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Claims  |
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What is claimed is:
1. An actuator member of the multifunction key type, in particular of the
navigation key type, comprising:
a rigid button, mounted with limited mobility in rotation, and
a separate detector component having a plurality of active sites,
wherein said button has underside formations each intended to come into
contact with a respective one of said active sites as a function of the
location, magnitude and/or direction of pressure exerted by a user on the
button,
wherein the plurality of active sites includes three active sites which are
disposed in a triangle formation, so as to be disposed at the corners of
the triangle formation, and wherein a non-active bearing site is disposed
between a first two of said active sites as viewed along one leg of the
triangle formation, and wherein said button tilts by pivoting on said
non-active site toward one of said first two active sites situated on
respective sides thereof until one of the underside formations comes into
contact with one of said active sites to activate said one of said active
sites by depressing said one of said active sites, and
wherein activation threshold pressure values for the first two active sites
are substantially identical, while an activation threshold pressure value
for the third active site is at least twice that of said first two active
sites.
2. An actuator member according to claim 1, wherein the non-active bearing
site and the third active site define a pivot edge for the button, the
triangle formation is formed as an isosceles triangle, and the non-active
bearing site is centered on the base of said triangle so as to be disposed
between the first two active sites.
3. An actuator member according to claim 1, wherein the non-active bearing
site protrudes relative to the first two active sites, allowing tilting of
the button in the direction of the third active site until one of the
underside formations of the button comes into contact with one of the
first two active sites to activate said one of the first two active sites
by depressing said one of the first two active sits, by pivoting with
corresponding one of said underside formations bearing on a contact area
of said one of the first two active sites.
4. An actuator member according to claim 1, wherein contact areas of the
underside formations and/or contact areas of the active sites and the
non-active bearing site are surface contact areas.
5. A actuator member according to claim 1, wherein contact between the
non-active bearing site and the corresponding underside formation is
substantially a point contact, the contact area of said non-active bearing
site or said underside formation being a surface contact area.
6. An actuator member according to claim 5, wherein the contact between the
third active site and the corresponding underside formation is
substantially a point contact and the contacts between the first two
active sites and the corresponding underside formations are substantially
point contacts.
7. An actuator member of the multifunction key type, in particular of the
navigation key type, comprising:
a rigid button, mounted with limited mobility in rotation, and
a separate detector component having a plurality of active sites,
wherein said button has underside formations each intended to come into
contact with a respective one of said active sites as a function of the
location, magnitude and/or direction of pressure exerted by a user on the
button,
wherein the plurality of active sites includes three active sites which are
disposed in a triangle formation, so as to be disposed at the corners of
the triangle formation, and wherein a non-active bearing site is disposed
between a first two of said active sites as viewed along one leg of the
triangle formation, and wherein said button tilts by pivoting on said
non-active site toward one of said first two active sites situated on
respective sides thereof until one of the underside formations comes into
contact with one of said active sites to activate said one of said active
sites by depressing said one of said active sites, and
wherein contact between the non-active bearing site and the corresponding
underside formation is substantially a point contact, the contact area of
said non-active bearing site or said underside formation being a surface
contact area,
wherein the underside formations are dome-shape protruding formations, the
active sites are protruding formations, and the cumulative heights of the
underside formations and the respective facing active sites are
substantially equal to the cumulative height of the non-active bearing
site and the corresponding underside formation.
8. An actuator member of the multifunction key type, in particular of the
navigation key type, comprising:
a rigid button, mounted with limited mobility in rotation, and
a separate detector component having a plurality of active sites,
wherein said button has underside formations each intended to come into
contact with a respective one of said active sites as a function of the
location, magnitude and/or direction of pressure exerted by a user on the
button,
wherein the plurality of active sites includes three active sites which are
disposed in a triangle formation, so as to be disposed at the corners of
the triangle formation, and wherein a non-active bearing site is disposed
between a first two of said active sites as viewed along one leg of the
triangle formation, and wherein said button tilts by pivoting on said
non-active site toward one of said first two active sites situated on
respective sides thereof until one of the underside formations comes into
contact with one of said active sites to activate said one of said active
sites by depressing said one of said active sites, and
wherein contact between the non-active bearing site and the corresponding
underside formation is substantially a point contact, the contact area of
said non-active bearing site or said underside formation being a surface
contact area,
wherein the first two active sites correspond to opposed commands, and
wherein the third active site corresponds to a confirmation command.
9. An actuator member of the multifunction key type, in particular of the
navigation key type, comprising:
a rigid button, mounted with limited mobility in rotation, and
a separate detector component having a plurality of active sites,
wherein said button has underside formations each intended to come into
contact with a respective one of said active sites as a function of the
location, magnitude and/or direction of pressure exerted by a user on the
button,
wherein the plurality of active sites includes three active sites which are
disposed in a triangle formation, so as to be disposed at the corners of
the triangle formation, and wherein a non-active bearing site is disposed
between a first two of said active sites as viewed along one leg of the
triangle formation, and wherein said button tilts by pivoting on said
non-active site toward one of said first two active sites situated on
respective sides thereof until one of the underside formations comes into
contact with one of said active sites to activate said one of said active
sites by depressing said one of said active sites, and
wherein contact between the non-active bearing site and the corresponding
underside formation is substantially a point contact, the contact area of
said non-active bearing site or said underside formation being a surface
contact area,
wherein the detector component is of one-piece construction and includes an
opening facing the button to house a component for illuminating the button
by transmission, the button being made from a translucent material.
10. An actuator member according to claim 1, wherein the button is mounted
by insertion molding.
11. A device including a keypad including a plurality of keys and at least
one multifunction key, for selecting a plurality of functions displayed on
display means of said device, wherein the multifunction key includes an
actuator member comprising:
a rigid button mounted with limited mobility in rotation; and
a separate detector component having three active sites,
wherein said button has underside formations each capable of contacting
with a respective one of the active sites of said detector component,
wherein said active sites are provided in a triangle formation so as to be
disposed at the corners of the triangle formation, wherein a non-active
bearing site is disposed between the first two of said active sites, when
viewed along a leg of the triangle formation, to allow, with the third
active site, tilting of said button by pivoting on said non-active site
toward one of said first two active sites situated on respective opposite
sides thereof until the corresponding underside formation comes into
contact with one of said two active sites in order to activate said one of
said two active sites, and
wherein activation threshold pressure values for the first two active sites
are substantially identical, while an activation threshold pressure value
for the third active site is at least twice that of said first two active
sites. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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The present invention relates to actuator members for electronic
instruments or devices, especially keys and keypads for data processing or
telecommunications devices, and provides a navigator type actuator member
and a device with a keypad including at least one such member.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Such devices belong in particular to the following group: {fixed or mobile
telephone; smart phone; personal digital assistant; desktop, portable or
pocket computer; remote controller}.
At present most multifunction key or navigation key actuator members take
the form a pre-assembled sub-assembly mounted on an electronic circuit
card 109' underlying the keys 102' of the keypad 109 of the device to
ensure secure interconnection and cooperation of the button 102 and the
detector active component 103 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).
This has two major drawbacks: the visible parts of the members of all
keypads are the same color, which sometimes does not match the other keys
and/or the body of the keypad, and the button 102 is not centered or
aligned optimally and reliably with the corresponding opening in the
housing or envelope of the keypad and does not provide a sealed closure of
the opening.
In an attempt to alleviate these drawbacks, it has been proposed to mount
the button 102 and active component subassembly 103 in the housing of the
keypad 109 and to connect the active component 103 by springs 110 to the
electronic circuit card 109' under the keys 102' (see FIGS. 3 and 4).
In this case, it is possible to select the color of the button so that it
matches that or those of the housing and the other keys, the subassembly
and the other keys being assembled with the housing of the keypad during
the same fabrication step. Also, the only possibility of misalignment is
between the subassembly and the card, and therefore invisible to the user.
However, it is difficult or even impossible to choose a button the same
color as the other keys, since the buttons and the keys are not generally
produced by the same manufacturer.
What is more, this solution leads to a special and irksome operation of
preassembling the subassembly and necessitates special physical
connections between the housing of the keypad and the electronic circuit
card.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to alleviate the aforementioned
drawbacks by proposing an actuator member of the type previously cited
whose button and active component can be manufactured separately,
necessitate no subsequent physical assembly, and are not connected by any
physical connection, all this being achieved with guaranteed high
reliability of operation and total discrimination between the various
commands that can be given by means of said member.
To this end, the present invention provides an actuator member of the
multifunction key type, in particular of the navigation key type,
consisting of a rigid button mounted with limited mobility in translation
and in rotation, and a separate detector component having a plurality of
active sites, for example pressure-sensitive sites, said button having on
its underside formations each intended to come into contact with a
respective one of said active sites of said component as a function of the
location, intensity and/or direction of pressure exerted by a user on the
button, the member including three active sites which are disposed at the
corners of a triangle and wherein a non-active bearing site disposed
between a first two of said active sites, alone or in conjunction with the
third site, authorizes tilting of said button by pivoting on said
non-active site toward one of said first two active sites situated on
respective sides thereof until the corresponding formation comes into
contact with one of said active sites to activate it, for example by
compressing it or depressing it.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be better understood from the following description,
which relates to one preferred embodiment of the invention, is given by
way of non-limiting example, and is explained with reference to the
accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an example of the prior art,
FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate another example of the prior art,
FIGS. 5A and 5B are views in lateral elevation and partly in section in two
perpendicular directions of a portion of a keypad including a preferred
embodiment of an actuator member according to the invention,
FIGS. 6A and 6B are respectively plan and perspective views of a detector
component forming part of the actuator member shown in FIG. 5, and
FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C are lateral elevation views similar to those of FIG. 5
showing, in relation to a different embodiment of the invention, the
reaction of the actuator member according to the invention as a function
of the application of different pressures by a user.
MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 of the accompanying drawings, the actuator member
1 is of the multifunction key type, in particular of the navigation key
type, and consists of a rigid button 2, mounted with limited mobility in
translation and in rotation, and a separate detector component 3
comprising a plurality of pressure-sensitive active sites 4, 4' and 5,
said button 2 having on its underside formations 6, 6' and 6" each
intended to come into contact with one of the active sites 4, 4' and 5 of
said component, as a function of the location, intensity and/or direction
of pressure exerted by the user on the button 2.
In accordance with the invention, the detector component 3 of said member 1
has three active sites 4, 4', 5 disposed at the corners of a triangle, and
between a first two of said sites 4, 4' there is a non-active bearing site
7 enabling, on its own or in conjunction with the third site 5, tilting of
said button 2 by pivoting on said inactive site 7 towards one of said
first two active sites 4, 4', which are situated on respective opposite
sides thereof, until the corresponding formation 6 or 6' comes into
contact with one of said two active sites 4, 4' to activate it, preferably
by compressing it or by depressing it, although other modes of activation
are also possible.
Thanks to these dispositions, it is therefore possible to produce the
member 1 by associating two components that are fabricated independently
and cooperate only because of a given relative disposition during assembly
of the device receiving them, without any physical connection between the
two components.
Further, a non-active or inactive bearing site 7 provides a physical
constraint that prevents simultaneous activation of the first two sites 4
and 4'.
According to one feature of the invention, facilitating manipulation of the
member 1, the non-active site 7 defines with the third active site 5 a
pivot edge or an imaginary rotation axis for the button 2. Thus it is not
necessary to apply a precise pressure to the button 2 to activate the site
4 or 4', all that is important being which side is pressed.
As shown in FIG. 6 of the accompanying drawings, the three sites 4, 4', 5
are preferably disposed at the corners of an isosceles triangle and the
non-active bearing site 7 is centered on the base of said triangle
extending between the first two active sites 4 and 4'.
Furthermore, in an advantageous embodiment of the invention based on
pressure-sensitive active sites 4, 4', and 5, the values of the activation
threshold pressures for the first two active sites 4 and 4' are
substantially identical and the value of the activation threshold pressure
for the third site 5 is advantageously significantly greater than,
preferably at least twice, that of said first two sites 4 and 4'.
This latter disposition establishes a second level of discrimination
between the first two active sites 4 and 4', on the one hand, and the
third active site 5, on the other hand. In conjunction with the physical
discrimination provided by the non-active or inactive bearing site 7
previously mentioned, this makes simultaneous activation by the user of
two of the three active sites previously mentioned impossible, regardless
of the direction, point of application and magnitude of the pressure
applied to the button 2.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B of the
accompanying drawings in particular, the inactive bearing site 7 consists
in a formation protruding relative to the first two active sites 4 and 4',
authorizing tilting of the button 2 in the direction of the third active
site 5 until the corresponding formation 6" on the underside of the button
2 comes into contact with the latter to activate it, preferably by
compressing it or by depressing it, by pivoting with an appropriate
formation 8 on the underside bearing on the contact area of the site 7.
Instead of this, the inactive bearing site 7 could equally consist of a
non-protruding bearing area of the component 3 cooperating with a
formation 8 higher than the other formations 6, 6' and 6" on the underside
of the button 2 and thereby constituting a preferential bearing point of
the button 2 on the component 3, preventing, as in the first embodiment
previously mentioned, simultaneous bearing of the formations 6 and 6' on
the facing first two sites 4 and 4' and securing the latter if a centered
high pressure is applied to activate the third site 5.
As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 of the accompanying drawings, the contact areas of
the formations 6, 6', 6" and/or the contact areas of the active sites 4,
4', 5 and of the inactive site 7 are surface contact areas.
The surface contact areas of the active sites 4, 4' and 5 and/or the facing
formations 6, 6' and 6" ensure reliable operation of the actuator member 1
by their capacity to compensate any lateral longitudinal misalignment
between the button 2 and the component 3 (see FIGS. 5A and 5B, 7A, 7B and
7C).
In FIGS. 5A and 5B, the button 2 and the component 3 are intentionally
offset relative to each other, as in the situation of poor assembly, to
illustrate the compensation capacity previously mentioned.
Although the contact areas between the formations 6, 6', 6" and 8 and the
sites 4, 4', 5 and 7 can take various forms, for example plane forms (FIG.
7), to facilitate manipulation of the button 2 by the user it may be
advantageous for at least the contact between the inactive bearing site 7
and the corresponding facing formation 8 on the underside of the button 2
to constitute a point contact or virtually a point contact, the contact
area of said site 7 or of said formation 8 being a surface contact area.
To make the button 2 even more comfortable to manipulate, in particular to
activate the sites 4 and 4' by pivoting the button on the sites 7 and 5,
the contact between the third active site 5 and the corresponding
formation 6" on the underside of the button 2 also constitutes a point
contact or virtually a point contact, the contacts between the first two
active sites 4 and 4' and the corresponding formations 6 and 6' on the
button 2 possibly also constituting a point contact or virtually a point
contact.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B of the
accompanying drawings, the formations 6, 6', 6" and 8 are hemispherical or
dome-shaped protruding formations and the active sites 4, 4', 5 can also
be protruding formations, the cumulative heights of the formations 6, 6',
6" and the respective facing active sites 4, 4', 5 being substantially
identical and equal to the cumulative height of the inactive bearing site
7 and the corresponding formation 8 on the underside of the button 2.
Of course, instead of this, the sites 4, 41', 5 and 7 could equally well
consist of dome-shaped structures and the contact areas of the formations
6, 6', 6" and 8 could be surface contact areas, or both types of structure
previously mentioned could be a combination of said sites and said
formations.
According to one feature of the invention, the first two active sites 4 and
4' correspond to commands or functions that are opposed, for example
scrolling or moving in opposite directions in a menu or a table, and the
third active site 5 corresponds to a validation or confirmation command or
function.
The pressure detector component 3 is preferably of one-piece construction
and includes an open cavity in the direction of the button or a
through-opening 3' to accommodate a component for illuminating the button
2 by transmission, the button being made from a transparent material and
mounted by insertion molding (see FIGS. 6A and 6B).
FIG. 7 shows various cases of activation or non-activation of the sites 4,
4' and 5 as a function of the magnitude and direction of the pressure
exerted by the user.
In FIGS. 7A and 7C, the direction, impact area and magnitude of the forces
applied are adapted to activate the site 4', and site 5.
In FIG. 7B, the magnitude of the applied force is insufficient to activate
the site 5.
The present invention also provides a device including a keypad 9 providing
a plurality of keys 2' and at least one multifunction key, for example a
navigation key for selecting a plurality of functions displayed on display
means of the device, wherein the multifunction key is an actuator member 1
as described above.
The button 2 is advantageously made in one piece with the other keys 2' by
insertion molding during fabrication of the keypad 9 and the detector
component 3 is premounted on an electronic circuit card disposed under the
keys 2' of the keypad 9 after assembly thereof.
The facility for limited movement of the button 2 can be provided by the
resilience of the material of a film or plate 2" connecting the various
keys 2' and the button 2.
The button 2 can instead and equally well be separate from the keypad 9 but
retain the advantage of receiving a front face shipped with the layer and
an appropriate color navigation button 2.
Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described and
shown in the accompanying drawings. Modifications are possible without
departing from the scope of protection of the invention, in particular
from the point of view of the construction of the various components or
substituting technical equivalents.
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