Integrated feature for friction less movement of force sensitive touch screen

• US 8,144,453 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2008
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: F-Origin, Inc.
• Inventors: Brown, Caleb Daniel, Molne, Anders L., Brown, Daniel Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jinhee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilson, Adrian S
• Application Number:
  US12/450,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20100103640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.01, 361/679.02, 361/679.21, 361/679.26, 345/173
• US Class Current: 361/679.21
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133526 Lenses, e.g. microlenses or Fresnel lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04142 the force sensing means being located peripherally, e.g. disposed at the corners or at the side of a touch sensing plate

Abstract

A suspension system for a differential-pressure touch sensitive panel suspended over force sensors, for use in either fixed or mobile devices such as point of sales terminals, kiosks, laptops, monitors, PDAs, cell phones, UMPCs and more. In one embodiment, each side of the lens is encircled and supported by a looped string, monofilament or flexible wire, which is then looped around the back cover or base plate, forming a figure-8. The figure 8-loops bring the lens into a fixed state in the xy-plane without the addition of any friction causing physical contact. Other alternative implementations include continuous suspensions, bender suspensions and 3-dimensional force suspensions. Moreover, the present invention proposes the use of a flexible padding under the force sensors to allow the sensors to be slightly preloaded, which reduces the dependency on extremely tight mechanical tolerances.

Claims

1. A suspension for a touch screen display having a floating touch panel opposed to a fixed base panel, comprising:

at least one suspension mechanism defined by a length of flexible line looped about both said floating touch panel and opposed fixed base panel

wherein said at least one suspension mechanism is monofilament line.

2. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 1, wherein said at least one suspension mechanism is not secured to said floating touch panel and opposed fixed base other than by said loops.

3. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 1, wherein said at least one suspension mechanism is plastic.

4. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 1, wherein said suspension mechanisms move freely.

5. A suspension for a touch screen display including a flat touch panel opposed to a flat support base, comprising:

a plurality of suspension mechanisms each defined by at least one loop encircling said flat touch panel and at least one loop encircling said flat support base, said at least one flat touch panel loop and said at least one flat support base loop being connected; and

further comprising padding beneath each of a plurality of force sensors underlying said flat touch panel.

6. The suspension for a touch screen display according to claim 5, wherein said padding comprises a thin layer of flexible microcellular polyurethane foam material.

7. A suspension for a touch screen display including a flat touch panel opposed to a flat support base, comprising:

a plurality of suspension mechanisms each defined by at least one loop encircling said flat touch panel and said flat support base,

wherein said at least one loop further comprises two loops including an upper and lower loop joined in a figure-eight, the upper loop encircling said flat touch panel and the lower loop encircling said flat support base.

8. The suspension for a touch screen display according to claim 7, wherein said flat touch panel and flat support base further comprise a display module and printed circuit board, respectively.

9. The suspension for a touch screen display according to claim 7, wherein said flat touch panel and flat support base further comprise a touch lens and backplane, respectively.

10. A suspension for a touch screen display including a lens and backplane, comprising:

a plurality of suspension mechanisms each attached between said lens and backplane for providing minimal-friction translation ability toward and away from each other, while constraining relative lateral movement,

wherein each of said suspension mechanisms is defined by an upper and lower loop joined in a figure-eight, the upper loop encircling said lens along one side and said lower loop encircling said backplane along one side.

11. A suspension for a touch screen display including a lens and backplane, comprising:

a plurality of suspension mechanisms each attached between said lens and backplane for providing minimal-friction translation ability toward and away from each other, while constraining relative lateral movement,

wherein each of said suspension mechanisms comprises a resilient section of said lens defined by opposing notches through said lens, each said resilient section being attached at one or more points to said backplane.

12. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 11, wherein said lens is in contact with four underlying force sensors mounted at four corners of said lens.

13. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 12, further comprising a thin layer of flexible microcellular polyurethane foam padding beneath each of said force sensors.

14. A suspension for a touch screen display including a display module and backplane, comprising:

a plurality of suspension mechanisms each defined by an upper and lower loop joined in a figure-eight, the upper loop encircling said display module along one side and said lower loop encircling said backplane along one side.

15. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 14, further comprising padding beneath each of said force sensors.

16. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 14, further comprising four edge-mounted suspension mechanisms each straddling two of said force sensors.

17. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 16, wherein said four edge-mounted suspension mechanisms define a three-dimensional suspension.

18. A suspension for a touch screen display including a backplane and a display module having a display side and an opposing back side, comprising:

a plurality of force-sensing resistive (FSR) sensors affixed to said backplane and engaged to said back side of said display module; and

a plurality of suspension mechanisms each comprising a resilient spring affixed to said backplane and to said display module and attached there between for providing minimal-friction translation ability toward and away from each other, while constraining relative lateral movement,

wherein each of said suspension mechanisms imposes a biasing force on said display module biasing said display module toward said backplane thereby preloading said plurality of FSR sensors.

19. The suspension mechanism of claim 18 wherein said biasing force exceeds the weight of said touch screen display.

20. The suspension mechanism of claim 18, further comprising a thin layer of flexible microcellular polyurethane foam padding beneath each of said plurality of force sensors engaged to said back side of said display module.

21. The suspension of claim 18 wherein said resilient spring comprises a flat spring, said flat spring affixed to said back side of said display module and at least one end to said backplane.

22. The suspension of claim 21 wherein said flat spring is affixed to said backplane at two ends and affixed to said display module at least one point between said two ends.

23. The suspension of claim 21 wherein said backplane comprises a frame encircling said display module, said at least one end of said flat spring affixed to said frame.

24. The suspension of claim 18,

wherein said display module further comprises a lens affixed to said display side of said display module, an edge portion of said lens extending laterally beyond a display portion of said display module, said edge portion comprising said bendable member;

and

wherein said suspension mechanism comprise a rigid connection between said bendable portion and said backplane.

25. The suspension of claim 24 wherein said rigid connection is a post.

26. The suspension of claim 24 wherein said rigid connection is a screw.

27. The suspension of claim 24 further comprising a notch in a surface of said lens, said notch define said bendable portion of said lens.

28. The suspension mechanism of claim 24, further comprising padding beneath each of said plurality of force sensors engaged to said back side of said display module.