TWI553511B - Computer peripheral device - Google Patents

Description

Computer peripheral device

The invention relates to a computer peripheral device, in particular to a button configuration mode provided for an operator to adjust the number of buttons by himself, and different number of buttons can be used to meet different hotkey setting requirements.

In order to facilitate the operation of the computer, more and more computer peripheral devices are constantly being designed and improved, such as keyboards, mice, rockers, and the like. For example, a conventional computer mouse is generally provided with a scroll wheel, a left button and a right button, respectively controlling a window scroll and operating various quick shortcut setting functions.

At present, some computer mouse buttons are set on the side for quick operation of some functions. The side buttons (or simply the side buttons) are usually only placed on one side of the mouse, the number is fixed, at least one, and there are twelve side buttons. In addition to making everyday browsing more convenient, the side buttons can improve the efficiency of computer games that require many hot keys (especially multiplayer role-playing online games MMORPG). In addition, it can also be applied to setting hot keys for word processing. Side button for the gaming mouse's software setting function, the most basic is the button function setting, or DPI value setting, the most complicated is the button macro recording.

However, the number of side buttons described above is fixed, and computer mice with fewer side buttons may not be sufficient for computer games with complex functions. Computer mice with more side buttons may have buttons that are idle and unused. Therefore, it is unable to cope with various hot key setting requirements of different users. In the case of rapid development of computer software or software, it is not even possible to satisfy the same user and cope with diverse hotkey setting requirements.

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a computer peripheral device with a multi-directional button wheel, which allows the operator to adjust the number of buttons and various button configuration modes, thereby meeting various hotkey setting requirements.

In order to solve the above technical problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, a computer peripheral device is provided, including a housing and at least one multi-directional button wheel. The multi-directional button wheels are rotatably disposed in the housing along a central axis and are partially exposed to the housing, and each of the multi-directional button wheels has a polygonal shape and a plurality of pressing surfaces, each having a plurality of pressing surfaces The pressing surfaces each have at least one or more buttons; at least two of the pressing surfaces of each of the multi-directional button wheels are provided with different numbers of buttons; thereby the at least one multi-directional button wheel is exposed to the different pressing surface The housing provides a plurality of changeable button configuration modes, the button configuration modes having the plurality of buttons in different numbers and different arrangements.

The invention has the following beneficial effects: the multi-directional button wheel is exposed to the casing of the computer peripheral device with different pressing faces, and thus a plurality of changeable button configuration modes can be provided. The operator can easily customize the required button configuration mode.

In order to further understand the technology, method and effect of the present invention in order to achieve the intended purpose, reference should be made to the detailed description and drawings of the present invention. The drawings and the annexed drawings are intended to be illustrative and not to limit the invention.

100, 100', 400, 500‧‧‧ computer peripherals

10‧‧‧shell

11‧‧‧ top wall

12, 14‧‧‧ side wall

120‧‧‧opening

16‧‧‧Cylinder

160‧‧‧Bumps

20‧‧‧Multi-directional button wheel

20A‧‧‧Axis

21, 22, 23‧‧ ‧ pressing surface

25‧‧‧Depression

30‧‧‧Roller

40‧‧‧shell

401‧‧‧ shaft

50‧‧‧shell

52‧‧‧ word key

C‧‧‧Axis

K1, K2, K3‧‧‧ buttons

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a computer peripheral device of the present invention.

1A is a schematic view of a multidirectional key wheel of the present invention.

2 is a top plan view of a computer peripheral device of the present invention.

2A is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 2.

3 is a side view of a first type of button configuration mode of the computer peripheral device of the present invention.

4 is a side view of a second button configuration mode of the computer peripheral device of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a side view showing a third key arrangement mode of the computer peripheral device of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the positioning mechanism of the computer peripheral device of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view showing a second embodiment of the computer peripheral device of the present invention.

Figure 8 is a schematic view showing a third embodiment of the computer peripheral device of the present invention.

[First Embodiment]

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , which are perspective views and top views of the computer peripheral device of the present invention. The computer peripheral device 100 of this embodiment is exemplified by a computer mouse. However, the present invention is not limited to a computer mouse, and can also be applied to other computer peripheral devices such as a keyboard, a rocker, and the like. The computer peripheral device 100 of this embodiment includes a housing 10, a plurality of multi-directional button wheels 20, and a roller 30. The number of the multi-directional button wheels 20 is four in this embodiment, but may be at least one.

The multi-directional button wheels 20 are rotatably disposed in the housing 10 along a central axis C in a side-by-side manner, and are partially exposed to the housing 10. According to the computer mouse of this embodiment, the housing 10 has a top wall 11 and two side walls 12, 14 connected to the top wall 11. The side wall 12 is provided with an opening 120, and the multi-directional button wheel 20 is exposed to the opening 120 of the side wall 12. The multi-directional button wheels 20 may be exposed to the other side wall 14 if used with a left-handed operator. The axis C of the multi-directional button wheel 20 is substantially along the longitudinal direction of the side wall 12. The multi-directional button wheel 20 of the present invention may have a side view shape like an olive shape and have two pressing faces or a polygonal shape and a plurality of pressing faces.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the multi-directional button wheel 20 of the present embodiment has a substantially triangular shape and has a shaft portion 20A and three pressing faces 21, 22, 23. Each of the pressing faces 21, 22, 23 has a curved surface. The corners of the multi-directional button wheel 20 each form a recess 25, and each recess 25 is located between two adjacent pressing faces (21, 22; or 21, 23; or 22, 23). The recessed portion 25 is convenient for the operator to rotate the multi-directional button wheel 20. Each pressing surface 21, 22, 23 each have at least one or more buttons. One of the features of the present invention is that at least two pressing faces of each multi-directional button wheel 20 are provided with different numbers of buttons. In this embodiment, the pressing surface 21 has a button K1, the pressing surface 22 has two buttons K2, and the pressing surface 23 has three buttons K3. The button K1 has a large area and is convenient to press; the pressing surface 23 has a larger number of buttons K3, three in total, which is convenient for the user to set more hot keys. The inside of the above button may be a micro-mini button switch, such as a type of button currently applied to a mobile phone.

The button configuration of the present invention is not limited to the number of button assignments of the above three pressing faces. The three pressing faces can be respectively configured as one, one and two buttons; or two, two or three buttons. The number of buttons can be changed depending on the size of the pressing surface. For the application of the present embodiment to the computer mouse, the number of buttons per pressing surface is preferably three or less depending on the size of the side wall and the convenience of thumb pressing. In addition, the number of the multi-directional button wheels 20 may be four, and an excessive number may cause inconvenience in the operation of the thumb.

Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 2A. FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 2. The housing 10 is provided with a cylindrical portion 16 connected to the inner side of the side wall 12, and the multi-directional button wheels 20 are rotatably disposed in the cylindrical portion 16. The shaft portion 20A extends through all of the multi-directional button wheels 20, and each of the multi-directional button wheels 20 is individually rotatable relative to the shaft portion 20A.

Referring to FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, the multi-directional button wheel 20 is rotatably disposed on the computer peripheral device 100, and the multi-directional button wheel 20 can be exposed to different pressing surfaces (21, 22 or 23). The housing 10, in turn, provides a variety of changeable button configuration modes. Each button configuration mode has a different number and different arrangement of buttons, which can be used with different software or computer game hotkey setting requirements.

The button configuration mode that can be provided in this embodiment is exemplified as follows. As shown in FIG. 3, the first button configuration mode is configured with four multi-directional button wheels 20, each of which exposes a pressing surface 23 having three buttons, for a total of 12 A button. As shown in FIG. 4, in the second button configuration mode, the four multi-directional button wheels 20 each expose a pressing surface 22 having two buttons. There are a total of 8 buttons; as shown in FIG. 5, in the third button configuration mode, the four multi-directional button wheels 20 each expose a pressing surface 21 having a button, and there are 4 buttons. Therefore, the multi-directional button wheel 20 of the computer peripheral device 100 of the present invention can be used for the user to customize the hot keys for setting various requirements of the software or the game, and adjust the multi-directional button wheel 20 according to the required number of hot keys. For the user to set various hotkey functions, there will be no idle buttons. Even according to the user's preference, the buttons can be placed in different positions to form different configurations.

According to the four multi-directional button wheels 20 of the embodiment, the three pressing surfaces 21, 22, and 23 respectively have one, two, and three buttons, and the four rows of the multi-directional button wheels 20 each have three modules. In this embodiment, a total of 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 = 81 key configuration patterns can be provided. The computer mouse with the sliding side button of the present invention, the Computer Mouse with Revolver Side Key, is suitable for the MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game), which can be customized (Customize). The side button configuration of the computer mouse.

Please refer to FIG. 6, which is a cross-sectional view of the computer peripheral device of the present invention having a positioning mechanism. The housing 10 of the computer peripheral device 100' of the present embodiment is preferably provided with a positioning mechanism for fixing the multi-directional button wheel 20 to prevent the multi-directional button wheel 20 from being deflected during operation. In this embodiment, a plurality of recessed portions 25 formed by the multi-directional button wheel 20 are used, and the recessed portion 25 is located between two adjacent pressing faces. In the embodiment, a protrusion 160 is protruded from the cylindrical portion 16 toward the multi-directional button wheel 20 as a positioning mechanism, and the protrusion 160 is blocked in the recess portion 25 of one of the protrusions. Thereby, the stability of the multi-directional button wheel 20 is enhanced. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described positioning mechanism, and may be provided, for example, on the shaft portion 20A or the side wall 12.

[Second embodiment]

Please refer to FIG. 7, which is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of a computer peripheral device according to the present invention. The computer peripheral device 400 of the present embodiment can be applied to a rocker. The rocker has a shaft 401, and the housing 40 of the shaft 401 is provided with at least one multi-directional button wheel 20, multi-directionally pressing The key wheel 20 partially exposes the shaft 401.

[Third embodiment]

Please refer to FIG. 8 , which is a schematic diagram of a third embodiment of a computer peripheral device according to the present invention. The computer peripheral device 500 of the present embodiment can be applied to a keyboard. The top surface of the keyboard is provided with a plurality of word keys 52. The housing 50 of the keyboard is provided with at least one multi-directional button wheel 20, and the multi-directional button wheel 20 can be disposed on the front end surface of the keyboard and adjacent to the side of the keyboard.

The feature and function of the present invention is that the multi-directional button wheels 20 are exposed to the housing of the computer peripheral device with different pressing surfaces (21 to 23), thereby providing a plurality of changeable button configuration modes. The button configuration modes have a plurality of buttons of different numbers and different arrangement modes, and provide a button configuration mode required by the user for self-customization to meet various hot key settings.

The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and all changes and modifications made to the scope of the present invention should be within the scope of the present invention.

100‧‧‧Computer peripherals

10‧‧‧shell

12‧‧‧ side wall

120‧‧‧opening

20‧‧‧Multi-directional button wheel

30‧‧‧Roller

K3‧‧‧ button

Claims (10)

A computer peripheral device comprising: a housing; and at least one multi-directional button wheel rotatably disposed in the housing along an axis, and partially exposed to the housing, each of the multi-directional button wheels being Polygon having a plurality of pressing surfaces, each of the pressing surfaces having at least one or more buttons; at least two pressing surfaces of each of the multi-directional button wheels are provided with different numbers of buttons; thereby the at least one multi-directional The button wheel is exposed to the housing with different pressing surfaces, and a plurality of changeable button configuration modes are provided, the button configuration modes having the plurality of buttons in different numbers and different arrangements. The computer peripheral device of claim 1, wherein the computer peripheral device is a computer mouse, the housing has a top wall and at least one side wall connected to the top wall, and the at least one multi-directional button wheel is exposed to the At least one side wall, the axis of the at least one multi-directional button wheel is substantially along a longitudinal direction of the side wall. The computer peripheral device of claim 2, wherein the multi-directional button wheel has a substantially triangular shape and has three pressing surfaces, each of the pressing surfaces having an arc shape. The computer peripheral device of claim 3, wherein the three pressing surfaces respectively have one, two and three of the buttons. The computer peripheral device of claim 3, wherein the multi-directional button wheel forms a plurality of recesses, each of the recesses being located between two adjacent ones of the pressing faces. The computer peripheral device of claim 3, wherein the number of the multi-directional button wheels is four. The computer peripheral device of claim 2, wherein the housing is provided with a cylindrical portion connected to the inner side of the side wall, and the multi-directional button wheels are rotatably disposed in the cylindrical portion. The computer peripheral device of claim 7, wherein the housing is provided with a positioning mechanism, wherein the multi-directional button wheel forms a plurality of recesses, each of the recesses being located Between two adjacent pressing surfaces, the positioning mechanism is a protrusion protruding from the cylindrical portion toward the multi-directional button wheel, and the protrusion is blocked in the recess of one of the pressing portions. The computer peripheral device of claim 1, wherein the computer peripheral device is a rocker, the rocker has a shaft, wherein the at least one multi-directional button wheel is disposed in the shaft, and the shaft is partially exposed . The computer peripheral device of claim 1, wherein the computer peripheral device is a keyboard, and the at least one multi-directional button wheel is disposed on a front end surface of the keyboard and adjacent to a side of the keyboard.