Roller module and mouse

Abstract

A scroll wheel module includes a scroll wheel bracket, a scroll wheel, an intermediate gear, a motor, and a control circuit. The scroll wheel is rotatably mounted on the scroll wheel bracket and has an internal gear ring. The motor has an output shaft with a pinion gear meshing with the intermediate gear. The control circuit is electrically connected to the motor and drives the motor to output torque to the scroll wheel. A mouse includes a mouse housing and the aforementioned scroll wheel module. The mouse housing forms an accommodating space. The scroll wheel module is housed within the accommodating space, with the scroll wheel partially protruding from the mouse housing. Therefore, the motor can be a low-torque motor, generating sufficient torque through a gear ratio to rotate the scroll wheel without requiring continuous user rotation.

Claims

1. A roller module, comprising: a roller bracket, the roller bracket including a bracket body and a fixing frame, the fixing frame being fixedly connected to the bracket body; a roller rotatably disposed on the bracket body, the roller having a groove and an internal gear ring, the internal gear ring being located in the groove, the groove having an opening, the fixing frame being located in the opening; at least one intermediate gear rotatably disposed on the fixing frame and meshing with the internal gear ring, the at least one intermediate gear being entirely housed in the groove; a motor fixed on the fixing frame and having an output shaft, the output shaft having a pinion gear disposed on the output shaft, the pinion gear being entirely housed in the groove and meshing with the at least one intermediate gear; and a control circuit electrically connected to the motor, the control circuit driving the motor to output torque to the roller.

2. The roller module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one intermediate gear comprises three intermediate gears, the gear axis of the pinion coincides with the gear axis of the internal gear ring, and the at least one intermediate gear is evenly arranged around the pinion and simultaneously meshes with the pinion and the internal gear ring.

3. The roller module as described in claim 1, wherein the gear axis of the pinion is parallel to but does not coincide with the gear axis of the internal gear ring.

4. The roller module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pinion and the at least one intermediate gear are both located entirely inside the internal gear ring.

5. The roller module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pitch circle diameter of the pinion is smaller than the pitch circle diameter of the at least one intermediate gear, and the pitch circle diameter of the at least one intermediate gear is smaller than the pitch circle diameter of the internal gear ring.

6. The roller module as described in claim 1 further includes a rotation sensor disposed next to the roller and electrically connected to the control circuit, wherein the control circuit detects one rotation direction of the roller through the rotation sensor, and drives the motor to output torque to the roller according to the detected rotation direction.

7. The roller module as described in claim 6, wherein the torque is a reverse rotational torque.

8. The roller module as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control circuit drives the motor to output the torque to the roller for a specific time period, the torque being a reverse rotational torque.

9. The roller module as described in claim 1, wherein the internal gear ring, the at least one intermediate gear, and the pinion are made of the same material.

10. A mouse comprising: a mouse housing forming a receiving space; and a scroll wheel module as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, the scroll wheel module being received within the receiving space, the scroll wheel portion protruding from the mouse housing.

Images