Buttons and Electronics

Abstract

The present invention provides a button and an electronic device. [Solution] The button includes a housing and a motor, the motor is connected to the housing, the motor includes a base and a magnetic circuit assembly, the base is formed with an accommodation space, at least a part of the magnetic circuit assembly is accommodated in the accommodation space, the magnetic circuit assembly includes at least a conductive cover plate, one voice coil and one iron core, the conductive cover plate is located on one side of the base, the conductive cover plate is fixedly connected to the housing and movably connected to the base, the voice coil and the iron core are accommodated in the accommodation space and both are fixedly connected to the base, the voice coil is fitted on the outside of the iron core, there is a predetermined gap between the iron core and the conductive cover plate along the thickness direction of the motor, and the voice coil and the iron core are used to drive the conductive cover plate to move the housing along the thickness direction of the motor. The button of the present invention can realize a feedback function to the user, and can easily confirm the user's operation, which is more advantageous to improve the accuracy of the user's operation and improve the user's experience.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of mobile terminals, and in particular to buttons and electronic devices. [Background technology]

[0002] With the development of science and technology, electronic devices such as smartphones, earphones, and glasses are gradually incorporated into people's lives and work. Users can operate electronic devices through buttons on the electronic devices to make the electronic devices achieve different functions and effects. However, currently, the buttons on electronic devices have poor feedback effect to users, and it is difficult for users to confirm whether they have performed valid operations on the buttons, resulting in low accuracy of user operations and poor user experience.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need to provide a button and electronic device to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention aims to provide a button and electronic device that can provide force feedback to a user.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention provides a button including a housing and a motor, the motor being connected to the housing, the motor including a base and a magnetic circuit assembly, the base having an accommodating space formed therein, at least a portion of the magnetic circuit assembly being accommodated in the accommodating space, the magnetic circuit assembly including at least a conductive cover plate, one voice coil and one iron core, the conductive cover plate being located on one side of the base, the conductive cover plate being fixedly connected to the housing and movably connected to the base, the voice coil and the iron core being accommodated in the accommodating space and both being fixedly connected to the base, the voice coil being fitted on the outside of the iron core, a predetermined gap being defined between the iron core and the conductive cover plate along a thickness direction of the motor, the voice coil and the iron core being used to drive the conductive cover plate to move the housing along the thickness direction of the motor.

[0007] In one possible embodiment, the magnetic circuit assembly includes two of the iron cores and two of the voice coils, the two iron cores are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the motor, the two voice coils are fitted outside the corresponding iron cores, and the current directions of the two voice coils are opposite to each other.

[0008] In one possible embodiment, the motor further includes at least one elastic member, which is located between the conductive cover plate and the base along the thickness direction of the motor, and which has one end connected to the conductive cover plate and the other end connected to the base.

[0009] In one possible embodiment, the elastic member is a planar spring.

[0010] In one possible embodiment, the motor further includes a first welding sheet and a second welding sheet, and along the longitudinal direction of the motor, the first welding sheet and the second welding sheet are located on both sides of the elastic member and connected to the elastic member, respectively, and along the thickness direction of the motor, the first welding sheet and the second welding sheet are located between the conductive cover plate and the elastic member, the first welding sheet is connected to the conductive cover plate, and there is a gap between the second welding sheet and the conductive cover plate.

[0011] In one possible embodiment, the motor includes two of the elastic members, which are located on either side of the base along the longitudinal direction of the motor, and the voice coil and the iron core are located between the two elastic members.

[0012] In one possible embodiment, the motor further includes a circuit board, the circuit board being located within the accommodating space and connected to the base, the voice coil being located on a side of the circuit board away from the base and electrically connected to the circuit board, the circuit board having at least one escape hole formed along a thickness direction of the motor, and the iron core being located within the corresponding escape hole.

[0013] In one possible embodiment, the base is a magnetic conductive member, the base includes a bottom plate and two side plates, the bottom plate and the two side plates are used to surround the accommodating space, the two side plates are located on both sides of the bottom plate and fixedly connected to the bottom plate, and the two side plates all extend along the thickness direction of the motor.

[0014] In one possible embodiment, the button further includes a sensor, which is used to detect the button, and which is electrically connected to the motor.

[0015] A second aspect of the present invention provides an electronic device including a main body and a button, the button being attached to the main body and being the button described in any one of the above.

[0016] The present invention has the following advantageous effects: After a user operates a button, the button can provide force feedback to the user through a motor, thereby playing a role of indication to the user and facilitating the user to confirm his / her operation, and such a design is favorable for improving the accuracy of the user's operation on the button, thereby improving the user's experience. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a button according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded schematic view of a button motor according to the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the appearance of a button motor according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a button motor according to the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of an electronic device according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the drawings and embodiments.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4 , the present invention provides a button including a housing 1 and a motor 2, the motor 2 is connected to the housing 1, the motor 2 includes a base 21 and a magnetic circuit assembly 22, the base 21 is formed with an accommodating space 211, at least a part of the magnetic circuit assembly 22 is accommodated in the accommodating space 211, the magnetic circuit assembly 22 includes at least a conductive cover plate 221, one voice coil 222 and one iron core 223, the conductive cover plate 221 is located on one side of the base 21, and the conductive cover plate 221 is fixedly connected to the housing 1 while being movably connected to the base 21, the voice coil 222 and the iron core 223 are accommodated in the accommodation space 211 while being fixedly connected to the base 21, the voice coil 222 is fitted onto the outside of the iron core 223, and there is a preset gap between the iron core 223 and the conductive cover plate 221 along the thickness direction Z of the motor 2, and the voice coil 222 and the iron core 223 are used to drive the conductive cover plate 221 to move the housing 1 along the thickness direction Z of the motor 2.

[0020] Specifically, the housing 1 may be a button cap of a button, and the conductive cover plate 211 is fixed to the housing 1 and is mounted on the base 21. The materials of the conductive cover plate 221 and the iron core 223 may both be iron-cobalt alloy, or the material of the conductive cover plate 221 may be other suitable conductive materials according to the actual use needs of the button, which are not limited here. When the user presses the button, the motor 2 drives the housing 1 to move by the conductive cover plate 211, thereby playing the role of force feedback to the user, and the specific process is as follows: After the user presses the button, the external force drives the housing 1 to move the conductive cover plate 221 in the direction approaching the base 21. At this time, current is passed through the voice coil 222, causing the iron core 223 in the voice coil 222 to be magnetized, and a magnetic gap is formed between the iron core 223 and the conductive cover plate 221, thereby generating a corresponding acting force between the iron core 223 and the conductive cover plate 221. The direction of the acting force can be changed by changing the direction of the current in the voice coil 222. The conductive cover plate 221 moves the housing 1 up and down by driving the acting force, thereby realizing force feedback to the user, that is, creating an experience that simulates the feeling of vibration for the user.

[0021] In the present invention, by providing a motor 2 in the button, after the user operates the button, the button can provide force feedback to the user through the motor 2, and the feedback serves as a presentation to the user, making it easier for the user to confirm his / her operation. Such a design is advantageous for improving the accuracy of the user's operation on the button, and thus is advantageous for improving the user's experience. Meanwhile, the structure of the motor 2 in the present invention is relatively simple, and by simplifying the internal structure of the motor 2, it is advantageous for reducing the overall volume of the motor 2, and thus is advantageous for realizing a design with a smaller button size, and is further advantageous for facilitating the user's operation, such as pressing the motor, and improving the user's experience.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, in one possible embodiment, the magnetic circuit assembly 22 includes two iron cores 223 and two voice coils 222, the two iron cores 223 are arranged along the longitudinal direction X of the motor 2, the two voice coils 222 are fitted outside the corresponding iron cores 223, and the current directions of the two voice coils 222 are opposite to each other.

[0023] When the two voice coils 222 are energized, the current directions of the two voice coils 222 are opposite to each other. This arrangement can form a closed magnetic circuit inside the motor 2, which is favorable for improving the acting force between the iron core 223 and the magnetically conductive cover plate 221, i.e., for improving the driving force of the motor 2, and the motor 2 can provide a more noticeable and effective force feedback to the user.

[0024] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, in one possible embodiment, the motor 2 further includes at least one elastic member 23, which is located between the conductive cover plate 221 and the base 21 along the thickness direction Z of the motor 2, and the elastic member 23 has one end connected to the conductive cover plate 221 and the other end connected to the base 21.

[0025] After the user presses the button, the elastic member 23 is compressed by the action of an external force. However, after the voice coil 222 is powered off, the acting force between the iron core 223 and the conductive cover plate 221 disappears, at this time the conductive cover plate 221 and the housing 1 can be reset by the action of the elastic member 23.

[0026] Providing the elastic member 23 between the conductive cover plate 221 and the base 21 is advantageous to realize automatic reset of the conductive cover plate 221 and the housing 1, which facilitates the user to repeatedly use the button. The elastic member 23 also plays a supporting role on the conductive cover plate 221 and the housing 1, which is advantageous to improve the stability of the arrangement of the conductive cover plate 221 and the housing 1, which further facilitates the user's operation.

[0027] In one possible embodiment, the elastic member 23 is a planar spring.

[0028] The processing of the planar spring is relatively simple and facilitates assembly. The use of the planar spring is also advantageous for saving the internal space of the motor 2, which is advantageous for realizing a compact design of the motor 2, and is further advantageous for saving the overall volume of the button.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 , in one possible embodiment, the motor 2 further includes a first welding sheet 24 and a second welding sheet 25. Along the longitudinal direction X of the motor 2, the first welding sheet 24 and the second welding sheet are located on both sides of the elastic member 23 and connected to the elastic member 23, respectively. Along the thickness direction Z of the motor 2, the first welding sheet 24 and the second welding sheet 25 are located between the conductive cover plate 221 and the elastic member 23, the first welding sheet 24 is connected to the conductive cover plate 221, and there is a gap between the second welding sheet 25 and the conductive cover plate 221.

[0030] One end of the elastic member 23 where the first welding sheet 24 is provided is a free end and can move up and down, while one end of the elastic member 23 where the second welding sheet 25 is provided is a fixed end, which is fixed to the base 21. The elastic member 23 is fixed to the conductive cover plate 221 via the first welding sheet 24, but there is a certain gap between the second welding sheet 25 and the conductive cover plate 221, which provides space for the movement of the conductive cover plate 221. When the user presses the button down until the conductive cover plate 221 abuts against the second welding sheet 25, the button is pressed to a predetermined position and cannot continue to move any further. Specifically, the material of the first welding sheet 24 and the second welding sheet 25 can be selected to be stainless steel.

[0031] The provision of the first welding sheet 24 is advantageous to improve the stability of the connection between the elastic member 23 and the conductive cover plate 221, and thus to realize the automatic reset of the conductive cover plate 211 by the elastic member 23. The provision of the second welding sheet 25 can limit the movement range of the conductive cover plate 221, thereby facilitating the user's operation on the button.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, in one possible embodiment, the motor 2 includes two elastic members 23, which are located on either side of the base 21 along the longitudinal direction X of the motor 2, and the voice coil 222 and the iron core 223 are located between the two elastic members 23.

[0033] The provision of two elastic members 23 can provide a more stable and uniform restoring force for the conductive cover plate 221, which is more favorable for realizing the automatic reset of the conductive cover plate 221. Moreover, with this design, both ends of the conductive cover plate 221 are supported by the elastic members 23, which is more favorable for further improving the stability of the arrangement of the conductive cover plate 221.

[0034] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, in one possible embodiment, the motor 2 further includes a circuit board 26, which is located in the accommodation space 211 and connected to the base 21, the voice coil 222 is located on the side of the circuit board 26 away from the base 21 and electrically connected to the circuit board 26, the circuit board 26 has at least one escape hole 261 opened along the thickness direction Z of the motor 2, and the iron core 223 is located in the corresponding escape hole 261.

[0035] The circuit board 26 may be a flexible circuit board and is fixed to the bottom of the base 21. The circuit board 26 is connected to an external power source, which can power the voice coil 222 to drive and move the conductive cover plate 221. The iron core 223 is located in the relief hole 261, which allows it to directly abut against the base 21, and the provision of the relief hole 261 reduces the possibility of interference between the circuit board 26 and the iron core 223.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 2, in one possible embodiment, the base 21 is a magnetic conductive member, and the base 21 includes a bottom plate 212 and two side plates 213, where the bottom plate 212 and the two side plates 213 are used to surround the accommodating space 211, and the two side plates 213 are respectively located on both sides of the bottom plate 212 and fixedly connected to the bottom plate 212, and the two side plates 213 all extend along the thickness direction Z of the motor 2.

[0037] The material of the base 21 may be iron-cobalt alloy, or other conductive materials may be selected according to the actual use needs of the button. The side plate 213 may be vertically disposed on the bottom plate 212, so as to play a protective and restrictive role for the elements inside the receiving space 211.

[0038] By installing the base 21 as a magnetic conductive member, it is more advantageous to form a closed magnetic circuit within the motor 2, thereby providing a larger driving force for the magnetic conductive cover plate 221, and further advantageous to enhance the force feedback effect of the button, thereby improving the user experience and the accuracy of the user operation.

[0039] In one possible embodiment, the button further includes a sensor (not shown), which is used to detect the button, and which is electrically connected to the motor 2 .

[0040] The sensor is used to detect information such as the pressing position and pressing force of the user's button, and can determine the specific operation method of the user based on this information, for example, whether the operation performed by the user on the button is a pressing operation or a sliding operation. After the user operates the button, the sensor can detect that the conductive cover plate 221 has moved, and at this time, the voice coil 222 can be energized to generate an acting force between the iron core 223 and the conductive cover plate 221, thereby realizing force feedback to the user.

[0041] Providing a sensor is advantageous in realizing a detection function for the button, thereby facilitating the user's use of the button and further improving the user's experience.

[0042] As shown in Figures 1, 5 and 6, the present invention further provides an electronic device 3, which includes a main body 31 and a button, the button being attached to the main body 31, and the button being any of the buttons described above.

[0043] The electronic device 3 may be a mobile phone, an earphone, a game pad, a steering wheel, a VR device, an AR device, etc., and is not limited here. The main body 31 may be the inner frame of the electronic device 3, and the button may be a side button of the electronic device 3. In addition, the base 21 of the motor 2 may be fixed to the main body 31. The user can control the electronic device 3 by performing operations such as clicking and sliding on the button on the main body 31. In addition, the sensor in the button can feed back information such as the detected pressing position and the degree of pressing force to the electronic device 3, and the electronic device 3 can identify the user's action based on the feedback result of the sensor, and the electronic device 3 performs a corresponding operation, and the specific process is as follows. When the user applies an external force to the button to operate it, the external force causes the conductive cover plate 221 to move toward the side closer to the base 21, at which time the elastic member 23 is compressed, the sensor detects that the conductive cover plate 221 has moved, and passes current through the voice coil 222 to magnetize the iron core 223, generating an acting force between the iron core 223 and the conductive cover plate 221. After the conductive cover plate 221 receives the acting force, it can provide force feedback to the user, and at the same time, the sensor also detects information such as the pressing position and the degree of pressing force, and the electronic device 3 can operate the entire device according to the detection result of the sensor, while calling up an effect library based on the detection result of the sensor to realize the effect of the button or the effect of the slide button.

[0044] By providing the above button, it is favorable to realize timely interaction between the electronic device 3 and the user, and can provide the user with a rich operation control experience, and the user can perform different operations on the button to realize different functions and effects of the electronic device 3, which is favorable to improve the convenience of using the electronic device 3. In addition, the electronic device 3 can also provide and present to the user a corresponding force feedback after the user operates the button, which is favorable to improve the accuracy of the user's operation, and further improve the user's experience.

[0045] It should be noted that the above is merely an embodiment of the present invention, and those skilled in the art may make modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1-Housing 2-Motor 21 - Pedestal 211-Containment Space 212-Bottom plate 213-Side Panel 22-Magnetic Circuit Assembly 221-Conductive cover plate 222-Voice coil 223-Iron core 23-Elastic member 24-1st welding sheet 25-2nd welding sheet 26-Circuit board 261-Relief hole 3-Electronic equipment 31-Main body

Claims

1. A button, A housing (1); a motor (2) connected to the housing (1); The motor (2) includes a base (21) and a magnetic circuit assembly (22), the base (21) has an accommodation space (211) formed therein, and at least a portion of the magnetic circuit assembly (22) is accommodated in the accommodation space (211); The magnetic circuit assembly (22) includes at least a conductive cover plate (221), one voice coil (222) and one iron core (223), the conductive cover plate (221) is located on one side of the base (21), the conductive cover plate (221) is fixedly connected to the housing (1) and movably connected to the base (21), the voice coil (222) and the iron core (223) are accommodated in the accommodating space (211), and both of them are connected to the base (21). A button fixedly connected to a base (21), the voice coil (222) being fitted onto the outside of the iron core (223), a predetermined gap being provided between the iron core (223) and the conductive cover plate (221) along the thickness direction of the motor (2), and the voice coil (222) and the iron core (223) being used to drive the conductive cover plate (221) to move the housing (1) along the thickness direction of the motor (2).

2. The button according to claim 1, characterized in that the magnetic circuit assembly (22) includes two of the iron cores (223) and two of the voice coils (222), the two iron cores (223) are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the motor (2), the two voice coils (222) are fitted outside the corresponding iron cores (223), and the current directions of the two voice coils (222) are opposite to each other.

3. The button according to claim 1, characterized in that the motor (2) further includes at least one elastic member (23), which is located between the conductive cover plate (221) and the base (21) along the thickness direction of the motor (2), and the elastic member (23) has one end connected to the conductive cover plate (221) and the other end connected to the base (21).

4. The button according to claim 3, characterized in that the elastic member (23) is a planar spring.

5. The button according to claim 4, characterized in that the motor (2) further includes a first welding sheet (24) and a second welding sheet (25), and along the longitudinal direction of the motor (2), the first welding sheet (24) and the second welding sheet (25) are located on both sides of the elastic member (23) and connected to the elastic member (23), respectively, and along the thickness direction of the motor (2), the first welding sheet (24) and the second welding sheet (25) are located between the conductive cover plate (221) and the elastic member (23), the first welding sheet (24) is connected to the conductive cover plate (221), and there is a gap between the second welding sheet (25) and the conductive cover plate (221).

6. The button according to claim 4, characterized in that the motor (2) includes two of the elastic members (23), the two elastic members (23) being located on either side of the base (21) along the longitudinal direction of the motor (2), and the voice coil (222) and the iron core (223) being located between the two elastic members (23).

7. The button according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the motor (2) further includes a circuit board (26), which is located in the accommodating space (211) and connected to the base (21), the voice coil (222) is located on a side of the circuit board (26) away from the base (21) and electrically connected to the circuit board (26), at least one escape hole (261) is opened in the circuit board (26) along the thickness direction of the motor (2), and the iron core (223) is located in the corresponding escape hole (261).

8. The button according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the base (21) is a magnetic conductive member, the base (21) includes a bottom plate (212) and two side plates (213), the bottom plate (212) and the two side plates (213) are used to surround the storage space (211), the two side plates (213) are located on both sides of the bottom plate (212) and fixedly connected to the bottom plate (212), and the two side plates (213) both extend along the thickness direction of the motor (2).

9. The button according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the button further comprises a sensor, which is used to detect the button, and which is electrically connected to the motor (2).

10. An electronic device, A main body (31); 10. An electronic device comprising: a button according to claim 1 attached to the main body (31).

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