Adjustable Touchpad Mechanism for Consistent Pressing Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
Touchpads in notebook computers often have inconsistent touch feelings due to design and assembly tolerances, leading to strong, weak, or stuck sensations, making it difficult for users to control the touch experience.
Innovation Solution
A touchpad apparatus with a movable member and a touchpad substrate, where the distance between them is adjustable by rotating steps, allowing users to customize the touch feeling by altering the pressing stroke and force, thereby addressing the inconsistencies in touchpad design and assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the touchpad is assembled with standard tolerances, then the device complexity is reduced, but the touch feeling becomes inconsistent (strong, weak, or stuck)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the distance between the movable member and touchpad substrate adjustable through a dynamic mechanism involving a movable member with steps that can be rotated to different positions. This allows the touchpad assembly to adapt its configuration based on assembly tolerances, ensuring consistent touch feeling without requiring complex precision control systems
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable mechanism allows the touchpad assembly to self-adjust for tolerance variations during assembly. The movable member can be positioned at different steps to compensate for dimensional variations, enabling the system to correct its own inconsistencies without external intervention or complex control systems
2Ease of operation
If the distance between movable member and touchpad substrate is fixed, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to inability to regulate touch feeling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dynamic adjustment capability where the movable member can be repositioned along the pressing direction by rotating to different steps. This allows users to regulate touch feeling according to personal preferences while maintaining a relatively simple mechanical structure without complex control systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables change in the physical parameter of distance between the movable member and touchpad substrate. By adjusting this distance parameter through the movable member's stepped positions, the touchpad's pressing stroke and force characteristics are modified, providing operational flexibility without complex mechanisms
3Manufacturing precision
If precision assembly is used to eliminate tolerances, then the touch feeling consistency is improved, but the manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying on high-precision static assembly, the patent employs a dynamic adjustment mechanism with stepped positions on the movable member. This allows the assembly to accommodate tolerance variations through simple positional adjustments rather than requiring precision control throughout the manufacturing process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent compensates for manufacturing tolerances by enabling adjustment of the distance parameter between components. The movable member can be positioned at different steps to offset dimensional variations, achieving consistent touch feeling without requiring high-precision manufacturing across all components
Data Source
AI summary
A touchpad apparatus includes a housing, a movable member, and a touchpad substrate. The housing includes a first stepped portion provided with a plurality of steps. The steps gradually ascend along a rotation direction around an axis. The movable member is disposed on the housing and is configured to rotate relative to the housing around the axis. The movable member includes a first support portion selectively pressing against one of the plurality of steps. The touchpad substrate is configured to press against one end of the movable member away from the housing. By adjusting a distance between the movable member and the touchpad substrate, a pressing stroke of the touchpad is adjusted, so that a touch force is changed.