Fully clickable trackpad

• US 9,069,394 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2012
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Clayton, Joseph Edward, Rivera, Felix Jose Alvarez, Han, Amy
• Primary Examiner(s): Sharifi-Tafreshi, Koosha
• Application Number:
  US13/424,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20140139442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/173, 345/174, 178 1801- 1811, 361/679.01, 361/679.02, 361/679.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

According to one general aspect, an apparatus includes a trackpad that includes a cover member having a top surface and a switch coupled to the cover member. At least two spring members are coupled to the trackpad and are each disposed at a non-zero distance from each other and are each configured to collectively bias the trackpad in a first position in which the top surface of the cover member is in a first plane. The trackpad is movable to a second position in which the top surface of the cover member is in a second plane substantially parallel to the first plane when an input force is exerted on the top surface of the cover member. The switch is configured to trigger an electrical signal within a computer when the trackpad is moved to its second position.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing including a bottom wall disposed in a first plane;

a trackpad including;

a cover member having a top surface configured to receive an input force, the top surface disposed in a second plane parallel to the first plane;

a base member parallel to and disposed below the cover member, the base member having a bottom surface;

a first side;

a second side opposite and parallel to the first side;

an arm member coupled to the housing at a first end and a second end;

an actuation member coupled to the arm member; and

a switch coupled to the cover member;

a first spring member coupled to the first side of the trackpad, the first spring member including a first end portion and a second end portion opposite the first end portion, the second end portion in contact with the bottom surface of the trackpad, the first spring member disposed and elongated in a third plane parallel to the first plane and the second plane; and

a second spring member coupled to the second side of the trackpad, the second spring member including a first end portion and a second end portion opposite the first end portion, the second end portion in contact with the bottom surface of the trackpad, the second spring member disposed and elongated in the third plane, the first spring member and the second spring member each being disposed at a non-zero distance from each other and collectively configured to bias the trackpad in the first position,

the trackpad being movable to a second position in which the top surface of the cover member is disposed in a fourth plane substantially parallel to the second plane when an input force is exerted on the top surface of the cover member,

the switch configured to trigger an electrical signal within a computer when the trackpad is moved to its second position, the movement of the trackpad to the second position pressing the switch against the actuation member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the top surface of the cover member is bounded by a first side edge opposite a second side edge and a third side edge opposite a fourth side edge, the first side edge, the second side edge, the third side edge and the fourth side edge each move an equal distance when the trackpad is moved from its first position to its second position.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first spring member and the second spring member each have a first configuration in which the first spring member and the second spring member support the trackpad in its first position, the first spring member and the second spring member each being separately movable to a second configuration when the trackpad is moved to its second position.

4. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the trackpad is slidably coupled to the housing and includes at least two pins configured to be slidably received within a corresponding at least two bushings coupled to the housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 3,

wherein the top surface of the cover member has an outer perimeter,

the first end portion of the first spring member and the first end portion of the second spring member each being disposed outside the outer perimeter of the top surface of the cover member, and

the second end portion of the first spring member and the second end portion of the second spring member each being configured to support the trackpad in its first position.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the top surface of the cover member has an outer perimeter that defines a surface area of the top surface of the cover member, the trackpad configured to be moved to its second position when an input force is exerted on the top surface of the trackpad within the surface area of the top surface of the trackpad.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a trackpad coupled to the housing, the trackpad including;

a cover member having a top surface configured to receive an input force and having an outer perimeter;

a base member parallel to and disposed below the cover member, the base member having a bottom surface;

a side, the side of the trackpad being perpendicular to the cover member and the base member;

a switch coupled to the cover member;

an arm member coupled to the housing at a first end and a second end; and

an actuation member coupled to the arm member; and

a support member coupled to the side of the trackpad, the support member including a first end portion and a second end portion opposite the first end portion, the support member elongated in a direction parallel to the base member, the second end portion in contact with the bottom surface of the trackpad, the first end portion coupled to the housing and disposed outside of the outer perimeter of the top surface of the cover member, the second end portion of the support member configured to support the trackpad in a first position relative to the housing, the trackpad being movable to a second position relative to the housing when an input force is exerted on the top surface of the cover member, and the switch configured to be actuated when the trackpad is moved to its second position pressing the switch against the actuation member.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the switch is coupled to the cover member such that the switch moves with the cover member when the trackpad is moved between its first position and its second position.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the top surface of the cover member is disposed in a first plane when the trackpad is in its first position, the top surface of the cover member being disposed in a second plane substantially parallel to the first plane when trackpad is in its second position.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the trackpad includes at least one alignment pin configured to be slidably received within a corresponding at least one bushing coupled to the housing.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the trackpad includes at least one alignment pin configured to be slidably received within a corresponding at least one opening defined by the housing.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the support member is a spring member.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the top surface of the cover member is bounded by a first side edge opposite a second side edge and a third side edge opposite a fourth side edge, the first side edge, the second side edge, the third side edge and the fourth side edge each move an equal distance when the trackpad is moved from its first position to its second position.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a trackpad coupled to the housing, the trackpad including;

a cover member having a top surface disposed in a first plane and configured to receive an input force, the cover member having an outer perimeter in the first plane, the outer perimeter defined by a first side edge of the cover member, a second side edge of the cover member, a third side edge of the cover member, and a fourth side edge of the cover member;

a switch being coupled to the cover member,

an arm member coupled to the housing at a first end and a second end,

an actuation member coupled to the arm member, and

a base member coupled to and disposed below the cover member in a second plane parallel to the first plane, the base member including;

at least two legs extending beyond the outer perimeter of the cover member, and

at least two pins, each leg including a respective pin, each pin configured to be slidably received within a corresponding opening included in the housing to allow slidable movement of the trackpad relative to the housing; and

at least two support members coupled to the trackpad, the at least two support members collectively configured to bias the trackpad in a first position in which the top surface of the cover member is disposed in the first plane, the trackpad being slidably movable in a substantially vertical direction relative to the housing to a second position in which the top surface of the cover member is disposed in a third plane substantially parallel to the first plane when an input force is exerted on the top surface of the trackpad, the switch configured to trigger an electrical signal within a computer when the trackpad is moved to the second position, the movement of the trackpad to the second position compressing the switch against the actuation member.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the switch is configured to move with the trackpad when the trackpad is moved between its first position and its second position, the switch configured to be actuated when the trackpad is moved to its second position.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the corresponding opening is a bushing coupled to the housing.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first side edge is opposite to the second side edge and the third side edge is opposite to the fourth side edge, the first side edge, the second side edge, the third side edge and the fourth side edge each configured to move an equal distance when the trackpad is moved from its first position to its second position.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least two support members are at least two spring members, the at least two spring members having a first configuration in which the at least two spring members collectively bias the trackpad in its first position.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each of the at least two support members are elongated in a direction parallel to the base member, have a first end fixedly coupled to the housing and disposed outside of the outer perimeter of the cover member, and have a second end configured to support the trackpad in its first position.