Touch pad structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022342442-A1
Application number	US-202117531804-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 22, 2021
Priority date	Apr 21, 2021
Publication date	Oct 27, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A touch pad structure, including a casing having an opening, a touch pad disposed in the opening, an actuating component swingingly disposed in the casing, a switch, and a supporting plate detachably disposed in the casing, is provided. The touch pad has a fulcrum end connected to the casing and a free end opposite thereto. The actuating component is disposed corresponding to the free end and has a fulcrum portion, a first contacting portion, and a second contacting portion. The first contacting portion is located between the fulcrum portion contacting the touch pad and the second contacting portion. The switch is disposed at the free end and located between the touch pad and the first contacting portion. The supporting plate is disposed corresponding to the free end. The actuating component is located between the supporting plate and the switch. The first or second contacting portion abuts against the supporting plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A touch pad structure, comprising:
a casing, having an opening; a touch pad, disposed in the opening, wherein the touch pad has a fulcrum end and a free end opposite to the fulcrum end, and the fulcrum end is connected to the casing; an actuating component, swingingly disposed in the casing, wherein the actuating component is disposed corresponding to the free end of the touch pad and has a fulcrum portion, a first contacting portion, and a second contacting portion, wherein the first contacting portion is located between the fulcrum portion and the second contacting portion, and the fulcrum portion is connected to the touch pad; a switch, disposed at the free end of the touch pad and located between the touch pad and the first contacting portion of the actuating component; and a supporting plate, detachably disposed in the casing, wherein the supporting plate is disposed corresponding to the free end of the touch pad, the actuating component is located between the switch and the supporting plate, under a first mode, the second contacting portion of the actuating component abuts against the supporting plate, and under a second mode, the first contacting portion of the actuating component abuts against the supporting plate.

2 . The touch pad structure according to claim 1 , wherein the casing further has a first positioning portion located at a first side of the opening, a second positioning portion adjacent to a second side of the opening, and a third positioning portion adjacent to the second side of the opening, the second positioning portion is located between the first positioning portion and the third positioning portion, the fulcrum end of the touch pad is installed at the first positioning portion, the free end of the touch pad is adjacent to the second positioning portion and the third positioning portion, under the first mode, the supporting plate is installed at the third positioning portion, and under the second mode, the supporting plate is installed at the second positioning portion.

3 . The touch pad structure according to claim 2 , wherein each of the second positioning portion and the third positioning portion comprises two positioning pillars respectively located at a third side and a fourth side of the opening, the supporting plate extends from the third side to the fourth side of the opening, under the first mode, the supporting plate is locked to the two positioning pillars of the third positioning portion, and under the second mode, the supporting plate is locked to the two positioning pillars of the second positioning portion.

4 . The touch pad structure according to claim 1 , wherein the supporting plate overlaps with the opening of the casing.

5 . The touch pad structure according to claim 1 , wherein the touch pad further has a pressing portion located at the free end, and the pressing portion is pressed against the fulcrum portion.

6 . The touch pad structure according to claim 5 , wherein the fulcrum portion comprises a first extension section, a second extension section, and a turning section located between the first extension section and the second extension section, the second extension section is connected to the first contacting portion, one side of the turning section contacts the touch plate, and the pressing portion is pressed against other side of the turning section.

7 . The touch pad structure according to claim 5 , wherein the touch pad comprises a supporting frame, a circuit plate disposed on the supporting frame, and a cap plate disposed on the circuit plate, the cap plate is exposed outside the casing from the opening, and the switch is disposed on the circuit plate, wherein the pressing portion is formed on the supporting frame, and the fulcrum portion of the actuating component is clamped between the pressing portion and the circuit plate.

8 . The touch pad structure according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating component part further has a first protrusion protruding from one side of the first contacting portion and a second protrusion protruding from other side of the first contacting portion, the first protrusion contacts the switch, under the first mode, the second protrusion is separated from the supporting plate, and under the second mode, the second protrusion contacts the supporting plate.

9 . The touch pad structure according to claim 1 , wherein the supporting plate has a supporting protrusion facing the actuating component, under the first mode, the second contacting portion of the actuating component contacts the supporting protrusion, and under the second mode, the first contacting portion of the actuating component contacts the supporting protrusion.

10 . The touch pad structure according to claim 1 , wherein the supporting plate overlaps with the actuating component.

Assignees

• Acer Inc

Inventors

• Pai Ting-Wen
• Kuo Yan-Lin
• Liu Chih-Chun
• Su Hung-Jen
• Wu dong-sheng

Classifications

• G06F1/169 Primary

  the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes (G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033) · CPC title

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• G06F3/03547

  Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface · CPC title