CN218122631U

CN218122631U - Circuit board, touch pad assembly and electronic equipment

Info

Publication number: CN218122631U
Application number: CN202221592941.5U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李威龙; 陈均庭; 廖雪吩
Original assignee: Synaptics Inc
Current assignee: Synaptics Inc
Priority date: 2022-06-24
Filing date: 2022-06-24
Publication date: 2022-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 2032-06-24

Abstract

The application provides a circuit board, a touch pad assembly and an electronic device. The circuit board is used for a touch pad and senses a pressing and clicking operation, and it includes: a body; at least one force sensor disposed at an edge of one face of the body; at least one cover attached to the body and covering the force sensor; and a plurality of signal pads attached on an outer surface of the cover. The circuit board, the touch pad component and the electronic equipment have the advantages of simplicity, reliability, easiness in implementation, convenience in use and the like, and improved force feedback experience can be provided.

Description

Circuit board, touch pad assembly and electronic equipment

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of touchpad structures. More particularly, the present application relates to a circuit board that aims to provide an improved click and force feedback experience. The application also relates to a touch pad assembly comprising the circuit board, and an electronic device comprising the circuit board or the touch pad assembly.

Background

Touch panels are widely used in electronic devices such as notebook computers. The touch pad can generate an input signal to realize mouse-like clicking by the touch operation and clicking of a finger on the touch pad by a user. By moving or pressing a certain position on the touch pad, a mouse-like selection function can be conveniently realized.

For example, a user may click on the face stock of the touch pad using a finger. Also for example, a linear motor in the touch pad may generate force feedback therewith.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

It is an object of an aspect of the present application to provide a circuit board that aims to provide an improved force feedback performance, thereby improving the user experience. Another object of the present invention is to provide a touch pad assembly including the circuit board, and an electronic device including the circuit board or the touch pad assembly.

The purpose of the application is realized by the following technical scheme:

a circuit board for a touch pad and sensing press and click operations; the circuit board includes:

a body;

at least one force sensor disposed at an edge of one face of the body;

at least one cover attached to the body and covering the force sensor; and

a plurality of signal pads attached to the outer surface of the cover.

In the above circuit board, optionally, the body is configured to have a rectangular outline, and the force sensors are disposed at respective corners of the rectangular outline.

In the above circuit board, optionally, the signal sheet is configured to have a rectangular outline and extend in a length direction of the rectangular outline of the body.

In the above circuit board, optionally, the signal sheet is configured to have a "convex" shaped profile, a base of the "convex" shaped profile is provided to extend in a width direction of the rectangular profile of the body, and a central protrusion of the "convex" shaped profile is provided to extend in a length direction of the rectangular profile of the body.

In the above circuit board, optionally, the periphery of the cover includes an attachment portion attached to the body by one or more of: pasting, gluing and soldering; the attachment portion and the cover cooperatively enclose and house the force sensor.

In the above circuit board, optionally, the signal sheet is provided at the center of the cover and spaced apart from the attachment portion in a direction perpendicular to a plane on which the body is located.

In the above circuit board, optionally, an actuator is further included, the actuator being attached to the body and configured to provide vibration in a length direction of the rectangular outline of the body.

A touch pad assembly capable of being fixed in place and accepting press and click operations; the touch pad assembly includes:

the above-mentioned circuit board;

the touch panel is arranged on the other surface of the circuit board opposite to the force sensor; and

a bracket attached to the signal pad and configured to be selectively driven by the actuator.

In the above touchpad assembly, optionally, the support comprises at least two resilient arms, the resilient arms being positioned in a transmission path from the signal pad to the actuator.

In the above touchpad assembly, optionally, the bracket comprises a first portion and a second portion, the second portion extending around the first portion, the first portion being in contact with the actuator, the second portion being attached to the signal pad, and the first portion and the second portion being connected by a resilient arm, the resilient arm being positioned on both sides of the actuator and being asymmetrically arranged with respect to the actuator.

In the above touchpad assembly, optionally, the bracket comprises a plurality of cantilevers, proximal ends of the cantilevers extend from the bracket, and distal ends of the cantilevers are attached to the signal pad.

In the above touchpad assembly, optionally, the bracket comprises a first portion and a second portion;

wherein the first portion or the second portion includes a plurality of tab portions extending from one of the first portion and the second portion, bent over, and abutting against the other of the first portion and the second portion; and also,

wherein the flap portion is configured to prevent relative movement of the first and second portions in a direction perpendicular to a plane in which the support lies and to provide a pivot axis for the support.

In the above trackpad assembly, optionally, the second portion extends around the first portion, the first portion is in contact with the actuator, and the proximal end of the cantilever is connected to the second portion; and is

Wherein the first portion and the second portion are connected by a connecting portion, and the plurality of flap portions are distributed along a periphery of the first portion.

In the above touch panel assembly, optionally, the bracket is configured as a punched plate having a rectangular shape, and includes a plurality of mounting holes so as to fix the touch panel assembly in place by fasteners.

An electronic device comprises the circuit board or the touch pad component.

Drawings

The present application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the drawings are designed solely for the purposes of illustrating the embodiments and that, accordingly, should not be taken as limiting the scope of the present application. Furthermore, unless specifically stated otherwise, the drawings are intended to be conceptual in nature or configuration of the depicted objects and may contain exaggerated displays. The figures are also not necessarily drawn to scale.

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a portion of components of a circuit board according to one embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 after assembly.

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of a portion of components of a circuit board according to another embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is another view of the embodiment of fig. 4 in operation.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a trackpad assembly according to one embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 7 is another perspective view of the embodiment of fig. 6.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the descriptions are illustrative only, exemplary, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the application.

First, it should be noted that the terms top, bottom, upward, downward, and the like as used herein are defined with respect to the orientation of the various figures. These orientations are relative concepts and will therefore vary depending on the position and state in which they are located. These and other directional terms are not to be construed in a limiting sense.

Furthermore, it should also be noted that for any single technical feature described or implicit in the embodiments herein or shown or implicit in the drawings, these technical features (or their equivalents) can be continuously combined to obtain other embodiments not directly mentioned herein.

It should be noted that in different drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or substantially the same components.

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of part of components of a circuit board according to one embodiment of the present application, fig. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in fig. 1 after assembly, and fig. 3 is an exploded view of part of components of a circuit board according to another embodiment of the present application. The circuit board 100 may include: body 110, force sensor 120, cover 130, signal pad 140, actuator 150, and the like.

The body 110 may be configured to have a substantially rectangular shape. In one embodiment, the body 110 has: a length direction extending in the X-axis direction in fig. 1, a width direction extending in the Y-axis direction in fig. 1, and a thickness in the Z-axis direction perpendicular to the length direction and the width direction. In other words, the body 110 is located substantially within a plane defined by the X-axis and the Y-axis, and the vertical direction shown by the Z-axis is a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane in which the body 110 is located. The body 110 may be provided thereon with various electronic components including, but not limited to, an actuator mounting part 111 shown in fig. 7, and the like. The body 110 may have other suitable shapes besides a rectangular shape.

The force sensor 120 may be disposed at an edge of the body 110. In the illustrated embodiment, four force sensors 120 are disposed at respective corners of the rectangular profile of the body 110. The force sensor 120 may be, for example, a sensing circuit or a sensing pattern. The force sensor 120 may be connected to other electronic components, such as a processor connected to the body 110, by circuitry shown schematically.

A cover 130 may be attached to the body 110 and cover the force sensor 120. The specific structure of the attachment structure of the cover 130 will be shown in detail in fig. 4 and 5. For example, the cover 130 may be attached to the body 110 at its edges by a continuous connection 131. The dotted line in fig. 1 schematically shows the installation direction of the cover 130. For example, the cover 130 may be attached to the body 110 in the direction indicated by arrow a. In one embodiment, the cover 130 may be attached to the body 110 by one of the following: surface Mount Technology (SMT), surface mount technology (die attach), soldering, gluing, etc. For example, the cover 130 may be provided with a soldering portion 131, and the soldering portion 131 is formed of a metal, such as tin. The solder 131 may establish an electrical connection between the cover 130 and the body 110, for example, providing a grounding capability. Referring to fig. 4 and 5, the cover 130 and the connection portion 131 may together form a cavity, and the force sensor 120 is accommodated in the cavity. Referring to fig. 2, four covers 130 may be attached to the body 110 and completely cover each of the force sensors 120.

The signal pad 140 may be disposed on an outer surface of the cover 130, and the signal pad 140 and the force sensor 120 may be spaced apart by the cover 130. The signal pad 140 may be a component having adhesive on both sides, such as a double-sided tape. In one embodiment, the signal pad 140 may be formed of teflon. The number of signal pads may be one or more, and the signal pads 140 may be adapted to be attached between the cover 130 and the bracket 300 described in detail below, or between the cover 130 and the distal end 332 of the cantilever 330 described in detail below. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, at least one signal sheet 140 may have a rectangular contour, and the rectangular contour of the signal sheet 140 may be configured to extend along a length direction (X-axis) of the rectangular contour of the body 110. In the embodiment shown in fig. 3, at least one signal sheet may have a "convex" shaped profile, and a bottom side of the "convex" shaped profile may be disposed to extend in a width direction (Y-axis) of the rectangular profile of the body 110, and a central protrusion of the "convex" shaped profile may be disposed to extend in a length direction (X-axis) of the rectangular profile of the body 110. As can also be seen in fig. 3, the central protrusion of the "male" profile of each signal pad 140 is oriented toward the Y-axis symmetry center of the body 110. The outline of the convex font is beneficial to better acquiring elastic deformation caused by touch and click operation and has better sensitivity.

The actuator 150 may be attached to the body 110. In one embodiment, the actuator 150 may be a linear actuator or LRA. The actuator 150 may provide vibration along the length direction (X-axis) of the rectangular profile of the body 110. The specific function of the actuator 150 will be described in detail below in connection with the bracket 300.

Fig. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in fig. 1, and fig. 5 is another view of the embodiment shown in fig. 4 in operation. As shown, the cover 130 may be attached to one side of the body 110 of the circuit board 100 through the connection part 131, and the touch panel 200 may be attached to the other side of the body 110. In one embodiment, the touch panel 200 may be glass. The cover 130 may further be attached to the bracket 300 by a signal pad 140. As shown, the signal pad 140 may be disposed substantially at the center of the cover 130 and vertically offset from the connection portion 131. That is, the signal sheet 140 is staggered or spaced apart from the connection portion 131 in a direction perpendicular to a plane in which the body 110 is located. Such a configuration allows the cover 130 to be bent and deformed as shown in fig. 5 when the touch panel 200 is subjected to a force. The deformation may be sensed and recorded by a force sensor 120, not shown.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a trackpad assembly according to an embodiment of the present application, and fig. 7 is another perspective view of the embodiment shown in fig. 6. The touch pad assembly 10 may include: circuit board 100, touch panel 200, and support 300.

The circuit board 100 may be, for example, a circuit board as described in detail above. The touch panel 200 may be made of glass or other suitable material and configured to receive touch and click operations of a user. The bracket 300 may be used to secure the entire trackpad assembly 10 in place. The touch panel 200 and the bracket 300 may be mounted at both sides of the circuit board 100, and the bracket 300 faces the cover 130 and the signal sheet 140 described in detail above. In one embodiment, the bracket 300 may be attached to the signal pad 140 and selectively driven by the actuator 150.

Fig. 4 shows one embodiment of a stent 300. The bracket 300 in fig. 4 may include a first portion 301 and a second portion 302. Wherein the first portion 301 is surrounded by the second portion 302, and the first portion 301 and the second portion 302 are connected by a connecting portion 303. The periphery of the first portion 301 and the second portion 302 are positioned adjacent to each other and a plurality of tab portions 340 are provided at the periphery of the first portion 301. Each tab 340 may be part of the first portion 301 and extend from an original planar position and bend to eventually contact the second portion 302. The flaps 340 may be substantially evenly distributed along the perimeter of the first portion 301. In one embodiment, flap 340 may secure first portion 301 and second portion 302 relative to each other in a vertical direction or in the Z-axis direction in fig. 1 such that no relative movement occurs between the two. Meanwhile, the flap part 340 functions as a rotation axis, so that the entire bracket 300 can rotate about the rotation axis defined by the flap part 340.

The bracket 300 may also have a plurality of cantilevers 330. For example, four cantilevers 330 are disposed at respective corners of the stent 300, and each cantilever 330 has a proximal end 331 and a distal end 332, respectively. In one embodiment, the proximal end 331 can be connected to the second portion 302 and the distal end 332 can be connected to the signal pad 140, not shown. The cantilever 330 provides vibration transmission and a certain movement space for the bracket 300. In one embodiment, the bracket 300 may have a generally rectangular profile, and the corners of the rectangular profile may be attached to the signal pad 140, not shown.

The bracket 300 may also include one or more mounting holes 310. By providing fasteners in the mounting holes 310, it is possible to secure the bracket 300 in place relative to other components not shown. Fig. 4 and 5 show a bracket for bottom mounting. Depending on the actual needs, an embodiment of the circuit board 100 of the present application may also be adapted with a bracket for top mounting and form a touchpad assembly different from that shown in fig. 4 and 5.

In one embodiment, not shown, the bracket 300 may include a first portion 301 and a second portion 302, with the second portion 302 extending around the first portion 301. The bracket 300 may be configured to have a generally rectangular profile and the rectangular edges of the bracket 300 are directly attached to the signal pad 140. That is, the second portion 302 is attached to the signal pad 140, and the first portion 301 is connected with the actuator 150. At least two elastic arms may be disposed on a transmission path from the signal pad 140 to the actuator 150, and the two elastic arms may be disposed asymmetrically with respect to the actuator 150. That is, the two elastic arms are asymmetrically arranged on both sides of the actuator 150 as viewed in a direction in which the Y-axis direction shown in fig. 1 is taken as the axis of symmetry. For example, a resilient arm may be connected between the first portion 301 and the second portion 302.

The application also provides an electronic device which comprises the circuit board or comprises the touch pad component. For example, the electronic device may be a notebook computer, and the touch pad assembly according to the present application may be installed at a C-plane of the notebook computer. In one embodiment, the trackpad assembly may be mounted from the interior of the notebook computer toward the C-side, for example, by being secured to the C-side of the notebook computer by bolts passing through the mounting holes 310. This makes only the touch panel 200 visible outside the notebook computer.

The circuit board, the touch pad component and the electronic equipment have the advantages of simplicity, reliability, easiness in implementation, convenience in use and the like, and improved force feedback experience can be provided.

This written description discloses the application with reference to the drawings, and also enables one skilled in the art to practice the application, including making and using any devices or systems, selecting appropriate materials, and using any incorporated methods. The scope of the present application is defined by the claims and encompasses other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are to be considered within the scope of protection defined by the claims as long as they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or that they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.

Claims

1. A circuit board for a touch pad and sensing press and click operations; characterized in that the circuit board (100) comprises:

a body (110);

at least one force sensor (120), the force sensor (120) being disposed at an edge of one face of the body (110);

at least one cover (130), the cover (130) attached to the body (110) and covering the force sensor (120); and

a plurality of signal pads (140), the signal pads (140) attached on an outer surface of the cover (130).

2. The circuit board of claim 1, wherein the body (110) is configured to have a rectangular profile and the force sensors (120) are disposed at respective corners of the rectangular profile.

3. The circuit board of claim 2, wherein the signal sheet (140) is configured to have a rectangular outline and extends along a length direction of the rectangular outline of the body (110).

4. The circuit board of claim 2, wherein the signal sheet (140) is configured to have a "convex" profile, a bottom side of the "convex" profile being disposed to extend in a width direction of the rectangular profile of the body (110), and a central protrusion of the "convex" profile being disposed to extend in a length direction of the rectangular profile of the body (110).

5. The circuit board according to claim 2, characterized in that the periphery of the cover (130) comprises an attachment portion (131), the attachment portion (131) being attached to the body (110) by one or more of the following: pasting, gluing and soldering; the attachment portion (131) and the cover (130) together enclose and house the force sensor (120).

6. The circuit board according to claim 5, wherein the signal sheet (140) is disposed at a center of the cover (130) and spaced apart from the attachment portion (131) in a direction perpendicular to a plane in which the body (110) is located.

7. The circuit board of any of claims 1-6, further comprising an actuator (150), the actuator (150) attached to the body (110) and configured to provide vibration in a length direction of the rectangular profile of the body (110).

8. A touch pad assembly capable of being fixed in place and accepting press and click operations; characterized in that the touch pad assembly (10) comprises:

the circuit board (100) of claim 7;

a touch panel (200) provided at the other surface of the circuit board (100) opposite to the force sensor (120); and

a bracket (300) attached to the signal pad (140) and configured to be selectively driven by the actuator (150).

9. Trackpad assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that the holder (300) comprises at least two resilient arms positioned in a transmission path from the signal pad (140) to the actuator (150).

10. Touch pad assembly according to claim 9, wherein the bracket (300) comprises a first part (301) and a second part (302), the second part (302) extending around the first part (301), the first part (301) being in contact with the actuator (150), the second part being attached to the signal pad (140), and the first part (301) and the second part (302) being connected by the resilient arms, which are positioned on both sides of the actuator (150) and are arranged asymmetrically with respect to the actuator (150).

11. The trackpad assembly of claim 8, wherein the bracket (300) includes a plurality of cantilevered arms (330), wherein proximal ends (331) of the cantilevered arms (330) extend from the bracket (300), and wherein distal ends (332) of the cantilevered arms (330) are attached to the signal pad (140).

12. A trackpad assembly according to claim 11, wherein the bracket (300) comprises a first portion (301) and a second portion (302);

wherein the first portion (301) or the second portion (302) comprises a plurality of tab portions (340), the tab portions (340) extending from one of the first portion (301) and the second portion (302), being bent over and resting on the other of the first portion (301) and the second portion (302); and the number of the first and second electrodes,

wherein the flap portion (340) is configured to prevent relative movement of the first portion (301) and the second portion (302) in a direction perpendicular to a plane in which the support (300) lies and to provide a pivot for the support (300).

13. The trackpad assembly of claim 12, wherein the second portion (302) extends around the first portion (301), the first portion (301) is in contact with the actuator (150), and the proximal end (331) of the cantilever (330) is connected to the second portion (302); and is

Wherein the first portion (301) and the second portion (302) are connected by a connection (303) and a plurality of flap portions (340) are distributed along the periphery of the first portion (301).

14. Touch pad assembly according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the bracket (300) is configured as a stamped plate having a rectangular shape and comprises a plurality of mounting holes (310) for fixing the touch pad assembly (10) in place by means of fasteners.

15. An electronic device, characterized in that it comprises a circuit board according to any one of claims 1-7, or a touch pad assembly according to any one of claims 8-14.