IP Library Granted Patent US 11,009,972
Granted Patent B1
US 11,009,972 · App. 16/746,083 · Granted May 18, 2021

Portable mouse for an information handling system

Inventors: Peng Lip Goh (Singapore, MY); Karthikeyan Krishnakumar (Austin, TX); Chia-Yuan Chang (New Taipei, TW)
Assignee: Dell Prodcuts L.P.
G06F3/03543G06F1/1684G06F1/1613
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,009,972
App. No.
16/746,083
Granted
May 18, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

A portable mouse, including a hinge assembly; a cantilever key plate arm rotationally coupled to the hinge assembly at a first end of the cantilever key plate arm, the cantilever key plate arm including: a plunger at a second end of the cantilever key plate arm, the second end opposite to the first end, the plunger including an end plate; a top cover that is positionally fixed with respect to the cantilever key plate arm; a compression spring coupled to the top cover such that the compression spring is positioned between a portion of the top cover and the end plate of the plunger; and a microswitch including a microswitch actuator, wherein the compressions spring exerts a first force on the end plate of the plunger such that the end plate of the plunger maintains contact with the microswitch actuator.

Claims (37)

1. A portable mouse, comprising:

a hinge assembly;

a cantilever key plate arm rotationally coupled to the hinge assembly at a first end of the cantilever key plate arm, the cantilever key plate arm including:

a plunger at a second end of the cantilever key plate arm, the second end opposite to the first end, the plunger including an end plate;

a top cover that is positionally fixed with respect to the cantilever key plate arm;

a compression spring coupled as to surround a portion of the top cover such that the compression spring is positioned between another portion of the top cover and the end plate of the plunger; and

a microswitch including a microswitch actuator,

wherein the compressions spring exerts a first force on the end plate of the plunger such that the end plate of the plunger maintains contact with the microswitch actuator.

2. The portable mouse of claim 1 , wherein the compression spring exerts the first force on the plunger less than a threshold force to engage the microswitch actuator.

3. The portable mouse of claim 1 , wherein the cantilever key plate arm is rotatable between a first positional state and a second positional state, wherein when the cantilever key plate is in the first positional state, the end plate of the plunger is a first distance from the microswitch, and when the cantilever key plate is in the second position state, the end plate of the plunger is a second distance from the microswitch, the first distance being greater than the second distance.

4. The portable mouse of claim 3 , wherein the end plate of the plunger maintains contact with the microswitch actuator in the first positional state and the second positional state.

5. The portable mouse of claim 3 , wherein, when the cantilever key plate arm is in the first positional state, a distance between the end plate of the plunger and the microswitch is a height of the microswitch actuator.

6. The portable mouse of claim 3 , wherein the microswitch actuator exerts a second force on the end plate of the plunger, the second force being greater than the first force that the compression spring exerts on the end plate of the plunger.

7. The portable mouse of claim 1 , wherein the compression spring is located at the second end of the cantilever key plate arm.

8. The portable mouse of claim 1 , wherein the compressions spring exerts the first force of three gram-force (gf).

9. An information handling system, comprising:

a computing apparatus;

a display device coupled to the computing apparatus;

a portable mouse configured to control a user interface element displayed by the display device, the portable mouse comprising:

a hinge assembly;

a cantilever key plate arm rotationally coupled to the hinge assembly at a first end of the cantilever key plate arm, the cantilever key plate arm including:

a plunger at a second end of the cantilever key plate arm, the second end opposite to the first end, the plunger including an end plate;

a top cover that is positionally fixed with respect to the cantilever key plate arm;

a compression spring coupled as to surround a portion of the top cover such that the compression spring is positioned between another portion of the top cover and the end plate of the plunger; and

a microswitch including a microswitch actuator,

wherein the compressions spring exerts a first force on the end plate of the plunger such that the end plate of the plunger maintains contact with the microswitch actuator.

10. The information handling system of claim 9 , wherein the compression spring exerts the first force on the plunger less than a threshold force to engage the microswitch actuator.

11. The information handling system of claim 9 , wherein the cantilever key plate arm is rotatable between a first positional state and a second positional state, wherein when the cantilever key plate is in the first positional state, the end plate of the plunger is a first distance from the microswitch, and when the cantilever key plate is in the second position state, the end plate of the plunger is a second distance from the microswitch, the first distance being greater than the second distance.

12. The information handling system of claim 11 , wherein the end plate of the plunger maintains contact with the microswitch actuator in the first positional state and the second positional state.

13. The information handling system of claim 11 , wherein, when the cantilever key plate arm is in the first positional state, a distance between the end plate of the plunger and the microswitch is a height of the microswitch actuator.

14. The information handling system of claim 11 , wherein the microswitch actuator exerts a second force on the end plate of the plunger, the second force being greater than the first force that the compression spring exerts on the end plate of the plunger.

15. The information handling system of claim 9 , wherein the compression spring is located at the second end of the cantilever key plate arm.

16. The information handling system of claim 9 , wherein the compressions spring exerts the first force of three gram-force (gf).

17. A method of forming a portable mouse, comprising:

coupling a cantilever key plate arm to a hinge assembly at a first end of the cantilever key plate arm, the cantilever key plate arm including a plunger at a second end of the cantilever key plate arm, the second end opposite to the first end, the plunger including an end plate; and

coupling a compression spring to surround a portion of a top cover that is positionally fixed with respect to the cantilever key plate arm, the compression spring positioned between another portion of the top cover and the end plate of the plunger,

wherein the compression spring exerts a first force on the end plate of the plunger such that the end plate of the plunger maintains contact with a microswitch actuator of a microswitch.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053311/0169) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060438/0742 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (052216/0758) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060438/0680 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AF REEL 052243 FRAME 0773 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0152 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053311/0169 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 26, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 052243/0773 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Mar 24, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052216/0758 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 17, 2020
From: GOH, PENG LIP; KRISHNAKUMAR, KARTHIKEYAN; CHANG, CHIA-YUAN
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 051547/0633 →