Apparatus to secure a sensor assembly for a device touch button

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017359063-A1
Application number	US-201715620810-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 12, 2017
Priority date	Jun 11, 2016
Publication date	Dec 14, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus to secure a sensor assembly for a device touch button (such as for a mobile communications device). A touch sensor slot forms a part of the device case interior at a back-side of the touch button surface, and is configured to position the touch sensor (such as a sense coil inductor) relative to the associated touch button. A touch sensor spring clip is inserted within the touch sensor slot to flexibly urge the touch sensor toward the front-side surface of the touch sensor slot (back-side of the touch button surface). The touch sensor can include front-side spacers to maintain a sensing gap between the touch sensor and the touch button surface, and can include a sensor stiffener at the back-side surface of the touch sensor assembly, the touch sensor spring clip contacting the sensor stiffener. The touch sensor assembly can comprise a flex circuit PCB assembly.

First claim

1 . An apparatus for use in a device with one or more touch buttons each defined on a touch button surface of the device, the apparatus comprising:
a touch sensor assembly including a touch sensor portion; a touch sensor slot forming a part of the case interior at a back-side of the touch button surface, which forms a front-side surface of the touch sensor slot; the touch sensor slot configured to position the touch sensor portion of the touch sensor assembly relative to the associated touch button; and a touch sensor spring clip inserted within the touch sensor slot to flexibly urge the touch sensor portion toward the front-side surface of the touch sensor slot.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the touch sensor assembly includes front-side spacers disposed at a front-side surface of the touch sensor portion; and the touch sensor spring clip securing the touch sensor portion of the touch sensor assembly within the touch sensor slot by exerting a force to urge the touch sensor portion against the touch button surface at the front-side surface of the touch sensor slot, with the front-side spacers maintaining a sensing gap between the touch sensor portion and the touch button surface.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein
the touch sensor assembly includes a sensor stiffener attached to the back-side surface of the touch sensor portion of the touch sensor assembly; the touch sensor spring clip contacting the sensor stiffener.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the touch sensor portion of the touch sensor assembly is a sensor inductor coil for inductive sensing.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the touch sensor assembly comprises a flex circuit printed circuit board (PCB) assembly including:
a flex coil inductor PCB forming the touch sensor portion of the touch sensor assembly; a flex sensor electronics PCB; and a flex ribbon cable connecting the flex coil inductor PCB to the flex sensor electronics PCB.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the device is a mobile communication device.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one touch button is incorporated into a side-wall edge portion of the device.

Assignees

• Texas Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Oberhauser Christopher
• Liu Dongtai

Classifications

• H03K2217/960755

  Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches · CPC title

• H03K2217/96038

  Inductive touch switches · CPC title

• H03K17/972

  having a plurality of control members, e.g. keyboard · CPC title

• H04M1/236 Primary

  including keys on side or rear faces · CPC title

• H03K17/9622

  using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard · CPC title