Patent ID: 7492353

Claim:
A joystick switching device comprising: a casing; tilt-detecting means disposed in the casing; a tiltable component having a tilt shaft capable of being subjected to a tilt operation and a driving leg for driving the tilt shaft and the tilt-detecting means, the tiltable component being held on the casing, and the driving leg being joined to the tilt shaft; a tilt-operation knob that cooperates with the tilt shaft; and tilt-operation feel providing means for providing tactile feedback to a user in response to a tilt operation of the tilt shaft, the tilt-operation feel providing means being arranged around the tilt shaft so as to cooperate with the tilt shaft of the tiltable component, wherein the tilt-operation feel providing means comprises: a tilt-shaft holder including a through-hole through which the tilt shaft passes and being fixed to the casing; a slider holder including a through-hole through which the tilt shaft passes and being mounted on the tilt-shaft holder with a space therebetween; a slider disposed in the space defined between the tilt-shaft holder and the slider holder, the slider having a central hole that the periphery of the tilt shaft contacts, the slider being slidable in accordance with a tilt operation of the tilt shaft inside the space; a first operational-feel providing portion which is a recessed portion formed on a bottom surface of the slider including a central recess, outer recesses, and projections formed in gaps among the central recess and the outer recesses; a driving bar being movable reciprocally through the top of the tilt-shaft holder, a leading edge of the driving bar being in contact with the recessed portion of the first operational-feel providing portion; and a first spring urging the driving bar toward the recessed portion formed on the slider.