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Description  |
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TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates, in general, to multi-directional switches of
the type frequently employed in electronic or computer game apparatus, and
more particularly, relates to multi-directional switch assemblies which
are mounted on printed circuit boards.
BACKGROUND ART
Multi-directional switch assemblies are in widespread use in connection
with electronic and computer game apparatus. So-called "joysticks" and
"joypads" are commonly used as input means for control of the images on
video display screens of such game apparatus. A typical joystick
multi-directional switch assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,103, and
a similar joypad multi-directional switch assembly is shown in U.S. Pat.
No. 4,687,200.
These multi-directional switches often include a plurality of contact or
terminal pairs formed as part of a printed circuit board. Superimposed
over the switch terminals are a plurality of electrically conductive
members that are carried by a resiliently deformable member, such as a
rubber or synthetic rubber diaphragm or cone assembly. Mounted to deform
or displace the resilient contact-carrying member is a manually engageable
movable input member, such as the joystick of U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,103 or
the joypad of U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,200.
The joypad or joystick input members are mounted for tilting about a
central universal or gimbal support assembly. When the pad or stick is
tilted about the support assembly, an edge or arm thereof presses the
deformable contact-carrying member down until the contacts span across the
switch terminals on the printed circuit board to close the switch.
Arrangement of the switch to have four mutually perpendicular arms allows
such multi-directional switch assemblies to control movement of video
screen images in a direction which corresponds to the direction of
displacement of the joystick or joypad. Thus, a user-friendly interface or
input means for control of image motion is provided by such
multi-directional switch assemblies.
A common objective in the design of electronic game apparatus, and
particularly hand-held electronic game apparatus, is to minimize the
overall volume of the game unit. Economies of space, therefore, are
pursued wherever possible in connection with electronic games. The result
is that multi-directional joystick or joypad assemblies normally are
mounted directly on printed circuit boards. The printed circuit board has
the switch terminals integrated in an upper surface thereof, and the
deformable rubber member which carries the switch closing contacts
similarly is mounted on the printed circuit board, as is the pivotal
support assembly for the joypad or joystick.
The play of computer games, which require intricate and rapid image
manipulation, can result, however, in considerable stress or shock loading
of the game apparatus through the rapid and sometimes forceful use of the
joystick or joypad. As the tension and speed of the game increase, the
player is likely to press harder and faster on the joypad or joystick.
Additionally, such rapid and intricate image control requires a high
degree of responsiveness of the control switching to joystick
displacement. Joysticks and joypads are, therefore, preferably mounted by
support assemblies having a minimum of play or slack which can reduce the
responsiveness of the image to the joystick displacement. Thus, support of
the joystick or joypad by a support mechanism that is relatively free of
play and can effectively withstand shock loading and fatigue without
transferring the loading forces to the somewhat fragile electronic
circuitry is an important requirement of electronic game apparatus
joystick assemblies.
One mounting structure which has been found to be particularly well suited
for the mounting of multi-directional switch input joysticks or pads is
the provision of a column or post assembly underneath the center of the
stick or pad input member. The post assembly usually includes mating
spherical surfaces which provide a universal joint underneath the stick or
pad that is tilted. This type of joystick mount has the advantage of
affording an assembly which is very responsive to stick or pad motion,
while at the same time being capable of withstanding substantial thrust
forces. The collar-type of joystick mount, for example as shown in U.S.
Pat. No. 4,395,134, is less desirable in that it includes substantial
lateral play in the stick, making the stick less responsive to user input.
Two broad types of mounting structures generally have been employed for
joysticks and joypads having central support post assemblies. First, as
shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,687,200, 4,408,103, 4,256,931, 4,029,915 and
3,005,055, the central support structure for the joystick or joypad can be
mounted directly on the switch terminal carrying substrate, usually the
printed circuit board. The disadvantage of this approach is that while the
joystick or pad is well supported, the thrust forces on the stick or pad
are transmitted directly to the supporting printed circuit board or
substrate containing the electrical circuitry for the game.
The other basic approach for central support of joysticks and joypads is
for the central support column to extend through an opening in the
circuitry carrying substrate to a base or frame member below the printed
circuit board. Typical of such an approach are the joypad and joystick
switch assemblies of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,428,649, 4,246,452 and 4,124,787.
The primary disadvantage of this approach is that as the game apparatus
becomes more complex it is less and less desirable to provide apertures in
the printed circuit board since they interfere with the efficiency and
density of the circuit layout which could otherwise be achieved.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a
multi-directional switch assembly having the tight responsiveness of a
central supporting column and yet a column mounting structure which
minimizes the transfer of thrust forces to the electronic circuitry.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-directional
switch assembly having an improved support structure capable of
substantially isolating the electronic circuitry from thrust and shock
forces normally applied to the input element of the switch assembly.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a joystick/joypad
switch assembly for an electronic game or the like which has a high degree
of responsiveness and improved reliability of operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-directional
switch assembly which is durable, easy to construct and is very compact.
The multi-directional switch assembly of the present invention has other
objects and features of advantage which will become apparent from, or are
set forth in more detail in, the accompanying drawing and following Best
Mode Of Carrying Out The Invention.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The multi-directional switch assembly of the present invention includes a
printed circuit board having a plurality of switch terminals, a resilient
deformable member having a plurality of electronic conductive contact
elements carried thereby and mounted proximate the printed circuit board
with the contact elements superimposed and spaced from the switch
terminals. A manually engageable input member is mounted proximate the
deformable member and is displaceable into engagement with the deformable
member to displace the same by an amount sufficient to move the contact
elements into engagement with the switch terminals. The mounting means for
the input member includes a central post structure having a universal
support surface means to provide controlled and tight responsiveness. The
improvement in the switch assembly of the present invention comprises,
briefly, a supporting frame assembly coupled to the central post means
which is constructed to substantially isolate and independently support
the post assembly and input member with respect to the printed circuit
board. In the preferred form, the post assembly is supported on a
transversely extending frame member having openings therethrough to permit
movement of the input member to be transmitted to the deformable member
through the frame. The frame assembly extends laterally to span the
subjacent printed circuit board.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an electronic game apparatus having a
multi-directional switch assembly constructed in accordance with the
present invention.
FIG. 2 is an end-elevation view, in cross-section of the game apparatus of
FIG. 1 taken substantially along the plane of line 2--2 in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, end elevation view of the area bounded
by line 3--3 in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, enlarged, top plan view of an end of the
electronic game apparatus of FIG. 1 with the joypad assembly removed.
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the joypad input element suitable for mounting
to the housing of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the input joypad of FIG. 5.
BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
A hand-held electronic game apparatus, generally designated 21, can be seen
in FIG. 1 to include an elongated housing, generally designated 22, in
which a video display screen 23 is centrally mounted. On either side of
screen 23 are a multi-directional switch assembly, generally designated
24, and fire buttons 26 which enable the game player to manipulate images
on screen 23 for the play of various games. The game apparatus further
includes an "on" button 27 and an "off" button 28, as well as switches 29,
30 and 31 which are, respectively, "invert," "pause" and "restart"
switches or buttons
Inside housing 22 is an electronic circuit assembly including a CPU and
associated electronics for the display of images on screen 23 during play
of the game. The construction and operation of the electronic game
circuitry is not regarded as being a novel portion of the present
invention and will not be described in detail herein.
As may be seen from FIG. 1, multi-directional switch assembly 24 preferably
takes the form of a joypad switch assembly in which there is a generally
disk-like input member or joypad 41 that is mounted in a generally
horizontal orientation and has four radially extending arm members 42
which can be depressed by the thumb of the game player while gripping the
housing ends, particularly back surface 43 of the housing, with the
player's fingers.
As is conventional, joypad 41 includes four laterally extending arms 42
which can be used to manipulate the image on screen 23 in the up, down,
right and left directions.
The details of construction of the multi-directional switch assembly of the
present invention can best be understood by reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. As
will be seen, the disk-like input pad or joypad 41 is mounted in
superimposed relation to a resilient deformable member 43, which carries a
plurality of electrically conductive contact elements 44. The contact
elements 44 are mounted proximate but in spaced relation to switch
terminals 46 carried on an upper surface 47 of substrate, most preferably
printed circuit board 50.
In order to enable joypad 41 to close the various switches on circuit board
47, a central support post means, generally designated 48, is positioned
beneath joypad 41 and includes an upwardly facing spherical surface 49
which mates with a downwardly facing spherical surface 51 in joypad 41. As
will be appreciated, post assembly 48 can also include a reversal of parts
in which the spherical surface carried by joypad 41 is a downwardly
projecting convex element that is received by a spherical socket 51 in
post assembly 48.
Universal central post assembly 48 provides the joypad with a mount which
permits tilting of the pad about the central post to effect deformation of
the resiliently deformable rubber member 43. This deformation can be
accomplished through cruciform-shaped arms 52 which have arcuate
protruding surfaces 53 that engage upper surface 54 of deformable rubber
member 43. The construction of arms 52 also can be seen in FIG. 6.
As will be appreciated, therefore, when joypad member 41 is tilted about
post means 48, the arcuate surfaces 53 engage and depress upper surface 54
of deformable member 43. This deformation causes collapsing of the conical
portions 56 of member 43, with the result that a contact 44 is displaced
against switch terminals 46 on the printed circuit board to close, or
change the state, of the switch.
As thus far described, joypad assembly 24 is constructed in a manner well
known in the prior art. In the improved multi-directional switch assembly
of the present invention, the post assembly 48 is mounted in a manner
which isolates the post assembly and thrust applied to joypad 41 from
printed circuit board 50.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, isolation of the
thrust forces applied to joypad 41 is provided by mounting joypad 41 to
housing 22 via a frame 61 and mounting printed circuit board 50 in spaced
relation to joypad 41 via frame 61 and support posts 48. This arrangement
suspends printed circuit board 50 from frame 61 independent of housing 22,
thus isolating it from the force transmitted from the joypad 41 to housing
22 through frame 61. Support posts 48 are constructed as a portion of
frame 61. Frame 61 extends laterally from support posts 48 and then steps
upwardly at shoulder 62 which is also constructed as a portion of frame
61. Frame 61 continues as upper lateral portion 63, until it reaches side
walls 64, which are supported on bottom housing 66.
As will be seen from FIG. 2, therefore, the joypad member and post assembly
48 are effectively supported directly from the side walls of the housing.
Printed circuit board 50 is supported by fasteners 71 from bosses 72 which
extend downwardly from upper lateral portion 63. A downward thrust on
joypad 41, however, is not directly transferred to the printed circuit
board, since support post 48 is carried by the transversely extending
frame 61, which extends completely to the side walls. The downward thrust,
therefore, is resisted or supported by the side walls 64.
While printed circuit board 50 is supported from upper lateral portion 63,
it is not centrally stressed in bending, as would be the case if post
means 48 were supported directly on the printed circuit board. Instead,
any bending of upper lateral portion 63 due to the downward thrust on
joypad 41 merely causes the entire board assembly to be displaced
downwardly, rather than inducing bending moments in the printed circuit
board.
In order to permit the transmission of motion from joypad 41 to the
deformable rubber member 43, transversely extending frame 61, which
supports post 48, is formed with a plurality of apertures or openings 74,
which can be most clearly seen in FIG. 4.
As also can be seen in FIG. 4, frame 61 preferably is formed with openings
76 which receive fasteners 77 (FIG. 3) that are used to secure a collar 78
to frame 61. The joypad mounting collar has an L-shaped cross section that
holds the input pad 41 in place in the recess defined by shoulder 62 in
the upper surface of housing 22. As best may be seen in FIG. 5, collar 78,
shown in phantom, traps the laterally extending flanges 79 on joypad 41.
The mounting structure of the multi-directional switch assembly of the
present invention affords a highly responsive and play-free switch which
is nevertheless substantially isolated from or does not transmit
substantial thrust force through to the printed circuit board. This allows
the joypad assembly to withstand substantial thrust forces, while
permitting rapid manipulation, which are common in electronic game
apparatus.
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