Key assembly, terminal equipment and control method

Abstract

The invention provides a key assembly, a terminal device and a control method, the key assembly is used for being electrically connected to the terminal device, and the key assembly comprises a base body with a through hole, a touch control assembly movably connected in the through hole, and a vibration assembly in contact connection with the touch control assembly; the touch component is exposed on one side of the through hole and is used for detecting pressing information; the substrate is elastically supported on the base body, the substrate and the base body define a containing space, the piezoelectric vibration part is arranged on the substrate and corresponds to the containing space in position, and the containing space is communicated with the through hole; the end, facing the vibration assembly, of the touch control assembly is contained in the containing space and connected to the piezoelectric vibration part or the substrate. According to the key assembly, the pressing information is detected through the touch control assembly, the terminal equipment provides the voltage signal for the piezoelectric vibration part according to the pressing information, and the piezoelectric vibration part generates mechanical deformation due to the inverse piezoelectric effect and transmits the mechanical deformation to the touch control assembly, so that a user obtains diversified tactile feedback when pressing the touch control assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of buttons, and in particular relates to a button assembly, a terminal device and a control method. Background Art

[0002] The physical buttons in the related technology mainly include keycaps and pots. The principle is that the pot is pressed to turn on the circuit. The pressing touch of the physical button is achieved through the restoring force feedback of the mechanical deformation of the pot. The pressing touch and pressing effect are relatively simple and cannot produce corresponding effects in special usage scenarios.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a button that can provide corresponding tactile feedback according to the corresponding usage scenario. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a button assembly, a terminal device and a control method, which can provide corresponding tactile feedback according to corresponding usage scenarios.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: A first aspect of the present invention provides a key assembly for electrically connecting to a terminal device, comprising a substrate having a through hole, a touch assembly movably connected to the through hole, and a vibration assembly contact-connected to the touch assembly; the touch assembly is exposed at one side of the through hole for detecting press information; the vibration assembly comprises a substrate elastically supported on the substrate and enclosed with the substrate to form a receiving space, and a piezoelectric vibration part arranged on the substrate corresponding to the position of the receiving space, wherein the receiving space is connected to the through hole; One end of the touch component facing the vibration component is accommodated in the accommodation space and connected to the piezoelectric vibration part or the substrate.

[0006] Furthermore, the piezoelectric vibration part includes a first piezoelectric sheet and a second piezoelectric sheet respectively fixed to surfaces of two opposite sides of the substrate in the thickness direction, and the first piezoelectric sheet faces the touch control component and is connected to the touch control component.

[0007] Furthermore, one of the first piezoelectric sheet and the second piezoelectric sheet is used to be electrically connected to a DC voltage source, and the other of the first piezoelectric sheet and the second piezoelectric sheet is used to be grounded.

[0008] Furthermore, the substrate is made of metal, and is used to electrically connect to an AC voltage source.

[0009] Furthermore, the touch control component includes a key cap through which the through hole is formed in the receiving space, and a sensor connected to the piezoelectric vibration part and arranged on a side of the key cap facing the vibration component, wherein the sensor is used to detect pressing information.

[0010] Furthermore, the touch control assembly further includes a support sheet fixed to a side of the sensor away from the key cap, and a gasket fixed to a side of the support sheet away from the sensor and connected to the piezoelectric vibration part.

[0011] Furthermore, the thickness of the support sheet is 0.1 mm to 1 mm, and the thickness of the gasket is 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0012] Furthermore, a plurality of limit blocks are arranged on a surface of the substrate facing the touch component, and an end of the limit block facing the touch component is spaced apart from the touch component.

[0013] Furthermore, the base includes a shell having a receiving groove and bolts arranged on the periphery of the receiving groove. Mounting holes are opened at both ends of the base along the length direction. The base is fixedly connected to the shell by the bolts passing through the mounting holes. The base and the receiving groove enclose the receiving space.

[0014] Furthermore, the thickness of the substrate is 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0015] A second aspect of the present invention provides a terminal device, comprising the key assembly as described above.

[0016] A third aspect of the present invention provides a control method, which is applied to the key assembly as described above, and the method comprises: Detecting pressing information through the touch component; Generate a voltage signal to the vibration component according to the pressing information; The vibration component outputs a vibration signal for driving the touch component to vibrate according to the voltage signal.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the present invention are: When the user presses the touch component, the touch component can detect the pressing information. The terminal device provides a voltage signal to the piezoelectric vibration part based on the pressing information. The piezoelectric vibration part vibrates due to mechanical deformation caused by the inverse piezoelectric effect. The piezoelectric vibration part transmits the vibration to the touch component, so that the user can obtain diverse tactile feedback when pressing the touch component. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for describing the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work, among which: Figure 1Schematic diagram of the overall structure of the key assembly in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 The cross-sectional view along the AA direction; Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of detail B; Figure 4 It is a three-dimensional exploded schematic diagram of a part of the structure of a key assembly in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a piezoelectric bimorph circuit in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 It is a flow chart of a control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and implementation modes.

[0020] See also Figures 1 to 5 The embodiment of the present invention provides a key assembly for electrically connecting to a terminal device, including a substrate 10 having a through hole 112, a touch assembly 30 movably connected in the through hole 112, and a vibration assembly 20 contact-connected to the touch assembly 30; the touch assembly 30 is exposed at one side of the through hole 112 for detecting pressing information; the vibration assembly 20 includes a substrate 22 elastically supported on the substrate 10 and enclosed with the substrate 10 to form a receiving space, and a piezoelectric vibration part arranged on the substrate 22 corresponding to the position of the receiving space, and the receiving space is connected to the through hole 112; One end of the touch component 30 facing the vibration component 20 is received in the receiving space and connected to the piezoelectric vibration part.

[0021] In this embodiment, since the touch component 30 is exposed to one side of the substrate 10, the user can touch the touch component 30. Accordingly, the touch component 30 can detect pressing information. The button component is electrically connected to the terminal device. The terminal device provides a voltage signal to the piezoelectric vibration part according to the pressing information. The piezoelectric vibration part generates mechanical deformation due to the inverse piezoelectric effect, thereby generating vibration. The piezoelectric vibration part transmits the vibration to the touch component 30, so that the user obtains a variety of tactile feedback when pressing the touch component 30.

[0022] It can be understood that the piezoelectric vibration part includes a piezoelectric sheet fixed to the surface of at least one side of the substrate 22 along the thickness direction. When the piezoelectric sheet is fixed to the surface of the substrate 22 on the side facing the touch component 30, the piezoelectric sheet is fixedly connected to the touch component 30. When the piezoelectric sheet is not fixed to the surface of the substrate 22 on the side facing the touch component 30, the substrate 22 is fixedly connected to the touch component 30, and the substrate 22 transmits the vibration of the piezoelectric sheet to the touch component 30.

[0023] In this embodiment, the touch component 30 is exposed at one side of the through hole 112. Preferably, one end of the touch component 30 away from the vibration component 20 extends and protrudes through the through hole 112. In other embodiments, the touch component 30 may also be flush with the through hole 112.

[0024] Furthermore, if Figure 3 and 4 As shown, the piezoelectric vibration part includes a first piezoelectric sheet 21 and a second piezoelectric sheet 23 respectively fixed to surfaces of two opposite sides of the substrate 22 along the thickness direction. The first piezoelectric sheet 21 faces the touch control assembly 30 and is connected to the touch control assembly 30 .

[0025] In this embodiment, by respectively arranging piezoelectric sheets on the surfaces of the two opposite sides of the substrate 22 in the thickness direction, the mechanical vibrations obtained by the inverse piezoelectric effect generated by the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 can be superimposed, thereby optimizing the vibration feedback effect of the button assembly and further providing the user with a variety of vibration sensations.

[0026] Among them, Figure 3 As shown, the length of the substrate 22 is greater than the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23, and the projections of the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 overlap along the thickness direction of the substrate 22. At least a portion of the surface of the substrate 22 that is not connected to the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 is fixedly connected to the substrate 10. Preferably, along the thickness direction of the substrate 22, the symmetry center of the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 coincides with the symmetry center of the substrate 22, and the two ends of the substrate 22 along the length direction are fixed to the substrate 10, so that the substrate 22 and the substrate 10 enclose a receiving space.

[0027] Preferably, the polarization directions of the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 are the same, and the polarization directions of the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 are parallel to the thickness directions of the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23. Such an arrangement facilitates the power supply to the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23, and can avoid conflict between the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 during mechanical deformation.

[0028] Preferably, the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 are piezoelectric ceramic sheets, which are piezoelectric stacking structures with the number of stacked layers ranging from 3 to 20. The use of a piezoelectric stacking structure can improve the mechanical deformation capability of the vibration component 20, which is beneficial for the button component to provide better tactile feedback to the user.

[0029] In this embodiment, the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 are attached to the substrate 22 by glue. The first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 can also be fixed to the substrate 22 by a fixed connection method such as welding.

[0030] Furthermore, if Figure 5 As shown, one of the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 is used to be electrically connected to a DC voltage source, and the other one of the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 is used to be grounded.

[0031] In this embodiment, if Figure 5 The diagram shows the structure of the piezoelectric bimorph circuit. Figure 5 The P direction shown represents the polarization direction of the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23. Specifically, the polarization direction of the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 is the thickness direction from the second piezoelectric sheet 23 to the first piezoelectric sheet 21. The first piezoelectric sheet 21 is used to electrically connect to a DC voltage source, and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 is used to ground. A piezoelectric bimorph circuit is formed between the DC voltage source, the first piezoelectric sheet 21, the substrate 22, the second piezoelectric sheet 23 and the ground terminal.

[0032] It can be understood that in other embodiments, if the polarization direction of the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 is the thickness direction from the first piezoelectric sheet 21 to the second piezoelectric sheet 23, the first piezoelectric sheet 21 is used for grounding, and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 is used for electrically connecting to a DC voltage source, a piezoelectric dual-chip circuit can also be formed.

[0033] Furthermore, the substrate 22 is made of metal, and is used to electrically connect to an AC voltage source.

[0034] In this embodiment, the thickness of the substrate 22 is preferably 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm, and the substrate 22 is made of stainless steel and beryllium bronze.

[0035] Specifically, Figure 5 As shown, a DC voltage of Umax is applied to the surface of the first piezoelectric sheet 21 on the side away from the substrate 22, and the surface of the second piezoelectric sheet 23 on the side away from the substrate 22 is grounded, and an AC voltage of 0~Umax is applied to the substrate 22. Such an arrangement can avoid the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 being energized in the opposite direction to the polarization direction, and can also avoid the first and second voltage sheets from depolarizing when the DC voltage is too low. By applying a positive voltage to the substrate, the polarization state of the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 can be maintained, thereby extending the service life of the first piezoelectric sheet 21 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 and maintaining their piezoelectric properties.

[0036] Furthermore, if Figure 3 As shown, the touch control component 30 includes a key cap 31 with a through hole 112 formed in the receiving space, and a sensor 32 connected to the piezoelectric vibration part and arranged on the side of the key cap 31 facing the vibration component 20, and the sensor 32 is used to detect the pressing information.

[0037] In this embodiment, the sensor 32 may be a resistive, piezoelectric, capacitive or ion-type sensor, and the key cap 31 and the sensor 32 are connected by gluing or welding.

[0038] Furthermore, if Figure 3 and 4 As shown, the touch control assembly 30 further includes a support sheet 33 fixed to a side of the sensor 32 away from the key cap 31 , and a gasket 34 fixed to a side of the support sheet 33 away from the sensor 32 and connected to the piezoelectric vibration part.

[0039] In this embodiment, the support sheet 33 can support the sensor 32 and the keycap 31. On the one hand, the gasket 34 can connect the vibration component 20 and the touch component 30, and transmit the vibration generated by the vibration component 20 to the touch component 30. On the other hand, the gasket 34 is arranged between the vibration component 20 and the touch component 30, so that the vibration component 20 and the touch component 30 are arranged at intervals, thereby providing a vibration space for the vibration component 20.

[0040] Preferably, the support sheet 33 is made of metal, and the thickness of the support sheet 33 is 0.1 mm to 1 mm. The support sheet 33 is fixedly connected to the sensor 32 and the support sheet 33 by bonding or welding. The gasket 34 is connected to the support sheet 33 and the first piezoelectric sheet 21 by bonding, welding or snapping.

[0041] Preferably, the gasket 34 is made of metal and has a thickness between 0.1 mm and 1 mm.

[0042] Preferably, Figure 3 As shown, along the thickness direction of the gasket 34, the projections of the symmetry centers of the support plate 33, the gasket 34 and the vibration assembly 20 overlap.

[0043] In this embodiment, the gasket 34 can ensure that the pressing force is evenly distributed on the vibration component 20 , and can also evenly transmit the vibration of the vibration component 20 to the touch component 30 .

[0044] In other embodiments, there may be a plurality of gaskets 34 , and the arrangement is not limited to only one gasket 34 . The plurality of gaskets 34 may be evenly spaced and distributed along the length extension direction of the support sheet 33 .

[0045] Furthermore, if Figure 3 and 4 As shown, a plurality of limit blocks 40 are further disposed on the surface of the substrate 22 facing the touch assembly 30 , and one end of the limit block 40 facing the touch assembly 30 is spaced apart from the touch assembly 30 .

[0046] The limiting block 40 can protect the piezoelectric vibration part and prevent the touch control component 30 from over-pressing and damaging the piezoelectric vibration part.

[0047] In this embodiment, if Figure 3 and 4 As shown, the side of the gasket 34 facing away from the supporting plate 33 is fixed to the first piezoelectric plate 21, and a plurality of limit blocks 40 are also provided on the surface of the side of the substrate 22 facing the touch component 30. The thickness of the limit blocks 40 is greater than the thickness of the first piezoelectric plate 21, and the thickness of the limit blocks 40 is less than the sum of the thicknesses of the gasket 34 and the first piezoelectric plate 21.

[0048] If the user presses too hard on the touch assembly 30, the first piezoelectric sheet 21 may be broken, or the substrate 22 may be plastically deformed under pressure. In this embodiment, the thickness of the limit block 40 is greater than the thickness of the first piezoelectric sheet 21, and the limit block 40 can limit the pressing stroke and protect the first piezoelectric sheet 21 from being broken under pressure. In addition, since the thickness of the limit block 40 is less than the sum of the thickness of the gasket 34 and the first piezoelectric sheet 21, there is a gap between the limit block 40 and the support sheet 33, which ensures the vibration space of the vibration assembly 20.

[0049] Specifically, Figure 3 and 4 As shown, two limit blocks 40 are provided on the substrate 22, and the two limit blocks 40 are symmetrically distributed along the symmetry axis along the width direction of the first piezoelectric sheet 21. The limit blocks 40 can evenly disperse the pressing stress to the substrate 22, avoid plastic deformation of the substrate 22 under pressure, improve the reliability of the key assembly, and extend the service life of the key assembly.

[0050] Preferably, the thickness of the limit block 40 is 0.2 mm to 1.0 mm, and the material of the limit block 40 is metal or polymer material.

[0051] Furthermore, if Figure 2 and 3 As shown, the base 10 includes a shell 11 having a receiving groove 111 and bolts arranged on the side of the receiving groove 111. The base plate 22 is provided with mounting holes 222 at both ends along the length direction. The base plate 22 is fixedly connected to the shell 11 by bolts passing through the mounting holes 222. The base plate 22 and the receiving groove 111 enclose a receiving space.

[0052] In this embodiment, a through hole 112 is opened in the groove wall arranged opposite to the substrate 22 in the receiving groove 111, and the keycap 31 also includes a base 312 received in the receiving space and a boss 311 extending and protruding from the base 312 to the side away from the substrate 22, and the boss 311 extends and protrudes out of the receiving groove 111 through the through hole 112.

[0053] When the user does not press the keycap 31, the side of the base 312 facing the boss 311 abuts against the groove wall of the receiving groove 111. When the user presses the keycap 31, based on the elastic deformation ability of the vibration component 20, the keycap 31 moves a certain pressing stroke toward the direction of the vibration component 20. The elastic deformation of the vibration component 20 and the vibration of the piezoelectric film can give the user tactile feedback.

[0054] See also Figures 1 to 5 A second aspect of the present invention provides a terminal device, comprising the above-mentioned key assembly.

[0055] It can be understood that the button assembly provided by the present invention can be applied to various terminal devices, including mobile phones, laptop computers, tablet computers and other tablet devices, and the terminal devices are not limited to tablet devices, but can also be various special-shaped devices such as handles, keyboards, steering wheels, etc.

[0056] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, Figure 2 As shown, the key assembly in the embodiment of the present invention is set in a mobile phone as an example, but it is not limited to this. In this embodiment, the terminal device includes a shell connected to the base 10, and the base 10 and the shell of the terminal device are integrally formed. In other embodiments, the base 10 can also be fixedly connected to the shell of the terminal device.

[0057] The button assembly in this embodiment is a piezoelectric virtual button. The button assembly is electrically connected to the terminal device. The terminal device provides a voltage signal to the piezoelectric vibration part according to the pressing information. The piezoelectric vibration part generates vibration through the inverse piezoelectric effect and transmits it to the touch component 30. Therefore, the button assembly can generate a variety of different vibration effects according to the detected pressing information, providing the user with a variety of tactile feedback.

[0058] like Figure 6 As shown, the third aspect of the present invention provides a control method, which is applied to the above key assembly, comprising: Step S100, detecting pressing information through a touch component; Step S200, generating a voltage signal to the vibration component according to the pressing information; Step S300: The vibration component outputs a vibration signal for driving the touch component to vibrate according to the voltage signal.

[0059] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0060] The above description is only an implementation mode of the present invention. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, improvements can be made without departing from the creative concept of the present invention, but these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A key assembly, used for electrically connecting to a terminal device, comprising a substrate having a through hole, a touch assembly movably connected to the through hole, and a vibration assembly contact-connected to the touch assembly; the touch assembly is exposed at one side of the through hole and is used for detecting pressing information; characterized in that: The vibration component comprises a substrate elastically supported on the base and enclosed with the base to form a receiving space, and a piezoelectric vibration part arranged on the substrate corresponding to the position of the receiving space, wherein the receiving space is connected to the through hole; One end of the touch component facing the vibration component is accommodated in the accommodation space and connected to the piezoelectric vibration part or the substrate; The piezoelectric vibration part includes a first piezoelectric sheet and a second piezoelectric sheet respectively fixed to surfaces of two opposite sides of the substrate in a thickness direction, wherein the first piezoelectric sheet faces the touch control component and is connected to the touch control component.

2. The key assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: One of the first piezoelectric sheet and the second piezoelectric sheet is used for electrically connecting to a DC voltage source, and the other one of the first piezoelectric sheet and the second piezoelectric sheet is used for grounding.

3. The key assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The substrate is made of metal and is used for electrically connecting to an AC voltage source.

4. The key assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The touch control component includes a key cap through which the through hole is formed in the receiving space, and a sensor which is arranged on a side of the key cap facing the vibration component and connected to the piezoelectric vibration part, and the sensor is used to detect pressing information.

5. The key assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The touch control assembly further includes a support sheet fixed to a side of the sensor away from the key cap, and a gasket fixed to a side of the support sheet away from the sensor and connected to the piezoelectric vibration part.

6. The key assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The thickness of the support sheet is 0.1 mm to 1 mm, and the thickness of the gasket is 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm.

7. The key assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of limit blocks are also arranged on a surface of the substrate facing the touch component, and one end of the limit block facing the touch component is spaced apart from the touch component.

8. The key assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base includes a shell having a receiving groove and bolts arranged on the periphery of the receiving groove. Mounting holes are opened at both ends of the base along the length direction. The base is fixedly connected to the shell by the bolts passing through the mounting holes. The base and the receiving groove enclose the receiving space.

9. The key assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the substrate is 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm.

10. A terminal device, characterized in that: Comprising a key assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A control method, applied to the key assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9; characterized in that: The control method comprises: Detecting pressing information through the touch component; Generate a voltage signal to the vibration component according to the pressing information; The vibration component outputs a vibration signal for driving the touch component to vibrate according to the voltage signal.

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