Conjoined button structure and electronic device

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of buttons, and provides a conjoined button structure and an electronic device. The conjoined button structure comprises a supporting frame having an accommodating recess, a first piezoelectric transducer and a second piezoelectric transducer which are accommodated and fixed in the accommodating recess and are spaced from each other, a pressure sensor which is accommodated and fixed in the accommodating recess and located between the first piezoelectric transducer and the second piezoelectric transducer, and a button which covers the supporting frame and covers the accommodating recess; the button is elastically connected to the supporting frame; two opposite sides of the first piezoelectric transducer abut against the supporting frame and the button respectively, two opposite sides of the second piezoelectric transducer abut against the supporting frame and the button respectively, and two opposite sides of the pressure sensor abut against the supporting frame and the button respectively. According to the conjoined button structure of the present invention, touch actions of a finger can be accurately determined, thereby improving the recognition accuracy and consistency of the conjoined button structure.

Description

Integrated button structure and electronic devices Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of keys, and in particular to a connected key structure and an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] The use of piezoelectric ceramic devices in components such as buttons of electronic devices such as mobile phones, watches and tablets to achieve sensing and vibration functions is called solid-state buttons, which has achieved good user experience and market response.

[0003] When solid-state switches are used for conjoined buttons (such as the volume + and volume - buttons), they employ a structure that uses two bow-shaped or cymbal-shaped piezoelectric transducers secured to the buttons via glue or screws to achieve a one-to-one correspondence. This method utilizes the inverse piezoelectric effect of the ceramic to cause the upper and lower surfaces of the bow or cymbal to expand and contract, thereby transmitting vibration to the button. Similarly, due to the piezoelectric effect of the ceramic material, when a force is applied to the button, an electromotive force is generated at both ends of the transducer, and the magnitude of the electromotive force is used to determine the applied force.

[0004] When the solid-state buttons of the related technology are applied to connected buttons, there will be interference between the two connected buttons, that is, pressing one side will cause displacement and pressure on the other side, making it impossible to accurately judge the touch action of the finger.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new dual piezoelectric key structure to solve the above problems. Technical issues

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a conjoined key structure and an electronic device to solve the problem in the related art that the conjoined key cannot accurately determine the touch action of the finger. Technical Solutions

[0007] In the first aspect, the present invention provides a connected button structure, which includes a support frame having a receiving groove, a first piezoelectric transducer and a second piezoelectric transducer received and fixed in the receiving groove and spaced apart from each other, a pressure sensor received and fixed in the receiving groove and located between the first piezoelectric transducer and the second piezoelectric transducer, and a button covered on the support frame and covering the receiving groove, wherein the button is elastically connected to the support frame; the opposite sides of the first piezoelectric transducer are respectively abutted against the support frame and the button, the opposite sides of the second piezoelectric transducer are respectively abutted against the support frame and the button, and the opposite sides of the pressure sensor are respectively abutted against the support frame and the button.

[0008] Preferably, the pressure sensor is arranged at a middle position facing the button; the first piezoelectric transducer and the second piezoelectric transducer are arranged at equal intervals at opposite ends of the pressure sensor.

[0009] Preferably, the pressure sensors include a plurality of pressure sensors, and the plurality of pressure sensors are arranged at equal intervals from each other; and the plurality of pressure sensors are all located between the first piezoelectric transducer and the second piezoelectric transducer.

[0010] Preferably, the pressure sensor is any one of a piezoelectric sensor, a strain sensor, an optical sensor, a magnetic sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor and a proximity sensor.

[0011] Preferably, the first piezoelectric transducer includes a flat piezoelectric ceramic sheet and a first piezoelectric sheet and a second piezoelectric sheet respectively in a bow-shaped or cymbal-shaped shape; the first piezoelectric sheet and the second piezoelectric sheet are respectively located on the upper and lower sides of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet, the two ends of the first piezoelectric sheet are respectively fixed to the two ends of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet, the middle area of ​​the first piezoelectric sheet is fixed to the side of the support frame close to the button, the two ends of the second piezoelectric sheet are respectively fixed to the two ends of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet, and the middle area of ​​the second piezoelectric sheet is fixed to the side of the button close to the support frame; the structure of the second piezoelectric transducer is the same as that of the first piezoelectric transducer.

[0012] Preferably, the support frame protrudes from one side close to the button to form a first strip-shaped support block, and the first strip-shaped support block protrudes from one side close to the button to form a first limiting column; the first piezoelectric sheet is provided with a first limiting hole passing through it at a position corresponding to the first limiting column, and the first limiting column is inserted into the first limiting hole; the button protrudes from one side close to the support frame to form a second strip-shaped support block, and the second strip-shaped support block protrudes from one side close to the support frame to form a second limiting column; the second piezoelectric sheet is provided with a second limiting hole passing through it at a position corresponding to the second limiting column, and the second limiting column is inserted into the second limiting hole.

[0013] Preferably, the support frame includes a base plate and an extension portion protruding from the periphery of the base plate toward the direction close to the key; the extension portion and the base plate are jointly arranged to form the receiving groove, and the two ends of the key are respectively fixed to the side of the extension portion away from the base plate and form an elastic connection with the extension portion.

[0014] Preferably, the button includes a strip-shaped main body, two elastic parts bent and extended from both ends of the strip-shaped main body and fixed to the support frame, and an abutment part protruding and extending from the position of the strip-shaped main body corresponding to the pressure sensor in a direction close to the pressure sensor; the abutment part abuts against the pressure sensor.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an electronic device comprising a housing and the aforementioned integrated key structure; the keys of the integrated key structure are exposed outward through the side of the housing.

[0016] Preferably, a mounting hole is provided on the side of the housing, and the support frame is fixed to the housing so that the button passes through the mounting hole and is exposed outward. Beneficial effects

[0017] Compared with the related art, the combined key structure of the present invention adds a pressure sensor between the first piezoelectric transducer and the second piezoelectric transducer, so that the pressure sensor can collect data changes in the pressing force and position distance of the finger during the touch action, and cooperate with the auxiliary signal collected by the first piezoelectric transducer or the second piezoelectric transducer to accurately judge the touch action of the finger, thereby improving the accuracy and consistency of the recognition of the combined key structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for describing the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can also derive other drawings based on these drawings without inventive work, among which:

[0019] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a connected key structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the structural decomposition of a conjoined key structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] FIG3 is a cross-sectional view of line AA in FIG1 ;

[0022] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] FIG5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG4 .

[0024] In the figure, 100, a one-piece button structure; 1, a support frame; 10, a receiving groove; 11, a bottom plate; 111, a first strip-shaped support block; 112, a first limiting column; 113, a connecting hole; 12, an extension portion; 2, a first piezoelectric transducer; 21, a piezoelectric ceramic sheet; 22, a first piezoelectric sheet; 221, a first limiting hole; 23, a second piezoelectric sheet; 231, a second limiting hole; 3, a second piezoelectric transducer; 4, a pressure sensor; 5, a button; 51, a strip-shaped main body; 511, a second strip-shaped support block; 512, a second limiting column; 52, an elastic portion; 53, abutting portion; 200, an electronic device; 201, a housing; 202, a mounting hole. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used in the specification of the application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit this application. The terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of this application or the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order.

[0026] References herein to "embodiments" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it constitute an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0027] It should be noted that the expressions "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" mentioned in the embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the placement states in the accompanying drawings and should not be construed as limiting embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, it should be understood that, in the text, when referring to an element as being "above" or "below" another element, it is possible that the element is directly "above" or "below" the other element, or it is possible that the element is "above" or "below" the other element through an intermediate element.

[0028] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] Example 1

[0030] An embodiment of the present invention provides a connected button structure 100, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, which includes a support frame 1 having a receiving groove 10, a first piezoelectric transducer 2 and a second piezoelectric transducer 3 that are received and fixed in the receiving groove 10 and spaced apart from each other, a pressure sensor 4 that is received and fixed in the receiving groove 10 and located between the first piezoelectric transducer 2 and the second piezoelectric transducer 3, and a button 5 that is covered on the support frame 1 and covers the receiving groove 10, and the button 5 forms an elastic connection with the support frame 1; the opposite sides of the first piezoelectric transducer 2 are respectively abutted against the support frame 1 and the button 5, the opposite sides of the second piezoelectric transducer 3 are respectively abutted against the support frame 1 and the button 5, and the opposite sides of the pressure sensor 4 are respectively abutted against the support frame 1 and the button 5.

[0031] Specifically, the support frame 1 includes a base plate 11 and an extension portion 12 protruding from the periphery of the base plate 11 toward the direction close to the key 5; the extension portion 12 and the base plate 11 are jointly arranged to form a receiving groove 10, and the two ends of the key 5 are respectively fixed to the side of the extension portion 12 away from the base plate 11 and form an elastic connection with the extension portion 12.

[0032] In this embodiment, connection holes 113 passing through the bottom plate 11 may be respectively provided at both ends thereof to facilitate installation and fixation to corresponding electronic devices.

[0033] Specifically, the first piezoelectric transducer 2 includes a flat piezoelectric ceramic sheet 21 and a first piezoelectric sheet 22 and a second piezoelectric sheet 23 that are respectively bow-shaped or cymbal-shaped; the first piezoelectric sheet 22 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 are respectively located on the upper and lower sides of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet 21, and the two ends of the first piezoelectric sheet 22 are respectively fixed to the two ends of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet 21, and the middle area of ​​the first piezoelectric sheet 22 is fixed to the side of the support frame 1 close to the button 5, and the two ends of the second piezoelectric sheet 23 are respectively fixed to the two ends of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet 21, and the middle area of ​​the second piezoelectric sheet 23 is fixed to the side of the button 5 close to the support frame 1.

[0034] In this embodiment, the first piezoelectric sheet 22 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 are respectively in an arc shape. Of course, according to actual needs, the first piezoelectric sheet 22 and the second piezoelectric sheet 23 can also be designed to be in a cymbal shape.

[0035] Specifically, the support frame 1 protrudes from one side near the button 5 to form a first strip-shaped support block 111, and the first strip-shaped support block 111 protrudes from one side near the button 5 to form a first limiting post 112. The first piezoelectric plate 22 is provided with a first limiting hole 221 extending therethrough at a position corresponding to the first limiting post 112, and the first limiting post 112 is inserted into the first limiting hole 221. This design improves the fixing effect between the first piezoelectric plate 22 and the support frame 1 and achieves a limiting effect.

[0036] In this embodiment, the first strip-shaped support block 111 is formed by protruding from a side of the bottom plate 11 close to the button 5 .

[0037] Specifically, the button 5 protrudes from the side closest to the support frame 1 to form a second strip-shaped support block 511, and the second strip-shaped support block 511 protrudes from the side closest to the support frame 1 to form a second limiting post 512. The second piezoelectric plate 23 is provided with a second limiting hole 231 extending therethrough at a position corresponding to the second limiting post 512, and the second limiting post 512 is inserted into the second limiting hole 231. This design improves the fixing effect between the second piezoelectric plate 23 and the button 5 and achieves a limiting effect.

[0038] In this embodiment, the structure of the second piezoelectric transducer 3 is the same as that of the first piezoelectric transducer 2, that is, the second piezoelectric transducer 3 also includes a piezoelectric ceramic sheet and first and second piezoelectric sheets. Furthermore, the first and second piezoelectric sheets in the second piezoelectric transducer 3 are fixed in the same manner as the first and second piezoelectric sheets 22 and 23 in the first piezoelectric transducer 2. Of course, the structure of the second piezoelectric transducer 3 may also be configured in other manners according to actual needs.

[0039] In this embodiment, the pressure sensor 4 is arranged at a middle position facing the button 5 ; the first piezoelectric transducer 2 and the second piezoelectric transducer 3 are arranged at opposite ends of the pressure sensor 4 at equal intervals.

[0040] The pressure sensors 4 include a plurality of pressure sensors 4 , which are arranged at equal intervals from each other; the plurality of pressure sensors 4 are all located between the first piezoelectric transducer 3 and the second piezoelectric transducer 4 .

[0041] This design can better collect data changes of the pressing force and position distance of the finger during the touch action through the pressure sensor 4, so as to improve the accuracy and consistency of the recognition of the connected key structure 100.

[0042] In this embodiment, the pressure sensor 4 is any one of a piezoelectric sensor, a strain gauge sensor, an optical sensor, a magnetic sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and a proximity sensor. By selecting such a pressure sensor 4, different gestures of the user, such as sliding operations, can be better recognized.

[0043] Specifically, the button 5 includes a strip-shaped main body portion 51, two elastic portions 52 formed by bending and extending from both ends of the strip-shaped main body portion 51 and fixed to the support frame 1, and an abutment portion 53 protruding and extending from the position of the strip-shaped main body portion 51 corresponding to the pressure sensor 4 in a direction close to the pressure sensor 4; the abutment portion 53 abuts against the pressure sensor 4.

[0044] In this embodiment, the second strip-shaped support block 511 is formed by protruding and extending from one side of the strip-shaped main body 51 close to the support frame 1 .

[0045] The connected key structure 100 of this embodiment adds a pressure sensor 4 between the first piezoelectric transducer 2 and the second piezoelectric transducer 3, so that the pressure sensor 4 can collect data changes in the pressing force and position distance of the finger during the touch action, and cooperate with the auxiliary signal collected by the first piezoelectric transducer 2 or the second piezoelectric transducer 3 to accurately judge the touch action of the finger, so as to improve the accuracy and consistency of the recognition of the connected key structure 100, reduce the interference effect between the two connected keys 5, and enhance the experience effect when it is applied to corresponding electronic devices.

[0046] Example 2

[0047] An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device 200 , as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 , including a housing 201 and the integrated key structure 100 in the first embodiment; the key 5 is exposed outward through the side of the housing 201 .

[0048] The electronic device 200 is a mobile phone, a watch, a tablet computer, etc.

[0049] In this embodiment, a mounting hole 202 is provided on the side of the housing 201 , and the support frame 1 is fixed to the housing 201 so that the button 5 passes through the mounting hole 202 and is exposed outward.

[0050] Since the electronic device 200 in this embodiment includes the integrated key structure 100 in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, it can also achieve the technical effects achieved by the integrated key structure 100 in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, which will not be described in detail here.

[0051] It should be noted that the various embodiments described above with reference to the accompanying drawings are intended only to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that any modifications or equivalent substitutions to the present invention that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, unless the context otherwise requires, words appearing in the singular include the plural form, and vice versa. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, all or part of any embodiment may be used in combination with all or part of any other embodiment.

Claims

1. A connected button structure, characterized in that, the connected button structure includes a support frame having a receiving groove, a first piezoelectric transducer and a second piezoelectric transducer that are received and fixed in the receiving groove and spaced apart from each other, a pressure sensor that is received and fixed in the receiving groove and is located between the first piezoelectric transducer and the second piezoelectric transducer, and a button that covers the support frame and covers the receiving groove, and the button forms an elastic connection with the support frame; opposite sides of the first piezoelectric transducer are respectively in contact with the support frame and the button, opposite sides of the second piezoelectric transducer are respectively in contact with the support frame and the button, and opposite sides of the pressure sensor are respectively in contact with the support frame and the button.

2. The connected button structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, the pressure sensor is disposed opposite the middle position of the button; the first piezoelectric transducer and the second piezoelectric transducer are equidistantly disposed at opposite ends of the pressure sensor.

3. The connected button structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, there are a plurality of the pressure sensors, and the plurality of pressure sensors are equidistantly arranged from each other; the plurality of pressure sensors are all located between the first piezoelectric transducer and the second piezoelectric transducer.

4. The connected button structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, the pressure sensor is any one of a piezoelectric sensor, a strain gauge sensor, an optical sensor, a magnetosensitive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and a proximity sensor.

5. The connected button structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, the first piezoelectric transducer includes a piezoelectric ceramic sheet in a flat plate shape, and a first piezoelectric sheet and a second piezoelectric sheet in a bow shape or a cymbal shape respectively; the first piezoelectric sheet and the second piezoelectric sheet are respectively located on the upper and lower sides of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet, both ends of the first piezoelectric sheet are respectively fixed to both ends of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet, a middle region of the first piezoelectric sheet is fixed to a side of the support frame close to the button, both ends of the second piezoelectric sheet are respectively fixed to both ends of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet, and a middle region of the second piezoelectric sheet is fixed to a side of the button close to the support frame; the structure of the second piezoelectric transducer is the same as the structure of the first piezoelectric transducer.

6. The connected button structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, a first strip-shaped support block protrudes from a side of the support frame close to the button, and a first limiting post protrudes from a side of the first strip-shaped support block close to the button; a first limiting hole penetrating therethrough is provided at a position of the first piezoelectric sheet corresponding to the first limiting post, and the first limiting post is inserted into the first limiting hole; a second strip-shaped support block protrudes from a side of the button close to the support frame, and a second limiting post protrudes from a side of the second strip-shaped support block close to the support frame; a second limiting hole penetrating therethrough is provided at a position of the second piezoelectric sheet corresponding to the second limiting post, and the second limiting post is inserted into the second limiting hole.

7. The connected button structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support frame includes a base plate and an extension portion protruding from the periphery of the base plate toward the direction close to the key; the extension portion and the base plate are jointly arranged to form the receiving groove, and the two ends of the key are respectively fixed to the side of the extension portion away from the base plate and form an elastic connection with the extension portion.

8. The one-piece key structure as claimed in claim 1, It is characterized in that The button includes a strip-shaped main body, two elastic parts bent and extended from both ends of the strip-shaped main body and fixed to the support frame, and an abutment part protruding and extending from the position of the strip-shaped main body corresponding to the pressure sensor in a direction close to the pressure sensor; the abutment part abuts against the pressure sensor.

9. An electronic device, It is characterized in that The electronic device comprises a housing and a conjoined key structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8; the key is exposed outward through a side surface of the housing.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, It is characterized in that A mounting hole is provided on the side of the housing, and the support frame is fixed to the housing so that the button passes through the mounting hole and is exposed to the outside.

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