OPERATION DEVICE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an operation device of a simple structure capable of easily changing the number of clicks by operation of a user. SOLUTION: In accordance with sliding movement of a position changing part 24 toward a U-shaped part 21 by a user's rotating operation of a lower-step dial 3, parts with different up-and-down direction positions of the position changing part 24 come in contact with the U-shaped part 21. Here, an elastic part inside a cylindrical material 18 biases the U-shaped part 21 toward the position changing part 24 to have an up-and-down direction position of the U-shaped part 21 changed. By the positional change of the U-shaped part 21, a semispherical engaged part set in protrusion at an upper end of the U-shaped part 21 comes in contact with a first clicking face 14 of a disc 11 (a top face of the disc 11 with 36 pieces of canaliform engaging parts formed), and simultaneously, a semispherical engaged part set in protrusion at a lower end of the U-shaped part 21 gets separated from a second clicking face 16 (a lower face of the disc 11 with 18 pieces of canaliform engaging parts formed). Thus, clicks are generated by engagement and disengagement of the engaging part and the engaged part. COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT