Encoder with light emitting diode

Abstract

To provide an encoder with a light emitting diode.SOLUTION: An encoder includes a light emitting diode, a switch module, an encoder module, and a control shaft. The switch module includes an insulating base having a terminal part, a conductive elastic piece, and a pressure driver. The conductive elastic piece is arranged in the insulating base and arranged above the terminal part. The pressure driver is arranged in the insulating base and arranged above the conductive elastic piece to accommodate the light emitting diode. At least part of the encoder module is arranged in the insulating base, and the encoder module includes a magnetic sensor, a magnetic ring, and a rotary driver. The control shaft penetrates a through hole in the rotary driver and is arranged above the pressure driver.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of Taiwan Patent Application No. 112132530, filed on August 29, 2023, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to encoders, and more particularly to encoders with light emitting diodes or with both light emitting diodes and key switches that are applicable to electronic products such as, but not limited to, stereo systems, sound mixing engineering equipment, audiovisual equipment, etc. [Background technology]

[0003] Encoders are used in electronic products to provide coded signals, typically high and low voltage signals.

[0004] Furthermore, for common electronic products, such as but not limited to stereo systems, sound mixing engineering equipment and audiovisual equipment, they usually have a control shaft, so that the switching function of the switch device of the electronic product can be realized by pressing the control shaft. In order to enhance the function of the switch device of the electronic product, an encoder is often mounted on the switch device, so that the switch device has a switching function and an encoding function at the same time.

[0005] Meanwhile, in a situation where the light is relatively dimmed, such as when the switch device of the audiovisual device is used in a movie theater or a home to turn off the light for the use of the audiovisual device, the light is required as a guide. In the prior art, the light emitting diode is mounted on the board of the electronic product to generate light. Meanwhile, when the light emitting diode is mounted on the board, it needs to be aligned with the position of the encoder. Therefore, it is difficult to integrate the height and brightness of the light emitting diode. Furthermore, when the light emitting diode is arranged, the number of steps in the manufacturing process is also increased. For example, an additional soldering process must be added to arrange the light emitting diode on the board, which increases the processing time and increases the cost.

[0006] Furthermore, the encoders currently installed in the switch devices are usually contact encoders, which require the use of brushes to contact metal contacts to generate positive signals. Switch modules containing light-emitting diodes also use brushes that contact metal contacts for power supply, which can easily cause wear and tear, resulting in a shortened product lifespan.

[0007] It would therefore be desirable to provide an improved encoder with light emitting diodes to reduce and / or avoid the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide an encoder with light-emitting diodes that can use a non-contact magnetic sensor to avoid the problem of shortened product life due to wear caused by brush contact in the prior art. Furthermore, the encoder of the present invention can be equipped with light-emitting diodes to meet the individual needs of different users. Furthermore, the encoder of the present invention can be combined with a switch function. Through the cooperation of the control shaft and the pressing driver, the electrical contact of the switch can be triggered without interfering with the light-emitting diode, which can improve the life and quality of the product.

[0009] In order to achieve the object, the present disclosure provides an encoder comprising: a light-emitting diode; a switch module including an insulating base having a main chamber and a terminal portion, a conductive elastic piece housed in the main chamber and arranged above the terminal portion, and a pressure drive body housed in the main chamber and arranged above the conductive elastic piece, the pressure drive body having an accommodation portion for accommodating the light-emitting diode; an encoder module at least partially housed in the main chamber, the encoder module including a rotation drive body having a magnetic sensor, a magnetic ring, and a through hole; and a control shaft disposed above the pressure drive body, passing through the through hole.

[0010] Other novel features of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an encoder with a light-emitting diode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is a detailed exploded view of a switch module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram illustrating an assembled switch module and light emitting diode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2C is a top view of an insulating base according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A is a detailed structural diagram of an encoder module and a control shaft according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram of a combined magnetic ring, rotary driver, and control shaft according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3C] FIG. 3C is a top view of an encoder module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an assembled encoder with light emitting diodes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the encoder with a light-emitting diode taken along line A1-A1' in FIG. 4 before the control shaft is pressed down. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the encoder with light-emitting diode taken along line A1-A1' in FIG. 4 after the control shaft is pressed. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the encoder with light-emitting diode taken along line B1-B1' in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of an encoder with light-emitting diodes according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

[0013] Throughout this specification and the claims that follow, certain terms may be used to refer to specific components. Those skilled in the art will understand that manufacturers of encoder devices may refer to the same components by different names. This disclosure does not distinguish between components that have the same function but different names. In the following description and claims, terms such as "including" and "comprises" are open-ended terms and should be interpreted to mean "including but not limited to."

[0014] The directional terms described herein, such as "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", etc., are merely intended to represent directions in the drawings. Thus, the directional terms used are for convenience of explanation of the present disclosure and are not limiting. In the drawings, various figures show general features of methods, structures and / or materials used in certain embodiments. However, these figures should not be construed as defining or limiting the scope or nature encompassed by these embodiments. For example, the relative sizes, thicknesses and positions of various layers, regions and / or structures may be reduced or enlarged for clarity.

[0015] When one structure (i.e., layer, component, substrate) described in this disclosure is disposed on / above another structure (i.e., layer, component, substrate), it may mean that the two structures are adjacent and directly connected, or it may represent two structures that are adjacent but not directly connected. An indirect connection means that there is at least one intermediate structure (i.e., intermediate layer, intermediate component, intermediate substrate, intermediate space) between the two structures, and the lower surface of one structure is adjacent or directly connected to the upper surface of the intermediate structure, and the upper surface of the other structure is adjacent or directly connected to the lower surface of the intermediate structure. The intermediate structure may be a single or multi-layer physical structure or a non-physical structure, and is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, when a particular structure is disposed "on" another structure, it may mean that the particular structure is "directly" on the other structure, or that the particular structure is "indirectly" on the other structure, i.e., at least one structure is sandwiched between the particular structure and the other structure.

[0016] Terms such as "about," "equal," "equal to," or "identical," "substantially," or "approximately" are generally interpreted as within 20% of a given value or range, or within 10%, 5%, 3%, 2%, 1%, or 0.5% of a given value or range.

[0017] Furthermore, any two values ​​or two directions used for comparison may have a certain error. When the first value is equal to the second value, it suggests that there may be about 10% error between the first value and the second value. When the first direction is perpendicular or "substantially / nearly" perpendicular to the second direction, the angle between the first direction and the second direction may be 80 degrees to 100 degrees. When the first direction is parallel or "substantially / nearly" parallel to the second direction, the angle between the first direction and the second direction may be 0 degrees to 10 degrees.

[0018] In this specification and claims, unless otherwise indicated, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" as used herein distinguish elements from one another without explicitly or implicitly disclosing that the names of the elements have ordinal terms. The ordinal numbers do not imply a sequence in which one element exists relative to another element in terms of space, time, or process steps. Thus, what is referred to herein as a "first element" may be referred to in the claims as a "second element."

[0019] Furthermore, the phrases "a given range is from a first value to a second value" or "a given range is within a first value to a second value" mean that the given range includes the first value, the second value, and any other values ​​therebetween.

[0020] It should be understood that according to disclosed embodiments, an optical microscope (OM), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), an α-step, an ellipsometer thickness gauge, or other suitable means may be used to measure the depth, thickness, width or height of each component, or the spacing or distance between components. According to some embodiments, a scanning electron microscope may be used to obtain a cross-sectional structural image including the component being measured to measure the depth, thickness, width or height of each component, or the spacing or distance between components.

[0021] It should be noted that the following embodiments may be substituted, rearranged, and combined to complete other embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. As long as the features of the various embodiments do not run counter to the spirit of the present invention or are not mutually inconsistent, they may be combined and matched as desired.

[0022] Unless otherwise specified, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Such terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be understood to have a meaning consistent with the relevant art and the background or context of this disclosure, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal manner unless otherwise specified in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0023] Furthermore, the term "adjacent" in this specification and claims is used to describe proximity to one another and does not necessarily mean in contact with one another.

[0024] Furthermore, in this disclosure, descriptions such as "when" or "during" express aspects such as "now, before or after" and are not limited to simultaneous occurrence, which will be explained here first. In this disclosure, similar descriptions such as "disposed on" express corresponding positional relationships between two components and are not limited to whether there is contact between the two components unless otherwise specified, which will be explained here first. Furthermore, when the disclosure discloses multiple functions, when the word "or" is used between the functions, it means that the functions can exist independently, but it does not exclude that multiple functions can exist simultaneously.

[0025] Furthermore, the terms "electrically connected" or "coupled" in this specification and claims do not only refer to a direct electrical connection to another component, but also refer to an indirect electrical connection to another component. An electrical connection includes a direct electrical connection, an indirect electrical connection, or communication between two components via a wireless signal.

[0026] Please refer to FIG. 1, which is an exploded view of an encoder 1 with light emitting diodes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, the encoder with light-emitting diode 1 of the present disclosure mainly includes a switch module A, an encoder module B, a control shaft 2, and a light-emitting diode 7. The switch module A may include a pressing drive body 8, a conductive elastic piece 9, an insulating base 10, and a terminal portion 15. The encoder module B may include a magnetic sensor 3, a magnetic ring 4, and a rotation drive body 5. For convenience of explanation, the Z direction is hereinafter used as the normal direction of the encoder with light-emitting diode 1. Furthermore, the relative relationships of the components such as "upper", "lower", "above" or "below" hereinafter indicate the positions with respect to the Z direction.

[0028] First, the switch module A will be described. Please refer to Fig. 1 to Fig. 2C at the same time. Fig. 2A is a detailed exploded view of the switch module A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Fig. 2B is a schematic view showing the switch module A and the light-emitting diode 7 after assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2C is a top view of the insulating base 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2A and FIG. 2C, the insulating base 10 may have a main chamber 100. For example, the upper surface 10a of the insulating base 10 may be recessed by the main chamber 100, and the main chamber 100 may include a first small chamber 101 and a second small chamber 102, and in the Z direction, a lower part of the second small chamber 102 may be connected to the first small chamber 101, and a protruding part of the first small chamber 101 in the Z direction may surround a protruding part of the second small chamber 102 in the Z direction. The first small chamber 101 and the second small chamber 102 may have different sizes and / or shapes. For example, the first small chamber 101 may correspond to the size and / or shape of the rotary drive body 5 of the encoder module B (e.g., may be slightly larger than or equal to it). Thereby, the rotary drive body 5 may be accommodated in the first small chamber 101. Furthermore, for example, the second small chamber 102 may correspond to the size and / or shape of the pressing drive body 8. Thereby, the pressing driver 8 can be accommodated therein, but is not limited thereto.

[0030] In one embodiment, the insulating base 10 may also have side chambers 103. In the horizontal direction (such as ±X direction, ±Y direction or other direction perpendicular to the Z direction), the side chambers 103 are adjacent to the first small chamber 101. The side chambers 103 may correspond to the size and / or shape of the magnetic sensors 3 of the encoder module B, so that the magnetic sensors 3 may be accommodated therein. However, their number may be changed or their range may be adjusted according to the specifications of various sensors.

[0031] A terminal portion 15 may be present inside the insulating base 10. The terminal portion 15 may be disposed at the bottom of the main chamber 100, but is not limited to this. Furthermore, the terminal portion 15 may include, for example, a first terminal 17 and a second terminal 18. The first terminal 17 and the second terminal 18 are not interconnected.

[0032] In one embodiment, the first terminal 17 may include an insert portion 171, a connection portion 172, and a contact portion 173. The insert portion 171 is connected to the connection portion 172 by a bend between two portions, and the contact portion 173 extends from the connection portion 172. In one embodiment, the insert portion 171 may extend in the -Z direction, the contact portion 173 may extend along the X direction, and the connection portion 172 may extend along the Y direction, but is not limited thereto. The second terminal 18 may include an insert portion 181, a connection portion 182, and a contact portion 183. The insert portion 181 may be connected to the connection portion 182 by a bend between two portions, and the contact portion 183 may extend from the connection portion 182. In one embodiment, the insert portion 181 may extend along the -Z direction, the contact portion 183 may extend along the -X direction, and the connection portion 182 may extend along the Y direction, but is not limited thereto. In one embodiment, the contact portion 173 of the first terminal 17 and the contact portion 183 of the second terminal 18 may have different shapes and be located at different heights (e.g., different heights in the Z direction), but are not limited to this.

[0033] The conductive elastic piece 9 may be accommodated in the second small chamber 102 and disposed above the terminal portion 15. For example, the conductive elastic piece 9 may be accommodated in the second small chamber 102 and disposed at the contact portion 173 of the first terminal 17 and above the contact portion 183 of the second terminal 18. The conductive elastic piece 9 may be an arc-shaped conductive elastic piece or other non-planar conductive elastic piece, which may be crushed by an external force to change its shape or position, and may return to its original shape or position when the external force is removed.

[0034] The pressing driver 8 may be accommodated in the second small chamber 102 of the main chamber 100, and is disposed above the conductive elastic piece 9. The pressing driver 8 itself may have an accommodating portion 81, and the accommodating portion 81 may correspond to the shape of the light-emitting diode 7 so as to accommodate the light-emitting diode 7. It should be noted that when the light-emitting diode 7 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 81, the height of the light-emitting diode 7 in the Z direction is below the upper edge of the pressing driver 8, and therefore the light-emitting diode 7 is not exposed to the upper edge of the pressing driver 8, so that when an external force is applied toward the pressing driver 8, it can avoid interference with the light-emitting diode 7. Furthermore, the insulating base 10 may have at least one second accommodating portion 107, and when the light-emitting diode 7 and the pressing driver 8 are mounted on the insulating base 10, the second accommodating portion 107 may be used to accommodate the pin 71 of the light-emitting diode 7, but is not limited thereto.

[0035] In one embodiment, the switch module A may further include at least one steel ball 11 and at least one spring 12 (as shown in FIG. 1 ). The insulating base 10 may have at least a third receiving portion 108. The third receiving portion 108 may be used to receive the steel ball 11 and the spring 12, and in the Z direction, the steel ball 11 is disposed above the spring 12. The functions of the steel ball 11 and the spring 12 will be described in the following paragraphs.

[0036] Further, in one embodiment, the switch module A may be assembled with a fixing plate 13 (as shown in FIG. 1 ) having leads 135 such that the body of the encoder may be positioned on a mating side such as, but not limited to, a PCBA (not shown).

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2B, after the assembly of the switch module A is completed, the pressing driver 8 may be placed in the second small chamber 102 (see FIG. 2A), and the insertion portion 171 of the first terminal 17 and the insertion portion 181 of the second terminal 18 may be exposed to the bottom of the switch module A. Furthermore, when the light-emitting diode 7 is accommodated in the pressing driver 8, the pin 71 of the light-emitting diode 7 may be exposed to the bottom of the switch module A. Furthermore, when the magnetic sensor 3 is accommodated in the side chamber 103, the pin 31 of the magnetic sensor 3 may be exposed to the bottom of the switch module A through the through hole 103h of the side chamber 103. As a result, when the switch module A is placed on a circuit board, the insertion portions 171, 181, the leads 135 and / or the pins 31, 71 may be electrically connected to contacts on the circuit board, but are not limited thereto.

[0038] This makes switch module A understandable.

[0039] Next, the encoder module B will be described. Please refer to Fig. 1 and Fig. 3A to Fig. 3C at the same time. Fig. 3A is a detailed structural diagram of the encoder module B and the control shaft 2 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 3B is a schematic diagram of the combined magnetic ring 4, the rotary driver 5, and the control shaft 2 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Fig. 3C is a top view of the encoder module B according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] As shown in Figures 1, 3A and 3B, the Z-direction protrusion of the outer periphery of the magnetic ring 4 may be, for example, a circular or circular shape, while the Z-direction protrusion of the inner periphery of the magnetic ring 4 may be, for example, an elliptical shape having two tangent planes 4e, but is not limited thereto, and may be another shape having two tangent planes 4e. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3C, in one embodiment, the magnetic ring 4 may be provided with a plurality of first magnetic poles 41 (such as N poles) and second magnetic poles (such as S poles) arranged alternately. In one embodiment, the number of the first magnetic poles 41 (N poles) and the second magnetic poles 42 (S poles) is the same.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, the rotary drive body 5 has an upper surface 5a, the upper surface 5a has a protruding structure 51, the protruding structure 51 extends along the Z direction, and the protruding structure 51 has a through hole 5S arranged therein. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the rotary drive body 5 also has a tooth structure 52 arranged with respect to the upper surface 5a, the tooth structure 52 has a plurality of partial teeth 53 arranged along the edge of the rotary drive body 5, each partial tooth 53 faces the -Z direction, for example, the tip of the partial tooth 53 may be spaced apart from the upper surface 5a. In one embodiment, the shape of the partial teeth 53 may be, for example, a triangular or triangular shape, but may also be other shapes such as a semicircle, and is not limited thereto. Note that a partial tooth interval space 531 may exist between adjacent partial teeth 53.

[0042] In one embodiment, the Z-direction protrusion of the outer periphery of the rotary drive body 5 may be, for example, a circular or circular shape. The Z-direction protrusion of the outer periphery of the protruding structure 51 may be an elliptical shape having two tangent planes 5e, which may correspond to the shape and / or size of the inner periphery 4c of the magnetic ring 4. Thereby, the magnetic ring 4 may be sleeved on the protruding structure 51 for tight engagement, whereby the magnetic ring 4 and the rotary drive body 5 may be fixed to each other. Furthermore, the Z-direction protrusion of the inner periphery of the protruding structure 51 (i.e., the outer shape of the through hole 5S) may be an elliptical shape (or other shape) having two tangent planes 5f, which may correspond to the shape and / or size of the inner periphery 51d of the protruding structure 51. Thereby, the bottom 21 of the control shaft 2 will penetrate the through hole 5S, which allows the control shaft 2 to drive the rotary drive body 5 to rotate in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, due to the structural conformity between the control shaft 2 and the bearings 16 in the vertical direction (as shown in FIG. 5A), the control shaft 2 can move in the Z direction.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 3C, when the encoder module B is placed on the insulating base 10, the magnetic sensor 3 can detect the magnetic polarity of the magnetic ring 4 and output a signal according to the magnetic polarity detected by the magnetic ring 4. Therefore, when the control shaft 2 rotates, it will simultaneously drive the rotary drive body 5 and the magnetic ring 4 fixed to the rotary drive body 5 to rotate them together, and the magnetic polarity detected by the magnetic sensor 3 will also change according to the rotation of the magnetic ring 4. As a result, the output of the magnetic sensor 3 can be controlled by rotating the control shaft 2 to be used as an encoder, but is not limited thereto. In one embodiment, the encoder output can include one or more signal channels, but is not limited thereto. In one embodiment, the magnetic sensor 3 can have one or more pins, but the number of pins is not limited.

[0044] This makes the encoder module B understandable.

[0045] Next, a description will be given of the diffusion member 6, the bearing 16, and the control shaft 2 of the encoder with light-emitting diode 1. Please refer to FIG.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 1, in one embodiment, the encoder 1 with a light-emitting diode may further include a diffusion member 6. The diffusion member 6 is disposed on the light-emitting diode 7, and the control shaft 2 may be disposed above the diffusion member 6 through the through-hole 5S. The diffusion member 6 may be made of, but is not limited to, a transparent material or an at least partially transparent material. Note that in other embodiments, the encoder 1 with a light-emitting diode may not be provided with the diffusion member 6.

[0047] In one embodiment, the encoder with light-emitting diode 1 further includes a bearing 16, and the bearing 16 has a through hole 16S. The bearing 16 may be sleeved on the control shaft 2 via the through hole 16S and disposed on the insulating base 10. A part of the control shaft 2 may be exposed to the outside of the bearing 16. Furthermore, the control shaft 2 may be rotatable with respect to the bearing 16. In one embodiment, the bearing 16 may have a threaded portion 161 for locking with a tool (such as a nut) other than that disclosed herein, but is not limited thereto. In one embodiment, the bearing 16 may have an upper surface 16a, and the upper surface 16a is provided with one or more fixing holes 162. The fixing holes 162 of the bearing 16 may correspond to one or more fixing holes 106 (shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2A ) of the insulating base 10 and one or more fixing holes 136 (shown in FIG. 1 ) of the fixing plate 13. Thereby, the bearing 16, the insulating base 10, and the fixing plate 13 may be locked to each other by the fixing member 14, but is not limited thereto.

[0048] In other embodiments, at least a part of the control shaft 2 may be made of a transparent material. Furthermore, the control shaft 2 may be made of a completely transparent material, and the type of the transparent material may include, but is not limited to, acrylic, PC, other suitable materials, or any combination of the above. Alternatively, the control shaft 2 may be a partially transparent and partially opaque structure, for example, but is not limited to, a partially metal and partially transparent material. Thus, the light emitted by the light-emitting diode 7 may be emitted to the outside through the control shaft 2. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5A, in other embodiments, the control shaft 2 may be made of an opaque material. In this case, the inside of the control shaft 2 is a hollow structure, and the light emitted by the light-emitting diode 7 may pass through the hollow structure to be dissipated, but is not limited to this.

[0049] 4 is a schematic diagram showing an assembled encoder 1 with light emitting diodes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, see also FIGS. 1 to 3C for reference.

[0050] In one embodiment, when the encoder 1 with LED is disposed on a circuit board (not shown), the pin 71 (shown in FIG. 2A ) of the LED 7 may be electrically connected to an external circuit of the circuit board to be controlled by the external circuit (not shown) to emit light and adjust the light color, but is not limited thereto.

[0051] Next, the operation of the encoder 1 with light-emitting diode acting as a push switch will be described. Please refer to FIG. 1, FIG. 5A, and FIG. 5B at the same time. FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the encoder 1 with light-emitting diode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along line A1-A1' in FIG. 4, before the control shaft 2 is pressed down, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the encoder 1 with light-emitting diode according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along line A1-A1' in FIG. 4, after the control shaft 2 is pressed down. FIG. 5A shows the state before the switch is pressed down, and FIG. 5B shows the state after the switch is pressed down. Furthermore, FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are cross-sectional views formed corresponding to line A1-A1' in FIG. 4.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, when an external force is applied to the control shaft 2 so that the control shaft 2 moves toward the pressing driver 8, the control shaft 2 urges the diffusion member 6, and the diffusion member 6 may urge the pressing driver 8 after receiving the force (for example, if the encoder 1 does not have the diffusion member 6, it may be designed so that the control shaft 2 directly urges the pressing driver 8). The pressing driver 8 will urge the conductive elastic piece 9 after receiving the force, and the conductive elastic piece 9 will move downward after receiving the force to realize the electrical connection between the first terminal 17 and the second terminal 18, thereby realizing the on function of the switch. In one embodiment, the conductive elastic piece 9 may be designed to contact one of the first terminal 17 and the second terminal 18 and not contact the other before receiving the force, and the conductive elastic piece 9 will contact the other of the first terminal 17 and the second terminal 18 after receiving the force, but is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the conductive elastic piece 9 may be designed not to contact the first terminal 17 and the second terminal 18 before receiving the force, and to contact the first terminal 17 and the second terminal 18 after receiving the force, but is not limited thereto. Furthermore, when the external force applied to the control shaft 2 is removed, the conductive elastic piece 9 bounces up by its own elastic force and returns to its original shape or original position, whereby the first terminal 17 and the second terminal 18 return to an electrically disconnected state, thereby realizing the off function of the switch.

[0053] Next, please refer to FIG. 4 to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the encoder 1 with light-emitting diode according to the embodiment of the present disclosure taken along line B1-B1', which corresponds to the cross section formed by line B1-B1' in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 6, the steel ball 11 may be disposed correspondingly below the tooth structure 52 of the rotary drive body 5, and the spring 12 may be disposed below the steel ball 11. In one embodiment, when the rotary drive body 5 rotates, the tooth structure 52 rotates in the horizontal direction, and during the rotation, the steel ball 11 may contact the partial tooth 53 of the tooth structure 52 or be disposed within the partial tooth interval space 531. When the steel ball 11 is in contact with the tip of the partial tooth 53 of the tooth structure 52, the steel ball 11 is urged against the partial tooth 53, and at this moment, the spring 12 is also crushed and deformed by the steel ball 11. When the steel ball 11 is not in contact with the partial tooth 53 or is not disposed within the partial tooth interval space 531, the spring 12 may be released from the deformed state and restored. When the elastic potential energy of the spring 12 changes, the steel ball 11 collides with the rotary driver 5, which can give the user a continuous clicking sensation, similar to the vibration of a ratchet wrench. As a result, the rotation process can be a step-by-step rotation. The operator can grasp the rotation speed of the control shaft 2 by feedback of the magnitude of the vibration frequency.

[0054] The present disclosure may achieve the above functions by other designs. Fig. 7 is an exploded view of an encoder 1 with a light-emitting diode according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figs. 1 to 6 should also be referred to. Most of the features of the embodiment in Fig. 7 are applicable to the description of the embodiment in Fig. 1, so the following description will mainly focus on the differences.

[0055] In the embodiment of FIG. 7, the encoder 1 with light-emitting diode may not have the steel ball 11 or the spring 12, but may have the annular elastic piece 19. The annular elastic piece 19 may be disposed on the insulating base 10, and the rotary drive body 5 may be disposed above the annular elastic piece 19. The annular elastic piece 19 is provided with at least one protruding portion 19h. The protruding portion 19h may be disposed corresponding to the tooth-like structure 52. Therefore, when the rotary drive body 5 does not rotate, the protruding portion 19h may be disposed in the partial tooth interval space 531 between the adjacent partial teeth 53, and when the rotary drive body 5 rotates, the protruding portion 19h may slide into the partial tooth interval space 531 between the other pair of adjacent partial teeth by the bias of the partial tooth 53. As a result, the effect of the steel ball 11 and the spring 12 in the embodiment of FIG. 6 (e.g., feedback of the sense of motion) is also achieved.

[0056] Furthermore, in one embodiment, when the aforementioned functions such as feedback operation feeling are not required, the above-mentioned steel ball 11, spring 12 or annular elastic piece 19 and other related components may be removed, or the tooth structure 52 of the rotation drive body 5 may be directly removed, but is not limited thereto.

[0057] Therefore, it should be seen that in the present disclosure, the switch module A, the encoder module B and the light-emitting diode 7 are integrated and operated independently to provide the functions of different mixed color light emission, switch and encoder at the same time, which simplifies the structural design and manufacturing process and achieves the purpose of thin and light weight. Moreover, the encoder module B of the present disclosure adopts non-contact magnetic induction technology, which can greatly extend the service life. Furthermore, the insulating base 10 of the present disclosure may be provided with a steel ball 11 and a spring 12, or equipped with an annular elastic piece 19, which, when combined with the rotary drive 5, will provide the feedback effect of the user's movement sense.

[0058] In one embodiment, the present disclosure may compare products at least by observing mechanisms, such as the presence or absence of components or the operational relationships between components, to be used as a criterion for determining whether a product falls within the scope of patent protection of the present disclosure, but is not limited to this. In one embodiment, observing mechanisms may be achieved by using instruments such as, but not limited to, optical microscopes or scanning microscopes.

[0059] This will make the present disclosure understandable.

[0060] The preceding specific embodiments are to be construed as merely illustrative, and not limitative of the remainder of the disclosure in any way whatsoever.

Claims

1. 1. An encoder comprising: A light emitting diode; A switch module, comprising: an insulating base having a main chamber and a terminal portion; a conductive elastic piece housed in the main chamber and arranged above the terminal portion; and A pressure actuator housed in the main chamber and disposed above the conductive elastic piece, the pressure actuator having a housing for housing the light emitting diode. a switch module including: an encoder module at least partially housed in the main chamber, the encoder module including a magnetic sensor, a magnetic ring, and a rotary drive having a through hole; a control shaft disposed above the pressing driver through the through hole; An encoder comprising:

2. 2. The encoder of claim 1, wherein the control shaft drives the rotary drive to rotate in a horizontal direction, and the magnetic ring is fixed to an outer surface of the rotary drive.

3. The encoder of claim 2 , wherein the magnetic ring has a plurality of first magnetic polarities and a plurality of second magnetic polarities that are staggered.

4. The encoder of claim 3 , wherein the insulating base further includes a side chamber adjacent the main chamber, the magnetic sensor being disposed within the side chamber.

5. The encoder according to claim 4 , wherein the magnetic sensor outputs a signal corresponding to the magnetic polarity of the magnetic ring sensed by the magnetic sensor and facing the magnetic sensor.

6. The encoder of claim 1 , further comprising a bearing having a through hole, the bearing being sleeved onto the control shaft through the through hole and disposed on the insulating base.

7. The encoder of claim 1 , wherein the control shaft has a hollow structure or at least a portion of the control shaft is made of a transparent material.

8. The insulating base is further provided with at least one steel ball and at least one spring, the at least one steel ball being disposed correspondingly below the tooth structure of the rotary drive body, and the at least one spring being disposed below the at least one steel ball; or 2. The encoder of claim 1, wherein the switch module further includes an annular elastic piece disposed in the insulating base, the rotary drive body is disposed above the annular elastic piece, and a protruding portion of the annular elastic piece is disposed corresponding to the tooth-like structure of the rotary drive body.

9. The encoder according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal portion includes a first terminal and a second terminal that are not interconnected.

10. 10. The encoder of claim 9, wherein when the control shaft moves toward the pressure driver, the pressure driver biases the conductive elastic piece such that the conductive elastic piece establishes an electrical connection between the first terminal and the second terminal.

11. The encoder of claim 10 further comprising a diffusing member disposed over the light emitting diode for energizing the pressure driver.

12. The encoder of claim 11 , wherein the diffusing member is made of a transparent material, or at least a portion of the diffusing member is made of a transparent material.

13. 2. The encoder of claim 1, wherein the pressure driver has a receiving portion corresponding to a shape of the light-emitting diode for receiving the light-emitting diode, and when the light-emitting diode is received in the pressure driver, a pin of the light-emitting diode is exposed at a bottom of the switch module for electrically connecting to a circuit board.

14. 2. The encoder of claim 1, further comprising a fixing plate attached to the insulating base, the fixing plate having at least one lead that enables the body of the encoder to be positioned on a mating surface.

15. 15. The encoder of claim 14, further comprising a fixing member and a bearing having one or more fixing holes provided therein, the one or more fixing holes of the bearing corresponding to the one or more fixing holes of the insulating base and the one or more fixing holes of the fixing plate, whereby the bearing, the insulating base and the fixing plate are mutually engaged by the fixing member.

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