Modular Capacitive Touch Interface With Illuminated Button Layout
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing capacitive touch sensor human-machine interfaces face challenges in ease of assembly, flexibility, customizability, manufacturing time, and cost, as well as user interaction experience.
Innovation Solution
A modular touch control human-machine interface design featuring a housing with a conductive cover plate, a circuit assembly, and spacer elements forming a capacitor device, allowing for customizable assembly and integration of a light illumination module for improved user feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a traditional capacitive touch sensor HMI is used, then the basic touch control function is achieved, but the ease of assembly and flexibility of assembly are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The HMI device is divided into separate modular components: a housing, a cover plate with conductive portions, a circuit assembly with conductive portions, and spacer elements. These modules can be assembled independently and then combined, significantly improving ease of assembly and flexibility compared to traditional integrated designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is designed with a planar array of apertures that can selectively receive different second conductive portions and spacer elements. This universal interface allows the same housing structure to support multiple button patterns and configurations, enhancing assembly flexibility and customizability without requiring different housing designs for each configuration.
2Productivity
If a traditional capacitive touch sensor HMI is used, then the basic touch control function is achieved, but the manufacturing time and cost are high
Solution Approach 1:
The first conductive portions are pre-formed on the cover plate and the second conductive portions are pre-formed on the circuit board before assembly. The housing with pre-configured apertures allows for rapid assembly by simply placing the modules into their designated positions, eliminating time-consuming alignment and attachment operations.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the HMI into independently manufacturable modules (housing, cover plate, circuit assembly, spacer elements), each module can be manufactured separately using optimized processes and then quickly assembled, reducing overall manufacturing time and enabling parallel production to improve productivity.
3Ease of operation
If a traditional capacitive touch sensor HMI is used, then the basic control function is achieved, but the user interaction experience is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The housing provides localized support and positioning for each button through individual apertures and spacer elements, ensuring consistent tactile feedback and precise positioning for each touch sensor. This localized structural quality enhances the user interaction experience by providing uniform and reliable button responses across the interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer elements act as intermediaries between the cover plate and circuit assembly, providing mechanical support, electrical isolation, and precise positioning. This intermediary structure enables reliable capacitive coupling while maintaining proper spacing, improving the reliability and consistency of touch detection for better user interaction.
4Adaptability or versatility
If customizable button patterns are implemented, then the adaptability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed with a universal planar array of apertures that can accommodate different configurations of second conductive portions and spacer elements. This universal interface enables customizable button patterns while maintaining a consistent base structure, achieving high adaptability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular design allows the button configuration to be dynamically adjusted by selecting different combinations of second conductive portions and spacer elements that fit into the housing apertures. This dynamic reconfigurability enables customization while keeping the base housing structure simple and standardized.
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 modular design enhances assembly efficiency, reduces manufacturing costs, and improves user interaction through customizable button patterns and visible light emissions, providing a more flexible and user-friendly interface.
Implementation Method 1
the first conductive portion, the second conductive portion and the spacer element are configured to form a capacitor device... said first electrically-conductive portion being configured for deformation by the user's finger so as to cause a change in capacitance across the capacitor device
Implementation Method 2
the circuit assembly is configured for controlling the light illumination module to propagate a light emission from the circuit assembly through the housing and cover plate so as to be visible externally of the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A touch control human-machine interface for use in controlling operation of a machine, said interface including: an interface housing; a cover plate disposed on an outer-surface of the housing, said cover plate having a first electrically-conductive portion configured for touch interaction by a user's finger; a circuit assembly disposed within the housing, said circuit assembly including a circuit board having a second electrically-conductive portion and a light illumination module operably-connected thereto; a spacer element disposed between and separating the first conductive portion from the second conductive portion such that the first conductive portion, the second conductive portion and the spacer element are configured to form a capacitor device that is operably-connected with the circuit assembly; said first electrically-conductive portion being configured for deformation by the user's finger so as to cause a change in capacitance across the capacitor device, and whereby responsive to said change in capacitance, the circuit assembly is configured for generating a control signal for controlling operation of the machine, and, for controlling the light illumination module to propagate a light emission from the circuit assembly through the housing and cover plate so as to be visible externally of the housing.