A multifunction key module

Abstract

This invention provides a multi-functional button module for installation in electrical appliances. It includes a hollow main housing, a pin extending upwards from within the main housing, an electronic button fixedly disposed at the bottom of the main housing, and an optical tracking chip disposed within the main housing facing the side surface of the pin. A keycap is fixedly connected to the upper end of the pin. The electronic button's contact trigger end faces the pin, and it generates an electrical signal upon contact triggering. The optical tracking chip emits a detection laser to the side surface of the pin and receives the reflected light, determining the pin's movement state and generating an electrical signal. The electronic button and the optical tracking chip are electrically connected. This invention generates corresponding electrical signals by pressing the keycap to trigger the electronic button, rotating the keycap, or pressing the keycap without triggering the pin, achieving a multi-functional composite control effect with a single button. This invention utilizes both an electronic button and an optical tracking chip for pin motion capture, both of which have a small size, and the invention can be miniaturized due to the fewer components.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of switch technology, and more specifically to a multi-functional button module. Background Technology

[0002] Push-button switches are commonly found in various electrical appliances. To achieve the composite control function of a single push-button switch, some existing technologies provide control signals not only when pressed to trigger the control signal, but also according to the pressed travel distance, and even when the button is rotated. For example, patent document CN104534295B discloses a flashlight with convenient dimming. A spring is set in the mounting groove between the button and the body to achieve button reset; a rotating handle is connected below the button, and the rotating handle is connected to a rotating component. Rotating the handle triggers a first switch, and pressing the handle to its limit triggers a second switch. The button has both ordinary pressing control and rotation control functions. However, the method of using a rotating handle connected to a rotating component to trigger the first switch for rotation control, and other common methods in existing technologies that use encoders or potentiometers for rotation control, involve modules with large volumes or require many components, which is not conducive to the miniaturization of push-button switches. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides a multi-functional button module to solve the problem that existing button switches that achieve composite control require large functional modules or many components, which is not conducive to the miniaturization of button switches.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] A multi-functional button module for installation in an electrical appliance includes a hollow main housing, a pin extending upward from the main housing to the upper end of the main housing, an electronic button fixedly disposed at the bottom of the main housing, and an optical tracking chip disposed within the main housing and facing the pin on its side surface.

[0006] The upper end of the pin is fixedly connected to the keycap;

[0007] The contact trigger end of the electronic button faces the pin, and the electronic button generates an electrical signal when it is contacted and triggered.

[0008] The optical tracking chip emits a detection laser to the side surface of the pin and receives the reflected light from the side surface of the pin. The optical tracking chip determines the movement state of the pin based on the reflected light and generates an electrical signal.

[0009] The electronic button and the optical tracking chip are electrically connected.

[0010] Furthermore, the lower end of the pin has a pin seat to prevent it from being completely pulled out from the upper end of the main housing.

[0011] Furthermore, a waterproof ring cover is provided on the upper part of the main housing, and a first waterproof ring is provided between the waterproof ring cover and the upper part of the main housing. The pin passes through the waterproof ring cover and the first waterproof ring and is connected to the keycap.

[0012] The first waterproof ring is elastic, with its inner side pressed against the pin and its outer side pressed against the main housing and / or the waterproof ring cover.

[0013] Furthermore, a PCB board is vertically arranged inside the main housing, and the PCB board is disposed between the inner side wall of the main housing and the pin;

[0014] The optical tracking chip is mounted on the PCB board;

[0015] Both the optical tracking chip and the electronic button are powered by the PCB board, and both the optical tracking chip and the electronic button transmit electrical signals to each other with the PCB board.

[0016] Furthermore, the multi-function button module also includes a lower cover of the housing, and the lower end of the main housing is closed by connecting with the lower cover of the housing;

[0017] The electronic button is mounted on the lower cover of the housing.

[0018] Furthermore, the gap at the connection between the main housing and the lower housing cover is filled with waterproof adhesive.

[0019] Furthermore, both the main housing and the lower housing cover are made of plastic.

[0020] The main housing and the lower cover of the housing are connected by ultrasonic welding.

[0021] Furthermore, the lower end of the PCB board extends downward through the lower cover of the housing, and the portion of the lower end of the PCB board extending downward through the lower cover of the housing is provided with contacts for connecting external power supply components.

[0022] Furthermore, the contact gap between the PCB board and the lower cover of the housing is filled with waterproof adhesive.

[0023] Furthermore, a spring is fixedly connected between the upper end of the main housing and the lower end of the keycap.

[0024] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0025] 1. The multi-functional button module of the present invention can generate corresponding electrical signals by pressing the keycap to trigger the electronic button, rotating the keycap, or simply pressing the keycap without triggering the electronic button, thereby realizing the multi-functional composite control effect of a single button.

[0026] 2. The present invention uses only electronic buttons and optical tracking chips for pin motion capture, both of which have small size. Furthermore, the module of the present invention has fewer components, so the module of the present invention can be miniaturized. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 A 3D view of the multi-function button module;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a front view of the multi-function button module;

[0029] Figure 3 for Figure 2 AA sectional view.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0031] 1. Keycaps; 2. Springs; 3. Waterproof ring cover; 4. First waterproof ring; 5. Main shell; 6. Optical tracking chip; 7. Pins; 8. PCB board; 9. Electronic keys; 10. Second waterproof ring; 11. Bottom cover of the shell. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be further described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the embodiments of this invention. It should be noted that the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0033] It should be noted that if the embodiments of this application involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, top, bottom, inside, outside, vertical, horizontal, longitudinal, counterclockwise, clockwise, circumferential, radial, axial, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0034] In the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone.

[0035] The terms "first" and "second" used in the embodiments of this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a system, product, or device that includes a series of components or units is not limited to the listed components or units, but may optionally include unlisted components or units, or may optionally include other components or units inherent to such products or devices. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0036] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0037] This invention provides a multi-functional button module, such as... Figures 1-3 As shown, it mainly includes keycaps 1, pins 7, main housing 5, electronic buttons 9, lower housing cover 11, and optical tracking chip 6. The main housing 5 and lower housing cover 11 are made of plastic. The main housing 5 is a hollow cavity that houses the pins 7, which extend from the upper end of the main housing 5 and are fixedly connected to the keycaps 1. The lower end of the pins 7 has a pin seat, preventing the pins 7 from being directly pulled upwards out of the main housing 5. The lower end of the main housing 5 is sealed by connecting to the lower housing cover 11. The electronic buttons are installed inside the lower end of the main housing 5, specifically fixedly mounted on the housing. On the lower cover 11, its trigger end faces the pin 7, so that when the user presses the keycap 1 and presses it for a sufficient distance, the pin 7 contacts and triggers the electronic key 9; the optical tracking chip 6 is located inside the main housing 5, facing the side surface of the pin 7. It emits a detection laser to the key pin 7. When the detection laser shines on the key pin 7 and receives the light reflected from the side of the pin 7, when the key pin 7 moves up and down or rotates, the optical tracking chip 6 receives the reflected light from the side surface of the pin 7, analyzes the current motion parameters of the pin 7 and gives an electrical signal.

[0038] More specifically, the present invention also includes a PCB board 8, which is disposed inside the main housing 5 and vertically placed between the inner side wall of the main housing 5 and the pin 7. The optical tracking chip 6 is disposed on the PCB board 8. The optical tracking chip 6 and the electronic button 9 are both powered by the PCB board 8 and transmit electrical signals to each other. The lower part of the PCB board 8 extends to the bottom of the housing cover 11 and exposes a contact point, which is used to connect to an external power supply component.

[0039] Considering the overall waterproof performance of the button module, a waterproof ring cover 3 is provided on the upper part of the main housing 5 in this invention, and a first waterproof ring 4 is provided between the waterproof ring cover 3 and the upper part of the main housing 5. The pin 7 passes through the first waterproof ring 4 and the waterproof ring cover 3 and is connected to the keycap 1. The waterproof ring 4 is elastic, with its inner side tightly attached to the pin 7 and its outer side tightly attached to the main housing 5 and / or the waterproof ring cover 3. In this invention, the gap at the connection between the lower housing cover 11 and the main housing 5 is filled with waterproof glue, or the lower housing cover 11 and the main housing 5 are directly ultrasonically welded to ensure a tight connection between the lower housing cover 11 and the main housing 5. Since the PCB board passes through the lower housing cover 11, the contact gap between the PCB board and the housing 11 is also filled with waterproof glue. In addition, considering that the button module of this invention is installed at the junction of the inner and outer sides of the electrical appliance, in order to prevent external contaminants from entering the interior of the electrical appliance, a second waterproof ring 10 is also provided around the lower end of the main housing 5.

[0040] To make it easier to use, a spring 2 is fixedly connected between the upper end of the main housing 5 and the back of the keycap to realize the automatic reset function of the key 1.

[0041] In use, when a user presses a keycap, if the press is light (insufficient travel to activate the electronic button), the longitudinal movement of the pin is detected by the optical tracking chip, which then sends a control signal. Similarly, if the user rotates the keycap, the rotation of the pin is also detected by the optical tracking chip, triggering a control signal. If the user presses the keycap firmly (enough travel to activate the electronic button), the electronic button sends a control signal. Thus, the multi-functional key module of this invention achieves multi-functional composite control of a single key.

[0042] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of implementation methods of the present invention, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A multifunction key module for installation in an electric appliance, characterized by comprising: It includes a hollow main housing, a pin that extends upward from the main housing to the upper end of the main housing, an electronic button fixedly installed at the bottom of the main housing, and an optical tracking chip installed inside the main housing and facing the pin on its side surface. The upper end of the pin is fixedly connected to the keycap; The trigger end of the electronic button faces the pin, and the electronic button gives an electrical signal when it is touched and triggered. The optical tracking chip emits a detection laser to the side surface of the pin and receives the reflected light from the side surface of the pin. The optical tracking chip determines the movement state of the pin based on the reflected light and generates an electrical signal. The electronic button and the optical tracking chip are electrically connected; A PCB board is vertically arranged inside the main housing, and the PCB board is disposed between the inner side wall of the main housing and the pin; The optical tracking chip is mounted on the PCB board; Both the optical tracking chip and the electronic button are powered by the PCB board, and both the optical tracking chip and the electronic button transmit electrical signals to each other with the PCB board. The multi-function button module also includes a lower cover of the housing, and the lower end of the main housing is closed by connecting to the lower cover of the housing; The electronic button is mounted on the lower cover of the housing; The lower end of the PCB extends downward through the lower cover of the housing, and the portion of the lower end of the PCB extending downward through the lower cover of the housing is provided with contacts for connecting external power supply components.

2. The multi-function key module of claim 1, wherein, The lower end of the pin has a pin seat to prevent it from being completely pulled out from the upper end of the main housing.

3. The multi-function key module of claim 1, wherein, The upper part of the main housing is covered with a waterproof ring cover, and a first waterproof ring is provided between the waterproof ring cover and the upper part of the main housing. The pin passes through the waterproof ring cover and the first waterproof ring and is connected to the keycap. The first waterproof ring is elastic, with its inner side pressed against the pin and its outer side pressed against the main housing and / or the waterproof ring cover.

4. The multi-function key module of claim 1, wherein, The gap between the main housing and the lower cover of the housing is filled with waterproof adhesive.

5. The multi-functional button module according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the main housing and the lower cover of the housing are made of plastic. The main housing and the lower cover of the housing are connected by ultrasonic welding.

6. The multi-function key module of claim 1, wherein, The gap between the PCB board and the lower cover of the housing is filled with waterproof adhesive.

7. The multi-function key module according to any of claims 1-6, wherein, A spring is fixedly connected between the upper end of the main housing and the lower end of the keycap.

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