Ruggedized, water sealed, security-enhanced touchpad assembly

• US 20030132917A1
• Filed: 01/11/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Yuen, Siltex Peter
• Granted Patent: US 6,784,875 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

A touchpad assembly is ruggedizing and sealed against moisture. The assembly includes a touchpad that receives a user-generated data signal that is cable-coupled to a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), which components are disposed upon a support lens. A shield over-covers the touchpad assembly but has an through-opening providing user-access to the touchpad. An anti-theft mechanism secures the shield to the PCBA, and a security chamber space is sealingly defined between the shield, PCBA, and the support lens. The security chamber space is secured with injected resin, into which the anti-theft latch is thereby molded. A cable opening in the support lens is water sealed using double-sided adhesive tape or the like.

Claims

21-1. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said support lens includes optical quality transparent material.

22-2. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said support lens includes at least one of polycarbonate and glass.

25. A method of ruggedizing and securing a touchpad assembly, the method comprising the following steps:

supporting a touchpad and a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) with a lens, such that the touchpad and PCBA lie on a first surface of the lens;

coupling a cable between the touchpad and the PCBA;

providing a shield having spaced-apart first and second surfaces to cover said touchpad, cable, and PCBA, said shield defining an opening sized to permit accessing said touchpad; and

providing at least one of a water-proofing enhancement mechanism and an anti-theft mechanism, to secure said shield to said PCBA.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said shield is mounted to said support lens.

27. The method of claim 25, further including defining a sealable security chamber space between portions of said shield, said PCBA, and said support lens, and sealing said space with at least one chamber seal.

28. The method of claim 27, further including sealing a second surface of said shield and a first surface of said support lens around a perimeter of said PCBA using at least one chamber seal disposed between said second surface of said shield and said first surface of said support lens.

29. The method of claim 27, further including sealing a second surface of the PCBA and a first surface of the support lens using at least one second chamber seal disposed between said second surface of said PCBA and said first surface of said support lens.

30. The method of claim 25, further including injecting encapsulation resin through an injection port, defined in said shield, into a security chamber space, such that said anti-theft latch is molded into said encapsulation resin and such that upon setting and curing of said resin, said PCBA cannot readily be disassembled.

31. The method of claim 30, further including injecting a set amount of encapsulation.

32. The method of claim 25, further including welding a metallic spring to said shield and to said latch.

33. The method of claim 25, further including electrically coupling said anti-theft latch to said PCBA.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of securing further comprises electrically coupling the anti-theft latch to the PCBA by contact with a ground pad on the first surface of the PCBA.

35. The method of claim 25, further including providing a shock isolation mount to retain said touchpad to said support lens, said mount being disposed between a second surface of said shield and a first surface of said touchpad.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of adding tape includes providing a flex cable.

36. A method for water sealing a cable opening of a touchpad assembly, the method comprising:

adding double-sided adhesive tape to a first surface of a support lens between a cable opening in the support lens and a touchpad;

attaching a cable to the touchpad, such that the cable lies on the double-sided tape as the cable runs from the touchpad through the opening, and such that the tape acts as a sealant under the cable; and

placing top adhesive tape over the double-sided tape, a portion of the cable, and the entire cable opening in the support lens in order to seal the overall cable opening.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the step of placing top adhesive tape includes using at least strip of tape.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the step of placing top adhesive tape includes covering a length of said cable extending from said touchpad to said cable opening.