Touch panel, touch shell assembly and electronic equipment

Abstract

The utility model provides a touchpad, a touch shell assembly and electronic equipment, and relates to the technical field of electronic equipment. The touchpad comprises a touch sensing assembly and a touch component. The touch sensing assembly is provided with an extension part, the extension part is located on one side of the touch sensing assembly, the touch component is electrically connected to the extension part, and the touch component is used for being electrically connected with a control module of the electronic equipment. According to the touch panel, the touch component is mounted on the extension part, so that the touch component is prevented from being integrated on the touch sensing assembly, the stacking thickness of the touch panel can be effectively reduced, and the thickness of the electronic equipment is further reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electronic device technology, and more particularly to a touchpad, touch housing assembly, and electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] Electronic devices often include touchpads, such as those on laptops and external keyboards of tablets. When a user moves or clicks on the touchpad with their finger, the touchpad senses and receives the input signal, thus replacing the mouse in moving and clicking.

[0003] In related technologies, a touchpad includes a touch panel, a printed circuit board, a pressure sensor, etc., stacked in sequence. The printed circuit board integrates touch components such as MCU (Microcontroller Unit), capacitors, boost circuits, etc.

[0004] However, the stacking of related components in the touchpad can make the touchpad thicker overall, which in turn affects the thickness of the electronic device. Utility Model Content

[0005] This application provides a touchpad, a touch housing assembly, and an electronic device to solve the problem of touchpads being too thick overall in related technologies.

[0006] Firstly, the touchpad provided in this application includes a touch sensing component and touch components;

[0007] The touch sensing component has an extension located on one side of the touch sensing component, and touch components are electrically connected to the extension. The touch components are used to electrically connect to the control module of the electronic device.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the touch panel provided in this application embodiment includes a touch panel, a touch circuit layer, and a pressure sensing layer as the touch sensing component.

[0009] The touch circuit layer is disposed between the touch panel and the pressure sensing layer. The touch circuit layer and the pressure sensing layer are electrically connected. The extension is formed by extending outward from the touch circuit layer.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the touchpad provided in this application embodiment has an extension configured to be bendable relative to the touch circuit layer.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the touch panel provided in this application embodiment has a touch circuit layer that is a flexible circuit board.

[0012] Secondly, the touch housing assembly provided in this application includes a housing body and a touch panel as described above, with the touch panel disposed on the housing body.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the touch housing assembly provided in this application embodiment includes a first housing and a second housing.

[0014] The first housing and the second housing form a receiving cavity for installing electronic components, and the touch panel is disposed on the first housing.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the touch housing assembly provided in this application embodiment has a mounting groove on the first housing, and the touch sensing component is disposed in the mounting groove;

[0016] The first housing has a through hole, and the extension is disposed in the receiving cavity through the through hole.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the touch housing assembly provided in this application embodiment has a mounting cavity on the side of the first housing facing the second housing, the mounting cavity communicating with a through hole, and an extension disposed within the mounting cavity.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the touch housing assembly provided in this application embodiment has a mounting groove that opens toward the side opposite to the second housing.

[0019] Thirdly, the electronic device provided in this application includes a device body and the touch housing assembly as described above, with the device body disposed on the touch housing assembly.

[0020] This invention provides a touchpad, a touch housing assembly, and an electronic device. The touchpad includes a touch sensing component and touch components. The touch sensing component has an extension located on one side of the touch sensing component, and the touch components are electrically connected to the extension. The touch components are used for electrical connection with the control module of the electronic device. By mounting the touch components on the extension, the integration of the touch components onto the touch sensing component is avoided, thus effectively reducing the stacking thickness of the touchpad and consequently reducing the thickness of the electronic device. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the touch housing assembly and touchpad provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the touchpad provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Exploded view;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the center touchpad (AA section).

[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the central touch housing assembly (AA section).

[0027] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0028] 100. Touchpad;

[0029] 110. Touch sensing components;

[0030] 111. Touch panel;

[0031] 112. Touch circuit layer;

[0032] 113. Pressure sensing layer;

[0033] 114. First adhesive layer;

[0034] 115. Second adhesive layer;

[0035] 120. Touch screen components;

[0036] 130. Extension section;

[0037] 200. Touchscreen housing assembly;

[0038] 210. Outer shell;

[0039] 211. First shell;

[0040] 212. Second shell;

[0041] 213. Receiving cavity;

[0042] 220. Mounting slot;

[0043] 230. Through hole;

[0044] 240. Installation cavity.

[0045] The accompanying drawings illustrate specific embodiments of this application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept in any way, but rather to illustrate the concept of this application to those skilled in the art through reference to particular embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0046] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0047] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” and “fourth,” etc. (if present), in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this utility model are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of the utility model described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0048] As mentioned in the background section, in related technologies, touchpads include stacked touch panels, printed circuit boards, pressure sensors, etc. The printed circuit boards integrate touch components such as MCUs (Microcontroller Units), capacitor components, resistors, boost circuits, etc.

[0049] However, the stacking of related components in the touchpad can make the touchpad thicker overall, which in turn affects the thickness of the electronic device.

[0050] To address the aforementioned problems in the prior art, this utility model provides a touchpad, a touch housing assembly, and an electronic device. The touchpad includes a touch sensing assembly and touch components. The touch sensing assembly has an extension located on one side of the touch sensing assembly, and the touch components are electrically connected to the extension. The touch components are used for electrical connection with the control module of the electronic device. By mounting the touch components on the extension, the integration of the touch components onto the touch sensing assembly is avoided, thus effectively reducing the stacking thickness of the touchpad and consequently reducing the thickness of the electronic device.

[0051] The following describes exemplary application scenarios of this utility model.

[0052] The touchpad provided by this utility model can be applied to electronic devices such as laptops, desktop computers, tablets, virtual reality devices, automotive pre-installed devices, fixed terminals, or foldable devices. Specifically, the touchpad provided by this utility model has a small stacking thickness, which can further reduce the thickness of electronic devices.

[0053] The technical solution of this application and how the technical solution of this application solves the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments. The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0054] Reference Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the touch panel 100 provided in this embodiment includes a touch sensing component 110 and a touch element 120.

[0055] The touch sensing component 110 has an extension 130 located on one side of the touch sensing component 110. The touch element 120 is electrically connected to the extension 130 and is used to be electrically connected to the control module of the electronic device.

[0056] It is understood that the touchpad 100 provided in this application embodiment can be installed in an electronic device, such as a laptop computer, desktop computer, tablet computer, virtual reality device, vehicle pre-installed device, fixed terminal, or foldable device.

[0057] When a user touches or presses the touch sensing component 110, the touch sensing component 110 can sense the position and movement of the user's finger and output corresponding touch sensing signals and pressure sensing signals to the touch component 120.

[0058] After receiving the touch sensing signal and the pressure sensing signal, the touch component 120 sends a command to the control module of the electronic device to make the electronic device perform the corresponding operation, such as moving the cursor, scrolling the page, or performing a click operation.

[0059] The touch sensing component 110 extends outward to form an extension portion 130. By mounting the touch component 120 on the extension portion 130, the touch component is not integrated on the touch sensing component 110. This can effectively reduce the stacking thickness of the touch panel 100, thereby reducing the thickness of the electronic device.

[0060] For example, for a laptop computer, the touch sensing component 110 can be disposed on the C shell, and the extension 130 and the touch element 120 can be disposed in the cavity formed by the C shell and the D shell, so as to reduce the thickness of the laptop computer.

[0061] It is understood that the touch component 120 may include, but is not limited to, MCU (Microcontroller Unit), capacitor assembly, resistor, boost circuit, etc. The touch component 120 can be mounted on the extension 130 using SMT (Surface Mount Technology).

[0062] Reference Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the touch sensing component 110 includes a touch panel 111, a touch circuit layer 112, and a pressure sensing layer 113.

[0063] The touch circuit layer 112 is disposed between the touch panel 111 and the pressure sensing layer 113. The touch circuit layer 112 is electrically connected to the pressure sensing layer 113, and the extension 130 is formed by extending outward from the touch circuit layer 112.

[0064] In the above embodiment, when a user touches or presses the touch panel 111, the touch circuit layer 112 can sense the position and movement of the user's finger and output a corresponding touch sensing signal to the touch component 120.

[0065] The pressure sensing layer 113 is disposed on the side of the touch circuit layer 112 away from the touch panel 111. When the user presses the touch panel 111, the pressure sensing layer 113 detects the pressing action and outputs the corresponding pressure sensing signal to the touch component 120 through the touch circuit layer 112.

[0066] After receiving the touch sensing signal and the pressure sensing signal, the touch component 120 sends a command to the control module of the electronic device to make the electronic device perform the corresponding operation, such as moving the cursor, scrolling the page, or performing a click operation.

[0067] For example, the pressure sensing layer 113 may include, but is not limited to, a capacitive pressure sensing element, a resistive pressure sensing element, etc.

[0068] The touch circuit layer 112 may include, but is not limited to, FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) or PCB (Printed Circuit Board).

[0069] In some embodiments, the extension 130 is configured to be bendable relative to the touch circuitry layer 112.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the touch component 120 is electrically connected to the extension 130. The extension 130 is flexible and can be bent relative to the touch circuit layer 112. This allows the touch component 120 and the extension 130 to adapt to the installation environment inside the housing of the electronic device, thereby improving the compactness and reliability of the electronic device.

[0071] For example, the extension 130 can be a flexible circuit structure, which may include a conductive layer (e.g., a copper base), a cover layer, etc.

[0072] In some specific embodiments, the touch circuit layer 112 can be a flexible circuit board.

[0073] In the above embodiments, the flexible circuit board (FPC) is thinner than the conventional printed circuit board (PCB), which can effectively reduce the overall thickness of the touch panel 100, making it thinner and more compact.

[0074] The substrate for flexible printed circuit boards (FPCs) is typically a flexible film material, such as polyimide (PI) or polyester (PET), and the thickness of FPCs is usually from 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm. In contrast, the substrate for printed circuit boards (PCBs) is usually epoxy glass cloth (FR4), and the thickness of FPCs is generally from 0.2 mm to 2 mm.

[0075] Preferably, the touch circuit layer 112 can be a double-sided flexible circuit board. The double-sided flexible circuit board has two layers of circuits arranged on the substrate of the flexible circuit board. The double-layer circuit design allows more circuits to be arranged in a limited space, so that the overall structure of the touch panel 100 is more compact.

[0076] The thickness of the flexible circuit board can be 0.12mm to 0.18mm. For example, the thickness of the flexible circuit board can be 0.12mm, 0.13mm, 0.14mm, 0.15mm, 0.16mm, 0.17mm or 0.18mm, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit this, nor are they limited to the above examples.

[0077] In some embodiments, the pressure sensing layer 113 may be a piezoelectric thin film.

[0078] In the above embodiments, the piezoelectric film can output a pressure sensing signal according to the pressure applied by the user on the touch panel 111, so that the electronic device can perform corresponding operations, such as performing a click operation.

[0079] The piezoelectric film is thinner than that of conventional pressure sensors, which can effectively reduce the overall thickness of the touchpad 100, making it lighter and more compact.

[0080] In related technologies, some touchpads 100 employ mechanical dome switches, which consist of a dome-shaped metal plate, conductive adhesive, and a circuit board. When touched, the user applies pressure, causing the dome-shaped metal plate to bend downwards and contact a conductive area on the circuit board, thus closing the circuit and triggering button input. The use of dome switches is typically accompanied by a mechanical impact or bending sound.

[0081] Piezoelectric films rely on the piezoelectric effect, where the material generates an electric charge when pressure is applied, directly triggering operation through induction. This mode of operation involves no mechanical contact or moving parts, thus eliminating impact, rebound, or friction processes and avoiding noise generation.

[0082] The thickness of the piezoelectric film can be 0.08 mm to 0.12 mm. For example, the thickness of the piezoelectric film can be 0.08 mm, 0.09 mm, 0.10 mm, 0.11 mm or 0.12 mm, etc. The embodiments of this application are not limited to this, nor are they limited to the above examples.

[0083] Reference Figures 2 to 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the touch panel 111 and the touch circuit layer 112 are connected by a first adhesive layer 114.

[0084] In the above embodiments, the touch panel 111 and the touch circuit layer 112 are fixedly connected by the first adhesive layer 114, which can ensure the reliability of the connection between the touch panel 111 and the touch circuit layer 112 and prevent the touch panel 111 and the touch circuit layer 112 from detaching from each other.

[0085] The first adhesive layer 114 may include, but is not limited to, optically clear adhesive (OCA), pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA), etc.

[0086] The thickness of the first adhesive layer 114 can be 0.10 mm to 0.14 mm. For example, the thickness of the first adhesive layer 114 can be 0.10 mm, 0.12 mm, 0.13 mm or 0.14 mm, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit this, nor are they limited to the above examples.

[0087] Reference Figures 2 to 4 As shown, in some embodiments, a second adhesive layer 115 is provided on the side of the pressure sensing layer 113 opposite to the touch circuit layer 112 for mounting to the housing of the electronic device.

[0088] In the above embodiments, the second adhesive layer 115 can be used to adhere the touch panel 100 of this application embodiment to the housing of the electronic device.

[0089] For example, in a laptop computer, a mounting groove 220 recessed towards the D shell can be provided on the C shell of the laptop computer. In this way, the touch panel 100 can be mounted into the mounting groove 220 through the second adhesive layer 115. In this way, the touch panel 100 does not need to be provided with a substrate. The pressure sensing layer 113, the touch circuit layer 112 and the touch panel 111 are sequentially supported by the bottom end of the mounting groove 220. The structure is simple and the overall thickness can be reduced.

[0090] In conventional techniques, a cutout is typically made in the C-shell, and the touchpad 100 is inserted into this cutout. Making a cutout in the C-shell weakens its structural strength to some extent. When the touchpad 100 is mounted on the cutout, it often has fewer support points, especially under asymmetrical or uneven stress conditions, which can easily lead to instability of the touchpad 100. This not only affects the responsiveness of the touchpad 100 but may also cause loosening or positional misalignment between the touchpad 100 and the C-shell.

[0091] By providing a mounting groove 220 on the C shell that is recessed toward the D shell, the structural strength of the C shell can be enhanced, and the overall structure is more stable after the touch panel 100 is assembled.

[0092] The second adhesive layer 115 may include, but is not limited to, optically clear adhesive (OCA), pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA), etc.

[0093] The thickness of the second adhesive layer 115 can be 0.10 mm to 0.14 mm. For example, the thickness of the second adhesive layer 115 can be 0.10 mm, 0.12 mm, 0.13 mm or 0.14 mm, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit this, nor are they limited to the above examples.

[0094] In some embodiments, the material of the touch panel 111 may include, but is not limited to, glass or polyester.

[0095] The thickness of the touch panel 111 can be 0.20mm to 0.50mm. For example, the thickness of the touch panel 111 can be 0.20mm, 0.30mm, 0.40mm or 0.50mm, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit this, nor are they limited to the above examples.

[0096] In one specific embodiment, the touch panel 111 can be made of 0.4mm glass (or 0.25mm polyester), the first adhesive layer 114 can be made of 0.125mm optically transparent adhesive (or 0.1mm pressure-sensitive adhesive), the touch circuit layer 112 can be 0.14mm thick, the piezoelectric film can be 0.1mm thick, and the second adhesive layer 115 can be made of 0.125mm optically transparent adhesive (or 0.1mm pressure-sensitive adhesive), so that the thickness of the entire touch panel 100 does not exceed 0.89mm.

[0097] Reference Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the touch housing assembly 200 provided in this application includes a housing body 210 and a touch panel 100 as described above, with the touch panel 100 disposed on the housing body 210.

[0098] In the above structural configuration, since the touch housing assembly 200 adopts the touch panel 100 in the above embodiment, it also has the advantages and benefits brought by the touch panel 100, namely, a thinner thickness.

[0099] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 5 As shown, the outer shell body 210 includes a first shell 211 and a second shell 212.

[0100] The first housing 211 and the second housing 212 surround to form a receiving cavity 213, which is used to install electronic components. The touch panel 100 is disposed on the first housing 211.

[0101] In the above embodiments, the receiving cavity 213 formed by the first housing 211 and the second housing 212 can be used to install electronic components, such as control modules, speaker assemblies, etc. The touch panel 100 is disposed on the first housing 211 and can be electrically connected to the control module.

[0102] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, a mounting groove 220 is provided on the first housing 211, and the touch sensing component 110 is disposed in the mounting groove 220.

[0103] The first housing 211 has a through hole 230, and the extension 130 of the touch panel 100 is disposed in the receiving cavity 213 through the through hole 230.

[0104] In the above embodiment, the touch sensing component 110 is installed in the mounting groove 220 of the first housing 211, which ensures the stability of the assembly of the touch sensing component 110 and the first housing 211. Furthermore, by providing the extension 130 inside the receiving cavity 213, the internal space of the receiving cavity 213 can be better utilized, thereby reducing the thickness of the touch panel 100 and the housing body 210.

[0105] For example, in a laptop computer, the first housing 211 can be a C-shell, and the second housing 212 can be a D-shell. A mounting groove 220 recessed towards the D-shell can be formed on the C-shell by stamping or CNC machining, which can strengthen the structural strength of the C-shell, making the overall structure more stable after the touchpad 100 is assembled. Furthermore, a through hole 230 is formed on the C-shell to allow the extension 130 and the touch component 120 to be placed within the cavity formed by the C-shell and the D-shell.

[0106] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, in some specific embodiments, the first housing 211 is provided with a mounting cavity 240 on the side facing the second housing 212, the mounting cavity 240 is connected to the through hole 230, and the extension 130 is disposed in the mounting cavity 240.

[0107] In the above embodiments, the mounting cavity 240 mainly provides independent mounting space for the touch component 120 and the extension 130, so as to avoid interference or collision with other components inside the electronic device (such as batteries, circuit boards, speakers, etc.) and ensure that each component can work normally.

[0108] For example, for a laptop computer, the mounting cavity 240 may be located on the side of the C shell facing the D shell.

[0109] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, in some specific embodiments, the mounting groove 220 is provided with an opening facing away from the second housing 212.

[0110] In the above embodiments, this facilitates the installation of the touch sensing component 110.

[0111] The electronic device provided in this application includes a device body and the touch housing assembly 200 as described above, with the device body disposed on the touch housing assembly 200.

[0112] In the above structural configuration, since the electronic device adopts the touch housing assembly 200 in the above embodiment, it also has the advantages and benefits brought by the touch housing assembly 200, which will not be elaborated here.

[0113] Other embodiments of this application will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this application that follow the general principles of this application and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this application are indicated by the following claims.

[0114] It should be understood that this application is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A touchpad, characterized in that, Includes a touch sensing component (110) and touch components (120); The touch sensing component (110) has an extension (130) located on one side of the touch sensing component (110), and the touch element (120) is electrically connected to the extension (130) to reduce the stacking thickness of the touch panel. The touch element (120) is used to be electrically connected to the control module of the electronic device. The touch sensing component (110) includes a touch panel (111), a touch circuit layer (112), and a pressure sensing layer (113). The touch circuit layer (112) is disposed between the touch panel (111) and the pressure sensing layer (113), the touch circuit layer (112) and the pressure sensing layer (113) are electrically connected, and the extension (130) is formed by extending outward from the touch circuit layer (112).

2. The touchpad according to claim 1, characterized in that, The extension (130) is configured to be bent relative to the touch circuit layer (112).

3. The touchpad according to claim 2, characterized in that, The touch circuit layer (112) is a flexible circuit board.

4. A touch-sensitive housing assembly, characterized in that, It includes a housing body (210) and a touch panel (100) as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, the touch panel (100) being disposed on the housing body (210).

5. The touch housing assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, The outer shell body (210) includes a first shell (211) and a second shell (212); The first housing (211) and the second housing (212) surround to form a receiving cavity (213), the receiving cavity (213) is used to install electronic components, and the touch panel (100) is disposed on the first housing (211).

6. The touch housing assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first housing (211) is provided with a mounting groove (220), and the touch sensing component (110) of the touch panel (100) is disposed in the mounting groove (220); The first housing (211) has a through hole (230), and the extension (130) of the touch panel (100) is disposed in the receiving cavity (213) through the through hole (230).

7. The touch housing assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first housing (211) has a mounting cavity (240) on the side facing the second housing (212), the mounting cavity (240) is connected to the through hole (230), and the extension (130) is disposed in the mounting cavity (240).

8. The touch housing assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The mounting groove (220) is provided with an opening facing away from the second housing (212).

9. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes a device body and a touch housing assembly (200) as described in any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the device body is disposed on the touch housing assembly (200).

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