JP2001210173A - Key switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a key switch which can be formed in thin shape at low cost with a simple configuration. SOLUTION: A membrane sheet 12 with a switch terminal installed on reinforcement metal fittings 11, a click rubber 13 set on the switch terminal of the membrane sheet and a key top piece 14 is supported to move vertically with a link mechanism 15 of flat X shape which makes contact with the click rubber. It can slide to installed link guide 18, 19 and the bottom of each link, which compose the link mechanism, connects them with the reinforcement metal fittings respectively on a fixed side. The link guide 18 and 19 are projecting from the reinforcement metal fittings up in the upper part of the membrane sheet. The key switch 10 is composed such that they can spread mutually concerning the direction to which the link slides from the edge toward the other side.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a key switch, and more particularly to a key switch used in a thin keyboard provided in a notebook type word processor, a personal computer, or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, such a key switch is configured as shown in FIG. 2, for example. In FIG.
The key switch 1 includes a membrane sheet 3 disposed on a reinforcing metal fitting 2 made of a metal plate and a membrane sheet 3 except for a switch terminal (not shown) of the membrane sheet 3.
, A click rubber 5 placed on the switch terminal portion of the membrane sheet 3, and a key disposed to be able to contact the upper surface of the click rubber 5 from above. And top 6.

The above-mentioned membrane sheet 3 has a convex portion (not shown) slightly protruding upward at a switch terminal portion provided at the center, and the convex portion is pressed from above by being pressed from above. The switch operation is performed by opening or closing a switch electrode provided therein.

[0004] The frame 4 is made of plastic, and covers the surface of the membrane sheet 3 except for the switch terminals.

The click rubber 5 has a known configuration and is formed in a hollow truncated cone shape by rubber. Based on the shape and elasticity, the click rubber 5 gives a click feeling when the upper surface 5a is pressed downward. With membrane sheet 3
Is pressed downward to open or close the switch electrode.

The key top 6 is formed of, for example, a plastic such as ABS, and letters and symbols such as alphabets are formed on the upper surface thereof by printing or the like.
Further, the key top 6 includes a pressing portion 6a extending downward from the central lower surface, and when the key top 6 itself moves downward by a pressing operation of the key top 6,
The pressing portion 6a presses the upper surface of the click rubber 5 downward.

Further, the key top 6 is supported by a link mechanism 7 so as to be vertically movable. The link mechanism 7 includes rotating shafts 7 a and 7 rotatably supported along opposing side edges (left and right side edges in the drawing) of the key top 6.
two links 7 whose upper ends are swingably supported around b
c, 7d and link guide grooves 7e, 7f for slidably supporting the lower ends of the links 7c, 7d in the lateral direction.
And is composed of

As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the links 7c and 7d are depressed by the key top 6 from the inclined positions extending obliquely downward and inwardly, so that the lower ends thereof become the link guide grooves 7e and 7f. Are guided so as to slide in the direction approaching each other. Here, the link guide grooves 7e and 7f are integrally formed with the frame 4 so as to protrude upward from the upper surface of the frame 4.

According to the key switch 1 having such a configuration, when the user presses down the key top 6 with his / her finger, the key top 6 is guided downward by the link mechanism 7, and at this time, the key top 6 is guided. 6 presses the upper surface of the click rubber 5 downward. Accordingly, the upper surface of the click rubber 5 moves downward, and presses the switch terminal portion of the membrane sheet 3 downward. Thus, the switch terminal of the membrane sheet 3 is opened or closed, and the switch is operated.

Thereafter, when the user stops pressing the key top 6 and releases his / her finger, the key top 6 is clicked by the click rubber 5.
2 and returns to the position shown in FIG. 2, and the switch terminal of the membrane sheet 3 returns to the original state from the open or closed state.

[0011]

However, in the key switch 1 having such a structure, the link guide grooves 7e and 7f are provided above the upper surface of the frame 4, and the links 7c and 7d are compared. Since the key switch 1 is in the upright state, the entire key switch 1 is relatively thick. For this reason, there has been a problem that a demand for a thinner keyboard in a notebook personal computer or the like cannot be met.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a key switch that can be formed at a low cost and with a low profile with a simple configuration.

[0013]

According to the present invention, there is provided, in accordance with the present invention, a membrane sheet having a switch terminal mounted on a reinforcing member, and a click rubber provided on the switch terminal of the membrane sheet. And a key top supported by a flat X-shaped link mechanism so as to be able to abut on the upper surface of the click rubber so as to be able to move up and down. Respectively, slidably engaged with link guides provided integrally with the reinforcing fittings, respectively, and the link guides project upward from the reinforcing fittings on the upper side of the membrane sheet and slide from the upper ends thereof. This is achieved by a key switch, characterized in that they extend in opposite directions with respect to the direction.

[0014] The key switch according to the present invention is preferably configured such that the link guide section cuts and raises a part of the reinforcing bracket.

According to the above configuration, the link guide portion provided on the fixed side of the link mechanism for supporting the key top movably up and down is positioned above the membrane sheet.
Since the link guide groove is formed integrally with the reinforcing metal, the link guide groove is not located above the upper surface of the frame as in the related art, but is located on the membrane sheet.

Therefore, as compared with the conventional key switch,
Since the link guide portion is disposed below by the thickness of the frame and the link mechanism is constituted by a flat X-shaped link, the key top is disposed further below the thickness of the frame. Is done. Thus, the entire key switch can be configured to be thinner than the thickness of the frame, so that the key switch can be used for a thinner keyboard.

In this case, the link guide portion is formed by cutting and raising a part of the reinforcing substrate at four positions corresponding to the lower ends of the respective links on the reinforcing substrate and bending them to the opposite sides in the link sliding direction. , Easily and at low cost, the cost of the entire key switch can be reduced.

Further, since the lower side of the link guide groove is defined by a membrane sheet having a smooth surface, the lower end of the link can slide smoothly in the link guide groove, so that the feel of key operation is improved. Will do.

Further, since a frame is not required as compared with the conventional key switch, the number of parts can be reduced, and the parts cost and the assembly cost can be reduced.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a key switch according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, a key switch 10 includes a reinforcing metal fitting 11 made of a metal plate.
A membrane sheet 12 disposed thereon, a click rubber 13 placed on a switch terminal portion of the membrane sheet 12, and a key top 14 disposed so as to be able to contact the upper surface of the click rubber 13 from above. , Key top 1
And a link mechanism 15 for supporting the movable member 4 up and down.

The membrane sheet 12 has a convex portion (not shown) slightly projecting upward at a switch terminal portion provided at the center, and the convex portion is pressed from above by being pressed from above. The switch operation is performed by opening or closing a switch electrode provided therein.

The click rubber 13 has a well-known structure and is formed in a hollow truncated cone shape by rubber. Based on its shape and elasticity, when the upper edge 13a is pressed downward, a click feeling is generated. At the same time, the switch terminal portion of the membrane sheet 12 is pressed downward to open or close the switch electrode.

The key top 14 is formed of, for example, a plastic such as ABS, and letters and symbols such as alphabets are formed on the upper surface thereof by printing or the like. The lower surface of the key top 14 acts as a pressing portion, and when the key top 14 itself moves downward by a pressing operation of the key top 14, the lower surface presses the upper edge 13a of the click rubber 13 downward. It has become.

The link mechanism 15 is rotatable by link guides 14a and 14b along opposite side edges (left and right side edges in the drawing) of the key top 14 and in a lateral direction (left and right directions in the drawing). Shaft 1 slidably supported on the shaft
Two links 16, 17 whose upper ends are swingably supported around 6a, 17a and cross each other in a flat X-shape
And a link guide portion 1 for supporting the rotating shafts 16c, 17c, on which the lower ends 16b, 17b of the links 16, 17 are swingably supported, respectively, so as to be slidable along the lateral direction.
8 and 19. As a result, the links 16 and 17 are linked by the link guide portions 18 and 19 in FIG.
When the key top 14 is depressed from the inclined position extending obliquely inward toward each other as shown in FIG.
6 and 17 are guided so as to form an even flatter X-shape.

Here, the link guide portions 14a, 14
b is formed integrally with the key top 14 and extends toward the opposite sides to define a guide groove that is open outward as shown in the figure. Also,
The link guides 18 and 19 are provided on the membrane sheet 1.
A part of the reinforcing metal member 11 is cut and raised so that the reinforcing metal member 11 is formed on the surface of the metal member 2, and is bent toward opposite sides. At that time, the link guide groove 1
The lower sides of 8 and 19 will be defined by the surface of the membrane sheet 12. Thereby, the frame 4 in the conventional key switch 1 shown in FIG. 2 can be omitted.

Key switch 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention
Is configured as described above. When the user presses down the key top 14 with his / her finger, the key top 14 is guided downward by the link mechanism 15, and at this time, the lower surface of the key top 14 is The upper edge 13a of the click rubber 13 is pressed downward. As a result, the click rubber 13 moves its upper edge 13a downward, and presses the switch terminal portion of the membrane sheet 12 downward. Thus, the switch terminal of the membrane sheet 12 is opened or closed, and the switch is operated.

Thereafter, when the user stops pressing the key top 14 and releases his / her finger, the key top 14 moves upward based on the elasticity of the click rubber 13 and returns to the position shown in FIG. The 12 switch terminal sections return to the original state from the open or closed state.

In this case, regarding the link mechanism 15 for supporting the key top 14, the lower ends 16b, 16b of the links 16, 17 are provided.
17b slides in the link guides 18 and 19 defined on the membrane sheet 12, so that the link guide 17b is compared with the conventional key switch 1 shown in FIG. 18, 19 and the link mechanism 15 are arranged at positions lower by the thickness of the frame. Further, since the links 16 and 17 intersect in a flat X-shape, the height of the link mechanism 15 can be configured to be lower.

Therefore, since the key top 14 is disposed at a position lower by the thickness of the frame and by the height reduction of the link mechanism 15, the key switch 10 as a whole can be made thinner. Thus, by using this key switch 10 to form a keyboard, a thinner keyboard can be formed, and a key switch suitable for a thin notebook personal computer or the like can be obtained.

Further, since the lower side of the link guide grooves 18 and 19 is defined by the surface of the membrane sheet 12, the lower ends 16b and 17b of the links 16 and 17 are formed.
Is a membrane sheet 1 having a smooth surface during sliding.
2 is slid, and the sliding is performed smoothly.
Accordingly, the key top 14 can be pressed smoothly, in combination with the fact that the links 16 and 17 of the link mechanism 15 intersect each other, and the feeling of key operation is improved.

The link guide 1 of the link mechanism 15
Since the frames 8 and 19 are formed integrally with the reinforcing bracket 11, the frame 4 in the conventional key switch 1 shown in FIG. 2 can be omitted, and the link guides 18 and 19 can be omitted.
Can be easily formed by cutting and raising a part of the reinforcing bracket 11 and bending it. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced, and parts costs and assembly costs can be reduced.

In the above-described embodiment, each of the links 16 and 17 of the link mechanism 15 is configured such that both upper and lower ends thereof can slide with respect to the key top 14 or the link guide portions 18 and 19. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
4 may be rotatably supported.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, the link guide portion provided on the fixed side of the link mechanism that supports the key top so as to be vertically movable is positioned above the membrane sheet. Since the link guide groove is formed integrally with the reinforcing metal, the link guide groove is not located above the upper surface of the frame as in the related art, but is located on the membrane sheet.

Therefore, as compared with the conventional key switch,
Since the link guide portion is disposed below by the thickness of the frame and the link mechanism is constituted by a flat X-shaped link, the key top is disposed further below the thickness of the frame. Is done. Thus, the entire key switch can be configured to be thinner than the thickness of the frame, so that the key switch can be used for a thinner keyboard.

In this case, the link guide portion is formed by cutting and raising a part of the reinforcing substrate at four positions corresponding to the lower ends of the respective links on the reinforcing substrate, and bending the same to the opposite sides in the link sliding direction. , Easily and at low cost, the cost of the entire key switch can be reduced.

Further, since the lower side of the link guide groove is defined by a membrane sheet having a smooth surface, the lower end of the link can slide smoothly in the link guide groove, so that the feel of key operation is improved. Will do. Also,
Compared with a conventional key switch, since a frame is not required, the number of parts can be reduced, and parts costs and assembly costs can be reduced.

Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an extremely excellent key switch which can be formed at a low cost and with a thin structure with a simple structure.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an embodiment of a key switch according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing a configuration of an example of a conventional key switch.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Key switch 11 Reinforcement fitting 12 Membrane sheet 13 Click rubber 14 Key top 14a, 14b Link guide part 15 Link mechanism 16, 17 Link 16a, 17a, 17c, 17c Rotating shaft 16b, 17b Lower end 18, 19 Link guide part

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A membrane sheet having a switch terminal portion mounted on a reinforcing bracket, a click rubber provided on the switch terminal portion of the membrane sheet, and a flat X that can contact an upper surface of the click rubber. A key top supported by a letter-shaped link mechanism so that it can move up and down,
The lower end of each link constituting the link mechanism is slidably engaged on a fixed side with a link guide unit provided integrally with the reinforcing bracket, respectively. A key switch protruding upward from the reinforcing metal fitting above the membrane sheet and extending from the upper end thereof toward opposite sides with respect to the link sliding direction. 2. The key switch according to claim 1, wherein the link guide portion is formed by cutting and raising a part of a reinforcing bracket.