Shock absorbent roller thumb wheel

• US 20060207865A1
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dave M. Ma, Herrebertus Tempelman, John A. Holmes
• Inventors: Holmes, John A., Tempelman, Herrebertus, Ma, Dave M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,304,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/11.TW
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 19/001 Thumb wheel switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/60 Mechanical arrangements for preventing or damping vibration or shock

Abstract

A shock absorbing roller thumb wheel is disclosed. The shock absorbing thumb wheel includes a central hub that can be secured to an electro-mechanical switch, a rim encircling the central hub, and force dispersion spokes extending from the central hub and connected to the rim. The configuration of the force dispersion spokes and the resilient material of the force dispersion spokes and the rim allow for radial and lateral deflection of the rim in response to an applied impact force. The impact force is thereby at least partially absorbed by the radial and lateral deflection of the rim and spokes, such that less impact force is transferred to connections between the electro-mechanical switch and any assembly to which the switch is attached. Hence, the probability of connection failures is reduced, and the lifetime of a device that uses the thumb wheel can be extended.

Claims

1. A thumbwheel for use with a mobile device comprising:

an outer rim;

an inner hub; and

a plurality of spokes extending between the outer rim and the inner hub, with each spoke including a spoke/rim joint and a spoke/hub joint that are not radially aligned with one another.

2. The thumbwheel of claim 1, wherein each spoke includes a spoke body having a constant width, and the spoke/rim joint and the spoke/hub joints are wider than the spoke body.

3. The thumbwheel of claim 1, wherein the outer rim is resilient and the plurality of spokes are resilient.

4. The thumbwheel of claim 1, wherein the spokes are deformable in both a radial and a lateral direction relative to the surface of the hub.

5. The thumbwheel of claim 1, wherein each spoke has a length, width, depth, and shape that is designed to absorb a predetermined maximum impact force.

6. The thumbwheel of claim 1, wherein each spoke has a first and a second sidewall, with the first sidewall being positioned farthest from the surface of the hub and the second side wall being positioned closest to the surface of the hub, with each of the first and second sidewalls having at least one of a portion that is parallel to the surface of the hub and a portion that is positioned in a non-radial plane.

7. The thumbwheel of claim 1, wherein each spoke has a first and a second sidewall, with the first sidewall being positioned farthest from the surface of the hub and the second side wall being positioned closest to the surface of the hub, with each of the first sidewalls extending substantially tangentially from the hub surface.

8. The thumbwheel of claim 1, wherein each of said spokes is sized and shaped to absorb a force that is greater than a maximum rated impact force.

9. The thumbwheel of claim 1, wherein four pairs of spokes are provided, with each spoke within the pair being a mirror image of the other, and wherein each spoke shares a common spoke/rim and spoke/hub joint with another spoke.

10. A thumbwheel for use with a mobile device comprising:

an outer rim;

an inner hub; and

a plurality of spokes extending between the outer rim and the inner hub, with each spoke having a length, width, depth, and shape for absorbing, along with the outer rim, a predetermined maximum impact force such that an applied force is not transmitted to the inner hub.

11. The thumbwheel of claim 10, wherein each spoke includes a spoke body having a constant width, a spoke/rim joint, and a spoke/hub joint.

12. The thumbwheel of claim 11, wherein the spoke/rim joint and the spoke/hub joints are wider than the spoke body.

13. The thumbwheel of claim 11, wherein the spoke/rim joint and spoke/hub joint of each spoke are not radially aligned with one another.

14. The thumbwheel of claim 10, wherein the outer rim is resilient and the plurality of spokes are resilient.

15. The thumbwheel of claim 10, wherein the spokes are deformable in both a radial and a lateral direction relative to the surface of the hub.

16. The thumbwheel of claim 10, wherein each spoke has a first and a second sidewall, with the first sidewall being positioned farthest from the surface of the hub and the second side wall being positioned closest to the surface of the hub, with each of the first and second sidewalls having at least one of a portion that is parallel to the surface of the hub and a portion that is positioned in a non-radial plane.

17. The thumbwheel of claim 10, wherein each spoke has a first and a second sidewall, with the first sidewall being positioned farthest from the surface of the hub and the second side wall being positioned closest to the surface of the hub, with each of the first sidewalls extending substantially tangentially from the hub surface.

18. The thumbwheel of claim 10, wherein each of said spokes is sized and shaped to absorb a force that is greater than a maximum rated impact force.

19. The thumbwheel of claim 10, wherein four pairs of spokes are provided, with each spoke within the pair being a mirror image of the other, and wherein each spoke shares a common spoke/rim and spoke/hub joint with another spoke.

30. The thumbwheel of claim 10, wherein four pairs of spokes are provided, with each spoke within the pair being a mirror image of the other, and wherein each spoke shares a common spoke/rim and spoke/hub joint with another spoke.

20. A thumbwheel for use with a mobile device comprising:

an outer rim;

an inner hub; and

a plurality of non-radially extending spokes coupled between the outer rim and the inner hub.

21. The thumbwheel of claim 20, wherein each spoke includes a spoke body having a constant width, a spoke/rim joint, and a spoke/hub joint.

22. The thumbwheel of claim 21, wherein the spoke/rim joint and the spoke/hub joints are wider than the spoke body.

23. The thumbwheel of claim 21, wherein the spoke/rim joint and spoke/hub joint of each spoke are not radially aligned.

24. The thumbwheel of claim 20, wherein the outer rim is resilient and the plurality of spokes are resilient.

25. The thumbwheel of claim 20, wherein the spokes are deformable in both a radial and a lateral direction relative to the surface of the hub.

26. The thumbwheel of claim 20, wherein each spoke has a length, width, depth, and shape that is designed to absorb a predetermined maximum impact force.

27. The thumbwheel of claim 20, wherein each spoke has a first and a second sidewall, with the first sidewall being positioned farthest from the surface of the hub and the second side wall being positioned closest to the surface of the hub, with each of the first and second sidewalls having a portion that is parallel to the surface of the hub.

28. The thumbwheel of claim 20, wherein each spoke has a first and a second sidewall, with the first sidewall being positioned farthest from the surface of the hub and the second side wall being positioned closest to the surface of the hub, with each of the first sidewalls extending substantially tangentially from the hub surface.

29. The thumbwheel of claim 20, wherein each of said spokes is sized and shaped to absorb a force that is greater than a maximum rated impact force.