U.S. Pat. No. 8,961,311

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference toFIG. 1,FIG. 2andFIG. 3, a button structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is used in a game controller100with a circuit board90horizontally disposed therein. The button structure includes a button body10, a base frame20, a sliding part40, a drive part50and a rotating part60, wherein there are electronic components (not shown) fixed to the rotating part60and away from a rotation axis62of the rotating part60, and the electronic components can electrically connect with and disconnect from the circuit board90by virtue of the rotation of the rotating part60.

The button body10is assembled in a front face of the game controller100and shows a cover shape with a middle portion being arched forward and brim all around being tilted rearward. The button body10has a pair of immovable pivotal arms30and a pair of driving pivotal arms70. The immovable pivotal arms30have front ends thereof fixed to two sides of a lower position of a rear face of the button body10, and rear ends thereof define a pair of first pivot shafts31. The driving pivotal arms70have front ends thereof fixed to two sides of an upper position of the rear face of the button body10, and rear ends thereof define a pair of second pivot shafts71. In this embodiment, the driving pivotal arms70are shorter than the immovable pivotal arms30in length.

The base frame20is substantially of board shape and horizontally fixed in the game controller100, wherein the base frame20is parallel over the circuit board90and located behind the button body10. A pair of connecting arms21is protruded at two sides of a front end of the base frame20, with a pair of pivot portions211being formed thereon respectively. The button body10is further pivoted to the front end of the base frame20by virtue of the cooperation of the first pivot shafts31of the immovable pivotal arms30and the pivot portions211of the connecting arms21. A pair of restraining blocks22is protruded at two sides of a substantial middle of a surface of the base frame20opposite to the circuit board90, and bent towards each other to define a sliding path23between the base frame20and the restraining blocks22. A rear of the base frame20defines an arc-shaped guide slot24extending along a front-to-rear direction and located in rear of the sliding path23. A hole25is opened in the rear of the base frame20and specifically at the centre of a circle of the guide slot24.

The sliding part40is substantially of board shape with a guide channel44being transversely opened in a rear thereof. Two sides of a front end of the sliding part40protrude forward to form a pair of extension arms41, and a pair of third pivot shafts42is oppositely protruded sideward at front ends of the extension arms41. The drive part50is substantially of H-shape of which two lateral arms51each has two free ends thereof define a pivot hole52respectively. The sliding part40is slidably mounted on the base frame20along the front-to-rear direction by virtue of the drive part50being rotatably pivoted between the button body10and the sliding part40under the elasticity of an elastic part (not shown), wherein the elastic part is flexibly clamped between the drive part50and the base frame20. In detail, the sliding part40is slidably disposed in the sliding path23by means of the restraint of the restraining blocks22, the second pivot shafts71of the driving pivotal arms70and the third pivot shafts42of the extension arms41are pivoted to front two and rear two of the pivot holes52of the drive part50respectively.

The rotating part60is rotatably mounted to the rear of the base frame20through the rotation axis62thereof being pivoted to the centre of the circle of the guide slot24, and is parallelly rotatable between the base frame20and the circuit board90. The rotating part60has a disc-shaped base board61of which the center perpendicularly protrudes to form the rotation axis62. The base board61further perpendicularly protrudes towards the same direction as the rotation axis62to form a guide pillar63at a substantial edge away from the rotation axis62. In detail, the rotation axis62of the rotating part60is pivoted to the hole25of the base frame20, and the guide pillar63passes through the guide slot24to be slidably inserted in the guide channel43of the sliding part40.

Referring toFIG. 2andFIG. 4, in use, the sliding part40can slide on the base frame20along the front-to-rear direction by virtue of the drive part50under the push of the button body10and the elastic part. The sliding of the sliding part40can drive the guide pillar63to slide rearward and forward along the guide slot24under the cooperation of the guide slot24and the guide channel43and further drive the rotating part60to rotate with respect to the circuit board90. The rotation of the rotating part60further drives the electronic components to electrically connect with or disconnect from the circuit board90.

In detail, when the button body10is pressed rearward, the driving pivotal arms70pushes the drive part50to drive the sliding part40to slide rearward along the sliding path23of the base frame20by virtue of the rotation pivot of the second and the third pivot shafts71,42and the pivot holes52because the driving pivotal arms70are shorter than the immovable pivotal arms30in length. The sliding part40further pushes the guide pillar63to slide rearward along the guide slot24under the cooperation of the guide slot24and the guide channel43, so as to drive the rotating part60to rotate horizontally. The rotation of the rotating part60further drives the electronic components to rotate with respect to the circuit board90and electrically connect with the circuit board90. When the button body10is set free, the elastic part pushes the drive part50forward by the elasticity thereof to drive the sliding part40forward and further home the button body10, so that further drives the guide pillar63to slide forward so as to drive the rotating part60to rotate back. The back rotation of the rotating part60drives the electronic components to rotate back with respect to the circuit board90and electrically disconnect from the circuit board90.

As described above, the button structure in this invention utilizes the cooperation of the button body10, the base frame20, the sliding part40, the drive part50, the elastic part and the rotating part60to convert the actions in different directions (namely converting the action of pushing the button body10along the front-to-rear direction into the rotation of the rotating part60in a direction parallel to the circuit board90), so as to achieve the electrical connection and disconnection of the electronic components fixed on the rotating part60and the circuit board90horizontally disposed in the game controller100. In general, the button structure used in the game controller100can utilize the cooperation action of machinery to coordinate the actions in the different directions easily.