Touchpad Elastic Arm Structure for Rigidity and Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional touchpad devices face issues with insufficient rigidity, particularly at corners, and noise generation due to manufacturing tolerances and material limitations, which affect their stability and user experience.
Innovation Solution
The touchpad device incorporates a design featuring a bottom board, supporting boards with elastic extending structures and a hinge structure, along with a buffering cover and linkage, to control the gap between components, alleviate stress on the metal dome, and reduce noise, enhancing rigidity and pressing feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the circuit board and stacked layers are thinned to achieve lighter and thinner design, then the portability and sleekness are improved, but the rigidity of the touchpad device becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material structures by combining the circuit board with supporting layers (such as insulating layers and protective layers) to create a stacked composite structure. This composite construction provides enhanced rigidity compared to a single thin circuit board, solving the strength deficiency while maintaining the thin profile.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional thin circuit board to a three-dimensional stacked structure by adding multiple layers in the vertical dimension. The supporting boards and insulating layers are arranged in layers above and below the circuit board, creating a multi-layer composite that provides structural rigidity without increasing the horizontal footprint.
2Ease of manufacture
If larger tolerances are used in manufacturing processes and materials to simplify production, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the product stability deteriorates and noise is easily generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates damping layers and shock-absorbing structures within the stacked configuration. These layers are positioned between the circuit board and external environment to cushion against vibrations and impacts before they can cause noise or stability issues, thereby maintaining product stability even with standard manufacturing tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses flexible insulating layers and protective films within the stacked structure. These thin film layers can deform elastically to accommodate manufacturing tolerances and assembly variations without compromising the overall stability, while also serving as vibration dampers to reduce noise generation.
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
This design improves the touchpad's rigidity, reduces noise, and enhances the pressing feeling by controlling component deformation and stress distribution, while minimizing impact sounds through the use of elastic structures and a buffering cover.
Implementation Method 1
at least one of the first extending structure and the second extending structure is an elastic arm structure
Implementation Method 2
a hinge structure connected between the bottom board and the at least one supporting board
Data Source
AI summary
A touchpad device includes a bottom board, at least one supporting board, a circuit board, a first extending structure, and a second extending structure. The bottom board is configured to be fixed to a housing. The supporting board is coupled to the bottom board and configured to swing relative to the bottom board. The circuit board is attached to a side of the supporting board away from the bottom board. The first extending structure is disposed on the bottom board and extends toward the supporting board. The second extending structure is disposed on the supporting board and extends toward the bottom board. The first extending structure partially extends to a side of the second extending structure adjacent to the supporting board, or the second extending structure partially extends to a side of the first extending structure adjacent to the bottom board.