US 12,306,679 B2
System and method of manufacturing a haptic touchpad and palm rest assembly with light-diffusing composite substrate of woven glass fiber impregnated with polycarbonate
Timothy M. Radloff, Austin, TX (US); and Priyank J. Gajiwala, Austin, TX (US)
Assigned to DELL PRODUCTS LP, Round Rock, TX (US)
Filed by Dell Products, LP, Round Rock, TX (US)
Filed on Apr. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/140,416.
Prior Publication US 2024/0361813 A1, Oct. 31, 2024
Int. Cl. G06F 1/16 (2006.01); G06F 3/01 (2006.01); G06F 3/044 (2006.01); G06F 3/041 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 1/169 (2013.01) [G06F 3/016 (2013.01); G06F 3/0446 (2019.05); G06F 3/0416 (2013.01); G06F 2203/04103 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A touchpad and palm rest base chassis assembly for an information handling system comprising:
an upper portion of a base chassis for enclosing at least a portion of the information handling system including a keyboard opening and a keyboard, and a plurality of palm rest support surface panels on a plurality of palm rest support sections;
a composite substrate of woven glass fiber impregnated with polycarbonate material forming a touchpad surface, through which a user's touch may be sensed by an array of capacitive sensors situated beneath a portion of the composite substrate;
a touchpad printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) operatively connected the composite substrate and the array of capacitive sensors between a touchpad support bracket and the touchpad surface, where the touchpad support bracket is operatively coupled on each side to the plurality of palm rest support sections;
a light emitting diode (LED) disposed within an etched trough in the underside of the composite substrate of the touchpad surface and operatively connected to the touchpad PCBA, where the etched trough is formed to guide light emitted from the LED into the composite substrate of the touchpad surface, where the composite substrate is light transmissive to negate need of a separate light guide layer for the touchpad PCBA;
an icon etching within an inked surface applied to a portion of the composite substrate of the touchpad surface situated above a haptic actuator assembly coupled below the touchpad PCBA and the composite substrate and in the touchpad support bracket, where the icon etching is illuminated by the LED; and
the touchpad and palm rest base chassis assembly mechanically affixed to the upper portion of the base chassis.