CN221039977U - Input device - Google Patents

Abstract

An input device comprises a housing, a circuit board, an optical module, a movable member and a switch element. The circuit board is arranged in the shell, and the optical module and the switch element are arranged on the circuit board. The movable member is movably connected with the housing, wherein when the input device moves towards the reference surface, the movable member contacts and presses the reference surface, and the reference surface presses the movable member into the housing and triggers the switch element.

Description

Input device

Technical Field

The utility model relates to an input device. More particularly, the present utility model relates to a wireless fingerstall mouse (WIRELESS RING mouse).

Background

Most of the notebook computers today have a Touch Pad (Touch Pad) built therein, however, most users still purchase a mouse device additionally to operate the notebook computer conveniently, but the conventional mouse device has the problems of large size and inconvenient carrying.

On the other hand, when the user is operating the computer, the palm often needs to move between the keyboard and the mouse of the notebook computer, which causes inconvenience in use, and the risk of suffering from wrist tunnel syndrome is increased after long-term use of the mouse.

In view of this, how to provide an input device that can be conveniently used has become an important challenge for the developers in the art.

Disclosure of utility model

In view of the foregoing conventional problems, an embodiment of the utility model provides an input device including a housing, a circuit board, an optical module, a movable member and a switch element. The circuit board is arranged in the shell, and the optical module is arranged on the circuit board and is used for sensing the position change of the input device relative to a reference surface. The movable piece is movably arranged in the shell and protrudes out of an outer side surface of the shell, wherein the optical module is fixed in the movable piece. The switch element is arranged on the circuit board, wherein when the input device moves towards the direction of the reference surface, the movable piece contacts and presses the reference surface, and the reference surface presses the movable piece into the shell and triggers the switch element.

In an embodiment, the input device further includes a supporting member, and the circuit board is formed with a triangular accommodating space for accommodating the supporting member.

In an embodiment, the circuit board has a curved first section, a curved second section, a third section, a fourth section, a fifth section and a sixth section, wherein the third section is connected to the first section and the second section, the fourth section is connected to the third section and the fifth section, and the sixth section is connected to the fifth section, and the accommodating space is located between the third section, the fourth section and the fifth section.

In an embodiment, the sixth section is parallel to the fifth section, and the input device further includes a buffer element disposed between the fifth section and the sixth section.

In an embodiment, the support member is formed with a recess for accommodating the fourth section of the circuit board.

In an embodiment, the support member further includes two first engaging portions, and the housing includes two second engaging portions, wherein the first engaging portions and the second engaging portions are engaged with each other, and the recess is located between the first engaging portions.

In an embodiment, the circuit board is a flexible circuit board, and the supporting member is made of metal.

In an embodiment, the optical module has an optical axis, and the switching element and the optical module overlap in the optical axis direction.

In one embodiment, the housing is formed with an opening, and the outer surface is inclined with respect to a central axis of the opening.

In an embodiment, the input device further includes a C-shaped battery disposed inside the housing and electrically connected to the circuit board.

Drawings

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of an input device 100 according to an embodiment of the utility model, which is worn on a finger of a user.

Fig. 2, 3 and 4 show perspective views of the input device 100 of fig. 1 at different viewing angles.

Fig. 5 shows an exploded view of the input device 100 in fig. 1 to 4.

Fig. 6 shows another perspective exploded view of the input device 100 of fig. 1-4.

Fig. 7 shows an exploded view of battery B of fig. 5 before it is combined with circuit board 40.

Fig. 8 shows an exploded view of battery B of fig. 6 before it is combined with circuit board 40.

Fig. 9 shows a schematic view of the support 50 in fig. 7 when it has not been mounted in the accommodating space 401 of the circuit board 40.

Fig. 10 shows a schematic view of a triangular accommodating space 401 formed by the third, fourth and fifth sections 43, 44, 45 of the circuit board 40.

Fig. 11 shows a schematic view of the fifth section 45 and the sixth section 46 of the circuit board 40 formed with an inclination angle θ with respect to the central axis a of the opening H.

Fig. 12 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the buffer element SP provided between the fifth and sixth stage portions 45 and 46 of the circuit board 40.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged partial sectional view of the input device 100 after assembly.

Fig. 14 is a schematic view showing that two L-shaped second engaging portions 121 are formed on the second case 12 of the housing 10.

Fig. 15 shows a schematic view of the input device 100 when it has not yet contacted the reference surface S.

Fig. 16 shows a schematic view of the input device 100 when the movable member 20 is pressed upward by the reference surface S and activates the switching element SW.

Description of the reference numerals

100 Input device

10 Casing

101 Outside surface

11 First shell

12 Second shell

121 Second engaging portion

20 Moving part

30 Optical module

40 Circuit board

401 Accommodating space

41 First stage part

42 Second stage part

43 Third section

44 Fourth segment

45 Fifth stage

46 Sixth segment

50 Support member

51 First engaging portion

52, Concave portion

AxAxAxis of the shaft

B: cell

C conductive terminal

E electronic component

F, sheet metal

G, bonding element

H, open pore

O: optical axis

P: electrical contact

S reference plane

SP buffer element

SW switching element

W: conductive element

Theta inclination angle

Detailed Description

The input device of the embodiment of the present utility model is described below. However, it will be readily appreciated that the embodiments of the utility model provide many suitable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments disclosed are illustrative only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the utility model in any way.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be appreciated that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

The foregoing and other features, aspects and advantages of the present utility model will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. The directional terms mentioned in the following embodiments are, for example: upper, lower, left, right, front or rear, etc., are merely references to the directions of the attached drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used in the embodiments are for illustration and not for limitation of the present utility model.

Referring to fig. 1, 2, 3 and 4, fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an input device 100 according to an embodiment of the utility model being worn on a finger of a user, and fig. 2, 3 and 4 are perspective views of the input device 100 in fig. 1 at different viewing angles.

As shown in fig. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the input device 100 according to an embodiment of the present utility model is a wireless mouse (wireless mouse) that can be worn on a user's finger to replace a conventional mouse device and can be used to control a cursor on a screen of a computer system or perform clicking operations.

Specifically, the input device 100 has a hollow housing 10, and the housing 10 has an opening H formed therein, and includes a first housing 11 and a second housing 12 combined with each other. It should be understood that a hollow movable member 20 and an optical module 30 are disposed on an outer side surface 101 of the first housing 11, wherein the movable member 20 protrudes from the outer side surface 101 of the first housing 11, and the optical module 30 is fixed in the movable member 20.

When the finger of the user moves above the reference surface S (e.g. the desktop) as shown in fig. 1, the optical module 30 can transmit/receive the sensing light to know the position change of the input device 100 relative to the reference surface S, so that the input device 100 can be used as an optical mouse.

In this embodiment, the user may further fit the input device 100 over the abdomen of the first knuckle of the index finger (or other suitable knuckle). Therefore, when a user inputs through the fingertip, the user can easily use the finger of the same hand to execute various functions of the mouse (for example, moving a cursor, pressing left, middle and right keys of the mouse, scrolling up and down, selecting and dragging and dropping the like through the finger belly), so that the inconvenience that the user needs to move the palm to operate the traditional mouse or the touch pad which is far away can be avoided, the discomfort of the user when the user operates the traditional mouse can be reduced, and the risk of the user suffering from wrist tunnel syndrome (Carpal tunnel syndrome) can be further reduced.

On the other hand, since the input device 100 of the present utility model is small and lightweight, it is more convenient to operate and portable. In an embodiment, the input device 100 can also be stored in a notebook computer to save space and avoid losing, thereby improving convenience in use. In addition, with the trend of the design of the notebook computer becoming lighter, the input device 100 of the present utility model can directly replace the conventional touch pad, so that the notebook computer can be lighter, thinner and smaller, and the space saved can be used to increase the battery capacity and the service time of the notebook computer.

As can be seen in fig. 2, the outer surface 101 is inclined with respect to the central axis a of the hole H, wherein the angle between the outer surface 101 and the central axis a is between about 30 degrees and 50 degrees (e.g. 40 degrees). In addition, in one embodiment, two electrical contacts P are exposed on one side of the second housing 12, wherein the electrical contacts P can be connected to an external power source through wires (not shown) to charge the input device 100.

Referring to fig. 5, 6, 7 and 8, fig. 5 shows an exploded view of the input device 100 in fig. 1 to 4, fig. 6 shows another exploded view of the input device 100 in fig. 1 to 4, fig. 7 shows an exploded view of the battery B in fig. 5 before being combined with the circuit board 40, and fig. 8 shows an exploded view of the battery B in fig. 6 before being combined with the circuit board 40.

As shown in fig. 5, 6, 7 and 8, a circuit board 40 having a substantially C-shape, a supporting member 50 and the optical module 30 are disposed inside the housing 10 of the input device 100, wherein the electrical contacts P and the optical module 30 are disposed on the circuit board 40, and the supporting member 50 is surrounded by the circuit board 40.

For example, the circuit board 40 may be a flexible circuit board (Flexible Printed Circuit, FPC), and the supporting member 50 is a metal block containing metal material, but not limited to the embodiment of the utility model.

As can be seen from fig. 5 and 6, two first engaging portions 51 (e.g., grooves) are formed at the top of the supporter 50, and two second engaging portions 121 (e.g., protrusions) are formed inside the second housing 12 of the case 10, so that the second engaging portions 121 and the first engaging portions 51 can be engaged with each other during assembly, so that the circuit board 40 and the supporter 50 can be fixed inside the case 10.

As can be seen from fig. 5, 6, 7 and 8, a plurality of electronic components E (e.g. processors, memories, communication ICs or passive components) are disposed on the inner side of the circuit board 40, and a battery B is electrically connected to the conductive terminals C (fig. 7) on the circuit board 40 through the conductive elements W. In this way, the battery B can provide power to the electronic device E and the optical module 30 disposed on the circuit board 40, so that the input device 100 can function normally. In one embodiment, battery B is C-shaped.

It should be noted that, preferably, a plurality of adhesive elements G (e.g. glue or double-sided tape) are further disposed on the outer side of the circuit board 40 in the present embodiment, and the circuit board 40 can be adhered and fixed on the inner side surface of the first housing 11 and/or the second housing 12 by using the adhesive elements G during assembly, so as to enhance the bonding strength between the circuit board 40 and the housing 10, thereby greatly increasing the reliability of the input device 100.

Referring to fig. 9 and 10 together, fig. 9 is a schematic view of the support 50 in fig. 7 when it is not mounted in the accommodating space 401 of the circuit board 40, and fig. 10 is a schematic view of the accommodating space 401 of the circuit board 40 in which the third, fourth and fifth sections 43, 44, 45 form a triangle.

As shown in fig. 9 and 10, the circuit board 40 of the present embodiment mainly includes a first section 41, a second section 42, a third section 43, a fourth section 44, a fifth section 45 and a sixth section 46, wherein the first section 41 and the second section 42 have a curved structure, and the third section 43 is substantially parallel to the central axis a (Z-axis direction) of the opening H and connects the first section 41 and the second section 42, and is located between the first section 41 and the second section 42.

Further, as can be seen from fig. 9, the aforementioned sixth section 46 is connected to the fifth section 45, and the sixth section 46 is substantially parallel to the fifth section 45, wherein a cushioning element SP is provided between the fifth section 45 and the sixth section 46.

In particular, the fourth section 44 connects the third section 43 and the fifth section 45, and a triangular accommodating space 401 is formed between the third section 43, the fourth section 44 and the fifth section 45 for accommodating the supporting member 50, wherein a recess 52 is formed between the two first engaging portions 51 of the supporting member 50 as seen in fig. 9, and the fourth section 44 of the circuit board 40 can be combined in the recess 52 during assembly to ensure that the supporting member 50 can be accurately fixed in the accommodating space 401 and is not easy to fall off (refer to fig. 7).

Furthermore, as can be seen from fig. 9, an adhesive member G (e.g. glue or double-sided tape) may also be disposed on the surface of the third section 43 to fix the supporting member 50 and the circuit board 40, so as to prevent the supporting member 50 from falling off from the circuit board 40.

Referring to fig. 11 again, fig. 11 shows a schematic diagram of the fifth section 45 and the sixth section 46 of the circuit board 40 having an inclination angle θ with respect to the central axis a of the opening H.

As shown in fig. 11, the fifth section 45 and the sixth section 46 of the circuit board 40 are formed with an inclination angle θ with respect to the central axis a of the opening H. In the present embodiment, the tilt angle θ is between about 30 degrees and 50 degrees (e.g. 40 degrees), but the tilt angle θ can be adjusted according to design requirements, and is not limited to the embodiments of the present utility model.

Referring to fig. 12 and 13 together, fig. 12 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the buffer element SP provided between the fifth section 45 and the sixth section 46 of the circuit board 40, and fig. 13 is a partially enlarged sectional view of the input device 100 after assembly.

As shown in fig. 12 and 13, in the present embodiment, a buffer element SP is disposed between the fifth section 45 and the sixth section 46 of the circuit board 40, and the buffer element SP has a hollow structure and surrounds a switching element SW disposed on the fifth section 45.

In the present embodiment, the cushioning element SP may comprise foam or rubber, but is not limited to the embodiment of the present utility model.

Specifically, the buffer element SP can be adhered to the fifth section 45 of the circuit board 40 by the adhesive element G (e.g. glue or double-sided tape), and a metal sheet F is fixed on the back side of the sixth section 46 of the circuit board 40, wherein the metal sheet F is located between the buffer element SP and the sixth section 46, so that the structural rigidity and mechanical strength of the sixth section 46 can be improved.

Similarly, a metal sheet F is also fixed on the back side of the fifth section 45 to increase the structural rigidity and mechanical strength, wherein the metal sheet F can be adhered to the support member 50 through the adhesive element G (e.g. glue or double-sided tape), so as to prevent the support member 50 from sliding relative to the metal sheet F.

It should be noted that, the switch element SW is, for example, a touch switch (TACTILE SWITCH), when the user wants to perform a click function through the input device 100, the user can make the outer surface 101 of the first housing 11 face a reference surface S (e.g. a desktop) as shown in fig. 1, then can apply a force to the reference surface S by a finger, and press the hollow movable member 20 into the housing 10 through the reference surface S, at this time, the movable member 20 drives the optical module 60 and the sixth section 46 of the circuit board 40 to move together towards the inner side of the housing 10 and trigger the switch element SW to perform the click command.

Referring to fig. 9 and 14, fig. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating that two L-shaped second engaging portions 121 are formed on the second housing 12 of the housing 10.

As shown in fig. 9 and 14, in order to improve the positioning accuracy and the fixing effect of the supporting member 50 in the housing 10, two first engaging portions 51 on the supporting member 50 have an L-shaped structure (fig. 9); correspondingly, the two second engaging portions 121 on the second housing 12 have an L-shaped structure, so that the second engaging portions 121 and the first engaging portions 51 can be engaged with each other during assembly, thereby firmly positioning the circuit board 40 and the supporting member 50 inside the housing 10.

Referring to fig. 15 and 16, fig. 15 is a schematic diagram of the input device 100 when the input device 100 has not contacted the reference surface S, and fig. 16 is a schematic diagram of the input device 100 when the movable member 20 is pressed upward by the reference surface S and the switch element SW is activated.

As shown in fig. 15, when the user wants to perform a click function through the input device 100, the user can wear the input device 100 on a finger first, and make the outer surface 101 of the first housing 11 face the reference surface S (e.g. desktop) shown in fig. 1.

Then, as shown in fig. 16, the user can move the finger and the input device 100 towards the reference surface S and apply an external force to make the movable member 20 passing through the first housing 11 and protruding from the outer surface 101 contact and press the reference surface S, at this time, the reference surface S can press the hollow movable member 20 into the housing 10, and drive the optical module 60 and the sixth section 46 of the circuit board 40 together to displace towards the inner side of the housing 10 (as shown by the arrow direction in fig. 16) through the movable member 20.

In this state, the metal sheet F located at the back side of the sixth section 46 of the circuit board 40 can press and trigger the switch element SW to execute the clicking command; as can be seen from fig. 15 and 16, the optical module 30 has an optical axis O, wherein the switching element SW and the optical module 30 overlap each other in the direction of the optical axis O.

It should be noted that, when the movable member 20 drives the optical module 60 and the sixth section 46 of the circuit board 40 to displace together in the inner direction of the housing 10, the buffer element SP between the fifth section 45 and the sixth section 46 is compressed, and after the finger of the user and the input device 100 are away from the reference surface S, the buffer element SP is restored, and pushes the movable member 20 out of the outer surface 101 of the first housing 11, so as to take the state shown in fig. 15.

In summary, the present utility model provides an input device 100, which can be used to control cursor movement on a screen of a computer system, and further can use the movable member 20 protruding from the first housing 11 as a key mechanism to execute clicking (click) actions, so that not only can the miniaturization of the mechanism be facilitated, but also the convenience in use can be greatly improved.

For example, the input device 100 of the present utility model can be worn on a finger as a wireless mouse (WIRELESS RING mouse), but also can be applied to various wearable devices, such as a smart phone, a smart watch, a smart bracelet, a smart ring, or AR glasses.

Although embodiments and advantages of the present utility model have been disclosed, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the utility model. Furthermore, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its meaning and range of equivalents, and therefore should be understood by those skilled in the art to be able to more or less perform the function of the utility model than the function of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. Accordingly, the present utility model is intended to cover such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps. In addition, each claim constitutes a separate embodiment, and the scope of the utility model also includes combinations of the individual claims and embodiments.

Although the utility model has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the utility model, and it is intended that the utility model be limited only by the scope of the utility model as defined in the following claims.

Claims (10)

1. An input device, comprising:

A housing;

The circuit board is arranged in the shell;

An optical module set on the circuit board for sensing the position change of the input device relative to a reference plane;

A movable member movably disposed inside the housing and protruding from an outer surface of the housing, wherein the optical module is fixed in the movable member; and

And the switch element is arranged on the circuit board, wherein when the input device moves towards the direction of the reference surface, the movable piece contacts and presses the reference surface, and the reference surface presses the movable piece into the shell and triggers the switch element.

2. The input device as in claim 1, further comprising a support member, wherein the circuit board is formed with a triangular receiving space for receiving the support member.

3. The input device of claim 2, wherein the circuit board has a curved first section, a curved second section, a third section, a fourth section, a fifth section and a sixth section, the third section connects the first section and the second section, the fourth section connects the third section and the fifth section, and the sixth section connects the fifth section, wherein the accommodation space is located between the third section, the fourth section and the fifth section.

4. The input device as in claim 3, wherein the sixth section is parallel to the fifth section, the switching element is disposed on the fifth section, and the input device further comprises a buffer element disposed between the fifth section and the sixth section.

5. The input device as in claim 3, wherein the support member has a recess for receiving the fourth section of the circuit board.

6. The input device as in claim 5, wherein the supporting member further comprises two first engaging portions, and the housing comprises two second engaging portions, wherein the first engaging portions and the second engaging portions are engaged with each other, and the recess is located between the first engaging portions.

7. The input device as in claim 2, wherein the circuit board is a flexible circuit board and the supporting member is made of metal.

8. The input device as in claim 1, wherein the optical module has an optical axis, and the switching element and the optical module overlap each other in the optical axis direction.

9. The input device as in claim 1, wherein the housing defines an opening and the outer surface is inclined relative to a central axis of the opening.

10. The input device of claim 1, further comprising a C-shaped battery disposed inside the housing and electrically connected to the circuit board.