Control signal input device and handheld computer

Abstract

The utility model provides a control signal input device and a handheld computer, and the control signal input device comprises a printed circuit board which is disposed in a housing, and at least one part of the printed circuit board is disposed below a mounting hole of the housing; the rotary knob assembly comprises a rotary disc and a first sensor, the rotary disc is rotationally connected to the mounting hole of the shell and is provided with a central through hole communicating the interior and the exterior of the shell, and the first sensor switches signals output to the printed circuit board when the rotary disc rotates; the operating rod assembly comprises a rocker, a rocker seat and a second sensor, the rocker seat is fixed on the printed circuit board, the bottom of the rocker is arranged in the rocker seat, and at least one part of the rocker extends into the central through hole; and the second sensor is triggered by the action of the rocker to output a corresponding signal to the printed circuit board. According to the utility model, spatial multiplexing of the two entity input assemblies is realized, and miniaturization of electronic equipment is facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of electronic devices, and more specifically, to a control signal input device and a handheld computer. Background Art

[0002] Handheld computers (such as handheld game consoles, various special terminals, etc.) are widely used in some occasions due to their portability and simplicity of operation.

[0003] The handheld computer itself is relatively small in size, and its screen is relatively large, resulting in relatively little space left for input operations. For this reason, many handheld computers use touch screens as input devices. However, touch screens are prone to accidental touches, input delays, and inability to operate under extreme conditions (such as when it is raining). Compared with touch screens, physical buttons are not prone to accidental touches and have advantages such as small input delays and can meet extreme conditions. However, existing physical buttons often require a large amount of space. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to provide a control signal input device and a handheld computer in view of the problem that the above-mentioned physical buttons occupy a large amount of space.

[0005] The technical solution of the utility model to solve the above technical problem is to provide a control signal input device applied to an electronic device. The electronic device includes a housing, and the housing has an installation hole communicating the inside and outside of the housing. The control signal input device includes:

[0006] A printed circuit board is installed inside the housing, and at least a part of the printed circuit board is located below the installation hole;

[0007] A knob assembly includes a turntable and a first sensor. The turntable is rotatably connected to the installation hole of the housing and has a central through hole communicating the inside and outside of the housing. The first sensor is fixed on the printed circuit board and electrically connected to the printed circuit board, and the first sensor switches the signal output to the printed circuit board when the turntable rotates;

[0008] An operating rod assembly includes a rocker, a rocker seat, and a second sensor. The rocker seat is fixed on the printed circuit board and is located below the installation hole. The bottom of the rocker is installed in the rocker seat, and at least a part of the rocker extends into the central through hole; the second sensor is electrically connected to the printed circuit board, and the second sensor outputs a corresponding signal to the printed circuit board triggered by the action of the rocker.

[0009] As a further improvement of the utility model, the installation hole is circular, and the shape of the outer periphery of the turntable is adapted to the shape of the installation hole;

[0010] The knob assembly includes a knob bracket in a circular ring shape, which is fixed on the printed circuit board and surrounds the rocker seat; the bottom of the turntable is rotatably connected to the knob bracket, and the top of the turntable passes through the mounting hole and is exposed outside the shell.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the knob assembly includes a transmission member, which is installed in the housing and is transmission-connected to the turntable, and the first sensor switches the signal output to the printed circuit board when the transmission member is driven to rotate by the turntable.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, a first gear is provided on the outer periphery of the rotating disk, and when the rotating disk is mounted on the housing, the first gear is located inside the housing;

[0013] The transmission member includes a second gear meshing with the first gear and a rotating shaft passing through the second gear, the bottom end of the rotating shaft is polygonal and inserted into the first sensor, and the first sensor is triggered by the rotation of the rotating shaft to output different signals to the printed circuit board.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, the inner wall of the bottom of the turntable is formed with a first socket portion, the outer periphery of the top of the knob bracket is formed with a second socket portion that is compatible with the first socket portion, and the turntable is rotatably connected to the knob bracket in a manner that the first socket portion is socketed on the outer periphery of the second socket portion.

[0015] As a further improvement of the present invention, the operating rod assembly includes a handle, which includes a neck and a gripping portion connected in sequence in a coaxial manner; the bottom end of the neck has a socket, the handle is socketed on the top end of the rocker through the socket, and the neck and the gripping portion are exposed above the central through hole.

[0016] As a further improvement of the present invention, the handle includes an elastic support portion, which is connected to the bottom end of the neck, and when the handle is mounted on the rocker, the elastic support portion is located in the central through hole of the turntable and surrounds the rocker.

[0017] As a further improvement of the utility model, the elastic support part is in the shape of an inverted bowl, the inner wall of the turntable has a circumferentially arranged annular groove, the bottom edge of the elastic support part is located above the annular groove, and the elastic support part contacts the annular groove through the edge to push the rocker to return to the center position.

[0018] The utility model also provides a palmtop computer, comprising the control signal input device as described above.

[0019] As a further improvement of the present utility model, the palm computer includes a screen on the front, and the control signal input device is adjacent to the screen.

[0020] The present utility model has the following beneficial effects: By providing a central through hole in the knob assembly and enabling the rocker of the operating rod assembly to pass through the central through hole, the spatial reuse of two physical input components is achieved, which is beneficial to the miniaturization of electronic devices. Description of the Drawings

[0021] Figure 1 is an exploded structural schematic diagram of the control signal input device provided by an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0022] Figure 2 is a combined state schematic diagram of the control signal input device provided by an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0023] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the control signal input device provided by an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0024] Figure 4 is a circuit structural schematic diagram of the first sensor in the control signal input device provided by an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0025] Figure 5 is a circuit structural schematic diagram of the second sensor in the control signal input device provided by an embodiment of the present utility model. Detailed Embodiments

[0026] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present utility model and are not used to limit the present utility model.

[0027] Those skilled in the art should understand that hardware manufacturers may use different terms to refer to the same component. This specification and the claims do not use the difference in names as a way to distinguish components, but use the difference in functions of components as the criterion for distinction. As mentioned throughout this specification and the claims, "comprising" is an open-ended term and should be interpreted as "including but not limited to". "Substantially" means within an acceptable error range, and those skilled in the art can solve technical problems within a certain error range and basically achieve the technical effects.

[0028] In the description of the application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "horizontal", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present utility model and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation to the present utility model.

[0029] In the description of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "first", "second", "third" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance; the term "plurality" means two or more; unless otherwise specified or stated, the terms "connection", "fixation", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, an integral connection, or an electrical connection; "connection" can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0030] As Figure 1 shown, it is a schematic structural diagram of a control signal input device provided by an embodiment of the present utility model. The control signal input device can be applied to an electronic device (such as a personal digital assistant, etc.). The electronic device includes a housing, and there is an installation hole on the housing that communicates the inside and outside of the housing. The control signal input device of this embodiment is installed at the above installation hole. Specifically, the control signal input device of this embodiment includes a printed circuit board (Printed Circuit Board, PCB) 11, a knob assembly, and a joystick assembly. The above knob assembly and joystick assembly are respectively used to generate control signals, and the control signals generated by the knob assembly and the joystick assembly are respectively output to the printed circuit board 11 and transmitted by the printed circuit board 11 to the main control board of the electronic device, etc.

[0031] The above printed circuit board 11 is installed inside the housing of the electronic device, and at least a part of the printed circuit board 11 is located below the installation hole. Specifically, the printed circuit board 11 has a microcontroller unit (Micro controller Unit, MCU) and peripheral circuits, which can perform electrical signal sampling, conversion, transmission, etc. through the microcontroller unit. The structure and working principle of the printed circuit board 11 belong to the conventional techniques in the art and will not be elaborated here.

[0032] The knob assembly includes a turntable 31 and a first sensor 32. The turntable 31 is rotatably connected to the mounting hole on the housing of the electronic device, that is, at least a part of the turntable 31 is located inside the housing, another part of the turntable 31 passes through the mounting hole and exposes to the outside of the housing, and the turntable 31 can rotate relative to the housing. The turntable 31 has a central through-hole communicating the inside and outside of the housing, that is, after the turntable 31 is installed at the mounting hole of the housing, the central through-hole on the turntable 31 communicates the inside and outside of the housing. The first sensor 32 is fixed on the printed circuit board 11 and electrically connected to the printed circuit board 11 (for example, the first sensor 32 includes a plurality of conductive pins and is fixedly welded to the printed circuit board through the conductive pins), and the first sensor 32 outputs different signals to the printed circuit board 11 when the turntable 31 rotates. The printed circuit board 11 can collect the above signals through its microcontroller and peripheral circuits, so as to realize the input of control signals, that is, different control signals can be input by rotating the turntable 31.

[0033] The operating lever assembly includes a rocker 22, a rocker seat 21 and a second sensor (not shown in the figure). The rocker seat 21 is fixed on the printed circuit board 11 and located below the mounting hole. The bottom of the rocker 22 is installed in the rocker seat 21, and at least a part of the rocker 22 extends into the central through-hole of the turntable 31, that is, the top of the rocker 22 passes through the central through-hole of the turntable 31 and exposes to the top of the turntable 31. The second sensor is electrically connected to the printed circuit board 11, and the second sensor outputs corresponding signals to the printed circuit board 11 triggered by the action of the rocker 22. The printed circuit board 11 can collect the above signals through its microcontroller and peripheral circuits, so as to realize the input of control signals, that is, different control signals can be input by toggling the rocker 22. The above rocker 22, rocker seat 21 and second sensor can be integrated into a module, so as to simplify the assembly of the operating lever assembly. Of course, in practical applications, the rocker 22, rocker seat 21 and second sensor can also adopt other existing structures. And, the principle of the second sensor forming signals can adopt the conventional techniques in the art, such as Figure 5 the scheme shown, which will not be elaborated here.

[0034] The above control signal input device realizes the spatial reuse of two entity input components by setting a central through-hole in the knob assembly and making the rocker of the operating lever assembly pass through the central through-hole, which is beneficial to the miniaturization of the electronic device.

[0035] In an embodiment of the present invention, the mounting hole on the housing of the electronic device is circular. Correspondingly, the outer periphery of the turntable 31 is also circular, that is, the shape of the outer periphery of the turntable 31 is adapted to the shape of the mounting hole, so as to facilitate the rotational operation of the turntable 31. At the same time, in order to prevent dust or sundries from falling into the housing, the outer peripheral dimension of the turntable 31 is adapted to the aperture of the mounting hole. For example, the outer peripheral dimension of the turntable 31 is slightly smaller than the dimension of the mounting hole.

[0036] The above-mentioned knob assembly includes an annular knob bracket 34, which is fixed on the printed circuit board 11 and surrounds the rocker seat 21 of the operating lever assembly. The first sensor 32 is located outside the knob bracket 34, as Figure 2 , Figure 3 shown. The bottom of the turntable 31 is rotatably connected to the knob bracket 34, and the top of the turntable 31 passes through the mounting hole and is exposed outside the housing. With the above structure, while realizing the rotation of the turntable 31, the structure of the housing of the electronic device can be simplified, and the assembly of the turntable 31 is facilitated.

[0037] In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned knob assembly further includes a transmission member 33, which is installed inside the housing and is located outside the knob bracket 34. The transmission member 33 is also in transmission connection with the turntable 31, that is, when the turntable 31 rotates, the rotating member 33 also rotates correspondingly, and the first sensor 32 outputs different signals to the printed circuit board 11 when the transmission member 33 is driven by the turntable 31 to rotate. That is, the first sensor 32 is triggered by the transmission member 33 to generate different signal outputs to the printed circuit board 11.

[0038] Specifically, a first gear 311 is provided on the outer periphery of the turntable 31. The first gear 311 is integral with the main body part of the turntable 31 (for example, formed by teeth surrounding the outer periphery of the turntable 31), and when the turntable 31 is installed in the housing, the first gear 311 is located inside the housing; correspondingly, the transmission member 33 includes a second gear 331 and a rotating shaft 332, wherein the second gear 331 meshes with the first gear 311, the rotating shaft 332 passes through the second gear 331, and the bottom end of the rotating shaft 332 is inserted into the first sensor 32. The first sensor 32 is triggered by the rotation of the rotating shaft 332 to output different signals to the printed circuit board 11. In an embodiment of the present invention, the bottom of the rotating shaft 332 is in the shape of a prism (for example, a quadrangular prism). Correspondingly, the first sensor 32 includes a plurality of switch elements, as Figure 4 shown. During the rotation of the rotating shaft 332, different switch elements are triggered to conduct or disconnect, thereby forming different output signals. Of course, in actual applications, the first sensor 32 can also adopt other existing structures and realize different signal outputs according to the rotation of the rotating shaft 332.

[0039] In addition, the transmission member 33 and the turntable 31 can also transmit the rotation action to the first sensor through other structures, such as friction wheels, etc., which will not be elaborated here.

[0040] In an embodiment of the present utility model, the turntable 31 and the knob bracket 34 can be connected in the following manner: a first socket portion is formed on the inner wall of the bottom of the turntable 31, and a second socket portion 341 adapted to the first socket portion is formed on the outer periphery of the top of the knob bracket 34. Both the first socket portion and the second socket portion include cylindrical surfaces, and the turntable 31 is rotatably connected to the knob bracket 34 in such a way that the first socket portion is sleeved on the second socket portion 341.

[0041] For convenient gripping, in an embodiment of the present utility model, the operating rod assembly further includes a handle 23. The handle 23 includes a neck portion 232 and a gripping portion 231 connected in sequence coaxially. The bottom end of the neck portion 232 has a socket opening, and the handle 23 is sleeved on the top end of the rocker 22 through this socket opening. After the handle is assembled, the neck portion 232 and the gripping portion 231 are exposed above the central through hole of the turntable 31. In addition, to improve the feel, a rubber sleeve can be added to the gripping portion 231, and the outer surface of the rubber sleeve can also have anti-slip patterns, etc.

[0042] To facilitate the reset of the rocker 22 after the operation is completed, in an embodiment of the present utility model, the handle 23 further includes an elastic support portion 233. The elastic support portion 233 is connected to the bottom end of the neck portion 232, and when the handle 23 is installed on the rocker 22 (i.e., the top end of the rocker 22 is inserted into the socket opening of the neck), the elastic support portion 233 is located in the central through hole of the turntable 31 and surrounds the rocker 22.

[0043] Specifically, the elastic support portion 233 can be made of an elastic material (such as elastic rubber, etc.) and is in the shape of an inverted bowl. That is, the bottom end of the neck portion 232 is connected to the "bottom of the bowl" of the elastic support portion 233. Correspondingly, the inner wall of the turntable 31 has a circumferentially arranged annular groove 312. The bottom edge (i.e., the "rim of the bowl") of the elastic support portion 233 is embedded in the annular groove 312, and the elastic support portion 233 pushes the rocker 22 back to the central position by contacting the annular groove 312 with its edge.

[0044] The present utility model also provides a palm computer, which includes a housing and the control signal input device as described above. Compared with the existing palm computers using touch screens, the palm computer in this embodiment realizes the input of control signals through the knob assembly and the operating rod assembly of the control signal input device, improves the operating feel, and can maintain the effectiveness of the operation in a complex environment.

[0045] In an embodiment of the present utility model, the palm computer includes a screen on the front, and the control signal input device is adjacent to the screen.

[0046] The above are only the preferred specific embodiments of the present utility model, but the protection scope of the present utility model is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present utility model should be covered within the protection scope of the present utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of the present utility model should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A control signal input device, applied to an electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises a housing and the housing has a mounting hole communicating with the inside and outside of the housing, characterized in that: The control signal input device comprises: A printed circuit board is installed in the housing, and at least a portion of the printed circuit board is located below the mounting hole; The knob assembly includes a turntable and a first sensor, wherein the turntable is rotatably connected to the mounting hole of the housing and has a central through hole communicating with the inside and outside of the housing, the first sensor is fixed to the printed circuit board and electrically connected to the printed circuit board, and the first sensor switches a signal output to the printed circuit board when the turntable rotates; The operating lever assembly includes a rocker, a rocker seat and a second sensor, wherein the rocker seat is fixed on the printed circuit board and is located below the mounting hole, the bottom of the rocker is installed in the rocker seat, and at least a portion of the rocker extends into the central through hole; the second sensor is electrically connected to the printed circuit board, and the second sensor is triggered by the action of the rocker to output a corresponding signal to the printed circuit board.

2. The control signal input device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting hole is circular, and the shape of the outer circumference of the rotating disk is adapted to the shape of the mounting hole; The knob assembly includes a knob bracket in a circular ring shape, which is fixed on the printed circuit board and surrounds the rocker seat; the bottom of the turntable is rotatably connected to the knob bracket, and the top of the turntable passes through the mounting hole and is exposed outside the shell.

3. The control signal input device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The knob assembly includes a transmission member, which is installed in the housing and is in driving connection with the turntable, and the first sensor switches the signal output to the printed circuit board when the transmission member is driven to rotate by the turntable.

4. The control signal input device according to claim 3, characterized in that: A first gear is disposed on the outer periphery of the rotating disk, and when the rotating disk is mounted on the housing, the first gear is located inside the housing; The transmission member includes a second gear meshing with the first gear and a rotating shaft passing through the second gear, the bottom end of the rotating shaft is polygonal and inserted into the first sensor, and the first sensor is triggered by the rotation of the rotating shaft to output different signals to the printed circuit board.

5. The control signal input device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner wall of the bottom of the turntable is formed with a first sleeve portion, the outer periphery of the top of the knob bracket is formed with a second sleeve portion adapted to the first sleeve portion, and the turntable is rotatably connected to the knob bracket in a manner that the first sleeve portion is sleeved on the outer periphery of the second sleeve portion.

6. The control signal input device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The operating rod assembly includes a handle, which includes a neck and a gripping portion connected in sequence in a coaxial manner; the bottom end of the neck has a socket, the handle is sleeved on the top end of the rocker through the socket, and the neck and the gripping portion are exposed above the central through hole.

7. The control signal input device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The handle comprises an elastic support portion, which is connected to the bottom end of the neck. When the handle is mounted on the rocker, the elastic support portion is located in the central through hole of the turntable and surrounds the rocker.

8. The control signal input device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The elastic support part is in the shape of an inverted bowl, the inner wall of the turntable has a circumferentially arranged annular groove, the bottom edge of the elastic support part is located above the annular groove, and the elastic support part contacts the annular groove through the edge to push the rocker to return to the center position.

9. A palm computer, characterized in that: It comprises a control signal input device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The palmtop computer according to claim 9, characterized in that: The palmtop computer comprises a screen located at the front, and the control signal input device is adjacent to the screen.

Images