CN1310380A - Computer mouse with integral bottom - Google Patents

Abstract

A computer mouse includes a mouse housing for supporting a ball therein. The housing includes a top coupled with a bottom. The top includes a single-piece body having at least one button formed integrally with the single-piece body. The bottom includes an opening having a size smaller than the diameter of the ball. The opening is sized to expose a portion of the ball to roll on a working surface. Rotational members are disposed near the opening. A ball support is disposed between the top and the bottom for receiving the ball upon turning of the mouse housing upside down. The ball support has a sufficient depth to allow the ball to drop away from the opening in the bottom and to expose and render the at least one rotational member accessible from outside the housing through the opening. As a result, a cleaning instrument can be conveniently inserted through the opening to clean the rotational members in the housing without disassembly.

Description

Computer mouse with integral bottom

The present invention relates to computer mouse point device, particularly relate to a kind of like this computer mouse point device, the structure of this mouse apparatus allows do not dismantling on and removing under the situation of spheroid, can the clean internal element.

A kind of traditional mouse apparatus comprises a top cover, and it is connected in the base, so that hold a spheroid therein.This mouse generally includes two or more buttons.These buttons removably are connected on the main body of top cover, and can be oppressed, with the switch of drive installation on base.Base comprises a bottom opening, an abdomen shape door is installed, in order to be exposed to the part of the spheroid that rolls on the workplace on it.Base support is used to survey the spheroid motion so that the element of control computer onscreen cursor motion.These elements generally include an encoding pack, wherein, described encoding pack has encoder wheel, these encoder wheel have the axle of the spheroid that rubs, described element also comprises a roller towards scrambler wheel shaft biased ball, and is used to survey the optical sensor of the encoder wheel motion of rotating synchronously with spheroid.In order to clean, dismounting on the abdomen shape Men Kecong base is so that remove spheroid.Top cover and base are joined together by one or more securing members as screw.

Traditional mouse apparatus is complex structure often, and it is higher to be not easy to cleaning and manufacturing and assembly cost.

The object of the present invention is to provide a kind of mouse apparatus of simplification, this mouse apparatus low cost of manufacture, and be easy to assembling and cleaning.

According to an aspect of the present invention, this mouse comprises an on, is used for supporting and is positioned at one of them spheroid.Described housing comprises a top that links to each other with a bottom.Described bottom comprises the perforate of a size less than sphere diameter.The size of described perforate should be able to expose the part of the spheroid that rolls on workplace.Near perforate, be provided with at least one contact described spheroid and with its tumbler that rotates synchronously.For example, this mouse can comprise that a pair of coding wheel shaft and one are positioned near the perforate to contact the bias voltage roller of described spheroid.

One sphere supports part is used for holding described spheroid when being inverted between described top and bottom.The sphere supports part has enough degree of depth, falls with the perforate that allows spheroid to leave the bottom, and exposes and be easy to from outside through described perforate near described tumbler.Therefore, can insert a cleaning equipment easily, so that under situation about not dismantling, can clean the tumbler in the housing by perforate.

In certain embodiments, the degree of depth of sphere supports part should allow spheroid to leave described perforate and drop down onto a position, so that the distance that central authorities measure from the perforate of bottom to spheroid is greater than the radius of described spheroid.Described distance is at least about 1.2 times of described radius of sphericity, and the 1.5-2 that better is is about described radius of sphericity doubly.

Described top generally includes a shell, and it has the inside surface towards the bottom.In a certain embodiments, the sphere supports part is connected on the top, and preferably and described top form an integral body.Because can no longer insert spheroid after by abdomen shape door assembling mouse, the sphere supports part can provide a kind of easy path at the top, so that mouse correctly assembles with the spheroid that correctly is arranged on inside.Housing can also comprise a spheroid retainer, so that spheroid separates with the inside surface of shell.

In certain embodiments, described bottom comprises one not with the unitary body of abdomen shape door, and described top comprises another unitary body, and this unitary body has at least one button integrally formed with it.Button is connected to described main body by a U-shaped web member that forms hinge, to allow depressing described button with respect to described main body.Near the front end of described mouse, described top comprises that at least one hinged projection and described bottom comprise at least one hinged flange.Described hinged flange aligns with hinged projection, connects to form a hinge near the mouse front end.Near the rear end of mouse, described top comprises that one has the open flume type keeper of a groove, and described bottom comprises a hook with bent-up end.The bent-up end of hook can with the groove interlock of open flume type keeper so that described top is linked to each other with described bottom.

Monoblock type top and integral bottom provide a kind of simple structure.Hinge connects and the use of hook is feasible need not to use screw drives device or other external tool, thereby can be easier, assemble more quickly.Omitting abdomen shape door has avoided the accident of spheroid to lose and take place the danger that children suffocate.

The present invention is further described in detail by preferred embodiment below with reference to accompanying drawing.Wherein:

Fig. 1 is the skeleton view of the computer mouse of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is the vertical view of computer mouse among Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is the front elevation of mouse among Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is the side view of mouse among Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is the rear view of mouse among Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is the upward view of mouse among Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is the decomposition view of mouse among Fig. 1, and it shows integral bottom and top, and described top has the top sphere supports part that is used for spheroid;

Fig. 8 is the skeleton view at mouse top among Fig. 7 under removing the spheroid situation;

Fig. 9 is the viewgraph of cross-section of mouse among Fig. 1;

Figure 10 is the skeleton view of the inside of integral bottom among Fig. 7;

Figure 11 and 12 is the inverted perspective view of mouse among Fig. 1, its show perforate from integral bottom near inner member so that the view that cleans;

Figure 13 is the decomposition diagram of the computer mouse of another embodiment of the present invention; And

Figure 14 is the viewgraph of cross-section of mouse among Figure 13.

Fig. 1-6 has described a kind of computer mouse 10, and it has a top 12, and this top links to each other with a bottom 14, to form a housing that is used to support a tracking ball 16.Bottom 14 has a flat base plate, and this base plate has a perforate 18.Can be clear that from Fig. 6 spheroid 16 protrudes from the perforate 18 of base plate, when rolling on a workplace with convenient mouse 10, spheroid 16 can roll along this workplace.Top 12 comprises two buttons 20,22.

Shown in the decomposition view of Fig. 7, bottom 14 is one not have the single piece of abdomen shape door.Top 12 preferably also is a single piece that is made of plastics usually.Two buttons 20,22 are connected on the main body 26 at top 12 by U-shaped hinge 30,32.The structure of hinge 30,32 should can provide the desirable volume under pressure of button 20,22 when finger actuation.

Mouse 10 comprises that one is arranged on the sphere supports part 36 between top 12 and the bottom 14.In the embodiment shown, sphere supports part 36 is one to be connected to the upside sphere supports part 36 of the main body 26 at top 12.Sphere supports part 36 can be integrally formed with main body 26, and be generally general toroidal or cylindrical.As shown in Figure 8, upside sphere supports part 36 has a chamber that is used to keep spheroid 16.The diameter of upside sphere supports part 36 preferably is a bit larger tham the diameter of spheroid 16, to allow spheroid 16 move up and down (referring to Fig. 9).When mouse 10 was positioned on the workplace, spheroid 16 protruded from the perforate 18 of bottom 14, so that can roll on workplace.The weight of spheroid 16 should be enough to allow it to protrude from perforate and roll at workplace.As shown in phantom in Figure 9, when mouse 10 was inverted, spheroid 16 left perforate 18 and falls into the upside sphere supports part 36 at top 12.

Shown in Fig. 8 and 9, main body 26 optionally comprises a spheroid retainer 38, and it is arranged in the upside sphere supports part 36 and 14 extensions downwards towards the bottom.Spheroid retainer 38 makes spheroid 16 separate with the inside surface at 14 the top 12 towards the bottom, and when mouse 10 is inverted, and has played the effect of restriction spheroid 16 amount of movement of 12 towards the top.As shown in the figure, sphere supports part 38 is an annular wall, but can adopt other structure in some other embodiment.

As shown in figure 10, bottom 14 comprises a pair of code wheel supporting member 40,42, and a pair of code wheel 44,46 is installed in rotation on respectively on the described supporting member.Code wheel 44,46 is for there being sheave, and comprises the axle 44A that is perpendicular to one another and is provided with, 46A.Bottom 14 also comprises a roller bearing spare 48, and a roller mechanism 50 is installed on it.Roller mechanism 50 comprises a roller that can rotate therein 52.The edge setting of the perforate 18 of code wheel supporting member 40,42 and roller bearing spare 48 adjacent bottom 14.

Roller mechanism 50 usually and code wheel 44,46 be oppositely arranged.When mouse 10 was positioned on the workplace spheroid 16 simultaneously and is positioned at from the bottom lowering position (referring to Fig. 9) that 14 perforate 18 protrudes, the roller 52 of roller mechanism 50 contacted with spheroid 16 and usually by a spring bias voltage, with towards code wheel 44,46 promotion spheroids 16.Roller 52 and spheroid 16 forms freely to roll and contacts, and consequently do not interfere with the motion of spheroid 16.Spheroid 16 friction mandrel 44A, 46A, so that when spheroid 16 rotates, wheel 44,46 rotations synchronous with it.Usually, each opposite side of taking turns is provided with a light source and a sensor.When the motion by spheroid 16 response mouses 10 was rotated wheel 44 or 46, by the slit in the wheel, and another part was stopped by the solid section of the wheel between the slit light that is sent by light source with a part.The sensor detection is passed through the light of slit to produce signal.The signal that the scrambler utilization of being correlated with code wheel 44,46 is surveyed is controlled the motion of cursor on computer screen.

Bottom 14 is preferably in perforate 18 places and comprises a spheroid keeper 60, and it can prevent that spheroid 16 from being dropped by this place.As shown in Figures 9 and 10, spheroid keeper 60 comprises the circumferential rib that stretches into mouse 10 inside from perforate 18, and aligns with upside sphere supports part 36 usually.The structure of spheroid keeper 60 should be able to support and locate spheroid 16, and with at vertical working position and coding wheel shaft 44A, 46A contacts with roller 52.Spheroid keeper 60 has the height that allows spheroid 16 to protrude from perforate 18 with suitable amount, it should be enough big, contact to allow spheroid 16 and workplace to form rolling, but should be not excessive, form the perforate that separates between spheroid 16 and the spheroid keeper 60 so that workplace upwards promotes spheroid 16, thereby allow bigger external object to enter the inside of on.

When being inverted mouse 10, spheroid 16 falls in the chamber that is arranged on upside sphere supports part 36.Shown in Figure 11 and 12, the motion of 14 perforate 18 had exposed axle 44A, 46A and the roller 52 of code wheel 44,46 bottom spheroid 16 left.These elements are convenient to clean by perforate 18, so that for example utilize the straight-through equipment as a Q nozzle or analog to clean.Need not to use an abdomen shape door and need not from, to remove spheroid 16.Spheroid retainer 38 shown in Fig. 8 and 9 can prevent preferably that under certain conditions spheroid 16 from falling to than the cleaning desired depth darker degree of depth, and can avoid being formed on and allow big external object to fall into and be absorbed in wherein big chamber when being inverted mouse 10.

Fig. 9 has provided the depth d of measuring from perforate 18 to ball centre.The depth capacity that takes place when being inverted mouse 10 is more preferably greater than the radius of spheroid 16.In certain embodiments, depth capacity is minimum to be approximately 1.2 times of radius of spheroid 16, better is be approximately spheroid 16 radius 1.5-2 doubly.In some certain embodiments, described radius is about 7/16 inch, and the described degree of depth is about 10/16-14/16 inch.

In the mouse shown in Fig. 7-12 10, top 12 comprises a threaded portion 64, and bottom 14 comprises another threaded portion 66, and these two parts are aligned with each other and have the internal thread that is used to hold a screw, and described screw is used for top 12 and bottom 14 are tightened together.

In the another kind of mouse 70 shown in Figure 13 and 14, under the situation of not using the external fastening as screw, top 72 and bottom 74 can be fixed to one another.In the front portion of mouse 70, top 72 comprises a pair of hinged protruding 76, and bottom 76 comprises a pair of hinged flange or groove 78.Hinged protruding 76 and hinged flange 78 engagement, connect between top 72 and bottom 74, to form hinge.

Top 72 comprises that one is arranged near the open flume type keeper 86 in rear portion.Bottom 74 comprise one with the hook 88 of open flume type keeper 86 coupling.For top 72 and bottom 74 are tightened together, connect hinged protruding 76 and forwardly form a hinge with hinged flange 78 and be connected, at the rear portion, hook 88 is connected in the open flume type keeper 86.

When assembling as shown in Figure 14, the bent-up end of hook 88 is by the holding tank clamping of open flume type keeper 86.One perforate 90 can be set, insert a vertical part, thereby, top 72 be separated with bottom 74 with this so that hook 88 crooked itself and the open flume type keepers 86 of making are broken away from permission.In another embodiment, can make the open flume type keeper be formed on the outer wall at top 72 and can make the bent-up end of hook 88 be exposed to the outside of mouse.Like this, can touch the bent-up end of hook 88 and make it, so that it separates with open flume type keeper 86 from outside curve.In another embodiment, top 72 and top 74 for good and all fixedly are assembled together.Because by being inverted mouse 70 so that spheroid 90 72 fall towards the top away from perforate 94, thereby 74 perforate 94 just can be finished the cleaning of scrambler axle and roller through the bottom, therefore, need not to remove top 72 and bottom 74.

More than the description of described structure and method has only been exemplified the application of the principles of the present invention, under the situation that does not break away from inventive concept that claim limits and scope, can make other embodiment and improvement.For example, sphere supports part in top can have other shape and structure.Mouse can comprise more than one group of hook and open flume type keeper, so that connect top and bottom.In addition, can make the sphere supports part be connected to bottom rather than top.For example, in alternate embodiments, the sphere supports part can stretch out towards the top and comprises a closed end from the perforate of bottom, captures and support the retainer of spheroid when being inverted mouse to be formed on.Described blind end comprises a snap lock door that allows spheroid to insert.Therefore, scope of the present invention should not limited by above description, and should according to claims with and the scope of equivalents limit.

Claims (20)

1, a kind of computer mouse housing is used to support a spheroid that is positioned at its inside, and exposes the part of the spheroid that rolls on workplace, and this housing comprises:

One bottom, it comprises that one has the base plate of a perforate, this perforate is configured to expose the part of spheroid;

One top that links to each other with described bottom;

One sphere supports part between described top and bottom, it is used for when described on is inverted, and supports described spheroid with the perforate from described base plate to the degree of depth that spheroid central authorities measure, and the described degree of depth should be greater than the radius of described spheroid.

2, computer mouse according to claim 1 is characterized in that: the described degree of depth is at least 1.2 times of described radius of sphericity.

3, computer mouse according to claim 2 is characterized in that: the described degree of depth is at least 1.5-2 times of described radius of sphericity.

4, computer mouse according to claim 1 is characterized in that: described sphere supports part is connected on the described top.

5, computer mouse according to claim 4, it is characterized in that: described top comprises a shell, it has an inside surface towards described base plate, and described sphere supports part comprises a substantial cylindrical wall that extends from described inner surface of outer cover towards described base plate, and the diameter of described wall is greater than the diameter of described spheroid.

6, computer mouse according to claim 5 is characterized in that: described top comprises a spheroid retainer, and it extends towards described base plate from described inside surface, so that described spheroid separates with the inside surface of described shell.

7, computer mouse according to claim 6 is characterized in that: described spheroid retainer comprises the retainer wall of a diameter less than the substantial cylindrical of described sphere diameter.

8, computer mouse according to claim 1 is characterized in that: described bottom comprises a spheroid keeper, and it extends towards described top from described base plate above described perforate, and has prevented that described spheroid is from wherein passing through.

9, computer mouse according to claim 8 is characterized in that: described base plate is a tabular, and described spheroid keeper comprises a plurality of circumferential rib, and these ribs vertically extend towards described top from described base plate.

10, computer mouse according to claim 1, it is characterized in that: described top comprises at least one hinged projection near described mouse front end, and described bottom comprises at least one hinged flange near described mouse front end, described hinged flange aligns with described hinged projection, connects to form a hinge near described mouse front end.

11, computer mouse according to claim 10, it is characterized in that: described top comprises that near described mouse rear end one has the open flume type keeper of a groove, and described bottom comprises that near described mouse rear end one has the hook of a bent-up end, the groove engagement of the bent-up end of described hook and described open flume type keeper is so that described top links to each other with described bottom.

12, a kind of computer mouse housing that is used to support a spheroid that is positioned at it, this housing comprises:

One integral bottom, it comprises the perforate of a size less than described sphere diameter, the size of this perforate should be able to be exposed to a part of spheroid that rolls on the workplace;

At least one tumbler, it is arranged near the described perforate, to contact described spheroid and to rotate synchronously with spheroid;

One top that links to each other with described bottom;

One sphere supports part between described top and bottom, be used for when being inverted described on, holding described spheroid, described sphere supports part has enough degree of depth, fall with the perforate that allows described spheroid to leave described bottom, and expose and feasible can being easy to from the described perforate of outside process near at least one tumbler.

13, computer mouse according to claim 12 is characterized in that: described sphere supports part and described top form as one.

14, computer mouse according to claim 12, it is characterized in that: at least one tumbler comprises a pair of scrambler wheel shaft that roughly is perpendicular to one another and is provided with, and a roller, this roller is roughly relative with described scrambler wheel shaft and be partial to described scrambler wheel shaft.

15, computer mouse according to claim 12, it is characterized in that: the degree of depth of described sphere supports part allows described spheroid to leave described perforate and drops down onto a position, so that from the radius of the central distance of measuring of the extremely described spheroid of the perforate of described bottom greater than described spheroid.

16, computer mouse according to claim 15 is characterized in that: described distance is at least 1.2 times of described radius of sphericity.

17, computer mouse according to claim 11 is characterized in that: described bottom comprises one not with the unitary body of abdomen shape door.

18, computer mouse according to claim 11, it is characterized in that: described top comprises a unitary body, this unitary body has at least one button integrally formed with it, described button is connected to described main body by a U-shaped web member that forms hinge, to allow depressing described button with respect to described main body.

19, a kind of method that is used to clean computer mouse, described mouse comprises a housing, this housing comprises a top that links to each other with a bottom, described bottom comprises a perforate, its size is less than the size of described spheroid, to be exposed to the part of the spheroid that rolls on the workplace, described mouse comprises a sphere supports part between described top and bottom, be used for when described on is inverted, supporting described spheroid, described mouse comprises that at least one is arranged near the tumbler of described perforate, so that contact described spheroid and rotate synchronously with spheroid, described method comprises:

Be inverted described on, fall and support with the perforate that allows spheroid to leave described bottom, so that expose at least one tumbler by described sphere supports part; And

Insert a cleaning equipment through described perforate, to clean this at least one tumbler.

20, method according to claim 19 is characterized in that; The step of being inverted described on should allow described spheroid to leave described perforate and drop down onto a position, so that from the radius of the central distance of measuring of the extremely described spheroid of the perforate of described bottom greater than described spheroid, thus can be by a through type cleaning equipment from the approaching described tumbler of the outside described perforate of process.

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