NON-CONTACT TYPE OPTICAL ROCKER POTENTIOMETER

Disclosed is a non-contact type optical rocker potentiometer, comprising a casing, a rocker and a rocker arm mechanism. The rocker arm mechanism is installed in the casing and is connected with one end of the rocker, and the other end of the rocker extends out of the casing, the rocker arm mechanism is provided with at least two steering output ends, the steering output end is provided with a light blocking part, two sides of the light blocking part are respectively provided with a light emitting element and a photosensitive element which are connected with a PCB board. The potentiometer has the advantages that problems of abrasion, fracture, poor contact accessories easily caused by a contact type potential regulating module are avoided, the stability of the potentiometer is enhanced, and the service life of the potentiometer is prolonged.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims foreign priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 202310388170. 0, filed on Apr. 12, 2023 in the China National Intellectual Property Administration, the disclosures of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a potentiometer, and in particular to a non-contact type optical rocker potentiometer.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

At present, an existing contact rocker potentiometer structure includes a casing, a rocker, a rocker arm mechanism and a potential regulating module. The rocker outputs a steering action through output ends of two rotating shafts of the rocker arm mechanism, and at the same time drives conductive reeds in the potential regulating module in two directions to rotate, thus changing a contact position of conductive terminals on the conductive reeds on a resistor chip, and further changing an output resistance value, thus judging a swing orientation of the rocker. For example, Chinese Patent Publication Number CN 210073523 U, entitled “Improved Rocker Potentiometer Structure”, Chinese Patent Publication Number CN 211858297 U, entitled “Rocker Potentiometer with Low Abrasion” and Chinese Patent Publication Number CN 210052601 U, entitled “Rocker Potentiometer Structure with Switch” all relate to contact type rocker potentiometer structures. As a contact type structure is employed in the potential regulating module of the contact type rocker potentiometer, problems such as abrasion, fracture and poor contact of accessories occur easily after a period of use, which will affect the normal use and service life of the potentiometer. Chinese Patent Publication Number CN 115631911 A, entitled “Optical Potentiometer Module” discloses a non-contact optical potentiometer module. However, the module is only suitable for “keys” but not for gamepad rocker. Therefore, developing a non-contact optical rocker potentiometer has become an urgent problem for those skilled in the art.

SUMMARY OF PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention provides a non-contact type optical rocker potentiometer in order to solve the above shortages.

The above object of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions: a non-contact type optical rocker potentiometer comprises a casing, a rocker and a rocker arm mechanism, wherein the rocker arm mechanism is installed in the casing and is connected with one end of the rocker, and the other end of the rocker extends out of the casing, the rocker arm mechanism is provided with at least two steering output ends, the steering output end is provided with a light blocking part, two sides of the light blocking part are respectively provided with a light emitting element and a photosensitive element, and the light emitting element and the photosensitive element are connected with a PCB board.

Further, a size of a light area blocked by the light blocking part differs in an initial state when rotating clockwise to a limit position and counterclockwise to the limit position. Optionally, the light blocking part blocks half of the light in the initial state, and the light blocking part does not block the light and fully blocks the light respectively in the clockwise and counterclockwise limit positions, or the light blocking part fully blocks the light and does not blocks the light respectively in the clockwise and counterclockwise limit positions.

Further, the light emitting element, the photosensitive element and the PCB board are enclosed in a housing, and the housing is buckled on an outer wall of the casing.

Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the advantages that the oscillating direction of the rocker is judged by the cooperation of the light emitting element and the photosensitive element in a non-contact way based on the optical principle, so that problems of abrasion, fracture, poor contact and the like of accessories which are easily caused by a contact type potential regulating module are avoided, the stability of the potentiometer is enhanced, and the service life of the potentiometer is prolonged.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be further described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing hereinafter.

as shown inFIG.1, a non-contact optical rocker potentiometer comprises a casing1, a rocker2and a rocker arm mechanism3. The rocker arm mechanism3is installed in the casing1and is connected with one end of the rocker2, and the other end of the rocker2extends out of the casing1. The rocker mechanism3is provided with at least two steering output ends4, the steering output end4is provided with a light blocking part5, the light blocking part5is cylindrical and eccentrically arranged on the end faces of the steering output ends4(FIG.7). The light blocking part5blocks half of the light in an initial state, and the light blocking part5does not blocks the light and fully blocks the light respectively in the clockwise and counterclockwise limit positions, or the light blocking part5fully blocks the light and does not block the light respectively in the clockwise and counterclockwise limit positions, and two sides of the light blocking part5are respectively provided with a light emitting element6and a photosensitive element7, the light emitting element6and the photosensitive element7are connected with a PCB board8. The light-emitting element6, the photosensitive element7and the PCB board8are installed inside an equipment shell (not shown in the figure, such as a gamepad shell) outside the casing1, and the PCB board8is connected with an equipment motherboard in the equipment shell.

As shown inFIG.6, when the rocker2swings, the rocker arm mechanism3drives the steering output end4to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise within a range of 45 degrees, thus driving the light blocking part5to rotate. When the rocker2swings to a certain orientation/angle, the corresponding steering output end4may generate a certain rotation angle, and the light blocking part5may rotate with the steering output end, so that the light blocking part5correspondingly blocks light rays10in different ranges (when the light blocking part blocks the light more, the light amount received by the photosensitive element7is low; on the contrary, when the light blocking part blocks less light, the light amount received by the photosensitive element7is high). A single chip microcomputer on the PCB board8analyzes and judges the swinging angle/orientation of the rocker through the light values received by the photosensitive elements7at two angles.

as shown inFIG.2andFIG.3, a non-contact optical rocker potentiometer comprises a casing1, a rocker2and a rocker arm mechanism3. The rocker arm mechanism3is installed in the casing1and is connected with one end of the rocker2, and the other end of the rocker2extends out of the casing1. The rocker mechanism3is provided with at least two steering output ends4, the steering output end4is provided with a light blocking part5, the light blocking part5is cylindrical and eccentrically arranged on the end faces of the steering output ends4(FIG.7). The light blocking part5blocks half of the light in an initial state, and the light blocking part5does not blocks the light and fully blocks the light respectively in the clockwise and counterclockwise limit positions, or the light blocking part5fully blocks the light and does not block the light respectively in the clockwise and counterclockwise limit positions, and two sides of the light blocking part5are respectively provided with a light emitting element6and a photosensitive element7, the light emitting element6and the photosensitive element7are connected with a PCB board8. The light-emitting element6, the photosensitive element7, the PCB board8and the light blocking part are enclosed in a housing9, and the housing9is buckled on an outer wall of the casing1.

as shown inFIG.4andFIG.5, a non-contact optical rocker potentiometer comprises a casing1, a rocker2and a rocker arm mechanism3. The rocker arm mechanism3is installed in a rocker arm mechanism mounting base11in the casing1and is connected with one end of the rocker2, and the other end of the rocker2extends out of the casing1. The rocker mechanism3is provided with at least two steering output ends4, the steering output end4is provided with a light blocking part5, the light blocking part5is cylindrical and eccentrically arranged on the end faces of the steering output ends4(FIG.7). The light blocking part5blocks half of the light in an initial state, and the light blocking part5does not blocks the light and fully blocks the light respectively in the clockwise and counterclockwise limit positions, or the light blocking part5fully blocks the light and does not block the light respectively in the clockwise and counterclockwise limit positions, and two sides of the light blocking part5are respectively provided with a light emitting element6and a photosensitive element7, the light emitting element6and the photosensitive element7are connected with a PCB board8and are mounted on a circuit bard mounting base12in the casing1together with the PCB board8.

as shown inFIG.8, the light blocking part5is an arched column, which is eccentrically arranged on the end face of the steering output end4and is integrally connected to the end face edge of the steering output end4. The other structures of this embodiment are the same as those of Embodiment 1, Embodiment 2 or Embodiment 3 except for the light blocking part5.

as shown inFIG.9, the light blocking part5is plate-shaped and is eccentrically arranged on the end face of the steering output end4. The other structures of this embodiment are the same as those of Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2 except for the light blocking part5.

as shown inFIG.10, the light blocking part5is cam-shaped and is eccentrically arranged on the end face of the steering output end4. The other structures of this embodiment are the same as those of Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2 except for the light blocking part5.

as shown inFIG.11andFIG.12, the light blocking part5is elliptical and is concentrically arranged on the end face of the steering output end4, but needs to be misplaced relative to the light emitting element6and the photosensitive element7, so as to meet the condition that the size of the light blocking part5is different when the light blocking part5rotates in the initial state or clockwise to the limit position and counterclockwise to the limit position. The other structures of this embodiment are the same as those of Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2 except for the light blocking part5.

The specific shape of the light blocking part5is not limited to the scope of the above-mentioned embodiments, but also can be in various other shapes, as shown inFIG.13andFIG.14, as long as it is satisfied that the size of the light blocking area is different when the light blocking part5rotates in the initial state or clockwise to the limit position and counterclockwise to the limit position.

Those mentioned above are only the embodiments of the present invention, which do not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made by using the contents of the description and drawings of the present invention, or directly or indirectly applied to other related technical fields, are equally included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.