JP2010262483A - Touch pad input device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a touch pad input device which is excellent in operability by successively performing a coordinate input operation and a switching input operation. <P>SOLUTION: The touch pad input device includes: a touch pad unit configured by integrally assembling a touch pad for detecting the input operation position of a coordinate input operation with an operation frame section surrounding the input operation face of the coordinate input operation to be freely supported by the casing of electronic equipment; and a direction detection switch for detecting the relative movement of the touch pad unit to the casing, and configured to detect the switching input operation to move the operation frame section successively with the coordinate input operation by the direction detection switch. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a touchpad input device including a touchpad that detects an operation position on an input operation surface, and in particular, a touch that detects an input operation parallel to the input operation surface in addition to the operation position on the input operation surface. The present invention relates to a pad input device.

  As a pointing device for moving and controlling a cursor displayed on a display of an electronic device such as a mobile phone or a personal computer, a touch pad for detecting an operation position on an input operation surface is known. The touchpad is a pointing device that controls the movement of the cursor in response to an input operation by tracing the input operation surface in several centimeters square with a finger, and is a small portable electronic device that does not provide a large area input operation surface. Suitable for pointing devices mounted on equipment.

  However, since the input operation surface is narrow, when the cursor is controlled to be scrolled for a long distance on the display, or when the display is switched by selecting icons displayed dispersedly on the display, the input operation on the input operation surface is not changed. It was necessary to repeat this time and the operability was bad.

  Therefore, conventionally, a touch pad input device provided with a detecting means for detecting another input operation in addition to the touch pad for detecting the operation position on the input operation surface has been disclosed (Patent Document 1).

  As shown in FIG. 7, a touch pad input device 100 described in Patent Document 1 has a rectangular outline touch pad in a rectangular groove 103 formed between a device cover 101 and a press plate 102 of a personal computer. An input operation surface 104 a of the touch pad 104 faces a window hole 101 a formed in the apparatus cover 101.

As shown in FIG. 8, between the four sides of the touch pad 104 and the inner back surface of the rectangular groove 103, a return spring 105 for keeping the touch pad 104 in a neutral position in the window hole 101a, and the touch pad 104, respectively. Four pressure sensors 106 for detecting displacement in the vertical and horizontal directions from the neutral position are arranged. The output side of the pressure sensor 106, the scroll judgment and signal conversion unit for comparing the pressure signal proportional to the strain that the pressure sensor 106 is compressively deformed to a predetermined threshold S _L is connected, either pressure sensor when the 106 pressure signal exceeds the threshold value S _L, to scroll the display of the display in the arrangement direction of the pressure sensor 106.

 When the finger is traced along the input operation surface 104a (hereinafter referred to as coordinate input operation), the touch pad 104 sequentially detects the input operation position on the input operation surface 104a with which the finger is approached, and relative to the relative movement direction. The cursor is controlled to move on the display according to the amount of movement. Further, while the operator presses the finger against the input operation surface 104a, the touch pad 104 is slid against one another in parallel with the input operation surface 104a against the elasticity of the return spring 105 arranged in the same direction (hereinafter referred to as “the operation pad 104a”). When a pressure signal exceeding the threshold value SL is output from the pressure sensor 106 arranged in the slide direction, the display display is scrolled in the slide direction. Thereafter, when the input operation in the horizontal direction is stopped, the touch pad 104 returns to the neutral position where no external force is applied in the horizontal direction due to the elasticity of the return spring 105.

  Therefore, according to the touchpad input device 100, even when the input operation surface 104a has a limited small area, an input operation on the input operation surface 104a can be used to perform another display control such as cursor movement control and scroll display. Can be executed.

JP 2002-182847 A

In the conventional touchpad input device 100, when a switching input operation is performed, the touchpad 104 is slid in the horizontal direction by friction with the input operation surface 104a while pressing the input operation surface 104a of the touchpad 104. There, against the elasticity of the return spring 105, to deform the pressure sensor 106 to the pressure signal exceeds the threshold S _L is generated, the addition of a horizontal direction of the operation force with respect to the input operation surface 104a at the same time Also, the input operation surface 104a must be pressed with a large force in the perpendicular direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

  Accordingly, when a switching input operation is performed in which the finger is traced to the end of the input operation surface 104a in the coordinate input operation and the cursor is moved in the same direction, the pressing force applied to the input operation surface 104a is different from the coordinate input operation. Therefore, both operations were not continuous and the operability was poor.

  In addition, when a switching input operation is performed, it is necessary to always press the finger to the input operation surface 104a. Therefore, with a touch pad that detects an input operation position by a resistance pressure-sensitive method, an input operation is performed for each switching input operation. The position switch is also executed, and a determination switch that selects an icon displayed at the destination of the cursor cannot be arranged in the input operation surface. The operation for selecting the icon is performed by the touchpad input device. The decision switch provided separately had to be input, and the operability was poor.

Furthermore, the pressure sensors 106 arranged in the four directions always need to be operated in order to detect the switching input operation, and the scroll determination / signal conversion unit performs the pressure signal regardless of whether or not the switching input operation is performed. since it is necessary to compare a threshold S _L, and power consumption during standby increases, was not suitable as a touch pad input device mounted in a portable electronic device.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such conventional problems, and the input operation directions of the coordinate input operation and the switching input operation can be matched, and the coordinate input operation and the switching input operation are continuously performed. An object of the present invention is to provide a touchpad input device with excellent operability.

  It is another object of the present invention to provide a touchpad input device capable of performing a switching input operation without pressing an input operation surface and arranging a determination switch for selecting an icon in the input operation surface.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a touchpad input device that can detect a switching input operation with a simple configuration without consuming power during standby.

In order to achieve the above object, a touch pad input device according to claim 1 is a touch pad input device that is attached to a housing of an electronic device and detects an operation position on an input operation surface that appears on a plane of the housing. An operation frame portion slidably fitted in mounting holes formed in the housing plane so as to be slidable at least in the XY directions perpendicular to each other parallel to the input operation surface, and an operation to the input operation surface surrounded by the operation frame portion A touch pad that detects a position, a slide holder that is fixed in the casing, and that slidably supports the touch pad unit that is integrally assembled with the operation frame and the touch pad; and the casing A direction detection switch for detecting relative movement of the touchpad unit in the X and Y directions with respect to
An operation position on the input operation surface is detected by a touch pad, and an input operation for pressing an operation frame portion around the input operation surface in the XY directions is detected by a direction detection switch.

  When an input operation is performed on the input operation surface surrounded by the operation frame portion, the touch pad detects the operation position of the coordinate input operation. When the operation frame portion around the input operation surface is pressed, the touch pad unit integral with the operation frame portion moves relative to the housing in the pressing direction, and the pressing direction switching input operation is detected by the direction detection switch.

  In the touch pad input device according to claim 2, the touch pad unit is integrally assembled together with a support base that supports the touch pad with the operation frame portion, and is positioned on a substrate fixed in the housing. An elastic protrusion erected in the direction of the mounting hole of the housing of the rubber sheet is inserted into a return recess formed in the opposite part of the support base, and the touch pad moves relatively by an input operation in the XY directions The unit is returned to the neutral position by the elasticity of the elastic protrusion.

  Regardless of the relative movement of the touchpad unit in the X and Y directions, when the input operation in the X and Y directions is stopped, the elastic protrusion that has been bent in the same direction returns to its original position. Return to position.

  The touch pad input device according to claim 3 is a return sheet in which at least a pair of elongated belt-like elastic protrusions whose longitudinal directions are the X direction and the Y direction are erected on the rubber sheet, and are formed at the opposing portions of the support base. The recess is an elongated strip-shaped concave groove that allows the elongated strip-shaped elastic protrusion to slide along its longitudinal direction.

  In an input operation in the X and Y directions in which the touch pad unit is moved by pressing the operation frame portion, the elastic protrusion having the moving direction of the touch pad unit as the longitudinal direction slides in the return recess formed in the opposite portion. The elastic protrusion having the longitudinal direction as the longitudinal direction is bent in the moving direction. Therefore, the input operation force in the XY directions is adjusted by the shape of the elastic protrusion whose longitudinal direction is the direction orthogonal to the input operation direction.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, in succession to the coordinate input operation for moving the operation position to the edge of the input operation surface, the operation frame portion surrounding the input operation surface is directed in the same direction as the coordinate input operation along the input operation surface. The switching input operation can be performed by the pressing input operation, and the coordinate input operation can be the switching input operation without the operator being aware of the operation direction.

  In addition, a switching input operation can be performed without pressing the input operation surface, and a determination switch for selecting an icon can be arranged in the input operation surface.

  In addition, since a switching input operation can be detected by a direction detection switch that does not consume standby power, the switch can be mounted on a portable electronic device that requires low power consumption.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the rubber sheet can be fixed to the casing using the substrate on which the direction detection switch is mounted, and the touch can be performed by a simple assembly process interposed between the support base and the rubber sheet. It can be a return means for returning the pad unit to the neutral position.

  Further, a touch pad unit that relatively moves in any direction with a single rubber sheet can be returned to the neutral position without providing return means in each direction in the XY directions.

  According to the invention of claim 3, the input operation force for operating the direction detection switch in the XY directions can be arbitrarily set for each of the X and Y directions with a simple configuration that adjusts the shape of the elastic protrusion.

It is the disassembled perspective view which looked at the touchpad input device 1 which concerns on one embodiment of this invention from diagonally upward. It is the disassembled perspective view which looked at the touchpad input device 1 from diagonally downward. 2 is an exploded vertical cross-sectional view of the touchpad input device 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of a touch pad 2. FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the touchpad input device 1 in which the touchpad unit 3 is in a neutral position. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the touchpad input device 1 which moved the touchpad unit 3 by switching input operation. FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 8 showing a conventional touchpad input device 100. It is a top view which shows the conventional touchpad input device 100. FIG.

  Hereinafter, a touch pad input device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the description of the present embodiment, in FIG. 5, the left-right direction is the X-direction, the X + direction, the up-down direction is the up-down direction, the depth direction perpendicular to the sheet of FIG. 5 is the Y + direction, and the front direction is the Y-direction. Each part of the touchpad input device 1 will be described as follows.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the touch pad input device 1 includes a touch pad unit 3 that is movably attached in a horizontal direction (XY direction) to a housing 10 of an electronic device such as a personal computer, and a housing. 10, a slide holder 5 fixed to the back side of the ring 10, a ring spacer 6 disposed between the slide holder 5 and the touch pad unit 3, and a printed wiring board 4 fixed to the back side of the housing 10 together with the slide holder 5. Are arranged between the printed circuit board 4 and the touch pad unit 3, and the push button switch 7 which is four direction detection switches mounted at positions on the printed circuit board 4 facing each other in the X direction and the Y direction. The return rubber sheet 8 is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the touch pad unit 3 includes a guide frame 9, an elastic support plate 13 that supports the determination key 11 and the cursor key 12 on a plane, the touch pad 2, a metal dome sheet 14, a fixed electrode substrate 15, The support base 16 is configured by stacking and integrating from above to below.

  The guide frame body 9 is made of a synthetic resin including a square frame portion 91, a flange plate 92 that protrudes horizontally outward from the bottom surface of the square frame portion 91, and positioning ribs 93 that are suspended from the periphery of the bottom surface of the flange plate 92. It is formed integrally. The mounting hole so that the guide frame body 9 of the touch pad unit 3 does not escape upward from the inner side (lower side) of the square mounting hole 10a formed in the housing 10 and can move horizontally in the mounting hole 10a. The inner diameter in the XY direction of 10a is shorter than the outer diameter of the flange plate 92 in the same direction and longer than the outer diameter of the square frame portion 91 in the same direction. The square window hole formed inward by the square frame portion 91 is the input operation surface 3a of the touch panel unit 3, and the inner wall surface of the surrounding square frame portion 91 is placed in the horizontal direction by touching a finger. Tapered surface for easy input operation. That is, the X direction and the Y direction are orthogonal to each other on a plane parallel to the input operation surface 3a.

  The square determination key 11 and the square frame-like cursor key 12 surrounding the periphery thereof with a slight gap are each formed of a synthetic resin into a thin plate, and pressing protrusions 11a and 12a are integrally formed on each bottom surface. The elastic support plate 13 is formed of a thin rubber sheet, and the flat surface side thereof is formed in a concavo-convex shape complementary to the bottom surface side of the determination key 11 and the cursor key 12 described above. These keys 11 and 12 are positioned and fixed. The ridge 13a erected on the peripheral edge of the elastic support plate 13 is fitted in a groove 91a that is recessed in the bottom surface of the square frame portion 91 of the guide frame body 9, and the determination key 11 and the cursor key 12 face the window hole 3 a of the guide frame body 9. On the bottom surface side of the elastic support plate 13, the depressions 11a and 12a are thinned around the vertical direction to form a recess, and the operation protrusion 13b is suspended from the center of the depressions 11a and 12a. It is installed.

  Here, the touch pad 2 detects an operation position approaching the input operation surface 3a by a capacitance method. As shown in FIG. 4, the touch pad 2 avoids the insertion hole 2c and is entirely on the flexible insulating sheet 2a. Evenly, a large number of detection electrodes are printed insulated from each other. Each detection electrode is connected to a position detection module (not shown) disposed in the device through a drawing pattern of the flexible wiring board 2b integrally connected to one side of the insulating sheet 2a, and the position detection module performs an input operation. The position on the touch pad 2 of the detection electrode whose capacitance changes as the finger approaches is set as the input operation position on the input operation surface 3a, and similarly to the control microcomputer (not shown) arranged in the device by XY coordinates. The represented input operation position is output.

  The insulating sheet 2a is provided with the aforementioned plurality of insertion holes 2c through which the operation protrusions 13b of the elastic support plate 13 stacked thereabove are inserted, and when the determination key 11 or the cursor key 12 is pressed downward. The operating projections 13b of the keys 11 and 12 push down the movable switch portion 14a that is curved upward above the metal dome sheet 14 that is laminated below the insertion hole 2c.

  The metal dome sheet 14 is formed by fixing a dome-shaped metal contact serving as a movable contact to the inner top surface of each of the five movable switch portions 14a along the inner top surface, and a fixed electrode substrate 15 is laminated below the metal dome sheet 14. When arranged, the pair of fixed contacts and the dome-shaped metal contacts formed on the fixed electrode substrate 15 are opposed to each other to constitute a push switch. Thus, when the enter key 11 or the cursor key 12 is depressed, the movable switch portion 14a below the depression key 11 is depressed by the operating projection 13b, and the push switch is short-circuited via the dome-shaped metal contact that bends between the pair of fixed contacts. Close operation. In addition, when the push-down operation to the enter key 11 or the cursor key 12 is released, the dome-shaped metal contact and the movable switch portion 14a are restored to the original shape by their own elasticity, the pair of fixed contacts are insulated, and the push switch is opened. Operate. Each fixed contact of the fixed electrode substrate 15 is connected to the aforementioned control microcomputer via a flexible substrate (not shown) connected to the fixed electrode substrate 15, and the pressing operation to the decision key 11 or the cursor key 12 is performed by the control microcomputer. Detected.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the support base 16 is formed in a square outline having four sides parallel to the XY direction, and positioning ribs 93 of the guide frame body 9 are formed on a plane along the periphery of the four sides. The positioning groove 16a to be fitted is recessed. On the bottom surface side of the support base 16, a step portion 16 b that accommodates the ring spacer 6 is formed along the four sides parallel to the XY direction of the periphery, and this step is on the XY direction axis passing through the center of the support base 16. Four actuating plates 16c that are parallel to the XY directions are suspended from the inner side (near the center) of the step portion 16b. The four actuating plates 16c face the four push button switches 7 mounted on the printed circuit board 4 respectively, and the push button switch 7 in the moving direction is picked as the touch pad unit 3 moves in the XY direction. It comes to press. In addition, two parallel hanging walls are suspended further on the inner side of the operation plate 16c, thereby forming a pressure receiving groove 16d that opens downward in parallel with the four sides in the XY direction.

  The touch pad unit 3 has an elastic support in which the fixed electrode substrate 15, the metal dome sheet 14, the touch pad 2, the enter key 11, and the cursor key 12 are fixed to the inside separated by the concave groove 16 a on the plane of the support base 16. The plates 13 are stacked in order while being positioned with respect to each other, and the guide ribs 9 are inserted from the support base 16 to the guide frame 9 with the positioning ribs 93 of the guide frame 9 fitted in the positioning grooves 16a of the support base 16. The two are tightened with screws (not shown), and the whole is integrated and assembled.

  The slide holder 5 is formed of a synthetic resin in a square cylinder shape that supports the touch pad unit 3 in a horizontal direction so as to be slidable in the horizontal direction, and the push button switch 7 is gripped at the center of each side wall 51 along the XY direction. A downward U-shaped notch 52 to be inserted is formed. On the inner wall surface of each side wall 51, a receiving shelf 53 is provided in a horizontal direction so as to avoid the portion of the notch 52, and the peripheral portion of the support base 16 is slidable on the receiving shelf 53 via the ring spacer 6. Has come to be supported. The ring spacer 6 is configured to smoothly slide the touch pad unit 3 on the receiving shelf 53 by reducing friction between the receiving shelf 53 and the support base 16, and is supported by POM (polyacetal) having excellent sliding characteristics. It is formed in a square frame shape that matches the shape of the bottom side peripheral portion of the base 16.

  The slide holder 5 in which the touch pad unit 3 is disposed between the back surface of the housing 10 via the ring spacer 6 is provided between the cylindrical portion 54 connected to the outer wall surface of each side wall 51 and the bottom surface of the housing 10. The cylindrical portion 54 is screwed with a mounting screw 17 that is inserted from below, and is integrally assembled on the back side of the housing 10. In the assembled state, the distance between the back surface of the housing 10 and the receiving shelf 53 is slightly longer than the height from the ring spacer 6 to the flange plate 92 of the guide frame body 9. Is slidable in the XY plane direction within the mounting hole 10a.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the return rubber sheet 8 has a square base plate portion 81 having a size that can be accommodated in the slide holder 5, and four locations along the periphery of the base plate portion 81 on the plane. An elongated protruding elastic wall 82 in the form of an elongated band and a cylindrical part 83 suspended from the center on the bottom surface side of the base plate part 81 are integrally formed of an elastic material such as synthetic rubber. Is inserted into the positioning hole 41 of the printed wiring board 4 and each elastic protruding wall 82 is loosely fitted into the pressure receiving groove 16d of the support base 16 so that the printed wiring board 4 and the touch pad unit 3 are interposed. Be placed. The length in the longitudinal direction of the pressure receiving groove 16d is longer than the length in the longitudinal direction of the elastic protruding wall 82 that is loosely fitted in the pressure receiving groove 16d. Therefore, the elasticity formed along the sliding direction of the touch pad unit 3 is longer. The protruding wall 82 slides along the pressure receiving groove 16d and does not deform.

  The printed wiring board 4 has the above-described four push button switches 7 mounted on a plane, and the return rubber sheet 8 positioned by the positioning hole 41 is disposed on the inside thereof, and then the bottom side of each side wall 51 of the slide holder 5 Are fixed with four mounting screws 18. While being fixed to the slide holder 5, the four push button switches 7 are opposed to the four operation plates 16 c of the support base 16 in the XY directions through the U-shaped notches 52 of the slide holder 5. Each pushbutton switch 7 is connected to the aforementioned control microcomputer via a flexible board (not shown) connected to the printed wiring board 4, and the operation of the pushbutton switch is detected by the control microcomputer.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the touch pad input device 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. The touch pad unit 3 is slidably mounted in any of the XY directions within the mounting hole 10a of the housing 10, but the input operation surface 3a that is in the window hole of the guide frame body 9 at any position. Then, the enter key 11 and the cursor key 12 are exposed, and any one of these keys 11 and 12 can be pressed to operate the movable switch portion 14a disposed therebelow. Here, when the determination key 11 arranged at the center is pressed, a control command indicated by an icon is selected on a display (not shown) of the electronic device, and control data to be executed is output from the control microcomputer. When the cursor key 12 around the X or Y direction of the enter key 11 is pressed, the movable switch portion 14a disposed below the press operation position is closed, and the direction from the enter key 11 to the press operation position is changed. The icons on the display are controlled to move in the same direction.

  Further, when the operator's finger is brought close to the input operation surface 3a surrounded by the window hole of the guide frame body 9, the input operation position where the finger is brought close is detected by the position detection module, and the input operation represented by XY coordinates. The position is output to the control microcomputer. The control microcomputer outputs control data for controlling the movement of the icon on the display in accordance with the relative position of the input operation position input from the position detection module, for example, at a period of 0.1 second. That is, the movement of the icon on the display is controlled according to the moving direction and moving speed of the operator's finger tracing on the input operation surface 3a. The coordinate input operation in which the operation position is detected by the touch pad 2 does not necessarily require pressing on the input operation surface 3a, and therefore can be performed independently of the pressing operation of the decision key 11 or the cursor key 12.

  In a state where no input operation in the horizontal direction is performed on the touch pad unit 3, that is, in a state where no external force is applied in the horizontal direction, as shown in FIG. 5, the elastic protruding wall 82 standing in the vertical direction is provided on the support base 16. The touch pad unit 3 is loosely fitted in the pressure receiving groove 16d, and is positioned at a center position (hereinafter referred to as a neutral position) in which the touch pad unit 3 can slide in any of the XY directions in the mounting hole 10a of the housing 10.

  Since the entire touch pad unit 3 is supported so as to be slidable in the horizontal direction between the rear surface of the housing 10 and the slide holder 5, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the square of the guide frame body 9 in the X + direction. When the finger of the input operation is applied to the inner wall surface of the frame portion 91 and is slid in the X + direction, the operation plate 16c suspended from the support base 16 on the X + direction side holds the push button switch 7 facing in the X + direction. The closing operation of the pushbutton switch arranged in the X + direction is detected in the control microcomputer.

  In the input operation of sliding the touch pad unit 3 in the X + direction, the pair of elastic protruding walls 82 along the Y direction of the return rubber sheet 8 bends in the X + direction, and the inner wall surfaces of the pressure receiving grooves 16d of the support base 16 respectively. The touch pad unit 3 is urged in the X-direction. Accordingly, when the input operation force in the X + direction is released, the touch pad unit 3 slides in the X− direction and returns to the neutral position where the elastic protruding wall 82 stands on the base plate portion 81 in the vertical direction.

  Similarly, when an input operation for sliding the touch pad unit 3 in each of the XY directions against the elasticity of the return rubber sheet 8 is performed, the push button switch 7 arranged in the input operation direction is closed, When the input operation is released, the elastic protruding wall 82 that bends in the input operation direction slides until the touch pad unit 3 returns to the neutral position.

  The closing operation of the pushbutton switch 7 is detected by the control microcomputer, and here, switching control data for switching the display display to a page corresponding to the arrangement direction of the pushbutton switch 7 that performs the closing operation is output. That is, by moving the square frame portion 91 around the input operation surface 3a on which the coordinate input operation is performed in a desired direction, a switching input operation different from the coordinate input operation is possible, and the input operation surface 3a along the XY direction is made possible. The switching input operation can be performed following the coordinate input operation to be traced.

  In the above-described embodiment, the capacitive touch pad 2 that detects the input operation position from the change in capacitance is used as the touch pad. However, if the input operation position can be detected, other methods such as a resistance pressure-sensitive method are used. A touch pad of the detection method may be used.

  In addition, the plane of the decision key 11 and the cursor key 12 stacked on the touch pad 2 is used as the input operation surface 3a. However, the input operation surface 3a is directly exposed in the square frame portion 91. It is good.

  Further, the touch pad 2 is sandwiched between the operation frame portion 9 and the support base 16 to form an integrated touch pad unit 3, but the support base 16 may be a part of the operation frame portion 9. Further, as long as the touch pad 2 can be fixed to the operation frame portion 9 by bonding or the like, the support base 16 is not necessarily provided.

  Further, the slide holder 16 may be directly fixed to the rear surface of the housing 10 with the operation frame portion 9 interposed between the slide holder 16 and the housing 10.

  Further, although the pressing operation by the enter key 11 and the cursor key 12 can be detected, these keys 11 and 12 are not necessarily arranged on the touch pad unit 3.

  Further, the push button switch 7 is pressed by the operation plate 16c of the support base 16. However, the push button switch 7 in the sliding direction can be pressed by any part of the touch pad unit 3 that slides horizontally. That's fine.

  The present invention is suitable for a touchpad input device capable of a switching input operation in addition to a coordinate input operation.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Touchpad input device 2 Touchpad 3 Touchpad unit 3a Input operation surface 4 Printed wiring board (board | substrate)
5 Slide holder 7 Push button switch (Direction detection switch)
8 Return rubber sheet (rubber sheet)
82 Elastic protrusion (elastic protrusion)
9 Guide frame (operation frame)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Case of electronic device 10a Mounting hole 16 Support base 16d Pressure receiving groove (recessed recess)

Claims (3)

A touchpad input device that is attached to a housing of an electronic device and detects an operation position on an input operation surface that appears on a plane of the housing,
An operation frame portion slidably fitted in XY directions orthogonal to each other parallel to the input operation surface in an attachment hole formed in the housing plane;
A touch pad for detecting an operation position on the input operation surface surrounded by the operation frame portion;
A slide holder that is fixed in the housing and slidably supports the touch pad unit formed by integrally assembling the operation frame portion and the touch pad with the housing;
A direction detection switch for detecting relative movement of the touchpad unit in the XY direction with respect to the housing;
A touch pad input device that detects an operation position on an input operation surface with a touch pad and detects an input operation for pressing an operation frame portion around the input operation surface in an XY direction with a direction detection switch. The touch pad unit is assembled together with a support base that supports the touch pad with the operation frame,
Insert the elastic protrusions erected in the direction of the mounting holes of the casing of the rubber sheet positioned on the substrate fixed in the casing into the return recess formed in the opposite part of the support base. ,
The touch pad input device according to claim 1, wherein the touch pad unit that is relatively moved by the input operation in the XY directions is returned to the neutral position by the elasticity of the elastic protrusion. The rubber sheet is provided with at least a pair of elongated belt-like elastic protrusions whose longitudinal directions are the X direction and the Y direction, and the return recess formed in the opposite portion of the support base has the elongated belt-like elastic protrusions. The touch pad input device according to claim 2, wherein the touch pad input device is an elongated belt-like groove that is slidable along the longitudinal direction.

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