JP5607939B2 - Sensor device, input device, game ball launch device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sensor device that detects a rotation amount, a rotation angle, or a rotation position of a rotating object, an input device using the sensor device, and a game ball launching device using the input device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various sensors are provided as sensor devices that detect a rotation amount, a rotation angle, or a rotation position of a rotating object. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a sensor device (position sensor) for detecting the rotational position of an object. This position sensor includes a detection coil wound around a bobbin that is curved with a constant curvature, and a core that is also curved with a constant curvature and is inserted into the detection coil so as to be able to advance and retract. The impedance of the detection coil is changed in accordance with the amount of the core inserted into the coil. A displacement signal indicating the position information between the core and the detection coil is output according to the constant current output from the constant current circuit and the peak value of the voltage across the detection coil determined by the impedance of the detection coil, and linked with the core. The rotational position of the object to be detected can be detected. As another detection method, an oscillation signal having a reference frequency (a frequency corresponding to the inductance of the detection coil) is applied from the oscillation circuit to the detection coil, and changes according to the distance between the detection coil and the nonmagnetic material detection body. There is also a method of outputting a displacement signal corresponding to the inductance of the detection coil (see Patent Document 2).

  Here, the rotational position of the operating body operated by a person is detected by a sensor device, and an input device using the detection output of the sensor device as an operation input, and a game ball (with a force corresponding to the operation input input by the input device) For example, various game ball launching devices that launch pachinko balls are also provided (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

JP 2004-29002 A (see paragraph 0070 and FIG. 2) JP 2008-292376 A JP 2003-159386 A (refer to the eighth embodiment)

  However, in the sensor device of the conventional example described in Patent Document 1, since the cylindrical core has to be inserted into the cylindrical bobbin, the thickness dimension of the housing (case) that houses the bobbin and the core increases. There is a problem that the cost is high due to the large number of parts, and the assembly workability is also low.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sensor device, an input device, and a game ball launching device that can reduce the thickness and reduce the number of parts and improve the assembly workability. There is to do.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is a sensor device for detecting a rotation amount, a rotation angle, or a rotation position of a rotating object, and is a detection coil printed on the surface of an insulating substrate. And a detection body that is made of a non-magnetic material and moves on a circumferential track in conjunction with an object, a detection coil and a detection body are housed inside, and the circumferential track and the detection coil of the detection body are made of an insulating substrate. And a case for supporting the insulating substrate so as to oppose each other in the thickness direction, and the two insulating substrates having a detection coil printed on the surface are formed on each surface across the circumferential orbit of the detection body. The detection coils formed on the surfaces of the two insulating substrates are supported by the case so that the detection coils are opposed to each other, and the detection pins are provided by terminal pins provided between the two insulating substrates. In case Characterized in that it is electrically connected.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the rotation of the object that rotates by utilizing the fact that the inductance of the detection coil printed on the surface of the insulating substrate changes according to the position of the detection body displaced on the circumferential track. The amount, rotation angle, rotation position, etc. can be detected, and the detection coil and the detection body are thinner and smaller than the conventional example in which a cylindrical core is inserted into a cylindrical bobbin so as to be able to advance and retract. can do. As a result, it is possible to reduce the cost and improve the assembly workability by reducing the thickness and the number of parts. In addition, since the pair of detection coils are opposed to each other with the circumferential track of the detection body interposed therebetween, a stable detection result can be obtained even if the detection body is displaced along the facing direction.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, a plurality of detection coils are printed on the surface of the one or two insulating substrates, and the plurality of detection coils formed on the respective insulating substrate surfaces and the respective detection coils. A plurality of the detection bodies opposed to each other are provided.

According to the invention of claim 2 , for example, even if one detection coil is disconnected, the detection body can be detected by the remaining detection coils, so that the reliability can be improved.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the case is characterized in that a restricting means for restricting a position of the insulating substrate in the case is integrally formed.

According to the invention of claim 3 , rattling of the insulating substrate (detection coil) due to vibration or impact applied from the outside can be regulated.

The invention of claim 4 is the invention of any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising a holding body that holds the one or more detection bodies, and the case is a support that rotatably supports the holding body. It has the means.

According to the invention of claim 4 , rattling of the detection body (holding body) due to vibration or impact applied from the outside can be regulated.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect of the present invention, the support means includes an elastic body that elastically biases the holding body along the rotation axis direction.

According to the invention of claim 5 , rattling of the detection body (holding body) can be prevented.

The invention of claim 6 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the holding body has a shaft portion in which one end side is housed in a case and rotates in conjunction with an object, A plurality of bearing portions for receiving the shaft portion are provided in the case.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the variation in the detection output caused by the inclination of the shaft portion can be suppressed by receiving the shaft portion with the plurality of bearing portions.

The invention of claim 7 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein a magnetic shield body made of a non-magnetic material is integrally formed by simultaneous molding in the case made of a synthetic resin molded body. It is characterized by.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the magnetic field generated around the detection coil is shielded by the magnetic shield body, erroneous detection of the detection body due to the non-magnetic body approaching the case can be prevented.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 8 detects the rotation amount, the rotation angle, or the rotation position by the sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and being rotated by a human hand. And a signal processing unit that outputs an operation signal corresponding to the rotation amount, rotation angle, or rotation position detected by the sensor device.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an input device capable of reducing the cost and improving the assembly workability by reducing the thickness and reducing the number of parts.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the eighth aspect of the invention, the signal processing unit outputs an operation signal having a signal level corresponding to the detection value detected by the sensor device on a one-to-one basis. It is divided into a plurality of sections, and the correspondence relationship between the detected value and the signal level of the operation signal in each section is expressed by a linear relationship having different change rates.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, for example, if the rate of change in a certain section is made smaller than the rate of change in another section, the signal level of the operation signal can be adjusted more finely in the former section.

In order to achieve the above object, a tenth aspect of the present invention is directed to the input device according to the eighth or ninth aspect , a launch unit that launches by applying an external force to the game ball, and a signal level of an operation signal input from the input device. And a control unit for controlling the magnitude of the external force applied to the game ball from the launch unit.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a game ball launcher capable of reducing the cost and improving the assembly workability by reducing the thickness and reducing the number of parts.

  According to the present invention, there is an effect that it is possible to provide a sensor device, an input device, and a game ball launching device that can be reduced in thickness and reduced in the number of parts and can be improved in assembling workability.

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention. (A) is a front view, (b) is a top view, (c) is a left side view, (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. The front view of the state which removed the cover and the 2nd insulating substrate, (f) is the AA sectional view taken on the line in FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows Embodiment 2 of this invention. (A) is a front view, (b) is a top view, (c) is a left side view, (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. The front view of the state which removed the cover and the 2nd insulating substrate, (f) is the AA sectional view taken on the line in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows Embodiment 3 of the input device and game ball | bowl launching device which concern on this invention. (A)-(c) is a figure which shows the output characteristic of the input device in the same as the above. It is a perspective view of an input device same as the above. It is a disassembled perspective view of an input device same as the above. An input device same as the above is shown, (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view, and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows Embodiment 4 of the input device which concerns on this invention. The same as above, (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view, and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG.

(Embodiment 1)
With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, Embodiment 1 of the sensor device according to the present invention will be described in detail. In the following description, the vertical and horizontal directions and the front and rear directions are defined in FIG.

  In the sensor device of this embodiment, a pair of detection coils (not shown) are printed on the front surface (lower surface) and the first insulating substrate 3 having a pair of detection coils 30A and 30B printed on the front surface (upper surface). The formed second insulating substrate 4, a pair of detection bodies 50A, 50B formed in a substantially fan shape with a nonmagnetic material (for example, an aluminum plate), a holding body 51 for holding the detection bodies 50A, 50B, and a holding body 51, a rotor block 5 comprising a shaft portion 52 that rotates integrally with 51, a case body 1 that houses the first and second insulating substrates 3 and 4 and the rotor block 5, and a case attached to the case body 1 A case cover 2 that closes the opening surface of the body 1 is provided. However, strictly speaking, the shape of the detection bodies 50A and 50B is not a fan shape, but is a shape equal to the remaining figure obtained by cutting out a similar fan shape slightly smaller than the fan shape. The remaining figure which cuts out the fan-shaped fan that is a little smaller than the above.

  The first insulating substrate 3 is formed in a disk shape, and a circular through hole 31 is provided in the center. The pair of detection coils 30 </ b> A and 30 </ b> B are printed and formed on the upper surface of the first insulating substrate 3 so as to face each other with the through hole 31 interposed therebetween. The pair of detection coils 30A and 30B are patterned so that the outer diameter thereof is substantially a sector shape. Further, on the outer peripheral edge of the first insulating substrate 3, a plurality of (not shown in the figure) notches 32 having a relatively narrow width and a plurality of notches 33 (three in the example shown) having relatively large widths are provided. Are provided at equal intervals and alternately. Further, four through holes 34 are arranged in the circumferential direction at the rear end portion of the first insulating substrate 3, and two detection coils 30 </ b> A are provided on the back surface (lower surface) of the first insulating substrate 3. A land (not shown) electrically connected to each coil terminal of 30B is printed and formed at the open end of each through hole 34.

  The second insulating substrate 4 is formed in a disc shape and includes a main piece 40 having a circular through hole 41 penetrating in the center and a rectangular terminal piece 42 protruding from the outer peripheral edge on the rear side of the main piece 40. It is formed integrally. A pair of detection coils are printed on the surface (lower surface) of the second insulating substrate 4 at positions facing each other with the through hole 41 interposed therebetween. Although not shown, the pair of detection coils are formed in the same shape and the same dimensions as the detection coils 30A and 30B of the first insulating substrate 3. In addition, a plurality of narrow (three in the illustrated example) cutouts 43 are provided at equal intervals on the outer peripheral edge of the second insulating substrate 4. In addition, four through holes 44 are arranged in the circumferential direction in the rear end portion (connecting portion with the terminal piece 42) of the main piece 40, and four through holes 45 are also provided in the terminal piece 42 in the left-right direction. Along the line. On the back surface (upper surface) of the second insulating substrate 4, lands (not shown) electrically connected to the coil terminals of the two detection coils on the front surface side are printed and formed at the open ends of the respective through holes 44. In addition, four lands (not shown) that are electrically connected to the four lands by conductive patterns (not shown) are printed at the open ends of the through holes 45 of the terminal pieces 42.

  Here, one detection coil 30A formed on the first insulating substrate 3 and one detection coil (one facing the detection coil 30A in the vertical direction) formed on the second insulating substrate 4, and the first The other detection coil 30B formed on one insulating substrate 3 and the other detection coil formed on the second insulating substrate 4 (the one facing the detection coil 30B in the vertical direction) are connected to the terminal block 6, respectively. Are electrically connected in series. The terminal block 6 includes four terminal pins 60 and an insulator 61 that holds the four terminal pins 60 at their center portions. Then, the lower end portions of the terminal pins 60 are respectively inserted into the four through holes 34 of the first insulating substrate 3 and soldered to the lands on the lower surface of the first insulating substrate 3, and 4 of the second insulating substrate 4. The upper end portions of the terminal pins 60 are inserted into the two through holes 44 and soldered to the lands on the upper surface of the second insulating substrate 4. That is, the terminals of the detection coils 30 </ b> A and 30 </ b> B on the first insulating substrate 3 side and the terminals of the detection coil on the second insulating substrate 4 side are electrically connected via the four terminal pins 60.

  The holding body 51 of the rotor block 5 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape whose upper surface is opened by a synthetic resin material, and a pair of detection bodies 50A and 50B formed in a fan shape are formed in the front-rear direction from the circumferential surface by simultaneous molding. Holds so that it protrudes. The shaft portion 52 is entirely cylindrical, and has a large diameter portion 52a having a relatively large diameter and a pair of small diameter portions 52b having a relatively small diameter and projecting from both ends of the large diameter portion 52a. The material is integrally formed. The shaft portion 52 is simultaneously formed on the holding body 51 so that one small diameter portion 52b protrudes upward from the center of the bottom surface of the holding body 51 and the large diameter portion 52a and the other small diameter portion 52b protrude downward. A rotor block 5 is configured.

  The case body 1 is made of a synthetic resin molded product, and has a storage portion 10 formed in a flat bottomed cylindrical shape having an open upper surface, and a rectangular cylindrical shape protruding rearward from the rear end side of the peripheral surface of the storage portion 10. It has a connector housing portion 11 and a substantially triangular flange portion 12 that protrudes in the left-right direction from the left and right ends of the circumferential surface of the storage portion 10. In addition, a magnetic shield body 15 formed into a flat bottomed cylindrical shape by a nonmagnetic material such as an aluminum plate is simultaneously formed in the storage portion 10, and the magnetic shield body 15 is exposed inside the storage portion 10.

  A cylindrical boss 13 projects from the center of the inner bottom surface of the storage portion 10, and a bearing portion 14 formed in a cylindrical shape by a metal material is embedded in the boss 13 by simultaneous molding. The shaft portion 52 (large diameter portion 52a) of the rotor block 5 is pivotally supported by the bearing portion 14 embedded in the boss 13 so as to be rotatable. In addition, rectangular parallelepiped positioning projections 13a are provided so as to project upward at both front and rear end portions on the upper surface of the boss 13. On the other hand, a pair of fitting grooves 31a cut out in the front-rear direction are formed in the periphery of the through hole 31 in the first insulating substrate 3, and the positioning protrusions 13a are fitted into the pair of fitting grooves 31a, respectively. Thus, the first insulating substrate 3 is positioned with respect to the boss 13.

  In addition, two types of ribs 10a and 10b having different heights from the inner bottom surface are projected from the inner peripheral surface of the storage portion 10, and the ribs 10a and 10b are respectively provided on the upper surfaces of the two types of ribs 10a and 10b. Ribs 10c and 10d smaller than 10b project upward. The ribs 10 c protruding from the upper surface of the rib 10 a having a low height (the short profile) are respectively fitted with narrow notches 32 provided on the outer peripheral edge of the first insulating substrate 3. On the other hand, the ribs 10b having a high height (tall) are respectively fitted with wide notches 33 provided on the outer peripheral edge of the first insulating substrate 3. Further, the ribs 10 d protruding from the upper surface of the tall rib 10 b are fitted into the notches 43 provided on the outer peripheral edge of the second insulating substrate 4. As will be described later, the first insulating substrate 3 is placed on the upper surface of the short rib 10a, and the second insulating substrate 4 is placed on the upper surface of the tall rib 10b.

  The connector housing portion 11 is formed in a bottomed rectangular tube shape, and four contacts 16 are simultaneously formed in the inner bottom portion so as to be arranged at equal intervals in the left-right direction. Further, the front end portion of the connector housing portion 11 (the connecting portion with the storage portion 10) has an open upper surface, and the terminal piece 42 of the second insulating substrate 4 is stored in the front end portion. The contact 16 is formed by bending a rod-shaped metal material into a bowl shape, and an end portion rising upward in the front end portion of the connector housing portion 11 is provided in the terminal piece 42 of the second insulating substrate 4. Are soldered to lands (not shown) which are respectively inserted into the through holes 45 and printed at the opening ends of the through holes 45.

  Cylindrical screw insertion holes 12a penetrating in the vertical direction are penetrated through the pair of flange portions 12, and the case body 1 is attached to the surface to be attached using the attachment screws inserted into the pair of screw insertion holes 12a. It is what

  The case cover 2 is formed by integrally forming a disk-shaped main portion 20 and a rectangular plate-shaped terminal cover portion 21 protruding rearward from the rear end edge of the main portion 20 as a synthetic resin molded product. The housing 10 is attached to the upper surface of the case body 1 so that the upper surface of the housing portion 10 is closed by the main portion 20 and the upper surface of the front end portion of the connector housing portion 11 is closed by the terminal cover portion 21. That is, the case body 1 and the case cover 2 constitute a case. A magnetic shield body 25 formed in an annular shape by a nonmagnetic material such as an aluminum plate is simultaneously formed on the main portion 20, and the magnetic shield body 25 is exposed on the lower surface side of the main portion 20 (FIG. 2 ( d)). Further, a frustoconical protrusion 22 that protrudes upward protrudes from the center of the main portion 20, and a bottomed cylindrical bearing 23 having a bottom opening is recessed in the protrusion 22. (See FIG. 2 (f)). Further, a spring seat portion 24 into which the upper end of the coil spring 7 inserted on the upper small diameter portion 52b of the shaft portion 52 is fitted is recessed in the periphery of the bearing portion 23 on the lower surface of the main portion 20 as will be described later. (See FIG. 2 (f)).

  Next, the assembly procedure of the sensor device of this embodiment will be described. First, the first insulating substrate 3 on which the terminal block 6 is mounted is accommodated in the accommodating portion 10 of the case body 1. Subsequently, after inserting the shaft portion 52 into the bearing portion 14 and placing the rotor block 5 on the boss 13, the second insulating substrate 4 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 10. Then, the upper end portion of the terminal pin 60 of the terminal block 6 is inserted into the through hole 44 of the main portion 40 of the second insulating substrate 4 and the terminal pin 60 is soldered to the land on the upper surface of the second insulating substrate 4. The end portion of the contact 16 is inserted into the through hole 45 of the terminal piece 42 of the second insulating substrate 4 and the end portion of the contact 16 is soldered to a land (not shown) printed at the opening end of the through hole 45. To do. Finally, after the coil spring 7 is extrapolated to the small-diameter portion 52 b on the upper side of the shaft portion 52, the case cover 2 is put on the upper surface of the case body 1, and the upper end surface of the storage portion 10 of the case body 1 and the peripheral portion of the case cover 2 Are fixed by an appropriate method such as adhesion or welding, the assembly of the sensor device of this embodiment is completed.

  In the sensor device of the present embodiment, one detection coil 30A printed on the first insulating substrate 3 and one detection coil printed on the second insulating substrate 4 are circles of the detection bodies 50A and 50B. The two detection coils are arranged opposite to each other in the vertical direction across the circumferential track, and the other detection coil 30B printed on the first insulating substrate 3 is similarly connected to the second detection coil 30B. The other detection coil printed and formed on the insulating substrate 4 is vertically opposed across the circumferential track of the detection bodies 50A and 50B, and the two detection coils are electrically connected in series, and the rotor When the shaft portion 52 of the block 5 rotates, the pair of detection bodies 50A and 50B are displaced from each other by 180 degrees in conjunction with the shaft portion 52 and displaced on the circumferential track. Similarly to the conventional example described in Patent Document 2, an oscillation signal having a reference frequency is supplied from an external oscillation circuit through each contact 16, and the detection bodies 50 </ b> A and 50 </ b> B of the rotor block 5 and two sets of detection coils are connected. Based on the inductance of the detection coil that changes according to the position, it is possible to detect the position information of the detection bodies 50A, 50B of the rotor block 5 and the detection coil, that is, the rotational position of the object interlocked with the rotor block 5. However, since a specific detection method is conventionally known as disclosed in Patent Document 2, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As described above, according to the sensor device of this embodiment, the inductances of the detection coils 30A and 30B printed on the surfaces of the insulating substrates 3 and 4 correspond to the positions of the detection bodies 50A and 50B that are displaced on the circumferential path. A conventional example in which the amount of rotation, the rotation angle, or the rotation position of a rotating object can be detected by utilizing the change in the position of the object, and the cylindrical core is inserted into the cylindrical bobbin so as to freely advance and retract. As compared with the first and second embodiments, the detection coils 30A and 30B and the detection bodies 50A and 50B can be made thinner and smaller. As a result, the thickness can be reduced and the number of parts can be reduced, and the cost and the assembly workability can be improved. .

  Further, in the sensor device of the present embodiment, the pair of detection coils electrically connected in series are opposed to each other across the circumferential track, so that the detection bodies 50A and 50B are caused by vibration, rattling, and the like. Even if it is displaced along the vertical direction, the inductance of the pair of detection coils connected in series is not affected, and a stable detection result can always be obtained. Moreover, in the present embodiment, since the two pairs of the detection coils are provided, for example, even if one of the detection coils of one set is disconnected, the detection body can be detected by the other detection coil. Therefore, there is an advantage that reliability can be improved.

  Here, in the sensor device of the present embodiment, the two insulating substrates 3 and 4 are supported in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction by the plurality of ribs 10 a to 10 d provided in the housing portion 10 of the case body 1. Therefore, there is also an advantage that rattling of the detection coils 30A and 30B due to externally applied vibration or impact can be regulated (prevented).

  Furthermore, since the holding body 51 of the rotor block 5 is supported by the boss 13 (bearing portion 14) provided in the housing portion 10 of the case body 1, and is elastically biased downward by the coil spring 7, There is also an advantage that rattling of the detection body (holding body 51) due to vibration or impact applied from the outside can be regulated (prevented).

  Furthermore, in the sensor device of the present embodiment, the shaft portion 52 of the rotor block 5 is rotatably supported by the bearing portion 14 on the case body 1 side and the bearing portion 23 on the case cover 2 side, and a plurality of bearings are supported. By receiving the shaft portion 52 by the portions 14 and 23, there is also an advantage that fluctuations in the detection output due to the inclination of the shaft portion 52 can be suppressed.

  In the sensor device of this embodiment, magnetic shield bodies 15 and 25 made of a non-magnetic material such as an aluminum plate are integrally formed by simultaneous molding on a case (case body 1 and case cover 2) made of a synthetic resin molded body. Therefore, since the magnetic field generated around the detection coils 30A and 30B due to energization is shielded by the magnetic shield bodies 15 and 25, the detection bodies 50A and 50B are erroneously detected due to the approach of the non-magnetic body outside the case. It can be prevented.

(Embodiment 2)
Embodiment 2 of the sensor device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. However, since the basic configuration of the sensor device of the present embodiment is the same as that of the sensor device of the first embodiment, even if there is a slight difference in shape, functionally the same components as those of the sensor device of the first embodiment are the same. The description is abbreviate | omitted and attached | subjected. In the following description, the vertical and horizontal directions and the front and rear directions are defined in FIG.

  In the sensor device of the first embodiment, the rotor block 5 includes the shaft portion 52 that rotates in conjunction with the object, and the bearing portions 14 and 23 that rotatably support the shaft portion 52 are provided on the case body 1 and Although it is provided in the case cover 2, the sensor device of the present embodiment is different from the sensor device of the first embodiment in that it includes only a bearing that rotatably supports a shaft body that interlocks with an object.

  The rotor block 5 in the present embodiment includes an intermediate body 53 that is formed of a metal material in a cylindrical shape, a holding body 51 that is extrapolated to the axially central portion of the intermediate body 53 and rotates integrally with the intermediate body 53, A pair of detection bodies 50A and 50B that are simultaneously molded and held by the holding body 51 are provided. The intermediate body 53 is fixed by being extrapolated to a shaft body (not shown) interlocking with the object, and a fixing D-cut process is applied to the outer peripheral surface. The holding body 51 is externally fixed to the central portion in the axial direction of the intermediate body 53 by an appropriate method such as press fitting or simultaneous molding. Here, a mark 53 a is engraved along the radial direction on the upper end surface of the intermediate body 53, and the mark 53 a and the mark 20 a formed on the upper surface of the main portion 20 of the case cover 2 make a circumferential track. The positions of the detection bodies 50A and 50B in FIG. 4 can be visually recognized from the outside of the case cover 2 (see FIG. 4A).

  On the other hand, the case body 1 and the case cover 2 are provided with thrust bearing portions 17 and 26 for receiving the thrust load of the rotor block 5 and radial bearing portions 18 and 27 for receiving the radial load of the rotor block 5, respectively. It has been.

  The thrust bearing portion 17 on the case body 1 side is formed in a cylindrical shape that protrudes upward from the center of the bottom surface of the housing portion 10 of the case body 1, and the thrust is supported by supporting the lower surface of the holding body 51 of the rotor block 5 at the upper end surface. Under load. Further, the radial bearing portion 18 on the case body 1 side is composed of a circular through-hole peripheral portion opened at the center of the lower surface of the case body 1 and supports the outer peripheral surface of the lower end portion of the intermediate body 53 inserted inside the thrust bearing portion 17. To receive a radial load.

  The thrust bearing portion 26 on the case cover 2 side is formed in a cylindrical shape protruding downward from the center of the lower surface of the case cover 2, and receives the thrust load by supporting the upper surface of the holding body 51 of the rotor block 5 at the lower end surface thereof. Yes. Further, the radial bearing portion 27 on the case cover 2 side includes a peripheral portion of a circular through hole that opens at the center of the upper surface of the case cover 2, and supports the outer peripheral surface of the upper end portion of the intermediate body 53 that is inserted inside the thrust bearing portion 26. To receive a radial load.

  Thus, if the shaft body interlocking with the object is inserted into the intermediate body 53 and both are fixed, the intermediate body 53, that is, the rotor block 5 is rotated integrally with the shaft body so that the detection bodies 50A and 50B are rotated. It will rotate on a circular orbit.

  Similarly to the sensor device of the first embodiment, the sensor device of the present embodiment also has the detection coils 30A and 30B and the detection body 50A, as compared with the conventional example in which a cylindrical core is inserted into a cylindrical bobbin so as to be movable back and forth. Since 50B can be made thin and small, the cost can be reduced and the assembly workability can be improved by reducing the thickness and reducing the number of parts.

(Embodiment 3)
Hereinafter, an embodiment of an input device using the sensor device of Embodiment 2 and a game ball launching device using the input device will be described.

  This type of game ball launcher is mainly used as a launcher for pachinko balls (game balls) in an electric pachinko machine. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the game ball launching apparatus of the present embodiment. This game ball launching device includes an input device W, a touch sensor 150, a control unit D, and a launching unit X. The launching part X is, for example, one that applies a striking force to a pachinko ball using a solenoid and launches it, or one that applies an electromagnetic force to a pachinko ball using an electromagnet and launches it. Further, the control unit D drives the launch unit X in accordance with an operation input input from the input device W and adjusts an external force (solenoid striking force or electromagnet electromagnetic force) applied from the launch unit X to the pachinko ball. It is. However, since the launch unit X and the control unit D are well known in the art, detailed illustration and description thereof will be omitted.

  The input device W includes the sensor device S of the second embodiment as shown in FIG. 5 and a signal processing unit H that corrects the detection output of the sensor device S, and a base 100 as shown in FIGS. The operation unit 110, the bolt 120, the cover 130, and the rotating shaft 140 are provided. In the following description, the vertical and horizontal directions and the front and rear directions of the input device W are defined in FIG.

  The base 100 is made of a synthetic resin material, and a bottomed cylindrical base main body 101 and an annular large-diameter portion 102 provided in front of the base main body 101 are integrally formed. A circular through hole 101a is formed in the center of the inner bottom surface of the base body 101 in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 9C). Further, three bosses 103 and one detent shaft 104 are erected forward around the through hole 101a on the inner bottom surface of the base body 101. These three bosses 103 are formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape having an opening on the rear end surface side, and have a diameter larger than that of a screw portion of a mounting screw (not shown) on the front end surface and from the head of the mounting screw. Also, a small-diameter screw insertion hole 103a is provided (see FIG. 9C).

  The rotating shaft 140 is made of a metal cylinder, and has a screw hole 141 that opens in the center of both bottom surfaces along the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 9C, the rotating shaft 140 is rotatably supported with respect to the base body 101 by loosely fitting a rear end portion thereof into the through hole 101a.

  In the sensor device S, a sensing circuit such as an oscillator or an amplifier is housed in the case of the sensor device of the second embodiment. However, in FIG. 7 to FIG. 9, illustration of the connector housing portion 11 of the case is omitted.

  The operation unit 110 includes a disk-shaped rotating body 111 and three finger hooking projections 112 that protrude in the radial direction from the peripheral surface of the rotating body 111 and are integrally formed of a synthetic resin material, and the surfaces of the rotating body 111 and the finger hooking protrusions 112. Is coated with a conductive coating agent (for example, a conductive polymer). An insertion hole 113 through which the screw part 121 of the bolt 120 is inserted passes through the center of the rotating body 111. In addition, the arcuate three grooves 114 centering on the insertion hole 113 penetrate the rotating body 111 at substantially equal intervals.

  The cover 130 is formed in a substantially hemispherical shape from a synthetic resin material, and three bosses 131 project substantially in parallel from the inside. Note that a female screw portion 131a that is screwed with a screw portion of a mounting screw is formed at the tip portion (rear end portion) of these three bosses 131 (see FIG. 9C).

  The touch sensor 150 is a conventionally known electrostatic capacitance type touch sensor, and as shown in FIG. 8, a sensor main body 151 in which a signal processing circuit (sensor circuit) is housed in a rectangular parallelepiped package, an electrode plate 152, The sensor main body 151 and the lead wire 153 connecting the electrode plate 152 are provided. The electrode plate 152 is made of an annular metal plate, and the screw portion 121 of the bolt 120 is inserted into the central hole 152a. The sensor body 151 is fixed to the inner bottom surface of the base body 101 (see FIG. 9C).

  The input device W is assembled in the following procedure. First, after inserting the screw part 121 of the bolt 120 into the insertion hole 113 of the operation part 110, the intermediate body 53 of the sensor device S is externally inserted into the screw part 121. Further, the screw part 121 of the bolt 120 is inserted into the hole 152 a of the electrode plate 152 of the touch sensor 150, and then screwed into the screw hole 141 of the rotating shaft 140 to fix the operation unit 110 and the sensor device S to the rotating shaft 140. Then, the rear end portion of the rotating shaft 140 is loosely fitted into the through hole 101a on the bottom surface of the base body 101. At this time, the rotation prevention shaft 104 of the base main body 101 is fitted into the screw insertion hole 12 a provided in the flange portion 12 of the sensor device S, whereby the case of the sensor device S is prevented from rotating with respect to the base 100. Then, the cover 130 is disposed on the front side of the operation unit 110, and the three bosses 131 are inserted into the three grooves 114 of the operation unit 110 one by one, and at the tips of the three bosses 103 of the base body 101. Reach the tip of each boss 131. Finally, the bosses 103 and 131 are screwed together from the back of the base 100 with mounting screws to join the base 100 and the cover 130, thereby completing the assembly of the input device W (see FIGS. 7 and 9). Although not shown, the signal processing unit H is accommodated in the base body 101.

  Here, since the conductive coating layer on the surface of the operation unit 110 and the electrode plate 152 of the touch sensor 150 are electrically connected via the intermediate body 53 and the bolt 120 of the sensor device S, the player's hand can operate the operation unit. Touching 110 can be detected by touch sensor 150. Note that the touch sensor 150 outputs a detection signal to the control unit D only when the player's hand is touching the operation unit 110.

  Next, operations of the input device W and the game ball launching device of the present embodiment will be described. When the player operates (rotates) the operation unit 110, the operation amount (rotation amount) is detected by the sensor device S, and an operation signal having a signal level (DC voltage) corresponding to the operation amount (rotation amount) is input to the input device. W is input to the control unit D. The control unit D drives the launch unit X when the detection signal is output from the touch sensor 150 (when the player's hand is touching the operation unit 110), and the detection signal is output from the touch sensor 150. When there is not (when the player's hand is not touching the operation unit 110), the launch unit X is not driven. If the detection signal is output from the touch sensor 150, the control unit D is applied to the pachinko ball as the signal level of the operation signal input from the input device W is higher (the operation amount of the operation unit 110 is larger). The launching part X is driven so that the external force (striking force or electromagnetic force) is increased.

  By the way, as a feature of the game ball launching device, it is better that the external force (striking force or electromagnetic force) applied to the pachinko ball by the launching part X is equal to or greater than a predetermined lower limit (a value sufficiently larger than zero). That is, if the external force applied to the pachinko ball is less than the lower limit value, the fired pachinko ball will not reach the effective position of the pachinko machine and will be wasted (will be collected by the pachinko machine). is there. Therefore, the magnitude of the external force applied to the pachinko ball from the launch unit X increases rapidly near the lower limit of the operation amount of the operation unit 110, and then gradually increases as the operation amount of the operation unit 110 increases. It is desirable. However, the detection characteristic of the sensor device S (correspondence between the rotation amount of the rotor block 5 and the detection value) is not the above characteristic. Therefore, in the input device W of the present embodiment, a signal processing is performed on the correspondence (output characteristic) between the operation amount (detected value) of the operation unit 110 detected by the sensor device S and the signal level of the operation signal output to the control unit D. The desired correspondence (output characteristics) is corrected by signal processing by the section H.

  For example, the operation unit 110 is operated (turned) from the reference position where the operation amount is zero to the limit position where the operation amount is maximum, and the signal processing unit H detects the detection value (the signal level of the detection signal) during that time. ) Is A / D converted to obtain detection value data, and the detection value data is stored in a memory (not shown) in association with the operation amount (signal level of the operation signal) of the operation unit 110 (hereinafter referred to as this). The process is called calibration.) Then, the signal processing unit H divides the detection value data into a plurality of sections, and the correspondence relationship between the detection value data and the signal level of the operation signal in each section has a linear relationship with different rates of change. The signal level of the operation signal is mapped to. FIG. 6 shows the output characteristic corrected by mapping, the horizontal axis represents the detection value of the sensor device S, and the vertical axis represents the signal level of the operation signal. For example, in the output characteristic of FIG. 6A, the signal level of the operation signal changes linearly with a large slope in the section where the detection value data Y is 0 to Y1, and the detection value data Y is in the section from Y1 to Y2. The slope of the signal level of the operation signal becomes gentle, and the signal level of the operation signal becomes constant in the section where the detected value data Y is Y2 or more. Further, in the output characteristics of FIG. 6B, the signal level of the operation signal changes linearly with a constant slope in the section where the detection value data Y is Y> 0 and Y ≦ Y3, and the detection value data Y is Y> Y3. The signal level of the operation signal becomes constant in the section. Further, in the output characteristic of FIG. 6C, the signal level of the operation signal changes linearly with a constant slope in the section where the detected value data Y is Y> 0 and Y ≦ Y4, and the detected value data Y is Y> Y4. In the section, the signal level of the operation signal changes linearly with a larger slope. Note that output characteristics (correspondence between detected value data and the signal level of the operation signal) as shown in FIGS. 6A to 6C are stored in the memory of the signal processing unit H.

  Then, the signal processing unit H refers to the output characteristics stored in the memory, acquires the signal level data of the operation signal corresponding to the detection value data of the sensor device S, and performs D / A conversion on the data. Thus, an analog operation signal is output to the control unit D. As a result, the magnitude of the external force applied to the pachinko ball from the launch unit X increases rapidly near the lower limit of the operation amount of the operation unit 110, and then gradually increases as the operation amount of the operation unit 110 increases. Can be made. Even if the operation amount of the operation unit 110 is zero, as soon as a detection signal is output from the touch sensor 150, the control unit D drives the launch unit X to apply a predetermined external force to the pachinko ball. It doesn't matter.

(Embodiment 4)
This embodiment is characterized by the structure of the input device W. However, since the basic structure of the input device W is the same as that of the third embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  In the third embodiment, the case of the sensor device S is fixed to the base 100, and the rotor block 5 of the sensor device S is interlocked with the operation unit 110. On the other hand, the present embodiment is characterized in that the rotor block 5 of the sensor device S is fixed to the base 100 and the case of the sensor device S has a structure that interlocks with the operation unit 110.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a cylindrical rotation shaft 105 projects forward from the center of the bottom surface of the base body 101. A cylindrical detent projection 116 is provided on the front surface of the rotating body 111 of the operation unit 110 so as to project forward.

  The input device W of this embodiment is assembled in the following procedure. First, the intermediate body 53 of the sensor device S is extrapolated to the screw portion 121 of the bolt 120. Then, after loosely inserting the front end portion of the rotation shaft 105 of the base body 101 into the bearing hole 115 penetrating in the center of the operation portion 110, the screw portion 121 of the bolt 120 is provided at the front end portion of the rotation shaft 105. Screwed into the screw hole 105a. At this time, the anti-rotation projection 116 of the operation unit 110 (rotating body 111) is fitted into the screw insertion hole 12a provided in the flange portion 12 of the sensor device S, so that the case of the sensor device S with respect to the operation unit 110 Is prevented from rotating (see FIG. 11C). Then, the cover 130 is disposed on the front side of the operation unit 110, and the three bosses 131 are inserted into the three grooves 114 of the operation unit 110 one by one, and the base 100 and the cover 130 are coupled to each other. The assembly of W is completed. The electrode plate 152 of the touch sensor 150 is screwed to the rear surface of the rotating body 111 of the operation unit 110 (see FIG. 11C).

  Thus, since the rotor block 5 of the sensor device S is fixed to the base 100 with the bolts 120, only the case of the sensor device S rotates in conjunction with the operation unit 110, and the detection bodies 50A and 50B and the detection coil The relative positional relationship between 30A and 30B changes, and the amount of rotation (operation amount) of the operation unit 110 can be detected.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Case body 2 Case cover 3 1st insulated substrate 4 2nd insulated substrate 5 Rotor block 30A, 30B Detection coil 50A, 50B Detector

Claims (10)

A sensor device that detects a rotation amount, a rotation angle, or a rotation position of a rotating object,
A detection coil printed on the surface of the insulating substrate, a detection body made of a non-magnetic material and displaced on a circumferential track in conjunction with the object, and the detection coil and the detection body are housed inside and the detection body And a case for supporting the insulating substrate so that the circumferential track and the detection coil face each other along the thickness direction of the insulating substrate ,
The two insulating substrates having a detection coil printed on the surface are supported by the case so that the detection coils formed on the respective surfaces face each other across the circumferential track of the detection body,
A sensor device characterized in that a detection coil formed on the surface of each of the two insulating substrates is electrically connected in the case by a terminal pin provided between the two insulating substrates. . A plurality of detection coils are printed on the surfaces of the one or two insulating substrates, and a plurality of the detection bodies respectively opposed to the plurality of detection coils formed on the surfaces of the respective insulating substrates are provided. The sensor device according to claim 1. 3. The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the case is integrally formed with a restricting means for restricting a position of the insulating substrate in the case . 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a holding body that holds the one or more detection bodies, wherein the case includes a support unit that rotatably supports the holding body . Sensor device. The sensor device according to claim 4 , wherein the support means includes an elastic body that elastically biases the holding body along a rotation axis direction . The holding body has a shaft portion that is housed in a case at one end side and rotates in conjunction with an object, and a plurality of bearing portions that receive the shaft portion are provided in the case. Item 6. The sensor device according to any one of Items 1 to 5 . The sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a magnetic shield body made of a non-magnetic material is integrally formed in the case made of a synthetic resin molded body by simultaneous molding . The sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, an operation unit that is rotated by a human hand and detects a rotation amount, a rotation angle, or a rotation position by the sensor device, a rotation amount detected by the sensor device, An input device comprising: a signal processing unit that outputs an operation signal corresponding to a rotation angle or a rotation position . The signal processing unit outputs an operation signal having a signal level corresponding to the detection value detected by the sensor device on a one-to-one basis, and divides the detection value into a plurality of sections and the detection values in the respective sections. 9. The input device according to claim 8 , wherein the correspondence relationship with the signal level of the operation signal is expressed by a linear relationship having different rates of change . The input device according to claim 8 or 9, a launching unit that launches by applying an external force to the game ball, and a magnitude of the external force that is applied from the launching unit to the game ball according to a signal level of an operation signal input from the input device. A game ball launching device comprising a control unit for controlling the height.

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