Touch Sensor and Haptic Bracket Assembly for Tolerance Isolation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing input devices with touch sensors and haptic devices face performance variations due to manufacturing variations and tolerance issues, leading to degraded touch sensor performance when integrating haptic devices.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a haptic sensor assembly that includes a sensor subassembly with a flexible substrate for force sensing and a haptic subassembly with haptic devices, supported by a bracket assembly, which minimizes interference with the touch sensor while providing effective haptic feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If haptic devices are integrated with touch sensors in input devices, then haptic feedback functionality is improved, but manufacturing variations and tolerance issues cause performance degradation of the touch sensor
Solution Approach 1:
The input device is divided into separate subassemblies: a sensor subassembly containing the touch sensor and a haptic subassembly containing the haptic device. These subassemblies are coupled together, allowing independent manufacturing and assembly. This segmentation isolates manufacturing variations in one subassembly from the other, preventing tolerance issues from degrading touch sensor performance while still enabling integrated functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If haptic devices are integrated with touch sensors, then haptic feedback is provided, but manufacturing variations and tolerance issues lead to degraded performance
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the touch sensor and haptic device into distinct subassemblies that are coupled together, the system maintains reliability. Each subassembly can be manufactured and tested independently, and the coupling mechanism is designed to accommodate manufacturing variations, ensuring consistent touch sensor performance while providing haptic feedback functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling between subassemblies acts as an intermediary that bridges the touch sensor subassembly and the haptic device subassembly. This intermediary connection is designed to tolerate manufacturing variations and maintain reliable signal transmission and mechanical coupling, preventing degradation of touch sensor performance while enabling haptic feedback.
3Adaptability or versatility
If touch sensor and haptic device are integrated, then functional versatility is improved, but manufacturing variations cause performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The functional versatility is achieved through segmentation into separate sensor and haptic subassemblies. Each subassembly can be optimized for its specific function with independent manufacturing processes. The coupling mechanism is designed to accommodate manufacturing tolerances, allowing both functions to operate at high performance levels simultaneously without cross-contamination of errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system accommodates manufacturing variations by designing the coupling mechanism with tolerance compensation capabilities. The physical and electrical parameters of the coupling are engineered to maintain optimal performance across a range of manufacturing variations, ensuring that sensor performance remains high while providing versatile functionality.
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 solution maintains accurate force sensing and haptic feedback by mitigating performance degradation caused by manufacturing variations and tolerance issues, ensuring reliable operation of both touch and haptic functions.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible substrate configured to deform in response to the pressure from the input object
Implementation Method 2
one or more haptic devices configured to provide haptic feedback in response to detecting the input object
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A system and method for an input device with a haptic sensor assembly are provided. The haptic sensor assembly includes a sensor subassembly with one or more touch sensor devices configured to provide force sensing responsive to pressure from an input object. The sensor subassembly also includes a flexible substrate configured to deform in response to the pressure from the input object. The haptic sensor assembly further includes a haptic subassembly with one or more haptic devices configured to provide haptic feedback in response to detecting the input object. The haptic subassembly also includes a bracket assembly comprising a first bracket portion and a second bracket portion. The one or more haptic devices are supported by the second bracket portion of the bracket assembly. The first bracket portion of the bracket assembly is disposed below the one or more touch sensor devices and configured to be coupled to a reference voltage.