CN114914114A - Luminous keyboard and optical module thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a luminous keyboard and an optical module thereof. The light-emitting keyboard comprises a key module and an optical module, wherein the key module comprises a plurality of keys, and the optical module is arranged below the key module. The optical module comprises a shading sheet and a light guide plate. The shading sheet is provided with shading patterns, the shading patterns define a plurality of light transmission areas which are arranged corresponding to the plurality of keys, and the light transmission areas on the outer sides of the plurality of light transmission areas are provided with light transmission boundaries. The light guide plate is provided with a light-emitting edge, and at least part of the vertical projection of the light-emitting edge on the light-shielding sheet is positioned in the outer light-transmitting area and is not parallel to the light-transmitting boundary. The luminous keyboard and the optical module thereof can improve the brightness of the keys (especially the outer keys) and ensure that the keys have stable luminous effect.

Description

Luminous keyboard and optical module thereof

Technical Field

The invention relates to a luminous keyboard and an optical module thereof, in particular to a luminous keyboard suitable for narrow-frame design and an optical module thereof.

Background

A keyboard is a very important input device for electronic products, especially computers. With the miniaturization and lightness of electronic products, the design of narrow frame is one of the important research and development directions of the current keyboard. However, for the light-emitting keyboard, the integration of the key module and the backlight module is required to be considered, especially the adhesion between the multiple layers of optical films of the backlight module and the problem of avoiding side light leakage are considered, so that the light-emitting uniformity of the outer keys and the inner keys is not easy to control. In particular, in the narrow-bezel design, as the margin space is reduced, the problem that the outer keys of the light-emitting keyboard with the narrow-bezel design are slightly bright or dark is likely to occur.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the problems in the prior art, the present invention provides a light-emitting keyboard and an optical module thereof to solve the above problems.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical module suitable for a light-emitting keyboard, the light-emitting keyboard includes a plurality of keys, the optical module includes: the shading sheet is provided with shading patterns, the shading patterns define a plurality of light transmission areas, the light transmission areas are arranged corresponding to the keys, and the light transmission areas at the outer sides of the light transmission areas are provided with light transmission boundaries; and the light guide plate is arranged on one side of the light shielding sheet and provided with a light emitting edge, and the vertical projection of the light emitting edge on the light shielding sheet is at least partially positioned in the outer side light transmitting area, and the light emitting edge is not parallel to the light transmitting boundary of the outer side light transmitting area.

As an optional technical solution, in the extending direction of the light-transmitting boundary, the vertical projection of the light-exiting edge is concave relative to the light-transmitting boundary.

The present invention also provides an optical module suitable for a light-emitting keyboard, the light-emitting keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, the optical module comprising: the shading sheet is provided with shading patterns, the shading patterns define a plurality of light transmission areas, the light transmission areas are respectively arranged corresponding to the keys, and the light transmission areas at the outer sides of the light transmission areas are provided with light transmission boundaries; and the light guide plate is arranged on one side of the light shading sheet and is provided with a light emergent edge and an opening, the vertical projection of the light emergent edge on the light shading sheet is at least partially positioned in the outer side light transmitting area, and the vertical projection of the opening on the light shading sheet is positioned in the outer side light transmitting area.

As an optional technical solution, the light shielding sheet further has an auxiliary pattern, the auxiliary pattern is disposed in the outer light-transmitting region, and a vertical projection of the opening at least partially overlaps the auxiliary pattern.

The present invention also provides an optical module adapted to a light-emitting keyboard, the light-emitting keyboard including a plurality of keys, the optical module including: the shading sheet is provided with shading patterns, the shading patterns define a plurality of light-transmitting areas and a plurality of sub light-transmitting areas, the plurality of light-transmitting areas are arranged corresponding to the plurality of keys, the plurality of light-transmitting areas comprise outer light-transmitting areas, and the plurality of sub light-transmitting areas are arranged adjacent to the outer light-transmitting areas; and the light guide plate is arranged on one side of the shading sheet and is provided with a light outlet edge, and at least part of the vertical projection of the light outlet edge on the shading sheet is positioned in the plurality of sub-light-transmitting areas.

As an optional technical solution, the optical module further includes a reflector plate, wherein the reflector plate is disposed on the other side of the light guide plate opposite to the light shielding plate, and a light blocking portion is further disposed between the reflector plate and the light guide plate, and the light blocking portion is disposed adjacent to the light exit edge.

As an optional technical solution, the light blocking portion is an adhesive portion or a light shielding coating.

The present invention also provides a light emitting keyboard comprising: the key module comprises a plurality of keys, and the keys comprise a switch layer; the optical module is arranged below the switch layer, and the shading sheet is closer to the switch layer than the light guide plate; the switch layer has one or more shading parts, and the vertical projection of the shading parts on the shading sheet is positioned in the outer light transmission area.

As an optional technical solution, the vertical projection of the light exit edge is at least partially located in the vertical projection of the light shielding portion.

The present invention also provides a light emitting keyboard comprising: the key module comprises a plurality of keys and a bottom plate; the optical module is arranged below the bottom plate, and the shading sheet is closer to the bottom plate than the light guide plate; the bottom plate is provided with a coating area, and the coating area corresponds to the light-emitting edge of the light guide plate.

The present invention also provides a light emitting keyboard comprising: the key module comprises a plurality of keys and a bottom plate, the plurality of keys are arranged on the bottom plate and comprise at least one outer key and at least one inner key, the outer key comprises a keycap, the outer edge of the keycap is aligned with the end edge of the bottom plate, and the inner key is arranged on one side of the outer key and is far away from the end edge of the bottom plate; and the optical module is arranged below the bottom plate, and the light shielding sheet is closer to the bottom plate than the light guide plate, wherein the end edge of the light shielding sheet, which is close to the light transmission boundary, is aligned with the end edge of the bottom plate.

As an optional technical solution, a vertical projection of the keycap of the outer side key to the light shielding sheet exceeds an outer side of the light transmitting boundary of the outer side light transmitting area.

Compared with the prior art, the light-emitting keyboard comprises the key module and the optical module, wherein the key module comprises a plurality of keys, and the optical module is arranged below the key module. The optical module comprises a shading sheet and a light guide plate. The shading sheet is provided with shading patterns, the shading patterns define a plurality of light transmitting areas which are arranged corresponding to the plurality of keys and used for selectively and locally blocking light or allowing light to pass through, and the light transmitting areas on the outer sides of the plurality of light transmitting areas are provided with light transmitting boundaries. The light guide plate is provided with a light-emitting edge, and at least part of the vertical projection of the light-emitting edge on the light-shielding sheet is positioned in the outer light-transmitting area and is not parallel to the light-transmitting boundary, so that the side surface (or end surface) of the light guide plate adjacent to the light-emitting edge can be used as a light-emitting surface to enhance the brightness of the outer key. The luminous keyboard can improve the brightness of the keys (especially the outer keys) and ensure that the keys have stable luminous effect.

The invention is described in detail below with reference to the drawings and specific examples, but the invention is not limited thereto.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a light-emitting keyboard according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a key of a light-emitting keyboard according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2B is a partially enlarged view of fig. 2A.

Fig. 2C is a top view of fig. 2A to show the relative positions of the outer light-transmitting regions of the light-shielding sheet and the light-emitting edge of the light guide plate.

Fig. 3A and 3B are a partially enlarged schematic cross-sectional view and a top view of a key of a light-emitting keyboard according to a second embodiment of the invention, showing the relative positions of the outer light-transmitting region of the light-shielding sheet and the light-emitting edge of the light guide plate.

Fig. 4 is a partial top view of a light-emitting keyboard according to a third embodiment of the present invention, showing the relative positions of the outer light-transmitting area of the light-shielding sheet and the light-emitting edge of the light guide plate.

Fig. 5A and 5B are a schematic cross-sectional view, a partial enlarged view, and a top view of a key of a light-emitting keyboard according to a fourth embodiment of the invention, showing the relative positions of a sub-transmitting area of a light-shielding sheet and a light-emitting edge of a light guide plate.

Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a key of a light-emitting keyboard according to a fifth embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a partial top view of a key of a light-emitting keyboard according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, showing the relative positions of the outer transparent region of the light-shielding sheet, the light-emitting edge of the light guide plate, the opening of the bottom plate, and the light-shielding portion of the switch layer.

Fig. 8 is a partial top view of a key of a light-emitting keyboard according to a seventh embodiment of the invention, showing the relative positions of the coating region of the bottom plate and the light-emitting edge of the light guide plate.

Detailed Description

In order to further understand the objects, structures, features, and functions of the present invention, the following detailed description of the embodiments is given.

The invention provides a luminous keyboard and an optical module thereof, which are used for improving the brightness of keys (especially outer keys) and enabling the keys to have stable luminous effect. The light-emitting keyboard of the present invention can be a stand-alone keyboard device or a light-emitting keyboard integrated into an electronic product (e.g., a mobile device, a notebook computer), especially but not limited to a light-emitting keyboard with a narrow frame design. The following description will be made by taking a computer keyboard (as shown in fig. 1) as an example.

As shown in fig. 1, in the first embodiment, the light-emitting keyboard 1 includes an optical module 10 and a key module 20, wherein the optical module 10 is disposed below the key module 20. The key module 20 includes a plurality of keys 200, and the plurality of keys 200 includes an outer key 201 and an inner key 202. In one aspect, the plurality of keys 200 are arranged in rows along the Y-axis direction, and the outermost keys (e.g., keys at both ends in the X-axis direction) in each row can be the outer keys 201, while the keys between the outer keys 201 at both ends in each row are the inner keys 202. In another aspect, the keys in the outermost rows (e.g., the keys in the uppermost and lowermost rows at both ends of the Y-axis) of the multiple rows of keys arranged along the Y-axis may also be the outer keys 201, and the keys between the outer keys 201 in the outermost rows are the inner keys 202. That is, the outer button 201 has at least one side not adjacent to other buttons, such as the buttons disposed on the periphery, and the inner button 202 is surrounded by other buttons. In this embodiment, the left edge of the left outer key 201 (e.g., the left edge of the key cap) is aligned along the Y-axis direction, the right edge of the right outer key 201 (e.g., the right edge of the key cap) is aligned along the Y-axis direction, the upper edge of the upper outer key 201 (e.g., the upper edge of the key cap) is aligned along the X-axis direction, and the lower edge of the lower outer key 201 (e.g., the lower edge of the key cap) is aligned along the X-axis direction, but not limited thereto.

In particular, the key 200 may be any convenient key unit having a light transmissive key cap. Fig. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a key of an illuminated keyboard according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 2A, in one embodiment, a key (e.g., the outer key 201 on the left side) is movably connected to the key cap 220 and the bottom plate 210 by the scissors 230, so as to support the key cap 220 to move, further compress the elastic body 250 to trigger the switch layer 240 (e.g., a membrane switch), and be reset by the restoring force of the elastic body 250, but not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the scissors support 230 may be replaced by other lifting mechanisms, such as a butterfly wing type support mechanism, a sliding block type support mechanism, a cantilever type support mechanism, etc., and the elastic body 250 may be replaced by other restoring units, such as a magnet, a spring, etc. Furthermore, the switch layer 240 may be replaced by other switch units, such as a mechanical switch, an optical switch, etc. In other words, the key 200 of the key module 20 may have any suitable structure to generate the trigger signal after being pressed.

Referring to fig. 1 again, the optical module 10 includes a light shielding sheet 110 and a light guide plate 120. The light-shielding sheet 110 has a light-shielding pattern 112. The light-shielding pattern 112 defines a plurality of light-transmitting areas 114, and the light-transmitting areas 114 are respectively disposed corresponding to the plurality of keys 200. For example, the plurality of light-transmitting regions 114 include an outer light-transmitting region 114A and an inner light-transmitting region 114B, wherein the outer light-transmitting region 114A corresponds to the outer button 201, and the inner light-transmitting region 114B corresponds to the inner button 202. The outer light-transmitting region 114A has a light-transmitting boundary 116, for example, the light-transmitting boundary 116 of the left outer light-transmitting region 114A is a left boundary extending in the Y-axis direction, and the light-transmitting boundary 116 of the right outer light-transmitting region 114A is a right boundary extending in the Y-axis direction. Specifically, the light-shielding sheet 110 is disposed on one side (e.g., above) of the light-guiding plate 120, and the light-shielding sheet 110 has light-shielding patterns 112 for selectively blocking light or allowing light to pass through locally. For example, the light shielding sheet 110 is a light-permeable optical film (e.g., a polyester Terephthalate (PET)) having light shielding patterns 112 formed thereon by a light shielding material (e.g., an ink) for allowing light to pass through the light-permeable regions 114 and shielding portions of the corresponding keyboard module 20 that do not require light (e.g., gap portions between the keys 200). In one embodiment, the light shielding sheet 110 preferably has a shape and a size corresponding to the bottom plate 210 of the key module 20.

The light guide plate 120 is disposed at one side, for example, below the light-shielding sheet 110. The light guide plate 120 has a light exit edge 122, and the light exit edge 122 corresponds to the light transmission boundary 116, such that a vertical projection of the light exit edge 122 on the light shielding sheet 110 is at least partially located in the outer light transmission region 114A and is not parallel to the light transmission boundary 116 (as shown in fig. 2C). Specifically, the light guide plate 120 may be a thin plate or sheet made of any suitable optical material (e.g., optical polymer), and the size of the light guide plate 120 is slightly smaller than that of the light shielding sheet 110, and the light guide plate 120 has an upper light emitting surface 128 corresponding to the plurality of light transmitting regions 114. For example, the dimension of the light guide plate 120 in the X-axis direction is preferably smaller than the dimension of the light shielding sheet 110, so that the edge of the light shielding sheet 110 protrudes beyond the light emergent edge 122 of the light guide plate 120 to facilitate bonding with other components (e.g., the reflective sheet 130, the bottom plate 210). For example, the light-emitting edge 122 of the light guide plate 120 defines a boundary of the light-emitting surface 128 in the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, the light guide plate 120 has a plurality of light source holes 124, and the inner surfaces of the light source holes 124 can be used as the light incident surface of the light guide plate 120, and the top surface (i.e., the upper surface extending along the XY-axis plane) of the light guide plate 120 is used as the light emitting surface 128 of the light guide plate 120. After entering the light guide plate 120 through the light incident surface, the light substantially travels along the extending direction (e.g., XY plane direction) of the light guide plate 120, and travels to the plurality of light transmission regions 114 of the light shielding sheet 110 to be emitted.

As shown in fig. 2A, in one embodiment, the optical module 10 includes a light source 140 providing light to the light guide plate 120, and the optical module 10 may constitute a backlight module of the light-emitting keyboard 1. Specifically, the light source 140 is preferably a Light Emitting Diode (LED), and more preferably a side-emitting LED, but not limited thereto. The light sources 140 are disposed in the light source holes 124, such that the light emitting surfaces thereof preferably face the light incident surface of the light guide plate 120, so that the light rays are transmitted into the light guide plate 120 through the light incident surface. In one embodiment, the plurality of light sources 140 are preferably integrated on the circuit board to form an integrated light source unit, thereby increasing the assembly efficiency.

Furthermore, the optical module 10 may optionally include a reflective sheet 130, and the reflective sheet 130 is disposed on another side of the light guide plate 120 (e.g., below the light guide plate 120) relative to the light shielding sheet 110 and is used for reflecting the light leaking from the lower surface of the light guide plate 120 back to the light guide plate 120. Specifically, the reflective sheet 130 may be a reflective film formed of a reflective material (e.g., a metal foil), a non-reflective film coated with a reflective material, or a plastic film doped with reflective particles (e.g., a PET film doped with reflective particles). The shape and size of the reflective sheet 130 preferably correspond to the light-shielding sheet 110, and the ductility/deformability of the reflective sheet 130 is preferably greater than that of the light-shielding sheet 110. That is, the reflective sheet 130 is preferably easier to deform than the light-shielding sheet 110, so that the reflective sheet 130 is more easily attached.

As shown in fig. 2A and fig. 2B, fig. 2B is a partial enlarged view of fig. 2A, and fig. 2B only illustrates the bottom plate 210 of the optical module 10 and the key module 20, and components (such as the switch layer 240, the elastic body 250, the scissor-type support 230, and the key cap 220) of the key disposed on the bottom plate 210 are omitted. The upper surface of the end of the light-shielding sheet 110 is bonded to the lower surface of the bottom plate 210, and the lower surface of the end of the light-shielding sheet 110 is bonded to the upper surface of the reflective sheet 130, so as to surround the light guide plate 120 between the light-shielding sheet 110 and the reflective sheet 130, thereby preventing lateral light leakage. In this embodiment, the key caps 220 and the bottom plates 210 of the outer keys 201 can be aligned with the edges of the optical module 10, for example, the key caps 220, the bottom plates 210 and the left edges of the light-shielding sheets 110 and the reflective sheets 130 of the optical module 10 are aligned with each other along the stacking direction (e.g., Z-axis direction) to facilitate the narrow frame design of the light-emitting keyboard 1. Specifically, in the narrow bezel design, the size and shape of the inner transparent region 114B are preferably consistent with the corresponding key cap 220, i.e. the vertical projections of the inner transparent region 114B and the corresponding key cap 220 in the direction of the bottom plate 210 are preferably substantially completely overlapped, and the size and shape of the outer transparent region 114A are limited by the bonding requirement and the consideration of preventing the side light leakage, so that the size of the outer transparent region 114A is smaller than the size of the corresponding key cap 220. For example, the outer transparent region 114A is retracted from the edge of the light-shielding sheet 110 by a predetermined width in the X-axis direction. In an embodiment, the bonding width D1 (e.g., the bonding distance from the edge along the X-axis direction) of the reflective sheet 130 and the light-shielding sheet 110 is preferably not less than 1.5mm, so as to ensure that the risk of light leakage from the optical module 10 is reduced when the light-emitting keyboard 1 has a narrow frame design. That is, the dimension of the one-sided outer transmissive region 114A in the X-axis direction is at least 1.5mm shorter than the corresponding key cap 220; the dimension of the light guide plate 120 in the X-axis direction is shorter than the light-shielding sheet 110 by at least 3.0mm (2 × 1.5mm) in total in the outer light-transmitting regions 114A on both sides, but the invention is not limited thereto.

Referring to fig. 2B and fig. 2C, fig. 2C is a schematic top view of fig. 2A, which shows a top view of the relative positions of the outer light-transmitting region 114A of the light-shielding sheet 110 and the light-emitting edge 122 of the light guide plate 120. In this embodiment, the vertical projection of the light-emitting edge 122 of the light guide plate 120 on the light-shielding sheet 110 is at least partially located in the outer transparent region 144A and is not parallel to the transparent boundary 116, so that the side surface (or end surface) of the light guide plate 120 adjacent to the light-emitting edge 122 can be used as a light-emitting surface to enhance the brightness of the outer button 201. In other words, the dimension of the light guide plate 120 in the X-axis direction is not only smaller than the dimension of the light shielding sheet 110, but also smaller than the dimension of the light guide plate 120, such that the edge (light exit edge 122) of the light guide plate 120 is retracted to the inner side of the light transmitting boundary 116, when the light guide plate 120 is overlapped with the light shielding sheet 110, the light exit edge 122 and the light transmitting boundary 116 have a distance G therebetween in the X-axis direction, and the distance G has a dimension change in the Y-axis direction. That is, the light exit edge 122 extends non-linearly along the Y-axis direction (or does not extend parallel to the light transmissive boundary 116), such that the pitch G is not a fixed value along the Y-axis direction. In one embodiment, the vertical projection of the light-exiting edge 122 is recessed relative to the light-transmitting boundary 116 in the extending direction (e.g., Y-axis direction) of the light-transmitting boundary 116. In other words, the distance G is smaller near both ends of the light-transmitting boundary 116 in the Y-axis direction, and is larger near the middle portion of the light-transmitting boundary 116 in the Y-axis direction. Therefore, the light emitted from the light-emitting edge 122 of the light guide plate 120 can be partially emitted in advance, so that the light emitted from the side surface adjacent to the light-emitting edge 122 can be prevented from being too concentrated, and the uniformity of light emission can be improved. The shape of the recess in the light exit edge 122 may vary depending on the actual desired light energy, such as but not limited to: arcuate, stepped, serrated, or any convenient shape.

In the above embodiments, the edge structure of the light guide plate is designed to enhance the brightness of the outer keys, but not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the brightness of the outer keys can be enhanced by other design changes of the light shielding sheet and the light guide plate. Fig. 3A and 3B are a schematic cross-sectional view, a partial enlarged view, and a top view of a light-emitting keyboard and an optical film assembly thereof according to a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein fig. 3A and 3B are views similar to fig. 2B and 2C, only the differences between the present embodiment and the previous embodiments are focused on hereinafter, and the rest similar or corresponding parts are not repeated. As shown in fig. 3A and 3B, in this embodiment, the light guide plate 120 has a light-emitting edge 122 and an opening 126. The vertical projection of the light-emitting edge 122 on the light-shielding sheet 110 is at least partially located in the outer transparent region 114A, and the vertical projection of the opening 126 on the light-shielding sheet 110 is also located in the same outer transparent region 114A. Specifically, the light-emitting edge 122 of the light guide plate 120 may extend in a direction parallel to the Y-axis (e.g., parallel to the light-transmitting boundary 116), and the light guide plate 120 has an opening 126 in a region corresponding to the key cap 220 of the outer button 201 to adjust the intensity of light emitted from the side of the light-emitting edge 122. For example, by opening the opening 126, a light portion of the light guide plate 120 can be emitted from the opening 126 in advance, so as to avoid too much concentration of light energy emitted from the side surface adjacent to the light-emitting edge 122, thereby improving the uniformity of light emission. The openings 126 are preferably disposed on a far side of the character key cap relative to the light-emitting edge 122, and the shape, size and number of the openings 126 can be changed according to the actual light energy requirement, which is not limited by the embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a partial top view of the light-emitting keyboard according to the third embodiment of the present invention, showing the relative positions of the outer light-transmitting region 114A of the light-shielding sheet 110 and the light-emitting edge 122 of the light guide plate 120, wherein fig. 4 is a variation embodiment corresponding to fig. 3B, and only the differences between the present embodiment and the previous embodiments are emphasized later, and the rest of similar or corresponding parts are not repeated. As shown in fig. 4, in this embodiment, the light-shielding sheet 110 further has an auxiliary pattern 115. The auxiliary pattern 115 is disposed in the outer transparent region 114A, and a vertical projection of the opening 126 of the light guide plate 120 at least partially overlaps the auxiliary pattern 115. Specifically, the light shielding sheet 110 may have a pattern coating layer for adjusting the intensity of light at a position corresponding to the opening 126 of the light guide plate 120, so as to adjust the intensity of light emitted from the opening 126. For example, the auxiliary patterns 115 may be stripe patterns or other suitable patterns disposed at the opening 126 perpendicular to the light-emitting edge 122, such as two auxiliary patterns 115 disposed at two opposite sides of the opening 126 along the Y-axis direction. In addition, the auxiliary pattern 115 may be a light-shielding coating for attenuating the light emitted from the opening 126, or may be a reflective coating for reflecting the light emitted from the opening 126 toward the reflective sheet 130 to disperse the light, thereby improving the uniformity of the emitted light.

Fig. 5A and 5B are a partially enlarged schematic cross-sectional view and a top view of a key of a light-emitting keyboard according to a fourth embodiment of the invention, for showing a relative position between a sub-transmitting region 118 of a light-shielding sheet 110 and a light-emitting edge 122 of a light guide plate 120, wherein fig. 5A and 5B are views similar to fig. 2B and 2C, respectively, and only the differences between the present embodiment and the previous embodiments are emphasized later, and the rest of similar or corresponding parts are not repeated. As shown in fig. 5A and 5B, in this embodiment, the light-shielding pattern 112 of the light-shielding sheet 110 defines a plurality of light-transmitting regions (e.g., 114) and a plurality of sub-light-transmitting regions 118. The plurality of light-transmitting regions 114 are disposed corresponding to the plurality of keys 200. The sub-transmissive regions 118 are disposed adjacent to the outer transmissive region 114A, and a vertical projection of the light-emitting edge 122 of the light guide plate 120 on the light-shielding sheet 110 is at least partially located in the sub-transmissive regions 118. Specifically, the light exit edge 122 of the light guide plate 120 may extend in a direction parallel to the Y-axis, and the plurality of sub-light transmissive regions 118 are disposed outside the light transmissive boundary 116 of the outer light transmissive region 114A along the extending direction (e.g., the Y-axis direction) of the light transmissive boundary 116, i.e., near the edge side where the light shielding sheet 110 is aligned with the bottom plate 210. In other words, the plurality of sub-transmissive regions 118 and the adjacent outer transmissive regions 114A correspond to the same outer key 201, such that the plurality of sub-transmissive regions 118 and the adjacent outer transmissive regions 114A are within the projection range of the key cap 220 of the outer key 201. In this embodiment, the vertical projection of the light-exiting edge 122 of the light guide plate 120 falls outside the light-transmitting boundary 116 of the outer light-transmitting region 114A, so that the light-exiting edge 122 of the light guide plate 120 is at least partially in the plurality of sub light-transmitting regions 118. In this embodiment, although 4 sub-transmission regions 118 with the same shape and size are shown, the embodiment is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the brightness of the outer button 201 can be adjusted by changing the number and shape of the sub-transmitting regions 118 to control the size of the side light-emitting region of the light-emitting edge 122.

Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional partially enlarged view of a key of a light-emitting keyboard according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, wherein fig. 6 is a view similar to fig. 2B, and only differences between the present embodiment and the previous embodiments are emphasized later, and the remaining similar or corresponding parts are not repeated. As shown in fig. 6, in the embodiment, a light blocking part 132 is further disposed between the reflective sheet 130 and the light guide plate 120, wherein the light blocking part 132 is adjacent to the light exit edge 122. Specifically, in one embodiment, the light-blocking part 132 is an adhesive part disposed between the light guide plate 120 and the reflective sheet 130 along the light-emitting edge 122, so that the adhesive part absorbs a portion of light energy to attenuate the brightness of light, thereby achieving a uniform light-emitting effect. In another embodiment, the light-blocking part 132 may be a light-blocking pattern (e.g., a light-blocking coating) formed on the reflective sheet 130 along the light-emitting edge 122, thereby reducing a local reflection effect of the reflective sheet 130 to attenuate the brightness of light to achieve a uniform light-emitting effect.

Fig. 7 is a partial top view of a key of a light-emitting keyboard according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, showing relative positions of an outer light-transmitting region 114A of a light-shielding sheet 110, a light-emitting edge 122 of a light-guiding plate 120, an opening 214 of a bottom plate 210, and a light-shielding portion 242 of a switch layer 240, wherein fig. 7 is a view similar to fig. 2C, and only differences between the present embodiment and the previous embodiments are focused on later, and the rest similar or corresponding parts are not repeated. As shown in fig. 7, in this embodiment, the switch layer 240 of the key module 20 has one or more light-shielding portions 242, and the vertical projection of the light-shielding portion 242 on the light-shielding sheet 110 is located in the outer transparent region 114A. Specifically, the switch layer 240 may be disposed above or below the bottom plate 210, and the optical module 10 is disposed below the switch layer 240, and the light shielding sheet 110 is closer to the switch layer 240 than the light guide plate 120. For example, when the switch layer 240 is disposed above the bottom plate 210, the bottom plate 210 may have an opening 214 for allowing light to pass through, and the switch layer 240 may form one or more light-shielding portions 242 at positions corresponding to the light-emitting edges 122, such that the vertical projection of the light-emitting edges 122 is at least partially located in the vertical projection of the light-shielding portions 242, so as to attenuate the energy of the light and achieve uniform light emission.

Fig. 8 is a partial top view of a key of a light-emitting keyboard according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention, so as to show a relative position between a coating region 212 of a bottom plate 210 and a light-emitting edge 122 of a light guide plate 120, wherein fig. 8 is a view similar to fig. 2C, and only the differences between the present embodiment and the previous embodiments are emphasized later, and the rest of similar or corresponding parts are not repeated. As shown in fig. 8, in this embodiment, the bottom plate 210 has a coating region 212, and the coating region 212 corresponds to the light-emitting edge 122 of the light guide plate 120. Specifically, the coating region 212 may be coated on a side (e.g., a lower surface) of the bottom plate 210 facing the light shielding sheet 110 along the light emitting edge 122, so as to attenuate the light emitted from the outer transparent region 14A by the coating region 212 (e.g., the coating region 212 formed by black ink), or to generate a fogging effect by scattering the light emitted from the outer transparent region 14A by the coating region 212 (e.g., the coating region 212 formed by white ink), so as to achieve the purpose of uniform light emission.

As can be seen from the above description, the light-emitting keyboard 1 of the present invention preferably has a narrow frame design, and the key module 20 includes a plurality of keys 200 and a bottom plate 210, the plurality of keys 200 are disposed on the bottom plate 210 and include at least one outer key 201 and at least one inner key 202, the outer key 201 includes a keycap 220, wherein an outer edge of the keycap 220 of the outer key 201 is substantially aligned with an end edge of the bottom plate 210, and the inner key 202 is disposed on one side of the outer key 201 and away from the end edge of the bottom plate 210. The optical module 10 can be disposed under the bottom plate 210, such that the light shielding sheet 110 is closer to the bottom plate 210 than the light guide plate 120, and the light shielding sheet 110 is close to the end edge of the light-transmitting boundary 116, and the end edge of the light shielding sheet 110 is substantially aligned with the end edge of the bottom plate 210. Furthermore, the vertical projection of the key cap 220 of the outer button 201 on the light shielding sheet 110 exceeds the outer side of the light transmitting boundary 116 of the outer light transmitting area 14A.

It should be noted that, in other embodiments, various structural designs (for example, a non-linear light-emitting edge design and/or an opening design of the light guide plate, an auxiliary pattern and/or a sub-light-transmitting region design of the light shielding sheet, a light-blocking portion design of the reflector, a light-blocking portion design of the switch layer, a coating region design of the bottom plate, and the like) for improving the light-emitting brightness of the outer keys in the above embodiments may be integrated into multiple keys or a single key of a single light-emitting keyboard by selecting one or more designs according to actual requirements, thereby improving the light-emitting uniformity of the light-emitting keyboard.

In summary, the light-emitting keyboard of the present invention includes a key module and an optical module, wherein the key module includes a plurality of keys, and the optical module is disposed below the key module. The optical module comprises a light shielding sheet and a light guide plate. The shading sheet is provided with shading patterns, the shading patterns define a plurality of light transmitting areas which are arranged corresponding to the plurality of keys and used for selectively and locally blocking light or allowing light to pass through, and the light transmitting areas on the outer sides of the plurality of light transmitting areas are provided with light transmitting boundaries. The light guide plate is provided with a light-emitting edge, and at least part of the vertical projection of the light-emitting edge on the light-shielding sheet is positioned in the outer light-transmitting area and is not parallel to the light-transmitting boundary, so that the side surface (or end surface) of the light guide plate adjacent to the light-emitting edge can be used as a light-emitting surface to enhance the brightness of the outer key. The invention achieves the effect of enhancing the brightness of the outer keys by the edge structure design of the light guide plate or other designs of the light shielding sheet and the light guide plate, such as controlling the size of the light emitting area on the side surface of the light emitting edge by changing the number and the shape of the sub light transmitting areas. The luminous keyboard can improve the brightness of the keys (especially the outer keys) and ensure that the keys have stable luminous effect.

The present invention is capable of other embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (12)

1. An optical module adapted for use with a light-emitting keyboard, the light-emitting keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, the optical module comprising:

the shading sheet is provided with shading patterns, the shading patterns define a plurality of light-transmitting areas, the light-transmitting areas are arranged corresponding to the keys, and the light-transmitting areas at the outer sides of the light-transmitting areas are provided with light-transmitting boundaries; and

the light guide plate is arranged on one side of the light shading sheet and provided with a light emitting edge, and the vertical projection of the light emitting edge on the light shading sheet is at least partially positioned in the outer side light transmitting area, and the light emitting edge is not parallel to the light transmitting boundary of the outer side light transmitting area.

2. The optical module according to claim 1, wherein a vertical projection of the light exit edge is recessed with respect to the light transmissive boundary in an extending direction of the light transmissive boundary.

3. An optical module adapted for use with a light-emitting keyboard, the light-emitting keyboard including a plurality of keys, the optical module comprising:

the shading sheet is provided with shading patterns, the shading patterns define a plurality of light-transmitting areas, the light-transmitting areas are respectively arranged corresponding to the keys, and the light-transmitting areas at the outer sides of the light-transmitting areas are provided with light-transmitting boundaries; and

the light guide plate is arranged on one side of the light shielding sheet and provided with a light emitting edge and an opening, the vertical projection of the light emitting edge on the light shielding sheet is at least partially positioned in the outer side light transmitting area, and the vertical projection of the opening on the light shielding sheet is positioned in the outer side light transmitting area.

4. The optical module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the light shielding plate further has an auxiliary pattern disposed in the outer transparent region, and a vertical projection of the opening at least partially overlaps the auxiliary pattern.

5. An optical module adapted to a light-emitting keyboard, the light-emitting keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, the optical module comprising:

the shading sheet is provided with shading patterns, the shading patterns define a plurality of light-transmitting areas and a plurality of sub light-transmitting areas, the plurality of light-transmitting areas are arranged corresponding to the plurality of keys, the plurality of light-transmitting areas comprise outer light-transmitting areas, and the plurality of sub light-transmitting areas are arranged adjacent to the outer light-transmitting areas; and

the light guide plate is arranged on one side of the shading sheet and provided with a light outlet edge, and at least part of the vertical projection of the light outlet edge on the shading sheet is positioned in the plurality of sub light-transmitting areas.

6. The optical module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a reflector plate, wherein the reflector plate is disposed on the other side of the light guide plate opposite to the light-shielding plate, and a light-blocking portion is disposed between the reflector plate and the light guide plate, and the light-blocking portion is disposed adjacent to the light-emitting edge.

7. The optical module according to claim 6, wherein the light-blocking portion is an adhesive portion or a light-blocking coating.

8. A light-emitting keyboard, comprising:

the key module comprises a plurality of keys, and the keys comprise a switch layer; and

the optical module according to any one of claims 1 to 7, disposed below the switch layer, wherein the light shielding sheet is closer to the switch layer than the light guide plate;

the switch layer has one or more shading parts, and the vertical projection of the shading parts on the shading sheet is positioned in the outer light transmission area.

9. The illuminated keyboard according to claim 8, wherein the vertical projection of the light exit edge is at least partially located within the vertical projection of the light blocking portion.

10. A light-emitting keyboard, comprising:

the key module comprises a plurality of keys and a bottom plate; and

the optical module according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the optical module is disposed under the bottom plate, and the light shielding sheet is closer to the bottom plate than the light guide plate;

the bottom plate is provided with a coating area, and the coating area corresponds to the light emergent edge of the light guide plate.

11. A light-emitting keyboard, comprising:

the key module comprises a plurality of keys and a bottom plate, the plurality of keys are arranged on the bottom plate and comprise at least one outer key and at least one inner key, the outer key comprises a keycap, the outer edge of the keycap is aligned with the end edge of the bottom plate, and the inner key is arranged on one side of the outer key and is far away from the end edge of the bottom plate; and

the optical module according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the optical module is disposed under the bottom plate, and the light shielding sheet is closer to the bottom plate than the light guide plate,

wherein the edge of the light shielding sheet adjacent to the light-transmitting boundary is aligned with the edge of the bottom plate.

12. The illuminated keyboard of claim 11, wherein a vertical projection of the key cap of the outer key on the light-shielding sheet exceeds an outer side of the light-transmitting boundary of the outer light-transmitting region.

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