Protective shell and touch connector thereof

Abstract

The utility model discloses a protective shell and a touch connector thereof, the touch connector comprises a shell and a conducting module, the shell comprises a top wall, a circle of side wall and an accommodating cavity enclosed by the top wall and the side wall, and the conducting module is accommodated in the accommodating cavity. A circle of groove is formed in the outer surface of the side wall in the circumferential direction of the side wall, the side wall comprises a top edge forming the top wall of the groove, a bottom edge forming the bottom wall of the groove and a middle part forming the inner side wall of the groove, and the middle part is connected with the top edge and the bottom edge. The shell extends in the lengthwise direction, and the bottom edge and the outer end face of at least one end, in the lengthwise direction, of the middle jointly form a flat face. In the touch connector of the protective shell, the lengthwise upward outer end face of the thin middle part of the side wall of the shell is a flat and straight face, so that appearance flaws during injection molding can be avoided, meanwhile, the interference area between the shell and touch keys on a mobile phone can be reduced, and the risk that the touch keys are pressed tightly is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a protective shell for mobile intelligent equipment and a tactile connector thereof. Background Art

[0002] Current mobile smart devices, such as mobile phones and tablets, typically have touch keys on their sides. By touching the touch keys, users can control the mobile smart devices, such as waking up, adjusting the volume, and so on. Existing protective cases for mobile smart devices generally have openings reserved for exposing the touch keys, so that the touch keys are exposed and convenient for users to touch and operate. However, such openings affect the waterproofness of the protective case. If the mobile phone protective case does not have openings to completely cover the touch keys, it will affect the user's touch operation. Therefore, the applicant is developing a tactile connector that can transmit touch operations. When installed on the protective case, it can cover the touch keys while allowing normal operation of the touch keys. The tactile connector includes a shell and a conductive module located within the shell. The shell has a relatively thin wall thickness that does not affect the transmission of the user's touch operation to the conductive module. The current shell is roughly strip-shaped with curved thin walls at both ends. During the manufacturing process, it was found that the curved thin wall is prone to surface shrinkage, weld lines, incomplete film, and other appearance defects during molding, and further improvement is needed. Utility Model Content

[0003] The utility model provides a protective shell and a tactile connector thereof, which have a simple structure and are easy to be injection molded.

[0004] Specifically, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solutions: a tactile connector, comprising a shell and a conductive module, the shell comprising a top wall, a circle of side walls and a receiving cavity surrounded by the top wall and the side walls, the conductive module being received in the receiving cavity; the outer surface of the side wall is provided with a circle of grooves along its circumference, the side wall comprising a top edge forming the top wall of the groove, a bottom edge forming the bottom wall of the groove and a middle portion forming the inner side wall of the groove, the middle portion connecting the top edge and the bottom edge; the shell extends in the longitudinal direction, the bottom edge and the outer end surface of at least one end of the middle portion in the longitudinal direction jointly form a flat surface

[0005] In a preferred embodiment, the outer end surface of the top edge is an arc-shaped vertical surface, and the straight surface is retracted relative to the outer end surface of the top edge.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the indentation size is 0.5 mm to 0.9 mm.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the bottom edge and the middle portion respectively form the flat surfaces at both ends in the longitudinal direction.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the ratio of the width of the flat surface at the bottom edge to the maximum width of the bottom edge is greater than 1 / 3.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the ratio of the width of the flat surface at the bottom edge to the maximum width of the bottom edge is greater than 1 / 2.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the conductive module includes a substrate, a plurality of upper conductive sheets arranged on the upper surface of the substrate, a plurality of lower conductive sheets arranged on the lower surface of the substrate, and a plurality of vias passing through the substrate, wherein the vias conduct the upper and lower corresponding conductive sheets.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, a double-sided tape is further provided, and the double-sided tape adheres the bottom surface of the top wall and the upper surface of the conductive module, and the double-sided tape completely covers the upper conductive sheet.

[0012] The present invention also provides the following technical solution: a protective shell for covering a mobile device, comprising a shell and the aforementioned tactile connector, wherein the tactile connector is mounted on a side of the shell.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, a holding hole is provided on the side of the housing, an edge is provided on the inner side of the holding hole, the tactile connector is passed through the holding hole, and the edge of the holding hole is clamped in the groove.

[0014] In the touch connector of the protective case of the present invention, the middle part of the side wall of the shell with a thinner wall thickness adopts a flat surface on the outer end surface facing upward in the longitudinal direction, which can avoid appearance defects during injection molding, and at the same time reduce the interference area between the shell and the touch keys on the mobile phone, reducing the risk of touch keys being stuck.

[0015] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of a protective shell in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 for Figure 1 a perspective view of the tactile connector of the protective case;

[0018] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A perspective view of the tactile connector from another angle;

[0019] Figure 4 for Figure 2 An exploded perspective view of the tactile connector shown;

[0020] Figure 5 and Figure 3 An exploded perspective view of the tactile connector shown;

[0021] Figure 6 For the Figure 1 The partial cross-section of line AA in FIG;

[0022] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the mating position of the outer shell of the touch connector and the edge of the housing;

[0023] Figure 8 An alternative embodiment of the housing for the tactile connector;

[0024] Figure 9 for Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the mating position of the shell of the tactile connector and the edge of the housing.

[0025] Description of reference numerals:

[0026] Protective case 100, housing 1, side 11, retaining hole 12, edge 121, tactile connector 2, outer shell 21, top wall 211, side wall 212, receiving cavity 213, opening 214, grooves 215, 215', top edges 216, 216', bottom edges 217, 217', middle portion 218, 218', outer end surfaces 2161, 2171, 2181, 2161', 2171', 2181', flat surfaces 219, 219', longitudinal surfaces 2162, 2172, 2182, curved surfaces 2173, 2183, 2174', 2184', conductive module 22, substrate 221, upper conductive sheet 222, via 223, double-sided tape 23. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all embodiments consistent with the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of devices, systems, apparatus, and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present invention.

[0028] refer to Figure 1 As shown, the protective case 100 of the present invention is used to protect smart mobile devices. It can be a mobile phone protective case or a tablet protective case. The mobile phone protective case 100 is used as an example for description below. The protective case 100 is wrapped around the mobile phone (not shown). The protective case 100 includes a housing 1 and a touch-sensitive connector 2 provided on the side 11 of the housing 1. The position of the touch-sensitive connector 2 corresponds to the touch key (not shown) on the side of the mobile phone (not shown), and is used to shield the touch key (not shown) and transmit the user's touch operation to the touch key (not shown).

[0029] refer to Figures 2 to 5As shown, the tactile connector 2 is generally in the shape of a bar, comprising a housing 21, a conductive module 22, and double-sided tape 23 that secures the conductive module 22 within the housing 21. The housing 21 has a top wall 211 and a circle of side walls 212. The top wall 211 and the side walls 212 together define a receiving cavity 213. The receiving cavity 213 has an opening 214 formed on the bottom side of the housing 21. The conductive module 22 is assembled into the receiving cavity 213 through the opening 214, with the top surface of the conductive module 22 facing the top wall 211. The double-sided tape 23 is disposed between the top wall 211 of the housing 21 and the conductive module 22, bonding the bottom surface of the top wall 211 and the top surface of the conductive module 22 to secure the conductive module 22 within the receiving cavity 213.

[0030] The conductive module 22 is a PCB board, comprising a substrate 221, a plurality of upper conductive sheets 222 disposed on the upper surface of the substrate 221, a plurality of lower conductive sheets (not shown) disposed on the lower surface of the substrate 221, a plurality of vias 223, and a coating 224 disposed on the lower surface of the substrate 221. The upper conductive sheets 222 and the lower conductive sheets (not shown) are arranged one above the other. The vias 223 extend through the upper conductive sheets 222, the substrate 221, and the corresponding lower conductive sheets (not shown) to electrically connect the upper and lower conductive sheets 222 and lower conductive sheets (not shown). During manufacturing, gold is electroplated on the upper and lower surfaces of the PCB board, as well as on the inner walls of the vias 223, forming a gold-plated layer that electrically connects the upper and lower conductive sheets 222 and lower conductive sheets (not shown). Double-sided tape 23 covering the top surface of the conductive module 22 completely covers the upper conductive sheets 222. The coating layer 224 completely covers a plurality of lower conductive sheets (not shown) on the lower surface of the substrate 221 to protect the surfaces of the lower conductive sheets (not shown).

[0031] The upper conductive sheet 222, lower conductive sheet 223, and via 224 aligned vertically are collectively referred to as a conductor, and the specific form of the conductor is not limited. The top wall 211 of the housing 21 is relatively thin, which does not affect the conduction of static electricity. The double-sided tape 23 is also relatively thin and does not affect the conduction of static electricity. The upper conductive sheet 222 is exposed upward, and the conductive module 22 is connected to the human body through the double-sided tape 23 and the housing 21. The lower conductive sheet 223 is connected to the touch key (not shown) through the coating 224. In the touch connector 2, the conductive module 22 is in the form of a PCB board, which is smaller and can reduce product costs. Several conductors are distributed along the longitudinal direction of the touch connector 2. The number and shape of the conductors can be adjusted, but there are at least two conductors to identify the tactile sensation of slip and gap conduction.

[0032] Back to Figures 2 to 3 As shown, the outer surface of the side wall 212 of the housing 21 of the touch connector 2 is provided with a circle of horizontal grooves 215, and the grooves 215 are respectively located on both sides of the longitudinal direction of the housing 21. Figure 6As shown, the side edge 11 of the housing 1 is provided with a through-hole 12. Inside the hole 12 is a rim 121 extending into the hole 12. The touch connector 2 extends from the inside outward through the hole 12. The rim 121 of the housing 1 resiliently engages the groove 215, securing the touch connector 2 to the protective case 100. When the protective case 100 is used with a mobile phone (not shown), a user's finger sliding along the top wall 211 of the housing 21 transmits the energy to the multiple upper conductive sheets 222, which are then further transmitted to the multiple lower conductive sheets (not shown), creating a conductive connection between the multiple lower conductive sheets (not shown). This creates electrical contact between the lower conductive sheets (not shown) and the touch keys (not shown) on the mobile phone (not shown), creating a tactile effect of sliding contact on the surface of the touch keys (not shown). Depending on the function defined by the touch keys (not shown), these can produce control effects such as zooming in or out on the screen or flipping pages up or down.

[0033] Continue to refer Figures 2 to 3 As shown, the sidewall 212 is divided into three sections by the groove 215: a top edge 216, a bottom edge 217, and a middle portion 218 located between the top edge 216 and the bottom edge 217. The top edge 216 forms the top wall of the groove 215, the bottom edge 217 forms the bottom wall of the groove 215, and the middle portion 218 forms the inner sidewall of the groove 215. The middle portion 218 is very thin due to the hollowing out of the groove 215. In the longitudinal direction of the housing 21, the outer contours of the ends of the top edge 216 are semicircular, while the ends of the middle portion 218 and the bottom edge 217 are recessed relative to the top edge 216.

[0034] Along the longitudinal direction, the outer end surface 2161 of the top edge 216 is a curved vertical surface, while the outer end surface 2171 of the bottom edge 217 and the outer end surface 2181 of the middle portion 218 are vertically extending, coplanar surfaces, collectively forming a flat surface 219. The middle portion 218 has a relatively thin wall thickness. If a curved vertical surface were used, appearance defects such as shrinkage, weld lines, and incomplete film formation would easily occur during injection molding. Replacing it with a flat surface 219 simplifies the structure of the housing 21, avoids appearance defects during injection molding, and improves the injection molding efficiency of the housing 21. In this embodiment, the flat surface 219 is indented by 0.5 mm to 0.9 mm relative to the outer end surface 2161 of the top edge 216. This indentation dimension is greater than the depth of the groove 215, resulting in the groove 215 being interrupted at the flat surfaces 219 at both ends of the housing 21.

[0035] In addition, the outer surface of the top edge 216 also includes two longitudinal surfaces 2162 connected to the outer end surfaces 2161 at both ends; the outer surface of the bottom edge 217 also includes two longitudinal surfaces 2172 and four arcuate surfaces 2173 that smoothly connect the two longitudinal surfaces 2172 and the two outer end surfaces 2171; the outer surface of the middle portion 218 also includes two longitudinal surfaces 2182 extending along the longitudinal direction and four arcuate surfaces 2183 that smoothly connect the two longitudinal surfaces 2182 and the two outer end surfaces 2181. The outer contours of the top edge 216, bottom edge 217, and middle portion 218 are all smooth and fluent to avoid scratches during assembly. The ratio of the width D1 of the flat surface 219 on the bottom edge 217 to the maximum width D2 of the bottom edge 217 is greater than 1 / 3, preferably greater than 1 / 2, to reduce the proportion of the arcuate surfaces 2173 and avoid surface defects during injection molding.

[0036] refer to Figure 7 The figure shows the positional relationship between the outer shell 21 and the edge 121 of the shell 1 when the touch connector 2 is assembled to the shell 1. The edge 121 is inserted into the groove 215 of the outer shell 21. The area indicated by the cross-hatching is the portion where the bottom edge 217 overlaps with the edge 121 of the shell 1. When the protective case 100 is placed outside a mobile phone (not shown), the protruding touch key (not shown) on the mobile phone (not shown) will push outward against the conductive module 22 of the touch connector 2, causing the bottom edge 217 to press outward against the edge 121. The area indicated by the cross-hatching is the interference area between the two. The inward-concave design of the outer end surface 2171 of the bottom edge 217 and the outer end surface 2181 of the middle portion 218 can reduce this interference area, reduce the ejection force of the touch key (not shown), and reduce the risk of the touch key (not shown) being stuck.

[0037] refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, another alternative embodiment of the housing, housing 21', has a substantially identical structure to the housing 21 of the previous embodiment. The only difference is that, whereas the outer end surfaces 2171 and 2181 of the bottom edge 217 and the middle portion 218 of the housing 21 of the previous embodiment are both recessed to form a flat surface 219, in this embodiment, the outer end surfaces 2171' and 2181' of the bottom edge 217' and the middle portion 218' of the housing 21' only form a flat surface 219' at one end. The outer end surfaces 2171' and 2181' of the other end are curved vertical surfaces 2174' and 2184', respectively. The grooves 215' are continuously arranged here. Note that the outer end surface 2161' of the top edge 216' of the housing 21' remains curved vertically.

[0038] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tactile connector, characterized in that: It includes a shell and a conduction module, the shell includes a top wall, a circle of side walls and a receiving cavity surrounded by the top wall and the side walls, and the conduction module is received in the receiving cavity; the outer surface of the side wall is provided with a circle of grooves along its circumference, the side wall includes a top edge forming the top wall of the groove, a bottom edge forming the bottom wall of the groove and a middle part forming the inner side wall of the groove, and the middle part connects the top edge and the bottom edge; the shell extends in the longitudinal direction, and the outer end surface of the bottom edge and at least one end of the middle part in the longitudinal direction jointly form a flat surface.

2. The tactile connector according to claim 1, wherein: The outer end surface of the top edge is an arc-shaped vertical surface, and the straight surface is retracted relative to the outer end surface of the top edge.

3. The tactile connector according to claim 2, wherein: The retracted size is 0.5mm-0.9mm.

4. The tactile connector according to claim 3, wherein: The bottom edge and the middle portion respectively form the flat surfaces at both ends in the longitudinal direction.

5. The tactile connector according to claim 1, wherein: The ratio of the width of the flat surface at the bottom edge to the maximum width of the bottom edge is greater than 1 / 3.

6. The tactile connector according to claim 1, wherein: The ratio of the width of the flat surface at the bottom edge to the maximum width of the bottom edge is greater than 1 / 2.

7. The tactile connector according to claim 1, wherein: The conductive module includes a substrate, a plurality of upper conductive sheets arranged on the upper surface of the substrate, a plurality of lower conductive sheets arranged on the lower surface of the substrate, and a plurality of via holes penetrating the substrate, wherein the via holes conduct the upper conductive sheets and the lower conductive sheets corresponding to each other.

8. The tactile connector according to claim 7, wherein: Double-sided tape is also provided, and the double-sided tape adheres the bottom surface of the top wall and the upper surface of the conductive module, and the double-sided tape completely covers the upper conductive sheet.

9. A protective case for covering a mobile device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a housing and the tactile connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the tactile connector is mounted on a side of the housing.

10. The protective case according to claim 9, characterized in that: A holding hole is provided on the side of the shell, an edge is provided on the inner side of the holding hole, the tactile connector is passed through the holding hole, and the edge of the holding hole is clamped in the groove.

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