Depressable touch sensor

• US 8,860,671 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2010
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Jung, James, Han, Sang Chul
• Primary Examiner(s): MANDEVILLE, JASON M
• Application Number:
  US12/768,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20100302153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178 1805- 1807
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

An input device and a method for providing an input device are provided. The input device assembly includes a base, a sensor support, and a scissor mechanism attached to the base and the sensor support. The scissor mechanism allows for only substantially uniform translation of the sensor support towards the base in response to a force biasing the sensor support substantially towards the base.

Claims

1. An input device assembly comprising:

a base;

a touch sensor; and

a scissor mechanism positioned between the base and the touch sensor and configured such that the touch sensor is moveable towards the base in a substantially uniform manner that substantially prevents tilting of the touch sensor with respect to the base, the scissor mechanism comprising;

a first arm comprising first and second end portions and first and second side portions interconnecting the first and second end portions, the first end portion of the first arm being rotatably mounted to the base, the second end portion of the first arm being slidable relative to the touch sensor, wherein the first and second end portions of the first arm are separated by a first distance; and

a second arm rotatably coupled to and positioned between the first and second side portions of the first arm, the second arm comprising first and second end portions and first and second side portions interconnecting the first and second end portions, the first end portion of the second arm being rotatably mounted to the base, and the second end portion of the second arm being slidable relative to the touch sensor, wherein the first and second end portions of the second arm are separated by a second distance, the second distance being less than the first distance,

wherein the second arm of the scissor mechanism is rotatably coupled to the first arm of the scissor mechanism at a pivot, and deflection of the touch sensor causes the first end portion of the first arm to rotate relative to the base, the second end portion of the first arm to slide relative to the touch sensor, the first end portion of the second arm to rotate relative to the base, the second end portion of the second arm to slide relative to the touch sensor, and actuation of a switch mounted to the base, wherein the first arm completely surrounds the second arm upon deflection of the touch sensor.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein the first and second arms of the scissor mechanism are sized and shaped such that sufficient deflection of the touch sensor causes the first and second end potions of the second arm to be positioned directly between the first and second end portions of the first arm.

3. The input device of claim 2, wherein the pivot is not equidistant from the first and second end portions of the first arm, and the pivot is not equidistant from the first and second end portions of the second arm.

4. The input device of claim 1, wherein the first and second arms of the scissor mechanism circumscribe the switch.

5. The input device of claim 2, wherein the first arm has a first thickness, the second arm has a second thickness, and the second thickness is substantially equal to the first thickness.

6. The input device of claim 1, wherein the switch is configured to exert a force opposing the deflection of the touch sensor.

7. The input device of claim 2, wherein the pivot is equidistant from the first and second end portions of the first arm, and the pivot is equidistant from the first and second end portions of the second arm.

8. The input device of claim 7, wherein the touch sensor comprises:

the switch;

a plurality of sensor electrodes configured to sense user input in a sensing region; and

a processor coupled to the switch and the plurality of sensor electrodes, the processor configured to determine actuation of the switch and positional information associated with the user input in the sensing region.

9. The input device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of brackets interconnecting the base, the touch sensor, and the first and second arms of the scissor mechanism.

10. An input device assembly comprising:

a base;

a touch sensor;

a switch positioned between the base and the touch sensor and mounted to the base; and

a scissor mechanism positioned between the base and the touch sensor, the scissor mechanism configured such that the touch sensor is moveable towards the base in a substantially uniform manner that substantially prevents tilting of the touch sensor with respect to the base, the scissor mechanism comprising;

a first arm comprising first and second end portions and first and second side portions interconnecting the first and second end portions, wherein the first end portion of the first arm is rotatably mounted to the base, the second end portion of the first arm is slidable relative to the touch sensor, and the first and second end portions of the first arm are separated by a first distance; and

a second arm comprising first and second end portions and first and second side portions interconnecting the first and second end portions, wherein the first side portion of the second arm is rotatably coupled to the first side portion of the first arm, the second side portion of the second arm is rotatably coupled to the second side portion of the first arm, and the first and second side portions of the second arm are positioned between the first and second side portions of the first arm, and wherein the first end portion of the second arm is rotatably mounted to the base, and the second end portion of the second arm is slidable relative to the touch sensor, and wherein the first and second end portions of the second arm are separated by a second distance, the second distance being less than the first distance,

wherein the second arm of the scissor mechanism is rotatably coupled to the first arm of the scissor mechanism at a pivot, and deflection of the touch sensor causes the first end portion of the first arm to rotate relative to the base, the second end portion of the first arm to slide relative to the touch sensor, the first end portion of the second arm to rotate relative to the base, the second end portion of the second arm to slide relative to the touch sensor, and actuation of the switch, wherein the first arm completely surrounds the second arm upon deflection of the touch sensor.

11. The input device of claim 10, wherein the first side portion of the second arm is rotatably coupled to the first side portion of the first arm at a first pivot, and the second side portion of the second arm is rotatably coupled to the second side portion of the first am at a second pivot.

12. The input device of claim 11, wherein the first and second pivots are not equidistant from the first and second end portions of the first arm, and the first and second pivots are not equidistant from the first and second end portions of the second arm.

13. The input device of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of brackets interconnecting the base, the touch sensor, and the first and second arms of the scissor mechanism, wherein the plurality of brackets are configured to allow the rotation of the first end portion of the first arm, the slidability of the second end portion of the first arm, the rotation of the first end portion of the second arm and the slidability of the second end portion of the second arm.

14. The input device of claim 10, wherein the scissor mechanism is configured to exert a force opposing the deflection of the touch sensor.

15. A method of providing an input device assembly, the method comprising:

providing a base;

providing a touch sensor; and

interconnecting the base and the touch sensor with a scissor mechanism positioned between the base and the touch sensor, wherein the scissor mechanism is configured such that the touch sensor is moveable towards the base in a substantially uniform manner that substantially prevents tilting of the touch sensor with respect to the base, the scissor mechanism comprising;

a first arm comprising first and second end portions and first and second side portions interconnecting the first and second end portions, the first end portion of the first arm being rotatably mounted to the base, the second end portion of the first arm being slidable relative to the touch sensor, wherein the first and second end portions of the first arm are separated by a first distance; and

a second arm rotatably coupled to and positioned between the first and second side portions of the first arm, the second arm comprising first and second end portions and first and second side portions interconnecting the first and second end portions, the first end portion of the second arm being rotatably mounted to the base, and the second end portion of the second arm being slidable relative to the touch sensor, wherein the first and second end portions of the second arm are separated by a second distance, the second distance being less than the first distance,

wherein the second arm of the scissor mechanism is rotatably coupled to the first arm of the scissor mechanism at a pivot, and deflection of the touch sensor causes the first end portion of the first arm to rotate relative to the base, the second end portion of the first arm to slide relative to the touch sensor, the first end portion of the second arm to rotate relative to the base, the second end portion of the second arm to slide relative to the touch sensor, and actuation of a switch mounted to the base, wherein the first arm completely surrounds the second arm upon deflection of the touch sensor.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the touch sensor comprises:

a plurality of sensor electrodes configured to sense user input in a sensing region; and

a processor coupled to the plurality of sensor electrodes, the processor configured to determine positional information associated with the user input in the sensing region.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing a plurality of brackets interconnecting the base, the touch sensor, and the first and second arms of the scissor mechanism, wherein the plurality of brackets are configured to allow the rotation of the first end portion of the first arm, the slidability of the second end portion of the first arm, the rotation of the first end portion of the second arm and the slidability of the second end portion of the second arm.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing the switch, the switch being positioned between the base and the touch sensor and configured to exert a force opposing the deflection of the capacitive touch sensor, and wherein the processor is coupled to the switch and further configured to detect actuation of the switch.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the first side portion of the second arm is rotatably coupled to the first side portion of the first arm at a first pivot, and the second side portion of the second arm is rotatably coupled to the second side portion of the first arm at a second pivot, and wherein the first and second pivots are not equidistant from the first and second end portions of the first arm, and the first and second pivots are not equidistant from the first and second end portions of the second arm.