CN214626955U - Contact-free key - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model discloses a contact-free button, include: the key comprises a key shell, a key main body sleeved in the key shell, an elastic element, a first circuit board fixed on the key shell and a mechanical switch element fixed and electrically connected to the first circuit board; the key body comprises a key top cover, a key bottom cover fixed on the lower surface of the key top cover and a second circuit board fixed on the key bottom cover or the key top cover; wherein the second circuit board is provided with an infrared light emitting element, an infrared light receiving element and at least one light emitting element; one end face of the elastic element is contacted or connected with the bottom face of the key bottom cover, and the other end face of the elastic element is contacted or connected with the first circuit board; the non-contact or contact type key opening/closing can be realized, and the convenience and the safety of the use of the key and the service life of the key are improved.

Description

Contact-free key

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a button technical field especially relates to a multi-functional contact-free button.

Background

Recently, coronavirus pneumonia epidemic situation with very high infection degree is outbreaked all over the world, so that a plurality of people are killed, and serious attack is brought to the economy all over the world. Since viruses can be transmitted through air, stay on the surfaces of various objects and contact with human hands or other parts of human bodies, indirect infection is realized. Therefore, people have great fear and apprehension about various public tools used in various public places, and fear that viruses are unknowingly infected by using public tools. For example, the keys in an elevator are a high risk area. Because everyone needs to work, the elevator must be taken when working, and therefore the elevator button must be pressed to inform the elevator to which floor. Therefore, the virus is most likely to be transmitted to all people using the elevator from the hands of the patient or the virus carrier through the elevator keys. Therefore, in order to protect people from fear and apprehension of infection, it is necessary to improve the existing push button.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In order to solve the problem pointed out in the above-mentioned background art, the utility model provides a multi-functional contactless button both can open/close the button with non-contact's mode, also can open/close the button with the mode of contact, has improved the convenience of button use, security and the life of button greatly.

The above purpose is realized by the following technical scheme:

a touch free key comprising:

the key comprises a key shell, a key main body sleeved in the key shell, an elastic element, a first circuit board fixed on the key shell and a mechanical switch element fixed and electrically connected to the first circuit board;

the key body comprises a key top cover, a key bottom cover fixed on the lower surface of the key top cover and a second circuit board fixed on the key bottom cover or the key top cover;

wherein the second circuit board is provided with an infrared light emitting element, an infrared light receiving element and at least one light emitting element;

wherein the key top cover is made of materials which can transmit infrared light and visible light;

one end face of the elastic element is contacted or connected with the bottom face of the key bottom cover, the other end face of the elastic element is contacted or connected with the first circuit board, when external force acts on the key top cover of the key main body, the elastic element is compressed, so that the key main body can integrally move downwards, and when the external force is removed, the elastic element releases elastic force to push the key main body to integrally return to the original position;

the bottom surface of the key bottom cover of the key main body is provided with a touch projection, and when the key main body moves to the lowest position, the touch projection just presses the mechanical switch element to enable the mechanical switch element to be in a conducting or disconnecting state;

the first circuit board and the second circuit board work in a matched mode, and when the infrared light receiving element receives a reflected infrared light signal, one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board outputs a control signal;

wherein the at least one light-emitting element is directly controlled to be turned on or off by an external circuit except the key.

In one embodiment, the infrared light emitting element can emit an infrared light signal with information when in an operating state.

In some embodiments, the key body further comprises a logo piece disposed on the key top cover, and the logo piece is provided with hollow or solid numbers, symbols, patterns, braille, letters or letters as a logo mark.

In some embodiments, the patch is made of an infrared light transmissive material.

In some embodiments, the patch is a completely opaque material, in which case the infrared light penetrates the patch through the area of the hollow markings or the area other than the solid markings on the patch.

In some embodiments, the key bottom cover, the elastic member, and the contact protrusion are all designed as an integral member.

In some embodiments, the spring element and the contact projection are designed as a one-piece component, and one end face of the one-piece component is in contact with or connected to the second circuit board, while the other end face is in contact with or connected to the first circuit board.

In some embodiments, at least two notches are arranged on the circumferential wall of the key bottom cover, and a vertical hook-shaped reverse buckle is arranged in each notch;

the key shell is characterized in that the wall of a lower cylindrical tube of the key shell is provided with at least two U-shaped bayonets, and the hook-shaped reverse buckle is buckled with the bayonets.

In some embodiments, the first circuit board is larger in area than the key housing, and the first circuit boards of the plurality of touch-free keys are connected into a single large circuit board.

In some embodiments, at least one of the light emitting elements mounted on the second circuit board is controlled to be turned on or off by an external circuit other than a key.

Compared with the prior art, the utility model discloses an at least including following beneficial effect:

the utility model discloses a multi-functional contactless button both can realize that non-contact ground separates the empty button of opening/closing to this avoids finger contact button surface and is infected by the virus, also can open/close the button through traditional touching mode simultaneously, and such multi-functional contactless button has improved the convenience that the button used, security and the life of button.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a touch-free keypad in an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of a touch-free button;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the key body of the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom cover of the key of the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is another perspective view of the key bottom cover in the embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a touch free key of an embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of an outline marker in an embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a solid mark in an embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a different assembly structure of the logo plate and the key top cover in the embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a hollow mark in the embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a solid mark on a key top cover;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the elastic member in the present embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a front view of the elastic member in the present embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a schematic structural diagram of the elastic member, the touch protrusion and the bottom plate of the key bottom cover in the present embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a schematic view showing the structure of the elastic member and the tactile projection in the present embodiment;

FIG. 16 is a schematic structural diagram of the elastic member, the touch protrusion and the bottom cover of the key in the present embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a schematic structural diagram of a bottom cover of the key of the embodiment;

FIG. 18 is another schematic structural diagram of a key bottom cover in the embodiment;

fig. 19 is an assembly diagram of the first circuit board and the key housing in the embodiment;

fig. 20 is an assembly diagram of the first circuit board and a plurality of key housings in the embodiment.

Detailed Description

In order to clearly understand the technical features, objects, and effects of the present invention, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of claimed subject matter. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that claimed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. Furthermore, it is obvious that the following description is only of some embodiments of the invention, from which other embodiments can be derived by a person skilled in the art without inventive step. Additionally, methods, apparatus, or systems that are well known to those of ordinary skill have not been described in detail so as not to obscure claimed subject matter.

Reference in the specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" may mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the particular embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the subject matter claimed. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not intended to refer to the same embodiment or to any one particular embodiment described. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the particular features, structures, or characteristics described may be combined in various ways in one or more embodiments. Generally, of course, these and other issues will vary with the particular context of the application. Thus, a description of these terms or a particular context of the application can provide useful guidance regarding inferences about that context.

Similarly, the terms "and," "and/or," and "or" as used herein may include various meanings that depend, at least in part, on the context in which the terms are used. Typically, "or" and/or "if used in connection with a list, such as A, B or C, means A, B and C for inclusive and A, B or C for exclusive. Furthermore, the term "one or more" is used herein to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic either individually or in some combination. It should be noted, however, that this is merely an illustrative example and that claimed subject matter is not limited to this example.

In the description of the present specification, it is to be understood that the terms "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for convenience of description and simplicity of description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element being referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus, should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Thus, "upper" and "lower" may be effectively substituted with "top" and "bottom", "first" and "second", "left" and "right", and so on.

It is understood that the protection is not limited to the preferred embodiments described above, and that, needless to say, modifications can be made to the specific embodiments of the invention or equivalent substitutions can be made to parts of the technical features without departing from the spirit of the invention, which shall be covered by the scope of the claims of the invention.

The present embodiment provides a multi-function touch-free key, as shown in fig. 1 to 6, including: the key comprises a key body 1, a key shell 2, a fixing ring 3, an elastic element 4, a first circuit board 5 and a mechanical switch element 501, wherein the key body 1 is sleeved in the key shell 2, and the mechanical switch element 501 is fixed and electrically connected to the first circuit board 5;

the key body 1 comprises a key top cover 102, a key bottom cover 103 and a second circuit board 105, wherein the key bottom cover 103 is fixed on the lower surface of the key top cover 102, a contact protrusion 109 is arranged on the bottom surface of the key bottom cover 103, and the second circuit board 105 is fixed on the key bottom cover 103 or the key top cover 102; wherein the elastic element 4 is arranged between the bottom surface of the key bottom cover 103 and the first circuit board 5, and one end of the elastic element 4 is contacted or connected with the bottom surface of the key main body 1, while the other end is contacted or connected with the first circuit board 5; when an external force acts on the key top cover 102 of the key body 1, the elastic element 4 can be compressed along the axial direction, so that the key body 1 moves downwards along the axial direction, namely the key body 1 can move downwards integrally, and when the external force is removed, the elastic element 4 releases the elastic force to push the key body 1 to move upwards, namely the key body 1 returns to the original position integrally; when the key body 1 moves to the lowest end along the axis under the action of external force, the contact protrusion 109 just presses the mechanical switch element 501 to turn on or off; in this embodiment, the second circuit board 105 is fixed on the key bottom cover 103; the second circuit board 105 is provided with an infrared light emitting element 106, an infrared light receiving element 107, at least one light emitting element 108 and other electronic elements 110, so as to cooperate with the first circuit board 5 to work, for example, when the infrared light receiving element 107 receives a reflected infrared light signal and reaches a certain signal level, one of the first circuit board 5 and the second circuit board 105 outputs a control signal; wherein the at least one light emitting element 108 is directly controlled to be turned on or off by the external circuit of the key.

The multifunctional non-contact key of the embodiment can be opened/closed in a non-contact manner at intervals, so that the condition that a finger is infected by viruses when contacting the surface of the key is avoided, and meanwhile, the key can be opened/closed in a traditional touch manner, and the convenience and the safety of the use of the key and the service life of the key are improved.

In this embodiment, the key top 102 is made of a material that can transmit both infrared light and visible light. Materials that do not have to be one hundred percent transmissive or eight or ninety percent transmissive for infrared and visible light; by adjusting the thickness of the key top 102, the position, size, surface roughness, etc. of the light-transmitting area, the key top 102 can transmit both visible light and infrared light, so that human eyes can see the transmitted visible light, and the infrared light receiving element 107 can receive infrared signals. Therefore, a material having a transmittance of 10% or less can be theoretically used.

In this embodiment, the key top cover 102 and the key bottom cover 103 of the key main body 1 are separate two independent members, and the key bottom cover 103 is joined to the key top cover 102 by an adhesive to form a "T" shaped structure. In one embodiment, the key bottom cover 103 is connected to the key top cover 102 by screws or other mechanical means. In one embodiment, the key top cover 102 and the key bottom cover 103 are designed as one integral member. However, whatever means are used to join the key top cover 102 and the key bottom cover 103 together, including being designed as a unitary member, does not depart from the scope of protection defined herein as: the key bottom cover 103 is fixed on the lower surface of the key top cover 102. In one embodiment, a hole is further formed in the center of the key top cover 102 to facilitate mounting of the second circuit board 105.

In the present embodiment, the key bottom cover 103 is a cylindrical pan-shaped integral member, as shown in fig. 4, the pan portion of the key bottom cover 103 is defined as a bottom plate 112, and a bottom surface of the bottom plate 112 is provided with a contact protrusion 109. The circumference wall of the bottom plate 112 is provided with 4 notches 113, and the notches 113 are respectively provided with a vertical hook-shaped reverse buckle 111 for buckling a clamping position on the key shell 2 so as to prevent the key main body 1 from falling off from the key shell 2. Needless to say, the key bottom cover 103 has two, three, or even more than four notches 113 and undercuts 111 on the circumferential wall, without departing from the scope of protection defined herein. Needless to say, the round shape of the cylindrical pan shape of the key bottom cover 103 is changed to a square shape, a polygonal shape, a special shape, or even any other shape without departing from the scope of protection defined herein. In one embodiment, the bottom plate 112 and the circumferential wall of the key bottom cover 103 are separated such that the key bottom cover 103 changes from a pan shape to a cylindrical tube shape, and the key bottom cover 103 and the bottom plate 112 are two separate members. In this case, the bottom plate 112 and the contact protrusions 109 may be coupled to the key bottom cover 103 by an adhesive or screws or other means. In one embodiment, the base plate 112 is not present and the contact protrusions 109 are directly fixed to the second circuit board 105.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the touch-less key of the present embodiment, in which the hatched portions are cross-sections and the same hatching represents the same member. The dotted line X in the figure represents the axial direction of the touch-free key. In this embodiment, the exterior of the hollow cylindrical tube at the lower part of the key housing 2 is provided with a thread, which is matched with the internal thread of the fixing ring 3 to fix the contact-free key on the key panel. In an embodiment, the fixing ring 3 is not present. The key housing 3 is used to mount and fix the contactless keys on the key panel by other means such as adhesive, screws, flip-flops, or hot rivets. In one embodiment, the key housing 2 further includes a protective casing 201 for decorating and protecting the key housing 2.

In the present embodiment, the key housing 2 has a T-shaped structure, as shown in fig. 6, the upper portion thereof is a hollow transverse platform, the lower portion thereof is a hollow cylindrical tubular structure, and the hollow portion of the transverse platform and the hollow portion of the cylindrical tube are communicated with each other for accommodating the key body 1; four U-shaped notches 201 are formed in the lower hollow cylindrical tube wall of the key housing 2, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, for receiving the vertical reverse buckles 111 formed on the key bottom cover 103. The reverse buckle 111 on the key bottom cover 103 enables the installation of the key main body 1 to simply slide into the hollow part of the key housing 2 from top to bottom along the axis and enables the reverse buckle 111 to buckle the U-shaped notch 201, so that the key main body 1 cannot be separated from the key housing 2 by itself. Needless to say, two, three, or even more than four "U" shaped notches/bayonets are provided on the cylindrical tube wall of the key housing 2 without departing from the protection scope defined herein. Needless to say, in other embodiments, the circular shape of the hollow cylindrical tube of the key housing 2 is changed to a square shape, a polygonal shape, a special shape, or even any other shape without departing from the scope of protection defined herein. Each reverse buckle 111 is buckled with the corresponding notch 201, and the structure is simple, the design is reasonable and ingenious, and the reliable connection between the key main body 1 and the key shell 2 is convenient to realize.

In this embodiment, the second circuit board 105 is fixed on the key bottom cover 103. To achieve this, at least 1 fixing mechanism 114 is disposed in the key bottom cover 103, and the second circuit board 105 is fixed to the fixing mechanism 114, as shown in fig. 5. In an embodiment, the fixing mechanism 114 may be a platform with screw holes, and the second circuit board 105 is fixed on the fixing mechanism 114 by screws. In one embodiment, the fixing mechanism 114 is a small boss, and a round hole is formed on the second circuit board 105 to match with the boss for fixing. Needless to say, any person skilled in the art can easily provide various methods for fixing the second circuit board 105 to the key bottom cover 103 without any creative effort, and these methods do not depart from the scope of the present invention.

It can also be seen in fig. 6 that other electronic components 110 are also provided on the first circuit board 5, which include all kinds of electronic components, including but not limited to chips (integrated circuits), resistors, capacitors, inductors, relays, switches, sockets/headers, etc. In other embodiments, the electronic component 110 is mounted not only on the first circuit board 5 but also on the second circuit board 105.

In this embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 to 6, the key body 1 further includes an identification sheet 101, and the user can visually and clearly see the content triggered or controlled by the key through the identification sheet, so that the convenience of using the key can be improved to a certain extent, and the use experience of the user can be improved. The identification patch is secured to the upper surface of the key top cover 102 by an adhesive. In addition, the sign sheet 101 is further provided with a sign mark which is a number, a symbol, a pattern, braille, characters or letters. The identification indicia on the tab 101 may be printed on the tab 101 in any manner, including as hollow indicia as shown in fig. 7, solid indicia as shown in fig. 8, or raised braille indicia. In the case of fig. 8, the patch 101 itself is a solid marking patch. In some embodiments, the indicia markings are printed directly on the key top 102, in which case the patch 101 becomes a thin layer of printed paint, ink, or some material. In some embodiments, the tab 101 may be secured to the upper surface of the key top cover 102, as shown in the uppermost block diagram of FIG. 9; the tab 101 may be secured to the underside of the key top cover 102 as shown in the middle block diagram of fig. 9. In one embodiment, the key top cover 102 is comprised of two top cover plates, and the patch 101 is secured between the sandwich of the two top cover plates, as shown in the bottom-most block diagram of FIG. 9. In other embodiments, one of the two cover sheets is reduced to a thin film or multilayer film to protect the patch 101 from abrasion, discoloration, etc. during use.

In one embodiment, the patch 101 is an infrared transparent material. In one embodiment, the patch 101 is a metal sheet or a sheet of material that is completely opaque. On which hollow letters are printed. The infrared light emitted by the infrared light emitting element 106 of the second circuit board 105 can penetrate from the open letter region 601 to the outside of the key as shown by the hatched region in fig. 10; or the reflected infrared light is transmitted through the open letter region 601 to the infrared light receiving element 107, and is detected. In another embodiment, the patch 101 is a solid letter made of a thin sheet of metal or a material that is completely opaque. The infrared light emitted from the infrared light emitting element 106 of the second circuit board 105 can be detected by passing through a light transmitting region 602 outside the solid letter edge and inside the edge of the key top cover 102, such as the hatched region in fig. 11, to the outside of the key, or by passing the reflected infrared light through the region to the infrared light receiving element 107. The identification sheet 101 is a metal sheet, or a plastic sheet, or a paper sheet, or a sheet formed by silk-screen printing or printing.

Fig. 12 shows a perspective view of the elastic member 4 in this embodiment. Fig. 13 is a front view of fig. 12. Reference numeral 401 in fig. 13 is an upper end face of the elastic member, and reference numeral 402 is a lower end face of the elastic member. Since the lower face 402 is formed by the faces of the resilient arms 404 and is discontinuous, it is purposely indicated in fig. 13 by a dashed line. Reference numeral 403 is an axial direction of the key, and the elastic member 4 may be compressed or stretched along the axial direction 403. As shown in fig. 14, in one embodiment, the elastic member 4, the contact protrusion 109, and the bottom plate 112 of the key bottom cover 103 are designed as an integral member. In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 15, the spring element 4 and the contact protrusion 109 are designed as a one-piece member, and one end face of the one-piece member is in contact with or connected to the second circuit board 105, while the other end face is in contact with or connected to the first circuit board 5. As shown in fig. 16, in one embodiment, the elastic element 4, the contact protrusion 109 and the key bottom cover 103 are designed as a single integral member. In one embodiment, the elastic element 4 may be a coil spring, or an elastomer such as rubber, silicone, or any material or device that can be compressed and stretched along the key axis direction 403. In any implementation, the number of elastic elements 4 is not limited, and one or more elastic elements may be used. Of course, the elastic member 4, the contact protrusion 109 and the key bottom cover 103 may adopt the structure as shown in fig. 17 and 18.

In this embodiment, since the inner space of the key is narrow and the size of all electronic components is large at present, the electronic control function cannot be completed by the electronic circuit board which is integral and small enough to be placed in the inner space of the key, and thus the electronic circuit board is divided into two circuit boards to complete all electronic signal processing and control functions together. The size of the electronic elements is reduced, the integration level is improved and the number of the required electronic elements is reduced along with the technical progress in the future, so that one electronic circuit board can be omitted and only one of the first electronic circuit board and the second electronic circuit board is used. Needless to say, this should not depart from the scope of the present invention. In some embodiments, the first circuit board 5 may be further divided into a third circuit board and a fourth circuit board. In this embodiment, the first circuit board 5 and the second circuit board 105 are mounted and fixed inside the key housing, so that the circuit boards become an integral part of the key. However, in some embodiments, the area of the first circuit board 5 is much larger than the floor area of the key housing 2, so the first circuit board 5 is installed outside the key housing 3, so that the first circuit board 5 and the components thereon look like something other than keys, as shown in fig. 19, which should be considered as falling within the protection scope of this patent. Further, in one embodiment, the first circuit board 5 of several keys is combined into a large first circuit board 5 shared by several keys, as shown in fig. 20.

In one embodiment, the second circuit board is electrically connected to at least one light emitting element 108. The light emitting elements 108 take a variety of forms including, but not limited to, Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), conventional small light bulbs, and the like. Although the electrical connection lines of the light emitting elements are on the second circuit board and some circuits and electronic components for turning on/off the light emitting elements are also mounted on the second circuit board or the first circuit board, neither the first circuit nor the second circuit board can determine when to turn on/off the light emitting elements. In fact, at least one of the light emitting elements 108 is directly controlled to be turned on/off by a control circuit outside the key, that is, an external circuit turns on or off the light emitting element by providing a control signal or directly providing an operating voltage or current required by the light emitting element.

In one embodiment, the infrared light emitting element 106 emits an infrared light signal with information when in an operating state, that is, the intensity or frequency of the emitted infrared light can be modulated or encoded in an arbitrary manner; such as infrared light intensity, emitted at a frequency of 1000Hz in a manner of 0 (representing extinction) and 1 (representing maximum brightness); or the intensity is emitted in a sine wave variation mode at the frequency of 100 Hz; or transmitted in the coding mode of the Persian code. Needless to say, any person skilled in the art, after having the benefit of the present disclosure, can easily cite many ways of modulating or encoding the infrared light emitted by the infrared light emitting element without inventive step. Needless to say, these methods do not depart from the scope of the present invention.

The working principle of the touch-free key provided by the embodiment is described as follows:

normal mode of operation, traditional mechanical button mode of operation:

when a human hand touches the key top cover 102 or the identification sheet 101 thereon and applies pressure, the key body is moved downward as a whole under the pressure, so that the contact protrusion 109 touches the micro-mechanical switch element 501 fixed on the first circuit board 5 and presses the button on the micro-mechanical switch element 501 to cause the mechanical switch to be turned on or off, while the elastic member 4 fixed between the key body 1 and the key housing 3 is compressed. When the hand leaves the key top cover 102 or the identification sheet 101 thereon or the applied pressure is removed, the compressed elastic element 4 releases the elastic energy to push the key body 1 to return to the original position, so as to make the contact protrusion 109 leave the button of the micro-mechanical switch element 501, and make the switch restore to the original open or closed state.

Non-touch mode of operation:

when operating normally, the infrared light emitting element 106 emits infrared light, which passes through the key top cover 102 and the identification sheet 101 into the space outside the key. When a human hand starts to approach the key, infrared light is reflected back, and the reflected infrared light passes through the key top cover 102 and the identification sheet 101 again, and is received by the infrared light receiving element 107 and generates an electric signal. Since the closer the human hand is to the key, the more infrared light is reflected back and the stronger the signal is received and generated. The received signals are processed and analyzed by the circuits of the first circuit board 5 and the second circuit board 105, and it can be set that when a human hand approaches a key to a certain distance, the control circuit sends out a control signal which can be used for controlling/triggering subsequent peripheral circuits to perform certain preset functions.

No matter the key is in the normal operation mode or the non-touch operation mode, the second circuit board 105 is provided with at least one light emitting element 108, such as an LED, and the peripheral circuit can turn on or off the light emitting element 108 by transmitting a control or driving signal to the first or second circuit board. The light emitted from the light emitting element 108 passes through the key top 2 and the identification sheet 101 to be seen by a person. Thereby letting one know whether the key is in the triggered active mode or the non-triggered active mode.

In the multifunctional touch-free key of the embodiment, when the multifunctional touch-free key works normally, the two modes can be in a working state at the same time, so that the key can be triggered whenever a hand touches the key or the hand is in front of the key for a certain distance; the non-touch type working mode can be closed at any time, so that the key can only work in the traditional touch mode. The multifunctional touch-free key enables all people, such as the old, the young, the illiterate and the visually impaired, to use the key naturally without obstacles without learning and training.

What has been described above are only some embodiments of the invention. For those skilled in the art, without departing from the inventive concept, several modifications and improvements can be made, which are within the scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

1. A touch-free keypad, comprising:

the key comprises a key shell, a key main body sleeved in the key shell, an elastic element, a first circuit board fixed on the key shell and a mechanical switch element fixed and electrically connected to the first circuit board;

the key body comprises a key top cover, a key bottom cover fixed on the lower surface of the key top cover and a second circuit board fixed on the key bottom cover or the key top cover;

wherein the second circuit board is provided with an infrared light emitting element, an infrared light receiving element and at least one light emitting element;

wherein the key top cover is made of materials which can transmit infrared light and visible light;

one end face of the elastic element is contacted or connected with the bottom face of the key bottom cover, the other end face of the elastic element is contacted or connected with the first circuit board, when external force acts on the key top cover of the key main body, the elastic element is compressed, so that the key main body can integrally move downwards, and when the external force is removed, the elastic element releases elastic force to push the key main body to integrally return to the original position;

the bottom surface of the key bottom cover of the key main body is provided with a touch projection, and when the key main body moves to the lowest position, the touch projection just presses the mechanical switch element to enable the mechanical switch element to be in a conducting or disconnecting state;

the first circuit board and the second circuit board work in a matched mode, and when the infrared light receiving element receives the reflected infrared light signal, one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board outputs a control signal.

2. A touch-free key as claimed in claim 1, wherein the key body further comprises a logo patch disposed on the key top cover, and the logo patch is provided with hollow or solid numbers, symbols, patterns, braille, letters or letters as a logo mark.

3. A touch-free keypad according to claim 2, wherein the identification patch is made of an infrared light transmitting material.

4. A touch-free keypad according to claim 2, wherein the indicia patch is of a substantially opaque material and the infrared light passes through the patch through the area of the indicia patch other than the hollow or solid markings.

5. A touch-free key as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the key cover, the resilient element and the contact protrusion are all designed as a one-piece member.

6. A touch-free keypad according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the resilient element and the protrusions are designed as a single piece, and wherein one end face of the single piece is in contact with or connected to the second circuit board, and the other end face is in contact with or connected to the first circuit board.

7. A touch-free keypad according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the key bottom cover is provided with at least two notches on the circumferential wall, and a carabiner-shaped reverse buckle is arranged in each notch;

the key shell is characterized in that the wall of a lower cylindrical tube of the key shell is provided with at least two U-shaped bayonets, and the hook-shaped reverse buckle is buckled with the bayonets.

8. A touch-free keypad according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the first circuit board is larger in area than the keypad housing and the first circuit boards of a plurality of touch-free keypads are connected together as a single large circuit board.

9. A touch-free key as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the infrared light emitting element is arranged to emit an infrared light signal carrying information when in an operative state.

10. A touch-free keypad according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein at least one of the light emitting elements mounted on the second circuit board is controlled to be turned on or off by an external circuit other than the keypad.

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