Touchpad bar

• US 9,857,893 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2013
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Senatori, Mark David
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoa C
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEPEW, KEITH A
• Application Number:
  US14/900,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20160274678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,585 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1633 Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
• 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 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads

Abstract

A bar may be connected to a touchpad. The bar may include a first arm connected to a first region of the touchpad. The bar may also include a second arm connected to a second region of the touchpad. A shaft may connect the first and second arm. The bar may control flexure of the touchpad between the first region and the second region.

Claims

1. A touchpad assembly, comprising:

a bar controlling flexure of a touchpad between a first region and a second region, the bar comprising a first arm comprising a first end, a second arm comprising a second end, and a shaft connecting the first arm and the second arm, wherein the first end faces towards the second end;

a first coupler coupling the first arm and the first region; and

a second coupler coupling the second arm and the second region.

2. The touchpad assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a spring arm coupled to the touchpad and a touchpad housing, the spring arm comprising the first coupler and the second coupler.

3. The touchpad assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a third coupler coupling the shaft to a touchpad housing.

4. The touchpad assembly of claim 3, wherein:

the first coupler permits the first arm to rotate when the touchpad is pressed;

the second coupler permits the second arm to rotate when the touchpad is pressed; and

the third coupler permits the shaft to rotate when the touchpad is pressed.

5. The touchpad assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a third coupler coupling the touchpad to a touchpad housing at a location distal from the first region and the second region; and

wherein the touchpad pivots about the third coupler when pressed.

6. The touchpad assembly of claim 1, wherein the bar further comprises a third arm, and further comprising a third coupler coupling the third arm and a third region of the touchpad.

7. A system, comprising:

a touchpad;

a housing coupled to a bracket at a first edge of the touchpad;

a bar controlling flexure of the touchpad at a second edge, the bar comprising a first arm, a second arm, and a shaft connecting the first arm and the second arm;

a first clip connecting a first location of the second edge to the first arm, wherein the first arm is rotatable in the first clip;

a second clip connecting a second location of the second edge to the second arm, wherein the second arm is rotatable in the second clip; and

a third clip connecting the shaft to the housing, wherein the shaft is rotatable in the third clip.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a spring arm coupled to the touchpad at the first location and the second location, the spring arm comprising the first clip and the second clip.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first arm pulls the first location when the second location is pressed.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the bar prevents the first location from twisting with respect to the second location.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the first arm and the second arm are directed towards a center of the shaft.

12. A notebook, comprising

a screen housed in a first housing;

a keyboard coupled to a second housing;

a touchpad coupled to the second housing and located in front of the keyboard;

a bar coupled to the touchpad at a plurality of regions, the bar controlling flexure of the touchpad by causing the plurality of regions to simultaneously translate when the touchpad is depressed, wherein the bar comprises;

a first arm coupled to the touchpad at a first region;

a second arm coupled to the touchpad at a second region;

a third arm coupled to the touchpad at a third region; and

a shaft coupled to the housing.