JP2000207987A - Keyboard device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make thin a keyboard device, simplify its structure and give the clicking sensation of a key to an operator. SOLUTION: This device 1 is provided with a keyboard body 2 and a keyboard board 3 for mounting the keyboard body 2. The keyboard body 2 is composed by integrally molding multiple key parts 6 to be protrusively formed and a joining part 7 for joining the key parts 6 and is so structured that the key parts 6 are deformed in a recesses form when the key parts 6 are depressed, and the key parts 6 are restored to a protruding form, when the pressing of the key parts 6 is released. A movable electrode 4 is arranged at the center of each of the key parts 6, and a fixed electrode 5 is formed at a position facing opposite each of the movable electrodes 4 of the keyboard board 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a keyboard device, and more particularly, to a keyboard device whose thickness can be reduced.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Devices such as personal computers and word processors, particularly portable devices such as notebook computers, are required to be thin and lightweight, and accordingly, keyboard devices of such notebook computers are also being reduced in thickness and weight. Is required.

Generally, a keyboard device is composed of members having independent structures for each key. FIG. 4 shows a partial sectional view of the keyboard device.

[0004] As shown in FIG. 4, a keyboard device 11 includes a key 12, a pair of support members 14 arranged below the key 12 and joined by a stopper 13, and a spring 15 attached to the stopper 13. It has. Also, the spring 15
A movable electrode 16 is arranged below the fixed electrode 18, and a fixed electrode 18 is arranged on the substrate 17 at a position facing the movable electrode 16. Then, when the operator presses a predetermined key 12 with a finger, the support member 14 falls down, the stopper 13 moves downward, and the movable electrode 16 moves downward. This allows
When the movable electrode 16 and the fixed electrode 18 come into contact with each other,
It is recognized that 2 has been selected. Further, the operator can recognize that the key 12 has been selected by the tactile sensation (click sensation) accompanying the contact between the movable electrode 16 and the fixed electrode 18. On the other hand, the pressing on the key 12 is released (the finger is
, The movable electrode 16 is moved upward by the elastic force of the spring 15, and the key 12 returns to the state where the movable electrode 16 and the fixed electrode 18 are separated (fixed position).

[0005]

However, in such a structure, the keyboard device 11 has a thickness required for disposing the support member 14 and the spring 15 in addition to the thickness required for moving the movable electrode 16. It is necessary to secure it, and it is difficult to reduce the thickness of the keyboard device 11.
Further, it is necessary to arrange the support member 14, the spring 15 and the like for each key 12, and the structure of the keyboard device 11 becomes complicated.

On the other hand, the keyboard device 11 is provided with a thin film on a piezoelectric element, for example, like an ultra-thin computer.
If a structure is adopted in which a predetermined key 12 is selected by detecting pressure from the thin film with a piezoelectric element, the thickness of the keyboard device 11 can be reduced and the structure can be simplified. In this case, the click feeling of the key 12 cannot be given to the operator, and the operator is not suitable for the keyboard device 11 that strikes many characters.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard device which can provide a click feeling of a key to an operator while being thin and simple in structure. To provide.

[0008]

In order to solve the above problems, a keyboard device according to the present invention comprises a plurality of convexly formed key portions and a joint portion for joining the respective key portions, which are integrally formed. The key portion is deformed into a concave shape when the key portion is pressed, and a keyboard body in which the key portion recovers to a convex shape when the key portion is released, and a keyboard substrate to which the keyboard body is attached. And a detecting member for detecting deformation of the key portion.

According to the present invention, when the operator presses a predetermined key portion with a finger, the key portion is deformed into a concave shape, and this deformation is detected by the detecting member. By this detection, it is recognized that a predetermined key has been selected. Then, it is recognized that the operator has selected the key by this deformation. Further, when the operator releases the finger and the pressing of the key portion is released, the key portion is restored to the original convex shape.

When a thin metal plate is used for the keyboard body,
The heat generated in the keyboard main body due to key operation or the like is easily released to the outside of the keyboard main body. In addition, if the end of the joining portion that is joined to the key portion while pressing the key portion is deformed into a curved surface along the concave shape, stress concentrated on the end portion of the key portion due to deformation of the key portion is joined. It is also distributed at the end of the part, improving the durability of the keyboard body. Furthermore, when the end of the key portion is formed into a gentle curved surface, the stress applied to the end of the key portion is dispersed throughout the end portion, and the end portion is hardly bent. Further, when the joining portion of the keyboard body is formed thicker than the key portion, the rigidity of the keyboard device is ensured, and the keyboard portion is easily bent without exerting an excessive force.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a keyboard device, and FIG.
2 shows a partial sectional view of the keyboard device.

As shown in FIG. 2, the keyboard device 1 comprises:
A keyboard body 2, a keyboard substrate 3 on which the keyboard body 2 is mounted, and a movable electrode 4 and a fixed electrode 5 that constitute a detection member are provided.

The keyboard body 2 has a plurality of key portions 6 formed in a convex shape, and a joining portion 7 for joining each key portion 6. The key portion 6 is formed in a shape corresponding to a predetermined key, and its end is formed in a gentle curved surface. The thickness T1 of the key portion 6 is adjusted to a thickness at which a desired click feeling is obtained. For example, when the thickness T1 is reduced, a click feeling is obtained even with a small pressing force, and when the thickness T1 is increased, a large pressing force is obtained. In that case, a click feeling is obtained. A joining portion 7 is formed around the key portion 6, and a portion of the joining portion 7 joined to the key portion 6 is formed into a curved surface so as to smoothly join the key portion 6. The thickness T2 of the joining portion 7 is adjusted to a thickness at which desired rigidity can be obtained as a whole of the keyboard body 2. For example, if the thickness T2 is increased, the keyboard body 2
The rigidity as a whole is improved. In the present embodiment, in order to ensure the rigidity of the keyboard main body 2 as the keyboard device 1, the thickness T2 of the joining portion 7 is set to be larger than the thickness T1 of the key portion 6. The key portion 6 and the joining portion 7 are integrally formed as shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, a thin metal plate having predetermined irregularities formed on portions corresponding to the key portion 6 and the joint portion 7 in the keyboard body 2 is used.

The keyboard substrate 3 is formed in substantially the same size as the keyboard body 2. Then, the keyboard body 2 is attached to the keyboard board 3. In the present embodiment, the keyboard main body 2 is attached to the keyboard substrate 3 by fitting the keyboard main body 2 to the outer peripheral portion of the keyboard substrate 3.

A movable electrode 4 is provided at the center of each key section 6. A fixed electrode 5 is provided at a position on the keyboard substrate 3 facing each movable electrode 4. And
A circuit (not shown) is formed on the keyboard substrate 3 so that when the movable electrode 4 contacts the fixed electrode 5, it is possible to recognize that a predetermined key has been selected.

Next, the operation of the keyboard device 1 configured as described above will be described.

When an operator of the keyboard device 1 presses a predetermined key portion 6 in order to select a predetermined key, the pressed key portion 6 is moved downward, and at the same time, disposed on the key portion 6. The movable electrode 4 also moves downward with this.
When the key portion 6 is deformed into a concave shape as shown in FIG. 3, the movable electrode 4 comes into contact with the fixed electrode 5 on the keyboard substrate 3. Due to the contact between the movable electrode 4 and the fixed electrode 5,
It is recognized that the predetermined key has been selected. Thus, the key portion 6 is deformed into a concave shape, and the movable electrode 4 and the fixed electrode 5 are deformed.
The operator can recognize that a predetermined key has been selected by the tactile sensation at the time of contact with the user. When the operator releases the finger and the pressing of the key portion 6 is released, the key portion 6 is restored to the original convex shape.

Here, since the end of the key portion 6 is formed in a gentle curved surface, even if the key portion 6 is pressed, the stress applied to the end of the key portion 6 is dispersed throughout the end portion, The ends are less likely to bend. The keyboard body 2 is attached by fitting its outer peripheral portion to the keyboard substrate 3, and when the key portion 6 is pressed, the end of the joint portion 7 is moved slightly downward, so that the keyboard body 2 follows the concave shape of the key portion 6. Deformed into a curved surface. Therefore, the stress applied to the end of the key portion 6 is also distributed to the end of the joint 7. Therefore, the force due to the pressing of the key portion 6 is received by the entire end portion of the key portion 6 and the end portion of the joint portion 7, so that the key portion 6 is hardly damaged, and the durability of the keyboard body 2 is improved.

Further, since the keyboard body 2 is set so that the thickness T2 of the joint portion 7 is thicker than the thickness T1 of the key portion 6, the keyboard body 2 secures rigidity as the keyboard device 1. Therefore, even if the key portion 6 is pressed, the joint portion 7 does not largely move downward with this, and no malfunction occurs.

The keyboard body 2 is made of a thin metal plate.
That is, a flexible material is used, and the thickness T2
Since the thickness T1 of the key portion 6 is set to be smaller than that of the key portion 6, when the key portion 6 is pressed, the key portion 6 is bent without exerting an excessive force. Therefore, the key portion 6 is less likely to be damaged, and the durability of the keyboard body 2 is improved.

Further, since a thin metal plate is used for the keyboard main body 2, heat generated in the keyboard main body 2 due to key operation or the like is easily released to the outside of the keyboard main body 3.

According to the keyboard device 1 of the present embodiment, a structure is provided in which a predetermined key can be selected by bending the keyboard body 2 in which the key portion 6 and the joint portion 7 are integrally formed. The number of components can be greatly reduced as compared with the keyboard device of the first embodiment, and the structure of the keyboard device 1 can be simplified. Further, since the key portion 6 and the joint portion 7 are integrally formed, it is possible to prevent dust from entering the keyboard substrate 3. Further, it is possible to prevent the electromagnetic wave from the keyboard substrate 3 from being emitted to the outside of the keyboard device 1.

According to the keyboard device 1 of the present embodiment, the thickness of the keyboard device 1 is set to a thickness necessary for giving an operator a click feeling of a key (height required for bending of the keyboard body 2). Since only the keyboard device 1 is used, the thickness of the keyboard device 1 can be reduced.

According to the keyboard device 1 of the present embodiment, the key portion 6 is deformed into a concave shape so that the movable electrode 4 and the fixed electrode 5
The user can recognize that a predetermined key has been selected by the tactile sensation when the user touches the key, and can give the operator a click feeling of the key.

According to the keyboard device 1 of the present embodiment, the force due to the pressing of the key portion 6 can be received by the entire end portion of the key portion 6 and the end portion of the joint portion 7, and the keyboard body 2
Durability is improved.

According to the keyboard device 1 of the present embodiment, the thickness T2 of the joining portion 7 is set to be larger than the thickness T1 of the key portion 6, so that the keyboard device 1
As a result, the key portion 6 is easily bent without applying excessive force to the key portion 6.

According to the keyboard device 1 of the present embodiment, since the metal thin plate is used for the keyboard main body 2, heat generated in the keyboard main body 2 by key operation or the like is radiated to the outside of the keyboard main body 3. It is easy to be. Further, the key portion 6 is easily bent without exerting an excessive force on the key portion 6.

The embodiment is not limited to the above, and may be, for example, the following case.

The detecting member only needs to detect the deformation of the key portion 6, and for example, a member in which a piezoelectric element is provided on the keyboard substrate 3 instead of the movable electrode 4 and the fixed electrode 5 may be used. In this case, the number of components of the keyboard device 1 can be further reduced.

The keyboard body 2 may be any as long as the key portion 6 is deformed into a concave shape when the key portion 6 is pressed, and the key portion 6 recovers to a convex shape when the key portion 6 is released. The material may be, for example, various plastics. In this case, it is preferable that the material has a high thermal conductivity so that the heat generated in the keyboard main body 2 can be released outside the keyboard main body 3.

[0032]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention,
The keyboard device can be made thinner. Further, the structure of the keyboard device can be simplified. further,
A key click feeling can be given to the operator.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a keyboard device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the keyboard device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a state where the keyboard device of the present embodiment is pressed.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of a conventional keyboard device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... keyboard device, 2 ... keyboard body, 3 ...
Keyboard substrate, 4 ... Movable electrode constituting detection member,
5: fixed electrode constituting a detecting member, 6: key portion, 7
…… joint.

Claims (5)

[Claims] A plurality of key portions formed in a convex shape and a joint portion for joining the respective key portions are integrally formed, and the key portion is deformed into a concave shape while pressing the key portion, and A keyboard body in which the key portion recovers to a convex shape when the key portion is released, a keyboard substrate to which the keyboard body is attached, and a detection member for detecting deformation of the key portion. Keyboard device. 2. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard body is made of a thin metal plate. 3. The end portion of the joining portion that is joined to the key portion in a state where the key portion is pressed, is deformed into a curved shape along the concave shape. Keyboard device. 4. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein an end of said key portion is formed in a gentle curved surface. 5. The keyboard device according to claim 1, wherein the joint portion of the keyboard body is formed thicker than the key portion.