Patent ID: 7105755

Claim:
A rotary encoder, comprising: a substrate having a front center hole, a back surface, an outermost periphery, first and second ring-shaped electrode patterns formed on the surface concentrically around the center hole, and a ring-shaped comb electrode pattern without a difference in level formed adjacent an outermost periphery, wiring patterns covering the electrode patterns through each of three external connecting terminals provided on the outermost periphery on the front surface or back surface of said substrate; a case having an open end, edges adjacent said open end and a circular hole formed in a center of an upper surface thereof, said case being secured to the substrate at the edges of the open case; a shaft rotatively inserted through the circular hole of said case, so as to to be supported thereby, a lower end shaft portion of said shaft further being rotatively inserted into the center hole of said substrate; a gear-shaped rotor supported by a bottom surface of said shaft in said case, said rotor having an outer periphery, being rotated simultaneously with and by said shaft; a click mechanism capable of elastically displacing a ball bearing subject to elastic pressure exerted by a plate spring provided in said case into a concave portion on the outer periphery of said rotor, so as to regulate a rotating angle of said shaft; and a first slider, affixed to a lower surface of said rotor, for electrically connecting the first ring-shaped electrode pattern and the ring-shaped comb electrode pattern, and a second slider for electrically connecting the second ring-shaped electrode pattern and the ring-shaped comb electrode pattern, said first slider and said second slider outputting pulse signals with different phases.