Patent ID: 6377239
Filing Date: 2002-04-23
Classification: G05G

Abstract:
A multidirectional input device, comprising:a control lever held to tilt and rise and not to turn on an axis thereof; a flange-shaped movable contact member formed in said control lever so as to tilt and rise in combination with tilting and rising of said control lever, and so as not to turn on said axis of said control lever, said flange-shaped movable contact member being shaped like a quadrangle in plan view; a fixed contact support member having a flat surface and fixed opposed to said flange-shaped movable contact member; a first switch having a first fixed contact disposed on a surface of said fixed contact support member, said first switch being turned on/off in response to contact and separation between said first fixed contact and said flange-shaped movable contact member according to a first tilting and rising movement of said control lever with respect to said first fixed contact; and a second switch having a second fixed contact disposed adjacent to and at a predetermined distance from said first fixed contact on said surface of said fixed contact support member, said second switch being turned on/off in response to contact and separation between said second fixed contact and said flange-shaped movable contact member according to a second tilting and rising movement of said control lever with respect to said second fixed contact, wherein said first fixed contact of said first switch and said second fixed contact of said second switch are disposed at positions corresponding to vertexes of said quadrangle of said flange-shaped movable contact member, and wherein said first fixed contact and said second fixed contact are placed so that a side of said flange-shaped movable contact member is brought into linear contact with said surface of said fixed contact support member when said control lever tilts and rises in a predetermined direction between a direction of said first tilting and rising movement and a direction of said second tilting and rising movement, and is simultaneously contacted with and separated from said corresponding vertexes of said flange-shaped movable contact member.