Patent Application
20050181702
This invention relates to a gun grip type controller used for radio control or the like.
Generally, a radio-controlled toy includes a controlled body, such as a controlled model car, and a controller for controlling the controlled body.
For this controller, heretofore, there is known a controller that includes a controller body to be held by both hands of an operator, and switches, sticks, etc. to be manipulated by respective fingers of the operator's hands.
While, besides this type of controller, a controller in the form of a gun grip has been used in recent years.
In this gun grip type controller, a controller body corresponding to a pistol barrel and a grip corresponding to a pistol grip are constructed in a substantial L-shaped or T-shaped manner, while the controller body is provided with switches, dials, etc. and also provided, at a connection between the grip and the controller body, with a trigger-shaped lever or the like. In manipulation, an operator generally manipulates the trigger-shaped lever by an operator's index finger and further manipulates the switches, the dials, the sticks, etc. on the controller body by an operator's right hand while gripping the grip by an operator's left hand,
In the gun grip type controller like this, however, it requires a large space for its package and becomes voluminous when carrying the controller because the grip and the controller body are generally in the form of L or T.
In view of solving the above problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a gun grip type controller capable of realizing its compact configuration at packing and carrying the controller, in spite of its “gun-grip” configuration.
The invention relating to Claim 1 is characterized by a gun grip type controller comprising: a controller body having a manipulating part for controlling an object to be controlled, the control body being shaped like a rod substantially; and a grip arranged to project from the controller body, wherein the grip is arranged so as to be rotatable to the controller body and also adapted so as to allow an occupation of both a protrusive position where the grip protrudes from the controller in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the controller body and a folding position where the grip is folded in a direction along the longitudinal direction of the controller body.
The invention relating to Claim 2 is characterized in that the controller body has a trigger-shaped manipulating part at a connection part of the controller body with the grip, and the grip is provided with a storage recess for accommodating the trigger-shaped manipulating part at the folding position and the storage recess is provided, at an opening thereof, with a-open and shut door that is arranged in its opened position to accommodate the trigger-shaped manipulating part at the folding position of the grip and that is arranged in its closed position at the protrusive position of the grip.
The invention relating to Claim 3 is characterized in that the open and shut door is formed so as to be a double door.
In the invention as claimed in Claim 1, since the grip is arranged so as to be rotatable to the controller body and also adapted so as to allow an occupation of both the protrusive position where the grip protrudes from the controller in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the controller body and the folding position where the grip is folded in a direction along the longitudinal direction of the controller body, it is possible to position the grip in the folding position as occasion demands and therefore, it is possible to decrease the size of the controller remarkably in spite of its “gun-grip” configuration.
Furthermore, in the invention as claimed in Claims 2 and 3, the controller body has the trigger-shaped manipulating part at the connection part of the controller body with the grip, and the grip is provided with the storage recess for accommodating the trigger-shaped manipulating part at the folding position. Additionally, the storage recess is provided, at its opening, with the open and shut door in the form of a double door that is arranged in its opened position to accommodate the trigger-shaped manipulating part at the folding position of the grip and that is arranged in its closed position at the protrusive position of the grip. Thus, at the folding position, the open and shut door is forced to open by the trigger-shaped manipulating part, so that it is accommodated in the storage recess. While, at the protrusive position, when the trigger-shaped manipulating part retreats from the storage recess, the open and shut door automatically closes due to the urging forces of the springs etc. Therefore, it is possible to prevent dust etc. from invading the storage recess and also possible to improve an operator's feeling in gripping the controller.
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a gun grip type controller in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.
While, a trigger-shaped lever 23 is arranged on the bottom of the controller body 3. To pull this trigger-shaped lever 23 backward allows the model car to move forward, while to push the lever 23 forward allows the model car to move backward. The velocity of the car is increased as an amount of pulling or pushing gets large.
The grip 7 provided to the controller body 3 can occupy a protrusive position 25 where the grip 7 protrudes from the controller body 3 in a L-shaped or T-shaped manner substantially and a folding position 27 where the grip 7 is folded along the longitudinal direction of the controller body 3. If the grip 7 is positioned at the protrusive position 25, then a ratchet mechanism (not shown) automatically operates to allow the grip 7 to be locked in the protrusive position 25. Further, the grip 7 is provided, at its top end, with an unlock button 29 for removing the grip 7 from its locked condition. Thus, to push the unlock button 29 allows the grip 7 to be released from the locked condition, allowing it to be returned to the folding position.
Again, in the grip 7, a lever storage recess 31 is formed in order to accommodate the trigger-shaped lever 23 when the grip 7 is in the folding position. This lever storage recess 31 is provided, at its opening 33, with an open and shut door flapper 35 that is closed when the grip 7 is at the protrusive position 25 and that is opened when the grip 7 is at the folding position 27 thereby allowing the trigger-shaped lever 23 to be accommodated. This open and shut door 35 is in the form of a double door and is usually urged to its closed position by springs or the like. This open and shut door 35 is forced to open since the trigger-shaped lever 23 is inserted into the lever storage recess 31. While, when the trigger-shaped lever is extracted out of the lever storage recess 31, the open and shut door 35 closes due to urging forces of the springs. When the grip 7 is at the protrusive position 25, this open and shut door 35 prevents dust etc. from entering an inside of the grip and also serves to improve an operator's gripping feeling. Note, a battery is accommodated in the grip 7 and utilized for a power source of the controller.
The operation of the gun grip type controller 1 will be described.
At packing or carrying, the grip 7 is pivoted to the folding position 27. Then, the open and shut door 35 in the form of a double door is forced to open by the trigger-shaped lever 23 and it is accommodated in the lever storage recess 31. In this way, the positioning of the grip 7 in the folding position allows the size of the gun grip type controller 1 as a whole to be reduced remarkably. Thus, with the reduction in package size of the controller, it is possible to facilitate its portability.
On the other hand, when using the gun grip type controller 1, the grip 7 is raised in pivotal movement. Then, when the trigger-shaped lever 23 retreats from the lever storage recess 31, the open and shut door 35 automatically closes due to the urging forces of the springs etc. Further, when bringing the grip 7 into the protrusive position, the ratchet mechanism operates automatically to fix the grip 7 in the protrusive position. In this way, if only raising the grip 7 to the protrusive position in using the gun grip type controller 1, its form can be changed to a substantially T-shaped or L-shaped “gun grip” configuration, allowing an instant availability. Further, since the open and shut door 35 is automatically closed, it is possible to prevent an invasion of dust etc. and also possible to improve an operator's gripping feeling.
As mentioned above, since this gun grip type controller 1 includes the rod-shaped controller body 3 having the trigger-shaped lever 23, the steering dial 11, etc. for controlling a model car or the like and the grip 7 provided to protrude from the controller body 3 and since the grip 7 is arranged so as to be rotatable to the controller body 3 and also adapted so as to allow an occupation of both the protrusive position 25 where the grip protrudes from the controller body 3 to a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the controller body 3 and the folding position 27 where the grip 7 is folded to a direction along the longitudinal direction of the controller body 3, it is possible to decrease the size of the gun grip type controller as a whole when packing and carrying the gun grip type controller, in spite of its “gun-grip” configuration. Accordingly, the reduction in its package size can be accomplished to facilitate its portability.
Again, the controller body 3 has the trigger-shaped lever 23 at a connection part of the controller body 3 with the grip 7, and the grip 7 is provided with the lever storage recess 31 for accommodating the trigger-shaped lever 23 at the folding position 27. Further, the lever storage recess 31 is provided, at the opening 33, with the open and shut door 35 in the form of a double door that is arranged in its opened position to accommodate the trigger-shaped lever 23 at the folding position 27 and that is arranged in its closed position at the protrusive position 25. Therefore, at the folding position 27, the open and shut door 35 is forced to open by the trigger-shaped lever 23, so that it is accommodated in the lever storage recess 31. While, at the protrusive position 25, when the trigger-shaped lever 23 retreats from the lever storage recess 31, the open and shut door 35 automatically closes due to the urging forces of the springs etc. Therefore, it is possible to prevent dust etc. from invading the recess and also possible to improve an operator's feeling in gripping the controller.
It is noted that the above-mentioned embodiment adopts a model car as the object to be controlled. Without being limited to the model car only, the invention is applicable to any object to be radio-controlled or remote-controlled. For example, the invention may be applied to controllers for models, such as airplane, ship, train and robot, toys, other industrial equipments, vehicles, etc.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP02/04046 | 4/23/2002 | WO |
