INTEGRATED FEATURE FOR FRICTION-LESS MOVEMENT OF FORCE SENSITIVE TOUTH SCREEN

• US 20100103640A1
• Filed: 03/14/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: F-Origin, Inc.
• Inventors: Brown, Caleb Daniel, Brown, Daniel Edward
• Granted Patent: US 8,144,453 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/829
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133526 Lenses, e.g. microlenses or Fresnel lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04142 the force sensing means being located peripherally, e.g. disposed at the corners or at the side of a touch sensing plate

Abstract

A suspension system for a differential-pressure touch sensitive panel suspended over force sensors, for use in either fixed or mobile devices such as point of sales terminals, kiosks, laptops, monitors, PDAs, cell phones, UMPCs and more. In one embodiment, each side of the lens is encircled and supported by a looped string, monofilament or flexible wire, which is then looped around the back cover or base plate, forming a figure-8. The figure 8-loops bring the lens into a fixed state in the xy-plane without the addition of any friction causing physical contact. Other alternative implementations include continuous suspensions, bender suspensions and 3-dimensional force suspensions. Moreover, the present invention proposes the use of a flexible padding under the force sensors to allow the sensors to be slightly preloaded, which reduces the dependency on extremely tight mechanical tolerances.

Claims

1. A suspension for a touch screen display having a floating touch panel opposed to a fixed base panel, comprising:

at least one suspension mechanism defined by a length of flexible line looped about both said floating touch panel and opposed fixed base panel.

2. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 1, wherein said at least one suspension mechanism is not secured to said floating touch panel and opposed fixed base other than by said loops.

3. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 1, wherein said at least one suspension mechanism is monofilament line.

4. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 1, wherein said at least one suspension mechanism is wire.

5. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 1, wherein said at least one suspension mechanism is plastic.

6. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 1, wherein said at least one suspension mechanism is formed of a leaf-spring.

7. A suspension for a touch screen display including a flat touch panel opposed to a flat support base, comprising:

a plurality of suspension mechanisms each defined by at least one loop encircling said flat touch panel and said flat support base.

8. The suspension for a touch screen display according to claim 7, wherein said at least one loop further comprises two loops including an upper and lower loop joined in a figure-eight, the upper loop encircling said flat touch panel and the lower loop encircling said flat support base.

9. The suspension for a touch screen display according to claim 8, wherein said flat touch panel and flat support base further comprise a display module and printed circuit board, respectively.

10. The suspension for a touch screen display according to claim 8, wherein said flat touch panel and flat support base further comprise a touch lens and backplane, respectively.

11. The suspension for a touch screen display according to claim 7, further comprising padding beneath each of said force sensors.

12. The suspension for a touch screen display according to claim 11, wherein said padding comprises Poron™

.

13. A suspension for a touch screen display including a lens and backplane, comprising:

a plurality of suspension mechanisms each attached between said lens and backplane for providing frictionless translation ability toward and away from each other, while constraining relative lateral movement.

14. The suspension for a touch screen display according to claim 13, wherein each of said suspension mechanisms is defined by an upper and lower loop joined in a figure-eight, the upper loop encircling said lens along one side and said lower loop encircling said backplane along one side.

15. The suspension for a touch screen display according to claim 13, wherein each of said suspension mechanisms comprises a resilient leaf-spring integrally attached between said lens and backplane.

16. The suspension for a touch screen display according to claim 13, wherein each of said suspension mechanisms comprises a resilient section of said lens defined by opposing notches through said lens, each said resilient section being attached at one or more points to said backplane.

17. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 16, wherein said lens is in contact with four underlying force sensors mounted at four corners of said lens.

18. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 17, further comprising padding beneath each of said force sensors.

19. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 18, wherein said padding comprises microcellular foam material.

20. A suspension for a touch screen display including a display module and printed circuit board, comprising:

a plurality of suspension mechanisms each defined by an upper and lower loop joined in a figure-eight, the upper loop encircling said LCD module along one side and said lower loop encircling said PCB along one side.

21. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 20, further comprising padding beneath each of said force sensors.

22. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 21, wherein said suspension mechanisms move freely.

23. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 20, further comprising four edge-mounted suspension mechanisms each straddling two of said force sensors.

24. The suspension for a touch screen according to claim 23, wherein said four edge-mounted suspension mechanisms define a three-dimensional suspension.