Hinged input device

• US 9,921,692 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Tan, Yeh-Cheng, Chiu, Su-Chuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUPTA, PARUL H
• Application Number:
  US13/931,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20140035866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

An input device for use with an electronic system includes a deflectable component having an input surface configured to be touched by input objects and a capacitive sensor layer configured to sense positional information of the input objects. A hinge pivotably mounts a first edge of the deflectable component to the electronic system and facilitates deflection of the deflectable component in response to force applied by an input object to the input surface. A spring mechanism is spaced apart from the hinge and configured to resiliently couple a second edge of the deflectable component to the electronic system and to provide a restoring force responsive to the applied force.

Claims

1. An input device for use with an electronic system, comprising:

a housing;

a deflectable planar component including a single piece of material that comprises a leaf spring and an actuation plate, an input surface configured to be touched by input objects, and a capacitive sensor layer configured to sense positional information of the input objects;

a first hinge and a second hinge pivotably mounting a first edge of the deflectable planar component to the electronic system and configured to facilitate deflection of the deflectable planar component in response to a force applied by an input object to the input surface,

wherein the leaf spring of the single piece of material is spaced apart from the first hinge and the second hinge, and is disposed inside the deflectable planar component along a second edge of the deflectable planar component, the second edge of the deflectable planar component coupling the electronic system,

wherein the leaf spring of the single piece of material provides a first restoring force and a second restoring force proximate the second edge of the deflectable planar component in response to the applied force, and

wherein the first edge of the deflectable planar component is opposite the second edge of the deflectable planar component; and

an actuation element disposed between the deflectable planar component and the housing and a gap is formed between the actuation element and the actuation plate of the single piece of material,

wherein the actuation element is disposed between the first restoring force of the leaf spring of the single piece of material and the second restoring force of the leaf spring of the single piece of material, and

wherein the actuation element actuates and deflection is detected when the actuation plate of the single piece of material contacts the actuation element.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein the single piece of material further comprises the first hinge and the second hinge.

3. The input device of claim 1, wherein the deflectable planar component further comprises a stiffener coupled to the capacitive sensor layer.

4. The input device of claim 3, wherein the single piece of material further comprises the stiffener, the first hinge, and the second hinge.

5. The input device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the single piece of material, the first hinge, and the second hinge is coupled to a chassis associated with the electronic system by one of:

screws;

adhesive;

riveting;

crimping; and

swaging.

6. The input device of claim 3, wherein at least one of the single piece of material, the stiffener, the first hinge, and the second hinge comprises an electrostatic discharge (ESD) path for the input device.

7. The input device of claim 3, wherein the deflectable planar component has a combined thickness in the range of about 0.5 millimeters (mm) to about 2.5 mm.

8. The input device of claim 1, wherein the single piece of material is substantially planar and includes an embossed segment.

9. The input device of claim 1, wherein the first hinge and the second hinge provide a restoring force responsive to the applied force.

10. The input device of claim 1, wherein the actuation element is mounted to the electronic system proximate the second edge of the deflectable planar component.

11. The input device of claim 1, wherein:

the capacitive sensor layer comprises one of;

a circuit board; and

a sheet of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

12. The input device of claim 1, wherein the actuation element comprises a mechanical switch.

13. The input device of claim 1, further comprising a processing system communicatively coupled to the actuation element and the capacitive sensor layer, the processing system configured to operate the capacitive sensor layer to determine positional information for the input objects and to operate the actuation element to detect the deflection of the deflectable planar component.

14. An input device comprising:

a housing;

a deflectable planar component including a single piece of material that comprises a leaf spring and an actuation plate, and a proximity sensor configured to sense positional information for an input object;

a first hinge and a second hinge pivotably mounting a first edge of the deflectable planar component to a chassis of an electronic system and configured to facilitate deflection of the deflectable planar component in response to a force applied by the input object to a cover layer,

wherein the leaf spring of the single piece of material is spaced apart from the first hinge and the second hinge, and is disposed inside the deflectable planar component along a second edge of the deflectable planar component, the second edge of the deflectable planar component coupling the chassis,

wherein the leaf spring provides a first restoring force and a second restoring force proximate the second edge of the deflectable planar component in response to the applied force, and

wherein the first edge of the deflectable planar component is opposite the second edge of the deflectable planar component;

an actuation element disposed between the deflectable planar component and housing, and a gap is formed between the actuation element and the actuation plate of the single piece of material,

wherein the actuation element is disposed between the first restoring force of the leaf spring and the second restoring force of the leaf spring, and

wherein the actuation element actuates and the deflection of the deflectable planar component is detected when the actuation plate of the single piece of material contacts the actuation element; and

a processing system configured to determine positional information for the input objects and the deflection.

16. The input device of claim 14, wherein the single piece of material further comprises the first hinge and the second hinge.

17. The input device of claim 14, wherein at least one of the single piece of material, the first hinge, and the second hinge comprises an electrostatic discharge (ESD) path for the input device.

18. The input device of claim 14, wherein:

the capacitive sensor layer comprises one of;

a circuit board; and

a sheet of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

19. The input device of claim 14, wherein the actuation element comprises a mechanical switch.

15. An input device comprising:

a housing;

a deflectable planar component including a single piece of material that comprises a leaf spring and an actuation plate, a proximity sensor configured to sense positional information for an input object;

a first hinge and a second hinge pivotably mounting a first edge of the deflectable component to a chassis of an electronic system and configured to facilitate deflection of the deflectable planar component in response to a force applied by the input object to a cover layer,

wherein the leaf spring of the single piece of material is spaced apart from the first hinge and the second hinge, and is disposed inside the deflectable component along a second edge of the deflectable planar component, the second edge of the deflectable planar component coupling the chassis, and

wherein the leaf spring of the single piece of material provides a first restoring force and a second restoring force proximate the second edge of the deflectable planar component in response to the applied force, the second edge of the deflectable planar component is opposite the first edge of the deflectable planar component;

an actuation element disposed between the deflectable planar component and the housing, and a gap is formed between the actuation element and the actuation plate of the single piece of material,

wherein the actuation element is disposed between the first restoring force of the leaf spring of the single piece of material and the second restoring force of the leaf spring of the single piece of material, and

wherein the actuation element actuates and the deflection of the deflectable planar component is detected when the actuation plate of the single piece of material contacts the actuation element; and

a processing system communicatively coupled to the actuation element and the proximity sensor, the processing system configured to determine positional information for the input objects and the deflection of the deflectable planar component.