Pivotal Mouse Button With Biasing Member For Stable Trigger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mouse devices with cantilever button designs suffer from unstable force and feel due to manufacturing and assembly tolerances, leading to issues like idle stroke and overpressure, and require excessive force for button activation, limiting light press functionality.
Innovation Solution
A mouse device design featuring a housing, switch, button, and biasing member where the button is pivotally connected and maintained in contact with the switch by gravity, with a biasing member applying force to ensure consistent contact, even under tilting or shaking, eliminating the need to overcome elastic forces and allowing for light press activation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cantilever button design is used, then the button can restore to its original position by elasticity, but manufacturing and assembly tolerances cause idle stroke and overpressure issues, making the trigger force unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The button is divided into two functional parts: a pivotal portion that pivots on the housing and a trigger portion that contacts the switch. This segmentation separates the mechanical support function from the switching function, eliminating the need for elastic restoration while maintaining reliable trigger force through gravitational contact.
Solution Approach 2:
A biasing member (spring) is introduced to counteract the gravitational force on the button, ensuring the trigger portion maintains consistent contact pressure on the switch. This counterbalancing mechanism compensates for variations in button weight and positioning, stabilizing the trigger force despite manufacturing tolerances.
2Ease of operation
If a cantilever button design is used, then the button structure is simple, but the user must apply force greater than the switch trigger force plus the elastic deformation force, limiting light press functionality
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using elastic force to restore the button (conventional approach), the invention uses gravitational force to maintain button contact with the switch. The biasing member applies a downward force to ensure the trigger portion remains in contact, inverting the traditional elastic restoration mechanism and enabling lighter press activation.
3Reliability
If the button is pivotally connected and maintained by gravity, then idle stroke and overpressure issues are eliminated, but additional components (biasing member, abutting structure) are required
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing member serves multiple functions: it applies downward force to maintain button contact, compensates for gravitational variations, and ensures consistent trigger force despite manufacturing tolerances. The abutting structure integrates the button extension and spring mounting features, reducing the need for separate components while maintaining reliability.
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 design addresses idle stroke and overpressure issues while enabling light press functionality and maintaining switch contact during device movement, ensuring reliable operation without shaking or tilting.
Implementation Method 1
the button of the present disclosure can maintain the contact state with the switch by virtue of its own gravity
Implementation Method 2
the biasing member is located between the pivotal portion and the trigger portion and downwardly exerts a force to the button
Data Source
AI summary
A mouse device includes a housing, a switch, a button, and a biasing member. The housing has an accommodating space therein. The switch is disposed in the accommodating space. The button covers the housing and includes a pivotal portion and a trigger portion. The pivotal portion is pivotally connected to the housing. The trigger portion extends into the accommodating space. The biasing member is located between the pivotal portion and the trigger portion and downwardly exerts a force to the button in an upward-downward axial direction of the mouse device.