Touch switch with a keypad

• US 20020144886A1
• Filed: 04/10/2002
• Published: 10/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schott AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: SCHOTT Glass
• Inventors: Engelmann, Harry, Schaupert, Kurt
• Granted Patent: US 6,723,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/600
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/083 on tops, hot plates
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/96 Touch switches specially adapted for electronic time-pieces with no moving parts G04G21/08
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/964 Piezoelectric touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96062 with tactile or haptic feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

In a touch switch with a keypad 2, a tactual feedback of its operation, perceptible to the user, is said to be achieved. For this purpose a transducer 7 is provided, which upon a touching of the keypad 2 impressed a movement on the latter.

Claims

1. Touch switch with a keypad, wherein a transducer is provided, which when the keypad is touched, imposes a movement on the keypad.

2. Touch switch according to claim 1, wherein in case of a keypad with a plurality of touch zones, a transducer of its own is associated with each touch zone.

3. Touch switch according to claim 1, wherein the case of a keypad with a plurality of touch zones the transducer is common to the touch zones.

4. Touch switch according to claim 1, wherein the keypad is a glass surface, a glass ceramic surface or a plastic surface.

5. Touch switch according to claim 1, wherein the transducer is a piezoceramic element.

6. Touch switch according to claim 1, wherein the transducer is an electromagnetic transducer.

7. Touch switch according to claim 1, wherein the transducer is connected to the keypad such that it transfers its movement to the keypad 2.

8. Touch switch according to claim 1, wherein the transducer is arranged close to the keypad such that it knocks against the keypad.

9. Touch switch according to claim 1, wherein the transducer is that piezoceramic element which is also the sensor detecting the touching of the keypad or touch zone, the piezoceramic element operating during the touch, first as a sensor and thereafter as a transducer.

10. Touch switch according to claim 1, wherein the frequency and/or the intensity of the movement of the transducer upon the touching of different touch zones of the keypad is designed to be tactually distinguishable.

11. Touch switch according to claim 1, wherein the duration and/or frequency and/or intensity of the movement of the transducer is dependent upon the duration of the touching of the keypad or touch zone.

12. Touch switch according to claim 1, wherein the piezoceramic element is joined through a coupling body to the keypad or the touch zone.

13. Touch switch according to claim 1, wherein the piezoceramic element is a flexural vibrator on which a weight is disposed.

14. Touch switch according to claim 1, wherein the piezoceramic element rests through at least one intermediate piece on a supporting plate which is connected through its connecting elements to the keypad.