haptic feedback device

Abstract

This invention provides a tactile feedback device, comprising a housing with an opening, a vibration motor housed within the housing, a seal connecting the vibration motor and the housing, and a button disposed on the seal and partially extending out of the housing from the opening. The vibration motor includes a vibrator assembly providing vibration, a stator assembly connected to the housing, and an elastic component elastically connecting the vibrator assembly to the stator assembly. The button includes a button body and a key leg extending from the button body toward the seal. The key leg is fixedly connected to the seal. The seal includes a main body connected to the key leg and a support portion extending from the periphery of the main body. The support portion is connected to the stator assembly. The tactile feedback device provided by this invention connects the seal to the stator assembly of the vibration motor. Vibration of the vibration motor does not affect the sealing effect of the seal, ensuring stable operation. Furthermore, the assembly of the button and the vibration motor is simpler.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0002] This utility model relates to the field of button technology, and in particular to a tactile feedback device. [Background Technology]

[0004] Touch buttons are buttons that achieve touch control by sensing pressing signals. Specifically, they use sensors to accurately detect the location and pressure of the press, and then control the vibration of a vibration motor to provide tactile feedback. With the diversification of smartphone usage scenarios, such as underwater shooting and operation in the rain, waterproofing has become a standard feature of high-end models. International protection rating certifications (such as IP68) require devices to withstand immersion in 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes without water ingress. However, traditional touch buttons and separate virtual side buttons are weak points in waterproofing design due to gaps in their mechanical structure.

[0005] In existing haptic feedback devices, sealing rings are typically placed on the buttons for waterproofing. These waterproof sealing rings are usually fitted onto the button legs. However, this waterproof structure has several drawbacks: Since the button is assembled with the vibrating motor's actuator, the button vibrates along with the motor, and this vibration may be affected when the button and housing are in contact via the sealing ring; due to the sealing ring, when the button is pressed, the pressure is not fully transmitted to the sensor below, as some of the pressure is absorbed by the sealing ring, affecting the sensor's detection accuracy; when the vibrating motor vibrates, the vibration is transmitted to the button cap through the button legs, and some of this vibration is again absorbed by the sealing ring, affecting the tactile feedback effect; and because the sealing ring vibrates along with the button cap, if it cannot return to its original position due to vibration, the waterproofing effect will be compromised.

[0006] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new haptic feedback device to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. [Utility Model Content]

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide a tactile feedback device that is structurally stable, easy to assemble, and has better waterproof performance.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides a tactile feedback device, which includes a housing with an opening, a vibration motor housed within the housing, a sealing member connecting the vibration motor and the housing, and a button disposed on the sealing member and partially extending out of the housing from the opening. The vibration motor includes a vibrator assembly providing vibration, a stator assembly connected to the housing, and an elastic component elastically connecting the vibrator assembly to the stator assembly. The button includes a button body and a key leg extending from the button body toward the sealing member. The key leg is fixedly connected to the sealing member. The sealing member includes a main body connected to the key leg and a support portion extending from the periphery of the main body. The support portion is connected to the stator assembly.

[0010] Preferably, the housing includes an extension disposed between the button and the seal, and the main body of the seal has a protrusion, the protrusion being fixed to the extension by an interference fit.

[0011] Preferably, when the button is in a stationary state, the button leg is pre-pressed to the main body of the seal, so that the main body forms a recessed portion.

[0012] Preferably, the main body of the seal is provided with a connecting post, and the key leg is supported on the connecting post.

[0013] Preferably, the tactile feedback device further includes a gasket, and the support portion of the seal is fixed to the stator assembly of the vibration motor by the gasket.

[0014] Preferably, the tactile feedback device further includes a solder pad and a spring plate. The solder pad is fixed to the surface of the oscillator assembly facing the seal, and the spring plate is fixed to the surface of the main body facing the oscillator assembly. The spring plate is connected to the solder pad to transmit the vibration generated by the oscillator assembly to the button.

[0015] Preferably, the button body has an outwardly extending extension arm, and the housing has a receiving groove for receiving the extension arm, the height of which is greater than the thickness of the extension arm.

[0016] Preferably, the housing includes a top wall surrounding the top of the receiving groove and a bottom wall surrounding the bottom of the receiving groove. The extension arm includes an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface. The upper surface abuts against the top wall to limit the upward movement of the button, and the lower surface abuts against the bottom wall to limit the downward movement of the button.

[0017] Preferably, the seal is a silicone seal.

[0018] Preferably, the haptic feedback device further includes a circuit board fixed to the spring and a sensor fixed to the circuit board, the sensor detecting the pressing state of the button.

[0019] Compared with related technologies, this utility model provides a tactile feedback device. The tactile feedback device includes a housing with an opening, a vibration motor housed within the housing, a seal connecting the vibration motor and the housing, and a button disposed on the seal and partially extending out of the housing from the opening. The vibration motor includes a vibrator assembly providing vibration, a stator assembly connected to the housing, and an elastic component elastically connecting the vibrator assembly to the stator assembly. The button includes a button body and a key leg extending from the button body toward the seal. The key leg is fixedly connected to the seal. The seal includes a main body connected to the key leg and a support portion extending from the periphery of the main body. The support portion is connected to the stator assembly. The tactile feedback device provided by this utility model has its seal connected to the stator assembly of the vibration motor. When the vibration motor vibrates, the seal will not shift, thus not affecting its sealing effect. The seal remains stable, and the assembly of the button and the vibration motor is simpler, resulting in a better sealing effect. [Attached Image Description]

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort, wherein:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the tactile feedback device of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 For example Figure 1 The diagram shows a three-dimensional structural representation of a portion of the haptic feedback device.

[0024] Figure 3 For example Figure 2 A partially exploded view of some structures in the haptic feedback device shown;

[0025] Figure 4 For example Figure 2 An exploded view of part of the structure of the haptic feedback device shown;

[0026] Figure 5 For along Figure 1 Partial cross-sectional view of line AA in the middle;

[0027] Figure 6For haptic feedback devices in a stationary state along Figure 1 Partial cross-sectional view of the middle BB line;

[0028] Figure 7 For the haptic feedback device in the pressed state along Figure 1 Partial cross-sectional view of the BB line.

Detailed Implementation Methods

[0030] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0031] Please also refer to Figure 1-7 This utility model provides a tactile feedback device 100, which includes a housing 1 with an opening 11, a vibration motor 2 housed in the housing 1, a sealing member 3 connecting the vibration motor 2 and the housing 1, a button 4 disposed on the sealing member 3 and partially extending out of the housing 1 from the opening 11, a washer 5, a spring 6 and a solder piece 7 disposed below the sealing member 3, a circuit board 8 fixed on the spring 6, a sensor 90 fixed on the circuit board 8, and a chip 91 disposed in the housing 1 and electrically connected to the sensor 8.

[0032] The housing 1 forms a receiving space 10. The opening 11 is provided on the side of the housing 1 and communicates with the receiving space 10. The housing 1 includes an extension 12 provided between the button 4 and the sealing member 3. The housing 1 is provided with a plurality of receiving grooves 13 on both sides corresponding to the button 4. The housing 1 includes a groove top wall 14 surrounding the top of the receiving groove 13 and a groove bottom wall 15 surrounding the bottom of the receiving groove 13.

[0033] The vibration motor 2 includes an oscillator assembly 21 that provides vibration, a stator assembly 22 connected to the housing 1, and an elastic component 23 that elastically connects the oscillator assembly 21 to the stator assembly 22. In this embodiment, the oscillator assembly 21 is a magnetic circuit assembly, which includes a magnetic yoke 211, a magnet 212 disposed on the magnetic yoke 211, and a first pole core 213 stacked on the magnet 212. The welding piece 7 is fixed to the surface of the oscillator assembly 21 facing the seal 3. In this embodiment, the welding piece 7 is fixed to the first pole core 213.

[0034] The stator assembly 22 consists of two sets, with one set on each side of the oscillator assembly 21. Each stator assembly 22 includes a reinforcing plate 221 fixed to the housing 1, a frame 222 fixed to the reinforcing plate 221, an iron core 223 located within the frame 222, and a coil 224 wound around the iron core 223. The frame 222 is made of a magnetically conductive material and has a U-shaped cross-section. The frame 222 includes a first wall portion 2221 extending perpendicular to the vibration direction of the oscillator assembly 21 and a second wall portion 2222 extending from both ends of the first wall portion 2221. The first wall portion 2221 and the second wall portion 2222 form a receiving cavity for accommodating the iron core 223 and the coil 224.

[0035] The elastic component 23 includes a connecting block 231 connected to the magnetic circuit component, a silicone block 232 fixedly connected to the connecting block 231, and a metal spring 233 connected to the silicone block 232. The connecting block 232 is made of steel. The tactile feedback device 100 also includes a conductive element 101 that supplies power to the coil 224 and a fixing element 102 located on the conductive element 101 that connects the metal spring 233 to the housing 1. It is understood that the conductive element 101 is a circuit board. The fixing element 102 includes a fixing plate 1021 connected to the metal spring 233 and screws 1022 that fix the fixing plate 1021 to the housing 1.

[0036] The sealing element 3 is a silicone sealant. The sealing element 3 includes a main body 31 and a support portion 32 extending from the periphery of the main body 31. The support portion 32 is connected to the stator assembly 22. The main body 31 of the sealing element 3 has a protrusion 311, which is configured as a complete ring structure. The protrusion 311 is interference-fitted with the extension portion 12 of the housing 1, resulting in a better sealing effect and making it more difficult for water droplets to enter the interior of the sealing element 3. At least one connecting post 312 is provided on the main body 31 of the sealing element 3. The spring piece 6 is fixed to the surface of the main body 31 facing the oscillator assembly 21. The spring piece 6 is connected to the welding piece 7 to transmit the vibration generated by the oscillator assembly 21 to the sealing element 3, and thus to the button 4.

[0037] The washer 5 is a sheet-like annular structure. The washer 5 is fixed to the reinforcing plate 221 of the stator assembly 22. The support portion 32 of the seal 3 is fixed to the washer 5. The seal 3 is fixed to the stator assembly 22 of the vibration motor 2 through the washer 5. Alternatively, one end of the washer 5 can be fixed to the metal spring 233.

[0038] The support portion 32 of the sealing element 3 of this invention is connected to the stator assembly 22 of the vibration motor 2, so that the position of the sealing element 3 is not affected when the vibrator assembly 21 vibrates, thus improving the waterproof effect of the sealing element 3. Since the sealing element 3 is in close contact with the stator assembly 22 of the vibration motor 2, it does not affect the mover assembly 21 of the vibration motor 2, and the sealing element 3 does not absorb the vibration generated by the vibrator assembly 21. When the vibrator assembly 21 vibrates, the main body 31 of the sealing element 3 is in close contact between the button 4 and the vibrator assembly 21, and the sealing element 3 is not affected by the movement of the button 4, so its fixed state is relatively stable.

[0039] The button 4 is partially housed within the receiving space 10, and partially extends out of the housing 1 from the opening 11. The button 4 includes a button body 41 and a button leg 42 extending from the button body 41 toward the sealing member 3. The button leg 42 is fixedly connected to the main body 31 of the sealing member 3. The button body 41 includes a first part 411 and a second part 412, which are separately disposed. The first part 411 is a pressing part that is in contact with the finger. The first part 411 is made of aluminum alloy, and the second part 412 is made of plastic to facilitate installation on the housing 1. The button leg 32 is formed on the second part 412. In other embodiments, the button 4 may also be a one-piece molded structure. The button leg 32 is supported on the connecting post 312.

[0040] When the button 4 is stationary, i.e., not pressed, the button leg 42 is pre-pressed to the main body 31 of the sealing member 3, causing the main body 31 to form a recess 313. The button body 41 has an outwardly extending extension arm 413, and the receiving groove 13 of the housing 1 receives the extension arm 413, the height of the receiving groove 13 being greater than the thickness of the extension arm 413. The extension arm 413 includes an upper surface 4131 and a lower surface 4132 opposite to the upper surface 4131, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the upper surface 4131 abuts against the top wall 14 of the groove to limit the upward movement of the button 4, as... Figure 7 As shown, when the button is pressed, the lower surface 4132 abuts against the bottom wall 15 of the groove to limit the downward movement of the button 4. The lower surface 4132 is an inclined surface.

[0041] The circuit board 8 includes a first fixing part 81 connected to the elastic component 23, a second fixing part 82 connected to the spring piece 6, and a connecting part 83 connecting the first fixing part 81 and the second fixing part 82. The sensor 90 is disposed on the second fixing part 82, and one sensor 90 is disposed on each side of the solder piece 7. The first fixing part 81 is further fixedly connected to the washer 5 by a foam.

[0042] The sensor 90 can be a pressure sensor or other types of sensor. The sensor 90 detects the pressing state of the button 4. The pressing state includes: whether there is a pressing action, the magnitude of the pressing force, and the duration of the pressing.

[0043] The chip 91 is electrically connected to the sensor 90 and the vibration motor 2. When the button 4 is pressed, the sensor 90 detects the pressing information, including the pressing time and force, and sends an electrical signal to the chip 91. The chip 91 then sends a corresponding preset vibration signal to the vibration motor 2 based on the received pressing information, causing the vibration motor 2 to vibrate according to the preset vibration signal to provide tactile feedback.

[0044] Compared with related technologies, this utility model provides a tactile feedback device. The tactile feedback device includes a housing with an opening, a vibration motor housed within the housing, a seal connecting the vibration motor and the housing, and a button disposed on the seal and partially extending out of the housing from the opening. The vibration motor includes a vibrator assembly providing vibration, a stator assembly connected to the housing, and an elastic component elastically connecting the vibrator assembly to the stator assembly. The button includes a button body and a key leg extending from the button body toward the seal. The key leg is fixedly connected to the seal. The seal includes a main body connected to the key leg and a support portion extending from the periphery of the main body. The support portion is connected to the stator assembly. The tactile feedback device provided by this utility model has its seal connected to the stator assembly of the vibration motor. When the vibration motor vibrates, the seal will not shift, thus not affecting its sealing effect. The seal remains stable, and the assembly of the button and the vibration motor is simpler, resulting in a better sealing effect. In this utility model, the button assembly and vibration motor assembly can be separated, minimizing the impact of assembly tolerances.

[0045] The above description is merely an embodiment of this utility model. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make improvements without departing from the inventive concept of this utility model, but these improvements all fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A haptic feedback device, characterized in that: The tactile feedback device includes a housing with an opening, a vibration motor housed within the housing, a seal connecting the vibration motor and the housing, and a button disposed on the seal and partially extending out of the housing from the opening. The vibration motor includes an oscillator assembly providing vibration, a stator assembly connected to the housing, and an elastic component elastically connecting the oscillator assembly to the stator assembly. The button includes a button body and a key leg extending from the button body toward the seal. The key leg is fixedly connected to the seal. The seal includes a main body connected to the key leg and a support portion extending from the periphery of the main body. The support portion is connected to the stator assembly.

2. The tactile feedback device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing includes an extension disposed between the button and the seal, and the main body of the seal has a protrusion, which is fixed to the extension by an interference fit.

3. The haptic feedback device according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the button is stationary, the button leg is pre-pressed to the main body of the seal, causing the main body to form a recessed portion.

4. The tactile feedback device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main body of the seal is provided with a connecting post, and the key leg is supported on the connecting post.

5. The tactile feedback device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tactile feedback device also includes a gasket, and the support portion of the seal is fixed to the stator assembly of the vibration motor by the gasket.

6. The haptic feedback device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tactile feedback device further includes a solder pad and a spring. The solder pad is fixed to the surface of the oscillator assembly facing the seal, and the spring is fixed to the surface of the main body facing the oscillator assembly. The spring is connected to the solder pad to transmit the vibration generated by the oscillator assembly to the button.

7. The haptic feedback device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The button body has an outwardly extending arm, and the housing has a receiving groove for receiving the extending arm, the height of which is greater than the thickness of the extending arm.

8. The haptic feedback device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The housing includes a top wall surrounding the top of the receiving groove and a bottom wall surrounding the bottom of the receiving groove. The extension arm includes an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface. The upper surface abuts against the top wall to limit the upward movement of the button, and the lower surface abuts against the bottom wall to limit the downward movement of the button.

9. The haptic feedback device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sealing element is a silicone seal.

10. The haptic feedback device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The tactile feedback device also includes a circuit board fixed to the spring and a sensor fixed to the circuit board, the sensor detecting the pressed state of the button.

Images