Input device

• US 9,417,698 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Shinji, Hiratsuka, Kazuhiko, Masuda, Atsushi, Fujimura, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke, Renee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jimenez, Anthony R.
• Application Number:
  US14/498,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20150084898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 200/5.A, 200/341, 200/534, 200/48.R, 200/48.P, 200/50.03, 200/440, 200/449, 200/453, 200/457, 200/459, 200/463, 200/467, 200/511, 200/520, 200/540, 200/572, 200/239, 200248-250, 200/290, 200/293, 200/302.2, 200/318, 200/318.1, 200321-324, 200/333, 200/345
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

An input device includes: an operation portion allowing an input operation by an operating body contacting with or coming close to an upper surface thereof; an input detection portion detecting an input operation with respect to the operation portion; a driving member provided below the operation portion and driving the operation portion in an up-down direction; an elastic member provided below the operation portion; a case member holding the driving member; an interlocking member provided below the operation portion, connected to the operation portion, and driven with the operation portion; a restricting member provided between the operation portion and the interlocking member and restricting upward movement of the interlocking member; and an elastic first damper member provided below the interlocking member and contactable with the interlocking member. The elastic member elastically urges the interlocking member such that the interlocking member is brought into press contact with the first damper member.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

an operation portion that allows an input operation to be performed by an operating body contacting with or coming close to an upper surface thereof;

an input detection portion that detects an input operation with respect to the operation portion;

a driving member provided below the operation portion that drives the operation portion in an up-down direction;

an elastic member provided below the operation portion;

a case member that holds the driving member;

an interlocking member provided below the operation portion, connected to the operation portion, and driven with the operation portion;

a restricting member provided between the operation portion and the interlocking member that restricts upward movement of the interlocking member; and

a first damper member provided below the interlocking member, contactable with the interlocking member, and having elasticity, wherein;

the elastic member elastically urges the interlocking member such that the interlocking member is brought into press contact with the first damper member,

the restricting member has a flat plate shape in a plan view and has a first opening at a center thereof,

the operation portion includes a connection portion provided so as to extend downward,

the connection portion is inserted into the first opening and connected to the interlocking member, and

the elastic member and the first damper member are arranged outside the first opening in a plan view.

2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the interlocking member has a flat plate shape,

the restricting member includes a plurality of leg portions formed in a flat plate shape and provided so as to extend downward, and is attached to the case member via the leg portions so as to cover the interlocking member, and

a plurality of the elastic members and a plurality of the first damper members are arranged at positions concentric with respect to a center of the flat plate-shaped interlocking member in a plan view.

3. The input device according to claim 1, further comprising a second damper member having elasticity, wherein

a plurality of the second damper members are provided on a surface of the restricting member which is opposed to the interlocking member and along a circumference concentric with the first opening and having a larger diameter than the first opening, and

movement of the interlocking member is restricted by the restricting member via the plurality of second damper members.

4. The input device according to claim 1, wherein

the driving member includes a columnar plunger movable in the up-down direction,

the interlocking member has, at a center thereof, a second opening having a smaller diameter than the first opening, and

the plunger is inserted into the second opening and the first opening and brought into contact with the operation portion.