Patent Publication Number: US-2015062070-A1

Title: Active-type stylus pen

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This utility application claims priority to Taiwan Application Serial Number 102216467, filed Sep. 2, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a stylus pen used for inputting commands to a touch panel, and particularly to a power switch device of an active-type stylus pen. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     A stylus pen, also referred to as stylus, touch pen, touch screen pen or touch control pen, is used for precisely manipulating a small portable electronic device, such as smartphone, tablet personal computer (PC), and so on. 
     Stylus pens can be substantially classified into passive type and active type. The active-type stylus pen has a battery and a printed circuit board. The electric circuit generates electric signals, such as electric waves, electric currents or electric voltages. When a pen tip of the stylus pen touches the touch screen, the electric signals are received by the touch screen to accomplish the touch control performances. 
     When using a conventional active-type stylus pen, a user may unintentionally not push the stylus pen against the touch screen such that the front-end of the stylus pen is off the touch screen, resulting in an unwanted operation, and it causes problems in command input. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, to solve the aforesaid problems, an active-type stylus pen for manipulating a capacitive type touch screen is provided according to embodiments of the present invention. The stylus pen comprises an ON/OFF switch device, a main housing and a front-end means. The ON/OFF switch device is disposed in an end portion of the active-type stylus pen. A switch mechanism is accommodated within an axial inner space of the ON/OFF switch device. The switch mechanism is capable of selectively allowing the active-type stylus pen to be electrically-on or electrically-off. The main housing is of a sleeve shape and connected to the ON/OFF switch device. A first accommodation space is provided within the main housing for accommodating a battery. The front-end means comprises a housing connected to the main housing. A second accommodation space is provided within the housing along an axial direction for accommodating at least a pen-tip. The front-end means has an opening at a first end to allow the pen-tip to be exposed from the housing. The pen-tip receives the electric signal at a second end. The pen-tip may stably provide the electric signal when touching the touch screen. 
     The pen-tip may further comprise an electrically-conductive member and an electrically-conductive rubber. The electrically-conductive rubber covers the electrically-conductive member. The electrically-conductive member is in a rod shape and has a head portion and a neck portion, and a diameter of the neck portion is less than a diameter of the head portion. 
     According to another embodiment of the present invention, an active-type stylus pen for manipulating a capacitive type touch screen is provided. The stylus pen comprises a main housing, a printed circuit board, and a front-end means. The main housing is of a sleeve shape and connected to an ON/OFF switch device. A first accommodation space is provided within the main housing for accommodating a battery. The printed circuit board is for providing an electric signal. The front-end means comprises a housing connected to the main housing. A second accommodation space is provided within the housing along an axial direction for accommodating at least a pen-tip. The front-end means has an opening at a first end to allow the pen-tip to be exposed from the housing. The pen-tip receives the electric signal at a second end. The pen-tip may stably provide the electric signal when touching the touch screen. The ON/OFF switch device is disposed in an end portion of the active-type stylus pen. A switch mechanism is accommodated within an axial inner space of the ON/OFF switch device. The switch mechanism is capable of selectively allowing the active-type stylus pen to be electrically-on or electrically-off. The switch mechanism comprises a back/forth moving means. The back/forth moving means comprises a stator and a screw capable of moving forward or backward. An inclined groove is formed on the stator. A pillar is disposed on the screw. When the pillar is selectively located at the highest position of the inclined groove, the back/forth moving means is at a first dead point. 
     The advantage and spirit of the invention may be understood by the following recitations together with the appended drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE APPENDED DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematically sectional view illustrating a stylus pen according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematically sectional view illustrating a front-end means of a stylus pen according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3A  is a schematically sectional view illustrating an ON/OFF switch device of the stylus pen in a first status according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3B  is a schematically sectional view illustrating an ON/OFF switch device of the stylus pen in a second status according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , an active-type stylus pen for manipulating a capacitive type touch screen according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises an ON/OFF switch device  111 , a main housing  113 , a printed circuit board  28  and a front-end means  115 . The printed circuit board  28  may be disposed within the accommodation space of the main housing  113  or the front-end means  115 . 
     The ON/OFF switch device  111  is disposed in an end portion of the active-type stylus pen. An axial space is formed inside the ON/OFF switch device  111  and referred to as “axial inner space.” A switch mechanism is accommodated within the axial inner space. The switch mechanism is capable of selectively allowing the active-type stylus pen to be electrically-on or electrically-off. It is further described in detail in the description referring to  FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B . 
     The main housing  113  is of a sleeve shape and connected to ON/OFF switch device  111 . A first accommodation space is provided within the main housing  113  for accommodating a battery  12 , a first electrically-conductive spring  23  or the printed circuit board  28 . The battery  12  provides electricity to the printed circuit board  28  through the first electrically-conductive spring  23 . Relative electric circuit and LED light source  14  may be disposed on the printed circuit board  28 . The printed circuit board  28  is used for generating relative electric signals, such as electric waves, and selectively turning on the LED light source  14 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  or  FIG. 2 , the front-end means  115  comprises a housing  25  connected to the main housing  113 . A second accommodation space is provided within the housing  25  along an axial direction for accommodating at least a pen-tip  117  or the printed circuit board  28 . The front-end means  115  has an opening at an end to allow the pen-tip  117  to be exposed from the housing  25 . The pen-tip  117  receives the electric signals at another end. The pen-tip  117  may stably provide the electric signal when touching the touch screen. The pen-tip  117  may further comprise an electrically-conductive member  24  and an electrically-conductive rubber  22 . The electrically-conductive rubber  22  covers the electrically-conductive member. The electrically-conductive member  24  is in a rod shape and has a head portion and a neck portion. A diameter of the neck portion is less than a diameter of the head portion, as shown in  FIG. 2 , so as to reduce the magnitude of the signals generated from the neck portion and prevent the signals, such as electric waves, generated from the neck portion from being detected by the touch screen, such that unwanted operations can be prevented. 
     The pen-tip  117  further includes a shoulder portion. An end of the shoulder portion is against correspondingly an end of the electric circuit board  28 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     According to another embodiment, the housing  25  and the main housing  113  may be formed monolithically to be a single housing. This embodiment is also scoped by the present invention. 
     The stylus pen may further includes an electrically-conductive fabric  26  for covering the electrically-conductive rubber  22 , so as to provide stable and precise electric signals for operations. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , relative electric signals, such as electric wave signals, may go through the electrically-conductive rubber  22 , the electrically-conductive member  24  and/or the electrically-conductive fabric  26  and be emitted from the pen-tip  117 . If the electrically-conductive rubber  22  (or the electrically-conductive fabric  26 ) is touching screen when the signals are emitted, the signals can be detected by the electric circuit of the touch screen, so as to achieve the objective and the performance as a role of interface in the mobile electronic device. 
     According to the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 2 , the electric circuit board  28  is accommodated within accommodation space of the front-end means  115 . A shoulder portion of the electrically-conductive member  24  is against correspondingly an end of the electric circuit board  28  to receive signals. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the front-end means  115  may include a first electrically-conductive spring  23  accommodated within a second accommodation space. The first electrically-conductive spring  23  pushes against another end of the printed circuit board  28  and an electrode of the battery  12  respectively for transmitting the electric power from the battery  12  to the printed circuit board  28 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 1 , the ON/OFF switch device  111  includes a back/forth moving means  555 , a metal inner tube  30 , a plastic outer tube  38  and a plastic jacket  16 . The plastic jacket  16  is threaded and screwed into or onto the threaded stator  36  for connection. The back/forth moving means  555  includes a first electrically-conductive metal depressor  35 , a second electrically-conductive spring  33 , a second metal depressor  39 , a first metal support  361 , a second metal support  362 , a third electrically-conductive spring  31  and a screw  119  capable of moving forward or backward. 
     When a user rotates the plastic outer tube  38  to a certain position for connection, as shown in  FIG. 3A , the screw  119  moves forward, the pillar  333  is at the highest position of the inclined groove  222 , and the back/forth moving means  555  is at a first dead point, such that the first electrically-conductive metal depressor  35  push the battery  12 . Such situation as a whole is an electrically-on status and can be as illustrated by  FIG. 3A . The LED light source  14  may be turned on and the electrically-conductive rubber  22  will transmit the electric signals. Meantime, the third electrically-conductive spring  31  is in a relax status. 
     When a user rotates the plastic outer tube  38  to leave the connection position and to reach another certain position, as shown in  FIG. 3B , the screw  119  moves backward, the pillar  333  is at the lowest position of the inclined groove  222 , and the back/forth moving means  555  is at a second dead point, such that the first electrically-conductive metal depressor  35  does not contact the battery  12  to push it. Such situation as a whole is an electrically-off status. The LED light source  14  may be turned off and the electrically-conductive rubber  22  does not transmit electric signals. Meantime, the third electrically-conductive spring  31  is in a compression status. 
     According to an embodiment, the inclined groove  222  is formed on the stator  36 , and the pillar  333  is disposed on the screw  119 , as shown in  FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B . Alternatively, the inclined groove  222  may be formed on the screw  119  capable of moving forward or backward, and the pillar  333  is disposed on the stator  36 . It is also scoped by the present invention. 
     With the example and explanations above, the features and spirits of the invention will be hopefully well described. Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teaching of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.