TWI877687B - Touchpad capable of vibration - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a touchpad capable of vibration comprising an integrated frame, a touch module, and a vibration unit. The frame consists of an outer frame, an inner frame, and an elastic connecting component. The elastic connecting component is positioned between the outer frame and the inner frame to provide freedom of movement for the inner frame relative to the outer frame along a first direction. When the vibration unit is triggered and vibrates, the movement of the inner frame along the first direction helps to distribute the vibration sensation evenly throughout the entire frame.

Description

Vibrating touch panel

The present invention relates to a touch panel, in particular to a touch panel with a vibration function.

In existing portable electronic devices, most are equipped with a touch panel as a built-in input device. In order to provide appropriate feedback information, a motor is set in the touch panel of the prior art to generate vibration at an appropriate time point, so that the user can feel the vibration feedback during the process of operating the touch panel. However, in order to match the internal component configuration of the portable electronic device and reserve a relatively complete space for setting other electronic components (such as batteries), the motor is usually set near the lower side of the touch panel, which is equivalent to the lower side of the portable electronic device. Therefore, the motor cannot be set at the center of mass of the touch panel in the prior art. When the motor vibrates, the eccentric setting of the motor will produce an uneven vibration phenomenon, which means that when the user's finger touches different positions of the touch panel, the vibration amplitude felt will be different. Due to the uneven vibration, the same vibration feedback will have different physical sensations at different positions of the touch panel, which may cause the user to misjudge or find it difficult to perceive the vibration feedback, and the vibration feedback cannot play its due effect.

In view of this, the present invention improves the structure of the touch panel in order to obtain a touch panel with uniform vibration.

In order to achieve the aforementioned purpose of the invention, the technical means adopted by the present invention is to provide a vibrating touch panel, which includes: a bracket, which includes an inner bracket, an outer bracket and an elastic connection component, the inner bracket, the outer bracket and the elastic connection component are integrally formed, the outer bracket has a containing space, the inner bracket is arranged in the containing space of the outer bracket, and the elastic connection component is arranged between the inner bracket and the outer bracket to provide the inner bracket with freedom of movement along a first direction relative to the outer bracket; a touch module, which is arranged on one side of the bracket; and a vibration unit, which is arranged on one side of the touch module and adjacent to the bracket, and provides vibration along the first direction.

The advantage of the present invention is that, by providing an elastic connection component in an integrally formed bracket, the inner bracket is provided with the freedom to move along a first direction relative to the outer bracket, thereby changing the natural frequency of the bracket, so that when the vibration unit vibrates, the overall vibration is uniformed.

The following is a further description of the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the predetermined invention purpose, with reference to the drawings and the embodiments of the present invention. The drawings have been simplified for the purpose of illustration only, and the structure or method invention of the present invention is described by describing the relationship between the elements and assemblies of the present invention. Therefore, the elements shown in the drawings are not presented in actual quantity, actual shape, actual size and actual proportion. The size or size proportion has been enlarged or simplified to provide a better description. The actual quantity, actual shape or actual size proportion has been selectively designed and configured, and the detailed element layout may be more complicated.

Please refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 , the present invention includes a bracket 10 , a touch module 20 , and a vibration unit 30 .

The aforementioned bracket 10 includes an inner bracket 11, an outer bracket 12 and an elastic connection component 13. The inner bracket 11, the outer bracket 12 and the elastic connection component 13 are integrally formed. The outer bracket 12 has a receiving space 121. The inner bracket 11 is relatively arranged in the receiving space 121. The elastic connection component 13 is arranged between the inner bracket 11 and the outer bracket 12 to provide the inner bracket 11 with freedom of movement along a first direction _D1 relative to the outer bracket 12. The aforementioned touch module 20 is disposed on one side of the bracket 10, and the aforementioned vibration unit 30 is disposed on one side of the touch module 20 and adjacent to the bracket 10. Please refer to Figures 4 and 5. When the vibration unit 30 generates vibration along the first direction _D1 , the bracket 10 vibrates along the first direction _D1 through the degree of freedom provided by the elastic connection component 13.

In one embodiment, the outer periphery of the inner bracket 11 has two outer edges 111 along the first direction _D1 , the inner periphery of the outer bracket 12 has two inner edges 122 along the first direction _D1 , and the elastic connection assembly 13 includes two sub-connection parts 14, and the sub-connection parts 14 are respectively arranged between the outer edges 111 and the inner edges 122. In one embodiment, except for the outer edges 111 of the inner bracket 11 being connected to the sub-connection parts 14, the inner bracket 11 has a gap with the inner periphery of the outer bracket 12 at the rest of the outer periphery to provide relative movement space so that the inner bracket 11 can move relative to the outer bracket 12 along the first direction. In one embodiment, each of the sub-connecting portions 14 includes an elastic portion 15 and a bridging section 16. The elastic portion 15 is deformable along the first direction _D1 to provide the inner support 11 with freedom of movement along the first direction _D1 relative to the outer support 12. The bridging section 16 is connected between the elastic portion 15 and the corresponding outer edge 111 of the inner support 11.

In one embodiment, please refer to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 in conjunction with FIG. 3 , each of the elastic portions 15 includes a central node 151 and four branch ribs 152, wherein the branch ribs 152 are extended outward from the central node 151, wherein two ends of the branch ribs 152 are respectively connected to the central node 151 and the inner edge 122 of the outer bracket 12, and two ends of the other two branch ribs 152 are respectively connected to the central node 151 and the bridge section 16, and the adjacent branch ribs 152 have an angle greater than 0 degrees. Under the premise of having a certain angle, when the inner bracket 11 is relative to the outer bracket 12 along the first direction D ₁ , these angles provide space for the elastic portion 15 to deform, that is, the branch ribs 152 will move closer or farther away with the relative movement between the inner bracket 11 and the outer bracket 12. In one embodiment, a second direction _D2 is perpendicular to the first direction _D1 . In an undeformed state, the angles between the branch ribs 152 on opposite sides have the same angle. For example, the two angles _θ1 along the second direction _D2 are both 10°, and the two angles _θ2 along the first direction _D1 are both 170°. The four branch ribs 152 are arranged in an X shape. In one embodiment, the branch ribs 152 are arranged to be symmetrical along the first direction _D1 and the second direction _D2 , that is, except that the angles of the opposite sides have the same angle, the lengths of the branch ribs 152 are the same. When the inner bracket 11 moves relative to the outer bracket 12 along the first direction _D1 , the symmetrical branch ribs 152 make it easy to maintain the relative movement of the inner bracket 11 and the outer bracket 12 in a uniform swinging state.

The size of the elastic portion 15 and the branch ribs 152 affects the movement stability of the inner support 11 relative to the outer support 12. In one embodiment, the ratio of the length L to the width W of the elastic portion 15 is between 2 and 7, wherein the width W is along the first direction L ₁ and the length L is along the second direction L ₂ . In one embodiment, the width t of each branch rib 152 is between 1 and 2 mm.

Please refer to Figures 2 and 7. In one embodiment, the inner bracket 11 has a central portion 112 and a plurality of extension ears 113. The aforementioned inner edge 111 is located at the two side edges of the central portion 112. The extension ears 113 extend outward from the central portion 112 and are respectively located at the two ends of the sub-connection portion 14 of the elastic connection component 13, that is, each of the sub-connection portions 14 is surrounded by the extension ears 113, the outer edge 111 of the inner bracket 11, and the inner edge 112 of the outer bracket 12.

Please refer to FIG. 8 and FIG. 3 and FIG. 6 . In one embodiment, at least one buffer pad 40 (four in this embodiment) is provided between the outer bracket 12 and the touch module 20. The outer bracket 12 extends inward from the inner edge 122 to form a plurality of inner extension ears 123. Each inner extension ear 123 abuts against the corresponding buffer pad 40. The arrangement of the buffer pad 40 will make the bracket 10 not abut against the touch module 20. However, in order to support the touch module 20, the inner bracket 11 is deformed so that the center portion 11 2 is able to be attached to the touch module 20, the central portion 112 of the inner bracket 11 attached to the touch module 20 and the outer bracket 12 lifted by the buffer pad 40 are located in different planes and have a step difference. Since the elastic connection component 13 is connected to the outer bracket 12 and the inner bracket 11, the bridge section 16 of the elastic connection component 13 has an inclined surface 161 corresponding to the step difference to connect the outer bracket 12 and the central portion 112 of the inner bracket 11 located in different planes. The thickness of the buffer pad 40 is less than or equal to the step difference.

In summary, by disposing the elastic connection assembly 13, the inner bracket 11 has the freedom to move along the first direction _L1 relative to the outer bracket 12. Therefore, when the vibration unit 30 is triggered to vibrate, the inner bracket 11 moves along the first direction _L1 , thereby changing its natural frequency and making the vibration of the entire bracket 10 uniform.

The above is only an embodiment of the present invention and does not constitute any form of limitation on the present invention. Although the present invention has been disclosed as above by the embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person with ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field can make some changes or modifications to the technical contents disclosed above into equivalent embodiments within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. However, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention still fall within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

10: Bracket                                                   11: Inner bracket 111: Outer edge                                         112: Center 113: Outer extension ear                                     12: Outer bracket 121: Accommodation space                                   122: Inner edge 123: Inner extension ear                                     13: Elastic connection assembly 14: Sub-connection part                                     15: Elastic part 151: Center node                                       152: Branch rib 16: Bridge section                                         161: Inclined surface 20: Touch module                                        30: Vibration unit 40: Buffer

Figure 1 is a three-dimensional diagram of the present invention; Figure 2 is a three-dimensional diagram of the exploded components of the present invention; Figure 3 is a front view of the present invention; Figures 4 and 5 are front view action diagrams of the present invention; Figure 6 is an enlarged three-dimensional diagram of some components of the present invention; Figure 7 is an enlarged front view of some components of the present invention; Figure 8 is an end view cross-sectional diagram along the A-A line of Figure 6.

10: Bracket 11: Inner bracket 112: Center 113: Outer ear 12: Outer bracket 123: Inner ear 13: Elastic connection assembly 14: Sub-connection part 15: Elastic part 16: Bridge section 20: Touch module 30: Vibration unit 40: Buffer pad

Claims (9)

A vibrating touch panel comprises: a bracket, which comprises an inner bracket, an outer bracket and an elastic connection component, wherein the inner bracket, the outer bracket and the elastic connection component are integrally formed, the outer bracket has a containing space, the inner bracket is arranged in the containing space of the outer bracket, the inner bracket has two outer edges along the first direction, the outer bracket has two inner edges along the first direction, the elastic connection component is arranged between the inner bracket and the outer bracket and comprises two sub-connecting parts, the sub-connecting parts are respectively arranged at the inner edge of the inner bracket and the inner edge of the outer bracket. Between the outer edges, each of the sub-connecting parts includes an elastic part, and the elastic part is deformable along the first direction to provide the inner bracket with a degree of freedom of movement along the first direction relative to the outer bracket, wherein each of the elastic parts includes a central node and four branch ribs, and the branch ribs are extended outward from the central node, and the adjacent branch ribs have an angle greater than 0 degrees; a touch module, which is arranged on one side of the bracket; and a vibration unit, which is arranged on one side of the touch module and adjacent to the bracket, and provides vibration along the first direction. A touch panel as described in claim 1, wherein each of the elastic portions has a width and a length, wherein the width is along the first direction, and the ratio of the length to the width is between 2 and 7. A touch panel as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the angles formed by the branch ribs have the same angle on opposite sides. A touch panel as described in claim 3, wherein the branch ribs are symmetrical along the first direction and along a second direction, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. A touch panel as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the width of each branch rib is between 1 and 2 mm. A touch panel as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner bracket has a central portion, the inner edges are located at the two side edges of the central portion, and the central portion and the elastic portion are in different planes. A touch panel as described in claim 6, wherein each sub-connection portion includes a bridge section, and each bridge section is connected between the corresponding elastic portion and the corresponding outer edge of the inner bracket. The touch panel as described in claim 6, wherein the center portion and the elastic portion are in different planes so that there is a step difference between the center portions of the outer bracket and the inner bracket, and at least one buffer pad is provided between the outer bracket and the touch module, and the thickness of the buffer pad is less than or equal to the step difference. A touch panel as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the outer periphery of the inner bracket, except for the inner edge connected to the sub-connection portion, has a gap with the inner periphery of the outer bracket at the rest of the outer periphery.