation dial;

a board disposed at an inner position from the operation dial;

a rotary encoder disposed on a surface of the board on a side opposite to the operation dial side, and having an encoder shaft that projects from the rotary encoder in a direction away from the operation dial; and

a connection member disposed adjacent to the board on the side opposite to the operation dial and engaging with the encoder shaft of the rotary encoder and connected with the operation dial,

wherein:

the board includes a plurality of rotation slots formed therethrough; and

the connection member includes a plurality of connection arms passing through the rotation slots and connected to the operation dial such that when the operation dial is rotated each connection arm moves within a respective rotation slot.

2. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a display window provided on a front surface of the operation dial; and

a display member which is provided on a surface of the board on a same side as the operation dial and visually recognizable through the display window.

3. An electronic apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the display member and the rotary encoder are disposed in such a region that the display member and the rotary encoder overlap with each other as viewed in a direction toward the inside.

4. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the connection member has a first connection member which is rotatably attached to a fixed pedestal and connected to the operation dial, and a second connection member which engages with the encoder shaft and with the first connection member.

5. An electronic apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising rubber bushings provided at an engaging portion between the first connection member and the second connection member.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 10, 2014
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION (FORMERLY MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.)
To: GODO KAISHA IP BRIDGE 1
Reel/Frame 032209/0630 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 21, 2008
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 021897/0588 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2006
From: ICHIHARA, TAKASHI
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 017717/0823 →