IP Library Granted Patent US 12,224,138
Granted Patent B2
US 12,224,138 · App. 17/666,217 · Granted Feb 11, 2025

Input device and movable object

Inventor: Hideki Nishinakama (Fukui, JP)
Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd.
H01H36/008
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,224,138
App. No.
17/666,217
Granted
Feb 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An input device includes a permanent magnet, a magnetic sensor, an operating unit, and a conversion mechanism. A movable member is one of the permanent magnet or the magnetic sensor. The conversion mechanism is configured to convert a movement of the operating unit in a first direction into a first action of the movable member and convert a movement of the operating unit in a second direction into a second action of the movable member. The first action is a movement involving a change in a relative angle of rotation of the permanent magnet around a rotation axis relative to the magnetic sensor. The second action is a movement involving a change in the strength of the magnetic field applied to the magnetic sensor.

Claims (65)

1. An input device comprising:

a permanent magnet;

a magnetic sensor configured to detect a magnetic field produced by the permanent magnet;

an operating unit; and

a conversion mechanism configured to convert a movement of the operating unit into a movement of a movable member which is one of the permanent magnet or the magnetic sensor relative to the other of the permanent magnet or the magnetic sensor, wherein

the magnetic sensor is configured to output a signal according to a relative angle of rotation of the permanent magnet around a rotation axis relative to the magnetic sensor and strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetic sensor,

the conversion mechanism is configured to convert a movement of the operating unit in a first direction into a first action of the movable member and convert a movement of the operating unit in a second direction into a second action of the movable member, the second direction intersecting the first direction,

the first action is a movement involving a change in the relative angle of rotation of the permanent magnet around the rotation axis relative to the magnetic sensor,

the second action is a movement involving a change in the strength of the magnetic field applied to the magnetic sensor,

the conversion mechanism includes a holder holding the movable member,

the holder is configured to rotate together with the movable member in accordance with the movement of the operating unit in the first direction to realize the first action of the movable member, and

the conversion mechanism is configured to move, in accordance with a movement of the operating unit in the second direction, the movable member relative to the holder to realize the second action of the movable member.

2. The input device of claim 1 , wherein

the movable member is the permanent magnet.

3. The input device of claim 2 , further comprising:

a substrate on which the magnetic sensor is mounted;

a first body disposed on a same side of the magnetic sensor with respect to a location of the permanent magnet; and

a second body coupled to the first body, the second body being disposed on an opposite side of the magnetic sensor with respect to the location of the permanent magnet, wherein

the substrate is held by the first body.

4. The input device of claim 1 , wherein

the operating unit has a lever.

5. The input device of claim 1 , wherein

the conversion mechanism is configured to perform at the same time conversion of the movement of the operating unit in the first direction into the first action of the movable member and conversion of the movement of the operating unit in the second direction into the second action of the movable member.

6. The input device of claim 1 , wherein

the magnetic sensor includes at least one Hall element.

7. The input device of claim 1 , further comprising

an elastic part configured to apply force to the movable member along a direction in which the movable member moves along with the second action.

8. The input device of claim 1 , wherein

the conversion mechanism includes

an actuator having a tilted surface tilted relative to a flat surface orthogonal to a direction in which the movable member moves along with the second action, and

a restriction part configured to restrict a distance between the movable member and the tilted surface, and

the actuator is configured to move, in accordance with the movement of the operating unit in the second direction, such that a position of the restriction part on the tilted surface is changed to realize the second action of the movable member.

9. The input device of claim 1 , wherein

the conversion mechanism includes

an actuator including a connection section,

a slider holding the movable member, and

a restriction part to which the slider is coupled and which is held by the connection section, and

the actuator is configured to, when the operating unit moves in the second direction, move, together with the restriction part, the slider, and the movable member, along a longitudinal direction of the permanent magnet to realize the second action of the movable member.

10. The input device of claim 1 , wherein

the conversion mechanism includes

an actuator including a connection section,

a slider holding the movable member, and

a restriction part to which the slider is coupled and which is held by the connection section, and

the actuator is configured to, when the operating unit moves in the second direction, move, together with the restriction part, the slider, and the movable member, along a direction of a magnetic moment of the permanent magnet to realize the second action of the movable member.

11. The input device of claim 1 , further comprising

at least one detection block, wherein

one of the at least one detection block includes

the permanent magnet including only one permanent magnet and

the magnetic sensor including only one magnetic sensor and configured to detect the magnetic field of the one permanent magnet.

12. The input device of claim 1 , wherein

the second action is a movement involving a change in a distance between the magnetic sensor and the permanent magnet.

13. A movable object comprising:

an input device including:

a permanent magnet;

a magnetic sensor configured to detect a magnetic field produced by the permanent magnet;

an operating unit; and

a conversion mechanism configured to convert a movement of the operating unit into a movement of a movable member which is one of the permanent magnet or the magnetic sensor relative to the other of the permanent magnet or the magnetic sensor, wherein

the magnetic sensor is configured to output a signal according to a relative angle of rotation of the permanent magnet around a rotation axis relative to the magnetic sensor and strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetic sensor,

the conversion mechanism is configured to convert a movement of the operating unit in a first direction into a first action of the movable member and convert a movement of the operating unit in a second direction into a second action of the movable member, the second direction intersecting the first direction,

the first action is a movement involving a change in the relative angle of rotation of the permanent magnet around the rotation axis relative to the magnetic sensor,

the second action is a movement involving a change in the strength of the magnetic field applied to the magnetic sensor,

the conversion mechanism includes a holder holding the movable member,

the holder is configured to rotate together with the movable member in accordance with the movement of the operating unit in the first direction to realize the first action of the movable member, and

the conversion mechanism is configured to move, in accordance with a movement of the operating unit in the second direction, the movable member relative to the holder to realize the second action of the movable member; and

a movable object body on which the input device is mounted.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 1, 2024
From: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 066709/0702 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 20, 2022
From: NISHINAKAMA, HIDEKI
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 061158/0067 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-170753 · Sep 19, 2019 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2020029618 · Aug 3, 2020
Related Publication 20220165525A1 · May 26, 2022
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