Ingress-tolerant input devices comprising sliders

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11817285-B2
Application number	US-202117465721-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2021
Priority date	Sep 2, 2021
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

This disclosure relates to ingress-tolerant input devices comprising sliders. Aspects of the disclosure relate to an ingress-tolerant switch assembly for operating an electronic device in an ingress-protected manner. The switch assembly is at least partially disposed on an outer surface of an enclosure of the electronic device and generally includes a spring, a magnet coupled to the spring, and a slider coupled to the magnet. A spring force of the spring is overcome by a user moving the slider relative to the enclosure such that the slider moves the magnet into proximity of the magnetic sensor to cause the magnetic sensor to generate a sensor signal for performing a function of the electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ingress-tolerant switch assembly for operating an electronic device in an ingress-protected manner, the switch assembly comprising:
a slider configured to move relative to a housing of the electronic device, wherein the housing defines an ingress-protected enclosure;
a magnet coupled to the slider such that the movement of the slider relative to the housing causes corresponding movement of the magnet relative to the housing; and
a spring having a first end coupled to the housing and an opposite second end coupled to the magnet, wherein the spring is configured to transition between an unstressed configuration and a stressed configuration in response to the movement of the slider relative to the housing, and wherein the slider, the magnet, and the spring are configured to be supported by the electronic device outside of the ingress-protected enclosure,
wherein the magnet is configured to move into proximity of a magnetic sensor disposed within the ingress-protected enclosure when the slider moves relative to the housing and the spring transitions between the unstressed configuration and the stressed configuration.

2. The switch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic sensor is a Hall Effect sensor or a magnetic reed switch.

3. The switch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the magnet includes a north pole and a south pole, and the magnetic sensor is configured to generate the sensor signal in response to the north pole or the south pole of the magnet being aligned with at least a portion of the magnetic sensor.

4. The switch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is a medicine delivery device.

5. The switch assembly of claim 1 , wherein movement of the slider in a first direction causes the spring to apply a force on the magnet in a second direction opposite the first direction.

6. The switch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spring is formed of a corrosion resistant material.

7. The switch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the slider is formed of an elastic material selected from the group consisting of silicone, rubber, and plastic.

8. The switch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spring is configured such that a restoring force of the spring transitions the spring from the stressed configuration to the unstressed configuration to move the magnet out of proximity of the magnetic sensor.

9. The switch assembly of claim 1 , further comprising the magnetic sensor, wherein the magnetic sensor is a MEMS magnetic field sensor.

10. The switch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the magnet is configured to move within a recessed portion defined by an outer surface of the housing.

11. The switch assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a switch interface configured to cover the recessed portion,
wherein the magnet and the spring are configured to be disposed in the recessed portion,
wherein the switch interface defines a longitudinal slot, and
wherein the slider is configured to move within the longitudinal slot when the slider moves relative to the housing.

12. An ingress-protected electronic device, comprising:
an ingress-protected housing defining an ingress-protected enclosure;
a magnetic sensor disposed within the ingress-protected enclosure; and
an ingress-tolerant switch assembly at least partially disposed outside of the ingress-protected enclosure and coupled to the housing, the switch assembly including:
a slider configured to move relative to the housing;
a magnet coupled to slider such that the movement of the slider relative to the housing causes corresponding movement of the magnet relative to the housing and into proximity of the magnetic sensor; and
a spring having a first end coupled to the housing and an opposite second end coupled to the magnet, wherein the spring is configured to transition between an unstressed configuration and a stressed configuration in response to movement of the slider and the magnet relative to the housing, and wherein the slider, the magnet, and the spring are configured to be supported by the electronic device outside of the ingress-protected enclosure,
wherein the spring is configured to transition between the unstressed configuration and the stressed configuration when the magnet moves into proximity of the magnetic sensor, and
wherein the magnetic sensor is configured to communicate a sensor signal to processing circuitry disposed within the ingress-protected enclosure when the magnet moves into proximity of the magnetic sensor to cause performance of a function of the ingress-protected electronic device.

13. The ingress-protected electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the magnetic sensor is a Hall Effect sensor or a magnetic reed switch.

14. The ingress-protected electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the magnet includes a north pole and a south pole, and wherein the magnetic sensor is configured to generate the sensor signal in response to the north pole or the south pole of the magnet being aligned with at least a portion of the magnetic sensor.

15. The ingress-protected electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the ingress-protected electronic device is a medicine delivery device.

16. The ingress-protected electronic device of claim 12 , wherein movement of the slider in a first direction causes the spring to apply a force on the magnet in a second direction opposite the first direction.

17. The ingress-protected electronic device of claim 12 ,
wherein the slider is configured to move relative to the housing from a first position to a second position to move the magnet into proximity of the magnetic sensor, and
wherein the spring is configured such that a restoring force of the spring transitions the spring from the stressed configuration to the unstressed configuration to move the slider toward the first position and the magnet out of proximity of the magnetic sensor.

18. The ingress-protected electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the magnet is configured to move within a recessed portion defined by the housing.

19. The ingress-protected electronic device of claim 18 , further comprising a switch interface configured to cover the recessed portion,
wherein the magnet and the spring are configured to be disposed in the recessed portion,
wherein the switch interface defines a longitudinal slot, and
wherein the slider is configured to move within the longitudinal slot when the slider moves relative to the housing.

20. An ingress-protected electronic device, comprising:
an ingress-protected housing defining an ingress-protected enclosure;
a Hall Effect sensor disposed within the ingress-protected enclosure; and
an ingress-tolerant switch assembly at least partially disposed outside of the ingress-protected enclosure and coupled to the housing, the switch assembly including:
a slider configured to move relative to the housing between a first position and a second position;
a magnet coupled to the slider such that the movement of the slider to the second position causes corresponding movement of the magnet relative to the housing and into proximity of the Hall Effect sensor; and
a spring having a first end coupled to the housing and an opposite second end coupled to the magnet, wherein the spring configured to transition between an unstressed configuration and a stressed configuration in response to movement of the slider, wherein:
movement of the slider toward the second position overcomes a spring force of the spring to transition the spring from the unstressed configuration to the stressed configuration to move the magne

Assignees

• Medtronic Minimed Inc

Inventors

• Thompson Chase A
• Trock Adam S

Classifications

• H01H9/04 Primary

  Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof casings · CPC title

• G01D5/145

  influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields (see G01R33/06) · CPC title

• H01H15/10

  Operating parts · CPC title

• H01H15/16

  Driving mechanisms · CPC title

• H01H2235/01

  Spiral spring · CPC title