Tactile touch panel and modular substrate structure thereof

Abstract

The utility model provides a tactile touchpad and a modularized substrate structure thereof. The tactile touchpad comprises the modularized substrate structure, at least one force sensor, a vibration unit and a touch module. The modular substrate structure comprises a plate body and at least two cantilever modules. And each cantilever module comprises two swing arms which extend in opposite directions. The at least one force sensor is arranged on the swing arm. The vibration unit comprises a circuit board arranged above the plate body and the at least one force sensor, and a vibrator arranged on the circuit board and electrically connected with the at least one force sensor. And the touch module is arranged above the circuit board. By using the modularized substrate structure, different numbers of force sensors can be arranged according to use requirements, and the convenience is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a tactile touch panel, and more particularly to a tactile touch panel and its modular substrate structure that allows for easy adjustment of the force sensor configuration. Background Technology

[0002] An existing haptic touchpad includes a substrate, a plurality of force sensors disposed on the substrate, a circuit board, a vibrator disposed on the circuit board and electrically connected to the force sensors, and a touch substrate. When the touch substrate is pressed, it actuates the force sensors, and the force sensors transmit signals to the vibrator, causing the vibrator to vibrate to provide haptic feedback.

[0003] However, when users need to set different numbers of force sensors according to their own needs (such as cost considerations or the sensitivity of the press feedback), they need to replace different substrates to set the force sensors. Therefore, it is necessary to make corresponding molds for substrates with different structures, which not only increases the manufacturing cost of the molds, but also makes it quite inconvenient to adjust the position of the force sensors. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a tactile touch panel and its modular substrate structure that can improve upon at least one of the aforementioned drawbacks.

[0005] This utility model relates to a modular substrate structure, which is suitable for installation on a tactile touch panel and is used to mount at least one force sensor and at least one pad. The modular substrate structure includes a plate body and at least two cantilever modules disposed on the plate body. Each cantilever module includes an opening penetrating the plate body in a vertical direction, two hole surfaces located on two opposite sides of the opening, a support portion connected between the hole surfaces, and two swing arms extending in the opposite direction from the support portion. Each swing arm is used to mount the at least one force sensor or the at least one pad.

[0006] The modular substrate structure of this utility model includes seven cantilever modules. One of the cantilever modules is defined as the central cantilever module, two other cantilever modules are defined as side cantilever modules, and the remaining four cantilever modules are defined as corner cantilever modules. A first reference line is defined on the board body, extending along a first axis orthogonal to the vertical direction and passing through the center point of the board body; two second reference lines are defined along the first axis and along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis and located on opposite sides of the first reference line; and two third reference lines are defined along the second axis and along the first axis and located on opposite sides of the center point. The central cantilever module is located at the center point of the board body, the side cantilever modules are located at the intersections of the first and third reference lines, and the corner cantilever modules are located at the intersections of the second and third reference lines.

[0007] In the modular substrate structure of this utility model, the holes of each cantilever module are spaced apart along the second axial direction, and the swing arm of each cantilever module extends in the opposite direction along the first axial direction.

[0008] The tactile touch panel of this invention includes the aforementioned modular substrate structure, at least one force sensor disposed on the top surface of one of the swing arms, a vibration unit, and a touch module. The vibration unit includes a circuit board disposed above the panel and the at least one force sensor, and a vibrator disposed on the circuit board and electrically connected to the at least one force sensor. The touch module is disposed above the circuit board.

[0009] The tactile touch panel of this invention further includes at least one pad disposed in the at least one force sensor or the other arm of the swing arm.

[0010] The tactile touch panel of this utility model further includes two shock absorbers disposed on the circuit board, the shock absorbers being adjacent to the vibrator and located on two opposite sides of the vibrator.

[0011] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: by using a single modular substrate structure, different numbers of force sensors can be set according to usage requirements, and pads can be set at different positions of the swing arm to adjust the touch and sensitivity of the press, which is highly convenient and can reduce the development cost of the mold of the modular substrate structure. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the tactile touch panel of this utility model;

[0013] Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view of the first embodiment;

[0014] Figure 3 This is an exploded perspective view of a modular substrate structure, a force sensor, and multiple pads in the first embodiment.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional view of a modular substrate structure, two force sensors, and multiple pads, representing a second embodiment of the tactile touchpad of this utility model; and

[0016] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional view of a modular substrate structure, four force sensors, and multiple pads in the third embodiment of the tactile touch panel of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0018] Before this utility model is described in detail, it should be noted that similar components are represented by the same numbers in the following description.

[0019] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 The first embodiment of the tactile touch panel of this utility model includes a modular substrate structure 100, a force sensor 3, eight pads 4, a ring frame 5, a vibration unit 6, and a touch module 7.

[0020] See Figure 2 and Figure 3 The modular substrate structure 100 includes a plate 10 and seven cantilever modules 20 disposed on the plate 10. Each cantilever module 20 includes an opening 21 penetrating the plate 10 along a vertical direction Z, two hole surfaces 22 located on opposite sides of the opening 21, a support portion 23 connecting the hole surfaces 22, and two swing arms 24 extending in the opposite direction from the support portion 23. Each swing arm 24 is used to mount either the force sensor 3 or the pad 4. Specifically, the swing arms 24 of each cantilever module 20 extend in the opposite direction along a first axis X orthogonal to the vertical direction Z, and the hole surfaces 22 of each cantilever module 20 are spaced apart along a second axis Y orthogonal to both the first axis X and the vertical direction Z. In this embodiment, the vertical direction Z, the first axis X, and the second axis Y are perpendicular to each other.

[0021] A first reference line L1 is defined on the plate 10, extending along the first axis X and passing through a central point 11 of the plate 10; two second reference lines L2 are defined, extending along the first axis X and located on opposite sides of the first reference line L1 along the second axis Y; and two third reference lines L3 are defined, extending along the second axis Y and located on opposite sides of the central point 11 along the first axis X. The second reference lines L2 and the third reference lines L3 are located near the edge of the plate 10 relative to the central point 11.

[0022] One of the cantilever modules 20 is defined as the central cantilever module 201, the other two are defined as side cantilever modules 202, and the remaining four are defined as corner cantilever modules 203. The central cantilever module 201 is located at the center point 11 of the plate 10, the side cantilever modules 202 are located at the intersection of the first reference line L1 and the third reference line L3, and the corner cantilever modules 203 are located at the intersection of the second reference line L2 and the third reference line L3.

[0023] The force sensor 3 is located in the central cantilever module 201.

[0024] Two of the pads 4 are respectively disposed on the swing arms 24 of the central cantilever module 201 and located on opposite sides of the force sensor 3. The other six of the pads 4 are respectively disposed on the side cantilever modules 202 and the corner cantilever modules 203. The pads 4 on each side cantilever module 202 or each corner cantilever module 203 are located along the first axial direction X on one of the corresponding two swing arms 24 away from the edge of the plate body 10.

[0025] The vibration unit 6 includes a circuit board 61 disposed above the plate 10, the force sensor 3, and the pad 4; a vibrator 62 disposed on the bottom surface of the circuit board 61 and electrically connected to the force sensor 3; and two damping members 63 disposed on the bottom surface of the circuit board 61. The damping members 63 are adjacent to the vibrator 62 and located on opposite sides of the vibrator 62 along the first axial direction X.

[0026] The touch module 7 is disposed above the circuit board 61. When the touch module 7 is pressed, it triggers the force sensor 3. After receiving the signal from the force sensor 3, the vibrator 62 drives the circuit board 61 and the touch module 7 to vibrate. The shock absorber 63 can improve the rigidity of the circuit board 61 near the vibrator 62 and reduce the shock waves generated by the vibrator 62, thereby improving the vibration uniformity of the circuit board 61 and the touch module 7.

[0027] It should be noted that in other variations of this embodiment, the number and placement of the pads 4 are not limited. The number of pads 4 may be one or other numbers, and the user may choose a better configuration of the pads 4 based on the pressing feel, the sensitivity of the force sensor 3 being triggered, or the vibration feedback feel.

[0028] This utility model's tactile touchpad can be configured with different numbers of force sensors 3 according to different needs. To reduce the number of force sensors 3 and lower production costs, as in this embodiment, only one force sensor 3 can be installed on the central cantilever module 201, and the pads 4 can be installed on the swing arms 24 of the central cantilever module 201, the side cantilever module 202, and the corner cantilever module 203. This ensures that the touch module 7 has good and uniform pressing feel and vibration feedback sensitivity, guaranteeing that the force sensor 3 is effectively triggered when the corner of the touch module 7 is pressed. To further improve the vibration feedback sensitivity, the user can also install two or more force sensors 3 and install the pads 4 on appropriate swing arms 24 or on the force sensors 3, ensuring that the force sensors 3 are effectively triggered when the touch module 7 is pressed, thus providing good and uniform pressing feel and vibration feedback sensitivity throughout the touch module 7.

[0029] See Figure 4 This is a second embodiment of the tactile touchpad of the present invention. The difference from the first embodiment is that the tactile touchpad includes two force sensors 3 and six pads 4. The force sensors 3 are respectively disposed on the side cantilever module 202, with each force sensor 3 located along the first axial direction X at one of the corresponding two swing arms 24 adjacent to the edge of the plate body 10. The pads 4 are respectively disposed on the force sensors 3 and the corner cantilever module 203. Each pad 4 on the corner cantilever module 203 is located along the first axial direction X at one of the corresponding two swing arms 24 away from the edge of the plate body 10.

[0030] See Figure 5 This is a third embodiment of the tactile touchpad of the present invention. The difference from the first embodiment is that the tactile touchpad includes four force sensors 3 and four pads 4. The force sensors 3 are respectively disposed on the corner cantilever module 203. Each force sensor 3 is located along the first axial direction X on one of the corresponding two swing arms 24 adjacent to the edge of the plate body 10. The pads 4 are respectively disposed above the force sensors 3.

[0031] In summary, the tactile touch panel of this utility model uses a single modular substrate structure 100, which can be configured with different numbers of force sensors 3 according to usage requirements, and pads 4 can be set at different positions of the swing arm 24 to adjust the sensitivity of the pressing touch and vibration feedback. It is highly convenient and can reduce the development cost of the mold of the modular substrate structure 100, thus achieving the purpose of this utility model.

[0032] The above description is merely an embodiment of this utility model and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this utility model. Any simple equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the claims and description of this utility model shall still fall within the scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A modular substrate structure suitable for mounting on a tactile touch panel and for mounting at least one force sensor and at least one pad, characterized in that, The modular substrate structure includes a plate body and at least two cantilever modules disposed on the plate body. Each cantilever module includes an opening penetrating the plate body in a vertical direction, two hole surfaces located on opposite sides of the opening, a support portion connected between the hole surfaces, and two swing arms extending in the opposite direction from the support portion. Each swing arm is used for mounting the at least one force sensor or the at least one pad.

2. The modular substrate structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system includes seven cantilever modules. One of the cantilever modules is defined as the central cantilever module, two other cantilever modules are defined as side cantilever modules, and the remaining four cantilever modules are defined as corner cantilever modules. A first reference line is defined on the plate, extending along a first axis orthogonal to the vertical direction and passing through the center point of the plate. Two second reference lines are defined, extending along the first axis and along a second axis orthogonal to both the first and vertical directions, located on opposite sides of the first reference line. Two third reference lines are defined, extending along the second axis and along the first axis, located on opposite sides of the center point. The central cantilever module is located at the center point of the plate. The side cantilever modules are located at the intersections of the first and third reference lines, and the corner cantilever modules are located at the intersections of the second and third reference lines.

3. The modular substrate structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The holes of each cantilever module are spaced apart along the second axial direction, and the swing arm of each cantilever module extends in the opposite direction along the first axial direction.

4. A haptic touchpad, comprising: Modular substrate structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3; At least one force sensor is disposed on the top surface of one of the swing arms; The vibration unit includes a circuit board disposed above the plate and the at least one force sensor, and a vibrator disposed on the circuit board and electrically connected to the at least one force sensor; and The touch module is located above the circuit board.

5. The tactile touchpad according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes at least one pad disposed in the at least one force sensor or in another swing arm of the swing arm.

6. The tactile touchpad according to claim 4, characterized in that, The vibration unit also includes two damping components disposed on the circuit board, the damping components being adjacent to the vibrator and located on two opposite sides of the vibrator.

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