JP2014207846A - Actuator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an actuator for generating a vibration, capable of preventing unwanted sounds from being generated and facilitating to assemble into a touch type input device.SOLUTION: An actuator 1A includes a rubber member 30 that connects an electromagnet 10 and a movable magnetic body 20 and provides the movable magnetic body 20 with an initial position returning force. A first buffer 31b1 is integrally formed with the rubber member 30 at a surface facing the electromagnet 10 of the movable magnetic body 20. A second buffer 31b2 is integrally formed with the rubber member 30 at a surface opposite to the electromagnet 10 of the movable magnetic body 20.

Description

  The present invention relates to an actuator that is used in, for example, a touch input device and provides tactile feedback.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a display panel having an information display function, a touch panel disposed in the vicinity of the display panel, an electromagnet that moves the entire touch panel in response to the operation of the touch panel, and a return to the touch panel. A display panel with a switch including a coil spring that applies force is disclosed.

  Patent Document 2 has a first structure element having an attachment structure that can be attached to the first element and an attachment structure that can be attached to the second element as actuators used in the tactile feedback touch control device. A first magnetic device comprising: a second structural element; a biasing element connecting the first structural element to the second structural element; and a first pole portion provided by the first structural element; A device comprising: a second magnetic device including a second pole portion provided by a second structural element; and a coil disposed on at least one of the first pole portion and the second pole portion is described. Has been.

JP-A-9-115379 Special table 2008-516348 gazette

In the display panel with a switch described in Patent Document 1, the touch panel mounting frame is attracted by an electromagnet, and the bottom surface of the mounting frame abuts on the top surface of the electromagnet to stop the touch panel. There is a problem that unnecessary sounds are easily generated.
Further, since it is necessary to attract the entire touch panel with the electromagnet together with the mounting frame, it is necessary to arrange a large number of relatively large electromagnets, and a spring for supporting the entire touch panel is necessary, which causes a cost problem.

  On the other hand, in the actuator described in FIG. 20 and the like of Patent Document 2, since the first and second structural elements are fixed to the touch panel and the housing, there is no problem of generating unnecessary sound. However, since it is necessary to fix the first and second structural elements to both the touch panel and the housing with high accuracy, there is a problem that it takes time to assemble the display element and the like.

  Therefore, the present invention is intended to provide a lower-cost actuator for generating vibration that can prevent unnecessary sounds from being generated and can be easily assembled to a touch input device. is there.

  Hereinafter, the aspect of this invention made | formed in order to solve said subject is described. In addition, the component employ | adopted in each aspect as described below can be employ | adopted as arbitrary combinations as possible. In addition, aspects or technical features of the present invention are not limited to those described below, but are described in the entire specification and drawings, or invented ideas that can be understood by those skilled in the art from those descriptions. It is recognized on the basis of.

That is, a first aspect of the present invention relating to an actuator that applies vibration to a vibrating body includes an electromagnet having a fixed iron core, a bobbin, and a coil, a movable magnetic body that is moved by a magnetic attraction force driven by the electromagnet, and the electromagnet. A rubber member that connects the movable magnetic body and applies an initial position return force to the movable magnetic body, and a first buffer body is disposed on a surface of the movable magnetic body facing the electromagnet, The first buffer is formed integrally with the rubber member.
In the actuator of such an aspect, the movable magnetic body does not directly collide with the electromagnet, and the operating noise of the actuator can be reduced without increasing the number of members. In addition, since vibration can be generated by using the impact when the movable magnetic body collides with the electromagnet, only the electromagnet side can be fixed and the movable magnetic body side can be used completely free of touch input. Easy assembly to the device.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a second buffer is disposed on a surface of the movable magnetic body opposite to the electromagnet, and the second buffer is integrally formed with the rubber member. It is characterized by that.
In the actuator of such an aspect, when the movable magnetic body returns to the initial position by the initial position returning force of the rubber member, the movable magnetic body collides with the vibrating body via the second buffer body, and the vibrating body vibrates by this impact. Even in such a case, the operating noise of the actuator can be reduced.

Moreover, the 3rd aspect of this invention has a control member which contact | abuts to the said 2nd buffer body, and controls the distance of the said movable magnetic body and the said fixed iron core.
In the actuator of such an aspect, a predetermined amount of vibration can be stably generated regardless of the installation direction of the touch input device and the direction in which the actuator is incorporated into the touch input device.

The fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the regulating member has a guide portion for guiding the movement of the movable magnetic body in the vibration direction.
In the actuator of such an aspect, the predetermined vibration amount can be generated more stably regardless of the installation direction of the touch input device and the direction in which the actuator is incorporated into the touch input device.

The fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the regulating member is made of a nonmagnetic material.
In the actuator of such a mode, an unnecessary magnetic path is not formed in the regulating member, a desired vibration amount can be obtained, vibration damping is excellent, and good tactile feedback can be obtained.

The sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the fixed iron core protrudes from the bobbin toward the movable magnetic body.
In the actuator of such an aspect, the movable magnetic body can stably collide with the electromagnet via the first buffer body, and vibration can be reliably generated with a simple configuration.

Further, according to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the rubber member is formed by a two-color molding method in which two types of thermoplastic resins, a soft resin and a hard resin, are integrally formed, and the soft resin portion made of the soft resin. However, the present invention is characterized in that the movable magnetic body is held and a hard resin portion made of the hard resin is fixed to the bobbin.
In the actuator of such an aspect, the movable magnetic body can be elastically supported without increasing the number of parts, and the electromagnet and the movable magnetic body can be easily connected.

  The eighth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the hard resin portion is fixed to the bobbin by welding.

  Further, according to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the bobbin has flanges at both ends, and a part of the rubber member is fixed around the flange located on the movable magnetic body side of the bobbin. It is characterized by being fixed by.

  In the actuator of the present invention, a shock absorber having a function of reducing the operating noise of the actuator is integrally formed with a rubber member that connects the electromagnet and the movable magnetic body and applies an initial position returning force to the movable magnetic body. For this reason, the operating sound of the actuator can be reduced without increasing the number of members, and a spring for supporting the entire vibrating body such as a touch panel is not required, which increases the degree of design freedom on the touch input device side. Can do.

It is sectional drawing of the actuator which concerns on the 1st Example of this invention, (a) shows an initial state, (b) has shown the state which the movable magnetic body moved with the magnetic attraction force of the electromagnet. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the usage example of the actuator which concerns on the 1st Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating another usage example of the actuator which concerns on the 1st Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the actuator which concerns on the 2nd Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the actuator which concerns on the 3rd Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the actuator which concerns on the example of 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the actuator which concerns on the example of 5th Embodiment of this invention, (a) shows an initial state, (b) has shown the state which the movable magnetic body moved with the magnetic attraction force of the electromagnet. It is sectional drawing of the actuator which concerns on the 6th Example of this invention, (a) shows an initial state, (b) has shown the state which the movable magnetic body moved with the magnetic attraction force of the electromagnet. It is sectional drawing of the actuator which concerns on the other embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, in order to clarify the present invention more specifically, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 shows an actuator 1A according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The actuator 1 </ b> A applies vibration to a vibrating body (not shown) (for example, a touch panel), and includes an electromagnet 10, a movable magnetic body 20, and a rubber member 30.

The electromagnet 10 includes a fixed iron core 11, a bobbin 12 made of an insulating resin, and a coil 13 wound around the bobbin 12. A coil terminal (not shown) is drawn out to the outside.
The bobbin 12 has an upper collar part 12b and a lower collar part 12c above and below a cylindrical tubular part 12a, respectively, and the outer diameter of the lower collar part 12c is larger than the outer diameter of the upper collar part 12b. Yes.
The fixed iron core 11 has a cylindrical shape, and is fixed to the inside of the cylindrical portion 12a of the bobbin 12 by press-fitting or bonding. The fixed iron core 11 slightly protrudes from the upper flange 12b of the bobbin 12 to the movable magnetic body 20 side.

  The movable magnetic body 20 has a flat disk shape and is made of a ferromagnetic material such as an iron plate so as to be magnetically attracted by the electromagnet 10. The movable magnetic body 20 is disposed immediately above the fixed iron core 11 and has an outer diameter that is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the fixed iron core 11.

The rubber member 30 connects the electromagnet 10 and the movable magnetic body 20 to give an initial position returning force to the movable magnetic body 20. In the present specification, the initial position returning force means a force for returning the movable magnetic body 20 moved by driving the electromagnet 10 to the original position (that is, the initial position).
The rubber member 30 is preferably an elastic soft resin (rubber, elastomer, etc.). For example, natural rubber, silicone rubber, synthetic rubber based on silicone rubber, urethane rubber, fluoro rubber (FKM), nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM), butyl rubber (IIR), butadiene rubber (BR), and the like can be used.

  Note that the rubber member 30 of this example is formed into a hat shape as a whole by a two-color molding method in which two types of thermoplastic resins, that is, a hard resin and the above-described soft resin, are integrally formed. A soft resin portion 31 made of an elastic soft resin holds the movable magnetic body 20, and a hard resin portion 32 made of a hard resin is fixed to the electromagnet 10. In addition, as hard resin, ABS resin, a polycarbonate, a hard acrylic resin etc. can be used, for example.

The soft resin portion 31 includes a flexible portion 31a that is elastically deformed when the movable magnetic body 20 moves, and a storage portion 31b that is located above the flexible portion 31a.
The accommodating part 31b is formed in a bag shape, and holds the movable magnetic body 20 therein. The accommodating portion 31b has a first buffer 31b1 positioned on the surface of the movable magnetic body 20 facing the electromagnet 10 and a second buffer 31b2 positioned on the surface of the movable magnetic body 20 opposite to the electromagnet 10. A mounting hole 31b3 having a smaller diameter than the movable magnetic body 20 is provided at the center of the first buffer 31b1. The movable magnetic body 20 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 31b from the mounting hole 31b3 using the elasticity of the first buffer 31b1.

  The hard resin portion 32 is connected to the lower side of the soft resin portion 31. The hard resin portion 32 has a flange portion 32a at the lower end, and the flange portion 32a is fixed to the upper surface of the lower flange portion 12c of the bobbin 12 by welding.

In the actuator 1A of this example, when the coil 13 is not energized, the first buffer 31b1 of the soft resin portion 31 is separated from the fixed iron core 11, and the movable magnetic body 20 is separated from the fixed iron core 11 by a predetermined distance ( FIG. 1 (a)).
When the coil 13 is energized and the electromagnet 10 is driven, the movable magnetic body 20 is attracted to the electromagnet 10, and the movable magnetic body 20 collides with the electromagnet 10 via the first buffer 31b1 (FIG. 1 ( b)).
When the energization of the coil 13 is stopped, the movable magnetic body 20 returns to the initial position by the initial position return force of the flexible portion 31a of the rubber member 30.

  Next, an example of use for incorporating the actuator 1A of this example into a touch input device and giving a tactile feedback by vibration to a user will be described with reference to FIGS. The actuator of the present invention can be applied to any conventionally known touch input device.

  2 and FIG. 3, a display panel 102 such as a liquid crystal panel having an information display function is disposed at the bottom of a case 101, and a touch panel 103 is disposed above the display panel 102. Yes. The touch panel 103 is supported inside the case 101 by a gusset plate 104 and a sealing material 105.

In the touch input device of FIG. 2, the electromagnet 10 side is fixed to the bottom surface of the case 101 by fixing means (screws or the like) not shown. Further, the second buffer 31 b 2 of the soft resin portion 31 is in contact with the lower surface of the touch panel 103 in a state where the electromagnet 10 is not driven.
When the user performs a predetermined contact action on the surface of the touch panel 103, the control circuit of the touch input device applies a predetermined pulse voltage to the coil 13, and the electromagnet 10 is driven. Then, after the movable magnetic body 20 collides with the electromagnet 10 via the first buffer 31b1, the movable magnetic body 20 returns to the initial position by the elastic force (initial position return force) of the flexible portion 31a. When the movable magnetic body 20 returns to the initial position, it collides with the touch panel 103 via the second buffer 31b2, and the touch panel 103 vibrates due to this impact. Thereby, tactile feedback can be given to the user via the touch panel 103.

In the touch input device of FIG. 3, the electromagnet 10 side is fixed to the lower surface of the touch panel 103 by a fixing means (screw or the like) not shown, and the movable magnetic body 20 side is in a free state.
When the user performs a predetermined contact action on the surface of the touch panel 103, the control circuit of the touch input device applies a predetermined pulse voltage to the coil 13, and the electromagnet 10 is driven. Then, after the movable magnetic body 20 collides with the electromagnet 10 via the first buffer 31b1, the movable magnetic body 20 returns to the initial position by the elastic force (initial position return force) of the flexible portion 31a. When the movable magnetic body 20 is attracted to the electromagnet 10, it collides with the electromagnet 10 via the first buffer 31b1, and the touch panel 103 vibrates due to this impact. Thereby, tactile feedback can be given to the user via the touch panel 103.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the movable magnetic body 20 returns to the initial position and does not collide with other members, the movable magnetic body 20 can be securely fixed to the rubber member 30. If there is, it is not always necessary to provide the second buffer 31b2.

As described above, in the actuator 1A of the present example, the first buffer 31b1 is integrally formed on the surface of the movable magnetic body 20 facing the electromagnet 10 in the rubber member 30 that applies the initial position returning force to the movable magnetic body 20. The second buffer 31b2 is integrally formed on the surface of the movable magnetic body 20 opposite to the electromagnet 10.
For this reason, the movable magnetic body 20 does not directly collide with the electromagnet 10, and the movable magnetic body 20 does not directly collide with the touch panel 103 even in the usage example shown in FIG. 2. Therefore, the operating noise of the actuator can be reduced without increasing the number of members.

Further, in the actuator 1 </ b> A of this example, vibration can be generated by using an impact when the movable magnetic body 20 collides with the vibrating body (touch panel 103) or the electromagnet 10.
Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, only the electromagnet 10 side can be fixed to the case 101 and the touch panel 103 of the touch input device 100, and the movable magnetic body 20 side can be used without being fixed. Moreover, the spring which supports the whole touch panel like patent document 1 becomes unnecessary.
Therefore, high accuracy is not required for attachment to the case 101 or the touch panel 103, and assembling to the touch input device is facilitated, and the degree of design freedom on the touch input device side can be increased.

  Further, in the actuator 1A of this example, the fixed iron core 11 protrudes from the bobbin 12 to the movable magnetic body 20 side. For this reason, the movable magnetic body 20 can reliably collide with the electromagnet 10 via the first buffer 31b1, and vibration can be reliably generated with a simple configuration.

In the actuator 1A of this example, the rubber member 30 is formed by a two-color molding method in which two types of thermoplastic resins, that is, a soft resin and a hard resin, are integrally formed. A soft resin portion 31 made of soft resin holds the movable magnetic body 20, and a hard resin portion 32 made of hard resin is fixed to the bobbin 12.
Further, in the actuator 1A of this example, the hard resin portion 31 of the rubber member 30 is fixed to the bobbin 12 made of resin by welding.
Therefore, the movable magnetic body 20 can be elastically supported without increasing the number of parts, and the electromagnet 10 and the movable magnetic body 20 can be easily connected.

  In addition, the specifications of each member of the actuator 1A of this example, the number of attachments to the touch input device, the interval, the arrangement, and the like are appropriately designed according to the pattern and size of tactile feedback required for the touch input device. It is something that can be done.

(Second to fourth embodiments)
4 to 6 show actuators according to second to fourth embodiments of the present invention. 4 to 6, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 denote the same components, and the description thereof will be omitted.

  In the actuators 1B, 1C, and 1D shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, a mounting hole 31b3 having a smaller diameter than the movable magnetic body 20 is provided in the center of the second buffer body 31b2. For this reason, after connecting the rubber member 30 to the electromagnet 10, the movable magnetic body 20 can be accommodated in the accommodating portion 31b, and the degree of freedom of assembly is increased and the movable magnetic body 20 is dropped to the electromagnet side. Can be prevented.

Further, in the actuator 1B according to the second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 4, the hard resin portion 32 of the rubber member 30 is formed up to a portion facing the upper collar portion 12b of the bobbin 12. The hard resin portion 32 is welded to the upper surface of the lower collar portion 12 c and the side surface of the upper collar portion 12 b and is fixed to the bobbin 12.
For this reason, the rubber member 30 can be more firmly connected to the electromagnet 10, the durability can be improved, and the movable magnetic body 20 can be moved to the electromagnet 10 side with high accuracy, so that the quality is stable. Can be increased.

In the actuator 1C according to the third embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 5, the soft resin portion 31 of the rubber member 30 is fixed by press-fitting an annular stopper 40 around the upper collar portion 12b. ing.
For this reason, the rubber member 30 can be connected to the electromagnet 10 more firmly, and durability can be improved. Further, since the deformable range of the soft resin portion 31 can be defined by the stopper 40, the movable magnetic body 20 can be moved to the electromagnet 10 side with high accuracy, and the stability of quality can be improved. .

Further, in the actuator 1D according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 6, the rubber member 30 is all made of soft resin, and the bobbin 12 made of the rubber member 30 and hard resin is made of soft resin and hard resin. It is formed by a two-color molding method in which two types of thermoplastic resins are integrally molded.
For this reason, the rubber member 30 can be formed with the minimum necessary material, and weight reduction and cost reduction can be achieved by reducing the material.

(Fifth embodiment)
FIG. 7 shows an actuator 1F according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 7, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 to 6 denote the same components, and the repetitive description is omitted.

In the actuator 1F of this example, a movable magnetic body 20A that is thicker and heavier than the previous embodiment is used to increase the amount of vibration.
When a heavy movable magnetic material such as this example is used, depending on the installation direction of the touch input device (for example, the horizontal direction, the vertical direction, etc.) and the direction in which the actuator is incorporated in the touch input device, In some cases, the flexible portion 31a of the member 30 bends, the distance between the fixed iron core 11 and the movable magnetic body 20A changes, and a predetermined amount of vibration cannot be obtained.

  Therefore, in the actuator 1F of this example, the strength of the flexible portion 31a is increased as compared with the previous embodiment, and a regulating member 50 that regulates the distance between the movable magnetic body 20A and the fixed iron core 11 is provided. Thereby, the movable magnetic body 20A is pressed against the regulating member 50 side by the elastic force of the flexible portion 31a, and the second buffer 31b2 regardless of the direction of the actuator in the initial state (for example, upside down). Comes into contact with the regulating member 50, and the distance between the movable magnetic body 20A and the fixed iron core 11 is kept constant.

  The regulating member 50 of this example is made of a substantially U-shaped resin member, and includes a top surface portion 51 that contacts the second buffer 31b2, a side surface portion 52 that extends vertically downward from both ends of the top surface portion 51, and The flange portion 53 extends outward from the lower end, and the flange portion 53 is fixed to the lower collar portion 12c by welding or the like. When a magnetic material is used as the restricting member 50, an unnecessary magnetic path is formed in the restricting member, and a desired amount of vibration cannot be obtained or vibration damping is deteriorated. Therefore, the restricting member 50 is made of a nonmagnetic material. It is preferable to do. The shape of the regulating member 50 is not limited to the above shape as long as the distance between the movable magnetic body 20A and the fixed iron core 11 can be kept constant.

  As described above, according to the actuator 1F of the present example, by providing the regulating member 50 that abuts against the second buffer 31b2 and regulates the distance between the movable magnetic body 20A and the fixed iron core 11, the installation direction of the touch input device is provided. In addition, since the distance between the fixed iron core 11 and the movable magnetic body 20A can be kept constant regardless of the direction in which the actuator is incorporated into the touch input device, a predetermined amount of vibration can be stably generated.

(Sixth embodiment)
FIG. 8 shows an actuator 1G according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 8, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 7 denote the same components, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The difference between this example and the fifth embodiment is that the regulating member 50A of this example has a guide portion 54 that guides the movement of the movable magnetic body 20A in the vibration direction.
The guide part 54 is comprised by the recessed part provided in the top | upper surface part 51 of 50 A of control members. The width of the recess is substantially the same as the width of the accommodating portion 31b that accommodates the movable magnetic body 20A. In addition, the depth of the recess is deeper than the distance between the movable magnetic body 20A and the fixed iron core 11 in the initial state.
For this reason, even if the movable magnetic body 20A is attracted to the fixed iron core 11 and moved, the movable magnetic body 20A is surely guided in the vibration direction without being detached from the guide portion 54.

  According to the actuator 1G of this example, by providing the guide portion 54 that guides the movement of the movable magnetic body 20A in the vibration direction, the installation direction of the touch type input device and the direction in which the actuator is incorporated into the touch type input device are provided. Regardless, the predetermined amount of vibration can be generated more stably.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and it is needless to say that the above embodiments can be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Yes.
For example, the fixed iron core and the movable magnetic body can have any shape. Specifically, as in the actuator 1E shown in FIG. 9, an E-shaped cross section can be used as the fixed iron core 11 of the electromagnet 10E.

1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G Actuator 10, 10E Electromagnet 11 Fixed iron core 12 Bobbin 12a Cylindrical part 12b Upper collar part 12c Lower collar part 13 Coil 20, 20A Movable magnetic body 30 Rubber member 31 Soft resin part 31a flexible part 31b accommodating part 31b1 first buffer 31b2 second buffer 31b3 mounting hole 32 hard resin part 32a flange part 40 stopper 50, 50A regulating member 51 top surface part 52 side part 53 flange part 54 guide part 100 touch type Input device 101 Case 102 Display panel 103 Touch panel 104 Gusset plate 105 Sealing material W Welding part

Claims (9)

An actuator for applying vibration to a vibrating body,
An electromagnet having a fixed iron core, a bobbin and a coil;
A movable magnetic body that moves by a magnetic attraction force driven by the electromagnet;
A rubber member that connects the electromagnet and the movable magnetic body, and provides an initial position return force to the movable magnetic body;
A first buffer is disposed on a surface of the movable magnetic body facing the electromagnet,
The first buffer is integrally formed with the rubber member.
An actuator characterized by that. A second buffer is disposed on the surface of the movable magnetic body opposite to the electromagnet,
The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the second buffer body is formed integrally with the rubber member.   The actuator according to claim 2, further comprising a regulating member that abuts on the second buffer body and regulates a distance between the movable magnetic body and the fixed iron core.   The actuator according to claim 3, wherein the restricting member includes a guide portion that guides movement of the movable magnetic body in a vibration direction.   The actuator according to claim 3, wherein the restriction member is made of a nonmagnetic material.   The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the fixed iron core protrudes from the bobbin toward the movable magnetic body. The rubber member is molded by a two-color molding method that integrally molds two types of thermoplastic resins, a soft resin and a hard resin,
The soft resin portion made of the soft resin holds the movable magnetic body,
The hard resin portion made of the hard resin is fixed to the bobbin,
The actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein:   The actuator according to claim 7, wherein the hard resin portion is fixed to the bobbin by welding. The bobbin has flanges at both ends,
The actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a part of the rubber member is fixed by a stopper around the collar portion located on the movable magnetic body side of the bobbin.

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