Joystick controller

Claim 1

A controller for causing switch closures in response to X-Y coordinate movements, said controller comprising a base member including a substrate having a plurality of switch contacts equiangularly spaced about a central axis, a handle member having a longitudinal axis normally coincident with said central axis and having a lower annular flange extending radially therefrom, means supporting said handle thereon for tilting movement radially of the axis of the handle, said flange upon tilting of said handle being effective to close one of said contacts, said supporting means comprising an upwardly extending pivot providing member, a recess defined in said handle and receiving said pivot providing member, whereby said handle may tilt on said pivot providing member, a spring contact member carried on said substrate, said contact member having a plurality of radially extending contact arms, each overlying one of said substrate contacts and arranged to be deflected into electrical contact with one of said contacts by said flange, a resilient member disposed between said contact member and said flange and having a like number of resilient arms as said contact member each disposed over an arm of said contact member, each of said resilient arms having upper and lower projections spaced inwardly of the free ends thereof and positioned between the axis of said handle and said contacts on said substrate, said contact arms each having an aperture therein receiving said lower projections, whereby upon tilting of said handle, said flange engages one of said resilient arms on said upper projections and causes the associated contact arm to contact an associated substrate contact, said lower projection contacting said substrate upon predetermined tilting motion of said handle and thereafter transmitting the pressure of said flange to said substrate.