Control device and computer mouse

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12547254-B2
Application number	US-202117923670-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2021
Priority date	May 6, 2020
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

The invention relates to a control device with a stator unit fastened via a stator connection to a support body, and a rotor unit rotatable about the stator unit. The rotatability of the rotor unit about the stator unit can be influenced in a targeted manner by means of a braking device. For its rotatability about the stator unit, the rotor unit is mounted on the support body by means of at least one bearing unit of a bearing device, so that a force acting on the rotor unit from radially outside can be diverted via the bearing unit into the support body, bypassing the stator unit and the stator connection.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A control device comprising:
a stator unit fastened to a support body at a stator connection; a rotor unit rotatable about said stator unit, a rotatability of said rotor unit about said stator unit being configured to be influenced by a braking device; a bearing unit of a bearing device mounting said rotor unit on said support body for the rotatability about said stator unit, wherein a force acting on said rotor unit from radially outside can be diverted via said bearing unit into said support body, bypassing said stator unit and said stator connection.

2 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said rotor unit is mounted on said support body radially outwardly via said bearing unit.

3 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said bearing unit is arranged on a radial outer side of said rotor unit.

4 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said rotor unit is at least partially arranged between said bearing unit and said stator unit.

5 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said bearing unit surrounds said rotor unit only partially radially.

6 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said bearing unit radially surrounds said rotor unit in a form fitting manner, and said bearing unit is configured to prevent said rotor unit from leaving said bearing unit in a radial direction.

7 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said rotor unit is mounted on said support body only with a radial portion of its circumference.

8 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said rotor unit is not mounted on said stator unit and preferably only on said support body.

9 . The control device according to claim 8 , wherein said rotor unit is axially displaceably mounted on said support body.

10 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said bearing unit provides a fixed bearing for blocking an axial movability of said rotor unit, and/or wherein said bearing unit has a travel limiter configured for limiting an axial movability of said rotor unit in at least one direction.

11 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said stator unit and said rotor unit delimit a chamber that is sealed outwardly, and wherein a braking medium of said braking device is arranged in said chamber.

12 . The control device according to claim 11 , wherein
said stator unit extends out of said chamber, said stator unit is moveable partially out of or into said chamber, a volume of said chamber available for said braking medium is variable by moving said stator unit out or in, in order to provide compensation for temperature related and/or leakage related and/or assembly related changes in said volume of said braking medium.

13 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said stator unit and said rotor unit are axially displaceable relative to each other.

14 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said stator unit is arranged axially displaceably on said support body.

15 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said stator unit, is arranged on said support body via a shaft holder.

16 . The control device according to claim 15 , wherein
said stator unit is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner on said shaft holder, said shaft holder is arranged axially displaceably on said support body, and said shaft holder surrounds said rotor unit radially at least in portions.

17 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said rotor unit is mounted axially displaceably on said support body.

18 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said stator unit is only fastened to said support body on one side.

19 . The control device according to claim 1 , further comprising an alignment device configured for aligning an axial center axis of said stator unit relative to an axial center axis or axis of rotation of said rotor unit.

20 . The control device according to claim 19 , wherein a stator shaft of said stator unit can be aligned on said shaft holder by said alignment device.

21 . The control device according to claim 20 , wherein said stator shaft comprises a conical alignment portion arranged in and/or on a corresponding conical alignment part of said shaft holder.

22 . The control device according to claim 20 , wherein said shaft holder is configured to be aligned on said support body by said alignment device and/or said rotor unit is configured to be aligned on said shaft holder by said alignment device.

23 . The control device according to claim 22 , wherein
said shaft holder is configured to be at least partially axis symmetrical; and an axial center axis of a portion of said shaft holder, radially surrounding said rotor unit, and an axial center axis of a portion of said shaft holder to which said stator unit is fastened, are arranged in parallel.

24 . The control device according to claim 23 , wherein said rotor unit is rotatably mounted on said portion of said shaft holder that radially surrounds said rotor unit.

25 . The control device according to claim 23 , wherein a portion of said shaft holder radially surrounding said rotor unit, has an outer side at least partially in said support body and in a rotationally fixed manner.

26 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein a deceleration torque occurring during a deceleration of a rotary motion of said rotor unit can be diverted into said support body via said stator unit.

27 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein a pressure load exerted on said rotor unit during a control operation can be diverted into said support body at least via said bearing unit, bypassing said stator unit.

28 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said bearing device comprises a further bearing unit, and said rotor unit is mounted on said support body via said further bearing unit.

29 . The control device according to claim 28 , wherein said bearing unit and said further bearing unit of said bearing device are arranged axially spaced from each other, and said rotor unit is mounted radially outwardly on said support body for said rotatability of said rotor unit about said stator unit via said bearing unit and said further bearing unit.

30 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said bearing device is configured for one sided clamping of said rotor unit to said support body.

31 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said braking device is magnetorheological and comprises at least one magnetorheological medium which is configured to be influenced by a controllable magnetic field generating device, and said rotatability of said rotor unit about said stator unit is configured to be decelerated by said medium.

32 . The control device according to claim 31 , wherein
said magnetorheological medium comprises particles that can be influenced in a targeted manner by a magnetic field, said particles are contained in a carrier medium, and said carrier medium is provided by ambient air and/or a fluid that differs from ambient air.

33 . The control device according to claim 32 , wherein said particles are selected from the group consisting of ferromagnetic particles, ferrimagnetic, and superparama

Assignees

• Inventus Eng Gmbh

Inventors

• Battlogg Stefan

Classifications

• G05G1/08

  Controlling members for hand actuation by rotary movement, e.g. hand wheels · CPC title

• G06F3/0362

  with detection of one-dimensional [1D] translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts · CPC title

• G05G5/03

  Means for enhancing the operator's awareness of arrival of the controlling member at a command or datum position; Providing feel, e.g. means for creating a counterforce (arrangements for indicating the position of the controlling member G05G1/015) · CPC title

• G06F3/03543 Primary

  Mice or pucks (G06F3/03541 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/016 Primary

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