Patent ID: 7236158
Filing Date: 2007-06-26
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A trackball for inputting operation information to electronic devices, said trackball comprising: a ball portion which is magnetically coupleable in directions of a first axis, a second axis, and a third axis, the first, second and third axes intersecting with each other at the center of said ball portion and being orthogonal to each other, said ball portion comprising first to third bar members arranged on the first to third axes, respectively, and being made of an unmagnetized magnetic material; a case portion for enclosing said ball portion such that an upper portion of said ball portion is exposed; a first magnet portion for stabilizing said ball portion at predetermined rotation angles by magnetically coupling to said ball portion in one of the axial directions, said first magnet portion allowing each of any two axes among the first to third axes which are present on the same plane to serve as a rotation axis of said ball portion; and a second magnet portion for attracting said ball portion in a direction orthogonal to a rotation axis of said ball portion, by magnetically coupling to said ball portion in an axial direction of one axis which is not present in the same plane and which is other than the any two axes among the first to third axes, wherein; said first magnet portion comprises: said second magnet portion comprises a third fixed magnet portion for attracting said second bar member by magnetically coupling to said second bar member, said third fixed magnet portion being fixed to a bottom-surface of said case portion; said first and second fixed magnet portions each have a common pole directed toward a center of said ball portion; and said third fixed magnet portion has a pole opposite to that of said first and second fixed magnet portions directed toward the center of said ball portion.