Touchpad assembly and electronic device
By changing the actuator's position in the laptop to offset it from the battery module, and by optimizing the design of the support structure and elastic components, the high cost of capacitive touchpads has been solved, achieving both low cost and good touch feel.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- GUANGZHOU SHIYUAN ELECTRONICS CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-14
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-21
AI Technical Summary
In existing laptops, the actuator setup for capacitive touchpads results in high manufacturing costs and makes it difficult to simulate the tactile feel of mechanical touchpads.
By changing the position of the actuator to offset it from the battery module, and using a support structure and elastic elements to simulate the pressing feel of a mechanical touchpad, while optimizing the vibration frequency and position of the elastic elements, costs are reduced and the touch feel is improved.
It reduces the manufacturing cost of electronic devices, improves the touch feel and vibration consistency of the touchpad, and simulates the pressing effect of a mechanical touchpad.
Smart Images
Figure CN2024132031_21052026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Touchpad assembly and electronic devices Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of electronic device technology, and more particularly to a touchpad assembly and an electronic device using the touchpad assembly. Background Technology
[0002] Laptops typically include a touchpad, which users can use with one or more fingers to move the cursor, click the left or right mouse button, and scroll through pages.
[0003] Traditional laptops mostly use mechanical touchpads. Due to the limitations of their operating principle, users can only press the lower part of the touchpad, not the entire area. Therefore, most current laptops use capacitive touchpads, allowing users to operate the entire touchpad. To simulate the feel of a mechanical touchpad, an actuator is usually placed below the capacitive touchpad. The vibration of the actuator simulates the click sensation of a mechanical touchpad. In related technologies, to improve the consistency of vibration during the user's touch of the capacitive touchpad, the actuator is placed at the bottom center of the capacitive touchpad. At the same time, to accommodate the thin and light design of laptops, the battery located below the actuator is often designed in an irregular shape to avoid obstructing the actuator, or a thinner actuator is used.
[0004] However, both of the aforementioned actuator configurations result in higher manufacturing costs for laptops.
[0005] Summary of the Invention
[0006] This application provides a touchpad assembly and an electronic device, which reduces the manufacturing cost of the electronic device by changing the position of the actuator.
[0007] On one hand, this application provides a touchpad assembly for use in an electronic device. The electronic device includes a battery module, and the touchpad assembly includes a touch module, an actuator support structure, and four elastic members. The touch module includes a touchpad, a circuit board, and a sensor submodule. The sensor submodule is electrically connected to the circuit board. The touchpad and the sensor submodule are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the circuit board. The end face of the touchpad facing away from the circuit board forms a touch surface, and the end face of the circuit board facing the sensor submodule forms a mounting surface. The mounting surface has a center and has two opposing first edges and two opposing second edges, with the length of the first edges being greater than the length of the second edges. The battery module is located on the side of the circuit board facing the sensor submodule and is electrically connected to the circuit board. The actuator is connected to the mounting surface and electrically connected to the circuit board; the support structure is used to connect to the main housing of the electronic device; four elastic elements are connected between the mounting surface and the support structure; wherein, the orthographic projection area of the battery module on the mounting surface is the first region, the center of the surface is located within the first region, the orthographic projection area of the actuator on the mounting surface is the second region, the second region and the first region do not overlap, and the second region is located outside the first region; the four elastic elements are centrally symmetrical about the center of the surface, the orthographic projection area of the elastic elements on the mounting surface is the third region, the distance between the center of the third region and the adjacent first edge is greater than or equal to 8 mm and less than or equal to 20 mm, and the distance between the center of the third region and the adjacent second edge is greater than or equal to 12 mm and less than or equal to 25 mm.
[0008] As an optional implementation, the mounting surface has a first central axis and a second central axis, the first central axis is formed by connecting the midpoints of the two first edges, and the second central axis is formed by connecting the midpoints of the two second edges; the angle between the line connecting the center of the second region and the center of the surface and the first central axis is greater than or equal to 0 degrees and less than or equal to 50 degrees; or, the angle between the line connecting the center of the second region and the center of the surface and the second central axis is greater than or equal to 0 degrees and less than or equal to 50 degrees.
[0009] As an optional implementation, the elastic element is an elastic pad.
[0010] As an optional implementation, the support structure includes two brackets, which are arranged at intervals along a first direction, which is parallel to the extension direction of the first edge. The actuator is located between the two brackets, and the sensor submodule is located between the touch module and the two brackets. Each bracket includes a connecting part and two extension arms disposed on the connecting part. The connecting part is used to connect with the main housing part, the two extension arms are arranged at intervals, and an elastic element is disposed on one extension arm.
[0011] As an optional implementation, the sensor submodule includes two sensor units, one sensor unit corresponding to one bracket; the sensor unit includes a flexible circuit board and two sensors, the two sensors being arranged one-to-one with two extension arms; both the flexible circuit board and the sensors are electrically connected to the circuit board, the two ends of the flexible circuit board are respectively connected to the two extension arms and electrically connected to the two sensors, and the middle part of the flexible circuit board is electrically connected to the connecting part.
[0012] As an alternative implementation, the flexible circuit board includes a main body and a bent portion connected together, the bent portion protruding from the main body; the main body is electrically connected to the circuit board, both ends of the main body are respectively connected to two extension arms and electrically connected to two sensors, and the middle part of the main body is bonded to the connecting portion by conductive adhesive.
[0013] As an optional implementation, the bending portion includes a first bending segment, a second bending segment, and a third bending segment connected in sequence; wherein the first bending segment and the third bending segment are both connected to the main body, and the first bending segment and the third bending segment are both at an angle to the main body.
[0014] As an optional implementation, the main body is connected to multiple bent portions.
[0015] As an optional implementation, the touchpad assembly provided in this application further includes a reinforcing structure connected to the mounting surface, and the reinforcing structure has a first clearance notch for clearance actuator formed thereon.
[0016] As an alternative implementation, the reinforcement structure includes two spaced-apart reinforcement plates, with a first clearance notch formed on either reinforcement plate.
[0017] As an optional implementation, the reinforcing plate is connected to the mounting surface via a second adhesive layer; wherein the second adhesive layer is any one of a UV-activated adhesive film, a hot melt adhesive film, and an AB adhesive.
[0018] As an optional implementation, the touchpad and the circuit board are connected by a third adhesive layer; wherein the third adhesive layer is any one of UV activated adhesive film, hot melt adhesive film and AB glue.
[0019] On the other hand, this application also provides an electronic device, including a main housing, a battery module and the aforementioned touchpad assembly, wherein both the touchpad assembly and the battery module are mounted on the main housing.
[0020] In the touchpad assembly and electronic device provided in this application, the projected area of the battery module on the mounting surface is the first area, and the projected area of the actuator on the mounting surface is the second area. The second area does not overlap with the first area, and the second area is located outside the first area. In this way, the position of the actuator can be staggered from the area where the battery module is located.
[0021] With this configuration, the battery module does not need to avoid the actuator, meaning that the battery module does not need to be designed in an irregular shape, which reduces the manufacturing cost of electronic devices.
[0022] Furthermore, when the location of the actuator does not interfere with the location of the battery module, it is not necessary to use a thin and expensive actuator. In other words, in this embodiment, a common actuator can be selected, which reduces the cost of the actuator and further reduces the manufacturing cost of the electronic device.
[0023] Furthermore, by setting up a support structure and four elastic elements, on the one hand, the connection between the touchpad assembly and the main housing can be realized to enable the assembly of the support structure in the electronic device. On the other hand, by setting up four elastic elements, not only can the support structure be connected to the circuit board of the touch module, but also, under the combined action of the four elastic elements and the actuator, the actuator provides a certain vibration effect, and the four elastic elements play a certain deformation effect. In this way, the pressing feel of a mechanical touchpad can be simulated, thereby improving the touch feel of the touchpad assembly provided in this embodiment.
[0024] In addition, by defining the specific positions of the four elastic elements, the vibration frequency of the elastic elements themselves is set to be staggered from the target vibration frequency, which can improve the uniformity of the vibration waves generated by the actuator and further improve the user's touch feel when touching the touchpad. Attached Figure Description
[0025] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the touchpad assembly provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0026] Figure 2 is an exploded view of the touchpad assembly provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0027] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the touchpad assembly provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0028] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the mounting surface, actuator, and elastic element in the touchpad assembly provided in the embodiment of this application.
[0029] Figure 5 is a planar structural schematic diagram of the first partial structure of the touchpad assembly provided in the embodiment of this application;
[0030] Figure 6 is a planar structural schematic diagram of the second partial structure of the touchpad assembly provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0031] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the elastic element in the touchpad assembly provided in the embodiment of this application;
[0032] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the sensor submodule and the bracket in the touchpad assembly provided in the embodiment of this application;
[0033] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the flexible circuit board in the touchpad assembly provided in the embodiment of this application;
[0034] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the touchpad, circuit board and reinforcing plate connected together in the touchpad assembly provided in the embodiment of this application;
[0035] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of the five positions on the touch surface.
[0036] Figure label:
[0037] 1. Touch module; 2. Actuator; 0. Surface center; 3. Support structure; 5. Sensor submodule; 6. First adhesive layer; 7. Reinforcing structure; 8. Second adhesive layer; 9. Third adhesive layer;
[0038] 10. Touchpad assembly; 11. Touch surface; 12. Mounting surface; 13. Touchpad; 14. Circuit board; P1. Second area; P2. Third area; 31. Bracket; 41. Elastic element; 51. Sensor unit; 71. First clearance notch; 72. Reinforcing plate;
[0039] 111, First position; 112, Second position; 113, Third position; 114, Fourth position; 115, Fifth position; 121, First edge; 122, Second edge; 123, Edge; 311, Connecting part; 312, Extension arm; 411, First adhesive layer; 412, Second adhesive layer; 511, Flexible circuit board; 512, Sensor; 513, Solder layer; 721, Second clearance notch;
[0040] 3111, Connecting hole; 5111, Main body; 5112, Bending section; 5113, Copper leakage area; 5114, Connecting section; 5115, First bending section; 5116, Second bending section; 5117, Third bending section; 5118, First main body section; 5119, Second main body section. Detailed Implementation
[0041] Traditional laptops mostly use mechanical touchpads. Due to the limitations of their operating principle, users can only press the lower area of the touchpad, and cannot perform full-area pressing operations. Specifically, the touch location is identified by detecting the pressure applied by the user's finger. There is usually a series of mechanical switches or sensors under the touchpad, which are triggered when the user presses the touchpad.
[0042] Therefore, most current laptops use capacitive touchpads, allowing users to operate the entire touchpad area. Specifically, the surface of a capacitive touchpad is covered with a layer of transparent conductive material, forming a capacitor matrix. When a finger touches or approaches the touchpad, it changes the capacitance value at that point. This capacitance change is detected by the touchpad controller and converted into coordinate data. To simulate the tactile feel of a mechanical touchpad, related technologies typically place an actuator beneath the capacitive touchpad, using the actuator's vibration to simulate the click sensation of a mechanical touchpad.
[0043] In related technologies, in order to improve the vibration consistency during the user's touch of the capacitive touchpad, the actuator is placed at the bottom center of the capacitive touchpad. At the same time, in order to cater to the thin and light design of laptops, the battery located below the actuator is often designed in an irregular shape to avoid the actuator, or a thinner and lighter actuator is used.
[0044] Understandably, designing the battery in an irregular shape to accommodate the actuator increases manufacturing costs; furthermore, using a thinner actuator also increases costs. Therefore, both of these actuator configurations contribute to higher manufacturing costs for laptops.
[0045] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a touchpad assembly and an electronic device, which reduce the manufacturing cost of the electronic device by changing the setting position of the actuator.
[0046] It should be noted that the electronic device provided in this embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a laptop computer.
[0047] The embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation details.
[0048] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4. Figure 1 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the touch panel assembly provided in the embodiment of this application. Figure 2 is an exploded view of the touch panel assembly provided in the embodiment of this application. Figure 3 is a planar structural diagram of the touch panel assembly provided in the embodiment of this application. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the positional relationship between the mounting surface, actuator, and elastic element in the touch panel assembly provided in the embodiment of this application. As shown in the figure, this embodiment provides a touchpad assembly 10, which is applied in an electronic device. The electronic device includes a battery module (not shown in the figure). The touchpad assembly 10 provided in this embodiment includes a touch module 1 and an actuator 2. The touch module 1 has a touch surface 11 and a mounting surface 12 arranged opposite to each other. The battery module is located on the back side of the touch module 1 and is electrically connected to the touch module 1. The orthographic projection area of the battery module on the mounting surface 12 is a first area, and the center O of the mounting surface 12 is located in the first area. The actuator 2 is connected to the mounting surface 12 and is electrically connected to the touch module 1. The orthographic projection area of the actuator 2 on the mounting surface 12 is a second area P1. Orthographic projection is a method of projecting a three-dimensional object onto a two-dimensional plane. The projection lines (i.e., the line of sight) are parallel and perpendicular to the projection plane. Here, the three-dimensional object can be understood as the battery module and the actuator 2, and the two-dimensional plane can be understood as the mounting surface 12. The second area P1 and the first area do not overlap, and the second area P1 is located outside the first area.
[0049] This excludes the case where the outer side of the battery module forms a space to avoid the actuator 2. The following scenarios can be considered:
[0050] In the first case, the battery module has only one battery. In this case, our outer side is not included in the edge of the battery module to form a clearance notch to avoid the actuator 2.
[0051] The second type involves a battery module comprising multiple batteries. Taking two batteries as an example, this can be divided into the following two scenarios:
[0052] A. The battery module includes two batteries spaced apart along the extension direction of the mounting surface 12. At this time, the outer side does not include the clearance space formed between the two batteries to avoid the actuator 2, nor does it include the clearance notch formed at the edge of either battery to avoid the actuator 2.
[0053] B. The battery module includes two batteries that are arranged adjacent to each other along the extension direction of the mounting surface 12, but the outer side does not include the clearance notch formed at the edge of either battery to avoid the actuator 2.
[0054] Thus, in the touchpad assembly 10 provided in this embodiment, the orthographic projection area P1 of the actuator 2 on the mounting surface 12 does not overlap with the orthographic projection area of the battery module on the mounting surface 12. This allows the location of the actuator 2 to be offset from the location of the battery module. On the one hand, the battery module does not need to avoid the actuator 2, that is, it does not need to be designed as an irregular shape, thus reducing the manufacturing cost of the electronic device. On the other hand, when the location of the actuator 2 does not interfere with the location of the battery module, it is not necessary to use a thin and expensive actuator. That is, in this embodiment, a common actuator 2 can be selected, thus reducing the cost of selecting the actuator 2 and further reducing the manufacturing cost of the electronic device.
[0055] It should be noted that the connection between the actuator 2 and the mounting surface 12 can be adhesive. Here, there are no specific restrictions on the type of adhesive used to bond the actuator 2 and the mounting surface 12 together.
[0056] Furthermore, actuator 2 can be a linear motor. There are no restrictions on the type of actuator 2 selected here.
[0057] To realize the corresponding functions of the touch module 1, the touch module 1 includes a touchpad 13, a circuit board 14, and a sensor submodule 5. The sensor submodule 5, the battery module, and the actuator 2 are all electrically connected to the circuit board 14. The touchpad 13 and the sensor submodule 5 are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the circuit board. The end face of the touchpad 13 facing away from the circuit board 14 forms a touch surface 11, and the end face of the circuit board 14 facing the sensor submodule 5 forms a mounting surface 12. Users can control cursor movement, select items, scroll pages, and zoom content by sliding, clicking, and pinching their fingers on the touchpad 13. It should be noted that the surface of the touchpad 13 is covered with a layer of transparent conductive material, such as indium tin oxide (ITO), forming a capacitance matrix. When a finger touches or approaches the touchpad 13, it changes the capacitance value at that point. These changes are detected by the touchpad 13 controller and converted into coordinate data, thereby realizing touch operation. The circuit board 14 is responsible for processing the electrical signals generated by the touchpad 13, including signal acquisition, processing and transmission, as well as power management. Correspondingly, the circuit board 14 is equipped with a capacitive sensor array, which can detect the capacitance changes generated when a finger touches or approaches.
[0058] It should be noted that the touchpad 13 mentioned above is made of glass and Mylar. Mylar is a polyester film, usually referring to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film.
[0059] To further determine the installation position of the actuator 2, in this embodiment, the mounting surface 12 has two oppositely arranged edges 123. The line connecting the midpoints of the two edges forms the central axis l of the mounting surface 12. The angle α between the line L connecting the center O1 of the second region P1 and the center O of the surface and the central axis l is greater than or equal to 0 degrees and less than or equal to 50 degrees. Specifically, the mounting surface 12 has two oppositely arranged first edges 121 and two oppositely arranged second edges 122. The two second edges 122 are connected between the ends of the two first edges 121. The length of the first edges 121 is greater than the length of the second edges 122, that is, the first edges 121 extend along the length direction of the mounting surface 12, and the second edges 122 extend along the width direction of the mounting surface 12.
[0060] The mounting surface 12 has a first central axis l1 extending along its width and a second central axis l2 extending along its length. The central axis l can be either the first central axis l1 or the second central axis l2. The line connecting the midpoints of the two first edges 121 forms the first central axis l1, and the line connecting the midpoints of the two second edges 122 forms the second central axis l2. Thus, by limiting the angle α between the line L connecting the center O1 of the second region P1 and the center O of the surface and the central axis l, the mounting position of the actuator 2 can be effectively determined, thereby improving the installation efficiency of the actuator 2.
[0061] For example, referring to Figure 4, the included angle α is formed between the line L connecting the center O1 of the second region P1 and the center O of the surface, and the first central axis l1. The specific value of the included angle α can be -50 degrees, -40 degrees, -30 degrees, -20 degrees, -10 degrees, 0 degrees, 10 degrees, 20 degrees, 30 degrees, 40 degrees, 50 degrees, etc. Here, there is no restriction on the specific value of the included angle α.
[0062] It should be noted that the length direction of the mounting surface 12 is consistent with the xx axis direction in Figures 1 to 4, and the width direction of the mounting surface 12 is consistent with the yy axis direction in Figures 1 to 4.
[0063] Furthermore, since mechanical touchpads offer a better tactile feel, to simulate this feel, the touchpad assembly 10 provided in this embodiment also includes a support structure 3 and four elastic members 41. The support structure 3 is used to connect to the main housing of the electronic device; the four elastic members 41 are connected between the mounting surface 12 and the support structure 3. Thus, by providing the support structure 3 and the four elastic members 41, on the one hand, the connection between the touchpad assembly 10 and the main housing can be achieved, enabling the assembly of the support structure 3 within the electronic device. On the other hand, by providing the four elastic members 41, not only can the support structure 3 be connected to the circuit board 14 of the touch module 1, but also, under the combined action of the four elastic members 41 and the actuator 2, the actuator 2 provides a certain vibration effect, and the four elastic members 41 exhibit a certain deformation effect. This simulates the tactile feel of a mechanical touchpad, thereby improving the touch feel of the touchpad assembly 10 provided in this embodiment.
[0064] Please refer to Figure 5, which is a planar structural schematic diagram of the first partial structure of the touchpad assembly provided in this application embodiment. As shown in the figure, the four elastic elements 41 are arranged symmetrically about the center O of the surface. If it is necessary to improve the uniformity of the vibration wave generated by the actuator 2, the vibration frequency of the elastic element 41 itself needs to be staggered from the target vibration frequency. For this purpose, referring to Figure 4, in some optional embodiments, the orthographic projection area of the elastic element 41 on the mounting surface 12 is the third region P2. The distance d1 between the center O2 of the third region P2 and the adjacent first edge 121 is greater than or equal to 8 mm and less than or equal to 20 mm, and the distance d2 between the center of the third region P2 and the adjacent second edge 122 is greater than or equal to 12 mm and less than or equal to 25 mm.
[0065] It should be noted that the first edge 121 adjacent to the center O2 of the third region P2 can be understood as the first edge 121 that is closer to the center of the third region P2 among the two first edges 121, that is, the first edge 121 adjacent to the center O2 of the third region P2; the second edge 122 adjacent to the center O2 of the third region P2 can be understood as the second edge 122 that is closer to the center of the third region P2 among the two second edges 122, that is, the second edge 122 adjacent to the center O2 of the third region P2.
[0066] For example, d1 can be 8 mm, 8.5 mm, 9 mm, 9.5 mm, 10 mm, 10.5 mm, 11 mm, 11.5 mm, 12 mm, 12.5 mm, 13 mm, 13.5 mm, 14 mm, 14.5 mm, 15 mm, 15.5 mm, 16 mm, 16.5 mm, 17 mm, 17.5 mm, 18 mm, 18.5 mm, 19 mm, 19.5 mm, 20 mm, etc.; d2 can be 12 mm, 12.5 mm, 13 mm, 13.5 mm, 14 mm, 14.5 mm, 15 mm, 15.5 mm, 16 mm, 16.5 mm, 17 mm, 17.5 mm, 18 mm, 18.5 mm, 19 mm, 19.5 mm, 20 mm, 20.5 mm, 21 mm, 21.5 mm, 22 mm, 22.5 mm, 23 mm, 23.5 mm, 24 mm, 24.5 mm, 25 mm, etc. The specific values of d1 and d2 are not specified here.
[0067] Thus, by limiting the specific position of the elastic element 41 so that the vibration frequency of the elastic element 41 itself is set differently from the target vibration frequency, the uniformity of the vibration wave generated by the actuator 2 can be improved, further enhancing the user's touch feel when touching the touchpad 13.
[0068] In some alternative embodiments, the elastic element 41 is an elastic pad made of silicone. Furthermore, to enhance the structural strength of the elastic pad itself, in this embodiment, the silicone has a hardness of 30A, that is, a hardness of 30 on the Shore A scale. This ensures that the elastic pad not only possesses a certain degree of elasticity but also a certain degree of structural strength, resulting in a longer service life for the elastic element 41.
[0069] Please refer to Figure 6, which is a planar structural schematic diagram of the second partial structure of the touchpad assembly provided in the embodiment of this application. As shown in the figure, in some specific embodiments, the support structure 3 includes two brackets 31, which are arranged at intervals along a first direction, which is parallel to the extension direction of the first edge 121. The actuator 2 is located between the two brackets 31, and the sensor submodule 5 is located between the mounting surface 12 and the two brackets 31. Each bracket 31 includes a connecting part 311 and two extension arms 312 disposed on the connecting part 311. The connecting part 311 is used to connect with the main housing part. The two extension arms 312 are arranged at intervals, and an elastic element 41 is disposed on one extension arm 312.
[0070] Specifically, the connecting part 311 extends along the extension direction of the second edge 122, and the connecting part 311 is provided with a connecting hole 3111. Fasteners such as screws can pass through the connecting hole 3111 and the main shell to connect the bracket 31 to the main shell. In order to improve the connection reliability between the bracket 31 and the main shell, multiple connecting holes 3111 can be provided on the connecting part 311, such as the three shown in the figure, and these three connecting holes 3111 are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the connecting part 311.
[0071] Furthermore, the two extension arms 312 are spaced apart along the extension direction of the second edge 122 and are located on the side of the bracket 31 facing the other bracket 31, and the extension direction of the extension arms 312 is consistent with the extension direction of the first edge 121.
[0072] Please refer to Figure 7, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the elastic element in the touchpad assembly provided in this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the two opposite sides of the elastic element 41, i.e., the two sides of the elastic pad in this embodiment, respectively have a first adhesive layer 411 and a second adhesive layer 412. The elastic pad is bonded to the mounting surface 12 of the circuit board 14 through the first adhesive layer 411, and the elastic pad is bonded to the corresponding extension arm 312 through the second adhesive layer 412. Both the first adhesive layer 411 and the second adhesive layer 412 are double-sided adhesives. Here, there is no specific limitation on the material type of the first adhesive layer 411 and the second adhesive layer 412.
[0073] Understandably, in order to detect information such as the position, movement, and pressure of the user's fingers, the sensor submodule 5 includes two sensor units 51, with one sensor unit 51 corresponding to one bracket 31. The sensor unit 51 includes a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) 511 and two sensors 512, with the two sensors 512 corresponding to the two extension arms 312. Both the flexible printed circuit board 511 and the sensors 512 are electrically connected to the circuit board 14. The two ends of the flexible printed circuit board 511 are respectively connected to the two extension arms 312 and electrically connected to the two sensors 512. The middle part of the flexible printed circuit board 511 is electrically connected to the connecting part 311.
[0074] The conductive connection between the middle part of the flexible circuit board 511 and the connecting part 311 is used to ground the flexible circuit board 511. The grounded flexible circuit board 511 can act as a shielding layer to block electromagnetic interference signals and prevent them from entering the area where the sensor 512 is located. In addition, the grounded flexible circuit board 511 can provide a safe discharge path for static electricity, preventing the sudden release of static electricity after it has accumulated to a certain level, thereby protecting the sensor 512 from damage. Moreover, the grounding of the flexible circuit board 511 provides a stable reference potential, enabling the signal from the sensor 512 to be accurately transmitted to the processing unit.
[0075] Please refer to Figure 8, which is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the sensor submodule and the bracket in the touchpad assembly provided in this embodiment. Specifically, the four detection resistors of the four sensors 512 form a full-bridge circuit. The sensors 512 are electrically connected to the flexible circuit board 511 through the solder layer 513. The flexible circuit board 511 and the extension arm 312 are bonded together through the first adhesive layer 6. When the end of the extension arm 312 is pressed, a significant strain will occur near the root of the extension arm 312. This strain is then transmitted to the detection resistors on the sensors 512 through the first adhesive layer 6, the flexible circuit board 511, and the solder layer 513 to detect information such as the position, movement, and pressure of the user's finger.
[0076] Understandably, if the strength of the first adhesive layer 6 after curing is low, the detection results of the sensor submodule 5 will be less accurate. Therefore, the first adhesive layer 6 needs to have high strength after curing. In some specific embodiments, the first adhesive layer 6 includes thermosetting adhesive, epoxy adhesive, epoxies, and ultraviolet (UV) curing adhesive. Thermosetting adhesive is an adhesive that cures during heating to form a permanent bond, possessing advantages such as high temperature resistance, high strength, and chemical stability; epoxy adhesive has high strength, chemical resistance, heat resistance, and good electrical insulation properties; epoxies are fast-curing, strong adhesives with characteristics such as rapid curing, high strength, and transparency; UV curing adhesives are adhesives that cure rapidly under ultraviolet light, possessing characteristics such as rapid curing, high strength, transparency, and good chemical resistance. Thus, by limiting the type of the first adhesive layer 6, the first adhesive layer 6 achieves high strength after curing, enabling the sensor submodule 5 to acquire high-quality pressure signals.
[0077] Please refer to Figure 9, which is a schematic diagram of the flexible circuit board in the touchpad assembly provided in this application embodiment. When the user touches the touchpad 13, the two sensors 512 disposed on the same bracket 31 will exert force on each other, thereby pulling on the flexible circuit board 511. If the flexible circuit board 511 extends in a straight line, it is easy to cause the flexible circuit board 511 to break. Therefore, in some embodiments, the flexible circuit board 511 includes a main body 5111 and a bent part 5112 connected together. The main body 5111 and the extension arm 312 are bonded together by a first adhesive layer 6. The bent part 5112 protrudes from the main body 5111. The main body 5111 is electrically connected to the circuit board 14. The two ends of the main body 5111 are respectively connected to the two extension arms 312 and electrically connected to the two sensors 512. The middle part of the main body 5111 is bonded to the connecting part 311 by conductive adhesive. Thus, compared to the main body 5111 extending in a straight direction, by providing the protruding bending portion 5112, the extension length of the flexible circuit board 511 itself can be extended. When the user touches the touchpad 13, the interaction of the two sensors 512 can be avoided to a certain extent, preventing the main body 5111 from breaking. This extends the service life of the sensor submodule 5 and, consequently, the service life of the touchpad assembly 10 provided in this embodiment.
[0078] In order to ground the sensor submodule 5, in some embodiments, a copper leakage area 5113 is formed in the middle of the main body 5111, and the copper leakage area 5113 is bonded to the connecting part 311 by conductive adhesive.
[0079] It should be noted that, in order to connect the two ends of the main body 5111 to the corresponding extension arm 312, the two ends of the main body 5111 have a connecting section 5114 that is consistent with the extension direction of the extension arm 312. The connecting section 5114 is bonded to the corresponding extension arm 312 through the first adhesive layer 6.
[0080] In some specific embodiments, the bending portion 5112 includes a first bending segment 5115, a second bending segment 5116, and a third bending segment 5117 connected in sequence; wherein the first bending segment 5115 and the third bending segment 5117 are both connected to the main body portion 5111, and both the first bending segment 5115 and the third bending segment 5117 have an included angle with the main body portion 5111. Thus, by defining the shape of the bending portion 5112, the bending portion 5112, after being connected to the main body portion 5111, forms a serpentine shape, thereby increasing the extension length of the flexible circuit board 511 and improving the tensile strength of the flexible circuit board 511.
[0081] Furthermore, in order to increase the extension length of the flexible circuit board 511 and improve its tensile strength, in this embodiment, a plurality of bending portions 5112 are connected to the main body 5111. This results in a larger extension length of the flexible circuit board 511, thereby improving its tensile strength and further extending the service life of the sensor submodule 5.
[0082] Specifically, the main body 5111 includes a first main body segment 5118 and a second main body segment 5119. The first main body segment 5118 extends along the extension direction of the second edge 122. The second main body segment 5119 is connected to the middle of the first main body segment 5118 and extends along the extension direction of the first edge 121. Two spaced-apart bent portions 5112 are connected to the first main body segment 5118. The second main body segment 5119 is connected between the two bent portions 5112 and has one bent portion 5112 connected to it. The end of the second main body segment 5119 is used for electrical connection with other components, such as the controller in the touch module 1. Specific details are not provided here.
[0083] It should be noted that, due to the material of the flexible circuit board 511 itself, the flexible circuit board 511 can be bent. Therefore, the connecting section 5114 and the bending part 5112 mentioned above are both formed by bending.
[0084] To enhance the structural strength of the touch module 1, the touchpad assembly 10 provided in this embodiment further includes a reinforcing structure 7. The reinforcing structure 7 is connected to the mounting surface 12, and a first clearance notch 71 for the actuator 2 is formed on the reinforcing structure 7. Thus, by providing the reinforcing structure 7, the structural strength of the touch module 1 can be enhanced, thereby preventing excessive deformation of the touchpad 13 due to excessive pressure applied by the user.
[0085] In some specific embodiments, the reinforcing structure 7 includes two spaced reinforcing plates 72. The reinforcing plates 72 extend along the extension direction of the first edge 121, and the two reinforcing plates 72 are spaced along the extension direction of the second edge 122. A first clearance notch 71 is formed on either reinforcing plate 72. In order to bond the bracket 31 and the mounting surface 12 together by the elastic member 41, in a specific embodiment of this embodiment, the two ends of the reinforcing plate 72 along its own extension direction are respectively formed with second clearance notches 721 to avoid the corresponding extension arms 312. In this way, the extension arms 312 of the bracket 31 can be avoided, so that the structure of the touch module 1 provided in this embodiment is more compact.
[0086] It should be noted that the second clearance gap 721 is open at one end along the extension direction of the first edge 121.
[0087] The shapes and sizes of the two reinforcing plates 72 can be the same or different. Specifically, in some embodiments, to improve the strength of the reinforcing structure 7, the shapes of the two reinforcing plates 72 can be different; that is, one reinforcing plate 72 has a first clearance notch 71 formed on it, while the other reinforcing plate 72 does not. In other embodiments, to improve the manufacturing efficiency of the reinforcing structure 7 and to reduce its manufacturing cost, the two reinforcing plates 72 have the same shape and equal size. In this way, the two reinforcing plates 72 can be processed simultaneously, which can improve the manufacturing efficiency of the reinforcing structure 7 and reduce its manufacturing cost.
[0088] In some specific embodiments, the reinforcing plate 72 is made of SUS304, which is a stainless steel material with good corrosion resistance, mechanical properties, and weldability. No specific limitations are placed on the material of the reinforcing plate 72.
[0089] Please refer to Figure 10, which is a cross-sectional view of the touchpad assembly, circuit board, and reinforcing plate connected together in the embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, the connection between the reinforcing plate 72 and the mounting surface 12, as well as the connection between the circuit board 14 and the touchpad 13, can be achieved by adhesive bonding. Specifically, the reinforcing plate 72 is bonded to the mounting surface 12 through a second adhesive layer 8, and the circuit board 14 and the touchpad 13 are bonded together through a third adhesive layer 9.
[0090] In related technologies, double-sided adhesive is often chosen for the second adhesive layer 8 and the third adhesive layer 9. However, because the double-sided adhesive is relatively soft, the overall rigidity of the touch panel 13, circuit board 14 and reinforcing plate 72 after being bonded together is small, and the entire touch module 1 is subject to large deformation under pressure. Generally, in order to avoid large deformation of the touch module 1 under pressure to a certain extent, it is often necessary to design a large-area and complex reinforcing structure 7, or to use multiple support methods to reduce the bending deformation of the touch module 1 under the pressure of the user's finger. However, this is limited by the stacking space of the structure, making it difficult to achieve a thin and light design of electronic devices.
[0091] Based on this, after extensive simulation and testing, it was found that the choice of the type of the second adhesive layer 8 and the third adhesive layer 9 has a significant impact on the overall stiffness of the touch module 1. Increasing the strength of the second adhesive layer 8 and the third adhesive layer 9 after curing can effectively reduce the pressing deformation of the touch module 1 and reduce the anisotropic vibration of the touch panel 13, thereby further improving the uniformity of the touch panel 13 during vibration. Considering the material properties and mass production feasibility of the bonding object, in this embodiment, the second adhesive layer 8 and the third adhesive layer 9 are selected as UV-activated adhesive film, hot melt adhesive film, or AB glue. Among them, the UV-activated adhesive film can be selected as 3M 81000 with a thickness of 50μm, the hot melt adhesive film can be selected as Tesa58480, and the AB glue can be selected as epoxy resin glue.
[0092] The following tables 1 to 3 compare these three types of adhesives with traditional double-sided adhesives. Table 1 shows the deformation of the touch module corresponding to different adhesive layers, Table 2 shows the deformation of the touch module corresponding to different adhesive layers, and Table 3 shows the deformation of the touch module corresponding to different adhesive layers.
[0093] Specifically, a pressing force of 10N is applied at each of the five positions. Please refer to Figure 11, which is a schematic diagram of the distribution of the five positions on the touch surface. The touch surface 11 has a first position 111, a second position 112, a third position 113, a fourth position 114, and a fifth position 115. The first position 111 is the center of the touch surface 11, the second position 112 is the midpoint of one long side of the touch surface 11, the third position 113 is the intersection of the long and short sides of the touch surface 11, the fourth position 114 is the midpoint of the short side of the touch surface 11, and the fifth position 115 is the midpoint of the other long side of the touch surface 11.
[0094] Table 1 Comparison of Touch Module Deformation Table 1
[0095] Table 2 Comparison of Touch Module Deformation Table 2
[0096] Table 3 Comparison of Touch Module Deformation Table 3
[0097] As shown in the table above, when the second adhesive layer 8 and the third adhesive layer 9 are selected as UV-activated adhesive film, hot melt adhesive film, or epoxy resin adhesive, the deformation of the touch panel 13 is relatively small when the user presses the touch surface 11. Therefore, in the specific implementation of this embodiment, both the second adhesive layer 8 and the third adhesive layer 9 can be UV-activated adhesive film, hot melt adhesive film, or epoxy resin adhesive. It should be noted that in some other implementations, other types of AB adhesive can also be selected. Here, the specific type of AB adhesive is not limited.
[0098] It should be noted that at position 113, when both the second adhesive layer 8 and the third adhesive layer 9 are double-sided adhesive, the deformation is already small. Therefore, even if the second adhesive layer 8 and the third adhesive layer 9 are replaced with hot melt adhesive film or epoxy resin, although the deformation is reduced, the difference compared to before is not significant. In other words, for some positions where the deformation is already small, even if the second adhesive layer 8 and the third adhesive layer 9 are replaced, the change in deformation will not be very obvious.
[0099] UV-activated adhesive film is a type of adhesive that can only be cured by ultraviolet light irradiation. Before UV activation, it has the initial tackiness of pressure-sensitive tape, and after UV irradiation, it will reach its final adhesive strength.
[0100] Furthermore, hot melt adhesive film is a thin film material made of thermoplastic polymers, which typically becomes viscous after heating and solidifies upon cooling; its main components include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, etc., which can flow and form strong adhesion with other materials when heated.
[0101] AB glue is a two-component adhesive, made by mixing glue A and glue B in a specific ratio. Glue A is the adhesive itself, and glue B is the hardener; both components must be mixed to cure. AB glue has high strength and can achieve excellent bonding results. The strength of AB glue mainly depends on its components and mixing ratio. Epoxy resin glue, as a type of AB glue, exhibits very high mechanical strength after curing.
[0102] This embodiment also provides an electronic device, including a main housing, a battery module, and a touchpad assembly 10 as described in the above embodiments. Both the touchpad assembly 10 and the battery module are mounted on the main housing. The touchpad assembly 10 has been described in detail in the above embodiments and will not be repeated here.
[0103] It should be noted that the electronic device provided in this embodiment may be a laptop computer, and the laptop computer should also include other modules or components that enable the laptop computer to work normally. Here, no specific limitation is made.
[0104] The electronic device provided in this embodiment, by applying the touch panel assembly 10 in the above-described embodiments, can, on the one hand, meet the requirements for a thin and light design of the electronic device, and on the other hand, reduce the manufacturing cost of the electronic device.
Claims
1. A touchpad assembly applied in an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a battery module, wherein, The touchpad assembly includes: A touch module includes a touchpad, a circuit board, and a sensor submodule. The sensor submodule is electrically connected to the circuit board. The touchpad and the sensor submodule are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the circuit board. The end face of the touchpad facing away from the circuit board forms a touch surface, and the end face of the circuit board facing the sensor submodule forms a mounting surface. The mounting surface has a center point and has two opposing first edges and two opposing second edges, with the length of the first edges being greater than the length of the second edges. A battery module is located on the side of the circuit board facing the sensor submodule and is electrically connected to the circuit board. An actuator is connected to the mounting surface and electrically connected to the circuit board; Support structure for connection to the main housing of the electronic device; and Four elastic elements are connected between the mounting surface and the support structure; Wherein, the orthographic projection area of the battery module on the mounting surface is a first region, the center of the surface is located within the first region, the orthographic projection area of the actuator on the mounting surface is a second region, the second region and the first region do not overlap, and the second region is located outside the first region; The four elastic elements are arranged symmetrically about the center of the surface. The orthographic projection area of the elastic element on the mounting surface is a third region. The distance between the center of the third region and the adjacent first edge is greater than or equal to 8 mm and less than or equal to 20 mm. The distance between the center of the third region and the adjacent second edge is greater than or equal to 12 mm and less than or equal to 25 mm.
2. The touchpad assembly of claim 1, wherein, The mounting surface has a first central axis and a second central axis. The line connecting the midpoints of the two first edges forms the first central axis, and the line connecting the midpoints of the two second edges forms the second central axis. The angle between the line connecting the center of the second region and the center of the surface and the first central axis is greater than or equal to 0 degrees and less than or equal to 50 degrees; or, The angle between the line connecting the center of the second region and the center of the surface and the second central axis is greater than or equal to 0 degrees and less than or equal to 50 degrees.
3. The touchpad assembly of claim 1, wherein, The elastic element is an elastic pad.
4. The touchpad assembly of claim 1, wherein, The support structure includes two brackets, which are spaced apart along a first direction, which is parallel to the extension direction of the first edge. The actuator is located between the two brackets, and the sensor submodule is located between the mounting surface and the two brackets. Each of the aforementioned supports includes a connecting portion and two extension arms disposed on the connecting portion. The connector is used to connect with the main housing, the two extension arms are arranged at intervals, and one of the extension arms is provided with an elastic element.
5. The touchpad assembly of claim 4, wherein, The sensor submodule includes two sensor units, with one sensor unit corresponding to one bracket. The sensor unit includes a flexible circuit board and two sensors, with the two sensors corresponding one-to-one with the two extension arms; Both the flexible circuit board and the sensor are electrically connected to the circuit board. The two ends of the flexible circuit board are respectively connected to the two extension arms and electrically connected to the two sensors. The middle part of the flexible circuit board is electrically connected to the connecting part.
6. The touchpad assembly of claim 5, wherein, The flexible circuit board includes a main body and a bent portion connected together, the bent portion protruding relative to the main body; The main body is electrically connected to the circuit board, and the two ends of the main body are respectively connected to the two extension arms and electrically connected to the two sensors. The middle part of the main body is bonded to the connecting part with conductive adhesive.
7. The touchpad assembly of claim 6, wherein, The bending section includes a first bending segment, a second bending segment, and a third bending segment connected in sequence; Both the first bending segment and the third bending segment are connected to the main body, and both the first bending segment and the third bending segment have an angle with the main body.
8. The touchpad assembly of claim 7, wherein, The main body is connected to a plurality of the bending portions.
9. The touchpad assembly of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein, It also includes a reinforcing structure connected to the mounting surface, and the reinforcing structure has a first clearance notch formed on it to avoid the actuator.
10. The touchpad assembly of claim 9, wherein, The reinforcing structure includes two spaced-apart reinforcing plates, with the first clearance notch formed on either of the reinforcing plates.
11. The touchpad assembly of claim 10, wherein, The reinforcing plate is connected to the mounting surface via a second adhesive layer; The second adhesive layer is any one of UV-activated adhesive film, hot melt adhesive film, and AB glue.
12. The touchpad assembly of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The touch panel and the circuit board are connected by a third adhesive layer; The third adhesive layer is any one of UV-activated adhesive film, hot melt adhesive film, and AB adhesive.
13. An electronic device, comprising: It includes a main housing, a battery module, and a touchpad assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the touchpad assembly and the battery module are both mounted on the main housing.