MODULAR TOUCH CONTROL ASSEMBLY AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING THE SAME

• US 20110018816A1
• Filed: 12/28/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Inventors: Chueh, Ho-Kuo, LIU, Bo-Wen
• Application Number:
  US12/647,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20110018816A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

A modular touch control assembly is applicable to an electronic device for generating contact operating signals and a press operating signals. The modular touch control assembly includes a substrate, a touchpad, and at least one elastic member. The touchpad is disposed on the substrate, and is provided to be contacted to generate the contact operating signals. The touchpad is also provided to be pressed and tilted, and detectors such as switches or displacement detectors monitor the touchpad. As the touchpad is tilted, a corresponding press operating signal is generated by the detectors according to the direction that the touchpad is tilted. The elastic member is disposed between the touchpad and the substrate, to be pressed by the tilted touchpad, to generating an elastic force to reset the touchpad to the original position.

Claims

1. A modular touch control assembly, for generating a contact operating signal and at least two press operating signals, comprising:

a substrate;

a touchpad, pivotally disposed on the substrate, to be pressed at a original position and then being tilted according to a rotation axis, so as to change the comprised angle between the touchpad and the substrate;

the touchpad comprising a touch control surface to be contacted to generate the contact operating signal and a bottom surface facing the substrate;

at least one elastic member, disposed between the bottom surface of the touchpad and the substrate, for being deformed by the touchpad after the touchpad is tilted, to generate an elastic force to reset the touchpad to the original position; and

two switches, disposed on the substrate, and located at two sides of an rotation axis;

each of the switches for being pressed by the touchpad after the touchpad is tilted, to generate one of the two press operating signals.

2. The modular touch control assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

two pivot seats, disposed on the substrate;

two bumps, disposed on the bottom surface of the touchpad; and

a shaft, penetrating through the two pivot seats and the bumps to pivotally dispose the touchpad on the substrate.

3. The modular touch control assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the elastic member is a torsion spring, fitting over the shaft.

4. The modular touch control assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the modular touch control assembly comprising two elastic members, and each of the elastic members comprises a first stressed end and a second stressed end contacting with the bottom surface of the touchpad and the substrate respectively;

the first stressed end and the second stressed end of one of the elastic members extend towards one side edge of the touchpad; and

the first stressed end and the second stressed end of the other elastic member extend towards the other side edge of the touchpad.

5. The modular touch control assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch control surface comprises:

a touch control area, for being contacted to generate the contact operating signal; and

a pressed area, surrounding the touch control area and equipped without touch control function.

6. An electronic device having a modular touch control assembly, comprising:

a body, having an opening;

a substrate, disposed in the body;

a touchpad, pivotally disposed on the substrate and located at the opening, to be pressed at an original position and then being tilted according to a rotation axis, so as to change the comprises angle between the touchpad and the substrate;

the touchpad comprising a touch control surface to be contacted to generate the contact operating signal and a bottom surface facing the substrate;

at least one elastic member, disposed between the bottom surface of the touchpad and the substrate, for being deformed by the touchpad after the touchpad is tilted, to generate an elastic force to reset the touchpad to the original position; and

two switches, disposed on the substrate and located at two sides of an rotation axis;

each of the switches for being pressed by the touchpad after the touchpad is tilted, to generate one of the two press operating signals.

7. The electronic device as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

two pivot seats, disposed on the substrate;

two bumps, disposed on the bottom surface of the touchpad; and

a shaft, penetrating through the two pivot seats and the bumps to pivotally dispose the touchpad on the substrate.

8. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the elastic member is a torsion spring, fitting over the shaft.

9. The electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the modular touch control assembly comprising two elastic members, and each of the elastic members comprises a first stressed end and a second stressed end contacting with the bottom surface of the touchpad and the substrate respectively;

the first stressed end and the second stressed end of one of the elastic members extend towards one side edge of the touchpad; and

the first stressed end and the second stressed end of the other elastic member extend towards the other side edge of the touchpad.

10. The electronic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the touch control surface comprises:

a touch control area, for being contacted to generate the contact operating signal; and

a pressed area, surrounding the touch control area and equipped without touch control function.

11. A modular touch control assembly, for generating a contact operating signal and a plurality of press operating signals, comprising:

a substrate;

a touchpad, disposed above the substrate and spaced from the substrate, to be pressed at an original position and then being tilted;

the touchpad comprising a touch control surface to be contacted to generate the contact operating signal and a bottom surface facing the substrate;

at least one elastic member, disposed between the bottom surface of the touchpad and the substrate, for being deformed by the touchpad after the touchpad is tilted, to generate an elastic force to reset the touchpad to the original position; and

a plurality of switches, disposed on the substrate;

each of the switches for being pressed by the touchpad after the touchpad is tilted, to generate one of the press operating signals.

12. The modular touch control assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the elastic member is a spring or an elastic rubber column, and two ends of the elastic member are connected to the bottom surface of the touchpad and the substrate respectively.

13. The modular touch control assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the touch control surface comprises:

a touch control area, for being contacted to generate the contact operating signal; and

a pressed area, surrounding the touch control area and equipped without touch control function.

14. An electronic device having a modular touch control assembly, comprising:

a body, having an opening;

a substrate, disposed in the body;

a touchpad, disposed above the substrate and spaced from the substrate, to be pressed at an original position and then being tilted;

the touchpad comprising a touch control surface to be contacted to generate the contact operating signal and a bottom surface facing the substrate;

at least one elastic member, for generating an elastic force to reset the touchpad to the original position when the touchpad is tilted; and

a plurality of switches, disposed on the substrate;

each of the switches for being pressed by the touchpad after the touchpad is tilted, to generate one of the press operating signals.

15. The electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the elastic member is a spring or an elastic rubber column, and two ends of the elastic member are connected to the bottom surface of the touchpad and the substrate respectively.

16. The electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the touch control surface comprises:

a touch control area, for being contacted to generate the contact operating signal; and

a pressed area, surrounding the touch control area and equipped without touch control function.

17. A modular touch control assembly, for generating a contact operating signal and a plurality of press operating signals, comprising:

a substrate;

a touchpad, disposed above the substrate and spaced from the substrate, and the touchpad comprising;

a touch control surface, comprising a touch control area and a pressed area surrounding the touch control area, wherein the touch control area is provided for being contacted to generate the contact operating signal, and the pressed area is equipped without touch control function; and

a bottom surface, facing the substrate;

a plurality of elastic blocks, disposed on the bottom surface of the touchpad in pairs, wherein a rotation axis runs through each pair of the elastic blocks, each of the elastic blocks is disposed corresponding to a boundary between the touch control area and the pressed area, and each of the elastic blocks is deformed by the touchpad after the touchpad is tilted to generate an elastic force for resetting the touchpad; and

a plurality of switches, disposed on the substrate;

each of the switches for being pressed by the touchpad after the touchpad is tilted, so to generate one of the press operating signals.

18. An electronic device having a modular touch control assembly, comprising:

a body, having an opening;

a substrate, disposed in the body;

a touchpad, disposed above the substrate and spaced from the substrate, and the touchpad comprising;

a touch control surface, comprising a touch control area and a pressed area surrounding the touch control area, wherein the touch control area is provided for being contacted to generate the contact operating signal, and the pressed area is equipped without touch control function; and

a bottom surface, facing the substrate;

a plurality of elastic blocks, disposed on the bottom surface of the touchpad in pairs, wherein a rotation axis runs through each pair of the elastic blocks, each of the elastic blocks is disposed corresponding to a boundary between the touch control area and the pressed area, and each of the elastic blocks is deformed by the touchpad after the touchpad is tilted to generate an elastic force for resetting the touchpad; and

a plurality of switches, disposed on the substrate;

each of the switches for being pressed by the touchpad after the touchpad is tilted, to generate one of the press operating signals.

19. A modular touch control assembly, for generating a contact operating signal and a plurality of press operating signals, comprising:

a touchpad, comprising;

a touch control surface, comprising a touch control area and a pressed area surrounding the touch control area, wherein the touch control area is provided for being contacted to generate the contact operating signal, the pressed area is divided into a plurality of sections, and each of the sections is provides for being pressed to generate one of the press operating signals; and

a bottom surface; and

a plurality of elastic members, disposed on the bottom surface of the touchpad, at least one of the elastic members is selectively deformed by the touchpad after the touchpad is pressed to be tilted, so the deformed one of the elastic members generate an elastic force for restoring the touchpad.

20. The modular touch control assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein each of the elastic members is disposed corresponding to a boundary between the touch control area and the pressed area, and the elastic members are arranged in pairs.

21. An electronic device having a modular touch control assembly, for generating a contact operating signal and a plurality of press operating signals, the electronic device comprising:

a body, having an opening;

a substrate, disposed in the body;

a touchpad, disposed above the substrate and spaced from the substrate, and the touchpad for being pressed to be tilted at an original position;

the touchpad comprising a touch control surface for being contacted to generate the contact operating signal and a bottom surface facing the substrate;

at least one elastic member, disposed between the substrate and the bottom surface of the touchpad, for being deformed by the touchpad after the touchpad is tilted, so as to generate an elastic force for resetting the touchpad to the original position; and

a plurality of displacement detectors, disposed in the body, located at the edges of the opening, for the detection of whether displacement occurs at the edges of the touchpad or not, and generating one of the corresponding press operating signals when the displacement occurs at the edges of the touchpad.

22. The electronic device as claimed in claim 21, wherein each of the displacement detectors is a Hall effect sensor, an electronic-eye sensor, or an electrical contact maintaining an electrical connection with the touchpad.

23. The electronic device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the touch control surface comprises:

a touch control area, for being contacted to generate the contact operating signal; and

a pressed area, surrounding the touch control area and equipped without touch control function.