Knob device for disposing on touch screen

A knob device for disposing on a touch screen, comprising a base provided with a plurality of recovery elastic components; and an operating cap disposed on the base. The operating cap have a rotation stroke and a pressing stroke, and is provided with a plurality of touch control pads, each of the pads has a working surface. The working surface of at least one of the touch control pads is not at a same height as the working surfaces of the other touch control pads. When the rotation stroke is performed, the working surfaces of some of the touch control pads contact the touch screen to activate a rotational touch control. When the pressing stroke is performed, the working surfaces of the touch control pads contact the touch screen jointly to activate a click and touch control.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a knob device, and more particularly to a knob device for disposing on a touch screen.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional touch monitors use virtual operation keys displayed on the panel to provide users with screen control. In order to enhance the user's real sense of operation, touch monitors are equipped with additional physical operation knobs. The physical operation knob is independently assembled on the touch surface of the touch monitor, there is no need to open an additional mounting hole on the panel, thereby maintaining the strength of the panel and reducing processing costs. At the same time, the disposing position of the physical operation knob on the panel can be adjusted based on requirements, which has the characteristics of flexible application. As disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 10,007,378B, TW I678662, U.S. Pat. Nos. 11,182,066B, 11,556,214B, TW 202009659 and TW 1689857.

Among the above disclosed patents, TW 202009659 and TW 1689857 further disclose that the operation knob can provide rotational touch control function and press click function. However, the touch control pads provided for the operation knobs of the above two patents must be set independently before leaving the factory, thus each of the touch control pads can independently perform corresponding control functions only after being configured on the touch monitor. However, the aforementioned setting method of the touch control pad has to coordinate with the structural design, resulting in a complicated mechanism, which is not conducive to implementation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A main object of the invention is to solve the problem of complicated setting mechanism of the conventional operation knob.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention provides a knob device for disposing on a touch screen, comprising a base and an operating cap disposed on the base, the base is provided with a plurality of recovery elastic components, the operating cap has a rotation stroke for rotating relative to the base, and a pressing stroke for pressing the recovery elastic components, the operating cap is provided with a plurality of touch control pads, each of the touch control pads comprises a working surface configured to contact the touch screen. The working surface of at least one of the touch control pads is not at a same height as the working surfaces of the remaining touch control pads. When the operating cap performs the rotation stroke, working surfaces of some of the touch control pads contact the touch screen to activate a rotational touch control of the knob device; when the operating cap performs the pressing stroke, the working surfaces of the plurality of touch control pads contact the touch screen jointly to activate a click and touch control of the knob device.

In one embodiment, the operating cap is provided with a bracket connected to the base, and the bracket is formed with a plurality of mounting holes provided for disposing the touch control pads therein.

In one embodiment, a quantity of the mounting holes is greater than a quantity of the touch control pads.

In one embodiment, at least one of the touch control pads is provided with at least one auxiliary return component located on a side away from the working surfaces.

In one embodiment, the base comprises a base plate connected to the recovery elastic components, and a bearing ring provided on the base plate and connected to the bracket, the base plate is provided with at least one assembly block, and the bearing ring is provided with at least one assembly slot coordinating with the at least one assembly block.

In one embodiment, the bearing ring is provided with a retaining wall for limiting an assembly position of the bracket.

In one embodiment, the knob device has an adhesive disposed on the base.

In one embodiment, the operating cap is provided with a tactile feedback component facing the base and for rotating relative to the base, the tactile feedback component is formed with a plurality of convex portions and a plurality of concave portions connected with one another alternately, and the base is provided with at least one column connected with at least one of the recovery elastic components and for contacting a surface of the tactile feedback component.

In one embodiment, the tactile feedback component has a plurality of notches facing the touch control pads.

Through the foregoing implementation of the invention, compared with the prior art, the invention has the following characteristics: the invention is provided with the touch control pads, and the working surface of at least one of the touch control pads is not at a same height as the working surfaces of the remaining touch control pads, when the operating cap performs the rotation stroke, some of the touch control pads contact the touch screen to activate a rotational touch control of the knob device; when the operating cap performs the pressing stroke, the touch control pads contact the touch screen jointly to activate a click and touch control of the knob device. Compared with the prior art, when implementing the knob device of the invention, it is not necessary to separately set the touch control pads, and a current operation of the knob device can be determined directly based on touch control of the touch control pads.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The detailed description and technical content of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Please refer toFIG.1,FIG.2,FIG.3,FIG.4,FIG.5, andFIG.6. The invention provides a knob device10. The knob device10is used on a touch screen30to perform touch control on the touch screen30. Touch control functions of the knob device10of the invention comprise rotational touch control and click and touch control. The rotational touch control here refers to selection of menu content displayed on the touch screen30after the knob device10is operated, similar to operating a mouse to slide a cursor; and the click and touch control selects menu content displayed on the touch screen30, similar to clicking a mouse button.

The knob device10comprises a base11and an operating cap12. The base11serves as a basic carrier of the knob device10to provide disposing of the operating cap12. The base11is distributed with a plurality of recovery elastic components111. The recovery elastic components111have elastic properties. The plurality of recovery elastic components111are capable of storing elastic acting force after being compressed, and releasing the stored elastic acting force when compression is released. The distributed manner referred to in this specification does not limit the recovery elastic components111being evenly distributed on the base11, but the recovery elastic components111are not concentrated at a same place on the base11, which is sufficient to support the operating cap12.

The operating cap12is used to operate the knob device10and is butted against by the recovery elastic components111. The operating cap12has a rotation stroke121and a pressing stroke122based on a user's operation. When the operating cap12performs the rotation stroke121, the operating cap12rotates relative to the base11. When the operating cap12performs the pressing stroke122, the operating cap12presses the recovery elastic components111and displaces relative to the base11.

The operating cap12is provided with a plurality of touch control pads123. Each of the plurality of touch control pads123comprises a working surface124. The working surface124is located on one side of each touch control pad123. When the knob device10is implemented in conjunction with the touch screen30, the working surfaces124of each touch control pad123face the touch screen30and are for contacting with the touch screen30. It should be understood that when the working surfaces124of the plurality of touch control pads123contact with the touch screen30, an electrical signal of the touch screen30will be changed, causing the touch screen30to generate corresponding control, such as selection operation or click operation. In addition, the working surfaces124of the plurality of touch control pads123are not at an equal height, and the working surface124of at least one of the touch control pads123and the working surfaces124of the remaining touch control pads123are not on a same horizontal plane. When the operating cap12performs the rotation stroke121, only the working surfaces124of some of the plurality of touch control pads123contact the touch screen30to achieve rotational touch control by the knob device10; when the operating cap12performs the pressing stroke122, the working surfaces124of all of the plurality of touch control pads123contact the touch screen30to achieve click and touch control by the knob device10. It should be noted that the invention does not limit a direction of the rotation stroke121. The operating cap12is for rotating relative to the base11based on an operation condition, and causing the knob device10to generate a corresponding rotational touch control.

For the implementation description of the knob device10, please refer toFIG.1,FIG.2,FIG.3,FIG.4,FIG.5, andFIG.6. It is assumed that the knob device10is not operated to perform the rotation stroke121or the pressing stroke122initially. At this time, the working surface124of at least one of the touch control pads123is not in contact with the touch screen30, and the working surfaces124of the remaining touch control pads123are in contact with the touch screen30, as shown inFIG.1,FIG.2,FIG.3, andFIG.5. Please refer toFIG.3, when the knob device10is operated and the operating cap12is caused to perform the rotation stroke121, the operating cap12does not press the recovery elastic components111, but only drives the touch control pads123to rotate, so that the positions of the working surfaces124on the touch screen30is changed. At this moment, the operating cap12contacts the touch screen30with the working surfaces124of some of the touch control pads123, and the touch screen30recognizes rotational touch control of the knob device20based on an electrical signal generated with the knob device20, thereby the touch screen30executes selection function.

Please refer toFIG.6, when the knob device10is exerted with a force to make the operating cap12perform the pressing stroke122, the operating cap12presses the recovery elastic components111, causing the working surfaces124of all of the plurality of touch control pads123to contact with the touch screen30. That is to say, the working surfaces124that are in contact with the touch screen30before the pressing stroke122is performed remain in contact with the touch screen30, and the working surfaces124that are not in contact with the touch screen30before the pressing stroke122is performed are pushed to contacting the touch screen30. In this way, the touch screen30recognizes click and touch control of the knob device20based on an electrical signal generated with the knob device20, and executes click function. When the knob device10is not exerted with a force, the operating cap12is butted against by the plurality of recovery elastic components111and returns, the operating cap12drives the plurality of touch control pads123to return, so that the working surface124of at least one of the touch control pads123returns to the position that does not contact with the touch screen30.

It can be known from the foregoing that, the knob device10of the invention determines operation of the knob device10through a height relationship between the working surfaces124of the plurality of touch control pads123. Further, when the knob device10is implemented in conjunction with the touch screen30, when the operating cap12performs the rotation stroke121, the working surfaces124of some of the touch control pads123contact the touch screen30to achieve rotational touch control of the knob device10; when the operating cap12performs the pressing stroke122, the working surfaces124of the touch control pads123jointly contact the touch screen30to achieve click and touch control of the knob device10. Compared with the prior art, the knob device10of the invention does not need to be designed independently for touch control functions of the touch control pads123, which can effectively reduce complicated setting and facilitate implementation of the knob device10.

Continuing with the above, please refer toFIG.1,FIG.2andFIG.5. In one embodiment, the operating cap12is provided with a bracket125. The bracket125connects with the base11and the touch control pads123. The bracket125is formed with a plurality of mounting holes126, and each of the plurality of mounting holes126is provided for mounting one of the plurality of touch control pads123. Please refer toFIG.7as well, in this embodiment, a quantity of the plurality of mounting holes126is greater than a quantity of the plurality of touch control pads123. Each of the plurality of touch control pads123can be optionally assembled with one of the plurality of mounting holes126based on requirements. The identification of the knob device10is performed by a polygonal shape jointly configured by some of the plurality of touch control pads123that contact with the touch screen30while the operating cap12does not perform the pressing stroke122. For example in one embodiment, a quantity of the touch control pads123that contact with the touch screen30while the operating cap12does not perform the pressing stroke122is three, and it is assumed that there are multiple knob devices10provided on one touch screen30, a computing component coordinating with the touch screen30identifies the multiple knob devices10based on different triangles configured by the touch control pads123provided on the knob devices10, thereby enabling the touch screen30to be capable of equipping with multiple knob devices10, and allowing the user to perform different touch controls on the touch screen30.

Furthermore, please refer toFIG.5andFIG.6. Since after the operating cap12performs the pressing stroke122, the working surfaces124of the plurality of touch control pads123change from unequal heights to equal heights, at least one of the touch control pads123required to be extended and retracted relative to the remaining touch control pads123. In one embodiment, at least one of the touch control pads123is provided with at least one auxiliary return component127. The auxiliary return component127is connected to the operating cap12and is located on a side of at least one of the touch control pads123away from the working surfaces124to assist return of at least one of the touch control pads123after extension and retraction. In this embodiment, the at least one auxiliary return component127is provided on the touch control pads123that already achieve touch control when the operating cap12does not perform the pressing stroke122.

Please refer toFIG.1andFIG.2again, the knob device10of the invention is capable of providing tactile feedback after being rotated. In one embodiment, the operating cap12is provided with a tactile feedback component128. The tactile feedback component128faces the base11and is configured to rotate relative to the base11as the operating cap12rotates. A plurality of convex portions129and a plurality of concave portions130are formed on the tactile feedback component128. The plurality of convex portions129and the plurality of concave portions130face the base11and are connected with one another alternately. The base11is provided with at least one column112. The at least one column112is connected to at least one of the recovery elastic components111and is butted against by at least one of the recovery elastic components111, thereby capable of contacting with a surface of the tactile feedback component128. When the tactile feedback component128rotates, the at least one column112changes a position of contacting the convex portions129and the concave portions130, thereby the operated knob device10is for providing tactile feedback to improve hand feel of operation.

In addition, the tactile feedback component128comprises a plurality of notches131, and the plurality of notches131are disposed facing the plurality of touch control pads123to facilitate at least one of the plurality of touch control pads123to extend and retract.

Please refer toFIG.5,FIG.6,FIG.7, andFIG.8, in order to facilitate disposing the knob device10on the touch screen30, in one embodiment of the invention, the knob device10comprises an adhesive13disposed on the base11. Further, the operating cap12has an inner ring edge132and an outer ring edge133. Based on requirements, the base11is disposed close to the inner ring edge132of the operating cap12or the base11is disposed close to the outer ring edge133of the operating cap12. With the base11disposed close to the outer ring edge133of the operating cap12, the knob device10is for providing a better dust-proof effect.

Continuing from above, please refer toFIG.1andFIG.2. The base11comprises a base plate113connected to the recovery elastic components111, and a bearing ring114provided on the base plate113. The base plate113and the bearing ring114are provided with at least one assembly block116and at least one assembly slot115respectively. The at least one assembly slot115coordinates with and assembles with the at least one assembly block116. In addition, the bearing ring114is connected to the bracket125. The bracket125can be disposed along an inner ring periphery or an outer ring periphery of the bearing ring114. The bearing ring114limits an assembly position of the bracket125. The bearing ring114is provided with a retaining wall117. The retaining wall117is located at an outer edge or an inner edge of the bearing ring114according to a disposed position of the bracket125. The retaining wall117is raised to limit a position of the bracket125.