ELECTRONIC APPARATUS HAVING BUTTONS WITHOUT FORMING GAPS THEREIN

• US 20070046644A1
• Filed: 08/02/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ASUSTek Computer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ASUSTek Computer, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Yen-Yu, Lin, San-Feng, Chiu, Hui-Wen
• Application Number:
  US11/461,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20070046644A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033

Abstract

An electronic apparatus having buttons without forming gaps therein comprises a housing having a first opening, an operation element, a supporting plate, a touch circuit board and at least one switch component. The operation element comprises a touch pad, a first fixing part and a button part. The touch pad and the button part form a flat surface. The operation element disposed in the first opening of the housing is fixed to the lower surface of the housing through the use of the first fixing part. In addition, the supporting plate used to support the button part is arranged underneath. The touch pad is covered by the touch circuit board so as to provide the control function and at least one switch component is arranged under the button part to enable the switch component being actuated when the button part is pressed downward.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus having buttons without forming gaps, comprising:

a housing, having a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface and a first opening passing through the first surface and the second surface;

a touch circuit board;

at least one switch component; and

an operation element, comprising;

a touch pad, located at a first portion of the first opening and covered by the touch circuit board;

a first fixing part, adjacent to at least one first side of the touch pad to fix the touch pad on the second surface; and

a button part, located at a second portion of the first opening and being adjacent to a second side of the touch pad, wherein the button part faces to the switch component;

when the button part is pressed, at least one part of the button part is moved for a first distance, and the button part actuates the switch component.

2. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the button part includes a narrow gap being adjacent to the second side.

3. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the narrow gap corresponding to the touch pad and the button part forms a first elastic arm of the button part.

4. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first portion of the first opening and the second portion of the first opening partially cover the first opening.

5. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the button part further comprises at least one rib corresponding to the switch component.

6. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the button part further comprises at least one second elastic arm connecting to the second surface.

7. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a decoration frame disposed on the first opening, and the decoration frame having a second opening for installing the operation element, and the operation element being exposed from the second opening.

8. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of hot melt bosses are disposed on the second surface, and the first fixing part having a plurality of through holes corresponding to the hot melt bosses, so as to fix the operation element on the housing by heat sealing.

9. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is a first distance between the button part and the switch component.

10. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a supporting plate, at least one portion of the supporting plate supporting on a back of the button part, and at least one portion of the supporting plate being fixed on the second surface.

11. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch pad and the button part exposed from the first opening form a flat surface.