Touch sensing apparatus and method for assembly

• US 10,739,916 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2020
• Issued: 08/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FlatFrog Laboratories AB
• Original Assignee: FlatFrog Laboratories AB
• Inventors: Skagmo, Daniel, Ehn, Robert, Bergstrom, Hakan
• Primary Examiner(s): Giesy, Adam R.
• Application Number:
  US16/834,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20200225807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 134 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421

Abstract

A touch sensing apparatus is disclosed comprising a panel that defines a touch surface, a plurality of light emitters and detectors arranged along a perimeter of the panel. The light emitters are arranged to emit a respective beam of emitted light that travels above the touch surface, wherein the light detectors are arranged to receive detection light from the emitted light. The plurality of light emitters and detectors are arranged above the touch surface and are connected to a substrate extending in a direction parallel with a normal axis of a plane in which the panel extends. A method of assembling a touch sensing apparatus is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A touch sensing apparatus, comprising:

a panel that defines a touch surface;

a plurality of light emitters and detectors arranged along a perimeter of the panel;

a support structure comprising a first portion that is parallel to the touch surface and separated by a space from the panel, said first portion including a first projection extending downwards from said first portion and a second projection extending downwards from said first portion, wherein a gap between the first projection and the second projection forms a receptacle having a first cross-sectional shape; and

an optical element fitted in the space between the panel and the first portion and configured to seal the plurality of light emitters from contaminants from the touch surface, said optical element comprises a mating portion having a second cross-section shape that is substantially reciprocal to the first cross-sectional shape, said mating portion engaged with the receptacle of the first portion.

2. The touch sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support structure further comprises a second portion extending from the first portion, wherein the second portion is configured to enable mounting of the plurality of emitters and wherein the second portion is oriented perpendicular to the first portion.

3. The touch sensing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of emitters are mounted on an electronics board that is supported by the second portion, said plurality of emitters configured to emit light above the touch surface.

4. The touch sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical element is configured to slide in a direction parallel to a plane of the touch surface.

5. The touch sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical element comprises a first surface facing the plurality of light emitters and a second surface opposite the first surface, said first surface angled between a top portion of the optical element and a base portion of the optical element and configured to form an offset between a first end of the top portion and a second end of the base portion.

6. The touch sensing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the support structure comprises an inner wall supporting the plate, and wherein the first portion, the second portion, a third portion extending from the second portion, and the inner wall of the support structure together form a cavity.

7. The touch sensing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the cavity secures an electronics substrate that mounts the plurality of light emitters.

8. The touch sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mating portion is engaged with the receptacle responsive to the optical element slidably fitted in a direction perpendicular to the first portion during assembly.

9. The touch sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mating portion is engaged with the receptacle responsive to the optical element slidably fitted in a direction parallel to the first portion during assembly.