BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an electronic pen that inputs information by indicating coordinates on a position detecting sensor, for example.

Background Art

A position input device (coordinate input device) that includes a position detecting sensor (coordinate detecting sensor) of an electromagnetic induction type or a capacitance type and receives an input of a coordinate position indicated by an electronic pen is used as an input device of an information processing device such as a personal computer. Incidentally, an example of the electromagnetic induction type coordinate detecting sensor is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H07-044304 to be described below or the like, and an example of the capacitance type coordinate detecting sensor is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H07-295722 to be described below or the like.

In recent years, the position detecting sensor has also been mounted in an advanced mobile telephone terminal referred to as a smart phone or the like or a portable information terminal referred to as a tablet personal computer (PC) or the like. The electronic pen is also used in a case of inputting information by indicating a coordinate position on these apparatuses. Thus, as the electronic pen has come into wide and common use, there has been a desire to make it possible to use the electronic pen with ease similar to that of a commercially available ballpoint pen or the like.

International Publication WO 2016/143498 to be described below discloses configuring an electronic pen of a thin type. International Publication WO 2016/143498 teaches an electronic pen main body unit that incorporates functions as an electronic pen and which is configured to be of a size and a shape similar to those of a refill of a ballpoint pen, for example. Further, International Publication WO 2017/043214 teaches what is generally called a side switch and allows usage thereof in a case where the electronic pen main body unit configured according to the teachings in International Publication WO 2016/143498, for example, is used in a state of being housed in an outer case (casing) of a ballpoint pen.

Thus, because the electronic pen main body unit incorporating the electronic pen functions can be used in a state of being mounted within the outer case of the ballpoint pen, it is possible to realize an electronic pen convenient to carry and providing usability not different from that of the ballpoint pen. In addition, when the functions as the electronic pen are not used, a core body of the electronic pen main body unit which core body is exposed from a tip end of the outer case can be housed within the outer case. It is therefore possible to properly protect the core body of the electronic pen main body unit having weak strength against an external load due to the thinning of the electronic pen main body unit. In addition, the usage of the side switch is also made possible by using the technology disclosed in International Publication WO 2017/043214 described above. There is thus a great advantage of using the electronic pen main body unit incorporating the functions of the electronic pen and reduced in thickness.

International Publication WO 2017/043214 teaches a configuration in which a connection between electric contacts provided to the electronic pen main body unit is established by operating an operating element provided to the outer case. Therefore, in the case of an electronic pen having a configuration in which a pen tip is moved in and out from a front end of the outer case as in a knock type ballpoint pen, there is a possibility of occurrence of positional displacement between the operating element provided to the outer case and the contacts provided to the electronic pen main body unit due to some sort of cause. In this case, there is a possibility that the connection between the contacts may become unstable. Accordingly, there is a desire to realize a side switch that can be operated more stably in the case of using the thinned electronic pen main body unit.

SUMMARY

In view of the above, it is an object of the present disclosure to be able to make a side switch function more stably without diminishing advantages of a thinned electronic pen main body unit in a case of using the thinned electronic pen main body unit.

In order to solve the above problems, there is provided an electronic pen including a first casing, a second casing disposed within the first casing, and an electronic pen main body unit incorporating an electronic pen function, in which the electronic pen main body unit includes a side switch unit having an operating element exposed on a side surface of the second casing, and an operating opening portion is disposed in a side surface of the first casing, and the operating opening portion exposes the operating element exposed on the side surface of the second casing.

According to this electronic pen, the electronic pen is formed by mounting the electronic pen main body unit incorporating an electronic pen function, within the first casing. The second casing as the casing of the electronic pen main body unit is provided with the side switch unit having the operating element exposed on the side surface of the second casing. The operating element is made directly operable via the operating opening portion disposed in the first casing. A side switch in the case where the thinned electronic pen main body unit is used can thereby be made to function stably.

