A waterproof and shock-resistant trackball device

Abstract

The present invention provides a waterproof and shockproof trackball device, which relates to the technical field of electronic digital data processing, and comprises: a base, which is provided with a through hole; a ball rack, which has a liquid discharge port, which is plugged with the through hole; the inner wall of the ball rack is rotatably connected with a support shaft; a trackball, which is arranged in the ball rack, and the support shaft is in rolling contact with the lower part of the trackball; an upper cover, which is detachably connected with the base; the base, the ball rack and the upper cover together enclose a closed storage space, and a circuit board is arranged in the storage space; a liquid storage cylinder, which is arranged on the base, and a buffer liquid is arranged in the liquid storage cylinder; a movable plug, which is slidably fitted in the liquid storage cylinder, and has a plurality of small flow holes on the movable plug; a lifting rod, the upper end of which slides through the liquid storage cylinder and is connected to the movable plug, and the lower end of which has a support plate. By making the longitudinal spacing between the support plate and the base adjustable, the spacing between the base and the desktop can be appropriately increased, so as to avoid water from invading the storage space from the gap between the liquid discharge port and the through hole when there is water on the desktop.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of electronic digital data processing, and in particular to a waterproof and shock-resistant trackball device. Background Art

[0002] Computers have the advantages of storing a large amount of information and allowing users to quickly and easily obtain information, and are therefore widely used. A trackball device is a type of mouse, and in some usage scenarios, the trackball device is used in conjunction with a computer.

[0003] Chinese patent application number 201210151226.2 discloses a trackball device, which is based on the concept that it is better to drain than to block. Water that may enter the device from the movable gap of the trackball is guided downward from the upper seat drain port and the lower seat drain port to the outside of the device to prevent the circuit board from contacting the water.

[0004] However, when there is water on the desktop, the lower drain port may come into contact with the water, and water may enter the device from the gap between the lower drain port and the upper drain port and come into contact with the circuit board. There is still room for further improvement in the waterproof performance. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above situation, the present invention provides a waterproof and shock-resistant trackball device, aiming to solve the technical problem in the prior art that when there is water on the desktop, the lower seat drain port may come into contact with the water, and the water may enter the device from the gap between the lower seat drain port and the upper seat drain port and come into contact with the circuit board.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0007] The present invention provides a waterproof and shock-resistant trackball device, comprising:

[0008] A base having a through hole;

[0009] The ball rack has a liquid discharge port which is plugged into the through hole; the inner wall of the ball rack is rotatably connected to a support shaft, and a rotary encoder used in conjunction with the trackball is arranged on the support shaft;

[0010] A trackball is disposed in the ball holder, and at least three support shafts are in rolling contact with the lower portion of the trackball;

[0011] The upper cover is detachably connected to the base; the upper part of the upper cover is in close contact with the top of the ball rack and a sealing ring is provided between the two; the upper part of the upper cover is provided with an avoidance hole, which is used to avoid the upper part of the trackball and limit the upward movement of the trackball;

[0012] The base, the ball holder and the upper cover together form a closed storage space, and a circuit board electrically connected to the rotary encoder is arranged in the storage space;

[0013] Also includes:

[0014] A liquid storage cylinder is arranged on the base, and a buffer liquid is arranged in the liquid storage cylinder;

[0015] A movable plug is slidably fitted in the liquid storage cylinder and has a plurality of small flow holes;

[0016] The upper end of the lifting rod slides through the liquid storage cylinder and is connected to the movable plug, and the lower end is provided with a support plate, and the longitudinal distance between the support plate and the base is adjustable; four lifting rods are respectively distributed at the four corners of the base.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present invention, the lower end of the drain port is flush with the lower end of the through hole.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present invention, a scraper ring is connected to the inside of the liquid discharge port via a support rod, and the top of the scraper ring is in rolling contact with the surface of the trackball.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present invention, the base is provided with a heat dissipation hole, and the heat dissipation hole is communicated with the storage space.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present invention, the waterproof and shock-resistant trackball device further includes a dustproof member, which is used to cover the gap between the trackball and the avoidance hole.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present invention, the waterproof and shock-resistant trackball device further comprises:

[0022] A crossbar, arranged on the side of the base;

[0023] The top of the adjusting block is slidably connected to the crossbar, one side of the adjusting block is tilted toward the base, and the bottom of the adjusting block is provided with a plurality of transmission teeth;

[0024] The roller is rotatably connected to the support plate, and the lower part of the side of the roller is flush with the lower side of the support plate; the side of the roller is provided with a plurality of transmission grooves connected to the transmission gears;

[0025] The four rollers are respectively located at the four corners of the base, and the rollers located on the left and right sides of the base rotate in opposite directions.

[0026] In some embodiments of the present invention, the roller on the right side of the base is directly meshed with the corresponding transmission teeth; the roller on the left side of the base is connected with the corresponding transmission teeth via a reversing gear transmission.

[0027] In some embodiments of the present invention, the waterproof and shock-resistant trackball device further comprises:

[0028] A plurality of conductive sheets are arranged on the lower side of the base and protrude from the base; the buffer liquid is electrically connected to the conductive sheets, and the buffer liquid has the characteristic of increasing viscosity after being energized;

[0029] Spring to keep the adjustment block away from the base.

[0030] In some embodiments of the present invention, an indicator light electrically connected to the buffer liquid is disposed on the upper cover or the base.

[0031] In some embodiments of the present invention, the waterproof and shock-resistant trackball device further comprises:

[0032] A plurality of conductive sheets are arranged on the lower side of the base and protrude from the base;

[0033] a spring for keeping the adjustment block away from the base;

[0034] The valve structure is arranged at the flow hole, and the opening and closing of the valve structure is related to whether the conductive sheet encounters water.

[0035] The embodiments of the present invention have at least the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0036] 1. By making the upper part of the upper cover in close contact with the top of the ball rack and providing a sealing ring between the two, the circuit board is arranged in a relatively closed storage space, so that after water enters the ball rack from the objective gap between the trackball and the upper cover, it can flow downward along the inner wall of the ball rack and be discharged from the drain port to prevent water from contacting the circuit board.

[0037] 2. By making the longitudinal distance between the support plate and the base adjustable, the distance between the base and the desktop can be appropriately increased to prevent water from invading the storage space from the gap between the drain port and the through hole when there is water on the desktop, thereby protecting the circuit board.

[0038] 3. When the desktop is vibrated from bottom to top due to external interference, since the base and the lifting rod can move relatively and their weights are different, they will also produce relative displacement in the longitudinal direction when vibrated, causing the movable plug to slide in the liquid storage cylinder to drive the buffer liquid to flow and pass through the flow holes on the movable plug. The diameter of the flow holes is small. While ensuring the normal flow of the buffer liquid, it can produce a certain resistance to the flow of the buffer liquid, thereby consuming the energy of the vibration and playing an anti-seismic role.

[0039] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practicing the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0041] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a waterproof and shock-resistant trackball device;

[0042] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of position A in the middle;

[0043] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of the C position in the middle;

[0044] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of position B in the middle.

[0045] icon:

[0046] 1-base, 11-through hole, 12-sealing ring, 13-circuit board,

[0047] 2-ball rack, 21-drain port, 22-support shaft,

[0048] 3- Trackball,

[0049] 4-top cover, 41-storage space,

[0050] 5-Liquid storage cylinder,

[0051] 6- movable plug, 61- small flow hole,

[0052] 7-lifting rod, 71-support plate, 72-cross bar, 73-adjusting block, 731-transmission tooth, 74-spring, 75-roller, 751-transmission groove, 76-reversing gear, 77-conductive sheet,

[0053] 8-dustproof parts, 81-pressure plate,

[0054] 91-support rod, 92-scraper ring,

[0055] 101- Water. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] In the following, only some exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art can realize, the described embodiments can be modified in various different ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0057] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "up", "down", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inside", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be understood as limitations on the embodiments of the present invention.

[0058] In addition, the term "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined. "Several" means one or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0059] In the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral one; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0060] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below.

[0061] See also Figure 1~Figure 4 The present application provides a waterproof and shock-resistant trackball 3 device, including a base 1, a ball holder 2, a trackball 3, an upper cover 4, a liquid storage cylinder 5, a movable plug 6 and a lifting rod 7.

[0062] A through hole 11 is formed in the middle of the base 1 .

[0063] The bottom of the ball rack 2 has a drain port 21, which is plugged into the through hole 11. The lower end of the drain port 21 is flush with the lower end of the through hole 11. The inner wall of the ball rack 2 is rotatably connected to a support shaft 22, on which a rotary encoder (not shown) used in conjunction with the trackball 3 is disposed.

[0064] The trackball 3 is disposed in the ball holder 2, and at least three support shafts 22 are in rolling contact with the lower portion of the trackball 3 to support the trackball 3. The trackball 3 is made of stainless steel.

[0065] The upper cover 4 is arched, and the lower part of the upper cover 4 is detachably connected to the base 1 by screws or buckles; the upper part of the upper cover 4 is in close contact with the top of the ball holder 2 and a sealing ring 12 is provided between the two; there is an avoidance hole in the upper center of the upper cover 4, which is used to avoid the upper part of the trackball 3 and at the same time limit the upward movement of the trackball 3.

[0066] The base 1, the ball holder 2 and the upper cover 4 together form a relatively closed storage space 41, and the circuit board 13 electrically connected to the rotary encoder is arranged in the storage space 41. The base 1 may be provided with heat dissipation holes (not shown in the figure) to meet the heat dissipation requirements of the circuit board 13.

[0067] The liquid storage cylinder 5 is arranged on the base 1 , and a buffer liquid is arranged in the liquid storage cylinder 5 .

[0068] The movable plug 6 is slidably fitted in the liquid storage cylinder 5 , and has a plurality of flow holes 61 .

[0069] The upper end of the lifting rod 7 slides through the liquid storage cylinder 5 and is connected to the movable plug 6. The lower end of the lifting rod 7 has a support plate 71, and the longitudinal distance between the support plate 71 and the base 1 is adjustable. There is no limit to the method of adjusting the longitudinal distance between the support plate 71 and the base 1. Four lifting rods 7 are respectively distributed at the four corners of the base 1.

[0070] By making the upper part of the upper cover 4 in close contact with the top of the ball rack 2 and providing a sealing ring 12 therebetween, the circuit board 13 is arranged in a relatively closed storage space 41, so that after water enters the ball rack 2 from the gap between the trackball 3 and the upper cover 4, it can flow downward along the inner wall of the ball rack 2 and be discharged from the drain port 21, so as to prevent the water from contacting the circuit board 13. By making the longitudinal distance between the support plate 71 and the base 1 adjustable, the distance between the base 1 and the desktop can be appropriately increased, so as to prevent the water from invading the storage space 41 from the gap between the drain port 21 and the through hole 11 when there is water on the desktop, thereby protecting the circuit board 13. When the desktop is vibrated from bottom to top due to external interference, since the base 1 and the lifting rod 7 can move relatively and have different weights, the two will also produce relative displacement in the longitudinal direction when vibrated, so that the movable plug 6 slides in the liquid storage tube 5 to drive the buffer liquid to flow and pass through the flow hole 61 on the movable plug 6. The diameter of the flow hole 61 is small. While ensuring the normal flow of the buffer liquid, it can produce a certain resistance to the flow of the buffer liquid, thereby consuming the energy of the vibration and playing an anti-vibration role.

[0071] The specific implementation methods of the present application are described below with examples.

[0072] Example 1

[0073] The longitudinal distance between the support plate 71 and the base 1 is adjusted in the following manner:

[0074] The waterproof and shock-resistant trackball 3 device further includes a crossbar 72 , an adjustment block 73 and a roller 75 .

[0075] The cross bar 72 is arranged on the side of the base 1 .

[0076] The top of the adjusting block 73 is slidably connected to the crossbar 72 , and one side of the adjusting block 73 is tilted toward the base 1 . The bottom of the adjusting block 73 has a plurality of transmission teeth 731 .

[0077] The roller 75 is rotatably connected to the support plate 71, and the lower part of the side of the roller 75 is flush with the lower side of the support plate 71; the side of the roller 75 has a plurality of transmission grooves 751 that are transmission-connected to the transmission teeth 731. The four rollers 75 are respectively located at the four corners of the base 1, and the rotation directions of the rollers 75 located on the left and right sides of the base 1 are opposite.

[0078] Specifically, the roller 75 located on the right side of the base 1 and the corresponding transmission tooth 731 can be directly meshed (the diameter of the roller 75 is larger); the roller 75 located on the left side of the base 1 and the corresponding transmission tooth 731 are connected through the reversing gear 76 (the diameter of the roller 75 is smaller), so that the rotation directions of the rollers 75 located on the left and right sides of the base 1 are opposite, thereby causing the adjustment blocks 73 located on the left and right sides of the base 1 to move in opposite directions.

[0079] When it is necessary to adjust the position of the waterproof and shock-resistant trackball 3 on the desktop, the device can be slid on the desktop to make the rollers 75 on the left and right sides of the base 1 rotate in opposite directions, thereby driving the adjustment blocks 73 on the left and right sides of the base 1 to move in opposite directions; when the adjustment blocks 73 on the left and right sides of the base 1 are close to each other, the inclined sides of the adjustment blocks 73 can push up the base 1 to increase the distance between the base 1 and the desktop, thereby preventing water from invading the storage space 41 from the gap between the drain port 21 and the through hole 11 when there is water on the desktop, thereby protecting the circuit board 13.

[0080] It should be noted that the waterproof and shock-resistant trackball 3 device does not need to be moved on the desktop during normal use. The above solution is set to deal with the situation where there is water on the desktop and the user does not notice it when the position of the device needs to be adjusted. By properly raising the base 1, it is possible to effectively prevent water from invading the storage space 41 through the gap between the drain port 21 and the through hole 11. In addition, the above solution can also prevent water from invading the storage space 41 through the heat dissipation holes on the base 1.

[0081] Example 2

[0082] This embodiment is a further improvement made on the basis of Embodiment 1.

[0083] See also Figure 1~Figure 4 In this embodiment, the waterproof and shock-resistant trackball 3 device further includes a conductive sheet 77 and a spring 74 .

[0084] A plurality of conductive sheets 77 are evenly arranged on the lower side of the base 1 and protrude from the base 1 ; the buffer liquid is electrically connected to the conductive sheets 77 , and the buffer liquid has the characteristic of increased viscosity after being energized; the buffer liquid can undergo a liquid-to-solid change after being energized.

[0085] The spring 74 is sleeved on the cross bar 72 and is used to keep the adjustment block 73 away from the base 1 .

[0086] Considering that after adjusting the position of the device, the device as a whole rises, and the size of the device as a whole is changed, the user may need to restore the device as a whole to the previous size to adapt to the usage habits. At the same time, in order to ensure that the device still has good waterproof performance, the above-mentioned conductive sheet 77 and spring 74 are provided in this embodiment. Specifically, after adjusting the position of the device, the base 1 rises, and the user can lift the entire device and lift the roller 75 off the ground. The adjustment block 73 will push the adjustment block 73 away from the base 1 under the action of the reset force of the spring 74, so that the base 1 descends; during the descent of the base 1, if two or more conductive sheets 77 are in contact with water, a conductive closed loop is formed to transmit current to the buffer liquid. After the buffer liquid is energized, the viscosity of the buffer liquid is enhanced, which can prevent the base 1 from continuing to descend, so that the base 1 is located above the water, preventing water from invading the storage space 41 from the gap between the drain port 21 and the through hole 11, and preventing water from invading the storage space 41 from the heat dissipation holes on the base 1.

[0087] Example 3

[0088] This embodiment is a further improvement made on the basis of Embodiment 2.

[0089] See also Figure 1~Figure 4 An indicator light (not shown in the figure) electrically connected to the buffer liquid is provided on the upper cover 4 or the base 1. When current passes through the buffer liquid, the indicator light lights up to more intuitively remind the user that there is water under the base 1.

[0090] Example 4

[0091] This embodiment is another implementation of Embodiment 2.

[0092] See also Figure 1~Figure 4 In this embodiment, the waterproof and shock-resistant trackball 3 device further includes a conductive sheet 77, a spring 74 and a valve structure (not shown in the figure).

[0093] A plurality of conductive sheets 77 are disposed on the lower side of the base 1 and protrude from the base 1; the buffer liquid is electrically connected to the conductive sheets 77, and the buffer liquid has the characteristic of increasing viscosity after being energized; the buffer liquid can undergo a liquid-to-solid change after being energized. The buffer liquid is, for example, an electrorheological fluid.

[0094] The spring 74 is sleeved on the cross bar 72 and is used to keep the adjustment block 73 away from the base 1 .

[0095] The valve structure is arranged at the flow hole 61, and the opening and closing of the valve structure is related to whether the conductive sheet 77 is in contact with water; when two or more conductive sheets 77 are in contact with water, the valve structure is closed to prevent the flow of the buffer liquid; when the conductive sheet 77 is not in contact with water, the valve structure is opened to allow the buffer liquid to flow, thereby restoring the anti-seismic function of the buffer liquid.

[0096] Example 5

[0097] This embodiment is a further improvement made on the basis of Embodiment 1, 2, 3 or 4.

[0098] See also Figure 1~Figure 4 The waterproof and shock-resistant trackball 3 device also includes a dustproof part 8. A pressure plate 81 is detachably connected to the top of the upper cover 4. The dustproof part 8 is pressed tightly against the edge of the avoidance hole by the pressure plate 81. The dustproof part 8 is used to cover the gap between the trackball 3 and the avoidance hole to play a dustproof role and prevent too much dust from entering the gap between the trackball 3 and the avoidance hole, thereby affecting the user's rotation of the trackball 3.

[0099] A scraper ring 92 is connected to the drain port 21 via a support rod 91, and the top of the scraper ring 92 is in rolling contact with the surface of the trackball 3. In this way, during daily operation of the trackball 3, scale formed by sweat and dust attached to the surface of the trackball 3 can be scraped off by the scraper ring 92 and discharged from the drain port 21.

[0100] Finally, it should be noted that the above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention may have various modifications and variations. In the absence of conflicts, the embodiments of the present application and the features in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined with each other. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A waterproof and shock-resistant trackball device, characterized in that: include: A base having a through hole; A ball rack having a liquid discharge port, the liquid discharge port being plugged into the through hole; an inner wall of the ball rack being rotatably connected to a support shaft, the support shaft being provided with a rotary encoder used in conjunction with a trackball; A trackball is disposed in the ball holder, and at least three of the support shafts are in rolling contact with the lower portion of the trackball; An upper cover is detachably connected to the base; the upper part of the upper cover is in close contact with the top of the ball holder and a sealing ring is provided between the two; the upper part of the upper cover has an avoidance hole, the avoidance hole is used to avoid the upper part of the trackball and limit the upward movement of the trackball; The base, the ball holder and the upper cover together form a closed storage space, and a circuit board electrically connected to the rotary encoder is arranged in the storage space; Also includes: A liquid storage cylinder is arranged on the base, and a buffer liquid is arranged in the liquid storage cylinder; A movable plug is slidably fitted in the liquid storage cylinder, and the movable plug has a plurality of small flow holes; A lifting rod, the upper end of which slides through the liquid storage cylinder and is connected to the movable plug, and the lower end of which has a support plate, and the longitudinal spacing between the support plate and the base is adjustable; four lifting rods are respectively distributed at the four corners of the base; A crossbar, arranged on a side of the base; An adjusting block, the top of which is slidably connected to the crossbar, one side of the adjusting block is inclined toward the base; the bottom of the adjusting block has a plurality of transmission teeth; A roller is rotatably connected to the support plate, and the lower part of the side of the roller is flush with the lower side of the support plate; the side of the roller has a plurality of transmission grooves connected to the transmission teeth; wherein the four rollers are respectively located at the four corners of the base, and the rotation directions of the rollers located on the left and right sides of the base are opposite; A plurality of conductive sheets are arranged on the lower side of the base and protrude from the base; the buffer liquid is electrically connected to the conductive sheets, and the buffer liquid has a characteristic of increased viscosity after being energized; A spring is used to keep the adjusting block away from the base.

2. The waterproof and shock-resistant trackball device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the liquid discharge port is flush with the lower end of the through hole.

3. The waterproof and shock-resistant trackball device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A scraper ring is connected in the liquid discharge port through a support rod, and the top of the scraper ring is in rolling contact with the surface of the trackball.

4. The waterproof and shock-resistant trackball device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base is provided with a heat dissipation hole, and the heat dissipation hole is communicated with the storage space.

5. The waterproof and shock-resistant trackball device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The waterproof and shock-resistant trackball device further comprises a dustproof member, and the dustproof member is used for covering the gap between the trackball and the avoidance hole.

6. The waterproof and shock-resistant trackball device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The roller located on the right side of the base is directly meshed with the corresponding transmission teeth; The roller located on the left side of the base and the corresponding transmission tooth are connected through a reversing gear transmission.

7. The waterproof and shock-resistant trackball device according to claim 1, characterized in that: An indicator light electrically connected to the buffer liquid is arranged on the upper cover or the base.

8. The waterproof and shock-resistant trackball device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The waterproof and shock-resistant trackball device further comprises: A plurality of conductive sheets are arranged on the lower side of the base and protrude from the base; A spring, used for keeping the adjusting block away from the base; The valve structure is arranged at the flow hole, and the opening and closing of the valve structure is related to whether the conductive sheet encounters water.

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