Patent Publication Number: US-11385672-B1

Title: Finger pointing joystick with magnetic induction

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a finger pointing joystick with magnetic induction, and in particular, to a small joystick for magnetic thumb control. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     On a variety of electronic products, it is often seen that a joystick-type controller is used as a means of operation. There are many specifications, sizes and types of joysticks, and application ranges of the joysticks are quite wide. 
     Common joysticks in the prior art are mainly joysticks operated by hand holding. There is another type of the joysticks with a small size, which is mainly controlled by fingering. In this type of finger-type joystick mechanism, it mainly uses a contact mechanism in each direction of the joystick to further generate a signal through a form of impact during actions to determine directions of movement of the joystick. However, such joystick has disadvantage of being easily worn out due to long-term use. 
     Therefore, in view of the foregoing, inventors of the present invention have considered and designed a finger pointing joystick with magnetic induction, in order to improve lacks of current technologies, thereby enhancing implementation and utilization in the industry. 
     TECHNICAL SOLUTION 
     In view of aforesaid shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention is to design a finger pointing joystick with magnetic induction with patent elements such as novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability, in order to overcome difficulties of the prior art. 
     In order to achieve the above objective, technical means adopted in the present invention is to design a finger pointing joystick with magnetic induction comprising a main housing comprising a bottom case and an upper cover, wherein an opening is provided above the bottom case, a container is disposed in the opening, and a fixing portion is disposed on a side of the bottom case, wherein the upper cover corresponds to the opening of the bottom case in a closed manner, a via hole is provided on an upper side of the upper cover, and an outer wall surface of the upper cover is concavely provided with an annular groove surrounding the via hole; a support frame comprising a fixed end, a receiving ring, and an active end, wherein the fixed end is fixedly corresponding to the fixing portion of the bottom case, the receiving ring is connected to the fixed end and is disposed under the via hole, the active end is connected to a side of the receiving ring, and the active end extends downward to form a pressing rod; a movable sphere correspondingly disposed between the receiving ring and the via hole of the upper cover, and the movable sphere freely rotated therein, wherein a piston groove is disposed below the movable sphere, and a fixed groove is disposed above the movable sphere; a joystick body detachably fixed to the fixed groove of the movable sphere, wherein the joystick body can be moved corresponding to a thumb of a human body to drive the movable sphere to rotate, and the thumb of the human body can be pressed downward to push the movable sphere and the active end connected to the receiving ring downwardly; a pressing signal device correspondingly disposed in the main housing and correspondingly disposed below the pressing rod, wherein the pressing signal device can be pressed by the pressing rod to output a driving signal indicating a pressing; an elastic piston piece comprising a connecting rod, an elastic disc, a return spring, and a magnet, wherein the connecting rod is correspondingly inserted through the piston groove of the movable sphere, and can be moved up and down in the piston groove; the elastic disk is fixed below the connecting rod and rests on a bottom wall of the bottom case, and a recessed groove is disposed on a lower side of the elastic disk; two ends of the return spring are respectively fixed to the movable sphere and the elastic disc; and the magnet is correspondingly fixed to the recessed groove; and a magnetic induction element correspondingly disposed on a lower side of the bottom case and corresponds to a lower side of the magnet, wherein the magnetic induction element determines a rotation direction of the movable sphere by sensing a change of a magnetic force of the magnet, and outputs a driving signal indicating the rotation direction. 
     Wherein, the finger pointing joystick with magnetic induction further comprises an indicator module corresponding to the annular groove disposed on the upper cover. 
     Wherein, the indicator module comprises a ring light board, and the ring light board is provided with a plurality of LED lamps at least representing up, down, left, and right directions. 
     Wherein, a cover can be further provided on the ring lamp board. 
     The design of the finger pointing joystick with magnetic induction of the present invention is mainly based on a design of the magnetic induction mechanism, and then achieves advantages of stable signal and high service life in the small joystick controlled by thumb, which is beyond the reach of the prior art. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a finger pointing joystick with magnetic induction according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is another schematic view of the finger pointing joystick with magnetic induction of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the finger pointing joystick with magnetic induction of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of line A-A in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of line A-A of an embodiment in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 5 , the present invention relates to a finger pointing joystick with magnetic induction. The finger pointing joystick with magnetic induction comprises a main housing  10 , a support frame  20 , a movable sphere  30 , a joystick body  40 , a pressing signal device  50 , an elastic piston piece  60 , a magnetic induction element  70 , and an indicator module  80 . 
     The main housing  10  comprises a bottom case  11  and an upper cover  12 , wherein an opening  110  is provided above the bottom case  11 , a container is disposed in the opening  110 , and a fixing portion  111  is disposed on a side of the bottom case  11 . The upper cover  12  corresponds to the opening  110  of the bottom case  11  in a closed manner. A via hole  121  is provided on an upper side of the upper cover  12 , and an outer wall surface of the upper cover  12  is concavely provided with an annular groove  122  surrounding the via hole  121 . 
     The support frame  20  comprises a fixed end  21 , a receiving ring  22 , and an active end  23 , wherein the fixed end  21  is fixedly corresponding to the fixing portion  111  of the bottom case  11 , the receiving ring  22  is connected to the fixed end  21  and is disposed under the via hole  121 , the active end  23  is connected to a side of the receiving ring  22 , and the active end  23  extends downward to form a pressing rod  231 . 
     The movable sphere  30  is correspondingly disposed between the receiving ring  22  and the via hole  121  of the upper cover  12 , and the movable sphere  30  is freely rotated therein. A piston groove  31  is disposed below the movable sphere  30 , and a fixed groove  32  is disposed above the movable sphere  30 . 
     The joystick body  40  is detachably fixed to the fixed groove  32  of the movable sphere  30 , wherein the joystick body  40  can be moved corresponding to a thumb of a human body to drive the movable sphere  30  to rotate, and the thumb of the human body can be pressed downward to push the movable sphere  30  and the active end  23  connected to the receiving ring  22  downwardly. 
     The pressing signal device  50  is correspondingly disposed in the main housing  10  and correspondingly disposed below the pressing rod  231 . 
     When the active end  23  is moved downward, pressing signal device  50  can be pressed by the pressing rod  231  of the active end  23 , and a driving signal indicating the pressing can be output. 
     The elastic piston piece  60  comprises a connecting rod  61 , an elastic disc  62 , a return spring  63 , and a magnet  64 . The connecting rod  61  is correspondingly inserted through the piston groove  31  of the movable sphere  30 , and can be moved up and down in the piston groove  31 . The elastic disk  62  is fixed below the connecting rod  61  and rests on a bottom wall of the bottom case  11 , and a recessed groove  621  is disposed on a lower side of the elastic disk  62 . Two ends of the return spring  63  are respectively fixed to the movable sphere  30  and the elastic disc  62 . After the movable sphere  30  is moved downward or rotated, the return spring  63  can provide a reset elastic return force. The magnet  64  is correspondingly fixed to the recessed groove  621 . 
     The magnetic induction element  70  is correspondingly disposed on a lower side of the bottom case  11  and corresponds to a lower side of the magnet  64 . The magnetic induction element  70  determines a rotation direction of the movable sphere  30  by sensing a change of a magnetic force of the magnet  64 , and outputs a driving signal indicating the rotation direction. 
     The indicator module  80  is correspondingly disposed in the annular groove  122  disposed on the upper cover  12 . The indicator module  80  comprises a ring light board  81 , the ring light board  81  is provided with a plurality of LED lamps  82  at least representing up, down, left, and right directions, and a cover  83  can be further provided on the ring light board  81 . 
     The design of the finger pointing joystick with magnetic induction of the present invention is mainly based on a design of the magnetic induction mechanism, and then achieves advantages of stable signal and high service life in the small joystick controlled by thumb, which is beyond the reach of the prior art. 
     REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     
         
         
           
               10 : main housing 
               11 : bottom case 
               111 : fixing portion 
               12 : upper cover 
               121 : via hole 
               122 : annular groove 
               20 : support frame 
               21 : fixed end 
               22 : receiving ring 
               23 : active end 
               231 : pressing rod 
               30 : movable sphere 
               31 : piston groove 
               32 : fixed groove 
               40 : joystick body 
               50 : pressing signal device 
               60 : elastic piston piece 
               61 : connecting rod 
               62 : elastic disc 
               621 : recessed groove 
               63 : return spring 
               64 : magnet 
               70 : magnetic induction element 
               80 : indicator module 
               81 : ring light board 
               82 : LED lamp 
               83 : cover