Touch button with better feel in pressing

• US 10,642,440 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dragonstate Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Concraft Holding Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tung, Chang-Hsien, Wang, Zheng-Xiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Eurice, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US16/031,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20190302933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/7073 characterised by springs, e.g. Euler springs
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/85 characterised by tactile feedback features
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/006 Only mechanical function
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/008 Part of substrate or membrane
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/026 Eccentric actuation
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9645 Resistive touch switches

Abstract

A touch button with better feel in pressing is disposed on a casing, including a touch board having a touch area and a press area, a fixing element disposed on a side of the touch board to form a difference in height from the touch board, an elastic connector for connecting the touch board with the fixing element and forming a state of elastic vertical displacement between the press area and the casing, and plural elastic supporters forming an elastic supporting force to the press area, thereby enabling the press area to manifest the state of elastic vertical displacement on the casing by the elastic supporting force.

Claims

1. A touch button with better feel in pressing, comprising a touch board, a fixing element, a step-shaped elastic connector and an elastic supporter, wherein the touch board is provided with a touch area and a press area which is adjacent the touch area;

the fixing element is disposed on a side of the touch board to form a difference in height from the touch board, is used to fix the touch board on a casing and forms a gap from the casing;

the elastic connector is used to connect the touch board with the fixing element, and is provided with a first connecting portion, having a first groove, to connect the touch board, a second connecting portion, having a second groove, to connect the fixing element and an elastic connecting portion which is connected between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion to form the difference in height between the touch board and the fixing element, forming a state of elastic vertical displacement between the press area and the casing by the elastic connecting portion; and

the elastic supporter is disposed in the press area of the touch board and includes a positioning portion which is fixed on the touch board and an elastic portion which is extended from the positioning portion toward the casing to be disposed in the gap, forming an elastic supporting force to the press area by the elastic portion, so that the press area manifests a state of elastic vertical displacement on the casing by the elastic supporting force.

2. The touch button with better feel in pressing, according to claim 1, wherein the elastic portion of each elastic supporter is a cylinder.

3. The touch button with better feel in pressing, according to claim 1, wherein the elastic connector is made of an elastic material.

4. The touch button with better feel in pressing, according to claim 3, wherein the elastic material is silica gel.

5. The touch button with better feel in pressing, according to claim 1, wherein the elastic supporter is made of an elastic material.

6. The touch button with better feel in pressing, according to claim 5, wherein the elastic material is silica gel.

7. The touch button with better feel in pressing, according to claim 1, wherein the elastic portion of each elastic supporter is a hollow cone.

8. The touch button with better feel in pressing, according to claim 7, wherein each elastic supporter further includes a limiting portion which is extended from the positioning portion toward the casing, and the elastic portion is annularly disposed on a periphery of the limiting portion.

9. The touch button with better feel in pressing, according to claim 1, wherein the fixing element further includes a first board piece and a second board piece which is separated from the first board piece, the touch board is disposed between the first board piece and the second board piece, and the first board piece and the second board piece are interconnected respectively with the touch board by the elastic connector.

10. The touch button with better feel in pressing, according to claim 9, wherein the press area of the touch board is adjacent the first board piece.

11. The touch button with better feel in pressing, according to claim 10, wherein the press area is provided with plural positioning holes, and the positioning portion of each elastic supporter is disposed in each positioning hole.

12. A touch panel, comprising:

a monolitichic touch board, the touch board comprising;

a touch area; and

a press area adjacent to the touch area;

a fixing element, comprising;

a first elongate board disposed on a first side of the touch board; and

a second elongate board disposed on a second side of the touch board, opposite to the first side;

a pair of elastic connectors, configured to respectively connect the first elongate board and the second elongate board to the touch board, each of the pair of elastic connectors comprising a step-shaped body having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion comprising a first groove and the lower portion comprising a second groove; and

an elastic supporter disposed in the press area and including a positioning portion fixed on the touch board,

wherein the first elongate board and the second elongate board are respectively received within the second groove of each lower portion and the touch board is received within the first groove on the upper portion of each of the pair of elastic connectors such that the entire touch board is disposed in a plane different from that of the fixing element.