US 12,437,941 B2
Rotary operator and audio device
Kenji Sasaki, Yokohama (JP); and Nao Takagi, Yokohama (JP)
Assigned to Alpha Theta Corporation, Yokohama shi (JP)
Appl. No. 18/549,481
Filed by AlphaTheta Corporation, Yokohama (JP)
PCT Filed Mar. 9, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/009389
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 7, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/190222, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 15, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0153722 A1, May 9, 2024
Int. Cl. H01H 19/14 (2006.01); G06F 3/16 (2006.01)
CPC H01H 19/14 (2013.01) [G06F 3/162 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A rotary operator, comprising:
a rotator comprising a movement path provided for an outer circumferential surface and inclined to a circumferential direction about a rotation axis, the rotator being configured to rotate about the rotation axis; and
a contact piece configured to come into contact with the rotator, and move along the movement path in a direction along the rotation axis in association with rotation of the rotator, wherein
rotation of the rotator in a first rotation direction about the rotation axis is restricted by the contact piece being at a first position when the rotator is rotated in the first rotation direction and reaches a predetermined position, and
when rotating force in the first rotation direction applied to the rotator is reduced in a state where rotation of the rotator in the first rotation direction from the predetermined position is restricted, the contact piece returns to a second position to allow the rotation of the rotator in the first rotation direction from the predetermined position.