Patent ID: 8884933

Claim:
An input device comprising: a base member including a hollow support body; and an operation body supported so as to freely rotate relative to the hollow support body and freely reciprocate along a direction of a rotational axis, the operation body including an operation knob formed in a cylindrical shape and having a top surface portion and a plate-shaped touch pad provided on a back side of the top surface portion for detecting approach or contact of a finger with respect to the top surface portion, wherein the base member has a space formed so as to extend from an inside of the base member to an inside of the hollow support body, the operation knob has a shaft provided vertically so as to extend from a back surface of the top surface portion, the touch pad has a through hole through which the shaft is inserted into the space, a rotation detection portion for detecting a rotating movement of the operation body and a pressing detection portion for detecting a reciprocating movement of the operation body are provided, in the space, the shaft is linked to a rotating movement portion which makes a rotation detection movement for the rotation detection portion with a rotating movement of the operation body, and the shaft is linked to a pressing movement portion which makes a pressing detection movement for the pressing detection portion with a reciprocating movement of the operation body, an interlocking shaft is located in the space and connected to the shaft and configured to serve as a click mechanism, the rotating movement portion and the pressing movement portion are provided in the interlocking shaft, the shaft and the interlocking shaft are connected to each other through a cam portion having a plurality of cam surfaces formed along a peripheral surface thereof, and an elastic portion is provided in the hollow support body and engages with and disengages from the cam surfaces with a rotating movement of the operation body.