PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-8859920-B2
Application Number: US-201113280747-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Shim sleeve for pivoting buttons

Abstract:
A button assembly having a shim for a pivot button. One embodiment may take the form of a button assembly with a stem and a receiving portion pivotally coupled to the stem. The stem is positioned within an aperture of the receiving portion, with the aperture providing a gap between the receiving portion and the stem. A shim sleeve having non-uniform thickness is coupled over the stem and positioned between the receiving portion and the stem. The shim sleeve is configured to reduce the gap between the receiving portion and the stem.

Claims:
The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A button assembly, comprising:
 a stem; 
 a button body having a receiving portion pivotally coupled to the stem, wherein the stem is positioned within an aperture of the receiving portion, the aperture providing a gap between the receiving portion and the stem, wherein the button body is configured to pivot about the stem; and 
 a shim sleeve having a non-uniform thickness coupled over the stem and positioned between the receiving portion and the stem, the shim sleeve configured to reduce the gap between the receiving portion and the stem. 
 
     
     
       2. The button assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the shim sleeve is generally shaped like a cylinder with a portion of a sidewall of the cylinder cut-away. 
     
     
       3. The button assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the shim sleeve comprises a smooth and slippery material. 
     
     
       4. The button assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the shim sleeve comprises metal. 
     
     
       5. The button assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the shim sleeve comprises a top portion and a side portion, the top portion being thicker than the side portion. 
     
     
       6. The button assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the shim sleeve comprises a top portion and a side portion, the side portion being thicker than the top portion. 
     
     
       7. The button assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the stem extends perpendicularly from a base and the button assembly further comprising a plurality of switch elements located on the base adjacent to the stem. 
     
     
       8. The button assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the receiving portion is coupled to a plurality of buttons, the plurality of buttons associated with the plurality of switch elements. 
     
     
       9. The button assembly of  claim 7 , further comprising a gasket shimming a gap between the receiving portion and one of the plurality of switch elements. 
     
     
       10. The button assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pivoting body; 
 a base; and 
 a plurality of sensors on the base adjacent to the receiving portion, wherein the base comprises the receiving portion and the stem extends from a pivoting body. 
 
     
     
       11. The button assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving portion comprises two substantially parallel sidewalls and an arcuate upper portion. 
     
     
       12. An apparatus, comprising:
 a base; 
 a button having a shaft receiving portion and movably coupled to the base through a shaft and the shaft receiving portion, the shaft receiving portion defining an arcuate structure configured to receive at least a portion of the shaft, wherein the button is configured to pivot about the shaft; and 
 a shim coupled between the shaft and the shaft receiving portion, the shim having a first surface configured to engage the portion of the shaft and a second surface configured to engage at least a portion of the arcuate structure of the shaft receiving portion. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the shim pivots with the shaft receiving portion about the shaft. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the shim is generally spherically shaped and the button is configured to move in a plurality of axes. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the shim comprises a recess configured to allow the shim to be coupled between the shaft and the shaft receiving portion. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the base comprises the shaft and the button comprises the shaft receiving portion. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a sensor coupled to the button, the sensor configured to provide a signal indicative of movement of the button. 
 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the arcuate structure comprises two substantially parallel sidewalls and an arcuate upper portion.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present application generally relates to mechanical button assemblies and, more particularly, to a shim sleeve for pivot button assemblies. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The operation of a conventional push-type mechanical button generally entails a linear displacement of the button by force. The displacement of the button may actuate one or more sensors (e.g., a switch), which may in turn cause an electrical signal to be transmitted. Specifically, the linear motion of the force on the button is transferred linearly to a sensor. For example, when an “up” volume button is pushed on an electronic device such as a cell phone or a music player, the button may actuate a sensor that in turn transmits a signal to the device&#39;s processor in order to increase the volume for the device. 
     Pivot-type mechanical buttons are different from push-type mechanical buttons in that pivot-type mechanical buttons typically have a body that pivots about an axis, with one or more buttons coupled to the pivoting body. A force applied to a button of a pivot-type button&#39;s body, for example, may create a torque about the pivot point of the pivot body, which displaces the button to actuate a sensor, as opposed to transferring linear force to a sensor in push-type mechanical buttons. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments may take the form of shim sleeves for pivot buttons. For example, embodiment may take the form of a button assembly having a stem and a receiving portion pivotally coupled to the stem. The stem is positioned within an aperture of the body, with the aperture of the receiving portion providing a gap between the receiving portion and the stem. A shim sleeve having a non-uniform thickness is coupled over the stem and positioned between the receiving portion and the stem. The shim sleeve is configured to reduce the gap between the receiving portion and the stem. 
     Another embodiment may take the form of an apparatus with a base and a button movably coupled to the base through a shaft and a shaft receiving portion. The shaft receiving portion defines an arcuate structure configured to receive at least a portion of the shaft. A shim is coupled between the shaft and the shaft receiving portion and has first and second surfaces. The first surface of the shim is configured to engage the portion of the shaft. The second surface of the shim is configured to engage at least a portion of the arcuate structure of the shaft receiving portion. 
     In yet another embodiment, a method of manufacture may include positioning a pivoting body within a housing, with the pivoting body pivotally coupled to the housing through a shaft and a shaft receiving portion. The shaft receiving portion defines an arcuate structure configured to receive at least a portion of the shaft. After the pivoting body is positioned within the housing, a shimming sleeve is positioned between the shaft and the arcuate structure. The sleeve is configured to reduce a gap between the shaft and the shaft receiving portion. 
     While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following Detailed Description. As will be realized, the embodiments are capable of modifications in various aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  illustrates a device with an embodiment of a pivoting button assembly. 
         FIG. 1B  is a partial cross-sectional view of the pivoting button assembly of  FIG. 1A  taken along line  1 B- 1 B in  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1C  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a shim sleeve for a pivoting button assembly. 
         FIG. 1D  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a shim sleeve for a pivoting button assembly. 
         FIG. 2A  is a partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a pivoting button assembly. 
         FIG. 2B  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a shim sleeve for a pivoting button assembly. 
         FIG. 2C  is a partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a pivoting button assembly. 
         FIG. 2D  is a partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a pivoting button assembly. 
         FIG. 3A  illustrates a device with an embodiment of a pivoting button assembly. 
         FIG. 3B  is a partial cross-sectional view of the pivoting button assembly of  FIG. 3A  taken along line  3 B- 3 B in  FIG. 3A . 
         FIG. 4A  illustrates a device with an embodiment of a pivoting button assembly. 
         FIG. 4B  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a shim sleeve for a pivoting pivot button assembly. 
         FIG. 4C  is a bottom view of the shim sleeve of  FIG. 4B  viewed along line  4 C- 4 C in  FIG. 4B . 
         FIG. 4D  is a side view of the shim sleeve of  FIG. 4B  viewed along line  4 D- 4 D in  FIG. 4B . 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a device with an embodiment of a pivoting button assembly. 
         FIG. 6  is a flow chart illustrating a method of manufacturing a pivoting button assembly using a shim sleeve. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A shim sleeve is disclosed for use in a pivoting button assembly. In some embodiments, the shim sleeve is coupled between a receiving portion and a shaft in order to provide a better fit between the receiving portion and the shaft. The shim sleeve may be extruded, and may generally have an outer cross section of any of a number of different shapes including a circle, oval, square, triangle, and so forth. Also, an inner portion of the shim sleeve may be hollow in order to fit over the shaft. The outer cross section and the shape of the inner portion of the shim sleeve may generally correspond to the shape of the receiving portion and the shaft, respectively. 
     The shim sleeve may take up manufacturing and assembly tolerances and preload the pivoting button. The shim sleeve may also allow for convenient assembly of a device incorporating a shimmed pivoting button—for example towards the end of the manufacturing process. The button assembly that receives the shim sleeve may also be configured to allow the shim sleeve to be easily removed and/or replaced during prototyping or normal operation of the device in some embodiments. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1A , a device  10  with a pivoting button assembly  100  is illustrated. The pivoting button assembly  100  may include a plurality of buttons. For example, two buttons  102 ,  104  are illustrated in  FIG. 1A  which allow for user input to the device  10  and may correspond to particular functions of the device. For example, the buttons  102 ,  104  may provide volume control, up and down scrolling, zoom functionality, and so forth. The device  10  in  FIG. 1A  may be a cell phone, smart phone, media player or the like. In other embodiments, however, the device  10  may be a camera, a remote control for a television or other content device, a game controller with a four-way direction pad, a game controller with a multi-directional joystick, or any type of device with one or more pivoted buttons or other control elements. The two buttons  102 ,  104  illustrated in  FIG. 1A  may have opposite functions, for example volume up and volume down, or zoom in and zoom out. As such, the button assembly  100  may be a pivoting-type button assembly with a two-way pivoting body coupling the two buttons  102 ,  104  in a seesaw-like manner, with the pivot point being below the approximate middle of the two buttons  102 ,  104 . 
     As a result of the pivot point being below the approximate middle of the two buttons,  102 ,  104 , when the first button  102  is depressed, the pivoting button assembly  100  may rotate about the pivot point such that the portion of the two-way pivoting body coupled to the first button  102  is sloped down towards the direction of force on the first button  102  and the portion of the two-way pivoting body coupled to the second button  104  is consequently sloped up in the opposite direction of force on the first button  102 . Similarly, when the second button  104  is depressed, the pivoting button assembly  100  may rotate about the pivot point such that the portion of the two-way pivoting body coupled to the second button  104  is sloped down towards the direction of force on the second button  104  and the portion of the two-way pivoting body coupled to the first button  102  is consequently sloped up in the opposite direction of force on the second button  104 . This pivoting action between the two buttons  102 ,  104  may prevent a user from depressing both buttons  102 ,  104  at the same time. Further, the pivoting action may provide tactile feedback for a user depressing one of the two buttons  102 ,  104 . 
     A partial cross-sectional view of the button assembly  100  of  FIG. 1A  taken along line  1 B- 1 B of the device  10  is illustrated in  FIG. 1B . As illustrated, a two-way pivoting body  140  is positioned with the housing  110  of the device. The housing  110  may include an upper cover  112  and a (lower) base  114 . The upper cover  112  and the base  114  may generally be made from any suitable material including metal, plastic, wood, glass, and so forth. In one embodiment, the upper cover  112  and the base  114  may both be made of aluminum. As illustrated in  FIG. 1B , the base  114  may also include a stem  116 , a portion of which may be the pivot point for the pivoting button assembly  100 . The stem  116  may extend perpendicularly from the base  114  and may include a relatively narrow shaft and a generally round top. The stem  116  may be fixed with respect to the base  114  by, for example welding the stem  116  to the base  114 . In other embodiments, the stem is integrally a part of the base  114  in that the stem  116  may have been molded or formed with the base  114 . 
     One or more sensors  122 ,  124  (such as switching elements) may be coupled to the base  114 . The two sensors  122 ,  124  illustrated in  FIG. 1B  may correspond, for example, to a pair of volume control buttons, with a first sensor  122  corresponding with an “up” volume control and a second sensor  124  corresponding with a “down” volume control. The sensors may send respective electrical signals to a processor in response to the sensors being actuated by a mechanical force. 
     The two-way pivoting body  140  illustrated in  FIG. 1B  is positioned within the housing  110  of the device  10 , and coupled to the base  114  via the stem  116 . The two-way pivoting body  140  may include and/or be coupled to the two buttons  102 ,  104 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1B , the two buttons  102 ,  104  may integrally be part of the two-way pivoting body  140 , although in other embodiments the two buttons  102 ,  104  may be distinct from the two-way pivoting body  140  but glued, welded, or otherwise coupled to the two-way pivoting body  140 . The two-way pivoting body  140  may include a first portion  142  configured to engage the first sensor  122  and a second portion  144  configured to engage the second sensor  124 . 
     The two-way pivoting body  140  illustrated in  FIG. 1A  also includes an aperture such as a shaft receiving portion  146  near the middle of the two-way pivoting body  140  that is configured to be coupled with the stem  116 . The shaft receiving portion  146  may have two generally parallel sidewalls and an arcuate upper portion between the two generally parallel sidewalls. The shaft receiving portion  146  may generally be longer and wider than the stem  116 , but may not have as great of height as the stem  116  in some embodiments. The shaft receiving portion, however, may have a greater height than the generally round top of the stem  116  as illustrated in  FIG. 1B . As such, when the two-way pivoting body  140  is positioned within the housing  110 , an assembly gap may exist between the two-way pivoting body  140  and the stem  116  of the housing  110 . This assembly gap may allow for the two-way pivoting body  140  to be positioned within the housing  110  during manufacturing, but may be undesirable during operation of the two buttons  102 ,  104  because it may allow too much movement of the two-way pivoting body  140  (and therefore too much movement of the two buttons  102 ,  104 ) during operation. The two-way pivoting body  140  may include one or more access openings in order to allow a shim sleeve  150  to be inserted into the pivoting button assembly  100  during manufacturing, as described below in connection with  FIG. 6 . In other embodiments, however, the two-way pivoting body  140  may not include any access openings. 
     A shim sleeve  150  may be coupled between the shaft receiving portion  146  of the two-way pivoting body  140  and the stem  116 , as shown in  FIG. 1B . The shim sleeve may reduce the assembly gap between the two-way pivoting body  140  and the stem  116 . The shim sleeve may also reduce undesirable movement of the two-way pivoting body  140  within the housing, and may prevent the two-way pivoting body  140  and the stem  116  from wearing due to such movement. The shim sleeve  150  may also preload the two-way pivoting body  140  in order to adjust the ease with which the two-way pivoting body  140  can pivot around the stem  116 . In some embodiments, the shim sleeve  150  may pivot with the body  140  as the body pivots about the stem  116 . In other embodiments, however, the shim sleeve  150  may not pivot with the body  140 , but rather may stay substantially fixed on the stem  116 . 
     When a shim sleeve  150  is coupled between the two-way pivoting body  140  and the stem  116  (as described below), a gap  123  may be present between the first portion  142  of the two-way pivoting body  140  and the first sensor  122 . Similarly, a gap  125  may be present between the second portion  144  of the two-way pivoting body  140  and the second sensor  124 . The gaps  123 ,  125  may allow some movement of the buttons  102 ,  104  and/or the two-way pivoting body  140  before the sensors  122 ,  124  are actuated, which may prevent the sensors  122 ,  124  from being accidentally actuated, such as when a slight force is applied to the buttons  102 ,  104 . The gaps  123 ,  125  may also create or enhance a “click” noise and/or feel when a force is applied to the buttons  102 ,  104 . 
     A perspective view of an embodiment of a shim sleeve  150  is illustrated in  FIG. 1C  and a perspective view of another embodiment of a shim sleeve  150 ′ is illustrated in  1 D. The shim sleeve  150  illustrated in  FIG. 1C  is generally shaped like a cylinder with a portion of the sidewall of the cylinder cut-away. For example, between 15 and 35 percent of the sidewall may be cut-away in some embodiments, while other embodiments may include a larger or smaller cut-away portion. In other words, the shim sleeve  150  illustrated in  FIG. 1C  is generally shaped like a split bushing with the split or cut in the bushing extending between approximately 60 and 120 degrees along the sidewall of the split bushing. The shim sleeve  150  may include a top portion  152 , a left side portion  154 , and a right side portion  156 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 1C and 1D , the shim sleeve  150 ,  150 ′ may be eccentrically shaped in some embodiments. For example, the left and right side portions  154 ,  156  may be thicker than the top portion  152  of the shim sleeve  150 , as shown in  FIG. 1C . 
     In  FIG. 1D , however, the top portion  152  is generally thicker than the left and right side portions  154 ,  156 . In other embodiments, the left side portion  152  and/or the right side portion  154  may be thicker than each other and/or than the top portion  152 ; in general, the top, left, and right side portions  152 ,  154 ,  156  of the sidewall of the shim sleeve  150  may be of any thickness. The top, left, and right side portions  152 ,  154 ,  156  may also in some embodiments have a substantially uniform thickness, thereby creating a cylinder with a substantially uniform radius. The thickness of the top, left, and right side portions  152 ,  154 ,  156  may in some embodiments depend on the assembly gap between the two-way pivoting body  140  and the stem  116 . As the shim sleeve  150  may be installed after the assembly of the button assembly, the dimensions of the shim sleeve may be customized to achieve a desired fit. 
     Returning to the shim sleeve  150  illustrated in  FIG. 1C , the shim sleeve may include an inner surface  158  and an outer surface  159 . The inner surface  158  may be shaped and configured to engage at least a portion of the stem  116 , and the outer surface  159  may be shaped and configured to engage at least a portion of the aperture or shaft receiving portion  146  of the two-way pivoting body  140 . Furthermore, the inner surface  158  may at least partially enclose a recess. As described above, in the two-way pivoting body  140  illustrated in  FIG. 1B , the shaft receiving portion  146  includes two generally parallel sidewalls and an arcuate upper portion. Accordingly, the outer surface  159  of the shim sleeve  150  may be generally cylindrical as illustrated in  FIGS. 1C and 1D . Furthermore, the stem  116  illustrated in  FIG. 1B  includes a shaft and a generally round top, and accordingly, the inner surface  158  of the shim sleeve  150  may be generally cylindrical as also illustrated in  FIGS. 1C and 1D . The generally cylindrical or arcuate inner and outer surfaces  158 ,  159  may be extruded along the length of the shim sleeve, thereby forming a generally cylindrical shape. In general, the stem  116  and the shaft receiving portion  146  may take any form, in which case the first and second surfaces  158 ,  159  of the shim sleeve  150  may be properly adjusted to engage at least a portion of the stem  116  and at least a portion of the shaft receiving portion  146 , respectively. The shim sleeve  150  may be adjusted, for example, to adjust the vertical position of the receiving portion  146  with respect to the stem  116 . 
     Returning to  FIG. 1D  the shim sleeve  150 ′ illustrated there includes an inner surface  158  that is somewhat similar to the inner surface  158  of the shim sleeve  150  illustrated in  FIG. 1C  because, for example, the stem  116  to which the shim sleeves  150 ,  150 ′ in  FIGS. 1C and 1D  may be coupled may be somewhat similar. The shim sleeve  150 ′ in  FIG. 1D , however, includes a modified second surface  159  as compared with the shim sleeve  150  in  FIG. 1C . The second surface  159  of the shim sleeve  150 ′ in  FIG. 1D  may have been modified because, for example, the shaft receiving portion of the two-way pivoting body to which the shim sleeve  150 ′ in  FIG. 1D  is to be coupled is different than the shaft receiving portion to which the shim sleeve  150  is to be coupled. For example, the shaft receiving portion of the two-way pivoting body to which the shim sleeve  150 ′ in  FIG. 1D  is to be coupled may include two generally parallel sidewalls and an arcuate upper portion, but the generally parallel sidewalls may have a greater height than the generally parallel sidewalls of the receiving portion for the shim sleeve  150  in  FIG. 1C . The modified outer surface  159  of the shim sleeve  150 ′ illustrated in  FIG. 1D  may allow the two-way pivoting body to rest at the same height as the two-way pivoting body for the shim sleeve  150  of  FIG. 1C  because of the modified outer surface  159  of the shim sleeve  150 ′. In general, the inner and outer surfaces  158 ,  159  may be modified to adjust the vertical and/or horizontal position of the two-way pivoting body  140  in relation to the stem  116 , the base  114 , and/or the upper cover  112  of the housing  110  in a device  10 . 
     The inner and outer surfaces  158 ,  159  of the shim sleeve  150  may in some embodiments be adjustable. For example, during prototyping or even during use of a pivoting button assembly, various sizes of a shim sleeve may be used and/or the inner and/or outer surfaces of a single shim sleeve may be adjusted. Various inner and/or outer surfaces of a shim sleeve may be used, for example, to adjust the preload on a pivoting button assembly, or to adjust for worn-down tools and molds, or to adjust for a worn stem or shaft receiving portion. In other embodiments, however, the shim sleeve  150  may not be adjustable. For example, a shim sleeve  150  may not be adjustable after it is coupled between a housing and a two-way pivoting body, and an access area for the shim sleeve  150  is sealed. 
     The shim sleeves  150 ,  150  illustrated in  FIGS. 1C and 1D  may in some embodiments be made of a smooth and slippery material, and may in some embodiments even be self-lubricating. For example, the shim sleeves may be made, at least in part, of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Teflon®, brass, metalized graphite, engineering grade plastic, other materials commonly used for bearings, or other types of metal, plastic, etc., or any combination of the foregoing. In one example embodiment, the shim sleeve  150  is made from an acetal resin, such as DELRIN®. A smooth and slippery material may help reduce the friction between the two-way pivoting body  140  and the shim sleeve  150 , as well as help reduce the friction between the stem  116  and the shim sleeve  150 . Other embodiments of shim sleeves  150 , however, may be made at least in part by non-lubricious materials. 
       FIGS. 2A through 2D  illustrate various additional embodiments of a pivoting button assembly  200  and shim sleeve  250  that may be different from the pivoting button assembly  100  and the shim sleeve  150  in  FIGS. 1C and 1D . In  FIG. 2A , for example, a partial cross-section of a pivoting button assembly  200  is illustrated with a generally square shaped shaft receiving portion  246 . The two-way pivoting body  240  in  FIG. 2A  also includes slightly tapered walls of the shaft receiving portion  246  in order to, for example, prevent the shaft receiving portion from contacting the base  214  of the housing  210 . The shim sleeve  250  illustrated in  FIG. 2B  (which may in some aspects be similar to the shim sleeves  150 ,  150 ′ illustrated in  FIGS. 1C and 1D ) may be used to shim the two-way pivoting body  240  in  FIG. 2A . The shim sleeve  250  may include an inner surface  258  similar to the inner surface  158  of the shim sleeve  150  illustrated in  FIG. 1C . The outer surface  259  of the shim sleeve  250 , however, may be substantially different than the outer surface  159  of the shim sleeve  150  in  FIG. 1C  in order for the shim sleeve to fill the assembly gap between the square shaped receiving portion  246  and the stem  216 . The inner and outer surfaces  258 ,  259  may be configured such that that shim sleeve  250  is generally an extruded square shape with a center cylinder portion cut-away. 
     As with the shim sleeves  150 ,  150 ′ in  FIGS. 1C and 1D , the shim sleeve  250  in  FIG. 2B  may include a top portion  252 , a left side portion  254 , and a right side portion  256 , and these top, left side, and right side portions  252 ,  254 ,  256  may be similar in thickness, or may be different thicknesses, as described. In the embodiment of  FIG. 2B , the shim sleeve may pivot with the body  240 , rather than remaining fixed on the stem. 
     In  FIG. 2C , a partial cross-section of a pivoting button assembly  200  is illustrated, similar to the pivoting button assembly  100  in  FIG. 1B  and the pivoting button assembly  200  in  FIG. 2A , except that two-way pivoting body  240  includes a stem  246  and the base  214  includes a shaft receiving portion  216  (as opposed to, in  FIG. 1B  for example, the two-way pivoting body  140  including the shaft receiving portion  146  and the base  114  including the stem  116 ). In other words, rather than the pivot point being fixed on the base  114  in  FIG. 1B , the pivot point in  FIG. 2C  is on the two-way pivoting body  240 . 
     In  FIG. 2D , a partial cross-section of a pivoting button assembly  200  is illustrated that includes a plurality of gaskets  270 . The gaskets  270  may be compressible, and may be shaped similar to conventional shims for conventional push-type mechanical buttons (e.g., a flat disk shape). The gaskets  270  may at least partially fill the gaps  223 ,  225 , and may provide a smoother movement and release of the two-way pivoting body  240 . The gaskets  270  may also help the body  240  to fit better within the housing  210 . 
     In addition to the various embodiments illustrated in  FIGS. 1B through 2D , still other embodiments of a pivoting button assembly and/or shim sleeve are possible. For example, a shim sleeve may include additional features or elements not shown in  FIGS. 1B through 2D , some of which are described below. As another example, the shim sleeve may include one or more grooves or other alignment mechanisms that may correspond to one or more grooves or other alignment mechanisms on the stem and/or on any part of the housing or other part of the pivoting button assembly. Also, the shim sleeve may be solid or hollow. 
       FIG. 3A  illustrates a device  30  with an embodiment of a pivoting button assembly  300 . The pivoting button assembly  300  in  FIG. 3A  may be similar to the pivoting button assembly  100  in  FIG. 1A , except that the buttons  302  and  304  are joined together above the upper cover of the housing in  FIG. 3A . The partial cross-section view in  FIG. 3B  illustrates that the two-way pivoting body  340  couples the two buttons  302 ,  304 , but rather than the coupling link between the two buttons  302 ,  304  being beneath the upper cover  312  of the housing  310 , the coupling link between the two buttons  302 ,  304  in  FIGS. 3A and 3B  is made visible to a user above the upper cover  312  of the housing  310 . This increased visibility may indicate to a user that the buttons  302 ,  304  are pivotally coupled to one another. 
       FIG. 4A  illustrates a device  40  with an embodiment of a pivoting button assembly  400 . The pivoting button assembly  400  differs from the button assemblies  100 ,  200 ,  300  illustrated in  FIGS. 1A through 3B  in that the pivoting button assembly  400  in  FIG. 4A  is configured to move in a plurality of axes, as opposed to the single axis of movement allowed in the button assemblies  100 ,  200 ,  300  in  FIGS. 1A through 3B . The pivoting button assembly  400  in  FIG. 4A  is configured to move in four directions (up, down, left, and right, for example) via four buttons coupled to a four-way pivoting body, and may be a four-way navigation device to navigate, for example, through menus or through a video game. The device  40  may be a remote control, a game controller, a personal electronic device, or any other device. Also, the four-way pivoting body of the pivoting button assembly  400  may include a first and second portion (similar to the first and second portions  142 ,  144  of the two-way pivoting body  140  illustrated in  FIG. 1B ), but may also include a third and fourth portion. The first, second, third, and fourth portions may be configured to actuate one or more sensors, for example four sensors in one embodiment. One or more of the first, second, third, and fourth portions may include an access opening through which the shim sleeve  450  may be installed, as described below in connection with  FIG. 6 . 
     An embodiment of a shim sleeve  450  for use in the pivoting button assembly  400  of  FIG. 4A  is illustrated in  FIGS. 4B through 4D . The shim sleeve  450  may be generally spherically shaped, and may comprise a top portion  452 , a left side portion  454 , a right side portion  456 , an inner surface  458 , and an outer surface  459 . As with the shim sleeve  150 ,  150 ′ in  FIGS. 1C and 1D  as described above, the top portion  452 , the left side portion  454 , and the right side portion  456  may be similar in thickness, or may be eccentric and have different thicknesses. The inner surface  458  of the shim sleeve  450  may be configured to engage a stem similar to the stem  116  illustrated in  FIG. 1B . The outer surface  459 , however, may be configured to engage a receiving portion of a four-way pivoting body. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a device  50  with an embodiment of a pivoting button assembly  500 . The pivoting button assembly  500  may be similar to the pivoting button assembly  400  in  FIG. 4A , except that the pivoting button assembly  500  may be a continuous navigation pad (e.g., not limited to only four directions). The pivoting button assembly  500  may, similar to the pivoting button assembly  400 , include a multi-axis pivoting body and a shim sleeve. The shim sleeve in the pivoting button assembly  500  may be similar to the shim sleeve  450  illustrated in  FIG. 4B  in some embodiments. The sensor(s) in the pivoting button assembly  500 , however, may be different in that there may be four or even more sensors. For example, in some embodiments, the pivoting button assembly  500  may include eight sensors. In other embodiments, the pivoting button assembly  500  may include a single cylindrical-shaped sensor with multi-sensing capabilities. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a flow chart illustrating a method  600  for manufacturing a pivoting button assembly, such as the pivoting button assembly  100  in  FIG. 1A  and or the button assemblies  200 ,  300 ,  400 ,  500  in  FIGS. 2A through 5 . In a first step  602 , a shaft may be installed. In a second step  604 , a pivoting body may be positioned within the housing, with the pivoting body being coupled to the housing through the shaft and a shaft receiving portion, the shaft receiving portion defining an arcuate structure configured to receive at least a portion of the shaft. For example, for the pivoting button assembly  100  in  FIG. 1B , the pivoting body may include the two-way pivoting body  140  and the two buttons  102 ,  104 . The two-way pivoting body  140  may include the shaft receiving portion  146 , which may be coupled to the shaft  116  in  FIG. 1B . 
     After the pivoting body is positioned within the housing, in a third step  606 , the size and shape for a shim sleeve may be determined, as described in detail above. In a fourth step  608 , the shaft may be shimmed with the sleeve positioned between the shaft and the arcuate structure, and the sleeve configured to reduce the gap between the shaft and the shaft receiving portion. For the pivoting button assembly illustrated in  FIG. 1B , if the two-way pivoting body has at least one access opening, the shim sleeve  150  may be slid over the stem  116  from the side after the two-way pivoting body  140  (and its buttons  102 ,  104 ) are already positioned within the housing  110 . This arrangement may allow the sleeve to be added relatively late in the manufacturing process of a device, and may also allow the sleeve to be removed and/or replaced without removing the two-way pivoting body  140  from the housing  110 . As mentioned above, the shim sleeve  450  of the pivoting button assembly  400  may similarly be inserted into the pivoting button assembly  400  in accordance with the method of manufacture described in  FIG. 6 . Also, the shim sleeves  250 ,  350  in  FIGS. 2A through 3B  may similarly be inserted into the respective button assemblies  200 ,  300  in accordance with the method of manufacture described in  FIG. 6 . 
     In a fifth step  610 , a gasket may be added between the pivoting body and at least one switch. In a sixth step  612 , the access opening through which the shim sleeve was inserted may be sealed. Other steps in addition to or in place of the foregoing steps may also be used in during the manufacturing of the pivoting button assembly. 
     Although the foregoing discussion has presented specific embodiments, persons skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments. Accordingly, the specific embodiments described herein should be understood as examples and not limiting the scope thereof. For example, the pivot button assemblies described may be incorporated into keyboards, trackpads, portable mobile devices like tablets and phones and so on.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20111025
Publication Date: 20141014
Grant Date: 20141014
Priority Date: 20111025
Inventors: MANULLANG TYSON
DABOV TEODOR
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H05K5/0017", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G05G1/04", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H13/705", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H2221/016", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0234", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H2223/04", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0234", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0234", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G05G1/04", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H13/705", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H2221/016", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H2223/04", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/49826", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T74/20396", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/49826", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T74/20396", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G05G1/04", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H13/705", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K5/0017", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H2221/016", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H2223/04", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 48134871