Button assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11004630-B2
Application number	US-201916675215-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2019
Priority date	Jan 30, 2019
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

A button assembly is disposed in a rocker. The button assembly including a base, a pressure sensor and a keycap. The base has two lower pivoting portions with each of the two lower pivoting portions protruding outwardly from respective sides of the base. The pressure sensor is mounted on the base. The keycap overlies the pressure sensor. The keycap has two upper pivoting portions with each of the two upper pivoting portions protruding outwardly from respective sides of the keycap. The two lower pivoting portions are pivoted with the two upper pivoting portions to allow the two upper pivoting portions to be rotatable relative to the two lower pivoting portions. As described above, a push-button structure is thus formed by the two lower pivoting portions and the two upper pivoting portions configured among the base, the pressure sensor and the keycap to achieve the modularization of the button assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A button assembly, disposed in a joystick, the button assembly including:
a base, a middle of the base having an accommodating groove, the base having two lower pivoting portions with each of the two lower pivoting portions protruding outwardly from respective sides of the base;
a pressure sensor, mounted in the accommodating groove of the base; and
a keycap, overlying the pressure sensor, a bottom surface of the keycap having a contact portion, the contact portion being engaged with a top surface of the pressure sensor, the keycap having two upper pivoting portions with each of the two upper pivoting portions protruding outwardly from respective sides of the keycap, the two lower pivoting portions being pivoted with the two upper pivoting portions to enable the two upper pivoting portions to be rotatable relative to the two lower pivoting portions;
wherein each of the two lower pivoting portions includes a lower extension part, a flange and two locking blocks, a side of the base extends outwardly to form the lower extension part, an end of the lower extension part protrudes upwardly to form the flange, free ends of the flange further respectively protrude upwardly to form two locking blocks, each of the two locking blocks has a notch, the flange and the two locking blocks are partially recessed to form a pivoting groove, the notch connects with the pivoting groove.

2. The button assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the two upper pivoting portions includes an upper extension part and a rotation shaft, a side of the keycap extends outwardly to form the upper extension part, the upper extension part is located above the lower extension part, a free end of each of the upper extension part is mounted with the rotation shaft, the rotation shaft is inserted in each of the two locking blocks through the notch to be rotatable relative to each of the two locking blocks.

3. The button assembly of claim 2 , wherein the rotation shaft protrudes outwardly to form a fixed block, an end of the rotation shaft extends outwardly to form a limit block, when the rotation shaft is arranged in the pivoting groove, the fixed block is abutted against an inner side of one of the two locking blocks, and the limit block is abutted against an outer side of the same one of the two locking blocks so as to limit a lateral movement of the rotation shaft in the pivoting groove, by which the rotation shaft is held and rotatable within the pivoting groove.

4. The button assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor includes a sensor element made of soft material, the contact portion of the keycap is engaged with a top surface of the sensor element.

5. The button assembly of claim 1 , wherein an outer edge of the base has a plurality of stop blocks, the plurality of the stop blocks extend upwardly to form the accommodating groove therebetween on the middle of the base.

Assignees

• Cheng Uei Prec Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tseng Chi-Ming
• Lee Tsung-Shih

Classifications

• G05G5/05

  Means for returning or tending to return controlling members to an inoperative or neutral position, e.g. by providing return springs or resilient end-stops (G05G5/28 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05G5/04

  Stops for limiting movement of members, e.g. adjustable stop (G05G5/03, G05G5/05, G05G5/28 take precedence) · CPC title

• H03K17/965 Primary

  Switches controlled by moving an element forming part of the switch · CPC title

• H01H23/08

  Bases; Stationary contacts mounted thereon · CPC title

• G05G1/02

  Controlling members for hand actuation by linear movement, e.g. push buttons · CPC title