JP2012014473A - Mounting structure of pointing sticks - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mounting structure of pointing sticks that is hardly influenced by a difference of coefficients of thermal expansion among components constituting the mounting structure of pointing sticks, and is attachable to a base plate of a keyboard while maintaining sufficient strength in spite of the state of being made thin.SOLUTION: The mounting structure has a base plate 10; an operation section 20 that is mounted on a keyboard via the base plate and has an operation stick 25 for moving a cursor as well as a force sensor for detecting the contents of operation of the operation stick; and a mounting member 30 for mounting the operation section that is disposed on an opposite side of the base plate from the operation section. When the operation stick is mounted, the base plate is designed to receive a pushing force of not less than a predetermined value acting in the axial direction of the operation stick, and is allowed to be deviated from the operation section and the mounting member along their respective contact surfaces.

Description

  The present invention relates to a pointing stick mounting structure used for cursor movement control on a display such as a notebook computer.

  In recent years, for example, with the spread of notebook computers (notebook personal computers), pointing devices equipped with a pointing stick have been used to control cursor movement on the display (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  The notebook personal computer having the pointing stick does not need to use a mouse when moving the cursor on the display. Therefore, space is saved from the viewpoint of work space without taking a place on the desk, it is easy to use at home or office, and it is used when moving by public transportation means such as airplane or train It is said that it is easy to use.

  Such a pointing stick is used not only for use in a notebook computer but also for movement control of a cursor on a display of a home game machine.

JP 2002-366296 A JP 2000-214985 A

  In the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 1, a plurality of strain gauges integrated under a columnar operation portion are attached. The operation unit has a plurality of mounting legs fixed to the keyboard substrate. The keyboard substrate is integrated with the back plate through a thin film. The mounting leg of the operation unit is passed through a through hole provided in the keyboard substrate, and the tip of the mounting leg is welded to be fixed to the keyboard substrate.

  In addition, the keyboard substrate, the thin film, and the back plate are crimped together by the crimping holes of the back plate in an overlapped state, and are integrated so as not to be displaced from each other. As a result, the operation unit, the keyboard substrate, the thin film, and the back plate are integrated so as not to shift from each other.

  On the other hand, in particular, the strain gauge itself has been improved in performance in recent years. According to the structure of the prior art as described above, this high performance is due to the influence of the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the operation unit of the pointing stick and the back plate. It is difficult to make full use of the capacity of strain gauges.

  Further, according to the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 2, when an operation unit equipped with a pointing stick strain gauge is directly fixed to a base plate through a mounting member, it is caused by an unreasonable keyboard operation around the pointing stick. The generated strain of the base plate is easily transmitted to the strain gauge of the operation unit via the base plate and the mounting member, and there is a concern that malfunction may occur.

  Further, when these pointing sticks according to the prior art are attached to the base plate, the operation portion is attached to the base plate via the attachment member, so that this portion inevitably becomes thick. On the other hand, when the personal computer is a notebook personal computer, in order to improve portability, it is required to make it as thin and light as possible, and to make it easy to carry, so such a prior art structure is unsuitable. .

  The object of the present invention is to be mounted on the keyboard base plate while ensuring sufficient strength even in a thin state, which is not easily affected by differences in the coefficient of thermal expansion of each component constituting the pointing stick mounting structure. It is to provide a possible pointing stick mounting structure.

In order to solve the above-described problem, a pointing stick mounting structure according to claim 1 of the present invention includes:
A base plate, an operation unit attached to the keyboard via the base plate and provided with an operation stick for moving a cursor and a force sensor for detecting the operation content of the operation stick, and on the opposite side of the operation unit across the base plate A pointing stick mounting structure having a mounting member for mounting the operation unit arranged,
In the attached state of the pointing stick, the base plate receives a pressing force that is greater than or equal to a predetermined value acting in the axial direction of the operating stick, and the base plate is in contact with the operating portion and the mounting member. It is characterized by allowing deviation along the surface.

  According to the pointing stick mounting structure of the first aspect, the base plate is displaced along the contact surface with respect to the operation portion and the mounting member in a state in which the pointing stick is mounted. In other words, unlike the prior art, the back plate, the holding member, and the operation unit are not joined together by welding or caulking to have a structure in which these parts are integrated with each other. Thermal stress is less likely to occur. As a result, it is possible to provide a pointing stick mounting structure that takes full advantage of the performance of a force sensor having a highly accurate output that has become widespread in recent years.

  In addition, the base plate receives an excessive pressing force acting in the axial direction of the pointing stick when the pointing stick is attached, so that excessive stress is applied to the force sensor forming part even if the pointing stick is pushed too much. The output characteristics of the pointing stick can be stabilized and the life can be extended.

A pointing stick according to claim 2 of the present invention is the pointing stick according to claim 1,
The operation portion has a plurality of mounting legs extending from the operation portion main body to the base plate side,
The mounting member has a plurality of convex stepped portions that fit into the base plate, and the convex stepped portion has insertion holes through which a plurality of mounting legs extending from the operation unit main body are inserted. And the convex step portion has a concave portion on the opposite side of the convex step portion that can accommodate the weld portion when the tip end portion of the mounting leg is welded.
The base plate has a plurality of fitting holes into which the convex steps of the mounting member are fitted respectively.

  In the attachment structure of the pointing stick according to claim 2, since the tip end portions of the plurality of mounting legs extending from the operation portion main body are welded in the recess portions corresponding to the convex step portions of the attachment member, the base plate and the operation portion The amount of protrusion of the welded portion in the direction in which the mounting member and the mounting member overlap can be reduced.

  Accordingly, the height of the operation stick provided in the operation unit in the axial direction can be reduced, and a pointing stick mounting structure in which the height of the pointing stick is entirely suppressed can be obtained.

  In addition, the number of parts required to realize the pointing stick mounting structure can be reduced, which contributes to cost reduction.

  Further, it is not necessary to provide a space (interval) for avoiding interference between the extra protruding portion and other parts such as the housing in the attachment portion of the keyboard, and the personal computer itself can be thinned. In particular, in the case of a notebook computer in which portability is regarded as important, the merit of such a thinning becomes large.

A pointing stick according to claim 3 of the present invention is the pointing stick according to claim 2,
A plurality of mounting legs extended from the operation portion are inserted into the insertion holes of the mounting member, and the tips of the plurality of mounting legs protruding from the insertion holes of the mounting member correspond to the convex step portions of the mounting member. When the base plate is sandwiched and fixed by welding within the inner surface of the recess, the thickness of the weld is such that it does not protrude from the opening of the recess of the mounting member.

  According to the attachment structure of the pointing stick described in claim 3, since the welded portion does not protrude from the opening of the recess, the effect described in claim 2 can be made more effective. .

The pointing stick according to claim 4 of the present invention is the pointing stick according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A part of the mounting member is fixed to the base plate by positioning fixing means in advance.

  According to the attachment structure of the pointing stick according to claim 4, by fixing a part of the attachment member having the fixing means for positioning to the base plate, the base plate and the operation part and the attachment member can be connected to each other on the basis of the fixation part. It is possible to prevent the operation unit from shifting in an unspecified direction with respect to the base plate while allowing a shift in a specific direction while securing the mutual positional relationship.

  According to the present invention, it is difficult to be affected by the difference in thermal expansion coefficient of each component constituting the pointing stick mounting structure, and it can be mounted on the keyboard base plate while ensuring sufficient strength even in a thin state. A pointing stick mounting structure can be provided.

It is a perspective view which shows the attachment structure of the pointing stick which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention from diagonally upward. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the pointing stick mounting structure shown in FIG. 1. It is a disassembled perspective view of each component which shows the state before attachment of the attachment structure of the pointing stick shown in FIG. 1 from diagonally upward. It is a disassembled perspective view of each component which shows the state before attachment of the attachment structure of the pointing stick shown in FIG. 1 from diagonally downward. FIG. 3 is an exploded sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2 showing a state before the attachment structure of the pointing stick shown in FIG. 1 is attached. It is a sectional side view which shows the attachment structure of the pointing stick which concerns on the modification of embodiment shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is an exploded side cross-sectional view showing a pointing stick mounting structure according to a modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6.

  Hereinafter, a pointing stick mounting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an attachment structure of a pointing stick according to an embodiment of the present invention from obliquely above. 2 is a side sectional view of the pointing stick mounting structure shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of each component showing the state before the attachment structure of the pointing stick shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of each part showing the state before the attachment structure of the pointing stick shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing the state before the attachment structure of the pointing stick shown in FIG. 1 corresponding to FIG.

  Note that FIGS. 1 to 5 and FIGS. 6 and 7 according to modifications of the present embodiment described later are drawn assuming that the pointing stick mounting structure is applied to a keyboard of a personal computer. In the figure, the upper side is shown as the keyboard operation surface direction, and the lower side as the keyboard lower surface direction.

  The attachment structure of the pointing stick 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base plate 10, an operation unit 20 attached to the upper surface of the base plate 10, and the base plate 10 on the opposite side of the operation unit 20 so as to sandwich the base plate 10. A mounting member 30 is mounted.

  The operation unit 20 is made of a resin material having excellent strength and moldability, such as ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) resin. And it is equipped with the force sensor 26 which detects the operation content of the operation stick 25 and the operation stick 25 which are attached to a keyboard (here not shown) via the base plate 10 and move the cursor.

  The operation unit 20 has three mounting legs 21, 22, and 23 extending from the operation unit main body 20a to the base plate side (see FIG. 4). The operation portion main body 20a is provided with a diaphragm 26a that deforms in response to the operation of the operation stick 25, and a strain gauge 26b as a force sensor is formed on the diaphragm 26a at an appropriate position (see FIG. 2). The diaphragm 26a and the strain gauge 26b constitute a force sensor 26. As a result, an output change is detected in the resistance value of the strain gauge 26b on the diaphragm 26a according to the operation of the operation stick 25, and the operation content of the operation stick 25 is detected by a calculation means such as a CPU (not shown). ing.

  The base plate 10 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy plate having a thickness of 0.5 mm. The base plate 10 has a concave portion 10 a having a shape corresponding to the bottom surface of the operation unit 20 on the upper surface thereof and receiving the bottom of the operation unit 20. Three fitting holes 11, 12, and 13 for fitting the three convex step portions 31, 32, and 33 of the mounting member 30 are formed in the recessed portion 10 a of the base plate 10 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). ). The first fitting hole 11 has substantially the same diameter as the convex step portion 31 of the mounting member 30 so that the convex step portions 31 can be fitted to each other without being displaced perpendicularly to the fitting direction. It has become. Further, the second and third fitting holes 12 and 13 having an oval shape have an oval longitudinal central portion when the corresponding projecting step portions 32 and 33 of the mounting member 30 are fitted. The dimensional relationship is such that the axes of the convex step portions 32 and 33 are aligned with each other.

  For example, a cover sheet 15 made of a resin material such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is attached to the base plate 10 so as to avoid the operation unit 20 (see FIGS. 2 and 5).

  The attachment member 30 is made of, for example, a stainless steel plate having a thickness of 0.3 mm, and has a shape corresponding to the bottom surface of the operation unit 20 in plan view. The mounting member 30 has three convex step portions 31, 32, 33 that fit into the base plate 10, and each of the convex step portions 31, 32, 33 extends from the operation portion main body 20a. Have three insertion holes 31a, 32a, 33a through which the mounting legs 21, 22, 23 are inserted. The mounting member 30 has recesses 31b, 32b, 33b that can accommodate the welded portions 21a, 22a, 23a when the distal ends of the mounting legs 21, 22, 23 are welded, on the opposite side of the convex step portions 31, 32, 33. (See FIGS. 2, 4, and 5).

  That is, the attachment structure of the pointing stick 1 according to the present embodiment includes the attachment member 30 for attaching the operation unit on the opposite side of the operation unit 20 with the base plate 10 interposed therebetween. Then, when the pointing stick 1 is attached, the base plate 10 receives a pressing force greater than a predetermined value in the axial direction of the operation stick 25. By receiving the pressing force of the predetermined value or more with the base plate 10, an excessive stress is not generated in the force sensor 26, and the force sensor 26 is structurally protected.

  In addition, the base plate 10, the operation unit 20, and the attachment member 30 are not fixed by special caulking, and the base plate 10 is sandwiched between the operation unit 20 and the attachment member 30. However, the operation unit 20 and the attachment member 30 are allowed to be displaced along the contact surfaces.

  When actually attaching the pointing stick 1, the attachment member 30 is first attached from the lower surface of the base plate 10 as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5. At this time, the convex step portions 31, 32, 33 of the mounting member 30 are fitted into the corresponding fitting holes 11, 12, 13 of the base plate 10. Next, the plurality of mounting legs 21, 22, 23 extended from the operation unit 20 are inserted into the insertion holes 31 a, 32 a, 33 a of the mounting member 30. Next, the tips of the plurality of mounting legs 21, 22, 23 protruding from the insertion holes 31 a, 32 a, 33 a of the mounting member 30 are recessed portions 31 b, 32 b, 33 b corresponding to the convex step portions 31, 32, 33 of the mounting member. Are welded within the inner surface of the steel plate, and welded portions 21a, 22a, and 23a having outer diameters larger than the insertion holes 31a, 32a, and 33a are formed.

  Thereby, the operation unit 20 and the attachment member 30 are fitted and fixed in a state where the base plate 10 is sandwiched. As described above, when the pointing stick 1 is assembled with the base plate 10 sandwiched between the attachment member 30 and the operation portion 20, the base plate 10 is relatively at least in one direction with respect to the operation portion 20 and the attachment member 30 in the attachment state. It becomes possible to shift. The thicknesses of the welded portions 21a, 22a, and 23a are such that they do not protrude from the openings of the recessed portions 31b, 32b, and 33b of the mounting member 30.

  Next, the operation relating to the above-described pointing stick 1 mounting structure will be described. According to the attachment structure of the pointing stick 1 according to the present embodiment, the base plate 10 is allowed to be displaced along the contact surface with respect to the operation unit 20 and the attachment member 30 in the attached state. In other words, unlike the prior art, there is no structure in which these parts are integrated by welding or caulking between the back plate and the holding member or the operation part. Less susceptible to the negative effects of differences. As a result, it is difficult for thermal stress due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the members, so that the force sensor 26 having a high-accuracy output that has become widespread in recent years is adversely affected by the difference in thermal expansion coefficient of each component. Therefore, it is possible to provide a pointing stick 1 mounting structure that fully utilizes the performance of such a highly accurate force sensor 26.

  In addition, since the base plate 10 receives a pressing force of a predetermined value or more in the axial direction of the operation stick 25 with the pointing stick 1 attached, a portion where the force sensor 26 is formed even if the pointing stick 1 is pushed too much. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the excessive stress from being generated, to stabilize the output characteristics and to ensure the long life of the pointing stick 1.

  In addition, since the tip end portions of the plurality of mounting legs 21, 22, 23 extending from the operation unit main body 20 a are welded in the recessed portions corresponding to the convex step portions 31, 32, 33 of the mounting member 30, The protrusion amount of the welded portions 21a, 22a, and 23a in the overlapping direction of the operation portion 20 and the attachment member 30 can be reduced.

  Accordingly, the height of the operation stick 25 provided in the operation unit 20 in the axial direction can be reduced, and the attachment structure of the pointing stick 1 in which the height of the pointing stick 1 is suppressed as a whole can be obtained.

  As a result, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the personal computer itself having the keyboard equipped with the same. In particular, in the case of a notebook computer in which portability is regarded as important, the merit of such a thinning becomes large.

  Then, the modification of embodiment mentioned above is demonstrated. In addition, about the structure equivalent to embodiment mentioned above, a corresponding code | symbol is attached | subjected and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted. 6 is a side sectional view showing a pointing stick mounting structure according to a modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is an exploded side sectional view showing a pointing stick mounting structure according to a modification of the embodiment shown in FIG.

  The attachment structure of the pointing stick 1 ′ according to this modification is such that a part of the attachment member 30 is fixed by caulking by a convex step portion 19 for positioning the base plate 10 ′. More specifically, the convex portion 19 for positioning is formed on the base plate 10 ′ so as to coincide with the axis of the operation stick 25 of the operation portion 20, which is the recess portion 10 a to which the operation portion 20 of the base plate 10 ′ is attached. Has been. In addition, this convex step part 19 is projected and formed in the attachment member side.

  On the other hand, the mounting member 30 is also formed with a crimping hole 39 that can be fitted into the convex step portion 19 of the base plate 10 ′ and crimped. The caulking hole 39 is formed at the position where the first projecting step portion 31 of the mounting member 30 is circularly fitted to the base plate 10 when the operating portion 20 is mounted on the base plate 10 after the base plate 10 is crimped to the mounting member 30. The second and third convex step portions 32 and 33 of the attachment member 30 ′ are fitted into the circular second and third fitting holes 12 ′ and 13 ′ of the base plate 10 while fitting into the hole 11. It has a dimensional relationship. In this modification, unlike the above-described embodiment, the second and third fitting holes 12 ′ and 13 ′ also have a circular shape.

  Note that the inner diameters of the fitting holes 11 ′, 12 ′, and 13 ′ of the base plate 10 are slightly larger than the outer shapes of the convex step portions 31, 32, and 33 of the mounting member 30. This prevents the occurrence of stress due to the difference in coefficient of thermal expansion of each member with reference to the convex step 19 for positioning the base plate 10.

  Since the pointing stick according to this modification has the above-described configuration, the attachment member and the operation part fixed to the attachment stick can be attached to the base plate of the keyboard part in a desired dimensional relationship, and the pointing stick is in a positional relationship as designed. Can be attached to the keyboard.

  Further, by providing such an attachment positioning portion, the attachment positioning portion serves as a reference, so that it is possible to prevent the pointing stick from rattling against the base plate.

  Further, the operation unit is prevented from being displaced in an unspecified direction with respect to the base plate by caulking a part of the attachment member to the base plate.

  It should be noted that the specific dimensional relationships and material names introduced in the above-described embodiments and modifications thereof are merely examples, and are appropriately selected within a range where the operational effects of the present invention can be exhibited, that is, within a range not departing from the present invention. Needless to say, it can be changed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,1 'Pointing stick 10,10' Base plate 10a, 10a 'Recessed part 11, 12, 12', 13, 13 'Fitting hole 15 Cover sheet 19 Convex step part 20 Operation part 20a Operation part main body 21,22 23 Mounting legs 21a, 22a, 23a Welding part 25 Operation stick 26 Force sensor 26a Diaphragm 26b Strain gauge 30, 30 'Mounting member 31, 32, 33 Convex step part 31a, 32a, 33a Insertion hole 31b, 32b, 33b Recessed part 39 Caulking hole

Claims (4)

A base plate, an operation unit attached to the keyboard via the base plate and provided with an operation stick for moving a cursor and a force sensor for detecting the operation content of the operation stick, and on the opposite side of the operation unit across the base plate A pointing stick mounting structure having a mounting member for mounting the operation unit arranged,
In the attached state of the pointing stick, the base plate receives a pressing force that is greater than or equal to a predetermined value acting in the axial direction of the operating stick, and the base plate is in contact with the operating portion and the mounting member. A pointing stick mounting structure characterized by allowing displacement along a surface. The operation portion has a plurality of mounting legs extending from the operation portion main body to the base plate side,
The mounting member has a plurality of convex stepped portions that fit into the base plate, and the convex stepped portion has insertion holes through which a plurality of mounting legs extending from the operation unit main body are inserted. And the convex step portion has a concave portion on the opposite side of the convex step portion that can accommodate the weld portion when the tip end portion of the mounting leg is welded.
2. The pointing stick mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the base plate has a plurality of fitting holes into which the convex steps of the mounting member are fitted.   A plurality of mounting legs extended from the operation portion are inserted into the insertion holes of the mounting member, and the tips of the plurality of mounting legs protruding from the insertion holes of the mounting member correspond to the convex step portions of the mounting member. When welding is performed within the inner surface of the recess, and the base plate is sandwiched and fixed, the thickness of the weld is such that it does not protrude from the opening of the recess of the mounting member. The pointing stick mounting structure according to claim 2. 4. The pointing stick mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein a part of the mounting member is fixed to the base plate in advance by positioning fixing means.

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