Patent Publication Number: US-2022216020-A1

Title: Electronic device and nob module thereof

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial No. 110200154, filed on Jan. 7, 2021. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of the specification. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to a knob module, and in particular, to an electronic device and a knob module thereof. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     With the development of technologies, users have increasingly high requirements for human interface device (HID). Compared with a key switch, a knob switch provides a user with more diverse operation manners and is especially advantageous in multi-option selection operations. 
     However, limited by a dial structure, a conventional knob switch cannot provide a light emitting function, resulting in inconvenient use in dim places. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The disclosure provides a knob module for an electronic device. The knob module includes a circuit board, a rotary encoder, a light guide structure, a plurality of light emitting units, and a rotation cover. The rotary encoder is disposed on the circuit board. The light guide structure is disposed on the circuit board. The light guide structure includes a light guide ring and an annular light guide wall. 
     The light guide ring surrounds the rotary encoder. The annular light guide wall extends downward from the light guide ring to abut against the circuit board. The plurality of light emitting units is disposed on the circuit board and located between the annular light guide wall and the rotary encoder for emitting light toward the annular light guide wall. The rotation cover is disposed on the rotary encoder. 
     The disclosure further provides an electronic device. The electronic device includes a working area, a keyboard module, a touchpad, and a knob module. The keyboard module and the touchpad are disposed on the working area. The knob module is disposed on the working area and is located between the keyboard module and the touchpad. The knob module includes a circuit board, a rotary encoder, a light guide structure, a plurality of light emitting units, and a rotation cover. 
     The rotary encoder is disposed on the circuit board. The light guide structure is disposed on the circuit board. The light guide structure includes a light guide ring and an annular light guide wall. The light guide ring surrounds the rotary encoder. The annular light guide wall extends downward from the light guide ring to abut against the circuit board. The plurality of light emitting units is disposed on the circuit board and located between the annular light guide wall and the rotary encoder for emitting light toward the annular light guide wall. The rotation cover is disposed on the rotary encoder. 
     By the knob module of the disclosure, light emitting elements (that is, the light guide structure and the light emitting units) are integrated into a knob in a limited space. In one aspect, a light emitting function is provided, thereby avoid the inconvenient use of a knob in dim places. In another aspect, the advantage of a small size of the knob module is beneficial to the integration of the knob module into a portable electronic device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an embodiment of a knob module according to the disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic front view of the knob module in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic top view of the knob module in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic cross-sectional view of the knob module in  FIG. 1  along A-A; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic exploded view of the knob module in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 6  shows an embodiment of an arrangement position of a knob module of the disclosure on an electronic device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     More detailed descriptions of the specific embodiments of the disclosure are provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The features and advantages of the disclosure are described more clearly according to the following description and claims. It is to be noted that all of the drawings are in very simplified forms and imprecise proportions, and is used only for assisting in conveniently and clearly explaining the objective of the embodiments of the disclosure. 
     The disclosure relates to a knob module. The knob module is configured to an electronic device. The electronic device is a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a screen, an external input device, a smartphone, a handheld game console, or the electronic products that alternatively controlled by a knob. 
       FIG. 1  is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an embodiment of a knob module according to the disclosure.  FIG. 2  is a schematic front view of the knob module in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3  is a schematic top view of the knob module in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 4  is a schematic cross-sectional view of the knob module in  FIG. 1  along A-A.  FIG. 5  is a schematic exploded view of the knob module in  FIG. 1 . 
     As shown in the figures, the knob module  100  includes a circuit board  110 , a rotary encoder  120 , a light guide structure  140 , a plurality of light emitting units  160 , and a rotation cover  180 . 
     The rotary encoder  120  is disposed on the circuit board  110 . In an embodiment, the rotary encoder  120  is a rotary encoder  120  including a pressing switch. That is, the rotary encoder  120  not only detects a rotation signal applied to the rotary encoder  120 , but also detects a pressing signal applied to the rotary encoder  120  and is able to function as a switch. 
     The light guide structure  140  is disposed on the circuit board  110 . The light guide structure  140  includes a light guide ring  142  and an annular light guide wall  144 . The light guide ring  142  surrounds the rotary encoder  120 . The annular light guide wall  144  extends downward from the light guide ring  142  to abut against the circuit board  110 . In an embodiment, an outer side surface of the annular light guide wall  144  is flush with an outer side surface of the light guide ring  142 , and an annular space A 1  is defined between the light guide ring  142  and the annular light guide wall  144 , to accommodate the light emitting units  160 . 
     In an embodiment, as shown in the figures, the light guide structure  140  further includes a plurality of fixing columns  146 . These fixing columns  146  are located on an outer side of the light guide ring  142  and are connected to the light guide ring  142 , for positioning the light guide ring  142  above the light emitting units  160 . 
     In an embodiment, as shown in the figures, upper edges of these fixing columns  146  slightly protrude from an upper surface of the light guide ring  142 . In an embodiment, these fixing columns  146  are fixed on the circuit board  110  through clamping, locking, or the like, so that the light guide structure  140  is fixed on the circuit board  110 . 
     The plurality of light emitting units  160  is disposed on the circuit board  110  and is disposed around the rotary encoder  120 . These light emitting units  160  are disposed between the annular light guide wall  144  and the rotary encoder  120 , and emit light toward the annular light guide wall  144 . In an embodiment, these light emitting units  160  are in the annular space A 1  defined by the light guide ring  142  and the annular light guide wall  144 . 
     In an embodiment, these light emitting units  160  are symmetrically distributed around the rotary encoder  120 , or arranged around the rotary encoder  120  at fixed intervals, to ensure the uniformity of illumination generated by the light guide ring  142 . In an embodiment, to improve the uniformity of light emitted upward from the light guide ring  142 , a light diffusion agent is added to the light guide structure  140 . In an embodiment, to improve the uniformity of light emitted upward from the light guide ring  142 , a rough surface is formed on a surface  144   a  of the annular light guide wall  144  facing the light emitting units  160 . 
     The rotation cover  180  is disposed on the rotary encoder  120  for a user to operate. In an embodiment, an inner side of the rotation cover  180  includes a support member  182 . The support member  182  is sleeved on a control member  122  of the rotary encoder  120 . 
     In an embodiment, as shown in the figures, the light guide ring  142  further includes at least one fixing member  148 , to fix a housing (not shown) on the light guide structure  140 . The housing is a casing of an electronic device. 
     In an embodiment, the rotary encoder  120  is a rotary encoder including a pressing switch. The control member  122  is not only for rotating to generate a rotation signal, but also for pressing to generate a pressing signal. In an embodiment, a minimum height (that is, a height when the rotary encoder  120  is pressed to the limit) of the rotary encoder  120  is greater than a height of the light guide structure  140 , so as to prevent the rotation cover  180  from colliding with the light guide structure  140  and ensure a pressing stroke of the rotary encoder  120 . 
     In an embodiment, a diameter of the rotation cover  180  is greater than an inner diameter of the light guide ring  142  and less than an outer diameter of the light guide ring  142 , so as to ensure that uniform annular light generated by the light emitting units  160  through the light guide ring  142  is projected outward from an outer edge of the rotation cover  180  to provide illumination. In an embodiment, the rotation cover  180  is made of a transparent material to improve the overall luminous brightness. 
     In an embodiment, the circuit board  110  includes a connector  112  to facilitate the installation and integration of an electronic system. The connector  112  is electrically connected to the rotary encoder  120  for transmitting a signal generated by the rotary encoder  120  to outside. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto. In an embodiment, the knob module  100  is alternatively integrated on a circuit board of another input device such as a circuit board of a keyboard module. 
       FIG. 6  shows an embodiment of an arrangement position of a knob module of the disclosure on an electronic device. In the figure, the disclosure is described by using a notebook computer as an example. 
     As shown in the figure, an electronic device  10  includes a main unit  12  and a screen  14 . The main unit  12  includes a working area  12   a . The working area  12   a  is a main operation region for the user to operate the electronic device  10 . 
     To meet use requirements, a keyboard module  20 , a touchpad  30 , and the knob module  100  of the disclosure are disposed on the working area  12   a  of the electronic device  10 . The keyboard module  20  is a mechanical keyboard, an electronic keyboard, or a virtual keyboard. The touchpad  30  is a capacitive touchpad, a resistive touchpad, or an optical touchpad. 
     In an embodiment, as shown in the figure, the knob module  100  is located between the keyboard module  20  and the touchpad  30 , which is convenient for the user to operate. In another embodiment, the knob module  100  is located on a left side of the touchpad  30 . 
     By the knob module  100  of the disclosure, the light guide structure and the light emitting units are integrated into a knob in a limited space. In one aspect, a light emitting function is provided, thereby avoids the inconvenient use of a knob in dim places. In another aspect, the advantage of a small size of the knob module is beneficial to the integration of the knob module into a portable electronic device. 
     The above is merely exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, and does not constitute any limitation on the disclosure. Any form of equivalent replacements or modifications to the technical means and technical content provided in the disclosure made by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the technical means of the disclosure still fall within the content of the technical means of the disclosure and the protection scope of the disclosure.