JPH05174666A - Key board - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve operability by increasing the number of key strokes in a thin type key board. CONSTITUTION:A link member 6 is put between a key top A and an action piece 5. One end of the link member 6 is connected to the key top A by a rotational shaft 7, and the other end is connected to the action piece 5 by a rotational shaft 8. The key top A penetrates a surface panel 2 through a fitting hole 3 in the surface panel provided in parallel to the main surface of a key board main body 1 so that the panel can be moved freely, and the key top is supported thereby. When the surface panel 2 is moved in parallel to the key board, the key top A is protruded out of or pushed into the surface panel 2. Since the number of key strokes is increased at the same degree that the key top A is protruded, a key switch 4 having sufficient number of key strokes can be used on a thin type key board.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a keyboard, and more particularly to a support structure for a key top used in a thin keyboard.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a small and lightweight portable computer or the like, a keyboard device has been formed as thin as possible. As a key switch used in the keyboard device, a key switch having a shorter operating stroke has been used in order to make the keyboard device thinner.

[0003]

However, when the keyboard device is made thin, if the operating stroke of the key top of the key switch is shortened as described above, there is a problem that the operability deteriorates due to the reduced stroke. Occurs.

An object of the present invention is to use a key switch that can secure a sufficient working stroke even with a thin keyboard, so that the keyboard becomes a thin keyboard when not in use and functions as a keyboard with sufficient key stroke when using the keyboard. , To provide a keyboard that improves operability at the time of key input.

[0005]

In the keyboard according to the present invention, one end is rotatably connected to the key top and the other end is pivotally connected to the operator between the key top and the operator of the key switch. A link member, which is freely connected and has rotating shafts at both ends directed in a direction orthogonal to the operation direction of the operator, is interposed, and the key top is in a direction parallel to the main surface of the keyboard body. The front panel is pierced and supported through a key-top fitting hole in a front panel that is provided so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to both ends of the link member.

[0006]

The link member converts the movement of the key top in the direction parallel to the front panel into the movement of the front panel in the thickness direction, and the movement of the front panel causes the key top to project from the front panel.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 is a perspective view showing the unused state of the keyboard according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the unused state of the key top portion, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the used state of the keyboard according to the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a usage state of a key top portion.

In these figures, 1 is the main body of the keyboard according to the present invention, 2 is a front panel, and 2 is this front panel.
Is mounted on the upper part of the keyboard body 1 so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to its main surface.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, key tops A to H are pierced and supported through the front panel 2 through the key top fitting holes 3.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a key switch attached to each of the key tops A to H. The key switch 4 is fixed to the keyboard body 1 and is provided so as to move forward and backward toward the front panel 2. The operator 5 is provided. The operator 5 is connected to the key tops A to H via a link member 6 that constitutes a crank mechanism.

The link member 6 has one end rotatably connected to the key tops A to H via a connecting shaft 7 and the other end connected to the operator 5 via a connecting shaft 8. Both connecting shafts 7 and 8 are parallel to each other and are oriented orthogonal to the operating direction of the actuator 5.

The length dimension of the link member 6 is
As shown in FIG. 2, the key tops A to H are formed with such a size that the key tops A to H are recessed into the fitting hole 3 when the front panel 2 is moved to one end side in the moving direction. In this example,
The upper surfaces of the key tops A to H are arranged in series with the upper surface of the front panel 2 in a state where the key tops A to H are immersed in the fitting hole 3.

Next, the procedure for using the keyboard thus constructed will be described. First, the front panel 2 is translated from the unused state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as indicated by an arrow a in the figure.

When the front panel 2 moves, its fitting hole 3
The key tops A to H fitted therein are pushed in the same direction as the front panel 2, and move so as to erect the link member 6. At this time, because the link member 6 rotates about the rotation shaft 8 on the key switch 4 side, the key top A
~ H comes to project from the front panel 2 to the upper side while moving in the lateral direction.

The amount of movement of the front panel 2 is set to a dimension in which the link member 6 is in a straight line with the operator 5, as shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, the arrow b indicates the movement start position of the fitting hole 3a, and the arrow c indicates the movement end position. Also,
Arrow d indicates the movement start position on the top surface of the key top, and arrow e
Indicates the movement end position.

The keyboard according to the present invention is used with the key tops A to H projected from the front panel 2 as shown in FIGS. In that state, when the key tops A to H are pressed, the force is transmitted to the operator 5 via the link member 6.

Therefore, the movement of the key tops A to H in the direction parallel to the front panel 2 can be changed to the movement of the front panel 2 in the thickness direction by the link member 6, so that the key top A can be moved by moving the front panel 2. ~ H can appear and disappear.

Therefore, in a state where the key tops A to H are projected from the front panel 2, the key stroke is increased by the above-mentioned projection amount.

[0019]

As described above, in the keyboard according to the present invention, between the key top and the operator of the key switch,
One end of which is rotatably connected to the key top and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the operator, and the rotating shafts of both ends are connected via a link member oriented in a direction orthogonal to the operation direction of the operator. The key top through a fitting hole for the key top, through a front panel movably provided in a direction parallel to the main surface of the keyboard body and orthogonal to both end rotation axes of the link member. Since it is supported, the movement of the keytop in the direction parallel to the front panel is changed to the movement of the front panel in the thickness direction by the link member, and the movement of the front panel causes the keytop to project from the front panel.

Therefore, the number of key strokes is increased by the amount of protrusion of the key top, so that a key switch having a sufficient key stroke can be used on the thin keyboard, and the operability can be improved even with the thin keyboard.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an unused state of a keyboard according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an unused state of a key top portion.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a usage state of the keyboard according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a usage state of a key top portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Keyboard Main Body 2 Front Panel 3 Fitting Hole 4 Key Switch 5 Actuator 6 Link Member 7 Rotation Axis 8 Rotation Axis A Key Top

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a keyboard in which a key switch is fixed to a keyboard body and an operator of the key switch is pressed by a key top, one end is rotatably connected to the key top between the key top and the operator. And the other end is rotatably connected to the actuator, and the rotation shafts at both ends are provided with link members oriented in a direction orthogonal to the operating direction of the actuator. A keyboard, wherein a front panel movably provided in a direction parallel to the main surface of the link member and in a direction orthogonal to both end rotation axes of the link member is supported through the key top fitting hole.