Induction type encoder with adjustable hand feeling force

Abstract

The invention discloses an induction type encoder with adjustable hand feeling force, which comprises a base, a roller mounted on the base, a signal generating assembly triggered by the roller to generate a signal, a hand feeling adjusting assembly for applying variable damping to the roller, and a driving assembly for driving the hand feeling adjusting assembly, the rolling wheel structure is a hollow ring wheel with a single side wall, and the hand feeling adjusting assembly can apply adjustable friction force to the side wall; the encoder is further provided with a positioning signal assembly, and the positioning signal assembly generates a signal to be matched with the driving assembly to drive the hand feeling adjusting assembly to apply specific friction force to the side wall of the roller. Meanwhile, the positioning signal assembly can accurately indicate the rotating position of the arc-shaped shovel, and the adjusting precision of the hand feeling force is ensured; the structure is relatively simple, the adjusting process is convenient and rapid, the stability and the reliability are high, powerful support is provided for personalized user experience, and the market application prospect is large.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of encoders, and in particular to an inductive encoder with adjustable hand-feel force. Background Art

[0002] In the existing computer peripherals, such as mouse, scroll wheel encoder and other fields, the scroll feel force adjustment of the scroll wheel is an important user experience focus. Each user has different requirements for the scroll feel of the flywheel (scroll wheel) in different usage scenarios. Sometimes the scroll wheel needs to be in an undamped mode to rotate rapidly by inertia, and sometimes the scroll wheel needs to have specific damping to bring a specific dialing feeling. This is generally called feel force adjustment in the industry. The size of the feel force directly affects the user's operating accuracy and comfort. Therefore, how to achieve accurate, fast and stable adjustment of the scroll wheel feel force has become a key technical issue in the development of scroll wheel component technology.

[0003] At present, there are some roller assembly products with adjustable feel force on the market, but these products have shortcomings in achieving feel force adjustment. For example, patent number "CN202322439544.5" is named a roller component and mouse with adjustable damping, which drives the reduction gear set through an electronically controlled motor, and then drives the rack to move, and the rack-linked damping structure produces movement, moving close to or away from the inner wall of the inner ring of the roller to change the size of the roller damping. For example, patent number "CN202410673689.8" is named a roller assembly and mouse with adjustable rolling feel, which drives the abutment part to move through an electronically controlled motor module, changes the abutment position between the variable elastic end and the abutment end of the swing arm, and then applies different elastic forces to the swing arm, and the swing arm then changes the pressure applied to the inner wall of the roller by the damping pressure rod through transmission.

[0004] Both solutions adjust the distance between the pressure rod and the inner wall of the roller through the drive component, thereby adjusting the damping feel of the roller. Both adjustment methods require the damping rod to enter and abut the inner wall of the roller to work. Long-term use can easily cause wear of the inner wall of the roller and affect its life. In addition, these two solutions do not have positioning signals and precise electronic control systems, and their operation is not smart and precise enough. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide an inductive encoder with adjustable feel force, which can achieve variable damping on the roller side wall by adding a feel adjustment component and a drive component, thereby adjusting the feel force of the encoder. At the same time, the present invention also provides a positioning signal component, which can accurately instruct the drive component to adjust the specific friction force applied by the feel adjustment component to the roller side wall, thereby improving the adjustment accuracy and user experience.

[0006] To achieve the technical purpose, the solution of the present invention is: an inductive encoder with adjustable feel force, comprising a base and a roller mounted on the base, and a signal generating component triggered by the roller to generate a signal, and also comprising a feel adjustment component for applying variable damping to the roller, and a driving component for driving the feel adjustment component; the roller is configured as a hollow ring wheel with a single side wall, and the feel adjustment component can apply an adjustable friction force to the side wall; a positioning signal component is also provided on the encoder, and the positioning signal component generates a signal for cooperating with the driving component to drive the feel adjustment component to apply a specific friction force to the side wall of the roller.

[0007] Preferably, the feel adjustment component includes a damping frame and an arc shovel, the damping frame is arranged between the arc shovel and the roller side wall, and at least one elastic damping member is installed on the damping frame, one end of the elastic damping member abuts against the roller side wall, and the other end faces the arc shovel side and is provided with a hook groove, and the arc shovel is rotatably arranged on the base and is transmission-connected to the driving component; when the driving component drives the arc shovel to rotate and cut into the hook groove of the elastic damping member, the elastic damping member moves away from the roller side wall to change the friction between the roller side wall and the elastic damping member.

[0008] Preferably, the damping frame is provided with a mounting hole for accommodating the elastic damping member, the elastic damping member comprises a damping column on which a tension spring is sleeved, the top end of the elastic damping member is a hook groove, and the bottom end is a contact platform that can abut against the side wall of the roller; one end of the tension spring abuts against the contact platform of the damping column, and the other end abuts against the inner wall of the mounting hole of the damping frame.

[0009] Preferably, there are at least two elastic damping members, the mounting holes on the damping frame correspond to the elastic damping members one by one, and the central axis of each mounting hole is equidistant from the central axis of the arc shovel and parallel to each other.

[0010] Preferably, the end of the arc-shaped shovel cutting into the hook groove is a wedge-shaped structure to allow the arc-shaped shovel to cut into the hook groove.

[0011] Preferably, the drive assembly includes an electronically controlled motor and a reduction gear set, and a transmission gear plate is coaxially provided on one side of the arc-shaped shovel, which is meshed with the output end of the reduction gear set; an annular shaft body extends from one end of the arc-shaped shovel toward the damping frame, and the arc-shaped shovel is pivotally connected to the damping frame through the annular shaft body.

[0012] Preferably, the positioning signal component includes a light-emitting tube composed of a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, and a structural component that can affect the light path and is arranged on the light path of the light-emitting tube. The structural component is constructed on the arc shovel and affects the light path as the arc shovel rotates, thereby causing the light-emitting tube to generate a signal to determine the rotation position of the arc shovel.

[0013] Preferably, the structural member is a light-blocking ring arranged on the arc-shaped shovel, and a plurality of light-through holes are provided on the light-blocking ring. When the light-blocking ring rotates with the arc-shaped shovel so that the light-through holes are located in the light path of the light-pairing tube, the light-receiving element generates a signal output to determine the current rotation position of the arc-shaped shovel; the light-through holes include at least one aperture that is different from the other light-through holes.

[0014] Preferably, the encoder further comprises a flexible circuit board, which is mounted on a damping frame, and the damping frame is provided with a light-transmitting hole through which the light path can pass, and the light-emitting element and light-receiving element patches are arranged on the flexible circuit board and located on both sides of the light-transmitting hole.

[0015] Preferably, the flexible circuit board is provided with a hole for allowing the arc-shaped shovel to pass through, and the flexible circuit board is also provided with colorful LED lamp beads on the other side of the light-transmitting tube.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: during use, the user can intelligently control the electric motor to drive the arc shovel to rotate, thereby changing the friction force of the elastic damping member on the roller side wall to achieve the adjustment of the hand feel force. At the same time, the positioning signal component can accurately indicate the rotation position of the arc shovel to ensure the adjustment accuracy of the hand feel force; the structure of the present invention is relatively simple, the adjustment process is convenient and fast, and it has high stability and reliability, which provides strong support for personalized user experience and has great market application prospects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 An exploded view of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the hand feel adjustment component of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the damping frame and the elastic damping member in the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the arc shovel in the present invention;

[0023] Figure 7 This is the second structural schematic diagram of the arc shovel in the present invention;

[0024] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the arc shovel away from the elastic damping member in the present invention;

[0025] Fig. 9It is a structural schematic diagram of the arc-shaped shovel cutting into the elastic damping member in the present invention;

[0026] Fig.10 It is a schematic structural diagram of the elastic damping member in the present invention;

[0027] Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram of the side structure of the damping frame in the present invention;

[0028] Fig.12 A diagram showing the position relationship between the flexible circuit board and the hand feel adjustment component in the present invention;

[0029] Fig.13 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the light pair tube and the flexible circuit board in the present invention;

[0030] Fig.14 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the driving assembly and the transmission gear plate in the present invention;

[0031] Fig.15 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the damping frame and the arc shovel in the present invention;

[0032] Fig.16 It is a stereogram of the present invention.

[0033] In the figure: 1. roller; 11. side wall; 2. flexible circuit board; 21. air avoidance hole; 3. feel adjustment component; 31. damping frame; 311. mounting hole; 312. inner wall of mounting hole; 313. annular cavity; 314. light-transmitting hole; 32. arc shovel; 321. annular shaft; 322. wedge-shaped structure; 323. light-through hole; 324. reference hole; 33. elastic damping element; 331. tension spring; 332. damping column; 333. hook slot; 334. contact platform; 34. transmission gear plate; 4. base; 5. drive component; 51. electronically controlled motor; 52. reduction gear set; 6. light-transmitting tube; 7. LED lamp beads; 8. magnet; 9. Hall sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. In order to clearly and completely describe the technical solution, the following embodiments are selected for illustration; the following embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention; based on this application, other embodiments obtained without creative work are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] In the following embodiments, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", "top / bottom" and other directions or positional relationships are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of clearly describing the present embodiment, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. At the same time, "first" and "second" in the embodiments are only used for distinguishing description purposes, and do not represent or imply relative importance.

[0036] like Figure 1-16 As shown, the present invention provides an inductive encoder with adjustable hand feel, comprising a base 4 and a roller 1 mounted on the base 4, and a signal generating component triggered by the roller 1 to generate a signal. The encoder also includes a hand feel adjustment component 3 for applying variable damping to the roller 1, a driving component 5 for driving the hand feel adjustment component 3, and a positioning signal component.

[0037] The roller 1 is configured as a hollow ring wheel with a single side wall 11, and the feel adjustment component 3 can apply an adjustable friction force to the side wall 11 of the roller 1. The feel adjustment component 3 includes a damping frame 31 and an arc shovel 32, and the damping frame 31 is located between the arc shovel 32 and the side wall 11 of the roller 1. Figure 3-4 As shown, in this embodiment, four mounting holes 311 are provided on the damping frame 31, and the mounting holes 311 on the damping frame 31 correspond to the elastic damping members 33 one by one. Fig.10 As shown, the elastic damping member 33 includes a damping column 332 with a tension spring 331 sleeved thereon, the top end of the damping column 332 is a hook slot 333, and the bottom end is a contact platform 334 that can abut against the side wall 11 of the roller 1. Figure 2 As shown, one end of the tension spring 331 abuts against the contact platform 334 of the damping column 332, and the other end abuts against the inner wall 312 of the mounting hole of the damping frame 31. Fig. 9 As shown, when the driving assembly 5 drives the arc shovel 32 to rotate and cut into the hook groove 333, the contact platform 334 of the damping column 332 leaves the side wall 11 of the roller 1, and the contact platform 334 squeezes the tension spring 331, as shown in FIG. Figure 8 As shown, when the driving assembly 5 drives the arc shovel 32 to rotate away from the hook slot 333 , the tension spring 331 is reset to make the contact platform 334 of the damping frame 31 abut against the side wall 11 of the roller 1 .

[0038] The arc shovel 32 is pivotally connected to the base 4, and an annular shaft 321 is provided at one end of the arc shovel 32. An annular cavity 313 corresponding to the annular shaft 321 is provided on the damping frame 31. The arc shovel 32 is inserted into the annular cavity 313 through the annular shaft 321 and is pivotally connected to the damping frame 31. The arc shovel 32 is connected to the driving assembly 5 through the transmission gear plate 34. Specifically, the driving assembly 5 includes an electric control motor 51 and a reduction gear set 52. A transmission gear plate 34 is coaxially provided on one side of the arc shovel 32, and the transmission gear plate 34 is meshed with the output end of the reduction gear set 52.

[0039] The central axis of each mounting hole 311 on the damping frame 31 is equidistant from the central axis of the arc shovel 32 and parallel to each other, so as to ensure that the arc shovel 32 can rotate smoothly and cut into the elastic damping member 33 on the damping frame 31 in sequence. The end of the arc shovel 32 cutting into the hook groove 333 is a wedge-shaped structure 322, so as to allow the arc shovel 32 to cut into the hook groove 333. When the driving component 5 drives the arc shovel 32 to rotate, the wedge-shaped structure 322 can cut into the hook groove 333 of the elastic damping member 33, so that the elastic damping member 33 moves away from the side wall 11 of the roller 1, thereby changing (or eliminating) the friction between the side wall 11 of the roller 1 and the elastic damping member 33.

[0040] The positioning signal component includes an optical tube 6 composed of a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, and a structural member disposed on the optical path of the optical tube 6 that can affect the optical path. In the preferred embodiment, the structural member is a light-blocking ring disposed on the arc-shaped shovel 32, and a plurality of light-through holes 323 are disposed on the light-blocking ring. When the light-blocking ring rotates with the arc-shaped shovel 32 so that the light-through holes 323 are located in the optical path of the optical tube 6, the light-receiving element receives the light to generate a signal, and the signal is output to an external device (computer, etc.) to determine the current rotation position of the arc-shaped shovel 32, and then the external device outputs an instruction to the electronic control motor to stop rotating, so that the position of the arc-shaped shovel can be effectively and accurately controlled, and finally the specific number of elastic damping members 33 applied to the roller side wall can be determined; the light-through holes 323 include at least one aperture that is different from other light-through holes 323. Figure 3 As shown, there are five light holes 323 on the arc shovel 32, of which the first small hole is the reference hole 324, and the remaining light holes 323 are of the same size. After passing the reference point, incremental counting can be performed as incremental signal determination. Of course, the subsequent holes can also be set as light holes 323 of gradually varying sizes as absolute signal determination. The reference hole 324 is used to provide an initial position reference. As the arc shovel 32 rotates, when the subsequent light holes 323 are located in the light path of the light pair tube 6, the light receiving element receives the light to generate a signal. The signal is output to the peripheral device (computer, etc.) to determine the current rotation position of the arc shovel 32, and then the peripheral device outputs a command to the electronic control motor to stop rotating. In this way, the position of the arc shovel can be effectively and accurately controlled, and the specific number of elastic damping members applied to the roller side wall can be determined.

[0041] The encoder further includes a flexible circuit board 2, which is mounted on a damping frame 31. The damping frame 31 is provided with a light-transmitting hole 314 through which the light path can pass, and the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element patches are arranged on the flexible circuit board 2 and are located on both sides of the light-transmitting hole 314. The flexible circuit board 2 is also provided with a clearance hole 21 through which the arc-shaped shovel 32 can pass, and the flexible circuit board 2 is also provided with colorful LED lamp beads on the other side of the light-transmitting tube 6.

[0042] The present invention provides five evenly distributed light holes 323 (numbered T1 to T5) on the arc shovel 32, wherein T1 is used as a reference hole 324 to provide an initial position reference. When these light holes 323 are located in the light path passing through the light pair tube 6, the light receiving element of the light pair tube 6 can generate and output an electrical signal for determining the rotation state of the arc shovel 32. The damping frame 31 is equipped with four elastic damping members 33 (numbered D1 to D4), each of which is composed of a damping column 332 and a tension spring 331. A hook groove 333 is provided at one end of the damping column 332, and a contact platform 334 is provided at the other end. When the contact platform 334 contacts the side wall 11 of the roller 1, friction is generated.

[0043] When the user needs to use the encoder to adjust a specific feel force (such as a completely frictionless flywheel state or other damping state with a given specific friction force), the user selects the command through the peripheral device and gives it to the electronically controlled motor. The electronically controlled motor rotates and is transmitted through the reduction gear set, so that the arc shovel 32 starts to rotate. When the arc shovel 32 rotates to the point where the T1 reference hole 324 is located on the optical path of the optical tube 6, the starting position is determined. The peripheral device continues to instruct the electronically controlled motor to stop rotating or continue rotating until the next N (N is 1 / 2 / 3) positions according to the needs of the user based on the determination of the starting position. For the four elastic damping members in the best embodiment of this case, it can be easily achieved in this way that 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 elastic damping members apply pressure to the side wall of the roller to achieve the function of accurately adjusting the friction force and realizing the precise adjustment of the feel force.

[0044] The user sends a command to increase the feel force through a button or a control interface. The electronically controlled motor 51 is started, and the transmission gear plate 34 is driven to rotate through the reduction gear set 52 to rotate the arc shovel 32 until the T1 reference hole is located on the optical path of the optical tube. Then, the electronically controlled motor 51 drives the reduction gear set under the control of the command, and then the transmission gear plate 34 drives the arc shovel 32 to rotate forward or reversely, and the wedge structure 322 of the arc shovel 32 gradually leaves the hook grooves 333 of D1 to D4 in the elastic damping member 33. The tension spring 331 causes the damping column 332 to rise, and according to the command, one or two or three or four elastic damping members are abutted against the roller side wall. The more elastic damping members abut against the roller side wall, the greater the pressure of the contact platform 334 on the roller 1 side wall 11, the stronger the damping force, and the stronger the feel force, thereby realizing the step-by-step adjustment of the feel force.

[0045] The user sends a command to reduce the hand feeling force through a button or a control interface. The electronically controlled motor 51 is started, and the transmission gear plate 34 is driven to rotate through the reduction gear set 52 to rotate the arc shovel 32 until the T1 reference hole is located on the optical path of the light pair tube. Then the electronically controlled motor 51 drives the reduction gear set under the control of the command, and then the transmission gear plate continues to rotate forward or reversely. The transmission gear plate 34 drives the arc shovel 32 to rotate in the opposite direction, and the wedge-shaped structure 322 of the arc shovel 32 gradually cuts into the hook groove 333 from D4 to D1 in the elastic damping member 33, and the damping column 332 is pushed down. According to the command, one or two or three or four elastic damping members leave the roller side wall. The more elastic damping members leave the roller side wall, the smaller the pressure of the contact platform 334 on the roller 1 side wall 11, the smaller the damping force, and the hand feeling force is weakened to zero, thereby realizing the step-by-step adjustment of the hand feeling force.

[0046] Throughout the adjustment process, the positioning signal assembly continues to provide real-time feedback on the rotational position of the arc shovel 32. By continuously or step-by-step adjusting the rotation of the electronically controlled motor 51, the user can precisely adjust the hand feel force to the desired level.

[0047] The signal generating component in the present invention can be a photoelectric signal generator or an electromagnetic signal generator, such as Fig.16 As shown, a magnet 8 is coaxially arranged on the roller 1, and a Hall sensor 9 is arranged on the flexible circuit board 2. When the roller 1 rotates, the magnet 8 rotates accordingly to make the Hall sensor 9 generate a signal.

[0048] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any slight modification, equivalent substitution and improvement made to the above embodiment based on the technical essence of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. An inductive encoder with adjustable hand feel, comprising a base, a roller mounted on the base, and a signal generating component triggered by the roller to generate a signal, characterized in that: It also includes a feel adjustment component for applying variable damping to the roller, and a drive component for driving the feel adjustment component; the roller is configured as a hollow ring wheel with a single side wall, and the feel adjustment component can apply an adjustable friction force to the side wall; the encoder is also provided with a positioning signal component, which generates a signal for cooperating with the drive component to drive the feel adjustment component to apply a specific friction force to the side wall of the roller.

2. The inductive encoder with adjustable hand feel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hand feel adjustment component includes a damping frame and an arc shovel, the damping frame is arranged between the arc shovel and the roller side wall, at least one elastic damping member is installed on the damping frame, one end of the elastic damping member abuts against the roller side wall, and the other end faces the arc shovel side and is configured with a hook groove, the arc shovel is rotatably arranged on the base and is transmission-connected to the driving component; when the driving component drives the arc shovel to rotate and cut into the hook groove of the elastic damping member, the elastic damping member moves away from the roller side wall to change the friction between the roller side wall and the elastic damping member.

3. The inductive encoder with adjustable hand feel according to claim 2, characterized in that: The damping frame is provided with a mounting hole for accommodating the elastic damping member, and the elastic damping member includes a damping column on which a tension spring is sleeved, the top end of the elastic damping member is a hook groove, and the bottom end is a contact platform that can abut against the side wall of the roller; one end of the tension spring abuts against the contact platform of the damping column, and the other end abuts against the inner wall of the mounting hole of the damping frame.

4. The inductive encoder with adjustable hand feel according to claim 3, characterized in that: There are at least two elastic damping members, the mounting holes on the damping frame correspond to the elastic damping members one by one, and the central axis of each mounting hole is equidistant from the central axis of the arc shovel and parallel to each other.

5. The inductive encoder with adjustable hand feel according to claim 4, characterized in that: The end of the arc-shaped shovel cutting into the hook groove is a wedge-shaped structure to allow the arc-shaped shovel to cut into the hook groove.

6. The inductive encoder with adjustable hand feel according to claim 5, characterized in that: The driving assembly includes an electronically controlled motor and a reduction gear set. A transmission gear plate is coaxially arranged on one side of the arc-shaped shovel, and the transmission gear plate is meshed with the output end of the reduction gear set. An annular shaft body extends from one end of the arc-shaped shovel toward the damping frame, and the arc-shaped shovel is pivotally connected to the damping frame through the annular shaft body.

7. The inductive encoder with adjustable hand feel force according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that: The positioning signal component includes a light-emitting tube composed of a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, and a structural component that can affect the light path and is arranged on the light path of the light-emitting tube. The structural component is constructed on the arc shovel and affects the light path as the arc shovel rotates, thereby causing the light-emitting tube to generate a signal to determine the rotation position of the arc shovel.

8. The inductive encoder with adjustable hand feel according to claim 7, characterized in that: The structural member is a light-blocking ring arranged on the arc-shaped shovel, and a plurality of light-through holes are arranged on the light-blocking ring. When the light-blocking ring rotates with the arc-shaped shovel so that the light-through holes are located in the light path of the light-pairing tube, the light-receiving element generates a signal output to determine the current rotation position of the arc-shaped shovel; the light-through holes include at least one aperture that is different from the other light-through holes.

9. The inductive encoder with adjustable hand feel according to claim 8, characterized in that: The encoder also includes a flexible circuit board, which is mounted on a damping frame. The damping frame is provided with a light-transmitting hole through which light can pass. The light-emitting element and the light-receiving element patches are arranged on the flexible circuit board and located on both sides of the light-transmitting hole.

10. The inductive encoder with adjustable hand feel according to claim 9, characterized in that: The flexible circuit board is provided with a clearance hole through which the arc-shaped shovel can pass, and the flexible circuit board is also provided with colorful LED lamp beads on the other side of the light-receiving tube.

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