Rolling device

Abstract

A rolling device. A rolling device (1) comprises: a rolling member (100), a plurality of toothed parts (101) extending in the axial direction being provided on at least one axial end surface of the rolling member (100); an elastic member (110), the elastic member (110) comprising a first groove (111) and an elastic arm (112) extending in the radial direction in the first groove (111); and a support assembly (120), the support assembly (120) comprising a support main body (121), an internal space for accommodating the rolling member (100) and the elastic member (110) being formed inside the support main body (121), a second slot (122) being formed in the side surface of the support main body (121), and an outer edge of the rolling member (100) extending out of the support main body (121) from the second slot (122). The elastic arm (112) is configured to be in contact with the plurality of toothed parts (101), and when the rolling member (100) rolls, the elastic arm (112) is in interference fit with corresponding toothed parts (101) among the plurality of toothed parts (101), and then generates elastic deformation.

Description

Rolling device

[0001] Cross-references

[0002] This application refers to Chinese patent application No. 202323599639.X, entitled "Rolling Device", filed on December 27, 2023, which is incorporated into this application in its entirety by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the technical field of human-computer interaction equipment, and in particular to a scrolling device. Background Art

[0004] With the rapid development of visual interaction technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR), user experience in controllers and input devices for these interactive devices has become a focus of attention. However, both existing scroll wheel designs for visual interaction products and traditional mouse scroll wheels present several limitations, such as large design space, high costs, low precision, large product dimensions, and difficulty meeting the demand for precise tactile feedback.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this application is to provide a rolling device to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present application, a rolling device is provided. The rolling device includes: a rolling element, wherein at least one axial end surface of the rolling element is provided with a plurality of teeth extending in an axial direction; an elastic element, wherein the elastic element includes a first groove and an elastic arm extending radially within the first groove; and a bracket assembly, wherein the bracket assembly includes a bracket body, wherein the bracket body defines an interior space for accommodating the rolling element and the elastic element, and a side surface of the bracket body is provided with a second groove, through which an outer edge of the rolling element extends out of the bracket body; wherein the elastic arm is configured to contact the plurality of teeth, and when the rolling element rolls, the elastic arm interferes with a corresponding tooth of the plurality of teeth, thereby undergoing elastic deformation.

[0008] According to the rolling device of the present application, the toothed portion can be constructed to have a first introduction surface and a second introduction surface inclined relative to the plane of the rolling device, and the elastic arm on the side of the toothed portion that cooperates can be constructed to have a first guide surface and a second guide surface inclined relative to the plane of the rolling device.

[0009] According to the rolling device of the present application, the first guide surface can be inclined at the same angle as the first introduction surface relative to the plane of the rolling device, forming a first introduction angle, and the second guide surface can be inclined at the same angle as the second introduction surface relative to the plane of the rolling device, forming a second introduction angle.

[0010] According to the rolling device of the present application, the first introduction angle may be equal to the second introduction angle.

[0011] According to the rolling device of the present application, the first introduction angle and / or the second introduction angle may be greater than or equal to 30 degrees and less than or equal to 45 degrees.

[0012] According to the rolling device of the present application, the support assembly may further include at least one cover plate, and the at least one cover plate is disposed at at least one axial end surface of the rolling device.

[0013] According to the rolling device of the present application, the rolling member may be provided with a first through hole, and the elastic member may be provided with a second through hole.

[0014] According to the rolling device of the present application, the bracket assembly may further include a central shaft, and the central shaft is fixedly connected to the bracket body via the first through hole and the second through hole.

[0015] According to the rolling device of the present application, a gap may be provided between the central shaft and the first through hole of the rolling element.

[0016] According to the rolling device of the present application, the elastic member may be configured to be fixedly connected to the bracket body in the axial direction by a screw member.

[0017] According to the rolling device of the present application, the rolling element may be configured to have at least one strip-shaped portion on the outer circumferential surface, wherein the at least one strip-shaped portion extends axially and protrudes radially.

[0018] According to the rolling device provided by the present application, the rolling device includes a rolling element and an elastic element, and the rolling element and the elastic element are respectively provided with a plurality of teeth and elastic arms. By configuring the elastic arms to contact the plurality of teeth, when the rolling element rolls, the elastic arms interfere with corresponding teeth in the plurality of teeth and thereby undergo elastic deformation, thereby providing a more precise and stable hand-feel fluctuation experience in a smaller space, which can improve the reliability and efficiency of the rolling device and reduce the cost and size requirements. Therefore, the present application has a simple structure, a simple appearance, and is easy to use. It can meet the various requirements of visual interactive devices for roller devices and bring a better interactive experience to users.

[0019] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be given in part in the description below, and in part will become obvious from the description below, or will be learned through practice of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and easily understood from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings.

[0021] In the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals throughout the multiple drawings represent the same or similar components or elements. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should be understood that these drawings only depict some embodiments disclosed in this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application.

[0022] FIG1 shows a schematic perspective view of a rolling device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] FIG2 shows a schematic exploded view of a rolling device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] FIG3 shows a schematic top view of a rolling device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] FIG4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the rolling device according to an embodiment of the present application, taken along section AA of FIG3 ;

[0026] FIG5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the rolling device according to an embodiment of the present application, taken along the line BB in FIG3 ;

[0027] FIG. 6 shows a schematic enlarged view of portion C in the BB section of FIG. 3 of the rolling device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0028] Explanation of the reference numerals: Rolling device 1; rolling element 100; toothed portion 101; first introduction surface 101A; second introduction surface 101B; first through hole 102; strip portion 103; elastic member 110; first groove 111; elastic arm 112; first guide surface 112A; second guide surface 112B; second through hole 113; first introduction angle 1A; second introduction angle 1B; bracket assembly 120; bracket body 121; second groove 122; cover plate 123; center axis 124; threaded member 130; axial direction Z; radial directions X, Y; and rolling device plane XOY. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Hereinafter, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the described embodiments may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

[0030] As mentioned above, human-computer visual interaction devices require input devices to implement their interactive functions. However, both existing scroll wheel designs for visual interaction products and traditional mouse scroll wheel designs present several limitations, such as large design space, high costs, low precision, large product dimensions, and difficulty meeting the demand for precise tactile control.

[0031] In view of this, the present application provides a rolling device, which includes a rolling member and an elastic member, and the rolling member and the elastic member are respectively provided with multiple teeth and elastic arms. By configuring the elastic arm to contact the multiple teeth, when the rolling member rolls, the elastic arm interferes with the corresponding teeth among the multiple teeth and thereby undergoes elastic deformation, thereby providing a more precise and stable hand-feel fluctuation experience in a smaller space, which can improve the reliability and efficiency of the rolling device and reduce cost and size requirements.

[0032] The rolling device according to an embodiment of the present application will be described below with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 6 .

[0033] First, referring to Figures 1 to 4, Figure 1 shows a schematic stereoscopic diagram of a rolling device according to an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 shows a schematic exploded diagram of a rolling device according to an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 shows a schematic top view of a rolling device according to an embodiment of the present application; and Figure 4 shows a schematic sectional view of the AA section of Figure 3 of the rolling device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0034] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the rolling device 1 includes: a rolling element 100, at least one axial end face of the rolling element 100 is provided with a plurality of tooth-shaped portions 101 extending along the axial direction Z; an elastic element 110, the elastic element 110 includes a first groove 111 and an elastic arm 112 extending radially in the first groove 111; a bracket assembly 120, the bracket assembly 120 includes a bracket body 121, the interior of the bracket body 121 forms an internal space for accommodating the rolling element 100 and the elastic element 110, and a second groove 122 is provided on the side of the bracket body 121, and the outer edge of the rolling element 100 extends out of the bracket body 121 from the second groove 122; wherein, the elastic arm 112 is configured to contact the plurality of tooth-shaped portions 101, and when the rolling element 100 rolls, the elastic arm 112 interferes with the corresponding tooth-shaped portion 101 among the plurality of tooth-shaped portions 101 and thereby undergoes elastic deformation.

[0035] In some examples, the rolling element 100 of the rolling device 1 can be a roller element, which has a toothed portion 101 arranged along the circumferential direction of the rolling element 100 and extending along the axial direction Z on at least one axial end face thereof. In some examples, the toothed portion 101 is configured as a rack, which can be a plastic rack, for example, made of polyamide, polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate, polyketone, or the like.

[0036] 1 to 2 , a second groove 122 is correspondingly provided on the side of the bracket body 121 . The second groove 122 is a through-hole groove, so that the outer edge of the rolling element 100 extends out of the bracket body 121 from the second groove 122 , allowing the user to contact the rolling element 100 from the outside of the rolling device 1 and perform a rolling operation.

[0037] In some examples, the elastic member 110 of the rolling device 1 includes a first groove 111. It is understood that the first groove 111 can be U-shaped, circular, or any other feasible shape. The first groove 111 forms a space for accommodating and moving the elastic arm 112. In some examples, the elastic arm 112 can be made of a plastic material, such as polyamide, polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate, polyketone, or the like.

[0038] 1 and 2 , in an embodiment of the present application, the lower end of the elastic arm 112 contacts the upper end of the toothed portion 101 of the rolling element 100. When the rolling element 100 rolls, the elastic arm 112 interferes with the corresponding toothed portion 101 among the multiple toothed portions 101 and thereby undergoes elastic deformation. Thus, the rolling device of the present application can provide a more precise and stable tactile fluctuation experience similar to that of a traditional mouse wheel. For example, a ripple wheel feel and a clicking sound can be generated when the rolling element 100 rotates, and the overall axial and radial dimensions of the rolling device are relatively small, and the overall space occupied by the device is relatively small, thereby being able to meet the size requirements of the visual interaction device for the input device.

[0039] According to some embodiments, with further reference to FIG. 2 to FIG. 4 , the support assembly 120 of the rolling device 1 may further include at least one cover plate 123 , which is disposed at at least one axial end surface of the rolling device 1 .

[0040] In some examples, the at least one cover plate 123 may include a rolling element cover plate and / or a bracket cover plate. The rolling element cover plate covers the end surface of the bracket body 121 near the rolling element 100, and the bracket cover plate covers the end surface of the bracket body 121 near the elastic element 110, so that the entire device forms a closed space.

[0041] According to some embodiments, referring to FIG. 2 , the rolling member 100 may be provided with a first through hole 102 , and the elastic member 110 may be provided with a second through hole 113 .

[0042] According to some embodiments, referring to FIG. 2 , the bracket assembly 120 may further include a central shaft 124 , which is fixedly connected to the bracket body 121 via the first through hole 102 and the second through hole 113 .

[0043] In some examples, central shaft 124 passes through the elastic member and the rolling piece in sequence, and is connected to the bracket body 121. One end of central shaft 124 is tightly fixed to the inner wall of bracket body 121, and the other end is fixed to the elastic member, ensuring that central shaft 124 remains stationary. Alternatively, one end of central shaft 124 is fixed to the rolling member cover, and the other end is fixed to the bracket cover.

[0044] According to some embodiments, a gap is provided between the central axis 124 and the first through hole 102 of the rolling element 100 , thereby ensuring that the rolling element 100 can rotate around the central axis 124 .

[0045] According to some embodiments, the elastic member may be configured to be fixedly connected to the bracket body 121 in the axial direction Z by a screw member 130 .

[0046] In the example shown in Fig. 4 , the threaded member 130 may be a screw. The bracket body 121 is configured to have at least one threaded hole for mounting the elastic member 110 in a threaded connection manner.

[0047] Please refer to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the rolling device according to an embodiment of the present application at section BB in Figure 3; Figure 6 shows a schematic enlarged view of portion C in section BB in Figure 3 of the rolling device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0048] According to some embodiments, as shown in Figure 6, the toothed portion 101 can be configured to have a first introduction surface 101A and a second introduction surface 101B inclined relative to the plane of the rolling device 1, and the elastic arm 112 on the side cooperating with the toothed portion 101 can be configured to have a first guide surface 112A and a second guide surface 112B inclined relative to the plane of the rolling device 1.

[0049] According to some embodiments, as shown in Figure 6, the first guide surface 112A can be inclined at the same angle as the first introduction surface 101A relative to the rolling device plane XOY, forming a first introduction angle 1A, and the second guide surface 112B can be inclined at the same angle as the second introduction surface 101B relative to the rolling device plane XOY, forming a second introduction angle 1B.

[0050] According to some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6 , the first lead-in angle 1A may be equal to the second lead-in angle 1B.

[0051] According to some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6 , the first lead-in angle 1A and / or the second lead-in angle 1B may be greater than or equal to 30 degrees and less than or equal to 45 degrees.

[0052] In some examples, the first lead-in angle 1A may be a disassembly lead-in angle, and the second lead-in angle 1B may be an assembly lead-in angle. In some examples, the disassembly lead-in angle and the assembly lead-in angle may be equal, in which case the rolling device 1 has the same feel when rotating forward and reverse.

[0053] In the embodiment shown in FIG6 , the first lead-in angle 1A and / or the second lead-in angle 1B are 30 degrees. The rolling feel of the rolling device 1 can be adjusted by adjusting the first lead-in angle 1A and the second lead-in angle 1B. In some examples, the first lead-in angle 1A and / or the second lead-in angle 1B can be 30 degrees or 45 degrees, which provide a better rolling feel.

[0054] According to some embodiments, as shown in the enlarged view of area C in FIG6 , because the elastic arm 112 and the toothed portion 101 are configured to form an interference fit, the bottom surface of the elastic arm 112 can extend into the toothed portion 101. The distance between the bottom surface of the elastic arm 112 and the top surface of the toothed portion 101 is the engagement distance L. This engagement distance can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the scroll force of the scrolling device and further improving the user experience.

[0055] According to some embodiments, the rolling element 100 can be configured to have at least one strip-shaped portion 103 on the outer circumferential surface, and the at least one strip-shaped portion 103 extends axially Z and protrudes radially, thereby increasing the friction between the user's finger and the rolling element 100, making the interaction effect of the rolling device more precise.

[0056] It should be understood that in this specification, the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships or dimensions based on the orientations or positional relationships or dimensions shown in the accompanying drawings, and these terms are used only for the convenience of description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of this application.

[0057] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Thus, a feature specified as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0058] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, terms such as "installed," "connected," "connect," and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection, electrical connection, or communication; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on specific circumstances.

[0059] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features being in contact not directly but through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above," "above," and "above" a second feature may include the first feature being directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below," "below," and "below" a second feature may include the first feature being directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0060] This specification provides many different embodiments or examples that can be used to implement the present application. It should be understood that these different embodiments or examples are purely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application in any way. Those skilled in the art can conceive of various changes or replacements based on the disclosure of the specification of the present application, all of which should be encompassed within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A rolling device, comprising: a rolling element, on at least one axial end face of the rolling element, a plurality of tooth-shaped portions extending axially are provided; an elastic member, the elastic member includes a first groove and elastic arms extending radially in the first groove; a bracket assembly, the bracket assembly includes a bracket body, an internal space for accommodating the rolling element and the elastic member is formed inside the bracket body, a second groove is provided on a side surface of the bracket body, and an outer edge of the rolling element protrudes from the second groove out of the bracket body; wherein, the elastic arms are configured to contact the plurality of tooth-shaped portions, when the rolling element rolls, the elastic arms interfere and cooperate with corresponding tooth-shaped portions among the plurality of tooth-shaped portions and thus undergo elastic deformation.

2. The rolling device according to claim 1, wherein, The tooth-shaped portions are configured to have a first guiding surface and a second guiding surface inclined with respect to the plane of the rolling device, and the elastic arms are configured to have a first guiding surface and a second guiding surface inclined with respect to the plane of the rolling device on a side where the tooth-shaped portions cooperate.

3. The rolling device according to claim 2, wherein, The first guiding surface and the first guiding surface of the first guiding surface are inclined at the same angle with respect to the plane of the rolling device to form a first guiding angle, and the second guiding surface and the second guiding surface of the second guiding surface are inclined at the same angle with respect to the plane of the rolling device to form a second guiding angle.

4. The rolling device according to claim 3, wherein, The first guiding angle is equal to the second guiding angle.

5. The rolling device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein, The angle of the first guiding angle and / or the second guiding angle is greater than or equal to 30 degrees and less than or equal to 45 degrees.

6. The rolling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The bracket assembly further includes at least one cover plate, and the at least one cover plate is provided at at least one axial end face of the rolling device.

7. The rolling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The rolling element is provided with a first through hole, and the elastic member is provided with a second through hole.

8. The rolling device according to claim 7, wherein, The bracket assembly further includes a central shaft, and the central shaft is fixedly connected to the bracket body through the first through hole and the second through hole.

9. The rolling device according to claim 8, wherein, A gap is provided between the central shaft and the first through hole of the rolling element.

10. The rolling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and 8 to 9, wherein, The elastic member is configured to be fixedly connected to the bracket body through a threaded member in the axial direction.

11. The rolling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and 8 to 9, wherein, The rolling element is configured to have at least one strip-shaped portion on an outer circumferential surface, and the at least one strip-shaped portion extends axially and protrudes radially.

Images