Touchpad of an electronic apparatus and method for manufacturing the same

• US 8,692,146 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2011
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Client Computing Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Mihara, Daisuke, Yasuda, Motoki, Tanaka, Kaigo
• Primary Examiner(s): Leon, Edwin A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jimenez, Anthony R.
• Application Number:
  US13/186,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20120026739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 200/314, 200/313, 200/310, 200/308, 200/341, 200/511, 200/512, 200/520, 200/278, 200/293, 200/294, 200/296, 200/302.1, 200/302.2, 200/333
• US Class Current: 200/314
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes a cover unit, a touchpad unit and a contact member. The cover unit has a window through which an operation section is exposed and the window has an inwardly inclined peripheral surface as an inclined portion. The touchpad unit is arranged substantially in the window. The contact member is secured on the touchpad unit and is exposed through the window. The contact member has a joining part for the cover unit. The joining part of the contact member forms a contiguous inclined surface together with the inclined portion of the cover unit.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a cover having a window through which an operation section is exposed, the window has an inwardly inclined peripheral surface as an inclined portion; and

a touchpad arranged substantially within the window, the touchpad includes a contact member covering the surface of the touchpad exposed through the window, the contact member has a joining part for the cover, wherein

the joining part of the contact member includes an outwardly inclined surface that forms a substantially contiguous inclined surface together with the inclined portion of the cover, and

the outwardly inclined surface of the joining part of the contact member does not overlap any portion of the inwardly inclined peripheral surface of the cover.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

each of the joining part and the inclined portion have their respective joined surface portions between the joining part and the inclined portion, and

the joined surface portion of either the joining part or the inclined portion is inclined at an angle of about 90 degrees or more with respect to an inclined reference plane of the cover.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the touchpad includes a light-emitting element and a light-guiding member guiding light from the light-emitting element to a part or all of the contact member, and

the contact member includes an illumination window portion emitting the light guided by the light-guiding member.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the illumination window portion is formed at a position corresponding to the inclined portion of the joining part.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contact member is secured to the touchpad.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the contact member is laminated on the touchpad.

7. A method of manufacturing an electronic apparatus, comprising:

forming a cover having a window that has an inwardly inclined peripheral surface as an inclined portion;

arranging a touchpad in the window;

securing a contact member on the touchpad and arranging the contact member to cover the surface of the touchpad exposed through the window, the contact member has a joining part that includes an outwardly inclined surface; and

forming a substantially contiguous inclined surface together with the cover by the joining part of the contact member and the inclined portion of the cover,

wherein the outwardly inclined surface of the joining part of the contact member does not overlap any portion of the inwardly inclined peripheral surface of the cover.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein

each of the joining part and the inclined portion have their respective joined surface portions between the joining part and the inclined portion, and

the method further includes arranging the joined surface portion of either the joining part or the inclined portion at an angle of 90 degrees or more with respect to an inclined reference plane of the cover.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the securing comprises laminating.