JP7175167B2 - tablet input aid - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tablet input aid to which a tablet is attached.

When using a credit card at the time of payment, the store may ask for a signature in order to confirm that the credit card user is the person himself/herself. A writing input device is known in which a touch pen or a finger is used to sign a touch panel in such a situation.

For example, the writing input device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a touch pen and a digitizer (touch panel), and is placed on a counter or table top, and the touch pen is operated on the digitizer. By signing, the signature can be displayed on the digitizer using a liquid crystal display or the like, and by storing the information of the signature, the store can accept the signature.

By the way, recently, instead of PCPOS (point of sales) using a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as "PC"), tablet POS using a tablet that is easy to handle and can be intuitively operated has spread. It's getting Such a tablet POS can accept a signature by moving a touch pen or a finger on a touch panel, like the terminal device disclosed in Patent Document 1, when a signature is required as described above.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-94465 (pages 3 and 4, FIG. 1)

In tablet POS, a capacitive touch panel is generally used because of its excellent durability and operability. There was a problem that the potential difference generated when moving was not accurately recognized, and it was not possible to sign accurately.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a tablet input aid that enables stable input to a tablet.

In order to solve the above problems, the tablet input aid of the present invention includes:
an installation portion having electrical conductivity in which the tablet is installed with the capacitive touch panel facing upward;
a hand placement section provided on the front side and above the installation section ,
The installation section includes a tablet-side contact section arranged at the bottom of the installation section so as to be in direct contact with the back surface of the tablet and having conductivity,
The hand placement unit includes a user-side contact unit that is arranged to be in contact with a user's hand and has conductivity,
The tablet-side contact portion and the user-side contact portion are electrically connected by a connecting material,
When the user's sword part contacts the user-side contact part, the user or the touch pen used by the user touches the touch panel, and a minute current generated by the touch panel is generated by the tablet and the tablet-side contact part. , the connection member, the user-side contact portion, and the user in this order .
According to this feature, by placing the hand on the hand rest, it is possible not only to prevent parts other than the touch pen and fingers from contacting the tablet when inputting, but also to prevent the touch pen and fingers from touching the touch panel. Since the weak current flows in the order of the tablet, the installation portion, the connection material, the hand placement portion, and the user, the current on the surface of the touch panel is stabilized. As a result, the potential difference generated when the touch pen or finger is moved can be accurately recognized, and stable input can be performed.

The tablet-side contact portion is characterized in that it has a flat plate shape.
According to this feature, the tablet placed on the installation portion can be reliably brought into contact with the tablet-side contact portion.

The user-side contact portion is characterized by extending in the left-right direction.
According to this feature, even if the hand moves in the left-right direction due to input, the user-side contact portion can be reliably brought into contact with the user.

1 is a perspective view showing a tablet input aid to which a tablet is attached according to Example 1 of the present invention; FIG. It is a top view which shows a tablet input assistance tool. (a) is a partial cutaway view of the tablet input aid as viewed from the side, (b) is a side cross-sectional view of the same, and (c) is an enlarged view of the main part showing the structure in the vicinity of the snap in (b). (a) is a schematic diagram showing a form in which the tablet is installed in the installation section from the rear side, (b) is a schematic diagram showing a form in which the tablet is installed in the installation section from the right side, and (c) shows a large-sized tablet. It is the schematic which shows the form installed in an installation part. FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing a form of signing using a tablet attached to a bullet input aid;

A tablet input aid according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, a tablet 1 is attached to a tablet input aid 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The tablet 1 here is a tablet POS used in supermarkets, convenience stores, etc., and not only for accounting processing, but also by signing with a touch pen 3 on the capacitive touch panel 2 of the tablet 1, it is possible to pay with a credit card. can accept signatures for payment of The tablet input aid 10 is used when requesting a credit card user's signature.

1 to 3, the tablet input aid 10 is mainly composed of a main body 20 on which the tablet 1 is placed and a cover 30 fixed to the main body 20. As shown in FIG.

First, the main body 20 will be explained. 2 and 3, the main body 20 includes a main body side base member 21 made of ABS resin, a flat aluminum plate 25 attached to the upper surface of the main body side base member 21, and an ABS resin. It is composed of a snap 26 formed and attached to the body-side base member 21 and a copper tape 27 formed in a sheet shape and adhered to the upper surface of the snap 26 .

The body-side base member 21 is integrally formed with a bottom plate portion 21A and side plate portions 21B arranged on both side surfaces of the bottom plate portion 21A. The bottom plate portion 21A includes a front end portion 21g that extends substantially in the front-rear direction, and a flat plate-like inclined plate portion 21e that extends linearly so as to become higher rearward from the rear end portion of the front end portion 21g in a side view. A through hole 21a is formed through the front end portion 21g in the vertical direction, and a through hole 21b is formed through the inclined plate portion 21e in the vertical direction. In addition, in FIG. 2, the through holes 21a and 21b are indicated by two-dot chain lines for convenience of explanation.

A rising portion 21c that rises upward is formed at the front edge of the through hole 21a in the front end portion 21g. A rising portion 21d that rises upward is formed at the front edge of the through hole 21b in the inclined plate portion 21e. Although not shown, the front raised portion 21c has the same width as the through hole 21a, and the rear raised portion 21d has the same width as the bottom plate portion 21A. there is Furthermore, the rear raised portion 21d is vertically longer than the front raised portion 21d.

A hook portion 21f is provided at the rear edge of the inclined plate portion 21e. Specifically, the hook portion 21f includes an extension portion 21k extending downward from the rear edge of the inclined plate portion 21e and a claw portion 21m extending forward from the lower end of the extension portion 21k. A non-slip rubber sheet 28 is attached to the lower surface of the rising portion 21c and the lower surface of the hook portion 21f (claw portion 21m).

The side plate portion 21B has a front end portion formed so that the front end portion 21g and the rising portions 21c and 21d cannot be seen from the side, and a rear end portion formed so that the inclined plate portion 21e and the hook portion 21f cannot be seen from the side. is formed in In addition, since the rear end portion of the side plate portion 21B is formed such that the lower surface thereof is parallel to the inclined plate portion 21e, a space surrounded by the inclined plate portion 21e and the hook portion 21f from the side can be easily touched by a fingertip or the like. can be inserted. A wall portion 21C whose upper edge linearly extends from the upper end portion of the rising portion 21d to the rear end portion of the inclined plate portion 21e is erected on the left edge of the inclined plate portion 21e.

A concave portion 21h having an upward U-shape in cross section and a rectangular shape in top view is formed on the upper surface of the inclined plate portion 21e, and the aforementioned aluminum plate 25 is installed in the concave portion 21h. Since the depth of the recess 21h is formed to be shallower than the thickness of the aluminum plate 25, the upper surface side of the aluminum plate 25 protrudes above the recess 21h when installed in the recess 21h ( In particular, see FIG. 3(b) enlarged portion).

That is, the main body 20 is formed with an installation portion 23 defined by the rising portion 21c, the inclined plate portion 21e, the aluminum plate 25, and the wall portion 21C. The inclined plate portion 21e and the aluminum plate 25 constitute the bottom portion of the installation portion 23, and the installation portion 23 is open to the rear side and the right side, and the left side is closed by the wall portion 21C. . Buffer members 29a and 29b, which are elastic and high-friction members such as rubber, are provided on the rear side of the rising portion 21c (installation portion 23 side) and the right side surface of the wall portion 21C (installation portion 23 side), respectively. It is stuck.

The rear end portion 26a of the snap 26 is placed on a stepped portion 21j formed at the upper edge of the inclined plate portion 21e on the side of the through hole 21b. ing. Further, the snap 26 extends downward from the rear end 26a through the through-hole 21b to below the raised portion 21d and in a downward U shape so as to connect the raised portions 21c and 21d from the front end of the intermediate portion 26b. and a front end 26c. Further, the front end portion 26c has a claw portion 26d that is engaged with the upper edge of the rising portion 21c. A sheet-like copper tape 27 is adhered to the upper surfaces of the rear end portion 26a, intermediate portion 26b, and front end portion 26c.

Next, the cover 30 will be explained. 1 to 3, the cover 30 is mainly composed of a cover-side base member 31 made of ABS resin and a laterally long cylindrical aluminum rod 35 combined with the cover-side base member 31. As shown in FIG. there is

The cover-side base member 31 extends in the front-rear direction from the front end of the front end portion 21g of the main body 20 to the rising portion 21d, and extends in the left-right direction across the front end portions of the left and right side plate portions 21B. It is installed so as to cover from above the space surrounded by the front end portion 21g, the rising portion 21d, and the left and right side plate portions 21B (the space above the front end portion 21g of the main body side base member 21). The cover-side base member 31 has its upper surface arranged substantially parallel to the inclined plate portion 21e of the main body 20, and is configured to increase in height from the front to the rear.

The cover-side base member 31 has a U-shaped groove portion 32 in cross section provided so as to be recessed in the thickness direction on the front end side thereof, and a laterally elongated groove portion 32 that is longer in the left-right direction than the groove portion 32 on the rear end side and penetrates in the thickness direction when viewed in plan view. A rectangular slit 33 is formed, and an eaves portion 34 protruding toward the installation portion 23 is provided on the rear end side of the slit 33 . A portion of the cover-side base member 31 closer to the rear end than the groove portion 32 functions as a hand rest portion 31A on which the user puts his or her hand when signing.

Next, assembly of the tablet input aid 10 will be described. First, the rear end portion 26a of the snap 26 is passed through the through hole 21b from below and placed on the stepped portion 21j of the main body side foundation member 21, and the front end portion 26c of the snap 26 is placed between the rising portions 21c and 21d (through hole 21b). It is press-fitted into the hole 21a), and the claw portion 26d is engaged with the upper edge of the rising portion 21c. Thereby, the snap 26 can be attached to the body-side base member 21 . When removing the snap 26 from the body-side base member 21, the snap 26 can be easily removed by pushing down the claw portion 26d rearward.

Next, the aluminum plate 25 is fitted into the concave portion 21h of the main body side base member 21 and fixed with double-sided tape. The aluminum plate 25 fixed to the concave portion 21h of the main body side base member 21 is in surface contact with the copper tape 27 attached to the snap 26. As shown in FIG. The sum of the thickness of the rear end portion 26a of the snap 26 and the thickness of the copper tape 27 is slightly larger than the depth of the stepped portion 21j. The aluminum plate 25 is reliably brought into contact with the copper tape 27 adhered to the rear end portion 26a of the snap 26. - 特許庁

Next, the aluminum rod 35 is placed on the front end portion 26c of the snap 26, and the cover-side foundation member 31 is fixed so as to close the front end portion of the body-side foundation member 21 from above. As a result, the upper end portion of the aluminum rod 35 passes through the slit 33 and is exposed above the cover 30, and the aluminum rod 35 is vertically held and fixed by the cover-side base member 31 and the front end portion 26c of the snap 26. be done. Since the front end portion 26c of the snap 26 is curved downward into a U shape, when the front end portion 26c of the snap 26 and the cover-side base member 31 hold the aluminum rod 35 vertically, The aluminum rod 35 is elastically deformed, and its elastic restoring force can firmly press the aluminum rod 35 against the cover-side base member 31 . As a result, the aluminum rod 35 reliably contacts the copper tape 27 attached to the snap 26 while being sandwiched between the front end portion 26c of the snap 26 and the cover-side base member 31 .

Next, a mode of installing the tablet 1 on the installation portion 23 of the tablet input aid 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the installation portion 23 of the tablet input aid 10 is open on the rear side, so that the tablet 1 can be slid from the rear side with respect to the installation portion 23 . The front end portion of the tablet 1 that is slid from the rear side with respect to the installation portion 23 is inserted into the space (see FIG. 3) surrounded by the upright portion 21c, the aluminum plate 25, and the eaves portion 34, and is attached. Positioning in the front-rear direction is achieved by contact with a cushioning member 29a fixed to the rear surface of the upper portion 21c (see FIG. 5). In this manner, the front end of the tablet 1 contacts the rising portion 21c via the cushioning member 29a, so that the tablet 1 and the rising portion 21c are prevented from being damaged by contact.

Further, by arranging the left end portion of the tablet 1 along the wall portion 21C of the tablet input aid 10, the tablet 1 is positioned in the horizontal direction. Also at this time, since the cushioning member 29b fixed to the right side surface of the wall portion 21C is interposed between the tablet 1 and the wall portion 21C, damage to the tablet 1 and the wall portion 21C can be prevented. In addition, when the tablet 1 is installed on the installation portion 23 of the tablet input aid 10, the frictional force between the tablet 1 and the cushioning members 29a and 29b contacting the tablet 1 causes the tablet 1 to move backward or forward. Shifting to the right side is suppressed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, since the installation portion 23 of the tablet input aid 10 is also open to the right side, the tablet 1 is slid from the right side of the installation portion 23. be able to. The left end portion of the tablet 1 slid from the right side with respect to the installation portion 23 contacts the buffer member 29b and is positioned in the left-right direction. By arranging the front end of the tablet 1 along the rising portion 21c, the front end of the tablet 1 is inserted into the space surrounded by the rising portion 21c, the aluminum plate 25, and the eaves 34 (see FIG. 3). , the tablet 1 is positioned in the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 5).

Note that the tablet 1 may be installed by sliding it diagonally from the right rear side with respect to the installation portion 23 . Further, when removing the tablet 1 from the tablet input aid 10, the tablet 1 can be removed by sliding it rearward, rightward, or obliquely rightward rearward.

In this manner, the tablet 1 can be easily attached and detached from the installation portion 23 from the rear side, the right side, or the oblique right rear side, and the rising portion 21c and the wall portion 21C can be used to mount the tablet 1. Positioning can be performed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4(c), the installation portion 23 of the tablet input aid 10 is open to the rear side and the right side, so that for example, a tablet 1' larger in size than the tablet 1 can be installed. It can be installed with the rear side and the right side protruding outside the installation portion 23 . In this way, the tablet input aid 10 can be installed with tablets of a plurality of sizes, and thus has high versatility.

Next, a form of signing using the tablet 1 attached to the tablet input aid 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

When signing using the tablet 1 attached to the tablet input aid 10, the user's hand is placed on the hand placement portion 31A. Specifically, the user can place his or her hand on the hand rest portion 31A positioned above the touch panel 2 of the tablet 1 installed on the installation portion 23 of the tablet input aid 10 to sign. As a result, the hand blade part is guided by the hand rest part 31A, and parts other than the touch pen 3 are prevented from coming into contact with the touch panel 2, so that input can be easily made to the tablet 1.例文帳に追加

Further, when the user's hand is placed on the hand rest portion 31A, the hand blade portion contacts the aluminum rod 35. As shown in FIG. The aluminum bar 35 is in contact with the aluminum plate 25 via a copper tape 27 attached to the upper surface of the snap 26, and the tablet 1 is placed on the upper surface of the aluminum plate 25. As shown in FIG. That is, an aluminum rod 35 having conductivity (user side contact portion) is arranged in the hand placement portion 31A, an aluminum plate 25 having conductivity (tablet side contact portion) is arranged in the setting portion 23, and an aluminum bar 35 (tablet side contact portion) is arranged. 35 and the aluminum plate 25 are electrically connected by a conductive copper tape 27 (connecting material). According to this, when the user's knife touches the aluminum rod 35, a weak electric current such as static electricity existing around the tablet 1 flows in the order of the aluminum plate 25, the copper tape 27, the aluminum rod 35, and the user. At the same time, a minute current generated by touching the touch panel 2 with the touch pen 3 flows in the order of the tablet 1, the aluminum plate 25, the copper tape 27, the aluminum bar 35, and the user. The potential difference on the touch panel 2 generated when the is moved can be accurately recognized, and stable input can be performed.

In addition, since the aluminum plate 25 is in direct contact with the back surface of the tablet 1, a weak current can be reliably supplied to the user, and the potential difference on the touch panel 2 can be accurately recognized. Further, since the flat plate-shaped aluminum plate 25 is used as the tablet-side contact portion, and the aluminum plate 25 is arranged on the bottom portion of the installation portion 23, the tablet 1 placed on the installation portion 23 can be securely attached to the aluminum plate. 25, and the stability of the tablet 1 placed on the installation portion 23 can be ensured.

Further, the aluminum plate 25 is arranged in a recess 21h formed shallower than the thickness of the aluminum plate 25, and the upper surface side of the aluminum plate 25 protrudes above the recess 21h when installed in the recess 21h. Therefore, the tablet 1 can be brought into surface contact with the aluminum plate 25 without fail.

The sum of the thickness of the rear end portion 26a of the snap 26 and the thickness of the copper tape 27 is slightly larger than the depth of the stepped portion 21j, and the rear end portion 26a of the snap 26 protrudes toward the concave portion 21h. At the same time, since the rear end portion 26a of the snap 26 is held vertically by the stepped portion 21j of the inclined plate portion 21e and the aluminum plate 25, the copper tape 27 attached to the rear end portion 26a of the snap 26 is held. , the aluminum plate 25 is surely brought into contact with each other.

Further, since the front end portion 26c of the snap 26 is curved downward into a U shape, when the front end portion 26c of the snap 26 and the cover-side foundation member 31 hold the aluminum rod 35 vertically, The aluminum rod 35 is elastically deformed, and its elastic restoring force can firmly press the aluminum rod 35 against the cover-side base member 31 . This ensures that the aluminum rod 35 and the copper tape 27 are in contact with each other. Thus, the tablet 1, the aluminum plate 25, the copper tape 27, and the aluminum bar 35 are reliably electrically connected.

Also, the aluminum rod 35 extends in the left-right direction. According to this, even if the user's hand moves in the left-right direction as input is made when signing, the state of contact with the aluminum rod 35 can be maintained. can do.

In addition, since the aluminum rod 35 protrudes upward from the surface-shaped cover 30, when inputting to the touch panel 2, the contact area between the user's sword portion and the cover 30 becomes smaller, and the aluminum rod 35 has a cylindrical shape, the contact area between the user's sword and the aluminum bar 35 is smaller than when the user's hand is in contact with a flat plate-shaped aluminum bar. It is possible to reduce the frictional force generated with the hand placement portion 31A. In addition, since the aluminum rod 35 extends in the horizontal direction substantially parallel to the upper and lower edges of the touch panel 2 of the tablet 1 installed in the installation portion 23, the user can slide his or her hand along the aluminum rod 35. , the input on the touch panel 2 can be accurately performed in the horizontal direction. In addition, it is preferable that the aluminum rod 35 is subjected to processing such as mirror finish so that the user's hand can be smoothly slid.

Further, since the hand rest part 31A has a canopy part 34 that covers a part of the installation part 23, it is possible to place a hand on a position close to the touch panel 2 of the tablet 1 to sign. Easy to clean.

The hand rest portion 31A is arranged substantially parallel to the inclined plate portion 21e and the aluminum plate 25 that constitute the bottom portion of the installation portion 23, and increases in height from the front to the rear. In this way, since the tablet 1 is arranged with the rear end side higher than the tablet input aid 10, when the tablet input aid 10 is placed on the top board F of the desk, the tablet 1 is The touch panel 2 can be easily seen from the user on the front side, and since the hand rest portion 31A is arranged substantially parallel to the touch panel 2, signing is facilitated.

Moreover, it has the hook part 21f extended downward from the rear-end part of the installation part 23. As shown in FIG. According to this, the inclined plate portion 21e can be inclined so that the rear end side becomes higher without increasing the thickness of the inclined plate portion 21e toward the rear side. In addition, when the tablet input aid 10 is placed on the top board F of the desk, a gap is generated between the inclined plate part 21e and the top board F. can be put in and the tablet input aid 10 can be easily lifted.

In this embodiment, a form in which the touch pen 3 is used to sign the touch panel 2 is described as an example, but the touch panel 2 can also be operated with a finger while the tablet 1 is attached to the tablet input aid 10. can. Even in this case, the hand rest portion 31A prevents a portion other than the finger (for example, a sword portion) from contacting the touch panel 2, and the minute electric current generated by the finger touching the touch panel 2 is prevented from touching the touch panel 2. 1. Since the aluminum plate 25, the copper tape 27, the aluminum rod 35, and the user flow in this order, the current on the surface of the touch panel 2 is stabilized.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and any changes or additions within the scope of the present invention are included in the present invention. be

For example, in the above embodiment, the tablet input aid 10 with the tablet 1 mounted thereon is placed on the top board F of the desk to sign, but the tablet input aid 10 with the tablet 1 mounted is lifted. You may make it sign in a state. Even in this case, since the hand rest portion 31A, the inclined plate portion 21e, and the aluminum plate 25 are arranged substantially parallel to each other, it is easy to sign.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the inclined plate portion 21e constituting the bottom portion of the installation portion 23 is slanted so as to become higher toward the rear, but the bottom portion of the installation portion 23 is arranged substantially horizontally. Alternatively, it may be inclined so as to become lower toward the rear. Even in these cases, it is preferable that the hand rest portion 31A and the bottom portion of the installation portion 23 are arranged substantially parallel to each other.

Further, in the above embodiment, the configuration in which the rear side and the right side of the installation section 23 are opened is illustrated, but the left side of the installation section 23 may also be opened. Moreover, at least one of the rear side, the right side, and the left side of the installation portion 23 may be opened.

In the above-described embodiment, the cushioning members 29a and 29b are composed of elastic, high-friction members. However, the cushioning members need only have elasticity. The tablet 1 may be easily attached to and detached from the installation portion 23 by sliding on a low-friction member using a member.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the aluminum plate 25 constituting the installation portion 23, the aluminum rod 35 constituting the manual placement portion 31A, the copper tape 27 as a connection material for connecting the aluminum plate 25 and the aluminum rod 35, Although a configuration in which a weak current flows through is exemplified, the materials of the installation portion, the hand placement portion, and the connecting member can be freely changed as long as they have conductivity. For example, the installation section, the hand placement section, and the connecting member may all be made of the same material (for example, aluminum).

In the above-described embodiment, the flat aluminum plate 25 is used as the tablet-side contact portion, and the aluminum plate 25 and the tablet 1 are in surface contact with each other. A tablet-side contact portion may be used, and the tablet-side contact portion and the tablet 1 may be in point contact or line contact.

In the above-described embodiment, the aluminum plate 25 constitutes a part of the installation section 23 and the aluminum rod 35 constitutes a part of the hand placement section 31A. The whole may be made of a member having electrical conductivity, such as a conductive resin.

Further, the tablet input aid 10 of the above-described embodiment illustrated a mode in which the tablet 1, which is a tablet POS for performing accounting processing and accepting signatures, is attached. It may be a tablet other than a tablet POS that does not have a function such as receiving a signature or accepting a signature.

1, 1' tablet 2 touch panel 3 touch pen 4 tablet storage box 10 tablet input aid 21C wall portion 21e inclined plate portion (bottom portion of installation portion)
21f hook portion 23 installation portion 25 aluminum plate (tablet side contact portion)
27 copper tape (connecting material)
31A hand rest portion 34 canopy portion 35 aluminum rod 35 (user side contact portion)

Claims (3)

an installation portion having electrical conductivity in which the tablet is installed with the capacitive touch panel facing upward;
a hand placement section provided on the front side and above the installation section ,
The installation section includes a tablet-side contact section arranged at the bottom of the installation section so as to be in direct contact with the back surface of the tablet and having conductivity,
The hand placement unit includes a user-side contact unit that is arranged to be in contact with a user's hand and has conductivity,
The tablet-side contact portion and the user-side contact portion are electrically connected by a connecting material,
When the user's sword part contacts the user-side contact part, the user or the touch pen used by the user touches the touch panel, and a minute current generated by the touch panel is generated by the tablet and the tablet-side contact part. , the connection member, the user-side contact portion, and the user in this order . 2. The tablet input aid according to claim 1 , wherein the tablet-side contact portion has a flat plate shape. 3. The tablet input aid according to claim 1 , wherein the user side contact portion extends in the left-right direction.

Images