Pointing device and method for manufacturing pointing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9760185-B2
Application number	US-201313749250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2013
Priority date	Jan 31, 2012
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A pointing device includes: a film that includes a protruding portion which protrudes upward, and a plane portion which extends from the protruding portion; a first conducting layer that is disposed under the film; a second conducting layer that is disposed on a base material and is opposed to the first conducting layer; and a plurality of spacers that are formed on any one of a lower portion of the first conducting layer and an upper portion of the second conducting layer, and are arranged, between the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer, so as to be spaced mutually; wherein an interval between the spacers in an area of the plane portion is formed so as to become narrower than an interval between the spacers in an area of the protruding portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pointing device comprising:
a flexible film that includes a central convex portion, a curved boundary portion that extends radially outwardly from the convex protruding portion, and a plane portion which extends radially outwardly from the boundary portion,
wherein the central portion and the boundary portion form a protruding portion that protrudes upwardly;
a case that receives an outer periphery of the plane portion with a remainder of the plane portion, as well as the boundary portion and the central portion, being exposed;
a first conducting layer that is disposed under the film;
a second conducting layer that is disposed on a base material and is opposed to and separated from the first conducting layer by a space having a first height,
wherein the first and second conductive layers extend along the central portion, the boundary portion and the plane portion;
an adhesive at the plane portion,
wherein the convex portion, the boundary portion and the remainder of the plane portion are depressible into the space toward the base material; and
a plurality of insulating adjacent dot spacers, all of which are formed on one of a lower portion of the first conducting layer or an upper portion of the second conducting layer at the convex portion, the boundary portion and the plane portion,
wherein each of the dot spacers is separated from adjacent dot spacers by an interval,
wherein each spacer has a second height that is less than the first height,
wherein the interval between the adjacent dot spacers at the plane portion is narrower than an interval between the adjacent dot spacers at the protruding portion, such that the first and second conducting layers contact each other between the dot spacers at the central portion, when the protruding portion is depressed into the space toward the base portion, but do not contact each other between the dot spacers at the plane portion, when the plane portion is depressed into the space toward the base material, and
wherein the dot spacers are opposite to and spaced from the other of the lower portion of the first conducting layer or the upper portion of the second conducting layer by a difference between the first and second heights, and
wherein the first conducting layer at the boundary portion can move relative to the second conducting layer when depressed without contacting each other.

2. The pointing device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the protruding portion has a hemispherical shape.

3. The pointing device according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is positioned at the periphery of the plane portion, outwardly of where the dot spacers are formed.

4. A method for manufacturing a pointing device, comprising:
forming a flexible film including a central convex portion, a curved boundary portion that extends radially outward from the convex protruding portion, and a plane portion which extends radially outward from the boundary portion on by heating the film and sandwiching the heated film between a pair of molds;
forming the central portion and the boundary portion to be a protruding portion that protrudes upwardly;
forming a case;
receiving an outer periphery of the plane portion in the case but leaving exposed from the case the boundary portion and the central portion,
wherein a remainder of the plane portion is exposed;
forming a first conducting layer under the film;
forming a second conducting layer on a base material and separated from the first conducting layer by a space having a first height,
extending the first and second conducting layers along the central portion, the boundary portion and the plane portion,
forming an adhesive at the periphery of the plane portion,
wherein the convex portion, the boundary portion and the remainder of the plane portion are depressible into the space toward the base material;
forming all of a plurality of insulating adjacent dot spacers on one of a lower portion of the first conducting layer or an upper portion of the second conducting layer at the convex portion, boundary portion and the plane portion,
wherein each of the dot spacers is formed to be separate from adjacent dot spacers by a interval,
wherein the spacers are formed with a second height that is less than the first height;
arranging the second conducting layer to be opposed to and spaced from the first conducting layer with the dot spacers therebetween with the dot spacers being spaced from the other of the lower portion of the first conducting layer or the upper portion of the second conducting layer by a difference between the first and second heights; and
forming the interval between the adjacent dot spacers at the plane portion that is narrower than an interval between the adjacent dot spacers at the protruding portion, such that the first and second conducting layers contact each other between the dot spacers at the central portion, when the protruding portion is depressed into the space toward the base material, but do not contact each other between the dot spacers at the plane portion, when the plane portion is depressed into the space toward the base material,
wherein the first conducting layer is formed at the boundary portion to move relative to the second conducting layer when depressed without contacting each other.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising forming the adhesive at the periphery of the plane portion, outwardly of where the dot spacers are formed.

Assignees

• Fujitsu Component Ltd

Inventors

• Nakajima Takashi
• Seki Fujio

Classifications

• G06F3/045

  using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact · CPC title

• B22D17/20 Primary

  Accessories: Details · CPC title

• G06F3/03547

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

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F2203/04809

  Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard · CPC title