CN214312987U - Key assembly and electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to a button subassembly and electronic equipment. Wherein, the key assembly is applied to electronic equipment, and electronic equipment includes the shell and is fixed in the supporting component in the shell, and the key assembly includes: the key is arranged in the mounting hole, and a gap is formed between the key and the supporting component; the switch is arranged on the key; the elastic piece comprises an elastic part and a pressing part which are integrally formed, the elastic part is in interference fit with the gap, and the pressing part corresponds to the switch and is used for pressing the switch. Through the utility model discloses a key assembly has improved the problem that the button slope rocked, strengthens pressing of user and feels.

Description

Key assembly and electronic equipment

Technical Field

The utility model relates to an electronic equipment technical field especially relates to button subassembly and electronic equipment.

Background

With the continuous progress of technology, the functions of electronic devices are more and more. Keys for realizing various functions are indispensable, such as a switch key, a volume adjustment key, a screen locking key, a photographing key and the like.

The functional keys in the related art have the problems of inclination, shaking and the like when pressed, and have poor hand feeling in the use process.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In order to overcome the problems existing in the prior art, the utility model provides a key assembly and electronic equipment.

According to the utility model discloses an aspect of the embodiment provides a button subassembly, is applied to electronic equipment, electronic equipment includes the shell, is fixed in support component in the shell, its characterized in that, the button subassembly includes: the key is arranged in the mounting hole, and a gap is formed between the key and the supporting part; the switch is arranged on the key; the elastic piece comprises an elastic part and a pressing part which are integrally formed, the elastic part is in interference fit with the gap, and the pressing part corresponds to the switch and is used for pressing the switch.

In some embodiments, the elastic portion is disposed at an edge of the pressing portion, one end of the elastic portion is connected to the pressing portion, and the other end of the elastic portion extends toward the key to form an opening.

In some embodiments, the elastic portion includes elastic arms respectively located at two sides of the pressing portion.

In some embodiments, the elastic arm is inclined away from the pressing portion.

In some embodiments, the elastic arms of the elastic portion are distributed in a trumpet shape, and the pressing portion is located in the trumpet-shaped opening.

In some embodiments, the key assembly further comprises: the fingerprint identification component is arranged on the outer side surface of the key; and one end of the flexible circuit board is connected with the fingerprint identification component, extends from one end of the key and bypasses the inner side of the key body, and the other end of the flexible circuit board is connected with a main board of the electronic equipment.

In some embodiments, the switch is integrated with the flexible circuit board.

In some embodiments, the key is provided with a limiting part; the key assembly further comprises a limiting piece, wherein the limiting piece is fixed in the shell and matched with the limiting part to limit the key to be separated from the shell.

In some embodiments, the limiting part is a through hole arranged on the key; the limiting piece is provided with a blocking part which blocks against the inner wall of the through hole close to the supporting part.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electronic device comprising: the shell is arranged in the mounting hole; a support member disposed within the housing; a key assembly as in any one of the embodiments of the first aspect above.

The embodiment of the utility model provides a technical scheme can include following beneficial effect:

according to the key assembly provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, a user presses the key to drive the switch to start to the pressing direction, namely, the switch moves towards the inside of the shell, the pressing part presses the switch to activate the trigger switch function, meanwhile, the elastic part is further extruded and deformed, the generated force is fed back to the key, and the pressing hand feeling is improved.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure in which a key assembly is mounted to a housing according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of fig. 1 shown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device shown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the accompanying drawings, like numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of the invention, as detailed in the appended claims.

In the prior art, the gap between the key body and the circuit board is filled with foam through the keys of the electronic device, and in the process of pressing the key body by a user, the foam generates a reaction force opposite to the pressing direction on the key body due to the support of the foam. The larger the reaction force exhibited by the foam is with the increase of the pressing stroke of the key body, and such reaction force is in a nonlinear relationship, and particularly at the end of the pressing stroke, that is, when the foam is compressed to a certain extent, the reaction force of the foam to the key is suddenly increased, which may cause a problem of poor pressing feel. In addition, the foam is attached to the circuit board, so that the attaching cost is high, the risk of missed attaching is high, the yield is low, and the reliability is poor.

In addition, the Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC) of the fingerprint module group directly extends out of the side of the key body. The shell needs to reserve a certain size of avoidance space for the FPC extending from the side of the key body, so that the thickness of the shell is thinned, and the strength is insufficient.

In view of the above problems, a first aspect of the present disclosure provides a key assembly, which can be applied to an electronic device, for performing a pressing operation on a switch in the electronic device to improve the problem of tilting and shaking of the key, and to improve a feedback feel during the pressing process.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure in which a key assembly is mounted to a housing according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of fig. 1 shown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device shown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 1, 2, and 3, the key assembly 30 of the embodiment of the present disclosure may be applied to an electronic device 100. The electronic device 100 may be a cell phone, a tablet, a laptop, a digital assistant, a wearable device such as a smart band, a smart watch, and the like. In other embodiments, the key assembly 30 can also be used in electronic products using side keys, such as electronic readers, smart speakers, smart door locks, and automotive electronics. The embodiments of the present disclosure are described by taking a key assembly mounted on a mobile phone as an example, but not limited thereto.

As shown in fig. 1 and 3, the electronic apparatus 100 includes a housing 10 and a support member 20 fixed inside the housing 10. The housing 10 serves as an exterior member of the electronic apparatus 100 and supports various functional components of the electronic apparatus 100. The housing 10 may include a bottom surface and a bezel formed around the periphery of the bottom surface. The bezel may include two opposing side walls and a top wall and a bottom wall adjacent to and connecting the two side walls. The front of the bottom surface can support and accommodate a display screen component, such as an LCD screen and an OLED screen. The back of the bottom surface can support and accommodate functional components such as a mainboard, a battery, a small plate and the like. The shape of the housing 10 may be rectangular, square, oval or circular.

The housing 10 is provided with a mounting hole. The mounting holes are used for the keys 34 to pass through and for the keys 34 to be mounted. The mounting holes may be formed in a top wall (e.g., a front top wall or a rear top wall) or a side wall of the housing 10. One or more mounting holes can be formed in the top wall and the side wall at the same time so that one or more keys can pass through the mounting holes. The embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to an example in which the side wall is provided with a mounting hole.

A mounting groove 33 communicating with the mounting hole may be provided in the housing 10, and an inner wall of the mounting groove 33 may serve as the supporting member 20 for limiting a stroke of the button 34 in a pressing direction. Illustratively, a support plate may be formed at a bottom surface of the housing 10, the support plate being adjacent to and opposite to a side wall of the housing. That is, the support plate is disposed opposite to the mounting hole. The bottom surface, the side wall and the support plate of the housing 10 together form a mounting groove 33.

As shown in fig. 1, the key assembly 30 includes a key 34, a switch 36 and an elastic member 35. The key 34 is mounted to the mounting hole of the housing 10 with a gap from the support member 20. The gap serves as a pressing stroke of the key 34. The switch 36 is disposed on the button 34. The elastic member 35 includes an elastic portion 352 and a pressing portion 351 that are integrally molded. The elastic portion 352 is interference-fitted in the gap between the key 34 and the support member 20. The pressing portion 351 corresponds to the switch 36 for pressing the switch 36 to trigger the corresponding function. Such as powering on and off, waking up and locking the screen, taking a picture, adjusting the volume, etc.

For example, the keys 34 may be a power-on key, a wake-up and lock-screen key, a photograph key, a volume adjustment key, etc. of the electronic device 100. The keys 34 include an inner side and an outer side. The inner side surface is positioned in the shell 10, and the outer side surface protrudes towards the outside of the shell 10 for pressing operation of a user.

The switch 36 is disposed on the circuit board 39 and may be located at a central position on the front surface of the key 34. The circuit board 39 may be a flexible circuit board (FPC), and the switch 36 may be, for example, a dome switch. A reinforced steel plate can be adhered to the inner side surface of the key 34 through a back adhesive, and the circuit board 39 is fixed on the key 34 through the reinforced plate so as to improve the strength of the circuit board 39.

The elastic portion 352 of the elastic member 35 is interference-fitted to the gap between the key 34 and the support member 20. That is, the top end of the elastic portion 352 abuts against the supporting member 20, and the bottom end abuts against the front surface of the key 34 or the flexible circuit board. Since the elastic portion 352 is interference-fitted in the gap between the key 34 and the support member 20, the elastic portion 352 is in a compressed state and has a certain elastic potential, so that the gap can be filled to absorb the assembling tolerance between the key 34 and the support member 20. The pressing portion 351 is opposed to the switch 36, and presses the switch 36 on the circuit board 39. When the key 34 is not pressed, the pressing portion 351 can abut against the switch 36 on the circuit board 39, i.e., is in a contact state, but does not trigger the switch function, i.e., pre-contact. However, in other embodiments, when the key 34 is not pressed, the pressing portion 351 may not abut against the switch 36 on the circuit board 39, i.e. in a non-contact state, and as the key 34 is pressed, the switch 36 moves along with the key 34 into the housing 10, so that the switch 36 contacts with the pressing portion 351 and triggers the function of the switch 36.

In the key assembly 30 of the present disclosure, a user presses the key 34 to move the switch 36 together in a pressing direction, i.e. toward the inside of the housing 10, the elastic portion 352 is further deformed by pressing, and the pressing portion 351 presses the switch 36 to activate the function of the trigger switch 36. Since the elastic portion 352 is deformed by the pressing, the generated reaction force is uniformly fed back to the key 34, and the feeling of pressing is improved.

In the key assembly 30 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, since the elastic portion 352 of the elastic member 35 is interference-fitted in the gap between the key 34 and the support member 20, the gap is filled by the elastic force of the elastic portion 352, so as to absorb the assembly tolerance between the key 34 and the support member 20. The key 34 is prevented from being inclined and shaken with respect to the support member 20, and a mounting process is not required and the cost is reduced as compared with the conventional foam filling method. Further, the pressing portion 351 is integrally formed with the elastic portion 352, and the reaction force generated by the deformation of the elastic portion 352 is substantially uniform in the pressing direction during the pressing of the key 34, so that the user's pressing feeling can be enhanced.

In some embodiments, the key 34 is provided with a stopper 341. The key assembly 30 further includes a limiting sheet 371, and the limiting sheet 371 is fixed in the housing 10 to limit itself. The limiting sheet 371 is matched with the limiting part 341 for limiting the key 34 to be separated from the shell 10, so that the key 34 is limited in a one-way. Because the elastic part 352 of the elastic element 35 is in interference fit with the gap between the key 34 and the supporting part 20, the elastic part 352 has a certain elastic potential energy, and has a rebound force towards the outside of the housing 10 for the key 34 can tightly abut against the limiting sheet 371, so that the rocking between the limiting sheet 371 and the key 34 is prevented, and the pressing hand feeling is further improved.

In an example, the position-limiting portion 341 of the key 34 is a through hole disposed on the key 34, and the position-limiting sheet 371 is disposed with a resisting portion 372, and the resisting portion 372 resists against the through hole near the inner wall of the supporting member 20. For example, through holes are respectively opened on the key 34 on both sides of the central axis of the key 34 in the pressing direction. Correspondingly, the limiting sheet 371 is provided with two convex resisting parts 372 which respectively resist against the inner wall of the through hole close to the supporting part 20. Because the elastic portion 352 is in a compressed state and has a certain elastic potential energy, the elastic portion provides an elastic force to the key 34 toward the outer direction of the housing 10, so that the key 34 tightly abuts against the position-limiting piece 371, thereby preventing the key 34 from tilting and swaying relative to the position-limiting piece 371. The protruding stopping portions 372 can be matched with the through holes on the limiting pieces 371 to limit the keys in the mounting holes of the housing 10, so that the flexible circuit board 39 of the fingerprint identification component 38 can conveniently bypass the keys 34 from outside to inside compared with the conventional mode of matching the two end portions of the keys with the limiting pieces 371.

For example, the limiting piece 371 may include a piece body and fixing portions bent inward from both ends of the piece body, and the fixing portions are fixed in the mounting grooves of the housing 10. Furthermore, the sheet body has a notch and retaining walls respectively located at two sides of the notch and extending downwards, the retaining walls serve as a stopping part, the retaining walls are embedded into the limiting part of the key 34, and the notch on the sheet body is sleeved on the key 34.

Furthermore, the limiting sheet 371 is provided with a convex part for being clamped in a groove of the mounting groove corresponding to the convex part. In an example, the fixing portions at two ends of the limiting sheet 371 are provided with protruding portions for being clamped in clamping grooves corresponding to the protruding portions on the inner side wall of the mounting groove 12 in the housing 10. The convex part on the fixing part is matched with the clamping groove on the inner side wall of the mounting groove, so that the limiting sheet 371 is fixed and more stable, the limiting reliability of the key 34 is improved, the key is prevented from shaking due to the fact that the limiting sheet is unstable, and the reliability of shaking prevention of the key is further improved.

During installation, the limiting sheet 371 can be fixed in the installation groove of the housing 10, and then the through hole on the key 34 is aligned to the resisting part 372 of the limiting sheet 371, so that the key 34 is limited and installed in the installation hole.

It should be noted that the limiting manner of the key 34, i.e. the manner of preventing the key from being separated from the housing 10, may be implemented without a limiting piece. But rather, the key 34 is restrained by a latch structure disposed within the housing 10, such as a latch disposed adjacent to the mounting hole of the housing 10, to prevent the key 34 from being removed from the housing 10.

In one embodiment, the elastic portion 352 of the elastic member 35 is disposed at an edge of the pressing portion 351, one end of the elastic portion is connected to the pressing portion 351, and the other end of the elastic portion extends toward the key 34 to form an opening.

The elastic member 35 may include a top portion and a bottom portion. The top portion abuts the support member 20 and the bottom portion abuts the key 34. The pressing portion 351 is provided inside the top portion, and the bottom portion of the elastic portion 352 is open. The bottom opening part can improve the supporting area of the key 34, so that the elastic force applied to the key 34 is more uniform, the stability of the key 34 is improved, the inclined shaking of the key is further improved, and the hand feeling during pressing is improved.

In one embodiment, the elastic portion 352 of the elastic member 35 includes elastic arms at two sides of the pressing portion 351. As an example, the elastic member 35 may be in a strip shape as a whole. The two strip-shaped elastic support arms form an opening. The pressing portion 351 is located between the two elastic arms, i.e. inside the opening.

In one example, the two elastic arms are inclined away from the pressing portion 351. For example, each of the elastic supporting arms includes a first end and a second end, the first end can extend from the pressing portion 351, and the second end abuts against the key 34. The distance between the first ends of the two elastic arms is smaller than the distance between the second ends, i.e. the two elastic arms form an opening that is inclined away from the pressing portion 351. When the user presses the key 34, the two elastic supporting arms are respectively deformed in a direction away from each other to better support the key 34. The elastic member 35 may be an elastic steel sheet or an elastic soft rubber.

The user, in the in-process of pressing button 34, the elastic support arm of two slope settings is respectively to the direction slope deformation that backs on each other, makes the elasticity of feeding back to button 34 more even to further improve the anti-shake ability and the pressing of the in-process button and feel.

In an example, the elastic arms of the elastic portion 352 are distributed in a trumpet shape, and the pressing portion 351 is located in the trumpet-shaped opening. The elastic member 35 is of a horn-shaped gel structure, i.e., an integral structure. The sectional area of the top end of the flared resilient portion 352 is smaller than the sectional area of the bottom end opening. The bottom opening abuts against the key 34, and the top end opposite to the bottom opening abuts against the supporting part 20. The elastic portion 352 may be made of an elastic material such as rubber or silicone.

In some embodiments, the key assembly 30 also includes a fingerprint identification component 38 and a flexible circuit board 39. The fingerprint recognition unit 38 is disposed on an outer side surface of the key 34, and is configured to recognize a fingerprint of a user, and perform an operation such as unlocking the electronic device. One end of the flexible circuit board 39 is connected to the fingerprint recognition section 38 and extends from one end of the key 34 and bypasses the inner side of the key 34, and the other end is used for connection to the main board of the electronic device 100. The switch 36 may be integrated with the flexible circuit 39, and the fingerprint recognition component 38 and the switch 36 share the same flexible circuit 39.

The flexible circuit board 39 connected by the fingerprint identification part 38 bypasses the inner side of the key 34 from one end of the key 34 to the inside of the housing 10, and the flexible circuit board 39 can be led out from the position in the housing 10 closer to the supporting part 20, compared with the prior art in which the flexible circuit board 39 is directly led out from the position in the housing 10 close to the key 34 (as shown in fig. 1), on the one hand, the part of the housing 10 adjacent to the key 34 does not need to provide a space for avoiding the flexible circuit board 39, so that the thickness d of the housing 10 can be increased, and the strength of the housing 10 can be improved. On the other hand, the flexible circuit board 39 bypasses the inner side of the key 34, so that the switch 36 can be directly integrated on the flexible circuit board 39, and the flexible circuit board 39 is shared with the fingerprint identification part 38, thereby saving the cost. Moreover, the key 34, the fingerprint identification part 38 and the switch 36 can be combined into a module, so that the subsequent disassembly and maintenance are convenient.

An electronic device is provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 3, the electronic device 100 may include a housing 10, a supporting member 20, and a key assembly 30, wherein the key assembly 30 is the key assembly 30 according to any one of the embodiments described above.

The housing 10 serves as an exterior member of the electronic apparatus 100 and supports various functional components of the electronic apparatus 100. The housing 10 may include a bottom surface and a bezel formed around the periphery of the bottom surface. The bezel may include two opposing side walls and a top wall and a bottom wall connected adjacent to the two side walls. The front of the bottom surface can support and accommodate a display screen component, such as an LCD screen and an OLED screen. The back of the bottom surface can support and accommodate functional components such as a mainboard, a battery, a small plate and the like.

The housing 10 is provided with a mounting hole. The mounting hole is used for the key to pass through. The mounting holes may be formed in the top wall or the side wall of the housing 10. One or more mounting holes can be formed in the top wall and the side wall at the same time so that one or more keys can pass through the mounting holes. The embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to an example in which the side wall is provided with a mounting hole.

A mounting groove 33 communicating with the mounting hole is formed in the housing 10, and an inner wall of the mounting groove 33 may serve as the supporting member 20 for limiting a stroke during the pressing of the key 34. Illustratively, a support plate may be formed on the bottom surface of the housing 10, adjacent to and opposite the side wall of the housing. That is, the support plate is opposite to the mounting hole. The bottom surface, side walls and support plate together form a mounting slot 33. Wherein, the inner side wall of the supporting plate can be used for limiting the stroke of the key 34 in the pressing process.

The electronic device 100 of the present disclosure is configured with the key assembly 30 of the present disclosure, so that the key 34 can be effectively prevented from tilting and shaking, and the feedback hand feeling during pressing can be improved.

It is understood that the term "plurality" in the present invention means two or more, and other terms are similar. "and/or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, meaning that there may be three relationships, e.g., a and/or B, which may mean: a exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. The character "/" generally indicates that the former and latter associated objects are in an "or" relationship. The singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

It will be further understood that the terms "first," "second," and the like are used to describe various information and that such information should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one type of information from another and do not denote a particular order or importance. Indeed, the terms "first," "second," and the like are fully interchangeable. For example, the first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, the second information may also be referred to as first information, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

It will be further understood that the terms "central," "longitudinal," "lateral," "front," "rear," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," and the like are used in an orientation or positional relationship indicated in the drawings for convenience in describing the present embodiment and to simplify the description, but do not indicate or imply that the referenced device or element must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation.

It will be further understood that, unless otherwise specified, "connected" includes direct connections between the two without the presence of other elements, as well as indirect connections between the two with the presence of other elements.

It is further to be understood that while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this is not to be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in serial order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. In certain environments, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.

Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the embodiments disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice within the art to which the invention pertains. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements described above and shown in the drawings and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims (10)

1. The utility model provides a button subassembly, is applied to electronic equipment, electronic equipment includes the shell and is fixed in support component in the shell, the shell is provided with the mounting hole, its characterized in that, button subassembly includes:

the key is arranged in the mounting hole, and a gap is formed between the key and the supporting part;

the switch is arranged on the key;

the elastic piece comprises an elastic part and a pressing part which are integrally formed, the elastic part is in interference fit with the gap, and the pressing part corresponds to the switch and is used for pressing the switch.

2. The key assembly of claim 1,

the elastic part is arranged on the edge of the pressing part, one end of the elastic part is connected with the pressing part, and the other end of the elastic part extends towards the direction of the key to form an opening part.

3. The key assembly of claim 2,

the elastic part comprises elastic support arms positioned on two sides of the pressing part.

4. The key assembly of claim 3,

the elastic support arm inclines towards the direction far away from the pressing part.

5. The key assembly of claim 3,

a plurality of elastic component elastic support arm is the setting of loudspeaker form distribution, press the splenium to be located in the loudspeaker form opening.

6. The key assembly of any one of claims 1-5, further comprising:

the fingerprint identification component is arranged on the outer side surface of the key;

and one end of the flexible circuit board is connected with the fingerprint identification component, extends from one end of the key and bypasses the inner side of the key, and the other end of the flexible circuit board is connected with a main board of the electronic equipment.

7. The key assembly of claim 6,

the switch is integrated with the flexible circuit board.

8. The key assembly of claim 1,

the key is provided with a limiting part;

the key assembly further comprises a limiting sheet, wherein the limiting sheet is fixed in the shell and matched with the limiting part to limit the key to be separated from the shell.

9. The key assembly of claim 8,

the limiting part is a through hole arranged on the key;

the limiting piece is provided with a blocking part which blocks against the inner wall of the through hole close to the supporting part.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

the shell is arranged in the mounting hole;

a support member disposed within the housing;

a key assembly as recited in any one of claims 1-9.

Images