SECURING A TOUCH SENSOR ASSEMBLY FOR A TOUCH BUTTON WITHIN A DEVICE

• US 20170371381A1
• Filed: 06/23/2017
• Published: 12/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Liu, Dongtai
• Granted Patent: US 10,216,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1658 related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

An apparatus to secure a touch sensor assembly for a device touch button (such as for a mobile communications device). A touch sensor slot IS integral with the device at the touch button area. A touch sensor assembly includes a touch flex sensor, and at least three alternating front-side and back-side flexible spacer elements attached to the touch flex sensor. The touch flex sensor can be secured within the touch sensor slot, and spaced from the front-side and back-side slot walls by respectively the front-side and back-side spacer elements. An elastic insulator material is introduced into the touch sensor slot surrounding the touch flex sensor. The sensor slot can be formed in a device wall, or formed by a touch sensor slot structure attached to the device at the touch button area, with an interior surface of the device forming a front-side wall of the touch sensor slot.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in a device with at least one touch button defined on a touch button area of the device, the apparatus comprising:

a touch sensor assembly including

a touch flex sensor, and

at least three alternating front-side and back-side spacer elements attached to the touch flex sensor, the spacer elements being flexible;

a touch sensor slot integral with the device at the touch button area, including front-side and back-side slot walls, to position the touch sensor assembly relative to the touch button area;

the touch flex sensor secured within the touch sensor slot, and spaced from the front-side and back-side slot walls by respectively the front-side and back-side spacer elements contacting respectively the front-side and back-side slot walls; and

an elastic insulator material introduced into the touch sensor slot surrounding the touch flex sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor slot is one of:

a slot formed in the device at the touch button area;

or

a touch sensor slot structure attached to the device at the touch button area, with an interior surface of the device at the touch button area forming a front-side wall of the touch sensor slot.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch flex sensor is a flexible sensor substrate component.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein touch sensing is based on one of inductive and capacitive sensing.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein touch sensing is based on inductive sensing, and the touch flex sensor comprises a flexible sensor substrate component that includes a sense inductor coil.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elastic insulator material is silicone rubber.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device is a mobile communication device, and the at least one touch button is defined on a side-wall of the device.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the elastic insulator material is silicone rubber.

8. An apparatus for use in a device with at least one touch button defined on a touch button area of the device, the device including a touch sensor slot integral with the device case at an interior-side of the touch button area, the apparatus comprising:

a touch sensor assembly including

a touch flex sensor, and

at least three alternating front-side and back-side spacer elements attached to the touch flex sensor, the spacer elements being flexible;

the touch sensor assembly configured for positioning within the touch sensor slot, the spacer elements to secure the touch sensor assembly within the touch sensor slot, by the front-side and back-side spacer elements contacting respectively a front-side and a back-side slot wall of the touch sensor slot, the touch flex sensor spaced from the front-side and back-side slot walls by the spacer elements.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the touch sensor slot is one of:

a slot formed in the device at the touch button area;

or

a touch sensor slot structure attached to the device at the touch button area, with an interior surface of the device at the touch button area forming a front-side wall of the touch sensor slot.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the touch flex sensor is a flexible sensor substrate component.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein touch sensing is based on one of inductive and capacitive sensing.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein touch sensing is based on inductive sensing, and the touch flex sensor comprises a flexible sensor substrate component that includes a sense inductor coil.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the device is a mobile communication device, and the at least one touch button is defined on a side-wall of the device.

14. A device with at least one touch button defined on a touch button area of the device, comprising:

a device case;

a touch sensor assembly including

a touch flex sensor, and

at least three alternating front-side and back-side spacer elements attached to the touch flex sensor, the spacer elements being flexible;

a touch sensor slot integral with the device case at the touch button area, including front-side and back-side slot walls, to position the touch sensor assembly relative to the touch button area;

the touch flex sensor secured within the touch sensor slot, and spaced from the front-side and back-side slot walls by respectively the front-side and back-side spacer elements contacting respectively the front-side and back-side slot walls; and

an elastic insulator material introduced into the touch sensor slot surrounding the touch flex sensor.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the touch sensor slot is one of:

a slot formed in the device at the touch button area;

or

a touch sensor slot structure attached to the device at the touch button area, with an interior surface of the device at the touch button area forming a front-side wall of the touch sensor slot.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the touch flex sensor is a flexible sensor substrate component.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein touch sensing is based on one of inductive and capacitive sensing.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein touch sensing is based on inductive sensing, and the touch flex sensor comprises a flexible sensor substrate component that includes a sense inductor coil.

20. The device of claim 14, wherein the device is a mobile communication device, and the at least one touch button is defined on a side-wall of the device.