BUTTON DEVICE ATTACHED TO TOUCH SCREEN, AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT PROVIDED WITH SAME

A button device attached to a touch screen is provided including: a base adhered and fixed to the surface of the touch screen; a push button which overlaps the base and can be raised and lowered relative to the base, and includes a central portion and a flange portion stepped and expanding outward from the outer boundary of the central portion; a bezel which is placed on the push button so as to expose the central portion and cover the flange portion, and is detachably coupled to the base; and a conductive elastomer which is made of an elastic material that can conduct electricity, is disposed between the base and the flange portion of the push button so as to elastically support the push button in the direction wherein the push button rises, and is provided with a downward protrusion that protrudes downward toward the touch screen.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The following relates to a touch screen-attached button device that is attached to a capacitive touch screen and allows a specific instruction to be input to the touch screen when pressed, and an electrode device provided with the same.

BACKGROUND

Touch screens are applied to portable electronic devices such as smart phones, smart pads, and laptop computers as well as gaming-dedicated electronic devices such as slot machines, to implement an intuitive and simple user interface. However, when a user plays a game using these electronic devices and the user presses a touch screen to input a specific instruction, there is almost no detection of pressure felt by a hand during the inputting, and thus the interest and tension in the game may decrease. Further, since only a specific portion of the touch screen is repeatedly and strongly pressed, the touch screen may be easily damaged or a malfunction thereof may occur.

Thus, Korean Patent No. 10-2017637 discloses a button device which is installed in the touch screen, to which a specific instruction is input, and wherein a user feels a physical pressure detection when the button device is pressed. However, the button device is installed after a protective glass of a front surface of the touch screen is partially removed or a mounting hole is formed in the protective glass, and the button device and the touch screen are electrically connected using an electric wiring line passing through the mounting hole. Therefore, assembly costs for installing the button device on the touch screen increases, and an assembly takes a long time. Further, liquid or foreign substances may easily flow into the electronic device through a removed portion of the protective glass or the mounting hole, and thus a malfunction thereof may be caused.

The conventional art is disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-2017637 (registered on Aug. 28, 2019, Title: Button device for casino machine).

SUMMARY

An aspect relates to a touch screen-attached button device that is completely installed by simply attaching the touch screen-attached button device to a touch screen without cutting the touch screen or forming a mounting hole in the touch screen, and an electronic device equipped with the same.

One aspect of embodiments of the present invention provides a touch screen-attached button device including a base fixed to a surface of a touch screen, a push button overlapping the base, disposed to move vertically with respect to the base, and including a central part and a flange part extending from an outer boundary of the central part in a stepped manner, a bezel covered on the push button such that the central part is exposed and the flange part is covered and detachably coupled to the base, and a conductive elastomer made of a conductive elastic material, elastically supporting the push button in an upward direction while interposed between the base and the flange part of the push button, and having a downward protrusion protruding downward toward the touch screen, wherein a downward protrusion through-hole into which the downward protrusion fits is formed in the base, and when the push button is pressed downward, the conductive elastomer is pressed downward, and thus the downward protrusion passes through the downward protrusion through-hole and comes into contact with the surface of the touch screen.

The conductive elastomer may extend along a closed curved path.

The conductive elastomer may be provided with a wrinkle part having a cross section extending along a zigzag path.

The base may be provided with an inclined part of which an upper surface is obliquely lowered from a center toward an edge, and an outer lower end of the conductive elastomer in a width direction may fixedly fit onto the inclined part.

The conductive elastomer may be provided with an outer end wall part spaced apart from the downward protrusion in a width direction and a connection part connecting the downward protrusion and an upper end of the outer end wall part, a support groove may be formed around the downward protrusion through-hole of the base in a stepped manner, and a lower end of the outer end wall part may fixedly fit into the support groove.

The base may be provided with a plurality of hooks protruding upward, and the bezel may be provided with a plurality of interference protrusions mutually interfering with the plurality of hooks such that the bezel is prevented from being unintentionally separated from the base when covered on the push button.

The base may be fixedly adhered to the surface of the touch screen by a double-sided adhesive tape, and an avoidance dent recessed to not close the downward protrusion through-hole may be formed in the double-sided adhesive tape.

The conductive elastomer may include an elastic substrate containing rubber and a metal powder dispersed in the elastic substrate.

Another aspect of embodiments of the present invention provides an electronic device including a touch screen including a protective glass, a plurality of first touch detecting electrodes located below the protective glass and extending in a horizontal direction to be spaced apart from each other, and a plurality of second touch detecting electrodes located below the protective glass and extending in a vertical direction to be spaced apart from each other, and a touch screen-attached button device attached to an upper surface of the protective glass of the touch screen, wherein the touch screen-attached button device includes a base fixed to a surface of the touch screen, a push button overlapping the base, disposed to move vertically with respect to the base, and including a central part and a flange part extending from an outer boundary of the central part in a stepped manner, a bezel covered on the push button such that the central part is exposed and the flange part is covered and detachably coupled to the base, and a conductive elastomer made of a conductive elastic material, elastically supporting the push button in an upward direction while interposed between the base and the flange part of the push button, and having a downward protrusion protruding downward toward the touch screen, a downward protrusion through-hole into which the downward protrusion fits is formed in the base, and, when the push button is pressed downward, the conductive elastomer is pressed downward, and thus the downward protrusion passes through the downward protrusion through-hole and comes into contact with the surface of the touch screen.

A smaller one of a length and a width of the downward protrusion may be greater in size than a larger one of a gap between a pair of adjacent first touch detecting electrodes and a gap between a pair of adjacent second touch detecting electrodes.

According to embodiments of the present invention, a function of transmitting an instruction of a user to a touch screen through pressing of a push button and a function of elastically supporting the push button are performed by a conductive elastomer that is one component. Thus, a structure of a touch screen-attached button device is simple, and thus the reliability of operation is improved, the possibility of failure such as a malfunction is reduced, and product costs are reduced.

According to the touch screen-attached button device according to an exemplary embodiment wherein the conductive elastomer fits onto an inclined part of a base, even when liquid foreign substances penetrate into the touch screen-attached button device, the liquid foreign substances do not remain therein, are easily discharged to the outside, and do not flow into a hollow of the base or a downward protrusion through-hole. Thus, a problem that operation failures occur due to the penetration of the liquid foreign substances or an image viewed through a central part of the push button is blocked does not occur.

According to an electronic device of embodiments of the present invention, which includes a touch screen-attached button device that is fixedly adhered to a surface of a protective glass of a touch screen without damaging the protective glass, assembly costs for installing a button device on the touch screen are reduced, and an assembly time therefor is shortened. Further, since the liquid foreign substances do not flow into the electronic device through a damaged part of the protective glass, internal contamination of the electronic device or a malfunction resulting therefrom is prevented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, a touch screen-attached button device and an electronic device equipped with the same according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Terms used in the specification are used to properly express the embodiments of the present invention or and the terms may change depending on the intention of a user or an operator or customs in the field to which embodiments of the present invention belongs. Therefore, definitions of these terms should be made based on the contents throughout the specification.

FIG.1is a perspective view illustrating an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring toFIG.1, an electronic device1according to the embodiment of the present invention may be an electronic device equipped with a touch screen3and may particularly be a smart pad. However, the electronic device to which embodiments of the present invention is applied is not limited to the smart pad, and embodiments of the present invention may be applied even to, for example, portable electronic devices, such as smart phones and laptop computers, and game-dedicated electronic devices such as slot machines.

The touch screen3is provided with a display panel, a touch detecting unit, and a protective glass. The display panel is a device on which a still image or moving images are displayed. The touch detecting unit detects a touch at a specific point when a user comes into contact with the specific point and is installed to overlap the display panel.

The touch detecting unit may be a capacitive touch detecting unit and may be a touch film that is thinner and more flexible than the touch panel. The touch detecting unit is provided with a plurality of touch detecting electrodes6(seeFIG.6) that extend in a horizontal direction to be spaced apart from each other and a plurality of second touch detecting electrodes7(seeFIG.6) that extend in a vertical direction to be spaced apart from each other. The first and second touch detecting electrodes may be made of transparent indium tin oxide (ITO). The protective glass4is installed to overlap the touch detecting unit. In other words, the first and second touch detecting electrodes6and7are located below the protective glass4.

FIG.2is an exploded perspective view of a touch screen-attached button device ofFIG.1from above,FIG.3is an exploded perspective view of the touch screen-attached button device ofFIG.1from below,FIG.4is a cross-sectional view along line IV-IV ofFIG.2, andFIG.5is a cross-sectional view along line V-V ofFIG.2.

Referring toFIGS.2to5together, a touch screen-attached button device10, which is a means for a user to quickly and intuitively input a specific instruction while using the electronic device1, is provided with a base11, a push button50, a bezel40, a conductive elastomer60, and a double-sided adhesive tape37.

The base11is fixedly adhered to a surface of the touch screen3, particularly, an upper surface of the protective glass4. In the embodiment of the present invention, the base11may be detachably attached to the protective glass4by the double-sided adhesive tape37or may be attached to the protective glass4by other means such as an adhesive.

The base11, which is a generally ring-shaped member having a hollow12, is provided with a button elevator guide protrusion13that limits the hollow12and protrudes upward, an inclined part16that is connected to an outer side of the button elevator guide protrusion13and is inclined such that an upper surface thereof is lowered from a center toward an edge, a flat part15that is flatly connected to an outer side of the inclined part16, and a plurality of hooks20that protrude upward and are covered by the bezel40.

The hooks20are each provided with a pair of pillar parts21that protrude upward from the flat part15and are spaced apart from each other, a body part24of which one end and the other end in a longitudinal direction are connected to the pair of pillar parts21, and a triangular protrusion27that is formed at an upper end of the body part24and protrudes outward from the body part24in a stepped manner. The triangular protrusion27has a lower stepped surface that protrudes outward in a stepped manner from an outer surface of the body part24and an upper inclined surface that extends upward to be inclined from an upper side of the lower stepped surface.

A length of the body part24, which is perpendicular to a height of the body part24in the vertical direction, is greater than the height. A thickness of the body part24except for the triangular protrusion27is smaller than the length and the height of the body part24. A thickness of the pillar part21is greater than the thickness of the body part24. A lower end of the pillar part21is connected to the flat part15, but a lower end25of the body part24is separately spaced apart from the flat part15.

In detail, a hook gap slot30is formed in the flat part15such that the lower end25of the body part24is spaced apart from the flat part15with a gap therebetween. With this configuration of the hook20, when the triangular protrusion27or the body part24is pressed in a direction from the outside of the base11toward the hollow12, the body part24may be easily elastically deformed in a direction wherein the body part24is pressed, and when a pressing force is released, the body part24may be easily restored to an original shape thereof.

A disassembly slot31that extends from an outer peripheral boundary thereof to the hook gap slot30and is connected to the hook gap slot30is formed in the flat part15. In an embodiment, a tool such as a pin may be input from the outside of the base11through the disassembly slot31and may press the hook20such that the hook20, particularly, the body part24, is easily elastically deformed.

In each of the hooks20, the triangular protrusion27is not connected to and spaced part from the pair of pillar parts21, and a dent28recessed to not protrude is formed in a central portion of the triangular protrusion27. Accordingly, when the triangular protrusion27or the body part24is pressed in a direction from the outside of the flat part15toward the hollow12, the body part24is elastically deformed with a greater displacement in a direction wherein the body part24is pressed, and when a pressing force is released, the body part24may be easily restored to an original shape thereof.

The push button50overlaps the base11and is disposed to move vertically with respect to the base11. The push button50is located to be vertically aligned with the hollow12of the base11and is provided with a central part51through which an image displayed on the display panel is viewed and a flange part53that extends outward from an outer boundary of the central part51in a stepped manner.

A plurality of hook avoidance dents57recessed inward to avoid the plurality of hooks20are formed at an outer boundary of the flange part53. The central part51may be provided with a lens that enlarges or reduces the image of the display panel, which is exposed through the hollow:12, or a filter that provides a visual effect to the image.

An elevator guide groove55into which the button elevator guide protrusion13fits is formed in a lower surface of the push button50. Accordingly, when the user presses the push button50so that the push button50is lowered with respect to the base11and then the push button50is raised and returned to an original state thereof, a state wherein the central part51is aligned with the hollow12is maintained.

The bezel40is a ring-shaped member wherein a hollow41corresponding to the central part51is formed so that the central part51of the push button50is exposed. The bezel40is covered on the push button50to expose the central part51of the push button50and hide the flange part53and is detachably coupled to the base11.

The bezel40has an inner peripheral part42that limits the hollow41thereof, an outer peripheral part45that is bent and extend downward from the inner peripheral part42, and a plurality of interference protrusions47that are bent and protrude inward from a lower end of the outer peripheral part45and are provided in the plurality of hooks20in one-to-one correspondence. The plurality of interference protrusions47mutually interfere with the plurality of hooks20so that bezel40is prevented from being unintentionally separated from the base11when the bezel40is covered by the push button50.

When the bezel40is coupled to the base11, an operator pushes the bezel40downward toward the base11to approach the base11in a state wherein the plurality of interference protrusions47and the plurality of hooks20are aligned vertically. Then, the plurality of interference protrusions47press upper inclined surfaces of the triangular protrusions27of the plurality of hooks20while in contact with the upper inclined surfaces, the body part24of the hook20is retreated inward, that is, toward the hollow12, within the hook gap slot30due to the pressing force, and the plurality of interference protrusions47are lowered to a lower level than the triangular protrusion27.

Accordingly, when the pressing force of the interference protrusion47is not applied to the triangular protrusion27, the body part24is elastically restored to an original position thereof and thus the base11and the bezel40are fastened to each other. In this state, even when the bezel40is pulled upward, the interference protrusion is blocked by a lower stepped surface of the triangular protrusion27, and thus the bezel40is not separated from the base11. When the bezel40coupled to the base11is separated from the base11, a disassembly tool designed to simultaneously press the plurality of hooks20may be used.

The conductive elastomer60, which is a generally ring-shaped member extending along a closed curve path to form a hollow61, is interposed between the base11and the flange part53of the push button50and elastically supports the push button50in an upward direction. The conductive elastomer60is made of an elastic material.

In detail, the conductive elastomer60may include, for example, an elastic substrate that contains rubber such as a silicone rubber and a metal powder that is evenly dispersed in the elastic substrate.

When the user presses the push button50, the conductive elastomer60is elastically compressed, and when a pressing force of the user is released, the conductive elastomer60is elastically restored, and thus the push button50is raised to an original position thereof.

The conductive elastomer60is provided with a wrinkle part62having a cross section extending along a zigzag path in a width direction thereof. Accordingly, when the push button50is pressed, an elastically restorable stroke distance may increases, and a strong elastic restoration force may be reliably maintained.

The conductive elastomer60is provided with a pair of downward protrusions65that protrude downward toward the touch screen3. The downward protrusions65are spaced apart from each other at intervals of 180° based on a center of the conductive elastomer60. A pair of downward protrusion through-holes33into which the pair of downward protrusions65fit are formed in the base11.

When the push button50is pressed downward by the user, the conductive elastomer60is pressed downward by the push button50, and accordingly, the pair of downward protrusions65pass through the pair of downward protrusion through-holes33and come into contact with the surface of the touch screen3, specifically, the upper surface of the protective glass4(seeFIG.1).

A capacitance of a material increases in proportion to a dielectric constant of the material and a volume of the conductive elastomer60. Since the conductive elastomer60extends along a closed curved path and has a height in the vertical direction and a width in the horizontal direction that are sufficient to allow the push button50to be elastically restored, an electrostatic capacity of the conductive elastomer60itself is sufficiently large.

Thus, when the user presses the push button50so that the pair of downward protrusions65come into contact with the upper surface of the protective glass4, electrostatic energy resulting from the capacitance of the conductive elastomer60passes through the protective glass4and is transmitted to the touch detecting unit of the touch screen3, specifically, to the first and second touch detecting electrodes6and7. As a result, when the user presses the push button50, an intended specific instruction is input to the electronic device1through the touch screen-attached button device10.

The touch screen-attached button device10is configured to transmit the electrostatic energy resulting from the capacitance of the conductive elastomer60itself to the touch detecting unit, and thus even when the user presses the push button50with a hand wearing a non-conductive glove or presses the push button50using a non-conductive tool, the touch detecting unit may detect this pressing, and a specific instruction may be input to the electronic device1.

An outer lower end67of the conductive elastomer60in the width direction is fixedly fitted onto the inclined part16of the base11. In detail, the outer lower end67is fixedly fitted into a fitting slot18recessed in the inclined part16of the base11in a stepped manner. The conductive elastomer60is further provided with an outer end wall part70spaced apart from the downward protrusion65in the width direction thereof and a connection part72connecting the downward protrusion65and an upper end of the outer end wall part70. A lower end71of the outer end wall part70is fixedly fitted into a support groove19formed around the pair of downward protrusion through-holes33of the base11in a stepped manner.

The fitting slot18and the support groove19also extend in a closed curve line along the inclined part16of the base11without disconnection, and the outer lower end67of the conductive elastomer60and the lower end71of the outer end wall part70that fit into the fitting slot18and the support groove19and are in contact with the inclined part16are connected without disconnection. Further, the flange part53of the push button50covers the inclined part16and the conductive elastomer60in an overlapping manner and is connected to the central part51.

Therefore, even when liquid foreign substances are poured onto the touch screen-attached button device10due to carelessness of the user and the liquid foreign substances flow into a gap between the central part51of the push button50and the hollow41of the bezel40, the liquid foreign substances flow between the flange part53and the outer peripheral part45of the bezel40, is discharged through a gap between a lower end of the outer peripheral part45of the bezel40and an outer peripheral boundary of the base11, and cannot flow toward the hollow12of the base11. This is because liquid flows downward along the inclined part16and inflow of the liquid is blocked by the outer lower end67of the conductive elastomer60and the lower end71of the outer end wall part70.

The double-sided adhesive tape37is a medium for fixedly adhering the base11to the surface of the touch screen3, that is, the upper surface of the protective glass4. The double-sided adhesive tape37is generally cut into a ring shape to correspond to a shape of the base11.

The double-sided adhesive tape37includes a pair of downward protrusion avoidance dents38that are recessed at an inner peripheral boundary so as not to close the pair of downward protrusion through-holes33and a plurality of hook avoidance dents39that are recessed at an outer peripheral boundary so as not to close the plurality of hook gap slots30and the disassembly slot31.

FIG.6is a plan view illustrating a touch screen-attached button device ofFIG.2attached to a touch screen and a view illustrating an overlapping state of a downward protrusion of a conductive elastomer and a touch detecting line of the touch screen.

Referring toFIGS.1and6, a first electrode gap G1between the pair of arbitrary adjacent first touch detecting electrodes6of the touch screen3is constant, and a second electrode gap G2between the pair of arbitrary second touch detecting electrodes7is constant. The downward protrusion65may extend along a curved path with a constant width WD.

In the electronic device1of embodiments of the present invention, the smaller one of a length LG and the width WD of the downward protrusion65may be greater in size than the larger one of the first electrode gap G1and the second electrode gap G2. In the case of the above relationship, even when the touch screen-attached button device10is attached to the upper surface of the protective glass4at any angles, the downward protrusion65is disposed to overlap at least one detecting point among a plurality of detecting points at which the plurality of first touch detecting electrodes6and the plurality of second touch detecting electrodes7intersect each other. Therefore, a state wherein the push button50is pressed may be reliably detected by the touch screen3.

In the touch screen-attached button device10, a function of transmitting an instruction of the user to the touch screen3through the pressing of the push button50and a function of elastically supporting the push button50are performed by the conductive elastomer60that is one component. Thus, a structure of the touch screen-attached button device10is simple, and thus the reliability of operation is improved, the possibility of failure such as malfunction is reduced, and product costs are reduced.

In the touch screen-attached button device10, the conductive elastomer60is fitted onto the inclined part16of the base11, and thus even when the liquid foreign substances penetrate into the touch screen-attached button device10, the liquid foreign substances do not remain therein, are easily discharged to the outside, and do not flow into the hollow12of the base11or the downward protrusion through-hole33. Thus, a problem that operation failures occur due to the penetration of the liquid foreign substances or an image viewed through the central part51of the push button50is blocked does not occur.

Since the electronic device1of embodiments of the present invention is provided with the touch screen-attached button device10that is fixedly adhered to the surface of the protective glass4without damaging the protective glass4of the touch screen3, assembly costs for installing the button device on the touch screen are reduced, and an assembly time therefor is shortened. Further, since the liquid foreign substances do not flow into the electronic device through a damaged part of the protective glass, internal contamination of the electronic device or malfunction resulting therefrom are prevented.