Full-Area Touch Device with Resilient Sheet Limiting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional half-area touch devices for notebook computers are inconvenient to use, have a complex and thick structure, high production costs, and assembly defects, failing to meet the requirements of modern light and thin designs.
Innovation Solution
A full-area touch device with a supporting unit, touch control unit, and limiting units, featuring a base plate with resilient sheets that allow movement and click functionality, simplifying the structure and reducing component count, enabling a thin and light design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a half-area touch pad structure is used, then the upper half region is fixed and cannot be pressed, but the user experience is inconvenient and the structure becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the pressing function into the entire touch pad surface by integrating a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) with conductive patterns across the full area. The FPC serves both as a structural support and as a touch-sensitive element, eliminating the need for separate fixed and pressable regions. This combining of functions allows the entire surface to be pressed while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible printed circuit board performs multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for the touch pad, acts as the touch-sensitive element across the entire surface, and serves as a limiting structure to control the movement distance of the touch control unit. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed.
2Volume of moving object
If a half-area touch pad is implemented, then the touch pad becomes thicker with numerous components, but this does not meet the requirements of light and thin notebook computers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into the flexible printed circuit board, which serves as both the structural support and the touch-sensitive element. By integrating the limiting structure directly into the FPC design rather than using separate components, the overall thickness is reduced while maintaining the necessary functional separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a flexible printed circuit board made from thin film materials that can bend and deform elastically. This flexible film structure replaces traditional rigid multi-layer constructions, enabling a thinner profile while maintaining the required mechanical properties for touch detection and structural support.
3Ease of manufacture
If a half-area touch pad assembly process is used, then the defective rate and production cost are high, but the full-area touch device simplifies the assembly process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the limiting structure directly into the flexible printed circuit board design, eliminating the need for separate assembly steps to install limiting components. The FPC is manufactured with built-in limiting features that automatically constrain the touch control unit movement, reducing assembly complexity and potential defects.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible printed circuit board's elastic deformation characteristics provide self-limiting functionality. When the touch control unit is pressed, the FPC naturally deforms and then restores to its original position, with the limiting structure automatically preventing excessive deformation without requiring external control mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The full-area touch device provides improved user experience, reduced production costs, and a simplified assembly process, achieving a balanced and click-enabled interface while maintaining a thin and light profile, suitable for modern notebook computers.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of support resilient sheet sets (12) spaced apart from each other and connected to the base plate (11)
Data Source
AI summary
A full-area touch device including a supporting unit, a touch control unit and a plurality of limiting units. The supporting unit includes a base plate. The touch control unit is movable relative to the supporting unit between an unpressed original position and a pressed position. The limiting units are for limiting height position and travel distance of the touch control unit. Each of the limiting units includes a blocking portion disposed on the base plate, and a limiting portion disposed on a corresponding one of two support resilient sheet sets of the supporting unit. The limiting portions of the limiting units extend in a first axial direction or a second axial direction to be limited by the blocking portions of the limiting units.