A spherical bearing device includes a shaft member, a turnable body, and a bearing. The shaft member has a shaft body and a spherical body having a first engaging portion. The turnable body has a second engaging portion that is engaged with the first engaging portion in a first rotational direction about a first axis passing through a center of the spherical body, and allows other rotations. The bearing is provided with a first space and a second space. The first space accommodates the spherical body spherically slidably. The second space accommodates the turnable body such that the turnable body is turnable, and allows the shaft body to move.

An input device includes a knob, a detector, an electromagnetic brake, an elastic member, and a controller. The detector detects a rotation angle of the knob. The electromagnetic brake regulates rotation of the knob. The elastic member is provided between the knob and the electromagnetic brake. When the current position of the knob in the circumferential direction is not the target position for rotation regulation of the knob, the controller does not activate the electromagnetic brake. When the current position of the knob in the circumferential direction is the target position for rotation regulation of the knob, the controller determines whether to regulate rotation of the knob based on a rotation direction of the knob, or on a rotation angle of the knob that shifts from the holding position of the knob in the circumferential direction due to deformation of the elastic member.

A switch comprises a dielectric panel having first and second sides and a knob assembly mounted on the first side of the panel. The knob assembly includes a housing having first and second ends, a knob rotatably and translationally mounted to the housing at the first end, a shaft attached to the knob at a first end, and a permanent magnet attached to a second end of the shaft such that rotation of and translation of the knob produces a corresponding motion of the magnet. The switch also includes a sensor assembly located on the second side of the panel including at least one hall-effect sensor adjacent the panel. The knob assembly is mounted to the panel such that the at least one hall-effect sensor is located inside the magnetic field created by the magnet.

A control device includes a moving portion, a magnetic element coupled to the moving portion, at least one magnetic sensing circuit responsive to magnetic fields, and at least one magnetic flux pipe structure. The magnetic element may comprise alternating positive and negative sections configured to generate a magnetic field. The magnetic element may be any shape, such as circular, linear, etc. The magnetic sensing circuit may be radially offset from the magnetic element, and the magnetic flux pipe structure may be configured to conduct the magnetic field generated by the magnetic element towards the magnetic sensing circuit. The magnetic element may generate the magnetic field in a first plane, and the magnetic sensing may be responsive to magnetic fields in a second direction that is angularly offset from the first plane. The magnetic flux pipe structure may redirect the magnetic field towards the magnetic sensing circuit in the second direction.

A surgical instrument is disclosed comprising a control system and a strain gage circuit. The operation of the control system is modifiable by an input from the strain gage circuit.

An interactive control unit is disclosed. The interactive control unit includes an interactive touchscreen display, an interface configured to couple the control unit to a surgical hub, a processor, and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory stores instructions executable by the processor to receive input commands from the interactive touchscreen display located inside a sterile field and transmit the input commands to the surgical hub to control devices coupled to the surgical hub located outside the sterile field.

The knob screen device includes a glass touch cover plate, a display screen, a screen support frame, a semi-transparent turning structure, an annular light-leading friction shim, at least one battery, a mainboard and a magnetic attraction assembly. The knob screen device further comprises: at least one Hall sensor provided on the mainboard; at least one multicolor LED ambient light provided on the mainboard; and at least one annular multipolar flexible magnet provided in the semi-transparent turning structure. The semi-transparent turning structure is connected to external component by means of the magnetic attraction assembly. In this way, the knob screen device is simple in structure, low in cost, easy to process and install and more flexible in application circumferences.

A dial device includes a base, a cover, a column, a magnet, a magnetic sensor and a signal processing circuit. The cover includes a cap portion and a side wall vertically extending from the cap portion. The column surrounded by the wall includes a first end for connecting to the base and a second end for connecting to the cover. The magnet surrounds the column and is disposed on the base or the cover. The magnetic sensor is disposed on a side surface of the column and coupled to the signal processing circuit. When the cover rotates relative to the base, the magnet rotates around the magnetic sensor, and the magnetic field strengths sensed by the magnetic sensor vary. The signal processing circuit determines the relative rotation direction between the cover and the base according to the difference of the magnetic field strengths sensed by the magnetic sensor.

An operating apparatus for an electrical device has a closed transparent control panel, lighting means underneath the control panel in order to shine through, a plurality of holding magnets underneath the control panel and a movable operating element being held magnetically on the front side of the control panel that can be moved with respect to the lighting means and the holding magnets. A plurality of counter-magnets are provided in the operating element for interacting with the holding magnets in order to guide the operating element as an operating movement and hold it on the control panel, wherein sensor means underneath the control panel detect a rotational position of the operating element. The operating element is transparent in a direction from the lighting means to the operating element, wherein, for this purpose, it has a plurality of transparent regions that are separated from one another without transmission between one another.

An apparatus for carrying out inputs in an input capturing unit that can be coupled to the apparatus. An operating device has a receiving part and an operating element that is rotatably mounted on the receiving part. The operating element can be rotated by a finger to effect an input. A torque for the rotation of the control element can be adjusted by way of a controllable braking device. In addition, the control element has at least two actuating zones. The resistance to movement for the movability of the operating element can be adjusted depending on from which actuation zone the operating element is actuated and/or which actuation zone was previously activated.