Button structure of an active stylus

Abstract

This invention provides a button structure for an active stylus, including a pen core, a housing, and at least one button. The pen core has at least one baffle and at least one slot adjacent to each other. The housing covers the pen core. The housing has an opening that aligns with the slot and the baffle. The button includes a keycap, a base, and a necked portion, with the necked portion connecting the keycap and the base. The base moves into the pen core through the opening and the slot and is confined within the pen core by the baffle, so that the necked portion is held in the slot and the keycap is held in the opening.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a button structure, and more particularly to a button structure for an active stylus. Background Technology

[0002] With the advancement and development of technology, many electronic devices on the market use touch panels or touch pads as their operating interfaces. Users usually operate on the touch panel with their fingers. However, when sliding fingers on the touch panel, the large contact area of ​​the fingers can easily cause too much friction, making it unsuitable for large or rapid input. It can also lead to accidental touches. Therefore, styluses were developed.

[0003] Existing styluses can be divided into active and passive types. Active styluses use an internal signal transmitting circuit to send signals, which are then received by the corresponding touch panel (or touchpad) to determine the coordinates of the touched position and the pressure applied. Generally, existing active styluses use a pen tip pressing against a pressure-sensitive element to generate a change in capacitance or resistance, thus producing a pressure signal. This signal is then transmitted from the pressure-sensitive element to the main circuit board of the active stylus via wires, where a processor processes, judges, or transmits the signal.

[0004] As mentioned above, most buttons on existing styluses are directly located on the outer shell of the pen, corresponding to the switching components inside. However, with the increasing complexity of the pen core structure, manufacturing and assembly tolerances must be taken into account in the design. If the buttons are still set up in the above manner, misalignment is likely to occur, making assembly impossible. Furthermore, the accumulated tolerances of the components often lead to variations in the button's pressing distance, making it difficult to control. This not only makes assembly difficult or results in manufacturing losses but also easily causes users to experience poor tactile feedback during operation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention relates to a button structure for an active stylus, which confines the button to the pen core and the outer shell, providing sufficient margin to absorb manufacturing and assembly tolerances of the components.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the button structure of an active stylus includes a pen core, a housing, and at least one button. The pen core has at least one baffle and at least one slot adjacent to each other. The housing covers the pen core. The housing has an opening that aligns the slot and the baffle. The button includes a keycap, a base, and a necked portion, the necked portion being connected between the keycap and the base. The base moves into the pen core through the opening and the slot and is restricted within the pen core by the baffle, so that the necked portion is held in the slot and the keycap is held in the opening, wherein the button has structural margins relative to both the pen core and the housing.

[0007] In the button structure of the active stylus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the slot is divided into a first area and a second area by a T-shaped contour opening. The inner contour dimension of the first area is larger than the outer contour dimension of the base, and the outer contour dimension of the base is larger than the inner contour dimension of the second area.

[0008] In the button structure of the active stylus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the outer contour dimension of the necked portion is smaller than the inner contour dimension of the second region.

[0009] In the button structure of the active stylus according to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one switching element is further included, disposed in the pen core and aligned with the second area.

[0010] In the button structure of the active stylus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the dimension of the keycap along the extension axis of the pen core is smaller than the dimension of the opening along the extension axis, and the base is limited in the second region.

[0011] In the button structure of the active stylus according to an embodiment of the present invention, a baffle surrounds a portion of the second area.

[0012] In the button structure of the active stylus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the orthographic projection of the keycap on the pen core is larger than the slot, and the orthographic projection of the base on the pen core is smaller than the first area but larger than the second area.

[0013] In the button structure of the active stylus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the outer contour dimension of the keycap is larger than the inner contour dimension of the slot.

[0014] In the button structure of the active stylus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the inner contour dimension of the opening is larger than the outer contour dimension of the keycap described above.

[0015] In the button structure of the active stylus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the necked portion forms at least one groove with respect to the keycap and the base, and the aforementioned baffle is movably coupled to the groove.

[0016] Based on the above, the active stylus provides a limiting function for the button through the pen tip and the outer shell. During the process of moving the pen tip into the outer shell, the button base passes sequentially through the opening in the outer shell and the slot in the pen tip, and is then blocked and confined within the pen tip by a baffle. Simultaneously, the necked portion is held in the slot, and the keycap is held in the opening. In this way, the adjacent slots and baffles become the main structure for limiting the button and preventing it from falling off. Furthermore, there is a structural margin between the button and the pen tip and the outer shell, thus maintaining the normal operation (pressing) of the button while also absorbing tolerances caused by component manufacturing and / or assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1This is an exploded view of some components of an active stylus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the button structure.

[0019] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional view of the active stylus.

[0020] Figure 4 and Figure 5 The assembly process of the buttons, pen refill, and outer casing is illustrated in partial cross-section. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same element symbols are used in the drawings and description to denote the same or similar parts.

[0022] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of some components of an active stylus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the button structure. Please also refer to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the button structure of the active stylus 100 of this embodiment, it includes a pen core 110, a housing 120, and a button 130. The pen core 110 has a baffle 112 and a slot 111 adjacent to each other. The housing 120 covers the outer surface of the pen core 110 and includes components 121 and 122 (e.g., the pen body and front cover shown) assembled to each other. The housing 120 has an opening 121a so that after the pen core 110 is assembled into the housing 120, the opening 121a aligns with the slot 111 and the baffle 112. Furthermore, the button 130 includes a keycap 131, a base 132, and a necked portion 133, with the necked portion 133 connecting the keycap 131 and the base 132.

[0023] Depend on Figure 1 The card slot 111 and the baffle 112 shown, and Figure 2 As can be clearly seen from the button 130 shown, during the button assembly process in this embodiment, the base 132 first passes through the opening 121a and the slot 111 and moves into the pen refill body 110, and is restricted within the pen refill body 110 by the baffle 112, so that the necked portion 133 is maintained at the slot 111 and the keycap 131 is maintained at the opening 121a. The button 130 has structural margins relative to the pen refill body 110 and the component 121 of the outer shell 120, respectively.

[0024] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the slot 111 is divided into a first region A1 and a second region A2 by a T-shaped opening. The baffle 112 surrounds a portion of the second region A2. The first region A1 has a length D2 and a width S2, and the second region A2 has a length D1 and a width S1. Therefore, the inner contour size of the first region A1 can be represented by the diameter formed by the length D2 and the width S2, and the inner contour size of the second region A2 can be represented by the diameter formed by the length D1 and the width S1. The directions of the lengths D1 and D2 are parallel to the extension axis L1 of the pen refill 110, and the directions of the widths S1 and S2 are substantially orthogonal to the extension axis L1. Accordingly, in this embodiment, by making the inner contour size of the first region A1 larger than the outer contour size of the base 132, and the outer contour size of the base 132 larger than the inner contour size of the second region A2, the base 132 passes through the opening 121a and the first region A1 in sequence. Then, because the outer contour size of the necked portion 133 is smaller than the inner contour size of the second region A2, the button 130 can be moved towards the second region A2, so that the base 132 is limited to the second region A2 by the baffle 112, so that the base 132 is directly opposite the second region A2 and located inside the pen refill body 110.

[0025] In other words, in this embodiment, the orthographic projection of the keycap 131 onto the pen refill body 110 is larger than that of the slot 111, meaning the outer contour of the keycap 131 is larger than the inner contour of the slot 111. Conversely, the orthographic projection of the base 132 onto the pen refill body 110 is smaller than the first region A1 but larger than the second region A2. In other words, the cross-section of the key 130 is essentially I-shaped to facilitate sliding in the slot 111 and smoothly withstand the limiting effect of the baffle 112.

[0026] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional view of the active stylus. Please refer to [the image / reference]. Figure 2 To and Figure 3 The necked portion 133 forms a groove T1 relative to the keycap 131 and the base 132, allowing the baffle 112 to be movably coupled to the groove T1. At the same time, the recess T2 of the base 132 is used as a reference for identification. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The correspondence is not limited here. The number of grooves T1 is not restricted in this embodiment. Figure 2 The diagram shows that there are grooves T1 on both sides of the necked portion 133. However, in another embodiment not shown, a groove on one side and a corresponding baffle can also be used to achieve the same sliding and blocking effect.

[0027] It is worth noting that the active stylus 100 of this embodiment also includes a circuit board 142 located within the pen core 110, and a switching element 141 disposed on the circuit board 142, with the switching element 141 directly opposite the second area A2 of the slot 111. When the button 130 is assembled into the pen core 110, the switching element 141 is directly opposite the button 130 and located on the action path of the base 132, so that the switching element 141 can be smoothly triggered when the button 130 is pressed. Furthermore, as... Figure 3 As shown, both the button 130 and the surrounding components (pen core 110 and outer shell 120) have structural margins. Therefore, this embodiment can absorb the tolerances of the surrounding components caused by manufacturing or assembly by means of the structural margins without affecting the pressing stroke of the button 130.

[0028] Figure 4 and Figure 5 The assembly process of the buttons, pen refill, and outer casing is illustrated in a partial cross-section. Please also refer to... Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 During the process of applying force F1 to assemble the pen refill 110 into the housing 120 (component 121), the button 130 will first pass through the opening 121a, and when it moves to the corresponding opening 121a in the first area A1 of the slot 111, as... Figure 4 As shown, the base 132 of button 130 (please also refer to...) Figure 2 The lead is then moved into the pen refill 110 through the first zone A1. Next, force F1 is applied to drive the pen refill 110 to move to the right as shown in the diagram. Figure 5 The indicated position represents the position where the baffle 112 moves along the groove T1 formed by the shape of the button 130 to the second area A2. Since the inner contour dimension of the second area A2 is smaller than the outer contour dimension of the base 132, it effectively prevents the base 132 from moving out of the pen core 110. Furthermore, the button structure of the active stylus 100 in this embodiment also includes a button 130A, which is disposed on the pen core 110 and corresponds to the switching element 143. Unlike the aforementioned button structure, the button 130A and the switching element 143 (and related electronic components or circuits) form the electrical reset module of the active stylus 100. Here, the button 130A is positioned directly opposite the opening 121b of the component 121 as the pen core 110 moves into the component 121.

[0029] Please refer to this again. Figure 1 and Figure 5It should also be mentioned that, since the dimension of the keycap 131 along the extension axis L1 of the pen refill body 110 is smaller than the dimension of the opening 121a along the extension axis L1, when the base 132 is assembled into the pen refill body 110, it also means that the keycap 131 will fall into and be confined in the opening 121a, that is, the keycap 131 cannot move along the extension axis L1, thus achieving the effect of confining the base 132 in the second area A2. Simply put, in order to allow the keycap 130 to be smoothly confined between the outer shell 120 and the pen refill body 110, the dimension of the second area A2 of the slot 111 along the extension axis L1 (i.e., Figure 1 The length D1 shown must be greater than the structural margin of the keycap 131 along the extension axis L1 in the opening 121a, so as to ensure that the structural margin of the keycap 131 in the opening 121a is insufficient to allow the necked portion 133 to move from the second region A2 to the first region A1.

[0030] In summary, in the above embodiments of the present invention, the active stylus provides a limiting function for the button by means of the pen core and the outer shell. During the process of moving the pen core into the outer shell, the base of the button passes through the opening of the outer shell and the slot of the pen core in sequence, and is then blocked by the baffle and restricted in the pen core. At the same time, the necked portion is maintained at the slot, and the keycap can also be maintained at the opening.

[0031] Furthermore, the button has an H-shaped outline to match a corresponding T-shaped slot, allowing a portion of the button to move into the slot and be limited by a baffle. Moreover, the T-shaped slot is located within the pen refill, and the button, through an opening in the outer shell, allows the pen refill to be inserted into the shell, thus establishing the aforementioned corresponding structural relationship between the button and the T-shaped slot. In other words, the button in this design requires the pen refill to move into the shell for the button to be assembled and confined within the pen refill and shell.

[0032] In this way, the adjacent slots and baffles become the main structure that prevents the buttons from falling off. At the same time, there is a structural margin between the buttons and the pen refill and the outer shell, so in addition to maintaining the normal operation (pressing) function of the buttons, it also has the effect of absorbing the tolerances caused by component manufacturing and / or assembly.

[0033] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A button structure for an active stylus, characterized in that, include: The pen refill has at least one baffle and at least one slot that are adjacent to each other; A housing, covering the pen refill, having an opening aligning the slot and the baffle; and At least one key, the key comprising a keycap, a base, and a necked portion, the necked portion being connected between the keycap and the base. The base moves into the pen refill body through the opening and the slot, and is restricted within the pen refill body by the baffle, so that the necked portion is held at the slot and the keycap is held at the opening. The slot has a T-shaped opening divided into a first area and a second area. The inner contour dimension of the first area is larger than the outer contour dimension of the base, and the outer contour dimension of the base is larger than the inner contour dimension of the second area. The keycap's dimension along the extension axis of the pen refill body is smaller than the opening's dimension along the extension axis, and it limits the base in the second area.

2. The button structure of the active stylus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer contour dimension of the necked portion is smaller than the inner contour dimension of the second region.

3. The button structure of the active stylus according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes at least one switching element disposed within the pen refill body, aligned with the second area and located on the action path of the base.

4. The button structure of the active stylus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The baffle surrounds a portion of the second region.

5. The button structure of the active stylus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The orthographic projection of the keycap on the pen refill body is larger than the slot, and the orthographic projection of the base on the pen refill body is smaller than the first area but larger than the second area.

6. The button structure of the active stylus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer contour dimension of the keycap is larger than the inner contour dimension of the slot.

7. The button structure of the active stylus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner contour dimension of the opening is larger than the outer contour dimension of the keycap.

8. The button structure of the active stylus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The necked portion forms at least one groove with respect to the keycap and the base, and the baffle is movably coupled to the groove.

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