JP2003151394A - Key switch device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a key switch device capable of dispensing with the constitution slidably guiding up and down a key stem with a holder part, and largely keeping key stroke with accommodating for thinning requirement of a keyboard. SOLUTION: In this key switch, two links for vertically guiding the key top are rotatably connected by crossing them in an X-shaped form in the profile. In a holder member 14, two rotating locking parts 46 and a sliding locking part for locking the links are disposed at three vertexes constituting an isosceles triangle in the profile so as to match to the shape of the key top.

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a key switch device used for a keyboard or the like which is an input device of a word processor, a personal computer or the like. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a key switch device used for this type of keyboard, a key stem protruding downward from the lower surface of a key top having characters and symbols printed on the upper surface is provided. A key switch device in which a switching member is disposed below a key stem while being supported by being inserted through a key holder portion formed in a housing is generally used. In such a key switch device, the key stem is guided up and down in the key holder portion, and when the key top is pressed, the switching member is pressed by the lower portion of the key stem as the key top is moved, whereby the switching operation is performed. It was done. [0003] However, in the conventional key switch device as described above, if the vertical length of the key holder portion is reduced in order to increase the vertical stroke of the key top, the key stem and The sliding length of the key top is insufficient, and the key top is depressed when pressed. Therefore, the key touch cannot be performed smoothly, so that the vertical length of the key holder cannot be reduced, and the keyboard cannot be made thinner. [0004] In order to solve this problem, the applicant of the present application has disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent Application No. 3-330160 (Japanese Patent Application No. 4-310242, which filed a priority application in Japan) the vertical movement of the key top. The guide support means is composed of a first link and a second link arranged in an X-shape in a side view, and an intermediate portion between the two links is rotatably connected, and each of the first link and the second link is provided. One of the free ends is rotatably locked to the key top lower surface and the holder member, and the other free end is slidably locked to the key top lower surface and the holder member. We proposed a key switch device that performs switching operation with a rubber spring. [0005] In this key switch device, each link is composed of two locking pins that are rotatably locked and two locking pins that are slidably locked. Since it is arranged at two corners, for example, in a modified key top such as a cursor key (triangular) or a return key (L-shaped), a substantially square formed by each locking pin must be reduced. Did not. Further, when the operation surface outside the enclosed range is pressed, there is a problem that a twist occurs, and further, there is a problem that the link interferes with the rubber spring. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and eliminates the need for a configuration in which a key stem is slid up and down by a key holder portion, thereby reducing the thickness of a keyboard and reducing key strokes. Provided is a key switch device that can be maintained large and can move while maintaining a constant state without displacing a key top in a horizontal direction with respect to a holder member, regardless of a position pressed. It is aimed at. In order to achieve this object, a key switch device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a key top and a plurality of locking portions disposed below the key top. The key top includes a formed holder member, a first link member and a second link member that are connected and locked to a lower surface of the key top and a plurality of locking portions of the holder member, and guide the key top in a vertical direction. A key switch device that performs a switching operation in accordance with a vertical movement, wherein a locking portion of a holder member is arranged in accordance with a shape of the key top so that the key top can be moved downward by a pressing operation. It is. According to the key switch device of the present invention having the above structure, when the keytop is pressed, the first link member and the second link member move and descend, and the keytop is displaced in the horizontal direction. Without moving down, while maintaining a certain state. Then, the switching operation is performed in accordance with the fall of the key top. On the other hand, when the pressing operation of the key top is released, the first link member and the second link member
Return to the original position with the key top. An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The key switch device 2 has a key support 4 on which characters, symbols and the like are printed on the upper surface, and a guide support member 6 in which a first link 8 and a second link 10 are arranged in an X shape in side view.
A cap-shaped rubber spring 12 pressed by the guide support member 6, a synthetic resin holder member 14 for supporting the guide support member 6, and a rubber spring 12
A flexible printed circuit board 16 provided with a switching section 20 on the lower surface thereof, and a reinforcing plate 18 stretched on the lower surface thereof. As shown in FIG. 2, the rubber spring 12
Is inserted into the mounting hole 21 of the holder member 14 so as to cover the upper side of the switching unit 20 on the printed board 16 or is adhered to the printed board 16.
The rubber spring 12 is made of electrically insulating silicone rubber, EPDM, or the like, and has a substantially disk-shaped head in plan view, a conical dome extending downward from the periphery of the head, and a dome. Are formed integrally with each other in the shape of a downward-opening cap comprising a flange portion extending substantially horizontally and radially outward on the outer periphery of the cap. When the key top 4 is pressed, the lower surface of the head of the rubber spring 12 pressed by the pressing portion 22 of the guide support member 6 is brought into contact with the contact portion of the switching portion 20 to be electrically turned ON / OFF. A movable contact 24 made of conductive rubber having conductivity is fixed. The flexible printed circuit board 16 forming the switching section 20 may be a circuit board such as a membrane switch circuit board. In this case, rubber spring 1
It is not necessary to fix the movable contact 24 to 2. The key top 4 is formed of a synthetic resin such as an ABS resin and has a triangular operation surface as shown in FIG. 1, and a lower surface thereof has a first link as a first link member described later. 8 is a longitudinal groove-shaped sliding locking portion 28 for locking the locking portion 26 on the upper end side so as to be slidable in a substantially horizontal direction.
And a hole-shaped rotation locking portion 32 for locking the locking pins 30a, 30b on the upper end side of the second link 10 as the second link member so as to be rotatable only. Next, the structure of the first link 8 and the second link 10 made of synthetic resin such as POM resin will be described. FIG.
3A is a plan view of the first link 8, and FIG. 3B is a plan view of the second link 10. The first link 8 is formed integrally with the base 34 and the locking pin 26 and the locking pins 36a and 36b so as to be substantially triangular in plan view.
A support hole 38 is formed in a lateral direction (vertical direction in FIG. 3 (a)) on the side surface, and locking pins 36a and 36b are formed in a lateral direction (vertical direction in FIG. ), And a locking pin 26 is provided at the upper end. The second link 10 also includes a base 40 and a locking pin 30.
a, 30b and the locking pin 42 are integrally formed in a substantially triangular shape in plan view. A pivot shaft 44 projects laterally (in the vertical direction in FIG. 3B) from the inner surface of the base 40, and the pivot shaft 44 is rotatably inserted into the support hole 38 of the first link 8. Have been. A locking pin 42 is provided at the lower end of the second link 10, and the locking pins 30a and 30b are oriented laterally on the outer surface of the upper end (FIG. 3B).
In the vertical direction). The first link 8 and the second link 10 assembled as described later are arranged so as to overlap the operation surface of the key top 4 in plan view. In this embodiment, when viewed from the side, the upper and lower locking pins 2 extend from the center line of the support hole 38 in the first link 8.
6, 36a, and the distance from the center line of the pivot 44 in the second link 5 to the locking pins 30a, 42 are formed to be equal to each other. With the above-described configuration, the guide support member 6 is connected to the locking pins 36 a and 36 b at the lower end of the first link 8 and the second link 1.
The key top 4 is pivotally displaced about the locking pins 30a, 30b on the upper end side of the key member 4 so that the key top 4 is
4 can be moved up and down while maintaining a horizontal state with respect to the upper surface. FIG. 4 is a view showing a part of the holder member 14 made of a synthetic resin such as an ABS resin.
A mounting hole 21 in which a cap-shaped rubber spring 12 can be arranged is formed in the mounting hole 21. A pair (two) of rotation locking portions 46 is provided on one side edge of the mounting hole 21 and a mounting hole 21 is provided on the other side edge. Is formed by injection molding integrally with one sliding groove 48 in the form of a longitudinal groove. As shown in FIG. 4, the pair (two) of the rotation locking portions 46 and the one sliding locking portion 48 are disposed on three vertexes forming an isosceles triangle in plan view. . Thus, since two rotation locking portions 46 that can securely lock the first link 8 or the second link 10 are provided,
Even with three locking portions, the first link 8 and the second link 10 can be stably supported. Next, a description will be given of an assembling process of the key switch device having the above configuration.
Then, in the assembled state, the lower end locking pins 36a, 36a of the first link 8 are assembled.
b to the rotation locking portion 46 of the holder member 14 and the lower locking pin 42 of the second link 10 to the sliding locking portion 4.
8, the upper locking pin 26 of the first link 8 is connected to the sliding locking portion 28 of the keytop 4, and the upper locking pins 30 a and 30 b of the second link 10 are connected to the rotating locking portion 32. It is assembled by locking each. At this time, the locking pins 36a, 36b and 4
2, and the shape and dimensions of the rotation locking portion 46 and the sliding locking portion 48 are such that the first link 8 and the second link 10 are substantially immovable in the left-right direction in FIG. 2 is determined so as not to hinder sliding in the left-right direction. With this configuration, when the key top 4 is pressed, the first link 8 rotates downward (rotates clockwise in FIG. 2) around the rotation locking portion 46 of the holder member 14, while The second link 10 rotates counterclockwise around the pivot shaft 44 in FIG. Then,
The pressing portion 22 of the first link 8 presses the head of the rubber spring 12 downward, and the movable contact 24 on the lower surface thereof contacts the switching portion 20 to perform a switching operation. As described above, one of the sliding locking portions 48 of the holder member 14 includes the upright wall erected on the holder member 14, the upper wall extending outward from the upright wall, and the key. Since it is open outward from the top, the second from the open
The second link 10 is inserted into the holder member 1 by inserting the link 10.
4 can be easily locked, and there is no need to separately provide a structure for restricting the ascending position of the key top in the key stem unlike the conventional key switch device. Can be restricted. As in this embodiment, when the locking pins 26 of the first link 8 and the locking pins 30a, 30b of the second link are arranged around the key top 4 having a triangular operation surface, The triangle that connects the locking pins with a straight line is the key top 4
It almost matches the operation surface of. In other words, there is no area that cannot be surrounded by each locking pin, and even if any part of the operation surface is pressed, the key top 4 is held by the holder member 1.
4 can be moved up and down while maintaining a horizontal state with respect to the upper surface. The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described in detail above, and various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the present invention can be applied to a key top 60 having an L-shaped operation surface such as a return key. The first link 8 and the second link in this case
Since the structure and arrangement relationship of the link 10 and the rubber spring 12 are substantially the same as those in the above embodiment,
Detailed description is omitted. As described in detail above, according to the key switch device of the present invention, a structure in which the key stem is slid up and down by the key holder portion is unnecessary, and the keyboard can be made thinner. The keystroke can be kept large, and the keytop can be moved while maintaining a constant state without being displaced in the horizontal direction with respect to the holder member, no matter what position is pressed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment embodying the configuration of a key switch device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the key switch device shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a guide support member used in the key switch device of the present invention, wherein (a) is a plan view of a first link,
(B) is a plan view of the second link. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a mounting hole of a holder member in the key switch device of the present invention. 5 is a sectional view of the key switch device shown in FIG. 2, taken along the line AA. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a configuration of a return key as another embodiment. [Description of Signs] 2 Key switch device 4 Key top 6 Guide support member 8 First link 10 Second link 12 Rubber spring 14 Holder member 20 Switching section 28 Sliding locking section 32 Rotating locking section 46 Rotating locking Part 48 Sliding locking part

   ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page    (72) Inventor Makoto Watanabe             Brother, 15-1 Naeshiro-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya-shi             Industrial Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 5G006 AA02 AB25 AC07 AZ01 BA01                       BB03 BC04 CB01 CB05 FB08

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A key top, a holder member disposed below the key top and having a plurality of locking portions, a lower surface of the key top, and a plurality of holder members. The first that is connected and locked to the locking part and guides the vertical movement of the key top
A key switch device comprising a link member and a second link member, and performing a switching operation in accordance with a vertical movement of the key top, wherein the key top can be moved downward by a pressing operation thereof. A key switch device wherein a locking portion of a member is arranged in accordance with a shape of a key top.