Haptic actuator including damper body and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10217332-B2
Application number	US-201715645444-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2017
Priority date	Jul 10, 2017
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

A haptic actuator may include a housing, at least one coil carried by the housing, and a field member having opposing first and second sides. The haptic actuator may also include a respective flexure bearing mounting each of the first and second sides of the field member to be reciprocally movable within the housing responsive to the at least one coil. At least one of the flexure bearings may include an arm and a damper body attached thereto.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A haptic actuator comprising:
a housing;
at least one coil carried by the housing;
a field member having opposing first and second sides; and
a respective flexure bearing mounting each of the first and second sides of the field member to be reciprocally movable within the housing responsive to the at least one coil;
at least one of the flexure bearings comprising an arm and a damper body attached thereto.

2. The haptic actuator of claim 1 further comprising an adhesive layer between the arm and the damper body.

3. The haptic actuator of claim 2 wherein the adhesive layer comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive layer.

4. The haptic actuator of claim 1 wherein the arm has a strip shape with opposing major surfaces; and wherein the damper body has a rectangular shape carried by one of the opposing major surfaces of the arm.

5. The haptic actuator of claim 1 wherein the at least one flexure bearing comprises a further arm joined together with the arm at proximal ends thereof and each having spaced apart distal ends operatively coupled between adjacent portions of the field member and the housing.

6. The haptic actuator of claim 5 wherein the damper body is carried by the spaced apart distal end of the arm.

7. The haptic actuator of claim 5 wherein the arm and further arm define a wishbone shape.

8. The haptic actuator of claim 5 wherein the at least one flexure bearing has a bend therein joining together the arm and the further arm at the proximal ends.

9. The haptic actuator of claim 1 wherein the damper body comprises stainless steel.

10. An electronic device comprising:
a device housing;
wireless communications circuitry carried by the device housing;
a haptic actuator comprising
an actuator housing,
at least one coil carried by the actuator housing,
a field member having opposing first and second sides, and
a respective flexure bearing mounting each of the first and second sides of the field member to be reciprocally movable within the actuator housing responsive to the at least one coil,
at least one of the flexure bearings comprising an arm and a damper body attached thereto; and

a controller coupled to the wireless communications circuitry and the haptic actuator and configured to perform at least one wireless communications function and selectively operate the haptic actuator.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 wherein the haptic actuator further comprises an adhesive layer between the arm and the damper body.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 wherein the adhesive layer comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive layer.

13. The electronic device of claim 10 wherein the arm has a strip shape with opposing major surfaces; and wherein the damper body has a rectangular shape carried by one of the opposing major surfaces of the arm.

14. The electronic device of claim 10 wherein the at least one flexure bearing comprises a further arm joined together with the arm at proximal ends thereof and each having spaced apart distal ends operatively coupled between adjacent portions of the field member and the housing.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 wherein the damper body is carried by the spaced apart distal end of the arm.

16. The electronic device of claim 10 wherein the damper body comprises stainless steel.

17. A method of making a haptic actuator comprising:
mounting a field member having opposing first and second sides within a housing using a respective flexure bearing so that each of first and second sides of the field member is reciprocally movable within the housing responsive to at least one coil; and
attaching a damper body to at least one arm of at least one flexure bearing.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising positioning an adhesive layer between the arm and the damper body.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the adhesive layer comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive layer.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the arm has a strip shape with opposing major surfaces; and wherein the damper body has a rectangular shape carried by one of the opposing major surfaces of the arm.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the at least one flexure bearing comprises a further arm joined together with the arm at proximal ends thereof and each having spaced apart distal ends operatively coupled between adjacent portions of the field member and the housing.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the damper body comprises stainless steel.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Xu Yanchu
• Gong Zhong-Qing
• Guo Anping
• Lee Alex M
• Yang Junyi

Classifications

• G06F3/016 Primary

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• H05K5/0217

  Mechanical details of casings (covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03) · CPC title

• G08B6/00 Primary

  Tactile signalling systems, e.g. tactile personal calling systems · CPC title

• B06B1/045

  using vibrating magnet, armature or coil system · CPC title