Claims
- 1. A lever switch device, comprising:
- an operating lever that is tiltable into and about a plurality of tilting positions;
- a plurality of switch elements disposed about the operating lever;
- a plurality of operating elements, wherein each of the plurality of operating elements corresponds to one of said plurality of switch elements, wherein tilting of said operating lever into a tilting position displaces an operating element, said displacement causing a corresponding switch element to be actuated, wherein selected ones of the operating elements actuate corresponding switch elements in response to a first amount of tilting of the operating lever, and wherein others of said operating elements actuate corresponding switch elements in response to a second amount of tilting of said operation lever; and
- a housing that extends along a longitudinal axis and that accommodates the operating lever, the plurality of switch elements and the plurality of operating elements, wherein tilting said operating lever said first amount in an acute angular direction relative to the longitudinal axis displaces one of the select ones of the operating elements and wherein tilting said operating lever said second amount in one of a parallel direction and a perpendicular direction relative to the longitudinal axis displaces one of said others of said operating elements.
- 2. A lever switch device according to claim 1, wherein the first amount is smaller than the second amount.
- 3. A lever switch device according to claim 1, wherein the first amount is larger that the second amount.
- 4. A lever switch device according to claim 1, wherein an image on a display unit is scrolled in response to tilting of said operating lever.
- 5. A lever switch device according to claim 4, wherein an amount of tilting of said operating lever required to scroll an image up and down on a display unit is smaller than the amount of tilting required to scroll an image in directions other than up and down.
- 6. A multidirectional switch device, comprising:
- an operating lever that is tiltable between a neutral position and a plurality of tilting positions and from one of the plurality of tilting positions to another one of the plurality of tilting positions;
- a plurality of switch elements disposed about the operating lever in a generally circular configuration and interconnected to each other to form a switch matrix circuit for outputting digital data, the plurality of switch elements being greater than four switch elements; and
- a plurality of operating elements, wherein each of the plurality of operating elements corresponds to one of said plurality of switch elements, wherein tilting of said operating lever into a tilting position displaces an operating element, said displacement causing a corresponding switch element to be actuated, wherein selected ones of the operating elements actuate corresponding switch elements in response to a first amount of tilting of the operating lever, and wherein others of said operating elements actuate corresponding switch elements in response to a second amount of tilting of said operation lever; and
- wherein said selected ones of the operating elements and said others of said operating elements are alternately disposed about the operating lever.
- 7. A multidirectional switch device according to claim 6, wherein said first amount is smaller than said second amount.
- 8. A multidirectional switch device according to claim 6, wherein said first amount is larger than said second amount.
- 9. A multidirectional switch device according to claim 6, wherein said switch matrix is configured to output digital data indicative of which of said switch elements has been activated.
- 10. A multidirectional switch device, comprising:
- a lever tiltable in multiple directions;
- a plurality of switch elements so located as to surround the lever, said plurality of switch elements being interconnected into a matrix form to constitute a switch matrix circuit and including alternating ones of OR switch elements and non-OR switch elements; and
- a plurality of operating elements, each of which is displaced in interaction with the lever to operate any one of the plurality of switch elements when a corresponding one of the plurality of operating elements is displaced by a predetermined operating stroke in accordance with the tilting of the lever, wherein the switch matrix circuit outputs digital data indicating a selected one of the plurality of switch elements has been activated in conformity with a selected direction in which the lever has been tilted, wherein the digital data which is output from the switch matrix circuit is an OR signal when one of the OR switch elements and an adjacent one of the non-OR switch elements are simultaneously activated and wherein an OR operating element associated with a corresponding OR switch element is responsive to a first amount of tilting of the lever and a non-OR operating element associated with a corresponding non-OR switch element is responsive to a second amount of tilting of the lever, the first and second amounts of tilting of the lever being different from one another.
Priority Claims (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
5-314572 |
Nov 1993 |
JPX |
|
6-176115 |
Jul 1994 |
JPX |
|
6-234340 |
Sep 1994 |
JPX |
|
Parent Case Info
This application is a Continuation-in-Part of application No. 08/341,878 filed on Nov. 15, 1994.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0 246 968 |
Nov 1987 |
EPX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
341878 |
Nov 1994 |
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