Sealed force-based touch sensor

• US 8,488,308 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2003
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Ng, Chin Y., Cobian, Paul J., Bartz, Sherman L., Tran, Hung T., LeVasseur, Lewis H.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, HUNG V
• Application Number:
  US10/365,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20040156168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,807 Days
• Field of Search: 361/681, 361/679, 361/682, 361/679.3, 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 345/176, 345/177, 345/178, 345/156, 345/157, 345/158
• US Class Current: 361/679.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position

Abstract

The present invention provides a display seal for a force-based sensor assembly that includes a flexible membrane having inner and outer surfaces, and first and second sides. The first side of the membrane is capable of being mounted to a housing of the assembly, such as a frame or bezel, and the second side of the membrane is capable of being mounted to a touch surface of a touch sensitive structure of the assembly. The seal, when mounted to the housing and the screen, is capable of creating a seal around the screen without passing extraneous forces to the transducers.

Claims

1. A force-based touch sensor assembly comprising a frame, a screen having inner and outer surfaces, a seal for inhibiting passage between the frame and the screen, and a force activated transducer positioned adjacent the screen for detecting forces pushing through the screen due to a touch input, the seal comprising:

a flexible membrane having first and second surfaces and first and second sides, the first side capable of being mounted to the frame, and the second side capable of being mounted to the screen;

whereby the membrane is configured and arranged so that mounting the membrane to the frame and screen creates the seal without passing extraneous forces to the transducers, wherein the first and second sides of the membrane are brought together so as to form a cylindrical shaped seal, and the cylindrically shaped seal is capable of being secured to the frame and the outer surface of the screen to form the seal.

2. A method of producing a seal member for a force-based touch sensor assembly, comprising:

aligning strips of seal membrane in a shape that approximates a periphery of a touch sensitive structure of the force-based touch sensor assembly; and

securing the strips of seal membrane together to form a continuous seal member;

whereby the seal member is configured so as to be capable of being secured to the touch sensitive structure and a frame of the forced-based touch sensor assembly to form a complete seal between the touch sensitive structure and the frame, wherein two of the strips of seal membrane are simultaneously cut to a predetermined length and secured together in a single step.

3. A method of producing a seal member for a force-based touch sensor assembly, comprising:

aligning strips of seal membrane in a shape that approximates a periphery of a touch sensitive structure of the force-based touch sensor assembly; and

securing the strips of seal membrane together to form a continuous seal member;

whereby the seal member is configured so as to be capable of being secured to the touch sensitive structure and a frame of the forced-based touch sensor assembly to form a complete seal between the touch sensitive structure and the frame, further comprising the step of forming strips of seal membrane from material selected from a group of materials consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, polyamide, fluoropolymer or polyvinylchloride.

4. A seal for a force-based touch sensor assembly, the assembly comprising a frame, a touch sensitive structure, a seal, and a force activated transducer associated with the touch sensitive structure, the seal comprising:

a continuous piece of compliant material secured to the touch sensitive structure and the frame, the compliant material being configured such that a maximum force exerted upon the touch sensitive structure by the compliant material is an order of magnitude less or smaller than a minimum recognized touch input force to the touch sensitive structure.

5. The seal of claim 4, wherein the maximum force exerted upon the touch sensitive structure by the compliant material is 1/50 or less of a minimum recognized touch input force to the touch sensitive structure.

6. The seal of claim 4, wherein the seal is configured such that the seal can be compressed without triggering a false touch input due to forces being transferred from the compliant material and the touch sensitive structure.

7. A force-based touch display device, comprising:

a housing;

a movable force-based touch sensitive screen;

a sealing means adapted and configured to provide a liquid and particle seal between the screen and the housing, and to promote essentially unrestricted motion of the screen without passing extraneous forces to the screen that result in false touches to the screen or skewing of touch location determination of intended touches to the screen, wherein the sealing means has a C-shaped cross-section.

8. A force-based touch display device, comprising:

a housing;

a movable force-based touch sensitive screen;

a sealing means adapted and configured to provide a liquid and particle seal between the screen and the housing, and to promote essentially unrestricted motion of the screen without passing extraneous forces to the screen that result in false touches to the screen or skewing of touch location determination of intended touches to the screen, wherein the sealing means has a closed cross-section.

9. A force-based touch display device, comprising:

a housing;

a movable force-based touch sensitive screen;

a sealing means adapted and configured to provide a liquid and particle seal between the screen and the housing, and to promote essentially unrestricted motion of the screen without passing extraneous forces to the screen that result in false touches to the screen or skewing of touch location determination of intended touches to the screen, wherein the sealing means is a compliant foam material.

10. A force-based touch display device, comprising:

a housing;

a movable force-based touch sensitive screen;

a sealing means adapted and configured to provide a liquid and particle seal between the screen and the housing, and to promote essentially unrestricted motion of the screen without passing extraneous forces to the screen that result in false touches to the screen or skewing of touch location determination of intended touches to the screen, wherein the membrane is a composite material.