Dual stiffness suspension system

• US 9,213,409 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2013
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Redelsheimer, Elena, Parker, Daniel, Jones, Trevor, Imoto, Kohei
• Primary Examiner(s): SHERMAN, STEPHEN G
• Application Number:
  US14/089,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20150145783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 340/4.12, 340/407.1, 340/407.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

Devices disclosed herein include a housing component, a touch screen, a haptic actuator for moving the touch screen relative to the housing component, and at least one dual stiffness suspension system that couples the touch screen and housing component together such that the touch screen is movable relative to the housing component. The dual stiffness suspension system has a first element of a first stiffness and a second element of a second stiffness which is stiffer than the first stiffness. The dual stiffness suspension system is configured to limit movement between the touch screen and the housing component in a first direction due to the first element of the dual stiffness suspension system while also being configured to allow movement of the touch screen relative to the housing component in a second opposing direction due to the second element of the dual stiffness suspension system.

Claims

1. A device having a dual stiffness suspension system comprising:

a housing component;

a touch screen;

a haptic actuator for moving the touch screen relative to the housing component and thereby provide a haptic effect to a user of the touch screen; and

at least one dual stiffness suspension system that couples the touch screen and housing components together such that the touch screen is movable relative to the housing component, the at least one dual stiffness suspension system having a first element of a first stiffness and a second element of a second stiffness, the first stiffness being stiffer than the second stiffness, wherein the at least one suspension system is configured to limit movement between the touch screen and the housing component in at least a first direction due to the first element of the dual stiffness suspension system while also being configured to allow movement of the touch screen relative to the housing component in a second direction opposing the first direction due to the second element of the dual stiffness suspension system, and wherein the first element is disposed adjacent to and contacts a first surface of a portion of the housing component and the second element is disposed adjacent to and contacts a second opposing surface of the portion of the housing component such that the first and second elements are axially aligned with each other.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first element is formed from a first elastomeric material and the second element is formed from a second elastomeric material, the first elastomeric material being different from the second elastomeric material.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first element is formed from a first elastomeric material and the second element is formed from a second elastomeric material, the first elastomeric material being the same as the second elastomeric material.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the first elastomeric material has a different durometer hardness than the second elastomeric material.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the first element has a first shape and the second element has a second shape, the first shape being different from the second shape.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the first shape is cylindrical and the second shape includes a frustoconical portion.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing component includes sidewall extensions that define a well for receiving the second element of the dual stiffness suspension system, wherein the sidewall extensions limit excessive movement between the touch screen and the housing component in the second direction.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the first element is formed from a first elastomeric material and the second element is one of a coil or leaf spring.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one dual stiffness suspension system includes a support mount having post and a base plate, with a first end of the post being coupled to an underside surface of the touch screen and a second end of the post being coupled to the base plate, and wherein the post of the support mount extends through a channel formed through the portion of the housing component as well as through the first and second elements of the at least one dual stiffness suspension system such that the first element is sandwiched between the touch screen and the portion of the housing component and the second element is sandwiched between the portion of housing component and the base plate.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the portion of the housing component is a planar portion of an L-shaped bracket coupled to an outer edge of the housing component.

11. A device having a dual stiffness suspension system comprising:

a housing component;

a touch screen;

a haptic actuator for moving the touch screen relative to the housing component and thereby provide a haptic effect to a user of the touch screen; and

at least one dual stiffness suspension system that couples the touch screen and housing components together such that the touch screen is movable relative to the housing component, the at least one dual stiffness suspension system having a first element formed from a first elastomeric material having a first stiffness and a second element formed from a second elastomeric material having a second stiffness, the first stiffness being stiffer than the second stiffness, wherein the first element of the dual stiffness suspension system is configured to limit movement between the touch screen and the housing component in at least a first direction while the second element of the dual stiffness suspension system is configured to allow movement of the touch screen relative to the housing component in a second direction opposing the first direction, and wherein the first element is disposed adjacent to and contacts a first surface of a portion of the housing component and the second element is disposed adjacent to and contacts a second opposing surface of the portion of the housing component such that the first and second elements are axially aligned with each other.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the first element is formed from a first elastomeric material and the second element is formed from a second elastomeric material, the first elastomeric material being different from the second elastomeric material.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the first element is formed from a first elastomeric material and the second element is formed from a second elastomeric material, the first elastomeric material being the same as the second elastomeric material.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the first element has a first shape and the second element has a second shape, the first shape being different from the second shape.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the housing component includes sidewall extensions that define a well for receiving the second element of the dual stiffness suspension system, wherein the sidewall extensions limit excessive movement between the touch screen and the housing component in the second direction.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the at least one dual stiffness suspension system includes a support mount having post and a base plate, with a first end of the post being coupled to an underside surface of the touch screen and a second end of the post being coupled to the base plate, and wherein the post of the support mount extends through a channel formed through the portion of the housing component as well as through the first and second elements of the at least one dual stiffness suspension system such that the first element is sandwiched between the touch screen and the portion of the housing component and the second element is sandwiched between the portion of housing component and the base plate.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the portion of the housing component is a planar portion of an L-shaped bracket coupled to an outer edge of the housing component.

18. A device having a dual stiffness suspension system comprising:

a housing component;

a touch screen;

a haptic actuator for moving the touch screen relative to the housing component and thereby provide a haptic effect along a first axis of the device to a user of the touch screen; and

at least one dual stiffness suspension system that couples the touch screen and housing components together such that the touch screen is movable relative to the housing component, the at least one dual stiffness suspension system having a first element of a first stiffness and a second element of a second stiffness, the first stiffness being stiffer than the second stiffness, wherein the at least one suspension system is configured to limit movement between the touch screen and the housing component in at least a first direction due to the first element of the dual stiffness suspension system while also being configured to allow movement of the touch screen relative to the housing component in a second direction due to the second element of the dual stiffness suspension system, wherein the first direction and the second direction oppose each other and extend along the first axis of the device, wherein the at least one dual stiffness suspension system includes a support mount having post and a base plate, with a first end of the post being coupled to an underside surface of the touch screen and a second end of the post being coupled to the base plate, and wherein the post of the support mount extends through a channel formed through a portion of the housing component as well as through the first and second elements of the at least one dual stiffness suspension system such that the first element is sandwiched between the touch screen and the portion of the housing component and the second element is sandwiched between the portion of housing component and the base plate, the channel being sized to limit movement between the touch screen and the housing component along at least a second axis of the device.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the first element is formed from a first elastomeric material and the second element is formed from a second elastomeric material.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the first element is formed from a first elastomeric material and the second element is one of a coil or leaf spring.