JP3990383B2 - Touch input device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch input device, and more particularly to a touch input device capable of changing the shape of an input operation portion.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a touch input device that includes a display surface uneven portion and a pressure control type display surface unevenness control portion and can be applied to an automatic payment machine of a financial institution is known (see Patent Document 1 below).

  The display surface uneven portion has a plurality of small sections separated by a double film and a partition.

  The pressure control type display surface unevenness control unit controls the pressure in the small compartment by injecting fluid into the small compartment or discharging it from the small compartment. By this pressure control, the membrane on the input side of the double membrane (the side on which the operator directly presses with a finger) expands or contracts, and the shape of the membrane changes. Therefore, the operator can feel as if operating the three-dimensional operation buttons.

In this touch type input device, the input side of the double membrane is expanded to create a convex portion, and when this convex portion is pressed by the operator's finger, the pressure is placed under the double membrane. The switch part functions.
JP 2000-66782 A (see paragraphs 0011 to 0012, FIG. 1)

  As described above, in the conventional touch-type input device, the membrane on the input side of the double membrane expands and contracts, and the portion that repeats the expansion and contraction is also a portion pressed by the operator's finger. Stress concentrates on. Therefore, there was anxiety about durability.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and a problem thereof is to provide an input device capable of improving durability and improving reliability.

In order to solve the above-described problem, a touch input device according to claim 1 is a touch input device including a plurality of switches arranged two-dimensionally, a flexible sheet covering the plurality of switches, and each of the switches A protruding member that is disposed between the switch and the flexible sheet and protrudes toward the flexible sheet , a suction member having a receiving hole for receiving the protruding member, and the flexible sheet facing the suction member The flexible sheet by fixing the suctioned member having a receiving hole for receiving the protruding member, and causing the suctioned member to suck the sucked member and bringing the flexible sheet into close contact with the protruding member And a suction means for forming a convex portion on the surface .

  When a suction force is generated between the suction member and the member to be sucked by the suction means, the member to be sucked is sucked by the suction member. At this time, the portion of the flexible sheet to which the sucked member is fixed moves toward the sucking member, and the portion of the flexible sheet surrounded by the sucked member is in close contact with the protruding member. Unevenness is formed. In this manner, the pressed portion of the switch itself is not deformed, and the convex portion for input operation is formed by driving the portion of the flexible sheet to which the sucked member is fixed.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the touch input device according to the first aspect, the sucked member and the suction member are electrodes, respectively, and the suction means is a voltage applying means for applying a voltage between the electrodes. It is characterized by being.

  As described above, the member to be sucked and the member to be sucked are electrodes, and the suction unit is a voltage applying unit that applies a voltage between the electrodes. By being sucked by the electrode of the suction member, a convex portion for input operation is formed on the flexible sheet.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the touch-type input device according to the first aspect, the attraction member and the attracted member are both electromagnets, and the attraction means is current supply means for supplying current to the electromagnet. It is characterized by that.

  As described above, since the suction member and the member to be sucked are both electromagnets, and the suction unit is a current supply unit that supplies a current to each electromagnet, the electromagnet of the member to be sucked is attracted to the electromagnet of the suction member by the magnetic force. A convex portion for input action is formed on the flexible sheet.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the touch input device according to the first aspect, the attracted member is a magnetic body, the attracting member is an electromagnet, and the attraction means supplies current to the electromagnet. It is characterized by being.

  As described above, the attracted member is a magnetic body, the attracting member is an electromagnet, and the attracting means is a current supply means for supplying an electric current to the electromagnet, so that the magnetic body of the attracted member becomes an electromagnet of the attracting member by a magnetic force. By being sucked, a convex portion for input action is formed on the flexible sheet.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the touch input device according to the second aspect, a dielectric is disposed between the electrode of the attracted member and the electrode of the attracting member.

  As described above, since the dielectric is disposed between the electrode of the attracted member and the electrode of the attracting member, the electrostatic force generated between the two electrodes is increased, and the input operation formed on the flexible sheet is used. The contour of the convex portion becomes clearer. In addition, when it is not necessary to increase the electrostatic force, the applied voltage can be lowered.

  As described above, according to the touch input device of the first, second, third, or fourth aspect of the invention, it is possible to improve durability and improve reliability.

  According to the touch input device of the fifth aspect of the present invention, power consumption can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a touch input device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

  The touch input device is mounted on a display (not shown), for example.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the touch input device includes a switch assembly 3, a flexible sheet 6, a plurality of first electrodes (suction members) 7, a plurality of second electrodes (suction members) 8, and a dielectric elastomer (dielectric material). ) 9, a control unit (not shown), and a DC power source (not shown).

  The switch assembly 3 includes a membrane sheet 4 and a plurality of click plates (projecting members) 5. A plurality of fixed contacts (not shown) are arranged in a matrix on the membrane sheet 4. The plurality of click plates 5 are fixed to the membrane sheet 4 so as to face the fixed contacts. The click plate 5 has a dome shape. A movable contact (not shown) is provided inside the click plate 5. The movable contact contacts the fixed contact when the click plate 5 is pressed. One switch is constituted by one fixed contact fixed to the membrane sheet 4 and one movable contact provided inside one click plate 5 covering the one fixed contact.

  As a material for the membrane sheet 4, transparent PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is suitable. Transparent PET is suitable as the material for the click plate 5. Transparent ITO (indium tin oxide, conductive polymer) is suitable as a material for the fixed contact and the movable contact.

  The flexible sheet 6 has flexibility and covers the plurality of click plates 5. As a material for the flexible sheet 6, a transparent elastomer is suitable.

  The first electrode 7 is square. An accommodation hole 7 a is formed in the center of the first electrode 7. The plurality of first electrodes 7 are fixed to the upper surface of the membrane sheet 4. The click plate 5 is accommodated in the accommodation hole 7 a of the first electrode 7. As the material of the first electrode 7, for example, transparent ITO or conductive polymer is suitable.

  The first electrodes 7 adjacent to each other in the lateral direction D1 of the touch input device are electrically and mechanically connected by a flexible conductor 11 to form a first electrode group 70 in three rows. As a material for the flexible conductor 11, for example, a transparent conductive polymer is suitable.

  The second electrode 8 is square. An accommodation hole 8 a is formed at the center of the second electrode 8. The plurality of second electrodes 8 are fixed to the lower surface of the flexible sheet 6. The accommodation hole 8a of the second electrode 8 and the accommodation hole 7a of the first electrode 7 are opposed to each other. As the material of the second electrode 8, for example, transparent ITO or conductive polymer is suitable.

  The second electrodes 8 adjacent to each other in the vertical direction D2 of the touch input device are electrically and mechanically connected by the flexible conductor 12 to form the second electrode group 80 in three rows.

  The dielectric elastomer 9 is disposed between the plurality of first electrodes 7 and the plurality of second electrodes 8 and is transparent. A plurality of receiving holes 9 a are formed in the dielectric elastomer 9. The plurality of accommodation holes 9 a face the accommodation holes 7 a of the first electrode 7 on the membrane sheet 4. An accommodation space 14 for accommodating the click plate 5 is formed by the accommodation hole 7a, the accommodation hole 8a, and the accommodation hole 9a (see FIG. 2).

  The first electrode group 70 and the second electrode group 80 are electrically connected to a DC power source.

  The direct current power source is electrically connected to the control unit. A voltage applying means for applying a voltage between the first electrode group 70 and the second electrode group 80 is configured by the control unit and the DC power source.

  2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the entire flexible sheet is flat, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the flexible sheet is uneven.

  Next, the operation of this touch input device will be described.

  When no direct current is supplied to all the first electrode groups 70 and the second electrode group 80, no voltage is applied between all the first and second electrodes 7, 8, and static electricity is generated between both the electrodes 7, 8. No power is generated. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 2, the second electrode 8 is not attracted to the first electrode 7. When the second electrode 8 is not attracted to the first electrode 7, the flexible sheet 6 is kept flat.

  When a direct current is supplied to the specific first electrode group 70 and the specific second electrode group 80 selected by the control unit, a portion where the selected first electrode group 70 and the second electrode group 80 intersect A direct-current voltage is applied between the first electrode 7 and the second electrode 8 located at a position where an electrostatic force is generated between the electrodes 7 and 8. With this electrostatic force, the second electrode 8 is attracted to the first electrode 7 as shown in FIG. The dielectric elastomer 9 between the second electrode 8 and the first electrode 7 is compressed and thinned. When the second electrode 8 is sucked by the first electrode 7, the portion of the flexible sheet 6 to which the second electrode 8 is fixed is drawn toward the membrane sheet 4, and the portion is in close contact with the upper portion of the click plate 5. Then, the convex portion 15 is formed on the surface of the flexible sheet 6. When the convex portion 15 is pressed, the click plate 5 is deformed into a flat shape, the movable contact comes into contact with the fixed contact, and an input signal corresponding to this switch is sent out.

  On the other hand, when the supply of the direct current to the selected first electrode group 70 and the second electrode group 80 is stopped, the electrostatic force is reduced, and the second electrode 8 is moved to the first electrode by the elastic force of the flexible sheet 6. 7, the flexible sheet 6 returns to a flat state, and the convex portion 15 disappears.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, since stress is not concentrated on a specific portion of the flexible sheet 6 (a portion above the click plate 5), the touch-type input has excellent durability and high reliability. An apparatus can be provided.

  Further, as compared with the conventional example, the configuration is simple and the failure is less likely to occur, so that the reliability can be further improved.

  Further, since the dielectric elastomer 9 increases the attractive force between the first electrode 7 and the second electrode 8, the contour of the convex portion 15 can be made clearer. Therefore, the input operation can be performed more easily. In addition, when a strong suction force is not required, the voltage applied to the first and second electrodes 7 and 8 can be lowered. As a result, power consumption can be reduced.

  As a modification of this embodiment, instead of the switch assembly 3, a resistive film type or electrostatic capacitance type switch having a protruding member may be adopted.

  In the first embodiment, the first electrode (suction member) 7 is fixed around the click plate (projection member) 5 on the same plane, but the suction member and the projection member are not necessarily on the same plane. There is no need. That is, it is only necessary that the suction member is fixed around the protrusion member when the suction member is viewed from above the protrusion member.

  FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the touch input device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  Since the second embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the first embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted. Only the different components are described. To do.

  In the second embodiment, the electromagnet 207 is used as the attraction member. The electromagnet 207 includes a coil 207c. An accommodation hole 207a is formed at the center of the film 207b. The click plate 5 is accommodated in the accommodation hole 207a. The coil 207c is formed by applying a conductive paste on the upper surface of the film 207b. For example, transparent ITO and transparent conductive polymer are suitable as the conductive paste.

  An electromagnet 208 was used as a member to be attracted. The electromagnet 208 has the same configuration as the electromagnet 207, and is composed of a coil (not shown) formed on the lower surface of the elastomer. An accommodation hole 208a is formed at the center of the film 208b.

  The plurality of electromagnets 207 and 208 are each electrically connected to a DC power source. The direct current power source is electrically connected to the control unit. The control unit and the DC power supply constitute current supply means for supplying a DC current to the electromagnets 207 and 208.

  In the second embodiment, the dielectric elastomer employed in the first embodiment is not used.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the entire flexible sheet is flat, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the flexible sheet is uneven.

  Next, the operation of this touch input device will be described.

  When no direct current is supplied to all the electromagnets 207 and 208, no electromagnetic force is generated in all the electromagnets 207 and 208, and the movable electromagnet 208 is attracted to the fixed electromagnet 207 as shown in FIG. Not. For this reason, the flexible sheet 6 is kept flat.

  When a direct current is supplied to each of the specific electromagnets 207 and 208 (opposing electromagnets) selected by the control unit, an electromagnetic force is generated in the selected electromagnets 207 and 208, and the electromagnetic force is shown in FIG. Thus, the movable electromagnet 208 is attracted to the fixed electromagnet 207, and the convex portion 15 appears.

  When the supply of the direct current to the electromagnets 207 and 208 is stopped, the electromagnetic force decreases and the flexible sheet 6 returns to a flat state. That is, the convex part 15 disappears.

  According to the second embodiment, there are the same effects as the first embodiment.

  As a modification of the second embodiment, either one of the electromagnets 207 and 208 may be replaced with a magnetic material.

  According to this modification, the same effects as those of the second embodiment can be obtained, and the configuration can be simplified and the power consumption can be reduced.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a touch input device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the entire flexible sheet is flat. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the flexible sheet is uneven. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the touch input device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the entire flexible sheet is flat. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the flexible sheet is uneven.

Explanation of symbols

3 Switch assembly 4 Membrane sheet 5 Click plate 6 Flexible sheet 7 First electrode (suction member)
8 Second electrode (member to be sucked)
9 Dielectric elastomer (dielectric)
11 Horizontal wiring 12 Vertical wiring 207 Electromagnet (suction member)
208 Electromagnet (member to be attracted)

Claims (5)

In a touch input device having a plurality of switches arranged two-dimensionally,
A flexible sheet covering the plurality of switches;
A projecting member disposed between each switch and the flexible sheet and projecting toward the flexible sheet;
A suction member having an accommodation hole for accommodating the protruding member;
A member to be sucked which is fixed to the flexible sheet so as to face the suction member and has a housing hole for housing the protruding member ;
And a suction means for forming a convex portion on the surface of the flexible sheet by causing the suction member to suck the member to be sucked and bringing the flexible sheet into close contact with the protruding member. Touch input device. The sucked member and the suction member are electrodes, respectively.
The touch type input device according to claim 1, wherein the suction unit is a voltage applying unit that applies a voltage between the electrodes. The suction member and the member to be attracted are both electromagnets,
The touch input device according to claim 1, wherein the suction unit is a current supply unit that supplies a current to the electromagnet. The attracted member is a magnetic body, and the attracting member is an electromagnet;
The touch input device according to claim 1, wherein the suction unit is a current supply unit that supplies a current to the electromagnet.   The touch input device according to claim 2, wherein a dielectric is disposed between the electrode of the attracted member and the electrode of the attracting member.

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