Electronic Devices

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic device, which can prevent the unstable state and noise such as clicking during the rotation operation even if there is misalignment in the support structure of the support knob. In the electronic device of the embodiment, it is provided with: an operation button, which has an operation part that is rotated and operated by a user, and a rotation axis that is arranged at the rotation center of the above-mentioned operation part and protrudes in opposite directions along the above-mentioned rotation center; a support part that supports the above-mentioned operation button so that it can rotate freely, and a pair of recesses are arranged in the above-mentioned support part, and the above-mentioned pair of recesses have openings opposite to each other with respect to each top end of the above-mentioned rotation axis, and the above-mentioned top end is respectively accommodated in the above-mentioned opening so that the above-mentioned top end can rotate freely, and the surface within a specified range around the contact part of the above-mentioned rotation axis that contacts the edge of the above-mentioned opening is a spherical surface protruding outward.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an electronic device, and in particular to a structure for preventing a click sound of a knob in the electronic device. Background Art

[0002] Currently, electronic devices are often provided with a key structure such as a knob, and commands corresponding to the keys are received from the user through the user's operation of the keys.

[0003] For example, Figure 8 as well as Fig. 9 FIG. 4 shows a knob 1 of an electronic device in the prior art, wherein Fig. 9 As shown, after removing the buttons and other components covering the surface of the electronic device, the knob 1 mainly includes: Fig. 9 A shaft body 2 is rotatable about an axis extending in the left-right direction of the shaft body, and a support member 3 is provided for supporting both ends of the shaft body 2 on the left and right sides of the shaft body 2 so as to support the shaft body 2 to be freely rotatable.

[0004] Fig.10 Yes Figure 8 as well as Fig. 9 The schematic diagram of the simplified display of the knob structure in FIG. Fig.10 As shown in the figure, the support component 3 is formed into a U-shape opposite to the left and right, and the left and right ends of the shaft body 2 are embedded in the U-shaped groove of the support component 3, so that the shaft body 2 contacts the support component 3 at four places on the edge of the groove. The user can directly or indirectly control the shaft body 2 through other mechanisms. Fig.10 The shaft body 2 is rotated under the support of the support member 3 by pressing the upper edge of the shaft body 2. For example, when the user presses the upper edge of the shaft body 2, the shaft body 2 rotates in the direction of the upper edge of the shaft body 2. Fig.10 Rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure to input a command corresponding to the operation to the electronic device.

[0005] In an electronic device that can correctly install the shaft body 2 and the support member 3, the ideal state is as follows Fig.10 As shown, the shaft body 2 is in full contact with the supporting component 3 at the edges of the four grooves, so that the shaft body 2 can rotate smoothly.

[0006] However, in actual situations, the assembly between the shaft body 2 and the support component 3 may sometimes be slightly misaligned, or, as the electronic device is used, the center lines of the left and right ends of the support component 3 may be misaligned due to wear at the contact point or the pressure applied by the user, thereby Fig.11 As shown in the figure, the shaft body 2 and the support member 3 are in contact with each other at the position where they should originally be in contact (for example Fig.11A gap is generated (in the upper left and lower right shown in FIG), causing the support of the shaft body 2 by the support component 3 to become unstable, resulting in a clicking sound when the user operates. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention is proposed in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide an electronic device that can prevent unstable conditions and noises such as clicking during rotation operation even if there is misalignment in the support structure of the support knob.

[0008] The electronic device of the implementation mode comprises: an operation button having an operation portion which is rotated and operated by a user, and a rotation axis which is arranged at a rotation center of the operation portion and protrudes in opposite directions along the rotation center; a support portion which supports the operation button so as to be able to rotate freely, a pair of recesses being arranged in the support portion, the pair of recesses having openings which are opposite to the respective top ends of the rotation axis, the top ends being respectively accommodated in the openings so as to be able to rotate freely, and a surface within a specified range around a contact portion of the rotation axis which contacts an edge of the opening is a spherical surface which protrudes outward.

[0009] According to the present invention, even if there is misalignment in the support structure of the electronic device, an unstable state and noise such as a click during the rotation operation can be prevented, thereby preventing dynamic instability of the electronic device and improving product quality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 It is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of a key structure in an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of some of the structures in .

[0012] Figure 3 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a key structure in an electronic device involved in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure when misalignment occurs in the electronic device involved in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A magnified view of some of the structures in .

[0015] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a key in an electronic device according to a variation of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure when misalignment occurs in the electronic device according to the modified example of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 8 It is an overall schematic diagram of an electronic device in the prior art.

[0018] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of a knob mechanism in the prior art.

[0019] Fig.10 It is a simplified schematic diagram of a knob mechanism in the prior art.

[0020] Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram of the structure when misalignment occurs in an electronic device in the prior art.

[0021] Description of symbols

[0022] 10 ... operation button, 11 ... operation portion, 12 ... rotation axis, 13 ... spherical surface, 20 ... support portion, 21 ... recessed portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] More particularly, the present invention relates to a structure for preventing a click of a knob in an electronic device. Figure 1 It is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of a key structure in an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of some of the structures in . Figure 3 1 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a key structure in an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figures 1 to 3 The key structure of the electronic device according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, the electronic device in this embodiment generally includes an operation button 10 and a support portion 20 disposed on both sides of the operation button 10 and supporting the operation button 10 .

[0026] The operation button 10 includes an operation portion 11 that is rotated and operated by a user, and a rotation shaft 12 that is disposed at the rotation center of the operation portion 11 and protrudes in opposite directions along the rotation center. Figure 1 In the embodiment, the rotation center of the rotating shaft 12 is along Figure 1 The rotating shaft 12 extends in the left-right direction so that the rotating shaft 12 can rotate around the rotation center extending in the left-right direction.

[0027] The support part 20 supports the operation button 10 so that it can rotate freely. A pair of recesses 21 are provided in the support part 20. The pair of recesses 21 have openings opposite to the top end of the rotation shaft 12. The top end of the rotation shaft 12 is respectively received in the openings so that the top end can rotate freely, thereby allowing the operation button 10 to rotate freely. For example, under the support of the support part 20, the user presses the operation part 11 directly or indirectly through other mechanisms to rotate. Figure 1 When the upper side of the operation part 11 is in the upper side in the vertical direction, the upper side of the operation part 11 is in the upper side Figure 1 The lower side of the operating part 11 moves to the inner side of the Figure 1 , so that the rotating shaft 12 rotates around the rotation center in the left-right direction.

[0028] In this embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the edges of the openings of the recesses 21 are in contact with the operation buttons 10 , respectively, and the surface of the rotation shaft 12 within a predetermined range around the contact portion with the edges of the openings of the recesses 21 is a spherical surface 13 protruding outward.

[0029] Figure 3 The schematic diagram of the appearance of the electronic device of this embodiment is shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown, the support portion 20 supports the rotation shaft 12 by contacting the spherical surface 13 , so that when the user presses the knob structure provided above the operation button 10 , the rotation shaft 12 rotates, for example, in the direction indicated by the arrow.

[0030] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure when misalignment occurs in the electronic device involved in the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 yes Figure 4 The center lines of the left and right support parts 20 are misaligned so that the center of the rotating shaft 12 is as shown in FIG. Figure 4 , 5 When the center of the support portion 20 is offset as shown, the relative position between the rotation axis 12 in the recess 21 and the support portion 20 becomes asymmetric, for example Figure 5 As shown, the rotation shaft 12 is offset downward relative to the support portion 20. However, even in this case, the contact position of the rotation shaft 12 with the edge of the opening of the recess 21 moves along the surface of the spherical surface 13, but the rotation shaft 12 does not separate from the spherical surface 13, thereby ensuring the contact relationship between the rotation shaft 12 and the opening of the recess 21.

[0031] In addition, the so-called predetermined range around the contact portion of the rotating shaft 12 in contact with the edge of the opening of the recess 21 can be set according to the operating characteristics of the electronic device, as long as the contact between the rotating shaft 12 and the opening of the recess 21 can be ensured within the allowable misalignment range. For example, the above-mentioned predetermined range can be determined according to the range in which the rotating shaft 12 can rotate, and the surface to which the rotating shaft 12 cannot rotate is not set as a spherical surface.

[0032] Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if there is misalignment in the support structure of the support knob, both ends of the operating button can achieve point contact with the support portion without any gap, thereby preventing shaking and thus preventing unstable conditions and noises such as clicking during the rotation operation.

[0033] (Variation Example)

[0034] As mentioned above, the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described, but the present invention is not limited to the above configuration, and various modifications such as those described below are possible.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment, the surface within a predetermined range around the contact portion of the rotating shaft 12 that contacts the edge of the opening of the recess 21 is a spherical surface 13 that protrudes outward. However, the contact portion of the rotating shaft 12 that contacts the edge of the opening of the same recess 21 may also belong to the same spherical surface. That is, the end of the rotating shaft 12 supported by a certain recess 21 is spherical as a whole.

[0036] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a key structure in an electronic device according to a modified example of the present invention. Figure 6 As shown, the two ends of the rotating shaft 12 are spherical, so that the spherical ends are embedded in the opening of the recess 21, and the contact point between the edge of the recess 21 and the rotating shaft 12 is located on the spherical surface 13.

[0037] Figure 7 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device according to the modified example of the present invention when misalignment occurs. When misalignment occurs, the center line of the rotation axis 12 is offset from the center line of the support portion 20 , so that the contact point between the edge of the recess 21 and the rotation axis 12 moves on the spherical surface 13 .

[0038] With the structure of this modified example, even if a large positioning error occurs in the support portion 20, the contact relationship between the rotation shaft 12 and the opening of the recess 21 can be ensured, thereby preventing an unstable state and noise such as a rattling during the rotation operation.

[0039] In addition, the various drawings of the present invention are schematic diagrams schematically showing structural features, and the specific size and detailed shape design of the operating button 10 and the support portion 20 are not limited to the structures shown in the drawings. Figure 1The operation button 10 is shown as a hollow shape, but the operation button 10 only needs to have an operation portion that is rotated and operated by the user and a rotation axis that is set at the rotation center of the operation portion and protrudes in opposite directions along the rotation center. The shape or detail design of other parts can be arbitrary and can be changed according to other functions of the electronic device.

[0040] Furthermore, the shape of the support portion 20 is not limited to the U-shape shown in the drawings, and any structure may be used as long as it has an opening of the recessed portion 21 facing each of the distal ends of the rotation shafts.

[0041] In addition, the contact between the rotation axis 12 and the edge of the opening of the recess 21 is preferably point contact, so as to reduce the noise generated during rotation, but it can also be surface contact or line contact that matches the spherical surface.

[0042] In addition, in the above embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, there are two contact points between the opening of the same recess 21 and the rotating shaft 12. However, depending on the shape of the opening of the recess 21, there may be multiple or single contact points between the opening of the recess 21 and the rotating shaft 12. From the perspective of stability, it is preferred that there are more than two contact points.

[0043] In addition, if Figure 3 As shown, the end of the rotating shaft 12 is not limited to a standard cylindrical shape with uniform curvature, so the curvature radius of the spherical surface of the rotating shaft 12 that contacts the edge of the opening of each recess 21 can also be different, that is, the curvature radius of different parts of the spherical surface can also be different, so as to form a spherical surface with an uneven shape. Of course, it can also be a conventional spherical surface with a uniform curvature radius.

[0044] The embodiments and modifications described above are provided as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and purpose of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An electronic device, characterized in that: have: The operation button has an operation portion that is rotated and operated by a user, and a rotation axis that is disposed at a rotation center of the operation portion and protrudes in opposite directions along the rotation center; The support part supports the operation button so that it can rotate freely. A pair of recesses are provided in the support portion, and the pair of recesses have openings corresponding to the respective top ends of the rotation shaft, and the top ends are supported in the openings so that the top ends can rotate freely. The surface of the rotating shaft within a predetermined range around the contact portion of the rotating shaft that contacts the edge of the opening is a spherical surface that protrudes outward.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The contact portions of the rotation shafts that are in contact with the edge of the same opening belong to the same spherical surface.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The contact between the rotation axis and the edge of the opening is point contact.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: There are multiple contact points between the rotating shaft and the edge of the same opening.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The spherical surfaces of the rotation axis in contact with the edges of the respective openings have the same curvature radius.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The predetermined range is determined according to the range in which the rotating shaft can rotate.

Images