US 11,928,293 B2
Input device
Takashi Sato, Miyagi-ken (JP); Shunsuke Sato, Miyagi-ken (JP); and Shinya Urayama, Miyagi-ken (JP)
Assigned to Alps Alpine Co., Ltd., (JP)
Filed by Alps Alpine Co., Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Aug. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/885,688.
Application 17/885,688 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2021/004646, filed on Feb. 8, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-037136 (JP), filed on Mar. 4, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0382397 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. G06F 3/044 (2006.01); G06F 3/01 (2006.01); H01H 13/14 (2006.01); H03K 17/96 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 3/044 (2013.01) [G06F 3/016 (2013.01); H01H 13/14 (2013.01); H03K 17/962 (2013.01); H01H 2215/05 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An input device comprising:
an operation panel including an electrostatic sensor, the operation panel allowing a touch operation and a push operation to be performed thereon;
a push switch configured to generate an operation feeling for an operator;
a transmission member disposed between the operation panel and the push switch;
a first elastic portion configured to support the transmission member; and
an actuator configured to generate vibration,
wherein the touch operation is an operation performed by the operator to touch a surface of the operation panel with the operator's finger and move the operator's finger,
wherein the actuator vibrates in response to detecting lateral movement of the finger by the electrostatic sensor in the touch operation, and the vibration is transmitted to the operation panel via the transmission member,
wherein the push operation is an operation performed by the operator to push the operation panel, and the first elastic portion and the push switch are pushed via the transmission member,
wherein in a first stroke region in which the operation panel is pushed in the touch operation, a first reaction force exerted by pushing the operation panel is generated by the first elastic portion,
wherein in a second stroke region subsequent to the first stroke region during the push operation, a second reaction force caused by pushing the operation panel is a resultant force of the reaction force generated by the first elastic portion and the operation feeling generated by the push switch,
wherein in the vicinity of a boundary between the first stroke region and the second stroke region, an amount of change in the first reaction force with respect to a stroke length is less than an amount of change in the second reaction force with respect to the stroke length,
wherein the push switch is a rubber dome switch formed from a contact portion provided in a circuit board and a rubber dome provided in a rubber sheet mounted on the circuit board, and
wherein the first elastic portion is provided in the rubber sheet.