JP7594679B2 - Input device with variable grip - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to an input device having a grip for a user to grasp.

A rod-shaped input device having a grip that a user holds in one hand and an operation section on which buttons are arranged, as shown in Patent Document 1 below, is used for operating a game machine. While holding the grip, the user operates the buttons with his or her thumb and index finger.

JP 2011-164932 A

Since the length of fingers varies from person to person, the distance between the button and the grip may not match the length of the fingers. If the distance between the button and the grip is too small compared to the length of the fingers, or if the distance between the button and the grip is too large compared to the length of the fingers, it is difficult to operate the buttons comfortably.

Means to resolve the solution

The input device proposed in the present disclosure has a grip having a side surface that is touched by the palm of a user's hand when the user grips the grip, and at least one operation member that is located in a first direction relative to the grip and that is operated by the user's fingers, and the relative position of the at least one operation member and the side surface of the grip can be changed in a second direction that intersects with the first direction.

1 is a perspective view showing an example of an input device proposed in the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of an input device. 1 is a front view showing the grip of the input device, in which the grip movable portion is placed in a contracted position. 1 is a front view of the grip of the input device, in which the grip movable part is placed in the expanded position. FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating an example of an input device. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in Figure 4. In this figure, the grip movable part is disposed in the contracted position. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in Figure 4. In this figure, the grip movable part is disposed in the expanded position. FIG. 13 is a front view showing another example of the input device. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing another example of the input device.

The input device proposed in this disclosure will be described below. In this specification, an input device 100 used to operate a game machine will be described as an example of the input device proposed in this disclosure. Note that this disclosure may be applied to an input device used to operate an information processing device other than a game machine (for example, an input device used to operate a simulation device, an input device used to operate a vehicle, a ship, or an aircraft, etc.).

1 are referred to as right and left, respectively, and Y1 and Y2 are referred to as forward and backward, respectively. Furthermore, Z1 and Z2 are referred to as upward and downward, respectively. These directions are used to explain the relative positional relationship of elements (components, members, parts) of the input device 100, and do not specify the orientation of the input device 100 when in use.

[Operation member]
As shown in FIG. 2, the input device 100 has one grip 30 for a user to hold in his/her hand. The grip 30 is a rod-like member extending in the vertical direction. The input device 100 has a plurality of operation members for a user to operate with his/her fingers. The plurality of operation members are located above the grip 30. The input device 100 has push buttons 11, 12, 13, and 14 as an example of the plurality of operation members. The input device 100 also has an operation stick 15 as an example of the operation member. The operation stick 15 can be tilted in its radial direction or rotated in a tilted state. The operation stick 15 is located to the left of the push buttons 11 to 14 and protrudes to the left of the left side surface 30a of the grip 30. Furthermore, the input device 100 has a trigger button 16 (see FIG. 4). The input device 100 has an operation unit 10 located at the top of the grip 30. The push buttons 11, 12, 13, and 14 and the operation stick 15 are provided on the front surface 10a of the operation unit 10. The trigger button 16 is provided on the opposite side to the push buttons 11, 12, 13, and 14 (i.e., the rear side of the operation unit 10). The trigger button 16 can move around a center line Ax1 (see FIG. 4) extending in the left-right direction. The user operates the operation members with his/her fingers while holding the grip 30. Specifically, the user operates the push buttons 11, 12, 13, and 14 and the operation stick 15 with his/her thumb. The user also operates the trigger button 16 with his/her index finger. The input device 100 transmits signals corresponding to the operation of the buttons 11 to 16 to the game device wirelessly or by wire. (In the following description, when the above-mentioned operation buttons 11 to 14, the operation stick 15, and the trigger button 16 are not distinguished from each other, they are referred to as the operation members 11 to 16.)

In the input device 100, the front surface 10a of the operation unit 10 on which the operation members 11 to 15 are provided is inclined forward with respect to the extension direction (up-down direction) of the grip 30 (see FIG. 4). Unlike the input device 100, the front surface 10a of the operation unit 10 may be parallel to the extension direction of the grip 30.

The types and number of operation members are not limited to the examples described here. For example, the input device 100 may have a cross key instead of the operation stick 15 or in addition to the operation stick 15. The input device 100 may also have a push button that moves linearly at the position of the trigger button 16. In still another example, the input device 100 may have only one operation member.

Further, the position where the operating member is arranged is not limited to the operating unit 10 located above the grip 30. For example, the operating member may be arranged on the grip 30. As shown in FIG. 1, a push button 37 may be arranged on the grip 30.

[Light-emitting section]
The input device 100 may also have a light-emitting unit 2 (see FIG. 1). The light-emitting unit 2 is, for example, ball-shaped and disposed at the top of the input device 100. The game machine tracks the position and size of the light-emitting unit 2 through a camera connected to the game machine, and executes information processing related to the game based on the obtained information. The number, position, shape, etc. of the light-emitting units 2 are not limited to the example described here. For example, one or more light-emitting units may be disposed in a state of being embedded inside the housing of the input device. The input device 100 may not also have a light-emitting unit 2.

[Grip movement]
When a user holds the grip 30, the side of the grip 30 touches the palm of the user's hand. Here, the "side" of the grip 30 refers to a surface surrounding the center line Lc (see FIG. 2) of the grip 30 along the up-down direction. The grip 30 is, for example, a substantially rectangular prism, and has a right side 30b, a left side 30a, a front side 30c, and a rear side as side surfaces. The grip 30 may be a cylinder. The input device 100 is a device for right-handed use, and the palm of the user touches the right side 30b (see FIG. 2) of the grip 30.

The input device 100 is configured so that the relative positions of the operation unit 10 and the side surface of the grip 30 can be changed in the left-right direction. In other words, the input device 100 is configured so that the relative positions of the operation members 11 to 16 provided on the operation unit 10 and the side surface of the grip 30 can be changed in the left-right direction. As described above, since the input device 100 is for right-handed use, the relative positions of the operation members 11 to 16 provided on the operation unit 10 and at least the right side surface 30b of the grip 30 can be changed in the left-right direction.

The grip 30 has a grip body 31 and a grip movable part 32 (see FIG. 2). The operation unit 10 is fixed to the upper part of the grip body 31. The grip body 31 and the grip movable part 32 are aligned in the left-right direction, and the grip movable part 32 constitutes a part of the side of the grip 30. In the input device 100, the grip movable part 32 is located to the right of the grip body 31 and constitutes the right side surface 30b of the grip 30. Therefore, when the user holds the grip 30 in his/her right hand, the palm of the hand comes into contact with the grip movable part 32.

As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the relative positions of the grip movable part 32 and the grip body 31 can be changed in the left-right direction. The grip movable part 32 can move between a first position (the position of the grip movable part 32 shown in Figure 3A) close to the grip body 31 and a second position (the position of the grip movable part 32 shown in Figure 3B) away from the grip body 31 in the left-right direction. Hereinafter, the first position will be referred to as the "reduced position" and the second position will be referred to as the "enlarged position". The distance between the grip movable part 32 and the grip body 31 in the enlarged position is greater than the distance between the grip movable part 32 and the grip body 31 in the reduced position.

This structure of the grip 30 allows the user to adjust the relative positions of the grip movable part 32 and the operation part 10, and ensure a distance between the grip movable part 32 and the operation members 11 to 16 that matches the length of the fingers of the right hand. In other words, the user can set the distance between the operation members 11 to 16 and the right side surface 30b of the grip 30 according to the length of his or her own fingers. This allows the user to comfortably operate the buttons.

Furthermore, in the input device 100, a push button 37 (see FIG. 5A) is provided on the grip body 31. The push button 37 is located on the opposite side in the left-right direction to the grip body 31 (see FIG. 5A). By adjusting the position of the grip movable part 32, the user can set the distance between the push button 37 and the right side surface 30b of the grip 30 to match the length of his or her fingers.

The direction of movement of the grip movable part 32 does not have to be the left-right direction. The grip movable part 32 may move diagonally forward and to the right from the grip body 31, may move diagonally backward and to the right from the grip body 31, or may move diagonally downward and to the right from the grip body 31. In other words, the grip movable part 32 may move in a direction intersecting the extension direction (up-down direction) of the grip 30 so that the distance between the right side surface 30b of the grip 30 and the operating members 11 to 16 changes.

Between the grip movable part 32 and the grip body 31, a position adjustment mechanism 35 (see FIGS. 5A and 5B) is disposed for adjusting the relative positions thereof. The position adjustment mechanism 35 has a position adjustment operation part 35c (see FIG. 2) that is operated by the user. By operating the position adjustment operation part 35c, the user can set the position of the grip movable part 32 to a reduced position, an enlarged position, or any position therebetween. The position adjustment mechanism 35 will be described in detail later.

The position of the grip movable part 32 is not limited to the example described here. For example, the input device 100 may be a device for a left hand. In this case, the grip movable part 32 may be located to the left of the grip body 31 and may form the left side surface 30a (see FIG. 1 ) of the grip 30. In yet another example, the grip 30 may be shaped like a cylinder. In this case, the grip movable part 32 may form the right portion (right side surface) of the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder.

[Position and size of grip moving part]
It is desirable that the grip movable part 32 is located at least at the upper part of the grip 30. With this arrangement of the grip movable part 32, a distance suited to the length of the fingers can be easily ensured between the grip movable part 32 and the operating members 11 to 16 by adjusting the relative positions of the grip movable part 32 and the operating unit 10. In one example, the grip movable part 32 is located at the top of the grip 30, and the upper edge 32a of the grip movable part 32 is located along the lower edge 10b of the operating unit 10 as shown in FIG. 3A. In addition, the upper edge 32a of the grip movable part 32 is higher than the position of the upper edge 37a (see FIG. 4) of the operating button 37 provided on the grip 30.

The grip movable part 32 extends downward from the upper edge 32a. As shown in Fig. 4, the length of the grip movable part 32 in the vertical direction is greater than half the length of the grip 30 in the vertical direction. More specifically, the length of the grip movable part 32 in the vertical direction is greater than 2/3 the length of the grip 30 in the vertical direction.

The position and size of the grip movable part 32 are not limited to the example described here. The size (length) of the grip movable part 32 may be approximately half or less than half the length of the grip 30 in the vertical direction.

The grip movable part 32 is curved so as to surround the center line Lc of the grip 30 along the up-down direction. That is, the grip movable part 32 is curved so as to have an arc-shaped horizontal cross section. The grip movable part 32 constitutes the right side surface 30b and the front side surface 30c of the grip 30. The grip movable part 32 forms a space inside thereof in which components are arranged. In one example, an adjustment mechanism 35 and a vibration motor 36, which will be described later, are arranged inside the grip movable part 32 (see FIG. 5A).

[Support for the grip moving part]
As shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the grip movable part 32 has a rotatably supported supported part 32b at its lower end. The supported part 32b is rotatable around a center line along the front-rear direction. In one example, a shaft 33 supported at the lower end of the grip body 31 is inserted into a hole formed in the supported part 32b, and the supported part 32b is supported by this shaft 33 and can rotate around the shaft 33. Therefore, the grip movable part 32 can move in the left-right direction around the shaft 33.

This simplifies the support structure for the grip movable part 32 compared to a structure in which the grip movable part 32 moves in parallel. Furthermore, with this support structure, the position of the upper part of the grip movable part 32 changes more greatly in the left-right direction than the lower part, making it easier to ensure the necessary range of movement for the grip movable part 32. As described above, the size (length) of the grip movable part 32 is greater than half the length of the grip 30. This also contributes to the expansion of the range of movement of the upper part of the grip movable part 32.

The support structure of the grip movable part 32 is not limited to the example described here. For example, the grip 30 may not have the shaft 33. In this case, a convex part that protrudes in the front-rear direction may be formed on one of the lower ends of the grip main body 31 and the grip movable part 32, and a concave part that holds the convex part so that the convex part can rotate may be formed on the other of the lower ends of the grip main body 31 and the grip movable part 32. In this way, the grip movable part 32 can move around the convex part.

As yet another example, the grip movable part 32 may be supported so as to be movable in parallel. That is, the grip movable part 32 may be supported by the grip body 31 so that both the upper end and the lower end of the grip movable part 32 can move in the left-right direction. As yet another example, a rotatably supported supported part 32b may be provided at the upper end of the grip movable part 32. In this case, the supported part 32b may be supported by the operating unit 10, not by the grip body 31.

[Hand holding member]
The input device 100 has a hand holding member for fixing the user's hand to the side of the grip 30. By using the hand holding member, the user can release the hand from the grip 30 when using the input device 100. In other words, the user can spread the hand that is holding the grip 30.

As shown in Fig. 2, the input device 100 has a band 41 that is disposed along the grip 30 and extends in the vertical direction as a hand holding member. The band 41 forms a gap between the grip 30 and the band 41, into which the user can insert his/her hand. In the input device 100, the band 41 is located to the right of the grip 30 and disposed along the grip movable part 32. Therefore, the user can insert his/her hand between the band 41 and the grip movable part 32. As shown in Fig. 4, when the input device 100 is viewed from the side (i.e., when the input device 100 is viewed in the direction in which the grip movable part 32 moves), the band 41 overlaps with the grip movable part 32.

An end of the band 41 is attached to the input device 100 at a position beyond the end of the grip movable part 32. This structure makes it possible to change the relative position between the grip movable part 32 and the band 41 (the distance between the grip movable part 32 and the band 41).

5A , in the input device 100, the upper end 41a of the band 41 is attached to the operation unit 10 at a position higher than the upper edge 32a of the grip movable part 32. Also, the lower end 41b of the band 41 is attached to the grip body 31 at a position lower than the lower end of the grip movable part 32. Unlike the input device 100, the upper end 41a of the band 41 may be attached to the grip body 31. Also, the lower end 41b of the band 41 may be attached to the lower end of the grip movable part 32.

The length of the band 41 is adjustable. By shortening the length of the band 41, the gap between the band 41 and the grip movable part 32 becomes smaller, and the user's hand is pressed against the grip movable part 32.

The structure for fixing the user's hand to the side surface of the grip 30 is not limited to the example described here. For example, the upper end 41a and the lower end 41b of the band 41 may be attached to the upper end and the lower end of the grip movable part 32, respectively. In still another example, the input device 100 may have, instead of the band 41, a glove into which the user's hand can be fitted, as a hand holding member for fixing the user's hand to the side surface of the grip 30.

[housing]
As shown in Fig. 5A, the grip body 31 has a housing 34. The housing 34 has two housing parts 34A and 34B that are combined with each other. The two housing parts 34A and 34B are combined, for example, in the left-right direction. Unlike the input device 100, the housing 34 may be composed of two housing parts that are combined in the front-rear direction.

5A, the grip body 31 is provided with a push button 37. The push button 37 protrudes to the outside from an opening formed in the housing 34. A frame 38 and a switch 38a attached to the frame 38 for detecting the movement of the push button 37 are disposed inside the housing 34. Various electric components, such as a circuit board and a battery, may be disposed inside the housing 34 together with the frame 38.

[Position adjustment mechanism]
The input device 100 has a position adjustment mechanism 35 (see FIG. 5A) for adjusting the relative positions of the operation members 11 to 16 and the side surface of the grip 30. The position adjustment mechanism 35 is disposed between the grip movable part 32 and the grip body 31. The position adjustment mechanism 35 also has a position adjustment operation unit 35c (see FIG. 2) that is operated by the user. By operating the position adjustment operation unit 35c, the user can set the position of the grip movable part 32 to a reduced position, an enlarged position, or any position therebetween.

5A, the input device 100 has, as the position adjustment mechanism 35, a mechanism for converting a rotational force applied to the position adjustment operation unit 35c into a linear movement of the movable member 35A, specifically, a feed screw mechanism. That is, the position adjustment mechanism 35 has a screw portion 35a and a nut portion 35b into which the screw portion 35a is fitted. One of the screw portion 35a and the nut portion 35b is provided on the grip main body 31 side, and the other of the screw portion 35a and the nut portion 35b is provided on the grip movable portion 32 side. In addition, one of the screw portion 35a and the nut portion 35b is formed integrally with the position adjustment operation unit 35c.

5A, in the input device 100, the position adjustment mechanism 35 has a movable member 35A. A position adjustment operation portion 35c and a screw portion 35a are formed on this movable member 35A. Meanwhile, the nut portion 35b is formed on the housing 34 of the grip body 31. In detail, the nut portion 35b is integrally formed of resin with one of the housing portions 34A constituting the housing 34. This makes it possible to reduce the number of parts and the number of manufacturing steps.

The position adjustment mechanism 35 is disposed so that the center line Ls (see FIG. 5A) of the screw portion 35a and the nut portion 35b faces the moving direction (left-right direction) of the grip movable portion 32. As shown in FIG. 5B, by rotating the movable member 35A (position adjustment operation portion 35c) in one direction, the movable member 35A moves in a direction away from the grip body 31, and the distance between the grip body 31 and the grip movable portion 32 increases. Also, by rotating the movable member 35A (position adjustment operation portion 35c) in the opposite direction, the movable member 35A moves in a direction approaching the grip body 31, and the distance between the grip body 31 and the grip movable portion 32 decreases (see FIG. 5A).

The position adjustment mechanism 35 is attached to the grip body 31, but not to the grip movable part 32. In other words, the movable member 35A is not attached to the inner surface of the grip movable part 32. Therefore, the movable member 35A is rotatable relative to the grip movable part 32. The grip movable part 32 may be biased toward the grip body 31 by an elastic member (e.g., a spring). For example, a torsion spring that biases the grip movable part 32 toward the grip body 31 may be attached to the shaft 33 that supports the grip movable part 32.

The position adjustment operation portion 35c is disk-shaped and expands in the radial direction of the screw portion 35a. The grip movable portion 32 is curved so as to cover the front and rear sides of the position adjustment mechanism 35. As shown in FIG. 2, the outer periphery of the position adjustment operation portion 35c is partially exposed from the side surface of the grip 30. In the input device 100, an opening 32c is formed in the grip movable portion 32 to expose the outer periphery of the position adjustment operation portion 35c. The opening 32c is formed on the front side of the grip movable portion 32.

The grip body 31 is formed with stopper portions 31a and 39b that define the movable range of the grip movable part 32. The grip movable part 32 is formed with a stoppered portion 32f that abuts against the stopper portions 31a and 39b. When the grip movable part 32 is in the expanded position (see FIG. 5B), the stopper portion 31a abuts against the stoppered portion 32f to restrict the grip movable part 32 from moving beyond the expanded position. When the grip movable part 32 is in the contracted position (see FIG. 5A), the stopper portion 39b abuts against the stoppered portion 32f to restrict the grip movable part 32 from moving beyond the contracted position.

As shown in Fig. 5A, in the input device 100, the stoppered portion 32f protrudes upward from the upper edge 32a of the grip movable portion 32. An opening into which the stoppered portion 32f fits is formed in the right housing 34A of the grip body 31. The right edge of this opening functions as the stopper portion 31a (see Fig. 5B). In addition, a frame 39 is disposed inside the housing 34. The right side surface of the frame 39 functions as the stopper portion 39b (see Fig. 5A).

The structure of the position adjustment mechanism 35 is not limited to the example described here. For example, the nut portion 35b may be formed separately from the housing portion 34A and attached to the housing portion 34A. In another example, the screw portion 35a may be attached to the housing portion 34A, and the nut portion 35b may be disposed on the grip movable portion 32 side. In this case, the nut portion 35b and the position adjustment operation portion 35c may be formed on the movable member 35A. In yet another example, the position adjustment mechanism 35 may be attached to the grip movable portion 32, not the grip main body 31. That is, one of the two portions (the nut portion 35b and the screw portion 35a) constituting the position adjustment mechanism 35 may be rotatably connected to the inner surface of the grip movable portion 32, and the other may be attached to the housing 34 of the grip main body 31.

In yet another example, the movable member 35A of the position adjustment mechanism 35 may be slidable in the up and down direction. A slope for converting the movement of the movable member 35A into the movement of the grip movable part 32 may be formed on the inner surface of the grip movable part 32 or on the housing part 34A of the grip body 31. In yet another example, the input device 100 may be provided with a member that expands and contracts with air as the position adjustment mechanism 35.

[Vibration motor]
5A, the input device 100 has a vibration motor 36 in the grip 30. The vibration motor 36 is driven by power supplied from a battery (not shown). A control device (not shown) built into the input device 100 controls the vibration motor 36 in response to a signal transmitted from a game machine, and vibrates the vibration motor 36 in response to an event or action occurring in the game space.

The vibration motor 36 is attached to the grip movable part 32. Therefore, when the position of the grip movable part 32 is moved in the left-right direction, the position of the vibration motor 36 also moves accordingly. Since the position of the grip movable part 32 can be adjusted, the grip movable part 32 becomes easier to touch the user's hand, and as a result, the vibration of the vibration motor 36 is more easily transmitted to the user's hand.

As described above, the input device 100 has a hand holding member for fixing the user's hand to the side of the grip 30. In detail, the input device 100 has a band 41 arranged along the grip 30. As shown in FIG. 4, when the input device 100 is viewed in the direction in which the grip movable part 32 moves (left and right direction), the band 41 overlaps with the vibration motor 36. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the hand placed between the band 41 and the grip 30 from moving away from the position of the vibration motor 36. By reducing the length of the band 41, the vibration of the vibration motor 36 is effectively transmitted to the hand.

The vibration motor 36 is, for example, a voice coil motor. That is, the vibration motor 36 has a coil and a magnet that can move relative to each other, and the magnet and the coil are moved back and forth relative to each other in one direction by controlling the current flowing through the coil. In the input device 100, the vibration direction of the vibration motor 36 (the direction of relative movement between the magnet and the coil) is a direction perpendicular to the movement of the grip movable part 32 (front-back direction, up-down direction, or a direction oblique to those directions). Unlike the input device 100, the vibration direction of the vibration motor 36 may be a direction along the movement of the grip movable part 32 (i.e., left-right direction).

Furthermore, the type of vibration motor 36 is not limited to a voice coil motor. The vibration motor 36 may be an eccentric motor. In other words, the vibration motor 36 may have a rotation shaft, and a weight having a center of gravity at a position offset from the center of rotation may be attached to the rotation shaft.

The vibration motor 36 is disposed between the grip movable part 32 and the grip body 31. As described above, the grip movable part 32 is curved to have an arc-shaped horizontal cross section. The vibration motor 36 is attached to the inner surface of the grip movable part 32 and is covered by the grip movable part 32. In other words, the front and rear sides of the vibration motor 36 are covered by the grip movable part 32.

As shown in Fig. 5A, the width W1 of the vibration motor 36 in the left-right direction is smaller than the width W2 of the vibration motor 36 in the up-down direction. The width W1 of the vibration motor 36 in the left-right direction is also smaller than the width W3 of the vibration motor 36 in the front-rear direction (see Fig. 4). In this way, a thin motor is used as the vibration motor 36. This makes it easy to accommodate the vibration motor 36 in the grip movable part 32.

5A , the vibration motor 36 is disposed to face the right side surface of the housing 34 of the grip body 31. The housing 34 has a recess 34b at a position corresponding to the vibration motor 36, in which the vibration motor 36 is disposed.

As described above, the position adjustment mechanism 35 is disposed between the grip movable part 32 and the grip body 31. As shown in Fig. 5A, the vibration motor 36 and the position adjustment mechanism 35 are aligned in the extension direction of the grip 30, i.e., in the up-down direction. This allows the space between the grip movable part 32 and the grip body 31 to be used effectively.

In the input device 100, the position adjustment mechanism 35 is located above the vibration motor 36. That is, the distance from the rotation center of the supported portion 32b of the grip movable part 32 to the position adjustment mechanism 35 is greater than the distance from the rotation center to the vibration motor 36. With this arrangement, the vibration motor 36 is located inside the grip movable part 32 on the side closer to the palm of the user's hand, and vibrations can be transmitted to the palm more effectively.

[Summary 1]
As described above, the input device 100 has the grip 30 having the right side surface 30b that the palm of the user touches, and the operation members 11 to 16 that are located above the grip 30 and are operated by the user's fingers. The relative positions of the operation members 11 to 16 and the right side surface 30b of the grip 30 can be changed in the left-right direction. With this structure, the user can set the distance between the operation members 11 to 16 and the right side surface 30b of the grip 30 according to the length of his or her fingers. This allows the user to comfortably operate the buttons.

In the input device 100, the grip 30 has a grip body 31 and a grip movable part 32, and the relative position of the grip movable part 32 and the grip body 31 can be moved in the left-right direction. Unlike the input device 100, the entire grip 30 may move in the left-right direction relative to the operation unit 10.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing an example of an input device 300 having such a structure. The input device 300 has a grip 330. In this figure, the grip 330 that has been moved to the right is shown by a solid line, and the grip 330 in the initial position is shown by a two-dot chain line. As shown in the figure, the entire grip 330 can move in the left-right direction relative to the operation unit 10. Even in this structure, the relative positions of the operation members 11 to 16 and the right side surface 30b of the grip 330 change relatively in the left-right direction. As a result, the user can set the distance between the operation members 11 to 16 and the right side surface 30b of the grip 30 according to the length of his or her fingers.

As yet another example, the input device 100 may be configured for a left hand. In this case, the grip movable portion 32 and the band 41 may be located to the left of the grip body 31.

[Summary 2]
As described above, the input device 100 has the grip 30 having the right side surface 30b that the palm of the user touches, and the operation members 11 to 16 that the user operates with his/her fingers. The grip 30 includes a grip body 31, a grip movable part 32 that constitutes the right side surface 30b of the grip 30, and a vibration motor 36 attached to the grip movable part 32. The relative positions of the grip body 31 and the grip movable part 32 can be changed in the left-right direction. With this structure, the grip movable part 32 is easily touched by the user's hand, and as a result, the vibration of the vibration motor 36 is easily transmitted to the user's hand. In this structure, the direction in which the grip movable part 32 moves is not limited to the left-right direction. The grip movable part 32 may move relative to the grip body 31 in the front-rear direction or the up-down direction.

The structure proposed in this disclosure is not limited to the structure of the input device 100. For example, the input device 100 has one grip 30. However, the structure proposed in this disclosure may be applied to an input device having two grips spaced apart from each other on the left and right.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an example of an input device having two grips. The input device 200 shown in this figure has left and right grips 230R and 230L. The input device 200 also has operation units 210R and 210L in which a plurality of operation members are arranged and located on the front side in the extension direction of the grips 230R and 230L. Four push buttons 211 and a push button 212 are provided as operation members on the upper surface of the right operation unit 210R. A push button 213 is provided on the front surface of the right operation unit 210R. A cross key 214 and a push button 212 are provided as operation members on the upper surface of the left operation unit 210L. A push button 213 is also provided on the front surface of the left operation unit 210L. A central operation unit 210C is provided between the left and right operation units 210R and 210L. A plate-shaped button 215 to which a touch sensor is attached is provided on the upper surface of the central operation unit 210C. Left and right operation sticks 216 are provided behind the plate-like button 215 .

The grips 230R and 230L are provided with a grip body 231 connected to the operation units 210R and 210L, respectively, and a grip movable part 232 located outside the grip body 231 in the left-right direction. The relative positions of the grip movable part 232 and the grip body 231 can be changed in the left-right direction. FIG. 7 shows a state in which the grip movable part 232 is separated from the grip body 231 to the outside in the left-right direction. In one example, the grip movable part 232 may be movable in parallel in the left-right direction, or may be movable in the left-right direction around an axis. The grips 230R and 230L have a vibration motor 236 attached to the inner surface of the grip movable part 232. This allows the vibration of the vibration motor 236 to be effectively transmitted to the user's hand.

Claims (10)

a columnar grip having a side surface that is touched by a palm of a user when gripping the grip;
an operation unit provided with at least one operation member for a user to operate with a finger, the operation unit being located in a first direction relative to the grip;
the grip has a grip body connected to the operation unit and a grip movable part having a part of the side surface of the grip,
the grip body has a housing having another portion of the side surface of the grip;
The grip movable portion is attached to the outside of the housing,
An input device, wherein a relative position between the grip movable part and the grip main body can be changed in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the grip movable portion is movable between a first position adjacent to the grip body and a second position away from the first position in the second direction. The grip movable portion has a first end portion which is one end portion in the first direction, and a second end portion which is an end portion opposite to the first end portion in the first direction,
The input device according to claim 1 , wherein the first end portion has a supported portion that is rotatably supported. the first end being an end remote from the at least one operating member;
The input device according to claim 3 , wherein the second end portion is an end portion located on a side of the at least one operation member. The input device of claim 1 , further comprising a hand holding member for holding a user's hand on the side of the grip. The input device of claim 5 , wherein the hand holding member is a band extending along the side of the grip. The at least one operating member is provided in an operating section.
the grip has a grip body connected to the operation unit and a grip movable part having a part of the side surface of the grip,
The input device according to claim 6 , wherein the band extends along the grip movable portion. The input device according to claim 1 , further comprising a position adjustment mechanism including a position adjustment operation unit operated by a user for adjusting a relative position between the at least one operation member and the side surface of the grip. The at least one operating member is provided in an operating section.
the grip has a grip body connected to the operation unit and a grip movable part having a part of the side surface of the grip,
The input device according to claim 8 , wherein the position adjustment mechanism is disposed between the grip body and the grip movable part. The input device according to claim 8 , wherein the position adjustment mechanism includes a lead screw mechanism.

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