A stylus is a pen-shaped instrument that can be used to input commands, data, text or artwork into an electronic device. The versatility of the stylus can be dependent on a variety of factors. For example, the type of nib or writing tip employed by a particular stylus can affect the versatility of the stylus. Additionally, different nibs can be made of various materials and can have various dimensions, which can render a particular nib more or less suitable for particular tasks. In some cases, a stylus body can be used with the nib as a generic body that facilitates grasping of the stylus by a user.
Many display styluses fail to provide a writing experience that simulates a pen-and-paper feel when used in connection with an electronic display or electronic drawing surface. Often this can be because there is insufficient friction between the stylus nib and the surface. However, too much friction between the stylus nib and the electronic display or drawing surface can result in an unpleasant user experience with regard to the tactile experience or ability to control the stylus movements with adequate precision, due to a slip-stick phenomenon that is common with many plastic materials. The frictional and material properties may also cause accelerated wear to the display surface or drawing surface or/and nib. Finding a stylus nib with the appropriate frictional properties that will last acceptably long may be desirable.
Furthermore, in some examples where the surface is the electronic display, anti-glare coatings may be used. Providing a positive user experience with these coatings may complicate the design further in that one needs to consider the texture and the durability of the anti-glare surface. In many cases, the anti-glare surface or coating can be damaged or removed from the display when used in connection with a display stylus due to the friction between the electronic display (or other drawing surface) and the nib of the stylus. The stylus nibs described herein can help overcome some of these challenges.
Thus, the present disclosure is drawn to stylus nibs, methods of manufacturing stylus nibs, and electronic display systems. In accordance with certain examples of the present disclosure, a stylus nib can include a polymeric core structure having a plurality of channels formed within the polymeric core structure along a longitudinal axis thereof. The polymeric core structure can be internally lubricated or impregnated with a lubricating material. The tip portion of the stylus nib can also be shaped to interface with a drawing surface, such as a remote drawing surface (drawing pad electronically communicating with a remote display) or an actual screen of an electronic display.
The stylus nibs described herein are further illustrated in
It is noted that the plurality of longitudinal channels 112 can be formed in a variety of patterns, and the pattern illustrated in
Also shown in
The polymeric core structure can have a tip width or diameter 114 that is the same or different than the width or diameter of the polymeric core throughout the balance of body of the nib. In examples where the stylus nib may not be circular in cross-section, e.g., square, oval, etc., then a distance along the nib's longest width can be used to describe the cross-sectional size of the nib, e.g. a nib with a cross-sectional square shape would be measured from corner to corner to arrive at the width of the nib. In some examples, the tip width of the polymeric core can be the same of as the width of the polymeric core throughout the nib body. In yet other examples, the tip width of the polymeric core can be smaller than the width of the polymeric core throughout the body of the nib. In some specific examples, the tip width (which can be diameter, or longest cross-sectional distance) can be from about 0.2 mm to about 6 mm. In yet other examples, the tip width can be from about 0.3 mm to about 3 mm. In still further examples, the tip width can be from about 0.5 mm to about 2 mm. In many examples, the tip portion of the nib may be semi-spherical in shape. The term “semi-spherical” is intended to cover semi-spherical, semi-elliptical, arcuate, or any other similar three-dimensional curved shapes. Where this is the case, the display-engaging tip can have a spherical tip radius (or radius of curvature, or the like) from about 0.1 mm to about 3 mm, from about 0.2 to about 2 mm, or from about 0.3 to about 1 mm. A “spherical tip radius” can be understood to be the radius of the hypothetical sphere of which the semi-spherical tip forms a semi-spherical cap or spherical segment.
In some examples, the plurality of channels can provide increased friction and/or other desirable tactile properties between the nib and a display surface. For example, the plurality of channels can expose a plurality of edges or flaps at the tip of the polymeric core structure that can engage the electronic display. In some examples, the number and orientation of the channels included in the polymeric core structure can depend on the type of electronic display with which the stylus nib will be used and the degree of friction desired between the nib tip and the electronic display. For example, a higher number of edges or more angled edges at the nib tip may provide additional friction or otherwise different tactile experience compared to a design with fewer and/or more rounded edges. Alternatively, a lower number or larger channels may provide a less rigid feel when bringing the nib into contact with a hard drawing surface such as glass,
In some examples, as illustrated in
The stylus body can generally have any suitable geometrical cross-sectional shape (perpendicular to the longitudinal axis). Non-limiting cross-sectional shapes can include circular, elliptical, triangular, square, rectangular, polygonal, the like, or a combination thereof.
A method of manufacturing a stylus nib is also described herein. This is further illustrated in
As previously noted, a portion of the stylus nib can be shaped to form a tip portion that is suitable for engaging with a drawing surface or display surface. The tip shape can be formed by any suitable method. For example, the tip can be cut, shaved, carved, etched, molded, casted, or lathed, etc., to achieve a desired shape or configuration suitable for engaging a drawing surface. Further, in some examples, a stylus body can be formed around the stylus nib for gripping the stylus. The stylus body, for example, can be formed contiguously with the nib. In other examples, the stylus body can be formed separately from the nib and subsequently coupled to the nib.
An electronic display system is also described herein. The electronic display system can include an electronic display; a textured drawing surface that electronically interfaces with the electronic display; and a stylus nib. The stylus nib can include a polymeric core structure having a plurality of channels formed within the polymeric core structure along a longitudinal axis thereof. The polymeric core structure can be internally lubricated or impregnated with a lubricating material. A tip portion of the nib can be shaped to interface with a drawing surface.
One example of an electronic display system is illustrated in
One benefit of the combination of the configuration of the stylus (e.g., at the tip), the internal lubrication, and the textured drawing surface is that it can provide a very similar feeling to that of a pencil or a pen. Often, a stylus can slide too freely across a glass surface without the desired amount of drag. Conversely, with this system, there is a small amount of drag that is felt by the user, similar to that which a user would feel when writing with a pencil or a ball point pen on paper. Even though there is some drag or resistance provided by the textured drawing surface and the polymeric core structure flaps at the tip of the stylus, because of the internal lubrication, this resistance or pencil feel does not unduly wear down the tip.
If the drawing surface is an electronic display, the screen of the electronic display can typically include glass, clear plastic, or other transparent materials. Further, the screen can include an anti-glare surface. In some examples, the anti-glare surface can be achieved via an anti-glare coating applied to the screen of the electronic display. The coating could be a spray coating such as SolGel or vacuum-deposition coating, including material applied by one or more coating steps. In some examples, a UV or thermal curing process may be used to apply the coating. In yet other examples, the anti-glare surface can be achieved by etching the surface of the screen to achieve anti-glare properties. The etching may be a chemical etching, with one or more etching steps to achieve the desired texture and optical properties. Still further, the anti-glare surface can be formed using a film with molded, imprinted, etched, or other applied anti-glare texture. As also mentioned, in some examples the drawing surface is not the electronic display per se, but rather a device to communicate remotely with an electronic display. Those types of surfaces may also be textured and can be used in accordance with examples of the present disclosure. Similar materials to the clear materials described above may be used, but since the drawing surface is not also a screen, there is a larger variety of materials that may be used with varying degrees of opacity. Regardless of which example is described, the texture depth may typically be from about 1 μm to 200 μm, for example.
It is noted that, as used in this disclosure, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
As used herein, the term “about” is used to provide flexibility to a numerical range endpoint by providing that a given value may be “a little above” or “a little below” the endpoint. The degree of flexibility of this term can be dictated by the particular variable and would be within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to determine based on experience and the associated description herein.
As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary.
Concentrations, amounts, and other numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and thus should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. As an illustration, a numerical range of “about 1 wt % to about 5 wt %” should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited values of about 1 wt % to about 5 wt %, but also include individual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus, included in this numerical range are individual values such as 2, 3.5, and 4 and sub-ranges such as from 1-3, from 2-4, and from 3-5, etc. This same principle applies to ranges reciting only one numerical value. Furthermore, such an interpretation should apply regardless of the breadth of the range or the characteristics being described.
As a further note, in the present disclosure, it is noted that when discussing the stylus nib, methods of manufacturing stylus nib, and electronic display systems, each of these discussions can be considered applicable to each of these examples, whether or not they are explicitly discussed in the context of that example. Thus, for example, in discussing details about the stylus nib per se, such discussion also refers to the methods and the systems described herein, and vice versa.
The following examples illustrate the embodiments of the disclosure that are presently best known. However, it is to be understood that the following are only exemplary or illustrative of the application of the principles of the present technology. Numerous modifications and alternative compositions and methods may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements.
Multiple stylus nibs were prepared as follows. First, a capillary nib was prepared by extruding polyoxymethylene (POM). Second, a fibrous nib was also obtained, which can also be prepared by extrusion. Third, a stylus nib impregnated with a lubricating material was also prepared by a co-extrusion process. Specifically, a POM material was doped or mixed polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) lubricating material to form the raw material for extruding a polymeric core structure of POM impregnated with the lubricating PTFE. The extrusion die included a predetermined pattern to provide the polymeric core structure with a plurality of channels formed along a longitudinal axis thereof.
The nibs prepared in Example 1 were evaluated by simulating repetitive scribing action of the nib on a display surface, and measuring the wear rate of the nib and visual degradation of the display surface. The capillary nib and the fibrous nib were each able to endure 100,000 cycles of exposure before their useful life was exhausted. In contrast, the stylus nib that was co-extruded to form longitudinal channels defined by a polymeric core structure impregnated with co-extruded lubricating material was able to endure four times the exposure (400,000 cycles) before its useful life was exhausted.
While the present technology has been described with reference to certain examples, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, changes, omissions, and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. It is therefore intended that the disclosure be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2017/016770 | 2/7/2017 | WO | 00 |