CN110661520A - Capacitive touch switch and assembling method thereof - Google Patents
Capacitive touch switch and assembling method thereof Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CN110661520A CN110661520A CN201810695146.0A CN201810695146A CN110661520A CN 110661520 A CN110661520 A CN 110661520A CN 201810695146 A CN201810695146 A CN 201810695146A CN 110661520 A CN110661520 A CN 110661520A
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- CN
- China
- Prior art keywords
- switch
- metal sheet
- switch cover
- capacitive touch
- circuit board
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Pending
Links
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 9
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 41
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 41
- 238000013459 approach Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 230000006698 induction Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- 238000001746 injection moulding Methods 0.000 claims description 6
- PCHJSUWPFVWCPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N gold Chemical compound [Au] PCHJSUWPFVWCPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000010931 gold Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 229910052737 gold Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000003990 capacitor Substances 0.000 description 3
- RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copper Chemical compound [Cu] RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229910052802 copper Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000010949 copper Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052709 silver Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000004332 silver Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000000243 solution Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000000470 constituent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001747 exhibiting effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000011229 interlayer Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012423 maintenance Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000003825 pressing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000011347 resin Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920005989 resin Polymers 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
- H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
- H03K17/00—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking
- H03K17/94—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking characterised by the way in which the control signals are generated
- H03K17/96—Touch switches
- H03K17/962—Capacitive touch switches
Landscapes
- Switches That Are Operated By Magnetic Or Electric Fields (AREA)
Abstract
The present invention relates to a capacitive touch switch, comprising: a switch cover provided with a touch area on a front surface side thereof, the capacitive touch switch being switched between a closed state and an open state when a user touches or approaches the touch area; the printed circuit board is provided with a touch control chip and is used for controlling the switching of the capacitive touch switch between a closed state and an open state; and the capacitive sensor is used for sensing the touch area of the touch or proximity switch cover touched by a user. The capacitive sensor comprises a metal sheet and a conductive connecting piece, wherein the metal sheet is arranged on the back side of the switch cover, the conductive connecting piece electrically connects the metal sheet with the touch control chip on the printed circuit board, and when a user touches or approaches a touch area of the switch cover, the touch control chip detects the induction capacitance generated by the metal sheet and controls the capacitive touch switch to be switched between a closed state and an open state. The invention also relates to a method for assembling such a capacitive touch switch.
Description
Technical Field
The invention relates to a capacitive touch switch which can be produced in a simple and cost-effective manner. The invention also relates to a method of assembling such a capacitive touch switch.
Background
It is often necessary to provide a variety of switches in electromechanical products. Conventional mechanical switches are widely used, but are limited in their application in a number of specific applications. For example, in the passenger compartment of an automobile, if a mechanical switch is used to control the indoor lamp of the automobile, certain noise is generated, a large occupied area is needed, miniaturization cannot be achieved, and meanwhile, the problem of inconvenient assembly, disassembly and maintenance is also existed.
It is known in the art to replace mechanical switches with capacitive touch switches. When a user touches or approaches a touch area of the capacitive touch switch with a body part such as a finger, the electrode generates an induction capacitance, the touch chip detects the variation of the induction capacitance, and then outputs a switch signal, thereby realizing operation control of an electromechanical product such as an automobile room lamp.
In the conventional capacitive touch switch, a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) is generally used as an electrode. The FPC is attached to a rear side of a touch area of the capacitive touch switch and is connected to a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). Common FPCs are, for example, coated with conductive silver/copper paste or flexible resin films comprising a conductive silver/copper paste interlayer.
However, the related art capacitive touch switch has various disadvantages. For example, the step of affixing the FPC to the back side of the touch area is often time consuming. The affixing step may even be difficult when the touch area of the capacitive touch switch has a more complex shape due to aesthetic or other needs. In addition, since the FPC is expensive, the cost of the capacitive touch switch of the related art is high.
Therefore, there is a need for a capacitive touch switch that simplifies the assembly steps and reduces the cost.
Disclosure of Invention
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a capacitive touch switch having an optimized design compared to existing capacitive touch switches, capable of simplifying the assembly steps, while having a reduced production cost.
The object is achieved by a capacitive touch switch according to an embodiment of the invention. The capacitive touch switch includes: a switch cover provided with a touch area on a front surface side thereof, the capacitive touch switch being switched between a closed state and an open state when a user touches or approaches the touch area; the touch control circuit board is provided with a touch control chip, and the touch control chip is used for controlling the switching of the capacitive touch switch between a closed state and an open state; and a capacitive sensor for sensing a touch area of the user touching or approaching the switch cover. The capacitive sensor includes a metal sheet disposed on a back side of the switch cover and a conductive connecting member electrically connecting the metal sheet with the touch control chip on the printed circuit board. When a user touches or approaches the touch area of the switch cover with a finger, the metal sheet generates an induced capacitance. The touch control chip detects the variation of the induction capacitor and then outputs a switch signal to control the capacitance touch switch to switch between a closed state and an open state. The capacitive touch switch uses cheaper metal parts as the capacitive sensor to replace an FPC (flexible printed circuit), thereby reducing the cost.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the conductive connection is a spring pressing the metal sheet against the back side of the switch cover. The other end of the spring presses against the gold finger of the printed circuit board. In this way, the metal sheet is simultaneously electrically connected to the touch control chip of the printed circuit board without a special connection step.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the metal sheet is a prefabricated metal sheet, so that costs can be reduced as much as possible. Alternatively, the metal sheet is obtained by insert injection molding at the back side of the switch cover. This is particularly advantageous when the switch cover has a more complex shape due to aesthetic or other requirements.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the printed circuit board is further provided with a light emitting device, such as a light emitting diode. The light emitting device can be turned on or off by a user touching or approaching a touch area of the switch cover. Preferably, at least a portion of the switch cover is transparent or partially transparent, and the light emitting device is enclosed between the printed circuit board and the switch cover. Therefore, the capacitive touch switch can be used as a lighting device, for example, as an automobile room lamp, a reading lamp, or the like.
The invention also relates to a method for assembling a capacitive touch switch as described above, comprising the steps of: providing a switch cover provided with a touch area adapted to be touched or approached by a user on a front side thereof; placing a prefabricated metal sheet on the back side of the switch cover or obtaining the metal sheet by insert injection molding at the back side of the switch cover; providing a printed circuit board, wherein a touch control chip is arranged on the printed circuit board; and providing a conductive connecting piece, and assembling the switch cover and the printed circuit board together, so that the metal sheet and the touch control chip are electrically connected through the conductive connecting piece. Compared with the existing capacitive touch switch, the assembling method of the capacitive touch switch provided by the invention omits the step of pasting the FPC on the back side of the touch area, and saves the time required for assembling the capacitive touch switch. Preferably, the conductive connecting member is a spring, one end of which presses the metal piece against the back surface side of the switch cover and the other end of which presses against the gold finger of the printed circuit board in the step of assembling the switch cover with the printed circuit board. Therefore, compared with the existing capacitive touch switch, the step of connecting the FPC to the connector of the printed circuit board can be omitted, and the time required for assembling the capacitive touch switch is saved.
Drawings
Advantages and objects of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the relationship of the various components. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a capacitive touch switch according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Detailed Description
In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to constituent parts having substantially the same or similar structures and functions, and repeated description thereof will be omitted.
Unless defined otherwise, technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The use of the terms "a" and "an" or "the" and similar referents in the description and claims of the present invention also do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item. The word "comprising" or "comprises", and the like, means that the element or item preceding the word covers the element or item listed after the word and its equivalents, but does not exclude other elements or items. In addition, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", and the like used in the specification and the claims of the present patent application are only used to indicate relative positional relationships, and when the absolute position of the object to be described is changed, the relative positional relationships may be changed accordingly, and are only for convenience of description and are not intended to limit the present invention.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a capacitive touch switch according to one embodiment of the invention.
In this embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, the capacitive touch switch includes a switch cover 1, and the top of the switch cover 1 is a touch area. The touch area is here shown as flat. The touch area may also have any suitable shape as desired for aesthetic or touch comfort. The switch cover 1 is provided with a metal sheet 3 as a part of a capacitance sensor on its back side. Alternatively, the metal sheet 3 may be a prefabricated metal sheet or obtained by insert injection molding at the back side of the switch cover 1. The metal sheet 3 may cover all or a part of the back surface side of the opening/closing cover 1. At the lower part of the capacitive touch switch is a printed circuit board 5, which printed circuit board 5 is provided with a touch control chip 4 controlling the switching of the capacitive touch switch between a closed state and an open state. The conductive connector 2 electrically connects the metal sheet 3 with the touch control chip 4 on the printed circuit board 5. Preferably, the conductive connecting member 2 is a spring that presses the metal sheet against the back side of the switch cover. The other end of the spring presses against the gold finger of the printed circuit board. In this way, the metal sheet is simultaneously electrically connected to the touch control chip 4 of the printed circuit board without a special connection step.
In addition, a light emitting device (not shown), such as a Light Emitting Diode (LED), may be disposed on the printed circuit board 5. The light emitting device can be turned on or off by a user touching or approaching a touch area of the switch cover 1. In particular, the light emitting device is enclosed between the printed circuit board 5 and the switch cover 1, at least a portion of the switch cover 1 being transparent or partially transparent. Therefore, the capacitive touch switch can be used as a lighting device, for example, as an automobile room lamp, a reading lamp, or the like.
Next, a method for assembling the capacitive touch switch will be described with reference to the drawings. First, a switch cover 1 is provided, which is provided with a touch area on its front side. Next, a prefabricated metal sheet 3 is placed on the back side of the opening and closing cover 1, or the metal sheet 3 is obtained by insert injection molding at the back side of the opening and closing cover 1. Then, the printed circuit board 5 provided with the touch control chip 4 is provided. Finally, a conductive connector 2 is provided and the switch cover 1 is assembled with the printed circuit board 5 so that an electrical connection is established between the metal sheet 3 and the touch control chip 4 through the conductive connector 2. Preferably, the conductive connecting member 2 is a spring, one end of which presses the metal piece 3 against the back surface side of the switch cover 1 and the other end of which presses against the gold finger of the printed circuit board 5 in the step of assembling the switch cover 1 with the printed circuit board 5. Thereby, a special connection step of connecting the capacitive sensor to the printed circuit board can be omitted.
After the capacitive touch switch is assembled, a user may touch or approach the touch area of the switch cover 1. The metal sheet 3 generates an induction capacitor, the touch control chip 4 detects the variation of the induction capacitor, and then outputs a switch signal to control the capacitance touch switch to switch between a closed state and an open state.
In summary, the capacitive touch switch according to the present invention has at least the following advantages: an expensive FPC is omitted, and cost is saved; during assembly, the complicated step of sticking the FPC can be omitted, and the assembly time is saved; no special connection step for connecting the capacitive sensor to the printed circuit board is required.
It is to be understood that the structures described above and shown in the attached drawings are merely examples of the present invention, which can be replaced by other structures exhibiting the same or similar function for obtaining the desired end result. Furthermore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings are to be regarded only as non-limiting examples of the invention and that it can be modified in several ways within the scope of the patent claims.
Claims (9)
1. A capacitive touch switch comprising:
a switch cover provided with a touch area on a front surface side thereof, the capacitive touch switch being switched between a closed state and an open state when a user touches or approaches the touch area;
the touch control chip is arranged on the printed circuit board and used for controlling the switching of the capacitive touch switch between a closed state and an open state;
a capacitive sensor for sensing a touch area of the switch cover touched or approached by a user;
the capacitive sensor is characterized by comprising a metal sheet and a conductive connecting piece, wherein the metal sheet is arranged on the back side of the switch cover, the conductive connecting piece electrically connects the metal sheet with the touch control chip on the printed circuit board, and when a user touches or approaches a touch area of the switch cover, the touch control chip detects the induction capacitance generated by the metal sheet and controls the capacitive touch switch to be switched between a closed state and an open state.
2. The capacitive touch switch of claim 1, wherein the conductive connection is a spring that presses a metal sheet against a back side of the switch cover.
3. A capacitive touch switch according to claim 1, wherein the metal sheet is a pre-fabricated metal sheet.
4. The capacitive touch switch of claim 1, wherein the metal sheet is obtained by performing an insert injection molding process on a back side of the switch cover.
5. A capacitive touch switch according to claim 1 wherein the printed circuit board is further provided with a light emitting device which can be turned on or off by a user touching or approaching the touch area of the switch cover.
6. The capacitive touch switch of claim 5, wherein the light emitting device is a light emitting diode.
7. The capacitive touch switch of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the switch cover is transparent or partially transparent, the light emitting device being encapsulated between the printed circuit board and the switch cover.
8. A method for assembling a capacitive touch switch according to any of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of:
providing a switch cover provided with a touch area adapted to be touched or approached by a user on a front side thereof;
placing a prefabricated metal sheet on the back side of the switch cover or obtaining the metal sheet by insert injection molding at the back side of the switch cover;
providing a printed circuit board, wherein a touch control chip is arranged on the printed circuit board;
and providing a conductive connecting piece, and assembling the switch cover and the printed circuit board together, so that the metal sheet and the touch control chip are electrically connected through the conductive connecting piece.
9. The method of claim 8,
the conductive connecting member is a spring, one end of which presses the metal sheet against the back surface side of the switch cover and the other end of which presses against the gold finger of the printed circuit board in the step of assembling the switch cover with the printed circuit board.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN201810695146.0A CN110661520A (en) | 2018-06-29 | 2018-06-29 | Capacitive touch switch and assembling method thereof |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN201810695146.0A CN110661520A (en) | 2018-06-29 | 2018-06-29 | Capacitive touch switch and assembling method thereof |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CN110661520A true CN110661520A (en) | 2020-01-07 |
Family
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Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN201810695146.0A Pending CN110661520A (en) | 2018-06-29 | 2018-06-29 | Capacitive touch switch and assembling method thereof |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CN (1) | CN110661520A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN112072428A (en) * | 2020-07-13 | 2020-12-11 | 无锡市科虹标牌有限公司 | Pressing process of metal contact pin for touch film connector |
Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN101421692A (en) * | 2006-02-10 | 2009-04-29 | 美利肯公司 | Flexible capacitive sensor |
| CN201467098U (en) * | 2009-05-08 | 2010-05-12 | 深圳市汇顶科技有限公司 | Touch-key sensing equipment, electronic device, rainfall amount sensor and vehicle |
| CN101741371A (en) * | 2008-11-27 | 2010-06-16 | 无锡松下冷机有限公司 | Touch switch |
| CN101803190A (en) * | 2007-09-18 | 2010-08-11 | Bsh博世和西门子家用器具有限公司 | Capacitive proximity and/or touch switch |
| CN201708781U (en) * | 2010-04-27 | 2011-01-12 | 杭州智源电子有限公司 | Induction press key |
| CN205029641U (en) * | 2015-10-21 | 2016-02-10 | 北汽福田汽车股份有限公司 | Touch switch , control system and vehicle |
-
2018
- 2018-06-29 CN CN201810695146.0A patent/CN110661520A/en active Pending
Patent Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN101421692A (en) * | 2006-02-10 | 2009-04-29 | 美利肯公司 | Flexible capacitive sensor |
| CN101803190A (en) * | 2007-09-18 | 2010-08-11 | Bsh博世和西门子家用器具有限公司 | Capacitive proximity and/or touch switch |
| CN101741371A (en) * | 2008-11-27 | 2010-06-16 | 无锡松下冷机有限公司 | Touch switch |
| CN201467098U (en) * | 2009-05-08 | 2010-05-12 | 深圳市汇顶科技有限公司 | Touch-key sensing equipment, electronic device, rainfall amount sensor and vehicle |
| CN201708781U (en) * | 2010-04-27 | 2011-01-12 | 杭州智源电子有限公司 | Induction press key |
| CN205029641U (en) * | 2015-10-21 | 2016-02-10 | 北汽福田汽车股份有限公司 | Touch switch , control system and vehicle |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN112072428A (en) * | 2020-07-13 | 2020-12-11 | 无锡市科虹标牌有限公司 | Pressing process of metal contact pin for touch film connector |
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Application publication date: 20200107 |
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