Actuation assembly for use with a touchscreen device

Abstract

An actuation assembly includes a housing, a resilient member and an actuator member. These components are arranged such that the actuator member is displaceable relative to the housing such that upon application of a force to the actuator member against a bias of the resilient member, a terminal end of the actuator member contacts a target area of a screen surface of a touchscreen device to provide an electrically conductive path between the screen surface and the top portion of the actuator member. Other embodiments are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An actuation assembly for use with a touchscreen device, the actuation assembly comprising:
 a housing defining an interior accessible by each of a bottom aperture and a cap aperture, wherein the bottom aperture, when used with a touch screen device, abuts a screen surface of the touch screen device;   an actuator member positioned at least partially in the housing interior, wherein the actuator member includes a top portion and a stem portion having a terminal end, wherein the top portion of the actuator member is positioned at least partially through the cap aperture; and   a resilient member positioned in the housing interior between the top portion of the actuator member and the bottom aperture,   wherein the resilient member biases the actuator member in a first actuation position such that the top portion of the actuator member is electrically isolated from a target area of the screen surface of the touchscreen device, and   wherein the actuator member is displaceable to a second actuation position in which the terminal end of the stem portion is received into the bottom aperture of the housing to provide an electrically conductive path between the screen surface and the top portion of the actuator member.   
     
     
         2 . The actuation assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive material that releasably connects the housing with the screen surface of the touchscreen device. 
     
     
         3 . The actuation assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the adhesive material comprises one of a layer of tape, a plurality of suction cups or both. 
     
     
         4 . The actuation assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the layer of tape covers an entire contact surface of the housing, wherein the contact surface abuts the screen surface of the touchscreen device. 
     
     
         5 . The actuation assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient member comprises a spring. 
     
     
         6 . The actuation assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the spring comprises a coil spring that surrounds the stem portion of the actuator member. 
     
     
         7 . The actuation assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator member includes a flange portion disposed between the top portion and the stem portion. 
     
     
         8 . The actuation assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator member comprises polyurethane, carbon dust or both. 
     
     
         9 . The actuation assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the top portion of the actuator member, the actuator member and the resilient member are formed as a single unitary part. 
     
     
         10 . An actuation assembly for use with a touchscreen device, the actuation assembly comprising:
 a housing defining an interior accessible by each of a bottom aperture and a cap aperture;   a resilient member; and   an actuator member positioned at least partially in the interior, wherein the resilient member biases the actuator member to a first actuation position in which a top portion of the actuator member extends at least partially through the cap aperture, and   wherein the actuator member includes a flange portion connected with the top portion, wherein the resilient member abuts the flange portion, and wherein the flange portion has a diameter greater than a diameter of the cap aperture.   
     
     
         11 . The actuation assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising an adhesive material that releasably connects the housing with a screen surface of the touchscreen device. 
     
     
         12 . The actuation assembly of  claim 11 , wherein adhesive material comprises one of a layer of tape, a plurality of suction cups or both. 
     
     
         13 . The actuation assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the resilient member comprises a spring. 
     
     
         14 . The actuation assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the spring surrounds a stem portion of the actuator member, and wherein the stem portion is between the top portion and a terminal end of the actuator member. 
     
     
         15 . The actuation assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the actuator member is made from polyurethane and carbon dust and comprises a terminal end that moves at least partially through the bottom aperture of the housing to allow the terminal end to contact a target area of a screen surface of the touchscreen device such that an electrical charge is allowed to be conducted between the top portion of the actuator member and the target area of the screen surface. 
     
     
         16 . The actuation assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the actuator member and the housing are substantially concentrically aligned, and wherein the housing includes a connecting member for releasably connecting the housing to a screen surface of the touchscreen device. 
     
     
         17 . An actuation assembly for a touchscreen device, the actuation assembly comprising:
 a deformable housing member having a base portion, a button portion, and an intermediate portion between the base portion and the button portion, wherein the intermediate portion inwardly extends from the base portion and outwardly extends from the button portion, wherein a force applied to a top surface of the button portion causes the housing member to deform from a first actuation position into a second actuation position,   wherein in the first actuation position, the intermediate portion is longitudinally offset from a screen surface of a touchscreen device, and   wherein in the second actuation position, a portion of the intermediate portion is in contact with a target area of the screen surface of the touchscreen device.   
     
     
         18 . The actuation assembly of  claim 17 , further comprising a support member coupled to the base portion, wherein the support member comprises an adhesive material that releasably connects the base portion with the screen surface of the touchscreen device, and wherein in the second actuation position, an electrical charge is conducted between the top surface of the button portion and the target area of the screen surface of the touchscreen device. 
     
     
         19 . The actuation assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the adhesive material comprises a plurality of suction cups, and wherein a bottom contact surface of the support member releasably connects to a screen surface of the touchscreen device. 
     
     
         20 . The actuation assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the intermediate portion comprises a resilient member providing an opposing force to the force applied to a top surface of the button portion, wherein the base portion, the intermediate portion and the button portion are substantially concentrically aligned and wherein the button portion, the intermediate portion and the base portion are formed as a single unitary part.