Tactile sensation providing apparatus

• US 10,365,717 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2015
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Nakao, Fumiaki, Takeda, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Mandeville, Jason M
• Application Number:
  US15/321,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20170153704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 345173, 178 1801, 178 1803
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

Included are a panel (30), an actuator (50), and a conversion unit (60) that is engaged with the panel (30) and the actuator (50) and uses displacement of the actuator (50) to convert the displacement direction and the displacement amount of the actuator (50) into a different displacement direction and a different displacement amount so as to cause the panel (30) to slide.

Claims

1. A tactile sensation providing apparatus comprising:

a panel;

an actuator; and

a conversion unit engaged with the panel and the actuator and formed to use displacement of the actuator to convert a displacement direction of the actuator and a displacement amount of the actuator into a different displacement direction, which intersects with the displacement direction of the actuator, at a point of load where the conversion unit engages with the panel and a different displacement amount, which is greater than a displacement amount of the actuator, at the point of load where the conversion unit engages with the panel so as to cause the panel to slide in a plane of the panel.

2. The tactile sensation providing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conversion unit includes a rotary member configured to rotate by the displacement of the actuator so as to cause the panel to slide.

3. The tactile sensation providing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conversion unit includes a linear motion member that has an inclined face extending in a direction intersecting the displacement direction of the actuator and that moves linearly in the displacement direction of the actuator by the displacement of the actuator, and the conversion unit includes a sliding member that slides along the inclined face by displacement of the linear motion member so as to cause the panel to slide.

4. The tactile sensation providing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pressure unit configured to cause the panel to engage with and press against the conversion unit and to cause the conversion unit to engage with and press against the actuator.

5. The tactile sensation providing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the actuator includes a laminated piezoelectric element;

and

the laminated piezoelectric element is disposed so that the displacement direction of the actuator intersects a slide direction of the panel in plan view of the panel.