Patent Application
20180188833
This invention relates to accessories for electronic devices and more specifically to a protective sleeve for a touchscreen stylus.
Electronic devices, such as smart and cellular phones, computing tablets, MP3/audio/video players, gaming devices and laptops are continuously and rapidly evolving to meet expanding consumer demands. These days, such devices typically include user interactive capacitive touchscreens that are capable of interacting with a user's finger and/or capacitive stylus.
When a capacitive stylus is used, the stylus acts as a proxy to a user's finger to disrupt the touchscreen's electrostatic field. A discharge path between the screen and the stylus is formed, which results in a voltage drop at the point of contact with the screen. Some capacitive styluses may also include active sensors so as to enable enhanced touchscreen interactions. For example, they may detect the amount of pressure exerted by the user on the touchscreen and/or the angle/tilt of the stylus relative to the touchscreen and transmit such information to the electronic device over Bluetooth or other wireless or wired connection.
The Apple Pencil™, which includes pressure sensitivity and angle detection features, is one example of such an active capacitive stylus. Darker or lighter, bolder or thinner, and shaded or unshaded strokes in a drawing can be achieved depending on how hard the user presses the stylus against the capacitive touchscreen and how the user manipulates the relative angle of the stylus vis-à-vis the touchscreen. The Apple Pencil™ stylus, like other such styluses, has a cylindrically shaped, generally smooth and glossy finished, external housing. The external housing is a made of hard plastic. Residing within the hard plastic external housing is an internal metal shell/housing. Connectivity with the electronic device is via a built-in Bluetooth interface. Power is provided via a built-in rechargeable battery that can be recharged via a Lightning™ connector positioned on an opposing end of the stylus tip and protected under a removable magnetic metallic connector cap. The Lightening™ connector is electrically grounded to the rechargeable battery. Other than serving to protect the Lightning™ connector, the metallic connector cap of the Apple Pencil™ stylus is not functional in that it is not adapted to interact with a capacitive touchscreen (i.e., to disrupt the touchscreen's electrostatic field in an appropriate manner to create the requisite voltage drop in the touchscreen at the point of contact).
The inventor here, however, has recognized that the external surfaces of styluses, like the Apple Pencil™, can become slick with use due to sweat and/or oil from the user's hand, which may lead to user fatigue and may make it more difficult to effectuate agile motions or desired interaction with the touchscreen. Because such active styluses also house electronics and sensors to facilitate their operation, the inventor here has also recognized that such styluses can also be prone to damage as a result of impact or liquid intrusion. For example, a stylus may roll off a desk, slip or be otherwise dislodged from a person's hand and fall on a hard floor or surface thereby causing internal and/or external damage to the stylus. Alternatively, a user or office mate may inadvertently spill coffee or some other drink on or near the stylus, which may corrode or interfere with the proper functionality of the electronics and sensors. In addition, the inventor here has recognized that the end cap may be easily lost or misplaced, which may lead to damage to the lightening connector and lack of operability. Furthermore, the inventor here has recognized that while the touchscreen tip of the stylus is capable of implementing specific interactions with the touchscreen, its specific configuration may be limiting and/or insufficient to effectuate the full spectrum of a user's desired interactions with the touchscreen.
Accordingly, it is here recognized that there is a need for a stylus sleeve accessory that is capable of overcoming these shortcoming, including protecting the stylus from damage, and enhancing functionality.
Disclosed are numerous aspects of an unique and inventive stylus sleeve configured to receive, retain, protect and enhance the functionality of a stylus. Various aspects are described and/or illustrated in the drawings and the written specification including the claims herein and summarized here.
In one aspect, the stylus sleeve includes a tubular component and a tethered cap assembly, which is configured to interact with a capacitive touchscreen display. In another aspect, the tubular component is configured to receive and retain the stylus and provide an enhanced gripping surface that can mitigate damage to the stylus. In yet another aspect, the cap assembly includes conductive components that are arranged to interface with the electrical ground of the stylus and facilitate interaction with a capacitive touchscreen.
The configuration and construction of each of the components and sub components and their interrelationship constitute separate aspects.
Each of the foregoing and various aspects, together with those set forth in the claims and summarized above and/or otherwise disclosed herein, including the drawings, may be combined to support claims for a device, apparatus, system, method of manufacture, and/or use without limitation.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages are described below with reference to the drawings, which are intended to illustrate, but not to limit, the invention. In the drawings, like reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the drawings.
Each drawing is generally to scale and hence relative dimensions of the various layers can be determined from the drawings.
As summarized above and illustrated in the drawings, disclosed herein are various aspects of a protective sleeve for a stylus. Many of those aspects are described and summarized above and illustrated in the drawings.
Commonly disclosed in
Styluses, like the Apple Pencil™ stylus, typically mimic a pencil in shape and include a cylinder-shaped body 110 with a touchscreen tip 120 on one end and a blunted end cap 130 on the opposite end. The end cap 130 serves to conceal and protect a power or electrical connector 140 (i.e., the Lightening™ connector on the Apple Pencil™ stylus), which is used to charge a rechargeable battery (not shown) that is housed within the body 110 of the stylus 100, Sensors (e.g., pressure and orientation/tilt sensors) and connectivity circuitry, such as a Bluetooth interface module, are also housed within the stylus body 110 and can provide enhanced functionality as previously described.
As best depicted in
The tubular component 210 is defined by exterior and interior surfaces 217, 218. The interior surface 218 of the tubular component 210 corresponds to the exterior dimensions of the stylus 100 and is configured to receive and retain the stylus 100, whereas the exterior surface 217 is configured to provide an enhanced gripping surface for the user and protection to the stylus. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower and upper portions 212, 214 of the exterior surface 217 of the tubular component 210 are round or circular in cross-section while the middle portion 216 of the exterior surface 217 is triangular in cross-section. The triangular cross-sectional shape is defined by three flat surfaces 241, 243, 245 that merge together at rounded corners 240, 242, 244. The flat sides are capable of keeping the stylus from rolling off a flat or inclined surface such as a tablet computing device or drafting table. While a triangular cross-sectional shape is disclosed, it should be understood that any polygonal cross-sectional shape (e.g., rectangular, square, quadrilateral, pentagon, hexagon, octagon, nonagon decagon, etc.), may be employed alone or in combination with curved, circular, or oval regions like at the corners are along one or more sides.
As best illustrated in
As depicted in the drawings, the exterior surface 217 of the tubular component 210 provides a gripping surface that is not only different in shape (e.g., triangular) but also greater in size from that of the underlying stylus 100 and thereby provides an increased gripping area relative to the underlying stylus 100. In the illustrated implementation, the exterior gripping surface of the stylus sleeve 200 is approximately 46 percent greater (+/−10 percent) than the underlying exterior circular gripping surface of the stylus (which surface area is the same as circular interior surface 218 of the tubular component). It should be understood that the area of the gripping surface of the stylus sleeve vis-à-vis the stylus may vary depending on the stylus and the desired exterior shape and dimensions of the stylus sleeve 200.
The tubular component 210 may be formed of any suitable material. The material may be softer, as rigid or more rigid than the underlying exterior surface of the stylus 100. The tubular component 210 may be formed as a unitary molded solid body or may be formed of multiple components, using multiple materials, and/or have hollow regions therein.
In one implementation, the tubular component 210 is formed as a flexible unitary solid molded polymer body. The tubular component 210, for example, may be formed of a molded composition of an elastomer to provide a soft yet durable gripping surface. Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), natural or synthetic rubber, such as silicone (i.e., polysiloxane), or other similar polymers with a Shore A hardness of 65+/−20 have been found to provide a suitable yet durable gripping surface.
In other implementations, the tubular component 210 may be constructed to include regions (for example at the corners) that are formed of metallic or more rigid materials alone or that are imbedded or otherwise combined within a softer polymer such as one of the polymers disclosed herein. In yet other implementations, the tubular component 210 may be entirely formed of metallic or other rigid materials. In yet other implementations, the tubular component 210 may include a relatively rigid shell (e.g., formed of rigid plastic or a metal), which is entirely or partially overlaid on the interior and/or exterior surface with one or more softer, more pliable polymer or elastomer materials such as those described herein.
The cap assembly 250, which is connected to the tubular component 210 via tether 220, includes a hollow cap component 222, a conductive cap sleeve 260, a magnet 290, and a conductive touchscreen interface 295. The hollow cap component includes a lower end region 223 and an upper end region 225. The lower end region 223 of the hollow cap component 222 is tethered (via the cap tether 220) to the upper end section 249 of the tubular component 210. The upper end region 225 of the hollow cap component 222 is coupled to the conductive touchscreen interface 295 that mates with the upper rim 252 of the hollow cap component 222 to form the upper end region of the cap assembly 250.
The conductive touchscreen interface 295 is constructed to be sufficiently conductive to be capable of interacting with the capacitive touchscreen 310 of an electronic device and do so without scratching the touchscreen. In one implementation, the conductive touchscreen interface 295 is formed of a polymer impregnated with a conductive material such as carbon graphite, nickel, silver, copper, aluminum, tungsten, or other conductive materials or combinations thereof. Suitable materials from which the conductive touchscreen interface 295 may be constructed include but are not limited to the conductive particle filled elastomers set forth in the table 1 below.
When such conductive particle filled elastomers or polymers are used to form the conductive touchscreen interface 295, the conductive touchscreen interface 295 may be co-molded to the upper rim 252 of the hollow cap component 222. In such an implementation, the hollow cap component 222, tether 220, tubular component 210, and conductive touchscreen interface 295 could all be co-molded together as a unitary component. One polymer composition (e.g., silicone or elastomer), for example, may be used to form the tubular component 210, the tether 220, and the hollow cap component 222, while the conductive particle filled elastomer, such silicone impregnated with carbon graphite particles, may be co-molded thereto to form the conductive touchscreen interface 295.
Dimensionally, it has been found that the conductive touchscreen interface 295 performs more optimally when it is configured to include a circular interacting surface area that has a diameter of at least 3.5 mm and more preferably a diameter of at least 5 mm. The phrase “interacting surface area” as used herein is the surface area of the conductive touchscreen interface 295 that is configured to come into contact (at one time) with a flat capacitive touchscreen display 310.
The conductive cap sleeve 260 and magnet 290 components of the cap assembly 250 are best illustrated in
The cavity 263 of the lower portion 262 further includes a notched ceiling 270 at one end and a terminating interface 265 at the other end. The notched ceiling 270, as best illustrated in
As best depicted in
As best illustrated in
The magnet 290 serves to retain engagement between the cap assembly 250 and the stylus 100. The magnet 290 is configured to generate sufficient magnetic attraction between the cap assembly 250 and the metallic portions of the stylus 100 located in and around the connector 140 so as to secure the cap assembly 250 thereto. Thus when the cap assembly 250 is in a closed position, the power connector 140 is protected from damage.
The tether 220 as best illustrated in
In operation, the user cleans the stylus 100 (e.g., with a dry cloth) then aligns the stylus in a desired or selected orientation relative to the stylus sleeve 200 (or elliptical opening 230) and pushes the stylus 100 into the tubular component 210 through the opening at the cap end until the stylus 100 is properly positioned with the stylus sleeve 200. In the example of Apple Pencil, proper alignment may be facilitated by aligning the “Pencil” marking shown on the connector 140 with the flat side 153. Once installed, the cap assembly 250 can be positioned over the connector 140 and within the notched ceiling 270 of the conductive sleeve. When properly installed, the leash or tether will lie smooth and flat around the conductive sleeve 260 of the cap assembly 250. Once installed with the cap assembly 250 in the closed position, the user can grip the stylus sleeve 200 and use the stylus tip 120 or, alternatively, the conductive touchscreen interface 295 provided on the opposite end of the stylus sleeve 200 to interact with a capacitive touchscreen display such as depicted in
Each of the foregoing and various aspects, or teachings herein together with those set forth in the claims and described in connection with the stylus sleeve described and summarized above or otherwise disclosed herein including the drawings may be combined to form claims for a device, apparatus, system, method of manufacture, and/or use without limitation.
Although the various inventive aspects are herein disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments, implementations, and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the invention and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while a number of variations of the various aspects have been shown and described in detail, other modifications, which are within their scope will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure. It should therefore be also understood that the scope of this disclosure includes the various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein, such that the various features, modes of implementation, and aspects of the disclosed subject matter may be combined with or substituted for one another. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the present invention herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments or implementations described above, but should be determined only by a fair reading of claims made in this patent document and any future patent document that relies on this disclosure.
Similarly, this method of disclosure, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that any claim require more features than are expressly recited in that claim. Rather, as the following claims represent, inventive aspects lie in a combination of fewer than all features of any single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.
