Patent ID: 11964198
Assignee: RAZER (ASIA-PACIFIC) PTE. LTD.
Field: Mechanical elements (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC A  G | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A directional pad assembly comprising:
a directional-control unit having
a plate structure having an upper plate face and an underside plate face with a centre axis extending perpendicularly through a centre of the plate structure, and
two or more plunger elements distributed along a perimeter portion of the plate structure, each of the two or more plunger elements being slidable relative to the plate structure between a retracted position and an extended position along a sliding axis parallel to the centre axis of the plate structure;

a main support structure in engagement with the underside plate face to support the centre of the plate structure of the directional-control unit in a manner such that the plate structure of the directional-control unit is multi-directional tiltable about the centre of the plate structure with respect to the main support structure;
an interface frame structure suspended above the upper plate face of the plate structure of the directional-control unit in a manner so as to be in a fixed spatial relationship with the main support structure and non-movable relative to the main support structure, wherein the interface frame structure comprises
a plurality of frame members arranged to define a central opening aligned to the centre of the plate structure of the directional-control unit and two or more auxiliary openings around the central opening, the two or more auxiliary openings respectively aligned to the two or more plunger elements of the directional-control unit; and

two or more switches arranged around the main support structure, each switch of the two or more switches comprises an activation element directed towards the underside plate face of the plate structure of the directional-control unit, the two or more switches respectively aligned to the two or more plunger elements,
wherein the directional-control unit is operable between a first mode and a second mode to activate the two or more switches,
wherein, in the first mode, the plate structure of the directional-control unit is tiltable to urge at least one of the two or more plunger elements in the retracted position towards a corresponding one of the two or more switches for activating the switch,
wherein, in the second mode, the plate structure of the directional-control unit is stationary with respect to the main support structure, and the two or more plunger elements are individually slidable relative to the plate structure into the extended positions to respectively activate the two or more switches.