CN108132718B - Scroll wheel assembly and related input device - Google Patents

Scroll wheel assembly and related input device Download PDF

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Publication number
CN108132718B
CN108132718B CN201611084288.0A CN201611084288A CN108132718B CN 108132718 B CN108132718 B CN 108132718B CN 201611084288 A CN201611084288 A CN 201611084288A CN 108132718 B CN108132718 B CN 108132718B
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China
Prior art keywords
magnet
roller
operable
lever
core
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CN201611084288.0A
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Chinese (zh)
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CN108132718A (en
Inventor
张春来
杨平
赵克龙
孙海记
黄显明
翟斌
D·莱恩
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Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
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Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
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Priority to CN201611084288.0A priority Critical patent/CN108132718B/en
Priority to PCT/US2017/063174 priority patent/WO2018102227A1/en
Publication of CN108132718A publication Critical patent/CN108132718A/en
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
    • G06F3/03—Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
    • G06F3/033—Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor
    • G06F3/0362—Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
    • G06F3/03—Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
    • G06F3/033—Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor
    • G06F3/0354—Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
    • G06F3/03543—Mice or pucks
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
    • G06F3/016—Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Control Devices (AREA)
  • Dynamo-Electric Clutches, Dynamo-Electric Brakes (AREA)

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a scroll wheel assembly and related input device. The roller assembly proposed herein comprises a magnet and a roller, the roller having a core disposed therein capable of magnetically interacting with the magnet. The roller assembly further includes a lever so that a distance between the magnet and the roller can be adjusted by rotating the magnet with rotation of the lever. With this arrangement, at least two operation modes can be provided, in which when the magnet is far from the roller, the magnetic resistance force received by the roller is small, and the user can freely roll the roller, and when the magnet is close to the roller, the magnetic resistance force received by the roller is large, and the user can perform a normal or fine screen rolling operation.

Description

Scroll wheel assembly and related input device
Background
A mouse is a commonly used input device. A mouse wheel may be provided on a conventional mouse. In the event that the user turns the mouse wheel forward or backward, the content of a page or the like on the computer display may be caused to scroll or toggle for easy viewing by the user. Conventional mouse wheels typically have a mode of use in which the rolling resistance is not typically adjustable or readily adjustable. However, the user needs to provide different usage modes according to different application scenarios or have different user preferences for the rolling resistance during the use of the mouse. Conventional mouse wheels generally fail to provide such a selection. Even where such a selection is provided, the user experience may be affected to some extent. Similar problems exist with other types of input devices.
Disclosure of Invention
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a scroll wheel assembly that may be used with a mouse or other input device. The roller component comprises a magnet and a roller, wherein a core capable of magnetically interacting with the magnet is arranged in the roller. The roller assembly further includes a lever so that a distance between the magnet and the roller can be adjusted by rotating the magnet with rotation of the lever. With this arrangement, at least two modes of operation can be provided, wherein the magnetic drag experienced by the roller is small, or even negligible, when the magnet is located away from the roller, thereby providing a flywheel mode. In the flywheel mode, the user is free to roll the scroll wheel. When the magnet is close to the roller, the magnetic resistance force borne by the roller is larger, so that a resistance mode is provided. In the resistive mode, the user may perform a normal or fine scrolling operation. Therefore, the embodiment of the disclosure can be adapted to different operation scenes, thereby providing good user experience.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Drawings
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following more particular descriptions of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers generally represent like parts throughout the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.
FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a scroll wheel assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the scroll wheel assembly shown in FIG. 1 in another mode of operation;
FIG. 3a shows a perspective view of the scroll wheel assembly shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3b illustrates a perspective view of a torsion spring according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;
fig. 4a shows a side view of an example arrangement of magnets according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 4b shows another side view of the example arrangement of magnets shown in FIG. 4 a;
FIG. 5a illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of a scroll wheel assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 5b illustrates a side view of a portion of a scroll wheel assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 5c illustrates a side view of a portion of a scroll wheel assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 5d shows a schematic view of the interaction area of the scroll wheel assembly shown in FIG. 5 b;
FIG. 5e shows a schematic view of the interaction area of the scroll wheel assembly shown in FIG. 5 c; and
FIG. 6 shows a schematic flow diagram of a method of manufacturing a roller assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
Detailed Description
The present disclosure will now be discussed with reference to several embodiments. It is understood that these embodiments are discussed only to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to better understand and thus implement the present disclosure, and are not intended to imply any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure.
As used herein, the term "include" and its variants are to be read as open-ended terms meaning "including, but not limited to. The term "based on" is to be read as "based, at least in part, on". The terms "embodiment" and "one embodiment" are to be read as "at least one embodiment". The term "another embodiment" is to be read as "at least one other embodiment". The terms "first," "second," and the like may refer to different or the same object. Other explicit and implicit definitions are also possible below.
Some specific values or ranges of values may be referred to in the following description. It should be understood that these values and value ranges are exemplary only and may be useful in putting the concepts of the present disclosure into practice. However, the description of these examples is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. These values or ranges of values may be otherwise set depending on the particular application scenario and requirements.
As described above, since a conventional mouse wheel generally has a mode of use, its rolling resistance is generally not or not easily adjustable. However, users often need to provide different usage modes according to different application scenarios or have different user preferences for the scrolling resistance during the use of the mouse. Conventional mouse wheels generally fail to provide such a selection.
Embodiments of the present disclosure address, at least in part, the above problems by providing a scroll wheel assembly that may be used with an input device such as a mouse. Referring initially to fig. 1-2, a cross-sectional view of a scroll wheel assembly 100 in different modes of operation is shown according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
As shown in fig. 1 and 2, in general, a scroll wheel assembly 100 described herein includes a scroll wheel 10 and a magnet 20, the magnet 20 being disposed on a rotation plane of the scroll wheel 10. In some embodiments, magnet 20 is a permanent magnet. The roller 10 includes a core 15 capable of magnetically interacting with a magnet 20. The core 15 may be made of a soft magnetic material that is easily magnetized and demagnetized, and for example, the core 15 may be an iron core.
The distance between the magnet 20 and the roller 10 is adjustable to vary the rolling resistance of the roller 10, and thus the amount of magnetic interaction or force between the magnet 20 and the core 15. For example, where the distance between the magnet 20 and the roller 10 is large, the attractive force between the magnet 20 and the core 15 is small or even negligible. In this mode, the scroll wheel may scroll quickly, for example, to facilitate a quick scroll up or down operation. The attractive force between the magnet 20 and the core 15 is greater when the distance between the magnet 20 and the roller 10 is small, even against each other, thereby applying greater resistance to the roller 10, for example, facilitating regular or fine rolling operations.
In some embodiments, in order to more effectively adjust the distance between the magnet 20 and the roller 10, the roller assembly 100 may further include a lever 60. The lever 60 is coupled with the magnet 20 and may rotate the magnet 20 with the rotation of the lever 60. As shown in fig. 1, the lever 60 is provided with a rotation shaft 75 and rotates thereabout. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the magnet 20 may be supported by a bracket 65 and fixed to one end of the lever 60 via the bracket 65. The bracket 65 and/or the lever 60 may be made of a plastic material. For example, the bracket 65 and the lever 60 may be integrally formed by injection molding.
The end of the lever 60 containing the magnet 20 may be attracted to the roller 10 due to the magnetic attraction between the magnet 20 and the core 15. In this case, the magnet 20 and the roller 10 substantially abut against each other. To adjust the distance between the magnet 20 and the roller 10, the roller assembly 100 may further include a mechanism for adjusting the turning state of the lever 60 in some embodiments. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, such a mechanism may include a torsion spring 55 and a cam 45. Torsion spring 55 is operable to apply a torsional force to lever 60 to resist or overcome the magnetic force between magnet 20 and core 15. Accordingly, the cam 45 is operable to resist or overcome the torsional force applied to the lever 60 by the torsion spring 55. It should be noted that although an adjustment mechanism in which the torsion spring 55 and the cam 45 cooperate is shown here, other mechanisms may be used to adjust the rotational state of the lever 60. For example, a stopper may be used to adjust the rotational state of the lever 60. In this alternative embodiment, the magnetic force between the magnet 20 and the roller 10 may be used to attract the magnet 20 to the roller 10, while the detent maintains the magnet 20 away from the roller 10.
As shown in fig. 1, the connector 70 is fixed to the bracket 65 by screw-fitting, and is connected with the lever 60. The link 70 and the cam 45 abut against each other and can serve as a follower of the cam 45. The cam 45 adjusts the pushing force applied to the link 70 by its own rotation, and thus the lever 60. It should be noted that although in the embodiment shown in fig. 1 the connector 70 is fixed to the bracket 65 by a screw fit, other means of engagement such as a snap fit may be used, and even the connector 70 may be integral with the bracket 65.
The change of the state of the scroll wheel assembly 100 is described below with reference to fig. 1 to 2. In the schematic of fig. 1, the cam 45 is in a first state, applying a force to the linkage 70, and thus to the magnet 20, toward the roller 10 to resist or overcome the torsional force applied to the magnet 20 by the torsion spring 55, thereby urging the magnet 20 closer to the roller 10. In the example shown in fig. 1, the distance between the magnet 20 and the roller 10 is very small and substantially negligible. At this time, the magnet 20 has the strongest magnetic force with the core 15. For convenience, this position of the magnet 20 is referred to as the "first position". In this state, the roller 10 has a large rolling resistance, thereby providing a finer control pattern.
In some cases, for example for a fast scroll operation, the user may need to scroll the scroll wheel quickly. At this point, if a greater resistance is still applied to the scroll wheel, a poorer user experience will result. In this case, it is desirable to reduce the rolling resistance of the roller as much as possible. To this end, as shown in fig. 2, the cam 45 may be in the second state. At this point, the torsion force of torsion spring 55 will resist or overcome the magnetic force between magnet 20 and core 15, thereby urging magnet 20 to move away from roller 10. For convenience, this position of the magnet 20 is referred to as the "second position". In the second position, the magnet 20 is sufficiently far from the core 15 that the magnetic force can be considered substantially zero. In this way, the roller 10 can be rolled freely and quickly.
In switching from the first position to the second position, the cam 45 may be first rotated to the second state. In this way, the torsion spring 55 will resist or overcome the magnetic force between the magnet 20 and the core 15 to urge the lever 60 such that the magnet reaches the second position. Conversely, during the switching from the second position to the first position, the cam 45 may be first rotated to the first state, and the cam 45 gradually pushes the magnet 20 closer to the roller 10 against or against the torsion force applied by the torsion spring 55 during the rotation, thereby changing the magnet 20 to the first position.
To adjust the state of the cam 45, in some embodiments, the roller assembly 100 may also be provided with a motor 50, as shown in fig. 1. The motor 50 may be rotated a predetermined angle in response to a user input, thereby changing the state of the cam 45. For example, the scroll wheel assembly 100 or an associated input device may be provided with a button (not shown) for turning the motor 50 on or off. For example, when the user presses the button, the motor 50 may rotate by a predetermined angle to switch the cam 45 from the first state to the second state. When the user presses the button again, the motor 50 may rotate by a predetermined angle, switching the cam 45 from the second state back to the first state. Note that the motor 50 is not a required component, and in alternative embodiments, the state of the cam 45 may also be adjusted by other actuation mechanisms or may be adjusted manually.
An example connection relationship of the torsion spring 55 will be described in more detail below. FIG. 3a illustrates a perspective view of the scroll wheel assembly 100 shown in FIG. 1; fig. 3b illustrates a perspective view of a free-form torsion spring 55 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
As shown in fig. 3b, the torsion spring 55 comprises a first end 550 and a second end 551 and a spiral portion 552 therebetween. As shown in fig. 1, 2 and 3a, the spiral portion 552 is fitted over the rotation axis of the lever 60, the first end 550 is fixed to the frame 25, and the second end 551 is fixed to the lever 60. As described above, in the example embodiment shown in fig. 1-2, the torsion springs 55 are each in a twisted state to apply a torsional force to the lever 60. Either the cam 45 or the motor 50 needs to overcome the torsion force of the torsion spring 55 to push the magnet 20 from the second position to the first position. Accordingly, the torsion spring 55 needs to overcome the magnetic force to push the magnet 20 from the first position to the second position.
Fig. 4a and 4b illustrate a magnet 20 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. In the state shown in fig. 4a, the magnet 20 is seen in a cross-section along the plane of rotation of the roller 10, whereas in the state shown in fig. 4b, the magnet 20 is seen at the roller 10. As shown in fig. 4a, the magnet 20 is a Halbach array, the magnet 20 comprising three magnets 210, 220 and 230, wherein the north and south poles of each magnet are shown as "N" and "S", respectively. It should be understood that the magnet 20 may also include any other suitable number of magnets.
A halbach array is a permanent magnet with the property that the magnetic field is strong on one side of the array and nearly zero on the other side. Thus, the magnets 20 may be arranged to direct the side having the stronger magnetic field toward the roller 10 to provide a stronger magnetic field toward the core 15 and thus a stronger magnetic interaction. In the example arrangement shown in fig. 4a, there is a stronger magnetic field on the left side of the magnet 20 (corresponding to the north pole side of the magnet 220) and a weaker magnetic field, even substantially zero, on the right side of the magnet 20 (corresponding to the south pole side of the magnet 220).
It should be understood that the magnets 20 may be otherwise arranged. For example, if the north and south poles of the magnets 210 and 230 are reversed, the right side of the magnet 20 (corresponding to the south pole side of the magnet 220) has a stronger magnetic field and the left side of the magnet 20 (corresponding to the north pole side of the magnet 220) has a weaker magnetic field, set at substantially zero. Furthermore, in the example arrangement shown in fig. 4a, at the left side of the magnet 20, the magnetic field direction at the magnet 220 is substantially out from the north pole side of the magnet 220, while at the magnets 210 and 230, the magnetic field direction is substantially parallel to the left side of the magnet 20.
Returning now to fig. 1, in certain embodiments, the scroll wheel assembly 100 may further include an adjustment device (30, 35, 40) operable to rotate the magnet 20 substantially perpendicular to the plane of rotation of the scroll wheel 10, thereby adjusting the amount of magnetic force between the magnet 20 and the core 10. This also enables additional adjustment of the rolling resistance of the roller 10. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the adjustment device (30, 35, 40) comprises an adjustment wheel 30 and an engagement mechanism comprising a first gear wheel 35 and a second gear wheel 40. The adjustment wheel 30 may be rotated in response to user input. The engagement mechanism is coupled to the adjustment wheel 30 and the magnet 20 and is operable to rotate the magnet 20 substantially perpendicular to the plane of rotation of the roller 10 in response to rotation of the adjustment wheel 30, thereby adjusting the angle of the magnet 20 relative to the roller 10.
As shown in FIG. 1, the first gear 35 is coupled to the adjustment wheel 30 and is operable to rotate coaxially with the adjustment wheel 30. The second gear 40 is meshed with the first gear 35 and fixed to the magnet 20, and is operable to adjust the angle of the magnet 20 with respect to the roller 10. The adjustment wheel 30 may be rotated by a user's finger. The first gear 35 then rotates coaxially with the adjustment wheel 30, transmitting this motion to the second gear 40 through a gear fit. Then, the magnet carrier 65 rotates together with the second gear 40. The magnet 20 is disposed in the carrier 65 and thus rotates in synchronization with the carrier 65.
The adjustment of the angle between the magnet 20 and the roller 10 is described in detail below in conjunction with fig. 5 a-5 e. FIG. 5a shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the scroll wheel assembly 100 shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 5b shows a side view of the portion of the scroll wheel assembly 100 shown in FIG. 5 a; FIG. 5c shows a side view of the portion of the scroll wheel assembly 100 shown in FIG. 5a in another state; and fig. 5d and 5e show the interaction area between the magnet 20 and the core 15 in the state shown in fig. 5b and 5c, respectively. The magnets 20 shown in fig. 5 a-5 b are halbach arrays as shown in fig. 4 a-4 b, however, it will be appreciated that the same principles may be applied to other magnets. For example, only the magnet 220 may be used instead of the halbach array as shown in fig. 5 a-5 c.
When the magnet 20 is in the first position, as shown in fig. 5a, it and the roller 10 substantially abut each other with a small gap therebetween. In some embodiments, the core 15 is a disk that is coaxial with the roller 10. A plurality of teeth 155 are provided at the edge of the core 15, and a recess is formed between adjacent two teeth 155, respectively.
The magnet 20 may be positioned to generate a magnetic field that substantially faces the rotational axis of the wheel 10. In the case where the magnet 20 is a single magnet, for example, the halbach array as shown is replaced by a magnet 220, the north pole of the magnet 220 emits a magnetic field that faces substantially towards the axis of rotation of the wheel 10. The cross-section of the magnetic field may be substantially rectangular in shape so that the interaction area with the core 15 may be adjusted.
In those embodiments using a halbach array, the positioning of the magnets 20 shown in fig. 5 a-5 c produces a magnetic field at the magnets 220 that substantially faces the axis of rotation of the roller 10, as described above in connection with fig. 4 a-4 b. Thus, the area of interaction between the magnet 20 and the core 15 is primarily determined by the side area of the magnet 220. For example, the sides of the magnet 220 are substantially rectangular so that the interaction area may change when rotated.
When the magnet 20 is in the orientation shown in fig. 5b, the magnet 220 has the largest area of interaction with one of the teeth 155. As the magnet 220 rotates, the area of interaction of the magnet 220 with the teeth 155 gradually decreases. In the state shown in fig. 5c, the area of interaction of the magnet 220 with the tooth is reduced to a minimum. Fig. 5d and 5e clearly show the change in the interaction area, which is mainly determined by the overlapping area between the teeth 155 and the magnet 220.
Because of the magnetic force between the magnet 20 and the core 15, a detent force is provided against the rotation of the roller 10. As described above, the rotation of the adjustment wheel 30 can rotate the magnet 20 via the first gear 35 and the second gear 40. When the magnet 20 is rotated 90 degrees in the plane of the paper from the state of fig. 5b, the state of fig. 5c is switched. At this time, due to the reduction of the interaction area, the magnetic force is reduced, and the detent force will be reduced accordingly.
The scroll wheel assembly 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may be applied to various apparatuses. For example, the scroll wheel assembly 100 may be integrated into an input device such as a mouse, a trackball, or the like. Such an input device may provide at least two modes, a flywheel mode and a drag mode. In the flywheel mode, the roller has substantially no drag force, so that the user can freely rotate the roller at a fast speed. In the resistive mode, the user may perform normal or fine operation on the scroll wheel. Optionally, in the resistance mode, the magnitude of the resistance can also be adjusted, thereby adapting to different user preferences and improving the user experience.
Fig. 6 shows a schematic flow diagram of a method 600 of manufacturing the roller assembly 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be understood that method 600 may also include additional acts not shown and/or may omit acts shown, as the scope of the disclosure is not limited in this respect.
As shown in fig. 6, at 620, a roller 10 is provided. At 640, the magnet 20 is disposed on a plane of rotation of the wheel 10, the wheel 10 including a core 15 capable of magnetically interacting with the magnet 20. At 660, the lever 60 is coupled with the magnet 20 such that the magnet 20 can be rotated with the rotation of the lever 60 to adjust the distance between the magnet 20 and the wheel 10. It should be understood that all the features described above in connection with fig. 1 to 5e with respect to the scroll wheel assembly 100 and the input device are applicable to the corresponding manufacturing method and will not be described in detail herein.
Some example implementations of the disclosure are listed below.
In some embodiments, a scroll wheel assembly for an input device is provided. This wheel components includes: a magnet; a roller including a core capable of magnetically interacting with a magnet disposed on a rotation plane of the roller; and a lever coupled with the magnet and operable to adjust a distance between the magnet and the roller by rotating the magnet with rotation of the lever.
In some embodiments, the magnet is a permanent magnet.
In some embodiments, the magnet is a halbach array.
In some embodiments, the core is a ferrite core.
In some embodiments, the scroll wheel assembly further comprises: a torsion spring coupled with the lever and operable to apply a torsional force to the lever to resist a magnetic force between the magnet and the core; and a cam coupled with the magnet and operable to vary a force applied by the cam to the magnet to oppose the force applied by the torsion spring to the lever based on a state of the cam.
In some embodiments, the scroll wheel assembly further comprises: a motor operable to rotate a predetermined angle in response to a user input to change a state of the cam.
In some embodiments, the scroll wheel assembly further comprises: an adjustment device operable to adjust the magnitude of the magnetic force between the magnet and the core by rotating the magnet substantially perpendicular to the plane of rotation of the roller.
In some embodiments, the adjustment device comprises: an adjustment wheel operable to receive user input by rotation; an engagement mechanism coupled with the adjustment wheel and the magnet and operable to adjust an angle of the magnet relative to the roller in response to rotation of the adjustment wheel.
In some embodiments, the engagement mechanism comprises: a first gear coupled with the adjustment wheel and operable to rotate coaxially with the adjustment wheel; and a second gear engaged with the first gear and fixed to the magnet and operable to adjust an angle of the magnet relative to the roller.
In some embodiments, the magnet is positioned to generate a magnetic field that substantially faces the rotational axis of the roller.
In some embodiments, the cross-section of the magnetic field is substantially rectangular in shape.
In some embodiments, the core is a disk coaxial with the roller.
In some embodiments, the core has a plurality of teeth regularly arranged at its edges.
In some embodiments, an input device is provided. The input device includes a scroll wheel assembly, the scroll wheel assembly including: a magnet; a roller including a core capable of magnetically interacting with a magnet disposed on a rotation plane of the roller; and a lever coupled with the magnet and operable to adjust a distance between the magnet and the roller by rotating the magnet with rotation of the lever.
In some embodiments, the magnet is a permanent magnet.
In some embodiments, the magnet is a halbach array.
In some embodiments, the core is a ferrite core.
In some embodiments, the scroll wheel assembly further comprises: a torsion spring coupled with the lever and operable to apply a torsional force to the lever to resist a magnetic force between the magnet and the core; and a cam coupled with the magnet and operable to vary a force applied by the cam to the magnet to oppose the force applied by the torsion spring to the lever based on a state of the cam.
In some embodiments, the scroll wheel assembly further comprises: a motor operable to rotate a predetermined angle in response to a user input to change a state of the cam.
In some embodiments, the scroll wheel assembly further comprises: an adjustment device operable to adjust the magnitude of the magnetic force between the magnet and the core by rotating the magnet substantially perpendicular to the plane of rotation of the roller.
In some embodiments, the adjustment device comprises: an adjustment wheel operable to receive user input by rotation; an engagement mechanism coupled with the adjustment wheel and the magnet and operable to adjust an angle of the magnet relative to the roller in response to rotation of the adjustment wheel.
In some embodiments, the engagement mechanism comprises: a first gear coupled with the adjustment wheel and operable to rotate coaxially with the adjustment wheel; and a second gear engaged with the first gear and fixed to the magnet and operable to adjust an angle of the magnet relative to the roller.
In some embodiments, the magnet is positioned to generate a magnetic field that substantially faces the rotational axis of the roller.
In some embodiments, the cross-section of the magnetic field is substantially rectangular in shape.
In some embodiments, the core is a disk coaxial with the roller.
In some embodiments, the core has a plurality of teeth regularly arranged at its edges.
In some embodiments, there is provided a method for manufacturing a roller assembly, including: arranging a magnet on a rotation plane of a roller, the roller comprising a core capable of magnetically interacting with the magnet; and coupling the lever with the magnet such that the magnet can be rotated with the rotation of the lever to adjust a distance between the magnet and the roller.
The foregoing description of the embodiments of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen in order to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application, or improvements made to the technology in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims (18)

1. A scroll wheel assembly (100) for an input device, comprising:
a magnet (20);
-a roller (10) comprising a core (15) capable of magnetically interacting with said magnet (20), said magnet (20) being arranged on a rotation plane of said roller (10); and
a lever (60) coupled with the magnet (20) and operable to adjust a distance between the magnet (20) and the roller (10) by rotating the magnet (20) with rotation of the lever (60);
-adjustment means operable to adjust the magnetic force between the magnet (20) and the core (15) by rotating the magnet (20) substantially perpendicular to the plane of rotation of the roller (10).
2. The roller assembly (100) of claim 1, wherein the magnet (20) is a permanent magnet.
3. The roller assembly (100) of claim 2, wherein the magnet (20) is a halbach array.
4. The roller assembly (100) of claim 1, wherein the core (15) is an iron core (15).
5. The roller assembly (100) of claim 1, further comprising:
a torsion spring (55) coupled with the lever (60) and operable to apply a torsional force to the lever (60) to resist a magnetic force between the magnet (20) and the core (15); and
a cam (45) coupled with the magnet (20) and operable to vary a force applied by the cam (45) to the magnet (20) to oppose a force applied by a torsion spring (55) to the lever (60) based on a state of the cam (45).
6. The roller assembly (100) of claim 5, further comprising:
a motor (50) operable to rotate a predetermined angle in response to a user input to change the state of the cam (45).
7. The roller assembly (100) of claim 1, wherein the adjustment device includes:
an adjustment wheel (30) operable to rotate in response to a user input;
an engagement mechanism (35, 40) coupled with the adjustment wheel (30) and the magnet (20) and operable to adjust an angle of the magnet (20) relative to the roller (10) in response to rotation of the adjustment wheel (30).
8. The roller assembly (100) of claim 7, wherein the engagement mechanism (35, 40) includes:
a first gear (35) coupled with the adjustment wheel (30) and operable to rotate coaxially with the adjustment wheel (30); and
a second gear (40) meshed with the first gear (35) and fixed to the magnet (20) and operable to adjust an angle of the magnet (20) relative to the roller (10).
9. The roller assembly (100) of claim 1, wherein the magnet (20) is positioned to generate a magnetic field that substantially faces the rotational axis of the roller (10).
10. The roller assembly (100) of claim 9, wherein the cross-section of the magnetic field is substantially rectangular in shape.
11. The roller assembly (100) of claim 5, wherein the core (15) is a disc coaxial with the roller (10).
12. The roller assembly (100) of claim 11, wherein the core (15) has a plurality of teeth at its edges in a regular arrangement.
13. An input device, comprising:
a roller assembly (100) comprising:
a magnet (20);
-a roller (10) comprising a core (15) capable of magnetically interacting with said magnet (20), said magnet (20) being arranged on a rotation plane of said roller (10); and
a lever (60) coupled with the magnet (20) and operable to adjust a distance between the magnet (20) and the roller (10) by rotating the magnet (20) with rotation of the lever (60);
-adjustment means operable to adjust the magnetic force between the magnet (20) and the core (15) by rotating the magnet (20) substantially perpendicular to the plane of rotation of the roller (10).
14. The input device of claim 13, wherein the magnet (20) is a halbach array.
15. The input device of claim 13, wherein the scroll wheel assembly (100) comprises:
a torsion spring (55) coupled with the lever (60) and operable to apply a torsional force to the lever (60) to resist a magnetic force between the magnet (20) and the core (15); and
a cam (45) coupled with the magnet (20) and operable to vary a force applied by the cam (45) to the magnet (20) to oppose a force applied by a torsion spring (55) to the lever (60) based on a state of the cam (45).
16. The input device of claim 15, wherein the scroll wheel assembly (100) comprises:
a motor (50) operable to rotate a predetermined angle in response to a user input to change the state of the cam (45).
17. The input device of claim 13, wherein the adjusting means comprises:
an adjustment wheel (30) operable to rotate in response to a user input;
an engagement mechanism (35, 40) coupled with the adjustment wheel (30) and the magnet (20) and operable to adjust an angle of the magnet (20) relative to the roller (10) in response to rotation of the adjustment wheel (30).
18. A method for manufacturing a roller assembly (100), comprising:
-arranging (620) a magnet (20) on a rotation plane of a roller (10), said roller (10) comprising a core (15) capable of magnetically interacting with said magnet (20); and
coupling (640) a lever (60) with the magnet (20) such that the magnet (20) can be rotated with rotation of the lever (60) to adjust a distance between the magnet (20) and the roller (10),
wherein the magnetic force between the magnet (20) and the core (15) is adjustable by rotating the magnet (20) substantially perpendicular to the plane of rotation of the roller (10).
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US10996770B2 (en) * 2018-06-27 2021-05-04 Logitech Europe S.A. Multi-mode scroll wheel for input device
CN109933223B (en) * 2019-01-31 2023-05-23 苏州达方电子有限公司 Input device
CN110233077A (en) * 2019-07-02 2019-09-13 科世达(上海)机电有限公司 A kind of rotary switch
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