Patent Publication Number: US-2016231845-A1

Title: Electronic apparatus and guide cover

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application relates to and claims priority rights from Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-021880, filed on Feb. 6, 2015, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Present Disclosure 
     The present disclosure relates to an electronic apparatus and a guide cover. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Recently, in an electronic apparatus, a touch panel is arranged on a display device such as a crystal liquid display, and used as an input device. On the basis of arranging a touch panel on a display device, an image of an operation unit such as soft key is displayed by the display device, and a user operation to the image of the operation unit is detected by the touch panel. 
     In an existent technique, when a touch-panel-type input device is equipped with a flat-plate-type guide plate that includes a guide hole, the guide hole is arranged at a position of a key displayed in the touch-panel-type input device. It aims at reducing misoperations to an adjacent key. 
     Recently, touch panels of multi-touch detection type are widely used. As methods for multi-touch detection, an electrostatic capacitive type and a resistive film type are mainly used. The electrostatic capacitive type detects variation of electrostatic capacity due to an approach of a fingertip. The resistive film type detects voltage when pressing two piled sheets of transparent electrodes. 
     In the aforementioned technique, the flat-plate-type guide plate is simply arranged on the touch panel, and therefore, if the touch panel is of an electrostatic capacitive type, then even though the guide plate is arranged, the misoperation arises due to detecting variation of the electrostatic capacity. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a display device; a touch panel of an electrostatic capacitive type on a screen of the display device; and a guide cover capable of being attached to the touch panel and detached from the touch panel. The guide cover includes a non-conductive substrate member having a thickness that a touch is not detected by the touch panel on the basis of variation of electrostatic capacity due to the touch; a protrusion part on a top surface of the substrate member; and a conductive member inside of the substrate member corresponding to the protrusion part on the top surface. 
     A guide cover according to an aspect of the present disclosure is capable of being attached to a touch panel and detached from the touch panel on a screen of a display device; and includes a non-conductive substrate member having a thickness that a touch is not detected by the touch panel on the basis of variation of electrostatic capacity due to the touch; a protrusion part on a top surface of the substrate member; and a conductive member inside of the substrate member corresponding to the protrusion part on the top surface. 
     These and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent upon reading of the following detailed description along with the accompanied drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a top view that indicates a guide cover in an electronic apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  shows a cross sectional view of the guide cover shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  shows a top view that indicates an operation panel in the electronic apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  shows a diagram that indicates a relation between a position of a protrusion part  21  of a guide cover  1  and a position of a soft key  121  displayed on a display device  111  in the electronic apparatus according to Embodiment 1; 
         FIG. 5  shows a top view that indicates a guide cover in an electronic apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 6  shows a cross sectional view of the guide cover shown in  FIG. 5 ; and 
         FIG. 7  shows a top view that indicates a guide cover in an electronic apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, embodiments according to an aspect of the present disclosure will be explained with reference to drawings. 
     Embodiment 1. 
       FIG. 1  shows a top view that indicates a guide cover in an electronic apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.  FIG. 2  shows a cross sectional view of the guide cover shown in  FIG. 1 . This electronic apparatus is, for example, an electronic apparatus equipped with a touch panel, such as an image forming apparatus. 
     The guide cover  1  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  is capable of being attached to and detached from a touch panel on a screen of a display device in the electronic apparatus according to Embodiment 1. 
     The guide cover  1  includes a substrate member  11 . The substrate member  11  is formed of non-conductive material such as silicone rubber and has a thickness that a touch of a finger or the like onto a top surface of the substrate member  11  is not detected by the touch panel in contact with a bottom surface of the substrate member  11  on the basis of variation of electrostatic capacity due to the touch. In addition, here, the substrate member  11  is formed of transparent material or translucent material. 
     The substrate member  11  has one or more protrusion parts  21  on a top surface thereof. 
     Further, a conductive member  22  is inside of the substrate member  11  corresponding to the protrusion part  21  on the top surface of the substrate member  11 . The conductive member  22  has a columnar shape. Here, the conductive member  22  is a metal member. The conductive member  22  may be a resin member that was kneaded with conductive material such as metal or carbon. 
     The size of the conductive member  22  is designed so that the touch panel can detect variation of electrostatic capacity due to a touch of a finger or the like onto the corresponding protrusion part  21 . 
     Specifically, a distance from a bottom surface of the substrate member  11  to a bottom surface of the conductive member  22  and a distance from a top surface of the substrate member  11  (i.e. a top surface of the corresponding protrusion part  21 ) to a top surface of the conductive member  22  are specified so that the touch panel can detect variation of electrostatic capacity due to a touch of a finger or the like onto the corresponding protrusion part  21 . 
     Therefore, a sum of a distance from a bottom surface of the substrate member  11  to a bottom surface of the conductive member  22  and a distance from a top surface of the substrate member  11  (i.e. a top surface of the corresponding protrusion part  21 ) to a top surface of the conductive member  22  is smaller than a thickness of the other part of the substrate member  11  than the one or more protrusion parts  21 . 
     The bottom surface of the conductive member  22  may be exposed from the bottom surface of the substrate member  11 . The top surface of the conductive member  22  may be exposed from the top surface of the substrate member  11  (i.e. the top surface of the corresponding protrusion part  21 ). 
     Further, the conductive member  22  is arranged inside of the substrate member  11  so as to locate the top surface of the conductive member  22  at a height position higher than the other part than the one or more protrusion parts  21  of the top surface of the substrate member  11 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a top view that indicates an operation panel in the electronic apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. 
     The operation panel  101  shown in  FIG. 3  is, for example, an operation panel of an image forming apparatus such as a multi function peripheral. 
     The operation panel  101  includes a display device  111  and a touch panel  112 . 
     The display device  111  is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and the touch panel  112  is a touch panel of an electrostatic capacitive type that has been arranged on a screen of the display device  111 . 
     The guide cover  1  has a width or a depth as same as a width or a depth of the display device  111  and the touch panel  112 . Here, the guide cover  1  has a width as same as a width of the display device  111  and the touch panel  112 . Therefore, the guide cover  1  is attached to the touch panel  112  so as to bring at least three sides of the substantially-rectangular guide cover  1  into contact with a frame surrounding the substantially-rectangular display device  111  and the substantially-rectangular touch panel  112 . Consequently, the protrusion part  21  is arranged at a predetermined position on the screen. 
     Further the electronic apparatus according to Embodiment 1 includes a controller that displays soft keys  121  and  122  on the display device  111 .  FIG. 4  shows a diagram that indicates a relation between a position of the protrusion part  21  of the guide cover  1  and a position of the soft key  121  displayed on the display device  111  in the electronic apparatus according to Embodiment 1. As shown in  FIG. 4 , when the guide cover  1  is attached to the touch panel  112 , the controller displays the soft key  121  at a position where the corresponding protrusion part  21  is arranged, and displays the soft key  122  at a position covered by a part where no protrusion parts  21  are arranged. 
     The following part explains a behavior of the electronic apparatus according to Embodiment 1. 
     For example, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the guide cover  1  is attached onto the touch panel  112  of the electronic apparatus and a soft key  121  is displayed on the display device  111  such as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     In this situation, if a user touches the protrusion part  21  of the guide cover  1  with his/her finger, then the electrostatic capacity of the touch panel  112  is significantly varied because the conductive member  22  intervenes. Consequently the variation of the electrostatic capacity due to this touch is detected by the touch panel  112 . Therefore, in this case, pressing the soft key  121  is detected. 
     Contrarily, even if a user touches another part of the substrate member  11  than the one or more protrusion parts  21  of the guide cover  1  with his/her finger, then the electrostatic capacity of the touch panel  112  is not substantially varied because the conductive member  22  does not intervene. Consequently the variation of the electrostatic capacity due to this touch is not detected by the touch panel  112 . Therefore, in this case, pressing the soft key  121  is not detected. 
     In particular, even if a user touches a position where the soft key  122  is displayed in another part than the protrusion part  21  of a top surface of the substrate member  11  of the guide cover  1 , the variation of the electrostatic capacity due to this touch is not detected by the touch panel  112 , and therefore pressing the soft key  122  is not detected because no conductive members  22  are arranged so as to correspond to the soft key  122 . Therefore, the guide cover  1  masks a soft key unnecessary for a user (e.g. visually impaired person) using this guide cover  1  to operate. Specifically, even if a user touches a position of the soft key  122  by mistake, the touch panel  112  does not detect the variation of the electrostatic capacity and consequently misoperation does not arise. 
     In the aforementioned Embodiment 1, the guide cover  1  includes (a) the non-conductive substrate member  11  having a thickness that a touch is not detected by the touch panel  112  on the basis of variation of electrostatic capacity due to the touch, (b) the protrusion part  21  on a top surface of the substrate member  11 , and the conductive member  22  inside of the substrate member  11  corresponding to the protrusion part  21  on the top surface. 
     Therefore, the protrusion part  21  guides a user&#39;s finger to the soft key  121  and the guide cover  1  prevents the user from pressing another soft key than the soft key  121  displayed at a horizontal position of the protrusion part  21  and the conductive member  22 , and consequently reduces misoperation to the electrostatic-capacitive-type touch panel  112 . 
     Embodiment 2. 
       FIG. 5  shows a top view that indicates a guide cover in an electronic apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure.  FIG. 6  shows a cross sectional view of the guide cover shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the guide cover  51  in Embodiment 2 includes a substrate member  61 , one or more protrusion parts  71  and one or more conductive members  72  as well as the substrate member  11 , the one or more protrusion parts  21  and the one or more conductive members  22  of Embodiment 1, respectively. 
     Further in Embodiment 2, the guide cover  51  includes (a) a recess part  73  on a bottom surface of the substrate member  61  corresponding to the protrusion part  71  on the top surface of the substrate member  61 , and (b) an elastic supporting part  74  having a ring and taper shape around the recess part  73 . The elastic supporting part  74  is a part of the substrate member  61  and has a shape of (a) a ring parallel to the bottom and top surfaces of the substrate member  61  and (b) a taper with a ring diameter that appears larger at a height position closer to the bottom surface. 
     Thus, the elastic supporting part  74  causes the protrusion part  71  to have a rubber dome structure. Therefore, if a user touches and presses down the protrusion part  71 , then the elastic supporting part  74  is elastically deformed, the protrusion part  71  and the conductive member are given force toward the bottom surface of the substrate member  61 , i.e. the touch panel  112 , and the bottom surface (i.e. the end side of the recess part  73  corresponding to the conductive member  72 ) of the substrate member  61  comes into contact with the touch panel  112 . Consequently, when a user touches and presses down the protrusion part  71 , then click feeling is provided to the user. 
     In a status that a user touches but does not press down the protrusion part  71 , in order to prevent the touch panel  112  from detecting this touch on the basis of the variation of the electrostatic capacity, the bottom surface of the conductive member  72  is spaced from the bottom surface of the substrate member  61  in the height direction. 
     When the bottom surface (i.e. the end side of the recess part  73 ) of the substrate member  61  comes close to or into contact with the touch panel  112 , the electrostatic capacity of the touch panel  112  is significantly varied because the conductive member  72  intervenes as well as Embodiment 1. Consequently this variation of the electrostatic capacity is detected by the touch panel  112 . Therefore, in this case, pressing the soft key  121  is detected. 
     Contrarily, even if a user touches another part of the substrate member  61  than the one or more protrusion parts  71  of the guide cover  51  with his/her finger, then the electrostatic capacity of the touch panel  112  is not substantially varied because the conductive member  72  does not intervene. Consequently this variation of the electrostatic capacity is not detected by the touch panel  112 . Therefore, in this case, pressing the soft keys  121  and  122  is not detected. 
     In the aforementioned Embodiment 2, the guide cover  51  includes (a) the recess part  73  on a bottom surface of the substrate member  61  corresponding to the protrusion part  71  on the top surface of the substrate member  61 , and (b) the elastic supporting part  74  having a ring and taper shape around the recess part  73 . 
     Therefore, when pressing down, click feeling is provided to the user with reducing misoperation to an electrostatic-capacitive-type touch panel. 
     Embodiment 3. 
       FIG. 7  shows a top view that indicates a guide cover in an electronic apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present disclosure. 
     In the guide cover  81  in Embodiment 3, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the electronic apparatus such as a smart phone or an image forming apparatus displays a software keyboard (QWERT keyboard) at a predetermined position on a screen, and protrusion parts  91  and conductive members  92  are arranged at positions corresponding to keys in the QWERT key layout of the software keyboard. It should be noted that a recess part and an elastic supporting part may be formed as well as Embodiment 2 for each set of the protrusion parts  91  and the conductive members  92 . 
     The description has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited. 
     For example, in the aforementioned Embodiment 1 or 2, on the top surface of the substrate member  11  or  61 , explanation in Braille of a soft key corresponding to each protrusion part  21  or  71  may be formed and displayed so as to associate the explanation in Braille with the protrusion part  21  or  71 . 
     It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present subject matter and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.