Input device with a fulcrum installed in the middle

Details Input device with a fulcrum installed in the middle Input device with a fulcrum installed in the middle

2001-05-10

2003-06-03

Enad, Elvin (Department: 2832)

Electricity: circuit makers and breakers

Multiple circuit control

Pivoted contact

C200S00600C

Reexamination Certificate

active

06573464

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input device, and more particularly, to an input device with a fulcrum installed in the middle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Please refer to FIG.
1
and FIG.
2
.
FIG. 1
is an exploded diagram of an input device, and
FIG. 2
is a sectional view of an input device according to the prior art. The input device
10
is set on the back plane
18
, a cylinder actuator
12
that has a top surface
32
that interfaces with a user. Moreover, the input device
10
further comprises a protuberance
28
in a side and a cylinder pillar
20
at a bottom. A supporting wall
14
fixed on the back plane
18
encloses the actuator
12
, the supporting wall
14
comprises a slit
30
in accordance with the protuberance
28
for keeping in position the actuator
12
. An elastic component
17
with a circular hole
22
in the center is located under the actuator
12
, with the elastic component
17
further comprising four actuating pillars
16
. The cylinder pillar
20
of the actuator
12
is slidably disposed in a groove
24
of the back plane
18
. Furthermore, four pressure sensors
26
located under the four actuating pillars
16
of the back plane
18
measure pressure.
Please refer to
FIG. 3
of a diagram of the input device
10
depressed by a user according to the prior art. When the user presses an upper surface
32
of the actuator
12
, the actuator
12
heels by a groove
24
set on the back plane
18
as a fulcrum. As shown is
FIG. 3
, the actuator
12
inclines left to the figure and represses the actuating pillars
16
of the elastic component
17
to depress the sensor
26
set on the back plane
18
, the sensor
26
transforms the depressing pressure into a sensing signal. After that time, a whole process of sensing is completed.
A defect of the input device
10
according to the prior art is that the groove
24
serves as a fulcrum for an operation of the actuator
12
. The actuator
12
and the elastic component
17
of the prior input device
10
are both set above the fulcrum of the groove
24
, so that a distance between the upper surface
32
of the input device
10
and the groove
24
needs to lengthen to locate the elastic component
17
. Specifically, it not only needs a large displacement to move the actuator
12
for the user, but also needs more space to move the actuator
12
. To allow for a movable space for the actuator
12
, the input device
10
needs to be rigged around by a supporting wall
14
. The result being more space needed for the whole input device
10
.
Furthermore, the elastic component
17
provided for actuating the sensor
26
and supporting the actuator
12
, has to be set up so that the actuator
12
has an elastic force restoring to an origin after the user used. Since the elastic component
17
is almost pure rubber, it has a high elasticity. The elastic component
17
can not provide an effective elastic function, and in addition, deformation of the actuating pillar
16
results in it not matching correctly with the sensor
26
, so leading the input device
10
to fail.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide an input device having characteristics of being cleverly designed and firm with a fulcrum installed in the middle.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention includes an input device, the input device comprising:
a casing having at least an opening, a supporting base set on the casing, a base plate set within the casing, at least a pressure sensor set on the base plate, and an actuator movably set on the supporting base. Wherein the actuator comprises at least a touching point set within the opening and above the pressure sensor, so when a user presses the actuator and moves the touching point downwards, the touching point touches the pressure sensor to enable the pressure sensor to produce a corresponding sensing signal.
It is an advantage of the present invention that it provides an input device with a fulcrum at the actuator.
These and other objectives and the advantages of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, which is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5140313 (1992-08-01), Wen
patent: 6084189 (2000-07-01), Menche et al.
patent: 6225579 (2001-05-01), Ritter et al.

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