Stepless rotating knob module and electronic device having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9354655-B2
Application number	US-201313869615-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2013
Priority date	Dec 14, 2012
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

A stepless rotating knob module includes a supporting frame, a rotating disk, a suspending assembly, an encoding switch and a transferring element. The support frame has a front wall, a top wall and a bottom wall. The front wall is formed with a through hole. The rotating disk is disposed between the top wall and the bottom wall and is partially exposed outside the through hole. The suspending assembly passes through the rotating disk and is fixed to the bottom wall, so that the rotating disk is rotatably mounted on the suspending screw. The encoding switch is fixed to the bottom wall of the supporting frame and has a rotating rod. The transferring element is fixedly disposed on the bottom of the rotating disk fixed to the bottom of the transferring element. The present disclosure also provides an electronic device having stepless rotating knob module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stepless rotating knob module, comprising:
a supporting frame, having a front wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall, wherein the top wall and the bottom wall are respectively extending from a top edge and a bottom edge of the front wall, the front wall is formed with a front opening;
a rotating disk, disposed between the top wall and the bottom wall of the supporting frame, and partially exposed outside the front opening;
a suspending assembly, passing through the rotating disk from a bottom surface of the rotating disk, wherein the suspending assembly has a top end fixed to the top wall and a bottom end arranged above the bottom wall of the supporting frame, wherein the rotating disk is rotatably disposed on the bottom end of the suspending assembly, thereby the rotating disk is suspended from the top wall of the supporting frame;
an encoding switch, fixedly connected to the bottom wall of the supporting frame, wherein the encoding switch has a rotary encoder for outputting an adjustment signal and a rotating rod extended toward the top wall; wherein the rotating rod is rotatable and substantially perpendicularly connected the rotary encoder;
a transferring element, fixedly disposed on the center of the bottom surface of the rotating disk, made of vibration-absorbable material, wherein a top end of the rotating rod of the encoding switch is fixedly wedged in the transferring element; and
a lower rotating supporter passing through and fixed to the bottom wall of the supporting frame, wherein the lower rotating supporter fixes the encoding switch to the bottom wall;
wherein the lower rotating supporter includes a base board fixed to the bottom wall of the supporting frame, and an annular portion upwardly protruding from the base board; wherein the bottom wall of the supporting frame is formed with a bottom hole, the annular portion is passing through the bottom hole, wherein the lower rotating supporter has a plurality of bumps formed on a top surface thereof and contacting with the bottom surface of the rotating disk;
wherein the base board is formed with a rod hole, the encoding switch has a screwing cylinder-portion disposed at a periphery of the rotating rod, the screwing cylinder-portion passes through the rod hole and fixed to the base board, wherein the bumps are formed on the top edge of the annular portion.

2. The stepless rotating knob module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rotating disk has a disk body, a sleeve portion upwardly protruding from the center of the disk body, and a blocking groove, wherein an axial hole is formed through the sleeve portion, the blocking groove is communicated with the axial hole and the bottom of the rotating disk, and wherein the blocking groove has a diameter larger than that of the axial hole.

3. The stepless rotating knob module as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the suspending assembly has a suspending screw and a screw nut disposed on the top wall, wherein the suspending screw has a head portion, a shaft portion and a screwing portion, wherein the head portion has a diameter larger than that of the shaft portion, and wherein the shaft portion is passing through the axial hole, the head portion is disposed in the blocking groove.

4. The stepless rotating knob module as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the shaft portion is exposed outside a top surface of the rotating disk and contacting with a bottom surface of the top wall of the supporting frame, the shaft portion has a diameter larger than that of the screwing portion, the screwing portion is protruding outside the rotating disk and passes through the top wall to screw to the screw nut of the suspending assembly.

5. The stepless rotating knob module as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising a holding piece, wherein the rotating disk further includes a bottom depression formed concavely from the bottom surface of the rotating disk and communicated with the blocking groove, wherein the holding piece is fixed in the bottom depression, and retaining the transferring element to the bottom surface of the rotating disk.

6. The stepless rotating knob module as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a linking assembly connected outer ends of the top wall and the bottom wall, wherein the linking assembly and the front wall are oppositely disposed at two sides of the rotating disk.

7. The stepless rotating knob module as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an upper rotating supporter disposed between the top surface of the rotating disk and the top wall.

8. The stepless rotating knob module as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the upper rotating supporter is made of wear-proof material, and has a plurality of bumps formed on the top surface of the upper rotating supporter and contacting with the bottom surface of the top wall.

9. The stepless rotating knob module as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the upper rotating supporter is a ball bearing.

10. The stepless rotating knob module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transferring element has a bottom portion, and a matching portion extended from the bottom portion upward, the matching portion is formed with a matching hole, the matching hole has a contour matching with the rotating rod of the encoding switch.

11. An electronic device having stepless rotating knob module, comprising:
an operating panel, formed with a panel opening; and
a stepless rotating knob module, including:
a supporting frame, fixed on an inner side of the operating panel, wherein the supporting frame has a front wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall, the top wall and the bottom wall extending from a top edge and a bottom edge of the front wall, the front wall being formed with a front opening;
a rotating disk, disposed between the top wall and the bottom wall of the supporting frame, partially passing through the front opening of the supporting frame and the panel opening of the operating panel, and partially exposed outside the operating panel;
a suspending assembly, passing through the rotating disk from a bottom surface of the rotating disk, wherein the suspending assembly has a top end fixed to the top wall and a bottom end arranged above the bottom wall of the supporting frame, wherein the rotating disk is rotatably mounted on the suspending assembly;
an encoding switch, fixedly connected to the bottom wall of the supporting frame, wherein the encoding switch has a rotary encoder for outputting an adjustment signal and a rotating rod extended toward the top wall; wherein the rotating rod is rotatable and substantially perpendicularly connected the rotary encoder;
a transferring element, fixedly disposed on the center of the bottom surface of the rotating disk, made of vibration-absorbable material, a top end of the rotating rod of the encoding switch being fixedly wedged in the transferring element; and
a lower rotating supporter passing through and fixed to the bottom wall of the supporting frame, wherein the lower rotating supporter fixes the encoding switch to the bottom wall;

wherein the lower rotating supporter includes a base board fixed to the bottom wall of the supporting frame, and an annular portion upwardly protruding from the base board; wherein the bottom wall of the supporting frame is formed with a bottom hole, the annular portion is passing through the bottom hole, wherein the lower rotating supporter has a plurality of bumps formed on a top surface thereof and contacting with the bottom surface of the rotating disk;
wherein the base board is formed with a rod hole, the encoding switch has a screwing cylinder-portion disposed at a periphery of the rotating rod, the screwing cylinder-portion passes through the rod hole and fixed to the base board, w

Assignees

• Lite On Electronics Guangzhou
• Lite On Technology Corp

Inventors

• Hung Yi-Chun

Classifications

• B60K37/06

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• H01H19/001

  Thumb wheel switches · CPC title

• G05G1/12 Primary

  Means for securing the members on rotatable spindles or the like · CPC title

• Y10T74/2084

  Knob or dial · CPC title

• B60K35/10

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title