Touchpad Assembly Strain Gauge Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current touchpad assemblies are complex, costly, and thick due to the use of multiple elements and additional elastic components like metal frames for force sensing and haptic feedback.
Innovation Solution
A touchpad assembly design featuring a cover plate, touch printed circuit board, force-supporting component, vibration isolators, and strain gauges, where the touch printed circuit board itself acts as a strain gauge arm, eliminating the need for a separate elastic component, with vibration isolators lifting the board to accommodate deformation and generate force-sensing signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional elastic components (such as metal frames) are used for force sensing and haptic feedback, then force sensing capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the force sensing function with the touch printed circuit board by integrating strain gauges directly onto the board. This merging eliminates the need for separate elastic components like metal frames, thereby maintaining force sensing capability while reducing device complexity and the number of elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The touch printed circuit board is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both the structural support and the force sensing element through integrated strain gauges. This multi-functionality allows the board to replace traditional separate components, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining sensing reliability.
2Reliability
If additional elastic components (such as metal frames) are used for force sensing and haptic feedback, then force sensing capability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the force sensing function into the touch printed circuit board through integrated strain gauges, the patent eliminates the need for separate elastic components. This integration reduces the number of parts that need to be manufactured and assembled, thereby lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining force sensing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The touch printed circuit board serves itself by incorporating strain gauges directly onto its structure. This self-service approach eliminates the need for additional dedicated force sensing components, reducing both material costs and assembly complexity, thereby improving ease of manufacture.
3Reliability
If additional elastic components (such as metal frames) are used for force sensing and haptic feedback, then force sensing capability is improved, but overall thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the force sensing function directly into the touch printed circuit board using integrated strain gauges. This eliminates the need for additional thick elastic components like metal frames, thereby maintaining force sensing capability while reducing the overall thickness of the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the separate elastic component (metal frame) from the traditional structure. By taking out this additional layer and integrating its function directly into the printed circuit board, the overall thickness is reduced while force sensing capability is preserved through the strain gauge integration.
4Reliability
If additional elastic components (such as metal frames) are used for force sensing and haptic feedback, then haptic feedback capability is improved, but assembly process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines haptic feedback generation and force sensing into a single integrated structure where the touch printed circuit board with strain gauges serves both functions. This merging eliminates the need to assemble separate elastic components, thereby simplifying the assembly process while maintaining haptic feedback capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The touch printed circuit board is designed as a universal component that provides both structural support and haptic feedback through integrated strain gauges. This multi-functionality reduces the number of assembly steps by eliminating the need to install separate elastic components, thereby simplifying the assembly process while maintaining full 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
This design reduces the number of elements, simplifies assembly, lowers costs, and decreases thickness while maintaining effective force sensing and haptic feedback capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
the strain gauges are disposed on the touch printed circuit board. Each of the strain gauges extends from the second region to the first region
Implementation Method 2
The vibration isolators are disposed on the second surface and located in the second region. Young's modulus of the vibration isolators is in a range of 150 kPa to 800 kPa
Data Source
AI summary
A touchpad assembly comprises a cover plate, a touch printed circuit board, a force-supporting component, a plurality of vibration isolators, and a plurality of strain gauges. The touch printed circuit board comprises a first region, a second region that surrounds the first region, a first surface, and a second surface, wherein the first surface and the second surface face toward and away from the cover plate respectively. The force-supporting component is disposed between the cover plate and the first surface. The vibration isolators are disposed on the second surface and located in the second region. The Young's modulus of the vibration isolators is in a range of 150 kPa to 800 kPa. The strain gauges are disposed on the touch printed circuit board. Each of the strain gauges extends from the second region to the first region.