JP5099936B2 - Coating for actuator and method of applying coating - Google Patents

Description

(Cross-reference to related applications)
This application is a continuation-in-part of US patent application Ser. No. 12 / 342,502 filed on Dec. 23, 2008, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

(Field of Invention)
The present disclosure relates to electronic devices, including but not limited to portable electronic devices having touch-sensitive displays, and coatings of actuators in the electronic devices.

(background)
Electronic devices, including portable electronic devices, are used extensively and may provide various functions (including, for example, telephone, electronic message sending, and other personal information manager (PIM) application functions). Portable electronic devices include several types of devices including mobile stations (eg, simple cellular phones, smart phones, wireless PDAs, and laptop computers with wireless 802.11 or Bluetooth capabilities).

  Portable electronic devices (eg, PDAs or smart phones) are generally intended for ease of use and portability of handhelds. Smaller devices are generally desirable for portability. Touch sensitive displays (also known as touch screen displays) are particularly useful on handheld devices that are small and have limited space for user input and output. Information displayed on the touch sensitive display may be modified depending on the function and operation being performed.

  Improvements in devices with touch sensitive displays are desired.

For example, the present invention provides the following items.
(Item 1)
Applying a lip composed of a first material disposed along at least a portion of the outer edge of the actuator of the electronic device;
Applying a coating comprised of an elastic material to cover a portion of the actuator, the coating facilitating operation of the actuator.
(Item 2)
The method according to any of the preceding items, wherein the lip is disposed along an outer edge of the actuator.
(Item 3)
The method of any of the preceding items, wherein the second material coats a silver electrode on the actuator.
(Item 4)
A method according to any of the preceding items, wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric actuator, and the portion of the actuator comprises a ceramic piezoelectric device.
(Item 5)
The method of any of the preceding items, wherein the second material comprises a polymeric material.
(Item 6)
The method of any of the preceding items, wherein the first material comprises a polymeric material.
(Item 7)
The method of any of the preceding items, wherein the second material has a greater viscosity than the first material.
(Item 8)
The method of any of the preceding items, wherein the second material comprises any one of a silicone-based material, acrylic, urethane, fluorine-based material, or combinations thereof.
(Item 9)
The method of any of the preceding items, wherein the lip comprises any one of a silicone-based material, acrylic, urethane, fluorine-based material, or combinations thereof.
(Item 10)
A method according to any of the preceding items, wherein applying the lip comprises applying the lip by needle dispensing the first material around the periphery of the actuator.
(Item 11)
The method according to any of the preceding items, wherein applying the coating comprises spraying the coating onto the actuator.
(Item 12)
A method according to any of the preceding items, wherein the coating is thinner than the lip.
(Item 13)
An actuator,
A lip composed of a first material disposed along at least a portion of the outer edge of the actuator;
And a coating comprising an elastic material disposed on the portion of the actuator arranged to facilitate operation of the actuator.
(Item 14)
The electronic device according to any one of the preceding items, wherein the lip is disposed along an outer edge of the actuator.
(Item 15)
The electronic device according to any of the preceding items, wherein the actuator includes a piezoelectric actuator, and the portion of the actuator includes a ceramic piezoelectric device.
(Item 16)
The electronic device according to any one of the above items, wherein the second material covers a silver electrode on the actuator.
(Item 17)
The electronic device according to any one of the above items, wherein the second material includes a polymer material.
(Item 18)
The electronic device according to any of the preceding items, wherein the first material comprises a polymer material.
(Item 19)
The electronic device according to any one of the above items, wherein the second material has a viscosity higher than that of the first material.
(Item 20)
The electronic device according to any of the preceding items, wherein the second material comprises any one of a silicone-based material, acrylic, urethane, fluorine-based material, or combinations thereof.
(Item 21)
The electronic device according to any of the preceding items, wherein the lip comprises any one of a silicone-based material, acrylic, urethane, fluorine-based material, or combinations thereof.
(Item 22)
The electronic device according to any one of the above items, wherein the coating is thinner than the lip.
(Item 23)
The electronic device according to any one of the preceding items, wherein the lip is arranged to limit the bending of the actuator when subjected to an externally applied force.

(Summary)
The method includes applying a lip composed of a first material along at least a portion of the actuator of the electronic device and applying a coating composed of an elastic material to cover a portion of the actuator. And the coating is arranged to facilitate operation of the actuator.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a portable electronic device in accordance with the present disclosure. FIG. 2A is a front view of an example portable electronic device in accordance with the present disclosure. 2B is a side cross-sectional view of a portable electronic device according to the present disclosure through line 202 of FIG. 2A. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating and entering components of a portable electronic device in accordance with the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an actuator according to the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is an exploded view of an actuator according to the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for protecting an actuator according to the present disclosure.

(Detailed explanation)
An electronic device and method are described below, the method comprising applying a lip composed of a first material along at least a portion of the actuator of the electronic device and coating a portion of the actuator. Applying a coating composed of an elastic material, the coating facilitating operation of the actuator.

  For illustrative simplicity and clarity, reference numerals may be used repeatedly between the drawings to show corresponding or analogous elements. Details specific to the numbers are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. Embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described herein. The description should not be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein.

  The present disclosure relates generally to electronic devices, and in the embodiments described herein, the electronic devices are portable electronic devices. Examples of portable electronic devices include mobile or handheld wireless communication devices (eg, pagers, cellular phones, cellular smartphones, wireless organizers, personal digital assistants, wireless available notebook computers, etc.). The portable electronic device may also be a portable electronic device that does not have wireless communication capabilities (eg, a handheld electronic gaming device, digital photograph album, digital camera or other device).

  A block diagram of an example portable electronic device 100 is shown in FIG. The portable electronic device 100 includes a plurality of components (eg, a processor 102 that controls the overall operation of the portable electronic device 100). Communication functions including data and voice communication are performed via the communication subsystem 104. Data received by portable electronic device 100 is decompressed and decrypted by decoder 106. The communication subsystem 104 receives messages from the wireless network 150 and transmits messages to the wireless network 150. The wireless network 150 can be any network of wireless networks including, but not limited to, data wireless networks, voice wireless networks, and dual mode networks that support both voice and data communications. A power supply 142 (eg, one or more rechargeable batteries or a port to another power source) powers the portable electronic device 100.

  The processor 102 may include a display 112 having a touch-sensitive overlay 114 operatively connected to other devices (eg, random access memory (RAM) 108, memory 110, electronic controller 116, which together are a touch-sensitive display 118). One or more actuators 120, one or more force sensors 122, an auxiliary input / output (I / O) subsystem 124, a data port 126, a speaker 128, a microphone 130, a short-range communication 132, and other devices. Interacts with subsystem 134). User interaction with the graphical user interface is performed via the touch sensitive overlay 114. The processor 102 interacts with the touch sensitive overlay 114 via the electronic controller 116. Information (eg, text, characters, symbols, images, icons and other items displayed or drawn on the portable electronic device) is displayed on the touch sensitive display 118 via the processor 102. The processor 102 may also interact with an accelerometer 136 that may be utilized to detect the direction of gravity or gravity-induced reaction forces.

  To identify a subscriber for network access, portable electronic device 100 uses a subscriber identity module or removable user identity module (SIM / RUIM) card 138 for communication with a network (eg, wireless network 150). . Alternatively, user identification information can be programmed into the memory 110.

  The portable electronic device 100 also includes an operating system 146 and a software program or component 148 that is executed by the processor 102 and is typically a persistent updateable such as the memory 110. It is stored in a storage device. Additional applications or programs are loaded onto the portable electronic device 100 via the wireless network 150, auxiliary I / O subsystem 124, data port 126, short-range communication subsystem 132, or any other suitable subsystem 134. obtain.

  Received signals (eg, text messages, email messages, or web page downloads) are processed by the communication subsystem 104 and input to the processor 102. The processor 102 processes the received signals for output to the display 112 and / or the auxiliary I / O subsystem 124. The subscriber may generate a data item (eg, an email message) that may be transmitted over the wireless network 150 through the communication subsystem 104. For voice communication, the overall operation of portable electronic device 100 is similar. The speaker 128 outputs audible information converted from the electrical signal, and the microphone 130 converts the audible information into an electrical signal for processing.

  Touch-sensitive display 118 may be any suitable touch-sensitive display such as a capacitive, resistive, infrared or surface acoustic wave (SAW) touch-sensitive display known in the art. The capacitive touch sensitive display includes a display 112 and a capacitive touch sensitive overlay 114. Overlay 114 is an assembly of multiple layers in a stack including, for example, a substrate, LCD display 112, a ground shield layer, a barrier layer, one or more capacitive touch sensors divided by a substrate or other barrier, and a cover. obtain. The capacitive touch sensor can be any suitable material, such as patterned indium tin oxide (ITO).

  One or more touches, also known as touch contacts or touch events, can be detected by the touch sensitive display 118 and processed by the controller 116 to determine the location of the touch. Touch location data may include a single contact point (eg, at or near the center of the area of contact), or the entire area of contact for further processing. The position of the touch detected on the touch sensitive display 118 may include, for example, an x component and a y component that are horizontal and vertical, respectively, with respect to the touch sensitive display 118 vision. For example, the x component can be determined by a signal generated from one touch sensor layer, and the y component can be determined by a signal generated from another touch sensor layer. A signal is provided to controller 116 in response to detecting an appropriate object (eg, a finger, thumb, or other item such as a stylus, pen, or other pointer depending on the nature of touch-sensitive display 118). Is done. Simultaneous positions of two or more contacts can occur and can be detected.

  Actuator 120 may include one or more piezoelectric (piezo) actuators that provide tactile feedback. FIG. 2A is a front view of an example portable electronic device 100. In the example shown in FIG. 2A, the actuator 120 includes four piezo actuators 120, each located near a corner of the touch sensitive display 118. FIG. 2B is a side cross-sectional view of portable electronic device 100 through line 202 of FIG. 2A. Each piezo actuator 120 is supported within the portable electronic device 100 such that contraction of the piezo actuator 120 applies a force to the touch sensitive display 118 that opposes an externally applied force to the display 118. Each piezo actuator 120 includes a piezoelectric device (eg, a piezoelectric ceramic disc 206 bonded to a substrate 208 such as a metal substrate). Element 210, which is at least partially flexible, including, for example, hard rubber, may be located between piezoelectric disk 206 and touch-sensitive display 118. In the example shown in FIG. 2A, four optical force sensors 122 are utilized, each force sensor 122 being located between element 210 and substrate 208. The substrate 208 bends when the piezoelectric disk 206 contracts in the diametrical direction due to charge accumulation in the piezoelectric disk 206 or in response to an external force applied to the touch sensitive display 118. The charge can be adjusted by changing the applied voltage or current and consequently controlling the force applied by the actuator 120 on the touch sensitive display 118. The charge on the piezo actuator 120 can be removed by a controlled discharge current that expands the piezoelectric disk 206 in the diametrical direction and reduces the force applied by the piezo actuator 120 on the touch sensitive display 118. Let Without any force applied to the overlay 114 and no charge on the piezoelectric disk 206, the piezo actuator 120 can be bent slightly due to mechanical preloading.

  FIG. 3 shows a functional block diagram of the components of the portable electronic device 100. In this example, each force sensor 122 is connected to a controller 302, which includes an amplifier and an analog to digital converter (ADC). The force sensor 122 may be a force sensing resistor in the electrical circuit, where the resistance changes in response to the applied force. As the force applied on the touch sensitive display 118 increases, the resistance decreases. This change is determined via the controller 116 for each of the force sensors 122. The force applied by the touch is determined based on the force value in each of the force sensors 122.

  The piezo actuator 120 is connected to a piezo driver 304 that communicates with the controller 302. The controller 302 may also communicate with the main processor 102 of the portable electronic device 100 to receive signals and provide the signals to the main processor 102. The controller 302 controls the piezo driver 304, which controls the voltage to the piezoelectric disk 206 and consequently controls the charge and force applied by the piezo actuator on the touch sensitive display 118. Each of the piezoelectric disks 206 is substantially equal and can be controlled simultaneously. Optionally, the piezoelectric disk 206 can be controlled separately. When the force applied on the touch-sensitive display 118 exceeds a first threshold, the charge on the piezo actuator 120 is modulated and a force can be applied on the touch-sensitive display to simulate a dome switch depression. After actuation of the piezo actuator 120, if the force applied on the touch sensitive display 118 falls below the second threshold, the charge on the piezo actuator 120 is modulated to simulate the release of the dome switch. A force may be applied by a piezo actuator 120 on the display 118. The second threshold is lower than the first threshold.

  A perspective view of the piezo actuator 120 is shown in FIG. 4, and an exploded view of the piezo actuator 120 is shown in FIG. Each piezo actuator 120 is connected to a piezo driver 304 via a conductor 402, which is typically composed of a metal, such as a silver conductor deposited on each side of the piezoelectric disk 206. The piezo driver 304 applies a voltage across the piezoelectric disk 206 to actuate the actuator 120 and modulate the force on the touch sensitive display 118. For example, a voltage of 150V can be applied across each piezoelectric disk 206. In the presence of an electric field, metal migration (eg, silver migration if a silver conductor is used) moves the metal ions from the conductor 402 on one side of the piezoelectric disk 206 in the direction of increasing potential. Microcracks that form during operation of the piezoelectric disk 206 can come together to create larger cracks. If the crack becomes too large, the crack facilitates silver migration between the piezoelectric disk 206 and the substrate 208 to another conductor (not shown) on the opposite side of the piezoelectric disk 206. A short circuit of the magnetic disk 206. The movement of metal ions is affected by the influence of moisture (for example, humidity in the air), and is suppressed when there is no moisture and when there is no moisture migration.

  A lip 404 of the procured polymer material is applied to each piezo actuator 120 around the piezoelectric disk 206 to suppress migration of metals such as silver from the conductor. The polymeric material can be, for example, a silicone-based material (eg, P / N 9186L). In the example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the lip 404 is in the form of a ring around the periphery of the piezoelectric disk 206. The lip 404 can be, for example, a thickness in the range of about 200 μm to about 400 μm. For example, a thin coating 406 of a second polymer material of a silicone-based material (eg, 3-1953) covers the piezoelectric disk 206 and the metal conductor 402 in the ring formed by the lip 404. Thin conductors can range, for example, from about 100 μm to about 200 μm. The coating 406 is thin compared to the lip 404 and the elasticity of the coating 406 facilitates operation of the piezo actuator 120. The coating 406 is less viscous than the lip 404 when applied to the piezo actuator 120, and as a result may provide a flow upon application, which covers the piezo actuator 120 when the lip 404 is not used. Can be left untouched. The lip 404 acts as a dam, where a thin coating 406 is applied to facilitate the coating of the piezo actuator 120 within the lip 404. As described above, the piezo actuator 120 bends when an external force is applied to the touch sensitive display 118. The lip 404 can be used as a stop portion that suppresses further bending of the piezo actuator 120.

  Optionally, other materials can be utilized for the lip 404. For example, a material that repels or seals water (eg, an acrylic material, a urethane material, or a fluorine-based material) may be utilized for the lip 404. Similarly, other materials can be utilized for the coating 406. For example, a material that repels water or seals water can be utilized for the coating 406.

  A flowchart illustrating an example of a method of protecting the piezo actuator 120 is shown in FIG. A lip 404 is applied to each piezo actuator 120 by needle dispensing a polymeric material around the periphery of the piezoelectric disk 206 (602). The polymer material of the lip 404 is of a suitable viscosity to form the lip 404 when applied to the piezo actuator 120. The lip 404 is air cured for a suitable period of time to act as a dam to which the coating is applied (606). The coating 406 is sprayed (406) onto the piezo actuator 120 and over the area of the piezo actuator 120 in the lip 404, respectively. The coating can be sprayed utilizing any suitable manual or automatic dispensing or spray coating machine. The coating is air cured (608).

  Application of the lip 404 prior to application of the coating 406 facilitates the formation of a coating that covers the surface area of the piezoelectric disk 206 within the lip 404. The coating 406 seals the sides of the piezoelectric disk 206 and the conductor 402 and suppresses the movement of metal (eg, silver) from the conductor 402 to increase the usable life of each piezo actuator 120.

  The method includes applying a lip composed of a first material along at least a portion of the actuator of the electronic device and applying a coating composed of an elastic material to cover a portion of the actuator. And the coating includes facilitating operation of the actuator.

  The electronic device is a lip along at least a portion of the actuator and is composed of a first material, and the coating on the lip and a portion of the actuator is composed of an elastic material. And the coating is arranged to facilitate operation of the actuator.

  The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the disclosure. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not as restrictive. The scope of the disclosure is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within these scope.

100 Portable Electronic Device 102 Processor 104 Communication Subsystem 106 Decoder 108 Random Access Memory (RAM)
110 Memory 112 Display 114 Touch-sensitive overlay 116 Electronic controller 118 Touch-sensitive display 120 Actuator 122 Force sensor 124 Auxiliary input / output (I / O) subsystem 126 Data port 128 Speaker 130 Microphone 132 Short-range communication 134 Other device subsystem 142 Power supply 150 Wireless network

Claims (23)

A method of suppressing metal migration,
The method
And that in so that is disposed along at least a portion of the outer edge of the actuator of the electronic device, it imparts a lip comprising a first material,
So as to cover a part of the actuator, the method comprising applying a coating comprising a resilient material, wherein the coating is arranged so as to suppress the migration of metals from the combined conductor to said actuator, said actuator is capable of being actuated, and a possible method.   The method of claim 1, wherein the lip is disposed along an outer edge of the actuator. The coating comprises a second material, said second material covers the silver electrode on said actuator The method of claim 1. The actuator includes a piezoelectric actuator, the portion of the actuator includes a ceramic piezoelectric device, The method of claim 1. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second material comprises a polymeric material.   The method of claim 1, wherein the first material comprises a polymeric material. The method of claim 1, wherein the first material has a greater viscosity than the coating . 4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second material comprises any one of a silicone-based material, acrylic, urethane, fluorine-based material, or combinations thereof.   The method of claim 1, wherein the lip comprises any one of a silicone based material, acrylic, urethane, fluorine based material, or combinations thereof. It is by needle dispense the first material to the periphery of the actuator includes applying the lip A method according to claim 1 for applying the lip. Applying said coating comprises spraying said coating on said actuator The method of claim 1.   The method of claim 1, wherein the coating is thin compared to the lip. An actuator,
Disposed along at least a portion of the outer edge of the actuator, the lip comprising a first material,
A coating comprising a resilient material the disposed on a portion of the actuator, the coating is arranged so as to suppress the migration of metals from the combined conductor to the actuator, wherein the actuator actuates An electronic device comprising a coating that can be applied . The lip is located along the outer edge of said actuator, an electronic device according to claim 13. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric actuator, and the portion of the actuator comprises a ceramic piezoelectric device. The coating comprises a second material, said second material covers the silver electrode on said actuator, an electronic device according to claim 13. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the second material comprises a polymer material.   The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the first material comprises a polymer material. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the first material has a greater viscosity than the coating . The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the coating comprises any one of a silicone-based material, acrylic, urethane, fluorine-based material, or combinations thereof.   The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the lip comprises any one of a silicone-based material, acrylic, urethane, fluorine-based material, or combinations thereof.   The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the coating is thin compared to the lip.   The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the lip is arranged to limit bending of the actuator when subjected to an externally applied force.

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