Pressing device

A pressing device includes a base board, an upper board unit that is disposed over the base board, and an intermediate unit that is disposed between the base board and the upper board unit. The upper board unit includes a panel, a circuit board, and a tact switch. The intermediate unit includes a middle portion that corresponds in position to the tact switch, a surrounding frame member, and a plurality of interconnecting board members. When the upper board unit is pressed, at least one of the interconnecting board members is deformed, and the middle portion is driven to convert the tact switch from an initial state to a triggered state.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Taiwanese Utility Model Patent Application No. 109213127, filed on Oct. 6, 2020.

FIELD

The disclosure relates to a pressing device, and more particularly to a pressing device for touchpads.

BACKGROUND

Most of the existing laptops today are equipped with a keyboard and a touchpad or a trackpad as an input interface. Particularly, a touchpad includes a touch-sensitive area for a user to move a cursor on the screen, and also depressible keys to function as a left-click, a right-click and a scroll of a mouse.

As shown inFIG. 8, a conventional pressing device for touchpads disclosed in Taiwanese Invention Patent No. I659344 includes a base board unit100, a circuit board200and a touch board300. The base board unit100includes a first side portion110, a plurality of first hook seats130formed on the first side portion110, a plurality of second hook seats140formed on the first side portion110and located at an inner side of the first hook seats130, a second side portion160opposite to the first side portion110, and a triggering unit150disposed on the second side portion160. The circuit board200includes a holder220fixed on the base board unit100at the first side portion110, and an elastic switch270disposed on the circuit board200to correspond in position to the triggering unit150. The holder220includes a plurality of elastic hooks240respectively engaging with the first hook seats130, and a plurality of limit hooks260engaging respectively with the second hook seats140.

When the side of the circuit board200with the elastic switch270(the side that corresponds to the second side portion160) is pressed, the circuit board200pivots relative to the base board unit100with the limit hooks260serving as a pivot axis, so that the elastic switch270is compressed by the triggering unit150to generate a corresponding signal.

However, when the side of the circuit board200which is adjacent to the holder220is pressed, the circuit board200is unable to pivot relative to the baseboard100.

SUMMARY

Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide a pressing device for touchpads that can alleviate the drawback of the prior art.

According to the disclosure, the pressing device includes a base board, an upper board unit, and an intermediate unit.

The upper board unit is disposed over the base board and includes a panel, a circuit board, and a tact switch. The circuit board is disposed on a bottom portion of the panel. The tact switch is disposed on a bottom portion of the circuit board. The intermediate unit is disposed between the base board and the upper board unit. The intermediate unit includes a middle portion, a surrounding frame member, and a plurality of interconnecting board members. The middle portion corresponds in position to the tact switch of the upper board unit. The surrounding frame member is mounted fixedly to the bottom portion of the circuit board. Each of the interconnecting board members is connected between the middle portion and the surrounding frame member and has a base end surface and a supporting portion. The base end surface faces the base board. The supporting portion protrudes from the base end surface and is connected fixedly to the base board.

When the upper board unit is pressed toward the base board, the supporting portion of at least one of the interconnecting board members is pushed toward the upper board unit by a reaction force to resiliently deform the at least one of the interconnecting board members, thereby driving the middle portion to convert the tact switch from a initial state to a triggered state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 3, an embodiment of a pressing device according to the disclosure includes a base board10, an upper board unit20, a frame pad30, an intermediate unit40, and a plurality of screw members50.

The base board10has a top surface11, a bottom surface12opposite to the top surface11, and a plurality of through holes13. Each of the through holes13extends from the bottom surface12to the top surface11.

The upper board unit20is disposed over the base board10and includes a panel21, a circuit board22that is disposed on a bottom portion (i.e., a bottom side) of the panel21, and a tact switch23that is substantially disposed on a center of a bottom portion (i.e., a bottom side) of the circuit board22.

The frame pad30is disposed between the intermediate unit40and the circuit board22of the upper board unit20, and is substantially rectangular ring-shaped.

The intermediate unit40is disposed between the base board10and the frame pad30(or between the base board10and the circuit board22of the upper board unit20), and includes a middle portion41that corresponds in position to the tact switch23of the upper board unit20, a surrounding frame member42that is mounted fixedly to the frame pad30and further to the bottom portion of the circuit board22, and a plurality of interconnecting board members43. In this embodiment, the intermediate unit40is made of metal and is configured as a one-piece component. That is to say, the middle portion41, the surrounding frame member42, and the interconnecting board members43are formed as one piece. The surrounding frame member42is substantially rectangular ring-shaped, corresponds in position to the frame pad30, and includes four corner portions421. Each of the interconnecting board members43is elongated plate-shaped and interconnects the middle portion41and a respective one of the corner portions421of the surrounding frame member42. Each of the interconnecting board members43includes a main board portion431, a groove432that is formed in the main board portion431, and a supporting portion433that is L-shaped and that is integrally formed with the main board portion431. The main board portion431of each of the interconnecting board members43has abase end surface434that faces the top surface11of the base board10. The supporting portion433of each of the interconnecting board members43is spaced apart from the surrounding frame member42, protrudes from the base end surface434, corresponds in position to the groove432, and has a screw hole435that is aligned with a respective one of the through holes13of the base board10.

Each of the screw members50extends through a respective one of the through holes13of the base board10and threadedly engages the screw hole435of the supporting portion433of the respective one of the interconnecting board members43of the intermediate unit40. Therefore, the screw members50respectively fasten the supporting portions433on the base board10so that the supporting portion433is connected fixedly to the base board10.

FIGS. 3 to 7illustrate how the above-mentioned structures operate. As shown inFIGS. 3 to 5, when no external force is applied on the upper board unit20, the base end surface434of the main board portion431of each of the interconnecting board members43is spaced apart from the top surface11of the base board10, and there is a gap between the base end surface434and the top surface11in an up-down direction for the upper board unit20to move toward the base board10. At this time, The tact switch23of the upper board unit20is not compressed, deformed, or in contact with the middle portion41of the intermediate unit40. The tact switch23remains above the middle portion41. At this moment, the tact switch23is at an initial state, and no signal is generated since the tact switch23is spaced apart from the middle portion41.

As shown inFIGS. 3, 6, and 7, when the upper board unit20is pressed toward the base board10by an external force, the tact switch23of the upper board unit20and the surrounding frame member42of the intermediate unit40move toward the base board10. The movement of the surrounding frame member42causes the supporting portion433of at least one of the interconnecting board members43of the intermediate unit40to be pushed toward the upper board unit20by a reaction force to resiliently deform the at least one of the interconnecting board members43relative to the surrounding frame member42. Therefore, the middle portion41of the intermediate unit40is driven to urge the tact switch23so as to convert the tact switch23from the initial state to a triggered state. A signal is thus generated when the tact switch23is at the triggered state.

When the external force ceases to exist, the at least one of the interconnecting board members43restores to its initial position relative to the surrounding frame member42, such that the middle portion41of the intermediate unit40and the tact switch23of the upper board20are away from each other as shown inFIGS. 4 and 5.

By virtue of the above-mentioned configuration of the pressing device, the disclosure can effectively convert the tact switch23of the upper board unit20from the initial state to the triggered state and precisely generate a corresponding signal regardless of what position of the upper board unit20is pressed toward the base board10.

In addition, as shown inFIGS. 4 to 7, the pressing device according to the disclosure further includes a top cover1that restricts movement of edges of the upper board unit20. Thus, wherever the upper board unit20is pressed toward the base board10, the upper board unit20will not tilt from any edge.

In summary, the embodiment of the pressing device according to the disclosure provides relatively simple structures and generates a corresponding signal more precisely during use as compared to a conventional pressing device, and therefore the embodiment of the disclosure has alleviated the drawback of the prior art.