U.S. Pat. No. 10,780,343

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the applications and uses disclosed herein. Further, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background or summary or the following detailed description.

With reference toFIG. 1, a game controller100is shown. The game controller100includes a body10, a shell20is removably mounted on the body10.

The body10has a main portion101and a hand portion102extending from two sides of the main portion101. The main portion101comprises a plurality of actuating modules which connect a circuit module inside the game controller100. The actuating modules comprise an action button module11, a thumb stick module12, a first actuating module13and a second actuating module14. The action button module11and the thumb stick module12are fixed in the main portion101of the game controller100. The first actuating module13and the second actuating module14are capable of dismounting from the main portion101of the game controller100. A socket17is arranged on the main portion101which are provided a mounting location for the first actuating module13and the second actuating module14. The first actuating module13and the second actuating module14can be removably mounted in the socket17and fixed by a combination of a fixed frame15and a plurality of fastening members16.

The shell20comprises a plurality of apertures21, each location of the apertures21is corresponded to a location of the action button module11, a location of the thumb stick module12, a location of the first actuating module13and a location of the second actuating module14respectively. Specifically, a portion of the first actuating module13and a portion of the second actuating module14pass through the apertures21when the shell20is mounted on the body10.

In some embodiment, those fixed actuating modules in the main portion101of the game controller100are not limited to be the action button module11or the thumb stick module12, it would be a directional gamepad module or a same type of the actuating module.

In some embodiment, the first actuating module13and the second actuating module14would be configured to different actuating functions such as, e.g. but not limited to an action button, a directional gamepad, a thumb stick or the same type of the actuating functions. In the embodiment of the present invention, the first actuating module13is a thumb stick module, the second actuating module14is a directional gamepad module.

Referring toFIG. 2toFIG. 3, The first actuating module13has a first base body131, a first operating portion132forming from the first base body131thereon and a first connecting area133forming on a bottom of the first base body131.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the first base body131is a pentagon prism. One of lateral sides of the first base body131is defined as a first positioning side1311, the first positioning side1311is configured to position easily into the socket17for mounting a correct location. Specifically, the first positioning side1311faces toward a middle of the socket17when the first actuating module13is mounted in the socket17. The first base body131has a first positioning seat1312which is arranged at an opposite side of the first positioning side1311, wherein the first positioning seat1312has an inner screw thread.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the first operating portion132is a thumb stick module, the thumb stick module forms on the first base body131and a circuit module is arranged inside the thumb stick module. The circuit module electrically connects the first connecting area133forming on a bottom of the first base body131, wherein the first connecting area133comprises a plurality of first pins1331and a plurality of first welding points1332of the circuit module. When the first actuating module13is mounted in the socket17, a user can control the first operating portion132and a plurality of electric signals are passed to the first pins1331through the circuit module, and then the first pins1331electrically connect a contacting area1711(shown inFIG. 5) of the socket17to pass the user's instructions for the game controller100.

The second actuating module14has a second base body141, a second operating portion142forming from the second base body141thereon and a second connecting area143forming on a bottom of the second base body141. In the embodiment of the present invention, the second base body141is a pentagon prism. One of lateral sides of the second base body141is defined as a second positioning side1411, the second positioning side1411is configured to position easily into the socket17for mounting a correct location. Specifically, the second positioning side1411faces toward the middle of the socket17when the second actuating module14is mounted in the socket17. The second base body141has a second positioning seat1412which is arranged at an opposite side of the second positioning side1411, wherein the second positioning seat1412has an inner screw thread.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the second operating portion142is a directional gamepad module, the directional gamepad module forms on the second base body141and a circuit module is arranged inside the directional gamepad module. The circuit module electrically connects the second connecting area143forming on a bottom of the second base body141, wherein the second connecting area143comprises a plurality of second pins1431. When the second actuating module14is mounted in the socket17, the user can control the second operating portion142and a plurality of electric signals are passed to the second pins1431through the circuit module, and then the second pins1431electrically connect the contacting area1711of the socket17to pass the user's instructions for the game controller100.

The fixed frame15comprises two main bases151which are integrally formed, two first positioning holes152are arranged between the main bases151, two second positioning holes153are arranged at opposite sides of the fixed frame15respectively. Each main base151has an opening1511for receiving the first operating portion132of the first actuating module13or the second operating portion142of the second actuating module14.

In some embodiment, the main bases151are separated to form two fixed frames15, each fixed frame15has a first positioning hole152, a second positioning hole153and an opening1511.

Specifically, the first operating portion132of the first actuating module13passes through the opening1511and the first base body131of the first actuating module13is restricted in the opening1511. The second operating portion142of the second actuating module14passes through the opening1511and the second base body141of the second actuating module14is restricted in the opening1511. Therefore, a shape of the opening1511corresponds with a shape of the operation portion, for example, in the embodiment of the present invention, the first operating portion132is the thumb stick module and thus the opening is a circle shape, the second operating portion142is the directional gamepad module and thus the opening is a cross shape. In some embodiments, if the operation portion is the action button module, the opening1511is formed as a plurality of apertures.

Specifically, the first positioning holes152are arranged at two sides of a middle between two main bases151. In some embodiments, the middle between the main bases151only arranges one first positioning hole152. In some embodiments, when the main bases151are separated, each of the first positioning hole152of the fixed frame15is arranged at one side of a middle between the two fixed frames15.

Specifically, each of the opposite sides of the fixed frame15is arranged the second positioning hole153. When the fixed frame15is mounted on the first actuating module13and the second actuating module14, one of the second positioning holes153is corresponded to the first positioning seat1312and the other of the second positioning hole153is corresponded to the second positioning seat1412.

Referring toFIG. 1toFIG. 2. The fastening members16comprise a pair of first fastening members161and a pair of second fastening members162. The first fastening members161are configured to pass the first positioning holes152, the second fastening members162are configured to pass the second positioning holes153. In the embodiment of the present invention, each the fastening member16is a screw, the first positioning holes152and the second positioning holes153have the inner screw thread.

Referring toFIG. 4toFIG. 5. The game controller100comprises the socket17which formed in the body10. The socket17is a recess which is configured to accommodate the two actuating modules. The socket17comprises a bottom side171, a lateral side172extending upward from the bottom side171and two fastening receptors173arranging in the bottom side171.

The bottom side171comprises two contacting areas1711, each contacting area1711is configured to a plurality of pogo pins with the same layout. When the first actuating module13and the second actuating module14are arranged in the socket17, the first pins1331of the first actuating module13electrically connect to the pogo pins of one of the contacting areas1711, and the second pins1431of the second actuating module14electrically connect to the pogo pins of the other of the contacting areas1711.

The lateral side172comprises a plurality of position portions1721, each position portion1721is an inward concave structure on the lateral side172. When the fixed frame15mounts on the socket17, the position portions1721are configured to match to a peripheral side of the fixed frame15.

The two fastening receptors173are arranged in the middle of the socket17, and the fastening receptors173divide the socket17into two symmetric parts of the socket17. Specifically, the two fastening receptors173are arranged respectively at two sides of the middle of socket17. When the fixed frame15mounts on the socket17, a location of each of the fastening receptors173is configured to match to a location of each of the first positioning holes152of the fixed frame15. Each fastening receptor173has an inner screw thread.

Referring toFIG. 1,FIG. 2andFIG. 6. when the user assembles the first actuating module13and the second actuating module14into the socket17, the user detaches the shell20from the main portion101first, and then the user takes the first actuating module13and the second actuating module14into the socket17, wherein the first positioning side1311of the first actuating module13faces toward the middle of the socket17, and the second positioning side1411of the second actuating module14faces toward the middle of the socket17as well. Specifically, the first positioning side1311of the first actuating module13and the second positioning side1411of the second actuating module14face each other. Then the fixed frame15is mounted on the first actuating module13and the second actuating module14by the fastening members16. Specifically, each the first fastening member161passes each the first positioning hole152and fastens in each the fastening receptor173, one of the second fastening members162passes one of the second positioning holes153and fastens in the first positioning seat1312, the other of the second fastening members162passes the other of the second positioning holes153and fastens in the second positioning seat1412. Finally, the shell20is assembled on the main portion101again.

As described above, the present invention provides the game controller100that the user can choose the location of the first actuating module13and the location of the second actuating module14according to user's preference, and the combination of the fixed frame15and the fastening members16is able to fix stably the first actuating module13and the second actuating module14in the game controller100.