KR100657788B1 - Track ball switch and electric apparatus with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention detects and processes the rotation of the track ball in the front and rear and left and right directions and partially presses the track ball, which is partially exposed to the outside of the housing of the device, so that the user can change the direction of the front and rear left and right directions by using only the operation of the track ball. The present invention relates to a trackball switch and an electronic device having the same.

The trackball switch according to the present invention can be used since it can turn on / off five contacts for the selection / movement and selection / confirmation inputs in the front and rear and left and right directions by rotating or pressing one trackball exposed to the outside in a predetermined direction. This convenient has a remarkable effect.

switch; Trackball switch

Description

Trackball switch and electronic device having the same {TRACK BALL SWITCH AND ELECTRIC APPARATUS WITH THE SAME}

1 is an exemplary embodiment to which a conventional switch is applied.

2A-2C are plan views of trackball switches in accordance with the present invention.

3 is a cross-sectional view of a trackball switch in accordance with the present invention.

4 shows a scroll key according to the invention.

5 is a front view of a contact lever pin according to the present invention;

6A to 6E are cross-sectional views illustrating the operation of the scroll key and the contact lever pin according to the operation of the trackball according to the present invention.

7 is a use state diagram to which the trackball switch according to the present invention is applied.

*** Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawing ***

10: lower housing 12: upper housing

14: through hole 20: track ball

30: first pin 30a: first contact

32: second pin 32a: second contact

34: third pin 34a: third contact

36: fourth pin 36a: fourth contact

38: fifth pin 38a: fifth contact

40: sixth pin 40a: sixth contact

50: contact plate 60: scroll key

62: scroll key tube 64: wing

70: contact lever pin 100: trackball switch

The present invention relates to a trackball switch and an electronic device including the same, and specifically, a user manipulates the trackball by detecting rotation of the trackball in front, rear, left, and right directions, and pressing of the track ball. The present invention relates to a trackball switch capable of using a direction selection switch function and a selection switch function of four directions in front, rear, left and right, and an electronic device having the same.

As the size of various digital devices is reduced and functions are diversified, switches of various structures are used to operate such digital devices. For example, a mechanical switch, such as a tact switch or push button switch, is used in which one switch handles a single operating point. Joglev switches have been proposed to control the verification function.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary view to which a conventional switch is applied, and FIG. 1 (a) is a perspective view showing a switch structure of a conventional mobile phone, and FIG. 1 (b) is a perspective view showing a switch structure of a conventional MP3 player.

As shown in FIG. 1 (a), in the case of the conventional mobile phone 200, in addition to a keypad consisting of a number key for dialing a telephone number, a call and end button, a text switch for use of various additional functions and wireless Internet functions. Or further provided with an additional switch consisting of a direction selection switch 210 and a selection switch 220 consisting of a push button switch. Among the additional switch units, the direction selection switch 210 is used to control the selection and movement of four directions in front, rear, left and right, and the selection switch 220 is disposed between the direction selection switches and used for 'confirmation' or wireless Internet connection. . Therefore, in addition to the simple functions unique to the mobile phone, the menu of the mobile phone itself and various wireless Internet functions can be used. However, in the case of the additional switch unit applied to the conventional mobile phone, since one switch can handle one operating point, each switch must be individually provided for five operating points for the four-direction selection and confirmation function. Therefore, in addition to pressing each switch individually for direction selection / movement control and selection / confirmation input, it is inconvenient to use because the direction selection switch must be repeatedly pressed in a specific direction. In addition, in order to arrange five switches such as four direction selection switches 210 and selection switches 220, not only a certain space must be secured on the main body of the cellular phone, but also adjacent switches when the user presses each switch. In order to prevent the pressing together, each switch should be more than a certain size, there was a problem that the space occupied by the entire switch portion is too large.

On the other hand, as shown in Figure 1 (b), in the conventional MP3 player 300, in addition to the switch for the playback / recording, etc., a joglever switch 310 is employed for searching and selecting stored MP3 files. The jaw lever switch 310 is formed to be exposed on the top surface of the MP3 player in the form of a protrusion of a predetermined size so that the user can push the protrusion to the front, rear, left and right to select / move the direction and press the protrusion from above. Therefore, by using one joglever switch 310, five operating points such as selection / conversion in four directions, as well as selection / confirmation inputs can be processed together, so that the space occupied by the switch is reduced, making it suitable for miniaturization of equipment. This was a convenient advantage. However, since the joglever switch 310 is formed to protrude to the front of the MP3 player, the protrusion may be broken when an external shock or an excessive force is applied by the user. In addition, since the direction selection and movement is made in units of clicks, the joglever switch has to be repeatedly pushed in a specific direction during the movement of several steps, so that the search and movement of stored data and menus are inconvenient. In addition, there is a problem in that the use sensitivity is lowered because the jog lever switch of the projection type must be pushed with a finger for direction selection and movement.

The present invention has been presented to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to easily operate five operating points for selection / movement and selection / confirmation input in the front and rear and left and right directions by manipulating only one trackball exposed to the outside. The present invention provides a trackball switch that can be controlled and can be easily operated by a user and improves use sensitivity, and an electronic device having the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a trackball switch capable of miniaturizing the overall size of the switch by having a compact configuration and being applicable to various types of digital devices, and an electronic device having the same.

In order to achieve the above object, the trackball switch according to the present invention is a trackball switch mounted on a predetermined digital device to process movement control, the housing comprising a through hole formed in the vertical direction through the central portion of the upper surface, through hole A track ball through which an upper predetermined area is exposed, a first end extending into the housing, a third pin including a contact at the first end, a first end extending into the housing, and a first end A fourth pin including a contact opposite to the contact of the third pin, a first contact lever pin of a conductor material, the first end of which is disposed between the contact of the third pin and the contact of the fourth pin, and a first contact lever A first scroll key disposed on an extension line in a vertical direction of the pin and having a side portion in contact with the track ball and rotating in one direction in association with the track ball, wherein the first scroll key is a Even it is fixed to the portion characterized in that it comprises one or more wings for pushing in one direction, a first end of the first contact lever pin while rotating according to the rotation of the first scroll key.

Preferably, the trackball switch includes: a fifth pin including a contact formed with a first end extending into the interior of the housing and disposed at a first end in a direction perpendicular to the contact of the third pin; A sixth pin extending to the first end, the sixth pin including a contact facing the contact of the fifth pin at a first end, and a second contact made of a conductor material having a first end disposed between the contact of the fifth pin and the contact of the sixth pin; And a second scroll key disposed on the lever pin and an extension line in the vertical direction of the second contact lever pin, wherein the side portion contacts the track ball and rotates in one direction in association with the track ball. And at least one wing fixed to at least a portion of the scroll key to push in one direction the first end of the second contact lever pin while rotating in accordance with the rotation of the second scroll key. More preferably, the trackball switch has a first end extending into the housing, a first pin including a contact at the first end, a first end extending into the housing, and a first end at the first end. A second pin including a contact arranged to be spaced apart from the contact of the first pin by a predetermined distance, and a central portion of the first pin and the first end of the first pin and the second pin are formed convexly upward from the rim to have a predetermined elastic force. It is disposed between the trackball, the edge portion is in contact with the contact of the first pin and the center portion further comprises a contact plate of a conductor material spaced apart a predetermined distance above the contact of the second pin. In addition, the edge portion of the through hole in contact with the track ball is formed to be rounded, and a pattern including a character and a picture and a predetermined color are inserted into the track ball. In addition, the first scroll key may further include a scroll key tube surrounding a side portion contacting the track ball.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail the advantages, features and preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 2a to 2c is a plan view of the trackball switch according to the invention, Figure 2a is a view showing the pin structure of the trackball switch, Figure 2b is a view showing a state in which the contact lever pin and the scroll key is mounted in Figure 2a, 2C is a view illustrating a state in which a contact plate and a track ball are mounted in FIG. 2B. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the trackball switch according to the present invention, in which the trackball switch is viewed from the front direction (upper side in the drawing) in order to explain the arrangement of the scroll key and the contact lever pin. In addition, Figure 4 is a view showing a scroll key according to the present invention, Figure 4 (a) is a plan view of the scroll key is not equipped with a scroll key tube, Figure 4 (b) is a front view of Figure 4 (a), 4 (c) is a plan view of the scroll key on which the scroll key tube is mounted, and FIG. 4 (d) is a left side view of FIG. 4 (c). 5 is a front view of a contact lever pin according to the present invention. Referring to Figures 1 to 5 the configuration and operation of the trackball switch according to the present invention will be described.

The trackball switch 100 according to the present invention is mounted on various digital devices such as a mobile phone, a PDA, an MP3 player, a digital camera, a camcorder, and a remote controller to simultaneously perform the functions of the direction selection switch and the selection switch of the digital device. Track ball switch 100 according to the present invention, the lower housing 10 and the upper housing 12 for mounting the internal configuration, a predetermined area is exposed to the upper surface of the upper housing track ball to the front and rear, left and right rotation and pressing operation is performed by the user 20, a plurality of pins 30 to 40 disposed on a plane of the lower housing to sense front, rear, left and right rotations and presses of the trackball and transferring them to a driving circuit unit (such as a PCB substrate) of the digital device, and some of the pins A contact plate 50 disposed between the pin and the track ball to allow the pin to sense the pinning of the track ball, and in contact with the track ball in the front and rear directions and the left and right directions of the track ball, respectively, in contact with the rotation of the track ball. Two scroll keys 60, which are rotated, are respectively disposed below the scroll keys and are flipped back and forth or left and right by the scroll keys. It includes two contact lever pins 70 in contact with some of the pins to allow the pin to sense the rotation of the track ball in the front and rear and left and right directions.

The lower housing 10 according to the present invention forms an open top surface, and each pin 30 to 40 is disposed on a plane. In addition, the end of each pin is exposed through the side of the lower housing (10). On the other hand, the contact plate 50, the scroll key 60 and the contact lever pin 70 are disposed in the upper region of each pin, of course.

The upper housing 12 according to the present invention covers an open upper surface of the lower housing 10, and a through hole 14 penetrated in the vertical direction is provided at the center thereof. As the through hole 14 exposes an upper predetermined area of the track ball 20, a user can rotate or press the track ball in the front, rear, left, and right directions. Therefore, the through hole 14 serves as a guide in which the track ball 20 rotates. In addition, in order to prevent the resistance from occurring when the track ball 20 rotates, the edge portion of the through hole 14, that is, the portion in contact with the track ball is formed to be rounded. On the other hand, in order to further improve the rotational sensitivity of the track ball 20, a separate ring may be attached to the through hole 14 in contact with the track ball.

The track ball 20 according to the present invention is exposed to a predetermined area of the upper through the upper housing 12 so that the user rotates or presses the exposed area to enable the front and rear direction selection / movement and selection / confirmation input operation It is a component. The track ball 20 is disposed between the upper housing 12 and the contact plate 50 to be supported up and down, and rotates with the through hole 14 as a guide as described above. On the other hand, the outer circumference or the inside of the track ball 20 can be inserted into a variety of patterns or colors, such as a separate character or picture. In this case, the pattern may be printed on the outer circumference of the trackball through a separate printing device or a sticker may be attached, or may be engraved in the engraved trackball or inserted into the trackball during casting.

Each pin (first to sixth pins, 30 to 40) according to the present invention is disposed on a plane of the lower housing 10, and an end exposed to the outside of the lower housing is electrically connected to the driving circuit portion of the digital device. Done. Each pin is provided with contact points 30a to 40a for detecting front, rear, right and left rotation and pressing of the track ball 20, respectively. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2A, the first pin 30 and the second pin 32 extend to the center portion of the lower housing 10 plane, and each of the first contact 30a is formed at the extended end. The second contact 32a is formed. The first contact point 30a and the second contact point 32a detect the pressing of the track ball 20. In addition, the third pin 34 and the fourth pin 36 form a shape bent in a 'b' shape from the front of the lower housing 10 to the inner side, and the third contact 34a and the third contact 34a are respectively formed at the bent ends. The fourth contact 36a is disposed to face each other in the front-rear direction. The third contact 34a and the fourth contact 36a detect rotation of the track ball 20 in the front and rear directions. Lastly, the fifth fin 38 and the sixth fin 40 extend in a straight line shape from the front of the lower housing 10 to the inner side, and the fifth contact 38a and the sixth contact 40a are respectively formed at the extended ends. ) Are arranged to face each other in the horizontal direction. The fifth contact 38a and the sixth contact 40a detect rotation of the track ball 20 in the left and right directions. The remaining pins without an identification code of each pin become dummy pins. In addition, the configuration and arrangement of the pins and the contacts of FIGS. 2A to 2C illustrate one embodiment, and each pin and the contact may be configured and arranged differently from those of FIGS. 2A to 2C.

The contact plate 50 according to the present invention is a component disposed between the first contact point 30a and the second contact point 32a and the track ball 20 among the contacts of the pins 30 to 40, so as to have a constant elastic force. Dome shape is to be formed of a conductor material. Specifically, the edge portion of the contact plate 50 is in contact with the first contact 30a, and the center portion of the contact plate raised upwardly is disposed above the second contact 32a to be spaced apart from the second contact by a predetermined distance. You will not. In addition, the upper surface of the center portion is in contact with the track ball 20. Therefore, when the track ball 20 is pressed from above, the center portion of the contact plate 50 is pressed down by the track ball, so that the center portion contacts the second contact 32a. Therefore, the first contact 30a and the second contact 32a are electrically connected to each other via a contact plate 50 made of a conductor to sense that the track ball is pressed. On the other hand, when the state in which the track ball 20 is depressed, the contact plate 50 is restored by elasticity so that the center part rises up again. Therefore, the contact between the center part of the contact plate and the second contact point 32a is released and Electrical connection of the first contact point and the second contact point is also released.

The scroll key 60 according to the present invention is a component that rotates together with the track ball when the track ball 20 is rotated in the front, rear, or left and right directions. The scroll key 60 has an elongated bar shape as illustrated in FIG. 4, and has a scroll key tube 62 mounted on a body part in contact with the track ball 20 and a blade 64 protruding outward of the scroll key. ). The scroll key tube 62 is a component that allows the scroll key 60 to rotate in conjunction with the track ball without slipping when the track ball 20 rotates, and is preferably made of rubber or silicon. In addition, the wing 64 is configured to push the contact lever pin 70 disposed in the lower direction while rotating with the scroll key 60 in one direction, and is disposed on one side of the scroll key tube 62. 4 illustrates an embodiment in which the blade 64 is disposed on the left side of the scroll key tube 62. Preferably, the wing 64 is formed to be elongated and flat in the longitudinal direction of the scroll key 60 so that the wing 64 can easily contact and push the contact lever pin 70. On the other hand, in order to reduce the interval of the wing 64 pushes the contact lever pin 70, that is, the interval between the wing pushes the contact lever pin once and then pushes it again (hereinafter referred to as '1 clock'), At least two wings are provided. Since the diameter of the scroll key 60 according to the present invention is considerably smaller than the diameter of the track ball 20, the angle at which the scroll key is rotated is larger than the angle at which the track ball is rotated. That is, in order to rotate the scroll key 60 by an angle, the track ball 20 only needs to rotate by an angle much smaller than the angle of the scroll key. At this time, if two or more blades 64 of the scroll key are provided, since the rotation angle of the scroll key required for one clock is reduced, the angle to rotate the track ball is also reduced, making it convenient to use. On the other hand, the height and the appropriate number of the scroll key 60 blade 64 is determined according to the height of the end of the contact lever pin 70 to be contacted and folded in one direction by the blade. Determination of the height and number of the wings 64 according to the height of the end of the contact lever pin 70 will be described in detail below.

The scroll key 60 according to the present invention is provided with a total of two, one adjacent to any one of two surfaces in the front-rear direction and two surfaces in the left-right direction among the inner regions of the lower housing 10. Therefore, each scroll key 60 is in contact with one surface in the front-rear direction and one surface in the left-right direction of the track ball 20 to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the track ball, respectively. Preferably, the scroll key is placed so that the scroll key tube 62 contacts the track ball 20. 2B and 2C illustrate an embodiment in which the scroll key 60 is disposed adjacent to the front and right sides of the inner region of the lower housing 10. Therefore, the scroll key 60 disposed adjacent to the front of the lower housing rotates together with the track ball when the track ball 20 rotates forward and backward, and the scroll key disposed adjacent to the right side of the lower housing rotates left and right in the track ball. Will rotate with the trackball. Hereinafter, the scroll key 60 disposed adjacent to the front of the inner region of the lower housing will be referred to as a 'first scroll key', and the scroll key disposed adjacent to the right side of the lower housing will be referred to as a 'second scroll key'.

In the contact lever pin 70 according to the present invention, the first end is bent in one direction by the vanes 64 of the respective scroll keys 60 so that the first end is in contact with the one contact point before or after the track ball 20. As a component to allow the one contact to sense the rotation in the left and right direction, to have a total of two contact lever pins, one for each scroll key. As shown in FIG. 5, the contact lever pin 70 has a body portion 72 in a clip shape, and the first ends 74 and 76 of the body portion extend in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the contact lever pin 70 is made of a conductor.

The contact lever pin 70 according to the present invention is disposed at the bottom of each scroll key 60. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the contact lever pins 70 are adjacent to the front and right sides of the inner region of the lower housing 10, respectively. To be placed. At this time, the body portion 72 of each contact lever pin 70 is fixed to the lower housing 10, the lower end portion 76 of the first end is respectively the third contact point 34a and the fourth contact point 36a, And it is arranged between the fifth contact 38a and the sixth contact 40a. In addition, the upper end portion 74 of the first end portion is arranged in the area in which the blade 64 of each scroll key 60 is rotated. Preferably, the upper end portion 74 of the first end of the contact lever pin 70 is disposed on the extension line of the wing when the wing 64 is disposed in the vertical direction. Accordingly, when the scroll key 60 is rotated by the rotation of the track ball 20, the upper end portion 74 of the first end of the contact lever pin first is flipped in one direction by the vanes 64, and thus the lower end portion 76 of the first end is rotated. ) Is flipped in the opposite direction to the upper end portion 74 to be in contact with one contact point. Therefore, the one contact point at which the lower end portion of the contact lever pin first end contacts is able to detect the rotation and the rotation direction of the track ball 20. Hereinafter, the upper end portion 74 of the first end of the contact lever pin is referred to as a 'first contact portion', and the lower end portion 76 is referred to as a 'second contact portion'. In addition, the contact lever pin 70 disposed adjacent to the front of the inner region of the lower housing is referred to as a 'first contact lever pin', and the contact lever pin disposed adjacent to the right side is referred to as a 'second contact lever pin'.

As described above, the height and the number of the blades 64 of the scroll key 60 are the height of the contact lever pin 70 in contact with the blades, specifically, the height of the first end (first at the first contact portion 74). Distance between the two contacts 76).

First, when the height of the first end of the contact lever pin 70 increases, even if the height of the blade 64 decreases, the first contact portion 74 and the predetermined area of the contact lever pin overlap each other and are in contact with each other. You will be able to exert strength. In this case, since the elastic force decreases as the height of the first end of the contact lever pin increases, the interval between the first contact portion 74 is pushed in one direction and the second contact portion 76 is restored to its original state after contacting the one contact point is long. You lose. That is, since one clock is long, the scroll key 60 should have more wings 64 to maintain a constant clock interval. Therefore, the rotation angle and the spacing between the vanes are reduced, so that the frequency of contact with the first contact is increased, so that a constant clock can be maintained.

On the other hand, when the height of the first end of the contact lever pin 70 becomes smaller, the height of the blade 64 becomes larger so that the first contact portion 74 overlaps with and contacts the first contact portion 74 in order to apply a force to the contact lever pin. . However, as the height of the first end of the contact lever pin decreases, the elastic force increases, so that one clock becomes short. Thus, the scroll key 60 has fewer vanes 64 so that the clock interval can be maintained even if the rotation angle and the interval between the vanes increase. On the other hand, when the height of the first end of the contact lever pin 70 is small, it is possible to reduce the overall height of the trackball switch 100.

2 to 5 illustrate an embodiment in which the height of the first end of each contact lever pin 70 is small and each scroll key 70 includes two vanes 64.

6A to 6E are cross-sectional views illustrating operations of the scroll key and the contact lever pin according to the operation of the trackball according to the present invention, and are cross-sectional views of the trackball switch 100 viewed from the right side (left side of the drawing). 6A to 6E illustrate the operation of the first scroll key 60 and the first contact lever pin 70 when the track ball 20 rotates in the front-rear direction. Hereinafter, the operation of the trackball switch according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6E.

First, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the track ball 20 is rotated forward (counterclockwise in the drawing), the first scroll key 60 is interlocked with the track ball, i. Clockwise). In addition, the blade 64 also pushes the first contact portion 74 of the first contact lever pin 70 forward while rotating clockwise. Therefore, since the second contact portion 76 is pushed backward, the second contact portion 76 comes into contact with the third contact point disposed behind the third contact point 34a and the fourth contact point 36a. Therefore, a signal is transmitted to the driving circuit unit through the third pin 34 to detect and process that the trackball 20 rotates forward one clock.

Meanwhile, in the state of FIG. 6A, when the track ball 20 is rotated backward (clockwise) as in FIGS. 6B and 6C, the first scroll key 60 is rotated forward (counterclockwise). Accordingly, the blade 64 pushing the first contact lever pin 70 also rotates in the opposite direction, and the pressure applied to the first contact portion 74 of the first contact lever pin is released, thereby removing the first contact lever pin 70. The first end is restored in the vertical direction by the elastic force. Thus, the contact between the second contact portion 76 and the third contact 34a of the first contact lever pin is released.

Also, as shown in FIGS. 6D and 6E, when the track ball 20 is continuously rotated backward (clockwise), the first scroll key 60 also rotates forward (counterclockwise). Therefore, since the blade 64 pushes the first contact portion 74 of the first contact lever pin 70 backward, the second contact portion 76 of the first contact lever pin is brought into contact with the fourth contact 36a. do. Therefore, a signal is transmitted to the driving circuit unit through the fourth pin 36 to detect and process the trackball 20 rotating one clock backward.

In the state of FIG. 6E, when the track ball 20 is continuously rotated backward, the blade 64 pushing the first contact portion 74 of the first contact lever pin is separated from the first contact portion. The pressure applied to the contact portion is released and the contact between the second contact portion 76 and the fourth contact 36a of the first contact lever pin is released by the elastic force. At this time, if the track ball 20 is continuously rotated backward, the first scroll key 60 continues to rotate so that the next blade 64 pushes the first contact portion 74 of the first contact lever pin backward, The contact portion 76 comes into contact with the fourth contact 36a again. Accordingly, the driving circuit unit detects and processes the trackball rotating two clocks backward.

On the other hand, detection of the left and right rotation of the track ball 20 is made by the second scroll key 60 and the second contact lever pin 70. That is, when the track ball 20 is rotated to the right, the second scroll key 60 is rotated to the left, and accordingly, the blade 64 of the second scroll key is rotated to the left and the second contact lever pin 70 is rotated to the left. Push the first contact portion 74 of the right side. Therefore, since the second contact portion 76 of the second contact lever pin is pushed to the left, the second contact portion 76 comes into contact with the fifth contact positioned on the left side of the fifth contact 38a and the sixth contact 40a. On the contrary, when the track ball 20 is rotated to the left side, the second scroll key 60 and the blade 64 rotate to the right side, thereby pushing the first contact portion 74 of the second contact lever pin 70 to the left side. Therefore, the second contact portion 76 of the second contact lever pin 70 is pushed to the right to be in contact with the sixth contact 40a. Therefore, the rotation of the track ball 20 in the left and right directions can be detected through the fifth pin 38 and the sixth pin 40. In addition, when the blade 64 continues to rotate the track ball 20 in the same direction or in the opposite direction while pushing the first contact portion 74 of the second contact lever pin in one direction, the first contact portion Since the pressure of the applied wing is released, the contact between the second contact portion 76 and the fifth contact 38a or the sixth contact 40a is released by the elastic force of the second contact lever pin 70.

In the same manner as described above, the second contact portion 74 of the first and second contact lever pins 70 selectively contacts one contact point according to rotation of the front and rear or left and right directions of the track ball 20, thereby moving back and forth on the screen of the digital device. Alternatively, the left and right directions may be selected or the cursor may be continuously moved in the selected direction.

On the other hand, when the track ball is pressed down while the track ball 20 is being rotated or in a state in which the track ball is stopped, pressure is applied to the dome-shaped contact plate 50 so that the center portion of the contact plate is lowered and the second contact point 32a Contact. As described above, since the edge portion of the contact plate 50 is in contact with the first contact point 30a, the first contact point 30a and the second contact point 32a are electrically connected to each other via the contact point plate 50. Connection is established. Accordingly, signals output from the first pin 30 and the second pin 32 are transmitted to the driving circuit unit to detect and process the track ball 20 being pressed. Therefore, 'selection' or 'confirmation' input is possible during the movement of the cursor between menus on the screen of the digital device.

Fig. 7 is a state diagram in which the trackball switch according to the present invention is applied, and Fig. 7 (a) is a perspective view showing a mobile phone to which the trackball switch is applied according to the present invention, and Fig. 7 (b) shows a trackball switch according to the present invention. A perspective view showing an applied MP3 player.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the trackball switch 100 according to the present invention may be provided in the mobile phone in place of the additional switch unit including the direction selection switch and the selection switch of the mobile phone 200. In this case, the user can select and move the direction on the mobile phone screen by rotating the track ball 20 exposed to the upper surface of the main body of the mobile phone 20 in the front and rear or left and right directions, and selecting or confirming by pressing the track ball down. Input can be made.

In addition, as shown in Figure 7 (b), the trackball switch 100 according to the present invention may be provided in place of the joglever switch of the MP3 player 300, in which case the user is also exposed to the front of the MP3 player By rotating or pressing the trackball 20 in one direction, it is possible to conveniently use various functions such as searching and playing audio files such as stored MP3 files.

The trackball switch according to the present invention described above can be used in electronic devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, portable multimedia players (PMPs), notebook computers, and the like.

As described above, the trackball switch according to the present invention turns on / off five contacts for selection / movement and selection / confirmation inputs in the front and rear and left and right directions by rotating or pressing one trackball exposed to the outside in a predetermined direction. Since it can be turned off, there is a remarkable effect that is easy to use.

In other words, the trackball switch according to the present invention,

Firstly, it is easy to operate with only one trackball without the need for multiple switches for direction selection, movement and selection (confirmation) input, and it is convenient to use because the user only needs to turn the trackball when moving continuously in a specific direction.

Second, by adjusting the size and number of scroll key blades according to the height of the first end of the contact lever pin, one clock interval can be kept constant, and the contact and detachment of the blade and the first contact portion of the contact lever pin every one clock Due to the slight resistance to the rotation of the trackball, the user can recognize the number of clocks, making it easy to operate.

Thirdly, in the case of a device such as a conventional mouse using a magnetic sensor structure, it is not only sensitive to temperature and humidity, but also needs to include a separate control IC, whereas the trackball device according to the present invention mechanically detects the movement of the trackball. It is not sensitive to humidity or humidity, and simply connects each pin and the driving circuit part (PCB board) to simplify the manufacture and configuration.

Fourth, since only the trackball is exposed to the outside, the space occupy is small, which makes it possible to miniaturize and is suitable for the miniaturization of digital devices, and other applications can be arranged in the surplus space.

Fifth, since the exposed area of the trackball, which the user manipulates with a finger, forms a circle, the use sensitivity is not only good but also less likely to be damaged, such as being broken by an external impact.

Sixth, by forming the periphery of the through hole round, the track ball can be easily rotated,

Seventh, by inserting a variety of patterns, such as letters or pictures on the outer periphery of the trackball not only improves the appearance, but also engraved in the intaglio or embossed can improve the sensitivity when the user manipulates the trackball,

Lastly, it can be applied to various digital devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, MP3 players, digital cameras, camcorders, and remote controllers.

While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described using specific terms, such descriptions are for illustrative purposes only, and it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims. Should be done. For example, the trackball switch of the present invention can be easily applied to other electronic devices in addition to the small electronic devices listed above.

Claims (7)

A trackball switch mounted on a predetermined digital device to process movement control, A housing including a through hole formed in a central portion of the upper surface in a vertical direction; A track ball in which an upper predetermined region is exposed through the through hole; A third pin having a first end extending into the housing and including a contact at the first end; A fourth pin having a first end extending into the housing and including a contact at the first end opposite the contact of the third pin; A first contact lever pin of a conductor material having a first end disposed between the contact point of the third pin and the contact point of the fourth pin; And A first scroll key disposed on an extension line in a vertical direction of the first contact lever pin, and having a side portion contacting the track ball and rotating in one direction in association with the track ball, The first scroll key, And one or more vanes fixed to at least a portion of the first scroll key to push the first end of the first contact lever pin in one direction while rotating in accordance with the rotation of the first scroll key. . The method of claim 1, The trackball switch, A fifth pin having a first end extending into the housing and including a contact disposed at the first end in a direction perpendicular to the contact of the third pin; A sixth pin having a first end extending into the housing and including a contact at the first end opposite the contact of the fifth pin; A second contact lever pin of a conductor material having a first end disposed between the contact point of the fifth pin and the contact point of the sixth pin; And A second scroll key disposed on an extension line in a vertical direction of the second contact lever pin, and having a side portion contacting the track ball and rotating in one direction in association with the track ball, The second scroll key, And at least one vane fixed to at least a portion of the second scroll key to rotate in accordance with the rotation of the second scroll key to push the first end of the second contact lever pin in one direction. . The method of claim 1, The trackball switch, A first pin having a first end extending into the housing and including a contact at the first end; A second pin having a first end extending into the housing and including a contact disposed at the first end and spaced apart from the contact of the first pin by a predetermined distance; And The center portion is raised convexly than the edge portion to form a dome shape having a predetermined elastic force, and is disposed between the first end of the first pin and the second pin and the track ball, wherein the edge portion is the contact point of the first pin. And the center portion further comprises a contact plate made of a conductor material spaced apart a predetermined distance from an upper portion of the contact of the second pin. The method of claim 1, Track ball switch, characterized in that the edge portion of the through hole in contact with the track ball is formed round. The method of claim 1, The trackball switch, characterized in that the pattern and a predetermined color is inserted into the trackball including the characters and pictures. The method of claim 1, The first scroll key, And a scroll key tube surrounding said side portion in contact with said trackball. An electronic device comprising the trackball switch of any one of claims 1 to 6.

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