CN114791754A

CN114791754A - Touch control panel structure

Info

Publication number: CN114791754A
Application number: CN202110095924.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 陈干园; 白廷文; 张正茂
Original assignee: Acer Inc
Current assignee: Acer Inc
Priority date: 2021-01-25
Filing date: 2021-01-25
Publication date: 2022-07-26

Abstract

A touch pad structure comprises a shell and a touch pad module. The housing has an impact platform. The touch pad module is arranged on the shell. The touch pad module has a dome switch and is driven when the touch pad module is pressed by an external force, wherein the surface of the impact platform has a buffer layer facing the dome switch. In the driving process, the dome switch is firstly abutted against the buffer layer and then is collapsed, so that the sound generated when the dome switch is collapsed is reduced.

Description

Touch control panel structure

Technical Field

The invention relates to a touch pad structure.

Background

Because the notebook computer has the characteristics of strong processing efficiency, convenient carrying for users and the like, the notebook computer becomes an indispensable tool for modern people in life or work. Generally, a notebook computer is composed of a display and a host, wherein the host has the capability of operation and data access, and the display is electrically connected to the host.

Specifically, the host is usually integrated with a physical operation interface such as a keyboard and a touch pad (touch pad) for the user to operate the notebook computer. When a user presses or taps the touch pad, the dome switch (or reed switch) on the touch pad is pressed by force to generate elastic deformation (e.g., collapse), and sound is generated due to deformation or impact on the touch pad. Therefore, how to reduce the noise generated by the touch pad during the operation process is an urgent problem to be solved.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention provides a touch pad structure, which achieves the effect of noise reduction by using a buffer layer of an impact platform as an impact object of a dome switch.

The invention discloses a touch pad structure, which comprises a shell and a touch pad module. The housing has an impact platform. The touch pad module is arranged on the shell. The touch pad module has a dome switch and is driven when being pressed by an external force, wherein the surface of the impact platform has a buffer layer facing the dome switch. In the driving process, the dome switch is firstly abutted against the buffer layer and then collapsed, so that the sound generated when the dome switch collapses is reduced.

Based on the above, in the touch pad structure, the impact platform is disposed on the housing to serve as an impact object of the dome switch, and the impact platform has the buffer layer facing the dome switch, so that when the dome switch moves due to the driving of the touch pad module, the dome switch will first abut against the buffer layer and then collapse and (touch) start, and then the sound generated by the dome switch during collapse can be absorbed due to the abutting against the buffer layer, thereby achieving the effect of reducing noise.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a touch pad structure according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2A and 2B are partial cross-sectional views of the touch pad structure in different states, respectively.

Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a touch pad structure according to another embodiment of the invention.

Wherein:

100, a touchpad structure;

110 is a shell;

111, sinking;

112. 212, an impact platform;

112a, 212a are convex columns;

112b, 212b buffer layers;

112c, a recess;

120 touch pad module;

121, a circuit board;

122. 123 a conductive part;

124, dome-shaped elastic pieces;

124a, an abutting part;

130, an elastic bracket;

131, an opening;

132, a pin;

a1, fulcrum side;

a2, movable side;

f, external force;

SW is a dome switch.

Detailed Description

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a touch pad structure according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to fig. 1, in the present embodiment, a touch pad structure 100 includes a housing 110 and a touch pad module 120. The housing 110 has an impact platform 112. The touch pad module 120 is disposed on the housing 110. The touch pad module 120 has a dome switch SW and is driven when a user presses the touch pad module 120 with an external force. The touchpad structure 100 of the notebook computer is taken as an example, that is, the casing 110 is a housing of the notebook computer. However, the application objects of the touch pad structure 100 are not limited in the present embodiment.

Moreover, the casing 110 further has a recess 111, and the touch pad structure 100 further includes an elastic support 130, the impact platform 112 is located in the recess 111, and the elastic support 130 is assembled in the recess 111 of the casing 110, so that the touch pad module 120 is supported on the elastic support 130. As shown in fig. 1, the elastic holder 130 has a fulcrum side a1 and a movable side a2, wherein the fulcrum side a1 is assembled to the housing 110, the movable side a2 is provided with a plurality of pins 132 which can movably and elastically deform and abut against the housing 110, and the dome switch SW substantially corresponds to the movable side a2 of the elastic holder 130 and can move along with the movable side a 2. Accordingly, when the touch pad module 120 is pressed by an external force, the elastic support 130 generates an action characteristic that the movable side a2 pivots relative to the fulcrum side a1, so that the movable side a2 of the dome switch SW and the elastic support 130 moves close to the housing 110, and the pin 132 is elastically deformed, and when the external force is removed, the dome switch SW and the elastic support 130 can be reset by the pin 132 and move away from the housing 110.

In addition, the elastic bracket 130 further has an opening 131 located between the pins 132, as can be clearly seen from fig. 1, when the touch pad module 120 is not pressed by the external force, the dome switch SW and the impact platform 112 are expected to each other through the opening 131, and in the process that the dome switch SW is driven along with the elastic bracket 130, the dome switch SW will pass through the opening 131 to abut against the impact platform 112 or move back from the impact platform 112 to the original non-pressed position (i.e. the aforementioned reset process).

Fig. 2A and 2B are partial cross-sectional views of the touch pad structure in different states, respectively. Referring to fig. 1, fig. 2A and fig. 2B, in the present embodiment, the surface of the impact platform 112 has a buffer layer 112B facing the dome switch SW. When the dome switch SW is driven by the touch pad module 120 being pressed by the external force F, the dome switch SW first contacts the buffer layer 112b and then collapses, so as to reduce the sound generated when the dome switch SW collapses.

In detail, referring to fig. 2A and 2B again, the housing 110 of the present embodiment is made of plastic, the impact platform 112 includes a convex pillar 112A extending from the housing 110, the convex pillar 112A has a recess 112c, and the buffer layer 112B is rubber paint coated and cured in the recess 112 c. In the manufacturing process, the convex pillar 112a can effectively limit the molten rubber paint by the structural characteristics of the recess 112c, and besides providing a limiting effect, the thickness of the buffer layer 112b can be ensured, that is, the thickness of the buffer layer 112b does not exceed the depth of the recess 112c, so that the distance between the dome switch SW and the impact platform 112 can be further limited, which is helpful for providing a finer tolerance basis and control for the inner space of the housing 110.

In contrast, the dome switch SW includes a circuit board 121 and a dome elastic element 124, wherein the circuit board 121 has a plurality of

conductive portions

122 and 123, such as conductive pads or conductive traces. The dome-shaped elastic element 124, such as a metal reed (metal dome), is electrically conductive and disposed on the circuit board 121, and in the present embodiment, the dome-shaped elastic element 124 substantially leans against the circuit board 121 and is electrically connected to a portion of the conductive portion 122.

Further, the dome-shaped elastic member 124 has an abutting portion 124a located at the structural center thereof, facing the impact platform 112 and facing the buffer layer 112 b. When the touch pad module 120 is not pressed by the external force F (as shown in fig. 2A), the abutting portion 124a is far away from the buffer layer 112b and from another portion of the conductive portion 123. When the dome switch SW is pressed by the external force F and is driven, after the dome switch SW is abutted to the buffer layer 112B through the abutting portion 124a, the dome elastic member 124 elastically collapses (elastically deforms), so that the abutting portion 124a is abutted to the other part of the conductive portion 123, and further the

conductive portions

122 and 123 can be electrically conducted with each other through the conductive dome elastic member 124 to generate a trigger signal, as shown in fig. 2B, thereby completing the pressing and driving process of the dome switch SW. Then, with the removal of the external force F, the elastic bracket 130 drives the touch pad module 120 to reset, and the dome-shaped elastic element 124 can also return to the state shown in fig. 2A, thereby completing the reset driving process of the dome switch SW.

In view of the above, since the impact platform 112 has the buffer layer 112b abutting against the dome-shaped elastic member 124, the metal reed abuts against the buffer layer 112b before the metal reed is collapsed, so that the sound generated during the collapse of the metal reed can be effectively eliminated, thereby achieving the effect of reducing noise. Meanwhile, the thickness of the buffer layer 112b can be limited by the structural characteristics of the recess 112c at the top of the convex column 112a, so that the relative distance between the impact platform 112 and the dome switch SW can be effectively controlled, and the stroke controllability in the driving process can be improved.

Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a touch pad structure according to another embodiment of the invention. Referring to fig. 3, the same as the previous embodiment is that the casing 110 has the impact platform 212 located at the recess 111, but unlike the previous embodiment, the impact platform 212 of the present embodiment includes a convex pillar 212a and a buffer layer 212b extending from the casing 110, wherein the buffer layer 212b is rubber formed by two-material injection molding together with the convex pillar 212a, so as to simultaneously form the convex pillar 212a and the buffer layer 212b, and the buffer layer 212b (rubber) is wrapped outside the convex pillar 212 a. Accordingly, the impact platform 212 can achieve the noise reduction effect as in the foregoing embodiment, and the thickness of the buffer layer 212b can be limited by the forming mold during the manufacturing process, so that the relative distance between the impact platform 212 and the circular switch SW can be ensured by a finer means, thereby improving the stroke controllability during the driving process.

In summary, in the above embodiments of the invention, the impact platform is disposed on the housing to serve as an impact object of the dome switch, and the impact platform has a buffer layer facing the dome switch, so that when the dome switch moves due to the driving of the touch pad module, the dome switch will first abut against the buffer layer and then collapse and (touch) start, and then the sound generated by the dome switch during collapsing can be absorbed due to the abutting against the buffer layer, thereby achieving the effect of reducing noise.

Furthermore, the thickness of the cushioning layer can be controlled by the structural characteristics of the impact platform or the forming die in the forming process, so that the relative distance between the impact platform and the dome switch is further limited, namely, the manufacturing tolerance of related components and the assembly tolerance of the related components in the inner space of the shell are accurately controlled, and better stroke controllability can be provided for the driving stroke of the dome switch.

Claims

1. A touchpad structure, comprising:

a housing having an impact platform; and

the touch control panel module is arranged in the shell and is provided with a dome switch and driven when the touch control panel module is pressed by external force, wherein the surface of the impact platform is provided with a buffer layer facing the dome switch, and the dome switch is firstly abutted against the buffer layer and then collapsed in the driving process so as to reduce the sound generated when the dome switch is collapsed.

2. The touch pad structure of claim 1, wherein the impact platform comprises a post extending from the housing, the post having a recess, the buffer layer being a rubber paint coated and cured in the recess.

3. The touch pad structure of claim 1, wherein the housing is made of plastic, the impact platform includes a protrusion extending from the housing, and the buffer layer is rubber that is injection molded together with the protrusion.

4. The touch pad structure of claim 3, wherein the rubber is coated outside the post.

5. The touchpad structure of claim 1 wherein the dome switch comprises a circuit board having a plurality of conductive portions and a dome spring having conductivity and bearing against a portion of the conductive portions.

6. The touch pad structure of claim 5, wherein the dome spring is a metal spring.

7. The touch panel structure of claim 5, wherein the dome-shaped elastic member has an abutting portion located at a center of the dome-shaped elastic member, and faces the buffer layer, and when the touch panel module is not pressed by the external force, the abutting portion is away from the buffer layer and away from another portion of the conductive portions, and during the driving process, after the dome-shaped switch abuts against the buffer layer by the abutting portion, the dome-shaped elastic member elastically collapses and the abutting portion abuts against the another portion of the conductive portions, thereby electrically connecting the conductive portions.

8. The touch pad structure of claim 1, further comprising an elastic support assembled to the housing, wherein the touch pad module is supported on the elastic support, the dome switch and the elastic support move closer to the housing when the touch pad module is pressed by an external force, and the dome switch and the elastic support move away from the housing when the external force is removed.

9. The touch pad structure of claim 8, wherein the elastic support has a plurality of pins elastically deformable against the housing.

10. The touchpad structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein the resilient support has an opening between the legs, the dome switch and the impact platform are aligned through the opening when the touchpad module is not pressed by the external force, and the dome switch passes through the opening to abut against the impact platform or move back from the impact platform during the driving process.