Patent ID: 6862412

Claim:
A rotary dial device having a click stop mechanism, comprising: a stationary member; a circular rotary dial supported by said stationary member to be rotatable; a ball guide groove formed on said stationary member and extending in a radial direction of said circular rotary dial; a ball positioned in said ball guide groove; at least one protrusion and at least one depression on said circular rotary dial along one of two imaginary cylindrical surfaces with axes thereof on an axis of said circular rotary dial, said two imaginary cylindrical surfaces being positioned radially outside and inside said ball guide groove in said radial direction of said circular rotary dial, respectively; and a cylindrical resilient member positioned along the other of said two imaginary cylindrical surfaces to bring said ball into pressing contact with any one of the protrusion and the depression by a resiliency of said cylindrical resilient member, wherein the circular rotary dial is supported by the stationary member such that the ball, the ball guide groove and the cylindrical resilient member are covered by the circular rotary dial and the stationary member.