Stylus for touchscreen electronic terminals

Abstract

The stylus (4) for an electronic terminal with a touchscreen comprises: - a main body (6) elongated along an axial direction and having a distal end for contacting an electronic terminal's touchscreen and a proximal end comprising an annular groove (12) forming a housing for an end loop (13) of a wrist strap (5), and - a protective cap (7) intended, when attached to the main body, to at least partially cover the end loop of the wrist strap so as to retain it in the annular groove. Figure for the abbreviation: Figure 5

Description

Title of the invention: Stylus for electronic terminal with touchscreen. Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of touchscreen electronic terminals, and more particularly to the field of styluses for touchscreen electronic terminals. Technical background

[0002] Pointing devices, called styluses, are already known from the prior art. These devices are designed to allow input on a screen or touch panel of an electronic terminal, for example, an electronic payment terminal. The stylus is a passive element whose function is to imitate the finger to allow input on the screen or touch panel of the electronic terminal.

[0003] When a stylus is present, it is known to provide a device to prevent it from being dropped, lost, or stolen. Typically, a wrist strap is provided, attached on one side to the electronic terminal housing and on the other side to the stylus, in order to connect the stylus to the electronic terminal housing. For this purpose, the stylus is equipped, at its proximal end, with a fastening ring having an opening through which the wrist strap is passed and then secured, for example, by tying a knot. However, such styluses have several drawbacks.

[0004] First, the wrist strap is mobile within the opening of the retaining ring, so friction occurs between the wrist strap and the retaining ring when the stylus is handled. Such friction causes premature wear of the wrist strap, necessitating frequent replacement to limit the risk of the wrist strap breaking and thus of the stylus being dropped, lost, or stolen.

[0005] Furthermore, the knot that is usually tied to attach the wrist strap to the attachment ring is easily accessible and can be easily and quickly untied by someone attempting to steal the stylus. In addition, the need to tie a knot with the wrist strap makes the stylus's manufacture complex.

[0006] Finally, the retaining ring, which protrudes from a proximal end of the main body of the stylus, forms a point of mechanical weakness that is liable to be torn off in the event of excessive axial or transverse force. Summary of the invention

[0007] The invention aims in particular to provide a stylus for electronic terminal with touch screen enabling at least some of the disadvantages mentioned above to be overcome.

[0008] To this end, the invention relates to a stylus for an electronic terminal with a touch screen, characterized in that it comprises: - a main body elongated along an axial direction and having a distal end intended to come into contact with an electronic terminal touchscreen and a proximal end comprising an annular groove forming a housing for an end loop of a wrist strap, and - a protective cap designed, when attached to the main body, to cover at least part of the end loop of the wrist strap so as to hold it in the annular groove.

[0009] The cooperation between the annular groove and the protective cap to grip the end loop of the wrist strap ensures a reliable, robust, and easy-to-use attachment of the wrist strap to the main body of the stylus. Simply place the end loop of the wrist strap into the annular groove and then attach the protective cap to the main body of the stylus to grip the end loop between the bottom of the groove and the protective cap, thus securing it to the main body. It is clear that this method is faster and simpler for attaching the wrist strap to the main body compared to the prior art, in which it is necessary to pass the wrist strap through an opening in a fastening ring and then tie a knot. Furthermore, the pull-out resistance is improved.Indeed, in the case, for example, of an axial tensile force applied by pulling on the wrist strap, the force is distributed in the annular groove, which reduces the risk of mechanical breakage of the main body and also reduces the risk of theft by tearing.

[0010] The protective cap offers several advantages. First, as previously mentioned, the protective cap reinforces the wrist strap's attachment to the stylus body by holding the strap loop securely in the stylus's ring groove. Furthermore, the protective cap prevents unauthorized access to the area where the wrist strap attaches to the main body, making it more difficult for someone to intentionally detach the stylus. In addition, the protective cap protects the wrist strap from potential friction with external elements and from potential chemical attacks. Finally, the protective cap improves the stylus's appearance by concealing the attachment point between the wrist strap and the stylus.

[0011] The invention may also include one or more of the following optional features, taken alone or in combination.

[0012] Advantageously, the main body is formed by a core overmolded with a thermoplastic material, a proximal portion of the core protruding from the thermoplastic material. The manufacture of the stylus is thus quick and easy. In particular, the portion of the core protruding from the thermoplastic material can be used to more easily handle the core during overmolding operations.

[0013] Advantageously, the core is made of a metallic material, preferably magnetic. Using a magnetic core allows the stylus to be held to an electronic terminal by means of a magnet. This makes using the stylus particularly easy, especially when the user wishes to put the stylus away after use, as they simply need to bring the stylus close to the magnet for it to be held by the electronic terminal. Furthermore, using a metallic, preferably magnetic, core increases the stylus's mechanical strength.

[0014] Advantageously, the protective cap includes guiding means for positioning the protective cap on the main body. These guiding means comprise at least one guiding relief extending from an inner face of the protective cap and defining a channel for the core of the main body. The core channel has a shape complementary to at least a portion of a proximal end of the core. Positioning the protective cap is thus facilitated. Furthermore, the interaction between the guiding means of the protective cap and the proximal end of the stylus core reduces the risk of the protective cap being too easily removed, for example, by a force applied radially with respect to the axis of the cap.Furthermore, this limits the movement of the protective cap, which reduces friction between the protective cap and the wrist strap, thus reducing wear on the wrist strap.

[0015] According to an advantageous embodiment, the guide relief further defines a wrist strap channel. The presence of a wrist strap channel helps to limit friction between the protective cap and the wrist strap. In addition, the wrist strap channel facilitates the assembly of the stylus since it also provides a guide for the wrist strap when it is inserted into the protective cap.

[0016] Advantageously, the stylus includes means for attaching the protective cap to the main body by clipping it on. Clipping has the advantage of being easy to implement and economical. Furthermore, it allows the protective cap to be attached by an axial translational movement, without rotation of the cap. This reduces the risk of the protective cap damaging the wrist strap, for example, during a rotational movement of the protective cap which would otherwise be attached by screwing.

[0017] Preferably, the means for attaching the protective cap to the main body by clipping it on include an annular rib extending around the perimeter of The proximal end of the main body features an annular rib that complements a clip groove formed on the inner face of the protective cap. This provides a simple and economical way to clip the protective cap onto the main body of the stylus.

[0018] Advantageously, the stylus further comprises means for locking the protective cap from rotation, including a first locking member, carried by the main body, and a second locking member, carried by the protective cap, designed to cooperate by complementary shape when the protective cap is fixed to the main body so as to limit or prevent rotation of the protective cap around the axial direction. In this way, on the one hand, the risk of friction between the protective cap and the wrist strap is reduced, thus improving the stylus's lifespan by reducing wrist strap wear, and on the other hand, the risk of separation between the protective cap and the main body of the stylus is reduced, limiting the possible movements of the protective cap.

[0019] Preferably, the first locking member is formed by an axial locking groove and the second locking member is formed by an axial locking rib having a shape complementary to the axial locking groove. This is a simple and economical way of implementing the locking means. It is understood that the complementary shapes of the locking groove and the locking rib allow them to interlock when the protective cap is placed on the main body. This interlocking limits or prevents the rotation of the protective cap around the axial direction when the protective cap is placed on the main body.

[0020] The invention also relates to an electronic terminal characterized in that it comprises: - a main unit including a touchscreen, - a stylus as described above, the stylus being capable of making contact with the touchscreen to allow data entry, and - a wrist strap attached on one side to the main unit and on the other side to the stylus. Brief description of the figures

[0021] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description, given solely by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0022] [Fig. 1] is a perspective view of an electronic payment terminal according to the invention;

[0023] [Fig.2] is a perspective view of a stylus according to a first embodiment of the invention in which the protective cap is not shown;

[0024] [Fig.3] is a perspective view of a stylus according to the first embodiment and of a wrist strap, in which the protective cap is not yet in place on the main body of the stylus;

[0025] [Fig.4] is a perspective view of a proximal portion of the stylet according to the first embodiment of the invention, in a step prior to the placement of the wrist strap in the annular groove;

[0026] [Fig.5] is a view similar to that of [Fig.4], in which the wrist strap is placed in place in the annular groove;

[0027] [Fig.6] is a view similar to that of [Fig.5], in which the cap of protection is put in place on the main body of the stylus;

[0028] [Fig.7] is an axial cross-sectional view along axis A of the stylus according to the first mode realization of the invention;

[0029] [Fig.8] is a perspective view of a distal end of the protective cap of the stylus according to the first embodiment of the invention;

[0030] [Fig.9] is a cross-sectional view of a proximal end of the stylet according to the first method of implementing the invention;

[0031] [Fig.10] is a perspective view of a proximal end of a stylus according to a second embodiment of the invention, in which the protective cap is not shown;

[0032] [Fig.11] is a view similar to that of [Fig.10], in which the stylus has undergone a rotation of approximately 90° around the axial direction of the stylus;

[0033] [Fig. 12] is a perspective view of a distal end of the stylus protective cap according to the second embodiment of the invention

[0034] [Fig. 13] is a cross-sectional view of a proximal end of the stylus according to the second embodiment of the invention;

[0035] [Fig. 14] is a cross-sectional view of a proximal end of the stylus according to the second embodiment of the invention, in which the protective cap is not clipped onto the main body of the stylus; and

[0036] [Fig. 15] is a view similar to [Fig. 14] in which the protective cap is clipped onto the main body of the stylus. Detailed description

[0037] Figures 1 to 9 show an electronic terminal 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention. It should be noted that in the example described, the electronic terminal 1 is an electronic payment terminal.

[0038] The electronic payment terminal 1 includes a main unit 2, a stylus 4 and a wrist strap 5.

[0039] The main unit includes a physical keyboard and a touchscreen 3 for data entry. Data can be entered directly on the touchscreen 3 using a user's finger or via the stylus 4. Depending on the embodiment, the touchscreen 3 can be resistive or capacitive.

[0040] The stylus 4 comprises a main body 6 and a protective cap 7 ([Fig. 3]). The main body 6 is elongated along an axial direction A and, in this case, has a shape with rotational symmetry about the axial direction A. According to the present embodiment, the main body 6 is formed by a core 8 overmolded with a thermoplastic material 9 (Figures 2 and 9). The appropriate thermoplastic material can be chosen by those skilled in the art according to the desired properties of the stylus 4 and / or according to the nature of the core 8.

[0041] As shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7, a proximal portion of the core 8 protrudes from the thermoplastic material 9. Thus, the manipulation of the main body 6 during its manufacturing process can be easily carried out using this protruding portion of the core 8, particularly during the overmolding step with the thermoplastic material 9. According to alternative embodiments, the core 8 may be provided not to protrude from the thermoplastic material 9.

[0042] According to this embodiment, the core 8 is advantageously made of a metallic material, preferably magnetic, for example steel. The main housing 2 includes a stylus holder 10 for a stylus 4 which includes a permanent magnet designed to interact with the magnetic metallic core 8 by exerting a magnetic attraction force on it capable of holding the stylus 4 in position on the stylus holder 10 of the main housing 2 of the electronic payment terminal 1. The use of the stylus 4 is thus easy for a user since they can easily remove the stylus 4 from its holder 10 or replace it on the holder.

[0043] The main body 6 comprises a proximal end and a distal end.

[0044] The distal end of the main body 6 is designed to make contact with the touchscreen 3 of the electronic payment terminal 1 to enable data entry. For this purpose, the distal end is provided, in this case, with a tip 11 adapted to make contact with the touchscreen 3 to perform data entry (Figures 1 to 3). The nature of the tip 11 can vary and is chosen by those skilled in the art, depending, in particular, on the type of touchscreen 3 used.

[0045] The proximal end of the main body 6 includes an annular groove 12 forming a housing for an end loop 13 of the wrist strap 5 (Figures 4, 5 and 7).

[0046] The stylus 4 includes a protective cap 7 intended, when attached to the main body 6, to at least partially cover the end loop 13 of the wrist strap 5 so as to hold it in the annular groove 12. As is particularly visible In Figures 7 and 9, when the protective cap 7 is attached to the main body 6 and the end loop 13 of the wrist strap 5 is housed in the annular groove 12, the end loop 13 of the wrist strap 5 is clamped between, on the one hand, an inner face of the protective cap 7 and, on the other hand, the bottom of the annular groove 12. It is understood that, in this configuration, the end loop 13 is held in the annular groove 12 even if force is applied to the wrist strap 5 or the stylus 4. It is also understood that in the event of a tensile force on the wrist strap 5, the force is primarily transmitted to the annular groove 12, so that the main body 6 bears a greater portion of this force and not the protective cap 7. This reduces the risk of the protective cap 7 becoming detached from the main body 6 in the event of tension on the wrist strap 5 or the stylus 4. stylus 4.

[0047] The wrist strap 5 is therefore attached, on the one hand, to the stylus 4, and, on the other hand, to the main unit 2 of the electronic payment terminal 1, thus securing the stylus 4 to the main unit 2 of the electronic payment terminal 1. This reduces the risk of the stylus 4 being dropped, lost, or stolen.

[0048] The protective cap 7 includes guide means for positioning the protective cap 7 onto the main body 6. The guide means comprise at least one guide relief 14 extending from an inner face of the protective cap 7 and defining a channel 15 for the passage of the core 8 of the main body 6. The channel 15 for the passage of the core 8 has a shape complementary to the proximal end of the core 8, which protrudes from the thermoplastic material 9 (Figures 7 and 8). The guide relief 14 further defines a channel 16 for the passage of the wrist strap 5. Thus, in the present case, the guide relief 14 has the shape of an internal flange defining a central opening that forms the channel 15 for the passage of the core. The internal flange is interrupted so as to define the channel 16 for the passage of the wrist strap 5.The channel 16 for the wrist strap 5 continues to a proximal end of the protective cap 7 and terminates in an opening 17 for the wrist strap 5 provided in the protective cap 7. The channel 16 for the wrist strap 5 helps to limit friction between the protective cap 7 and the wrist strap 5, thus reducing the risk of premature wear of the wrist strap 5, and also makes it easier to position the wrist strap 5 during the manufacture of the stylus 4.

[0049] According to the present embodiment, the protective cap 7 is attached to the main body 6 by clipping. For this purpose, the stylus 4 includes clipping means for attaching the protective cap 7 to the main body 6 which include an annular rib 18 extending around the circumference of the proximal end of the main body 6, the annular rib being complementary to a clipping groove 19 formed on the inner face of the protective cap 7 ([Fig.7]).

[0050] Assembly steps for the different parts forming the stylus 4 and the wrist strap are described below.

[0051] Initially, the wrist strap 5, the protective cap 7, and the main body 6 of the stylus 4 are not attached to each other ([Fig. 3]). The end loop 13 of the wrist strap 5 is then passed through the wrist strap 5 passage opening 17 and through the wrist strap 5 passage channel 16 so as to pass completely through the protective cap 7 ([Fig. 4]). The end loop 13 of the wrist strap 5 is then positioned in the annular groove 12 of the main body 6 so as to occupy substantially the entire annular groove 12 ([Fig. 5]). The protective cap 7 is then threaded onto the proximal end of the main body 6 until the annular rib 18 of the main body fits into the clipping groove 19 of the protective cap 7 so as to clip the protective cap 7 onto the main body 6 (figures 6 and 7).During the threading of the protective cap 7 onto the main body 6, the proximal end of the core 8, which protrudes from the thermoplastic material 9, is progressively introduced into the channel 15 for the core 8, which is delimited by the guide relief 14 of the protective cap 7. The interaction between the core 8 and the guide relief 14 guides the trajectory of the protective cap 7 and thus facilitates its clipping onto the main body 6. As shown in [Fig. 7], once the protective cap 7 is clipped onto the main body 6, it at least partially covers the end loop 13 of the wrist strap 5, which is housed in the annular groove 12, so as to hold it in the annular groove 12.This provides a simple and secure attachment of the wrist strap 5 to the main body 6 of the stylus 4, while reducing the risk of premature wear of the wrist strap 5 since the end loop 13 is protected by the protective cap 7. Furthermore, when tensile force is applied to the wrist strap 5, this force is minimally or not at all transmitted to the protective cap 7, thus reducing the risk of the protective cap detaching when tension is applied to the stylus 4 or the wrist strap 5. In addition, the tensile force is not transmitted to the main body 6 at a single point but is distributed around the entire circumference of the main body 6 at the annular groove 12, which reduces the risk of mechanical breakage.

[0052] The wrist strap 5 thus forms a linking element allowing the stylus 4 to be fixed to the electronic payment terminal 1.

[0053] Figures 10 to 15 show a stylus 4 for an electronic payment terminal 1 according to a second embodiment of the invention. In these figures, elements analogous to those in Figures 1 to 9, corresponding to the first embodiment, are designated by identical reference numerals. The stylus 4 is described below. according to the second embodiment only with regard to its differences from the first embodiment.

[0054] The stylus 4 according to the second embodiment differs from the stylus 4 according to the first embodiment in that it further includes means for locking a rotation of the protective cap 7.

[0055] The means for locking the rotation of the protective cap 7 comprise a first locking member, carried by the main body 6, and a second locking member, carried by the protective cap 7. The first and second locking members are intended to cooperate by complementary shape when the protective cap 7 is fixed to the main body 6 so as to limit or prevent a rotation of the protective cap 7 around the axial direction A.

[0056] In the present case, the first locking member is formed by an axial locking groove 20 and the second locking member is formed by an axial locking rib 21 having a shape complementary to the axial locking groove 20 (figures 10 to 15).

[0057] The axial locking groove 20 is formed in the main body 6, at its proximal end ([Fig. 11]). The axial locking rib 21 projects from the face of the guide relief 14 which is opposite the proximal end of the main body 6 ([Fig. 12]). When the protective cap 7 is clipped onto the main body 6 (Figures 13 and 15), the axial locking rib 21 is housed in the axial locking groove 20 so as to prevent or limit rotation of the protective cap 7 around the axial direction A. Limiting or preventing the rotation of the protective cap 7 helps to limit wear on the wrist strap 5 caused by friction with the protective cap 7. It also reduces the risk that rotation of the protective cap 7 will, by friction, displace part of the end loop 13 of the wrist strap 5 outside the annular groove 12.

[0058] Furthermore, the presence of the axial locking groove 20 and the axial locking rib 21 facilitates the placement of the protective cap 7 onto the main body. Indeed, the axial locking groove 20 and the axial locking rib 21 help guide the protective cap 7 during its placement on the main body 6.

[0059] The invention is not limited to the embodiments presented in the detailed description, and other embodiments will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Reference list

[0060] 1: electronic payment terminal 2: Main unit 3: Touchscreen 4: Stylus 5: wrist strap 6: main body 7: Protective cap 8: soul 9: thermoplastic material 10: Stylus holder 11: point 12: ring groove 13: Wrist strap end loop 14: guide relief 15: channel through which the soul passes 16: Dragon's passage channel 17: Wrist strap passage hole 18: ring rib 19: Clipping groove 20: axial locking groove 21: Axial locking rib

Claims

Demands

1. Stylus (4) for electronic terminal (1) with touch screen, characterized in that it comprises: - a main body (6) elongated along an axial direction (A) and having a distal end intended to come into contact with a touch screen (3) of electronic terminal (1) and a proximal end comprising an annular groove (12) forming a housing for an end loop (13) of a wrist strap (5), and - a protective cap (7) intended, when attached to the main body (6), to cover at least part of the end loop (13) of the wrist strap (5) so as to retain it in the annular groove (12).

2. Stylus (4) according to claim 1, wherein the main body (6) is formed by a core (8) overmolded by a thermoplastic material (9), a proximal portion of the core (8) protruding out of the thermoplastic material (9).

3. Stylus (4) according to claim 2, wherein the core (8) is made of a metallic material, preferably magnetic.

4. Stylus (4) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the protective cap (7) includes guiding means for guiding the placement of the protective cap (7) on the main body (6), the guiding means including at least one guiding relief (14) extending from an inner face of the protective cap (7) and defining a channel (15) for the passage of the core (8) of the main body (6), the channel (15) for the passage of the core (8) having a shape complementary to at least a portion of a proximal end of the core (8).

5. Stylus (4) according to claim 4, wherein the guide relief (14) further delimits a channel (16) for the passage of the wrist strap (5).

6. Stylus (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising means for clipping the protective cap (7) onto the main body (6).

7. Stylus (4) according to claim 6, wherein the means for clipping the protective cap (7) onto the main body (6) comprise an annular rib (18) extending around the periphery of the proximal end of the main body (6), the annular rib (18) being complementary to a clipping groove (19) provided on an inner face of the protective cap (7).

8. Stylus (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising means for locking the protective cap (7) from rotation, comprising a first locking member, carried by the main body (6), and a second locking member, carried by the protective cap (7), intended to cooperate by complementary shape when the protective cap (7) is fixed to the main body (6) so as to limit or prevent rotation of the protective cap (7) around the axial direction (A).

9. Stylus (4) according to claim 8, wherein the first locking member is formed by an axial locking groove (20) and the second locking member is formed by an axial locking rib (21) having a shape complementary to the axial locking groove (20).

10. Electronic terminal (1) characterized in that it comprises: - a main housing (2) comprising a touch screen (3), - a stylus (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, the stylus (4) being able to make contact with the touch screen (3) to enable data entry, and - a wrist strap (5) attached on one side to the main housing (2) and on the other side to the stylus (4).

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