Patent Application
20120326568
The present invention generally relates to apparatuses for providing haptic feedbacks.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,535,454 B2, portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, portable GPS navigations, laptop computers, generally have a number of buttons that allow a user to interface with the devices by inputting information. The capabilities of these devices are increasing while the size and weight are decreasing to enhance portability. For example, mobile phones, in addition to their traditional role as voice-communication devices, now include functions traditionally associated with other devices, such as electronic games, PDAs, and digital cameras.
To perform effective interaction with the handheld devices, the handheld devices typically provide visual and aural cues or feedback. In addition to conventional visual and aural feedback, some of these devices attempt to enhance the effectiveness of device feedback by providing tactile cues or feedback. Some devices utilize structural tactile methods. One such example is to provide raised surfaces on the input surface, e.g., a keypad, of the device. Such methods, however, are inherently static and thus cannot offer effective tactile feedback.
Active methods of providing tactile feedback include incorporating a vibrator into the handheld electronic devices. Such a method of providing haptic cues, however, generally vibrates the entire device. Such method or apparatuses are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,535,454 B2, U.S. Pat. No. 7,148,875 B2, U.S. Pat. No. 6,853,965 B2, U.S. Pat. No. 6,429,846 B2, U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,158 B2.
Reference will now be made to describe the exemplary embodiment of the present invention in detail. The present invention is presented for providing the user with intensive interaction experience. For example, if a user taps on a touch screen of a portable gaming, the user will get a tactile feedback, such as vibration, from the touch screen.
Referring to
Referring to
The metal plate 13 is assembled with the bottom portion 1411 and the first sidewalls 144 of the mounting portions 1412 by injection molding, thereby forming an integral unit. The metal plate 13 comprises a main plate 130 and a plurality of stops 131 extending perpendicular from the main plate 130. A pair of second fixing holes 132 is formed on two ends of the main plate 130 and cooperated with the first fixing holes 1421 for fixing the apparatus on an electronic device, such as a mobile phone, a portable gaming device, etc.
The piezoelectric vibrator comprises a substrate 10, a first piezoelectric layer 11a attached to a side of the substrate 10, a second piezoelectric layer 11b attached to another side of the substrate 10, and a mass 12 attached to one of the piezoelectric layers 11a, 11b. Each of the substrate 10, the piezoelectric layers 11a, 11b, and the mass 12 is substantially perpendicular to the metal plate 13. Two piezoelectric layers 11a, 11b are used to enhance the vibration of the piezoelectric vibrator. In fact, only one piezoelectric layer can also vibrate. The substrate 10 further comprises a main body 100, a pair of fastening portion extending from two ends thereof and a pair of first through holes 101 provided on the fastening portions, respectively. Moreover, the stops 131 of terminal 15 are parallel to the fastening portions of the piezoelectric vibrator for limiting the vibrating amplitude of the piezoelectric vibrator. For firmly positioning the mass 12, the substrate 10 further comprises a pair of wings 103 extending perpendicularly from the main body 100, and accordingly, the mass 12 comprises a pair of notches 121. While assembled, the wings 103 are accommodated in the notches 121.
In the exemplary embodiment, the fixing portions 16 may comprise screws. In an alternative embodiment, the fixing portions may comprise rivets.
Referring to
In order to protect the terminal 15 from scratch by the fixing portions 16, the apparatus further comprises a pair of spacers 17 sandwiched between the fixing portions 16 and the terminal 15. Each spacer 17 has a third through hole 171.
When assembled, the terminal 15 is clamped with the piezoelectric vibrator by U-shaped plate 154 and the piezoelectric vibrator, the terminal 15 and the spacers 17 are mounted on the holder 14 by the screws 16 through the third though holes 171 of the spacers 17, the second though hole 151 of the terminal 15, the first though holes 101 of the substrate 10, and the fastening holes 1431 of the step portions 143 of the holder 14.
The fixing portions fix the terminal and piezoelectric vibrator on the holder, which makes the assembling process much easier. As the U-shaped plate is clamped with the piezoelectric vibrator, a combination of the piezoelectric vibrator and the terminal is stable and reliable. Furthermore, the metal plate is assembled the plastic base, a total size of the apparatus is reduced.
While the present invention has been described with reference to the specific embodiment, the description of the invention is illustrative and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various of modifications to the present invention can be made to the exemplary embodiment by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201120220161.3 | Jun 2011 | CN | national |
