Touch-pad

Abstract

To provide a touch-pad of which the entire surface is capable of moving up and down appropriately, and in which force required for depressing can be changed according to an operative region.SOLUTION: A touch-pad 10 includes: an outer frame 30 fixed to a sensor board 24; an arm part 54 disposed inside the outer frame 30; a pivot support part 60 supporting the arm prat 54; and a resin leaf spring 40b that urges the sensor board 24 upward against a base plate 34. The other end of the arm part 54 is supported so as to be displaceable in a vertical direction together with the sensor board 24, and as the sensor board 24 is pushed by hands, the other end of the arm part 54 is pushed down and tilts up and down based on the pivot support part 60, and one end is pushed up to pressingly operate a switch 24. The resin leaf spring 40b urges the sensor board 24 upward except for a center thereof.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a touch pad for performing a pointing operation by hand. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in a notebook personal computer (notebook PC), in addition to a keyboard, a touchpad is provided as an alternative to a mouse. The touchpad is a type of pointing device that moves a cursor displayed on a display device by receiving touch operations with a fingertip. The touchpad is generally provided adjacent to the keyboard on the front side of the top surface of the main body housing.

[0003] Regarding an input device equipped with such a touchpad, the applicant has proposed a configuration that enables touch and press operations in Patent Document 1. In this configuration, a plurality of pseudo button areas are set on the touch surface of the touchpad, and input operations corresponding to each pseudo button area can be performed by touching each pseudo button area and pressing the touchpad. Such a touchpad is equipped with a sensor board that detects human contact on the top surface, and a switch that can be turned on and off by pressing down on the sensor board, and a clicking sensation can be obtained by switching the switch.

[0004] The electronic device described in Patent Document 1 has a pointing stick provided approximately in the center of the keyboard. A button area on the touchpad closer to the keyboard is an operation area associated with the pointing stick. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-060306 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In order to enable the sensor board to be pressed, it is advisable to provide a hinge-like axis along the edge adjacent to the keyboard and to allow the sensor board to tilt about the axis, but while such a configuration ensures a moderate range of vertical movement on the front side, the back side close to the axis does not move up and down much, which can cause the user to feel uncomfortable as the click feeling is not obtained. In particular, it is difficult to obtain a click feeling in the button area of ​​the touchpad close to the keyboard.

[0007] In addition, while a touchpad is operated with the index finger, the button area is often operated with the side of the thumb, so it is not necessarily easy to apply force to it. It is preferable that the force required to press down differs depending on the area operated by hand, not just the area associated with the pointing stick, depending on the specifications.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to provide a touchpad whose entire surface can be moved up and down appropriately and whose pressing force can be changed depending on the operating area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, a touchpad according to an embodiment of the present invention is a touchpad for performing pointing operations by hand, and includes a sensor board capable of recognizing a contact position by a human hand, an outer frame fixed to the sensor board, an arm portion arranged inside the outer frame, a switch provided between one end of the arm portion and the sensor board, a pivot support portion supporting the arm portion at an intermediate portion so that it can be tilted up and down, and an elastic body urging the sensor board upward relative to a base, and the other end of the arm portion is supported so as to be displaced in the lifting and lowering direction together with the sensor board, and as the sensor board is pushed by hand, the other end of the arm portion is pushed down and tilts up and down based on the pivot support portion, and the one end is pushed up to press and operate the switch, and the elastic body urges the sensor board upward on the side that makes the downward pressure relatively heavier based on the center of the sensor board. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the above aspect of the present invention, the entire surface can be appropriately moved up and down, and the force required for pressing down can be changed according to the operation area. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic device equipped with a touch pad according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the touch pad. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the touch pad. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the outer frame and the inner frame. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a corner of the outer frame. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the middle part of the arm portion. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the resin plate. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the metal plate. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view of a base plate in which a metal plate and a resin plate are laminated and fixed. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the touch pad removed from the frame. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of a corner of the touch pad when viewed from below in a state where it is removed from the frame. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a touch pad. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the touch pad with the sensor board pressed. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the touch pad taken along the front-rear direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a touch pad according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic device 12 equipped with a touchpad 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, the touchpad will be described based on the usage state in a state where it is mounted on the electronic device 12 shown in Fig. 1, with the near side referred to as the front side (forward) and the far side referred to as the rear side (rear), and the thickness direction of a main body housing 14 constituting the electronic device 12 referred to as the up-down direction and the width direction referred to as the left-right direction.

[0014] 1, the electronic device 12 is a notebook PC equipped with a main body housing 14 having a touchpad 10 and a keyboard 16, and a display housing 18 having a display 18a such as a liquid crystal display. The display housing 18 is connected to the main body housing 14 by a pair of left and right hinges 20, 20 so as to be able to open and close. The touchpad 10 is a built-in type of the electronic device 12, but may be an external type.

[0015] Various electronic components such as a circuit board, a processor, storage, memory, and a battery (not shown) are housed inside the main body housing 14. The touchpad and keyboard 16 are arranged in a front-to-back fashion on the top surface of the main body housing 14. A pointing stick 22 is provided approximately in the center of the keyboard 16.

[0016] The pointing stick 22 is a type of pointing device that moves a cursor displayed on the display 18a in a tilting direction. The pointing stick 22 is small and cylindrical, and is provided approximately in the center of the keyboard 16, for example, between the G, H, and B keys. The pointing stick 22 is moved by tilting it mainly with the index finger or middle finger, and for clicking to specify a point, the touch pad 10 is pressed down mainly with the thumb.

[0017] Next, the touchpad 10 will be described. The touchpad 10 is provided on the top surface of the main body housing 14, approximately in the center of the palm rest area in front of the keyboard 16. In other words, the touchpad 10 is provided adjacent to the keyboard 16 in the front-to-rear direction. The center of the touchpad 10 in the left-to-right direction approximately coincides with the pointing stick 22. The touchpad 10 is a slightly horizontally elongated rectangle, and its front-to-rear width occupies almost the entire width of the palm rest area. The size of the touchpad 10 in a plan view is, for example, approximately 12 cm x 7 cm.

[0018] The touchpad 10 is a pointing device that performs a pointing operation by moving a cursor with a human hand (including a fingertip, a pen tip, etc.), and an internal switch 26 is switched by pressing down a sensor board 24 on the surface, providing a clicking sensation. The sensor board 24 is capable of recognizing the contact position of the human hand. The touchpad 10 is capable of processing so-called right clicks and left clicks depending on the position of the human hand when the sensor board 24 is pressed down. The touchpad 10 is also capable of handling various operations such as tapping, double tapping, two-finger tapping, and pinching through software processing.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the touchpad 10. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the touchpad 10. The touchpad 10 has a frame 28, a sensor board 24, a switch 26, an outer frame 30, an inner frame 32, and a base plate (substrate) 34. The frame 28 is a member that constitutes the outer shell of the touchpad 10, but the top plate 14a (see FIG. 1) of the main body housing 14 may also serve as the frame 28. The outer frame 30 is a rectangular frame-shaped member with the same outer dimensions as the sensor board 24, and is fixed to the sensor board 24 by a sufficiently thin adhesive tape 36. The outer frame 30 is not necessarily limited to a frame shape, and may be, for example, a C-shaped corner with an opening in one portion. The fixing means between the outer frame 30 and the sensor board 24 may be an engagement structure or the like. The adhesive tape 36 is, for example, a stretch release tape having a tensile peelable property, a stretch double-sided tape, or a part called a stretchable tape. The glass 24a and the circuit board 24b described later, and the metal plate 38 and the resin plate 40 may also be fixed with the same adhesive tape.

[0020] The sensor board 24 is sized to fit into the opening of the frame 28, and has a laminated structure of glass 24a having a sensing function such as a capacitance type, and a circuit board 24b. The switch 26 is thin and small, and is provided between the center of the inner frame 32 and the sensor board 24. The switch 26 may be mounted on the circuit board 24b. When the switch 26 is pressed, it switches between on and off, and an appropriate clicking sensation is provided. The switch 26 in this embodiment is of a normally open type.

[0021] A strip-shaped area along the rear edge of the top surface of the sensor board 24 close to the keyboard 16 is set as a button area 25. In FIG. 2, the button area is shown with a dotted background. The button area 25 is set to be narrow in front-to-back width so that it can be pressed by a finger. The button area 25 is assigned to operations related to the pointing stick 22, and is composed of a left click section 25a, a right click section 25b, which are slightly wide on the left and right, and a narrow scroll section 25c in the center. The scroll section 25c is for scrolling a web page or document in any direction. The button area 25 is operated mainly with the thumb in combination with the pointing stick 22, and is separated from other areas by a mark 25d such as a line or a dot.

[0022] The base plate 34 has a laminated structure of a metal plate 38 and a resin plate 40, which are fixed together. A plurality of screw seats 38a are formed around the periphery of the metal plate 38, and the metal plate 38 is fixed to the frame body 28 by screws 42. A short tongue piece 38b that is approximately 1 / 3 of the overall width on the left and right sides is provided on the front side of the metal plate 38. The tongue piece 38b is adapted to hang on the upper surface of a shelf portion 28a formed on the frame body 28, but depending on the layout requirements, it may be configured to be fixed by screws in the same way as the other three sides. The base plate 34 will be described in more detail later.

[0023] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the outer frame 30 and the inner frame 32. The outer frame 30 and the inner frame 32 are collectively referred to as a frame unit 33. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a corner of the outer frame 30. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the middle part of the arm portion 54.

[0024] The outer frame 30 and the inner frame 32 are formed from a single metal plate such as stainless steel by processes such as pressing, laser processing, and bending, and are connected together as one unit by elastic connecting parts 68, which will be described later, making them easy to handle when assembling and disassembling.

[0025] As described above, the outer frame 30 has a slightly horizontally elongated frame shape, with an aspect ratio of about 3:5 in this embodiment. The outer frame 30 has a front frame 30a, a rear frame 30b, and left and right vertical frames 30c. Two notches 30ba are formed in the rear frame 30b. The notches 30ba are provided to avoid interference with the shaft 62, which will be described later.

[0026] Each of the four frames has a two-layer structure consisting of a lower plate 31a and an upper plate 31b, in which the material is folded back along the edges, and is therefore highly strong. The upper plate 31b also serves as a spacer to secure an upper gap 70 (see FIG. 12) for the inclination of the arm portion 54 described later. The upper plate 31b has a shape similar to that of the lower plate 31a, but is slightly narrower than the lower plate 31a, and each end is cut at a 45-degree angle. In this embodiment, the width of each frame is about 6 mm at the lower plate 31a. Parts of the upper plate 31b near the left and right ends of the front frame 30a and the rear frame 30b are cut out. This portion forms a narrow slide fitting portion 44 (see FIG. 12) between the upper surface of the lower plate 31a and the lower surface of the sensor board 24. In this case, the slide fitting portion 44 is a non-penetrating groove on the side, but may be penetrating.

[0027] A small protrusion 46 is formed near the front and rear ends of each vertical frame 30c, remaining without being folded back and protruding to the side. A small triangular notch 30ca is formed on the inside of each vertical frame 30c near the small protrusion 46. The notch 30ca is an area for securing a lateral protrusion 58, which will be described later. A protrusion 48 is provided extending from the middle of each vertical frame 30c toward the center of the frame. In this embodiment, the length of the protrusion 48 is about 1 / 5 of the length of the front frame 30a and the rear frame 30b. The protrusion 48 has a thick base and is approximately triangular in shape, providing appropriate strength. The rear tip of the protrusion 48 forms a first positioning piece 48a that is bent downward. The first positioning piece 48a has an appropriate width in the left-right direction.

[0028] A leaf spring 50 is provided extending from the middle of the front frame 30a toward the center of the frame. The length of the leaf spring 50 in this embodiment is about 1 / 3 of the vertical frame 30c. The leaf spring 50 is thin and moderately long, so it is elastic. The leaf spring 50 has a small step that shifts downward near the front frame 30a. A small bent portion 50a is provided at the tip of the leaf spring 50, and a second positioning piece 50b is provided on the side of the tip. The bent portion 50a and the second positioning piece 50b each protrude downward toward the base plate 34. The second positioning piece 50b has a moderate width in the front-rear direction, and the base portion is slightly narrow.

[0029] The inner frame 32 is disposed inside the outer frame 30, and is a cross-shaped member having four arms 54 extending from a central portion 52 toward four symmetrical locations (in this case, the four corners) on the outer frame 30. However, the arms 54 do not have to be symmetrical, and there do not have to be four of them. In other words, the mechanism is established as long as the arms 54 extend radially from the switch 26 toward the outer frame 30, with the switch 26 being the central point. In this embodiment, the width of each arm 54 is about 8 mm. The central portion 52 is the portion where the arms 54 become thinner and the four extensions (one end) 52a intersect, and the central portion 52 protrudes slightly downward from the arms 54 due to the step portion 52b in the middle. The portion where the arms 54 are connected to the extensions 52a is a tapered triangle. The extensions 52a are also considered to be part of the arms 54. In other words, the inner frame 32 is configured such that the extension portions 52 a , which are one ends of the four arm portions 54 , are connected to each other and the other ends 54 a extend toward four locations on the outer frame 30 .

[0030] The switch 26 (see FIG. 3) is disposed in the range inside the four step portions 52b in the central portion 52. The extension portion 52a is thin and therefore capable of elastic deformation. Since the extension portion 52a can be regarded as part of the arm portion 54, the arm portion 54 is configured to be elastically bendable between the central portion 52 that presses the switch 26 and the other portions. Furthermore, the arm portion 54 has step portions 52b formed between the central portion 52 that presses the switch 26 and the other portions.

[0031] The end (other end) 54a of the arm portion 54 is cut obliquely along the edges of the front frame 30a and the rear frame 30b, and a narrow gap 56 is formed between the front frame 30a and the rear frame 30b. The end 54a of the arm portion 54 is provided with a lateral protrusion 58 that protrudes slightly in the front-rear direction and fits into the slide fitting portion 44. The lateral protrusion 58 is formed by folding back the end 54a of the arm portion 54 that protrudes into the area of ​​the notch 30ca from the end 54a of the arm portion 54 to the opposite side as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 5 when cut out from the metal plate. The lateral protrusion 58 is formed by folding back the side of the sensor board 24, i.e., the upper side, at the same height as the upper board 31b, and is adapted to enter the slide fitting portion 44.

[0032] The arm portion 54 is displaceable in the front-rear and left-right directions relative to the outer frame 30 by the lateral protrusions 58 sliding inside the slide fitting portion 44. Strictly speaking, the vertical width of the slide fitting portion 44 is wider than the lateral protrusions 58 by the thickness of the adhesive tape 36 (see FIG. 12), but the adhesive tape 36 is thin enough that there is no substantial vertical gap, and the end portion 54a of the arm portion 54 is restricted to be displaced in the lifting and lowering direction (vertical direction) together with the sensor board 24, and is supported so as to be relatively displaceable in other directions along the surface of the sensor board 24. The slide fitting portion 44 is formed by the outer frame 30 and the sensor board 24, but may be formed by either one of them (including a substantially integral element).

[0033] As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the four arms 54 are pivotally supported at their approximate middle portions by pivotal supports 60 relative to the base plate 34 so as to be tiltable up and down. Each of the four pivotal supports 60 has a thin shaft 62 supported by a fastener 40ga of the base plate 34 and oriented approximately perpendicular to the extension direction of the arm 54, a pair of shoulders 64 protruding from both sides of the arm 54, and a shaft support piece 66 that protrudes short from each shoulder 64 along the extension direction of the arm 54 and is bent in two steps to form a step shape. The shoulders 64 and the shaft support piece 66 are integral with the arm 54. The shaft support piece 66 has a vertical plate 66a extending downward from the shoulder 64, and a horizontal plate 66b connected to the lower end of the vertical plate 66a and protruding along the extension direction of the arm 54. The shaft 62 is disposed with almost no gap between the lower surface of the arm 54 and the upper surface of the horizontal plate 66b.

[0034] In a standard state where the sensor board 24 is not being manually pressed, the shaft 62 is disposed approximately at the center of the horizontal plate 66b, and there is a certain distance between the shaft 62 and the vertical plate 66a and to the tip 66ba of the horizontal plate 66b. In other words, the arm portion 54 can be raised and lowered with respect to the shaft 62 by the pivot support portion 60 and the bearing portion 40g (see the arc arrow in FIG. 6), but the arm portion 54 is not restricted in the extension direction and can slide (see the horizontal arrow in FIG. 6).

[0035] Returning to Fig. 4, in the front two of the four arm portions 54 (designated by reference numeral 54A in Fig. 4), the horizontal plates 66b of the shaft support pieces 66 face toward the corners of the outer frame 30. In the rear two of the four arm portions 54 (designated by reference numeral 54B in Fig. 4), the horizontal plates 66b of the shaft support pieces 66 face toward the center of the outer frame 30. In other words, the four sets of shaft support pieces 66 open in the same predetermined direction so that the shaft 62 can be inserted and removed.

[0036] The front one of the two shoulders 64 in each arm 54B is connected to the protrusion 48 by an elastic connection part 68. The elastic connection part 68 is appropriately long and thin, has multiple curved parts, is flexible, and does not hinder the relative movement of the outer frame 30 and the inner frame 32. In this case, the elastic connection part 68 is S-shaped, but it may be W-shaped, Ω-shaped, etc. The elastic connection part 68 is on the same plane as the arm 54B and the protrusion 48, and can be formed by punching from the same metal material. In particular, the shoulder part 64 to which one of the elastic connection parts 68 is connected is on the same plane as the arm 54 and is suitable as a connection destination, and is an integral part of the shaft support piece 66 that supports the shaft 62, so it does not hinder the arm 54 from rotating around the shaft 62.

[0037] The outer frame 30 and the inner frame 32 are connected by elastic connecting parts 68, which makes them easy to handle. In addition, the elastic connecting parts 68 act to position the outer frame 30 and the inner frame 32 relative to each other. However, the inner frame 32 may be separate from the outer frame 30 as long as some sort of positioning means is provided. Even if the inner frame 32 is separate from the outer frame 30, the lateral protrusions 58 fit into the slide fitting parts 44 and therefore will not come off.

[0038] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the resin plate 40. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the metal plate 38. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the base plate 34 in which the metal plate 38 and the resin plate 40 are laminated and fixed. Fig. 10 is a bottom view of the touch pad 10 in a state where it has been removed from the frame 28. Fig. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of a corner of the touch pad 10 in a state where it has been removed from the frame 28, as viewed from below.

[0039] The resin plate 40 is a functional portion of the base plate 34 made of resin to avoid so-called metal touch, and has a slightly horizontally elongated hexagonal shape with rectangular ends 40a on the left and right. The resin plate 40 is made of, for example, ABS resin. A thin resin leaf spring 40b that is slightly upwardly inclined protrudes from the rectangular end 40a toward the front. The tip of the resin leaf spring 40b is horizontal, and elastically biases the left and right front end vicinities of the sensor board 24 upward (see FIG. 11).

[0040] At the base of each rectangular end 40a, a first positioning hole (first positioning portion) 40c and a small positioning wall (first positioning portion) 40d are provided, which stand on the center side of the resin plate 40 as viewed from the first positioning hole 40c. The first positioning piece 48a (see FIG. 4) is inserted into the first positioning hole 40c and abuts against the positioning wall 40d. This positions the frame unit 33 in the lateral direction. As will be described later, the frame unit 33 can be disassembled by sliding it back and forth relative to the base plate 34. The first positioning hole 40c is a slightly long hole in the front-rear direction so that the frame unit 33 and the base plate 34 can move back and forth relative to each other. The positioning wall 40d is slightly inclined along the front-rear direction, and abuts against the first positioning piece 48a without any gap when assembled, and a small gap is generated during disassembly, making it easy to attach and detach.

[0041] A relief hole 40e that is somewhat long in the front-rear direction is formed in the front middle part of the resin plate 40. The relief hole 40e is a hole for avoiding interference with the leaf spring 50. A second positioning hole (second positioning portion) 40f is formed in the center end of the resin plate 40 from the relief hole 40e toward the right. The second positioning piece 50b (see FIG. 4) is inserted and engaged in the second positioning hole 40f. The second positioning piece 50b and the second positioning hole 40f have the same front-rear width. Therefore, the frame unit 33 is positioned in the front-rear direction. The periphery of the second positioning hole 40f is reinforced by a thick portion 40k. The thick portion 40k is provided toward the rear up to the vicinity of the relief hole 40h.

[0042] The resin plate 40 is provided with bearings 40g along the four left and right sides that form a horizontally elongated hexagon in the center. The bearings 40g support the shaft 62 and include a pair of fasteners 40ga into which the vicinity of both ends of the shaft 62 are fitted, retaining protrusions 40gb that hold the shaft 62 at both ends, and a V-shaped block 40gc that supports the shaft 62 from the bottom surface at the center. The fasteners 40ga have a C-shaped cross section that opens upward, and a pair of arcuate portions sandwich and support both side surfaces of the shaft 62. Relief holes 40gd are formed between each fastener 40ga and the V-shaped block 40gc. The relief holes 40gd are for avoiding interference with the shaft support piece 66 (see FIG. 5).

[0043] A sector-shaped relief hole 40h is formed in the approximate center of the resin plate 40 to avoid interference when the center portion 52 of the inner frame 32 descends. Small notches 40i are formed at both ends of the front edge of the resin plate 40 and are positioned by the metal plate 38. The resin plate 40 further has a plurality of lightening holes 40j formed therein.

[0044] As described above, the metal plate 38 is provided with a plurality of screw seats 38a and tongue pieces 38b. The metal plate 38 further has low curved walls 38c formed along the rear edge and the left and right vertical edges, which increases its strength. Small stop pieces 38d are provided near the front and rear ends of the left and right vertical edges of the metal plate 38. The stop piece 38d is formed by folding back a portion of the plate into a square U-shape, with an opening toward the center of the resin plate 40. A small protrusion 46 (see FIG. 4) of the outer frame 30 fits into the opening of the stop piece 38d, preventing the sensor board 24 and frame unit 33 from slipping out upward.

[0045] The metal plate 38 is formed with an escape hole 38e for avoiding interference when the resin leaf spring 40b is displaced. The metal plate 38 is formed with an escape hole 38f for avoiding interference with the first positioning piece 48a that protrudes downward through the first positioning hole 40c. The metal plate 38 is formed with an escape hole 38g for avoiding interference with the second positioning piece 50b that protrudes downward through the second positioning hole 40f. The second positioning piece 50b can be pressed by a tool through the escape hole 38g (see the arrow in FIG. 10). The metal plate 38 is formed with an escape hole 38h and an escape hole 38i that have the same shape and function as the escape holes 40h and 40gd in the resin plate 40 at positions corresponding to them. The metal plate 38 is provided with small bent protrusions 38j that face upward on both sides of the tongue piece 38b. The bent protrusions 38j engage with the notches 40i to position the resin plate 40.

[0046] Fig. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the touchpad 10. Fig. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the touchpad 10 in a state in which the sensor board 24 is pressed.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 12, the upper plate 31b acts as a spacer to form a narrow gap 70 between the arm portion 54 and the sensor board 24. The central portion 52 protrudes slightly downward due to the step portion 52b, and the switch 26 is almost in contact with the central portion 52. In this state, the switch 26 is not subjected to a pressing force that would change the contact state. The end portion 54a of the arm portion 54 has a lateral protrusion 58 fitted into the slide fitting portion 44, and the height is restricted. Therefore, the arm portion 54 is kept horizontal without being affected by gravity or vibration. Since the end portion 54a of the arm portion 54 does not inadvertently descend, the central portion 52 on the opposite side across the shaft 62 is also kept at an appropriate height, and the switch 26 is kept in an OFF state.

[0048] 13, the sensor board 24 will slightly lower when any part on its top surface is pushed by hand. This will also cause the slide fitting portion 44 formed together with the outer frame 30 at the end of the sensor board 24 to lower, and the lateral protrusion 58 inserted therein will also lower. The end 54a of the arm portion 54 may be configured to lower as the sensor board 24 is pushed by hand, and for example, a part other than the lateral protrusion 58 may be pushed from above by an element integrated with the sensor board 24, or pulled from below by an element integrated with the outer frame 30.

[0049] Since the middle part of arm part 54 is journalled by bearing part 40g, when end part 54a descends, arm part 54 tilts up or down based on bearing part 40g, and central part 52 is pushed up, pressing switch 26 to switch it to the on state. The entire surface of sensor board 24, including button area 25, can move up and down appropriately, so that the user can feel a clicking sensation associated with the switching of the contact state of switch 26 no matter where he presses.

[0050] At this time, as each arm portion 54 tilts and the central portion 52 is lifted, the other portions are pulled slightly toward the central portion 52 (see the arrows in Figure 5), but the end portions 54a of the arm portions 54 are allowed to move relatively in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions with respect to the outer frame 30, and the lateral protrusions 58 are displaced while sliding within the slide fitting portions 44, so that almost no tension is generated in the arm portions 54 and the tilting of the arm portions 54 is not hindered.

[0051] Similarly, the middle portion of each arm portion 54 is also pulled slightly toward the central portion 52, but as described above, the arm portions 54 are not restricted in their extension direction and are therefore axially supported so as to be able to slide, and thus the displacement of the arm portions 54 is not hindered.

[0052] In this way, the end 54a and the middle part of each arm part 54 are configured to be slidable relative to the outer frame 30 and the base plate 34, so that an excessive pulling force is not generated due to the inclination, and the arm parts 54 can be set to a certain length, thereby enabling the touchpad 10 to be enlarged. However, if the touchpad 10 is small and the sliding amount of the end 54a and the middle part of the arm part 54 is expected to be sufficiently small, one or both of the sliding mechanisms may be omitted.

[0053] Furthermore, each arm portion 54 elastically deforms slightly at the end portion 54a and the central portion 52. In particular, the four extension portions 52a (see FIG. 4) constituting the central portion 52 are thin and easily deformed elastically, so that even if the other arm portions 54 are inclined, the central portion 52 remains nearly horizontal without becoming arched, allowing the switch 26 to be pressed correctly.

[0054] Furthermore, the inner frame 32 is disposed inside the outer frame 30 via a narrow gap 56, so that even if the inner frame 32 were to rotate on a horizontal plane due to an external force or the like, the two will come into contact at one of the gaps 56, preventing excessive rotational deviation.

[0055] When the manual pressure on the sensor board 24 is released, the arm portion 54 returns to the horizontal position due to its elastic restoring force, the sensor board 24 also returns to its original height, and the switch 26 returns to the OFF state.

[0056] In the above-described inner frame 32, the four arms 54 cross in an X-shape, but they may also be in a cross shape. The four arms 54 are supported slidably at the four corners of the outer frame 30, but they may also be supported at the middle parts of the four frame members. The inner frame 32 is made up of four arms 54, which is well balanced from the standpoint of structure and pressing operation of the switch 26, but depending on space constraints and other reasons, one to three arms may be used.

[0057] FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the touch pad 10 taken along the front-rear direction. As described above, the left and right front end vicinities of the sensor board 24 are elastically biased upward by the resin leaf springs 40b. The upward arrows in FIG. 14 indicate the upward elastic biasing force by the resin leaf springs 40b. The sensor board 24 is unbalanced because no particular external force acts on the rear end. However, the sensor board 24 is kept parallel to the base plate 34 by the engagement between the small protrusions 46 near the four corners of the outer frame 30 fixed integrally to the sensor board 24 and the retaining pieces 38d of the base plate 34. In addition, the front two of these four engagement parts are provided very close to the points of action of the resin leaf springs 40b indicated by the upward arrows, and can reliably support the upward elastic force.

[0058] On the other hand, since the upward elastic force of the resin leaf spring 40b acts on the front end vicinity of the sensor board 24, the force F2 for pressing down the rear end vicinity can be smaller than the force F1 for pressing down the front end vicinity with a finger. In other words, the force F1 for pressing down the front end vicinity with a finger is relatively large and provides a reliable operation feel, whereas the force F2 for pressing down the rear end vicinity with a finger is relatively small, providing a light operation feel for the button area 25. The button area 25 is often operated with the side of the thumb while the pointing stick 22 is operated with the index finger, and therefore is not necessarily easy to apply force to, but in this embodiment, it can be operated with a lighter force than the front end vicinity, and the force required for pressing down is changed depending on the operation area.

[0059] The point of action of the resin leaf spring 40b is near the front end of the sensor board 24, but in order to make the pressing force of the sensor board 24 different along the front-rear direction and to make the pressing force of the button area 25 relatively light, the side of the sensor board 24 farther from the keyboard 16 than the center (the position of the switch 26) can be urged upward. The two resin leaf springs 40b elastically urge the sensor board 24 in a balanced manner on the left and right, but one horizontally elongated spring may be provided, or three or more springs may be provided. In order to vary the pressing force of the sensor board 24 depending on the location, the resin leaf spring 40b can be used to urge a location other than the center upward, but when there are multiple resin leaf springs 40b, the point of action is a location where the pressing forces do not cancel each other out. Basically, the point of action is provided on the side where the pressing force is relatively heavy, based on the center of the sensor board 24.

[0060] The elastic biasing member is not limited to a leaf spring, and may be another elastic body to bias the sensor board 24. The resin leaf spring 40b is made of resin and will not damage the sensor board 24, but depending on the conditions, a part of the metal plate 38 may be formed in the same shape as the resin leaf spring 40b to elastically bias the sensor board 24.

[0061] The resin leaf spring 40b can make the operation feel of the button area 25 associated with the pointing stick 22 relatively light, but the button area 25 may be assigned to other operations unrelated to the pointing stick 22. When a specific operation assigned area such as the button area 25 is provided at the front end of the sensor board 24 according to specifications, the resin leaf spring 40b can bias the side of the sensor board 24 closer to the keyboard 16 than the center thereof upward in order to make the pressing force of the sensor board 24 different along the front-rear direction and to make the pressing force of the area relatively light. By varying the pressing force of the sensor board 24 with the resin leaf spring 40b, for example, the user can recognize that the area with a lighter pressing force is the specific operation area even without the mark 25d (see FIG. 2).

[0062] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can of course be freely modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 10. Touchpad 12 Electronic equipment 14 Main unit housing 16 Keyboard 22 Pointing Stick 24 Sensor Board 25 Button Area 26 Switch 28 Frame 30 Outer frame 31a Lower plate 31b Top plate 32 Inner frame 33 Frame Unit 34 Base plate (base) 38 Metal Plate 38d retaining piece 40 Resin Plate 40b Resin leaf spring (elastic body) 40c First positioning hole 40d Positioning wall 40f Second positioning hole 40g bearing part 44 Slide fitting part 46 small protrusion 48a First positioning piece 50 Leaf spring 50b Second positioning piece 52 Central part 52a Extension 52b Step 54, 54A, 54B Arm section 56 Gap 58 Lateral projection 60 axis branches 62 Shaft 64 Shoulder 66 Shaft support piece 66a vertical plate 66b horizontal board 68 Elastic joint

Claims

1. A touch pad for performing a pointing operation by hand, A sensor board capable of recognizing a position where a human touches the surface; an outer frame fixed to the sensor board; an arm portion disposed inside the outer frame; a switch provided between one end of the arm portion and the sensor board; a pivot support portion that supports the arm portion at a middle portion thereof so as to be tiltable up and down; an elastic body that urges the sensor board upward against a base; having the other end of the arm portion is supported so as to be displaced in a vertical direction together with the sensor board, When the sensor board is manually pushed, the other end of the arm portion is pushed down and tilted up and down with respect to the pivot support portion, and the one end is pushed up to press and operate the switch, The elastic body biases the sensor board upward on the side where the downward pressure is relatively heavy with respect to the center of the sensor board. A touchpad characterized by:

2. 2. The touch pad according to claim 1, It is located on the top surface of the housing adjacent to the keyboard on both the front and back. The elastic body applies a pressing force to the sensor board so that the pressing force varies along the front-rear direction. A touchpad characterized by:

3. The touch pad according to claim 2, The keyboard is provided with a pointing stick for moving a cursor displayed on a display in a tilt direction; a strip-shaped area on the sensor board close to the keyboard is assigned to an operation associated with the pointing stick; The elastic body biases the side of the sensor board farther from the keyboard than the center of the sensor board upward. A touchpad characterized by:

4. 2. The touch pad according to claim 1, The sensor board has a retaining piece that engages with the base to prevent it from slipping out upward. A touchpad characterized by:

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